羅馬書11:1-10

 

11:1 我且說，上帝棄絕了他的百姓嗎？斷乎沒有！因為我也是以色列人，亞伯拉罕的後裔，屬便雅憫支派的。
11:2 上帝並沒有棄絕他預先所知道的百姓。你們豈不曉得經上論到以利亞是怎麼說的呢？他在上帝面前怎樣控告以色列人說：
11:3 「主啊，他們殺了你的先知，拆了你的祭壇，只剩下我一個人；他們還要尋索我的命。」
11:4 上帝的回話是怎麼說的呢？他說：「我為自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝的。」
11:5 如今也是這樣，照著揀選的恩典，還有所留的餘數。
11:6 既是出於恩典，就不在乎行為；不然，恩典就不是恩典了。
11:7 這是怎麼樣呢？以色列人所求的，他們沒有得著。惟有蒙揀選的人得著了；其餘的就成了頑梗不化的。
11:8 如經上所記：上帝給他們昏迷的心，眼睛不能看見，耳朵不能聽見，直到今日。
11:9 大衛也說：願他們的筵席變為網羅，變為機檻，變為絆腳石，作他們的報應。
11:10 願他們的眼睛昏矇，不得看見；願你時常彎下他們的腰。

 

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”^[a]? ⁴ And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”⁵ So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, ⁸ as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that could not see
    and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”^[c]

⁹ And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
¹⁰ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.”

 

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    在聖經中有一個奇妙的觀點就是「餘民」，而保羅在這裡也強調餘民的觀念：「如今也是這樣，照著揀選的恩典，還有所留的餘數。」

 

    正如以利亞的時代，許多人拜巴力。於是他為主大發熱心，一人力拼四百多名巴力先知於迦密山上，雖然向以色列人見證耶和華是上帝！然而他仍向上帝感嘆：「主啊，他們殺了你的先知，拆了你的祭壇，只剩下我一個人；他們還要尋索我的命。」

 

    上帝的回話是怎麼說的呢？他說：「我為自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝的。」

 

    也因為這樣，保羅知道有許多猶大人沒有信耶穌，還逼迫教會！但是他不害怕，他相信上帝有上帝奇妙的作為，上帝的應許必不會落空！

 

    我們也要如此信靠上帝！