哥林多後書5:12-21

 

5:12 我們不是向你們再舉薦自己，乃是叫你們因我們有可誇之處，好對那憑外貌不憑內心誇口的人，有言可答。
5:13 我們若果顛狂，是為　神；若果謹守，是為你們。
5:14 原來基督的愛激勵我們；因我們想，一人既替眾人死，眾人就都死了；
5:15 並且他替眾人死，是叫那些活著的人不再為自己活，乃為替他們死而復活的主活。
5:16 所以，我們從今以後，不憑著外貌（原文是肉體；本節同）認人了。雖然憑著外貌認過基督，如今卻不再這樣認他了。
5:17 若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，舊事已過，都變成新的了。
5:18 一切都是出於　神；他藉著基督使我們與他和好，又將勸人與他和好的職分賜給我們。
5:19 這就是　神在基督裡，叫世人與自己和好，不將他們的過犯歸到他們身上，並且將這和好的道理託付了我們。
5:20 所以，我們作基督的使者，就好像　神藉我們勸你們一般。我們替基督求你們與　神和好。
5:21 　神使那無罪（無罪：原文是不知罪）的，替我們成為罪，好叫我們在他裡面成為　神的義。

¹² We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³ If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

 ¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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    「因信稱義」是基督信仰一個重要的基礎，也是與每一位上帝所揀選的人息息相關，若沒有這樣的基礎，沒有一個人可以得著拯救，可以上帝被接納，成為上帝的兒女，以致將來可以承受上帝的國。

    然而「因信稱義」不光是一個教義的敘述，更是上帝拯救的行動，祂藉由祂的愛子耶穌基督的降生、受苦、釘十字架、死、埋葬、落入陰間、第三日從死裡復活、升天、坐在上帝的右邊、將來再臨。而在復活與再臨之間，祂差遣聖靈引導我們成為基督徒，建立教會。

    若沒有上帝的行動，「因信稱義」是空談；相反的，因為上帝在行動，我們也感受到「因信稱義」是上帝的大能，是福音。這福音要拯救一切屬於上帝的人，是沒有條件的揀選。也因為這是上帝的行動，必保守我們這些在基督裡的人到永遠。

    也因為如此，我們可以放心將自己交託在上帝的手中，祂的應許必成就在我們身上，使我們進入榮耀的上帝國與祂同作王到千千萬萬年，我們當將一切榮耀歸給祂，阿們！