1:8 第一,我靠著耶穌基督,為你們眾人感謝我的上帝,因你們的信德傳遍了天下。
1:9 我在他兒子福音上,用心靈所事奉的上帝可以見證,我怎樣不住地提到你們;
1:10 在禱告之間常常懇求,或者照上帝的旨意,終能得平坦的道路往你們那裡去。
1:11 因為我切切地想見你們,要把些屬靈的恩賜分給你們,使你們可以堅固;
1:12 這樣,我在你們中間,因你與我彼此的信心,就可以同得安慰。
1:13 弟兄們,我不願意你們不知道,我屢次定意往你們那裡去,要在你們中間得些果子,如同在其餘的外邦人中一樣;只是到如今仍有阻隔。
1:14 無論是希臘人、化外人、聰明人、愚拙人,我都欠他們的債,
1:15 所以情願盡我的力量,將福音也傳給你們在羅馬的人。
1:16 我不以福音為恥;這福音本是上帝的大能,要救一切相信的,先是猶太人,後是希臘人。
1:17 因為上帝的義正在這福音上顯明出來;這義是本於信,以至於信。如經上所記:「義人必因信得生。」
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[d] that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
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有兩個詞在和合本聖經表達得不是很好,就是英文的「righteousness」和「justice」。其實兩者意義是有差異的:「righteousness」是與上帝之間的關係;「justice」是談到平等性和不虧欠別人。這裡提到「信」的結果是讓人與上帝有合宜的關係,不是讓人覺得自己比別人好。
而然透過與上帝和好,才能繼續享受上帝的供應,是一種生命的聯繫,好像一棵樹栽在溪水旁,如此才能脫離死亡,進入永生的福樂!也因為如此,才能說:「義人必因信得生。」
因此說到福音,有一點是非常重要的:就是要和上帝建立合宜的關係,讓上帝成為我們的上帝,我們成為上帝的兒女!而要建立這樣的關係,就是要透過耶穌基督,我們的責任就是「信靠」、就是「跟隨」主耶穌!
*** 請繼續閱讀: 羅馬書1章