以斯帖記6:1-14

 

6:1 那夜王睡不著覺，就吩咐人取歷史來，念給他聽。
6:2 正遇見書上寫著說：王的太監中有兩個守門的，辟探和提列，想要下手害亞哈隨魯王，末底改將這事告訴王后。
6:3 王說：「末底改行了這事，賜他甚麼尊榮爵位沒有？」伺候王的臣僕回答說：「沒有賜他甚麼。」
6:4 王說：「誰在院子裡？」（那時哈曼正進王宮的外院，要求王將末底改掛在他所預備的木架上。）
6:5 臣僕說：「哈曼站在院內。」王說：「叫他進來。」
6:6 哈曼就進去。王問他說：「王所喜悅尊榮的人，當如何待他呢？」哈曼心裡說：「王所喜悅尊榮的，不是我是誰呢？」
6:7 哈曼就回答說：「王所喜悅尊榮的，
6:8 當將王常穿的朝服和戴冠的御馬，
6:9 都交給王極尊貴的一個大臣，命他將衣服給王所喜悅尊榮的人穿上，使他騎上馬，走遍城裡的街市，在他面前宣告說：王所喜悅尊榮的人，就如此待他。」
6:10 王對哈曼說：「你速速將這衣服和馬，照你所說的，向坐在朝門的猶大人末底改去行。凡你所說的，一樣不可缺。」
6:11 於是哈曼將朝服給末底改穿上，使他騎上馬，走遍城裡的街市，在他面前宣告說：「王所喜悅尊榮的人，就如此待他。」
6:12 末底改仍回到朝門，哈曼卻憂憂悶悶地蒙著頭，急忙回家去了，
6:13 將所遇的一切事詳細說給他的妻細利斯和他的眾朋友聽。他的智慧人和他的妻細利斯對他說：「你在末底改面前始而敗落，他如果是猶大人，你必不能勝他，終必在他面前敗落。」
6:14 他們還與哈曼說話的時候，王的太監來催哈曼快去赴以斯帖所預備的筵席。

 

  That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. ² It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

³ “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.

“Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

⁴ The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

⁵ His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.”

“Bring him in,” the king ordered.

⁶ When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” ⁷ So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, ⁸ have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. ⁹ Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

¹⁰ “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

¹¹ So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

¹² Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, ¹³ and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.

His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” ¹⁴ While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.

 

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    雖然這裡沒有提到「上帝」，卻處處看見上帝的作為，正如我們無法用眼睛看見上帝，卻感受到上帝的作為充滿在我們的生活還經之中！怪不得加爾文說：「最高的苦難就是對上帝護理的無知；最大的幸福在於明白上帝的護理！」

 

    就像末底改和哈曼之差別：末底改雖然為著猶太族遭受滅族的事感到難過，但是他相信上帝的作為；哈曼雖然為自己受到王的尊榮而高興，但是他不知道上帝恨惡心中詭詐的人！

 

    王因為睡不著而得知末底改的救命之恩，完全是出於上帝的作為；而哈漫不知也不會注意這事，只是汲汲營營為自己的尊榮！然而上帝卻讓王的心感受到末底改的好，為此想尊榮末底改！也因為這樣，哈曼自取其辱！

 

    而這一切的敘述，讓基督徒在一次肯定上帝攝理(護理)的奇妙，也讓我們知道上帝對屬於祂的人，雖然允許各樣的苦難臨到，卻讓人透過苦難而更堅強、更感受上帝作為的奇妙！人生雖有許多事不明白，但是上帝允許的，都是對我們有益且能造就我們，越來越有上帝兒女的樣式！

 

 

 

羅馬書3:21-31

 

3:21 但如今，上帝的義在律法以外已經顯明出來，有律法和先知為證：
3:22 就是上帝的義，因信耶穌基督加給一切相信的人，並沒有分別。
3:23 因為世人都犯了罪，虧缺了上帝的榮耀；
3:24 如今卻蒙上帝的恩典，因基督耶穌的救贖，就白白地稱義。
3:25 上帝設立耶穌作挽回祭，是憑著耶穌的血，藉著人的信，要顯明上帝的義；因為他用忍耐的心寬容人先時所犯的罪，
3:26 好在今時顯明他的義，使人知道他自己為義，也稱信耶穌的人為義。
3:27 既是這樣，哪裡能誇口呢？沒有可誇的了。用何法沒有的呢？是用立功之法嗎？不是，乃用信主之法。
3:28 所以（有古卷：因為）我們看定了：人稱義是因著信，不在乎遵行律法。
3:29 難道上帝只作猶太人的上帝嗎？不也是作外邦人的上帝嗎？是的，也作外邦人的上帝。
3:30 上帝既是一位，他就要因信稱那受割禮的為義，也要因信稱那未受割禮的為義。
3:31 這樣，我們因信廢了律法嗎？斷乎不是！更是堅固律法。

 

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in^[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. ²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, ³⁰ since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. ³¹ Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

 

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    保羅在這裡清楚表達「因信稱義」：如今卻蒙上帝的恩典，因基督耶穌的救贖，就白白地稱義。上帝設立耶穌作挽回祭，是憑著耶穌的血，藉著人的信，要顯明上帝的義；因為他用忍耐的心寬容人先時所犯的罪，好在今時顯明他的義，使人知道他自己為義，也稱信耶穌的人為義。

 

    在這裡看見「因信稱義」是出於上帝的恩典，不是人的相信！因為是上帝主動設立耶穌作挽回祭，是憑著耶穌的血！而「人的信(faith)」是接受救恩的途徑，不是救恩本身！重要的是耶穌基督的贖罪祭（sacrifice of atonement），為我們犧牲性命和流出寶血，付出最該有的代價，也因為這樣上帝才會寬容和赦免我們的罪，展現祂的慈愛與公義！仍然是完成律法的要求：罪必須要流血才能得赦免！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們雖是白白地稱義，卻是主耶穌為我們付出代價！這不是單單說人的相信，而是要全人的信仰與信靠來回應這樣無比的愛！這也是我們要來敬拜上帝的重要原因！

 

 

 

 

羅馬書3:9-20

 

3:9 這卻怎麼樣呢？我們比他們強嗎？決不是的！因我們已經證明：猶太人和希臘人都在罪惡之下。
3:10 就如經上所記：沒有義人，連一個也沒有。
3:11 沒有明白的；沒有尋求上帝的；
3:12 都是偏離正路，一同變為無用。沒有行善的，連一個也沒有。
3:13 他們的喉嚨是敞開的墳墓；他們用舌頭弄詭詐，嘴唇裡有虺蛇的毒氣，
3:14 滿口是咒罵苦毒。
3:15 殺人流血，他們的腳飛跑，
3:16 所經過的路便行殘害暴虐的事。
3:17 平安的路，他們未曾知道；
3:18 他們眼中不怕上帝。
3:19 我們曉得律法上的話都是對律法以下之人說的，好塞住各人的口，叫普世的人都伏在上帝審判之下。
3:20 所以凡有血氣的，沒有一個因行律法能在上帝面前稱義，因為律法本是叫人知罪。

 

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. ¹⁰ As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
¹¹     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
¹² All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”^[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”^[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”^[d]
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”^[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶     ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷ and the way of peace they do not know.”^[f]
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[g]

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

 

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    保羅在這裡引用了舊約的《詩篇》、《箴言》、《傳道書》、《以賽亞書》、…的經文，讓我們知道人心是何等的悖逆上帝，受到罪惡何等的控制，是無法達到律法的要求！所以他可以勇敢地宣告：「沒有義人，連一個也沒有。」「所以凡有血氣的，沒有一個因行律法能在上帝面前稱義，因為律法本是叫人知罪。」

 

    也因為這樣，不贊同有些傳道人說的：「只要有一顆願意的心，就會蒙上帝的賜福，討上帝的喜悅，會被聖靈來充滿，大有能力來服事主和人，為主做美好的見證！」

 

    如果照保羅的說法，這是不可能的！因為，人為罪惡所轄制，怎麼會有一顆願意的心呢？除非經歷在基督裡的救恩，讓聖靈重生，使石心變成肉心，人才可以活出討上帝喜悅的生命！然而這些不是靠我們自己的努力，而是要聖靈的工作在我們身上！這一切都要靠上帝的恩典，不是靠自己的決心！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們不要被一些說詞很漂亮的傳道人欺騙，要回到聖經，看看聖經怎樣說，在末後的世代，有許多擄掠人心的假教師，不能不小心分辨，以免偏離了聖經的教訓而不知！