羅馬書11:11-24

 

11:11 我且說，他們失腳是要他們跌倒嗎？斷乎不是！反倒因他們的過失，救恩便臨到外邦人，要激動他們發憤。
11:12 若他們的過失為天下的富足，他們的缺乏為外邦人的富足，何況他們的豐滿呢？
11:13 我對你們外邦人說這話；因我是外邦人的使徒，所以敬重（原文是榮耀）我的職分，
11:14 或者可以激動我骨肉之親發憤，好救他們一些人。
11:15 若他們被丟棄，天下就得與上帝和好，他們被收納，豈不是死而復生嗎？
11:16 所獻的新麵若是聖潔，全團也就聖潔了；樹根若是聖潔，樹枝也就聖潔了。
11:17 若有幾根枝子被折下來，你這野橄欖得接在其中，一同得著橄欖根的肥汁，
11:18 你就不可向舊枝子誇口；若是誇口，當知道不是你托著根，乃是根托著你。
11:19 你若說，那枝子被折下來是特為叫我接上。
11:20 不錯！他們因為不信，所以被折下來；你因為信，所以立得住；你不可自高，反要懼怕。
11:21 上帝既不愛惜原來的枝子，也必不愛惜你。
11:22 可見，上帝的恩慈和嚴厲向那跌倒的人是嚴厲的，向你是有恩慈的，只要你長久在他的恩慈裡；不然，你也要被砍下來。
11:23 而且他們若不是長久不信，仍要被接上，因為上帝能夠把他們重新接上。
11:24 你是從那天生的野橄欖上砍下來的，尚且逆著性得接在好橄欖上，何況這本樹的枝子，要接在本樹上呢！

 

¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. ¹² But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

²² Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. ²³ And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

 

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    在保羅的心中還是盼望猶太人的得救，雖然他們常常阻擾他傳福音，畢竟他們是保羅的同胞，更何況他們本是上帝的選民！

 

    保羅在此也用反諷的口吻對羅馬教會的外邦信徒說話，希望他們要善待猶太基督徒，雖然他們還是堅持守摩西律法，也不能輕看他們，要好好感謝猶太人，不然就沒有基督信仰了！

 

   可見保羅希望猶太人能信主，比我們盼望家人或同胞更是熱切呢！

 

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！

 

 

羅馬書10:1-21

 

10:1 弟兄們，我心裡所願的，向上帝所求的，是要以色列人得救。
10:2 我可以證明，他們向上帝有熱心，但不是按著真知識；
10:3 因為不知道上帝的義，想要立自己的義，就不服上帝的義了。
10:4 律法的總結就是基督，使凡信他的都得著義。
10:5 摩西寫著說：「人若行那出於律法的義，就必因此活著。」
10:6 惟有出於信心的義如此說：「你不要心裡說：誰要升到天上去呢？（就是要領下基督來；）
10:7 誰要下到陰間去呢？（就是要領基督從死裡上來。）」
10:8 他到底怎麼說呢？他說：這道離你不遠，正在你口裡，在你心裡─（就是我們所傳信主的道。）
10:9 你若口裡認耶穌為主，心裡信上帝叫他從死裡復活，就必得救。
10:10 因為，人心裡相信就可以稱義，口裡承認就可以得救。
10:11 經上說：「凡信他的人必不至於羞愧。」
10:12 猶太人和希臘人並沒有分別，因為眾人同有一位主；他也厚待一切求告他的人。
10:13 因為「凡求告主名的就必得救」。
10:14 然而，人未曾信他，怎能求他呢？未曾聽見他，怎能信他呢？沒有傳道的，怎能聽見呢？
10:15 若沒有奉差遣，怎能傳道呢？如經上所記：「報福音、傳喜信的人，他們的腳蹤何等佳美！」
10:16 只是人沒有都聽從福音，因為以賽亞說：「主啊，我們所傳的有誰信呢？」
10:17 可見，信道是從聽道來的，聽道是從基督的話來的。
10:18 但我說，人沒有聽見嗎？誠然聽見了。他們的聲音傳遍天下；他們的言語傳到地極。
10:19 我再說，以色列人不知道嗎？先有摩西說：我要用那不成子民的惹動你們的憤恨；我要用那無知的民觸動你們的怒氣。
10:20 又有以賽亞放膽說：沒有尋找我的，我叫他們遇見；沒有訪問我的，我向他們顯現。
10:21 至於以色列人，他說：「我整天伸手招呼那悖逆頂嘴的百姓。」

 

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. ² For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. ³ Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴ Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

⁵ Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”^{[a] 6} But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”^[b] (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”^[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”^[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^{[e] 12} For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”^[f]

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”^[g]

¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”^{[h] 17} Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”^[i]

¹⁹ Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”^[j]

²⁰ And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”^[k]

²¹ But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

 

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    保羅在此很明確地說出心中的盼望：「是要以色列人得救。」

 

    然而要以色列人得救不是靠人自己，而是要信靠耶穌基督，因為人唯有透過基督才能得救，這是上帝立下的旨意。雖然，上帝在以色列人中間過去任何的做為，都是為了預備基督的到來，更是要預備人如何接納耶穌為救主！

 

    而要接受耶穌基督為救主，是必須透過福音的傳講，讓人因聽了福音而願意信靠耶穌基督為救主，也因此上帝從世界各族各國呼召人來傳講福音，使人聽了明白而「口裡認耶穌為主，心裡信上帝叫他從死裡復活」！

 

    得救之後，人的表現也就是如此，正如你和我「口裡認耶穌為主，心裡信上帝叫他從死裡復活」！