1、"生命在他里头,这生命就是人的光。光照在黑暗里,黑暗却不接受光。"(《新约·约翰福音》第1章)
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. "John 1-4,5"
这是是基督教神学思想的核心。这里的"光"指的是耶稣基督,"生命"指的是永生--战胜死亡,获得真理。
2、"你们要进窄门,因为引到灭亡,那门是宽的,路是大的,进去的人也多;引到永生,那门是窄的,路是小的,找着的人也少。"(《新约·马太福音》第7 章)
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few wh o find it. "Matthew 7-13,14"
这是耶稣"登山宝训"中最短的一段,但却是整个新教精神的核心。对于清教徒而言,人生就意味着无尽艰险,就意味着走窄门。
3、" 爱是恒久忍耐,又有恩慈;爱是不嫉妒,爱是不自夸,不张狂,不作害羞的事,不求自己的益处,不轻易发怒,不计算人的恶,不喜欢不义,只喜欢真理;凡事包容,凡事相信,凡事盼望,凡事忍耐;爱是永不止息。"(《新约·哥林多前书》第1 3章)
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious pr boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or re sentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. I t bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never end s.
基督教是"爱的宗教",这就是使徒保罗对爱的诠释。从古到今不知有多少人因这段话而皈依基督教,可见"爱是无可比的"。
4、"死啊,你得胜的权势在哪里?死啊,你的毒钩在哪里?死的毒钩就是罪,罪的权势就是律法。感谢上帝,使我们借着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。"(《新约·哥林多前书》第15章)
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and. The power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
使徒保罗用优美的语言阐明了基督教的脉络:原罪与堕落,牺牲与救赎,胜利与永生。总体说来就是"用爱战胜死亡"。
5、"草必枯干,花必凋残,因为耶和华的气吹在其上;百姓诚然是草。草必枯干,花必凋残;惟有我们上帝的话,必永远立定!"(《旧约·以赛亚书》第40 章)
The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.
旧约的最大特点是"信念"。这句话就是无比坚定的信念,既是相信上帝,又是相信作为上帝选民的自己。以色列人的辉煌,大半缘自信念。
6、"我知道我的救赎主活着,末了必站在地上。我这皮肉灭绝之后,我必在肉体之外得见上帝。"(《旧约·约伯记》第19章)
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand up on the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my fles h I shall see God.
这是约伯的信念。无论承受多么巨大的打击、多么绝望的境遇,都不可放弃希望、放弃信仰。亨德尔为此句作的咏叹调也极为感人。
7、 "不可封了这书上的预言,因为日期近了。不义的,叫他仍旧不义;污秽的,叫他仍旧污秽;为义的,叫他仍旧为义;圣洁的,叫他仍旧圣洁。"(《新约·启示录》第22章)
Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is n ear. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.
《启示录》中有很多让人不能不动容的话,这句只是其中代表而已。
8、"谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢?难道是患难吗?是困苦吗?是逼迫吗?是饥饿吗?是赤身露体吗?是危险吗?是刀剑吗?……然而,靠着爱我们的主,在这一切的事上已经得胜有余了。"(《新约·罗马书》第8章)
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in al l these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
圣保罗真是无与伦比的传道者,他的讲道是如此气势磅礴且发人深省。这段话继承了旧约的信心,增加了新约的爱,完美地体现了基督教精神。
9、"我又专心察明智慧、狂妄和愚昧,乃知这也是捕风。因为多有智慧,就多有愁烦;加增知识的,就加增忧伤。"(《旧约·传道书》第1章)
And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
传道者的话虽低沉消极,却又蕴涵着希望。能够用来战胜愁烦和忧伤的,只有一件事:"信仰"。
10、"哈利路亚!因为主我们的上帝,全能者作王了。……世上的国成了我主和主基督的国;他要作王,直到永永远远。……万王之王,万主之主。" (《启示录》第11、19章)
Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he wil l reign forever and ever.
这也是亨德尔歌剧《弥赛亚》中大合唱《哈利路亚》的歌词,它是至今唯一能让我多次热泪盈眶的歌曲。从这短短的几句话中我们可以看到无穷的胜利喜悦。欢呼吧!因为胜利属于我们。
我见救主身悬十架，头戴荆棘冠冕，
仿佛祂对我柔声说，我钉死是为你，
祂眼中充满慈爱，祂眼中充满慈爱，
使我眼流泪，我心破碎悔罪，
祂眼中充满慈爱。
我不能拒绝这大爱也不忍心离开，
祂救了我罪恶灵魂，我是属祂，
现在，现在。
祂眼中充满慈爱，祂眼中充满慈爱，
使我眼流泪，我心破碎悔罪，
祂眼中充满慈爱。
《爱的誓约》粤语福音歌曲。
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本帖最后由 saltfish 于 2010-3-14 15:06 编辑 ]
