John Calvin 加爾文. Devotion: The Greatness of God 神的大能 Isaiah 6:1-5 賽 6:1~5. A. The Uniqueness of God 獨一無二的神

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1 John Calvin 加爾文 Devotion: The Greatness of God 神的大能 Isaiah 6:1-5 賽 6:1~5 A. The Uniqueness of God 獨一無二的神 Can we understand God s greatness by simply looking to human greatness? 藉著人的偉大, 可以明白神的偉大? Isaiah 40:25 賽 40:25 God is utterly unique 神是全然的獨一無二 God is greater than human weakness 神是大於人性的弱點 God is greater than human strength 神是大於人的能力 1 Corinthians 1:25 林前 1:25 B. The Uniqueness of Immanuel 獨一無二的以馬內利 Yet this difference does not entail distance 神的獨一無二, 不代表祂離我們很遠 God s unique love for us 神對我們的愛也是獨一無二的愛 Ephesians 3:19 弗 3:19 C. The Human Calling We must consciously live in the presence of this God 我們生活行事必須意識到神的存在 Colossians 3:2 西 3:2 Outline I. Life 生平 II. Calvin s Geneva 加爾文的日內瓦 III. The Knowledge of God 對神的認識 IV. Election 揀選 V. Justification 稱義 Brian D. Asbill, Lesson 05: John Calvin 2013 pg. 1

2 VI. Christology 基督論 VII. The Church 教會 I. Life 生平 A. Overview 概覽 the French theologian and pastor who led the Reformation in Geneva 領導日內瓦改革的法國神學家和牧師 the leading father of Reformed theology 改革 神學之父 Luther and Calvin are probably the two most influential Protestant theologians 路德和加爾文可能是最有影響力的兩位新教神學家 B. Works 著作 Institutes of the Christian Religion 基督教要義» multiple editions 多個版本 (ages 歲 ) commentaries of most of the books of the Bible 大部分聖經書卷的註釋 countless sermons 無數的講章» he preached multiple times every week throughout his career 每週多次講道 C. Calvin, the Reformer 改教領袖加爾文 well educated in the Western classics 西方經典的基礎深厚 influenced by humanism 受人文主義影響 a second generation reformer 第二代改教者» (95 thesis were posted in 條論文發表於 1517 年 ) II. Calvin s Geneva 加爾文的日內瓦 A. William Farel 法惹勒 ( ) preached a reform throughout Europe (esp. Switzerland and France) 在整個歐洲的鼓吹改革 ( 尤其是瑞士和法國 ) first brought the reformation to Geneva 首先把改革引進日內瓦» in 1536 Geneva officially became Protestant 在 1536 年日內瓦正式成為新教 Brian D. Asbill, Lesson 05: John Calvin 2013 pg. 2

3 B. Calvin s Roles 加爾文的角色 he began leading reform in his native France 他在家鄉法國開始領導改革 he fled to avoid persecution and eventually arrived in Geneva 他逃離法國避免迫害, 最終抵達日內瓦 when Farel saw the Institutes (1 st ed.), he forbade Calvin to leave 法惹勒看見 基督教要義 ( 第 1 版 ), 禁止加爾文離開 aside from briefly being exiled ( ), Calvin spent the rest of his life in Geneva 除了短暫地流亡 (1538 年至 1541 年 ) 以外, 加爾文在日內瓦度過餘生 religious and secular life were closely intertwined 宗教和 世俗 的生活緊密聯繫» he helped to introduce free public education for all 幫助引進免費公共教育» he helped to pass for just laws on domestic violence and divorce 幫助通過有關家庭暴力和離婚的公正法律 Geneva became a place of refuge for religious refugees throughout Europe 日內瓦成為整個歐洲的宗教難民避難所 III. The Knowledge of God 對神的認識 A. The Twofold Knowledge of God 對上帝的雙重認識 duplex cognitio Dei 對上帝的雙重認識» knowing God the creator 認識神的創造» knowing God the redeemer 認識神的救贖 Knowing God and knowing oneself are closely interconnected 認識神和認識自己是息息相關, 不可分割» when we look to ourselves 我們看自己 it is self-evident that our existence and identity are grounded in something else 我們的存在和身份不是以自己為依歸, 這是不言自明的事實 we are created in the imago Dei (image of God) 我們乃是按照神的形象被造» when we look to God 當我們仰望神 we see the depths of our own poverty (esp. moral) 我們看到了自己是多麼的不足 ( 尤其是道德 ) the imago Dei (image of God) is only restored through redemption 只有藉著救贖才能恢復神的形象 Brian D. Asbill, Lesson 05: John Calvin 2013 pg. 3

4 The knowledge of God must be viewed in the covenantal framework of the Old Testament 我們對神的認識必須以舊約的盟約關係為規範» Exodus 6:7 出 6:7» God is our God understanding God 神是我們的神 - 認識神» we are God s people understanding ourselves 我們是神的百姓 - 認識自己 Calvin s theology and rhetoric reflect this need to live with a consciousness of God s presence 加爾文的神學和講道都強調人需要意識到神的同在 B. General Revelation 一般啟示 a sense of divinity (sensus divinitatis) 有關神的意識 the world is the theater of God s glory 世界是神的榮耀的劇場 C. Special Revelation 特殊啟示 without the Scriptures we cannot see God rightly from General Revelation 唯有透過聖經才能真正認識神, 僅僅藉著一般啟示無法使人真正認識神» by nature we are not entirely blind 按人性而言, 我們並非完全的盲目» but we need spectacles to see properly 但我們需要眼鏡才能看得清楚» these spectacles are God s revelation, provided for us in the form of Scripture 神藉著聖經向人作出啟示, 這就是神所提供的眼鏡 IV. Election 揀選 Ephesians 1:3-6 弗 1:3~6 The two major views 兩個主要觀點 single predestination 單一預定 double predestination (Calvin s view) 雙重預定 ( 加爾文的觀點 ) V. Justification 稱義 Brian D. Asbill, Lesson 05: John Calvin 2013 pg. 4

5 justification cannot truly be separated from sanctification because the God who predestines provides both for the elect 稱義與成聖不能分割, 預定的神為選民提供稱義與成聖二者 nonetheless, he followed Luther in rejecting any sort of justification by works 他與路德一樣拒絕接受任何形式的按行為稱義 VI. Christology 基督論 A. The Threefold Office of Christ s Minsitry 基督的三重職份 prophet 先知 priest 祭司 king 君王 B. Limited atonement 有限救贖論?? scholars debate whether he taught this 學者不確定加爾文是否持此立場 it is not explicit distinction in his work per se, but some argue that it is implied or at least compatible 他的著作沒有明顯的教導此一教義, 但有些人認為是暗示或至少不違背他的教導 C. The Calvinist Extra (extra Calvinisticum 極端加爾文主義 ) (a derogatory term given by the Lutherans 路德宗的貶語 ) The Son of God s presence was not limited by the physical body of Christ 神的兒子的同在不限於基督的身體 VII. The Church 教會 Brian D. Asbill, Lesson 05: John Calvin 2013 pg. 5