| Jason Meyer | 杰森·迈尔 |
|---|---|
| Text | 经文 |
| 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. | 9然而你们是蒙拣选的族类，是君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国民，是属 神的子民，为要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。10“你们从前不是子民，现在却是 神的子民；从前未蒙怜恤，现在却蒙了怜恤。” |
| Introduction | 引言 |
| What a profoundly glorious and bittersweet moment this is for us. Today there are people in the pews for the first time at the Downtown Campus since March 8. It is glorious to see so many of you that I have longed to see and I celebrate that you are here and I don’t just have to have a “eye-locked stare” at the camera because you are here and I can see you. | 对我们来说，这是一个多么深刻的光荣和苦乐参半的时刻。今天，自3月8日以来，市中心堂的长椅上首次出现了敬拜者的身影。看到这么多我朝思暮想的你们，我感到很荣幸，我为你们能来到这里而庆贺，我不再只是要对着镜头“目不转睛”，因为你们在这里，我可以看到你们。 |
| But it is bittersweet because some of you are still at home and I can’t see you. It is like a wave of joy and a wave of sorrow hitting us from both sides. And those who are here, we did not envision this day as mask-wearing and social distancing when we began to dream about this day back in March. | 但这是苦乐参半的，因为有些人还在家里，而我却看不到你们。就像一波欢喜一波愁，从两边向我们袭来。而在座的各位，当我们在3月份开始梦想这一天的时候，并没有设想到这一天是戴着口罩，并且需要保持社交距离。 |
| But today we have something stupendous in our text that unites us. We exist to declare the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. We once were nothing – without God and without hope in the world. Now we are God’s people. We are defined by his mercy. It is true – equally true – whether you are here or at home. | 但今天，我们的经文中有一些惊人的东西将我们团结起来。我们的存在是为了宣扬那召我们出黑暗进入祂奇妙光中的主的恩典。我们曾经一无所有--在这个世界上没有神，没有盼望。现在我们是神的子民。我们被祂的怜悯所定义。这都是真的——无论你在这里还是在家里——都是如此。 |
| COVID-19 can prevent us from doing many things, but it cannot keep us from doing the main thing we were made for: glorifying God for his mercy. | COVID-19可以阻止我们做很多事情，但不能阻止我们做我们被造的主要事情：因神的怜悯而荣耀神。 |
| This text should supercharge our understanding of ourselves and our understanding of God and how those two truths come together in glorious ways. We will see (1) our identity, (2) our purpose, and (3) the contrast between our past and our present. | 这段经文应该使我们增加对自己和对神的理解，以及这两个真理如何荣耀地结合在一起。我们将看到 (1)我们的身份，(2)我们的目的，(3)我们过去和现在的对比。 |
| Outline | 纲要 |
| 1.Our Identity (2:9a) | 1.我们的身份 (2:9a) |
| 2.Our Purpose: Proclaim God’s Excellencies (2:9b) | 2.我们的目的：宣扬神的美德(2:9b) |
| 3.Our Past and Present (2:10) | 3.我们的过去和现在 （2:10） |
| 1. Our Identity (2:9) | 1.我们的身份(2:9a) |
| 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession | 9 然而你们是蒙拣选的族类，是君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国民，是属 神的子民 |
| Peter paints a bright four-part picture of our identity with the bright borrowed colors and concepts from two primary Old Testament texts: Isaiah 43 and Exodus 19. | 彼得从两卷主要的旧约圣经，即以赛亚书43章和出埃及记19章中，用鲜艳的借色和概念，描绘了我们身份的四个部分。 |
| A. Chosen Race | A. 蒙拣选的族类 |
| The first part of the picture comes directly from Isaiah 43. | 画面的第一部分直接来自于以赛亚书43章。 |
| Isaiah 43:20-21 | 以赛亚书43:20-21 |
| to give drink to my chosen people | 好使我拣选的子民有水喝 |
| 21 the people whom I formed for myself | 21就是我为自己所造的子民， |
| that they might declare my praise. | 好使他们述说赞美我的话。 |
| Peter’s phrase “chosen race” comes directly from Isa 43:20. The Greek translation of Isa. 43:20 that Peter uses here includes the phrase “my chosen race” (to genos mou to eklekton). Peter picks up this phrase when he writes “you are a chosen race” (genos eklekton). | 彼得所说的“蒙拣选的族类”直接来自赛43:20。彼得在这里使用的是以赛亚书43:20的希腊文翻译。彼得在这里使用的片语包括 "我所选择的种族"（to genos mou to eklekton）。彼得在写到“你们是蒙拣选的族类”（genos eklekton）的时候，用上了这句话。 |
| The word “race” (genos) describes a people – a people are joined together by the fact that they are descended from a common lineage or genealogy (genos). In terms of Isaiah 43, the people are joined together and defined by being descendants of Abraham. As a people, they also were joined together by a common deliverance: they were delivered by God from exile in Egypt. Now God says through Isaiah that they will be joined together in solidarity by a new deliverance – a new Exodus – this time a deliverance from exile in Babylon. | “种族”（genos）这个词 描述的是一个民族--一个民族因为他们是一个共同的血统或世系（genos）的后裔而结合在一起。从以赛亚书43章来看，百姓是以亚伯拉罕的后裔为纽带来联结和定义的。作为一个民族，他们也因共同的救赎而结合在一起：他们被上帝从埃及的寄居地中解救出来。现在，上帝通过以赛亚说，他们将因新的救赎--新的出埃及--而团结在一起，这一次是从巴比伦的流放中解救出来。 |
| So here is the question: how can Peter take that text (Isaiah 43) and that title (chosen race) and apply it to Christians who are both Jews and Gentiles? Here is the answer. Israel’s deliverance (exodus from exile in Babylon) is a prophetic picture – a foreshadowing of a greater deliverance that would come for God’s people. Not deliverance from a foreign power called Babylon through another ruler called Cyrus, but the greatest possible deliverance (sin and death and hell) by the greatest ruler possible (Jesus Christ). This is a deliverance from darkness to light, from Satan’s kingdom to God’s kingdom, from damnation to salvation. | 那么问题来了：彼得怎么能把那段经文（以赛亚书43章）和那个称号（蒙拣选的族类），应用到既是犹太人又是外邦人的基督徒身上呢？答案是这样的。以色列人的解救（从巴比伦的流放地出逃）是一幅预言性的图画--预示着神的子民将迎来更大的解救。不是通过另一个叫居鲁士的统治者从一个叫巴比伦的外国势力中解救出来，而是由最伟大的统治者（耶稣基督）来作成最伟大的解救（罪恶、死亡和地狱）。这是从黑暗到光明，从撒旦的国度到神的国度，从诅咒到救赎的一种解救。 |
| That means the church consists of people who do not share the same physical lineage. We do not share a common ethnic heritage, but a common story of deliverance. We are joined together by the fact that we have all experienced salvation together. | 这意味着教会由来自不同血统的人组成。我们没有相同的民族血统，但有共同的救赎故事。我们因共同经历过救赎而结合在一起。 |
| The church became an entirely new race, a third way. No longer divided as Jew or non-Jew, but as Christian. This fact alone was able to overcome one of the greatest historical ethnic divisions or hostilities. The biggest issue in the early church was this historical hostility between Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles). Those who had Abraham in their family tree on ancestry.com and those who did not. | 教会成为一个全新的族类，第三条道路。不再划分为犹太人或非犹太人，而是划分为基督徒。光是这个事实，就能够克服历史上最大的种族分裂或仇视。初期教会最大的问题就是犹太人和非犹太人（外邦人）之间的这种历史性的敌对关系。那些在ancetry.com上的家谱中有亚伯拉罕的人和没有亚伯拉罕的人。 |
| That is why the New Testament talks about Gentiles not joining the family tree, but the family of faith. Believers have Abraham as their father because they have the faith of Abraham, not the ancestry of Abraham. | 这就是为什么新约圣经说外邦人不加入家谱，而是加入信仰的家庭。信徒以亚伯拉罕为父，因为他们有亚伯拉罕的信仰，而不是有亚伯拉罕的家谱。 |
| Can they boast about this family of faith? No. Faith was not a moral achievement or individual accomplishment. That is why the context of Isaiah is powerfully relevant. The people of Israel are in exile in Babylon. Their situation is compared to a drought. They are captives and they are portrayed as powerless. There is nothing they can do to make it rain. God needs to pour out his Spirit to make them his people – just like the dry bones of Ezekiel. | 他们能夸耀这个信仰的家族吗？不能。信心不是道德成就或个人成就。这就是为什么以赛亚书的背景具有强大的现实意义。以色列民被流放在巴比伦。他们的处境被比作干旱。他们是俘虏，他们被描绘成是无力的。他们无能为力，无法使天下雨。神需要将祂的灵浇灌出来，使他们成为祂的子民--就像以西结书的枯骨一样。 |
| But God promises that is exactly what he will do. Why? Did they earn it? No way. God chose them. He has mercy on whomever he has mercy. He will bring them back from exile not because they are so worthy, but because he is so merciful. And what will they do in response to such a rescue – make much of their merit? Of course not! They make much of his mercy. They complete the purpose of why he made them and saved them: “declare my praise.” | 但神应许，这正是他要做的。为什么？是他们赚来的吗？绝无可能。是神拣选了他们。祂要怜悯谁，就怜悯谁。祂要把他们从流放地带回来，不是因为他们是如此的配得，而是因为祂是如此的仁慈。而他们会怎样回应这样的解救呢——大肆宣扬他们的丰功伟绩吗？当然不！他们赞美祂的怜悯。他们完成了祂为什么要造他们、救他们的目的：“述说赞美的话。” |
| This fits so well with the reminder at the beginning of the letter that they are elect exiles. They did not switch from citizenship on earth to citizenship in heaven because they journeyed to the heavenly embassy. No, heaven came down to them. | 这与信的开头提醒他们是蒙拣选的寄居者是如此的吻合。他们从地上的公民身份转为天上的公民身份，并不是因为他们前往天国使馆。不是的，而是天国降临到他们身上。 |
| Why can they take no credit for receiving salvation? Didn’t they have a hand in choosing? Couldn’t they say that the difference between them and non-believers was simply something in them – they were more spiritually sensitive or wise – like a good spiritual stock investor? They put their chips on Jesus in heaven’s stock exchange, while others made a foolish choice. | 为什么他们接受救恩而不邀功？难道他们没有参与选择吗？难道他们不能说，他们与非信徒之间的区别只是他们身上的某些东西--他们在灵性上更敏感或更有智慧--就像一个优秀的属灵股票投资者？他们把筹码押在天国股票交易所里的耶稣身上，而其他人却做出了愚蠢的选择。 |
| The previous verse simply will not let you even harbor such thoughts. Those who reject Jesus do so not because they are more foolish, but because they are just as foolish as everyone in the world. The difference is God. He did not intervene. God appointed them – not in the sense of having to work some fresh evil in their hearts – he just left them to themselves. He did not do what he did for Christians. Why are God’s people in marvelous light and others are in dreadful darkness? God intervened. He set his saving love on them. He said, “I want them in my family.” He chose some and passed over others. The people who disobey the message do so because they were not chosen to be part of God’s people. They were appointed to destruction. | 前面的经文根本不会让你有这样的想法。那些拒绝耶稣的人，不是因为他们更愚蠢，而是因为他们和世界上的所有人一样愚蠢。区别在于上帝。祂没有干预。神指定他们--并不是要在他们心中作一些新的恶事—祂只是任凭他们自己去做。对于他们，祂没有做对基督徒所做的同样的事。为什么上帝的子民在奇妙的光中，而其他人却在可怕的黑暗中？上帝在干预。祂把祂的救赎之爱放在他们身上。祂说：“我要他们进入我的家庭。”祂拣选了其中一些，而越过了另外一些。那些不顺服福音信息的人这样做是因为他们没有被拣选成为上帝的子民。他们被指定要毁灭。 |
| So God’s people did not earn their way into his family. We are his people by his own choosing. What does this do to our pride? It destroys pride and thus purifies our praise. We do not take any credit for our salvation. We give all the glory and honor and praise to God. | 所以，神的子民并不是靠着自己的努力才进入祂的家庭。我们是祂的子民，只因祂的拣选。这对我们的骄傲有什么作用呢？这摧毁了骄傲，从而净化了我们的赞美。我们对自己的救赎没有任何功劳。我们把所有的荣耀、尊贵和赞美都归给神。 |
| Peter’s painting of the next three images comes from Exodus 19 and the covenant with Israel. | 彼得接下来描绘的三个意象来自出埃及记19章和神与以色列人所立的约。 |
| There Israel encamped before the mountain,3while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” | 以色列人在那座山前安了营。3摩西上到 神那里去，耶和华从山上呼唤他，说：“你要这样告诉雅各家，吩咐以色列人说：4‘我向埃及人所行的，你们都看见了；也看见了我怎样像鹰一样把你们背在翅膀上，带领你们到我这里来。5现在你们若是实在听我的话，遵守我的约，你们就必在万民中作属我的产业，因为全地都是我的。6你们要归我作君尊的祭司和圣洁的国民。’这些话你都要对以色列人说。” |
| B. Royal Priesthood | B.君尊的祭司 |
| The idea of a priest has everything to do with relationship. The priest has a mediating role. They have a special role in connecting other people to God. An Israelite could come with a sacrifice and through the ministry of the priest offering it up to God on their behalf, God would accept that sacrifice. The ministry of a priest was to mediate the relationship between God and his people. | 祭司的概念与关系有关。祭司有中保的作用。他们扮演一个特殊的角色，就是让他人与神建立联系。以色列人可以带着祭品来，通过祭司的事奉，代表他们向神献祭，神就会接受这个祭品。祭司的事奉是调停神和祂的子民之间的关系。 |
| But the people of God were also supposed to have a similar function with the rest of the world. The world could come to know God through the ministry of Israel making him known. Israel was called to be set apart from the nations of the world by its absolute allegiance to God. Israel was not called to be separate in order to curse the nations, but in order to be a channel of blessing to the nations – to proclaim God’s plan to bless the nations through the seed of Abraham. | 但神的子民也应该对世界其他国族发挥类似的作用。世界可以通过以色列人的事奉来认识上帝。以色列被呼召通过对神的绝对效忠而与世界上的国族区分开来。以色列蒙召分别为圣，不是为了咒诅列国，而是为了成为祝福列国的渠道--宣扬神通过亚伯拉罕的后裔祝福列国的计划。 |
| Israel failed because of their disobedience. Instead of being holy like God is holy, they became like the nations around them and were judged like the nations around them. | 以色列之所以失败，是因为他们的不顺从。他们没有像神那样圣洁，而是变得像周围的民族一样，像周围的民族一样被审判。 |
| But the church is different. In the new covenant, God takes out the heart of stone and puts in the heart of flesh and causes them to walk in his ways. The church does not need earthly priests anymore to take the sacrifices of others to God because we all have the same high priest who made the singular sacrifice that brought us to God forever. Now we are priests making spiritual sacrifices. And we fulfill the function of making the saving knowledge of God known through the gospel to this lost world. | 但教会不同。在新约中，神把石头心取出来，把肉心放进去，使他们行在祂的道上。教会不再需要地上的祭司把别人的祭品带到神面前，因为我们都有同一位大祭司，祂所做的独一无二的牺牲，使我们永远归向神。现在我们是献灵祭的祭司。而我们也在履行通过福音让这个失落的世界知道上帝救赎知识的职责。 |
| This priesthood is “royal” because Christians are priests to God, who is the King of the Universe. There is no higher representation we could give – we are citizens of heaven and priests of the Heavenly King. Don’t settle for thinking of yourself and your calling as less than royal. You cannot have a secular, earthly mindset. You have a calling that brings Heaven’s King to bear on earth. | 这个祭司职分是“君尊”的，因为基督徒是神的祭司，而神是宇宙的君王。我们没有更高的代表--我们是天上的公民，是天上君王的祭司。不要停留于认为自己和自己的使命不是君尊的。你不能有世俗的、属世的心态。你有一个呼召，要让天上的王君临这地。 |
| This follows right on the heels of what Peter said in verses 4-5. We are the spiritual priests making the spiritual sacrifices as God’s house or temple. | 这紧接着彼得在4-5节所说的。我们是属灵的祭司，作为神的灵宫或圣殿，献上灵祭。 |
| C. Holy Nation | C. 圣洁的国民 |
| Remember that under the terms of the old covenant, the people of Israel became the nation of Israel. They were utterly unique in that they were directly ruled by God. In the new covenant, the church is a holy nation (called to be holy as God is holy – a family resemblance). When did Israel become a nation? Exodus 19-24. God established the covenant at Sinai, which formed ancient Israel as a holy nation on the blood of a sacrifice (Exod. 24). God established the new covenant in Christ by the sacrifice symbolized when Jesus at the Last Supper lifted the cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24 TNIV).1 | 请记住，根据旧约的条款，以色列人成为以色列国。他们的独特性完全在于他们直接接受神的统治。在新约中，教会是一个圣洁的国民（被召为圣洁，如同神是圣洁的--这是一种家庭的相似性）。以色列何时成为一个国家？出埃及记19-24章。神在西奈山立了约，使古以色列在祭牲之血的基础上形成了一个圣洁的国家（出埃及记24章）。神在基督里藉着献祭立了新约，这献祭的象征就体现在当耶稣在最后的晚餐中举起杯子说：“这是我的血，是为立约的，为许多人流出来的”（马可福音14:24）时。1 |
| E. People for His Own Possession | E. 属神的子民 |
| a people for his own possession | 属神的子民 |
| There is a subtle shift in syntax here. Peter has been saying you are…chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation.” Now he says “a people” and he adds a participial phrase that is directional. A people for (eis) his (that is God’s) own possession. | 这里的句法有一个微妙的变化。彼得前面一直在说你们是……蒙拣选的族类，君尊的祭司，圣洁的国民现在他说“子民”又加上一个指向性的分词。 子民是为(eis)祂的(也就是神的) 自己的财产。 |
| What Peter has done here is simply magnificent. He has creatively caused the pictures of Exodus 19 and Isaiah 43 to collide together. The old covenant called Israel God’s special possession. The word in Hebrew refers to a prized possession in the King’s collection. If a King had a treasure store, he also had a few objects that were the pride and joy of the collection. It is saying that even though all the world and all the nations belong to God, God’s people are the pride and joy – the most treasured of all that He owns. | 彼得在这里所做的一切简直是太棒了。他创造性地使出埃及记19章和以赛亚书43章的画面融合为一。旧约称以色列为神的特殊财产。这个词在希伯来语中指的是国王私藏的珍贵物品。假设一个君王有一个宝库，他也有几件藏品是他的骄傲和最爱。这是说，即使全世界、万国都属于神，但神的子民是祂的骄傲和最爱—是祂所拥有的一切中最宝贵的。 |
| The beauty of this verse is not simply the declaration that God owns us. He owns everything. The beauty is that God treasures us. It is like we sing: “those he saves are his delight. He will hold me fast.” Everyone knows and feels that there is a difference between being owned and being treasured. | 这节经文的美妙之处不单单是宣告神拥有我们。祂拥有一切。美妙之处在于，神珍爱我们。就像我们唱的，“我蒙救赎祂喜欢。基督保守我。”每个人都知道并感觉到，被拥有和被珍爱是有区别的。 |
| I said that this phrase was a glorious collision of Exodus 19 (special possession) and Isaiah 43. How do we know that? | 我说过，这个片语是出埃及记19章（特别的财产）和以赛亚书43章的光荣碰撞。我们如何知道？ |
| to give drink to my chosen people, | 好使我拣选的子民有水喝， |
| 21the people whom I formed for myself | 21就是我为自己所造的子民， |
| that they might declare my praise. | 好使他们述说赞美我的话。 |
| The verb “I formed for myself” (periepoiēsamēn) in Isaiah 43:21 is the exact same verbal form of the noun “possession” (peripoiēsis). We can also see Peter had Isaiah 43 in mind because of the very next verse. | 以赛亚书43:21中的动词“我为自己所造的”(periepoiēsamēn)正是名词“财产”(peripoiēsis)的动词形式。我们也可以从下一节经文看出彼得心里想的是以赛亚书43章。 |
| to give drink to my chosen people, | 好使我拣选的子民有水喝， |
| 21the people whom I formed for myself | 21就是我为自己所造的子民， |
| that they might declare my praise. | 好使他们述说赞美我的话。 |
| 2. Our Purpose (2:9b) | 2.我们的目的（2:9b） |
| that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. | 为要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。 |
| The grammar here shows us that this is a purpose statement. All these pictures of what God has made us show us now what God made us for: “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (2:9b). Why did God do all of this to make us his people? Our purpose is proclamation. | 这里的语法告诉我们，这是在表明目的。现在神赐予我们新身份的所有图景都向我们展示神赋予我们的新目的：“为要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。” (2:9b)神为什么要做这一切，让我们成为祂的子民呢？我们的目的是要宣扬。 |
| I think we need to turn the screw a little bit so that our understanding of our calling is a little clearer. Is this proclamation worship or evangelism? Do we declare God’s excellencies to one another in worship or do we declare his excellencies to others in evangelism? | 我觉得我们需要把螺丝再拧紧一点，让我们对自己的使命理解得更清楚一些。这种宣扬到底是体现在敬拜中还是体现在传福音中？我们是在敬拜中彼此宣告神的美德，还是在传福音中向别人宣告神的美德？ |
| I think the problem here is our own doing. We tend to separate worship and evangelism. Think about the fundamental insight of Let the Nations Be Glad. Evangelism (and Missions) exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is the goal of evangelism and worship is the fuel for evangelism. In other words, they are distinguishable, but inseparable when rightly understood. | 我认为这里的问题是我们自己造成的。我们往往把敬拜和传福音分开。想一想派博牧师《让万民欢喜》的根本见解：传福音（和宣教）所到之处，正因敬拜缺如。敬拜是传福音的目的，也是传福音的动力。换句话说，它们固然是有区别的，但在正确理解的情况下是不可分割的。 |
| Think about the type of proclamation Peter has in mind. It is not the kind that says, “hey I just wanted to tell you that we ran out of hand sanitizer.” That is informational and hopefully helpful. But it is not the kind of proclamation in view here. | 想一想彼得心目中的宣扬是什么样的。不是那种说“嘿，我只是想告诉你，我们的洗手液用完了”的宣告。那固然是有信息含量，也可能是有帮助的。但那不是这里所说的宣扬。 |
| We are not just called to say in the same type of informational way: “hey I just wanted to let you know that Jesus can save you from hell.” Obviously that is informational and helpful. But it focuses more on the accuracy of the statement than the excellency of it. Jesus saves! Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. I feel like I am inwardly exploding with the excellency and sweetness of it. Try to taste something amazing and life-changing with absolutely no emotion or expression or proclamation. When you have tasted the best thing ever – you cannot stop exclaiming about it. Oh – this is so good. Wow. Can you believe it? O it is worship in my mouth. | 我们不只是被呼召去用同样传递信息的方式说， “嘿，我只是想让你知道，耶稣能把你从地狱里救出来。”这显然是有信息含量且有帮助的。但它更注重的是陈述的准确性，而不是它的美德。耶稣拯救！主救赎大恩我爱宣扬。我感觉自己内心都要被它的美德和甜美燃爆了。你来试试品尝一些神奇的，改变生命的东西，而绝对不动情绪、表情或赞叹。当你尝到了最好的——你就无法停止对它的赞叹。哦——这真是太好了！哇！你能相信吗？哦，这就是我口中的敬拜。 |
| Jesus saved us. We were transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of the beloved Son in order to feast on God and be satisfied with the river of his delights – the unsearchable riches, the incomparable excellencies. Steadfast love that is better than life. My soul will be satisfied as with the riches of foods, with singing lips my soul will praise you. | 耶稣救了我们！我们从黑暗的辖制中被转移到爱子的国度中，是为了与神同席，畅饮于祂的喜乐之河—那深不可测的丰富，无与伦比的美德。坚定不移的慈爱，胜过生命。我的灵得饱足，如饱尝盛宴，用歌唱的嘴唇赞美你。 |
| I think the key is found not just in the word “excellency,” but also in the word “marvelous”. We are not indifferent to God when we see all that he is and all he has done. We are also not indifferent to the light we have now instead of the darkness. He highlights how <u>wonderful</u> the light is. He calls into “marvelous light.” Marvelous light means that the light is a delight to us. It is not just a concept or a location for explanation. Saving faith must have an element of delight or it is not real. There is a reason that the Bible talks about the “joy of our salvation” (Ps. 51) or “joy of faith” (Phil. 1:25). | 我想，关键不仅在于“美德”二字，还在于“奇妙”二字。当我们看到神是谁和祂所做的一切时，我们对神不会是无动于衷的。我们也不会对现在所拥有的光明而不是黑暗无动于衷。他突出强调了光明的奇妙。他称之为“奇妙的光明”。奇妙光明指的是对我们而言那光明就是喜乐。这不仅仅是一个概念或解释。得救的信心必须有喜悦的要素，否则就不是真实的。圣经说到“我们的救恩之乐”（诗篇51）或“信心上有喜乐”（腓立比书1:25）是有原因的。 |
| You have to feel the terrible nature of being in outer darkness – cold and alone – before you can truly feel the radiance – the wonder of warmth and light. You do not just discuss warmth and light – you bask in it and soak it in and declare it to be “marvelous!” We are called to taste that the Lord is good and feel that his light is marvelous. | 你必先感受到身处外在黑暗的可怕--寒冷和孤独，才能真正感受到光辉--温暖和光明的奇妙。你不只是讨论温暖和光明--而是沐浴在其中，沉浸在其中，并宣告它是“奇妙的”！我们蒙召去品尝主的美善，感受主的光明是多么奇妙。 |
| Main Point: | 要点： |
| God made us his own in order that we would be a people of pure praise. | 神使我们成为祂自己的子民，为的是使我们成为纯然赞美的子民。 |
| He gets the praise for all of this because he is the only One who could do it. We take no credit for it. The move from darkness to light is something that only God can do. We were in darkness. God rescued us by calling us out. The word “calling” is so rich in meaning – packed with glory. He did not just transfer us from darkness to light by picking us up and moving us. Peter stresses God’s call. This is the language of new creation. In the new covenant, we are not only a new nation, but a new creation. We were darkness. Then God called. He said, “let there be light.” | 祂得到这一切的赞美，因为祂是唯一能做到这一切的。我们没有任何功劳。把我们从黑暗转到光明中的只有神能做到。我们曾在黑暗中。神通过呼召我们出来而拯救我们。“呼召”这个词的含义是如此丰富——充满了荣耀。祂不是简单地把我们从黑暗中捏起来，转移到光明中去。彼得强调神的呼召。这用的是描绘新创造的语言。在新约中，我们不仅是新国民，而且是新创造。我们曾是黑暗。这时神呼召。祂说：“要有光。” |
| Paul stresses the very same point in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6. | 保罗在哥林多后书4:3-6中强调了这一点： |
| 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. | 4这些不信的人被这世代的神弄瞎了他们的心眼，使他们看不见基督荣耀的福音的光；基督就是 神的形象。5我们并不是传扬自己，而是传扬耶稣基督是主，并且为了耶稣的缘故成了你们的仆人。6因为那说“要有光从黑暗里照出来” 的 神，已经照在我们的心里，要我们把 神的荣光照出去，就是使人可以认识那在基督脸上的荣光。 |
| Do not merely imagine that this marvelous light is a place or atmosphere in some ethereal realm. This has happened inside of us. That is Paul’s point. This call “let there be light” was an internal, effectual, new creation call. We are born again, created anew so that now we are children of light who bask in marvelous light. | 不要把这奇妙的光明当作只是想像中太虚幻境里的某个场景或氛围。这已经发生在我们里面。这就是保罗的观点。这个“要有光”的呼召，是一种内在的、有效的、新创造的呼召。我们被重生了，被重新创造，为要让我们现在成为光明的儿女，沐浴在奇妙的光中。 |
| But Peter is not done glorying in this marvelous light and the excellency of his saving power and love. He forces us to see what we were so that we can praise God for what we are now. It should come as no surprise that he wants to borrow the colors of the Old Testament again. | 但彼得并不满足于荣耀这奇妙的光明和祂拯救大能与大爱的美德。祂逼迫我们看清我们过去的样子，好让我们为现在的样子赞美神。于是他再次引用旧约的语言就不足为奇了。 |
| 3. Our Past and Present (2:10) | 3.我们的过去和现在（2:10） |
| 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. | 10你们从前不是子民，现在却是 神的子民； 从前未蒙怜恤， 现在却蒙了怜恤。 |
| Peter goes right to Hosea 2:23. It is a striking story – even an unsettling story of rebellion and mercy. The story does not end the way we feel like it should. We are pictured as a rebellious people – unfaithful. Using the marriage metaphor, we are compared to people who constantly are unfaithful to a spouse – continually and brazenly breaking promises of faithfulness – again and again. We deserve to be shunned and cast out for our infidelity to God. But God does something that can only be called shocking. When we deserve to be shunned, he embraces. When we deserve to be cast out and disowned, he receives us and claims us as his own. When we deserved nothing but severe judgment, we receive stupendous mercy. | 彼得径直来到何西阿书2:23。这是一个惊人的故事——是一个令人不安的关于叛逆和怜悯的故事。故事的结局并不像我们所想的那样。我们被描绘成一个叛逆的民族--不忠。用婚姻的比喻，我们被比作不断对配偶不忠的人--不断地、公然地违背忠贞的承诺--一而再再而三。我们对神的不忠，理应被摈弃，被驱逐。但上帝做的事情，只能说是惊天动地。当我们理应被摈弃的时候，祂却拥抱了我们。当我们理应被驱逐，被断绝关系的时候，祂去接纳我们，称我们为属祂的。当我们什么都不配，只配受到严厉审判的时候，我们却得到了超乎想像的怜悯。 |
| We are as far away from the idea of meriting this mercy as you can get. But just to show you that this is exactly how Christians read Hosea, let me take you to Paul to get the echo effect. Listen to Romans 9:22-26 | 我们要远离凭我们的功德赢得怜悯这样的想法，越远越好。但为了让你知道，这正是基督徒读何西阿书的方式，让我带你到保罗那里去找回声效应。请听罗马书9:22-26： |
| 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25As indeed he says in Hosea, | 22如果 神有意要显明他的忿怒，彰显他的大能，而多多容忍那可怒、预备遭毁灭的器皿，23为了要使他丰盛的荣耀，彰显在那蒙恩、早已预备要得荣耀的器皿上，这又有甚么不可呢？ 24这器皿就是我们这些不但从犹太人中，也从外族人中蒙召的人。25就如 神在何西阿书上说的： |
| “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ | “我要称那不是我子民的为‘我的子民’， |
| and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” | 我要称那不蒙爱的为‘蒙爱的’ |
| 26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ | 26从前在甚么地方对他们说：‘你们不是我的子民’， |
| there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ” | 将来就在那里称他们为‘永活 神的儿子’。” |
| Paul’s whole point has been to highlight the absolute freedom of God to show mercy on whomever he chooses (Rom. 9:15-16). | 保罗的整个重点在于强调神有绝对的自由，祂选择要怜悯谁就怜悯谁（罗马书9:15-16） |
| 15For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. | 15因为他对摩西说：“我要怜悯谁，就怜悯谁； 我要恩待谁，就恩待谁。”16这样看来，既不是出于人意，也不是由于人为，只在于那怜悯人的 神。 |
| We have to see the darkness of what we were in order to truly savor what we are now because of his mercy. I once was fatherless. A stranger. Darkness. Deadness. Deafness. Without God and without hope. It was stark and as dark as could be. We did not just need a little help. We were not a people. We were objects of wrath, not mercy. | 我们要看到我们曾经的黑暗，才能真正品味到我们有现在的样子，完全是因为祂的怜悯。我曾经是个孤儿，陌路客，黑暗，死气沉沉，耳聋，没有神也没有盼望，荒凉，至极黑暗。我们需要的不只是一点点帮助。我们甚至不是子民。我们是震怒的对象，而不是怜悯的对象。 |
| Here is the Christian story: what we were on our own. And what we are now because of God’s mercy. But God. But now. Look at who we are. We are now a people – not just any people – one among many. We are the people of the living God. We are the people of mercy. | 这就是基督徒的故事：我们曾经自作自受成了这副可怜样。而因着神的怜悯成了现在这样。然而上帝。然而现在。看看我们是谁。我们现在是子民——不是随便一个族类——众多民族中的普通一个。我们是永生神的子民。我们是蒙爱的子民。 |
| And so we are always a beacon of hope in darkness. We do not proclaim a story of moral achievement. We do proclaim a story of personal ascent and personal power and personal rescue and resiliency. We point to his mercy and his might. All that we are we are because of him. We take no credit for it. At all. Our worship should have the poison of pride removed and be purified (not to us, not to us, but to your name be glory). | 因此我们永远是黑暗中希望的灯塔。我们不宣扬一个道德成就的故事。我们却宣扬一个关于个人上升，个人权能，个人拯救和复原的故事。我们指向祂的怜悯与大能。我们现在的一切都因祂而有。我们没有任何功劳。完全。我们的敬拜应该去除骄傲的毒药而得净化（不是归于我们，不是归于我们，只要你的名得荣耀）。 |
| Application | 应用 |
| For application I simply want to tell you a story of the early church and what life looked like as they were exiled in the Roman Empire. Then I am going to call you to make that your story as well. | 关于应用，我只想告诉你一个早期教会及其如何被流放在罗马帝国的故事。然后我要呼召你们把这也变成你们的故事。 |
| Here are people throughout the Roman Empire that are composed of many “races” or “ethnicities” – Jew, Gentile, Roman, Cappodocia, Asian, Bythinian (and the list could go on and on). And all the natural divisions could not divide them because they were united into something much greater. They together experienced salvation in Jesus and had an eternal hope as heaven’s citizens through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. They were a new “born again” humanity. Now the only division that made an eternal difference was Christian or non-Christian. Forgiven or unforgiven. Alive in Christ or dead in your sins. Christians are a new race and a new nation with a new citizenship and calling. | 这里是整个罗马帝国的人，是由许多“种族”或“民族”组成的--犹太人、外邦人、罗马人、卡波多西亚人、亚洲人、拜提尼人（这个名单还可以继续列下去）。所有的自然分界线都无法将他们分开，因为他们联合成了更伟大的一体。他们在耶稣里共同经历了救赎，并藉着耶稣基督的死而复活成为天国的公民，有了永恒的盼望。他们是新的“重生”的人类。现在唯一有永恒区别的划分就是基督徒与非基督徒。罪得赦免或不得赦免。要么在基督里活着，要么在罪中死去。基督徒是一个新的种族和新的国家，有新的公民身份和呼召。 |
| How did the world receive that claim? Listen to one commentator talking about the experience of the early church. | 世人是如何接收这种说法的？请听一位注释家谈早期教会的经历。 |
| The understanding of Christians that they formed a new race among humanity was precisely one of the points for which they were criticized and persecuted by first-century pagan society. The Roman writer Suetonius refers to Christians as a separate class: “Punishment was inflicted on the Christians [Christiani], a class [genus] of men given to a new and mischievous superstition (Nero 16; Rolfe 1939). This perception, as Colwell (1939: 58; also Frend 1967) observes, led to practices and attitudes—whether justified or not—that alienated Christians from the people of the empire. From the conception of Christians as a distinct race came the accusation that believers in Christ were “haters of mankind.” The very goals of Peter’s letter—that believers form internal bonds within the Christian community and repudiate certain attitudes and practices of their society—also gave rise to the charge that Christians were antisocial. (However, see comments on 2:11–17.) Christians were perceived to repudiate pleasures (e.g., the theater, the races, the gladiatorial combats), break home and family ties, ruin business, abandon pagan religious ritual, and avoid civic duties (Colwell 1939: 61; Frend 1967). This very concept of the new race caused much of the popular opposition to Christianity in the first few centuries.2 | 基督徒认为他们在人类中形成了一个新的种族，这正是他们受到初世纪异教社会批评和迫害的一点。罗马作家苏埃托尼乌斯将基督徒作为一个单独的阶层。"对基督教徒[Christiani]进行了惩罚，这一类人[genus]被赋予了一种新的、恶毒的迷信(Nero 16；Rolfe 1939)。正如科尔韦尔（1939：58；也见弗伦德1967）所观察到的，这种观念导致了一些做法和态度--不管是否合理--使基督徒与帝国人民疏远。自从基督徒作为一个独特的种族开始，就有了对基督的信徒是“人类的仇敌”的指责。彼得写信的目的本身--信徒在基督徒群体中形成内部纽带，摒弃社会上的某些态度和做法--也引起了基督徒是反社会的指控。(然而，见对2:11-17的评论。)基督徒被认为是拒绝享乐(如戏剧、竞赛、角斗场)，破坏家庭和家族关系，毁坏生意，放弃异教宗教仪式，逃避公民义务(科尔韦尔 1939: 61; 弗伦德 1967)。正是这种新种族的概念在最初几个世纪引起了大众对基督教的反对。2 |
| But there is more. | 但还不止于此。 |
| Just as the understanding of Christians as forming a new race brought potential alienation from popular society, the potential conflict of loyalties brought charges of treason and poor citizenship upon Christians of the Roman Empire. Jesus’ instruction to “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17 TNIV) presents the issue of deciding which is which. First-century Christians were often persecuted and executed not because they worshipped Jesus—in a polytheistic society, what is one more god?—but because of the higher claim of the gospel <u>that only in Christ is the One, True God to be worshipped.</u> Because the prosperity and welfare of the empire were believed to depend on religious forces, the Christian’s exclusive allegiance to Jesus as God was naturally viewed as detrimental to the rest of society. From that perspective, Christians were bad citizens of the empire, and this made them subject to accusations of treason. The self-understanding of the early church as a holy nation is attested by the force brought against them by the Roman state.”3 | 正如将基督徒理解为形成了一个新的种族，带来了与大众社会的潜在疏离一样，潜在的忠诚冲突给罗马帝国的基督徒带来了叛国和不良公民身份的指控。耶稣指示“凯撒的应当归给凯撒，上帝的应当归给上帝”（马可福音12:17），提出了决定哪个归哪个的问题。初世纪的基督徒经常被迫害和杀害，并不是因为他们敬拜耶稣--在一个多神论的社会里，多一个神算什么呢--而是因为福音更高的要求，<u>即在基督里唯有独一真神才值得敬拜。</u>由于帝国的繁荣和福利被认为取决于宗教势力，所以基督教徒独尊耶稣为神，自然被视为对社会其他方面的损害。从这个角度看，基督徒是帝国的坏公民，这使他们受到叛国的指责。早期教会作为一个圣洁的民族的自我理解，由罗马国家对他们带来的武力得到了证明。3 |
| This is the call of this text. Be the church – a new race, new nation, a new citizenship, a new calling: God’s possession fulfilling God’s purpose to proclaim God’s excellencies. A people who will not fall prey to the polarization of this fallen world, but united as a people of praise. We will not give way to racial polarization (black, white, Asian, Hispanic), political polarization (Republican/Democrat), economic polarization (rich, middle class, poor), gender polarization (male and female). Our two ordinances remind us of this truth. We are all baptized into the singular name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And our covenant ceremony (our July 4th moment as a new nation) is called communion. | 这就是这段经文的呼召。成为教会--一个新的种族、新的国家、新的公民、新的呼召：神的财产，实现神的旨意，宣扬神的美德。一个不会被这个堕落世界的两极分化所害的民族，而是团结一致，成为一个赞美的民族。我们不会让位于种族分化（黑人、白人、亚裔、西班牙裔）、政治分化（共和党/民主党）、经济分化（富人、中产阶级、穷人）、性别分化（男性和女性）。我们的两种圣礼提醒我们这个真理。我们都受洗归于圣父圣子圣灵独一的名。而我们立约的纪念仪式（我们新国民的独立日）就叫圣餐。 |
| Conclusion: Transition to Communion | 结语：过渡到圣餐 |
| God established the covenant at Sinai, which formed ancient Israel as a holy nation on the blood of a sacrifice (Exod. 24). God established the new covenant in Christ by the sacrifice symbolized when Jesus at the Last Supper lifted the cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24 TNIV).4 | 神在西奈山立了约，使古以色列在祭牲之血的基础上形成了一个圣洁的国家（出埃及记24章）。神在基督里藉着献祭立了新约，这献祭的象征就体现在当耶稣在最后的晚餐中举起杯子说：“这是我的血，是为立约的，为许多人流出来的”（马可福音14:24）时。4 |
| Israel became a nation at Sinai in the old covenant by the blood of the sacrifice (Exod. 24) – sprinkled with that blood. | 在旧约中以色列是在西奈山藉着献祭的血立国（出埃及记24章）——洒下那血。 |
| Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”—Exodus 24:6–8 | 摩西取了一半的血，盛在盆中；又取了另一半的血，洒在祭坛上。他又把约书拿过来，念给人民听；他们说：“耶和华吩咐的一切话，我们都必遵行和听从。”摩西就取了血来，洒在人民的身上，说：“看哪，这是立约的血，这约是耶和华按着这一切话与你们立的。”—出埃及记24:6–8 |
| When did we become a nation? When is the July 4 for the church? | 我们什么时候成为一个国家？教会的独立日是什么时候？ |
| We are going to celebrate it now: God established the new covenant in Christ by the sacrifice symbolized when Jesus at the Last Supper lifted the cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many”. | 我们现在要庆祝它。上帝在基督里立了新约，当耶稣在最后的晚餐上举起杯子说：“这是我的血，是为立约的，为许多人流出来的”时，祂的牺牲就象征着这一点。 |
| Sermon Discussion Questions | 讲道讨论问题 |
| Title: Chosen to Praise | 标题：蒙拣选，以赞美 |
| Text: 1 Peter 2:9-10 | 经文：彼得前书2:9-10 |
| Outline | 纲要 |
| 1. Our Identity (2:9a) | 1.我们的身份 (2:9a) |
| 2. Our Purpose: Proclaim God’s Excellencies (2:9b) | 2.我们的目的：宣扬神的美德(2:9b) |
| 3. Our Past and Present (2:10) | 3.我们的过去和现在 （2:10） |
| Main Point: | 要点： |
| God made us his own in order that we would be a people of pure praise. | 神使我们成为祂自己的子民，为的是使我们成为纯然赞美的子民。 |
| General Questions | 一般性问题 |
| 1. What were your initial responses to the sermon? What was the Holy Spirit doing in your heart during or after the sermon? Was there a new insight gained? Any questions prompted? What did you find convicting, helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain. | 1. 你对讲道的初步反应是什么？在讲道时或讲道后，圣灵在你心中做了什么？是否有了新的感悟？想到什么问题了吗？你觉得哪些地方让你信服，哪些地方对你有帮助，哪些地方让你大开眼界，哪些地方让你烦恼？请解释。 |
| 2. What point from the sermon landed on you with the most weight of joy or conviction? What things did you see and savor that you feel like you need to share with others? | 2. 讲道中的哪一点让你感到最大的喜悦或为罪沉痛？你看到了什么，品味了什么，让你觉得需要和别人分享？ |
| Discussion Questions | 讨论问题 |
| 1.Describe what Peter means by the four pictures of our identity: chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, people for his possession. | 1.试描述彼得所说的我们身份的四幅图画是什么意思：蒙拣选的族类、君尊的祭司、圣洁的国民、属祂的人。 |
| 2. What is the relationship between these four titles of our identity (v. 9a) and our purpose of proclamation (v. 9b)? | 2. 我们身份的这四种称谓（9a节）和我们宣扬的目的（9b节）之间的关系是什么？ |
| 3. Does proclamation in verse 9 refer to worship or evangelism? | 3. 第9节中的宣扬是指敬拜还是传福音？ |
| 4. Why does Peter quote Hosea 2:23 in verse 10? How does that quotation help purify our praise? | 4. 为什么彼得在第10节引用何西阿书2:23？引用这句话对净化我们的赞美有什么帮助？ |
| Application Questions | 应用问题 |
| 1. How would you compare and contrast the story of the early church in the Roman empire with the church in America today? How can we live out the calling of these verses as: (1) an individual, (2) a family unit, and (3) a church body | 1.你会如何比较罗马帝国早期教会与今天美国教会的故事？我们如何才能活出这些经文的呼召：作为(1)个人，(2)家庭单位，(3)教会团体。 |
| 2. What truths landed upon you in this message that you need to share with others in your life? How can you share these truths? Devote it to prayer! | 2. 在这个信息中，有哪些真理对你有特别的感动，让你觉得需要在生活中与他人分享？如何分享这些真理？把它交托在祷告中吧！ |
| Prayer Focus: | 祷告焦点： |
| Pray for a grace to be the church that God has called us to be as a people of praise | 求主恩典，使我们成为神呼召的教会，成为赞美的子民。 |
1 Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter.+~God+established+the+) (p. 161). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
2 Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 159). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
3 Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 162). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
4 Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter.+~God+established+the+) (p. 161). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
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