| Bethlehem Downtown |
伯利恒教会市中心堂 |
| 1 Peter 2:6–8 |
彼得前书2:6-8 |
| 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. |
6 因为经上记着：“看哪，我在锡安放了一块石头， 就是所拣选所珍贵的房角石， 信靠他的人，必不致失望。” 7 所以这石头，对你们信的人是宝贵的，但对那不信的人，却是“建筑工人所弃的石头， 成了房角的主要石头。” 8 它又“作了绊脚的石头， 使人跌倒的磐石。” 他们跌倒是因为不顺从这道，他们这样是必然的。 |
| Introduction |
引言 |
| You’ve heard the old adage: one man’s trash is another’s treasure. One of my favorite things about our first home in St. Paul was the front entryway that was constructed with materials from an old church sanctuary. The wood panels and stained-glass window were destined for a dumpster, but a resourceful builder saw potential and value in these cast-off materials and used them to create something new and beautiful. |
你肯定听过一句老话：一个人的垃圾是另一个人的财宝。我们在圣保罗的第一个家，我最喜欢的一件事就是用旧教堂圣所的材料建造的前门入口。这些木板和彩色玻璃窗注定要被扔进垃圾箱，但一位足智多谋的建筑商看到了这些废旧材料的潜力和价值，利用它们创造了一些新的美丽的东西。 |
| First Peter 2 uses building imagery to help us understand our identity and calling as Christ’s people. We are “like living stones ... being built up as a spiritual house” (v. 5), the new temple of the living God. Surprisingly, the foundation of this spiritual house is “the stone that the builders rejected” (v. 7)—Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. God turns rejection into redemption. He takes a stone from the scrapheap to accomplish stunning salvation and build an enduring structure--his church. |
彼得前书2章用建筑意象来帮助我们理解我们作为基督子民的身份和呼召。我们“像活石，被建造成为灵宫”（第5节），就是永生神的新圣殿。令人惊讶的是，这座灵宫的地基是“建筑工人所弃的石头”（第7节）--被钉在十字架上并复活的耶稣基督。神把拒绝变成救赎。祂从废品堆中取出一块石头，完成惊天动地的救赎，并建立了一个持久的建筑—祂的教会。 |
| As a church family, we have been studying 1 Peter the past few months in our series, “Don’t Waste Your Trials.” The apostle Peter wrote this letter to encourage scattered, suffering believers to “stand firm” in the true grace of God (5:12). Peter challenges us to see ourselves as “elect exiles” (1:1) and urges us to persevere in faith and love in times of trial because we have a living hope and inexpressible joy through Jesus, our risen and returning King (1:3, 8). |
作为一个教会家庭，过去几个月我们一直在学习彼得前书的“不要浪费你的试炼”系列。使徒彼得写这封信是为了鼓励散居的、受苦的信徒在神的真恩典中“站稳”（5:12）。彼得挑战我们，要把自己看成是“蒙拣选的寄居者”（1:1），并敦促我们在试炼的时候坚持信心和爱心，因为我们藉着耶稣--我们复活归来的王，有永活的盼望和无法形容的喜乐（1:3,8）。 |
| Last week Pastor Ming-Jinn preached on 1 Peter 2:4–5, where the apostle likens followers of Jesus to “living stones [who] are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Today we look at verses 6–8, where Peter unpacks what he says about Jesus in verse 4: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” The apostle quotes three “stone” prophecies to support his claims about Christ and help us see the implications for following Christ. The big idea of our passage is that Christ is the stone on which we will stand by faith or stumble and fall. We cannot remain neutral or independent: we will either love Christ or loathe him; we will either treasure Christ or take offense at him. Christ is the stone on which we will stand by faith or stumble and fall. |
上周明璟牧师讲到彼得前书2:4-5，使徒把耶稣的追随者比作“活石[他们]正在被建造成灵宫，作圣洁的祭司，藉着耶稣基督献上神悦纳的灵祭。”今天我们看6-8节，彼得在第4节解开了他对耶稣的评价：“主是活石，虽然被人弃绝，却是 神所拣选所珍贵的；你们到他面前来。”使徒引用了三个“石头”的预言来支持他关于基督的主张，帮助我们看到跟随基督的意义。我们这段经文的大意是，基督是我们凭着信心所站立的磐石，否则就会绊倒，跌倒。我们不能保持中立或独立：我们要么爱基督，要么厌恶祂；我们要么珍爱基督，要么觉得受祂冒犯。基督是我们凭着信心所站立的磐石，否则就会绊倒，跌倒。 |
| You might wonder why the apostle calls Jesus “a living stone” and quotes three “stone” Scriptures. Of course, Jesus gave him the name “Peter” (meaning “rock”) in Matthew 16:18 to highlight the foundational role of his testimony to our Lord’s resurrection, so we might think that this outspoken apostle had a thing for all things “stone.” Here Peter is actually following the example of the Lord Jesus, who identified himself in the Gospels as “the stone that the builders rejected” (citing Psalm 118) to explain that his coming suffering and death were not an accident but a deliberate fulfillment of ancient prophecy (Matt 21:42). When Peter and John were arrested and brought before the same Jewish council that condemned Jesus to die, they proclaimed, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11–12). Thus, Peter “the Rock” learned from his Lord that the spurned stone would be the singular savior, and he explains this crucial biblical truth in 1 Peter 2:6–8. We see in this passage two contrasting responses to “the living stone” Jesus Christ: (1) standing on the chosen cornerstone, or (2) stumbling on the rock of offense. This all-important choice, whether to receive or reject Christ, cannot be compartmentalized but shapes every part of our lives now and forever. |
你可能会想知道，为什么使徒称耶稣为 "活石"，并引用了三段有关“石头”的经文。当然，耶稣在马太福音16章18节给他取名“彼得”（意为“石头”），是为了突出他为我们的主复活作见证的奠基性的使命，所以我们可能会认为这位口无遮拦的使徒对所有关于“石头”的东西都感兴趣。在这里，彼得实际上是在效法主耶稣的榜样，主耶稣在福音书中把自己定义为“匠人所弃的石头”（引用诗篇118篇），以解释祂即将到来的苦难和死亡不是偶然的，而是有意应验古代的预言（马太福音21:42）。当彼得和约翰被逮捕，被带到判处耶稣死刑的那个犹太议会面前时，他们宣告：“这耶稣是你们‘建筑工人所弃的石头， 成了房角的主要石头。’除了他以外，别无拯救，因为在天下人间，没有赐下别的名，我们可以靠着得救。” （使徒行传4:11-12）因此，“石头”彼得从他的主那里得知，这块被唾弃的石头将是唯一的救主，他在彼得前书2:6-8中解释了这个关键的圣经真理。在这段经文中，我们看到对“活石”耶稣基督的两种截然相反的反应。(1)站在被拣选的房角石上，或(2)绊倒在石头上。这个至关重要的选择，是接受还是拒绝基督，不能被切割出来，而是影响着我们现在和永恒生活的每一部分。 |
| (1) Standing on the Chosen Cornerstone |
(1) 站在被拣选的房角石上 |
| Look with me at verse 6. The word “for” signals that this verse supports or explains what Peter has just said in verses 4–5. Peter’s introductory comment “it stands in Scripture” makes abundantly clear that he is appealing to biblical authority to explain what he has just said about Jesus and his people. He quotes Isaiah 28:16: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” Notice how this quotation precisely repeats Peter’s earlier description of Christ as a living stone ... chosen and precious (v. 4). |
请和我一起看第6节。“因为”这个词标志着这节经文支持或解释彼得刚才在4-5节所说的话。彼得的开场白“经上记着”非常清楚地表明，他是在诉诸圣经的权威来解释他刚才所说的耶稣及其子民。他引用以赛亚书28章16节：“看哪，我在锡安放了一块石头，就是所拣选所珍贵的房角石，信靠他的人，必不至于羞愧。”请注意这段引文是如何精确地重复了彼得先前对基督作为一块活石……是神所拣选所珍贵的描述（第4节）。 |
| In Isaiah 28, the Lord confronts his people’s false sense of security and utter disregard for his Word. According to verse 15, Judah’s leaders have “made a covenant with death”—that is, they trust that their political alliances will protect them from the threat of the mighty nation Assyria. They have made lies their refuge, so God warns that “hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter” (v. 17). |
在以赛亚书28章中，主质问祂的子民虚假的安全感及对祂话语的完全无视。根据第15节，犹大的领袖已经“与死亡立约”--也就是说，他们相信他们的政治联盟会保护他们免受强国亚述的威胁。他们以谎言为避难所，所以神警告说：“冰雹必把谎言的遮蔽冲去， 大水必漫过庇护所”（17节）。 |
| I grew up in Oklahoma, and frequently in the spring-time we would hear tornado sirens. Those sirens are an urgent warning to flee to a storm shelter. It would be utter folly to stand outside holding an umbrella when a massive tornado is coming. Similarly, God sends Isaiah to sound the alarm that God’s judgment is coming, and their umbrella-like political deal will not stand in the coming storm. God then points Judah (and us) to only secure shelter in verse 16: |
我在俄克拉荷马州长大，经常在春天的时候，我们会听到龙卷风的警报声。这些警笛声是一种紧急警告，让你逃到安全的地方去。当一场巨大的龙卷风即将来临的时候，还站在外面撑着伞，那简直是愚蠢至极。同样，上帝派以赛亚敲响了警钟，上帝的审判即将来临，他们那雨伞一样的政治交易在即将到来的风暴中是站不住脚的。然后，神在第16节指出犹大（和我们）唯一安全的避难所。 |
| “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’” |
“看哪！ 我在锡安放置一块石头， 是试验过的石头， 是稳固的基石，宝贵的房角石； 信靠的人，必不着急。” |
| The Lord adds that he “will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line” for his building in Zion (v. 17), a stark contrast with the lies and injustice of Isaiah’s day. |
主又说，他要为他在锡安的建筑 “以公平为准绳，以公义为线铊”（17节），这与以赛亚时代的谎言和不公形成了鲜明的对比。 |
| We need to ask two questions of this verse: (1) Where is “Zion”? (2) What is this foundational cornerstone? |
我们需要对这节经文提出两个问题。(1) “锡安”在哪里？(2)这个奠基性的房角石是什么？ |
| Zion: The book of Isaiah mentions “Zion” or “Mount Zion” forty-seven times. The Lord has founded Zion and dwells there (Isa 8:18), and he promises to comfort and save Zion, gather the nations, and reign over his redeemed people forever (2:2–3; 46:13; 51:3; 52:7; 62:11). Thus, here Zion is the holy city of God, the place where the redeemed people of God live under God’s righteous rule. Zion is our true, glorious, eternal home. |
锡安：以赛亚书中47次提到“锡安”或“锡安山”。主已建立锡安，并住在那里（以赛亚书8:18），祂应许安慰和拯救锡安，召集万国，并永远统治祂所救赎的子民（2:2-3；46:13；51:3；52:7；62:11）。因此，这里的锡安是神的圣城，是神救赎的子民生活在神公义统治下的地方。锡安是我们真正的、荣耀的、永恒的家园。 |
| Cornerstone: Isaiah 28:16 piles up descriptions of this stone—it is a tested, precious, and sure cornerstone. In the ancient world, the cornerstone was the most important part of a building. This stone stabilized the foundation of the structure, holding the other stones together in proper alignment. God lays this stone as a foundation for something—most likely, for God’s true temple built not with cedar and cut stones but with his blood-bought people. Ephesians 2 makes this explicit, identifying believers as “a holy temple” founded upon Christ as the cornerstone (vv. 20–22).[1] |
房角石：以赛亚书第28章第16节对这块石头堆砌了很多形容——它是经过考验的、宝贵的、稳固的房角石。在古代，房角石是建筑物最重要的部分。这块石头稳定了整个建筑的根基，让其它石头对齐排列在一起。上帝铺设这块石头，是为了什么--很可能是为了上帝真正的圣殿，不是用雪松和切割的石头，而是用祂的血赎来的子民所建造的。以弗所书第2章明确了这一点，认定信徒是建立在基督为基石之上的“圣殿”（20-22节）。[1] |
| Isaiah 8:14 refers to God himself as “a stone,” but here the “tested stone” that God has laid is his messianic king. Isaiah 9:7 promises that God will establish the messiah’s kingdom “with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.” Commentator Paul House explains, “In Isaiah, only Yahweh and His chosen Messiah merit belief. No place but Zion is ultimately a permanent home of righteousness, justice, and peace.... Yahweh’s word and the messianic promise are the stone that tests all people and all ideas.”[2] |
以赛亚书8章14节提到神自己是“一块石头”，但这里神所铺设的“试验过的石头”却是祂的弥赛亚君王。以赛亚书9章7节应许，神要建立弥赛亚的国度，“以公平和公义使国坚立稳固， 从现在直到永远”。注释家保罗-豪斯解释说：“在以赛亚书中，只有耶和华和祂所拣选的弥赛亚值得相信。除了锡安之外，没有一个地方是终极上的正义、公正、和平的永久家园……耶和华的话语和弥赛亚的应许是检验一切人和一切观念的石头。”[2] |
| Peter explains that Jesus Christ is the chosen and precious cornerstone. Moreover, 1 Peter 2:4 calls Christ “a living stone” to remind us that he rose from the dead and has given us “a living hope” (cf. 1:3). God is building a spiritual house of worship—a new temple made up of people redeemed by Christ, the true cornerstone. Whoever believes in Jesus, the risen Lord will never be put to shame. I will say more later about shame and honor (the opposite of shame). |
彼得解释说，耶稣基督是所拣选所珍贵的房角石。此外，彼得前书2:4称基督为“活石”，提醒我们祂从死里复活，已给我们“永活的盼望”（参见1章3节）。神正在建造一座用来敬拜的灵宫--由真正的房角石基督所救赎的人组成的新圣殿。凡是相信复活的主耶稣的人，必不至于羞愧。关于羞愧和尊荣（羞愧的反面），我后面会再说。 |
| Isaiah’s prophecy challenges us to ask: where do we go to seek shelter and security in life’s storms? In recently months, the coronavirus pandemic has revealed many of our cultural idols such as financial security and personal autonomy. COVID-19 dramatically disrupted our global economy. The stock market tanked, and millions of people lost their jobs, including some in our church. The pandemic reminds us that our true security is found in God, not in our jobs or our bank accounts. The apostle Paul calls us not to be proud or to set our “hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17). Moreover, the coronavirus affected nearly everyone’s schedules. We’ve endured weeks of stay-at-home orders; our schools, offices, and church buildings have closed; and our plans for travel and extracurricular activities have been cancelled. These disruptions have revealed to us that we are not really in control. I’ve been reminded of James’s words: “you do not know what tomorrow will bring.... You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (Jas 4:14). Don’t waste your trials, friends; these disruptions and difficulties force us to really trust Christ and also provide us new opportunities to love our neighbors and speak of the countercultural hope that we have in our risen Lord. |
以赛亚的预言向我们提出挑战：在人生的风暴中，我们到哪里去寻求庇护和安全？最近几个月，冠状病毒大流行，暴露了我们很多的文化偶像，比如经济安全、个人自主。COVID-19严重扰乱了我们的全球经济。股市暴跌，数百万人失业，包括我们教会的一些人。这场大流行提醒我们，我们真正的安全感是在神那里找到的，而不是在我们的工作或银行账户里。使徒保罗呼吁我们不要骄傲，也不要“寄望在浮动的财富上，却要仰望那厚赐百物给我们享用的 神”（提摩太前书6:17）。此外，冠状病毒几乎影响了所有人的日程。我们已经忍受了几周的居家令；我们的学校、办公室和教堂已经关闭；我们的旅行和课外活动计划也被取消了。这些扰乱让我们发现，我们并没有真正的控制权。这让我想起雅各书中说的：“其实明天怎样，你们并不知道……你们倒不如说：’主若愿意，我们就可以活着，作这事或作那事‘”（雅各书4:14-15）朋友们，不要浪费你们的试炼，这些干扰和困难迫使我们真正信靠基督，也为我们提供了新的机会，让我们去爱我们的邻舍，讲出我们在复活的主里所拥有的反文化的希望。 |
| (2) Stumbling on the Rock of Offense |
（2）在跌人的磐石上绊倒 |
| Christ is the stone on which we will either stand by faith or stumble and fall. Verse 6 stresses that whoever believes in Christ “will not be put to shame.” Verses 7–8 explain Christ’s rejection and offensiveness by citing two more “stone” Scriptures. There is only one “stone”—Jesus Christ—the crucial question is whether we revere or reject him. Notice the contrast in verse 7: “So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’” This quotation comes from Psalm 118:22, a psalm cited many times in the NT, including by Jesus himself. |
基督是我们凭着信心所站立的磐石，否则就会绊倒，跌倒。第6节强调，凡信基督的人，“必不羞愧”。7-8节又引用两处“石头”经文，解释基督的拒绝和冒犯。对于唯一的“石头”--耶稣基督--关键的问题是，我们是该敬畏还是拒绝祂。请注意第7节的对比：“所以这石头，对你们信的人是宝贵的，但对那不信的人，却是‘建筑工人所弃的石头，成了房角的主要石头。’”这段引文来自诗篇118:22，这首诗在新约中被多次引用，包括耶稣本人。 |
| Psalm 118 opens and concludes with the refrain: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever (vv. 1, 29). The psalmist recounts that the Lord has heard his prayers and has become his “salvation” (v. 21). God has done something “marvelous in our eyes” (v. 23) by turning rejection into redemption (v. 22). The king who “comes in the Lord’s name” and is blessed “from the Lord’s house” (v. 26) is also the rejected stone in verse 22. |
诗篇118篇的开头和结尾都有这样的诗句：你们要称谢耶和华，因他本是良善的；他的慈爱永远长存。（第1和29节）诗人叙述耶和华听了他的祷告，成为他的“拯救”（21节）。神作了“在我们眼中看为稀奇”的事（第23节），把拒绝变成救赎（第22节）。“奉耶和华的名来”的王，“从耶和华的殿中”得福的王（第26节）也就是在第22节中被拒绝的。 |
| Christ fulfills this psalm as the messianic king who is praised as he rides into Jerusalem on a colt (Luke 19:38) and then rejected by the Jewish leaders and his generation (Luke 9:22; cf. 17:25). No one in Jesus’s day expected a suffering messiah, but he explains that he must suffer many things, including rejection and death, according to Psalm 118 and other Scriptures. People expect a king to be honored, but Jesus experiences scorn and shame. Israel’s leaders despise Jesus and seek to destroy him, but by rejecting Christ they ironically carry out God’s secret plan for salvation. God designed that the stone that the builders cast aside would be the living cornerstone of his new temple of praise. |
基督以弥赛亚王的身份应验了这首诗，当祂骑着驴驹进入耶路撒冷时，受到了赞美（路加福音19:38），然后被犹太领袖及其世代所拒绝（路加福音9:22；参见17:25）。在耶稣的时代，没有人预料到会有一个受苦的弥赛亚，但祂解释说，根据诗篇118篇和其它经文，祂必须遭受许多苦，包括拒绝和死亡。人们预期君王被尊崇但耶稣却经历了 蔑视和羞辱。以色列的领袖们轻视耶稣，企图消灭祂，但反讽的是，他们弃绝基督，却反而执行了上帝救赎的秘密计划。上帝设计，建筑工人丢弃的石头将成为祂新建赞美圣殿的活房角石。 |
| Verse 8 cites a third Scripture to highlight the disastrous consequences of rejecting Christ as the chosen and precious “living stone” (v. 4). Peter quotes part of Isaiah 8:14: “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” This passage calls us to honor the Lord as holy and fear him alone (v. 13). The Lord presents himself as both “a sanctuary and a stone of offense” (v. 14), highlighting the “double-edged” nature to his self-revelation.[3] For believers who wait for the Lord, the Holy One is a sanctuary, offering comfort and security. But those who refuse to fear God or wait for him “shall stumble” on divine rock and “shall fall and be broken” (v. 15). We see this double-edged divine revelation most fully in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul explains that the gospel of Christ crucified is “a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called ... Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:23–24). |
第8节引用第三处经文，强调拒绝基督作为所拣选所珍贵“活石”（4节）的灾难性后果。彼得引用了以赛亚书8:14的部分内容：“绊脚的石头、跌人的磐石”。这段经文叫我们尊主为圣，单单敬畏祂（13节）。主把自己既当作“圣所”，又当作“跌人的磐石”（14节），突出了祂自我启示的“双刃”性质。[3]对于等候主的信徒来说，圣者就是一个圣所，提供安慰和安全感。但那些拒绝敬畏神或等候神的人，必在神的磐石上“绊跌”，“仆倒、跌碎”（15节）。我们在耶稣基督身上最充分地看到了这种双刃的神圣启示。使徒保罗解释说，基督被钉在十字架上的福音“在犹太人看来是绊脚石，在外族人看来是愚笨的，但对那些蒙召的人……基督是 神的能力，神的智慧”（哥林多前书1:23-24）。 |
| Peter concludes verse 8 with a sobering word: “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.” The apostle reminds us here that God is sovereign over salvation and judgment from beginning to end. None of us deserves God’s bountiful love and lavish mercy; all of us at one time were “not a people,” living in darkness, straying like sheep (vv. 9–10, 25). Left to our own natural abilities and worldly sensibilities, we all would reject Christ. God has predestined some people to willfully reject Christ and receive what their sins justly deserve (theologians call this doctrine reprobation). But God has opened our eyes to see a cast-off, crucified Christ as our living Lord and savior; he called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light to proclaim his excellencies (v. 9) and stand firm in his grace (5:12). |
彼得在第8节的最后说了一句发人深省的话：“他们跌倒是因为不顺从这道，他们这样是预定的。”使徒在这里提醒我们，神从头到尾都是主宰救赎和审判的。我们没有一个人配得神丰盛的爱和丰厚的怜悯；我们所有人曾经都“不是子民”，活在黑暗中，像羊迷路（9-10、25节）。如果任凭我们自己的自然能力和世俗的感觉，我们都会拒绝基督。上帝已经预定了一些人故意拒绝基督，并接受他们罪所应得的（神学家称这种教义为遗弃）。但是，神已经打开我们的眼睛，让我们看到一个被遗弃的、被钉在十字架上的基督，作为我们永生的主和救主；祂呼召我们从黑暗中出来，进入祂奇妙的光中，宣扬祂的美德（9节），在祂的恩典中站稳（5:12）。 |
| To sum up: we’ve seen from 1 Peter 2:6–8 that Christ is the stone on which we will stand by faith or stumble and fall. Christ experienced painful rejection and shameful death, but God raised him up on the third day and designated him as the chosen cornerstone. Our risen Lord is the foundation of the spiritual house of praise that God is building, and all who trust in him will never be ashamed. |
总结：从彼得前书2:6-8我们已经看到，基督是我们凭着信心所站立的磐石，否则就会绊倒，跌倒。基督经历了痛苦的拒绝和羞耻的死亡，但上帝在第三天使祂复活，指定祂为被拣选的房角石。我们复活的主是神所建造的赞美灵宫的根基，凡信靠祂的人，必永不羞愧。 |
| (3) Application |
（3）应用 |
| As we close, I want to highlight three implications of 1 Peter 2:6–8 for us as a church family: (1) a subtle danger, (2) a new identity, and (3) a secure unity. |
在我们结束的时候，我想强调彼得前书2:6-8对我们这个教会家庭的三个意义。(1) 一种微妙的危险， (2) 一种新的身份， (3) 一种安全的合一。 |
| (a) A Subtle Danger |
（a）一种微妙的危险 |
| First, our passage today warns us against rejecting Christ, the chosen and precious cornerstone. Those of us who regularly attend church and identify as Christians can easily read about “those who believe,” who stumble and fall and assume that Peter is only talking about people “out there”--avowed atheists, secularists, or those of other religions who publicly oppose Christ and his followers. Remember that the Bible scholars of Jesus’s day called for his execution, and one of his own disciples betrayed him with a kiss. You can grow up in a Christian home, attend church, be “Minnesota nice,” and avoid obvious sins, all the while trusting in yourself rather than treasuring Jesus and clinging to God’s promises. Bethlehem, beware the subtle danger of general familiarity with the things of God as a substitute for genuine faith in Christ. Today, as you hear God’s word, do not harden your hearts (Heb 3:7)! But come to Jesus, the chosen and precious cornerstone, and taste and see that he is good (1 Pet 2:3–4) |
首先，我们今天的经文警告我们不要拒绝基督这所拣选所珍贵的房角石。我们这些经常参加教会并认同基督徒身份的人，很容易读到 "那些信的人"，他们跌跌撞撞，以为彼得说的只是“圈外”的人--公然自称的无神论者、世俗主义者，或那些公开反对基督及其信徒的异教徒。要记得耶稣时代的那些圣经学者要求处死祂，祂自己的一个门徒也用亲吻出卖了祂。你可以在基督教家庭中成长，参加教会，做一个“明尼苏达好人”，避免明显的罪，同时相信自己，而不是珍惜耶稣，紧紧抓住神的应许。伯利恒会众，要当心一般性地熟悉属神事物的微妙危险，以代替对基督的真正信仰。今天，你听到了神的话语，就不要再硬着心（希伯来书3:7）！却要来到耶稣，这个所拣选所珍贵的房角石，尝一尝，看祂是美善（彼得前书2:3-4）。 |
| (b) A New Identity |
（b）一种新的身份 |
|
| Second, through faith in Jesus, we have a new identity. Peter presents Christ as “a living stone” who is “chosen” and “precious” (2:4), and what is true of Christ is true of his blood-bought people. We are “living stones” who share in Christ’s resurrection life and have “a living hope” because our Lord is alive (1:3). Further, we are chosen by God and honored in his sight, as Jesus is. Peter calls us “elect exiles” (1:1) and “a chosen race” (2:9), applying OT language for Israel to Christ’s multiethnic people. Similarly, our faith is “more precious than gold” and will bring honor when Christ returns (1:7). We also should expect to share Christ sufferings as we experience opposition and various trials in this fallen world (4:13). Church, your fundamental identity is not defined by your job, your social status, your ethnicity, or your politics but by your relationship to Jesus Christ. If you trust in Christ, then you have been redeemed by Christ’s blood and are chosen and precious to God. |
第二，通过对耶稣的信仰，我们有了新的身份。彼得指出基督是“所拣选”和“所珍贵”的“活石”（2:4），对于基督来说是真实的一切，对于祂血赎的子民也是真实的。我们是分享基督复活生命的“活石”，有“永活的盼望”，因为我们的主一直活着（1:3）。而且，我们是蒙神拣选的，在祂的眼里是有尊荣的，就像耶稣一样。彼得称我们为“蒙拣选的寄居者”（1:1）和“蒙拣选的族类”（2:9），这是将旧约对以色列的语言应用到基督的多民族百姓中。同样，我们的信心“比金子更宝贵”，当基督再来时，会带来荣耀（1:7）。当我们在这个堕落的世界中经历反对和各种考验时，我们也应该期望在基督的受苦上有分（4:13）。教会，你的基本身份不是由你的工作、你的社会地位、你的种族、或你的政治立场所决定，而是由你与耶稣基督的关系所决定。如果你信靠基督，那么你已经被基督的宝血所救赎，是神所拣选的，是神所珍视的。 |
| Notice that our passage says that believers “will not be put to shame” and have “honor.” Shame refers to the fear, pain, or state of being excluded or treated as unworthy in social relationships.[4] The opposite of shame is honor, being treated as worthy. The Lord Jesus endured the shame of the cross and is now seated at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand. The elect exiles to whom Peter writes likely experienced shame and dishonor because of their decision to follow a crucified king, but the apostle reminds them that God will not put his people to shame. The church is made up of people who may be honored or dishonored in society, but God bestows honor on all who belong to Christ. Through Christ, we are members of one body and should show honor to one another to reflect our new identity as God’s chosen and precious people who will not be put to shame when Christ returns (Rom 12:10; cf. 1 Cor 12:14–27). |
请注意，我们这段经文说，信徒“必不羞愧”，有“尊荣”。羞愧是指在社会关系中被排斥或被当作无价值的状态及其伴随的恐惧和痛苦。[4]耻辱的反面是尊荣，被当作有价值的。主耶稣忍受了十字架的羞辱，现在坐在神右手边最尊荣的位置上。彼得写信的对象，蒙拣选的寄居者们，很可能因为他们决定跟随一个被钉十字架的王而经历了羞耻和不光彩，但使徒提醒他们，神不会让祂的百姓蒙羞。教会是由人组成的，他们在社会上可能会受到尊敬，也可能会受到不尊敬，但神却把尊荣赐给所有属于基督的人。通过基督，我们成为同一个身体的成员，应该彼此尊敬，以反映我们作为神所拣选的宝贵子民的新身份，当基督再来时，我们必不羞愧（罗马书12:10；参见，哥林多前书12:14-27）。 |
| (c) A Secure Unity |
（c）安全的合一 |
| Finally, through faith in Jesus, we have a secure unity as living stones in God’s new temple. The world offers many alternative “foundations” for unity—political causes, social organizations, sports teams, etc. But Christ alone offers a sure and stable foundation on which to build our lives together. The unjust death of George Floyd and the destructive riots that followed have shaken the very foundations of our city and make us long for our true, eternal home in the city of God. If we have tasted that the Lord is good and have come to Christ in faith, then even now God is building us into a spiritual house of praise that will last forever. As followers of Christ and members of his house, we have more in common with one another than we have with unbelieving family, friends, and coworkers. This does not erase our real differences but it puts these differences into perspective and allows us to have true fellowship in Christ. |
最后，通过对耶稣的信仰，我们有了一种安全的合一，成为上帝新圣殿中的活石。世界为团结合一提供了许多可供选择的“基础”--政治事业、社会组织、球队等。但唯有基督为我们提供了可靠稳定的基础，使我们能够共同建立我们的生活。乔治-弗洛伊德的不公正死亡和随后发生的破坏性骚乱，动摇了我们城市的根基，使我们渴望在上帝之城拥有真正的、永恒的家园。如果我们尝到了主是美善，并且凭着信心来到了基督面前，那么即使是现在，神也要把我们建造成一座赞美的灵宫，这赞美的宫殿将永存。作为基督的跟随者和祂家里的成员，我们彼此之间的共同点比我们与不信的家人、朋友和同事之间的共同点要多。这并没有抹去我们真正的差异，而是把这些差异放在了正确的位置上，让我们在基督里有真正的相交。 |
| The Bible calls the church God’s family and household, and last week Pastor Ming-Jinn helped us reflect on the house as a place for human flourishing. Earlier I shared about a room in our first house that was constructed using wood and a window from an old church sanctuary. On a more personal note, let me share briefly about how God has used adoption to teach me about the meaning of a family. |
圣经称教会为神的家庭和家眷，上周明璟牧师帮助我们反思家是人的兴旺之地。之前我说了我们家第一个房子里的一个房间，是用木头和旧教堂圣所的窗户搭建的。从更个人的角度来说，让我简单地分享一下神如何利用收养孩子来教导我家庭的意义。 |
| About two and a half years ago, Kristin and I flew to China to meet our son and bring him home. We gave him a new name and thus a new identity. We legally adopted Jonah into our family, and then began to experience the joys and challenges of that new reality. For the first time in his life, Jonah had parents, siblings, and a home—a place to belong, to grow, and to flourish. Our boy learned the language and culture of our family, and he also contributed to and changed our family in so many ways. He learned to eat pizza and hot dogs, and we learned to enjoy shi-fan and dumplings. He has a Vikings jersey and superhero costumes, and our other kids have traditional Chinese clothes and use chopsticks. We’ve celebrated milestones and supported one another through suffering, we’ve laughed and cried, apologized and loved because we are a family. Our family’s unity isn’t defined ultimately by DNA but by love. |
大约两年半前，我和Kristin飞到中国去见儿子，然后把他带回家。我们给了他一个新的名字，也因此有了一个新的身份。我们合法地把约拿领进了我们的家庭，然后开始经历这个新现实的欢乐和挑战。约拿有生以来第一次有了父母、兄弟姐妹和一个家--一个归属、成长和发展的地方。我们的孩子学会了我们家的语言和文化，他也在很多方面为我们家做出了贡献和改变。他学会了吃披萨和热狗，我们也学会了享受稀饭和饺子。他有了维京人队的球衣和超级英雄的服装，我们其他孩子有了传统的中国服装，用筷子。我们庆祝过里程碑，也在苦难中相互扶持，我们笑过、哭过、道歉过、爱过，因为我们是一家人。我们家的团结最终不是由DNA决定的，而是由爱决定的。 |
| In the same way, the church’s unity is not based on our common preferences, affinities, or heritage but on the redeeming love of Christ. He is the chosen cornerstone, the singular foundation for our life together as God’s spiritual house. Bethlehem, remember that we have a secure unity in Christ. We must live out this reality by supporting one another through suffering, laughing and crying together, praising and lamenting, apologizing when we sin, and loving earnestly from the heart because Christ first loved us. |
同样，教会的合一也不是基于我们共同的喜好、亲和力或传统，而是基于基督救赎的爱。祂是被拣选的房角石，是我们作为神的灵宫共同生活的唯一根基。伯利恒，请记住，我们在基督里有安全的合一。我们必须活出这个现实，在苦难中互相扶持，一起欢笑，一起哭泣，一起赞美，一起哀叹，犯了罪就道歉，发自内心地真诚相爱，因为基督先爱我们。 |
| Because of the new identity and secure unity that we have as Christ’s chosen and precious people, may the Lord help us “to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together [we] may with one voice glorify” him (Rom 15:5–6). |
因为我们作为基督所拣选的宝贵子民有了新的身份和安全的合一，愿主帮助我们“彼此同心，效法基督耶稣，同心一致地荣耀”祂（罗马书15:5-6）。 |
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