上帝話語所成就的工作

第一層藍色-律法與福音：表示上帝的話語向人顯明上帝的律法與福音。

第二層綠色-罪與恩典：表示上帝的律法與福音向人顯出人的罪的無望與上帝恩典的盼望。

第三層紅色-因信稱義：表示人對罪的無望與對恩典的盼望引領人接受邀請，以信心回應上帝所賜予人外加的義。

第四層紫色-耶穌基督並祂定十字架：表示因信稱義的核心建基於耶穌基督並祂釘十字架的救贖工作。

路德神學研討心得

Suffer, Faith, Comfort ~From Luther’s sermons on John 14:1-14

1.Luther how to think about “suffer” on John 14:1-14?
a.Everyone cannot avoid suffer (trial).

b.We need to distinguish in the heat of battle between the suggestions of Christ and those of the devil.

c.Anyone who wants to terrify and dishearten you is surely the devil’s messenger.

d.For whenever Christ frightens someone away from unbelief and a sinful life into penitence and conversion, it is of short duration.

2.Luther how to think about “faith” on John 14:1-14?
a.All our teaching and faith must revolve about Christ and be centered in this one Person.as St. Paul states, 1 Cor. 2:2.

b.By faith;this is a spiritual sight. For I do not recognize a Christian by his external appearance and mien,by the fact that he is baptized and has God’s Word.

c.On John 14:6 ,Luther think:“Hold to Christ in faith; thus you make the right beginning.With these words Christ wants to tear and turn our hearts from all trust in anything else and pin them to Himself alone.

d.Christ alone must be everything And though I experience many trials and much opposition on the part of the devil, the world, and my own conscience, and must suffer even death because of this, I will still take my stand here.

e.On John 14:13-14,Luther think: by telling His disciples to pray Christ wants to point out that of and among themselves they do not have the power to do such great things.They will experience weakness, all sorts of trouble.Then they will exercise their faith in Christ all the more by prayer and petition, and will experience His power in weakness and in suffering the more surely.St. Paul in 2 Cor. 12:9: “My power is made perfect in weakness.”

3. Luther how to think about “comfort” on John 14:1-14?
a.On John 14:1, Christ admonished and consoled for ours that we might also learn to apply this comfort to both present and future need .

b.Christ would comfort those whom the devil wants to frighten and dishearten, and, He would intimidate those whom the devil makes smug and presumptuous.What the devil ruins and destroys, Christ must build up and restore; and what the devil establishes, Christ destroys, as we read in 1 John 3:8: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

c.Our three comforts are the dwelling places,Christ’s power,and Christ’s return.

d.Christians have the Gospel, Baptism, and the Sacrament,With these they also comfort, strengthen, and preserve poor consciences that are saddened and troubled by the devil and others

e.On John 14:12, “going to the Father” ,Christ means that He is to be made Lord and placed on the royal chair at the right hand of the Father,in Matt. 28:18 .“You will get the power to perform such works because you are My members and believe in Me;I shall enjoy at the right hand of the Father I will work in you who believe in Me and who have My Word, Baptism, and Sacrament, and remain faithful to these.

路德在“Anfechtung ”中尋獲福音對宗教改革的歷史意義

一、路德在“Anfechtung”中尋獲福音之歷史背景摘要:
根據當時的神學傳統認為,每個人應該透過悔改並完成懺悔的工作來得到拯救。但對路德而言,再怎麼努力,仍無法確信自己可以擁有永恆救恩的把握，且不禁要問：在公義的上帝面前，上帝的恩典在哪裡?路德描述自己的景況說：自己的所面臨的掙扎好像落入無底的黑暗與焦慮(Anfechtung)之中。但透過奧古斯丁修會的院長茲道比次(Staupitz)對路德的指引”仰望基督並祂的十字架”，以及從奧古斯丁的著作中獲得啟發,”如果人必須被拯救,那必定是上帝的工作”。

1513年,路德閱讀保羅書信並試著了解新約聖經關於上帝的能力和恩典的信息,從聖經當中所獲得福音信息,”上帝透過他自己的應許,讓路德從Anfechtung中看見得救的確據 .

二、路德在“Anfechtung”中尋獲福音對宗教改革的歷史意義
1.在認識上帝的方法上的改變：從外在的確認轉變為內在的確信，在中世紀的教會認為，一個人的得救與否，是從外在的，看的見的行為工作來認定上帝的恩寵，而路德在“Anfechtung”中發現，唯有信靠上帝的應許才能超越苦難試煉,看見隱藏在不友善之外表後面慈父的心 。

2.在認識聖經的焦點上的改變：從傳統規條的遵守到以基督為中心的啟示，在中世紀教會的神學傳統是建構在哲學思辯的基礎之上，其結果是，聖經成為神職人員的工具專利，信仰與人們的實際生活反而有著一道無法跨越的鴻溝，而路德在“Anfechtung”中發現，上帝恩典是透過上帝的話語施恩與人，也唯有透過上帝的應許，能夠真正安慰人在痛苦，掙扎，試煉中的心。

三、路德在“Anfechtung”中尋獲福音對宗教改革的歷史省思
1.提醒我們是否在認識上帝的方法上搖擺不定：“Anfechtung”是一個既普遍又個別，是基督徒必然經歷的信仰歷程，沒有人可以替代路德，就像路德無法替代我們去面對“Anfechtung”，但路德在“Anfechtung”中對福音的渴望，對上帝話語的確信，相對照於現今世代，強調看的見的豐盛成功，快樂滿足的價值氛圍之下，確實提供我們明確認識上帝的方法，看待“Anfechtung”的方向。

2.提醒我們是否在認識聖經的焦點上模糊不清：當基督徒在“Anfechtung”中，是否會和門徒有類似的想法：「這人生來是瞎眼的，是誰犯了罪」（約翰福音9:2），是因為我作了什麼不討上帝喜悅的事情，才讓我遭遇到磨難痛苦，或者在“Anfechtung”中，仍確信上帝的應許，眼光集中在聖經的焦點，耶穌基督並祂釘十字架的啟示之上。不再想試著用自己的方法解救自己，就讓上帝成為上帝，讓人成為人，以避免重蹈歷史覆轍。

Luther’s theology of the cross -Walther von Loewenich 3

The hidden life of the Christian is a reality but it is not perceived. …Sin and righteousness in the Christian are in the same relationship as reality and hope. His righteousness consists in God's imputation.(P.115)

Christ's suffering is still repeated daily in our lives…Therefore our sufferings are a work of the Holy Spirit.(P.118)

Through suffering we shall arrive at the Sabbath of the soul…suffering and Faith belong together is a characteristic of the theology of the cross…Sufferings are a sign of God's grace, proof that we are God's chil¬dren. For God's eyes are always directed toward the depth and nothing lofty can stand before him. But when a man is hidden in this depth he experiences God's wonderful, saving creative power…Of course, the suffering of the saints will come to an end only at the last day .But in contrast to the suffering of the ungodly, its purpose is not punishment and destruction but grace and cleansing.(P.119).

Christ's cross and the Christian's cross belong together…the cross is a school of understanding.(P.120)

Luther knew that the true meaning of Christ's suffering can be discovered only in the act of experiencing, acting, and suffering.(P.121)

The way of peace is the way of the cross. God himself is hidden under the cross, and therefore peace is to be found only under the cross and suffering.(P.124)

God himself reveals himself in concealment; and therefore Scripture, too, speaks in the cloak of a figure. The Word addresses itself to faith; and faith is directed to what is hidden.(P.128)

Three especially important marks of the life under the cross. They are humility, trial, prayer…For Luther humility becomes most intimately connected with faith. Faith teaches humility. For faith is denial of ourselves, total rejection of self and reliance on God’s grace.(P.129)

Luther notes that the Latin word humuitas has a twofold meaning, depending upon whether it is the translation of tapeinosis or tapeinophrosyne.(P.130)

The most severe trial comes upon a person when he believes he has been forsaken and rejected by God…. Faith alone is able, in trial, to hear "the deep, secret yea beneath and above the nay"(P.136)

We are in trials when that Word has been torn out of our heart. The trial is overcome when Christ again speaks to us, when we again hear the Word.(P.137)

"The flesh is beset by sundry trials and scruples, in order that (a) its smugness may be removed and (b) occasion may not be lacking for occupying oneself with the Word and (c) prayer.(P.138)

Trial teaches prayer, prayer overcomes trial…where there is no prayer, there is in reality no faith.(P.139)

prayer leads a person to know himself…True prayer is always a prayer with empty hands. The true praying man has nothing but God, and him only by faith…We must not look at our unworthiness but at Gods command and promise. For it is Gods word and promise alone that makes our prayer good and acceptable to God.(P.140)

"It is always the case that we understand our own work before it is done, but we do not understand the work of God until it has been done".…God often postpones granting our request in order to increase the zeal of our prayer. To the praying person God becomes hidden, so that faith in prayer penetrates from the hidden God to the re¬vealed God.(P.141)

the God of the theology of the cross is the God of historical revelation, he is always an acting God.(P.156)

Jesus himself is the model of humility. We must go the way of Jesus, for Jesus is the way of life. This way leads to cross and suffering... The cross is not seen, in the first instance, as God's way to man but as man’s way to God. (P.164)

In our investigation we have dealt with the fact of the theology of the cross, not with the question of its validity. If we wanted to pursue the latter, our study would be enlarged in two directions. First, we would have to undertake a thorough investigation of the New Testament(for example, also with regard to the relation¬ship of Paul to Jesus), and second, we would have to undertake a comprehensive systematic consideration that would mean nothing less than the setting up of dogmatic prolegomena. (P.167)

Luther’s theology of the cross -Walther von Loewenich 2

man can know God by natural powers; for the understanding is created in man together with his Higher nature. But here we must be careful. Man is by nature equipped with understanding, but his entire higher ability of the soul (understanding and will) has been seriously "weakened by original sin.(P.60)

the ability of the understanding to know the supersensory has been cor¬rupted. It can be restored only by grace.(P.60)

Understanding of the invisible is possible only where faith is. But faith points back to grace.(P.60)

Knowledge of the invisible depends on the knowledge of the person of Christ.(P.60)

faith is not a matter of appearances nor of things deduced from the apparent. Indeed, it is from heaven (P.61)

understanding and faith belong together
1.Faith along enables the understanding to comprehend the in¬visible.
2.Faith is at the same time the means to knowledge. The pur¬pose of faith is
knowledge
3.The intellectual side of faith is also strongly emphasized…. Understanding and
faith are frequently used indiscriminately (P.61)

"wisdom was made in¬carnate and is thus hidden and unapproachable except by under-standing, just as Christ cannot be known except by revelation"(P.62)

the knowledge of the invisible is bound to the knowledge of Christ.(P.63)

Faith joints back to revelation…The concept of the understanding of faith belongs within the realm of the theology of the cross.(P.64)

Law and reason are both a human activity. But this activity wants to glory in itself in opposition to God's work.(P.72)

The Occamists arrive at theology by way of criti¬cal reflections on knowledge, while Luther becomes critical of the means of knowledge by way of theology.(P.74)

The way of the cross means the surrender of human glory and a plunge into foolishness. One who has caught something of the wisdom of the cross knows that reason is a "dangerous thing"(P.75)

Reason and law are the two foundation pillars which support the theology of glory….. Wisdom and righteousness stand together as the abilities that man believes are exempt from Gods judgment.(P.76)

The first step faith takes, (a step that must be taken again and again) is the negation of our¬selves, the thoroughgoing demolition of all our own glory(P.78)

We must become nothing to the same degree as we were nothing before creation. This is Luther s "short way," that is, the way of the cross. There is no other way out for us but to live "in the bare confidence in his mercy".If we wanted to appeal to anything of value in ourselves, we would thereby make the hopeless attempt of wanting to steal a march on God. But we are to know or have nothing but God alone, "and in no other way than in faith". For that matter, what could we have in ourselves for which we could take any credit? There is "no form or beauty in us, but our life is hidden in God (P.78)

Faith and hope almost become synony¬mous…. For only faith deals not with visible things but with the Word…faith draws the believer away from all that is visible; as the assurance of things hoped for it directs him to eternal things, which are, however, not present but future…. True knowledge is therefore to be found where one knows that he knows nothing .One must be zealous for God "in pious ignorance and mental darkness," "without under¬standing, without feeling, without thinking". one must wait upon God's activity.(P.80)

Psalm l02:But to wake is to hold fast and to look to, and long for, the eternal good. But in this he is alone, and no one is with him; for all the others are sleeping. And he says, "on the housetop" as if he meant: The world is a house in which all men are enclosed and are sleeping. I alone am outside the house, on the roof, not yet in heaven and still not in the world. The world is below me and heaven is above me. I hover between the life of the world and eternal life, lonely in the faith…. Luther's Operationes in psalmos of 1519 to 1521 is an inexhaustible gold mine for his view of faith…He is doing theology in the face of death…it is a great miracle that man who feels nothing but his God-forsakenness may still believe in the gracious God. But faith lives in this miracle. for the "words of faith fight against appearance" (P.82)

Faith unites the soul with the invisible, ineffable, unutterable, eternal, unthinkable Word of God, while at the same time it separates it from all visible things. This is the cross and the Passover of the Lord, in which He preaches this necessary comprehension…. Having entered into darkness and blackness I see nothing; I live by faith, hope, and love alone and I am weak, that is, I suffer, for when I am I weak, then I am strong.(P.83)

The entrance into darkness that the theology of the cross has in mind means to be drawn into the event revealed to us in the cross of Christ. Thus it is not self-chosen activity, but it comes upon us as God's activity in us. It is not slanted toward timelessness but is oriented to a history. It is certainly not a theology of glory but a theology of the cross.(P.84)

Luther reports this himself in his commentary on Galatians of 1519 While faith was identical with hope earlier, he now sees its essence in faithfulness to God's promise.(P.85)

In this tabernacle we have a figure of the Christian man. His spirit is the holy of holies, where God dwells in the darkness of faith, where no light is; for he believes that which he neither sees nor feels nor comprehends. His soul is the holy place, with its seven lamps, that is, all manner of reason, discrimination, knowledge, and understanding of visible and bodily things. His body is the forecourt, open to all, so that men may see his works and manner of life.(P.86)

Thus our eyes are closed to worldly and visible things and direct their hope to eternal and invisible things; grace does all this through the cross into which the divine life, which is insupportable to the world, brings us"……To entrust oneself with closed eyes to the guidance of God on an unknown path, this is what it means to believe …. Faith, does not want to encroach on God's activity. (P.87)

the idea of the hidden God is intelligible only on the basis of the concept of faith. Both together constitute the foundation pillars of the theology of the cross.(P.92)

The faith that carries through in experience is love.(P.94)

In his sermon on John 4:46ff.(1516), Luther distinguishes three degrees of faith .the inchoate, the progressing, and the perfect. The first is faith directed to signs and wonders, the second is deprived of these props and directed only to the Word, and the third, the perfect faith, is no longer dependent on the external Word but is a constant inner readiness to do God's will…and the faith of the highest grade, which is fixed on the hidden God and is able to grasp God's proper work in the alien work.. The highest and most difficult of faith is when God In his activity not only delays but even conceals it under the opposite appearance.(P.96)

Since faith has a specific content, that content becomes my possession. And as faith is seen in the sense of hope, this possession will also be a possession of future blessings.(P.97)

Faith itself is a work and a power of God and therefore never a psychological given. Ultimately its subject is not man at all, but God himself(P.98)

Thus faith goes out into works and through works comes back to itself again, just as the sun goes forth to its setting and comes again at its rising. This is why the Scriptures associate the daytime with peaceful living in doing works, the right with a life of suffering and adversity. And so faith lives and works in both; it goes out and returns in both"….Experience flows from faith and flows back into faith. (P.99)

Christ is not only the principal object of faith but also the ground for making it possible… .Christ is also the entelechy of faith… .Without Christ faith cannot become what it should be in line with its object. Therefore "Christ and faith belong together….with faith the presence of Christ himself is posited. "Christ is the object of faith, or rather not the object but, so to speak, the One who is present in the faith itself.(P.104)

Because through faith Christ dwells in him, and pours His grace into him, through which it comes about that a man is governed, not by his own spirit but by Christ"…By faith we become "as one person" with Christ.(P.104)

Experience is called the school of the Holy Spirit. The experience of faith is a work of the Holy Spirit. He has been the teacher wherever we have experienced something of Gods good¬ness and love, wherever a holy joy has filled our hearts.(P.109)

Luther’s theology of the cross -Walther von Loewenich 1

The theologian of the cross has knowledge only through suffering and the cross. "God can be found only in suffering and the cross"…For Luther the cross of Christ and the cross of the Christian belong together…in the cross of Christ the relationship between God and man has become evident…To know God "through suffering and cross" means that the knowledge of God comes into being at the cross of Christ, the significance of "which becomes evident only to one who himself stands in cross and suffering.(P.20)

Luther's concept of a theology of the cross. Five aspects emerged as essential.
1.The theology of the cross as a theology of revelation, stands in sharp antithesis to speculation.
2.God's revelation is an indirect, concealed revelation.
3.Hence God's revelation is recognized not in works but in suffering, and the double meaning of these terms is to be noted.
4.This knowledge of God who is hidden in his revelation is a matter of faith.
5.The manner in which God is known is reflected in the prac¬tical thought of suffering.(P.22)

the Bible, too, remains a closed, book, for the cross of Christ is the only key… The cross of Christ is the fountain from which the understanding of Scripture is drawn.(P.23)

God's help remains invisible to man who con¬siders himself most forsaken by God when God's help is nearest.(P.29)

the hidden God is the God whose nature and work can only be recognized "under the opposite form."…God is hidden for the sake of revelation. Revelation is possible only in concealment, the revealed God must as such be hidden…In a sermon of 24 February 1517, the following explanation for the necessity oF God’s concealment is offered: "Man hides his own things in order to deny them, God hides his own things in order to reveal them. ... By his concealment he does nothing else than remove that which obstructs revelation, namely, pride"(P.30)

God confronts us first of all in his word. In his word he is "known to us" and "has dealings with us." In it he has offered himself to us. We are direct¬ed to Gods revelation in the word. God himself could not be grasped by us but would crush and annihilate us in his majesty, for he is a consuming fire. For that reason God wraps himself in his word. He becomes the "clothed" God. With him alone can we have any dealings. God must conceal himself in the word in order to be able to reveal himself. The revealed God is the clothed God.(P.33)

God has indeed revealed himself in his word, but God is greater than his word. God has not confined himself within the limits of the word…we must distinguish between "the word of God and God himself(P.34)

He is not only a hidden God, but a God who has concealed himself…Luther advises us to pay attention to the word, that is, the revealed God, and leave the secrets of the hidden God alone.(P.35)

God cannot be comprehended without a covering.Such coverings are "word" and "works"…God is concealed under the cloak of the word is the other thought that he is hidden in his works. Word and works were mentioned as the two coverings that God uses.(P.39)

Luther can still insist that the "back parts" are basically God's true counte¬nance.(P.41)

This twofold knowledge corresponds to the double relationship in which God stands toward the world—as its creator and its redeemer.(P.46)

The hid¬den God is God in his creator-relationship, while the revealed God is God as the redeemer. The hidden God is God "apart from Christ," while the revealed God is God "in Christ." Concretely stated, with reference to sinful mankind, this means distinguishing between the God of wrath and the God of grace.(P.46)

後記：17-49頁路德在創世紀與以賽亞書講義發展The Hidden God以及路德在The Bondage of the will與依拉斯母對以西結書18：23不同見解的論辯.

Luther's Theology of the cross-5

God assaults man in order to break him down and thus to justify him.(P.151)

by experiencing the delicious despair of Anfechtung, the sinner learns to trust only in God, as known in the cross of Christ, and thus comes to be justified. As Luther remarks, Anfechtung,in so far as it takes everything away from us, leaves us nothing but God: it cannot take God away from us, and actually brings him closer to us.(P.152)

The opus alienum is the destruction of human preconceptions of divine justice, wisdom and strength; the opus proprium is the establishment of the righteousness, the wisdom and the power of God within man in their place.Before God can build, he must first destroy.(P.156)

the 'righteousness of God' really is revealed in the cross of Christ, but it can only be discerned by the eye of faith.(P.158)

In the one unitary event of revelation in the cross, God's wrath and mercy are revealed simultaneously — but only Faith is able to recognise the opus proprium as it lies hidden under the opus alienum; only faith discerns the merciful intention which underlies the revealed wrath; only faith perceives the real situation which underlies the apparent situation.(P.165)

In a sermon delivered on 24 February 1517, Luther remarked: 'Man hides his own things, in order to conceal them; God hides his own things, in order to reveal them.... his opus proprium under his opus alienum; the future glory of the Christian under his present sufferings.(P.167)

In a remarkable sermon, delivered on 30 November 1516, Luther points to the crucifixion as a paradigm for the relation between faith and sense-perception: just as Christ was raised up from the ground upon the cross, so that his feet did not rest upon the earth, so the faith of the Christian is denied any foothold in experience.(P.168)

Christian life is characterised by the unending tension between faith and experience.(P.169)

the theologian of the cross recognises the presence and activity of the 'crucified and hidden God'... who is not merely present in human suffering, but actively works through it.(P.175)

The 'crucified and hidden God’ is the God whose strength lies hidden behind apparent weakness, and whose wisdom lies hidden behind apparent folly. The theology of the cross is thus a theology of hope for those who despair, then as now, of the seeming weakness and foolishness of the Christian church.(P.181)

It is not we who can sustain the church, nor was it those who came before us, nor will it be those who come after us. It was, and is, and will be, the one who says: 'I am with you always, even to the end of time.' As it says in Hebrews 13: 'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and for ever.' And in Revelation 1: ' Who was, and is, and is to come.' Truly he is that one, and no one else is, or ever can be.(P.181)

後記：歷經40多天，終於把麥葛福的Luther's Theology of the cross這本書給看完，其中算是一種突破與收穫，是對於拉丁文單字的學習瞭解，讓我更清晰瞭解作者對於路德神學思想所要強調的重點是什麼，當然，在書中也提到不同時代的人物，面對不同處境時，對路德十架神學思想的回應，包括被人所熟悉的Jürgen Moltmann.

Luther's Theology of the cross-4

Luther's discovery of the true meaning of iustita Dei....,Luther's discovery of the righteousness of God is but one step in the process leading to the theology of the cross.(P.99)

what is meant by iustitia itself?(P.100)

The most appropriate designation of the Hebrew terms sdq or sdqh is that of iustitia salutifera: God, in his righteousness, acts to redeem and sustain his people.(P.101)

God is righteous, in that he is faithful to his promises, irrespective of the merit of those to whom the promise is made.(P.102)

Luther's Theology of the cross-3

The Christian...is a spiritual beggar, who can do nothing except cry out for the salvation which is his in Christ.(P.91)

during Luther's exegesis of the Psalter- that of iustitia Dei, "the righteousness of God".The origins of the theology of the cross lie in Luther's initial difficulty in seeing how the idea of a righteous God could conceivable be good news for sinful man.(P.92)

後記:截至目前為止,讀Luther's Theology of the cross讓我感到吃力的地方,是作者在本書裡面,引用了許多第三語言,諸如Iudiciun,Dictata,caritas,dilectio.Quadriga,pactum,而對於相關詞彙解釋的中文資料,更是遍尋不著,看起來要了解Luther's Theology of the cross的內容,還得加把勁了!

Luther's Theology of the cross-2

three particularly significant elements of later medieval thought..studia humanitatis..via moderna..schola Augustiniana moderna(P.27)

By the time of the Leipzig disputation of 1519,..between Luther and the humanist movement...1.their mutual rejection of scholasticism..2.their mutual desire to return to the early father of the church..3.their mutual desire to return to Holy Scripture..4.their mutual interest in rhetoric.(P.50-51)

現象與核心問題

每當家長談到青少年問題或同性戀或自殺防治問題的時候，作為家長的，所關注的是似乎是所呈現出來的問題的現象，專注的也是在於，能有什麼方法，可以快速的改善目前的現象問題，殊不知，問題現象的產生，並非一朝一夕的結果，現象背後所隱藏的核心關鍵問題，也許才應我們花時間精力去探討的，面對青少年問題的時候，家長能否也虛心的面對自己在管教，親子關係互動，甚至是家長本身自己性格上的盲點，且願意在專業的協助下做改變，個人覺得，這是家長在面對青少年問題時的另一個關鍵性的挑戰.

其實，現象背後的核心問題的探討，也應該成為在面對生活以及社會不同的議題層面時的思考習慣，如此，便可以避免陷於現象泥沼的掙扎，每當我們發現問題現象，在令人感到焦急心痛的時候，也可以開始習慣探索，這現象背後的核心問題是什麼？之後除了期待對方(這個對方對你而言可能是你的孩子，你的配偶，你的父母親，你的鄰居，你的社區，你所關心的社會議題，你的教會，你的會友，你的牧師....)的改變之外，是否也願意承認自己的盲點與不足並尋求自己的改變.

Luther's Theology of the cross-1

尋找閱讀台灣，新加坡，美國華人教會及香港關於馬丁路德十架神學的中文論述過程中，發現大部份都曾引述或引用過麥葛福之Luther's Theology of the cross的內容，引發我想要完整讀這本書的動機，並寫下摘要：
The crucified God is not merely the foundation of the Christian faith, but is also the key to a proper understanding of the nature of God.(本書前言)

what man must do if he is to saved?(P.9)

How can a sinner enter into fellowship with a holy and righteous God? How can the troubled conscience find peace by discovering a gracious God?(p.12)

For Luther, Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God, revealing at one and the same time God's condemnation of sin and remedy for it. Through the creative power of the Holy Spirit and the hearing of the Word of the gospel, the sinner shares in the divine righteousness through faith.(P.21)

Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work -7

In reading Luther, Ranke gave special attention to Luther's interpretation of Psalm 101 (1534/35). In this interpretation of the psalm, Luther developed his own theological view of history.(P.218)

Harnack was the first to demonstrate the meaning of this concept, which was so central to The Bondage of the Will.(P.221)

Holl was the first to combine historical and systematic perspectives in his study of Luther.(P.224)

We experience both this absolute demand and our own inadequacy in our conscience. This is the place where we meet God. This experience of God's ethical demand and our own failure to meet that demand is the basis on which we experience the judging and the gracious God.(P.225)

知名媒體人之子被捕判刑~一個為人父母的心

當孩子給人的印象總是那樣的乖巧聽話的時候,突然聽到他人對自己孩子的指責,為人父母的直覺反應總是,我的孩子不是這樣,他沒有你們所說的那麼壞,一方面,可以看見為人父母對孩子的愛護,但另一方面,也呈現出親子之間關係的盲點.這樣的現象,其實就在你我週遭中正不斷的上演.且問題的最大癥結在於,為何父母的愛無法成為影響孩子的力量?雖然這不是一個容易回答的問題.但如果說,父母的愛不因為孩子的過錯而改變的話,雖然孩子現在必須為他自己所做的過犯付上代價,但心裡仍會有著一種期盼,總有一天,孩子會明白父母親對他的那份疼愛.更甚於他過去曾經所犯的過錯是什麼?如聖經上所說,"我這個兒子是死而復活,失而又得的.

 

Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work -6

Luther did not see creation as a finished act but rather as an ongoing event. Luther understood creation as a present reality.(P.172)

any study of Luther's doctrine must take into account the development of his viewpoints.(P.190)

God is revealed through self-veiling..,we need faith to recognize God's revelation as it is concealed in the events of history.(P.194)

The category of "hiddenness" is thus extraordinarily important, both in Luther's theology of the cross and in his view of history. God creates life by putting us to death. When judging us, God is being gracious to us.(P.196)

Revelation and hiddenness are available only as a dialectical unity. Only in Jesus Christ do we encounter God as our savior.(P.196)

history ultimately summons everyone to believe. We are repeatedly tested as to whether we really want to hear God's Word or not,,.Each person therefore, is summoned to meet the spiritual temptations that come to us through our experience of history with firm trust in God.(P.197)..,Until the very end, the devil will never give up struggling against the light..,For after all..,it was, is, and will be he who says,"I am with you always, to the close of the age".(P.198)

Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work -5

for Luther, the righteousness received in faith was not only the forgiveness of sins but also the beginning of God's process of making us righteous.(P.150)

"Take Christ out of the Scripture, and what will you find left in them?" This led Luther directly to the conclusion that Scripture interprets itself.(P.156)

The distinction between law and gospel is one of the most important themes in Luther's theology.(P.158)

Luther thought of God as always active...,God acts in a hidden way,,,.It teaches us to rely on God.(P.168)

The wrath of God is,,,.the power of God at work in life..,We need to flee from this wrath to the love of God..in Christ. God's revelation in Jesus Christ breaks through the power of God's wrath.(P.171)

到底要不要廢除死刑？一個棘手的問題

一個棘手的問題,從法務部長王清峰與檢察總長提名人黃世銘的看法相異,又再次引爆成為焦點.要不要廢除死刑?又如何廢除死刑？在強調人權的世界潮流中,不管你的立場如何,都必然會去碰觸到的問題,只是,每當是否要廢除死刑這樣的議題被提出的時候,所呈現出來的總是贊成的一群與反對的一群的彼此針鋒相對的局面,除了彼此立場鮮明的對立之外,在這樣的議題中,是否可能雖立場不同卻仍有交集之處?若是有交集的話,那會是什麼??

若要回答這個問題,就要先確認一件事情,就是甚麼樣的人或團體,提出廢除死刑,會是最有力量,最能震撼人心的,個人認為,若由受害者及親屬所組成的團體,因著愛與赦免,自發性的出面呼籲死刑的廢除,這將是最震撼人心,最純淨有力的聲音,但這樣的情況有可能發生嗎?受害者家屬有辦法接納甚至擁抱加害於他們的人嗎?加害人真的能夠發自內心的悔罪,認為自己是罪有應得,坦然無怨的面對自己的刑責？這些確實是超過人所能理解與想像的,除非人內心深處無法言喻的憤怒與傷痛被上帝的赦免與慈愛深深的觸摸擁抱,在群體中經歷愛與陪伴扶持,不然,沒有人會想要去赦免,接納加害於他們的人,也不會有人不為自己的犯行辯護的.

但如果,如果真的有那麼一群人願意赦免,接納加害於他們的人,在這樣一個基礎上,讓社會大眾學習加害人及被害人兩者之間人權的尊重,探討公義如何伸張,倫理秩序如何維護,那麼,到底要不要廢除死刑？如何執行死刑,也許就不再是全然對立的問題了.

Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work -4

A Christian person is a free lord of everything and subject to no one. A Christian person is a ready servant of everything and subject to everyone.(P.130)

The category "spirit"..,refer to the way in which God is hidden fromus..,the category of the "letter" refers both to human autonomy and to the wrath of God..,the spirit is hidden in the letter.(P.146)

you will not change me into what you are , but you will be changed into what I am. (P.147)思想:Scripture change the reader or reader change Scripture.

God's grace is always present as the hidden reality under his judgment.(P.147)

we are sinful,,.because we are self-centered and seek our own welfare. this is most true when we seek to become right with God by doing good works rather than trusting in God.(P.147)

卡片寫4天 腦麻兒打動總統夫人～令人動容的報導背後

一則標題為～卡片寫4天 腦麻兒打動總統夫人～的報導背後,隱藏了許多家有身心障礙兒,不為人知的心路歷程,也凸顯出社會對於身心障礙者仍存在著許多不友善的地方,在價值觀念上,不時的以異樣眼光對待,看不見其個別獨特的生命價值,更甚者,以所謂前世今生的因果關係來鞭打,刺殺身心障礙兒及家庭成員的靈魂.在社會資源支持上,雖然政府每年編列相關預算,但在執行成效上,仍有許多努力的空間,畢竟,家有身心障礙兒的需求是長期且多面的,況且還有許多是隱藏在社會角落,默默承受苦楚的.因此,如何讓社會資源可以適時的介入其中,應是全體國民共同關心的議題,如同有句話說,一個國家文明的進步指標,不在於外匯存底,武器科技的先進,而在於對弱勢族群的友善態度與照顧.希望,在不久的將來,身心障礙兒與家庭成員,可以很自在的在校園裡,在大街上,在社會生活中,不再感到有障礙.

沒有罪的人,可以先丟石頭!

前不久,某政黨高階人士引用聖經裏面耶穌的話說：沒有罪的人，可以先丟石頭，來為相關人員辯護，而引發我注意的，令我感到震撼的,不是政黨與媒體之間操作互動微妙的關係，而是"沒有罪的人，可以先丟石頭"這句由耶穌所說的話.

一個無罪者，為那受困在罪中之人發聲，宣佈赦罪之恩，最有資格向犯罪之人丟石頭的那位，卻當面對著那受審判之人說，平平安安的去吧！因為，你所犯下的罪債，我已經在十字架上用我自己，代替你，幫你了結還清.還有甚麼,比耶穌出面,為你我發聲,辯護,更為有力.也只有如此的力量,才能完全扭轉改變人的命運,"舊事已過,一切都已更新".

就從所關注的焦點開始

看著老師每週所寫對於社會與時事的評論時,讓我感動的,不光是因為評論的內容簡潔有力,發人深省,更多是評論背後所蘊藏對於社會百姓的那份關懷與熱情,也
不斷的觸動我,去面一件事情,身為社會的一份子,我所關心的是什麼?要回答這個問題之前,首先需要面臨的考驗是:如何保持對社會脈動及議題的敏銳度,怎樣
保有對人的那份關注與熱情,如聖經上所,愛人如己.又有話說,作鄰舍的基督?

這一切就要從救恩的起頭,耶穌基督並祂釘十字架開始,並藉此成為一個觀察,思考的基礎,試著來評析個人所關注的,社會所關注的議題

Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work -3

Luther came to his clearest insights about the meaning of the Bible when he was using it in controversy. For example, Luther developed his distinction between the hidden and the revealed God in responding to Erasmus's attack.(P.98)

most of Luther's writings were responses to actual situations.(P.99)

Luther...,understanting of the Scripture..,particularly in...,the interrelationship between the letter and the spirit.(P.102)

Luther was the first who provided a theological basis for understanding "calling" in the sense of secular work.(P.120)

從第121頁4.19段落到第124頁4.20段落為止,是作者給想要認識(研究)路德的人的一些原則,而個人也覺得是蠻必要的指引與建議.比如說,作者提到若要真實了解路德針對某些特定議題論述的時候,當代政治,社會,教會,民情,文化處境等因素(P.121)以及路德神學核心焦點的掌握是絕不可忽略.(P.122-123)

試貼二

若顧及閱讀的順暢,母音或氣音會被犧牲掉,有些遺憾.

$rah;taw\!ymVh'tae!yhla>arB;tyvarB]

 

試貼一

由於個人對於希臘文,希伯來文及日文內容的對照比較有興趣,但在過往,要呈現不同字型內容,只能消極的使用圖檔,非常不方便且耗時,如今,隨著部落格樣式的多變及網頁技術的進步,開始直接試貼不同字型內容,看看是否可行

@O logo" gar oJtou'staurou'toi" men apollumenoi" mwria estin, toi" de;swzomenoi" hmin dunami" qeou' estin.

 

Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work -2

For religion not exist in a vacuum, but is constantly involved with question of real life.(P.40)

For Luther, the Bible was not only the most important source of teaching and preaching but also the means through which God still makes the word of judgment and of grace heard in our world.(P.41)

Luther..,asserted that people are free only in relationship to those things that are under them but not in relationship to those that are above them.(P.66)

When we try to understand Luther, we must try to remain open for the enormous variety of his personality and not exclude any particular area.(P.91)

the proclamation of the gospel...,God reveals his heart to people and the same time gives us power to believe.(P.96)

上帝口中出來的話

在春節長假期間,剛好有幾個空檔的片段時間,幾近"掃描"的方式,快速的把"上帝口中出來的話"給讀過一遍,覺得本書內容的最大特色,是從路德神學的角度來講論講道,且書中所要強調的關鍵語詞,都以粗字體做為呈現,非常顯眼,而令我感到有意外收穫的,是書中內容引用許多信條與協同式的內容,剛好手邊有2001年修訂版的協同書,可以相互對照來看,也重新察覺到路德神學後續的,延續的歷史發展軌跡.

對路德而言,屬靈旅程和經驗是和<一顆不安的心>緊密相連.<神願意教導你如何在靈裡認識基督.但是祂是怎麼做到的呢?祂把你透入窮困,貧乏,飢渴以及愧疚之中>(P.57)

十字架和試煉以及生命中的一切操練--路德稱之為<神的面具>(P.58)

恩典是神對悔改和有信心的罪人所懷的憐憫的態度.(P.101)

講道不僅使人增加理解,而且要創造一個新的局面..,講道的兩大主題是罪與恩典.(P.110)

神用祂的道成就了兩件截然不同的事,opus alienum和opus proprium...,律法就是神在控訴和審判,福音則是神在赦免和施恩典(P.132,137)

律法的三重功用:使社會保持正義與神誡命的外在尊重;引人到基督訓蒙的師傅的教鞭;基督徒過新生活與服事神的指引.(P.141)

律法裡面所顯明的,不只是某些神對我們生活的指引,而是神祂自己.(P.152)

奧斯堡信條辯護文第四條(P.181)

Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work -1

翻開Martin Luther-An Introduction to His Life and Work的內頁,上面寫著這本書是2003年所購買,讀了幾頁之後,便放在書架上,直到去年才有機會再次拿起來閱讀,前後大約花了3個月的時間,終於從頭到尾把它讀完,由於是英文書,許多地方看過之後,雖然查了生字,但還是沒有把握是否真懂作者的意思,也沒有中譯本可以對照,所以帶著溫故知新的想法,今年,再次從頭閱讀,並試著寫下摘要.

Anyone who wants to understand Luther must therefore come to terms with the substance of his preaching and teaching.(P.18)

His theological insights were always of existential significance for his own personal life.(P.19)

Anyone attempting to write a biography of Luther must do more than carefully describe the details of his life in the context of the political and cultural history of the time.(P.20)

Luther's spiritual temptations(Anfechtung) focus on the question of the worthiness of people before God,that is, on the question, How can I find a merciful God?(P.23)

"管窺十架神學"閱讀(三)

耶穌的拯救要在我們裡面成為真實,這就是聖靈的工作(P.114)

信心超越苦難試煉,看見隱藏在不友善之外表後面慈父的心(P.118)

成聖是在內心的掙扎中進行,因為在掙扎中,信心,愛心和盼望才得增長(P.118)

路德神學的方法論,是將任何問題帶到聖經面前來尋求解決(P.126)

無論在哪裡,上帝的道與真正的信心,彼此相遇結合,哪裡就有教會(P.137,149)

在路德的觀念中,信心從頭至尾都是上帝的恩賜,完全是上帝在人身上的工作,<唯獨信心>(sola fide),全然排除人的努力與功勞,確定是基於<唯獨恩典>(sola gratia)...,唯有藉著信心,人才會讓上帝作上帝(P.138)

信徒皆祭司的蒙召觀,每一個基督徒都蒙召去服事週圍的鄰舍(P.144)

基督是我們認識上帝的關鍵鑰匙,也是我們找到有恩典,有憐憫之上帝的唯一途徑(P.160)

十架神學的教牧輔導在於引導受輔者,從認識自己的軟弱中,體會基督的能力(P.182)

十架神學所要追求的,正是一種勝過苦難的能力,它乃是經由進入苦難,並引導其通過苦難,最後通往為萬物而預備的豐盛生命...,只有那經過一切的,才能勝過一切.(P.203)..,走進苦難,並在那裏找道上帝和上帝的能力(P.204)

後記:有一個想像,如果有另一群人,讀同樣一本書,並個別的寫下書摘,在彼此的相同與相異之觀點的對話碰撞之下所生發出的火花,所激起前所未有的新視野,這也是著作的魅力與價值所在吧!

"管窺十架神學"閱讀(二)

十字架隱藏了上帝,同時也終止了所有以人的理性對上帝所作的推論(P.73)

接受十架神學,意味著要常常過著與實際經驗相反的生活(P.74)

對路德而言,上帝親自把十字架帶入基督徒的生活中,為了做祂奇異的工作(opus alienum),目的是完成其獨特的工作(opus proprium).(P.77);所謂奇異的工作是聽見律法,藉以引領人看見自己的罪並認罪(拔出,拆毀),而獨特的工作是藉著信心投身在耶穌基督福音的恩典(建立,栽植).對自己全然失望,於是全然投靠上帝的憐憫(P.78,96,116-117)

活在情慾與聖靈裡之緊張狀態,律法與福音的張力之間;Anfechtung(試煉或試探)是基督徒活在十字架之下,最真實的經歷.(P.81)

路德的十架神學是以啟示為導向,基督為中心,以信心為主的神學.(P.82)

對路德十架神學進一步研究的兩個進行方向:1.十架神學與路德神學中個別教義的關係(如十架神學與人論或聖餐教義之關係).2.新約不同作者,對於十架神學有何教導.(P.82)

信心不會試圖穿越隱藏的幕簾,去認識那無限的上帝,反而是不斷地努力突破隱藏的上帝,去投靠那啟示的上帝.(P.103)

神學的一項重要任務就是不斷澄清這種在我們所知與不知之間的分別,永不將相對的絕對化,絕對的相對化.(P.109)

"管窺十架神學"閱讀(一)

這是我第二次重新閱讀"管窺十架神學"這本書,覺得關於路德十架神學的中文著作(或譯作)真的是非常稀少,雖然,路德的神學思想,如"唯獨聖經,唯獨信心"等的核心原則,被台灣的教會界廣泛的應用,但顯然的,對路德神學思想內涵嚴謹的了解與評估,且由華人執筆的中文著作,仍是非常有限,期待,往後在這方面的書籍,可以越來越豐富,不然,還得先去學英文或德文甚至是拉丁文,才有機會接觸路德思想的全貌,那才真是叫人望書卻步.
以下是個人覺得令人深思或值得進一步探討的內容的摘錄:
既然上帝能把人世間最殘酷的悲劇,轉化成最動人的祝福,那麼活在十架恩典之下的門徒,就能坦然面對一切的困苦與逼迫,軟弱與戰兢.(編者序,P.5)

屬靈的祭是指受聖靈引導,以上帝的旨意為依歸的心志.(P.38)

hidden under the contrary 是路德常用的片語,強調上帝的真理往往隱藏在相反的情況下,這觀念也是支持路德一生奮鬥的重要原則.(P.42)

Anfechtung(信心的試煉)..,路德說:一個敬虔的基督徒在患難中,對一切感到絕望,因而專心倚靠神..,信心使我們在死亡的風暴下及地獄的折磨中,看見上帝的幫助與拯救.(P.45)在絕望中,上帝的工作正在蓬勃進行.(P.57)透過信心看見十字架隱藏的工作(P.58)


A man becomes a theologian by living, dying and being damned, not by understanding, reading and speculating (這句話特別是針對經院哲學及神祕主義此二派別而發)(P.23,45)

打開聖經的真正目的,是要知道耶穌是誰..,在聖經裏面親自遇見祂自己,個別認識祂,然後用聖經來生活.(P.51)

上帝並沒有拿走世上的苦難,而是差遣自己的獨生愛子,走進苦難的核心與人同在.(P.62)

"這是我的立場-馬丁路德傳記"閱讀書摘

斷斷續續的,利用空暇的時間,在兩週之內讀完"這是我的立場-馬丁路德傳記",從歷史的角度來認識馬丁路德,作者也提出一些自己對路德得看法,而最吸引我的地方,是在牧者典範中路德對經文的詮釋,而會讓我有些兜不起來的是事件發生的時序,看起來,逐一按著事件與著作發生的前後順序來介紹路德,似乎並不是作者嘗試要去做的事情,底下是我並把一些覺得值得深思或探討的部分內容作重點摘錄:

"歷史是無數的朝聖者,從淚谷步行至天上耶路撒冷的旅程"(Dr schedel)(P.14)

"人所必備的信心就是相信上帝在基督裏施行拯救,並且信賴上帝的應許,服膺於上帝的旨意與道路"(P.57)

"上帝的公義-是指上帝以恩典和憐憫是我們因信稱義"(P.58)

"上帝選擇三種啟示的渠道向人啟示祂自己-基督,聖經,聖餐禮"(P.156)

"路德的偉大與悲劇,是他既不能放棄聖餐禮的個人主義(強調接受者的信心),而又不能放棄洗禮的集體主義(強調與基督徒群體的連結)"(P.159)

"路德的體驗-除了藉著上帝自己在耶穌基督理的自我顯現去經驗上帝以外,任何其他途徑皆是死路"(P.258)

"上帝是一位藉著逆境工作的上帝"(P.260)

"雖然由人理性標準二加五是七,然而上帝若要宣布它們相加是八的話,人也必須違反理性並違反感覺去相信"(P.262)

"祂要救誰,祂必先使那人成為陷於絕望的罪人","在人的心眼能被開啟以先,他的敗壞是必須受到攻擊的"(P.264)

"信心是藉著聖經,道的宣講以及聖禮等渠道支取得來的","在教會中講壇與聖壇必須互為支助"(P.268)

"路德倫理的概括-基督徒必須做他鄰居的基督"(P.276)

"每一個人都必須按自己的職責服事上帝","而且,職責若忠心地履行了,便會有更多的十字架"(P.295)

"我們說:在生命之中我們死亡,上帝回答說:不,在死亡之中我們活"(P.457)

"這是我的立場.我不得不如此.願上帝幫助我.阿門"(P.480)

被上帝所棄絕的人

誰是被上帝所棄絕的人？
被上帝所棄絕的人會是什麼樣子？
有誰樂意成為一個被上帝所棄絕的人？
有誰可以選擇被棄絕或不被棄絕？
人不會喜歡被棄絕,更不會去仰望一個全然被上帝所棄絕的人.

耶穌在十架上成為全然被上帝所棄絕的人
門徒們也絕不會以在十架上受苦痛,羞辱及死亡的耶穌為榮.
而隱藏在苦痛,羞辱及死亡中的上帝,仍慈悲憐憫的展開雙臂
這會是怎樣的一條路？