Fourteen Consolations- LW42 閱讀摘要

讀完路德的Fourten Consolations之後,覺得有些內容不錯,就把它摘錄下來,可以再想一想:

To everyone is given temptation according to a measure and never beyond his strength. It is written in Psalm 80 [:5], “You shall feed us with the bread of tears, and for our drink give us tears in full measure.” Paul says, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, so that you may be able to bear it” [I Cor. 10:13]. Therefore, where there is greater evil, there is also more divine help and a way of escape, so that the inequality of suffering appears to be greater than it really is.

In reality, our sufferings are the beginning of our freedom as our death is the beginning of life. It is this which Christ says in John 8 [:51], “Whoever will keep my word shall never see death.” How shall he not see it? Because in his death he enters upon life, so that because of the life that he sees he is not able to see death. Here the night shines as the day [Ps. 139:12], since the dawning life is brighter than the waning death. This is assured not for the unbelievers, but for all who believe in Christ.

Christians certainly have the greatest blessings of all awaiting them in the future. However, these are attained only through sufferings and death.

Therefore, when we feel pain, when we suffer, when we die, let us turn to this, firmly believing and certain that it is not we alone, but Christ and the church who are in pain and are suffering and dying with us. Christ does not want us to be alone on the road of death, from which all men shrink. Indeed, we set out upon the road of suffering and death accompanied by the entire church. Actually, the church bears it more bravely than we do. Thus we can truthfully apply to ourselves the words Elisha spoke to his fearful servants, “Fear not, for those who are with us are more numerous than those with them. And Elisha prayed and said, ‘Lord, open the eyes of the young man that he may see.’ And the Lord opened his eyes and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha” [II Kings 6:16–17].

All that remains for us now is to pray that our eyes, that is, the eyes of our faith, may be opened that we may see the church around us. Then there will be nothing for us to fear, as is also said in Psalm 125 [:2], “As mountains are round about it, so the Lord is round about his people, from this time forth and forever.” Amen.

求告耶和華的

詩篇145：18 凡求告耶和華的 這個 凡 指的是誰呢？羅馬書10：14 人未曾信祂 怎能求祂呢？凡 所指的是指信靠耶和華的人 但人怎麼能信靠耶和華呢？ 羅馬書10：17 信道是從聽道而來聽道是從基督的話來  換句話說  凡 所代表的 是一個聽了上帝的道 從上帝的道中所生發的信心 領受從基督而來的赦罪之恩的人

領受赦罪之恩的人 也是一個誠心求告上帝的人 誠心也有在真理的意思 在真理中 按著真實來求告上帝的人，上帝所賜應許是 上帝便要與他們相近 同在 代表上帝的保護 看顧不會離開那求告他的人 也許所面臨的磨難 困苦反而有增無減 但是從上帝的道中所生發的信心 仍然要繼續帶我們在真理裡求告上帝 領受恩典    

 

牧者路德課堂筆記

上課的時候,覺得有些話,值得細細品味,所就先記下來:

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1.“進入上帝的黑暗,是理解信仰的開始”,-從一本書上摘錄下來的一句話.

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2.雖仍在隧道中,但已經看到隧道出口,遠處的亮光.

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3.關於禱告:不在於跳的多高,在於掉下來之後,還能夠走的多穩.

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4.信仰是建立在與上帝關係中的安全感,並在十架受苦中確信上帝的愛,永不改變.

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5.我所期望的是來自恩典的自由運行而非意志的自由運行.
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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。