1、"生命在他里頭,這生命就是人的光。光照在黑暗里,黑暗卻不接受光。"(《新約·約翰福音》第1章)
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not o vercome it. "John 1-4,5"
這是我最經常誦讀的一段經文,也是基督教神學思想的核心。這里的"光"指的是耶穌基督,"生命"指的是永生——戰勝死亡,獲得真理。
2、"你們要進窄門,因為引到滅亡,那門是寬的,路是大的,進去的人也多;引到永生,那門是窄的,路是小的,找著的人也少。"(《新約·馬太福音》第7章)
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few wh o find it. "Matthew 7-13,14"
這是耶穌"登山寶訓"中最短的一段,但卻是整個新教精神的核心。對于清教徒而言,人生就意味著無盡艱險,就意味著走窄門。
3、"愛是恒久忍耐,又有恩慈;愛是不嫉妒,愛是不自夸,不張狂,不作害羞的事,不求自己的益處,不輕易發怒,不計算人的惡,不喜歡不義,只喜歡真理;凡事包容,凡事相信,凡事盼望,凡事忍耐;愛是永不止息。"(《新約·哥林多前書》第1 3章)
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious pr boastful or arroga nt or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or re sentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. I t bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never end s.
基督教是"愛的宗教",這就是使徒保羅對愛的詮釋。從古到今不知有多少人因這段話而皈依基督教,可見"愛是無可比的".
4、"死啊,你得勝的權勢在哪里?死啊,你的毒鉤在哪里?死的毒鉤就是罪,罪的權勢就是律法。感謝上帝,使我們借著我們的主耶穌基督得勝。"(《新約·哥林多前書》第15章)
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The stin g of death is sin, and. The power of sin is the law. But thanks be to Go d, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
使徒保羅用優美的語言闡明了基督教的脈絡:原罪與墮落,犧牲與救贖,勝利與永生。總體說來就是"用愛戰勝死亡".
5、"草必枯干,花必凋殘,因為耶和華的氣吹在其上;百姓誠然是草。草必枯干,花必凋殘;惟有我們上帝的話,必永遠立定!"(《舊約·以賽亞書》第40章)
The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows u pon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades ; but the word of our God will stand forever.
舊約的最大特點是"信念".這句話就是無比堅定的信念,既是相信上帝,又是相信作為上帝選民的自己。以色列人的輝煌,大半緣自信念。
6、"我知道我的救贖主活著,末了必站在地上。我這皮肉滅絕之后,我必在肉體之外得見上帝。"(《舊約·約伯記》第19章)
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand up on the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my fles h I shall see God.
這是約伯的信念。無論承受多么巨大的打擊、多么絕望的境遇,都不可放棄希望、放棄信仰。亨德爾為此句作的詠嘆調也極為感人。
7、"不可封了這書上的預言,因為日期近了。不義的,叫他仍舊不義;污穢的,叫他仍舊污穢;為義的,叫他仍舊為義;圣潔的,叫他仍舊圣潔。"(《新約·啟示錄》第22章)
Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is n ear. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.
我最開始就是看了《啟示錄》才傾向于基督教的。《啟示錄》中有很多讓人不能不動容的話,這句只是其中代表而已。
8、"誰能使我們與基督的愛隔絕呢?難道是患難嗎?是困苦嗎?是逼迫嗎?是饑餓嗎?是赤身露體嗎?是危險嗎?是刀劍嗎?……然而,靠著愛我們的主,在這一切的事上已經得勝有余了。"(《新約·羅馬書》第8章)
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress , or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in al l these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
圣保羅真是無與倫比的傳道者,他的講道是如此氣勢磅礴且發人深省。這段話繼承了舊約的信心,增加了新約的愛,完美地體現了基督教精神。
9、"我又專心察明智慧、狂妄和愚昧,乃知這也是捕風。因為多有智慧,就多有愁煩;加增知識的,就加增憂傷。"(《舊約·傳道書》第1章)
And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I pe rceived that this also is but a chasing after wind. For in much wisdom i s much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
《傳道書》是舊約中我最喜歡的篇章之一,傳道者的話雖低沉消極,卻又蘊涵著希望。能夠用來戰勝愁煩和憂傷的,只有一件事:"信仰".
10、"哈利路亞!因為主我們的上帝,全能者作王了。……世上的國成了我主和主基督的國;他要作王,直到永永遠遠。……萬王之王,萬主之主。" (《啟示錄》第11、19章)
Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he wil l reign forever and ever.
這也是亨德爾歌劇《彌賽亞》中大合唱《哈利路亞》的歌詞,它是至今唯一能讓我多次熱淚盈眶的歌曲。從這短短的幾句話中我們可以看到無窮的勝利喜悅。歡呼吧!因為勝利屬于我們。