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二○二○年十一月十四日/十五日                                                                                              Click here for English version

基督豐盛長成的身量

譚廣海牧師

慈愛的天父將主耶穌賜給教會作萬有的元首,教會是祂的身體,是那充滿萬有者所完全充滿的(弗一 22-23)。保羅為此勸勉我們,對主耶穌要有一致的信仰和認識,要達到基督豐盛長成的身量,不再作小孩子,如此才不會在信仰的路途上隨流失去,也能知道怎樣迎接信仰的危機(弗四 12-13;來二 1;提前四 1)。

我們為何需要接受神學的教育?聖經說:「認識耶和華的知識要充滿大地,好像海水覆蓋海洋一般」(賽十一 9,新譯本;另見哈二 14)。艾利克森(Millard J. Erickson)將神學定義為「一門關於神的研究」,從這角度看,神學教育所給予我們的培育及訓練,不單是研究神的存在,思考基督信仰教義的發展,更是以聖經為基礎,去學習神學知識,過程中要以敬畏的心認識神,從而得著智慧(箴九 10)。真正認識神的人,不但能以愛心塑建信仰的生命(林前八 1),也能在患難困苦的處境中,以信心回答別人的提問,述說我們在生活中所懷著的盼望(彼前三 15)。

若問:「誰人才需要接受神學教育?」我想起摩西在焚而不毀的荊棘中看見異象,他與神相遇後,隨即承當起神的託付。那時,他問神說:「祢叫甚麼名字?我要對他們說甚麼呢?」(見出三13)神回答摩西說:「我是『自有永有者』。」又說:「你要對以色列人這樣說:『那自有者派我到你們這裡來。』」(出三 14)誠然,每一個與神相遇的人,都有與人「分享基督、見證信仰」的使命,我們不辭勞苦地傳揚主耶穌,用各樣的智慧勸戒各人,教導各人,是為了要使各人在基督裡得到完全(西一 28-29)。

親愛的弟兄姊妹,我們若渴慕為主作聖善的工,帶領別人認識神,就當藉著神學教育,幫助自己在真道上自建,建立基督的身體(提前三 1;猶 20;弗四 12)。若說專心聆聽主道是不可少的一件事(路十 42),那麼,我們在適當的時候跟隨神往前走,按著祂的召命及差遣接受神學的教育,也是一件極其重要的事。願神賜信心給我們,將已有的恩賜如火挑旺起來,使眾人看出我們的信仰生命不斷長進,達至滿有基督豐盛長成的身量(提前四 13-15)。






Pastor's Sharing
The Whole Measure of the Fullness of Christ
Rev Samuel Tam

Our loving Heavenly Father placed all things under the feet of the Lord Jesus "and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (Ephesians 1:22-23). For this reason, Paul exhorted us to "reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). We should no longer be infants. We must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard "so that we do not drift away" (Hebrews 2:1). This is how we can learn the way to handle crises in our faith (1 Timothy 4:1).

Why do we need theological education? The Bible says: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). Millard J Erickson has defined theology as the study of God. From this perspective, the grooming and training from theological education is not confined to the study of the existence of God and the development of Christian doctrine. It is also a Bible-based study of theological knowledge. In the process, we know God with reverence and fear and thereby gain wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). A person who truly knows God will not only be able to build lives with love (1 Corinthians 8:1) but will also be prepared to give an answer with faith to everyone who asks for the reason of his hope in trying times (1 Peter 3:15).

Suppose you ask: Who needs theological education? I am reminded about the vision of Moses in front of the burning bush that did not burn up. He embraced God’s mandate after his encounter with God. Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites… and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:13-14) Everyone who has encountered God is commissioned to share Christ and testify to our faith. We labor to "proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ" (Colossians 1:28-29).

Dear brothers and sisters, if we long to do God’s good and holy works, if we long to lead others to know God, we should build up ourselves in the truth through theological education and build up the body of Christ (1 Timothy 3:1; Jude 20; Ephesians 4:12). While we need to listen to the Lord attentively (Luke 10:42), it is also important that we follow God’s leading at the appropriate time and receive theological education in response to His calling. May God give us faith so we can fan into flame the gift of God that is in us, and that people can see growth in our spiritual lives, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (1 Timothy 4:13-15).