加尔文帖撒罗尼加前书5:23解经翻译

加尔文帖撒罗尼加前书5:23解经翻译

1Th 5:23 愿赐平安的神亲自使你们全然成圣!又愿你们的灵与魂与身子得蒙保守,在我主耶稣基督降临的时候,完全无可指摘!

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

23 Now the God of peace himself. Having given various injunctions, he now proceeds to prayer. And unquestionably doctrine is disseminated in vain, unless God implant it in our minds. From this we see how preposterously those act who measure the strength of men by the precepts of God. Paul, accordingly, knowing that all doctrine is useless until God engraves it, as it were, with his own finger upon our hearts, beseeches God that he would sanctify the Thessalonians. Why he calls him here the God of peace, I do not altogether apprehend, unless you choose to refer it to what goes before, where he makes mention of brotherly agreement, and patience, and equanimity.

如今平安的神自己(Now the God of peace)在颁布一些戒令之后,他(保罗)现在开始到头。除非神将那些毋庸置疑的教训植入你的心思里面,再怎么传讲也都是虚空的。从这点,我们看见那些想要用神的诫命来测度人的能力之人士何等的荒谬。有鉴于此,保罗清楚的知道,除非神用自己的手指将教义刻在我们心上,那些教义都是无用的。故此祂恳求神来圣别帖撒罗尼加人。我无法完全理解,他为什么在此称神为平安的神(God of peace),除非你认为这节指的是保罗在前面提过的弟兄同心合意、忍耐和和平。

We know, however, that under the term sanctification is included the entire renovation of the man. The Thessalonians, it is true, had been in part renewed, but Paul desires that God would perfect what is remaining. From this we infer, that we must, during our whole life, make progress in the pursuit of holiness. But if it is the part of God to renew the whole man, there is nothing left for free will. For if it had been our part to co-operate with God, Paul would have spoken thus — “May God aid or promote your sanctification.” But when he says, sanctify you wholly, he makes him the sole Author of the entire work.

不论如何,我们知道圣别这个词被包含在全人的更新之中。对于部分被更新的帖撒罗尼加人而言,它是真实的,但是保罗期盼神愿意完全剩下的部分。我们可以由此推断,我们在我们的一生之中,必须追求圣洁。但是,若更新全人是神的工作,就不需要自由意志了。然而,若它需要我们与神配合,保罗就会如此说—“愿神加力并加强你们的圣别。”但是当保罗说,你们全然圣别(sanctify you wholly),他让神成为整个工作为一的作者。

And your entire spirit. This is added by way of exposition, that we may know what the sanctification of the whole man is, when he is kept entire, or pure, and unpolluted, in spirit, soul, and body, until the day of Christ. As, however, so complete an entireness is never to be met with in this life, it is befitting that some progress be daily made in purity, and something be cleansed away from our pollutions, so long as we live in the world.

你整个的灵(your entire spirit)。这几个字被当做进一步的阐述,好叫我们知道全人的圣别(sanctification of the whole man)乃是当他在灵(spirit),魂(soul)和身体(body)中保守完全,或纯洁和没被污染,直到基督的日子。也就是说,此生无法完全这个人的完整性,只要我们还活在世上,我们需要天天逐步的走在纯洁的进程中,逐渐洁净我们身上的污染。

We must notice, however, this division of the constituent parts of a man; for in some instances a man is said to consist simply of body and soul, and in that case the term soul denotes the immortal spirit, which resides in the body as in a dwelling. As the soul, however, has two principal faculties — the understanding and the will — the Scripture is accustomed in some cases to mention these two things separately, when designing to express the power and nature of the soul; but in that case the term soul is employed to mean the seat of the affections, so that it is the part that is opposed to the spirit. Hence, when we find mention made here of the term spirit, let us understand it as denoting reason or intelligence, as on the other hand by the term soul, is meant the will and all the affections.

然而,我们必须注意这个对于人构成部分(constituent parts)的分别;因为在某些地方人被称为只被身体(body)和魂(soul,实际的意思是‘魂’——译者)所构成,在这个情况下,魂(soul)指的是不朽的灵(spirit),住在身体中,如同居住在其中一样。而灵魂有两个主要的器官(faculties)—理解(understanding)和意志(will)—圣经的某些地方,为了要表明魂(soul)的能力和性质习惯分开提及这两件事物。但若魂(soul)这个词被赋予情感(affection)之座位意义的时候,就代表它是与灵(spirit)相对的部分。故此,当我们由此发现,当使用灵(spirit)的时候,它知道是理性(reason)或理智(intelligence),在另一方面,使用魂(soul)的是,指的是意志(will)和一切的情感(affections)

I am aware that many explain Paul’s words otherwise, for they are of opinion that by the term soul is meant vital motion, and by the spirit is meant that part of man which has been renewed; but in that case Paul’s prayer were absurd. Besides, it is in another way, as I have said, that the term is wont to be made use of in Scripture. When Isaiah says, “My soul hath desired thee in the night, my spirit hath thought of thee,” (Isaiah 26:9)

我也非常清楚对保罗的话有许多不同的解释,它们认为,魂(soul)这个字代表生命的脉动,而灵(spirit)这个字知道是人里面被更新的部分;若是这样,保罗的祷告就是荒谬的了。除此以外,如同我已经说过的,那词在圣经里面也常常有不同的用法。当以赛亚说,“夜间,我的魂(soul)羡慕你;我里面的灵切切思想你。”(以赛亚26:9)

no one doubts that he speaks of his understanding and affection, and thus enumerates two departments of the soul. These two terms are conjoined in the Psalms in the same sense. This, also, corresponds better with Paul’s statement. For how is the whole man entire, except when his thoughts are pure and holy, when all his affections are right and properly regulated, when, in fine, the body itself lays out its endeavors and services only in good works? For the faculty of understanding is held by philosophers to be, as it were, a mistress: the affections occupy a middle place for commanding; the body renders obedience. We see now how well everything corresponds. For then is the man pure and entire, when he thinks nothing in his mind, desires nothing in his heart, does nothing with his body, except what is approved by God. As, however, Paul in this manner commits to God the keeping of the whole man, and all its parts, we must infer from this that we are exposed to innumerable dangers, unless we are protected by his guardianship.

没有人会怀疑他在论到他的理智和情感,故此列举出了魂的两个部分。这两词在诗篇用也具有同样的一样。这才更符合保罗的宣告。除非当人的思想是纯洁和圣别的,当人的情感是正确和规范的,当人的身体放弃自己的努力并只事奉善工的时候,整个人能是完全(the whole man entire)的吗?因为理智的器官是哲学家们所坚持的部分,就如同他们的配偶一样:情感在命令中位于居间的位置;身体则顺服。我们看见人的每个部分如何合适的配搭。因为,除非人是纯洁和完整的,当他心思是空白的时候,他的心也不会渴望任何的东西,他的身体也不会有人的动作,除非这是神所认可的。保罗就是用这种方式来保守他的全人和人所有的部分,我们必须由此看见,我们乃是被曝露在无数的危险之下,除非我们被祂所保守。


John Calvin, COMMENTARIES ON THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS,AND THESSALONIANS, CHRISTIAN CLASSICS ETHEREAL LIBRARY, GRAND RAPIDS, MI, 277278

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