Manna issue 80 - Prepare, for the Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand! 預備，天國即將來臨！
In what aspects should we be prepared? 我們應該在那些方面準備？
Vincent Yeung—Cambridge, UK 英國劍橋
There is no shortage of warning
signs in the Bible. The dramatic
pronouncement by Amos—“Prepare
to meet your God, O Israel”—
reverberated throughout the reign of
Jeroboam II and for many generations
after (Amos 4:12). The prophet’s
visions of a basket of summer fruit
(Amos 8:2–4) and two baskets of figs
(Jer 24:1–3) signify that the end is
coming soon.
聖經裡面的警告有很多。
阿摩司先知戲劇化的宣告 -
"以色列啊，你當預備迎見你的神。"
這句話不斷回響，穿越了耶羅波安二世及後世的許多世代。(摩 4：12)
先知的異象，一籃夏季水果(摩 8：2-4)，二籃無花果(耶 24：1-3)，
象徵了末世已經快來來臨了。
In the New Testament, there
are also numerous reminders to
prepare for the end. Paul exhorted
the Romans to wake up from their
slumber, saying “the day is at hand”
(Rom 13:11–12). He also wrote that
believers need to work out their
salvation in fear and trembling (Phil
2:12). The imagery may appear in
different forms, but the message
is clear and uncompromising: the
end—?σχατον, eschaton—whether
it is personal or universal, is near!
新約也有很多提醒，要作好準備，末世來了。
保羅勸勉羅馬的教會，要從睡眠的中醒來，說："白晝將近"。(羅 13：11-12)
他也寫信給信徒，就當恐懼戰兢做成你們得救的工夫。(腓 2：12)
這種警告的意象或許用不同的形式出現，但是訊息是很清楚，確定的：
結束 - 希臘文，無論是針對個人，或是全宇宙，快要來到了。
The sense of urgency is pointed,
yet subtle, in the Gospel of
Matthew—both John the Baptist
and Jesus proclaimed the same
message at the beginning of their
ministries: “Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand” (Mt 3:2, 4:17).
This theme runs seamlessly through
the gospels, through the sayings,
parables and discourses of Jesus. It
serves to remind the readers to be
alert and sober, preparing them to
meet the Lord.
在馬太福音中，雖然很微妙，但是卻指出這種急迫感 -
施洗約翰和耶穌在他們服事一開始的時候，都宣告這同樣的訊息：
2天國近了，你們應當悔改！(太 3：2；4：17)
這個主題毫無違和感地穿梭在所有的福音書中，
透過耶穌所說的故事，比喻和談話一一表明出來。
他們的作用就是提醒讀者，要警醒，維持冷靜，要準備好來見主。
WARNING AGAINST COMPLACENCY 自滿的警告
John the Baptist warned the Pharisees
and Sadducees against complacency
when they came to the place he
was baptizing. He said, “[D]o not
think you can say to yourselves, ‘We
have Abraham as our father.’ For I
say to you that God is able to raise
up children to Abraham from these
stones” (Mt 3:7–9). Salvation is not
based on entitlement, birth right, or
membership of an elite organization.
Each person has to produce good
fruit or else they will be discarded
(Mt 3:10).
當法利賽人和撒督該人來到施洗約翰為人施洗的地方時，
他警告他們不要自滿。他說：
9不要自己心裡說：有亞伯拉罕為我們的祖宗。
我告訴你們，神能從這些石頭中給亞伯拉罕興起子孫來。
(太 3：7-9)
救贖並不是取決於名號，出生就有的權利，或是精英集團的成員身份。
每個人都一定結出好果子，不然的話，就會被丟棄。(太 3：10)
In the parable of the two sons, the
second son said he would go to work
in the vineyard, but did not go (Mt
21:30). He epitomized the social elite
who refused to believe—they were
the bad tenants who beat, killed,
and stoned the landowner’s servants
and eventually killed the landowner’s
son (Mt 21:33–38). Because of their
disbelief, the kingdom of God would
be given to a nation bearing fruit (Mt
21:43). Indeed, when Jesus praised
the centurion’s faith at the beginning
of His ministry, it was a portent of the
things to come: many will come from
afar to take Israel’s place at the feast
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the
kingdom of heaven, outside of which
there will be “weeping and gnashing
of teeth” (Mt 8:10–12).
在兩個兒子的比喻中，小兒子說他會去葡萄園工作，但他卻沒有去。(太 21：30)
他舉這群社會精英為代表，他們拒絕信主 -
他們就是那些壞佃農，他們對園主的僕人，施予鞭打，加以殺害，並且用石頭攻擊，
最後甚至殺了園主的兒子。(太 21：33-38)
因為他們的不信，所以神的國要賜給那些會結果子的國家。(太 21：43)
是的，當耶穌一開始傳道的時候，他稱讚了百夫長的信心，
那是將要發生之事的預表：
許多人要從遠方來，取代以色列人在亞伯拉罕，以撒和雅各在天國宴席的位置，
在天國宴席的外面，將會
要哀哭切齒了。(太 8。10-12)
However, Jesus’ followers should
not be complacent—their place in
the kingdom of God is not assured.
The church comprises a mixed bag
of believers. Like weeds and wheat
sowed in the same field (Mt 13:24–
30), the two are inseparable until the
harvest (Mt 13:29). The kingdom
is also described as a net, catching
both good and bad fish: the latter will
be thrown into the blazing furnace,
where again there will be “wailing
and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 13:50).
What distinguishes the good from the
bad, and the wheat from the weeds?
然而，那穌的門徒不應該自滿 - 因為他們在神國的位置，並沒有保証一定得到。
教會是由一群信徒所組成的。
就好像麥子和稗子，都撒種在同一塊田地上，(太 13：24-30)
他們兩者生長在一起，密不可分，直到收割的日子。(太 13：29)
天國又被比喻成網子，要抓好魚和壞魚：
後者要被丟入火爐焚燒，再一次在那裡，只會有
要哀哭切齒了。(太 13：50)
那麼好與壞到底有什麼差別呢？麥子和稗子有什麼差別呢？
In the parable of the wedding
banquet, the initial cohort of guests
refused to attend (Mt 22:5)—these
people represented the Pharisees and
Sadducees who paid no attention
to God’s invitation. Ultimately, the
banquet was filled with all kinds of
people, good and bad, but the good
ones were those who had prepared,
arriving in wedding clothes (Mt
22:11). The portion for the bad ones,
who had not prepared, was “weeping
and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 22:13).
So, in what aspects of our lives should
we be prepared?
在婚宴的比喻中，一開始第一群客人拒絕來赴宴 - (太 22：5)
這些人就代表了法利賽人和撒督該人，因為他們忽略了神的邀請。
到最後，宴席充滿了各式各樣的客人，有好有壞，
但是那些好人，就是那些有準備的人，穿好婚宴的服裝來參加。(太 22：11)
至於那些不好的部份，因為他們沒有準備，就會
要哀哭切齒了。(太 22：13)
所以，我們在生活中，要在那些方面作好準備呢？
WARNING AGAINST HYPOCRISY 虛偽的警告
Jesus did not reject the facets of
Jewish piety—prayer, almsgiving,
and fasting. These good deeds are
not discounted, but they should
be performed out of the goodness
of one’s heart. They are not to be
carried out as a demonstration, a
performance, or a form of outward
piety, as exhibited by the Pharisees,
who were called “hypocrites” by
Jesus (Mt 6:2, 5, 16). Therefore,
we must beware of subconsciously
boasting about how many hours we
pray, how much we offer, and how
much suffering we endure when we
work for the Lord.
耶穌並沒有否定猶太人虔誠的行為，例如禱告，救濟窮人，禁食。
這些好行為並沒有被忽略，但是他們被施行出來的時候，必須是發自其內心的善意而施行。
這些行為不該是因為要表現的原故，而在人前施行，是一種表演，或是一個虔誠外表的偽裝，
就像法利賽人所展現的一樣，他們被耶穌認為"很虛偽"。(太 6：2，5，16)
所以我們一定要很小心，自已在無意之間就吹噓自已禱告了多少的時間，奉獻了多少錢，
當我們為主作工的時候，受了多少的苦。
The seven woes delivered to
the scribes and the Pharisees are
accompanied by the sevenfold
repetition of the word “hypocrites”
(Mt 23:13–30). Despite their outward
piety, they fail to exercise good deeds
out of a good conscience, purity, and
sincerity. We should take note that
we do not fall into the same trap. We
make long prayers to show people
that we are religious, not because we
feel the need for it. We watch over
our own behavior only because we
want to project an impeccable image.
The means have become the end in
itself, and such religion is devoid of
any spirituality. In fact, good behavior
is not even a means to piety. It is the
outer expression of our inner being—
we do good deeds by nature without
thinking too much about it.
文士和法利賽人所要受的七樣災禍，伴隨著七倍重覆的"虛偽"這個字。(太 23：13-30)
雖然他們外表很虔誠，他們卻不能由內在的良心，純潔，真實，來產生好行為。
我們應該要注意的是，不要落入相同的陷井。
我們作了很長的禱告，來向別人表示我們很虔誠，並不是自已感覺到有這樣需要，來長時間禱告。
我自小心自已的言行，只不過是因為我們想要製造出沒有缺點的形象。
過程就成為了結果，這種信仰是沒有任何靈性的。
事實上，好行為也甚至不是顯示虔誠的方式。
它是我們內心狀態的外顯方式而已 -
我們自然而然會依本性而發出好行為，並不會對好行為的本身思考太多。
WARNING AGAINST LAWLESSNESS 違法的警告
The opposite of formal religiosity is
lawlessness and licentiousness. It is
human logic to think that if we are
justified by faith alone and not by
works, then it does not matter what
we do because God forgives. In fact,
many Christians outside the True Jesus
Church believe that one is saved just
by confessing that Jesus is Lord. This
form of free-for-all belief means that
cohabitation, divorce and remarriage,
and gay relationships are acceptable
in their churches.
真正虔誠的反面，就是作惡及放蕩。
人們的邏輯會這麼想，若我們只因為稱義，不是靠著作善工，
那麼我們作什麼都不重要，因為神會繞恕。
事實上，許多真耶穌教會以外的基督徒相信，
只要承認耶穌是救主，就可以得救。
這種對任何人都是開放性態度的形式，意思就是，
同居，離婚，再婚，同性戀關係都在他們的教會中，是可以接受的。
The teachings of the apostolic
church have been marginalized and
supplanted by love and forgiveness.
To many Christians, love surpasses
even God’s commandments. They
use logic to argue: “How could
the all-loving God be so cruel as to
condemn those who fail to observe
every minute detail in the Bible?”
The mainstream Christian faith has
become more inclusive, tolerant,
focusing on the social aspect of
human needs. Paul questioned such
rationale, asking: “Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound?” The
answer is overwhelming: “Certainly
not!” (Rom 6:1–2). He warned against
using “liberty as an opportunity for
the flesh” (Gal 5:13).
使徒時代教會的教導，已經被愛與繞恕所邊緣化及替代了。
對許多基督徒而言，愛甚至可以超過神的命令。
他們用人類邏輯的思考來提出爭議：
"愛惜萬物的神，怎麼可能會變得那麼殘忍呢？
以致於會去斥責那些不能遵守聖經裡面每一個細節呢？"
主流的基督教信仰已經變得更有包容性，更加容忍，
並且只集中在那些人類需求的特別方面。
保羅質疑這樣的推理，就問到：
1我們可以仍在罪中、叫恩典顯多麼？
他的回答是壓倒性的：
2斷乎不可！
(羅 6：1-2)
他警告那些人，
只是不可將你們的自由當作放縱情慾的機會。(加 5：13)
When Matthew collated the
sayings of Jesus in his Gospel, he
held on to this same message. Jesus
came to fulfill the Law, not to abolish
it (Mt 5:17–20). The weeds in the
kingdom of God are those who
practice “lawlessness” (Mt 13:41).
The wicked servants who practice
lawlessness by eating and drinking
with the drunkards are bundled with
the hypocrites (Mt 24:50)—they are
as bad as the hypocrites. Even those
who prophesy, cast out demons, and
perform wonders in God’s name, if
they “practice lawlessness,” will be
rejected (Mt 7:23).
當馬太在整理福音書耶穌言行的時候，他也堅守這同樣的訊息。
耶穌來是為了成全律法，而不是為了廢去律法。(太 5：17-20)
神國中的野草就是那些會"作惡"的人。(太 13：41)
邪惡的僕人作惡，與那些醉酒的人吃喝快樂，在外以虛偽包裝(太 24：50) -
他們就像那些虛偽的人一樣邪惡。
甚至是那些可以說預言的人，可以趕出魔鬼，奉神的名行神蹟奇事的人，
若他們成為"作惡的人"，就會被拒絕。(太 7：23)
WARNING AGAINST GROWING COLD IN LOVE 愛心漸漸冷淡的警告
In the end time, lawlessness will
abound and we will become less
empathetic. Therefore, be on your
guard as the love of most will grow
cold. Only the one who stands firm
to the end will be saved (Mt 24:12–
13). In the Sermon on the Mount,
a simple description of doing the
will of the Father is to be like Him.
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just
as your Father in heaven is perfect,”
said Jesus—the manifestation of this
perfection is love (Mt 5:43–48). Love
for your enemies goes beyond the
letter of the Law, which is the basis
on which Jesus interprets the Law
and the Prophets. The fulfillment of
the Law, and the will of the Father,
a righteousness that the Pharisees
could not reach, starts with love
and ends with love. As Paul puts it,
“[T]he purpose of the commandment
is love” (1 Tim 1:5a).
在末日的時候，作惡的人會越來越多，而我們則會變得沒有同情心。
你自已要小心謹慎，因為大部份人的愛心會變得冷淡。
只有那些站立得穩直到最後的人，才會得救。(太 24：12-13)
在登山寶訓中，施行天父旨意的簡單說明，就是要變得更像祂。
48所以，你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。(太 5：43-48)
愛你的仇敵超越律法的字義，而這也是耶穌解釋律法和先知預言的基礎。
律法的成就，天父的旨意，也就是法利賽人無法達到的公義，以愛開始，也以愛結束。
就如同保羅所說：
5但命令的總歸就是愛；(提前 1：5a)
God is love—there are countless
instances of God’s mercy and
compassion in Matthew. In the debate
between Jesus and the Pharisees
relating to working on the Sabbath,
Jesus added the quotation: “I desire
mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt 12:3–8;
Mk 2:25–28), which He also quoted
in Matthew 9:13. Jesus came for the
sick and needy, not for those who
believed they were healthy—those
who deemed themselves more worthy
to be saved. Jesus felt compassion
for the crowd (Mt 9:36, 14:14). And
in the parable of the unforgiving
servant, the master was moved with
compassion (Mt 18:27). Before the
master exercised his judgment on the
unforgiving servant, he asked “Should
you not also have had compassion
on your fellow servant, just as I had
pity on you?” (Mt 18:33). We, the
recipients of God’s grace, should in
turn exhibit the same compassion as
our Father.
神就是愛 - 馬太福音之中，有無數的例子顯示了神的慈愛和憐憫。
耶穌和法利賽人關於安息日作工的爭辯，
耶穌引用了舊約：
7我喜愛憐恤，不喜愛祭祀。(太 12：3-8；可 2：25-28)
這一句他在馬太福音九章13節也引用了。
耶穌來是為了生病和有需要的人，而對是為了那些相信自已是健康的人 -
那些自已認為是比值得拯救的人。
耶穌同情眾人。(太 9：36，14：14)
在不可饒恕的僕人的比喻中，主人因為同情而受到感動。(太 18：27)
在主人對這不可饒恕的僕人審判之前，他問到，
33你不應當憐恤你的同伴，像我憐恤你麼？(太 18：33)
我們是神恩典的領受者，也同樣應該回報神，像我們的天父一樣有同情心。
BE PREPARED 準備好
The key comparisons between
“good” versus “bad,” “belief” versus
“unbelief,” and “prepared” versus
“unprepared” appear repeatedly
in Jesus’ parables and sayings.
Underlying these contrasts are two
opposing mindsets and two different
outcomes when the Lord comes to
exercise His judgment. On that day,
we will be deemed either good or bad.
最主要的比較是，好與壞，信與不信，預備好及沒月準備，
常常重覆出現在耶穌的比喻和故事中。
當主再來，施行審判的時候，
在這些對比之下，是兩種相對性的想法，及兩種不同的結果。
在那一天，我們會被判別，不是好就是惡。
The basis of that judgment is
determined by whether we believe
in Jesus or not. We hear, believe,
learn, act, and are transformed—
this is a lifelong exercise that we
need to go through. As Paul put it,
“…[Y]ou have heard Him and have
been taught by Him, as the truth
[belief] is in Jesus; that you put off,
concerning your former conduct
[action]…and that you put on
the new man which was created
according to God [transformation],
in true righteousness and holiness
(Eph 4:21–24). We should become
more and more like God through this
continuous spiritual cultivation. The
transformation takes time, effort, and
lots of sacrifice, which Paul describes
as “work[ing] out your own salvation”
(Phil 2:12).
審判的基礎就是，我們是不是相信耶穌。
我們聽到了福音，相信，學習，行動，並且有了改變 -
這就是我們需要去經歷，一生之久需要去實行的。
就如保羅所說，
21如果你們聽過他的道，領了他的教，學了他的真理，
22就要脫去你們從前行為上的舊人，
24並且穿上新人；這新人是照著神的形像造的，有真理的仁義和聖潔。
(弗 4：21-24)
我們應該經由不斷的靈修，變得越來越更像神。
這樣的改變需要花些時間，投入精力，並且也要作出許多犧牲，
所以保羅才這麼說，要
做成你們得救的工夫。(腓 2：12)
The idea of preparedness
culminates in the parable of the ten
virgins. Five wise and five foolish
virgins were waiting for the coming
of the bridegroom. The former were
prepared with extra oil, as the timing
of the bridegroom’s arrival could
not be determined. The unprepared
virgins had to go to buy more oil as
their lamps were going out. When
they returned, the door was closed
and they were shut out of the
banquet. Their pleas were met with
the response: “I do not know you”
(Mt 25:12).
在十個童女的比喻中，這種有準備好的概念達到最頂峰。
五個聰明的童女和五個愚拙的童女，都在等候新郎的來到。
前者有準備額外的燈油，因為新郎來到的時間不會有人知道。
而那些沒有準備的童女，因為他們的燈已經快要熄滅了，所以要去買更多的燈油。
當他們回來的時候，就被關在宴席入口的門外。
他們向門內請求的回應，就得到一句
我不認識你們。(太 25：12)
In the parable of the talents, the
master who went on a journey
represents the Lord (Mt 25:14–30).
After a long period of time, the master
returned to settle accounts with
his servants. The unfaithful servant
who failed to produce a return was
described as “wicked and lazy.” He
was cast into “the outer darkness,”
where there was “weeping and
gnashing of teeth.”
而佃農的比喻中，去旅行的主人代表了主。(太 25：14-30)
經過一段長時間之後，主人回來要和他的僕人結清帳目。
這不忠的僕人，沒有好好產出自已該繳的回報，就形容為，"又邪惡又懶隋的僕人"，
而他們最後
要哀哭切齒了。(太 24：51)
The moral of these parables is that
we should watch (Mt 24:42, 25:13)
and be prepared to give our accounts,
because we do not know the day
or the hour of the Lord’s arrival (Mt
24:50). The wise and faithful servants
are the ones who keep watch,
prepared for the coming of the Master
(Mt 24:42). On the other hand, the
wicked ones are those who lapse in
their responsibilities, and are caught
off guard by the sudden return of the
Master (Mt 24:48–51). The outcome
for the unprepared is the same in
each of these parables: “weeping and
gnashing of teeth” (Mt 24:51).
這些比喻裡面所以表達的意思，就是我們應該要小心，(太 24：42，25：13)
要準備好與主交帳，因為我們不知道，主再來的日子或時刻。(太 24：50)
這些聰明和忠心的僕人，就是那些一直很小心的人，並且準備好迎接主人的再臨。(太 24：42)
另一方面，那些邪惡的僕人，就是那些對自已責任歸屬有所失職的人，
因為主人的突然回歸，而措手不及。(太 24：48-51)
那些沒有準備人的最後結果，在每個比喻中都是一樣的：
要哀哭切齒了。(太 24：51)
HOW SHALL WE PREPARE? 我們要怎麼準備？
First, we need to shake off our
complacency, knowing that our
faith needs to be translated into
action. Disciples are asked to deny
themselves, take up their cross and
follow Jesus (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34).
Moreover, Jesus warned that the
reward at the final judgment will be
given according to what each person
has done (Mt 16:27). The difference
between good and bad is not simply
a matter of whether we are ashamed
of Jesus (Mk 8:38); the attitude also
needs to be translated into action.
We are judged not only by our words
and attitude, but also by our works.
We should lead a life worthy of our
calling, exhibiting the qualities of
Christ in our behavior (Eph 4:1–2),
and serving God diligently through
faith and patience until the end (Heb
6:9–12).
第一，我們要移除自滿，要知道自已的信仰需要轉換成行動。。
門徒會被要求要謙卑自已，背起自已的十字架，並且跟隨耶穌。(太 16：24；可 8：34)
更進一步，耶穌作了警告，最後審判的獎賞，會根據每個人的所作所為來獎賞大家。(太 16：27)
好與壞的差別，並不是只有我們是不是以耶穌為恥而已。(可 8：38)
這種態度也必須要轉換成行動。
我們並不是只依造自已的言語或態度被審判，而且也依自已的行動及工作被判斷。
我們應該要過著與自已得蒙神呼召相稱的生活，在自已的行為中，顯示出基督的特質，(弗 4：1-2)
透過信心和耐心，殷勤服事神直到最後。(來 6：9-12)
Second, we should not be swayed
by the seductive influence of broad
societal trends. Society has become
more tolerant; everyone is free to
do what they think is right. In this
way, society has become morally
“lawless,” and Christians in general
are not immune to this influence.
As members of the true church, we
should lead a life worthy of our calling,
upholding the teachings of the Bible,
and manifesting the qualities of Jesus
in our servitude.
第二，我們不應該受到廣泛社會潮流引誘的影響，而有所動搖。
社會已經變得更加有容忍力，每個人都有自由，可以作任何他們認為對的事。
因為這樣的原故，社會已經變得在道德上，"失去了原則"，
一般來說，基督徒也不能對這樣的影響有所免疫。
身為真教會的信徒，我們應該過著與我們得到神呼召相稱的生活，
堅守聖經的教導，在服事之中，表現出耶穌身上的特質。
Third, good deeds alone are
insufficient; we need to do the will of
the Father. The Pharisees had much to
say about works. Paul once testified
that he was “blameless” concerning
the righteousness in the Law (Phil
3:6). However, the righteousness
subscribed by the Pharisees was not
the same as God’s righteousness;
in fact, they had not submitted to
the latter (Rom 10:3). Therefore,
simply working for work’s sake is not
sufficient to fulfill God’s righteousness.
第三，好行為本身是不足夠的；我們要實行天父的旨意。
法利賽人知道很多善工的知識。
保羅也曾這樣見証，關於律法上的義，他是"毫無瑕疵"的。(腓 3：6)
然而，法利賽人所認定的義，和神的義是不同的；
事實上，他們從來都沒有屈服在後者神的義之下。(羅 10：3)
只是為了能作出一些善工的原故，而去行善，
這樣是不足以滿足神對公義的要求的。
The same principle applies to
Christians—simply performing
work outwardly does not guarantee
salvation. Those who claim that they
prophesied, cast out demons, and
performed wonders in Jesus’ name
will be rejected if they have failed
to do the will of God (Mt 7:21–23).
Matthew clearly spells out that we
need to do better than the Pharisees:
“[U]nless your righteousness exceeds
the righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will by no means enter
the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20).
Jesus came not to abolish the Law or
the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Mt
5:17).
同樣的原則也是適用在基督徒身上 - 外表上作些善工，並不足以保証得到救贖。
那些這樣宣稱的人，他們會說預言，趕鬼，奉耶穌的名行神蹟奇事，
若他們不能執行神的旨意，仍然會被神所拒絕。(太 7：21-23)
馬太福音很清礎的說明了這一點，要我們比法利賽人作的更好，
你們的義若不勝於文士和法利賽人的義，斷不能進天國。(太 5：20)
耶穌來並不是要廢掉律法和先知，而是要成全他們。(太 5：17)
To achieve this, we need to be
transformed from within, as only
good works that arise from within
the heart, and are conducted with the
right frame of mind, are counted as
righteous in God’s eyes. Therefore, we
need to prepare—our lamps should be
filled with oil, signifying the fullness
of the Holy Spirit. We cannot simply
generate love from within ourselves,
as the outflow of God’s love comes
from the infilling of the Holy Spirit
(Rom 5:5).
要作到這一點，我們要從內在起，開始改變，
因為只有從內心裡面所作出來的善工，並且是因著有完整公義想法而實行出來，
才會在神的眼中，看為義。
所以，我們要好好準備 - 要讓我們的燈時常充滿了油，代表了聖靈的充滿。
因為我們並不能自然而然就從內心裡發生愛來，
因為只有內心充滿了聖靈，才會流露出神的愛。
We should prepare ourselves to
give our account at all times, as we
do not know when our end will come.
We also need to show love to the little
ones, those who are most in need in
the community of faith. We should
not despise them (Mt 18:10), be
unmerciful towards them (Mt 10:42)
or cause them to stumble (Mt 18:6).
The final scene in the parable of the
sheep and goats tells us that we will
be judged according to what we did
to the least of our brother and sister—
the degree to which we exercised
God’s love (Mt 25:40).
我們要好好準備自已，能夠無時無刻對主交帳，
因為我們不知道，自已最後的日子何時會來臨。
我們也應該對最小的顯出愛心來，對那些在信仰的團契之中，最有需要的人實行出來。
我們不應該輕看他們，(太 18：10)
而且對他們沒有慈憐之心，(太 10：42)
或者害他們跌倒了。(太 18：6)
在山羊和綿羊的比喻之中，最後一幕就告訴我們，
我們會因著自已的所作所為而受到審判，不論是作在最小的弟兄或是姐妹身上 -
就看我們自已因著神的愛，付出了多少的程度。
CONCLUSION 結論
In God’s kingdom, many are called
but few are chosen (Mt 20:16;
22:14). Over the ages, humankind
was trapped by the triad of hypocrisy,
lawlessness, and the lack of love. As
members of the true church, we need
to break out of this mode of living and
learn to be as perfect as the Father.
We are saved by grace, but we still
need to do good works and follow the
commandments. As Jesus put it, “the
weightier matters of the law: justice
and mercy and faith” should be done
without leaving the lesser things
undone (Mt 23:23). We cannot just
sit back and expect salvation to come
automatically. Instead, we should do
good deeds and exercise mercy, as the
Father is full of mercy.
在神的國度中，有許多人受到呼召，但選上的卻很少。(太 20：16；22：14)
隨著年紀的增長，人們陷在虛偽，作惡，缺乏愛心三大惡因之中。
身為真教會的信徒，我們要打破這樣的生活模式，向天父學習成為完全。
我們因著神的恩典而得救，但我們仍然需要去行善，遵守神的誡命。
就如耶穌這樣說，
那律法上更重的事，就是公義、憐憫、信實。(太 23：23)
要好好的去作，不要讓這些事的任何一小部份，沒有好好去執行。
我們不要只是坐的好好的，就希望救贖會自動到來。
相反地，我們應該要有好行為，施行慈愛，就像天父充滿慈愛一樣。
Let us revisit the cherished verse:
“But seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness” (Mt 6:33a). It
is not simply a choice between money
and God, it is also a choice between
human-defined righteousness and
God’s righteousness. The true and
false disciples in Matthew 7:21–23
should no longer be seen to represent
those within church and those
without; it also depicts the good and
bad believers within the kingdom of
God (see also Matthew 13).
讓我們再看看這寶貴的經節：
33你們要先求他的國和他的義。(太 6：33a)
這並不只是在金錢和神的事上作出選擇而已，
這也是在人自已訂義的公義和神的公義上的選擇。
馬太福音七章21-23節說到，真假門徒，
不再代表教會裡面，或是教會以外的人，：
這也是形容那些神國裡面，好的信徒和壞的信徒。
(請參考馬太福音13章)
The new interpretation of Old
Testament commandments that
Jesus put forth in the Sermon on the
Mount—signposted by the repeated
phrase: “But I say to you” (Mt
5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44)—revealed
how God’s righteousness should be
exercised. Sin is not simply an outward
action (Mt 5:27). Righteousness is not
simply fulfilling the letter of the Law
(Mt 5:24, 31). Not only do we need
to perform good deeds and guard
our outward behavior, we also need
to be transformed, to forgive, and to
love from within. The Sermon on the
Mount culminates with the golden
rule: “Therefore, whatever you want
men to do to you, do also to them,
for this is the Law and the Prophets”
(Mt 7:12). Love fulfills the Law and
the Prophets; it is the basis of God’s
righteousness and God’s will. Jesus
then concludes with three antitheses:
the narrow and the wide gate; true
and false prophets; and the wise and
the foolish builders (Mt 7:13–27).
Each has two opposing paths—the
choice is ours to make. Either we are
good or bad, prepared or unprepared.
Let us make the wise choice and be
prepared!
耶穌在登山寶訓中，對舊約的新解釋 - 一直使用重覆的句子標示出來：
"只是我告訴你們"：(太 5：22，28，32，34，39，44)
揭露了應該如何實行神的公義。
罪不只是外顯出來的行為而已。(太 5：27)
而公義也不只是成全律法上字面的意義而已。(太 5：24，31)
我們不只應該要作好事，保守自已外在的行為，
也要能夠有所改變，好憐恕，從內心發生愛人的心。
登山寶訓結束的時候，以這條黃金定律為最高點：
12所以，無論何事，你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們也要怎樣待人，因為這就是律法和先知的道理。
(太 7：12)
愛讓律法和先知的總綱，變得更加完美；
這是神公義和神的旨意的基礎。
然後，耶穌就用三個對比的例子來作結論：
窄門和寬門(要進窄門)、真假先知，聰明和愚拙的造屋人(兩種根基)。(太 7：13-27)
每一個例子都有兩種相反的方式 - 我們要去作出選擇。
我們不是好，就是壞，有準備好，或是沒有準備。
讓我們作出聰明的選擇，隨時準備好！
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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