Manna issue 78 - My Eyes Have Seen God (II): Journey to Full-Time Ministry 我親眼看見神 (II)：全職事奉的旅程
God has His own time and plan for us. 神對我們有自已的時間和計劃
From the book “My Eyes Have Seen God” by Sun Tao Hsieh—Taichung, Taiwan
節錄自"我親眼看見神" 台灣台中 謝順道 長老
In the previous installment of this testimony, Elder Sun Tao Hsieh relates how he came to know and believe in the true
God. Soon after his baptism, the Holy Spirit moved him to make a vow to the Lord─read on to learn how this eventually
led him onto the path of full-time ministry.
在這篇見這的前面的部份，謝順道長老描述他如何來認識，並且相信真神。
在他受洗之後，聖靈感動他為主許願 - 繼續讀下去，就會知道這樣最後如何導致他走上全職事奉的道路。
On August 2, 1947, which was a
Sabbath day, I attended the spiritual
convocation at the church in Chiayi,
Taiwan. After the service, I went to
pray in the prayer room. The Holy
Spirit filled me and, in my prayer, I
made a vow to God that I would one
day become a pastor. Afterwards,
I went to find Elder Yichen Chien,
who had been sent to help with the
spiritual convocation.
1947年八月2日，那一天也是安息日，我參加台灣嘉義教會的靈恩會。
聚完會之後，我到禱告室繼續禱告。
聖靈充滿我，並且在禱告中，我向神許了願，有一天我要成為傳道。
之後我去找簡益真長老，他一是被派來協助靈恩會的長執。
When I told him I wanted to be a
pastor, he asked me, “How long have
you been baptized?”
當我告訴他，我想要成為一個傳道的時候，他問我，
"你受洗已經多久了？"
I replied, “I studied the gospel for
one month and received baptism
almost a month ago.”
我回答，"我研究福音一個月，接受洗禮也是幾乎一個月。"
After he heard my answer, he could
not stop laughing. But, at the same
time, he did not want to discourage
me in what he must have seen as my
extreme naivety.
他聽了我的回答之後，他忍不住笑了。
雖然在他眼中一定看到我有什麼特質，例如是極度的天真，但他同時間又不想讓我覺得很沮喪。
Despite his vow, Elder Hsieh did
not immediately become a pastor.
Instead, he became a school teacher
in Tungshih, an urban township in
eastern Taichung County, where
there was no True Jesus Church.
There he met his future wife.
They married in 1950, and had
two daughters soon after. Both
children became ill soon after birth,
and both could not be healed by
medical doctors. By the mercy of
God, Elder Hsieh’s eldest daughter
was eventually healed through
intercessory prayers. However, his
second daughter, diagnosed with a
congenital heart disease, remained
fever-stricken and underdeveloped,
despite many intercessory prayers.
雖然有許願，但謝長老並沒有立刻就變成傳道。
相反地，他成為成為東勢學校的老師，東勢是在台中縣東部的鄉下小鎮，而那裡也沒有真耶穌教會。
在那裡他遇見了以後的太太。
他們在1950年結婚，很快之後就有兩個女兒。
兩個女兒在出生之後不久就成病了，他們兩個的病都不能被醫生醫好。
藉著神的恩典，謝長老的大女兒最後因為大家的代禱得到了醫治。
然而第二個女兒，被診斷出有先天生的心臟病，加上一直發高燒，發育不全，
雖然大家都有一直幫她代禱。
Before the summer break in 1952,
it occurred to Elder Hsieh during
a prayer that perhaps God did not
want him to live in Tungshih. There
was no church in Tungshih, and
because of the traffic and distance,
he could not regularly attend church
services at a nearby town. Elder
Hsieh recalled how God had never
ceased to have mercy on him in the
past five years since his baptism.
Perhaps, through this long period
of trials, God was compelling him
to leave this town to keep his faith
alive. So he applied for transfer to
a school in Huwei, where there was
a True Jesus Church. Through God’s
guidance, Elder Hsieh’s transfer was
granted and the family moved to
Huwei in September 1952, where
his wife and children eventually
received baptism.
1952年在暑假之前，或許神不要他住在東勢，謝長老在禱告的時候，有些事發生了。
因為沒有教會在東勢，也因為交通和距離，他不能定期的參加隔壁鎮的聚會。
謝長老回憶神如何在過去五年之間，從未停止施恩給他，至從他接受洗禮之後。
或許經過這段長時間的試煉，神在逼他離開這個小鎮，讓他的信仰可以再度活潑起來。
所以他去申請轉到虎尾的學校，那裡有一間真耶穌教會。
經由神的指引，謝長老的轉校申請通過了，在1952年九月全家搬到虎尾去，
在那裡他的太太和小孩最後接受了洗禮。
HONORING MY VOW 還願
During a prayer in June 1954, I
recalled a Bible verse: “When you
make a vow to the LORD your God,
you shall not delay to pay it; for the
LORD your God will surely require it
of you, and it would be sin to you”
(Deut 23:21). This verse reminded me
of the time when I first got baptized:
whilst attending an evangelistic
service at the church in Chiayi, I had
vowed to God that I would dedicate
myself as a pastor.
1954年六月在禱告的時候，我想起一個聖經的經節：
"21你向耶和華─你的神許願，償還不可遲延；因為耶和華─你的神必定向你追討，你不償還就有罪。"(申 23：21)
這節經節提醒我，當我一開始受洗的時候：
當參加嘉義教會佈道會的時候，我有向神許願，將把自已獻給神，成為傳道人。
I told my wife of my vow, the
Scriptures’ teaching, and how God
would demand its fulfillment. I said,
“I believe our daughter’s affliction
must be God’s doing. Otherwise,
how can we explain that our first
daughter became well through the
laying on of hands and prayer, but
the same method has not worked
for our younger daughter, even with
the ministers’ help? If this is the case,
I must fulfill my vow; otherwise God
will hold me accountable.”
我向太太說明了我的誓言，聖經的教導，以及神如何要求要成全。
我說，"我想信女兒的痛苦一定是神的作為。
否則，我們如何能說明，大女兒因為透過按首和禱告就得到醫治，
但是同樣的方法卻在小女兒身上沒有用，即使已經有長執傳道的幫助了？
如果事情就是這樣，我一定要完成自已所立的誓；
否則神會要我負積。"
My wife and I prayed together. I
told God, “O Lord! If you are holding
me to account for the vow I made,
I will surely make good on it. Please
grant us clear, unambiguous proof by
lowering my daughter’s temperature.
If her temperature does not go down
by tomorrow, then I will take this as
a ‘no.’ O Lord! If there is some other
reason for the illness, give us some
time so we may examine ourselves
further. O Lord! Please look upon our
affliction with compassion and hear
our prayer. Amen!”
我太太和我一起禱告。
我告訴神，"主啊！若是要我對所起的願負起責任來，
我一定會好好的完成它。
請給我清楚的指示，不要模糊不清的証據，就請降低我女兒的溫度。
若是她的溫度明天沒有降低，那麼我就會認為答案是"不"。
主阿！若是有其他的理由導致生這個病，給我們一些時間，那麼我們可以好好更進一步的自我省查。
主啊！請你用憐憫的心腸看顧我們所受的痛苦，垂聽我們的禱告。阿們！"
Miraculously, my daughter’s
temperature immediately dropped.
In over two years since her birth,
this was the very first time her body
temperature had been normal. I said
to my wife, “This is a sign, beyond
the shadow of a doubt. I’m awestruck
with fear. The God we worship is truly
a genuine, living and awesome God.
If I don’t follow through with my
vow and God’s anger flares up again,
where can we possibly hide? I must
dedicate myself as a minister.”
很神奇地，我女兒的溫度就立刻降下來了。
自她出生在約莫二年之間，這是第一次她的體溫是正常的。
我向太太說，"這就是指示，一絲一毫都不用懷疑。
而我則是大大的驚恐震驚。
我們敬拜的神，真是又真，又活，大而可畏的神。
若是我不償還我的許願，神的憤怒就會再度燃起，
我們有什麼可能可以在那裡躲藏呢？
我一定要獻上自已成為傳道人。"
My daughter was healed. She
recovered her health extremely
quickly. She was transformed from
being skinny to looking plump, from
being bedridden all day long to
sitting, crawling, squatting, standing
and walking. All of her organs began
to develop normally. Praise the Lord
for extending His merciful hand to
save our beloved daughter from the
verge of death! I shall never forget His
abundant favor and wondrous grace.
我女兒的病好了。
她很快就恢復了她的健康。
她從很瘦小，很快就變成肥肥的，從整天一直躺在病床上，到坐起來，爬行，蹲著，站起來，並且可以行走。
她所有的身體器官，開始正常發展。
感謝主，因為祂伸出了大能而憐憫的雙手，從瀕死的邊緣，拯求了我至愛的女兒！
我將永遠不會忘記祂豐盛的恩惠，和奇妙的恩典。
When I was still teaching at Huwei
Elementary, my colleague’s eldest
daughter suffered from postnatal
heart-valve failure. Her condition was
less serious than my daughter’s. She
did not suffer from a constant fever so
she could sit and walk. By the time she
turned twelve, she was malnourished
and stunted. She looked as if she
were only seven or eight years old. In
comparison, my daughter’s congenital
heart failure was more severe and
gave rise to worse symptoms; yet,
after the Lord’s healing, she was able
to develop normally.
當我仍然在虎尾國小教書的時候，我同事的大女兒出現了產後心瓣膜不全的症狀。
她的情況是比我的女兒稍為輕一些些。
她並沒有一直發高燒，所以她可以坐著，走路。
在她12歲的時候，她變得營養不良而發育不全。
她看起來就像是七，八歲的小孩一樣。
相比之下，我女兒先天性的心臟功能不全，是更加嚴重的，也引起更差的徵狀；
然而在主醫治之後，她就可以正常的生長。
A few years later, I watched as my
daughter ran back from school, and
recalled the doctor’s earlier warning
about not letting her run in her
condition. After she regained her
health, I did not see the need to forbid
her from running. Since then, she has
grown up, married, and given birth
to three healthy children, without
experiencing any problems. These
events remind me once again that
God’s power of healing goes beyond
any doctor’s clinical experience. I
am grateful to God for being so
compassionate towards us, and not
letting our daughter become a lifelong
heartache.
幾年之後，我看到女兒從學校跑回來，想起了以前醫生的警告，不要讓她在這種情況之下跑步。
在她重新得到康復之後，我並沒有看到有需要去禁止她跑步。
自從那時候開始，她就長大了，結婚，生出了三個健康的小孩，也沒有遇過任何問題。
這些事情再一次提醒我，神的醫治人的權能，超過任何醫生臨床上的經驗。
我感謝神，那麼憐憫我們，沒有讓我的女兒一生之久都承受的心臟病。
ENROLMENT INTO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 神學院註冊
According to the public school
regulations of the day, if an employee
wished to resign during the semester,
they had to submit a resignation letter
six months in advance. I submitted
my resignation accordingly, and it was
promptly accepted. So I only received
half a month’s pay during July and no
salary in August.
根據今日公立學校的規則，若是在學期中一個雇員想要辭職，
他們一定要在六個月之前就送上辭職申請書。
我也依造程序送上我的辭職申請書，而申請馬上就被接受了。
所以我在七月只拿到半個月的薪水，而八月沒有薪水。
Coincidentally, this was also the
time when the General Assembly in
Taiwan started to enroll its very first
batch of students for its theological
seminary. The two-year program
consisted of theological training in the
first year and practical training in the
second. I submitted my application
immediately. I did not notify my
mother, nor did I discuss the matter
with my in-laws. Since God had
already made His wishes plain, I
did not hesitate and no one could
dissuade me. Rather than informing
them and facing stiff opposition, I
thought it would be better to act
first and let them know afterwards.
As expected, as soon as they found
out, they were completely opposed to
my decision, arguing that my children
were still young.
很巧合的是，這也是台灣總會開始召收第一屆神學生的時間。
二年的訓練計劃，由第一次的神學訓練和第二年的實習所組合而成。
我立刻送上我的申請書。
我沒有知會我的母親，也沒有和我的岳父討論這件事。
因為神已經明白了告訴我們他的計劃，我就沒有猶豫，也沒有人可以勸阻我。
我沒有通知他們而面對強硬的反對，我想可能先作了比較好，之後再讓他們知道。
就如同之同預知的，一旦他們發現了這件事，他們完全反對我所作的決定，並且和我爭論，小孩子還非常的小。
I took the entrance examination in
early August. First came the written
part, followed by several short
sermons, and lastly, an oral interview
conducted by fifteen examiners.
我在八月初參加了入學考試。
第一部份是寫作，接下來在作幾篇短講，最後是由15位面試官作口試。
The chief examiner, Elder Yichen
Chien, asked, “In the first year of the
theological seminary, students are
paid a stipend of only NT$200 each
month. Will that be enough for you?”
主考官，簡益真長老，他問到，
"神學院第一年，學生每個月只有200元的薪水。
那這樣你夠用嗎？"
At first I thought, Why bother
asking? Obviously this is not enough.
But I figured that if I told him this,
he would tell me to go home. I was
already past the point of no return,
so I answered, “God will provide.”
My answer did not mean I had other
sources of income. Perhaps this
response sprang from the movement
of the Holy Spirit.
一開始我想，為什麼這麼麻煩還要問這些問題呢？
很明顯的，這樣的薪水跟本就不夠用。
但是我明白，若是我這樣告訴他，他就會告訴我回家去。
我已經走在一個沒有回頭的路上，所以我就回答，"神會預備。"
我的回答並不是代表了我有其他的收入來源。
或是這樣的回答，發源自聖靈的感動。
Deacon Chungtao Lin was
moved by my answer and shouted,
“Hallelujah!” as if to encourage me.
林從道執長就被我的回答感動，大聲叫出來，"哈利路亞！"
就好像是在鼓勵我一樣。
My monthly salary as a public school
teacher had been NT$500 a month,
with additional subsidies in the form
of rice, cooking oil, salt, coal and other
necessities. Though it did not provide
a rich life by any means, it offered an
adequate livelihood. Once I became
a theological seminary student, my
monthly pay dropped to less than half
of my previous income. Taking into
account the loss in food subsidies and
the NT$20 of tithes I needed to offer,
how could we possibly survive on
NT$180 per month? But thank God,
we managed by relying on His grace
and holding firm to our belief that He
would always provide.
公立學校老師的月薪是500元一個月，有額外形式的補帖，如配給的米，食用油，鹽，煤碳和其他的生活必需品。
雖然無論如何政府不會提供很富裕的生活，但是卻是一個合宜的生活品質。
一旦我開始成為神學生，我的月薪會掉到比先前收入一半還少。
若是考慮到食品補助的損失，以及我所要奉獻的什一捐20元，
我們怎麼可能只依靠每個月180的薪水活得下來呢？
但是感謝神，我們計劃依靠祂的恩典，堅守我們的信仰，相信祂會預備。
EVERYTHING HAS ITS TIME 凡事都有定期
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under
heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck
what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to
build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to
dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a
time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw
away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to
speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
(Eccl 3:1–8)
1凡事都有定期，天下萬務都有定時。
2生有時，死有時；栽種有時，拔出所栽種的也有時；
3殺戮有時，醫治有時；拆毀有時，建造有時；
4哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，跳舞有時；
5拋擲石頭有時，堆聚石頭有時；懷抱有時，不懷抱有時；
6尋找有時，失落有時；保守有時，捨棄有時；
7撕裂有時，縫補有時；靜默有時，言語有時；
8喜愛有時，恨惡有時；爭戰有時，和好有時。
(傳 3：1-8)
Looking back on the various events
that unfolded over the journey of my
faith, I find this passage quite fitting to
my own experiences. Had I resigned
from Nanshi Teaching Academy
earlier, my older sister, who brought
me to church, would not yet have
believed in the Lord when I visited
her. If I had visited later, her initial
evangelistic fervor could have grown
cold and she might not have preached
the gospel to me. As for fulfilling my
vow to become a minister of God,
had I done so earlier, there would
have been no theological program for
me to enroll in. If I had waited until
later, the next seminary enrollment
did not happen for another five
years, and that enrolment targeted
rural students, rather than city-folks
such as myself. Just imagine, at the
time, I was familiar with less than
half of the Bible and lacked pastoral
knowledge and related skills. If I had
not undergone full-time theological
training, how could I have met the
challenges of being a minister?
回顧了各種不同的事件，在我信仰的旅程中展開來，
我發現這經節非常符合我的經驗。
若是我早一點從南勢師範學校退學，我的大姐，她帶我去教會，
在我去探訪她的時候，她將還沒有信主。
若是我慢一點去看她，她一開始傳福音的熱誠可以已經變冷淡了，她可能不會向我傳福音。
至於還願成為神的傳道工人，若是我早一點這麼作，就沒有神學的訓練可以讓我參加。
若是我在等慢一點，在接下來的五年內，並沒有招收神學生，而這個招生工作，目標是像我一樣的鄉下小孩，而不是都市學生。
光是想想看，在那時候，我對聖經的了解可能不到一半，也沒有傳道人的知識和相關的技能。
若是我沒有經過全職神學的訓練，我怎麼可能可以面對身為傳道人所要面對的挑戰呢？
When we ponder why the people
of Israel were willing to leave Egypt
and why their desire was granted, we
read in the Bible:
當我們想，為什麼以色列人會願意離開埃及，
為什麼他們的願望會實現，我們可以在聖經裡讀到。
Then the children of Israel groaned
because of the bondage, and they
cried out; and their cry came up to
God because of the bondage…
以色列人因做苦工，就歎息哀求，他們的哀聲達於神。
And the LORD said: “I have
surely seen the oppression of My
people who are in Egypt, and have
heard their cry because of their
taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
So I have come down to deliver them
out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and to bring them up from that land
to a good and large land, to a land
flowing with milk and honey.”
(Ex 2:23b; 3:7–8a)
7耶和華說：我的百姓在埃及所受的困苦，我實在看見了；他們因受督工的轄制所發的哀聲，我也聽見了。我原知道他們的痛苦，
8我下來是要救他們脫離埃及人的手，領他們出了那地，到美好、寬闊、流奶與蜜之地，
(出 2：23b；3：7-8a)
If the golden age inaugurated by
Joseph had continued, such that the
Israelites remained in a position of
privilege in Egypt, they would surely
have become comfortable in their
situation and would never have dreamt
of leaving. However, God’s will was to
lead them to the land flowing with
milk and honey, to fulfill the promise
He had made to Abraham. Thus, God
allowed the Egyptians to persecute
the Israelites, and He listened to the
cries of the Israelites, stretching out
His mighty hand to save them.
若是約瑟所開啟的黃金年代仍然持續者，
而以色列人仍然在埃及擁有特權，
他們一定在那時的情況之下，感到很舒服，一定永遠不會想要到離開。
然而，神的旨意就是要帶領他們到流奶與蜜之地，為的就是完成祂向亞伯拉罕所許的願。
因此，神允許埃及人來迫害以色列人，而當祂聽到以色列人哭號的聲音時，
伸出了祂大能的手來拯救他們。
The fact that I could decide to leave
Tungshih and give up a career in
teaching have much in common with
the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt.
Every time I think about this, I cry out,
“Hallelujah!” and breathe a sigh of
amazement at the wondrous nature
of God’s plan.
我能夠決定離開東勢，放棄教職的情況，跟以色列人出埃及的情況相當類似。
每當我想到這樣的情況，我就大哭，"哈利路亞！"
對於神計劃奇妙的特質感到非常的奇妙。
If I had enjoyed a smooth life in
Tungshih, I would never have been
willing to move to Huwei. I would
have gradually indulged in worldly
pleasures, acted according to my
desires and over time, completely
abandoned my faith. Another scenario
is if we had moved to Huwei and
God answered my prayer to heal my
daughter immediately, I might have
been grateful for a while, but would
not have remembered my initial vow
to the Lord. If that had happened, I
would not have been willing to leave
the field of education and the warmth
of my family for the seminary. I would
have lived an utterly ordinary and
unremarkable life.
若我樂於過著在東勢平順的生活，我將不會願意去搬到虎尾。
我將會漸漸地沉溺於世上的享樂，依照自已的喜好而行，經過一段長時間之後，完全放棄自已的信仰。
若一種情況是，若我已經搬到了虎尾，神回應了我的禱告立刻治好了我的女兒，
我可能內心會一陣子覺得感謝神，但是可能不會記得一開始我向神所許的願。
若是這種情況發生了，我將不會願意去離開教育界，不願捨棄家庭的溫暖，而去就讀神學院。
我將會過著一個完全平凡，沒有特色的生活。
As the psalmist says, “It is good for
me that I have been afflicted, that I
may learn Your statutes” (Ps 119:71).
Also, in Romans we read: “And we
know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to
His purpose” (Rom 8:28). These two
verses express my own experiences
perfectly. Praise God!
就像詩人說的，
71我受苦是與我有益，為要使我學習你的律例。 (詩 119：71)
而且羅馬書我們也可以讀到：
"28我們曉得萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處，就是按他旨意被召的人。"
這兩句經節可以完全表現出我的經歷。
感謝神。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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