Manna issue 72 - Saul the Pharisee, Paul the Apostle An Introduction to the Epistle to the Romans
法利賽人保羅，使徒保羅，羅馬書信的簡介
Understanding the background. 了解背景
Esther Wee—Sydney, Australia
澳洲雪梨 黃麗明女執事
Verses and passages in the Epistle to
the Romans are frequently cited as
bases for doctrinal and theological
positions. While necessary, such
selective extraction does not do
full justice to Paul’s greatest and
most sublime work. In this epistle,
a breathtaking diversity of topics fit
together neatly and perfectly within
Paul’s main thrust, much like how
a diverse and changing landscape
form the perfect backdrop through
which the one mighty river flows.
This article provides an introduction
to the historical background of both
the apostle and the city.
給羅馬教會書信的經節和經文，常常被當作教條和神學立場的根基，而很常被引用。
雖然有這種必要，但是這些被挑選出來的精華，並不足以描述保羅他偉大的地方，也不足以傳達保羅他所作最祟高的工作。
在這書信中，有許多令人驚奇，以及各式各樣的主題，非常完整，也非常完美的被融合在一起，並且成為保羅完美的論述和突破點，
就像是，各種景觀各式各樣，卻又變化多端，可是最後組成一幅完全的背景，其中是一條波濤兇湧的壯麗大河流。
這些書信，讓我們對於使徒時代和當時城市的歷史背景，稍為能夠有一些了解。
THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF ROMANS 羅馬書的中心訊息
The Book of Romans comprises
sixteen chapters covering topics both
theological and pastoral. Despite
explanatory excursus, the razorsharp
and disciplined mind of Paul, a
former Pharisee trained in the Torah,
maintains a firm grasp of the central
message, even as he steers the reader
along with the requisite flow of logic
and argument. And it is a marvelous
message indeed! The true God, the
God of Israel, had been faithful to His
covenantal promises to Israel through
and in the work and person of Jesus
the Messiah; through His birth, life,
death, and resurrection. Both the
church in Rome and indeed the
whole world would need to hear of
the good news.
羅馬書由十六章組成，所含蓋的主題，涉及神學和教會牧養。
雖然有補充說明的附錄文章，但是保羅像剃刀鋒利和訓練有素的思考，及身為前法利賽人在律法書上的訓練，
對於聖經裡的中心訊息，展現出他非常深入的了解和掌握，甚至他可以透過邏輯和辯論這些有其必要性的流程，來引領讀者有更深入的了解。
是的，這真的是非常奇妙的訊息！
真神，以色列的神，一直以來都對於他以前對以色列人古老的應許，都很信實，
透過彌賽亞耶穌身為人的工作，也在耶穌身上工作；經由他的出生，生平，死亡和復活。
不只是羅馬的教會，還有全世界，都需要去傾聽福音。
This covenantal faithfulness of God
is still being unveiled to man, even
till this day, because of Jesus’ willing
faithfulness and obedience. When
the good news is met by a response
of faith, the power and grace of
God works unto the salvation of
man, to the Jew first and then to
the Greek (Rom 1:1–6, 16–17).
The latter representing the Gentiles
in the flesh, “being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers
from the covenants of promise,”
who are now made members of the
reconstituted household of God (Eph
2:11–22). How great the mercy and
wisdom of God! How significant a
debt owed to the Jewish nation!
神對祂自已所立的約，保持信實，仍然對人類是揭露的，
即使是今日，因為耶穌樂意來保持祂的信實和順服。
當福音遇到信心的回答時，神的恩典和能力就會在人類的救贖上，發生功效，首先在猶太人，然後給希利尼人。
(羅 1：1-6，16-17)
後者代表了在肉體上的外邦人，"在以色列國民以外，在所應許的諸約上是局外人"，如今在重建的神家中，被視為成員。(弗 2：11-22)
神的慈愛和智慧是多麼的偉大啊！
因為猶太人的關係，我們也能得救，我們欠猶太國家信仰救恩的債，是多麼的巨大啊！
THE OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE 書信是在什麼情況下寫成的
Paul probably wrote this epistle
around AD 56–57 from Corinth,
at the close of his third missionary
journey during a three-month
sojourn in Greece (Acts 20:2–3), and
just before his return to Jerusalem,
bringing with him relief and aid
from the churches in Achaia and
Macedonia (Rom 15:25–26). At that
moment of writing, Paul’s host was
Gaius (Rom 16:23), whom Paul had
baptized in Corinth (1 Cor 1:14).
保羅或許在大約主後56-57年的時候，從哥林多教會寫了這些書信，
在他第三次福音之旅快結束的時候，那時他正好在希臘停留三個月(徒 20：2-3)，
也正好是他正要回耶路撒冷的時候，從亞細亞和馬奇頓的教會，送來了一些救濟和捐助。(羅 15：25-26)
在那一段寫作的時候，接待保羅的是該猶(羅 16：23)，他正是保羅在哥林多為他洗禮的信徒(林前 1：14)。
Paul had long intended to visit
Rome and, prospectively, Spain (Rom
1:8–13; Acts 19:21; Rom 15:23–26,
28) but had been hindered (Rom
15:22). So when he learned that
Phoebe, a “servant of the church”
in Cenchrea1 (Rom 16:1–2), was
going to Rome on her own business
and could thus personally deliver his
epistle to the Roman church, Paul
seized the opportunity to express his
desire to visit the Roman brethren
and to inform them of his plans.
保羅很久就很想要訪問羅馬，並且也盼望訪問西班牙(羅 1： 8-13；徒 19：21；羅 15：23-26，28)，
並且一直以來都被阻礙而不能成行(羅 15：22)。
所以當他知道，有一位堅革哩"教會的僕人"非比，因為她生意的關係，將要去羅馬，
因此也能夠親自的把他的書信帶到羅馬教會去，保羅抓住這個機會，
表達他的希望，想要去訪問羅馬教會的弟兄姐妹，並且告訴他們，他的計畫。
Besides holding this divine office
of the church, Phoebe was also
described as “a patron” προστ?τι?
[prostatis]2 of Paul and others like
him (Rom 16:2). In ancient Roman
society, a Patronus, or benefactor, was
a person from a certain social class
who used his/her private wealth for
public good; necessarily then, a man
or woman of substance and honor.
Phoebe was thus an ancient—though
no less shining—example of one who
used her wealth to do good deeds
and to serve Christ (1 Tim 6:18); as
was Gaius who played the generous
host not only to Paul but also to the
whole church. These two are one
of many exemplars to the modern
Christian of how the unheralded acts
of charity and hospitality are crucial
support to workers in the field. In
short, while not everyone can be a
Paul, anyone could be a Phoebe or
a Gaius.
除了支持教會的聖工之外，非比也被描寫成是"贊助人"，希臘文是 προστ?τι?[prostatis]
她也是保羅和其他工人，在福音事工上的贊助人。(羅 16：2)
在古代羅馬社會中，一個守護者，或是捐助者，就是來自於某個社會階層的一個人，
他們會使用個人的財富來幫助公益的活動；
自然而然的，就會就是是男性或女性的資本家，以及有名望的人。
因此，非比就是一位古代的模範，雖然也不會不出名，她用她的財富來行善，並且服事基督(提前 6：18)；
也像該猶一樣，他扮演好樂善好施的主人，不只對保羅很好，而且也對整個教會都很好。
這二個人，不過是許多例子中的其中二個而已，對現代的基督徒而言，
那些默默無聞的善心和善行，對於那些實際在工作的聖工人員而言，是一種多麼重要的幫助。
總之，雖說不是每一個人都能像保羅一樣，但是大家都有機會成為女富翁非比或是善於接待的該猶。
HISTORICAL BACKDROP 歷史背景
How was the church established in
Rome? Second century accounts
tell of Peter coming to Rome to
announce the Messiah to the
sizeable Jewish community of Rome
after his miraculous escape from
prison (Acts 12). In AD 49, Emperor
Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome
“since the Jews constantly made
disturbances at the instigation of
Chrestus” (Suetonius).3 And that was
how Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, a
Jewish couple from Rome who had
gone to Corinth after their expulsion
from Rome (Acts 18:2).
羅馬教會是如何成立的呢？
西元二世紀的記載了，彼得來到羅馬，在他奇蹟式的逃出監獄之後，向羅馬大型猶太社區宣講彌賽亞的見証。(徒 12)
在主後49年，羅馬皇帝 [革老丟](尼祿·[克勞狄烏斯]·凱薩·奧古斯都·日耳曼尼庫斯 / Nero [Claudius] Caesar Augustus Germanicus)
革老丟=克勞狄烏斯=Claudius=尼祿
把全部的猶太人從羅馬驅逐出去，"因為猶太人 Chrestus 一直不斷地煽動，想要引起叛亂"(羅馬歷史家 蘇東尼烏斯)。
接著，這就是為什麼保羅會遇上亞居拉和百基拉了，一對從羅馬來的猶太夫婦，在他們被從羅馬驅逐之後，就很哥林多去。
After the Claudian edict, the Roman
church would have been left with
non-Jewish Christians, god-fearers
and former proselytes to Judaism
who likely distanced themselves from
all things Jewish in the context of the
expulsion of Jews. However, when
Nero reversed the decree in AD 54,
the Jewish Christians who kept the
Torah returned, likely, leading to
internal tensions. This could have
been a contributing factor, but not
the sole reason, Paul undertook to
write a tome such as the book of
Romans.
在尼祿頒佈驅逐猶太人的詔書之後，羅馬教會一定只剩下非猶太人的基督徒了，
他們是敬畏神的人，或是以前就改變信仰已經信猶太教的人，
他們很可能會在驅逐猶太人的環境中，也迴避自已不去觸碰到有關猶太人的一切事物。
然而，當尼祿在主後54年又改變詔令時，那些持守律法書的猶太基督徒回歸了，
也就很有可能，導致了一些內部的緊張局面。
導致這個情況，也有可能是相關因素所引起的，但是並非是主要的原因，
所以保羅就著手寫作了一大冊的書信，例如羅馬書就是一個例子。
Paul may also have intended
to use Rome as a base for his
evangelistic operations in the
western Mediterranean (Rom 15:18–
19, 23). However, conscious of the
Jew-Gentile tensions in the Roman
church, he strove to avert a repeat
of the “Antioch incident” (Gal 2). He
wanted to avoid any hint of Jewish
superiority but needed to dispel
any notion that the boat of gentile
Christianity could be free of Jewish
moorings (Marcionism4 of the second
century). To this end, Paul expounded
on how the God of Israel was faithful
to His covenant with Abraham and in
so doing, showed His righteousness
and fulfilled His promises to and, as
well, through Israel. His central theme
was a very Jewish explanation to the
gentile world of a Jewish Messiah
who was also the Savior of the gentile
world. Paul takes pain to write of the
Jewish roots of Christianity—the root
supported the branches, not vice
versa.
保羅或許也有可能想要使用羅馬書，當作是一種基本教材，讓他以後在地中海西邊的國家傳福音的工作時，也能使用。
(羅 15：18-19，23)
然而，因為他有意識到在羅馬教會裡，猶太人和非猶太人有一些緊張的關係，
所以他努力去防止"安提阿事件(猶太人要外邦人也受割禮)"的再度發生 (加 2)。
他想要防止任何猶太人比較優越的暗示，但也需要去消除外邦基督教的這艘得救船，是不需要猶太停泊港口的設備。
(第二世紀的馬吉安主義)
為了達到這個目的，保羅闡述了，以色列的神對祂與亞伯拉罕所立下的約，是如何的忠實，
因為這麼作，表明了祂的信實和公義，也透過以色列，來完成祂的應許。
他的主題中心論述，就是一個非常典型的猶太人解說方式，來向外邦人的世界說明猶太人彌賽亞的事，
而猶太人的彌賽亞也同時是外邦人世界的救世主。
保羅忍痛寫下，在基督教其中，有猶太人的根源-
樹根會幫助樹枝生長，但反過來就不是這樣了。
Therefore, to better understand
this Pauline epistle and all of the New
Testament writings, we must first
understand something of Judaism
in Paul’s time—known as the period
of “Second Temple Judaism”—for
this is the historical grid of all New
Testament writings.
所以，為了要更了解這些保羅的書信，並其他所有的新約作品，
我們一定要先了解在保羅時代猶太教的一些事情 - 通常來說，這個時期是被稱為"猶太教第二聖殿"的時期 -
因為這就是所有新約聖經作品的歷史脈絡。
SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM 猶太教第二聖殿時期
All Second Temple Jews shared some
fundamental beliefs and hopes.
First, the basic principle of Judaism—a
striking contrast to the pervasive
paganisms of the day—was their
belief in the God of Israel, the one
true God; the first monotheistic faith,
a faith of high morals and ethics in
keeping with an all holy God.
猶太教第二聖殿時期，流傳著相同的基本信仰和盼望。
首先，猶太教的基本原則 - 與其他當時普遍流行的異教信仰相比，是一個非常的鮮明的對比-
就是他們相信以色列的神，是獨一的真神；
是第一個獨一神的信仰，信仰本身有高標準的道德和倫理，才能配得上那一位全部聖潔的神。
Second, Israel was the elect people
with whom this one true God had
entered into a solemn covenant.
Israel was given the Law (Torah),
which marked them out as the
elect people. The Jews recognized
that grace preceded covenant and
Torah-keeping was the expected
and faithful human response to
the covenant. There is no evidence
that Second Temple Judaism was a
self-righteous legalistic scheme of
salvation earned through the works
of the law. To impose this grid upon
the Pauline epistles is to detract from
a more accurate understanding of
Paul. The apostle to the Gentiles was
nonetheless Jewish.
第二，以色列是選民，也是唯一的真神，有認真和他們訂下嚴正的盟約。
以色列人被賜予律法 (Torah)，也把他們在世上標示出來，成為被揀選的族類。
猶太人的認知是，恩典在立約之前，而遵守律法就是人們對所立的聖約，最為合理和符合信心的回應。
並沒有明顯的証據，猶太教第二聖殿時期是一個自義的律法救贖信仰思想，並且只有透過遵行律法才能得救。
如果要把這種思想脈絡，加緒在保羅的書信之中，毫無疑問就是偏離了對保羅更加正確的認知。
儘管如此，不管怎麼說，使徒對外邦人而言，還是猶太人。
Third, the ancient Jewish prophets
spoke of God’s promises for the
one future for Israel and the entire
world, where God would act to
redeem Israel, execute universal
judgment, defeat Israel’s enemies,
deliver the remnant faithful Israel
from oppression, and, to right all
wrongs, condemn the sinner and
justify (vindicate) the righteous. The
land of promise and the whole world
would be renewed and restored,
and the temple would be cleansed.
This would be the new creation
(Isa 32:14–20, 35:1–10, 41:17–20;
Ezek 40–48). The kingdom of God
would finally come on earth as it is
in heaven. For those who believed in
the resurrection, God would bodily
raise the dead to live in the renewed
Israel and renewed world—the age
to come (Ha Olam Haba). Thus,
history was discussed and spoken
of in terms of two ages—“this age
(Ha Olam Hazeh)” and “the age to
come (Ha Olam Haba),” terms that
Jesus and Paul clearly used within the
Jewish sense (Mt 12:32, 13:40; Lk
20:34–35; Gal 1:4).5
第三，古代猶太先知說到神的應許時，有談到一個以色列人和全世界人類未來的情況，
就是神會有行動來拯救以色列人，實行全世界的審判，並且打敗以色列人的敵人，
拯救剩餘有信心的以色列人脫離欺壓，並且更正所有的錯誤，為那些罪人定罪判刑，為義人稱義(辯護)。
應許之地和全世界都要再更新，重新恢復，並且聖潔也會再度被潔淨。
這將會是一個新的創造。(賽 32：14-20，35：1-10，41：17-20；結 40-48)
神的國度最後會來到人間，就如同在天上一樣。
對那些相信會復活的人，神會把他們從肉體的死已中復活，並且活在新的以色列和新的世界 - 將來的新世界 (Ha Olam Haba)。
因些，當談到歷史的時候，這會用兩個世界來描述- "現今的世界(Ha Olam Hazeh)" 和 "將來的世界(Ha Olam Haba)，
而這些名詞，是耶穌和保羅在猶太觀念中，清清楚楚被使用的情形(太 12：32，13：40；路 20：34-35；加 1：4)。
The agreement on fundamental
beliefs ended here. The bitter reality
of Roman rule was everywhere seen
and felt, making it painfully evident
that the covenantal promises were
not yet fulfilled. Judaism itself was far
from a state of homogeneity! How
to hasten the kingdom of God and
the age to come and overthrow the
Romans, the erstwhile archetype of
God’s enemies? How to know who
would be and not be justified and
vindicated in the future? Why the
delay in the coming of the kingdom
of God? Opinions and interpretations
of the law and the prophets were
sufficiently diverse amongst the sects
and groups as to make attainment
of their hope—“the age to come”—
appear impossible.
大家對基本信條有一致的看法，到這個時期就結束了。
每個地方都在羅馬帝國統治之下，到處都可以看見，並感覺得到的痛苦現實，
而這些痛苦的証據都顯明了，神約定的應許都還沒有實現。
猶太教自已本身，更是離創立一個同種族國家的希望很遙遠。
如何加速神國的來臨，讓新時代能早日來到，並且能夠推翻羅馬政府，讓這個以前看起來很明顯是神敵人的最原始的典型，能夠消失呢？
怎麼才能知道，在將來誰可以被稱義，而誰不能稱義呢？
為什麼神的國度延遲了它的降臨呢？
各種對律法和先知畫不同的意見和解釋，豐豐富富的充滿在各各學派和小團體之中，成為他們盼望最終的情況 -
在羅馬帝國統治之下，美好的"來世" - 看起來是不太可能發生了。
First, there was the Qumran
community of the Dead Sea Scroll
fame who practiced a radical
separation from the rest of society.
They believed that their version of
Torah interpretation and keeping
would mark them out as “true Israel”
and ensure future vindication.
首先，有昆蘭社區的死海古卷，他們以實行種族隔離聞名，不和其他社會團體往來。
他們相信，他們自已版本的律法書解釋和實行的方式，能夠凸顯出來他們才是"真以色列人"，
並且確保將來能夠稱義得救。
Second, the Pharisees, whom the
Qumran community identified as
a dangerous rival group “who seek
to smooth things (flatter),6” have
been variously identified elsewhere
with the “faithful ones” (Hasidim),7
the traditionalists who opposed
Greek influence on the Hasmonean
dynasty, the “wise” (hakamin)8
successors of Ezra the scribe who
interpreted and expounded on the
Torah, and those who adhered to
strict rules of purity and kosher laws
(haberim).9 In the reign of Herod the
Great, the Pharisees bifurcated into
two branches, the Shammaites (“the
strictest rigorists”) and the Hillelites
(“the more lenient”).10
第二，法利賽人，昆蘭社區的人認為他們是一群危險的敵對團體，"想要大事化小化，把事實弄得更容易(被認為是諂媚)，
在各方面都被認為，無論在那裡都看起來是"很有信仰的人"(超級虔誠的猶太教徒)，
在馬加比王朝對羅馬帝國叛亂時，被視為是傳流主義派的信仰者，他們反對希臘化的影響，
就像是文士以斯拉一樣，有 "智慧"(智慧人的稱呼)，可以翻譯和解釋律法書，
他們會堅持嚴格遵守潔淨的規條和猶太人食物的規範(遵守規條的同志)。
在大希律統治的時期，法利賽人分成二個支派，
Shammaites 教派("最嚴謹的嚴格主義者")，
Hillelites 教派("比較寬宏大量")。
Third, there were the Sadducees
who were of priestly descent and the
aristocratic circle. They constituted a
politically powerful group. Famously,
they disagreed with the Pharisees
over the question of the resurrection
and were more concerned with
preserving present political power
and privilege. Such people then,
as now, are less concerned with
revolution or resurrection.
第三，撒督該人，他們是祭司的後裔或是貴族圈的人。
他們組成一個有影響力的政治團體。
最有名的是，在復活的議題上，他們不同意法利賽人的看法，並且比較關切目前現世的政治影響力和特權。
當時，這一類的人，就如同現在這類人一樣，跟本是不太關心革命和復活的。
The rest of the population was
groaning under the double yoke of
Roman tax and military ruthlessness.
Brigandage was rife, and rebellion
ever simmering under the surface
of Pax Romana. Hatred of Rome
and heightened expectations of
God’s kingdom was a dangerously
combustible mixture. Many messiahs
declared their hand. The common
people were glad to be just left alone
to eke out a meager living and to
keep the Torah the best they could.
其他的大眾，因為身負兩倍的重擔，只能不斷呻吟，一是羅馬政府的重稅，二是軍事統治的無情。
強盜土罪到處都是，在羅馬表面和平之下，無時無刻都孕育著隨時會爆發的叛亂活動。
對於羅馬政府的仇恨，加上信徒提高了對神國再臨的期望，就變成一種極度危險，容易爆炸的組合。
許多號稱彌賽亞的人，就出來向政府攤牌。
一般人則是很高興被遺忘忽略，他們努力維持自已貧乏的生活，並且盡他們可能的範圍來遵守律法。
Into this splintered, highly inflamed
and inflammable world of Second
Temple Judaism, our Lord was born
and Paul wrote. We are not to
imagine that that age was an age
of uniform spiritual clarity. But as
God shone His light into the world
of darkness at that time, God shines
His light into the world through His
church today.
第二聖殿的猶太教時期的世界，社會是極度分裂，到處被挑起仇恨，也是隨是會引燃社會動亂的世界，
主就是在那時出生，也是保羅寫作時的社會情況。
我們是不會認為在那個時代，會有一個一致屬靈上的認知和分辨。
但是就像當時神把祂的光，照在黑暗的世界中，
如今，祂的光，透過祂的教會，也要照耀在世界上。
SAUL THE PHARISEE—ZEALOUS FOR GOD AND THE TORAH
法利賽人保羅，為神和律法的事大發熱心
To which of these Jewish sects did Paul
belong? The apostle’s self-description
of his religious and intellectual
heritage was: “Concerning the law
[Torah], a Pharisee” (Phil 3:5). Saul
had been trained in and understood
the Torah as a Pharisee, the
precursor of rabbinical Judaism. His
mind was soaked in Torah, his life
permeated with it, and he possessed
an overwhelming memory of it.
His mode of logic and thought was
Pharisaic and rabbinical.
保羅是屬於這些猶太教的那個學派呢？
跟據使徒自述自已宗教和遺留下來的創作作品，可以知道是：
"就律法說，我是法利賽人"。(腓 3：5)
保羅曾經被當法利賽人，接受過訓練，能明白律法書，他們同時也是猶太教教法師系列的先驅者。
他的腦中充滿了律法書的知識，他生活的一舉一動都可以看到律法的影子，他大腦也有大量律法相關的記憶。
他的邏輯和思考的模式，就是法利賽人和猶太教法師的方式。
He used to sit at the feet of
Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), the rabbi of the
school of Hillel. This school opposed
force of arms and revolution and
would accept foreign rule provided
they were left alone to study Torah.
By the time Stephen was stoned,
Saul was clearly under the sway of
the school of Shammai, the other
Pharisaic school whose interpretation
of Torah was stringent and strict. For
them, there could be no other king
over the land given to Israel except
the God of Israel Himself.
他過去是在迦瑪列門下(徒 22：3)，是希勒爾教派(寬容)的教法師。
這個教會反對武力和革命，可以接受外國統治，但卻要不干涉他們學習律法。
在司提反被石頭打死的時候，保羅很明顯地受到煞買教派的影響，是另一門法利賽人教派，他們對律法的解釋是非常嚴格和精細的。
對他們而言，除了以色列的神祂自已之外，或許並沒有其他的君王配得管理所給予以色列的土地。
“Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church” (Phil 3:6): This was no
ordinary zeal, which twenty first
century believers associate with
servitude, prayer, or involvement in
divine work. This “zeal” was that of
Phinehas who had impaled a spear
through the morally offensive couple
(Num 25:11; Ps 106:30); of Elijah
who defeated and destroyed all the
false prophets (1 Kgs 19:14) and
latterly, of Judah Maccabeus who
waged armed resistance against the
Greek Seleucids (I and II Maccabees).
This was a revolutionary zeal that
would take up arms, if necessary,
to eliminate foreign domination and
even renegade treacherous Jews
(read Christians) in order to hasten
the “age to come.” It was a potent
mixture of religion and politics. As in
those days, so it is now in the holy
land. Faithful Jews were defined as
those who kept the Torah (according
to the respective sect’s interpretation);
and only those who displayed such
fidelity to the covenantal God would
be justified on the day of the last
judgment. Paul thought he was of
“true Israel,” and he was bent on
eliminating all of God’s enemies and
to hasten the age to come.
"就熱心說，我是逼迫教會的"(腓 3：6)：這不是普通的熱心，
對21世紀的信徒而言，這就是在聖工上的事奉，祈禱，或是投身為志工。
這種"熱心"，就好像是非尼哈對神的熱心，他用槍刺穿一對正在行淫得罪神的人(民 25：11；詩 106：30)；
也像以利亞，他打敗並擊殺所有的假先知(王上 19：14)，
最後，有猶大馬加比王朝，鼓動反對勢力，來反抗塞琉古帝國(馬加比一世和二世)。
這是熱心到也要引起大革命，他們會拿起武器，假如有必要的話，他們也會消滅國外勢力和破壞外國統治，
甚至擊殺那些背叛變節的猶太人(指的是基督徒)，他們也在所不惜，為的就是要加速那個"新世紀"的來臨。
那是一種在宗教和政治上，強而有力的結合。
就像在那時一樣，現今在聖地耶路撒冷的情況也是一樣。
虔誠的猶太人，被訂義為那些會遵守律法的人(跟據各各教派的解釋)；
只有對舊約真神展現忠誠的人，才會在最後審判的日子被稱義。
保羅認為他是"真以色列人"，他非常喜愛去消滅所以神的敵人，並且加速新世紀的來臨。
CONCLUSION 結論
To perceive the worldview of Saul
the persecutor of the church is
to perceive through the prism of
historical, religious, and cultural
backdrop of Second Temple Judaism.
This worldview, that of his former
self and of his unbelieving fellow
Jews, is what Paul describes as “a
zeal for God, but not according to
knowledge” (Rom 10:2). Proceeding
to read the Epistle to the Romans
against the grid of Second Temple
Judaism and to see how Paul the
apostle reinterprets and views afresh
the same covenantal promises of
the ancient Jewish Scriptures is both
exciting and revealing. In addition,
it turns out to form a snug fit with
the Articles of Faith of the True Jesus
Church, reassuring us of “a zeal
according to knowledge!”
要理解保羅的世界觀，就要透過第二聖殿時候猶太教在歷史，宗教，文化上的背景的棱?，去了解逼迫教會的人。
這種世界觀，是保羅信主之前的想法，一些跟他一樣未信主的猶太人，也都有同樣的觀念，
也就是保羅所說，他們"向神有熱心，但不是按著真知識"(羅 10：2)。
一邊讀著保羅給羅馬的書信，一邊比較著第二聖殿猶太時期的歷史脈絡，
就可以看到，使徒保羅對許多古代猶太經文裡面，許多相同神立約的應許，他是如何重新再作解釋，並且重新註釋為新的觀點。
讓我們看的人，不但覺得很興奮，也很受啟發。
除此之外，結果產生的新觀點，就變得超級適合信仰的經文和真耶穌教會，
再次向我們保証"熱心是要按著真知識！"
1 The eastern port city of Corinth.
哥林多城東邊的港口
2 Feminine form for the masculine προστατη?
[prostates]; Latin: Patronus.
拉丁文守護者的陰性字型
3 Suetonius; The 12 Caesars; Claudius 25:1–5.
羅馬歷史家 蘇東尼烏斯 著 12位凱撒；尼祿 25:1-5
4 Marcion of Sinope (2nd century AD), held to a
dualistic notion of God. The God of the Old
Testament was a wrathful and evil god. He rejected
the entire Hebrew canon and those of the New
Testament writings, which he thought favored the
Jews. Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain
Language, (1982), 62–64.
西哪坡 馬吉安 (主後二世紀)，相信神觀是善惡二元論。
舊約的神是暴怒和邪惡的神。
他拒絕整本希伯來文正典，也拒絕那些他認為在新約裡偏坦猶太人的經文。
Bruce L. Shelley, 教會歷史白話文 (1982), 62–64.
5 Torah, Ne’ vim, Ketuvim and B’rit HaChad’Shah (NT),
(The Bible Society in Israel, 1991).
妥拉(律法書)，耐維姆(先知書)，凱圖維姆(作品集)和新約
(1991年以色列聖經公會)
6 JC VanderKam, The Dead Sea Scrolls Today, (Second
Edition, 2010), 149–151.
JC VanderKam，今日死海古卷，(第二版 2010)
7 Du Toit et al, Guide to the New Testament, Vol II, The
New Testament Milieu; 12.4.1;
Du Toit et al，新約聖經介紹，第二冊，新約時期的時代背景
Logos Bible Software 4. Logos 聖經軟體
These Hasidim were the early pious Jews and are not
to be confused with the Hasidic movement of the 18th
century in eastern Europe.
這些 Hasidim 是早期的虔誠猶太人，不要和18世紀時，在東歐的 Hasidic 運動搞混
8 The Hakamin were the professional wise men (scribes).
Many of the Pharisees were scribes and vice versa.
Hakamin 是專業的智慧人(文士)。
許多法利賽人都是文士和智慧人，反過來說也是一樣。
9 The Haberim were practitioners of ritual purity who
sought to transfer the holiness of the temple to the
home. Therefore one must eat secular food as if one
were a temple priest;
R. Viladesau & MS. Massa, World Religions: A
Sourcebook for Students of Christian Theology,
(1994), 192–193.
同志是儀式上潔淨的執行者，他們想要把聖殿的聖潔，轉移到各人的家中，所以把聖殿潔淨的儀式拿來家中執行。
所以，若有人要吃世上的食物，就必需要照聖殿祭司的儀式來作，才可以吃。
R. Viladesau & MS. Massa 合著的世界宗教：
是一本基督教神學學生，原始資料來源的參考書 (1994), 192–193.
10 Tyndale Bible Dictionary, 1184; Logos Bible
Software 4.
Shammai had the reputation for being strict, literal,
and rigid in his interpretation and application of
the Torah, while Hillel was more liberal and humane
in applying the Torah. Shammai was renowned for his
hatred of Roman domination
Tyndale 聖經字典, 1184; Logos 聖經軟體 4.
法利賽煞買教派的名聲是，很嚴格，逐字的，死板的造字面解釋，並且以律法書的原則來應用在日常生活中，
法利賽希勒輩教派的名聲是，比較自由的，在日常生活的應用也比較人道，合理一點。
法利賽煞買教派，同時也因為對羅馬政府產生很大的仇恨而著名。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入英翻中的事工
留言列表
