2. Manna issue 89 - Lessons from Jesus about Discerning the Time 耶穌教導如何辨別時機
KC Tsai—Toronto, Canada 加拿大多倫多 KC Tsai
A COMPLETE FAITH 完全的信仰
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
(Deut 6:4–5)
4以色列阿，你要聽！耶和華─我們神是獨一的主。
5你要盡心、盡性、盡力愛耶和華─你的神。
(申 6：4-5)
This declaration, known as the Shema (meaning, “hear”), is the basis of the Jewish faith.
Yet, James wrote:
“You believe that there is one God.
You do well.
Even the demons believe—and tremble!”
(Jas 2:19).
James reminded the Jewish believers in his day
that their faith should be superior to that of demons,
who know that God is the One and only Lord.
It is the same for us who have received God’s grace through faith today;
believing in the one true God is the foundation of our faith,
but believing this alone is insufficient.
這項宣告，被稱為 Shema（意思是“聽到”），是猶太信仰的基礎。
然而，雅各這麼寫道：
19你信神只有一位，你信的不錯；鬼魔也信，卻是戰驚。
(雅 2：19)
雅各提醒他那個時代的猶太信徒，
他們的信仰應該超過魔鬼的信心，
因為魔鬼知道神是獨一的主。
今日我們因著信，得著了神的恩典，也是如此；
相信獨一真神，是我們信仰的基礎，
但僅僅只是相信這一點是不夠的。
To nurture a complete faith that is pleasing to God,
we must submit to His teachings and biblical truth.
We must be continually transformed through the Holy Spirit’s guidance,
leaving behind bad habits, and eventually regaining the image of God.
想培養完全蒙神喜悅的信仰，
我們就必須服從祂的教導和聖經的真理。
我們必須經由聖靈的引導，不斷改變，
摒棄壞習慣，到最後重新獲得神的形象。
A critical aspect of this transformation is being able to discern
and correctly judge the events happening around us
so that we can adjust and cleanse our thoughts, speech, and behavior accordingly.
How does discernment help us adjust our behavior and complete our faith?
這種轉變的重要關鍵，就是能夠分辨，
並且正確判斷發生在我們周圍的事情，
以便我們可以跟著調整，潔淨自已的心思意念、言行舉止。
那麼，分辨的能力會如何幫助我們調整自已的行為，並完全我們的信仰呢？
DISCERNING THE TIME FROM JESUS’ EARTHLY MINISTRY 分辨從耶穌地上事奉的時機
When Jesus was preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
當耶穌宣傳天國的福音，
He told the multitudes:
“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west,
immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’;
and so it is.
And when you see the south wind blow, you say,
‘There will be hot weather’; and there is.
Hypocrites!
You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth,
but how is it you do not discern this time?
Yes, and why, even of yourselves,
do you not judge what is right?”
(Lk 12:54–57)
54耶穌又對眾人說：你們看見西邊起了雲彩，就說：要下一陣雨；果然就有。
55起了南風，就說：將要燥熱；也就有了。
56假冒為善的人哪，你們知道分辨天地的氣色，怎麼不知道分辨這時候呢？
57你們又為何不自己審量甚麼是合理的呢？
(路 12：54-57)
In Palestine, when a cloud rises from the west,
where the Mediterranean Sea is, it naturally signals impending rain.
When the hot south wind blows in from the desert, the weather will be dry.
These are logical conclusions to draw.
Anyone who fails to read these signs and prepare for the forecast weather lacks common sense.
In Jesus’ time, the Jews heard Him speak with authority
and witnessed Him performing miracles from God
(Mt 7:29; Jn 3:2),
but they were unwilling to believe what they saw
or draw near to hear the heavenly message.
Jesus indicated that the Jews were deceiving themselves;
they were hypocrites who appeared to have faith
but lacked the heart to pursue the truth.
在巴勒斯坦地，當一朵雲從西邊升起時，
就是位於地中海所在的地方，自然就代表了即將下雨。
當炎熱的南風從沙漠吹過來的時候，天氣就會乾燥。
這些都只是來自邏輯推理的結論。
任何未能看清這些預兆，並且沒有因為天氣預報，而做好準備的人，就是缺乏常識。
在耶穌的時代，猶太人聽到祂說話帶著權柄，
並親眼目睹祂施行從神而來的奇蹟
（太 7:29；約 3:2），
但他們不願意相信自已親眼所看到的，
或是靠近一點，聆聽天國的信息。
耶穌指出，猶太人這是在自欺欺人；
他們就是偽君子，看起來很有信仰，
但卻缺乏追求真理的心思。
DISCERN TRUE WORSHIP 分辨真實的崇拜
Our understanding of the Lord should not stop at the elementary principles of the word
(Heb 5:12–6:1).
A spiritual babe can only digest milk, not solid food;
this means he esteems and pursues only worldly benefits,
and is unable to focus on spiritual things and eternal life.
Only a spiritually mature individual can take solid food and nurture his spiritual life.
In doing so, he trains his mind to be wise, to discern good from evil.
我們對主的了解，不應該停留在這個詞彙的基本原則上
（來 5:12-6:1）。
屬靈嬰兒只能喝牛奶，不能消化固體食物；
這代表了，這個人只重視追求世俗的利益，
不能專注於屬靈的事和永生。
只有靈性成熟的人才能吃固體食物，滋養他的屬靈生命。
這樣做，他訓練自己的心變得聰明，可以辨別善惡。
Jesus said:
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth”
(Jn 4:24).
When God made a covenant with His chosen people at Mount Sinai,
He handed down the Ten Commandments and the Law, His holy words, through Moses.
This was meant to benefit the people:
if they obeyed the Law, they would receive life
(Deut 4:1–2).
However, they lacked the knowledge of God,
and so were unable to understand the Law’s true essence.
They eventually twisted the Law away from God’s will,
adding many Jewish traditions to it
(Mt 9:10–13, 15:1–9, 19:3–8; Jn 2:6).
耶穌說：
24神是個靈（或無個字），所以拜他的必須用心靈和誠實拜他。」
(約 4：24)
當神在西奈山與選民立約的時候，
祂通過摩西，傳下了十誡和神的聖言律法。
這原是為了造福人民：
如果他們遵守律法，就會得到生命
（申 4：1-2）。
然而，他們缺乏對神的認識，
因而無法理解律法的真諦。
他們最終曲解了律法，偏離了神的旨意，
加入許多猶太的傳統
（太 9:10-13、15:1-9、19:3-8；約 2:6）。
Therefore, the Lord Jesus came to usher in the era of “new wine,”
teaching God’s original intent behind the Law.
They were to put off the pursuit of outer godliness and worship.
And they were to receive the new wine of Jesus’ message of grace with “new wineskins,”
that is, a new heart, to return to worshiping God in spirit and truth
(Mt 9:10–17).
所以主耶穌來，是要開啟“新酒”時代，
教導神於律法背後的初衷。
用意是要停止追求外在的敬虔和崇拜。
他們要用“新皮袋”，領受耶穌恩典信息的新酒，
也就是說，要有一顆新心，要重新以心靈和誠實敬拜神
（太 9：10-17）。
DISCERN JESUS’ TRUE IDENTITY 分辨耶穌真正的身份
On reading Jesus’ teachings of new wine and new wineskins,
some have come to the same conclusion that the Pharisees did:
Jesus came to abolish and replace the Mosaic Law.
However, Jesus said,
“Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.
I did not come to destroy but to fulfill”
(Mt 5:17).
Therefore, as we learn about the Lord,
we should study the Old Testament Law and Prophets to gain a fuller understanding of His nature.
Otherwise, we will base our knowledge on our limited understanding and experience,
shaping our perception according to our ideals.
一讀到耶穌關於新酒和新皮袋的教訓時，
會有些人得出了與法利賽人一樣的結論：
耶穌來，是為了廢除取代摩西律法。
然而，耶穌說，
17莫想我來要廢掉律法和先知。我來不是要廢掉，乃是要成全。
(太 5：17)
因此，當我們學習有關主的事情，
就應該研讀舊約裡的律法和先知，以便可以更全面地了解神的本性。
否則，我們會以自已有限的認知和經驗，
形塑自已理想中的看法。
The Jews in Jesus’ time failed to discern Jesus’ identity
even though they were familiar with the Old Testament Law and Prophets.
They were unable to understand the heavenly message He preached.
Jesus warned:
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”
(Lk 12:1b).
The Pharisees were experts in Jewish laws and traditions
and practiced strict observance of these in their outward behavior.
However, they overlooked mercy and forgiveness.
They neglected self-transformation from the heart by obeying God’s teachings.
Not only did they deceive others,
but they also deceived themselves
(Mt 15:14).
耶穌時代的猶太人，未能分辨耶穌的身份，
即使他們對於舊約的律法和先知很熟悉。
他們無法理解祂所傳播天國的信息。
耶穌警告說：
“1你們要防備法利賽人的酵，就是假冒為善。”
(路 12：1b)
法利賽人是猶太法律和傳統的專家，
並在他們外在行為中，嚴格遵守這些法條。
然而，他們忽略了要施行憐憫和寬恕。
他們忽略了以順從神的教導為起點，而能發自內心的自我轉變。
他們不僅欺騙了別人，
而且也欺騙了自己
（太 15:14）。
The Lord Jesus came to make a new covenant through His blood,
opening the door of grace in the New Testament era.
He reminded the people to identify their spiritual immaturity and ignorance
(Lk 11:37–54).
He wanted them to know Him as the prophesied Messiah,
who would die on the cross for the sins of man,
and understand how His death would impact their lives.
This was why He wanted the people to discern the time
and judge all things according to the truth He preached.
主耶穌來，是為了用寶血訂立新約，
在新約時代打開恩典之門。
他提醒人們，要認清自己屬靈的幼稚和無知
（路 11：37-54）。
他想要大家能認出祂，就是預言中的彌賽亞，
有誰會為人的罪，而被釘死在十字架上呢，
並明白祂死亡，將會如何影響他們的生活。
這就是為什麼，祂要人們分辨時機，
並根據祂所傳下的真理作判斷。
After that, the Lord Jesus said: 之後，主耶穌說：
“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men,
him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man,
it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit,
it will not be forgiven.”
(Lk 12:8–10)
8我又告訴你們，凡在人面前認我的，人子在神的使者面前也必認他；
9在人面前不認我的，人子在神的使者面前也必不認他。
10凡說話干犯人子的，還可得赦免；惟獨褻瀆聖靈的，總不得赦免。
(路 12：8-10)
It is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, an unforgivable sin,
to deny that Jesus’ work came from God and to attribute it to Satan
(Mt 12:24–32).
In fact, through His actions,
the Lord Jesus proved Himself to be the Messiah of which Moses and the Old Testament Prophets spoke.
He wanted the Jews in His time to know Him
through the miracles He performed and His authoritative teachings.
However, many of them were blinded by their foolishness and stubbornness,
unable to recognize His identity
(Jn 9:39–41).
Conversely, those who truly know the Lord Jesus willingly believe
and confess that He is the fulfillment of God’s word.
這是褻瀆聖靈，不能饒恕的罪，
否認耶穌的工作不是來自神，並歸因於撒旦
（太 12：24-32）。
事實上，通過行動，
主耶穌證明了，自己就是摩西和舊約先知所說的彌賽亞。
祂希望，經由所行的神蹟和帶著權柄的教導，
能夠使自已那個時代的猶太人能認識祂。
然而，他們許多人都被自已的愚蠢和固執，蒙蔽了雙眼，
無法認出神的身份
（約 9：39-41）。
反之，那些真正認識主耶穌的人，
就願意相信，並承認祂就是神預言的應驗。
Peter’s denial of the Lord Jesus also serves as a warning to us;
Peter was one of the Lord’s closest apostles,
but even he buckled under extreme pressure and disavowed his Master before men.
Although Peter boldly followed Jesus to the high priest's courtyard after Jesus’ arrest,
he subsequently and, most painfully, denied Jesus three times, just as the Lord had predicted.
Peter was devastated, but the Lord had already forgiven, comforted,
and encouraged him before this whole affair.
Peter truly understood the Lord’s love and forgiveness,
and that understanding helped him to persist in his faith into old age
(2 Pet 1:12–15).
After this incident, he did not deny his Lord and Master again, even unto death
(Jn 21:18–19).
彼得否認主耶穌，也是對我們的警告；
彼得是主最親近的使徒，
可是就連他也在極大壓力下而屈服，在大家面前不認自已的老師。
雖然彼得在耶穌被捕後，大膽地跟隨耶穌到了大祭司的院子裡，
隨後，最痛苦的是，三次否認耶穌，正如主所預言的那樣。
彼得傷心欲絕，但主已經饒恕他、安慰他，
並在這整件事發生之前，就鼓勵他。
彼得真正明白主的慈愛和憐憫，
有這種認知，就幫助他可以堅持自己的信仰直到晚年
（彼後 1：12-15）。
這件事之後，他就沒有再否認他的主和老師，甚至直到最後死去
（約 21：18-19）。
A key takeaway from Peter’s experience is that
we must always acknowledge the Lord Jesus and hold on to Him,
despite the external pressures and sufferings we may face.
He is our Master and Savior who redeemed us and set us free.
We may be weak at times, but we know there is nothing in the world
that can separate us from Jesus’ love
(Rom 8:37–39).
從彼得的經驗中，所能得出的一個關鍵重點是，
我們必須時常承認主耶穌，並緊緊抓住祂，
儘管我們會面對外在的壓力和痛苦。
祂是我們的主和拯救者，救贖了我們，使我們得自由。
我們有時可能會軟弱，但我們知道，世界上沒有什麼事物，
會使我們與耶穌的愛隔絕
（羅 8：37-39）。
DISCERN TRUE RICHES 分辨真正的富足
Let us return to the passage in Luke:
the Lord Jesus continued with the parable of the rich fool
(Lk 12:16–21).
This parable helps us to put material wealth into perspective.
A man may be very prosperous on earth,
but if he does not work hard to prepare for the life to come,
then he is, in fact, very poor.
When he dies, he will be unable to bring his possessions with him.
Conversely, a man who makes preparations for his soul is wealthy before God;
whether or not he has many possessions in this life,
he has saved up riches in heaven.
This drives home the Lord’s reminder to be watchful and prepared:
“…for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect”
(Lk 12:35–40).
讓我們回到路加福音的經節：
主耶穌繼續講愚蠢富人的比喻
（路 12：16-21）。
這個比喻會幫助我們正確看清物質的財富。
一個人在世上可能會很興旺，
但如果他不努力作工，為來生做準備，
那麼實際上他很窮。
當他死去的時候，將無法攜帶他的財產隨他而去。
反之，有為自己的靈魂作好準備的人，在神眼前是富有的；
不管他這一生有沒有很多財富，
因為他積攢了天上的財富。
這讓人理解主耶穌的提醒，我們要警醒並做好準備：
40...因為你們想不到的時候，人子就來了。
(路 12：35-40)
DISCERNING THE TIME BEFORE JESUS’ SECOND COMING 分辨耶穌再臨前的時機
WATCH OUT FOR CHALLENGES OF FAITH 小心信仰的挑戰
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives,
the disciples came to Him privately, saying,
“Tell us, when will these things be?
And what will be the sign of Your coming,
and of the end of the age?”
(Mt 24:3)
3耶穌在橄欖山上坐著，門徒暗暗的來說：
請告訴我們，甚麼時候有這些事？
你降臨和世界的末了有甚麼豫兆呢？
(太 24：3)
“These things” refers to the Lord’s prophecy about the temple:
“…not one stone shall be left here upon another,
that shall not be thrown down”
(Mt 24:1–2).
The disciples wanted to know when this utter destruction would occur.
Today, we know this happened in 70 C.E., around thirty-seven years
after the Lord spoke these words.
2將來在這裡沒有一塊石頭留在石頭上，不被拆毀了。
(太 24：1-2)
However, the Lord’s answer points not only to the physical temple of Jerusalem
but also to the challenges of faith His disciples and subsequent believers would face.
Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,
who was sent to abide in us.
Since we were bought at a price and belong to God,
we should glorify Him in our body and spirit
(1 Cor 6:19–20).
God allowed the physical temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed.
Today, if we do not learn the lessons from the failure of God’s chosen,
we, as individuals, will continue to fall short of God’s glory
and, likewise, be abandoned by the Holy Spirit and destroyed.
然而，主的回覆，不僅指向實體物質的耶路撒冷聖殿，
也是指著他門徒及未來的信徒，即將面臨的信仰挑戰。
我們的身體是聖靈的殿，
聖靈被差遣住在我們心裡面。
既然我們是重價買來的，屬於神，
我們就應該在身體和屬靈的事上榮耀神
（林前 6：19-20）。
神會允許實體耶路撒冷聖殿被摧毀。
今天，如果我們不從神選民的失敗中汲取教訓，
作為個人，我們將繼續虧欠神的榮耀，
同時，有可能被聖靈拋棄和毀滅。
Peter, James, John and Andrew privately asked the Lord two questions:
When would the temple be destroyed?
And what would be the signs of the end of the age,
when Jesus comes again?
(Mt 24:3; Mk 13:3–4).
彼得、雅各、約翰和安得烈私下尋問主兩個問題：
聖殿何時會被毀壞？
末世結束的跡像會是什麼？，
耶穌什麼時候會再來？
（太 24：3；可 13：3-4）。
The Lord’s answer to these questions was:
“Take heed that no one deceives you”
(Mt 24:4).
This is because both then
—the time before the temple was destroyed
—and now
—the end time before Jesus comes again
—there would be individuals who fall away because of deception.
Their bodily temples would be destroyed just as the Lord had prophesied
(Mt 24:2, 10).
耶穌針對這些問題回答說：
4你們要謹慎，免得有人迷惑你們。
(太 24：4)
這是因為那時這兩件事
—聖殿被毀之前的時間
—而現在
—末日耶穌再來之前
—就會有人因為受到欺騙而墮落。
正如主所預言的，他們的實體聖殿將被摧毀
（太 24:2, 10）。
WATCH OUT FOR SIGNS AND CALAMITIES 小心徵兆和災難
How should we be watchful, and of what should we be watchful?
The Lord Jesus mentioned two things: signs and calamities.
When one sees the signs, the calamities will be imminent.
我們應該如何保持警醒，我們應該對什麼事情保持警醒呢？
主耶穌提到了兩件事：會有徵兆和災難。
一旦我們看見徵兆，災禍就臨近了。
The first sign Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24 is the appearance of false christs,
who come in the name of the Lord to deceive many.
The second is wars and rumors of wars;
nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.
The third is famines, pestilence,
and earthquakes in various places.
Believers will experience tribulation and be hated by all nations for the sake of the Lord’s name.
These signs have been fulfilled throughout history
but are also happening in this present time.
We can also observe how they are fulfilled both physically and spiritually.
耶穌在馬太福音 24 章，所提到的第一個跡像，是假基督的出現，
他們以主的名，欺騙許多人。
第二是戰爭及戰爭的傳聞；
國家會興起反對國家，
王國會對抗王國。
第三是飢荒、瘟疫，
以及各地發生地震。
信徒會因為主的名的原故，而遭遇患難，被萬國人所憎恨。
這些跡像已經在整個歷史中，都加以應驗了，
但也同時正發生在這個時代。
我們還可以觀察，它們如何在世界上和屬靈的事上，如何得到應驗。
It is evident how the Lord’s prophecy has come to pass historically
—there have been wars between nations, civil wars, famines, and earthquakes.
The Roman army surrounded the holy city in the fourth month of 70 C.E.,
and burned the holy temple in the eighth month that year.
Christians were severely persecuted and murdered by the Romans,
and at the end of the first century,
with the passing of the apostles,
the early rain of the Holy Spirit ceased descending on the church.
很明顯地，神的預言是如何在歷史上一一應驗的
—國家之間發生過戰爭、內戰、飢荒和地震。
公元70年第四個月，羅馬軍隊包圍了聖城，
並於同年八月焚毀了聖殿。
基督徒被羅馬人嚴重迫害和殺害，
而第一世紀末，
隨著使徒的離逝，
聖靈的初雨，亦停止降在教堂。
On a spiritual level, we can see how the signs will manifest today.
There will be false christs who exalt themselves and love to be followed and idolized by others
(2 Thess 2:1–4; 2 Tim 3:5–6).
There will be co-workers who criticize and judge one another maliciously,
as though they were nations going against nations.
There will be preachers who speak according to their own will and not the word of God
(1 Thess 2:13).
This preaching is akin to famines and earthquakes,
being unable to satisfy man's hunger and thirst.
On top of this, the addictive nature of multimedia entertainment, boundless information,
and social media on the internet can easily distract us from pursuing God’s word.
These worldly distractions are also great earthquakes that have caused a famine of the truth.
These phenomena may not be widespread,
but their existence signifies the last days,
the coming of the Lord,
and the beginning of sorrows
(Mt 24:8).
從屬靈的層面來看，我們可以看到今天的徵兆將如何展現出來。
將會有假基督高舉自己，喜歡被別人追隨和崇拜
（帖後 2:1-4; 提後 3:5-6）。
同工之間，會惡意的互相批評及論斷，
就好像會有國家與國家之間的對抗。
將會有傳道人，按照自己的私意說話，而不是按著神的道理傳道
（帖前 2:13）。
這種類型的講道，就好像是飢荒和地震，
不能滿足人的飢渴。
最重要的是，多媒體娛樂的令人上癮的性質，無限的資訊，
網路上社交媒體，很容易分散我們對神道理的追求。
這些世俗的干擾，也是造成真理飢荒的大地震。
這些現象可能還沒有很普遍，
但它們存在的現像，象徵著末世已到，
主將降臨，
以及悲傷的開始
（太 24:8）。
What are these sorrows?
They refer to people falling away,
betraying and hating one another,
and rising as false prophets to deceive many
(Mt 24:9–12).
Therefore, every believer must be vigilant when receiving teachings from others;
we must study the Bible and discern whether what we hear is biblically sound.
We must strive to obey the truth and build the foundation of faith upon the Rock
(Mt 7:24–27).
這些悲傷是什麼呢？
他們指的是人會跌倒，
彼此背叛憎恨，
並以假先知的身份起來欺騙許多人
（太 24：9-12）。
因此，每個信徒接受別人教導的時候，都必須保持警醒；
我們必須研讀聖經，辨別我們所聽到的，是否合乎聖經。
我們必須努力順服真理，在磐石上建立信心的根基
（太 7：24-27）。
GOD’S SERVANTS MUST BE WATCHFUL 神的僕人必須要謹慎
Finally, the Lord’s advice to remain watchful
and discern the time is most important for those who serve Him.
A servant of God must self-reflect,
lest he become a false prophet who deceives others.
Not only will he cause others to fall, but he will fall too.
To avoid this, he must unceasingly train himself in humility
and serve God with his whole heart.
He must not serve his own ideals and ambitions.
最後，主的建議要保持警醒，
並且要能辨別時機，對那些事奉祂的人來說，是最重要的。
神的僕人必須自我反省，
免得他成為欺騙別人的假先知。
不僅他會讓別人跌倒，自己也會跌倒。
為了避免這種情況，他必須不斷地訓練自己謙虛，
全心全意事奉神。
他絕不能只為自己的理想和抱負努力付出。
May we learn from these teachings of Jesus to truly understand His nature and His heavenly message;
to hold firm in our faith to Him, our Lord and Savior;
and to discern the time, being vigilant and prepared
as the day of His second coming draws near.
願我們從耶穌的這些教導中學習，真正了解他的本性和天國的信息；
堅定我們對祂，我們主和拯救者的信仰；
並辨別時機，保持警醒和作好準備，
因為祂再臨的日子臨近了。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
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