Manna issue 79 - God Commanded Religious Education 神吩咐宗教教育
Why does RE matter? 為什麼宗教教育重要呢？
Based on a sermon by Aun-Quek Chin—Singapore
節錄自新加坡 陳恩國 傳道講道
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: FOR WHOM? 宗教教育：為誰呢？
Traditional Chinese wisdom tells us
that when there are three persons
walking together, one is bound to
be a teacher (s?n ren xing, bi y?u w?
sh? y?n). The sage who issued this
adage understood that our teachers
are all around us: we need only be
humble enough to constantly learn in
order to grow. If humility and mutual
edification are required to gain
secular wisdom, they are even more
important when learning the living
word of God.
傳統中國的智慧告訴我們，三人行必有我師。
說這句格言的古代賢人知道，四周的人都可以成為我們的老師：
我們只需要謙卑，為了有所成長就要持續學習。
若是要取得世俗的智慧需要有謙卑的人及互相幫助的心，
那麼要學會神有生活的話語，這兩個特質就更加重要了。
For this reason, we must remind
ourselves that religious education
is not just for the young, but for
Christians of all ages. On one
occasion, God said, “Gather the
people together, men and women
and little ones, and the stranger who
is within your gates, that they may
hear and that they may learn to fear
the LORD your God and carefully
observe all the words of this law”
(Deut 31:12). No one is too old, too
experienced, or too wise to be taught
the word of God; God intends for
everyone to learn His truth.
因為這個原因，我們一定要提醒自已，宗教教育並不是只為了年輕人而已，而是為了所有年紀的基督徒。
有一次神說，
12要招聚他們男、女、孩子，並城裡寄居的，使他們聽，使他們學習，好敬畏耶和華─你們的神，謹守、遵行這律法的一切話，(申 31：12)
沒有人是太過老邁，太過於有經驗，或是太多智慧，而不需要去學習神的話；
神的本意是要每個人都來學習祂的真理。
WHO SHOULD PROVIDE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION? 誰來教宗教教育？
God calls us to worship Him and to
learn His word as one family and one
body. This is a call some have rejected,
choosing instead to worship separate
from the rest of God’s children,
tailoring their services to suit their
own preference and convenience.
The command in Deuteronomy 12:5
is not to be forgotten: “But you shall
seek the place where the LORD your
God chooses, out of all your tribes, to
put His name for His dwelling place;
and there you shall go.”
神揀選我們，讓我們可以像同一個家庭，同一個肢體，來敬拜祂，來學習祂的話。
但是有些人卻拒絕了神的揀選，反過來選擇和其他神的兒女分開來敬拜，
反而因他們個人的喜好及方便的原故，作他們想要的事工。
申命記12章5節的命令，是不可以被忘記的：
"5但耶和華─你們的神從你們各支派中選擇何處為立他名的居所，你們就當往那裡去求問，"
Today, God has designated the
church to be where His name is
established. As the church is the body
of Christ, we ought to congregate at
this appointed sanctuary and worship
as one body.
今日，神已經指派了教會，才是祂名所要建立的地方。
因為教會是基督的身體，我們應該聚集在這個指定的聖殿，像同一個身體般的敬拜祂。
Having said this, we should not
limit the teaching of the truth to the
confines of the church building. The
home is also an excellent place to
share and impart God’s word. The
familiar edict of Deuteronomy 6:6–9
reads,
話雖如此，我們不應該限制真理的教導，只在教會建物的範圍之內。
家庭也是分享及傳授神話語的絕佳場所。
申命記六章6-9節令人熟悉的命令這麼說，
“And these words which I command
you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to
your children, and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house, when
you walk by the way, when you lie
down, and when you rise up. You
shall bind them as a sign on your
hand, and they shall be as frontlets
between your eyes. You shall write
them on the doorposts of your
house and on your gates.”
6我今日所吩咐你的話都要記在心上，
7也要殷勤教訓你的兒女。無論你坐在家裡，行在路上，躺下，起來，都要談論。
8也要繫在手上為記號，戴在額上為經文；
9又要寫在你房屋的門框上，並你的城門上。
Addressed to parents, these words
speak of the need for the home to
be an environment that encourages
children to learn God’s word. This
is because, outside of the home,
children will face situations and value
systems that challenge and distort
their faith: the need to strive for
worldly success, to make money, to
gain prominence in society, the list
continues.
這段經文告訴身為父母的人，有需要讓家庭成為鼓勵兒童學習神話語的場所。
這是因為：一旦離開了家庭，小孩子將要面對那些會挑戰及扭曲他們信仰的情況及價值觀：
一定要努力取得世上的成就，賺大錢，在社會上出名，這個名單可以很長很長的。
Religious education is no easy task.
To implement it successfully, parents,
church ministers, and the rest of the
spiritual family must work together.
Be it at the lively dinner table or the
serene church sanctuary, parents and
teachers should actively encourage
young Christians to familiarize
themselves with religious matters.
宗教教育並不是清鬆的工作。
要成功的傳遞宗教教育，父母，教會的傳道工人，其他的屬靈家庭成員，都一定要一起工作。
無論是在熱鬧的晚餐桌上，或是身處在安詳的教堂聖所中，
父母和老師都應該主動鼓勵年輕基督徒，來讓他們自已熟悉宗教一切的事宜。
WHY DOES IT MATTER? 為什麼這很重要？
Many make the mistake of thinking
that religious education is only
useful for Bible study sessions or for
understanding the more profound
messages from the pulpit. In truth,
the benefits of religious education are
far richer.
許多人會錯誤認為，宗教教育只對研究聖經的課程，
或是為了了解更多講台深澳的訊息，才會有用。
事實上，宗教教育的好處是比想像中更加豐富。
Preserving the Truth 保守真理
Firstly, religious education is the key to
preserving the truth of the gospel that
the True Jesus Church holds dearly,
preventing the perversion of truth
when passed across generations.
首先，宗教教育是保存福音真理的關鍵，當一代傳一代的時候，真耶穌教會更是牢牢的守住，為防真理變質。
Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome,
Spain, Germany: these are some of
the many lands where Jews have been
subjugated, persecuted, enslaved, and
slaughtered. Displaced and despised,
how did they prevent their culture,
traditions, and faith from being
diluted through assimilation, systemic
discrimination, and genocide? Their
secret was a careful and rigorous
system of religious education. Because
of this, the Jews did not forget their
God, and God did not forget His
people. One cannot but be constantly
reminded of God’s instructions when
they are “frontlets between your
eyes.” Even when the Jews found
themselves at the mercy of different
empires, their hearts remained rooted
in the Scriptures. This is the fruit of
religious education.
巴比倫，波斯，希臘，羅馬，西班牙，德國：
這許多地方都是猶太人被征服，被迫害，被變成奴隸，被屠殺。
因為無家可歸，被別人輕視，他們怎麼可能來保存自已的文化，傳統和信仰呢？
而不因為同化的原故而被人群所稀釋，不受到有系統性的歧視，及不被種族滅絕呢？
他們的秘密就是小心嚴格的宗教教育系統。
因為這麼作，猶太人並沒有忘記他們的神，而且神也沒有遺忘祂的子民。
當他們在"雙眼之間的額頭上"帶有經文的小牌子，他們就不可能會忘記，並且持續一直被提醒要遵守神的教導。
甚至當猶太人還能不同帝國時期之內，得到一些憐憫的時候，他們的內心仍然深根在聖經上。
這就是宗教教育所結出來的果子。
When implemented correctly,
religious education benefits both
parents and children. It teaches all
that the imparting of the truth must
continue, even as everything else
around us crumbles. The “least of
all peoples” (Deut 7:7) survived the
greatest of afflictions through the
power of the Scriptures. Therefore,
the best way for the truth to be
perpetuated is through religious
education both in the church and in
the home.
若是可以正確執行，宗教教育對父母和子女都很有好處。
它教會了大家，傳授真理一定要持續不斷，甚至在我們身邊四周的情況已經崩壞的時候，仍要堅持下去。
"原來你們的人數在萬民中是最少的"(申 7：7)，卻透過聖經的力量，在極大，的痛苦之中存活下來。
所以，保存真理最好的方式，就是透過教會和家中的宗教教育。
A Thoughtful Faith 很體貼人心的信仰
Secondly, through religious education,
the young in our church learn the
importance of having an independent,
thoughtful faith. A strong personal
faith comes from introspection and
from being open to correction. A
feeble faith, on the other hand, is
passive, where one relies on others—
parents, peers, preachers—and
expects spoon feeding instead of
actively pursuing one’s own spiritual
growth.
第二，透過宗教教育，我們教會的年青人知道要有獨立深入信仰的重要性。
個人有堅強的信仰，是來自於可以自我反省，以及可以用開放的態度來面對別人的糾正。
另外一方面，軟弱的信仰的人卻只會依賴別人 - 父母，同儕，傳道 -
希望別人用湯匙來餵養，而不是主動積極追求自已靈性的成長。
Jesus guided His disciples to
develop their own faith. “Who do the
crowds say that I am?” Jesus asked
them (Lk 9:18–20). Their answers
were unsurprisingly mixed: “John the
Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others
say that one of the old prophets has
risen again.” Jesus then cuts through
the confusion with the more direct
question: “But who do you say that
I am?” Peter, ever-valiant, readily
offers the correct answer. Would we
have offered the same answer?
耶穌教導祂的門徒，要培養自已的信心。
耶穌問他們說：眾人說我是誰？(路 9：18-20)
另人不意外地他們的回答混雜在一起：
"有人說是施洗的約翰；有人說是以利亞；還有人說是古時的一個先知又活了。"
然後耶穌就直接越過這些混亂的局面，問了更直接的問題：
"但你們說我是誰？"
彼得，這個非常勇敢的門徒，馬上就提出了正確的答案。
我們也會能夠作出正確的回答嗎？
The need for a personal, thoughtful
faith is not something that only Jesus
highlighted; it was set out by God
long before, in the Old Testament.
He told the Israelites to prepare their
children to ask about the customs
and historical narratives of the nation.
But in order to relay this knowledge,
they themselves had to be aware of
the profundity of their faith. Herein
lie two important lessons. First,
parents, RE teachers, ministers, and
other members of the church have a
responsibility to understand the gospel
message to a reasonable degree, to
be able to relay the core teachings of
the Bible competently. Second, God
does not want His believers to have a
careless and unthinking faith. To take
our faith seriously is to meditate on
His word, to sincerely seek resolutions
to any doubts, and above all, to be
honest about our faith.
需要建立個人且夠周全的信仰，並不是只有耶穌在強調；
很久之前，神就在舊約裡，就這樣設定了。
他告訴以色列人，要讓他們的子女來詢問有關他們國家的習俗及歷史記錄。
但是為了可以傳遞這些知識，他們自已一定要自已信仰上，最深奧的核心。
在這裡留有二個重要的課程。
第一，父母，宗教教育老師，福音的工人，和其他教會裡的信徒，都有責任要把福音的掀訊息了解到一定合理的程度，
最少要能夠勝任，把聖經裡面核心的教導傳授下去。
第二，神不希望自已的門徒，有一種毫無留意，未經思考的信仰。
要能夠認真看待我們的信仰，就要好好思考祂的話語，並且若有任何疑問，都誠心尋求答案，
並且特別是要能夠誠實面對自已的信仰。
A Bonus for parents 雙親的獎勵
According to Chinese philosophy,
learning goes both ways between
teachers and students. As parents
and teachers, we must be ready
and willing to learn more about
the truth as we teach the younger
generation. Indeed, by nurturing
the curiosity of young people about
religious matters, we will acquire
new insights into old problems.
Through ongoing dialogue and
the exchange of questions and
answers with our children, we will
“always be ready to give a defense
to everyone who asks [us] a reason
for the hope that is in [us]” (1 Pet
3:15).
根據中國的哲學，學習是同時在老師和學生之間進行的。
身為別人的父母及老師，我們一定要準備好，當我們教導年輕的一代，能有意願學習有關真理的事。
是的，藉由滋養年輕人對宗教事情的好奇心，我們就會從舊的問題中得到新的看法。
經由持續的對話，並且和我們的子女不斷交換問題及回答問題，
我們就會"有人問你們心中盼望的緣由，就要常作準備，以溫柔、敬畏的心回答各人"。(彼前 3：15)
Today, it is easy to become lost in the
frenzy of information, opinions, and
ideas that is available just a mouse-
click away. We could easily become
like “children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of
doctrine” (Eph 4:14b). To counteract
this, we need to adopt the true spirit
of religious education: to have a clear
understanding, for yourself, of why
you believe what you believe.
今日，我們很容易只要敲一下滑鼠，就會因為可以取得訊息，建議及意見如洪濤而來，就迷失其中。
我們可能很容易就像"小孩子，中了人的詭計和欺騙的法術，被一切異教之風搖動，飄來飄去，就隨從各樣的異端；"(弗 4：14b)。
為了抵擋這種情況，我們要運用宗教教育的真正精神：
自已能夠清楚明白，為什麼你會相信如今你所信仰的宗教。
Religious education works by
instilling a spirit of curiosity about
religious topics and an earnestness in
meditating on the words of the Bible.
Students are taught to ask questions,
clarify doubts, and cultivate their
faith on a personal level. Moreover,
in the classroom setting, they learn
different perspectives and share
personal experiences, which is helpful
in developing a thoughtful faith. For
example, when brothers and sisters
with different backgrounds and life
experiences share their understanding
of biblical truths, all parties are edified
as they realize the universality and
relevance of God’s word in their own
lives. This helps them to develop a
personal faith that can remain resolute
when challenged by un-Christian
views and situations.
宗教教育運作的方式就是，藉由灌輸學生對宗教議題有一種好奇的精神，並且能夠認真思想聖經裡面神的話語。
教導學生去問問題，分辨疑難，並且在個人身上造就自已的靈性。
此外，因為教室裡的編排，他們可以學到不同的觀點，分享個人的經驗，這對個人生長出完備的信仰是有幫助的。
例如，因為弟兄姐妹有不同的背景和生活經驗，當他們在分享自已對聖經真理的認知時，
各方面的人馬都會受而造就，因為他們在自已的生活中，可以了解到神話語的普遍性及相關性。
這會幫助他們自已的信仰成長，由其是當他們面對一些非基督徒看法或情況的挑戰。
A Resilient Faith 有活力的信仰
Thirdly, religious education prepares
Christians, young and old alike, to
bear their own cross for Christ.
第三，宗教教育可以讓基督徒作好準備，不論年紀老少，讓他們可以為了基督背起自已得十字架。
There is a tale of a boy who had
a beloved pet pig. As his father was
a pig farmer, the future of this pet
haunted the boy. One day, the father
announced that he would slaughter
the pig on a certain day, and told
his son that his assistance would be
expected. Outraged at the cruelty of
his father, the boy resolved to remain
stoic and to deny him the pleasure of
seeing him suffer. However, the day
came and went; and the pig survived.
As it transpired, the father was dying,
and he had known it for some time.
Distraught at the thought of leaving
his son to fend for himself, he had
devised a plan to impart a final gift:
the gift of strength in the face of
death. He had announced the day
of slaughter to prepare his son to
confront death without fear. And so,
when the father passed away soon
afterwards, the boy did not lament
loudly, but wept silently, bolstered
now by an inner strength.
有一則寓言，一個小男孩很愛一隻寵物小豬。
因為他父親是一位養豬的農夫，所以這隻小豬的未來，一直讓這個男孩很擔心。
有一天，父親宣佈說，他在某一天要殺了這隻小豬，並且跟他兒子說，到時候會需要他的幫助。
因為對他父親的殘忍很生氣，這男孩就決心維持禁慾的生活，拒絕去看小豬受苦的快樂。
然而，這一天來到，也過去了，這隻豬仍然好好活著。
事情最後為人所知的是，父親正在死去，他知道這件事已經有一段時間了。
他一想到自已將要離開兒子，讓他自已照料自已，就覺得很憂心，
他就想出了一個計劃，要傳授最後的禮物給兒子：將死之人臉上力量表情的禮物。
他宣佈了屠殺的日期，要讓他的兒子面對死亡的時候，不會有畏懼。
所以不久之後他父親死去的時候，這個男孩並沒有大聲痛苦，他靜默的哭泣，
現在有內在的力量支撐著他。
For Christians, suffering is not
just a possibility—it is a certainty.
Therefore, to prepare our children
for the thorny road to salvation is
to teach them that God grants both
peace and calamity (Isa 45:7), and
that they must accept both willingly,
knowing that by His grace they
can triumph. Religious education
enables them to be resilient, able to
withstand the buffeting of tribulation,
the seduction of temptation, and the
wearing-down of fatigue. In addition
to biblical knowledge, true faith must
be sustained by moral value and
character.
對基督徒而言，受苦不只是一種可能性 - 它是絕對發生的。
所以，讓子女可以準備好去走受苦的拯救道路，就要教他們，他同時應予平安和災難同時存在(賽 45：7)，
他們需要樂意地去接受兩樣同時發生，也要知道，有祂的恩典同在，他們最後可以勝過。
宗教教育讓他們可以有回復力，可以忍受苦楚的襲擊，試探的引誘，疲乏的消耗。
除了有聖經知識之外，真正的信仰一定有道德觀和品性來支撐。
This is where religious education
comes in. Children must be taught the
uncompromising reality of suffering.
The Bible, rich with vivid illustrations of
human tribulation, provides powerful
consolation by revealing the glory of
God’s grace. It is good to share such
lessons early, to prepare our children
for the inevitable sufferings and
problems they will experience.
這就是宗教教育發揮作用的地方。
要教會子女在受苦之中不要妥協。
聖經裡面，也有許多人們受苦鮮明的例子，藉由顯明神恩典的榮耀，給我們帶來有力的安慰。
能夠及早學會這些教導是好的，讓我們的子女準備好，可以承受他們將要面對，無可避免的苦楚及問題。
WORKING TOGETHER 一起作工
For religious education to be effective,
it has to pervade the lives of our
children at all times. Restricting it to
an hour-long lecture in the church
classroom each weekend has minimal
impact. If parents and RE teachers can
demonstrate the power of their lessons
through their actions, children would
be better equipped to live out biblical
principles, having seen firsthand how
Christians ought to live. The church
and the household have to work in
tandem to enable our young brethren
to inherit the truth, to cultivate a spirit
of inquisitiveness and introspection,
and to develop a resilient faith of the
sort described by Paul:
要讓宗教教育可以發揮效用，就要時時普及我們子女的生活。
若只有在教會每個周末教室裡，一個小時的講課而已，程效是很微小的。
若父母和宗教教育老師，可以透過他們的行為，來展示課程中所帶有的力量，
小孩就能準備好，活出聖經的原則，因為已經親自看過基督徒應該要如何活下去。
教會和家庭都要一起聯手，讓我們年輕的弟兄姐妹可以順利承繼真理，
蘊育出有好奇及會反省的精神，生長出像保羅所說的，有活力的信仰：
We are hard-pressed on every side,
yet not crushed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but
not forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed—always carrying about in
the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our body.
(2 Cor 4:8–10)
8我們四面受敵，卻不被困住；心裡作難，卻不至失望；
9遭逼迫，卻不被丟棄；打倒了，卻不至死亡。
10身上常帶著耶穌的死，使耶穌的生也顯明在我們身上。
(林後 4：8-10)
“It takes a village to raise a child,”
so the traditional African proverb
goes. But to raise a child of God, it
only takes a family; and we are that
family.
"需要整個村莊的幫忙，才能扶養出一個孩子"，
就像傳統非洲格言所說的一樣。
但要扶養神的兒女，只需要一個家庭，而我們就是那個家庭。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)