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Manna issue 76 - The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven 進入天國的鑰匙

Unlocking the mysteries of God through the Holy Spirit. 透過聖靈解開神的奧秘
K.C. Tsai—Toronto, Canada 加拿大多倫多 蔡恆忠 執事

TWO QUESTIONS 兩個問題

When Jesus came into the region
of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His
disciples, saying, “Who do men say
that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some say John
the Baptist, some Elijah, and others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you
say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.”
(Mt 16:13–16)

13耶穌到了該撒利亞腓立比的境內，就問門徒說：人說我（有古卷沒有我字）人子是誰？
14他們說：有人說是施洗的約翰；有人說是以利亞；又有人說是耶利米或是先知裡的一位。
15耶穌說：你們說我是誰？
16西門彼得回答說：你是基督，是永生神的兒子。
(太 16：13-16)

The Lord Jesus asked His disciples
two thought-provoking questions
when they came to the city of
Caesarea Philippi: “Who do men say
that I, the Son of Man, am?” and
“Who do you say that I am?”

當他們來到該撒利亞腓立比的時候，主耶穌問祂的門徒兩個令人省思的問題：
人說我（有古卷沒有我字）人子是誰？
和 你們說我是誰？

He did not ask out of curiosity, for
He knew how people viewed Him, as
well as the disciples’ knowledge of Him
(Jn 2:24–25). Rather, He asked these
questions for the disciples’ edification.
What others said about Him did not
matter. Jesus wanted the disciples to
reflect on how they viewed Him, and
to subsequently fix their eyes on Him
so they could see who He really was.

祂並不是因為好奇心的原故才問這個問題，
因為祂早就大家是怎麼看他的，並且也知道門徒到底對祂認識了多少。(約 2：24-25)
而反過來，祂為了造就門徒的原故，才問這些問題的。
而別人到底怎麼談論祂，一點都不重要。
耶穌要祂的門徒好好想想，到底他們是怎麼看待祂的，
並且可以因為這樣的反省，把自已的目光鎖定在祂身上，
這麼一來，他們才可以看清祂的本質到底是什麼。

To the first question, they answered,
“Some say John the Baptist, some
Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of
the prophets.”

針對第一個問題，他們回答說，
"有人說是施洗的約翰；有人說是以利亞；又有人說是耶利米或是先知裡的一位。"

At their first encounter with
Jesus, Andrew and Nathanael had
confessed that He was the Messiah
(the Christ) and Son of God (Jn 1:41,
49). Later, the disciples witnessed
Jesus walking on the waves of the
sea, and declared, “Truly you are the
Son of God” (Mt 14:33). Despite
these experiences, they may still
have had some doubts—the hearsay
about Jesus could have confused
their perception of Him. Hence, the
Lord Jesus wanted them to ascertain
once again: Truly, who is the Lord
that you are following?

在第一次遇到耶穌的時候，安得魯(安得烈)和拿但業就已經承認，祂才是彌賽亞 (基督，救世主)，並且也是神的兒子。(約 1：41，49)
後來，許多門徒親眼看見，並且見証耶穌行走在海面的風浪之上，就大聲宣告，"你真是神的兒子了。"(太 14：33)
雖然有這些體驗，他們仍然可能會有一些懷疑產生 - 那些有關耶穌的傳聞和謠言，就有可能讓他們原本對耶穌的認識變得混亂。
因此，主耶穌要他們來再一次認清楚：你們真正要真的跟隨的主，到底是誰？

Simon Peter answered, “You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.”

西門彼得這麼回答，"你是基督，永生神的兒子。"

Jesus answered and said to him,
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood has not revealed
this to you, but My Father who is in
heaven. And I also say to you that
you are Peter, and on this rock I will
build My church, and the gates of
Hades shall not prevail against it.
And I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven, and whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Mt 16:17–19)

17耶穌對他說：西門巴約拿，你是有福的！因為這不是屬血肉的指示你的，乃是我在天上的父指示的。
18我還告訴你，你是彼得，我要把我的教會建造在這磐石上；陰間的權柄（權柄：原文是門），不能勝過他。
19我要把天國的鑰匙給你，凡你在地上所捆綁的，在天上也要捆綁；凡你在地上所釋放的，在天上也要釋放。
(太 16：17-19)

Peter’s understanding of the Lord
Jesus did not come from human
teaching or his own wisdom—it was
from the revelation of the heavenly
Father. Where matters of God are
concerned, if He does not reveal
them to man through His Spirit, man
will never be able to understand (1
Cor 2:10–13). Since the disciples had
already recognized Jesus as the Son
of God, Peter’s Spirit-inspired answer
was likely to have represented what
they all believed.

彼得知道主耶穌的事，並不是來自世間人類的教導，或是屬於祂自已的智慧 - 
而是來自於天父的啟示。
而神認為最重要的地方是，若是祂不把這些奧秘透過聖靈來向人類啟示，
人是不可能去知道這些事的。(林前 2：10-13)
因為許多門徒已經認為耶穌就是神的兒子，而彼得因為聖靈啟示的回答，
就像是把他們都已經知道，已經了解的信念，重新用口再說出來一次。

PREVAIL OVER THE GATES OF HADES 勝過陰間的大門

Jesus told Peter: “[Y]ou are Peter
[petros, Greek: “a piece of rock”], and
on this rock [petra, Greek: “a mass
of rock”] I will build My church” (Mt
16:18a). As Jesus said in Matthew
16:17, Peter’s understanding of the
Lord came from the revelation of God
(the Holy Spirit)—who is the “mass of
rock” to which verse 18 refers (Deut
32:4; 2 Sam 22:47; 1 Cor 10:4). The
Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to
understand the revelation of God,
so that they could build the church
upon the correct understanding
of the salvation truth. In fact, the
church is the house of God, the pillar
and ground of the truth (1 Tim 3:15).
It is built on the cornerstone, Jesus
Christ (Eph 2:20), the source of all
revelations and the only foundation
of the church (1 Cor 3:11).

耶穌告訴彼得："你是彼得[petros, 希臘文："一顆石頭"，
並且在這個石頭上[petra，希臘文："一塊大石頭"]我將會建立自已的教會"(太 16：18a)
就像耶穌在馬太福音裡面16章17節所說的，彼得對神的認識，是來自於神的啟示(聖靈) -
他是"一塊大石頭"，對他而言，18節這麼說，(申 32：4，撒下 22：47；林後 10：4)。
聖靈讓許多門徒了解神的啟示，
因為這樣，他們才可以有正確對救贖真理的認知，並且建立了教會。
事實上，教會是神的家，柱子和真理的基礎。(提後 3：15)
是建造在房角路之上，這房角石就是耶穌基督(弗2：20)，是所有啟示的源頭，並且是教會唯一的根基。(林後 3：11)

Jesus also said that “the gates of
Hades shall not prevail against it [the
church]” (Mt 16:18). The “gates
of Hades” refers to the power of
death. Therefore, death shall not
prevail against the church built by
Jesus. Rather, the church shall prevail
against the power of sin and death
through the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor
15:55–57).

耶穌也這樣說，"陰間的權柄（權柄：原文是門），不能勝過他(教會)。"(太 16：18)
"陰間的大門"指的是死的權柄。
所以，死亡不會勝過耶穌所建立的教會。
反過來，教會應該可以勝過罪和死亡的力量，因為有主耶穌基督。(林前 15：55-57)

The church is the body of Christ 教會是基督的身體

When Jesus spoke of establishing the
church, He called it “My church”; in
other words, the true church belongs
to Him, as she is redeemed by His
blood (Acts 20:28). He reveals the
truth to the church through His Holy
Spirit, so that the church becomes
“His household” and the pillar of
truth (1 Tim 3:15). One cannot
separate the church from the Lord
Jesus; the claim “I believe in Jesus
but not the church, which is just an
organization,” will not stand. In fact,
the true church is the body of Jesus
Christ (Eph 1:23; Col 1:24), with
Jesus as her head (Eph 5:23). The
head cannot be separated from the
body.

當耶穌說到要建立教會的時候，他稱呼它是"我的教會"；
換句話說，真教會是屬於祂的，因為她是用祂的寶血所救贖出來的。(徒 20：28)
祂向教會顯明真理，透過聖靈的啟示，這麼一來，教會就成為"祂的家庭成員"和真理的柱石。(提前 3：15)
沒有人可以把教會從主耶穌的身上來分開；
有人這麼說，"我相信耶穌，但是不是相信教會這種說法，因為教會不過是一個組織"，是無法成立的。
事實上，真教會是耶穌基督的身體，(弗 1：23；西 1：24)，因為有耶穌是祂的頭(弗 5：23)。
所以頭是不可能和身體分開的。

For as the body is one and has many
members, but all the members of
that one body, being many, are one
body, so also is Christ.
(1 Cor 12:12)

12就如身子是一個，卻有許多肢體；而且肢體雖多，仍是一個身子；基督也是這樣。
(林前 12：12)

The body is made up of many
members—other than referring to
believers of one locality, this also
refers to members of different ethnic,
social and cultural backgrounds
(1 Cor 12:13–14). Paul referred to
the church as “the churches of God”
(1 Cor 11:16; 1 Thess 2:14; 2 Thess
1:4). This suggests that the church
at that time consisted of many
churches in different localities.

身體由許多肢體所組成 - 也不是就說一個地方的信徒，這也說明了，
有不同種族，社會，文化背景的成員。(林前 12：13-14)
保羅指著教會，說是"許多神的教會(複數形態)"(林前 11：16；帖前 2：14；帖後 1：4)。
這就告訴我們，在那個時候，教會是由許多不同地方的教會一起所組成的。

Every local church was an integral
part of the whole. No church could
claim to be separate from other
member churches, for together
they were the churches of God.
Likewise, the true church today
comprises a vast number of local
churches, consisting of believers
from diverse ethnic backgrounds,
in many countries across the world.
A structured organization exists to
allow the body of Christ to work
together. General assemblies and
coordination centers help to organize
the work on a national level, while
the International Assembly provides
global coordination. In this way, the
member churches can support one
another, making the overall church
the glorious body of the Lord Jesus.

每一個地方教會都是整個教會的一部份。
沒有一個教會可以說，自已可以和其他教會的成員分開獨立的，
只有大家在一起，才可以說是神的教會。
同樣的道理，今日的真教會由很多各地的地方教會所組成，
組成的成員是來自於許多不同的種族背景，存在於整個世界的許多國家裡。
一個有組織架構的組織存在，可以讓基督的身體一起來作工。
各各地區的總會和連絡中心，可以在全國性質的工作上，來幫忙組織聖工的分派，
而聯總更可以作到全球聖工的協調工作。
只有這樣作，各各成員的教會，才可以幫忙其他教會，互相幫助，
讓整個全部的教會，可以成為主耶穌榮耀的身體。

No, much rather, those members
of the body which seem to be
weaker are necessary. And those
members of the body which we
think to be less honorable, on these
we bestow greater honor; and our
unpresentable parts have greater
modesty, but our presentable parts
have no need. But God composed
the body, having given greater
honor to that part which lacks it,
that there should be no schism in
the body, but that the members
should have the same care for one
another. And if one member suffers,
all the members suffer with it; or
if one member is honored, all the
members rejoice with it. Now you
are the body of Christ, and members
individually.
(1 Cor 12:22–27)

22不但如此，身上肢體人以為軟弱的，更是不可少的。
23身上肢體，我們看為不體面的，越發給他加上體面；不俊美的，越發得著俊美。
24我們俊美的肢體，自然用不著裝飾；但神配搭這身子，把加倍的體面給那有缺欠的肢體，
25免得身上分門別類，總要肢體彼此相顧。
26若一個肢體受苦，所有的肢體就一同受苦；若一個肢體得榮耀，所有的肢體就一同快樂。
27你們就是基督的身子，並且各自作肢體。
(林前 12：22-27)

During his missionary trips, Paul
visited the local churches (Acts 15:36;
18:23; 20:1–2), and he realized that
in some places, certain brethren had
started to preach heresies (Gal 1:6–9;
2 Thess 2:1–2). Also, the Holy Spirit
revealed to Paul that in the latter times
(referring to the latter days of the
apostolic era, as well as the present
last days), “some will depart from
the faith, giving heed to deceiving
spirits and doctrines of demons” (1
Tim 4:1). This prompted Paul to leave
Titus in Crete and Timothy in Ephesus,
instructing them to stop the mouths
of those who spread false teachings
(Tit 1:10–14; 1 Tim 1:3). Paul told
Timothy: “Hold fast the pattern of
sound words which you have heard
from me, in faith and love which
are in Christ Jesus. That good thing
which was committed to you, keep
by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us”
(2 Tim 1:13–14). Paul emphasized
the need to keep the unity of the
faith among the churches of God, so
that there would be no schism in the
body of Christ.

在他傳道的旅程中，保羅訪問了許多地方教會，(徒 15：36； 18：23；20：1-2)，
而他發現到，有某一些弟兄姐妹已經開始在傳異端了。(加 1：6-9；帖後 2：1-2)
而且聖靈啟示告訴保羅說，在後來的日子裡(指的是使徒時代後面的日子，同時也可以現今末後的時代)，
"在後來的時候，必有人離棄真道，聽從那引誘人的邪靈和鬼魔的道理。"(提前 4：1)
因為這件事的關係，引起保羅把提多留在克里特島，而把提摩太放在以弗所教會，
並且指示他們要去阻止那些傳播錯誤教訓之人的口。(多 1：10-14；提前 1：3)
保羅告訴提摩太：
13你從我聽的那純正話語的規模，要用在基督耶穌裡的信心和愛心，常常守著。
14從前所交託你的善道，你要靠著那住在我們裡面的聖靈牢牢的守著。(提後 1：13-14)
保羅強調，在神的眾教會之中，需要保持信仰的一致性，
只有這樣，基督的身體裡面，才不會存在有任何分裂教會的想法。

The keys of the kingdom of
heaven are to open and shut
the doors of heaven. They
represent the salvation truth
that is essential for one’s
entry into heaven.

天國鑰題的作用，就是為了開啟和關閉天國的大門。
他們代表了贖救的真理，對每個人而言，要進入天國，這也是至關重要的。

THE COMPLETE SET OF KEYS 一套完整的鑰匙

A key is for the purpose of locking
and unlocking (Rev 3:7). Therefore,
the keys of the kingdom of heaven
are to open and shut the doors of
heaven. They represent the salvation
truth that is essential for one’s entry
into heaven.

鑰匙是用來上鎖，或是解鎖的。(啟 3：7)
所以，天國的鑰匙是用來開啟，以及關上天國的大門。
他們代表了天國得救的真理，對每一個要進天國的人，是至關重要的。

There is only one way to heaven.
When Jacob dreamed of a ladder
leading to heaven, he knew that
place was the gate of heaven and
house of God (Gen 28:17). Later,
Jesus revealed the significance of
that ladder. He said: “Most assuredly,
I say to you, hereafter you shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the
Son of Man” (Jn 1:51). Jesus is the
ladder to heaven. He is the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Him (Jn
14:6). Since the church is the body
of Christ (Eph 1:23; Col 1:24), this
means that she holds the salvation
truth by which we can be saved—
she holds the keys of the kingdom of
heaven.

要去天國只有一個方法。
當雅各夢到有一座天梯通到天上的時候，那個時候，他就知道那個地方就是天國的大門，和神的家。(創 28：17)
後來，耶穌才告訴我們那座天梯的重要性。
51又說：「我實實在在地告訴你們，你們將要看見天開了，神的使者上去下來在人子身上。」(約 1：51)
耶穌就是通往天國的梯子。
6耶穌說我就是道路、真理、生命；若不藉著我，沒有人能到父那裡去。(約 14：6)
因為教會就是基督的身體，(弗 1：23；西 1：24)
這個意思就是，她掌握著得救的真理，藉由她我們才能得救-
她手裡手拿進入天國的鑰匙。

The Lord Jesus said that He would
give the keys of the kingdom of
heaven to Peter. But this does not
mean that the keys were given to him
alone; Peter represented the apostles
and New Testament prophets (Eph
2:19–20). Jude wrote that the faith,
the salvation truth, was delivered
to the saints—collectively—once
for all (Jude 3). And the Holy Spirit
would guide them in the exposition
and strengthening of the content of
the salvation truth, to establish the
church as the pillar and ground of the
truth (1 Tim 3:15).

主耶穌說：祂會把天國的鑰匙交給彼得。
但是這並不是就代表了，天國的鑰匙只有彼得才有；
彼得只不過是代表了其他的使徒，以及新約時代的眾先知。(弗 2：19-20)
猶大書這樣記載著，信心，得救的真理，都已經交付約眾聖徒了 - 並且一次性的完全交付，而且經過這一次就已經完全交託了。(猶 3)
而且聖靈也會指導他們如何解讀聖經的真理，並且把得救真理的內容加強補齊，使其更加完備，
並且把教會建立成真理的根基和柱石。

Access into the kingdom of heaven
requires a set of keys. Only when
one has the complete set will one be
able to enter through each gate (Rev
21:12–21); not a single key can be
missing. This goes to show that the
salvation truth handed to the true
church is complete and unblemished.
It is a set of keys given to open every
door to the kingdom of heaven.
The true church has the complete
doctrines, which are biblically sound,
since the Holy Spirit is able to guide
her into all truth (Jn 16:13).

要進入天國需要求一整套天國的鑰匙。
當一個人有了整套的鑰匙，就可以讓他進入每一個門。(啟 21：12-21)；所以任何一把鑰匙都不可以少。
這接著就表明了，交給真教會的得救真理是完全，沒有瑕疵的。
這是一整套鑰匙，可以打開每一個天國的大門。
真教會有完整的教條，而且也是健全的聖經教導，
都因為有聖靈來幫助她去了解一切的真理。(約 16：13)

The common faith 共信之道

While the basic beliefs of the true
church are complete, each local
church should agree on the same
understanding of the doctrines (Gal
1:6–9). There cannot be different
interpretations or stances among the
member churches that contradict the
church’s core beliefs. For example,
if one local church believes that it
is essential to observe the Sabbath,
while another thinks otherwise, they
have two different faiths. Or if one
performs baptism in the name of
Jesus Christ in living water, while
another baptizes in an artificial pool
in the name of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Ghost, they have two
different baptisms. Regardless of the
number of member churches, the
collective church has only one body,
one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, and one God
(Eph 4:4–6). And it is through the
guidance of the Holy Spirit that this
set of core beliefs is established. One
faith of salvation is instituted by one
Lord. Hence, there is one common
faith (Tit 1:4), to serve the one true
God (Deut 6:4; Mk 12:29; Jn 10:30;
17:3).

因為真教會的基本信條是完全的，每一個地方教會都應該認同，有相同教條上的認知。(加 1：6-9)
所以在所有的地方教會中，不可以有不同的解釋和立場，來否定這些教會的核心信條。
例如，若是一個地方教會相信，守安息日是非常基本的，但是其他教會卻有不同的想法，而他們之中就產生了兩種不同的想法。
或是有人奉耶穌基督的聖名在活水中舉行浸禮，而另一個教會卻是奉著父，子，聖的靈體(holy ghost原文譯法：聖靈；聖魂, 聖鬼)，在幫人洗禮，
這就產生了兩種洗禮的儀式存在。
不管這些地方教會有多少的組織成員和數目，整個教會的集合，
就只能是一個身體，一個聖靈，一個盼望，一個信仰的主，一種宗教，一種洗禮，並且只有一個獨一真神。
(弗 4：4-6)
並且這些都是因為透過聖靈的啟示的引導，這一套核心信條才被建立起來的。
唯一得救的信仰是透過獨一救主的教導。
因此，有所謂的共信之道在其中(多 1：4)，來事奉我們的獨一真神。(申 6：4；可 12：29；約 10：30；17：3)

Today, the true church has a
truth-research mechanism where
inconsistent understandings of the
truth are clarified, just like the meeting
of the Jerusalem Council recorded in
Acts 15. Participants of the truth research
meeting must submit to
the Holy Spirit, willing to seek out
the will of the Holy Spirit together in
one accord, in order to expound and
uphold the truth of the Bible (2 Tim
1:13–14). Most importantly, all local
churches must become one in the
truth, so that the entire church can
attain the fullness of the stature of
Christ (Eph 4:13).

今日，真教會有一個研究真理的機制，若是有真理上出現不一樣想法的地方，就可以重新來澄清，
就像是記載在使徒行傳15章裡面，舉行在耶路撒冷的負責人會議一樣。
真理研究會議的參與者，一定要順服聖靈的代領，願意同心一起來找出聖靈的旨意，
這樣才可以把聖經的真理解釋清楚，並且了解支撐聖經的真理。(提後 1：13-14)
最重要的是，所有的地方教會一定要在真理上合一，
這麼一來，整個教會才能達到有完全基督的身量。

He answered and said to them,
“Because it has been given to you to
know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it has not
been given. For whoever has, to
him more will be given, and he will
have abundance; but whoever does
not have, even what he has will be
taken away from him. Therefore I
speak to them in parables, because
seeing they do not see, and hearing
they do not hear, nor do they
understand.”
(Mt 13:11–13)

11耶穌回答說：因為天國的奧祕只叫你們知道，不叫他們知道。
12凡有的，還要加給他，叫他有餘；凡沒有的，連他所有的，也要奪去。
13所以我用比喻對他們講，是因他們看也看不見，聽也聽不見，也不明白。
(太 13：11-13)

The Lord Jesus allowed only His
disciples to understand the mysteries
of the heavenly kingdom—this is
what it means to receive the keys
that unlock the gates of heaven. The
disciples had forsaken everything and
followed Him wholeheartedly; they
were willing to listen to His teachings
and abide by them. The Lord Jesus
will not make the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven known to those
who do not have the heart to follow
Him, who only want to see miracles
or follow the crowd. Because “seeing
they do not see, and hearing they do
not hear, nor do they understand”
(Mt 13:13), they are just like those
who have been locked out of the
gates.

主耶穌只允許祂的門徒來了解天國的奧秘 - 這才是祂說，得到開啟天國大門鑰匙的意義。
許多門徒已經放棄一切，全心來跟隨祂；他們願意聽從祂的教導，並且照著祂的教導來遵行。
主耶穌不會把天國的奧秘，讓那些沒有心來跟隨祂的人來了解，因為他們只是想看神蹟，或是跟著眾人一起看熱鬧而已。
是因"他們看也看不見，聽也聽不見，也不明白。"(太 13：13)，他們就像是那些會被鎖在門外的人。

TO BIND AND TO LOOSE 綑綁和釋放

“And I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven, and whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mt
16:19). Here, Jesus does not speak
of binding or loosing men. Since this
statement is about the keys of the
kingdom of heaven, it must refer to
practices pertaining to the locking
and unlocking of the gates of the
kingdom of heaven.

19我要把天國的鑰匙給你，凡你在地上所捆綁的，在天上也要捆綁；凡你在地上所釋放的，在天上也要釋放。
(太 16：19)
在這裡，耶穌並不是說要去綑綁人，或是釋放某個人。
因為這裡的說詞是有關天國的鑰匙，它一定和某些行為有關係，而這些行為則是可以把天國大門上鎖及開鎖。

From the Acts of the Apostles, it can
be clearly seen that the mysteries of
the kingdom of heaven were revealed
to the apostles through the work
of the Holy Spirit. When the Lord
bestowed the keys of the kingdom of
heaven to the church, it was to hand
over the authority of binding and
loosing (which is, to release) to the
church. She would be able to clearly
discern between teachings which
must be observed from ordinances
that are irrelevant to salvation. What
the church defines on earth, is exactly
the will of heaven (of God). For
example, the sins of man can only be
washed away through water baptism
conducted according to the Bible
(Acts 22:16). This salvation truth is
bound on earth and also in heaven—
no one can have his sins removed
from him unless he is baptized in
the name of Jesus. It is one of the
keys of the kingdom of heaven. On
the other hand, circumcision, the
laws pertaining to sacrifices, and the
complex purification rites of Mosaic
Law were loosed by the Holy Spirit
through the apostles; those seeking
salvation are not bound by these.

從許多使徒的事蹟記載裡面，我們可以很清楚的看見，透過聖靈工作的關係，天國的奧秘已經向許多使徒顯明了。
當主把天國的鑰匙交給教會的時候，同時也把綑綁和放鬆 (意思是釋放)的權柄交給了教會。
她才可以清楚的決定那些教訓是應該要被遵守的，也決定了那些教條是和得救沒有相關的。
教會在地上所決定的事，就是好像是神在天上旨意。
例如，要洗淨人的罪過，只能跟據聖經教導的方式，洗禮才能洗淨人的罪。(徒 22：16)
這個得救的真理不但在地上被這樣的約束著，同樣也在天上被這樣決定 - 
除非奉主耶穌的名來施行洗禮，沒有人可以把他的罪從自已身上除去。
這也是天國鑰匙的其中之一。
另一方面，割禮，關於獻祭的律法，以及許多摩西律法要求的複雜潔淨的儀式，則透過使聖靈指示使徒的說明，加以鬆綁了；
那些想要尋求拯救的人，將不再被這些律法規條所綑綁。

The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15)
was the first gathering of the apostolic
church to ascertain the truth. They
discussed the issue of whether the
Gentile believers needed to undergo
circumcision and observe the Mosaic
Law. After much debate, Peter,
Barnabas and Paul each recounted
their experiences of preaching to
the Gentiles. They spoke of how
the Gentiles believed and received
the Holy Spirit, who purified their
hearts by faith (Acts 15:7–9). Finally,
James drew a conclusion, to which
the apostles and elders agreed (Acts
15:13–21). They decided to write to
the local churches with the decree:

耶路撒冷負責人會議(使徒行傳15章)，是第一次使徒教會聚集在一起，來查明真理。
他們討論了一些議題，有關外邦信主的信徒是不是需要接受割禮，或是需要遵守摩西的律法。
經過多方討論及辯論之後，彼得，巴拿巴，和保羅，他們每一個人都重新回想自已傳道給外邦人的經驗。
他們告訴大家，外邦人是如何信主的，如何領受了聖靈，他們因著信，而得到內心的潔淨。(徒 15：7-9)
最後，雅各作了結論，而這個結論是所有使徒和眾長老都同意的。(徒 15：13-21)
他們決定寫信給地方教會，告訴他們這些教條：

“For it seemed good to the Holy
Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no
greater burden than these necessary
things: that you abstain from things
offered to idols, from blood, from
things strangled, and from sexual
immorality. If you keep yourselves
from these, you will do well.”
(Acts 15:28–29)

28因為聖靈和我們定意不將別的重擔放在你們身上；惟有幾件事是不可少的，
29就是禁戒祭偶像的物和血，並勒死的牲畜和姦淫。這幾件你們若能自己禁戒不犯就好了。願你們平安！
(徒 15：28-29)

While recollecting the work of
the Holy Spirit, the apostles realized
that Gentiles who believe in the Lord
were not bound by circumcision; its
observance was no longer binding,
unlike the “necessary things” which
all believers of the Lord must observe.

當他們重新再回想聖靈的工作，許多使徒都明白了，信主的外邦人，並沒有受到割禮的綑綁；
遵守割禮不在有綑綁的效力了，但不像一些"重要的事情"，而這些重要的事情是所有主的信徒都一定要遵守的。

The Holy Spirit led these early workers along a path which they
had never set foot on, and they could not help but follow.

聖靈一路帶領許多早期的工人去作工，而去的地方都是他們從未去過的地方，他們不能禁止聖靈的感動，只能順服聖靈的帶領。

As the Holy Spirit led
the growth of the church
during the apostolic times,
He continues to guide the
church today, clarifying any
uncertainties that may arise
in the understanding of the
salvation truth.

在使徒時代的時候，當時聖靈帶領了教會的成長，祂也繼續指引今日的教會，
並且會辨明任何會在教會裡面產生，有關明白得救真理所出現無法確定的事情。

IT SEEMED GOOD TO THE HOLY 對聖靈和我們來說，這樣似乎很好
SPIRIT AND TO US

Though the participants of the
Jerusalem Council debated with one
another, they eventually submitted to
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This
does not only refer to the decision making
process, but also to how they
discerned the direction in which the
Holy Spirit was leading them.

透過耶路撒冷負責人會議參與者之間互相的辯論，他們最後順服聖靈的帶領。
這不只是代表了，有一個決策決定的過程而已，而且也是他們如何辨明聖靈帶領他們的方向。

As the apostles recounted the
works of the Spirit, they were able
to identify His will. In Acts 10, the
Holy Spirit instructed Peter, saying:
“What God has cleansed you must
not call common” (Acts 10:15). After
this, the Holy Spirit sent Peter to the
household of Cornelius, a Gentile. As
Peter preached, the Holy Spirit fell
on them. Seeing this as confirmation
that the Gentiles were accepted by
God, Peter boldly baptized these
uncircumcised individuals. In Acts
13, the Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and
Paul to Crete and Galatia. Initially
they went to the Jewish synagogues
to preach and debate. Though some
Jews were willing to believe, Barnabas
and Paul were frequently rejected
and slandered. Hence, they turned to
the Gentiles instead, who accepted
the gospel, and were baptized into
the Lord (Acts 16:15, 33; 18:8).

當使徒重新回想聖靈的工作時，他們就可以認明這就是祂的旨意。
在使徒行傳10章裡面記載，聖靈指示彼得，這樣說："神所潔淨的，你不可當作俗物。"(徒 10：15)
經過這個過程之後，聖靈派彼得到哥尼流的家中，他是一個外邦人。
正當彼得在傳講福音的時候，聖靈降在他們身上。
當他一看到這樣的情形，就証實外邦人已經被神接受了，接著彼得就大瞻的為這些沒有受割禮的人施行洗禮。
使徒行傳13章，聖靈派巴拿巴和保羅到克里特島和加拉太。
一開始他們走到猶太人的會堂來傳道，並且討論和辯論。
雖然有一些猶太人願意相信，巴拿巴和保羅卻常常被拒絕，而且也被別人說壞話。
因此，他們反過來轉向了外邦人，他們接受了福音，並且接受洗禮成為主的門徒。(徒 16：15，33；18：8)

The Holy Spirit led these early
workers along a path which they had
never set foot on, and they could
not help but follow (cf. Josh 3:3–4).
The Spirit, through Peter, Paul and
Barnabas, laid the path of salvation
for the uncircumcised, and walked
before them all the way. Therefore,
James was assured of the will of
the Holy Spirit “to lay no greater
burden” on the Gentile believers
other than the abstinence from things
offered to idols, from blood, from
things strangled, and from sexual
immorality. The apostles and elders
loosed the yoke of the Law from the
neck of the Gentile believers. At the
same time, the believers were bound
by the four restrictions. After the
churches received this epistle, they
“were strengthened in the faith, and
increased in number daily” (Acts
16:5)—the decision made by the
apostles and elders was affirmed in
heaven, i.e., what they bound on
earth was bound in heaven and what
they loosed on earth was also loosed
in heaven.

聖靈帶領這些早期的工人，一路上通往他們從沒去過的地方，並且他們只能專心跟從聖靈的帶領。(cf. 書 3：3-4)
聖靈，透過彼得，保羅和巴拿巴，帶領他們走出新的道路，去拯救那些未受割禮人，並且聖靈一路上都在他們前面作工。
所以，雅各非常清楚聖靈的旨意，"不增加更多的重擔"在外邦信徒身上，只要他們禁戒祭偶像的物和血，並勒死的牲畜和姦淫。
眾使徒和長老從外邦人信徒的頸項上，釋放了關於律法的規定。
在同樣的時間，許多信徒受到四種規定的約束。
在眾教會都收到這封書信之後，他們"信心越發堅固，人數天天加增。"(徒 16：5) - 
使徒和長老的決定在天上被確認，這就是，凡在地上他們所綑綁的，在天上也會被綑綁，
他們在地上所釋放的，也會在天上被釋放。

Today, the true church of the last
days also emphasizes and submits to
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As
the Holy Spirit led the growth of the
church during the apostolic times,
He continues to guide the church
today, clarifying any uncertainties
that may arise in the understanding
of the salvation truth. The true
church does not follow a leader, or
venerate any individual because of
his knowledge. Rather, the church
explores the footsteps of the Holy
Spirit and closely follows on to
uphold the common faith, the keys
of the kingdom of heaven.

今日，末日的真教會也同樣強調和順服聖靈的帶領。
因為聖靈在使徒時代會帶領教會的成長，祂也會繼續指引今日的教會，辨明任何有關得救真理，可能產能在理解上有不確定的事。
真教會並不會追隨一個領導者，或是因為有知識而祟敬任何個人。
反而可以這麼說，教會是隨著聖靈的腳步向外探索 ，而且緊緊跟隨著祂，來支撐大家的共信之道，也就是進入天國的鑰匙。

小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com