8. Manna issue 85 - Complete the Construction of the True Church (Part 2) 完成真耶穌教會的建造 (第二部)
The central role of the
church in God’s salvation
plan.
教會在神求贖計劃中的主要角色
Aun Quek Chin—Singapore 新加坡 陳安國傳道
Editor’s note: The first article in this series, published in Manna 84,
discussed how to build the church on the solid foundation of truth,
to ensure that she will overcome any storms that may come.
In this concluding article, the author outlines the central role of the church in God’s salvation plan,
and the need to attain perfection through the cleansing of God’s word and the renewal of the Holy Spirit.
編者按：此系列的第一篇，刊出在嗎哪84期，
討論到要如何建設教會在真理穩固的基石上，
確保教會可以克服即將來到的風暴。
本文為完結篇，作者描繪出，教會在神的救贖計劃中的中心角色，
會有必要經由聖經的潔淨，聖靈的更新，讓教會達到完美。
Where does the concept of the true church and false churches come from?
Is it from the Bible, or is it mere fabrication?
If we care about our salvation, we need to carefully study this matter
to identify the biblical truths of God’s church and how to enter it.
Only then can we avoid being misled.
那到底真教會和假教會的想法的來源是那裡呢？
是出自聖經，還是人為編造的？
若我們注重自已的得救，就要謹慎地研究這件事，
來辨明神教會聖經的真理，了解如何進入得救。
只有這樣作，才會避免為人所誤導。
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” (Mt 24:4–5)
4耶穌回答說：你們要謹慎，免得有人迷惑你們。
5因為將來有好些人冒我的名來，說：我是基督，並且要迷惑許多人。
(太 24：4-5)
Here Jesus warns that there will be many false christs.
It follows that the churches they establish will be false,
and if we put our faith in them, we will forfeit our salvation.
Hence, it is critical we remain vigilant,
to distinguish between false churches
and the one true church belonging to Jesus.
這裡，耶穌警告，會有許多假基督。
所引申出來的，他們所建立的教會也是假的，
若是我們的信仰是建立在他們身上，就喪失自已的得救。
因此，重要的是，要維持警醒，
能分辨出屬神的真教會和其他的假教會。
RELEVANCE OF THE CHURCH 教會的關連性
Within Christendom, people hold different views about the relevance of the church.
Some argue that the church plays a vital role, and that we should anchor our faith therein;
others say that we should place our faith in God alone.
What does Jesus say?
在基督教界，人們對教會的關連性，抱有不同的看法。
有人強調，教會身具重要的角色，我們該把自已的信心定錨在其中，
另一些人說，我們該把自已的信心，只專注在神身上。
那耶穌說了什麼呢？
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 16:18–19)
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 16：18-19)
Jesus makes three key points: firstly, He will personally build His church;
secondly, He will build it on “this rock”;
and thirdly, He will grant this church the authority to bind and to loosen.
We can use these three principles to determine whether we have found the church belonging to the Lord.
耶穌列出三個重點，祂會親自建設自已的教會；
第二，祂會建立教會在"這個岩石"上；
第三，祂授予這個教會，擁有捆綁及釋放的特權。
我們可以用這三個原則，來辨別是不是有找到屬於神的教會。
“I will build My church”我要把我的教會建造
God established His church to proclaim the gospel message:
神設立教會傳福音：
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying,
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1:14–15)
14約翰下監以後，耶穌來到加利利，宣傳神的福音，
15說：日期滿了，神的國近了。你們當悔改，信福音！
(可 1：14-15)
Jesus’ proclamation forms the crux of the gospel.
The purpose of His ministry was not to heal illnesses or deliver souls from demon possession.
These were miracles He performed out of compassion, to confer physical peace and wellbeing;
but physical healing was not the message Jesus preached.
So what is the key gospel message?
It is that the kingdom of God is at hand.
This kingdom refers to the church of God.
We have to enter the church of God and, in order to enter,
we have to repent and believe in the gospel.
This is the gospel message that Christians should still be preaching.
耶穌的聲明，帶出了福音的核心。
神作工服事的目標，不是醫治人，救人靈魂脫離魔鬼附身。
這些只是祂出於憐憫，而施行的神蹟，賦予人肉體的平安和恩惠；
但是肉體得到醫治，並不是神所傳的訊息。
所以福音最主要的訊息是什麼呢？
就是神國即將來臨。
這個國度所指的，就是神的教會。
我們要進入神的教會，為了可以進去教會，
就要悔改，相信福音。
就是這個福音，只要是基督徒，都要一直去傳揚。
Today, there are many who proclaim a variation of the gospel,
saying that we need only believe in the Lord to enter the kingdom of God.
They cite Paul’s teaching: that we should confess with our lips and believe in our heart to be saved (Rom 10:10).
They argue that it is not necessary to undergo baptism.
But did Jesus not teach us how we should demonstrate our repentance and belief?
今日，有許多人，傳揚各式各樣的福音，
他們說，只要相信神，就可以進入神國。
他們引用保羅的教導：
只要口頭承認信主，心中願意信主，就會得救。
(羅 10：10)
他們爭議說，沒有一定必要接受洗禮。
但是，耶穌難道沒有教我們嗎？
我們要如何表現出悔改和信主呢？
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mk 16:15–16)
15他又對他們說：你們往普天下去，傳福音給萬民（萬民：原文是凡受造的）聽。
16信而受洗的，必然得救；不信的，必被定罪。
(可 16：15-16)
While instructing His disciples to preach the gospel,
Jesus said that those who believe in the gospel and are baptized will be saved;
but those who disbelieve will be condemned.
In other words, repentance and belief go hand in hand with water baptism.
The effect of the latter is to wash away sins (Acts 22:16),
so that we can enter into God’s kingdom and be saved.
耶穌交待門徒去傳福音的時候，
祂說，那些信而受洗的就會得救；不信的會被定罪。
換句話說，悔改和信主是與洗禮同時發生的。
而洗禮的果效就是除罪，(徒 22：16)
只有這樣，才能進入神國得救。
So now we arrive at a very important point:
since baptism is critical for the forgiveness of sins and entry to the kingdom of God,
who should perform the baptism?
Once Jesus had accomplished His work of salvation on earth,
He needed to pass on His gospel ministry and, more importantly, the work of forgiving sins.
So He commanded His disciples:
所以，我們現在討論到一個非常重要的論點：
因為洗禮對赦罪和進入天國是一個重要的步驟，
應該誰來施洗呢？
當耶穌已經完成地上救贖的工作，
就要把福音的事工傳承下去，更重要的是，還有赦罪的工作：
所以祂命令門徒：
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Mt 28:18–20)
18天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。
19所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗（或作：給他們施洗，歸於父、子、聖靈的名）。
20凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。
(太 28：19-20)
It is clear from Jesus’ words that He established His church for a distinct purpose—
to not only preach the gospel, but also to baptize and save those who believe.
Therefore, the church established by the Lord is the only one qualified to perform baptism.
很清楚的就是耶穌的交待，祂設立教會有很明顯的目的-
不是只要傳福音，而且還要洗禮，才能拯救那些相信的人。
所以，神所設立的教會，才是唯一有資格來執行洗禮的教會。
In this present time, many churches preach and implement the word of God partially and selectively.
Yet the Bible is clear that the full gospel entails the following:
目前這個時代，許多教會選擇性地，偏頗地傳揚實行聖經。
然而，聖經很清楚記著，完備的福音包含了下面的情況：
Baptism should be performed in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
要用耶穌的聖名施行洗禮，才能赦罪。(徒 2：38)
Foot washing should be performed to enable believers to have a part with the Lord (Jn 13:8).
施行洗腳禮可以讓信徒與主有份。(約 13：8)
Holy Communion should be undertaken to enable believers to partake of Jesus’ flesh and blood,
so that they may receive eternal life (Mt 26:26–29; Jn 6:53–58).
施行聖餐禮，可以讓信徒與耶穌的血肉聯合，他們這才能得到永生。
(太 26：26-29；約 6：53-58)
The workers of God should lay hands on the believers,
praying for them so that they may receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17; 19:6).
神的工人要為信徒按首，為他們禱告，他們才會得到聖靈。
(徒 8：17；19：6)
The church should observe the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week,
as this is one of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:8–11; Mk 2:27; Mt 5:19; 19:17).
教會要在星期六守安息日，一周的第七日，
因為這是十誡的其中一條。
(出 20：8-11；可 2：27；太 5：19；19：17)
These five teachings are those of the Lord Jesus and His apostles, and are hallmarks of God’s church.
They have been carefully documented in the Bible for those who care to study its word objectively.
這五樣教導，來自於主耶穌和門徒，是神教會的標誌。
這些教條被很謹慎地記錄在聖經裡，讓那些用心的人，可以客觀地研讀聖經。
“I will build My church on this rock”
"我要在這磐石上建立我的教會"
The Lord Jesus established His church to proclaim and implement His teachings.
If we heed the word of our Lord, and preach the word according to His teaching,
then we will truly belong to the church established by the Lord.
But if we do not completely carry out the word of the Lord,
then we do not belong to the church of the Lord.
主耶穌設立教會，用來傳揚實行祂的教導。
若我們留心主的話，依照祂的教導，傳揚福音，
那麼我們就會真的屬於神所設立的教會。
但若我們沒有完全實行神的吩咐，
那麼我們就不屬於神的教會。
Why are we so sure and confident of this?
Jesus said, “And on this rock, I will build My church”—the “rock” being Himself.
How is the church established on Jesus?
Does it only require a community of believers to proclaim their faith in Jesus?
On the surface, this sounds logical, but what does Jesus say?
為何我們可以如此確認，對這些事那麼有自信呢？
耶穌說，"我要在這磐石上建立我的教會" - 這"磐石"就是神本身。
那麼教會是怎麼樣建造在耶穌之上的？
難道只要有一群信徒，自我宣告他們信靠耶穌就好了？
表面上，這聽起來很合理，但耶穌是怎麼說的呢？
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them,
I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house,
who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house,
and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation,
against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.
And the ruin of that house was great.” (Lk 6:46–49)
46你們為甚麼稱呼我主阿，主阿，卻不遵我的話行呢？
47凡到我這裡來，聽見我的話就去行的，我要告訴你們他像甚麼人：
48他像一個人蓋房子，深深的挖地，把根基安在磐石上；
到發大水的時候，水沖那房子，房子總不能搖動，因為根基立在磐石上（有古卷：因為蓋造得好）。
49惟有聽見不去行的，就像一個人在土地上蓋房子，沒有根基；水一沖，隨即倒塌了，並且那房子壞的很大。
(路 6：46-49)
Many believe in Jesus and call Him “Lord,” but does it mean they are all established upon the rock?
Jesus says no.
If we believe in Him, we ought to obey His words completely,
which Jesus likens to building our house upon the rock.
But if we only selectively obey His words, this is like building on the sand.
On the day of judgement, our house will collapse.
The Lord will ask, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things I command?”
To be the true church established by God, the church must preach the complete gospel proclaimed by Jesus and the apostles.
許多人信耶穌，稱祂"主啊"，
但是這就代表了，他們把房子建在磐石上嗎？
耶穌說，沒有。
若我們信神，就應該完全遵守祂的話語，
就好像耶穌的比喻，把房子建在磐石上。
但若我們只是選擇性的遵守聖經，這就好像房子立在沙地上。
到了審判日，房子就會傾倒。
神會問，"為何你叫我，"主啊，主啊"，但卻不遵守我所吩咐的事呢？"
要成為主所設立的真教會，教會就一定要傳，耶穌和門徒所傳的全備福音。
“Keys to the kingdom of heaven”"進入天國的鑰匙"
“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 16:18–19)
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 16：18-19)
The Lord Jesus has given the keys of the heavenly kingdom to the church,
which means the church has the authority to open the doors to the heavenly kingdom.
Those who believe in the complete gospel, as preached by the true church,
will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven and escape the clutches of Hades.
主耶穌已經把天國的鑰匙給了教會，
就代表了，教會有權柄打開天國的大門。
相信那真耶教所傳全備福音的人，
就能進入天國，脫離陰間的掌握。
What are the keys to the kingdom of heaven?
天國的鑰匙是什麼？
On one level, it is the word of God, entrusted to the apostles.
This word has the authority to open the gates of heaven.
The apostles passed this word of God, the complete truth, to the saints,
and they, in turn, have passed it to subsequent generations.
This word carries the power to save, but it also brings judgment, closing the door of heaven.
Therefore, the church preaching this complete truth has been given the power and authority to judge,
so that those who believe can enter the kingdom of heaven,
and those who go against the truth will be denied entry.
第一層面，就是聖經，交託給門徒。
聖經有權柄打開天門。
使徒傳下聖經，這全備的福音，給聖徒，
而他們接著傳給接下來年代的人。
聖經帶著權柄救贖，也同時帶來審判，關閉天門。
所以，傳揚全備福音的教會，得到權柄來審判，
所以那些相信的人，可以進入天國，
而那些不信的真理的人，就會被排除進入天國。
On another level, the keys to the kingdom of heaven refers to water baptism.
Jesus explains, saying, “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.”
另一個層面，進入天國的鑰匙，指的是洗禮。
耶穌解釋說，
"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。"
This authority to “loose on earth” is the power of the church to perform water baptism.
When the church conducts baptism, men’s sins are washed away,
and they enter salvation and freedom from the bond of sin.
The church also has the authority to “bind on earth,”
meaning that she has the mandate to pass judgment,
such as removing a person from office or carrying out excommunication.
"在地上釋放的權柄"，就是教會施行洗禮的力量。
當教會施行洗禮，可以洗去人的罪，
他們從罪的捆綁之下，進入救贖和自由。
教會也有權柄"在地上捆綁"，
代表了，教會得到授權，可以進行審判，
例如，決定對某人撤職，或是執行除名。
We need to realize that the church will not pass judgment on a whim;
her duty is to judge according to God’s word.
The criteria she uses is whether a person has transgressed the word of God.
This being the case, the church has both the responsibility and authority to pass judgment.
No distinction is made between a regular believer, a worker or an ordained minister—
everyone is treated in an equal manner.
In this way, the church affirms what is right and wrong according to God’s standard in the Bible,
and the congregation knows the boundaries of appropriate behavior.
我們要知道，教會不是一時興起，就執行審判；
祂的職責，是依神的話語作判斷。
祂所用的標準，是看這個人有沒有犯錯違背神的話。
情況就是如此，教會同時有責任和權柄執行審判。
對一個平常的信徒，聖工人員，或是按立的長執而言，並沒有差別待遇-
教會都以相同的標準來對待大家。
只有這樣，教會根據聖經神的標準，來確認何為正，何為非，
會眾大家都知道，合宜行為的界限為何。
Is the church or the Lord Jesus overly strict?
We know that the Lord died for us and established the church through His blood to bring salvation to humankind.
From this, we understand the great love of Jesus.
He established the church on the rock, which is Himself,
and has given her His authority to pass judgment,
so that those who believe can be saved,
and those who go against the truth shall be condemned.
It follows, then, that if we believe in Jesus, we should also respect His church.
教會，或是主耶穌是不是太嚴厲了？
我們知道，主為我們而死，
經由祂的寶血設立了教會，帶來拯救給人們。
祂建造教會在磐石上，這磐石就是祂自已，
並給予教會祂所擁有的權柄來實行審判，
所以那些相信的人可以得救，
而那些違背真理的人會受到譴責。
那麼，沿著同樣的道理來想，
若我們信耶穌，也要尊重祂的教會。
HOLY AND UNBLEMISHED 聖潔無可指摘
Aside from preaching and safeguarding the gospel of salvation,
the believers must also strive to be adorned and prepared to meet the Lord Jesus.
除了宣傳保護救贖的福音，
信徒也要努力裝飾整齊，準備好迎接主耶穌。
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and His wife has made herself ready. (Rev 19:7)
7我們要歡喜快樂，將榮耀歸給他。因為，羔羊婚娶的時候到了；新婦也自己預備好了，
(啟 19：7)
We rejoice because we are betrothed to the Lord, and we know that one day He will come to receive us.
So have we prepared ourselves, and are we suitably adorned?
我們歡欣鼓舞，是因為許配給了主，
並且知道，有一天祂會來仰接我們。
所以我們有好好自已準備，作好合宜的裝飾嗎？
Indeed, as we encourage or correct one another, as the need arises,
are we not preparing the church for the Lord’s second coming?
是的，當要面對準備的事宜，我們互相鼓勵糾正彼此，
難道我們不用為教會好好準備，為了迎接主的再臨呢？
[T]hat He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:26–27)
26要用水藉著道把教會洗淨，成為聖潔，
27可以獻給自己，作個榮耀的教會，毫無玷污、皺紋等類的病，乃是聖潔沒有瑕疵的。
(弗 5：26-27)
The Bible speaks of cleansing the church by the word of God, so that she can be holy and glorious.
By Paul’s definition, a glorious church is one that is without blemish or wrinkle.
To be without blemish means being untainted by the outside world.
To be without wrinkle means not losing strength and vigour.
As time progresses, the church may grow old and weary,
so we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to renew our strength and use God’s word to cleanse us.
We should heed Paul’s message to be renewed in our spirit day by day (2 Cor 4:16),
for this principle applies not only to our physical bodies, but also to the church as a whole.
聖經說到，用神的話語來潔淨教會，這樣她才會聖潔有榮耀。
若按照保羅的解釋，榮耀的教會是沒有玷污和皺紋。
沒有玷污，表示沒有被外面世界所污染。
沒有皺紋，表示沒有失去力量和活力。
隨著時間過去，教會成長會變老，變得衰弱，
所以我們要靠聖靈，更新自已的力量，用神的話來潔淨自已。
要留意保羅的訊息，來天天更新自已的靈命，(林後 4：16)，
所以這個原則應用的地方，不只是我們的肉體，
整個來看，也包括了教會。
The true church has long been established, but her construction is an ongoing process.
As members, we need to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to pursue holiness,
so that we can remove our blemishes and wrinkles.
In doing so, we can uphold our faith to the end,
and present ourselves to the Lord as a glorious church—a beautifully adorned bride.
真教會已經設立很久了，但她建造的工程是要一直持續下去的過程。
作為教會的信徒，就要汲取聖靈的力量，追求聖潔，
這樣才會作到移除玷污和皺紋。
要這樣作，就要堅守信仰直到最後，
把我們自已獻給神，作為一間榮耀的教會-一位裝飾好的新娘。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
