5. Manna issue 57 - Q & A 問答集


What about those good pagans who have never heard of Christ? 
Can a person be saved through other means?

至於那些善良異教徒，他們從未聽過基督會怎樣？
一個人是否可以透過其他方式得救？


Even those who have not heard of the gospel are without excuse 
“because what may be known of God is manifest in them, 
for God has shown it to them”
through His creation 
(Rom 1:18-23). 
Not only so, God’s law is written in their hearts, 
and God will judge the secrets of men on this basis 
(Rom 2:15, 16).

即使是那些從未聽過福音的人，都無可推諉，
“19神的事情，人所能知道的，原顯明在人心裡，
因為神已經給他們顯明。”
從祂造天地以來
(羅 1：18-23)。
不僅如此，神的律法寫在他們內心，
神將以此為據，審判人的隱密。
(羅 2：15，16)


God rewards eternal life to those 
“who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” 
(Rom 2:6-11).

神會獎賞那些人
“7凡恆心行善，尋求榮耀，尊貴，和不能朽壞之福”
(羅 2：6-11)。


The Bible clearly states that Christ is the only Savior:
“Nor is there salvation in any other, 
for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” 
(Acts 4:12); 
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through Me” 
(Jn 14:6). 
We are saved by the atoning work of Christ, 
who brought God’s grace and reconciliation to the world.

聖經明確表明基督是唯一的救主：
“12除他以外，別無拯救；
因為在天下人間，沒有賜下別的名，我們可以靠著得救。 ”
(徒 4：12)；
“6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)。
我們因著基督贖罪之工而得救，
他帶來神的恩典與及和好給世人。


Although we do not know exactly how God will judge those who never heard of the gospel, 
we do know that God’s judgment is always just. 
He demands from everyone according to what they have been given 
(Lk 12:48).

雖然我們不很確切知道神會如何審判那些從未聽過福音的人，
但我們知道神的審判永遠是公義的。
他按著個人的所得，而向他們要求。
(路 12：48)

We do not need to know how God will judge the pagans. 
Each person will have to be accountable to God on an individual basis. 
Instead of speculating about the salvation of the pagans, 
we need to be sure that we respond to the gospel we have heard 
(Heb 2:1-4).

我們不需要知道神會如何審判異教徒。
每個人都必須以個人身分向神負責。
與其猜測異教徒會不會得到救贖，
我們不如確保自已會回應所聽到的福音。
(來 2：1-4)


Aren’t we saved the moment we believe and confess Christ 
(Eph 1:13)? 
Why do we have to partake of the sacraments? 
They are only symbolic of salvation 
that we have already received and have no effect.

難道我們不是在信主且承認基督的那一刻就得救了嗎？
(弗 1：13)
為什麼我們必須參與聖禮？
他們只是像徵性的救贖，
而而我們已經得到救贖，其本身並沒有功效。


In Ephesians 1:13, 
Paul’s message to the church 
may seem to suggest that a person is already in Christ 
the moment he intellectually agrees with the gospel. 
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; 
in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” 
(Eph 1:13). 
It would be a mistake to interpret “heard” or “believed” as only intellectual agreement 
that occurred at a specific point in time. 
The hearing and believing must include accepting Christ, 
confessing of sin, repentance, receiving the sacraments, 
and entrusting one’s whole life to the gospel, 
all of which make up “the word of truth.” 
If Paul’s words referred to a moment in time, 
then he would be literally saying 
that a believer is included in Christ 
the second he hears a Christian message for the first time in his life 
(in this case, even before intellectual agreement). 
His confession of sin and repentance have no effect. 
They are only symbolic of the salvation he has received.
Such interpretation is not only out of context, 
but also without biblical support.

在以弗所書一章 13 節中，
保羅給教會的信息，
可能似乎就暗示，若一個人理性認同福音的那一刻，就已經在基督裡了。
“13你們既聽見真理的道，就是那叫你們得救的福音，也信了基督，
既然信他，就受了所應許的聖靈為印記。”
(弗 1：13)
若將“聽見”或“相信”理解為理智的認同，
那僅是在特定時間點發生，就是錯誤的。
聽見和相信必須包括接受基督，
認罪，悔改，領受聖禮，
交託自己的一生給福音，
所有這一切才構成了“真理的道”。
若保羅的話語指的是某個時刻，
那麼他其實也是在說，
一個信徒就會被包括基督裡，
在他一生第一次聽到基督訊息的那一刻起，
(在此情況，甚至在理智認同之前)。
他的認罪和悔改並沒有任何功效。
它們只是自已獲得救恩的象徵。
這樣的解釋不只偏離原意，
亦沒有聖經的依據。


Sacraments are not just symbols. 
God works through them to bring us salvation when we receive them with faith.

聖禮不僅僅是像徵。
當我們憑著信心領受聖禮時，神就會藉著聖禮為我們帶來救恩。


The saving effects of the sacraments are clearly stated by the Lord Himself. 
We cannot reduce them to mere symbols 
or even deny their necessity 
just because we do not understand 
how God’s saving effect can take place through some outward actions. 
If a person believes 
that God raised Christ from the dead 
but does not believe that he can receive a new life through baptism, 
he doesn’t qualify as a true believer. 
If a person confesses that Jesus is Lord but rejects footwashing, 
he would be like those who call “Lord, Lord” 
but do not do what He says 
(see Lk 6:46). 
True belief in the heart would encompass acceptance of the sacraments, 
and that is the belief that justifies. 
True confession would encompass receiving the sacraments in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
and that is the confession that saves.

聖禮拯救的功效，是主親自清楚說明的。
我們不能剝奪其真實意義，簡化為象徵，
甚至否認其必要性，
只因為不明白，
神拯救的功效是如何透過外在行動而發揮作用的。
若一個人相信，
神使基督從死裡復活，
卻不相信自己可以透過洗禮獲得新生命，
他就不具備資格成為真正的信徒。
若一個人承認耶穌是救主，卻拒絕洗腳禮，
他就如同那些稱呼“主啊，主啊”的人，
卻不遵行祂訓誨之人一樣
(參考，路 6：46)。
內心的真信仰會包含接受聖禮，
那才是使人稱義的信仰。
真正的悔改信主會包含奉主耶穌聖名領受聖禮，
而那才是使人得救的確認信主。


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