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《比利时信条》第九条 三位一体论的圣经依据
我们不仅从圣经的诸多见证中1,也从三个位格各自的工作,尤其是从祂们在我们身上的作为中得知这真理。圣经的见证引导我们相信圣三位一体教义在旧约圣经的诸多之处都有所记载。我们毋需列出所有的经文,只要遴选出一些经文就足够了。
例如在创世记中,神说:“我们要照着自己的形像,按着我们的样式造人,……神就照着自己的形像造人,乃是照着祂的形像造男造女。”(创1:26,27)。还有,“那人已经与我们相似”(创3:22),从神说的“我们要照着我们的形像造人”一话来看,神远不止一个位格;并且当神说,“神……造人”时,显明了只有一位神。的确,祂在旧约没有说有几个位格,但旧约中看似模糊的事情却在新约中非常清晰地显明了。因为当我们的主在约旦河受洗的时候,有天父的声音传来,说:“这是我的爱子”;当时,圣子在水中,圣灵降临在祂身上,形状仿佛鸽子2。关于给一切的信徒受洗,基督吩咐说:“你们要去使万民作我的门徒,奉父、子、圣灵的名给他们施洗。”根据路加福音,天使加百利对主的母亲马利亚说:“圣灵要临到你身上,至高者的能力要荫庇你,因此所要生的圣者,必称为神的儿子”;而且,保罗问安的时候也说:“愿主耶稣的恩惠、神的慈爱、圣灵的感动,常与你们众人同在。”这些经文中已清楚地教导我们,神的独一本质却有三个不同位格。
虽然此教义远超越众人的理解力,然而,我们在今生因着神的话而相信此教义,并且盼望将来在天上能有完全的知识,享受其福益。此外,我们必须注意到三个位格在我们身上执行不同的职份和工作。圣父藉着祂的大能,被称为我们的创造主;圣子藉其宝血,被称为我们的救赎主;圣礼藉着住在我们心中,被称为我们的安慰者。从使徒时代直到如今,三位一体的教义一直为真教会所持守,用以对抗犹太教、伊斯兰教,以及反驳假基督徒和异端份子,如马吉安,摩尼,帕克西亚,撒伯流,撒摩撒他的保罗和亚流等人,这些人都已被教会的正统教父们定为异端。因此,在这教义上,我们乐意接受《使徒信经》 、《尼西亚信经》和《亚他拿修信经》 ;以及其他与此不相违悖,且受到教父们一致认可的信经。
1. 约14:16; 约15:26; 徒2:32, 33; 罗8:9; 加4:6; 多3:4-6; 彼前 1:2; 约壹4:13, 14; 约壹5:1-12; 犹20, 21; 启1:4, 5.
2. 太 3:16.
英文对照:
All this we know both from the testimonies of Holy Scripture and from the respective works of the three Persons, and especially those we perceive in ourselves. The testimonies of Scripture which lead us to believe this Holy Trinity are written in many places of the Old Testament. It is not necessary to mention them all; it is sufficient to select some with discretion.
In the book of Genesis God says: Let Us make man in our image after our likeness …. So God created man in His own image …; male and female He created them. Also: Behold, the man has become like one of Us. From God‘s saying, Let Us make man in Our image, it appears that there are more divine persons than one; and when He says, God created, He indicates that there is one God. It is true, He does not say how many persons there are, but what seems to be somewhat obscure in the Old Testament is very plain in the New Testament. For when our Lord was baptized in the river Jordan, the voice of the Father was heard, who said, This is My beloved Son; the Son was seen in the water, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form as a dove. For the baptism of all believers Christ prescribed this formula: Baptize all nations into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In the gospel according to Luke the angel Gabriel thus addressed Mary, the mother of our Lord: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Likewise: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. In all these places we are fully taught that there are three persons in one only divine essence.
Although this doctrine far surpasses all human understanding, nevertheless in this life we believe it on the ground of the Word of God, and we expect to enjoy its perfect knowledge and fruit hereafter in heaven.
Moreover, we must observe the distinct offices and works of these three Persons towards us. The Father is called our Creator by His power; the Son is our Saviour and Redeemer by His blood; the Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier by His dwelling in our hearts. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity has always been maintained and preserved in the true Church since the time of the apostles to this very day, over against Jews, Muslims, and against false Christians and heretics such as Marcion, Mani, Praxeas, Sabellius, Paul of Samosata, Arius, and such like, who have been justly condemned by the orthodox fathers. In this doctrine, therefore, we willingly receive the three creeds, of the Apostles, of Nicea, and of Athanasius; likewise that which in accordance with them is agreed upon by the early fathers.