謝松龄：懺悔與寬恕

——大齋第四主日講道(C年)

書5:9-12; 詩32; 林後5:16-21; 路15:1-3, 11b-32

奉上帝，聖父、聖子、聖靈的名。阿們。


各位弟兄姊妹平安!今天和大家分享的信息是《懺悔與寬恕》。

今天的福音經課選自路加福音第十五章。我在神學院的新約教授，把路加福音第十五章稱爲“福音中的福音”；因爲這一章突出而生動地啓示了上帝對罪人的慈愛、憐憫與寬恕。在爲今天的講道禱告的時候，我想到一個問題：爲什麽中國文化沒有寬恕的傳統。因爲在美國很難找到中文書，於是，我上網查了一下，中國古代文獻中真的很少有寬恕的記載；但卻充滿了復仇的記載。(可見，復仇在中國人的生活中，佔有重要地位。)
有人可能會說，中國人也講寬恕啊，孔子不是講“恕道”嗎？是的，孔子也講“恕”。但是，孔子講的“恕”只是“己所不欲，勿施於人。”(子貢問曰：“有一言而可以終身行之者乎？”子曰：“其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施于人。”—論語·衛靈公)因此，這個“恕”與聖經所講的寬恕，完全不一樣。聖經所說的寬恕，是上帝對我們這些罪人的慈愛、憐憫和寬恕；上帝也要我們把這樣的寬恕，擴展到人與人之間的關係中去，讓我們彼此相愛，彼此寬恕。

很多聖經研究者把今天的這段福音經課稱作“浪子的比喻”。他們把重點放在表揚“浪子”的悔改；就像中國人所說的“浪子回頭金不換”。但也有不少人說，這段經文應當稱爲“慈愛父親的比喻”(或“寬恕父親的比喻”)。因爲今天福音的核心信息，是上帝對罪人的寬恕和赦免；上帝要人與祂和好，也要人與人之間彼此和好。

今天福音的背景，是“衆稅吏和罪人都挨近耶穌，要聽他講道。法利賽人和文士私下議論說：‘這個人接待罪人，又同他們吃飯。’”(路15：1-2)於是，耶穌講了這個比喻。一個人有兩個兒子；小兒子向父親提出分家的要求，並且要拿走屬於他的那一份。按照猶太人的習慣(其實中國人的習俗也差不多是這樣)，父親沒死的時候，可以預先分家，但是家産的所有收入，還是歸父親所有；等到父親死後，兒子們才可以各自取走屬於自己的那一份。但是，這位父親居然同意了小兒子分家、並且取走財産的要求，這表明這位父親是非常的寬容。不久，小兒子變賣了分得的産業，帶著錢，到遙遠的地方去，在那裏任意揮霍，過放蕩的生活。這就像有許多人，常常利用上帝對人的寬容，拿到了上帝給人恩典，就遠離了上帝。人既然故意不認上帝，上帝就任憑他們存邪僻的心，行不法的事。(羅8：28)

聖經說，“貪財是萬惡之根。”(提前6:10)人一定會爲貪婪和罪惡付出沈重代價。這個小兒子有貪婪的心，不僅貪財，而且貪色；不久就花光了所有的財産，一貧如洗。當時那地方發生大饑荒，他只好爲當地的一個人養豬。(猶太人把豬看作非常肮髒的東西；一個猶太人爲別人養豬，是極大的恥辱)可是，他還是饑餓難忍，只好拿剩下的豬食充饑。這時，他想起父親的家裏有那麽多的雇工，糧食充足有餘，自己決不能餓死在這裏。與其在這裏等死，不如回家去作雇工。他計劃要對父親說：“我得罪了天，又得罪了你；從今以後，我不配作你的兒子，把我當作一個雇工吧!”

許多神學家和傳道人都認爲這表明這個浪子悔改了。但是，他真的悔罪了嗎？我想他並沒有悔罪。他之所以想回家，是因爲他快餓死了。他此刻只是“胃”的悔改，不是心的悔改。他沒有羞愧、沒有痛悔、沒有自責。回家只是他的又一個計劃。他的第一個計劃是分到家産，然後盡情享樂、胡作非爲。但是，第一個計劃可怕地完結了。他知道，作爲一個兒子，他已經死了；回去作雇工，是他唯一的活路，這是他第二個計劃。

回去的路上，離家還遠的時候，父親看見他了。當時，沒有郵政系統，沒有電報傳真，更沒有Email，父親根本不知道在兒子身上發生了什麽事，只是覺得這個鬧分家的兒子，這樣滿面憔悴、一無所有地回來，很不尋常。但無論發生什麽，都是自己的兒子。於是，父親充滿愛憐，奔向前去，緊抱著他，不停地親吻，歡迎兒子回家。小兒子感動了，說：“父親啊，我得罪了天，又得罪了你；從今以後，我不配作你的兒子。”這時，我們聽到的，像是一次真正的悔罪；此時他沒有按回家前的計劃提出請求，要做父親的雇工來賺取面包填飽肚子。

兒子的歸來，讓父親高興萬分；他於是舉行盛宴，慶祝兒子的死而復活，失而又得。但是，在許多人看來，父親用這樣的方式歡迎那迷失、犯罪的兒子，如此恩待他，真是不太公平。他的大兒子就是這麽認爲。大兒子從田裏回來，對著父親大喊大叫：“聽著!你這個兒子和娼妓吞盡了你的産業，爲什麽你還爲他舉辦這麽盛大的宴會？”在這裏，他對父親不是說“我弟兄”，而是說“你兒子”。他可能完全忘記了，當他弟弟分得産業的時候，他也分得自己的産業，而且比他弟弟多一倍。(根據《申命記》21：17，分家時，長子應得三分之二，次子應得三分之一財産)這時，他在嫉妒、憤怒和仇恨之中迷失了自己，同樣犯了罪。

父親提醒他，那可是他的兄弟啊，說：“兒啊，你這個弟兄是死而復活，失而又得的，所以我們理當歡喜快樂。”這個故事就至此結束了。耶穌沒有告訴我們後來發生的事。但是，從這故事裏，我們看到上帝尋找迷路的羊，喚醒垂死的人。許多人認爲，懺悔是得到上帝寬恕的先決條件；也就是說，只有先懺悔，上帝才會寬恕你；或者說，上帝的寬恕是對人懺悔的獎賞。這種觀點對不對？在今天的福音中，我們看到，是父親先用擁抱顯示他的憐憫，再用親吻表明他的寬恕；在這以後，兒子才向他懺悔。所以，上帝的慈愛、憐憫和寬恕是主動的、在先的；不是我們先愛上帝，而是上帝先愛我們。

我們也看到，上帝愛人、憐憫人、寬恕人，而人卻不憐憫別人、不寬恕別人，甚至要置別人於死地，連自己的兄弟也不例外。嫉妒、憤怒和仇恨，阻攔我們進入上帝爲死而復生、失而又得的人舉辦的盛大宴席。這使我想起主禱文教導我們的：求主“饒恕我們的罪，如同我們饒恕得罪我們的人。”在大齋節期，也在所有的時候，我們都要記住，我們不單是要祈求上帝的饒恕，而且要把寬恕帶給衆人，擴展到所有的人。這樣我們才配被稱爲上帝的兒女。

現在讓我們禱告。

親愛的天父，你的憐憫、你的信實廣大。我們滿心感謝你對我們的慈愛，差遣你配得讚美的聖子耶穌基督成爲照亮世界的真光。這光照亮我們的心，也帶領那些曾經遠離你的兒女重新回到你的身旁。求你使我們住在他的光中，就像三位一體的主你住在我們裏面一樣。奉耶穌的名求。阿們。

(2010年3月14日)



此文于2012年01月05日做了修改

马丁路德:九十五条论纲

Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther
on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences
by Dr. Martin Luther (1517)
1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.
2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.
3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh.
4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.
6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.
7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.
8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.
9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.
10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.
11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.
12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.
13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.
14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.
15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.
16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.
17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.
18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.
19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.
20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.
21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;
22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.
23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.
24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.
25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.
26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.
27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].
28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.
29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.
30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.
31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.
32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.
33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;
34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.
35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.
36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.
37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.
38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.
39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.
40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].
41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.
42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.
43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.
45. 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.
46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.
47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.
48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.
49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.
50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.
51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.
52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.
53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others.
54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.
55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope. grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of Christ.
57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only gather them.
58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.
59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.
60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by Christ's merit, are that treasure;
61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.
62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.
63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last.
64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.
65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.
66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men.
67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest graces" are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.
68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.
69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of apostolic pardons, with all reverence.
70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of the commission of the pope.
71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed!
72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!
73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.
74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.
75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God -- this is madness.
76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned.
77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against the pope.
78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii.
79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.
80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.
81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.
82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."
83. Again: -- "Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?"
84. Again: -- "What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul's own need, free it for pure love's sake?"
85. Again: -- "Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?"
86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"
87. Again: -- "What is it that the pope remits, and what participation does he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?"
88. Again: -- "What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?"
89. "Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?"
90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.
91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!
94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.

认识神，理解神的二十二个本质属性

不少网友对圣经启示的神，也就是作为基督徒信仰对象的神一知半解，把一斑当全面，很容易产生误解，有碍对神的认识。我下面把神的二十二个本质属性列出来，并给出最简洁的介绍，供各位朋友在思考信仰时参考。

第一， 神是生命 神是独一无二的生命存在；神是所有生命的源头。

第二， 神是合一 神是独一的；神是简约的。

第三， 神是不变 神的目的不变；神的话语不变；神的属性不变。


第四， 神是无限 神的完美没有止境；神的供应没有止境。

第五， 神是信实 神的本质是真实的；神的话语是信实的；神的做工是实际的。

第六， 神是信靠 神作的就是他说要做的；神在他的属民受难时可靠。

第七， 神是永恒 神没有时间上的开始；从时间角度看，神没有终点。

第八， 神是无境 神无法衡量；神不受局限。

第九， 神是全在 神无处不在，神到处全在。

第十， 神是全知 神透彻知道；神知道所有；神独立知道；神同时知道；神预先知道。

第十一， 神是智慧 神最有效益；神集中一切力量；神用最好的办法达到目的。

第十二， 神是全能 神有技巧有力量实现自己愿望；神决定做或不做；神不愿做的就能不做。

第十三， 神是圣洁 神与世界分离；神与罪无关；神要求其属民圣洁。

第十四， 神是公义 神建立公义律法；神自己行为公义；神分公义给其属民，神按公义审判。

第十五， 神是正义 神赏善；神罚恶；神恕罪，神救人。

第十六， 神是良善 神的本质良善；神的行为良善；神施良善于人类和其他被造。

第十七， 神是慈爱 神的牺牲性慈爱；神的分忧性慈爱；神的亲长性慈爱。

第十八， 神是憎恨 神憎恶污秽；神讨厌罪行；神厌恶悖逆；神不喜违约。

第十九， 神是恩赐 神赐生命给人类；神赐供给于被造；神赐救恩给罪人；神赐保守给信徒。

第二十， 神是怜悯 神怜悯罪人；神分忧病患。

第二十一， 神是容忍 神容忍其子民；神等待没得救的罪人；神用各种方式找回失散。

第二十二， 神是全权 神的位置至高无上；神的权力至高无上；神的目的至高无上。