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雅各书生命读经 · 第5篇

引言和基督徒之完全的实行美德（五）

Introduction and Practical Virtues of Christian Perfection (5)
1读经：雅各书1:18,21,25-27，使徒行传21:17-26。我们已经指出，我们对于雅各书需要有平衡的观点。一方面，这封书信强调基督徒实行的完全，这点对我们很有帮助。但另一方面，这封书信具有警示作用：即使是一个非常敬虔的人，也可能不清楚神新约的经纶。
1Scripture Reading: James 1:18, 21, 25-27; Acts 21:17-26 We have pointed out that we need to have a balanced view of the Epistle of James. On the one hand, this Epistle is helpful in emphasizing practical Christian perfection. On the other hand, this Epistle serves as a warning that it is possible even for a very godly man not to be clear concerning God’s New Testament economy
WHAT JAMES SAYS CONCERNING
雅各论神新约经纶的话
God’s New Testament economy
2雅各在一章二十六至二十七节说，『若有人自以为是虔敬的，却不勒住他的舌头，反欺骗自己的心，这人的虔敬是虚空的。在神与父面前，那清洁没有玷污的虔敬，就是看顾在患难中的孤儿寡妇，保守自己不受世界玷污。』雅各在这两节圣经里说到虔敬，而这两节圣经指明，关于神新约的经纶，雅各所写的，不如保罗、彼得、约翰那样显著。保罗专注于基督活在我们里面，并成形在我们里面，（加二20，四19，）基督在我们身上显大，并从我们身上活出来，（腓一20～21，）使我们，就是召会，祂的身体，能成为祂的丰满，祂的彰显。（弗一22～23。）彼得强调神藉著基督的复活重生了我们，（彼前一3，）使我们有分于1:3-神的性情，叫我们过敬虔的生活，（彼后一3～7，）并且被建造成为属灵的殿，彰显祂的美德。（彼前二5，9。）约翰强调我们所得永远的生命，使我们与三一神有交通，（约壹一2～3，）以及神圣的出生，将神圣的生命带进我们里面，作神圣的种子，叫我们活出像神的生活，（二29，三9，四17，）并且成为召会，就是灯台，为耶稣作见证，（启一9，11～12，）将来要终结于新耶路撒冷，彰显神直到永远。（二一2～3，10～11。）我盼望所有的圣徒，特别是青年人，好好研读这个保罗、彼得、约翰论到神新约经纶之著作的摘要，并且透彻的消化每一点。雅各在书信里论到神新约的经纶是怎么说的？雅各所强调，那像是新约特征的，不过是神生了我们，（雅一18，）完备自由的律法，（25，）内住的灵，（四5，）以及稍微题到召会。（五14。）然而，他题到这些事时，并没有说到基督是我们的生命，召会是基督的彰显，这两个新约中最特出、最具时代的特征。我们指出雅各书中的这些事，为的是要有公允而平衡的观点。
2In 1:26 and 27 James says, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this one’s religion is vain. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” These verses, in which James speaks of religion, indicate that James’ writing concerning God’s New Testament economy is not as striking as that of Paul, Peter, or John. Paul focuses on Christ living and being formed in us (Gal. 2:20; 4:19) and Christ being magnified in us and lived out of us (Phil. 1:20-21), that we as the church, His Body, may become His fullness, His expression (Eph. 1:22-23). Peter stresses the fact that God has regenerated us through the resurrection of Christ (1 Pet. 1:3), making us partakers of His divine nature, so that we may live a life of godliness (2 Pet. 7) and be built up a spiritual house to express His virtues (1 Pet. 2:5, 9). John emphasizes the eternal life given to us for our fellowship with the Triune God (1 John 1:2-3), and the divine birth that brings into us the divine life as the divine seed for us to live a life like God (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:17) and be the church, as a lampstand, bearing the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 1:9,11-12), which will consummate in the New Jerusalem to express God for eternity (Rev. 2 1:2-3, 1 0-1 1). I hope that all the saints, especially the young people, will study this summary of the writings of Paul, Peter, and John regarding God’s New Testament economy and thoroughly get into each point. What does James say in his Epistle concerning God’s New Testament economy? James emphasizes, as New Testament characteristics, only God’s begetting of us (1:18), the perfect law of freedom (1:25), the indwelling Spirit (4:5), and a little regarding the church (5:14). However, he mentions these things without speaking of Christ as our life and the church as the expression of Christ, the two most outstanding and dispensational characteristics of the New Testament. To point out these matters concerning the Epistle of James is to have a fair and balanced view.
清洁的虔敬
PURE RELIGION
3照雅各书来看，雅各必定非常虔敬。雅各在一章二十七节说到『在神与父面前，那清洁没有玷污的虔敬』，这里的虔敬，是用在积极的意义上。他又接著说，这清洁的虔敬，就是看顾在患难中的孤儿寡妇，保守自己不受世界玷污。看顾在患难中的孤儿寡妇是照著神的爱心行事；保守自己不受世界玷污，是照著神圣别的性情行事为人。毫无疑问，这是一种非常美好的虔敬，甚至是最好的虔敬，这种虔敬乃是照著神的心与神的性情。虽然雅各能写出这样的话论到清洁的虔敬，但他对神新约的经纶却没有清楚的看见。这是一件需要一再强调的事。
3According to his Epistle, James must have been very religious. In 1:27 he uses the word “religion” in a positive sense when he speaks concerning “pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father.” James goes on to say that this pure religion is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. To visit orphans and widows in their affliction is to act according to the loving heart of God, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world is to behave according to the holy nature of God. No doubt, this is a very good religion, even the best religion, a religion according to the heart and nature of God. Nevertheless, although James could write such a word about pure religion, he did not have a clear vision concerning God’s New Testament economy. This is a matter that needs to be emphasized again and again
THE NEED FOR
基督徒生活里需要平衡
BALANCE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
4在我们基督徒的生活里，需要在基督徒实行的完全和神新约的经纶之间取得平衡。人的身体有两肩、两臂、两手、两腿、两脚，这事实指明神的创造是平衡的。我们不该作不平衡的基督徒。我们需要在神的经纶和我们基督徒实行的完全这两方面求得平衡。在我论雅各书的文字里，我是力求平衡，指出雅各书在积极一面有基督徒实行的完全，在消极一面则警告我们，敬虔的人对神新约的经纶可能没有清楚的异象。也许由于雅各的虔敬，以及他在基督徒实行上的完全，使他与彼得、约翰同被称为在耶路撒冷召会的柱石，甚至在其中为首。（加二9。）然而，就著神在基督里新约经纶的启示说，他却不强，反倒仍在旧犹太宗教背景的影响之下，凭著礼仪敬拜神，并过敬畏神的生活。他在行传二十一章二十至二十四节和雅各书二章二至十一节里的话，都证实这点。
4In our Christian life we need to have a balance between practical Christian perfection and God’s New Testament economy. The fact that the human body has two shoulders, two arms, two hands, two legs, and two feet indicates that there is balance in God’s creation. We should not be unbalanced Christians. We need to be balanced with God’secon o my and our practical Christian perfection. In what I have written concerning the Epistle of James I have endeavored to be balanced, pointing out, on the positive side, that in the Epistle of James we have practical Christian perfection and, on the negative side, a warning that a godly person may not have a clear vision of God’s New Testament economy. It may have been due to James’ religion and his practical Christian perfection that he was reputed along with Peter and John to be a pillar, even the first, in the church at Jerusalem (Gal. 2:9). However, he was not strong in the revelation of God’s New Testament economy in Christ. Rather, he was still under the influence of the background of the old Judaic religion—to worship God with ceremonies and live a life in the fear of God. This is proved by what he says in 2:2-11 and by his words in Acts 21:20-24.
THE SITUATION IN
行传二十一章的光景
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE OF ACTS
518现在我们来看行传二十一章的光景。十八节说，『第二天，保罗同我们去见雅各，长老们也都在那里。』保罗问候了他们，『便将神藉著他的职事，在外邦人中所行的事，都一一述说出来。』（19。）他们听见了，『就荣耀神，并对保罗说，弟兄，你看犹太人中信主的有多少万，并且都为律法热心。』（20。）这里的『万』，原文的意思是无数，千千万万。这节圣经指明，雅各带头告诉保罗，犹太人中信主的有多少万，但他们都为律法热心；这位雅各虽然相信了主耶稣，却仍旧传讲并教导摩西的律法。他虽然藉恩得救了，却仍然守律法。在行传二十一章里的，究竟是律法时代，还是恩典时代？这章圣经所记载的乃是混杂的。这种把律法时代与恩典时代混杂在一起的事，是神无法容忍的。我们需要用属天的天平衡量雅各，将他论到基督徒实行之完全的话摆在天平的一边，而将他在行传二十一章的话摆在另一边。我们有了这两边，才能对雅各有平衡的看法。比方说，如果我们只有雅各书一章而没有行传二十一章，我们对雅各的评价就会过高。但如果我们也有行传二十一章，我们的观点就会比较平衡。
5Let us now consider the situation in Acts 21. Verse says, “And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.” After Paul had greeted them, “he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry” (v. 19). When they heard this report, “they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law.” The Greek word rendered “thousands” actually means myriads, tens of thousands. This verse indicates that James, who took the lead to tell Paul about the thousands of Jews who believed and yet were zealous of the law, believed in the Lord Jesus, but he still preached and taught the law of Moses. Although he had been saved through grace, he still kept the law. What do we have here in Acts 21— the dispensation of law or the dispensation of grace? In this chapter we have a mixture. God would not tolerate this mixture of the dispensation of law with the dispensation of grace. In weighing James we need to use a heavenly scale, a scale that has James’ writings concerning practical Christian perfection on one side and his word in Acts 21 on the other side. Only when we have both sides can we have a balanced view of James. For example, if we had only chapter one of James but not chapter twenty-one of Acts, our estimation of James might be too high. But if we also have Acts 21, our view will be more balanced.
6我参考过一些论到雅各书的好书，但是在对雅各的评论里，这些书中没有一本题到行传二十一章。因此，我盼望强调这件事实，就是如果我们要对雅各有平衡的看法，就需要以行传二十一章为背景来看他的书信。我们读了行传二十一章，就会了解雅各为甚么称他的受信者为十二个支派，他又为甚么在雅各书二章用『会堂』一辞。雅各说到十二个支派和会堂，这事实指明，他把犹太教的事物和照著神新约经纶之基督徒的生活，混杂在一起了。雅各自己的话指明这样的搀杂。
6I have consulted some good books on the Epistle of James. But in the comments on James, none of these books refers to Acts 21. Therefore, I wish to emphasize the fact that if we would have a balanced view of James, we need to consider his Epistle against the background of Acts 21. When we read this chapter, we can understand why James addressed his Epistle to the twelve tribes and also why in chapter two he uses the term “synagogue.” The fact that James speaks of the twelve tribes and the synagogue indicates that he had mixed the things of Judaism with the matters of the Christian life according to God’s New Testament economy. James’ own word points to such a mixture.
7行传二十一章里，雅各劝告甚至怂恿保罗，带著那些有愿在身的人到殿里去：『你就照著我们所告诉你的行罢。我们这里有四个人，都有愿在身；你带这些人去，与他们一同行洁净的礼，替他们缴费，叫他们得以剃头，这样，众人就可知道，先前所听说你的事都是虚的，反而你自己却是按规律而行，遵行律法。』（23～24。）那时保罗已经写了罗马书和加拉太书，他在那两卷书中说，律法已经废去了。然而，他还是照著雅各的建议去作。保罗来到耶路撒冷，就是第一个召会建立的所在地。根据行传二十一章，他去见了雅各（召会的柱石）并众长老；彼得和约翰定规也在那里。保罗见证神怎样使用他在外邦人中间作工，他们都因此归荣耀给主。然后他们指出，在耶路撒冷的信徒有多少万，都为律法热心。我们很难相信，以敬虔出名的雅各，竟然会对使徒保罗说这样的话，还怂恿保罗向犹太人证明他一直是守律法的。雅各告诉保罗，为律法热心的犹太人『听说，你教训一切在外邦的犹太人背弃摩西，对他们说，不要给孩子行割礼，也不要遵行规例』。（21。）遵行规例就是遵行律例。然后雅各又要保罗带著四个有愿在身的人与他们一同行洁净的礼。他们所许的愿也许是拿细耳人的愿。照著所要求的，他们现在要剃头，并且在七天之内每天献祭。
7In Acts 21 James advised, even urged, Paul to go to the temple with those who had a vow on them: “Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law” (vv. 23-24). By that time Paul had already written the books of Romans and Galatians, books in which he says that the law had been annulled. Nevertheless, he acted according to James’ suggestion. Paul had come to Jerusalem, where the first church had been established. According to Acts 21, he was meeting with James, who was a pillar of the church, and with all the elders. No doubt, Peter and John were present. Paul gave a testimony of how God had used him to work among the Gentiles, and they all glorified the Lord for this. Then they went on to point out that in Jerusalem there were myriads of believers who were zealous for the law. It is difficult to believe that James, a man reputed to be so godly, could say such a word to the Apostle Paul and that he would urge him to prove to the Jews that he continued to keep the law. James told Paul that the Jews who were zealous of the law “are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs” (v. 21). To walk after the customs is to walk according to the ordinances. Then James went on to ask Paul to go with the four men who had a vow upon them and to purify himself with them. Probably the vow they had taken was the vow of a Nazarite. Now they were required to shave their heads and to offer sacrifices daily for a period of seven days
8多年前我头一次读这段话时，很难相信保罗接受了雅各的劝告。他遵照雅各的话，带别人到殿里去，也有分于许愿的事。保罗好像无法避开那种环境及其混杂的影响。
8When I first read this portion of the Word years ago, I found it hard to believe that Paul took James’ advice. Nevertheless, he followed James’ word and went to the temple with the others and participated in the vow. It seems that Paul could not avoid being influenced by that environment with its mixture
9保罗行为的可能原因但是，保罗那样的行为可能是有立场的。如果有人问到这一点，保罗可以题起他对哥林多人说的话：『向犹太人，我就作犹太人，为要得犹太人；向律法之下的人，我就作律法之下的人，（虽然我自己不在律法之下，）为要得律法之下的人；向律法之外的人，我就作律法之外的人，（对神，我不是在律法之外，反而对基督，我是在律法之内，）为要得律法之外的人。向软弱的人，我就成为软弱的，为要得软弱的人。向众人，我成了众人所是的；无论如何，总要救些人。』（林前九20～22。）不仅如此，保罗也可以说，『当我写罗马书和加拉太书时，是和外邦人在一起，所以我行事为人就像外邦人。但如今我在耶路撒冷和犹太人在一起，我行事为人就像犹太人。』但无论如何，保罗接受了雅各的劝告，跟那些有愿在身的人一同行动了。
9A POSSIBLE REASON FOR PAUL’S BEHAVIOR Paul, however, may have had ground for his behavior. If he had been asked about this, he could have referred to his word to the Corinthians: “And to the Jews I became as a Jew, in order that I might gain Jews; to those under law, as under law (not being myself under law), that I might gain those under law; to those without law, as without law (not being without the law of God but within the law of Christ), that I might gain those without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. To all men I have become all things, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:20-22). Furthermore, Paul could have said, “When I wrote the books of Romans and Galatians, I was with Gentiles, so I behaved as a Gentile. But now in Jerusalem I am with Jews, and I behave as a Jew.” But whatever the case may have been, Paul took the advice of James and joined himself to those who had the vow upon them.
10我们在行传二十一章二十六至二十八节看见，那七日将完，有些犹太人看见保罗在殿里，就耸动了众人，下手拿他。这也许指明，主不同意保罗所行的，所以许可他被捉拿。最后，保罗被押解到罗马，直接受该撒尼罗的审判。虽然保罗是这样一位刚强的使徒，但他到底是人，还是接受了耶路撒冷犹太长老的劝告。然而，神不容让这样的局面下去。
10In Acts 21:26-28 we see that when the seven days were nearly over, certain Jews saw Paul in the temple, stirred up the people, and laid hands on him. This may indicate that the Lord did not agree with what Paul was doing and allowed him to be arrested. Eventually, Paul was sent to Rome to be judged directly by Caesar Nero. Although Paul was such a strong apostle, he was still human, and he took the advice of those Judaic elders in Jerusalem. God, however, would not tolerate the situation
新旧混杂
A MIXTURE OF THE NEW AND THE OLD
11因著有力的圣经根据，我们能说，就著神在基督里新约经纶的启示说，雅各并不刚强。事实上，雅各多少偏离了神的经纶。正如我们已经指出的，他还是受到旧犹太宗教背景的影响；这可由他在行传二十一章的话明确而清楚的看出来。我们可以说，对于神新约经纶与旧约安排的分别，雅各的观点含糊不清，这可能是由于包围雅各的强烈传统，以及影响他的背景。这传统和背景一同发生作用，再加上雅各同情犹太教，就使他牺牲了神新约的经纶，与旧约经纶妥协。这一妥协，就产生了神所不能容忍的混杂。
11We have a strong basis in the Bible for saying that James was not strong in the revelation of God’s New Testament economy in Christ. Actually, James was somewhat off from God’secon o my. As we have pointed out, he was still under the influence of the background of the old Judaic religion. His word in Acts 21 definitely and clearly indicates this. We may say that James’ view was obscure concerning the distinction between God’s new economy and His old dispensation. This obscurity may have been due to the strong tradition James was in and to the background he was under. This tradition and background worked together with James’ sympathy with Judaism to cause him to sacrifice God’s new economy and compromise with the old dispensation. This compromise produced a mixture that was intolerable to God
12神圣的原则是：神在不同时代的安排总要保持分明而且有分别。在行传二十一章里，就连保罗也多多少少牵连在这种混杂里面，那是因著耶路撒冷阴霾多云的气氛。人因著同情传统与背景，总会带进新旧混杂的情形。像雅各这样敬畏神的人也有分于这样的混杂，真是羞耻。这件事记载在圣经里，我们理当加以注意，好叫我们知道需要对神新约的经纶有清楚的异象。
12The divine principle is always to keep God’s dispensations distinct and separate. In Acts 21 even Paul became somewhat involved in this mixture because of the atmosphere, the cloudy sky, in Jerusalem. Man’s sympathy with tradition and background always brings in a mixture of the new with the old. It is a shame that a God-fearing man like James would have taken part in such a mixture. This is recorded in the Scriptures, and it is certainly fair to call our attention to it so that we may realize the need to have a clear vision concerning God’s New Testament economy