神创造的本能

  “空中的鹳鸟知道来去的定期，斑鸠燕子与白鹤也守候当来的时令，我的百姓却不知道耶和华的法则”。 – 耶利米书 8:7

 我心中的哈尔滨

• 注：教会一位弟兄回国时路过哈尔滨分享了一些索菲亚大教堂的照片，这促使我有感而发，写一点儿关于哈尔滨的故事作为留念，与大家分享。

哈尔滨素有东方明珠的美誉，被称为“东方小巴黎”。由王刚所播讲的“夜幕下的哈尔滨”伴随着我童年的成长，尽管对这部广播剧的内容一无所知，但它的标题却给我留下无限的回忆和遐想。
97年第一次离开鹤岗的家门，参加南京金陵协和神学的入学考试将我带到这座城市。从鹤岗到哈尔滨晚上9点多乘坐火车到早晨5点多到站。当火车缓缓驶入哈尔滨车站站台的时候，播音员说着最纯正的普通话：“各位乘客，哈尔滨火车站马上就要到了，请您收拾好行李，准备下车。哈尔滨是一座世界名城，每年的冰雪大世界，圣索菲亚大教堂……油炸冰棍，哈尔滨红肠等都让人流连忘返……祝您旅途愉快！欢迎您下次乘坐本次列车。”
那年考试的地点设在南岗基督教堂，考试的结果是一个月后收到一张“不录取通知书”。那次最深刻的是有7-8位一起参加考试的考生。当时的南岗大街上坐落着三座教堂，一座是新教教堂——我们信的基督教，那里聚会的人数最多，每周日会有好几次敬拜，大家都是排着队才能找到座位。与它挨着的是一座东正教教堂——人数很少，信徒多为中俄混血。我们当时很感兴趣去了解，想去那间教堂里找人交通学习相关的知识。当时遇见一位师母。她态度很不友善，并说：“你们要找教堂，你们到对面的天主教去吧，那里有神父和修女”。看来，他们尽管有外在豪华的建筑，却没有传福音的心。难怪他们最后只是沦为公众参观的外在摆设。接着，那天下午，我们几个同学去了对面的天主教，第一次见到了神父和修女，并参加他们的弥撒。一切都很新奇，我们也为着神父终身不娶、修女完全奉献给主，委身服侍而感动。考完试之后，几位同学逛哈尔滨夜市，在路灯下谈论着每个人对未来的期许和盼望。
98年我再次来到哈尔滨参考南京神学院入学考试，这次我们没有在市中心，而是到了距离市中心很远的万宝镇参加考试，因为那时万宝镇上办了一个省一级的圣经学校。好像是经过两次倒车，大概需要3个小时能到达。那次考试，我心里压力很大，在上帝面前祷告说：“主啊，如果今年我考不上南京，我就再也不考南京神学院了（在中国官方基督教最高学府）。我也许只是上一个地方的圣经学校或者东北神学院（坐落在沈阳）就可以了却余生了……”。考试前一夜，在学校的晚祷会上，有位女同学也是考生。她祷告说：“不在乎那定意的，也不在乎那奔跑的，只在乎发怜悯的神。” 结果，那次考试出奇顺利。我考试前复习的内容考试时都有出现。真是奇妙！考完试时，有一位在厨房工作的姐妹看到我对我说：“弟兄你能考上，我看你一直都在不住地祷告”。考试结束后，半夜10点多再次乘坐火车返回鹤岗的路上，我一路流泪，心中感谢上帝，知道里面有一个很清楚的声音说：“你要离开黑龙江了。今年我要带你去南京了”。那一年8月底，我又一次来到哈尔滨，与另一位同学汇合，一起乘坐南下的火车，奔向南京神学院读书。
那之后，在南京读书的7年里，我至少有8-9次到哈尔滨这座城市转车。每次都是擦肩而过，匆匆而去。当98年人不轻狂枉少年的游子背起行囊离开鹤岗老家的那个时刻，心中有一个声音说：“有一天，我会把你带到一个非常非常遥远的地方，你从未去过，也不知道它在哪里”。因为那个更遥远声音的呼唤，我从未将哈尔滨纳入我人生的规划中。然而，事与愿违，在2005年南京神学院硕士毕业那年，最不想去的地方就是哈尔滨。不过，我们要小心，也许你最不想作的事情往往就是上帝最想让你去作的事情。尽管毕业前在选择未来服侍禾场上有许多挣扎，也曾尝试去南方看是否要到那里服侍。然而，当坐在南方的一座教堂里敬拜时，眼泪止不住地流。圣灵在心中责备说：“难道你因为考虑物质的供应就不回哈尔滨吗？回去吧，那里的学生们等着你呢”。带着无奈，带着不甘，也带着对大城市的眷恋与不舍，2005年7月我再次来到哈尔滨，经过近3个小时，到了黑龙江圣经学校准备担任神学老师。在万宝镇的三年是学习谦卑的三年，那三年是历练品格的三年，那三年像摩西在米甸旷野、大卫逃避扫罗王追杀的三年。最不喜欢的三年却是人生最好的三年。最不想去的地方，却是满藏属灵金子的地方。到那个万宝镇的路灯下行走时，想到的是：“黑暗给我了黑色的眼睛，我却用它寻找光明”。走的时候说：“轻轻地我走了，正如我轻轻地来。不带走一片云……”
难道这座城市里就没有我值得留恋的地方吗？当然有。在这座城市的万宝镇上经历了主数不尽的恩典，许多长辈和弟兄姐妹的关怀爱心，学生的成长和发展，同学的鼓励和代祷都是珍藏心中的珍宝。在哈尔滨，我遇见一位主里弟兄和他妈妈曾无偿的爱心接待我在他家里住过一个学期，然而因为准备托福考试，心里一心想的就是背英文单词，从未留心品尝过霓虹灯下哈尔滨的韵味。在那里，我遇见一对传教士夫妇最终作为我申请美国大学的推荐人。在那里，我们曾参加一个南岗教堂的英语团契。2017年夏天在哈尔滨天鹅饭店里发生的一幕仍记忆犹新。当时有五个省的牧者同工参加一个神学研讨会。会议最后一天，沈阳的一位牧师带我到游泳池里学游泳。开始在一米深的泳池边，慢慢离开泳池边走到中间时我不小心落入深水中。那一刻惊恐向我袭来，我在水里挣扎。头脑里回想起小说《荆棘鸟》里一位年轻神父戴恩在水里被溺死的情形。同时，我想象假如这时我死了，我的妈妈、我的家人、我的学生一定会极其难过的。故此，我在水里拼命地挣扎。当时感觉到似乎有一双手把我拉回到岸边。这时救生人员才向我伸出救生杆。在岸上的人都为我捏了一把汗。牧师和我返回宾馆，我们一同向上帝献上感恩的祈祷。尽管我没有学会游泳，却学会了一项更深刻的功课：“原来死亡离我如此之近。每个人都要珍惜生命”。
2013年10月份我第一次回国探再次路过这座城市，心中有无限感慨。哈尔滨，我对你有许多亏欠，尽管在那里的万宝镇住过三年，却从未有机会欣赏过冰雪大世界。哈尔滨，我从未长久驻足仔细欣赏你的优雅古典之美，也没有真正敞开双臂拥抱过你。哈尔滨，这座让我魂牵梦绕的城市，你是我生命中的朋友，但我从来不属于你，你也不属于我。然而，在人生旅程的点点滴滴，在你那里我可以找寻回忆，更可以追逐上帝无形之手的蛛丝马迹。

The Harbin City in My Heart

Psalm 31: 15 “ My times are in your hands.” (NIV)

• Note: A church brother travelled by Harbin on his way back to China and shared some photos of the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin. This inspired me to write a few stories about Harbin as a souvenir and share them with everyone.

耶稣怎样对待难相处的人

圣保罗讲道的实质

罗兰·艾伦

*作者罗兰·艾伦（1868-1947）于 1895 年至 1903 年在中国担任圣公会传教士。此后几年，他负责一个英国教区。在接下来的 40 年里，他一直在撰写有关传教原则的文章。

在《使徒行传》中，我们可以看到圣保罗布道的三个例子，即在彼西底安提阿的布道（13:16-41）、在路司得的布道（14: 15-17 ），以及在雅典的布道（17:22-31）。我们还有五处偶然提到其内容的地方：腓立比的占卜女孩所作的描述（16:17）、他在帖撒罗尼迦会堂的教导摘要（17:2-3）、以弗所的书记在集市上提出的一些让雅典人感到奇怪的观点（19:37）以及对以弗所长老的讲话（20:21）。此外，还有圣保罗本人在写给哥林多教会的第一封书信中对他在哥林多的布道的总结（林前2:2）。这些记载将保罗布道自然地分为两类：在会堂的布道和对外邦人的布道。布道分为三个部分，通过戏剧性的方式吸引听众的注意。
首先，圣保罗以犹太民族的过去历史为基础，表明他传的福音扎根于此，他的信息中并没有抛弃熟悉的事物，也没有否认对列祖们的旧启示的真实性；相反，以色列的整个历史都是上帝为弥赛亚的新启示所做的准备。
在第二部分中，他阐述了耶稣降世、遭人拒绝，以及随后被钉在十字架上的事实。在这里，令人吃惊的是，圣保罗以如此简单和毫不犹豫的直率面对这一巨大困难，这一困难在任何时候、任何地方都是福音被接受的最严重障碍——传教士的信息被他的百姓拒绝。他没有回避它，没有为此道歉，也没有试图掩盖其重要性。他明确清晰大胆地阐述了它；他把它作为他信息真实性的论据之一。这是预言的实现。然后，他拿出了确凿的证据，即使徒们见证的、先知们预言的复活。这是应许的实现。
在第三部分中，他向所有接受饶恕的人宣告饶恕的信息，并严肃警告拒绝饶恕将产生的后果。我们在这里可以看到圣保罗在犹太教堂布道的五个要素：

1. 诉诸过去，试图通过他和他的听众共同的真理陈述来赢得认同。
2. 这是一个事实的陈述，是一个可以被理解、领悟、接受、争论或证明的事物的断言。
3. 对于不可避免的反对意见和本能的抗议，答案是：布道者本国中最聪明、最有思想、最有正义感的人，都决定反对这里提出的主张。
4. 这是对人类灵性需求的呼吁，对饶恕的渴望，以及在新的教义中可以找到平安和信心的令人欣慰的保证。
5. 最后，是严厉的警告。拒绝上帝的信息会带来严重的危险。

这个福音与圣保罗最后一次向以弗所长老们讲话（徒20：17-35）时所记述的内容完全一致。主要内容包括：神的属性，独一、活生生的、充满愛心的；耶稣基督、神的儿子、死亡、复活的生平事实：意义及其满足人类灵性需求的力量；偶像崇拜的愚蠢；救赎之道：悔改和相信；天国的教义；审判的临近。
我们很容易理解，这样的福音会如何吸引圣保罗的听众。对于那些在多神教的相互冲突的主张和混乱的教义中，寻求世界本质和思想统一的人，福音带来了一种既简单又深刻的教义，即一个真实而又活生生的神，万物的创造者。
对于那些寻求对世界、其本质和终结进行合理解释的人们，福音揭示了一种道德目的，在这一目的的光照下，所有的困惑、不确定性和明显的矛盾都化解为一种神圣的和谐。
对于那些具有高尚道德本能、对周围社会的不纯洁感到震惊和沮丧的人们，福音提供了道德判断的保证。
对于那些被罪恶感所压迫的人们，福音带来了饶恕和释放的保证。
对于那些受压迫的、悲伤的、绝望的人们，福音打开了通往光明和自由王国的大门。
对于那些被邪恶灵魂的恐惧吓坏了的人，福音揭示了一种仁慈、警惕、永远存在、无所不能、只需一句话就能驱除黑暗力量的圣灵。
对于不满于偶像崇拜的人们，福音教导他们纯洁地侍奉唯一的真神。
对于那些想象力被恩典的恐怖和黑暗所淹没的人们，福音保证了在复活的主的福祉与和平中超越恩典的未来。
对于需要支持的弱者、被邪恶的锁链束缚的罪人、无法应对异教环境中低迷的道德的人们，福音带来了内在力量属灵的应许。
对于孤独的人，福音提供了友好的温暖和陪伴，所有人都热切地期盼着光明的一天，恩典会降临，这个世界的一切困惑和烦恼都会消失。难怪圣保罗所传的福音如此吸引人，激发了人们的想象力，让他们充满希望，并赋予他们力量去面对迫害。
一个人一旦有了信仰，他的生命就在于与基督的联合。因此，这意味着接受新的生命源泉。这意味着依靠基督来供应和维持生命。这意味着放弃旧的生命观念，甚至放弃生命本身。 就像他以前所知道的那样。这意味着抛弃所有以前的东西。
被拒绝的可能性始终存在。圣保罗并没有在一个地方站稳脚跟，然后继续向那些拒绝按照他的教导行事的人传道多年。一旦他把他们带到了一个地步， 当决定很明确时，他要求他们做出选择。如果他们拒绝他，他就拒绝他们。 ‘抖着衣襟’ 、 ‘跺下脚上的尘土’ （注：参尼5：13，太10：14）、拒绝教导那些拒绝按照教导行事的人，是保罗传福音的重要组成部分。他不是简单地‘走开’ ，而是公开拒绝那些表明自己不配接受他教导的人。福音的一部分就是让人们‘判断自己不配得永生’ 。这是一个需要认真考虑的问题，如果忽略这一要素，福音是否还能被真正地传扬出去。当遭受拒绝还在继续教导，那这还是一种真正的教导吗？(Can there be a true teaching which does not involve the refusal to go on teaching?) 如果我们继续在拒绝道德回应的地方进行教导，我们便停止了传福音；我们只是把教导变成了一种理智教育。这就是为什么我们在学校和禅修院中对福音的教导得再多，也是徒劳无功的。我们教导，但我们不以道德的方式教导。我们不要求道德回应。我们害怕抖动衣襟（注：参尼5：13）这一道义上应由我们承担的责任。如果学生拒绝关注我们，我们应该拒绝对他进行理智教导。我们同样可以拒绝对拒绝关注我们信仰的学生进行信仰教学。
悔改和相信是他布道的关键。悔改时，他们承认自己过去的过错；相信时，他们作为基督身体的肢体得到饶恕。悔改时，他们认识到自己的软弱；相信时，他们通过基督之灵的管理找到力量。悔改时，他们承认自己所走的路是一条死亡之路；相信时，他们在基督的国度中找到了生命之路。悔改时，他们与罪恶的世界决裂；相信时，他们进入教会。

*摘录自罗兰·艾伦 (Roland Allen) 所著《传教方法：圣保罗的还是我们的？》出版地：Grand Rapids, Michigan，出版社： Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001. 62-77.

The Substance of St Paul’s Preaching

Roland Allen

• The author Roland Allen (1868-1947) was an Anglican missionary in China from 1895 to 1903. For a few years afterward he was in charge of an English parish. For the next 40 years he was writing on missionary principles.

Of St Paul’s preaching we have in the Acts three examples, the sermon at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13: 16-41), the speech at Lystra (Acts 14: 15-17), and the speech at Athens (Acts 17: 22-31). We have also five incidental references to its substances: a description given by the soothsaying girl at Philippi (Acts 16: 17), a summary of his teaching in the synagogue at Thessalonica (Acts 17: 2, 3), a not of the points which struck the Athenians in the Agora as strange made by the Town Clerk at Ephesus (Acts 19:37), and the reiteration the Ephesian elders (Acts 20: 21). Besides these, we have an account of his preaching at Corinth given by St Paul himself in his first Epistle to that Church (1 Cor 2: 2). These accounts are naturally divided into two classes: the preaching in the synagogue, and the preaching to the Gentiles.
The sermon is divided into three parts by dramatic appeals to the attention of his hearers.
In the first, St Paul builds upon the past history of the Jewish race and shows that his Gospel is rooted there, that in his message there is no casting away of the things familiar, no denial of the truth of the old revelation made to the Fathers; but rather that the whole history of Israel is the divinely ordered preparation for the new revelation in the Messiah.
In the second, he sets forth the facts of the coming and rejection of Jesus and His consequent crucifixion. Here it is startling with what simple and unhesitating directness St Paul faces at once this great difficulty, the difficult with has at all times everywhere been the most serious hindrance in the way of the acceptance of the Gospel—the rejection of the missionary’s message by his own people. He does not shrink from it, it does not apologize for it, he does not attempt to conceal weight. He sets it forth definitely, clearly, boldly; he makes it part of his argument for the truth of his message. It is the fulfilment of prophecy. Then he produces his conclusive proof, the Resurrection, witnessed by the apostles, foretold by the prophets, the fulfilment of the promise.
In the third part, he proclaims his message of pardon for all who will receive it, and utters a solemn warning of the consequences which will follow its rejection.
We may see here five elements and four characteristics of St Paul’s preaching in the synagogue. The five elements are there:

1. An appeal to the past, an attempt to win sympathy by a statement of truth common to him and his hearers.
2. There is a statement of facts, an assertion of things which can be understood, apprehended, accepted, disputed, or proved.
3. There is the answer to the inevitable objection, to the instinctive protests, that all the wisest and most thoughtful and most judicial minds among the speaker’s own people have decided against the claims here made.

1. There is the appeal to the spiritual needs of men, to the craving for pardon, and the comforting assurance that in the new teaching may be found peace and confidence.
2. Finally, there is the grave warning. The rejection of God’s message involves serious danger. The way of salvation may be refused, and is commonly refused, but not without peril.

This Gospel accords perfectly with the account with St Paul gives of his preaching in his last address to the Ephesian elders. The main elements include: The nature of God, one, living, personal loving; the facts of the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the death, the resurrection: the meaning and their power to supply the spiritual needs of men; the folly of idolatry; the way of salvation: repentance and faith; the doctrine of the kingdom; the nearness of judgment.
We can easily understand how such a Gospel would appeal to the minds of St Paul’s hearers. To those who, among the conflicting claims and confused teachings of polytheism, were seeking for some unity in the world nature and of thought, St Paul brought a doctrine, at once simple and profound, of one personal God living and true, the Creator of all.
To men who sought for some intelligent account of the world, its nature and its end, St Paul revealed a moral purpose in the light of which all the perplexities, uncertainties, and apparent contradictions, resolved themselves into a divine harmony.
To men of high moral instincts, appalled and dismayed at the impurity of society around them, St Paul offered the assurance of a moral judgment.
To men oppressed by the sense of sin he brought the assurance of pardon and release.
To the downtrodden, the sad, the hopeless, he opened the door into a kingdom of light and liberty.
To those who were terrified by the fear of malignant spirits he revealed a Spirit benignant, watchful and ever present, all-powerful and able at a word to banish the power of darkness.
To men dissatisfied with the worship of idols he taught the pure service of one true God.
To people whose imaginations were overwhelmed by the terrors and darkness of the grace he gave the assurance of a future beyond the grace in the bliss and peace of the Risen Lord.
To the weak who needed support, to sinners bound with the chain of vice, to people unable to cope with the depressed morality of their heathen surroundings, he brought the promise of an indwelling Spirit of power.
To the lonely he offered the friendly warmth and society of a company all eagerly looking forward to a bright day when Grace would come and this world with all its perplexities and troubles pass away. It is no wonder that this Gospel of St Paul appealed to men, fired their imaginations, filled them with hope, and strengthened them with power to face persecution.
The moment a man had faith, life for him consisted in union with Christ. Consequently, it meant the acceptance of a new source of life. It meant dependence upon Christ for the supply and maintenance of life. It meant the abandonment of the old conception of life, nay, or the very life itself as he before knew it. It meant the casting away of all the former things.
The possibility of rejection was ever present. St Paul did not establish himself in a place and go on preaching for years to men who refused to act on his teaching. When once he had brought them to a point where decision was clear, he demanded that they should make their choice. If they rejected him, he rejected them. The ‘shaking of the lap’, the ‘shaking of the dust from the feet’, the refusal to teach those who refused to act on the teaching, was a vital part of the Pauline presentation of the Gospel. He did not simply ‘go away’, he opened rejected those who showed themselves unworthy of his teaching. It was part of the Gospel that men might ‘judge themselves unworthy of eternal life’. It is a question which needs serious consideration whether the Gospel can be truly presented if this element is left out. Can there be a true teaching which does not involve the refusal to go on teaching? The teaching of the Gospel is not a mere intellectual instruction: it is a moral process, and involves a moral response. If then we go on teaching where that moral response is refused, we cease to preach the Gospel; we make the teaching a mere education of the intellect. This is why so much of our teaching of the Gospel in schools and zenanas is ineffective. We teach, but we do not teach morally. We do not demand moral response. We are afraid to take the responsibility which morally rests upon us of shaking the lap. We should refuse to give intellectual teaching to a pupil if he refused to give us his attention: we might equally refuse to give religious teaching to a pupil who refused to give us religious attention.
Repentance and faith are the keynotes of his preaching. In repentance they confess their past wrongdoing; in faith they find forgiveness as members of Christ’s Body. In repentance they recognize the weakness; in faith they find strength by the administration of the Spirit of Christ. In repentance they confess the way in which they have walked is a way of death; in faith they find in the Kingdom of Christ the way of life. In repentance they break with a sinful world; in faith they enter the Church.

• Excerpt from Roland Allen, Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001. 62-77.