巴刻：清教徒的釋經

 清教徒的釋經（巴刻）
THE PURITANS AS INTERPRETERS OF SCRPTURE

(J.I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness, chapter 6, pp. 97-105.)

 

 

引言﹕羅傑斯牧師論《聖經》（從略）

INTRODUCTION: JOHN ROGERS’ SERMON ON THE BIBLE

 

 

清教徒為聖經運動；《聖經》，世上最寶貴的珍藏

A BIBLE MOVEMENT; GREATEST TREASURE ON EARTH

            清教徒骨子裏是一場《聖經》運動。對一位清教徒來說，《聖經》實在是這世界能提供最寶貴的珍藏。他最深的信念是，敬畏上帝就必須敬重《聖經》，事奉上帝就必須遵行《聖經》。在清教徒的思想中，沒有比忽略創造萬物的上帝所寫的話更為侮辱祂；也沒有比珍貴《聖經》、研讀它、順服它、宣揚它的教訓更能高舉祂。清教徒的標記就是深深的尊敬《聖經》 –  永活上帝的的永活話語 ，同時全心去認識、遵行《聖經》所吩咐的一切事。

            This anecdote takes us to the very heart of Puritanism.  The congregation’s reaction shows that Rogers was touching their conscience at its most sensitive point.  For Puritanism was, above all else, a Bible movement.  To the Puritan the Bible was in truth the most precious possession that this world affords.  His deepest conviction was that reverence for God means reverence for Scripture, and serving God means obeying Scripture.  To his mind, therefore, no greater insult could be offered to the Creator than to neglect his written word; and conversely, there could be no truer act of homage to him than to prize it and pore over it, and then to live out and give out its teaching.  Intense veneration for Scripture, as the living word of the living God, and a devoted concern to know and do all that it prescribes, was Puritanism’s hallmark.

 

            我們在這裏要研究清教徒解釋《聖經》的原則與方法，和檢討它們的素質。

參考材料非常豐富﹕解經指引，講章，論文，《聖經》注釋。我們可以隨意採用任何著作，因為我們會發現，清教徒們的信念在任何課題上差不多是完全一致的。

            Our present task is to study the principles and methods, and to assess the quality, of Puritan biblical interpretation.  Source-material, consisting of both hermeneutical directories and sermons, treatises and commentaries, is abundant.  We may draw on these sources indiscriminately, for on all the matters we shall discuss we find the Puritans to be virtually unanimous.

 

 

一般的觀察﹕清教徒的《聖經》觀

GENERAL REMARKS: PURITANS’ VIEW OF BIBLE

 

            我們首先注意清教徒如何麵對《聖經》；我們要指出三點。

            Three general statements about the way the Puritans tackled the interpretative task can be made at once.

 

 

第一﹕《聖經》時代與今天文化隔閡不大

FIRST: NO DISTANCE BETWEEN BIBLICAL TIMES AND PRESENT AGE

 

            第一，清教徒解經家是「前現代人」，意思是他們並沒有今天大部份的人那樣覺得文化之間、時代之間的差異與隔閡。他們也沒有今天很多《聖經》學者一樣持著一些「宗教進化」的猜測理論。這些理論簡直使《聖經》學者癱瘓。清教徒沒有覺得自己與《聖經》人物和後者的經歷之間，因著時間的過去而有什麼差距；反之覺得與他們有一種親切感，因為大家都屬同一人類，同樣麵對、敬畏這位不變的上帝，與祂相交；同樣在一些相同屬靈問題上掙紮。（這種信念智慧嗎？絕對是！）

            First, Puritan exegetes are pre-modern, in the sense that they do not bring to the Bible the pervasive sense of difference and distance between cultures and epochs that is so much part of today’s mind-set; nor do they bring with them the imaginative ideas of religious evolution that cripple so many modern biblical scholars and corrupt so much of their expository work.  Instead of feeling distant from biblical characters and their experiences because of the number of centuries between them, the Puritans felt kinship with them because they belonged to the same human race, faced, feared, and fellowshipped with the same unchanging God, and struggled with essentially the same spiritual problems.  (Was that wisdom?  Yes!) 

 

 

第二﹕文法/歷史解經法

SECOND: GRAMMATICAL-HISTORICAL EXEGESIS

 

            第二，清教徒所採用的「文法 – 歷史解經法」，雖然在表達上比較單純，其實是非常高水準的。任何熟讀清教徒（如亨利馬太）的注釋的人，馬上會看到這一點。

            Second, Puritan grammatical-historical exegesis of texts, though often naively expressed, is remarkably competent, as any knowledgeable reader of, for instance, Matthew Henry’s great expository commentary on the whole Bible will soon see.

 

 

第三﹕解經的目的﹕應用

 

            第三，清教徒解釋《聖經》的目的是要應用經訓，因為，應用《聖經》是他們所關注的核心，也是他們特殊的強項。我們馬上會發現這一點。

            Third, Puritans exegeted Scripture in order to apply it, and as application was the focus of their concern so it was the area of their special strength, as will appear.

 

 

兩項預設TWO PRESUPPOSITIONS

 

            清教徒的解經建立在兩項預設上；他們的方法可以用六點來歸納。

            Two presuppositions governed their approach to interpretation; six rules sum up their method.

 

 

第一預設﹕《聖經》的本質FIRST: NATURE OF SCRIPTURE

 

            第一項預設有關《聖經》的本質。對清教徒來說，《聖經》的全部與每一部份都是上帝口中的話語﹕筆之於書的上帝的話，上帝心意的啟示，上帝旨意的宣告，都為教導人。《聖經》的內容是上帝永恆的真理，或說《聖經》所記錄的歷史過程就是上帝在創造宇宙以前的永恆計劃在歷史中的實現。從這意義上來看，「《聖經》所立定、所寫下的，都是上帝心裏的《聖經》的摘錄與副本；《聖經》在永恆裏於上帝的心中寫成。」因此我們必須相信，這麼多不同背景與性格的作者、以這麼多不同的手法與問題所傳遞的，是上帝同一心意的統一表達 (the unified expression of a single divine mind)，是上帝旨意與計劃的完整、一致（雖然不簡陋）的啟示。

            The first presupposition concerns the nature of Scripture.  To the Puritans, Scripture, as a whole and in all its parts, was the utterance of God: God’s word set down in writing, his mind opened and his thoughts declared for man’s instruction.  The content of Scripture is God’s eternal truth, or the historical process which the Bible records and interprets is just the temporal outworking of God’s eternal plan, formed before the world was.  In this sense, “what our Scriptures have set down and written, is all but extracts and copies taken out of the Scriptures in God’s heart, in which they were written from everlasting.”  That which was delivered by such a multiplicity of human authors, of such different background and characters, in such a variety of styles and literary forms, should therefore be received and studied as the unified expression of a single divine mind, a complete and coherent, though complex, revelation of the will and purpose of God. 

 

對研究《聖經》的清教徒來說，是上帝在說預言，上帝在記錄歷史、詮釋教義、宣揚讚美、寫下異象（這些是《聖經》的內容）；他也知道，讀《聖經》的人必須相信這些不僅是上帝在古時候祂默示諸卷《聖經》時候所說的話，而是上帝對每一個時代的每一位信徒所說的話。 華森 (Thomas Watson) 說﹕「你要這樣想﹕上帝在《聖經》的每一行都在向你說話。」因為，事實就是如此。「《聖經》所說的，就是上帝所說的。」

To the Puritan Bible student, it was God who had uttered the prophecies, recorded the histories, expounded the doctrine, declared the praises, written the visions, of which Scripture was made up; and he knew that Scripture must be read, not merely as words which God spoke long ago, in the actual inspiring of the biblical books, but as words which God continues to speak to every reader in every age.  “Think in every line you read that God is speaking to you,” says Thomas Watson – for in truth he is.  What Scripture says, God is saying. 

 

 

聖經無限的深度

SCRIPTURE’S DEPTHS UNLIMITED

 

            正如上帝的心意是無法測度的，同樣地，《聖經》裏有無限的深淵，「它《聖經》所儲藏的珍寶是使用不盡的。」正如約翰羅賓遜說，在任何時候，「上帝還有更多的真理，要在祂聖潔的話語中展開。」我們解釋《聖經》的人永遠不可能窮究上帝的思想；我們萬不可這樣的想像。「你永不可像你擁有足夠的知識；你必須更完備的研究上帝的話…」上帝保守我們謙卑；祂使我們「不斷的依靠祂，藉著祂的話來教導我們，向我們啟示祂自己；在這時代中，祂必不會帶任何人到人能了解，發現的經訓的盡頭。」

            Just as God’s mind is unfathomable, so there are illimitable depths in Scripture: “the stores of truth laid up in it are inexhaustible.”  It is always the case that, in the famous words ascribed to John Robinson, “the Lord hath more truth yet to break forth out of his holy word.”  As interpreters, we never reach the end of God’s thoughts, and must nor permit ourselves to imagine otherwise.  “Never think you have knowledge enough; study the word more fully. …”  God safeguards our humility by keeping us “in continual dependence on him for teaching and revelations of himself out of the word, never in this world bringing any soul to the utmost of what is from the word to be made out and discovered.” 

清教徒往往與奧古斯丁異口同聲說﹕《聖經》有淺水地，小羊都可以在那裏喝水，但是《聖經》也有深水處，大象可以在那裏遊泳﹕這些深處就是有學問的、敬虔的人還需繼續探索。 因此，所有的基督徒都必須有這樣的心態來研究《聖經》﹕我們知道的太少，必須渴慕學習更多，必須仰望上帝向我們揭開祂自己的話語。

The Puritans often echo Augustine’s remark that, just as there are shallows in Scripture where a lamb may wade, so there are depths in Scripture where an elephant may swim – depths which the most learned and godly have yet to plumb.  All Christians, therefore, should approach their study of Scripture knowing that they know but little, longing to learn more and looking to God himself to open to them his own word.

 

 

第二﹕聖經的內容﹕信仰與任務

信仰﹕認識上帝，上帝的旨意

SECOND: SUBJECT MATTER OF SCRIPTURE: FAITH AND DUTY

FAITH: KNOWING GOD, GOD’S WILL

 

            第二方麵的預設有關於《聖經》的內容，《聖經》的主題。「《聖經》主要教導什麼？」《小要理問答》第三問這樣問。答案是﹕「…人必須對上帝有怎樣的信仰，和上帝要求人要盡那些義務。」我們來考慮這答案的涵意。首先，《聖經》告訴我們，應該對上帝有怎樣的信仰。意思是﹕《聖經》向我們顯示關於屬靈事實的真理，這時墮落的理性不可能掌握的，隻有聖靈才能使我們察驗。因此我們必不可信靠自己 (we must distrust ourselves)，承認我們在這世界的本性裏，又無能又盲目。我們必須祈求聖靈來向我們解釋《聖經》。Thomas Goodwin 說﹕「使聖靈寫下這話語的。」

            This brings us to the second presupposition, which concerns the subject-matter of Scripture.  “What do the Scriptures principally teach?” is the third question of the Shorter Catechism, and the answer is: “… what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.”  Consider the implications of this answer.  First, Scripture teaches us what to believe about God – that is, it sets before us spiritual truths concerning spiritual realities, truths beyond the grasp of fallen reason which only the Holy Spirit can enable us to discern.  Therefore we must distrust ourselves, confess our natural inability and blindness in this realm, and invoke the aid of the Spirit to interpret Scripture to us.  “It was the Spirit that wrote that word,” says Goodwin.

因此，沒有任何人私下的了解，若沒有天上的記錄官 （指聖靈）的幫助，能明白這些事。唯有聖靈在那地方隱藏了知識的寶藏，也隻有聖靈知道在那裏；因此，藉禱告來揭開上帝的心懷，獲得知識的鑰匙，打開上帝的書房，領我們到祂的文件與筆記麵前，是何等的有益！

… therefore … no man’s or men’s private understandings, without the aid of that public secretary of heaven, can understand them… he only hid the treasures of knowledge in that field, and he only knows where they lie; what an advantage is it then by prayer to unlock God’s breast, obtain the key of knowledge that unlocks God’s study, and can direct to all his notes and his papers!

 

歐文沒有寫得這樣的可愛，他直截了當地說﹕

Less quaintly, but more categorically, Owen makes the same point:

我相信 …這是基督教信仰的一項堅定不移的原則，就是﹕若要認識到上帝

在《聖經》裏的心意，必須不斷迫切祈求聖靈那屬天的幫助，因為若不是這樣，就沒有其它辦法。

I suppose… this may be fixed on as a common principle of Christianity; namely, that constant and fervent prayer for the divine assistance of the Holy Spirit, is such an indispensable means for the attaining the knowledge of the mind of God in the Scripture, as that without it all others will not be available [will not avail].

 

Baxter 說﹕「你讀經之前，讀經之後，誠懇地禱告，求聖靈，就是默示《聖經》的那一位，向你解釋，帶領你進入真理。」

            “Before and after you read the Scripture,” says Baxter, “pray earnestly that the Spirit which did indite it, may expound it to you, and lead you into the truth.”

 

 

人的義務DUTY

 

            還有，《聖經》教導我們知道自己的義務。《聖經》對我們的教導，是要我們實行的。因此，我們研究《聖經》，必須以使自己生命井井有條為目標。我們若不斷的努力實行所學到的真理，上帝一定賜福給我們的研經。 那麼。我們的知識必越來越深，越來越廣闊；不然的話，就落為空談，和理性的錯誤。 歐文說﹕

            Also, Scripture teaches us our duty.  Its instruction is for practice.  It must be studied, therefore, for the purpose of setting our lives in order.  And God will only prosper our study if we continually exercise ourselves to live by what we learn.  Then our knowledge will deepen and expand; but otherwise it will run out into sterile verbiage and mental error.  Owen says:

“聖潔福音真理的理念，若與聖潔生活習慣分開，不能活下去，至少不能發揚光大。 我們學習一切真理，都是為了實行，因此我們若去實行，必學習良多 (As we learn all to practice, so we learn much by practice)。 … 隻有這樣，我們才會有把握，我們所學到的，所知道的，真正是真理。因此我們的主告訴我們﹕「 人若立誌遵著祂的旨意行，就必曉得這教訓或是出於上帝，或是我憑著自己說的」（約7﹕17）。…這樣的人必被帶領進入更多的知識。因為人在世上的年日，心思是能不斷領受亮光與知識的，隻要正確地使用思想，和在順服上帝的事上不斷努力。若不是這樣，心思就很快充滿其它的觀念，以致真理的泉源不能把真理流進人的心中。”

The true notion of holy evangelical truths will not live, at least not flourish, where they are divided from a holy conversation.  As we learn all to practice, so we learn much by practice. …  And herein alone can we come unto the assurance, that what we know and learn is indeed the truth.  So our Saviour tells us, that “if any man do the will of God, he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God” (John 7:17). …  And hereby will they be led continually into farther degrees of knowledge.  For the mind of man is capable of receiving continual supplies in the increase of light and knowledge whilst it is in this world, if so be they are improved unto their proper use and in obedience unto God.  But without this the mind will be quickly stuffed with notions, so that no streams can descend into it from the fountain of truth.

 

因此，若要正確地解釋《聖經》，人必須敬虔，謙卑，常常禱告，有受教和順服的靈；不然，心思不論充滿著什麼觀念，都不可能明白屬靈的事實。

He who would interpret Scripture aright, therefore, must be a man of a reverent, humble, prayerful, teachable and obedient spirit; otherwise, however tightly his mind may be “stuffed with notions,” he will never reach any understanding of spiritual realities. 

 

 

六項解經原則

SIX PRINCIPLES OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION

 

            現在我們來看清教徒如何解釋《聖經》，可以用六點來歸納他們的原則﹕

We turn now to the Puritan’s approach to the task of interpretation itself.  Their governing principles may be summarized under the following heads:

 

[1] 按字意和文法解釋《聖經》。宗教改革者反對中世紀教會的作法；後者低看《聖經》的「字意」，追求《聖經》「屬靈」（喻意）的意思。宗教改革者堅持﹕《聖經》的字意 – 即文法上，自然的，作者的原意 – 乃是《聖經》的唯一意思。 解經的目的，就是藉謹慎留意上下文和文法，找到此原意。清教徒完全同意。

[1]《Interpret Scripture literally and grammatically.  The Reformers had insisted, against the medieval depreciation of the “literal” sense of Scripture in favour of the various “spiritual” (allegorical) senses, that the literal – i.e., the grammatical, natural, intended – sense was the only sense that Scripture has, and that it was this sense that must be sought in exposition through careful attention to the context and grammar of each statement.  The Puritans fully agreed. 

 

你若想明白一段有爭議性經文的真正意思的話，要留意經文的完整性，其主題，和上下文。

If you would understand the true sense … of a controverted Scripture, then look well into the coherence, the scope and the context thereof. 

 

《聖經》除了在經文字句裏的意思以外，沒有其它的意思…要解釋任何人的心意，必須正確地了解他所用的字；這又須要我們認識他說話所用的語言，還有語言裏的一些慣用詞，以及一些造句和表達的方式…不了解原文為解經者帶來多麼多的困惑與錯誤…

There is no other sense in it [Scripture] than what is contained in the words whereof materially it doth consist. …  In the interpretation of the mind of anyone, it is necessary that the words he speaks or writes be rightly understood; and this we cannot do immediately unless we understand the language wherein he speaks, as also the idiotism [idiom] of that language, with the common use of and intention of its phraseology and expressions. …  And what perplexities, mistakes and errors, the ignorance of these original languages hath cast many expositors into … especially among those who pertinaciously adhere unto one translaton … might be manifested by instances … without number. 

 

            當然，有些經文的原意就是喻意的。清教徒是這樣對待《雅歌》。James Durham作出一些有趣的觀察﹕

Of course, there might be places in Scripture where the literal sense was itself allegorical.  The Puritans all regarded the Song of Solomon as a case in point, and James Durham has some interesting remarks on the subject:

 

我接受《雅歌》有字意的意思；可是我說，從歷史上的經文（即﹕雅歌）找出的，首先不是這「字意」，而是比喻和喻意中屬靈的意思，這就是《雅歌》在字意上的意義 (literal meaning)。因為什麼是字意上的意義？就是聖靈的原意，在一段經文流露出的，不論是直說還是喻意的，都從不同表達的方法綜納起來… 好像在解釋比喻上，《聖經》的喻意…是非常清楚的。

I grant it hath a literal meaning; but I say, that literal meaning is not … that which first looketh out, as in historical Scriptures … but that which is spiritually … meant by these allegorical and figurative speeches, is the literal meaning of this Song. … for a literal sense (as it is defined by Rivet out of the school-men) is that which floweth from such a place of Scripture, as intended by the Spirit in the words, whether properly or figuratively used, and is to be gathered from the whole complex of expressions together … as in the exposition of parables, allegories and figurative Scriptures is clear.

 

            可是 Durham指出，中世紀時期，不正當的靈意解經是另外一碼事﹕因為「喻意解經是一回事，解釋喻意的聖經是另一回事。」Durham認為，隻當自己有充足理由認為是在解釋一段喻意的經文的時候，才喻意地解釋。

            But, Durham notes, this is quite different from the illegitimate allegorizing of which the medievals were guilty; for “there is a great difference between an allegorical exposition of Scripture and an exposition of allegorical Scripture.”  Durham expounds allegorically only when he has reason to think that it is an allegory that he is expounding. 

 

[2] 解釋《聖經》必須一致和諧。《聖經》既然是上帝的話，表達上帝唯一的旨意，它所宣稱的一切事都是真理，經文之間不可能有真正的衝突。特別注重表麵的矛盾，是不敬虔的表現。Bridges 繼續說﹕

[2] Intepret Scripture consistently and harmonstically.  If Scripture is God’s word, the expression of a single divine mind, all that it says must be true, and there can be no real contradiction between part and part.  To harp on apparent contradictions, therefore, says Bridge, shows real irreverence.  Bridge continues:

 

You know how it was with Moses, when he saw two men fighting, one an Egyptian, and another an Israelite, he killed the Egyptian; but when he saw two Hebrews fighting, now, saith he, I will go and reconcile them, for they are brethren; why so, but because he was a good man, and gracious? 

同樣地，一位蒙恩的信徒看見《聖經》與埃及人，或異教徒作者，或旁經爭戰的時候，他來殺掉那位異教徒…埃及人或旁經；可是當他看到兩段經文之間有差異（看來如此，其實事實上不是這樣），蒙恩信徒說，噢，他們是弟兄，他們必須和好。我必須努力，盡力而為使他們和睦。若有人看見一些經文表麵上的衝突的時候就利用機會來說，看，《聖經》有怎樣的矛盾；而不盡力取調和。這說明什麼？豈不是說明人性的敗壞，對主話語的惡意？因此，我們必須在這事上提防。

So also it is with a gracious heart; when he sees the Scriptures fighting with an Egyptian, and heathen author, or apocryphal, he comes and kills the heathen …. the Egyptian, or the apocrypha; but when he sees two Scriptures at variance (in view, though in truth not), Oh, saith he, these are brethren, and they may be reconciled, I will labour all I can to reconcile them; but when a man shall take every advantage of seeming difference in Scripture, to say, Do ye see what contradictions there are in this book, and not labour to reconcile them; what doth this argue, but that the corruption of a man’s nature, is boiled up to an unknown malice against the word of the Lord; take heed therefore of that.

 

令人深思熟慮的一點﹕非常準確的判斷。

It is a striking thought, and an acute diagnosis.

 

《聖經》既然是上帝一個心意的事實，因此﹕「解釋《聖經》無誤的原則就是《聖經》本身。 因此，我們對經文真正和完整的意思有問題的時候，我們必須查考其它比較清楚的經文。」從這裏我們可以推出兩個原則。（一）不清楚的地方，由清楚的經訓來解釋。 歐文說﹕「這裏的準則乃是﹕對不清楚的經文的解釋，一定要符合《聖經》其它地方清楚的教導。若在這些比較不清楚的經文上提出一些怪異的教義，是非常危險的作法。」（二）邊緣性不清楚的事，以基要的，我們確信的真理來解釋，前者符合後者。 因此，任何不「符合信仰的原則，要理問答裡的要點，信經，主禱文，十誡，和聖禮的教義」的解釋，都不可能是正確的。這兩項原則總稱為「信仰的類比」 (the analogy of faith)，從羅馬書12﹕6取名（雖然可能不是使徒保羅的意思）。

Since Scripture is the unified expression of a single divine mind, it follows that “the infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself, and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture … it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.”  Two principles derive from this.  (1) What is obscure must be interpreted by the light of what is plain.  “The rule in this case,” says Owen, “is that we affix no sense unto any obscure or difficult passage of Scripture but what is … consonant unto other expressions and plain testimonies.  For men to raise peculiar senses from such places, not confirmed elsewhere, is a dangerous curiosity.”  (2) Peripheral ambiguities must be interpreted in harmony with fundamental certainties.  No exposition of any text, therefore, is right which does not “agree with the principles of Religion, the points of Catechism set down in the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the doctrine of Sacraments.”  These two principles together comprised the rule of interpretation commonly termed “the analogy of faith,” a phrase borrowed – probably not in the apostle’s sense – from Romans 12:6.

 

上麵兩個原則與《聖經》的形式有關；下麵四個原則是關乎《聖經》的題目與內容。

Both the foregoing rules concern the form of Scripture; the next four have to do with its matter and content. 

           

            [3] 按著教義解釋《聖經》，以上帝為中心的解釋《聖經》。《聖經》是一本教義性的書；教導我們關於上帝，和受造物與上帝的關係。 Bridges在一段裏解釋雅各書所說的，《聖經》好像鏡子，同時帶出這個原則﹕

 Interpret Scripture doctrinally and theocentrically.  Scripture is a doctrinal book: it teaches us about God and created things in their relation to him.  Bridge brings this out in a passage where he develops James’ image of Scripture as a looking-glass:

           

When ye look upon a looking-glass, ye see three things, the glass, yourself, and all the other things, persons, stools or pictures that are in the room.  So in looking upon Scripture … ye see the truths that are therein contained concerning God and Christ.  There is God seen especially, and Christ seen; there also you see yourself, and your own dirty face; there also you see the creatures that are in the room with you, and their emptiness …

 

還有，《聖經》的觀點是以上帝為中心的﹕墮落的人認為自己是宇宙的中心，可是《聖經》顯示上帝才是中心，它同時正確地形容所有受造之物，包括人﹕萬物都藉著上帝，為上帝而生存。 清教徒對我們最有幫助的一點，就是重新強調《聖經》以上帝為中心的立足點。他們實在掌握到這個原則。

Also, Scripture teaches a theo-centric standpoint: whereas fallen man sees himself as the centre of the universe, the Bible shows us God as central, and depicts all creatures, man included, in their proper perspective – as existing through God, and for God.  One of the points at which the Puritans can help us most is in the recovery of this God-centered standpoint of Scripture, which they themselves grasped so firmly.

 

[4] 按歷史順序的解釋《聖經》，以基督為中心的解釋。基督是「《聖經》真正的主題﹕所有經文都為基督作見證。基督是《聖經》的總結，《聖經》在每一頁裏，差不多在每一節裏，預言基督，預表基督，表明基督…《聖經》好像是包裹嬰孩主耶穌的布。」因此﹕（從略；見附錄。）

[4] Interpret Scripture christologically and evangelically.  Christ is the true subject-matter of Scripture: all was written to bear witness to him.  He is “the sum of the whole Bible, prophesied, typified, prefigured, exhibited, demonstrated, to be found in every leaf, almost in every line, the Scriptures being but as it were the swaddling bands of the child Jesus.”   Therefore:

 

Keep still Jesus Christ in your eye, in the perusal of the Scriptures, as the end, scope and substance thereof: what are the whole Scriptures, but as it were the spiritual swaddling clothes of the holy child Jesus?  1.  Christ is the truth and substance of all the types and shadows.  2. Christ is the substance and matter of the Covenant of Grace, and all administrations thereof; under the Old Testament Christ is veiled, under the New Covenant revealed.  3.  Christ is the centre and meeting place of all the promises; for in him the promises of God are yea and Amen.  4.  Christ is the thing signified, sealed and exhibited in the Sacraments.  5.  Scripture genealogies use to lead us on to the true line of Christ.  6.  Scripture chronologies are to discover to us the times and seasons of Christ.  7. Scripture-laws are our schoolmasters to bring us to Christ, the moral by correcting, the ceremonial by directing.  8.  Scripture-gospel is Christ’s light, whereby we hear and follow him; Christ’s cords of love, whereby we are drawn into sweet union and communion with him; yea it is the very power of God unto salvation unto all them that believe in Christ Jesus; and therefore think of Christ as the very substance, marrow, soul and scope of the whole Scriptures.

 

How richly the Puritans applied this evangelical principle of exegesis can only be appreciated by those who dig into the expository writings of such authors as Owen, Goodwin and Sibbes.

 

[5] 從經驗和實際來解釋《聖經》。從另一個角度來看，《聖經》是一本關乎屬靈經驗的書，清教徒在探討這層麵上特別表現深度與智慧。《天路歷程》可以說是一本描述《聖經》在人的經歷方麵所處理的問題的「圖畫索引」﹕信心，懷疑，誘惑，絕望，恐懼，盼望，與罪的掙紮，撒但的攻擊，屬靈喜樂的高峰，心靈被拋棄的乾旱地。

Interpret Scripture experimentally and practically.  The Bible is, from one standpoint, a book of spiritual experience, and the Puritans explored this dimension of it with unrivalled depth and insight.  Pilgrim’s Progress serves as a kind of pictorial index to the themes which they handled under this head – faith, doubt, temptation, despair, fear, hope, the fight with sin, the attacks of Satan, the peaks of spiritual joy, the dry waste of spiritual desertion. 

同樣地，《聖經》是非常實際的一本書，向人具體的情況說話﹕人在上帝麵前的地位，充滿罪孽，汙穢，無助；又告訴在這種情況中的人他應該相信什麼，作什麼會得到靈魂的健康；清教徒很清楚認識到，解經的時候必須維持這實際的取向。我們必須從《聖經》呈現教義的角度來教導《聖經》，也為《聖經》教導教義的目的來應用《聖經》。 歐文在開始分析「稱義」的教義時說到這一點﹕

Equally the Bible is a practical book, addressing man in a concrete situation – as he stands before God, guilt, vile, helpless – and telling him in that situation what he must believe and do for his soul’s health; and the Puritans recognizes that this practical orientation must be retained in exposition.  Doctrines must be taught from the standpoint from which, and applied for the purpose for which, Scripture itself presents them.  Owen, as we observed earlier, makes this point as he embarks on his analysis of the doctrine of justification:

 

It is the practical direction of the consciences of men, in their application unto God by Jesus Christ, for deliverance from the curse due unto the apostate state, and peace with him … that is alone to be designed in the handling of this doctrine. …  And whereas we cannot either safely or usefully treat of this doctrine, but with respect unto the same ends for which it is declared, and whereunto it is applied, in the Scripture, we should no t… be turned aside from attending unto this case and its resolution, in all our discourses on this subject; For it is the direction, satisfaction, and peace of the consciences of men, and not the curiosity of notions or subtlety of disputations, which it is our duty to design.

 

清教徒時代有人忽略這原則，結果是不負責任、武斷地解釋《聖經》；可是清教徒牧師們堅定的持守這原則，因此他們的著作是「實際的與經驗的」 (practical and experimental)，這是他們常用的形容詞；他們實在是這方麵的大師。

Neglect of this rule by many in the Puritan age led to much irresponsible, doctrinaire handling of Holy Scripture, but the great Puritan pastors consistently observe it, and their writings are in consequence “practical and experimental” (their own regular phrase) in the best and most edifying sense.

 

[6] 以信心解釋《聖經》，尋求現實中的應用。 一段經文的應用來自經文本身。因此，解經工作的一部份就是找出經文裡麵教義的「用途」 (uses)。 解釋的意思，就是讓經文對聽者有意義，有適切感；若沒有指出經文與「教導，督責，使人歸正，教導人學義」方麵的適切性，那麼解經的工作還是未完成。

Interpret Scripture with a faithful and realistic application.  The application comes out of Scripture; the indicating of the “uses” of doctrine is therefore part of the work of expounding Scripture.  Interpretation means making Scripture meaningful and relevant to those whom one addresses, and the work is not finished till the relevance of doctrine for their “reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16) has been shown. 

 

經文的一些典型「用途」（應用方式）包括﹕

 

教導 (information) 的應用﹕應用所解釋過的教義，提出教義的涵意，來塑造人的判   

                                               斷能力，使人們按上帝的心意來對待事物。

勸勉 (exhortation) 的應用﹕呼召聽眾採取行動。

安慰 (comfort) 的應用﹕指出教義如何解決人的懷疑與不定 (uncertainties)。

反省 (trial) 的應用﹕勸勉聽眾自我檢查 (self-examination)，呼召信徒以剛已解釋過

                                   的教義來衡量自己的屬靈光景（例如﹕一個重生的人的標誌；

                                   活基督徒某一方麵的特權或任務）。

The standard “uses” (types of application) were the use of information, whereby the point of doctrine under review was applied, and its implications drawn out, to mould men’s judgments and outlook according to the mind of God; the use of exhortation, summoning them to action; the use of comfort, whereby the doctrine was shown to be the answer to doubts and uncertainties; and the use of trial, of self-examination, a call to measure and assess one’s own spiritual condition in the light of the doctrine set forth (the marks of a regenerate man, perhaps, or the nature of some Christian privilege or duty). 

 

應用經文必須現實 (realistic)﹕解經者必須留意，有沒有使經文向人們實際的情況說話。昨日的應用，不一定能向今天的情況說話。…

「若隻是指責古老的錯誤，或過時的生活，做事方式，這種的熱誠是卑賤的。我們必須考慮現今一代需要的是什麼。」解經者能適切地應用《聖經》，刺透人心，造就生命（有別於不適切，混亂的應用），無疑是非常不容易的，需要智慧，熱心和默想，而對屬血氣和敗壞的人來說是非常不舒服的事（考慮到這一點，可能誘惑上帝的僕人失去控製，因為平常人都喜歡受到愛戴）。可是他必須努力履行這任務，好叫聽眾能感覺到上帝的話語是大能有力的，使人甦醒的，查驗人的心思意念的；若有非信徒或無知的人在場，他們心中隱秘的事就必顯露，叫榮耀歸給上帝。

The application must be realistic: the expositor must watch that the Bible is made to address men where they are.  Yesterday’s application may not speak to their condition today.  “It is but a cheap zeal that declaimeth against antiquated errors, and things now out of use and practice.  We are to consider what the present age needeth.”  For an expositor to make a truly relevant, searching, edifying application of Scripture (as distinct from a clumsy, inappropriate, confusing one) is, no doubt,

A work of great difficulty to himself, requiring much prudence, zeal and meditation, and to the natural and corrupt man will be very unpleasant [which consideration will sorely tempt God’s messenger to pull his punches, for no normal man like causing offence]; yet he is to endeavour to perform it in such a manner, that his auditors may fell the word of God to be quick and powerful, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; and that, if any unbeliever or ignorant person be present, he may have the secrets of his heart made manifest, and give glory to God.

 

若要現實的應用《聖經》，我們必須熟識人們心中在想什麼事。清教徒堅持，要成為一位釋經者，除了研讀《聖經》以外，還必須研究人 (study people)。

To apply Scripture realistically, one must know what is in men’s heads as well as in their hearts, and the Puritans insisted that the would-be expositor needs to study people as well as the Bible.

 

這些就是清教徒解釋《聖經》的原則。對他們來說，沒有其它的學問是這樣的嚴謹，沒有其它的工作是帶來這麼大的獎賞。毫無疑問的，他們的方法是非常正確的；我們若跟隨他們的腳蹤必不行差踏錯。意思是，我們在解釋任何一段經文的時候必須自問﹕

Such were Puritan principles in the matter of biblical interpretation.  To them, no discipline was so exacting, and no labour so rewarding.  The soundness of their method is unquestionable; we shall do well to follow in their footsteps.  That will mean asking six questions of each passage or text that we seek to expound:

 

1.      這些字，事實上是什麼意思？

What do these words actually mean?

2.      其它經文對這段經文帶來什麼亮光？這段經文與《聖經》整體的啟示的關係是什麼？如何符合後者？

What light do other Scriptures throw on this text?  Where and how does it fit into the total biblical revelation?

3.      這段經文教導我們那些關於上帝，關於人與上帝的關係的真理？

What truths does it teach about God, and about man in relation to God?

4.      這些真理與基督拯救的工作有什麼關係？基督福音對了解這段經文帶來什麼亮光？

How are these truths related to the saving work of Christ, and what light does the gospel of Christ throw upon them? 

5.      這些真理勾畫出怎樣的經歷？經文要解釋，培養，或糾正那些經歷？

這些真理記載在《聖經》中，是為了那些「實際目的」 (practical purpose)？

What experiences do these truths delineate, or explain, or seek to create or cure?  For what practical purpose do they stand in Scripture? 

6.      這些真理如何應用在我的身上，在他人的身上？如何應用在我們的處境裏？它們對今天人類那些情況說話？它們教導我們應該信什麼？怎樣活？

How do they apply to myself and others in our own actual situation?  To what present human condition do they speak, and what are they telling us to believe and do?