上帝是否通過聖靈和我們說話?

Does God Speak to Us through His Spirit?
上帝是否通過聖靈和我們說話?

By Merle Hertzler

There was a time when I was busy doing what I thought was the Lord's work. I remember one church program that I was excited about. I was busy trying to get the program started. But other people at my church disagreed with me. They did not think God was on my side, so they worked behind the scenes to oppose my plans. What did I do? I prayed. Do you know what God told me? That's right, God told me that he was on my side! (It seemed to me that I was hearing a lot from God in those days.) And I read the Bible. God "spoke" to me when I read. What did he say? He said he was on my side! He said that those that opposed me were wrong. They were dead wrong. I was right. God himself told me that I was right. Or so it seemed to me.

有一段時間我忙著為上帝工作,至少我認為是這樣.記得是一個讓我興奮的教會節目,我正忙著啟動這個節目,然而教會裏的其他人和我的意見不一致.他們不認為上帝站在我這邊,所以他們在幕後反對我的計劃. 該怎麽辦? 我祈禱了.你知道上帝告訴我什麽? 沒錯,上帝告訴我,他支持我!(那段時候上帝對我說了很多). 接著在我讀經的時候, 上帝和我”說話”了.他說了什麽呢? 他說他站在我這邊!.他說那些反對我的人是錯的,他們大錯特錯,而我是正確的.上帝親自告訴我,我做得對,對我來說就是這樣.

Across town there were other people who also talked to God. They also were serious about serving God. They didn't like my plans. So they prayed to God. Guess what happened when they prayed? That's right. God "spoke" to them! He told them that I was wrong! He told them that they were right. He told them to stop me from doing what I wanted to do. Surely they were doing the right thing. God himself was on their side! Or so it seemed to them.

鎮裏的其他人也跟上帝交談. 他們也都認真為上帝服務. 他們不喜歡我的計劃. 於是他們向上帝禱告. 猜猜禱告時發生了什麽? 沒錯. 上帝也對他們"說話"了! 上帝告訴他們我錯了! 他們是對的, 並讓他們阻止我想做的事.當然,他們做的是正確的.上帝站在他們那邊, 對他們來說就是那樣.

I look back on it all and smile. But it was not funny back then. It was quite frustrating.

回首這一切,我微笑了. 但當時並不好笑. 還相當令人沮喪.

I see it over and over again. Why is it that God always seems to be saying exactly what we expect to hear? God-and-country fundamentalists "hear" God in their prayers. He tells them to go to war and kill evil people--at least that's what they tell us they hear. But then Mennonites also "hear" God. He tells them to condemn war and oppose the hawkish Christians. Charismatics "hear" God in their prayers leading them to speak in tongues. Others "hear" God telling them to oppose the charismatic movement. Gay Christians "hear" God telling them to build churches that support alternate lifestyles. Anti-gay churches "hear" God telling them to oppose gay churches. A thought comes to my mind. Perhaps at least some of these people are not really hearing God. Perhaps gullible people misunderstand when they think they hear from God. Do you agree? Good. So tell me. Should you and I include ourselves in that list of people who might possibly be deceived? If others are mistaken when they think they hear from God, maybe we are too.

我反複地思考,為什麽上帝總是講我們期待聽到的話?基督教徒在禱告中聽到了上帝.他告訴他們去戰鬥並殺死邪惡的人們--至少那是他們告訴我們的. 於是門諾派教徒(16世紀起源於荷蘭的基督教新派,反對嬰兒洗禮,服兵役等,主張生活儉樸)也聽見上帝了,上帝告訴他們去譴責戰爭,反對好戰的鷹派基督徒. 靈恩派“聽到”上帝在禱告中引導他們用靈言講話. 其他人"聽到"上帝告訴他們去反對靈恩派的活動. 同性戀基督徒"聽到"上帝告訴他們建立教會來支持另一種生活方式. 反同性戀教會"聽到"上帝告訴他們去反對同性戀教會. 我想到, 也許有些人並非真正地聽到上帝,也許輕信的人們誤認為他們聽見了上帝的話語. 你同意嗎? 好, 那麽告訴我, 是否你和我應該把自己也算在可能受騙的名單裏, 如果別人誤以為他們聽見了上帝, 也許我們也犯了同樣的錯.

You may tell me that you have had a wonderful experience of God's Spirit. Perhaps you have felt a sweet inner peace, an unexplainable joy, a deep conviction, or an overwhelming sense of communion with God. Please understand that many have had similar experiences, and I doubt if you think they all were experiencing God. Catholics, Fundamentalists, Charismatics, Anti-Charismatics, gays, anti-gays, hawks, doves, Messianic Jews, Neo-Nazis, Universalists, narrow-minded bigots, witchdoctors, and the robed guys at the airport have all claimed similar experiences. Do you understand how some of these experiences were only the result of the mental processes inside the minds of the believers, and were not the direct hand of God? If you can understand that the experiences felt in a cultic ritual may not be of God, then you should be able to understand why others might think that your experience might not be the direct act of God.

你或許會告訴我,你有過極美妙的經曆聖靈的體驗. 也許你感到內心寧靜甜蜜, 有一種無法言明的喜悅, 你深信不疑, 與上帝交流有一種超乎尋常的感受. 請理解很多人都有過類似的經曆. 你是否認為他們都經曆過神. 天主教徒、基督教、靈恩派、反靈恩派、同性戀、反同性戀、好戰派、主和派、猶太教徒,新納粹主義、信普救說者,狹隘的盲信、巫師,還有那些在機場穿長袍的家夥都宣稱有過類似的經曆. 你是否理解其中的一些經曆僅僅是信徒內心的一種精神作用, 並非直接與上帝交流.如果你能理解做禮拜時,一些感受並非來自上帝, 那麽你應該可以理解, 為什麽別人會認為你的經曆可能不是上帝的直接作用.

Surely God's Spirit was not simultaneously inspiring both Catholics and Protestants to kill each other in Ireland, was he? Surely you must agree that at least some of those combatants were mistaken.

當然,上帝不會同時鼓勵天主教徒和新教徒在愛爾蘭互相殺戮, 當然, 你應當同意至少有一些鬥士做錯了.

It is interesting to talk to somebody who hears from God. He is not wrong. God is on his side. To change his mind would mean disobeying God. He has a personal connection with God --a direct line to the throne. If he doesn't know what to do, he can just ask God. And God supposedly gives him an inner feeling that directs his paths. Once he feels God directing in his heart, how can he possibly listen to those who suggest he do otherwise? How could he possibly be wrong? I know what it is like. I used to be there. But things have changed. I no longer look for an inner feeling in my spirit to lead me. I no longer assume that feelings inside are directly caused by God. I now use the process of observation and reason to determine what is best. And I ask a lot of questions. I find that rational thought is better than trusting an inner feeling. And it helps to keep me humble.

和聽到上帝的人交談很有趣, 他並沒有錯. 上帝站在他那邊. 改變他的心意意味著不服從上帝. 他個人與神有交流—一條通向王座的直線. 如果他不知道該怎麽做,可以請教上帝. 上帝會賜給他一種內心的感受來引領道路. 一旦他內心感受到上帝的指引,怎能可能聽從別人相反的建議? 他怎麽可能會錯? 我知道那意味著什麽, 我曾經有過同樣的感受. 但時移勢易. 我不再尋求讓內在的靈感引領我. 我不再假定那種內在的感覺直接來自於上帝. 我現在用觀察和推理來確定什麽是最好的. 並且我問了很多問題. 我覺得理性的思考勝過相信內在的感覺, 也更有利於保持謙卑.