今日真道圣言/2013年5月31日

威斯敏斯特大要理问答

62 问：何谓无形的教会？

答：无形的教会，是全体选民所组成的团体，包括过去，现在，未来，所有被召聚在元首基督里合而为一的选民。

Q. 62. What is the visible church?

A. The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children.

63 问：无形教会的会员，借着基督所享受的特别恩福有哪些？

答：无形教会的会员，借着基督所享受的是：在荣耀与恩典中，与祂联合并相交团契

Q. 63. What are the special privileges of the visible church?

A. The visible church hath the privilege of being under God's special care and government; of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies; and of enjoying the communion of saints, the ordinary means of salvation, and offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying, that whosoever believes in him shall be saved, and excluding none that will come unto him.

64问：无形教会是什么？

答：无形教会包括过去、现在、未来，在元首基督名下聚集归一的所有选民（弗1:10，22－23；约10:16；11:52）。

Q. 64. What is the invisible church?

A. The invisible church is the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head.

65问：借着基督，无形教会的成员享有什么特殊的恩惠？

答：借着基督，无形教会的成员在恩典与荣耀里享有与祂的合一和交通（约17:21；弗2:5－6；约17:24）。

Q. 65. What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy by Christ?

A. The members of the invisible church by Christ enjoy union and communion with him in grace and glory.

66问：选民所享有的“与基督联合”，是指什么？

答：选民所享有的“与基督联合”是神恩典的作为，借此他们与基督联合，基督是他们的元首与丈夫，这是属灵的与奥秘的，也是真实的与不可分离的联合。这是在他们所得的“有效恩召”里成就的。

Q. 66. What is that union which the elect have with Christ?

A. The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.

67问：“有效的恩召”是什么？

答：“有效的恩召”是上帝的全能与恩典的作为，出自祂对选民的白白与特别的爱，并非由于他们身上有任何原因促使祂如此作；在祂悦纳的时候，祂以此有效恩召，吸引他们归向耶稣基督，这是借着祂的圣道与圣灵所作成的。

Q. 67. What is effectual calling?

A. Effectual calling is the work of God's almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein.

68问；唯独选民所蒙的恩召是有效的吗？

答：唯独所有选民，他们所蒙的恩召是有效的；虽然其他的人，或许常常经由圣道的传讲，得着外在的呼召，并且有圣灵一般性的运行；然而，他们故意忽略并轻视所赐给他们的恩典，罪有应得，被留置在其不信景况中，他们是从未真正归向耶稣基督。

Q. 68. Are the elect only effectually called?

A. All the elect, and they only, are effectually called; although others may be, and often are, outwardly called by the ministry of the word, and have some common operations of the Spirit; who, for their willful neglect and contempt of the grace offered to them, being justly left in their unbelief, do never truly come to Jesus Christ.