今日真道聖言/2013年5月31日

威斯敏斯特大要理問答

62 問：何謂無形的教會？

答：無形的教會，是全體選民所組成的團體，包括過去，現在，未來，所有被召聚在元首基督里合而為一的選民。

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 問：無形教會的會員，借着基督所享受的特別恩福有哪些？

答：無形教會的會員，借着基督所享受的是：在榮耀與恩典中，與祂聯合併相交團契

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問：無形教會是什麼？

答：無形教會包括過去、現在、未來，在元首基督名下聚集歸一的所有選民（弗1:10，22－23；約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問：借着基督，無形教會的成員享有什麼特殊的恩惠？

答：借着基督，無形教會的成員在恩典與榮耀里享有與祂的合一和交通（約17:21；弗2:5－6；約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問：選民所享有的「與基督聯合」，是指什麼？

答：選民所享有的「與基督聯合」是神恩典的作為，藉此他們與基督聯合，基督是他們的元首與丈夫，這是屬靈的與奧秘的，也是真實的與不可分離的聯合。這是在他們所得的「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問：「有效的恩召」是什麼？

答：「有效的恩召」是上帝的全能與恩典的作為，出自祂對選民的白白與特別的愛，並非由於他們身上有任何原因促使祂如此作；在祂悅納的時候，祂以此有效恩召，吸引他們歸向耶穌基督，這是借着祂的聖道與聖靈所作成的。

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問；唯獨選民所蒙的恩召是有效的嗎？

答：唯獨所有選民，他們所蒙的恩召是有效的；雖然其他的人，或許常常經由聖道的傳講，得着外在的呼召，並且有聖靈一般性的運行；然而，他們故意忽略並輕視所賜給他們的恩典，罪有應得，被留置在其不信景況中，他們是從未真正歸向耶穌基督。

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.