MHC:羅馬書 11

提綱： 1-10節：神對猶太人的棄絕不是普世性的。 11-21節： 神任憑猶太人不信，為要使救恩也臨到外邦人。 22-32節：警告外邦人不可驕傲，不信，猶太人被稱為 一個國家，也可能重新進入可見聖約之中。 33-36節：對神的智慧，良善，公義的頌讚。

There was a chosen remnant of believing Jews, who had righteousness and life by faith in Jesus Christ. These were kept according to the election of grace. If then this election was of grace, it could not be of works, either performed or foreseen. Every truly good disposition in a fallen creature must be the effect, therefore it cannot be the cause, of the grace of God bestowed on him. Salvation from the first to the last must be either of grace or of debt. These things are so directly contrary to each other that they cannot be blended together. God glorifies his grace by changing the hearts and tempers of the rebellious. How then should they wonder and praise him! The Jewish nation were as in a deep sleep, without knowledge of their danger, or concern about it; having no sense of their need of the Saviour, or of their being upon the borders of eternal ruin. David, having by the Spirit foretold the sufferings of Christ from his own people, the Jews, foretells the dreadful judgments of God upon them for it, Ps 69. This teaches us how to understand other prayers of David against his enemies; they are prophecies of the judgments of God, not expressions of his own anger. Divine curses will work long; and we have our eyes darkened, if we are bowed down in worldly-mindedness.

Verses 1–10節

論到猶太人中的餘數，雖然被父神稱義，且得到基督的生命，卻唯獨因信靠耶穌基督而得。這完全是出於神主權恩典的揀選。既是恩典，就不在乎行為，也不是靠外在的儀文更不是預先看到誰會有信心才揀選誰。墮落罪人能夠真心行善，不是因為他行善而得蒙拯救，乃完全是神拯救了他之後的結果。救恩從始至終都是完全的神的恩典，且因着我們的過犯。這些都是彼此違背，也是不能混淆的。神使悖逆的人心思和性情都發生改變，從而使自己主權的恩典得着榮耀，他們該當怎樣感到稀奇並頌讚他啊！猶太全族好像沉睡一般，不知道自己所處的兇險之地，並且也不以為意；對需要一位救主的無知，也使他永遠在毀滅的邊緣。在詩篇69篇中，大衛藉着聖靈的啟示預見基督擔當自己同胞猶太人帶來的苦難，預示着神為此而審判他們的可怕刑罰。這也更能幫助我們理解大衛在其他的詩篇中面對他仇敵的禱告時，我們不再看到這是大衛自己的憤怒，乃是在預言神的審判。如果我們專顧世上的事，使我們的眼睛長久不見那真光，神的咒詛將終生相伴。

Verses 11–21

The gospel is the greatest riches of every place where it is. As therefore the righteous rejection of the unbelieving Jews, was the occasion of so large a multitude of the Gentiles being reconciled to God, and at peace with him; the future receiving of the Jews into the church would be such a change, as would resemble a general resurrection of the dead in sin to a life of righteousness. Abraham was as the root of the church. The Jews continued branches of this tree till, as a nation, they rejected the Messiah; after that, their relation to Abraham and to God was, as it were, cut off. The Gentiles were grafted into this tree in their room; being admitted into the church of God. Multitudes were made heirs of Abraham’s faith, holiness and blessedness. It is the natural state of every one of us, to be wild by nature. Conversion is as the grafting in of wild branches into the good olive. The wild olive was often ingrafted into the fruitful one when it began to decay, and this not only brought forth fruit, but caused the decaying olive to revive and flourish. The Gentiles, of free grace, had been grafted in to share advantages. They ought therefore to beware of self-confidence, and every kind of pride or ambition; lest, having only a dead faith, and an empty profession, they should turn from God, and forfeit their privileges. If we stand at all, it is by faith; we are guilty and helpless in ourselves, and are to be humble, watchful, afraid of self-deception, or of being overcome by temptation. Not only are we at first justified by faith, but kept to the end in that justified state by faith only; yet, by a faith which is not alone, but which worketh by love to God and man.

Verses 11–21節

福音使天下蒙耶穌基督拯救的人得以富足。因猶太人的不信，神公義的審判來臨，使得大量的外邦人就與神和好；將來猶太人倘若再加入教會，將是一個極大的轉變，也是他們「向罪死，向義活」的一個復活的象徵。最初亞伯拉罕是教會這棵橄欖樹的樹根，猶太人只是樹上的枝子，作為神的選民他們卻拒絕接受彌賽亞救主；這時候他們與亞伯拉罕的神的關係就被砍斷，外邦人作為野橄欖枝被接在那被砍斷的枝子處，成為教會的一份子，他們因信，成為亞伯拉罕的真子孫，聖潔得蒙祝福。我們每個人，按着性子，都是野橄欖。歸信就好比神把這野枝子接在了好樹上一般。我們常常把新的野橄欖枝嫁接到開始枯萎的橄欖樹上，這樣不僅能夠使橄欖結實，也能使枯萎的橄欖樹復甦茂盛起來。外邦人卻是因白白的恩典得以嫁接在好樹上。他們必須謹慎不可自信，各樣的驕傲和野心都不可有；不要徒有一顆死的信心，一個虛的行為，他們必須轉向神，忘記自己的特權。因為我們惟有憑信才得以站立，然而我們自身本都是罪污敗壞，極需要憐憫的，所以就更應該謙卑，警醒，不可自欺，也不可被試探所勝。我們不僅因信得稱為義，更是因信蒙保守可以恆忍到底。然而，信不是孤立自存的，乃是藉着愛神，愛人來顯明的。

Verses 22–32

Of all judgments, spiritual judgments are the sorest; of these the apostle is here speaking. The restoration of the Jews is, in the course of things, far less improbable than the call of the Gentiles to be the children of Abraham; and though others now possess these privileges, it will not hinder their being admitted again. By rejecting the gospel, and by their indignation at its being preached to the Gentiles, the Jews were become enemies to God; yet they are still to be favoured for the sake of their pious fathers. Though at present they are enemies to the gospel, for their hatred to the Gentiles; yet, when God’s time is come, that will no longer exist, and God’s love to their fathers will be remembered. True grace seeks not to confine God’s favour. Those who find mercy themselves, should endeavour that through their mercy others also may obtain mercy. Not that the Jews will be restored to have their priesthood, and temple, and ceremonies again; an end is put to all these; but they are to be brought to believe in Christ, the true become one sheep-fold with the Gentiles, under Christ the Great Shepherd. The captivities of Israel, their dispersion, and their being shut out from the church, are emblems of the believer’s corrections for doing wrong; and the continued care of the Lord towards that people, and the final mercy and blessed restoration intended for them, show the patience and love of God.

22–32節

所有的審判中，靈魂的審判是最痛苦的，關於這點使徒唯恐我們不曉得。比起選召外邦人成為亞伯拉罕的真子孫來，猶太人重新被接上是更不可能的事；然而即便現在如此，並不能妨礙他們將來若不是長久不信，仍要被重新接上。因拒絕接受福音，他們的抵擋反而使得福音被傳到外邦中，但是，猶太人卻要因虔誠的先祖而蒙受祝福。即便他們現在是福音的抵擋者，因此他們憎恨外邦人；但是當神的時候到了之時，這一切都要結束，神對他們先祖的愛將被紀念。真正的恩典不是要從神那裏得什麼好處，乃是那些蒙憐恤的人可以竭力施憐恤給他人的同時，自己也得蒙神的憐恤；也不是猶太人會恢復他們祭司的職分，重建他們的聖殿，重新施行禮儀律，因為這一切都已經結束了，只要信耶穌基督，他們就和外邦信徒一起都成為一群，歸基督這一個大牧人了。舊約的以色利被擄，被遣散到列邦中，流離失所象徵着新約的信徒犯罪被神鞭打管教，然而神卻對他的百姓永不失慈愛，因他最終要憐憫他們，重建他們，這都表明了神的忍耐和恩慈。

Verses 33–36

The apostle Paul knew the mysteries of the kingdom of God as well as ever any man; yet he confesses himself at a loss; and despairing to find the bottom, he humbly sits down at the brink, and adores the depth. Those who know most in this imperfect state, feel their own weakness most. There is not only depth in the Divine counsels, but riches; abundance of that which is precious and valuable. The Divine counsels are complete; they have not only depth and height, but breadth and length, Eph 3:18, and that passing knowledge. There is that vast distance and disproportion between God and man, between the Creator and the creature, which for ever shuts us from knowledge of his ways. What man shall teach God how to govern the world? The apostle adores the sovereignty of the Divine counsels. All things in heaven and earth, especially those which relate to our salvation, that belong to our peace, are all of him by way of creation, through him by way of providence, that they may be to him in their end. Of God, as the Spring and Fountain of all; through Christ, to God, as the end. These include all God’s relations to his creatures; if all are of Him, and through Him, all should be to Him, and for Him. Whatever begins, let God’s glory be the end: especially let us adore him when we talk of the Divine counsels and actings. The saints in heaven never dispute, but always praise.

33–36節

使徒保羅雖然比任何人更深知天國的奧秘，卻承認自己的失敗，並要去尋根究底，他謙卑地坐在神智慧之海的岸邊，對這無垠的深廣滿懷崇敬。只有最知道尚在此不完全狀態中的人，才最能體會到自己的軟弱。神的定旨不僅博大精深，且豐豐富富，又貴如珍寶。這定旨全備，它不僅又長又闊，並且又高又深（弗3：18），而且使人有真知識。神與人之間本身就有不可逾越的鴻溝，而且也不成比例，是造物的主和受造物之間的關係，如此，我們便永遠無法尋找到神的蹤跡。人怎麼能來教導神怎樣管理世界呢？使徒崇拜神的定旨的完全主權。所有天上，地上，特別是關於我們救恩之事，我們的平安都藉着祂的創造而源於他，藉着他的護理倚靠他，這樣在他們終了時也歸於祂。萬有都本於神，倚靠基督，歸於神。這涵括在萬事萬物與神的關係中，如果萬有都本於他，倚靠他，當然為了他的榮耀，也要歸於他。無論做什麼，最終都要歸榮耀給神：特別當我們談到神的定旨和工作時，更應滿懷崇敬，聖徒們在天上絕不會爭議，只會不斷地讚美神。

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