跨越信仰的门坎(二) 玛丽.琼斯

作为人的耶酥, 大概是有史以来对人类影响最根本最巨大的人物. 耶酥的巨大影响, 从本质上讲, 在于他对生命, 对人生的改变. 从他的十二门徒开始, 看他对彼得的改变 (一个普普通通的渔夫到一个殉道者), 到一般老百姓, 看他对妓女, 对病者的改变;  到保罗, 看他对保罗的改变 (从残害基督徒者到最伟大的福音传播者和基督信仰理论的奠基人之一).  从初期基督教开始, 两千多年来, 先不讲圣经里的大道理, 看无数信者心灵和人生的改变… 而这, 根据圣经, 正是耶酥来到人间的使命: 耶酥来到人间, 就是要改变亚当以来蜕变了的人性, 就是要纯洁人性, 使人性融合于神的圣洁公义.
耶酥靠的什么改变人性? 一个字: 爱.

耶酥也是最具争议性的人物. 今天, 连他是否在地球上存在过都还有争议, 更不用讲他的神迹, 他的复活, 他的神子地位, 他在人间和天堂的地位, 他在万物中的地位.
尽管其他的古代宗教和历史典籍上有关耶酥说法和圣经不尽一致, 但是那些记载旁证了耶酥的真实性. 看一段伊斯兰信者的文章:

"穆斯林尊敬并尊崇耶稣（他所带来的和平）。 他们将他视为真主派遣给人类的最伟大信使之一。 古兰经确认他是童贞女之子，并在古兰经中标题为 Maryam [玛利亚] 的章节中有所描述。 古兰经说明耶稣的出生如下：
（记得）当时，天使说：“玛利亚啊！真主的确把从他发出的一句话向你报喜。他的名字是玛利亚之子麦西哈耶稣，在今世和后世都是有面子的，是真主所亲近的。 他在摇篮里在壮年时都要对人说话，他将来是一个善人。”她说：“我的主啊！任何人都没有和我接触过，我怎么会有儿子呢？”天神说：「 真主要如此创造他所意欲的人。 当他判决一件事的时候，他只对那件事说声‘有’，它就有了。”  (古兰经，3：45-47)"
http://www.yich.org/ljysl/class165/Class129/200404/2392.html

基本上, 古兰经不认为耶酥是神的儿子, 而只是使者; 也不认为耶酥被钉十字架. 这些是伊斯兰信仰和基督信仰的根本区别.

约两千年前的圣经之外的一些历史文献, 虽然不认同基督信仰, 但是这些文献不仅见证了耶酥的真实性, 也记录, 见证了当时耶酥信仰者们的经历和体验. 这些信者, 在刑罚甚至死亡面前坚持对基督的信, 拒绝放弃基督信仰. 这和圣经所记载的耶酥门徒的殉道精神是一致的. 我引两段教会提供的资料:

Josephus, (ca. 37-100AD), Jewish Historian,  describing actions of the Jewish high priest Ananias
He convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and brought them before a man named James, the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ, and certain others.  He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned.….
About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man…For he was one who did surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly.  He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks…When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing among us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him…And the tribe of Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared. (Source:  Antiquities of the Jews, 20:200 & 18:63-64, written ca. 94 AD)

Pliny the Younger, Governor of Bithynia, in an official letter to his friend, the Emperor Trajan, asking clarification on how to treat the Christians
I have asked them if they are Christians, and if they admit it, I repeat the question a second and third time, with a warning of the punishment awaiting them.  If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution, for, whatever the nature of their admission, I am convinced that their stubbornness & unshakeable obstinacy ought not to go unpunished…
Those who denied they were…Christians, and who repeated after me an invocation to the gods, and offered formal worship…before your statue, together with those of the gods, and who finally cursed Christ---none of which acts, it is said, those who are really Christians can be forced into performing, these I thought proper to discharge…
They declared that the sum total of their guilt or error amounted to no more than this: they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately amongst themselves in honor of Christ as to a god, and also to bind themselves by oath, not to perform any wicked deed, but to abstain from theft, robbery, and adultery, never to falsify their word, …This made me decide that it was all the more necessary to extract the truth by torture from two slave-women, whom they called deaconesses.  I found nothing but a degenerate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths…
Persons of all ranks and ages, and of both sexes are, and will be, involved in the prosecution.  For this contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has spread through the villages and rural districts, it seems possible, however, to check and cure it.  It is certain at least that the temples, which had been almost deserted, begin now to be frequented; and the sacred festivals, after a long intermission, are again revived; while there is a general demand for sacrificial meat, which for some time past had met with but few purchasers.  (Source:  Pliny, Letters, 10:96-97, written ca 111AD)

可以看到, 两千多年来, 和怀疑, 指责甚至斥骂的力量同样巨大的, 假如不是更加巨大, 是人的心对耶酥的爱的强烈回应, 是人的心对耶酥的信. 底下是一个多世纪前一位普通信者的诗, 根据它而谱的曲, 如同无数的圣洁的诗歌一样, 在今天的教会里广为传唱. 它的基调就是: 耶酥替人的受难; 神的无条件的爱; 神的永生的应允:

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
…….
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
…….
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/u/justasam.htm

关于耶酥, 关于他的大爱, 还有很多话, 留待稍后慢慢说.

耶酥的事迹, 主要见于圣经新约, 因此, 对耶酥的看法, 最终归结为对圣经可靠性和圣经神圣性的看法.  美妙的是, 我觉得, 耶酥和圣经交相辉映: 圣经的无比的坚固性可靠性把耶酥带给我们; 而耶酥的无与伦比的大爱牺牲, 反证了圣经是一本非凡的书.

其实, 不光是我觉得, 事实证明了这点. 大家都知道玛丽.琼斯和她的圣经的故事. 两百年前, 玛丽出生在贫穷的威尔士乡村. 一次机遇让她听到了圣经的故事, 圣经吸引了她. 可是她连字都不认识. 为了识字, 她得步行好几英哩去上学. 等到她学会识字了, 没有圣经給她读. 当时一本圣经昂贵的普通人根本不敢问津. 于是为了读圣经, 她又每周步行好几英哩到一个牧士那里去读. 圣经里耶酥的故事震撼了她, 感动了她. 她于是下定决心要有自己的圣经. 为了攒这份钱, 她干了几乎所有一个十几岁小女孩所能做的所有活, 这份钱, 还要支持家里多病的父亲. 整整六年, 玛丽终于攒足了买圣经的钱. 到哪里去买? 一个十六岁的少女, 再度步行二十五个英哩的山路, 找到了一位有可能卖给她威尔士语圣经的牧士……
玛丽的故事, 感动了那位牧师, 感动了许多人, 最终促成了英国联合圣经公会的成立, 形成了今天圣经在世界范围, 几百种语言的大推广.

玛丽读圣经, 她并不懂什么版本, 什么考证, 对她来说, ALL IT MATTERS,  就是耶酥. 一个普通的乡村少女, 被耶酥的大爱所感动, 以她不屈不挠的信念, 几乎是, 按照一些人的理解, 实现了圣经但以理书的预言: 智慧, 知识的大推广, 大丰富.

就象耶酥 Makes total sense to 玛丽, 耶酥 Makes total sense to 我.

[小小艾]

阿们！！！

[虔谦]

谢谢盒子, LevelII , 青青和爱丽思. 谢谢你们….我是忙了些。。。你们的留言让我又高兴又感动, 一时难表达,谨祝你们好和顺利. 你们瞧, 眼看着, 又快到周末了, 时间真快呀.
LevelII, 博客新创早期，我常去 远方的河 博客， 记的他大概两个礼拜才搞个新的。现在的博客新文章频率好象高很多.谢谢你，你不留指纹， 不知你来过呢:) 祝你学业事业顺利成功！
盒子我去看了你的贴了. 很感慨. 我们再讨论. 我不是PUSHY的人, 只是我认定的, 我会说出来.
朋友的留言, 是我的宝; 也是朋友的宝. 我总是喜欢把朋友的东西尽量贴一些到我博客来. 虽说博客是个人的空间, 但是也少不了心灵的分享和相互的欣赏和扶持. 是不是啊?

[LevelII]

QQ，有几天没贴新的了，一定很忙。人常说要劳逸结合，忙里偷闲，别忘了休息而累坏了。

读上面一贴的想法：让别人感到爱是靠心的感应和无边的善行，争吵或说教是达不到目的的。

[人間的盒子]

想去慈播找段东西来回你的贴的, 结果又在那边吵起架来了, 就给你看吵架吧。

http://www.charitybroad.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4011&start=0

本来想说都make sense, 后来变成都不make sense了。我写在这里, 以后再也不和他们吵了。