上帝是否通过圣灵和我们说话?

Does God Speak to Us through His Spirit?
上帝是否通过圣灵和我们说话?

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.

有一段时间我忙着为上帝工作,至少我认为是这样.记得是一个让我兴奋的教会节目,我正忙着启动这个节目,然而教会里的其他人和我的意见不一致.他们不认为上帝站在我这边,所以他们在幕后反对我的计划. 该怎么办? 我祈祷了.你知道上帝告诉我什么? 没错,上帝告诉我,他支持我!(那段时候上帝对我说了很多). 接着在我读经的时候, 上帝和我”说话”了.他说了什么呢? 他说他站在我这边!.他说那些反对我的人是错的,他们大错特错,而我是正确的.上帝亲自告诉我,我做得对,对我来说就是这样.

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.

镇里的其他人也跟上帝交谈. 他们也都认真为上帝服务. 他们不喜欢我的计划. 于是他们向上帝祷告. 猜猜祷告时发生了什么? 没错. 上帝也对他们"说话"了! 上帝告诉他们我错了! 他们是对的, 并让他们阻止我想做的事.当然,他们做的是正确的.上帝站在他们那边, 对他们来说就是那样.

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

回首这一切,我微笑了. 但当时并不好笑. 还相当令人沮丧.

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.

我反复地思考,为什么上帝总是讲我们期待听到的话?基督教徒在祷告中听到了上帝.他告诉他们去战斗并杀死邪恶的人们--至少那是他们告诉我们的. 于是门诺派教徒(16世纪起源于荷兰的基督教新派,反对婴儿洗礼,服兵役等,主张生活俭朴)也听见上帝了,上帝告诉他们去谴责战争,反对好战的鹰派基督徒. 灵恩派“听到”上帝在祷告中引导他们用灵言讲话. 其他人"听到"上帝告诉他们去反对灵恩派的活动. 同性恋基督徒"听到"上帝告诉他们建立教会来支持另一种生活方式. 反同性恋教会"听到"上帝告诉他们去反对同性恋教会. 我想到, 也许有些人并非真正地听到上帝,也许轻信的人们误认为他们听见了上帝的话语. 你同意吗? 好, 那么告诉我, 是否你和我应该把自己也算在可能受骗的名单里, 如果别人误以为他们听见了上帝, 也许我们也犯了同样的错.

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.

你或许会告诉我,你有过极美妙的经历圣灵的体验. 也许你感到内心宁静甜蜜, 有一种无法言明的喜悦, 你深信不疑, 与上帝交流有一种超乎寻常的感受. 请理解很多人都有过类似的经历. 你是否认为他们都经历过神. 天主教徒、基督教、灵恩派、反灵恩派、同性恋、反同性恋、好战派、主和派、犹太教徒,新纳粹主义、信普救说者,狭隘的盲信、巫师,还有那些在机场穿长袍的家伙都宣称有过类似的经历. 你是否理解其中的一些经历仅仅是信徒内心的一种精神作用, 并非直接与上帝交流.如果你能理解做礼拜时,一些感受并非来自上帝, 那么你应该可以理解, 为什么别人会认为你的经历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.

当然,上帝不会同时鼓励天主教徒和新教徒在爱尔兰互相杀戮, 当然, 你应当同意至少有一些斗士做错了.

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.

和听到上帝的人交谈很有趣, 他并没有错. 上帝站在他那边. 改变他的心意意味着不服从上帝. 他个人与神有交流—一条通向王座的直线. 如果他不知道该怎么做,可以请教上帝. 上帝会赐给他一种内心的感受来引领道路. 一旦他内心感受到上帝的指引,怎能可能听从别人相反的建议? 他怎么可能会错? 我知道那意味着什么, 我曾经有过同样的感受. 但时移势易. 我不再寻求让内在的灵感引领我. 我不再假定那种内在的感觉直接来自于上帝. 我现在用观察和推理来确定什么是最好的. 并且我问了很多问题. 我觉得理性的思考胜过相信内在的感觉, 也更有利于保持谦卑.