The Cost of Nondiscipleship不作门徒的代价

The Cost of Nondiscipleship不作门徒的代价

Dallas Willard魏乐德

In 1937 Dietrich Bonhoeffer gave the world his book, The Cost of Discipleship. It was a masterful attack on “easy Christianity” or “cheap grace,” but it did not set aside—perhaps it even enforced—the view of discipleship as a costly spiritual excess, and only for those especially driven or called to it. It was right to point out that one cannot be a disciple of Christ without forfeiting things normally sought in human life, and that one who pays little in the world’s coinage to bear his name has reason to wonder where he stands with God. But the cost of nondiscipleship is far greater—even when this life alone is considered—than the price paid to walk with Jesus.

Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10). The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is after all an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul.

1937 年，迪特里希·朋霍费尔 (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) 向全世界发表了他的著作《做门徒的代价》(The Cost of Discipleship)。 这是对“轻松的基督教”或“廉价的恩典”的巧妙批判，但它并没有排除——甚至可能强化了——将门徒训练视为一种代价高昂的属灵过激行为，只适用于那些特别追求或蒙召的人。 它正确地指出，不放弃一般人生活中通常追求的事物，一个人无法成为基督的门徒，并且那些在世界上为了耶稣的名付出很少的人有理由怀疑他究竟在何处跟上帝站在一起。 但不做门徒的代价——即使只考虑今生——也比与耶稣同行所付出的代价要大得多。

不做门徒的代价是无法拥有持久的平安、充满爱的生活、用神至高无上的良善治理来看待一切的信心、在最令人沮丧的环境中坚定不移的希望、做正确事和抵挡邪恶势力的力量。 简而言之，它的代价正是耶稣所说的他来要带给我们的丰盛生命（约翰福音10:10）。 对于那些与基督一起生活在其中并学习内心温柔和谦卑的人来说，基督十字架形状的轭毕竟是解放和力量的工具，带来灵魂的安息。