神所创造的人 （二）

大家还记得小时候所听到一个关于[国王新衣]的故事吗？故事里叙述到国王如何招徕许多

知名的裁缝师来为他缝制美丽的衣裳。那些做的不好看的都一一被严厉处分。后来，有两位骗子出现在皇宫里。他们夸耀能缝制出世上最美丽的衣裳。经过长时间的制作，他们终于完成了，就让国王穿上。可是，当国王更衣完毕，大家只看到国王仍是赤身露体，并没有看到任何衣服。两位骗子便解释说只有聪明人才能看到这华丽非凡的衣裳。国王因不愿承认自己愚拙，就开始评论他所穿戴的衣裳果真是世上最美丽的！众臣听了，因想讨他的欢心，也都纷纷赞赏国王的衣裳。国王便开始得意忘形，便决定游街展示一下他的奇特新服装。在整个过程，众百姓都觉得很奇怪，但都不敢啃声，因害怕惹国王生气。但一位天真的孩童在国王经过他的一刹哪，忍不住便问了他身边的妈妈，《为何国王不穿任何衣服，光着身子走来走去呢？》就在这时，国王才恍然大悟，知道自己已被那两位骗子给耍了。但这全都怪他的自恋心在作祟，使到他完全没有警惕。真是丢脸啊！

说到衣服，我想大多数的人都有穿衣服和脱衣服的习惯。当衣服脏了，破久了，不合穿，不适合，不喜欢的时候，我们就会脱下来，另选一套，然后再把新衣服穿上。在不同的场合，我们就会穿不一样的衣服。在不同的国家或文化，我们就会拥有属于那个地方处境的服装。无可否认，衣服已成为了我们自我肯定，自我身份，自我保护，自我划分，自我表达，自我创造的重要道具。衣服也有神奇的能力可以拉近或隔离人群，例如华族服装，马来服装，大衣，棉衣，寒装，夏天装，等等。跟着文化的交流，衣服也成了人与人，国与国彼此接纳和沟通的管道。但同样的，衣服也可以成为排斥，表达不满的反益器皿，例如撕裂衣服，游街大众，等等。

让我们一起探讨圣经如何提到人所穿的衣服。就从第一个目的开始，接下来若有机会的话，可以在别的月份讨论关于衣服所含有的其它目的。

圣经第一次提到衣服是在创世记，当亚当和夏娃犯罪后，自觉是赤身露体，上帝就用动物的皮缝制了一套衣服给他们遮掩（创3：21）。所以，衣服的第一个用途是成为遮掩人的羞愧。换句话说，衣服是要恢复人起初被造时的尊严。但是，我们可以看到现今社会，时髦的衣服，妖艳的时尚，贵气的华服，甚至破烂的衣裳，都已袭卷了全世界，造成贫富的区分，试探的泛滥，身份的不平，等尊严颠覆的倾向。到底人穿衣服是要恢复起初被造的尊严，还是要证明自己，剥夺他人的尊严呢？当耶稣教导门徒要为最小的穿衣服（马25：36），难道不是要恢复那人的尊严吗？圣经还说做这事的人能得到天国的奖赏，就是在创世以来就已经预备好了（马25：34）。可见，神多么想要恢复人起初被造的尊严啊！

试问自己，我们有尊严吗？或许，现在穿戴体面服装的我们会回答“有”！但是，这只是表面的评估。人是看外表的，但神是看内心（撒上16：7）。一个人的尊严并不取决于他衣服多整齐，多华丽，多昂贵，多清洁，多耀眼，等等装饰。

其实，人的尊严是来自内心的。穿戴衣服除了体面，取暖，更深一层的意义就是要帮助我们了解内心有缺乏，有软弱。（记得，亚当和夏娃是犯罪过后才需穿衣服的。）所以，新约就有提到关于《圣灵的果子》，例如，仁爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信实、温柔、节制（加5：22-23）；如何穿上《良好品格》，例如，怜悯、恩慈、谦虚、温柔、忍耐的心（歌3：12）；论到《属灵操练》，例如，以谦卑束腰，彼此顺服（彼前5：5）；及更重要要穿戴神所赐的《全副军装》，用真理当作带子束腰，用公义当作护心镜遮胸，又用平安的福音当作预备走路的鞋穿在脚上。此外，又拿著信德当作藤牌，可以灭尽那恶者一切的火箭；并戴上救恩的头盔，拿著圣灵的宝剑，就是神的道（弗6：13-17）。

怎么做基督徒需要穿戴这么多肉眼看不见的衣裳呀？对，没错！人被造的尊严本来就是如此。只是，我们因为罪的缘故，已经远离了这些美好的品格与特质。取而代之的是我们自己所想象出来的有形服装，以为拥有这些装饰就能带给我们所谓的尊严。不，这些绝不是真正的衣服！正如国王被两位骗子给蒙蔽了，我们千万别犯了这个错误。让我们寻回远古的衣服，就是内心的属灵品格与特质，以恢复我们人所该有的尊严。让我们也帮助周遭的人也来穿戴这等的衣服，好恢复他们应有的尊严。这是神所喜悦的，也是蒙神所祝福的。

难怪耶稣也教导门徒不要为明天吃什么，喝什么，穿什么，因为的确，生命更胜于饮食，身体更胜于衣裳（马6：25）。所以，让我们不要为这些东西而忧愁，让我们先寻求神的国，神的义，这一切就要加给我们了（马6：33）。对，这一切（包括尊严在内）都要加给我们了。只要我们能坚守神的诫命，就是尽心，尽性，尽意，尽力爱神和爱人如己，神就要亲自缝制光明洁白的细麻衣给我们穿戴，以预备我们进入他在天国所预备的大宴席（启19：7-9）。那日，我们就可以恢复到起初被造的原有尊严，人的尊严。这真是何等大的盼望呀！

你今天穿上了衣服没？


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Pastoral Contribution in the Book of Malachi

The Book of Malachi: A Summary
The book of Malachi is called an “oracle” (1:1). The author is either a person named Malachi, which translated into “my messenger”, or a person given the title “Malachi”, most likely a prophet or priest who is also called the messenger of God in the Bible. The book contains a series of questions asked by both God and the people. In these questions, there is a repeated literary pattern – a statement from God, followed by the phrase “(But) you ask …” , and finally a response from God.

It begins with a description of the wasteland of Edom (1:3–4) and ends with a stern warning of a curse in the land of Israel (4:6). There are frequent reminders of blessings and curses for those who obey God’s words and those who do not. Having the name “Lord Almighty” occurring 20 times within the short four-chapters book further emphasizes the divine nature of the text.

Several vivid images capture the attention of the audience. For examples, there are descriptions of the priests sniffing contemptuously at the Lord’s table (1:13); the Lord spreading on their faces the offal from their festival sacrifices (2:3); the Lord being like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap (3:2); the sun of righteousness rising with healing in its wings (4:2a); and the people going out and leap like calves released from the stall (4:2b).

The old sins committed by God’s people are brought to attention. They have shown contempt for God’s name (1:6); offered blemished animals as sacrifices (1:8,13–14); deprived God of his due honor by turning from his way and giving false teachings (2:2,8); broke faith with one another by marrying foreign women and divorcing wife of their youth (2:10b,11,14); despised God’s justice (2:17b;3:14-15); engaged in sorcery, adultery, perjury, defrauded laborers of their wages, oppressed the widows and the fatherless, deprived aliens of justice, and do not fear God (3:5); robbed God by not giving the whole tithes and offerings (3:8).

In response, God rebukes them by emphasizing the divine election of Jacob’s descendants (1:2–5); his divine and majesty name and kingship among the nations (1:11,14), the curses of those who do not obey his words and break the divine covenant (1:14;2:1-4,9;3:9); the warnings of a future judgment (3:1-5;4:1-3; cf. 4:6b).

Once again, God reaffirms his unchanging nature (3:6), and shows his great love and mercy by allowing his “faithless” people to return from their disobedience (3:7). A sharp distinction is made between the people who feared God and honored his name versus the ones who do not (3:16-18). At his judgment day, the former will be healed from all the injustice suffered, and they will “trample down the wicked”, whereas the latter will be severely punished (3:16–4:3).

In conclusion, God charges his people to “remember the law of Moses” (4:4). He will also send “the prophet Elijah” to turn their heart back to God so that the land can be free from the curse (4:5–6) – a motif that was mentioned throughout the book, as if it has already engulfed the disobedient people of God.


The Book of Malachi: Pastoral Contribution
True Worship
Achtemeier suggests that God’s people can use their attitudes and actions to worship God but God’s people in the book of Malachi have failed to do so. In their worship, they have shown contempt for his name (1:6), defiled food on his altar (1:7), brought blemished animals for sacrifice (1:13-14), broken faith with one another (2:10), renounced the justice of God (2:17), robbed God in tithes and offerings (3:8), said harsh things against God (3:13) and neglected the Mosaic laws altogether (cf. 4:4).

Such worship is detestable to God (1:10). Baker correctly points out that Malachi focuses on individual’s lifestyle, both negative (avoiding sin) and positive (living righteously according to God’s covenant). He adds that many Christians live a life of “dissociative identity disorder”, meaning to separate religious activities from the secular ones. For illustration, Baker highlights that God’s people presume that their minimal attempts at religiosity would satisfy God (1:8,13-14; 3:8), forgetting that their secular activities (or relationship with one another) need to be attended to as well (2:10; 3:5).

This is a reminder for Christians to be mindful of their attitudes and actions when worshipping God. A set of routine sacraments or services may not be sufficient to gain God’s approval. He desires their total commitment and self to him during their worship, not only in church, but also outside the church, and in all aspects of their lives.

Marriage as a Covenant
One aspect of Christians living is marriage. Achtemeier observes the high view of marriage in the book, inferring from Malachi 2:14, which states that it is a covenant between a woman and a man, and a pledge to which God is a witness. He continues to describe that the marriage here is characterized by companionship, mutuality, and lifelong covenant faithfulness to one another. And a “godly offspring” (2:15) will emerge from such a faithful marriage. In contrast, a divorce is associated with domestic violence (2:16), which results in the breaking of the covenant relationship in a hateful way. Such offence is susceptible to divine judgment and against one’s own life (cf. 2:15b,16b).

Sadly, the divorce rate is rising steadily in today’s society, both for Christians and non-Christians as well. Therefore, it is important for (at least the) Christians to return back to God’s words and relearn the actual meaning of marriage as a covenant. Malachi has taught that marriage is not for convenience or for one’s own temporal comfort; it is a lifelong commitment [covenant] to one another. Such a relationship will ensure “godly offspring”, meaning a healthy environment for the next generation and beyond to be raised. In contrast, God hates divorce because it is destructive [violence]. It affects the relationship between the husband and his wife, between them and God (since he was the witness), between them and their children, and themselves (since one or both of them went back on their oath) too. Since God establishes an everlasting covenant with his people, he desires his people to do likewise with their spouse. Only when people learn how to keep an earthly covenant can they keep the heavenly covenant as well.

The Principle of Giving
Another aspect of Christians living is giving to God. The Israelites are accused of robbing God because they did not bring the whole tithes and offerings to the temple (3:8). They have treated such giving as a form of legalism and a chore (cf. 1:13; 2:14), forgetting that all their blessings came actually from God. No wonder God reminds them of the blessings and curses (3:9-12) , which demands their total obedience to him before they can receive any blessings from him. Likewise, Christians should not think of giving as a chore, instead, they must first recognize that the root source of their blessings comes from God. Only then will it be natural for them to give, out of genuine love and gratitude for what God has accomplished on the cross for their salvation and also for what he has blessed them with.

Baker cautions people to read Malachi 3:8-12 in context and using a proper hermeneutic. He asserts that, contrary to the charismatic movement’s claims, a past record of God’s acts or requirements does not necessarily make them into a universal principle. This means that Christians should not use this passage to test him, in particular, on the blessings of prosperity. They should not harbor the erroneous hope of gaining more blessings from God just by giving a higher percentage of their usual tithes.

The guiding principle of giving is a cheerful heart (2Corinthians 9:7). Christians should their offerings of money, time and talents to God not because they are commanded to do so, but because they want to do so. Achtemeier summarizes that the foundation of all Christian generosity should be the generosity of God.

References
Achtemeier, Elizabeth Rice. Preaching from the Minor Prophets: Texts and sermon suggestions. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans, 1998.

Baker, David Weston. Joel, Obadiah, Malachi. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2006.

Hugenberger, Gordon Paul. Marriage as a covenant: A study of biblical law and ethics governing marriage, developed from the perspective of Malachi. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1998.

O'Brien, Julia M. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2004.


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Pastoral Contribution in the Book of Ruth

The Book of Ruth: A Summary
The book of Ruth is named after one of its main characters, a young woman of Moab. It is set in the time of the judges, before any official monarchy is established in Israel. According to the book of Judges, “everyone did as he saw fit” during that time. It is a period of religious and moral degeneracy, national disunity and frequent foreign oppression.

The story begins with a famine in the land. As a result, a man brings his wife, Naomi, and his two sons to live in the country of Moab. Subsequently, the man died and Naomi is left with her two sons. They each marry a Moabite woman, one of whom is named Ruth. After ten years, the two sons also died and leave the three widows by themselves. They decide to return back to Naomi’s hometown. During the journey, Naomi asks her two daughters-in-law to go back to their mother’s home so that they can remarry and set up another family of their own. One of them complies but Ruth, instead, chooses to stay by Naomi’s side. When prompted to change her decision, she demonstrates her strong determination by replying,
"Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

With that, they proceed on and arrive in their hometown. For a living, Ruth volunteers to go down to the fields and collect the leftover grain behind the harvesters. Coincidentally, the field she works in actually belongs to Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s husband. When Boaz gets to know of Ruth and her filial piety, he begins to extend much kindness to her throughout her labor in his field.

Now, there is a law in Israel that requires the nearest relative of a poor countryman to redeem the sold property so that the land will not be permanently sold to outsiders. And there is another law that commands a fellow kinsman to marry the childless widow in the family and stated that the first child must carry the name of the deceased. Knowing these, Naomi devises a plan so that Ruth can approach Boaz, their kinsman-redeemer, to fulfill the redemption.

In response, Boaz points out that there is another kinsman-redeemer nearer than him who has the first right of refusal. Subsequently, the man forsakes the redemption right for fear of endangering his inheritance. And Boaz, therefore, keeps his promise and redeems the property belonging to Naomi’s husband and sons, and marries Ruth as his wife. The story ends with a genealogy that referred to them as the great-grandparents of David, the second king of Israel.


The Book of Ruth: Pastoral Contribution
The Unseen Hand of God
Though there is no explicit mention of God’s intervention in Ruth, there are four ways that reveal his presence in the story. His unseen hand can be recognized through the unpredictable natural events (1:1,6,22), the apparent chance events (2:3), the risky human schemes (3:1-14), and even during the impartial legal process (4:1-10). Barber affirms God’s presence in the book, arguing that everything was orchestrated to accomplish his ultimate plan for the ancestry of Christ.

Often, Christians tend to overlook the unseen hand of God and as a result, create doubts in his love for them. This is more apparent during the period of crisis. Like Naomi, they might complain that God does not render timely help to them; instead, he causes them to suffer unbearable misery. A few more such setbacks and they will resign to their fate, concluding that God is not going to answer their prayers.

The book of Ruth, however, tells of the unseen hand of God, which is always at work to accomplish “his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom 12:2b), and “all for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28a). In a drastic manner, God turns the course of Naomi’s life from experiencing great calamities into a great celebration by controlling the natural events, by allowing “coincidences” to happen, by working through humans’ plans, and by determining the outcome of complex processes. Surely, God’s unseen hand can do much more to help those in distress who call on his name by a true faith.

True Faith
The heart of God for his people is not only to respond to his love, but also to show mercy and compassion for one another. This is illustrated through some of the Mosaic laws, which the Israelites are commanded to abide, in the story. For a start, Ruth, a Moabitess, is accepted into the Israelites community; then she is allowed to pick the leftover crops behind the harvesters; at the same time, Boaz ordered his men not to embarrass [or oppress] her; and finally, Boaz, their kinsman-redeemer, agrees to redeem her family and marry her. These are the practical application of God’s laws, giving glory to him and grace to his people.

For modern readers, these are what people of true faith should do, that is, to obey God and show concern for the welfare of others. Indeed, faith must be accompanied by corresponding deed; otherwise it is as good as dead (cf. James 2:17). Therefore, Christians should not develop disillusioned faith, but they must practice true faith so that the living hope they have in Christ can be revealed.

Living Hope
In chapter 1, Naomi sees only God’s power without his pity, sovereignty without sympathy and justice without grace. In her disappointment with God, however, she does not lose hope in him. Instead, she continues to place her trust in God. This can be seen from her return to her hometown when she heard that God has provided food to his people (1:6); from her permission to allow Ruth to glean at the fields, knowing that God’s people will show kindness to them (2:20); from her scheme to ask Boaz, their kinsman-redeemer, to redeem them in accordance to God’s laws (3:1-4); and from her anticipation of the divine will of God to be fulfilled, believing that their lives will be changed for the better (3:18).

As Barber has put it, one must always have hope, for without it there is only increasing discouragement and eventual despair. In life, things can go very wrong, but Christians should never give up hope in the living God. By entrusting their lives to God, they can be confident that God will deliver them in his appointed time, just like the case for Naomi. With hope, Christians can have the courage to take a step forward in anticipation of God’s providence, then later many more steps until they begin to see the entire picture of God’s ultimate plan in their lives.

References
Barber, Cyril J. Ruth: A Story of God's grace. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003.

Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1999.

Phillips, W. Gary. Judges, Ruth. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2004.


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神所创造的人 （一）

这是个很棘手的课题，因为我们都知道人类是个非常复杂的生物，就连科学家，医学家和人

物学家都还在不断的研究，摸索，推断，等等，却始终没有很完善的结论。但因为这样，这课题就显得更加重要，且直的一提再提。所以我想尝试从一个新的角度去切入这个严肃的课题，从而讨论关于人类从前，现在及未来的命运。深信这篇文章能帮助我们更加了解关于[神所创造的人]。

在此要特别声明本人是从圣经的题材[或释真理]来支持我的论点，是由一个基督徒的角度来看待事物。

首先，我想倘若真要更了解人类，就要知道神创造人的目的是什么。有的人说是要帮助神治理大地，也有人说是要敬拜[敬畏，俯伏下拜的意思]神，更有人说是要受苦，甚至大有人说是根本毫无意义。果真是这样子的吗？难道人类活着就为了要预备死亡？人世间难道是一个苦难的巨型竞技场吗？我想不然。神创造人一定有他的美意在其中，只是因为人类远离了他们的创造主，所以就把起初的目的给混淆，甚至给遗忘了。

人类在世上活着是有目的。

那究竟是什么目的呢？圣经记载了耶稣的一段话，可以帮助我们更加明白这目的。当被问到什么是上帝神给[犹太]人最大的戒命时，耶稣就很清楚地回答说：

[你要尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力爱主—你的神。] ~可12:30 (也参 马22:37, 申6:5)

耶稣说这是神给予人的最大戒命，其次就是要爱人如己。原来我们人类被创造的首要目的就是要去爱我们的创造主。这爱不是人所想象中或人世间所教导的一般特殊的情感，她乃是超越了人所能给予的，所以耶稣才说要尽一切的能力，因为人类不一定做的到这爱里面的需求。这爱是先从神而来，从亘古直到现在未来，都一直体现在每一个人的生命里头，只是个别程度会有所不同。因着人的愚昧，圣经也尝试用文字来形容这伟大的爱。

[爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈；爱是不嫉妒；爱是不自夸，不张狂，不做害羞的事，不求自己的益处，不轻易发怒，不计算人的恶，不喜欢不义，只喜欢真理；凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。爱是永不止息。] ~哥13:4-8a

如此可见，这爱是多么的深奥，多么的有丰富内涵，并非只是停留在普通的喜欢，喜爱那么简单。当人类学习到如何爱神时，他们就会开始敬拜他，开始思神所思的事，做神所做的事，爱神所爱的人，厌神所厌的罪，完全和彻底的与神建立一个坚固，互动，密切的关系。这是人类起初的光景，也是原本被造的目的，更是神所要藉着他独生子耶稣基督所要成就的救赎计划。原来耶稣被钉死在十字架，且三天后复活，升天，完全是为了让人类能够恢复到那起初被造的目的。如此般的大爱，绝对值的让他们做出那信心的回应，并学习如何的去爱神。

人类被造的目的是要去爱神。

那么人类怎么学习去爱神呢？耶稣也把这宝贵的功课教导了他们，就是要[尽心]、[尽性]、[尽意]、[尽力]去爱神。或许一般人会把这句话解释成为要尽一切所能去爱神，但事实上，这简短的一句话却包含了极为丰富的神学观念，若掌握了就能明白基督教的整个福音精髓。先问几个问题。为什么基督徒要每个礼拜天[或释主日]去教会？为什么基督徒要去传福音？为什么基督徒要去服侍贫穷有需要的人？为什么基督徒不能抽烟，赌博，醉酒，等等恶习惯？这些答案都要回到人类被创造的目的，就是要去爱神。这里其实跟耶稣所教导的如何去爱神有很密切的关连。

什么才算得上是[尽心]、[尽性]、[尽意]、[尽力]呢？这里不单单是指要尽人的全部而已，乃是要指出人类所包含的四个全人层面，就是[灵性(Spiritual)]、[感性(Emotional)]、[理性(Rational)]和[肉性(Physical)]。

人类包含四个全人层面，就是[灵性]、[感性]、[理性]、[肉性]。

在此，我想多加解释关于人类被造的过程。圣经提到说：

[耶和华神用地上的尘土造人，将生气吹在他鼻孔里，他就成了有灵的活人，名叫亚当。] ~创2:7

原来人类本质上跟其他动物没什么两样，都是从地上的尘土所造的。所以，他们就跟动物一样有[肉性]或释为肉体上的欲望，比如说人会饿，会困，会痛，等等状态。人类和动物也拥有[感性]或释为情感的表达，比如说他们会笑，会哭，会开心，会难过，等等情绪。同样的，人类也拥有少数动物所雨生俱来的[理性]或释为思维的能力比如说他们会分辨是非，会策划，会选择，等等智能。但跟其他动物不一样，人类拥有神所吹的气，使到他们成了有灵的活物，也称作拥有[灵性]的特征。这[灵性]能够使到人类与神沟通，相交，亲近，并且更重要就是有能力去爱他。很多神学家把这四个层面称作是[灵(Spirit)]、[魂(Soul)]、[体(Body)](参 帖前5:23)。但实际上，我觉得[魂]应该再被区分成为两个不同的层面-[感性]、[理性]才能更有效的去讨论关于人类的总结构。更何况，心理学，人物学和管理学在这两个层面上已有很丰富的资源、研究及结论，可供我们去参考。其实，我们应该问更关键的问题，就是为什么神要将这四个全人层面设计在人类被造的蓝图呢？为何神要让人类与其他地球上的被造物与众不同呢？难道说神他有一些特别的使命要让[或只让]人类去完成？试想想看吧！

人类有很特别的使命。

论到神给人类的使命，圣经的确有一处提到说：

[神就照著自己的形像造人，乃是照著他的形像造男造女。神就赐福给他们，又对他们说：要生养众多，遍满地面，治理这地，也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟，和地上各样行动的活物。] ~创1:27-28

显然的，这个使命需要到四个全人层面才能够被完成。怎么说呢？人类的[灵性]能促使他们选择去遵崇神，从而完成这个使命。人类的[肉性]会使他们健壮成长，找寻配偶，最终生养众多。人类的[感性]能使到人与人之间能够有效的来往、交流、沟通，否则就不能够遍满地面，因战火、纠纷、等麻烦会摧残这世界。人类的[理性]能帮助他们治理大地，因为必须用聪明智慧去降伏万物和发展社会。而从以上的经文(参"神就赐福给他们，又对他们说")，就可以看到神是先在这四个层面上祝福人类，然后才让他们去完成他的使命。如此可见，这四个全人层面的建造对人类所要去完成的使命可是非常的重要，缺一不可。

人类需要透过四个全人层面才能完成神的使命。

既然耶稣教导了他们如何去爱神，那他在这四个全人层面的建造到底有没有追求(所谓以身作则)呢？肯定有！圣经也很明确的让人类知道耶稣的整个操练过程。关于耶稣小时候的成长岁月，圣经提到说：

[孩子渐渐长大，强健起来，充满智慧，又有神的恩在他身上。] ~路2:40

从这里可以看到耶稣的[肉性](强健起来)、[理性](充满智慧)、[灵性](神的恩在他身上)都有被操练。虽然这里没提到[感性]的层面，但从接下来的51节("...并且顺从他们。")就可以知道他很敏感父母(或旁人)的感受，因此他的[感性]从小也有被建造。

论到耶稣十二岁至开始出来做神的工(约三十岁)的时期，圣经提到说：

[耶稣的智慧和身量，并神和人喜爱他的心，都一齐增长。] ~路2:52

在这里更具体的提到耶稣如何的操练这四个全人层面。他的[灵性](神喜爱他的心)、[感性](人喜爱他的心)、[理性](智慧)、[肉性](身量)都一齐增长，并没有任何一个层面是处在后头。所以，这里看到耶稣能够完成神的使命，并且能够去爱神、爱人，全凭他有在四个全人层面追求上进，一直操练，一齐增长。这点可真的是值得我们去反思，去效法。

人类需要不断地操练四个全人层面。

曾经听到有人说: "不进则退"。这句话很有内涵，因为如果人类不去追求进步，就自然而然会慢慢(或有时迅速)的被淘汰，成列为落伍。的确，若人类不去追求这四个全人层面的增长，当恶者攻击他们的时侯，便无法去抵挡。人类犯第一个罪时，也是因为如此。圣经提到说：

[耶和华神所造的，惟有蛇比田野一切的活物更狡猾。蛇对女人说：神岂是真说不许你们吃园中所有树上的果子吗？女人对蛇说：园中树上的果子，我们可以吃，惟有园当中那棵树上的果子，神曾说：你们不可吃，也不可摸，免得你们死。蛇对女人说：你们不一定死；因为神知道，你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了，你们便如神能知道善恶。於是女人见那棵树的果子好作食物，也悦人的眼目，且是可喜爱的，能使人有智慧，就摘下果子来吃了，又给她丈夫，她丈夫也吃了。] ~创3:1-6

当那女人被蛇欺骗时，她的[灵性](如神能知道善恶)、[感性](悦人的眼目，且是可喜爱的)、[理性](使人有智慧)、[肉性](见那棵树的果子好作食物)都被影响了。四个全人层面本是应该要去完成神的使命，但却变成了完成个人的欲望。恶者他得逞了，因为那女子(过后连那男子)都没有好好的操练他们那四个全人层面，所以他们才犯了罪，远离了神。这也是现代人的光景，无论信主与否，都不能躲过被恶者给的试探。所以，人类[特别是基督徒]更加要警醒祷告，且要多多操练这四个全人层面。他们[尤其是基督徒]应当效法基督耶稣，因为当他被试探时，经上提到说：

[魔鬼对他说：你若是神的儿子，可以吩咐这块石头变成食物。耶稣回答说：经上记著说：人活著不是单靠食物，乃是靠神口里所出的一切话。魔鬼又领他上了高山，霎时间把天下的万国都指给他看，对他说：这一切权柄、荣华，我都要给你，因为这原是交付我的，我愿意给谁就给谁。你若在我面前下拜，这都要归你。耶稣说：经上记著说：当拜主—你的神，单要事奉他。魔鬼又领他到耶路撒冷去，叫他站在殿顶（顶：原文是翅）上，对他说：你若是神的儿子，可以从这里跳下去；因为经上记著说：主要为你吩咐他的使者保护你；他们要用手托著你，免得你的脚碰在石头上。耶稣对他说：经上说：不可试探主—你的神。] ~路4:3-12

人类操练四个全人层面能帮助抵挡恶者的试探。

不像亚当和夏娃，耶稣他能胜过恶者所有的试探。在试探中，他的[灵性](靠神口里所出的一切话)、[感性](当拜主—你的神，单要事奉他)、[理性](不可试探主—你的神)、[肉性](人活著不是单靠食物)都没有被影响，却仍然体贴神的心意，使他能继续的去爱神。耶稣没有满足自己的欲望，全凭他一直不断的操练这四个全人层面，使到恶者无机可乘。有些人能在某些方面胜过试探，但却在另外几个陷入罪愆里头，原因是他们只建立了一两个全人层面罢了。其实，每一个全人层面都很重要，且息息相关，不能被忽视。说到底，人类最弱的一环也只不过是那被冷落的全人层面，恶者只须攻击那个就已足够了。这是给人类的一个很重要的提醒。

总结，我们开始讨论了关于[神所创造的人]的课题。首先，我们提到人类在世上活着是有目的。这目的就是要去爱神。过后，也提到人类被造时，包含了四个全人层面，就是[灵性]、[感性]、[理性]、[肉性]。这跟神所给予每个人的特别使命有关。人类需要透过这四个全人层面去完成他们的特别使命。最后，就提到人类[特别是基督徒]需要不断地操练这四个全人层面，因为这能够帮助他们去抵挡恶者的试探，且使他们能更像基督耶稣，最终使他们的智慧和身量，并神和人喜爱他们的心，都能一齐增长。


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Reflection on the Movie “Babette’s Feast” with respect to the Book of 1Corinthians

The movie was about the two devout daughters of a Lutheran minister and their servant named Babette. Both daughters devoted their entire lives in service of God by leading a small fellowship of Christian believers and attending to the needs of elderly townspeople. Years after the dismissed of the minister, the unity of the Christian community was endangered by the growing internal disceptation and arguments. Along came Babette, a French woman who had lost her family in a civil war, seeking refuge from the two sisters. The story culminated in a sumptuous feast prepared by Babette coinciding with a memorial to the reverend minister's 100th birthday. The feast was mistaken to be a serious crisis by the two sisters, and consequently, involved the disunited Christian group. Surprisingly, they began to collaborate and agreed upon a common strategy together to overcome this seeming crisis. The story concluded with a central theme that love transcends all things, bringing even different and difficult people to one accord.

In 1Corinthians 12:12-27, we see the Church (or her members) being described as the body of Christ. Similar to the movie, there could be internal divisions or conflicts within the Corinth church at that time. As their spiritual mentor, apostle Paul resolved this issue by stressing the importance of unity within the Church. He did this by giving a vivid illustration of the familiar body parts and their tightly coupled relationship with one another. He reminded that the Church does not consist of only one kind of person but several. And even though the members (parts) have different roles and abilities but they still belong to the same Church (body). As such, every member should have equal concern for one another, suffering and rejoicing together as one body. In the movie, there were also members with different personalities and traits. Small quarrels later became big conflicts because they did not know how to accommodate one another. Everyone had their own views on how things were being perceived or ought to be done. Focusing on their narrow self-interests, they failed to see the wider Church issues at large; for example, the shrinking congregation size.

In the subsequent chapter, apostle Paul also concluded that love is the essence in developing unity within the Church. The movie scriptwriter may have gathered his inspiration from here but have we, as members of the Church, truly understood and internalized this message?


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Reflection on the Movie “Babe” with respect to the Book of Romans

The story of Babe was set in a farm where there were pre-defined roles for each animal. Seemingly, the animals knew their individual place in the farm and tried to do their own job well in order to please their owners. Though living in close proximity, the animals were behaving like separate and independent entities with respect to one another. Then along came a pig, named Babe, with an unprejudiced heart that regarded all other animals at face value and treated the sheep and all other animals as equals. He quickly learnt that each animal had a role to play except for himself and Ferdinand the duck who were both fated to be lunch. Both began to take on new roles to escape their fate. Gradually, all the animals grew to accept Babe, crumbling psychological barriers within the farm that had stood for years. Such pro-active and unbiased attitudes inevitably changed their lives and he finally became a world champion “sheepdog” in the process.

In Romans 12:3-21, we can see similar themes of unity in diversity and love for one another. Paul compared the members of the church as the body of Christ, each having different functions according to the gifts given by the gracious God. He urged each member to do their own function well in order to build up the body of Christ. In verse 3, the members were taught not to be arrogant because all of them have a certain part to play in the body. The wonderful ending of Babe allows us to imagine a positive kind of synergy and dynamism if there is true unity within the church. Like the farm, true unity occurs when everyone is willing to step out of their individual boundary and help one another to better fulfill their roles as a cohesive single entity, rather than separate ones.

Later in the passage, Paul also instructed on the genuine love for one another. Surely, he considered that as an essential component in developing true unity within the church. Similarly, the movie demonstrated that loving someone was about giving and forgiving without condition. Ultimately, the animals changed their perception and attitudes towards Babe for the better because they could feel his genuine love for them. Therefore, if we want to see true unity within our church, perhaps all of us should examine ourselves and rekindle our genuine love for one another.


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New Wine into New Wineskin

A lecturer from a certain theological college once criticized pastors who use the 3-points sermons delivery methods. She commented that the Word of God cannot (always) be condensed into just three main points, which as a consequence, mould the congregation to digest only bullet-form (or generalized) truths. I thought that was a very valuable piece of advise and a timely reminder for a generation cluttered with powerpoint. This 21th Century information era propagates people to try to grasp a bit of everything so that they will not be left mercilessly behind.

As a theological student, i could supplement my lecture slides with some of the recommended texts. But as ordinary Christians, most of them can only have direct access to their bible, or at most a study bible. Reference materials like biblical commentaries, concordances, dictionary and Christian literature are rare commodities, biased towards those who can afford the money, time and interests. As a result, many Christians obtain their spiritual inputs from the Sunday's pulpit or weekly cell group (if any).

2006 had been a fruitful year for me, especially so with the many essays which i had produced. I must confess that these articles were presented in an unpolished form and may raised many controversial issues, which can be easily resolved with a much detailed research. Nonetheless, like what most bible scholars described the Apostle Paul as a Theologizer, i am still gabbling with the profound Word of God too, establishing known Christian Theology and venturing into unfamiliar grounds in a process called theologizing. In due time and according to the grace given to me by the Almighty God, i hope to be able to pen down volumes of concrete Christian Theology, in particular, the evolution of God's intervention into the history of human race in the 21th Century. Pray along with me, will you?

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"And no one pours new wine into old wineskin. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskin will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskin." ~Mark2:22

Have you ever tried pouring boiling hot water into a non-thermal plastic flask? If you have not, then well and good, try to refrain from doing so at any cost! Not every container can hold boiling hot water, some would melt, pollute the water and destroy the container. This is just an illustration for us to appreciate the saying of Jesus above.

According to David[1],

"A wineskin would expand under the pressure of fermentation, so if you put new, non-fermented wine in an old, brittle wineskin, it was sure to burst."

There are two issues being mentioned here - the new wine and the old wineskin. In our resolution, do we change the new wine back to the old wine or do we change the old wineskin into a new wineskin? One thing is certain, new wineskin can hold both the old and new wine because of its durability, but not for the older one. That provides us with a good clue to which aspect of the saying is more important and that is where we should focus our attention.

Around 2000 years ago, the Jewish community in Jesus' time saw him as a Rabbi (or teacher) who was introducing something new and revolutionary to their Jewish religious traditions (now known as Judaism). Most of them, especially the teachers of the Laws and the Pharisees, could not accept Jesus' teachings. The contemporary interpretation of the Torah (The Laws of Moses) by Jesus was regarded as blasphemy by the Jewish religious leaders and hence rejected without further clarification. Seemingly, Jesus was subsequently labeled as a dangerous rebel who had instigated people to go against the Jewish religious practices at that times. It may not be too surprising if some had also likened him to a new wine, resulting in the "drunkenness" of the Jewish people who had followed him.

Earlier we have established that the old wineskin must be changed in order for both the new and old wine to be poured into them. Without a constant renewal, the old wineskin is subjected to constant wear and tear, resulting in a more rugged state. The eventual stage is where there is no choice but to throw it away because it has lost the primary purpose of holding wine. We can compare this phenomenon to the regular exterior painting of our house, where the primary objective is not merely to brighten up the colors but also to strengthen the weather resistance capability of the house. In fact, many things around us are evolving and constantly changing to avoid getting retired by the society. Some examples include the design of aircrafts, ships, television programmes, advertisements, movie plots, electronics and the list goes on and on.

In deeper examination, there are dual roles in the above saying of Jesus. The first is to introduce us to new wine and the second is to change the old wineskin which we have so that we can hold the new wine. For Christians, we have already taken a sip of the new wine. But if we merely accept the new wine without changing our old wineskin, then we may find ourselves getting stuck in many of the controversial theological issues without any valid resolution. Supposedly, if we only change our old wineskin without taking in more new wine, then we would always find our wineskin half-full because the old wine is unable to completely fill up the wineskin. In the process of changing the old wineskin, we must also be taking in new wine so that the new wineskin can be fully utilized. The converse applies too.

By now, some would have guessed correctly that the wineskin actually referred to our mindsets. According to social behavioral theories, one's actions or behaviors are pretty much influenced or driven by our attitudes and cognition, that is, the ways in which we think or look at things. Therefore, when Jesus asked his disciples to change their old wineskin, he was actually asking them to change their old perception (way of looking and interpreting things) and mindsets. For Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit is coming and will teach them all things[2]. The "all" here implies that there are things not revealed yet but will be shown fully when the Holy Spirit comes. That explains why the disciples were so disheartened over the death of Jesus. They were still having their old wineskin which is unable to hold the new wine, that is, the reality of Jesus' death. Only after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the many post-resurrection teachings by Jesus and the filling of the Holy Spirit at the Pentecost did they finally change their old wineskin into a new one. But even then, the old wineskin of salvation to the Gentiles was not yet changed. The Jewish Christians still refused to acknowledge the salvation to the Gentiles. It was until the time of Apostle Paul's missions when this old wineskin was finally changed into a new one. Therefore, we can see that the changing of the old wineskin is a continuous process, ceasing only when we reach perfection in Christ.

The immediate application is for us to ask ourselves what is the old wineskin which we need to change. We can also reflect whether we have taken a new sip of the new wine from Jesus recently. If not, could it be the right time for us to renew our old wineskin? Or are we too comfortable with the current one and refused to bulge, even when the Holy Spirit is actively prompting us? Perhaps it is also high time for us to wake up from our slumber and move on. The new wine which Jesus gives does not lead us into drunkenness. In fact, it cures us of the negative effects of the worldly wine as it is said:

"For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'" ~Mark 7:21-22

and also:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will." ~Rom 12:2

Therefore, let us rid ourselves of the old wineskin and obtain new ones from our gracious heavenly Father. Then we would be able to take in the new wine of Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit. By assimilating in this way, we can truly be regarded as legitimate branches of the true vine[3], producing quality grapes used for making new wine of Christ, to where Christ is proclaimed!

References
1. Blue Letter Bible, http://blueletterbible.org/Comm/david_guzik/sg/Mar_2.html accessed on 22 Jan 07.
2. John 14:26
3. John 15:1-8


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