第94章 按手礼
§1
第94章 按手礼Chap. 94 Ordination
§2
“在安提阿的教会中有几位先知和教师；就是巴拿巴，和称呼尼结的西面、古利奈人路求与……马念并扫罗。他们事奉主，禁食的时候，圣灵说：要为我分派巴拿巴和扫罗，去做我召他们所作的工”（徒13:1,2）。在这两使徒被派往外邦世界作布道士之前，教会曾藉着禁食、祷告和按手礼，将他们严肃地奉献给上帝。如此，教会授权给他们不但去传讲真理，而也要施行洗礼，并组织教会。{GW 441.1}[1]
§3
There were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, . . . and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. [Acts 13:1, 2.] Before being sent forth as missionaries to the heathen world, these apostles were solemnly dedicated to God by fasting and prayer and the laying on of hands. Thus they were authorized by the church, not only to teach the truth, but to perform the rite of baptism, and to organize churches, being invested with full ecclesiastical authority. {GW 441.1}[1]
§4
基督教会这时正步入一个重要的纪元。向外邦人宣讲福音的工作将要大力推展，而其结果将使教会因多人悔改归主而大大增强。受指派领导这工作的人将要受人猜疑，歧视和嫉妒。他们所传有关上帝拆毁那长久区分犹太与外邦世界的“中间隔断的墙”的道理（弗2:14)，自然会使他们被诬蔑为异端；而他们作为福音使者的权柄，也要受到许多热心相信基督的犹太人所疑问。{GW 441.2}[2]
§5
The Christian church was at this time entering upon an important era. The work of proclaiming the gospel message among the Gentiles was now to be prosecuted with vigor; and as a result, the church was to be strengthened by a great ingathering of souls. The apostles who had been appointed to lead out in this work, would be exposed to suspicion, prejudice, and jealousy. Their teachings concerning the breaking down of the middle wall of partition [Ephesians 2:14.] that had so long separated the Jewish and the Gentile world, would naturally subject them to the charge of heresy; and their authority as ministers of the gospel would be questioned by many zealous, believing Jews. {GW 441.2}[2]
§6
上帝预先看到祂仆人所必须应付的这些困难，因此祂指示教会要公开把这两个人分别为圣去担任传道的工作。他们所受的按手礼表示教会公开承认他们是受上帝的委任去将福音大喜的信息传给外邦人的。{GW 441.3}[3]
§7
God foresaw the difficulties that His servants would be called to meet; and in order that their work should be above challenge, He instructed the church by revelation to set them apart publicly to the work of the ministry. Their ordination was a public recognition of their divine appointment to bear to the Gentiles the glad tidings of the gospel. {GW 441.3}[3]
§8
其实保罗和巴拿巴早已蒙上帝亲自委任，所以这按手礼并未加给他们什么新的恩赐或实际的资格。这不过是他们受委任的正式手续，藉以承认他们在这个职分上所有的权柄。这也就是教会在上帝所行的事上所加盖的印鉴。{GW 442.1}[4]
§9
Both Paul and Barnabas had already received their commission from God Himself, and the ceremony of the laying on of hands added no new grace or virtual qualification. It was an acknowledged form of designation to an appointed office, and a recognition of ones authority in that office. By it the seal of the church was set upon the work of God. {GW 442.1}[4]
§10
在犹太人看来，这是一个饶有意义的仪式。每当一个犹太人的父亲为儿女祝福时，他总要恭敬地将双手按在他的头上。每当一个牺牲要被献为祭时，一个负有祭司职权的人必须按手在祭牲的头上。所以当安提阿教会的福音工作者按手在保罗和巴拿巴头上时，他们就此求上帝赐福给祂所拣选的使徒，赐福给他们在工作上所表现的忠诚。{GW 442.2}[5]
§11
To the Jew, this form was a significant one. When a Jewish father blessed his children, he laid his hands reverently upon their heads. When an animal was devoted to sacrifice, the hand of the one invested with priestly authority was laid upon the head of the victim. And when the ministers of the church of believers in Antioch laid their hands upon Paul and Barnabas, they by that action asked God to bestow His blessing upon the chosen apostles, in their devotion to the specific work to which they had been appointed. {GW 442.2}[5]
§12
后来这按手的礼节竟被人滥用了。他们过分地重视这一个形式，以为凡受按手礼的人可以立刻得着一种能力，当时就有资格从事任何传福音的工作。其实圣经中所记有关这两个使徒之分别为圣的话中并没有说这个按手的礼节本身足以给人什么能力。所有的话只不过说明他们受了这个礼，以及这礼对于他们将来的工作所有的关系。{GW 442.3}[6]
§13
At a later date, the rite of ordination by the laying on of hands was greatly abused; unwarrantable importance was attached to the act, as if a power came at once upon those who received such ordination, which immediately qualified them for any and all ministerial work. But in the setting apart of these two apostles, there is no record indicating that any virtue was imparted by the mere act of laying on of hands. There is only the simple record of their ordination, and of the bearing that it had on their future work. {GW 442.3}[6]
§14
圣灵将保罗和巴拿巴分别为圣去担任特别的工作，其所有的经过清楚地说明上帝办事是通过祂有组织的教会的。若干年前，在救主亲自初向保罗启示上帝的旨意之后，保罗也是立即与那在大马士革新成立之教会的教友联系的。同时，上帝把这个新悔改的法利赛人的经验，很快地通知那里的教会。所以现今当保罗必须更充分地执行他在初悔改时所领受的使命时，圣灵再度为保罗作见证，说明他是蒙拣选传福音给外邦的器皿，故吩咐教会为他和他的同工行按手之礼。当安提阿教会的领袖们“侍奉主，禁食的时候，圣灵说：要为我分派巴拿巴和扫罗，去作我召他们所作的工。”{GW 443.1}[7]
§15
The circumstances connected with the separation of Paul and Barnabas by the Holy Spirit to a definite line of service, show clearly that the Lord works through appointed agencies in His organized church. Years before, when the divine purpose concerning Paul was first revealed to him by the Saviour Himself, Paul was immediately afterward brought into contact with members of the newly organized church at Damascus. Furthermore, the church at that place was not long left in darkness as to the personal experience of the converted Pharisee. And now, when the divine commission given at that time was to be more fully carried out, the Holy Spirit, again bearing witness concerning Paul as a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles, laid upon the church the work of ordaining him and his fellow-laborer. As the leaders of the church in Antioch ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. {GW 443.1}[7]
§16
上帝已经使祂地上的教会作传授真光的媒介，所以祂必要藉用这个媒介传达祂的旨意。祂决不使祂的任何一个仆人得到一种与全体教会的经验相抵触的个别的经验。上帝也不会把祂对于全体教会的旨意仅仅指示一个人，而让教会——基督的身体——留在黑暗之中。上帝却按照自己的计划使祂的仆人们与祂的教会发生密切的关系，使他们少信任自己，多信任其他蒙祂引领推进圣工的人。{GW 443.2}[8]
§17
God has made His church on the earth a channel of light, and through it He communicates His purposes and His will. He does not give to one of His servants an experience independent of and contrary to the experience of the church itself. Neither does He give one man a knowledge of His will for the entire church, while the church -- Christs body -- is left in darkness. In His providence, He places His servants in close connection with His church, in order that they may have less confidence in themselves, and greater confidence in others whom He is leading out to advance His work. {GW 443.2}[8]
§18
教会中总不免有一些经常偏向于个人自由主义的人。他们似乎不明白这种独立的精神容易使人太信任自己，并重视自己的见解，而不尊重弟兄们，尤其是那些上帝所命定领导祂百姓之人的劝导和意见。上帝已将特别的权柄赋予祂的教会。任何人都不能漠视或轻看这个权柄而算为无罪；因为凡这样作的人就是轻看了上帝的吩咐。{GW 443.3}[9]
§19
There have ever been in the church those who are constantly inclined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have too much confidence in himself, and to trust in his own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power, which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising; for he who does this despises the voice of God. {GW 443.3}[9]
§20
那些以自己的见解为至上的人正处于严重的危险之中。撒但一贯的努力乃是使这样的人脱离那些作为传授真光之媒介，就是上帝所用来建设并推展祂在地上之工作的人。人若轻看或藐视上帝所分派担任领导圣工的人，那就等于弃绝祂所命定来帮助、勉励并加强祂百姓的方法。任何参加圣工的人如果弃绝这一切，而妄想自己所领受的亮光不能通过任何媒介，而必须直接从上帝领受，他就最容易受仇敌的迷惑并因而跌倒。上帝智慧的安排使一切信徒都发生亲密的关系，使基督徒与基督徒、教会与教会互相联合。这样，我们这血肉之体的器皿才能与上帝合作。每一个机能都必顺服圣灵，而所有的信徒都必联合成为一个有组织，有纪律的机构，将上帝恩典大喜的信息传给全世界。{GW 444.1}[10]
§21
Those who are inclined to regard their individual judgment as supreme, are in grave peril. It is Satans studied effort to separate such ones from those who are channels of light, through whom God has wrought to build up and extend His work in the earth. To neglect or despise those whom God has appointed to bear the responsibilities of leadership in connection with the advancement of the truth, is to reject the means that He has ordained for the help, encouragement, and strength of His people. For any worker in the Lords cause to pass these by, and to think that his light must come through no other channel than directly from God, is to place himself in a position where he is liable to be deceived by the enemy, and overthrown. The Lord in His wisdom has arranged that by means of the close relationship that should be maintained by all believers, Christian shall be united to Christian, and church to church. Thus the human instrumentality will be enabled to co-operate with the divine. Every agency will be subordinate to the Holy Spirit, and all the believers will be united in an organized and well-directed effort to give to the world the glad tidings of the grace of God. {GW 444.1}[10]
§22
保罗以自己的正式受按手礼作为他一生工作新纪元的开始。后来他也常以这一件事为他奉命在教会中作使徒的开端。——《使徒行述》第160-165页{GW 445.1}[11]
§23
Paul regarded the occasion of his formal ordination as marking the beginning of a new and important epoch in his life-work. It was from this time that he afterward dated the beginning of his apostleship in the Christian church.--The Acts of the Apostles, pages 160-165. {GW 445.1}[11]
§24
基督设立十二使徒，乃是祂组织教会的第一个步骤。这个教会将要在祂离世之后继续推进祂在地上的圣工。关于那一次设立使徒的事，经上记着说：“耶稣上了山，随自己的意思叫人来，他们便来到祂那里。祂就设立十二个人，要他们常和自己同在，也要差他们去传道”（可3:13-14）。{GW 445.2}[12]
§25
It was at the ordination of the twelve that the first step was taken in the organization of the church that after Christs departure was to carry on His work on the earth. Of this ordination the record says, He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom He would: and they came unto Him. And He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach. [Mark 3:13, 14.]. . . {GW 445.2}[12]
§26
上帝和众天使欢喜快乐地观看这一幕景象。天父知道，天庭的光将要藉着这些人照耀人间，而且他们为祂儿子作见证的话，将要世代相传，直到末时。{GW 445.3}[13]
§27
With gladness and rejoicing, God and the angels beheld this scene. The Father knew that from these men the light of heaven would shine forth; that the words spoken by them as they witnessed for His Son, would echo from generation to generation till the close of time. {GW 445.3}[13]
§28
门徒将要出去作基督的见证人，向世人宣讲他们在祂身上所看见所听见事。他们的职分仅次于基督，是人类有史以来所能担任最重要的职分。他们要在救人的工作上与上帝同工。古时十二先祖怎样代表以色列人，照样，十二位使徒也要作新约教会的代表。——《使徒行述》第18，19页{GW 445.4}[14]
§29
The disciples were to go forth as Christs witnesses, to declare to the world what they had seen and heard of Him. Their office was the most important to which human beings had ever been called, second only to that of Christ Himself. They were to be workers together with God for the saving of men. As in the Old Testament the twelve patriarchs stood as representatives of Israel, so the twelve apostles stand as representatives of the gospel church.--Idem, pages 18, 19. {GW 445.4}[14]