第34章 父亲的地位与责任
§1
第34章 父亲的地位与责任
§2
Chap. 34 - Fathers Position and Responsibilities
§3
丈夫一词的真实定义——家庭原是上帝所设立的一种制度。按照上帝的旨意，家庭——包括父亲、母亲和儿女——应当如一间商行般存立于这个世界之上。[1]
§4
True Definition of Husband.--The home is an institution of God. God designed that the family circle, father, mother, and children, should exist in this world as a firm. {AH 211.1}[1]
§5
使家庭幸福的工作并不单单落在母亲身上。作父亲的也有极重要的一部分必须承担。丈夫乃是家庭宝藏的维护者，以他坚固、诚挚、始终不渝的爱，将全家各个分子，就是母亲与儿女们联系起来，坚固而亲密地团结在一起。[2]
§6
The work of making home happy does not rest upon the mother alone. Fathers have an important part to act. The husband is the house-band of the home treasures, binding by his strong, earnest, devoted affection the members of the household, mother and children, together in the strongest bonds of union. {AH 211.2}[2]
§7
他的名分：“家庭的维护者，”乃是丈夫一词的真实定义。我看到只有少数作父亲的真正领悟自己的职责。[3]
§8
His name, house-band, is the true definition of husband. . . . I saw that but few fathers realize their responsibility. {AH 211.3}[3]
§9
一家之首——身为丈夫和父亲的人乃是一家之首。妻子期待着他的爱与同情，并在教养子女的事上帮助她；这是理所当然的。儿女原是他的，正如也是她的一般，他同样关怀着他们的福利。儿女仰赖父亲的支持与教导；他对于人生以及环绕自己家庭的影响与社会，应有正确的观念，而最重要的是：他更应该受敬畏上帝之心以及他圣言中的教训所管治，俾能导引他儿女的脚步踏上正道。[4]
§10
The Head of the Family Firm.--The husband and father is the head of the household. The wife looks to him for love and sympathy and for aid in the training of the children; and this is right. The children are his as well as hers, and he is equally interested in their welfare. The children look to the father for support and guidance; he needs to have a right conception of life and of the influences and associations that should surround his family; above all, he should be controlled by the love and fear of God and by the teaching of His word, that he may guide the feet of his children in the right way. . . . {AH 211.4}[4]
§11
作父亲的应克尽他的本分，使家庭快乐。不论他有什么挂虑或事业上的困扰，都不容许使家中充满阴翳；他回家之时，应当面带笑容，言谈愉快。[5]
§12
The father should do his part toward making home happy. Whatever his cares and business perplexities, they should not be permitted to overshadow his family; he should enter his home with smiles and pleasant words. {AH 211.5}[5]
§13
父亲乃立法者和祭司——家中的各个分子均以父亲为中心。他是立法者，在他大丈夫的举止上说明了严正的德操：活力、正直、诚实、忍耐、勇毅、勤奋，以及笃实有为的本质。就一方面的意义而言，父亲乃是一家的祭司，在上帝的坛上早晚献祭。应当勉励妻子儿女参与这种献祭之礼，并一同献上赞美的诗歌。父亲既是一家的祭司，就当每日早晚向上帝承认自己和儿女当天所犯的罪。凡是他所知道的罪过，以及一切隐而未现唯有上帝的慧眼才能察觉的愆尤，都当承认。这种常规，父亲若在，就当由他热诚地奉行，他若不在，即由母亲代行，就必为全家导致无量的福分。[6]
§14
The Lawmaker and Priest.--All members of the family center in the father. He is the lawmaker, illustrating in his own manly bearing the sterner virtues: energy, integrity, honesty, patience, courage, diligence, and practical usefulness. The father is in one sense the priest of the household, laying upon the altar of God the morning and evening sacrifice. The wife and children should be encouraged to unite in this offering and also to engage in the song of praise. Morning and evening the father, as priest of the household, should confess to God the sins committed by himself and his children through the day. Those sins which have come to his knowledge and also those which are secret, of which Gods eye alone has taken cognizance, should be confessed. This rule of action, zealously carried out by the father when he is present or by the mother when he is absent, will result in blessings to the family. {AH 212.1}[6]
§15
父亲在家中是代表那位神圣的大立法者。他是与上帝同工的，为要成全上帝恩慈的计划，在儿女心中树立正直的原则，令儿女养成纯洁善良的品格，因为他已先以某种质素充盈儿女的心灵，使他们不但孝敬地上的父亲，也顺服在天上的父亲。[7]
§16
The father represents the divine Lawgiver in his family. He is a laborer together with God, carrying out the gracious designs of God and establishing in his children upright principles, enabling them to form pure and virtuous characters, because he has preoccupied the soul with that which will enable his children to render obedience not only to their earthly parent but also to their heavenly Father. {AH 212.2}[7]
§17
父亲切莫辜负他所受神圣的委托。他万不可在任何一点上放弃身为家长的权威。[8]
§18
The father must not betray his sacred trust. He must not, on any point, yield up his parental authority. {AH 212.3}[8]
§19
与上帝同行——父亲……当借着活的信心，将他的儿女与上帝的宝座系结起来。他既不信赖自己的能力，就当将他无助的心灵寄托于耶稣，并且持住至高者的能力。弟兄们哪，要在家中晨夕与家人一同祷告；也要在你们的内室中恳切祈求；当你们从事日常工作时，也当高举心灵向上帝祈祷。以诺就是这样与上帝同行。那默默无声而热切的祈祷，必如圣洁的香气上达施恩宝座，得蒙上帝悦纳，犹如在圣所中献上的祈祷一样。对于凡如此寻求他的人，基督就成了患难中随时的帮助。他们在受试炼之日，仍必坚强如恒。[9]
§20
To Walk With God.--The father . . . will bind his children to the throne of God by living faith. Distrusting his own strength, he hangs his helpless soul on Jesus and takes hold of the strength of the Most High. Brethren, pray at home, in your family, night and morning; pray earnestly in your closet; and while engaged in your daily labor, lift up the soul to God in prayer. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. The silent, fervent prayer of the soul will rise like holy incense to the throne of grace and will be as acceptable to God as if offered in the sanctuary. To all who thus seek Him, Christ becomes a present help in time of need. They will be strong in the day of trial. {AH 212.4}[9]
§21
亟需成熟的经验——作父亲的切不可像小孩子一样，仅受情绪的支配。他与他的家属已因神圣高洁的关系而系结在一起了。[10]
§22
Maturity of Experience Called For.--A father must not be as a child, moved merely by impulse. He is bound to his family by sacred, holy ties. {AH 213.1}[10]
§23
他在家中具有怎样的感化力，端视他对那位独一的真神上帝和他所差来的耶稣基督之认识而定。保罗说：“我作孩子的时候话语像孩子，心思像孩子，意念像孩子；既成了人，就把孩子的事丢弃了。”作父亲的必须居一家之首，不可像一个畸形发展的，没有修养的孩子，乃应作一个具有大丈夫品质，且能控制自己情绪的男子汉。他应接受正确道德伦理方面的教育。他在家庭生活中所有的举止，应当受上帝圣言之纯正原则所指导、所管束。如此，他才能长大成人，满有基督耶稣长成的身量。[11]
§24
What his influence will be in the home will be determined by his knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. When I was a child, Paul says, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. The father is to stand at the head of his family, not as an overgrown, undisciplined boy, but as a man with manly character and with his passions controlled. He is to obtain an education in correct morals. His conduct in his home life is to be directed and restrained by the pure principles of the word of God. Then he will grow up to the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus. {AH 213.2}[11]
§25
意志应顺服上帝——我要对为夫为父的人说：你的心灵务须为一种纯净，圣洁的气氛所环护。你每天都要向基督学习。万不可在你家中表现出一种专横粗暴的习气。一个男子若如此作，就等于与撒但的爪牙合伙工作。要将你的意志皈服于上帝的旨意之下。当尽你的全力，使你妻子的生活愉快而幸福。要以上帝的圣言为你的顾问。在家庭生活中要实践《圣经》的教训。这样，你就会在教会中把这些教训表现出来，也会把它们带到你的办事处去。天国的原则必使你的一切作为显得高贵。上帝的天使必与你合作，帮助你将基督彰显于世。[12]
§26
Submit the Will to God.--To the man who is a husband and a father, I would say, Be sure that a pure, holy atmosphere surrounds your soul. . . . You are to learn daily of Christ. Never, never are you to show a tyrannical spirit in the home. The man who does this is working in partnership with satanic agencies. Bring your will into submission to the will of God. Do all in your power to make the life of your wife pleasant and happy. Take the word of God as the man of your counsel. In the home live out the teachings of the word. Then you will live them out in the church and will take them with you to your place of business. The principles of heaven will ennoble all your transactions. Angels of God will cooperate with you, helping you to reveal Christ to the world. {AH 213.3}[12]
§27
性急的丈夫所应呈献的祈祷——勿容你业务上的困恼给你的家庭生活带来幽暗。若有琐事细故不如你的意，你便不能表现忍耐、宽容、仁慈和爱心，就是显明你自己还没有选择那位如此爱你，甚至为你舍命，使你能与他合而为一的主作你的良伴。[13]
§28
A Fitting Prayer for a Quick-tempered Husband.-- Do not allow the vexations of your business to bring darkness into your home life. If, when little things occur that are not exactly as you think they should be, you fail to reveal patience, long forbearance, kindness, and love, you show that you have not chosen as a companion Him who so loved you that He gave His life for you, that you might be one with Him. {AH 214.1}[13]
§29
你在日常生活中总不免会遭遇突然发生的事故，失望，和试探。《圣经》说什么？要以坚定不移的依赖上帝之心来“抵挡魔鬼，魔鬼就必离开你们逃跑了。你们亲近上帝，上帝就必亲近你们。”“让他持住我的能力，使他与我和好；愿他与我和好。”要随时随地仰望耶稣，从诚实的心中献上无声的祈祷，使你得知如何成全他的旨意。这样，当仇敌好像急流的河水冲来时，耶和华的灵要为你坚立旌旗，以抵挡他。当你几乎要屈服，失去忍耐和自制的力量，而任意公然非难、批评、控告他人之时——那就是你应当向上天呈献下面这个祷告之时：“上帝啊，求你帮助我抵挡试探，将一切苦毒、恼怒，与恶言从我心中全然扫除。求你将你的柔和、谦卑、忍耐，和慈爱赐给我。求你不要撇弃我。使我不至羞辱我的救赎主，误解我的妻子、儿女、以及与我有同一信仰的弟兄姊妹的一切言语与动机。帮助我作仁慈、怜悯、柔和、宽恕的人。帮助我在自己家中作真正的家庭维护者，在他人面前表彰基督的圣德。”[14]
§30
In the daily life you will meet with sudden surprises, disappointments, and temptations. What saith the word? Resist the devil, by firm reliance upon God, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me. Look unto Jesus at all times and in all places, offering a silent prayer from a sincere heart that you may know how to do His will. Then when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard for you against the enemy. When you are almost ready to yield, to lose patience and self-control, to be hard and denunciatory, to find fault and accuse--this is the time for you to send to heaven the prayer, Help me, O God, to resist temptation, to put all bitterness and wrath and evilspeaking out of my heart. Give me Thy meekness, Thy lowliness, Thy long-suffering, and Thy love. Leave me not to dishonor my Redeemer, to misinterpret the words and motives of my wife, my children, and my brethren and sisters in the faith. Help me that I may be kind, pitiful, tenderhearted, forgiving. Help me to be a real house-band in my home and to represent the character of Christ to others. {AH 214.2}[14]
§31
恩威并用——作丈夫的时常强调自己是一家之首，这并不能显明他的英雄气概。听他引用《圣经》章节来维护他自己所宣称的权威，也不足以增进别人对他的尊敬。他若勉强妻子，就是儿女的母亲，去实行他自视为毫无错误的计划，这也不可能加添他的大丈夫风度。主已命定丈夫作妻子的头，作她的保护者；他乃是家庭的维护者，要将全家每一分子联系在一起，犹如基督是教会的头，是不可思议的团体之救主一样。但愿每一位自称爱上帝的丈夫。仔细研究上帝对于他的地位所有的要求。基督的威权乃是配合着智慧，以及诸般仁慈与良善而执行的；故此，但愿作丈夫的，也效法教会至大的首领那样运用他的权力。[15]
§32
Exercise Authority With Humility--It is no evidence of manliness in the husband for him to dwell constantly upon his position as head of the family. It does not increase respect for him to hear him quoting Scripture to sustain his claims to authority. It will not make him more manly to require his wife, the mother of his children, to act upon his plans as if they were infallible. The Lord has constituted the husband the head of the wife to be her protector; he is the house-band of the family, binding the members together, even as Christ is the head of the church and the Saviour of the mystical body. Let every husband who claims to love God carefully study the requirements of God in his position. Christs authority is exercised in wisdom, in all kindness and gentleness; so let the husband exercise his power and imitate the great Head of the church. {AH 215.1}[15]