Cong Fang

起初那節經文就顯明了聖約神學的必要性： “起初，神創造天地” (創 1:1)。
In its opening verse, the Bible displays the necessity of covenant theology: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

整個現實可被分為兩個部分——那位創造一切的神，和祂在自己之外所造的 “一切其他”。
All of reality can be divided into two groups—the God who created everything outside of Himself, and the “everything else” that He created.

人類怎能指望親近這樣一位遠高於人的神呢？
How can mankind ever hope to be near to a God who is so far above him?

《西敏信仰告白》對此有答案。根據 信條 7.1，神降卑與祂的受造物，特別是祂的子民建立關係，使祂自己成為他們的福樂，這種關係就是 “聖約”。
The Westminster Confession of Faith has an answer. According to WCF 7.1, the relationship by which God condescends to be the blessedness of His creatures, specifically the blessedness of His people, is covenant.

因此，聖約神學就是努力透過神與祂子民立約的方式，來認識神以及祂與祂子民的關係。
Covenant theology, then, is the effort to understand God and His relationship with His people through the lens of His covenant dealings with them.

透過這聖約的視角，基督徒可以更清楚地認識這位超越的神，也更明白成為祂的子民意味着什麼。
Through that covenantal lens, Christians can know more clearly who our transcendent God is and what it means to be His people.

行為之約

聖經中第一個提到的聖約是神與亞當所立的行為之約 (創 1:26-2:25)。
Reading forward from Genesis 1:1, the first covenant addressed in Scripture is the covenant of works with Adam (Gen. 1:26-2:25).

在這個聖約中，有一個明確的聖經教訓：若要在神面前，必須是義人——人在一切所行上必須完全正直聖潔。
In this covenant, there was a clear lesson: to be in God’s presence, one must be righteous. He must be upright and holy in all his ways.

當然，亞當未能守住他在聖約中的義務，墮落犯罪，並且把他的後裔一同帶入罪中 (羅 5:12-14)。
Adam, of course, failed to keep his covenant obligations and fell into sin, taking all his posterity with him (Rom. 5:12-14).

恩典之約的初次宣告 (原始福音)

就在亞當悖逆不久，神就暗示祂的形像所造的人類仍有盼望，以後裔的形式宣告了後被稱為 “恩典之約” 的應許。
With Adam’s rebellion still fresh, God intimated that His image bearers still had hope, announcing in seed form what is known as the “covenant of grace.”

在 創世記 3:15 中，神宣告祂要使祂子民的心轉向祂，與蛇為敵，而不再與祂為敵。
In Genesis 3:15, God declared that He would turn the hearts of His people so that they would be at enmity with the serpent rather than at enmity with Him.

祂要保守他們，並應許將來差遣那一位要毀滅那惡者 (“傷牠的頭”)，雖然那一位在得勝時自己也要受傷 (“傷祂的腳跟”)。
He would preserve them and promised to one day send the One who would destroy the evil one (“bruise” his “head”) even though He Himself would suffer in that victory (“bruise” his “heel”).

聖約神學中的 “救贖之約”

隨着聖經繼續展開，神其實在暗示聖約神學所稱的 “和平之議” 或 “救贖之約”。
As becomes clearer later in Scripture, God was hinting at what covenant theology calls the “counsel of peace,” or the “covenant of redemption.”

“救贖之約” 是三位一體神格之間的永恆之約，父與子約定將選民賜給子，子則與父立約，作為中保為選民贏得救贖，聖靈則與父子立約，將子贏得的救贖施予選民 (參: 賽 53:10-12; 腓 2:5-11; 路 22:29; 弗 3:8-12)。
The counsel of peace is an eternal covenant amongst the persons of the Trinity in which the Father covenants to give the elect to the Son, the Son covenants to win the redemption of the elect as their Mediator, and the Spirit covenants to apply to the elect the redemption that the Son has won for them (see Isa. 53:10-12; Phil. 2:5-11; Luke 22:29; Eph. 3:8-12).

正是藉著這個偉大的三位一體之間的聖約，神的兒子最終毀滅了蛇的作為 (約一 3:8)。
It is through this great intra-Trinitarian covenant that God the Son ultimately would destroy the works of the serpent (1 John 3:8).

救贖之約的實現過程

在歷史中，這個永恆的救贖之約的旨意得以實現。
In history, the purposes of this eternal covenant of redemption were achieved.

神藉著一連串歷史性的聖約，將屬祂的百姓帶歸祂自己，而這些聖約進一步啟示了在 創世記 3:15 首次宣告的恩典之約。
God brought to Himself a people who were His through a succession of historical covenants, each of which further revealed the covenant of grace that was first announced in Genesis 3:15.

首先，神與挪亞立約，表明祂在 創世記 3:15 中的應許必定成就。
First, in His covenant with Noah, God showed that His promise in Genesis 3:15 certainly would come to pass.

表面上的延遲只是因為神在耐心等候，要召聚屬祂的百姓歸向祂 (參: 創 6:5-9:17; 彼後 3:5-10)。
Its seeming delay came only because God was waiting to gather in all His people and make them His own (see Gen. 6:5-9:17; 2 Peter 3:5-10).

神與亞伯拉罕所立的聖約

神隨後與亞伯拉罕立約 (創 12:1-3; 15; 17)，應許賜下一個 “後裔”，最終指向基督 (加 3:16)。
In His subsequent covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; 15; 17), God promised that He would give His people a seed, which ultimately spoke of Christ (Gal. 3:16).

祂應許賜給祂的百姓一塊地，那地最終預表新天新地 (來 11:8-10)。
He would give His people a land, which ultimately spoke of the new heavens and the new earth (Heb. 11:8-10).

祂還應許亞伯拉罕的後裔要成為萬國的祝福，這說明神聖約的旨意將普及到全世界 (加 3:8-9)。
And He would make Abraham’s seed to be a blessing to all the nations, which spoke of the worldwide reach of God’s covenant purposes (Gal. 3:8-9).

在這些應許中，聖約的祝福以輪廓形式展現出來。
In these promises, the blessings of the covenant were held out in silhouette form.

此外，神啟示說祂的選民是藉著信成為屬祂的 (創 15:6)。
Furthermore, God revealed that His elect would be made His through faith (Gen. 15:6).

藉著神與亞伯拉罕的立約，祂的子民對自己如何成為屬神的子民以及這種身份所帶來的祝福，有了初步的認識。
Because of God’s dealings with Abraham, His people knew something of how they would be made God’s people and the blessings that that status entailed.

摩西之約中的律法與贖罪

在與亞伯拉罕立約之後，神設立了摩西之約，其中啟示了兩個關鍵真理。
After His covenant with Abraham, God initiated the Mosaic covenant, in which God disclosed two critical things.

首先，藉著律法，神向祂的百姓說明了何為義的生活。作為蒙恩得救的百姓，遵行這律法的生活將使神的榮耀顯明在全地 (出 19:5-6)。
First, in the law, He described for His people what a righteous life looked like. As His graciously redeemed people, living a life according to this law would display God’s glory in all the earth (Ex. 19:5-6).

其次，透過獻祭制度，神向祂的百姓表明：他們的罪可以藉著流血的獻祭得以洗凈，並且祂自己要為他們預備贖罪祭 (來 10:4-10)。
Second, through the sacrificial system, God showed His people that their sin could be washed away by sacrificial blood and He Himself would provide a means for that washing to occur (Heb. 10:4-10).

大衛之約中的王與中保

在與大衛立約中，神教導祂的百姓將有一位大衛的後裔作王治理他們，而祂的順服或悖逆將決定百姓在神面前的地位 (撒下 7:4-27)。
In His covenant with David, God’s people were taught that there would be One—a Davidic King—who would rule over them and whose obedience or disobedience would determine their standing with God Himself (2 Sam. 7:4-27).

新約的成就與歸宿

最後，在新約中 (耶 31:31-34; 32:36-44)，神向祂的百姓表明，他們所盼望的那一位就是耶穌——那位大衛的君王，將以完全的公義治理屬神的百姓，在神所賜的地上掌權 (結 37:24-28)。
Finally, in the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; 32:36-44), God showed His people that the One to whom they looked was Jesus—the Davidic King who would rule over all of God’s people in perfect righteousness in the land that God was giving to them (Ezek. 37:24-28).

正如給亞伯拉罕的應許，神的百姓將從地極被召來，住在天上的家鄉。
God’s people (as promised to Abraham), drawn from all the earth (as promised to Abraham) would dwell in a heavenly home (as promised to Abraham).

聖約神學總結

所有這些方式中，聖約神學幫助我們明白，這位無限、超越的神，如何使有限、有罪的百姓成為屬祂的。
In all these ways, covenant theology helps us understand how an infinite, transcendent God can make a finite, sinful people His own.

在祂永恆的旨意 (救贖之約) 中，神定意要祂的百姓表現出配得祂同在的義 (行為之約)，
In His eternal will (the counsel of peace), God purposed that His people would manifest a righteousness worthy of His presence (as seen in the covenant of works),

因為祂要成就祂的救贖應許 (恩典之約)，
because as He brings to fruition His redemptive promises (announced in the covenant of grace),

藉著祂的忍耐長久 (挪亞之約)，
through His patient long-suffering (as shown with Noah),

神要帶領祂的百姓相信祂 (亞伯拉罕之約)，
God will bring His people to faith (as shown with Abraham),

使他們能過正直的生活 (摩西之約)，
enabling them to live upright lives (as shown with Moses),

並仰望那位偉大的中保 (大衛之約)，將他們帶進那永恆的家鄉 (新約)。
even as they look to their great Mediator (as shown with David) to bring them to their eternal home (as shown with the new covenant).

藉著聖約，神使祂的百姓成為屬祂的 (申 29:12-13)。
Through covenant, God has made His people His own (Deut. 29:12-13).