附录
Forward
Until the Reformation, the absolute authority of the Church of Rome was accepted. Every issue in matters of government, science, and above all the interpretation of the Bible, was unquestioned. As this authority was challenged and the Reformation progressed, many seekers of truth were freed in thought and action. The challenge of authority also influenced seekers of truth in the sciences. The approach to discovery with open-mindedness developed into a premise: that observations, methods, and conclusions about what is known thus far may be improved, or disproved by new observations, methods, and conclusions. Basing upon this premise, an open-ended approach in ascertaining truth has continued for four hundred years.
Seekers of truth in the physical sciences and many seekers of spiritual truth have adopted this premise. This approach is known as “The Scientific Method”, though it has its origin in the Reformation.
In keeping with this open-ended quest for truth, the King James translation gave the scriptures to the common man. Thus a trend was established, providing study aids over the next four centuries. Among the important aids is the work of a Greek scholar, Mr. G.V. Wigram. His concordance provided the linking of the King James translation of the New Testament to the original Greek. A seeker could then find a more accurate understanding of the the original Greek. A seeker could then find a more accurate understanding of the original words by seeing how they were used throughout the text. This open-ended approach using a concordance was completed by Mr. Wigram about one hundred and fifty years ago. Nearly fifty years later, Dr. James Strong’s study aids made a breakthrough in coding every word of the King James New Testament and linking it to his Greek dictionary. His intent, in providing root derivations in his dictionary, was meant to help the seekers use the open-ended approach. However, many seekers use his dictionary as a closed source of definitions. They receive his definition at face value rather than following his abundant references to obtain richer meanings.
Sixty years ago, Mr. Adolph Knoch developed the concordant literal translation of the Greek New Testament. Later, in a separate volume, Mr. Knoch combined related Greek words according to their roots and rendered these roots with literal English equivalents. His work enriched the open-ended approach. Several years ago, the compilers of the work discovered that these study aids could be improved by consolidation them into one volume. This consolidation reduces the time of tracing references of root derivation, and gives the user an easy way to determine the meaning of the Greek words.
This volume offers features that constitute an ideal workshop for both the Chinese and the English readers. This work is offered to be helpful, not final. Other study aids should not be set aside, but used to enhance this open-ended approach.
后 记
今年二月封弟兄来电话,盼望最好六月份能整理出去年的录音带信息。经过好多个日以继夜,总算在五月份能将第二稿交柴、漆、李三位主内兄长代阅参加意见。至九月初才能将第三稿寄送江、王、陈三位前面弟兄及封、马两位编者(原文编号)兄长指正。谢谢他们在百忙中的辛劳,在主里爱心的意见及许多远方关怀此书肢体们的代祷。
修稿期间与多位前面弟兄交通,更深的体会到他们对初学使用原文编号圣经肢体们的关心与隐忧。深怕初学的少年人因为得着或发现一些新的东西,就小看了旧的版本或对以前的带领弟兄们与其信息自命不凡,这恐怕就未蒙其利,先受其害。其实这也是我对有心追求的初学者经常有的告诫。所以在分享时所引的圣经,所举的例证,特别注意到“读经的人”更重于“查考的方法”。读完全书廿四篇的肢体该会发现我尽量的将教会生活所该注意的题目,属灵生命成长所不可或缺的要点,都尽量在信息中分享,务期初学者得着平衡的帮助,以致有许多篇里,信息的成份远大于方法的介绍。
我是在教会中学蒙恩得救的,和合版圣经更是我启蒙与背诵的对象,上大学后又多读英文钦定版,加上我家学与文、法学科的背景,以为自己还算是有追求的。但真正知道自己属灵上的浅薄,深感在属灵的认识与经历上是门外汉,是在1963年刚来美留学之时。那时在幽津 (EUGENE, OR),前面弟兄带领读“亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的 神”,“人的破碎与灵的出来”等书,又听了MAJOR IAN THOMAS的道,读了他的THE SAVING LIFE OF CHRIST及THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS,当年又两次参加了CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL在其总部一周的传福音训练聚会,回程经洛杉矶聚会,买到了T. AUSTIN SPARKS的“THE ON HIGH CALLING"及“THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE MINISTRY" 及达秘的SYNOPSIS等属灵书籍。虽然那时候因为这器皿太小,吸收有限,但却改变了我一生,以后两年虽仍在研究院念历史,但真正读的却是许多属灵的好书。我之所以提这一段往事,是盼望告诫许多初学用“编号圣经”的追求者,千万不要忘记去读那些好的属灵书籍。陈希曾弟兄编了一本“属灵古典名著评介”,他从研读圣经、福音真理、属灵生命、名人传记各方面介绍了许多好书,彀我们一辈子还读不完。中文方面除中国的前辈们留下的好书外,现被翻译过来的好书亦越来越多,像麦敬道的的摩西五经,摩根的四本福音书,史伯克弟兄的许多书等等,都是不可不读,非读不可的,年轻有追求的弟兄姊妹若有这许多的好书作属灵的根基,再加上庇亚人般的心志,才能彀会在研读“原文编号”上有真正的得着!原文编号圣经的字典与汇编最能帮助我们的就在“发现事实”。倪弟兄认为好的发现事实已经在读经的路上成功了一半。个人在比较不同译文版本圣经时(和合版及不同的英文译本),编号圣经尤其有极大的帮助。
我们都不愿见研读原文编号会带来任何负面的作用, 神阻挡骄傲的人,赐恩给谦卑的人。我常记得的一句箴言是:“骄傲在败坏之先,狂心在跌倒之前”(箴16:18)。在美国将近四十年的教会生活与观察,连最有启示的前面弟兄也因骄傲到发狂而跌倒,我们这些后学者就更要引以为诫了。因着前面弟兄们的关怀与提醒,我就多写了“被 神使用的人”,“一个被主雕刻最多的彼得”,“自居卑微有血有泪的保罗”,以及“这年长的写信给蒙拣选的主母”四大段,加在本书第十七篇“怎样的人”里,作为第十七篇的加强与补充。
我特将1987年初版编号圣经马健源弟兄英文的序FORWARD附在后记之前,目的就是要读者更深的体会那两处黑体加强的字:OPEN-ENDED与NOT FINAL。每一个信徒都有自己的背景,都有那已经在我们里面根深蒂固的观念。我们来用编号查考圣经,若不是存着一个敞开的态度OPEN-ENDED,将已有的观念认为是可改的,就无需浪费时间来查考编号圣经。只有当我们谦卑在主前,全部都愿意让主原本的话来过滤、来核对(NOT FINAL) 时,我们才会发现有些我们过去所持有的观念和看法是传统或个人的理解,而非圣经的原意。马弟兄强调我们查原文编号要注意:“原意”(原文字的意思),“用意”(原文字在该处圣经的用法),及“心意”(原文字在整本圣经中 神心意的用法)。我们要对 神的话语(新旧约圣经原文)全部接受,而非只接受我们个人所能了解明白的部份。我们承认对圣经“有不懂的,却没有不信的”。本书各篇信息中所交通的,都是作者个人的心得与体会,有许多地方像乐园何处?基督治会,家谱,摇签与选举等等与传统的解释或看法相左,读者们同意与否都没有关系,个人亦是以敞开的态度,愿意与读者们有更多的交通,真盼望主能借着原文编号圣经、本书,及更多的主内交通,我们能一同按着正意分解真理的道(见提后2:15),并且能发明 神在信上所立的章程(比较提前1:4)。
文士、法利赛人查考圣经,却不到主那里得生命。今天我们信 神所差来的耶稣基督,“当用各样的智慧把基督的道理(原文作话LOGOS),丰丰富富的存在心里,用诗章、颂词、灵歌,彼此教导,互相劝戒,心被恩感,歌颂 神。无论作甚么,或说话,或行事,都要奉主耶稣的名,借着祂感谢父 神”(西3:16-17)。 这不只是个人的基督徒生活,也是教会的生活。但这只是一面,还有一面是:“你们从主所受的恩膏,常存在你们心里,并不用人教训你们。自有主的恩膏在凡事上教训你们。这恩膏是真的,不是假的。你们要按这恩膏的教训,住在主里面”(约一2:27)。以上两处圣经里的“存在心里”,原文都是“在…里面”。今天在我们里面必定要丰丰富富的有主的话,又要有恩膏的涂抹,这两者缺一不可,又可说是一物的两面。因为主亲自说:“叫人活的乃是灵,肉体是无益的。我对你们所说的话(原文是雷玛),就是灵,就是生命”(约6:63)。但愿我们查考圣经者,都有里面膏油的涂抹,能天天得着 神雷玛的话语。我们要离开基督道理(原文作话LOGOS)的开端,竭力进到完全的地步。要学习不只爱吃奶,还要能吃干粮,熟练仁义的道理(原文作话LOGOS),得以长大成人。我们的心窍,习练得通达,就能分辨好歹了(见来5:13-14)。全文完
作者 志
12/4/2002
── 李广《查考圣经得生命──如何使用原文编号新约字典汇编──方法与范例》
(中国大陆以外地区读者,如需阅读繁体字版,可径向各大基督教书店洽询。本书由台湾永望文化事业有限公司出版·华人基督教文宣基金会总代理)
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