【洗禮】十四:叫你的罪得赦

BaptismP08《聖經新約》里,有幾個主題作者提到一百多次。其中的一個是“洗禮。”因為《聖經》講洗禮,講一百多次,我想,我們應該因此而覺得洗禮這件事情,在神眼前,顯得很重要。

我們可以由洗禮的目的而明白它的重要。使徒彼得,在使徒行傳第二章,告訴我們有關洗禮。彼得說:“你們各人要悔改,奉耶穌基督的名受洗,叫你們的罪得赦,就必領受所賜的聖靈”(使徒行傳2:38)。今天,在此文,我強調“叫你們的罪得赦”一詞。彼得告訴我們,當我們信仰耶穌,悔改我們的罪,而奉耶穌的名受洗時,神要“叫你們的罪得赦。” “叫…罪得赦”就是洗禮的目的之一。

但是,彼得的講道詞里,“叫…罪得赦”這個詞,並不是第一次用在《新約》里。耶穌基督設立主餐(聖餐)時,他“拿起杯來,祝福,說,‘你們都喝這個,因為這是我立約的血,為多人流出來,使罪的赦’”(馬太福音26:27-28)。耶穌說的“使罪得赦,”和彼得講的“叫…罪得赦,”原文是一模一樣的。《聖經新約》的原文是希臘文。馬太福音,耶穌設立主餐,說,“使罪得赦,”和使徒行傳,彼得的講道詞,“叫你們的罪得赦,”這兩句希臘原文都寫在下面:[εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν] (eis a-phesin ha-mar-ti-on)。耶穌講的和彼得說的,希臘原文是一樣的三個字。

請問,什麼事情才會“使罪得赦”呢?當耶穌設立主餐時,他肯定他的寶血“使罪得赦。”那時,耶穌很快就要被釘十字架,所以他說這個杯裡面的葡萄汁代表他的血;他的寶血要“使罪得赦。”那時,耶穌還沒有死,所以世人的罪孽還沒有得到赦免。

使徒彼得講道時,彼得說,“叫你們的罪得赦。”彼得說什麼事情才會叫他們的罪得赦呢?彼得說,“你們各人要悔改,奉耶穌基督的名受洗,叫你們的罪得赦。”悔改和洗禮使罪得赦。彼得的聽眾還沒有悔改,還沒有受洗,所以他們的罪還沒有得到赦免。同樣,您我還沒有悔改、受洗以前,我們的罪還沒有得到赦免。彼得所告訴聽眾的過程是,一,悔改,二,受洗。還沒有受洗,罪還沒有得到赦免;這就是“你們各人要悔改,奉耶穌基督的名受洗,叫你們的罪得赦”的意思。
請注意!耶穌設立主餐時,他說,“你們都喝這個,因為這是我立約的血,為多人流出來,使罪得赦。”耶穌要流他的寶血為的是“使罪得赦。”彼得勸觀眾“…悔改…受洗,叫…罪得赦。”因為這兩句話的希臘原文是一模一樣的: [εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν] (eis a-phesin ha-mar-ti-on),“使罪得赦,”如果洗禮不是為要“叫…罪得赦,”耶穌的寶血“流出來,”也不會“使罪得赦。”

其實,信仰耶穌的人都知道,也都相信,馬太福音26章28節,耶穌的寶血“流出來使罪得赦。”同樣的真理,我們都應該相信,也應該接受,使徒行轉2章38節,“奉耶穌基督的名受洗,叫你們的罪得赦。”使徒彼得把洗禮的一個目的,寫得很清楚,是“使罪得赦。”

從此可知,洗禮是我們沐浴在耶穌的寶血的時候,是我們接受神恩的時刻,是我們得到救贖的時間,是我們的罪得到赦免的時候。換句話說,奉耶穌的名受洗就是我們成為基督徒之際。

耶穌基督的故事,百聽不厭。請您快一點相信此故事,快一點“悔改,奉耶穌基督的名受洗,叫你們的罪得赦。”


【洗禮】十四:叫你的罪得赦
“Baptism” 14: For the Forgiveness of Sins
作者:謝德華 ©By Edward Short

Baptism: “For the Forgiveness of Sins”
Acts 2:38

There are several topics in the New Testament that are discussed over one hundred times each. One such topic is baptism. Since it’s mentioned over one hundred times, I think we should realize that in the eyes of God, baptism is very important.

We can tell something about the importance of baptism from its purpose. The apostle Peter says some specific things about baptism in the second chapter of Acts. Peter says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 NIV). Today, in this article, I am emphasizing the phrase “for the forgiveness of your sins.” Peter tells us that when we put our trust in Jesus, repent of our sins, and are baptized in the name of Jesus, our sins will “be forgiven” by God. One of the purposes of baptism is, therefore, “so that your sins may be forgiven” (NRSV).

Peter’s sermon is not the first time that this phrase “forgiveness of sins” is used in the New Testament. When Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion), he “took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” (Matthew 26:27-28 NIV). In the original language, Jesus’ statement, “for the forgiveness of sins,” and Peter’s statement, “for the forgiveness of your sins,” are exactly the same words. The New Testament was written in Greek. Printed below is the Greek text of what Jesus said in Matthew when he instituted the Lord’s Supper, the phrase, “for the forgiveness of sins” as well as what Peter said in his sermon in Acts, “for the forgiveness of your sins” [ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ] (eis a-phe-sin ha-mar-ti-on). The Greek words that Jesus said and that Peter said, were the same three words.

What can forgive sins? When Jesus instituted the Lord’ Supper, he affirmed that his precious blood would be poured out “for the forgiveness of sins.” Shortly after Jesus spoke these words he would be crucified, so he said that the grape juice inside the cup represented his blood; his blood would result in “the forgiveness of sins.” At that time, however, Jesus had not yet died, so the sins of the world still stood unforgiven.

In the sermon preached by the apostle Peter, he said, “for the forgiveness of your sins.” What did Peter say could cause their sins to be forgiven? Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (NIV). (The NRSV translates this as: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.”) Repentance and baptism would cause their sins to be forgiven. Peter’s audience had not yet repented and had not yet been baptized, so their sins had not yet been forgiven. In the same way, before you and I repent and are baptized, our sins are not yet forgiven.

The process that Peter told the multitude who heard him speak was, first, to repent, and second, to be baptized. Their sins were not forgiven until baptism; this is the meaning of, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Note that when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he said, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus shed his blood “for the forgiveness of sins.” Peter exhorted his audience to “repent and be baptized…for the forgiveness of sins.” Because the original Greek for both phrases is the same, [ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ] (eis a-phe-sin ha-mar-ti-on), if baptism is not “for the forgiveness of sins,” Jesus’ blood also cannot be “for the forgiveness of sins.”

In fact, all who trust in Jesus know and believe Matthew 26:28— that the blood of Jesus is “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” In the same way, we should also believe and accept Acts 2:38, “…Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” The apostle Peter tells us clearly that one of the purposes of baptism is “for the forgiveness of your sins.”

From this we can see that in baptism, one is washed in the blood of Jesus and receives the grace of God. Baptism is when one’s sins are forgiven; baptism in the name of Jesus is the moment when one becomes a Christian.

One never tires of hearing the story of Jesus Christ. I hope you’ll believe the story about Jesus and “Repent, and be baptized… in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.”

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