附錄
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.
後 記
今年二月封弟兄來電話,盼望最好六月份能整理出去年的錄音帶資訊。經過好多個日以繼夜,總算在五月份能將第二稿交柴、漆、李三位主內兄長代閱參加意見。至九月初纔能將第三稿寄送江、王、陳三位前面弟兄及封、馬兩位編者(原文編號)兄長指正。謝謝他們在百忙中的辛勞,在主裏愛心的意見及許多遠方關懷此書肢體們的代禱。
修稿期間與多位前面弟兄交通,更深的體會到他們對初學使用原文編號聖經肢體們的關心與隱憂。深怕初學的少年人因為得著或發現一些新的東西,就小看了舊的版本或對以前的帶領弟兄們與其資訊自命不凡,這恐怕就未蒙其利,先受其害。其實這也是我對有心追求的初學者經常有的告誡。所以在分享時所引的聖經,所舉的例證,特別注意到“讀經的人”更重於“查考的方法”。讀完全書廿四篇的肢體該會發現我儘量的將教會生活所該注意的題目,屬靈生命成長所不可或缺的要點,都儘量在資訊中分享,務期初學者得著平衡的幫助,以致有許多篇裏,資訊的成份遠大於方法的介紹。
我是在教會中學蒙恩得救的,和合版聖經更是我啟蒙與背誦的對象,上大學後又多讀英文欽定版,加上我家學與文、法學科的背景,以為自己還算是有追求的。但真正知道自己屬靈上的淺薄,深感在屬靈的認識與經歷上是門外漢,是在1963年剛來美留學之時。那時在幽津
(EUGENE, OR),前面弟兄帶領讀“亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的 神”,“人的破碎與靈的出來”等書,又聽了MAJOR
IAN THOMAS的道,讀了他的THE
SAVING LIFE OF CHRIST及THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS,當年又兩次參加了CAMPUS
CRUSADE FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL在其總部一周的傳福音訓練聚會,回程經洛杉磯聚會,買到了T.
AUSTIN SPARKS的“THE ON HIGH CALLING"及“THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE MINISTRY" 及達秘的SYNOPSIS等屬靈書籍。雖然那時候因為這器皿太小,吸收有限,但卻改變了我一生,以後兩年雖仍在研究院念歷史,但真正讀的卻是許多屬靈的好書。我之所以提這一段往事,是盼望告誡許多初學用“編號聖經”的追求者,千萬不要忘記去讀那些好的屬靈書籍。陳希曾弟兄編了一本“屬靈古典名著評介”,他從研讀聖經、福音真理、屬靈生命、名人傳記各方面介紹了許多好書,彀我們一輩子還讀不完。中文方面除中國的前輩們留下的好書外,現被翻譯過來的好書亦越來越多,像麥敬道的的摩西五經,摩根的四本福音書,史伯克弟兄的許多書等等,都是不可不讀,非讀不可的,年輕有追求的弟兄姊妹若有這許多的好書作屬靈的根基,再加上庇亞人般的心志,纔能彀會在研讀“原文編號”上有真正的得著!原文編號聖經的字典與彙編最能幫助我們的就在“發現事實”。倪弟兄認為好的發現事實已經在讀經的路上成功了一半。個人在比較不同譯文版本聖經時(和合版及不同的英文譯本),編號聖經尤其有極大的幫助。
我們都不願見研讀原文編號會帶來任何負面的作用, 神阻擋驕傲的人,賜恩給謙卑的人。我常記得的一句箴言是:「驕傲在敗壞之先,狂心在跌倒之前」(箴16:18)。在美國將近四十年的教會生活與觀察,連最有啟示的前面弟兄也因驕傲到發狂而跌倒,我們這些後學者就更要引以為誡了。因著前面弟兄們的關懷與提醒,我就多寫了“被 神使用的人”,“一個被主雕刻最多的彼得”,“自居卑微有血有淚的保羅”,以及“這年長的寫信給蒙揀選的主母”四大段,加在本書第十七篇“怎樣的人”裏,作為第十七篇的加強與補充。
我特將1987年初版編號聖經馬健源弟兄英文的序FORWARD附在後記之前,目的就是要讀者更深的體會那兩處黑體加強的字:OPEN-ENDED與NOT FINAL。每一個信徒都有自己的背景,都有那已經在我們裏面根深蒂固的觀念。我們來用編號查考聖經,若不是存著一個敞開的態度OPEN-ENDED,將已有的觀念認為是可改的,就無需浪費時間來查考編號聖經。只有當我們謙卑在主前,全部都願意讓主原本的話來過濾、來核對
(NOT FINAL) 時,我們纔會發現有些我們過去所持有的觀念和看法是傳統或個人的理解,而非聖經的原意。馬弟兄強調我們查原文編號要注意:“原意”(原文字的意思),“用意”(原文字在該處聖經的用法),及“心意”(原文字在整本聖經中 神心意的用法)。我們要對 神的話語(新舊約聖經原文)全部接受,而非只接受我們個人所能瞭解明白的部份。我們承認對聖經“有不懂的,卻沒有不信的”。本書各篇資訊中所交通的,都是作者個人的心得與體會,有許多地方像樂園何處?基督治會,家譜,搖簽與選舉等等與傳統的解釋或看法相左,讀者們同意與否都沒有關係,個人亦是以敞開的態度,願意與讀者們有更多的交通,真盼望主能借著原文編號聖經、本書,及更多的主內交通,我們能一同按著正意分解真理的道(見提後2:15),並且能發明 神在信上所立的章程(比較提前1:4)。
文士、法利賽人查考聖經,卻不到主那裏得生命。今天我們信 神所差來的耶穌基督,「當用各樣的智慧把基督的道理(原文作話LOGOS),豐豐富富的存在心裏,用詩章、頌詞、靈歌,彼此教導,互相勸戒,心被恩感,歌頌 神。無論作甚麼,或說話,或行事,都要奉主耶穌的名,借著祂感謝父 神」(西3:16-17)。
這不只是個人的基督徒生活,也是教會的生活。但這只是一面,還有一面是:「你們從主所受的恩膏,常存在你們心裏,並不用人教訓你們。自有主的恩膏在凡事上教訓你們。這恩膏是真的,不是假的。你們要按這恩膏的教訓,住在主裏面」(約一2:27)。以上兩處聖經裏的“存在心裏”,原文都是“在…裏面”。今天在我們裏面必定要豐豐富富的有主的話,又要有恩膏的塗抹,這兩者缺一不可,又可說是一物的兩面。因為主親自說:「叫人活的乃是靈,肉體是無益的。我對你們所說的話(原文是雷瑪),就是靈,就是生命」(約6:63)。但願我們查考聖經者,都有裏面膏油的塗抹,能天天得著 神雷瑪的話語。我們要離開基督道理(原文作話LOGOS)的開端,竭力進到完全的地步。要學習不只愛吃奶,還要能吃乾糧,熟練仁義的道理(原文作話LOGOS),得以長大成人。我們的心竅,習練得通達,就能分辨好歹了(見來5:13-14)。全文完
作者 誌
──
李廣《查考聖經得生命──如何使用原文編號新約字典彙編──方法與範例》
(中國大陸以外地區讀者,如需閱讀繁體字版,可逕向各大基督教書店洽詢。本書由臺灣永望文化事業有限公司出版.華人基督教文宣基金會總代理)