http://147306420.qzone.qq.com Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:22:42 GMT Qzone zh-cn Copyright (C), 2005-2008, Tencent Tech. Co., Ltd. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:43:56 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259207036 Looking for the NameSomeone wrote this week to ask me for the reference for a story he heard me tell a few years ago in my address at a Fuller Commencement ceremony. If having other speakers wanting to use a story from one of your speeches is a sign that you got your point across, then this particular story is a winner. I have been asked about it more than any other illustration I have ever used. I agree that it needs wider circulation, so here it is.
It is a story told by Albert Raboteau in his fine book—one that has had a profound impact on my thinking about many issues—Slave Religion: The “Invisible Institution” in the Antebellum South (Oxford University Press, 1978). Raboteau shows how the Christian slaves of the Old South typically had a deep reverence for the Bible, so much so that even when they could not read they found ways to make the Bible a central focus of their devotional lives. One young woman, for example, when she fled from her captivity, took a Bible with her. She had memorized key passages of Scripture, and had asked her mistress to mark the pages where the passages were found. Hiding in forests and swamps from her would-be captors, she turned to the marked pages and whispered the passages.
But here is the story that I so often get asked about. A young illiterate slave woman, a nursemaid to her master’s family, enlisted the white children to teach her how to recognize the word “Jesus.” Having gained possession of a Bible, she would regularly find a quiet place where she would turn the pages of the Bible, running her fingers up and down the pages, until she found the name of Jesus.
My own point in using that story—often in graduation addresses—is to encourage Christian students to cultivate what the philosopher Paul Ricoeur labeled “the Second Naivete.” That young woman was exhibiting the First Naivete, in her case an expression of a simple love for Jesus Christ. The Second Naivete, however, is a “post-critical” state of mind. It is a naivete that we can come back to on the other side of sophisticated critical reflection.
I admire that young slave woman. I want her kind of simple love of her Lord, and her deep conviction that what the Bible is all about is Jesus. For those of us who have passed, as Christians, through the disciplined thinking afforded by programs in higher education—we can’t simply forget all that we have learned: the questions, the times of doubts, the wrestling with various challenges to our faith. In the end, though, we need to cultivate the Second Naivete. This means, for me, that the slave woman had it right. In the end, the Bible is all about trusting and following Jesus, the One who loved us so much that he came to live and die for the likes of us, doing for us what we could never do for ourselves.
Come to think of it, that young woman’s devotional exercise might be a good one for us to engage in periodically—turn the pages of the Bible, run our fingers down the pages, and don’t pause until we have found Jesus!
转载自：Mouw’s Musings - The President’s Blog » Looking for the Name ]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259207036#comment 402653184 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:43:56 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259207036 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259132269

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Honouring the emperor and other imperial officials was an important part of civic life in the cities of Asia Minor. Cities, communities, associations, and individuals could concretely show their respect for these imperial benefactors by erecting statues, monuments, plaques, and buildings, dedicating them to the emperors or other officials (“monumental honours” as I sometimes call them). Despite the views of Jews like the author of Revelation, who outright condemned any connection with Roman imperialism (he would not want you to honour the “whore” or the “beast”), other Jews and Christians, such as the author of 1 Peter (2:11-17), were more willing to demonstrate their honour without engaging in actual worship. In fact, failure to engage in sacrifices for the emperor and other gods became the test, in some circumstances, of whether one was a Christian or not (see the discussion of Pliny the Younger and the Christians in Bithynia and Pontus). The author of 1 Peter writes: “For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. . . Honor everyone, Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” So virtually all early Christians and Jews refrained from religious rituals that recognized the emperors as gods, but scholars have often neglected these other areas of participation in Roman culture: Christians and Jews could be involved in honours for emperors, imperial officials, and local elites, as I explain in my book.
There was more to honouring the emperor than this, however. In the eastern, Greek part of the empire, it was quite common for inhabitants in the cities to offer cultic honours to the emperors (whether living or dead) in the form of sacrifice and other rituals, and to establish “imperial cults” devoted to worshipping the emperors as gods. It is useful to distinguish between four levels of imperial cults:
(1) First, there was the official cult of deceased emperors centred at the city of Rome itself. At the death of popular emperors, a special ceremony took place which involved the senate inducting the deceased emperor into the realm of the gods. This official Roman cult clearly stopped short of “worshiping” a living emperor as a god.
(2) Second, there were provincial imperial cults and temples organized by institutions that claimed to represent the civic communities of a given Roman province. In Asia, this central organization was known as the “Assembly (koinon) of Asia” and the imperial cult temples founded by this organization were primarily under the direction of the “high-priests of Asia”. Examples of this provincial level are the cult and temple for Domitian at Ephesos (built in the late 80s CE) and the cult and temple for Trajan at Pergamon (built in the early second century), which included festivals and games in his honour. In Asia Minor, it became common in various contexts, including provincial cults, to refer to a given emperor as “god Sebastos” (“Sebastos” was the Greek equivalent for the Latin “Augustus”) and to refer to the emperors (and some other members of the imperial family) collectively as the “Sebastoi gods,” “the revered gods.”
(3) Third, there were civic imperial cults which were devoted to honouring the Sebastoi (or a particular emperor) at the city level. These cults were established using donations from local benefactors or prominent families, who could then serve as priests, for instance. A good example of such a civic temple is the Sebasteion at Aphrodisias, which was dedicated to “Aphrodite, the Sebastoi gods, and the people”.
(4) Fourth, there were other local or unofficial shrines, monuments and expressions of honour for the emperors as gods in unofficial settings (e.g. small groups, families, individuals), including associations. There is much evidence, discussed in my book, for associations’ imperial cult activities, including mysteries in honour of the emperors as gods. The “hymn-singers” at Pergamon, for instance, devoted their attention to cultic honours for the emperors in both official settings and within their group in the first and second centuries (IPergamon 374; IEph 3801). They had a yearly celebration which involved mysteries in the lamp-light for the “revered ones”. The worshippers of Demeter at Ephesos likewise integrated sacrifices and mysteries for the emperors into their religious festivals, and the list of examples could go on. Participating in cultic honours for the emperors was one way in which associations felt at home in imperial culture, but Christians and Jews refrained from these specific forms of honours which placed the emperors in the realm of the gods.
转载自：Honours for the Emperors and Imperial Cults - Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations (Philip A. Harland) ]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259132269#comment 402653185 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:57:49 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259132269 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259048772 Jump to: navigation, search

The Arch of Charlemagne at the abbey entrance.Tre Fontane Abbey (English: Three Fountains Abbey; Latin: Abbatia trium fontium ad Aquas Salvias), or the Abbey of Saints Vincent and Anastasius, is a Roman Catholic abbey in Rome, currently held by the Cistercian Order.
[edit] HistoryConnected with and belonging to the monastery are three separate churches. The first, the Church of St. Paul of Three Fountains, was raised over the spot where St. Paul was beheaded by order of Emperor Nero. Legend says that the head, once severed from the body, bounced, striking the earth in three different places from which fountains sprang up, which flow to the present day and are located within the sanctuary itself.
The second, originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title "Our Lady of Martyrs", is built over the relics of Saint Zeno and his 10,203 legionaries, who were martyred here at the order of Diocletian in 299. In this church is the altar "Scala Coeli" ("ladder to heaven"), from which the church receives its present name. Finally there are the church and monastery dedicated to Saints Vincent and Anastasius, built by Pope Honorius I in 626 and given to the Benedictines, who were to care for the two older sanctuaries, as well as their own church.
Towards the middle of the seventh century the persecutions inflicted on the Eastern monks by the Monothelites obliged many of them to seek shelter in Rome, and this abbey was committed to them as a refuge.
The abbey was richly endowed, particularly by Charlemagne, who bestowed on it Orbetello and eleven other towns with a considerable territory, over which its abbot exercises ordinary jurisdiction (abbatia nullius).
In the tenth century it was given to the Cluniacs. In 1140 Pope Innocent II withdrew the abbey from them, and entrusted it to St. Bernard, who sent there a Cistercian colony from Clairvaux, with Peter Bernard of Paganelli as their abbot, who five years later became Pope Eugene III.
At the time Innocent granted the monastery to the Cistercians, he had the church repaired and the monastic quarters rebuilt according to the usages of the order. Of the fourteen regular abbots who actually governed the abbey, several besides Blessed Eugene III became cardinals, legates, or bishops. Pope Honorius III again restored the Church of Saints Vincent and Anastasius and personally consecrated it in 1221, seven cardinals at the same time consecrating the seven altars therein.
Cardinal Branda da Castiglione became the first commendatory abbot in 1419, and after him this office was often filled by a cardinal. Future popes Clement VII and Clement VIII as cardinals held this position. Pope Leo X authorized the religious in 1519 to elect their own regular superior, a claustral prior independent of the commendatory abbot, who from this time forward was always to be a cardinal. From 1625, when the abbey was affiliated to the Cistercian Congregation of St. Bernard in Tuscany, until its suppression at the Napoleonic invasion in 1812, the local superior was a regular abbot, but without prejudice to the commendatory abbot. The best known of this series of regular abbots was the second, Dom Ferdinand Ughelli, who was one of the foremost literary men of his age, the author of "Italia Sacra" and numerous other works.
From 1812 the sanctuaries were deserted, until Leo XII removed them from the nominal care of the Cistercians in 1826, and transferred them to the Friars Minor of the Strict Observance. The purpose of the pontiff was however not accomplished: the surroundings were so unhealthy that no community could live there.
In 1867 Pius IX appointed as commendatory abbot of Tre Fontane his cousin Cardinal Milesi-Ferretti, who endeavored to restore the material desolation that reigned in the neglected sanctuaries. To this end he obtained that their care be again committed to the Cistercians. A community was sent there in 1868 from La Grande Trappe to institute the regular life and to try to improve the healthiness the lands, which from long neglect had been called the tomba (graveyard) of the Roman Campagna.
When the Papal States were inglobated in the Italian kingdom in 1870, the friars remained at Tre Fontane, at first renting and later (1886) definitively purchasing it from the Government, with an additional tract of 1,234 acres. They inaugurated modern methods for the elimination of the malarial conditions that had been such an obstacle to health in the past, especially by planting a large number of eucalyptus and other trees, an experiment insisted upon by the government in the contract of sale. The trial proved a success, so that the vicinity became nearly as healthful as Rome itself.
转载自：Tre Fontane Abbey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259048772#comment 402653185 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:46:12 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259048772 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259033430 关于报复的问题，耶稣引用了旧约中著名的格言，“以眼还眼以牙还牙”，源自于出埃及的21：24和利未记的24：20以及申命记的19：21.。虽然基督教的历史上经常会用这样的理由来进行报复，但是原处的意义却是恰好是相反。在一个人被杀报复时要杀好几个人来偿还的古代世界里，“以眼还眼以牙还牙”是为了对无限制的报复做一个限制。耶稣把这种律法广而扩之，认为我们应该以宽容大度的方式来回应那些伤害我们的人以及那些对我们不利的处境。这里告诉我们一个非常自然的“反论”。不再是爱我们的家人和朋友，恨我们的敌人，基督呼召我们来爱我们的敌人。我们的榜样是上帝亲自爱圣人和罪人给我们订立的。这些人同样接收到阳光和雨露。天国的子民同样也要如此做。这种爱是不要求回报的，其意义是成为完美就像天父一样完美。
]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259033430#comment 142606848 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:30 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259033430 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259028662 大妈还真是能说啊！也真是喜欢关心电影和世界末日的事情啊。
关于世界末日的事情我倒是没有什么可以说的。倒是媒体和电影还有观影者，以及还没有观看但已经听闻玛雅人语言的人对此的反应值得人去思考。
媒体本来是应该很中性的。但是这中性的媒体，被商业的利益催动去报道任何事情的时候都自然不自然的去做噱头。电影市场的开放，让不同的电影进入中国，于是中国的观影者可以自由的观影，虽然不是完全自由，但是已经很不错了。观影者的兴趣是千差万别啊，而《2012》则是满足了很多人的胃口。有的人惴惴不可终日，到处去问关于世界末日是否是真是的？玛雅人的语言准确吗？有的人看到了里边中国人民解放军的救世情节（这个情节我听闻而已，直到博文写成博主还未看过全部电影），充分的被满足了中国强大的虚荣心。
昨天看到另外一份报纸，具体的名字我忘记了，是我在理发的时候闲来无事无意间看到的。人间上面倒是说的听中肯的，从生态失衡，从面对灾年时人与人之间的情感和爱来看待这部电影。这倒是提醒了我，原来这不电影应该这么看。我突然想到了一个事情：很多人（包括所谓的素质高的长鼻子蓝眼睛的欧美人），其实都是在意淫电影，意淫文学作品。就像《贫民窟里的百万富翁》一样，被好多垃圾的媒体人和电影观众解读的一塌糊涂，一部说的爱和梦想的电影，竟然成为了鼓吹成功学的电影。
2012年的事情，宗教人士至少现在没有多少人出来说话。估计是很多宗教对此不屑一顾，另外一方面，也可能是历史上太多的预言都失败的结果，人们都成熟了吧！ ]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259028662#comment 134218240 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:11:02 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259028662 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258721886 Many were surprised today to hear that a new revision of the NIV Bible is under development, and that the TNIV is being discontinued. The NIV is still the bestselling English version of the Bible, but the TNIV has been controversial and has never really caught on.
Reaction to the official announcement was been varied. Some welcomed the abandonment of the TNIV and expressed cautious optimism. Others were disappointed.
Douglas Moo is Chair of The Committee on Bible Translation, which is responsible for the new translation. He’s been kind enough to answer some of my questions.
By the way, Moo says that one point is being lost in the media coverage: “The 2011 NIV is the latest iteration of the CBT translation work, whose last expression was the TNIV.”
Today’s announcement came as a surprise to many people. Why a new version of the NIV?
It has been 25 years since the NIV was revised — mainly because the International Bible Society, in response to severe criticism, “froze” the text of the NIV in 1997. The current CEO of Biblica (the new name for the International Bible Society) has admitted that that decision was a mistake. They have determined to return to the language of the CBT charter, which calls on the NIV to be revised periodically to reflect the current state of biblical scholarship and contemporary English. For a variety of reasons, the TNIV, produced by CBT in 2005, has been divisive and has not caught on with readers. It therefore made sense to return to the original NIV mandate and to call the latest incarnation of the work of CBT simply the NIV. Granted the advances in biblical scholarship over that last 25 years and the incredible changes in the English language, it is clear that a revision of the NIV is overdue.
Zondervan president Moe Girkins has promised that the translation process will be as “transparent as possible” as part of an effort to overhaul the NIV “in a way that unifies evangelicalism.” How do you hope to see this happen?
As we have made clear in the press release, Biblica and Zondervan are taking the initiative to state clearly and publicly their plans for this new Bible — within two weeks of the final decision being made! They are intent on deflecting any possible claim that the 2011 NIV was a secretive project or that the intention to produce such a revision was not clear. For its part, CBT is intent on making clear that it is following the same translation process that has been in place since the inception of CBT over forty years ago. And we are also seeking input from anyone who wants to make a suggestion about how the 2011 NIV might be improved over the latest published version of the work of CBT, the TNIV.
You’ve said that the issue of gender-inclusive language is “back on the table” and that the way the English language handles gender is in flux. How can the Committee deal with this issue in a way that avoids the controversies surrounding the TNIV?
I seriously doubt that we can avoid all controversy on this matter. Whatever decisions we make, some evangelical Christians will be unhappy. What we hope is that, even if people disagree with the decisions we make, they would recognize that we have made these decisions with integrity, trying our best to put God’s unchanging Word into the language that people are speaking today.
What does the process look like for the Committee on Bible Translation as they work on this new version?
We have our work cut out for us. We have been meeting annually to revise the text, but that process must be accelerated over the next year. In our meeting in June, we assigned a number of tasks to members to be working on before our next meeting in the summer of 2010 — including, as I have indicated, a thorough review of every gender change since the 1984 NIV. We will also be gathering and evaluating suggestions that are submitted to us before the end of this calendar year. Next summer we will meet to make final revisions — and then the phase of implementation (proof-reading, etc.) will begin.
How can we pray for you?
All of us on CBT are deeply aware of the significance of what we are doing. It is no exaggeration to say that we regard our translation work as a sacred trust. We want to “get it right”: to make the best decisions about how to reflect the Word of God in modern English so that the greatest number of English-speakers around the world will be able to read, understand, and respond to the Bible. Pray that God gives us the wisdom to do that.
Tagged as: Douglas Moo, NIV, NIV BIble 2011, NIV2011, TNIV
转载自：Interview with Douglas Moo on the 2011 NIV — DashHouse.com ]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258721886#comment 402653185 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:58:06 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258721886 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258721549 Douglas J. Moo Blanchard Professor of New Testament
On faculty since 2000

Office: BGC 278
Phone: (630) 752-5273
Email: Douglas.J.Moo@wheaton.edu Education
Ph.D. University of St. Andrews in Scotland, 1980
Professional and Personal Interests
On a plaque mounted in my office are the words of the great pietist theologian Johann Albrecht Bengel: "Apply yourself wholly to the text; apply the text wholly to yourself." In my academic career, I have applied myself to the text by teaching New Testament and writing commentaries on the text-on James, 2 Peter and Jude, and Romans. I have also sought-undoubtedly less successfully-to apply the text I teach and write about to myself. Yet since the text I deal with is no less than God's word to his people, I must grapple not only with original meaning but with application to myself and to the contemporary church. Toward that end, I have also been active in my local church, serving as elder most years, in teaching and preaching to the church, and in conducting home Bible studies. Also very rewarding has been my service on the Committee on Bible Translation, the group of scholars charged with revising the text of the NIV and with producing the TNIV.

For over twenty years my ministry was based at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, in Deerfield, IL. Now that I am at Wheaton Graduate School, I am enjoying the challenge of adapting to a new institution, discovering the delights of new colleagues, and meeting the challenges posed by a different type of student. My academic interests revolve around the interface of exegesis and theology. I seek to model to students a rigorous approach to the Greek text that always asks the "so what" questions of ultimate significance and application. The Pauline and general letters have been my special focus within the NT canon. In the next few years I will be writing commentaries on Galatians and Hebrews, a Pauline theology, and a theological/practical book on creation care. My wife Jenny and I have five grown children. Courses Taught

BITH 543 New Testament Criticism

BITH 546 New Testament Book Studies from the English Text

BITH 548 Life and Teachings of Paul

BITH 646 New Testament Books Studies from the Greek Text

BITH 648 New Testament Theology

BITH 649 Advanced New Testament Topics

BITH 882 Various PhD Seminar Topics

Membership in Professional Societies

Evangelical Theological Society

Institute for Biblical Research

Society of Biblical Literature

Research

Pauline Theology

Creation Theology, with special reference to environmental issues

Galatians

Hebrews

Papers Published and/or Presented
Romans. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

The Epistle of James. Pillar Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000. 2 Peter, Jude. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005 (with D.A. Carson).
The Epistle of James. Tyndale New Testament Commentary. Leicester: IVP/Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.
The Old Testament in the Gospel Passion Narratives. Sheffield: Almond, 1983.

Books co-Authored

The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984 (co-author with R. Reiter, G. Archer, and P. Feinberg). The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian: Five Views. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993 (with W. Strickland, W. VanGemeren, W. Kaiser, and G. Bahnsen).
Romans 1-8. Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary. Chicago: Moody, 1991.
Selected Articles and Parts of Books

"1 Timothy 2:11-15: Meaning and Significance." Trinity Journal 1 (1980) 62-83. "The Interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11-15: A Rejoinder." Trinity Journal 2 (1981) 198-222.
"'Law,' 'Works of the Law' and Legalism in Paul." Westminster Theological Journal 45 (1983) 73-100.
"Tradition and Old Testament in Matt 27:3-10." In Gospel Perspectives, Vol. 3: Studies in Midrash and Historiography. Ed. R.T. France and David Wenham. Sheffield: JSOT, 1983.
"Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law." Journal for the Study of the New Testament 20 (1984) 3-49.
"The Problem of Sensus Plenior." In Hermeneutics, Authority, Canon. Ed. D.A. Carson and J.D. Woodbridge. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986.
"Israel and Paul in Romans 7.7-12." New Testament Studies 32 (1986) 122-35.
"Paul and the Law in the Last Ten Years." Scottish Journal of Theology 40 (1987) 287-307.
"The Law of Moses or the Law of Christ." In Continuity and Discontinuity: Perspectives on the Relationship between the Old and New Testament. Essays in Honor of S. Lewis Johnson, Jr. Ed. John S. Feinberg. Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1988.
"Divine Healing in the Health and Wealth Gospel." Trinity Journal 9 (1988) 191-209.
"The Theology of Romans 9-11: A Response to E. Elizabeth Johnson." In Pauline Theology, Vol. 3: Romans. Ed. D. M. Hay and E. E. Johnson. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995.
转载自：Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL) - Department of Biblical and Theological Studies ]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258721549#comment 402653185 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:29 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258721549 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258718666
弟兄姐妹，圣诞节快要来了！在网络上找了篇小文章，希望大家喜欢。


圣诞老人的故事(2008-12-25 14:52:23)
标签：圣诞节 平安夜 感恩 的心 圣诞老人 文化 分类：文摘

很久很久以前，一个孩子开启了一项神秘的任务，从此，世界上最伟大的传奇故事诞生了。在只有5个小时白天、日日为冬的北欧，Nikolas怀念自己早逝的父母和妹妹，感恩所有帮助过他的人们。从年轻小伙子到胡须斑白的慈祥老头，他就住在童话般漫山雪花的山顶，日日准备大家喜欢的礼物，似乎他只为每年的平安夜而存在。而这一切的缘由又是什么？
“Nikolas住在芬兰的一个小岛上，从小失去了父母和妹妹，一直被善良的村民们照顾抚养长大。每到圣诞节的时候，他就要从一户人家搬到另一户人家。为了表达他的感谢，每年他要离开的晚上，Nikolas就自己用刀子刻木头的小礼物送给抚养过他的家庭中的小朋友们。很多年过去了，抚养过他的家庭越来越多，在圣诞节的早晨，几乎村里每户人家都会发现门口摆放的小礼物。
某一年，村子遭受了饥荒。村民们不得不把Nikolas送去给木工Lisakki做学徒。在Lisakki神奇的作坊里，Nikolas经历了苦难，同时他神秘的任务也正式开始。一个又一个圣诞节接踵而至，圣诞礼物的传统在诞生之初便遭受着挑战。面对着重重障碍，一刻懂得感恩的心让Nikolas义无反顾的、倔强的坚持着。
　　Nikolas坚持了下来，他的诚意和善良打动了身边一个又一个人。相信他的人越来越多，帮助他的人越来越多，而Nikolas依然坚持着他的单纯和善良。随着时间的流逝，他蓄起了满脸的白胡子……　　最终，Nikolas成为了传说中的圣诞老人。他有自己的驯鹿，有自己的雪橇，有忠诚于自己的永远的朋友，还有无数乐于替自己延续传统的善良的人。而他自己则身着红衣，在一片银装素裹梦境般的世界里任意遨游，拉着装满玩具和礼物的雪橇挨家挨户给每个孩子送礼物，为越来越多的人带来希望与欢乐。” Nikolas没有因为贫苦而忘记亲人的离去。在每年的平安夜里，他都会用自己的双手做出很多精致可爱的小礼物送给每个曾经有恩于他的人，包括他故去的妹妹Ada。尽管只是些木偶小饰品，但是，他懂得感恩，他让那些善良的人们在每年的圣诞节都收到礼物，让他们感受生活的快乐、对生活充满信心。
“我很自私，只送礼物给那些帮助过我的人”圣诞老人说。这样一位既固执、又孩子气，既“自私”、又感恩的圣诞老人……哪一面才是真正的他呢？也许我们很难清楚地阐明自私与感恩之间的区别与联系，也许我们也不能准确说明消极和积极的辩证关系。我们只是在现实中看到，面对不幸与苦难，有人古惑了，有人则成为了圣诞老人。
也许我们给予的不是很多，但是，我们可以从每一次给予中感受到快乐、享受着每一份感激的心情。懂得感恩吧，感恩生活中给予我们的一切，感恩所有善良、单纯的人们。
]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258718666#comment 402653185 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:26 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258718666 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258718048 和合本圣经与富善牧师(2009-08-23 16:14:52)
标签：和合本圣经 富善牧师 杂谈 分类：文摘
现在通用的中文圣经和合本圣经，又称为和合本官话圣经或国语和合本圣经，是一本一百万字的巨册，已经有九十年的历史。由于和合本圣经乃是白话文，不像以往的文言体裁的圣经译本，为一般民众看得懂，读得出，深获中国教会信徒的喜爱。
中文和合本圣经 九十年前，也即是1919年，当和合本圣经在中国面世时，曾引起发行中文圣经空前未有的高潮。很多教会用它来作为文盲信徒的识字课本，圣经公会又以远远低于印刷成本的价格出售，和合本圣经出售的地区几乎遍及中国各省及东南亚各地。神的大能，慈爱，救赎与旨意透过神的话语彰显出来，使千千万万中国人悔改归向主，接受十字架的救恩，因耶稣基督的救赎成为新造的人，脱离罪恶的捆绑，从黑暗进入光明，成为神的儿女，也使无数的信徒信心得以坚定，更加经历神的丰盛。

和合本圣经与富善牧师
富善牧师（Rev. Chauncey Goodrich）谈起和合本圣经，不能不想起其翻译的过程，及负责翻译的宣教士富善牧师（Chauncey Goodrich, 1836-1925）。富善牧师本是英国人，祖先在1643年移民美国。富善牧师的父母定居于美国麻省，都是虔诚的基督徒，坚守主日，家里业农。
　　富善生于1836年，在七兄弟姊妹中排行第三。十岁时蒙恩得救，二十岁时听了萧富勒（Dr. William Schauffler, 1798-1883）博士讲道，被圣灵感动，立志到海外传福音。富善自小就和其兄弟一同帮忙农牧，想不到神藉着这些农业技术来装备他。多年后，当富善在中国当传道时，住在中国北方，他就在空闲时栽种蔬菜果树，饲养家禽，克服物质供应的困难，改善生活条件。在就读神学院时，富善研修希伯来文，神藉着这门功课来帮助他以后翻译圣经的工作。
　　年轻的富善被圣灵感动，看见中国的需要，决定要来到这块广大的禾田作抢救人灵魂的工作。他在1864与雅碧小姐（Abbie Ambler）结婚，同年被按立为牧师。次年与妻子来到中国，先在北京传道，因妻子水土不服，身体欠佳而调往通州。富善在当时的华北大学（North China College Tung Chou）与道学院（Gordon Memorial Theological Seminary）教学并担任道学院教务长。
　　富善热爱中国人的灵魂，为了容易接触中国人，更能把福音广传，富善在生活习惯上尽量与中国人认同。他像中国老百姓一样留长辫子，穿长袍短褂，头戴小帽子，并且千方百计学习中国语言。他仿效小孩子学话的过程，留心别人讲话的音调，自己设计一套记录音调的办法，从简单的字开始，渐渐到词句与成语，反复练习，随时随地在街道上向百姓学话，马上记录起来，回家反复温习记忆，不停地生动运用。这样日积月累，到了中国不久的富善牧师就成为在宣教士中，北京话讲得最标准，最流利的一位。
　　为了传福音，除了牧会，教神学外，富善牧师的脚踪遍及整个华北，他经历了无数次艰难的旅途，有时要淌过水深及腰的河流，有时遇见尘沙蔽日风暴，有时为了要到边远的地方传福音，因为交通不方便，他常常在伸手不见五指的大清早起程。
　　1874年，富善牧师的妻子雅碧在通州病逝。接着两年华北经历严重大饥荒，富善牧师和几个宣教士从北京出发，到达陕西西安，作二千英里，为期四个多月的救灾和传道的工作，立下一个关怀民众的好榜样，让中国人对宣教士刮目相看。
　　1877年，富善牧师续弦，与来自日本的宣教士Justina Emily Wheeler结婚，可惜她不幸在四个月后因患斑疹伤寒病逝。1880年，富善牧师与来自美国，比他年轻十九岁的宣教士Sarah Bordman Clapp结婚，婚后仍在通州事奉，结婚多年才生下第一个儿子，取名昌西。
　　1888年，伤寒和痢疾在通州相当猖狂，死人无数，当地有五位内地会的宣教士就因伤寒逝世，富善牧师的儿子昌西，是年才一岁，不幸也因痢疾病逝，使富善夫妇非常伤痛，后来神再赐给他们三个儿女。
　　1900年，义和团作乱，很多宣教士和信徒被拳匪所杀，富善牧师一家逃难到北京。富善把孩子送到天津，再到日本神户。为了翻译圣经，富善牧师仍旧回到中国，由妻子把孩子送回美国。两年后，富善回美国休假，一年期满，留下十一岁的大女儿在美国读书，与妻子带着二女儿露西和小儿子回中国。
办学校，关怀基层民众
1905年，二女儿露西因糖尿病逝世，富善夫妇把原准备给女儿读书的钱，另外再筹款，在通州为乡下女孩们，办了通州有史以来第一间寄宿女校，有学生五百人左右，在毕业生中，有不少成为传道人的妻子或在社会上为主工作。
　　1907年，富善夫人来到北京，负责贝满女校，她关心中国妇女的福利，是第一个提倡解除妇女缠足和禁鸦片烟的人，在当时的满清社会，引起了很大的风波。她还作了一些实地的工作，如带领无依无靠的妇女缝制衣服，使她们自给自足。富善夫人看见在天寒地冻的北京，人力车夫拉完车，满身大汗，常常脱去上衣，露天休息，有的受凉，得了肺炎死的人不少，她就利用她的影响力筹款，在一些人力车夫停车的地方盖起小房子，里面有煤炉子，热水供应，车夫可以在里面休息避寒，等候顾客。她并筹办老人院，收留无依无靠，无儿无女的穷苦老人，富善夫人关心中国基层民众，由此可见一斑。1923年，富善夫人因胃癌在北京病逝，当地的国人为她流泪哀伤。
翻译圣经，恩及神州
富善夫妇忠心为主，为拯救中国人灵魂尽心竭力，富善除了布道，牧养教会，教学，编纂英汉字典，汉文研究外，还作了一件影响深远的工作，就是参加和合本圣经的翻译工作。当年的中国，已经有马殊曼（John Marshman）与拉沙（Joannes Lassar），马礼逊（Robert Morrison）与米怜（William Milne），以及麦都思（Walter Henry Medhurst）与郭实猎（Karl Friedrich Gutzlaff）等的译本，但是在文意和字义上，都不能令人很满意。于是在1890年，圣经公会在英美宣教士中，物色有希伯来文与希腊文根基，又熟悉中文的人来重新翻译新旧约圣经。
　　1891年，富善牧师被任命为和合本官话圣经的翻译委员。和合本翻译委员包括来自各宗派的宣教士，前后共有十多人，每个委员带着自己的中国同工参加翻译。在漫长二十多年的翻译过程中，由于他们工作繁忙，都是兼职，有的后因年纪渐渐老迈，健康体力不如前而请辞，有的病逝，故此，委员会的人选一直不稳定。1900年，义和团作乱，很多宣教士和信徒被杀，其他的宣教士均要避难逃亡他处。虽然如此，但在神的恩典下，经过十六年千辛万苦的努力，和合本新约圣经终于在1907年出版了。
狄考文
Calvin Wilson Mateer 1908年，因圣经翻译委员会主席狄考文（Calvin Wilson Mateer, 1836-1908）逝世，富善牧师被任命为委员会主席。他辞去了道学院所有的工作，专心致力于圣经翻译的工作。自1912年，差会答应了委员们的要求，不给他们任何其他的工作，让他们可以全职从事翻译，因此，旧约圣经翻译的速度明显加快了。
　　1918年，和合本旧约圣经定稿，圣经翻译委员会解散，富善牧师继续负责至出版为止。
　　1919年，和合本新旧约圣经全书经过二十八年之久的翻译工作，终于面世了，而富善牧师已是八十二岁高龄。所有参加这份圣工的人，只有富善牧师从头到尾都有份参与，神又给他有够长的寿命看到整本圣经翻译本的出版，他的喜乐与感恩之心，难以笔墨形容（注一）。
　　富善牧师一生为主辛劳，尽心尽力，流泪撒种，并没有看见太多的功效。义和团之乱已经过去，中国教会正在蓬勃生长，但是撒但的权势在古旧的神州却是根深蒂固，多神论，拜祖先，鬼神偶像之风极度盛行，反基督教的暴风雨也在慢慢地酝酿。在以后的日子，教会经历了无数的试炼与迫害，但是神的道已藉着圣经和合译本在中国扎下了极度稳固的根基。在和合本翻译的圣工上，富善牧师有很大的贡献，他在主里的劳苦效果，要存到永远。
圣经彰显神的大爱，恩典与旨意
看到这里，可能你会问：是什么动力让这些宣教士，如富善牧师等人，甘心把自己的一生都为这个排洋，保守，腐败，古旧的中国摆上？从富善牧师在1903年所写的“差传合算吗？”一文，我们可以略知道一二。他引用神的话语，重申自己宣教的心志：是的，因为圣经如此记载：“神爱世人，甚至将祂的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信祂的，不至灭亡，反得永生。”（约翰福音3:16）就是因为神爱我们至切，故此主耶稣才降生尘世，为担当我们的罪孽舍命，并在死后三天复活，叫世人可以因耶稣基督的宝血罪得赦免，能与神和好。惟有神的大爱才能救这个世界，才能救中国。拯救人灵魂是神的心意，也是信徒最重要的人生目标。富善牧师在此文中回应神对他的大爱，这正是他为主尽力摆上，传扬主名的原因。
　　义和团的“杀洋扶清”，以及撒但各种的逼迫，不但没有把基督教信仰赶出中国，反而使基督教在中国蓬勃生长，这是神奇妙的作为。亲爱的弟兄姊妹，圣经翻译本来得不容易，你们有每天研读神的话语，亲近神，好叫你也能明白神的心意，又在一切事上靠主荣耀祂的名吗？
原文链接：http://www.ebaomonthly.com:2480/ebao/readebao.php?eID=e06012

附简介：
富善（Chauncey Goodrich，1836年6月4日－1925年9月29日）美国公理会传教士，中文圣经官话和合本译者之一。
1836年6月4日，富善出生于美国马萨诸塞州Hinsdale农庄的虔诚的基督徒家庭，父亲是Elijah Hubbard Goodrich，母亲是Mary Northrop Washburn。他就读于Hinsdale中学，1861年毕业于威廉斯学院。此后在纽约协和神学院攻读神学课程2年时间，1864年毕业于马萨诸塞州Andover，同年9月21日被按立为牧师，随后受美国公理会差遣，与新婚妻子前往中国北京传教，6年后调往Yucho。1872年回国，1873年再前往通州。1885年第二次回国，1887年春回到通州。他在通州负责公理会设立的神学院。他花费大量时间用于翻译圣经 (和合本)。1890年参与七人委员会，负责翻译圣经；1908年狄考文去世，富善便接替了委员会主席一职[2][3]1917年全书定稿，他是译经者中唯一活着看到圣经 (和合本)诞生的人。他也翻译或编写了数量可观的中文圣诗，为各个差会所使用。富善于1925年9月29日去世，终年89岁。（摘自维基百科）
]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258718048#comment 402653185 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:54:08 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258718048 http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258717659 没手，没脚，没烦恼 ！(2009-09-10 16:05:04)
标签：没有肢体的人生 分类：文摘

My name is Nick Vujicic and I give God the Glory for how He has used my testimony to touch thousands of hearts around the world! I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth "defect". As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles.
"Consider it pure joy, my Brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
....To count our hurt, pain and struggle as nothing but pure joy? As my parents were Christians, and my Dad even a Pastor of our church, they knew that verse very well. However, on the morning of the 4th of December 1982 in Melbourne (Australia), the last two words on the minds of my parents was "Praise God!". Their firstborn son had been born without limbs! There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it. The doctors we shocked and had no answers at all! There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a Brother and Sister who were born just like any other baby.
The whole church mourned over my birth and my parents were absolutely devastated. Everyone asked, "if God is a God of Love, then why would God let something this bad happen to not just anyone, but dedicated Christians?" My Dad thought I wouldn't survive for very long, but tests proved that I was a healthy baby boy just with a few limbs missing.

我的名字叫Nick，我要归荣耀给神，因祂使用我的见证触动了世界上千万颗心。我生来没手没脚，医生对此与生俱来的“瑕疵”，没给任何的医学解释！你可以想象--我面对了许多的挑战和障碍。“我的弟兄们，你们落在百般试炼中，都要以为大喜乐！”(雅各书1:2)将所有的伤痛与挣扎都视若无睹，而单单的喜乐吗？我的父母都是基督徒，甚至我父亲是一位牧师，他们深知这段圣经的经文。然而，在1982年12月4日澳洲墨尔本的一个早晨，从我父母亲心底流出的最后字眼竟是“赞美神”。他们的长子“没手没脚”地诞生在这个家庭！他们没有任何预警，也没有时间来应对，医生们除了震惊外，也没有给任何解释，直到如今仍旧没有任何医学解释，而现在Nick已有一对如同一般正常孩子的弟弟和妹妹。当时全教会为我的出生和我父母的遭遇而伤痛的景况可以用举世震惊来形容，每个人都在问：“假如神真是一位爱人的神，为何让这样糟糕的事情发生呢？若发生在其他人就也算了，却竟然让它发生在一个为神摆上的基督徒家庭之中？”我父亲起初以为我可能活不了多久，但经过检查发现我是个健康的男婴，只是有些肢体不见了！

Understandably, my parents had strong concern and evident fears of what kind of life I'd be able to lead. God provided them strength, wisdom and courage through those early years and soon after that I was old enough to go to school.

可想而知的，我的父母对我将来所要面对的生活有着沉重且明显的忧虑与恐惧。神给他们力量、智慧和勇气度过了我的幼年岁月，日子渐渐过去，我也长大到了上学的年龄。

The law in Australia didn't allow me to be integrated into a main-stream school because of my physical disability. God did miracles and gave my Mom the strength to fight for the law to be changed. I was one of the first disabled students to be integrated into a main-stream school.
I liked going to school, and just try to live life like everyone else, but it was in my early years of school where I encountered uncomfortable times of feeling rejected, weird and bullied because of my physical difference. It was very hard for me to get used to, but with the support of my parents, I started to develop attitudes and values which helped me overcome these challenging times. I knew that I was different but on the inside I was just like everyone else. There were many times when I felt so low that I wouldn't go to school just so I didn't have to face all the negative attention. I was encouraged by my parents to ignore them and to try start making friends by just talking with some kids. Soon the students realized that I was just like them, and starting there God kept on blessing me with new friends.

因我的肢体残障，澳洲法律无法让我进入主流的教育体系，而神行了神迹，给我妈妈力量去争取现行法律的改变，使我成了澳洲第一批能进入主流教育体系的残障学生之一。我喜爱上学，并且尽力想过得像别人一样。但在我早期就学的时光中，我遭受到很不舒服的对待，像是被弃绝、作弄、欺凌，其原因仅仅是我生理上的差异！这对我来说是很难接受的，但在父母的支持下，我找到了可以助我胜过那些挑战的态度与价值观。我确信外在虽然不同，但里面的我是不输给任何其它人的。许多次当我心情低落到不想上学，想藉此可以逃避那些负面的关注，爸妈就鼓励我不要去理会那些负面的东西，试着去与一些同学说话、结交朋友。很快的，同学们认知到我并非异类，从此神就不断地赐福加添给我新的朋友。
There were times when I felt depressed and angry because I couldn't change the way I was, or blame anyone for that matter. I went to Sunday School and learnt that God loves us all and that He cares for you. I understood that love to a point as a child, but I didn't understand that if God loved me why did He make me like this? Is it because I did something wrong? I thought I must have because out of all the kids at school, I'm the only weird one. I felt like I was a burden to those around me and the sooner I go, the better it'd be for everyone. I wanted to end my pain and end my life at a young age, but I am thankful once again, for my parents and family who were always there to comfort me and give me strength.

很多时候，我会因着无法改变我的样子或罪疚那些与此事有关的人，而感到沮丧和愤怒。我在主日学学到神爱我们所有的人，并眷顾你我。以一个正常小孩来讲，我了解这份爱，但我不了解既然神爱我，为什么又要如此造我？是因为我做错了什么事吗？我想是的，因为我是学校所有孩子中唯一的怪物！我觉得对于周遭的人而言，我是一个包袱，越快离开对他们越好。我想要结束这痛苦及年少的生命，但每当想到父母及家人总在需要的时候安慰我、给我力量，我就再次感恩不已！
Due to my emotional struggles I had experienced with bullying, self esteem and loneliness, God has implanted a passion of sharing my story and experiences to help others cope with whatever challenge they have in their life and let God turn it into a blessing. To encourage and inspire others to live to their fullest potential and not let anything get in the way of accomplishing their hopes and dreams. One of the first lessons that I have learnt was not to take things for granted.

因着经历各种欺凌、自怜、孤寂的情绪争战，神在我里面深植了一份热情，让我可以分享故事与经历来帮助他人胜过生命中各样的挑战，并且神将他们一一化为祝福。要鼓舞激励人们活出最大的潜能，不让任何事物阻挡了梦想完成之路。我所要学的第一课就是“勿将万事视作理所当然”。

"And we know that in all things God works for the best for those who love Him."
That verse spoke to my heart and convicted me to the point where that I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these "bad" things happen in our life.
I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all. I completely gave my life to Christ at the age of fifteen after reading John 9. Jesus said that the reason the man was born blind was "so that the works of God may be revealed through him." I truly believed that God would heal me so I could be a great testimony of His Awesome Power. Later on I was given the wisdom to understand that if we pray for something, if it's God's will, it'll happen in His time. If it's not God's will for it to happen, then I know that He has something better.

“我们知道万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处”。这经文对我说话并说服我明白--无所谓的运气、机会或巧合会导致这些“倒霉的”事发生在我们生命中。我有完全的平安相信--除非神有美好的旨意，否则祂不会容许任何事情发生在我们生命中。在我15岁的时候，当我读完了约翰福音第九章，我就完全地将自己生命献给基督。耶稣说：那人生来就瞎眼的原因是要“在他身上显出神的作为来”。我确信神会医治我，使我成为祂大而可畏的权能见证者，后来神给我智慧明白我们所祷告的事，如果是合神的心意，它将会在适当的时间成就，如果不合神的心意而未成就，那么我就知道神有更美的旨意。

I now see that Glory revealed as He is using me just the way I am and in ways others can't be used.
I am now twenty- three years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector.

如今我看见神的荣耀被彰显出来，祂以我的本相来使用我，而这种方式是别人无法替代的。我现在23岁，已完成财务规划与会计的主修课程，取得商业学士学位。我也是一位潜能开发的讲员，一有任何机会都喜欢各处分享自己的故事与见证。我已发展出一些以激励学生的讲题，有关的主讲都是现今青少年相当困扰的，我同时也是一些法人组织的演讲人。
I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow.
I have many dreams and goals that I have set to achieve in my life. I want to become the best witness I can be of God's Love and Hope, to become an international inspirational speaker and be used as a vessel in both Christian and non-Christian venues. I want to become financially independent by the age of 25, through real estate investments, to modify a car for me to drive and to be interviewed and share my story on the "Oprah Winfrey Show"! Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year. It will be called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!"

我热衷于接触年轻族群，让神来差遣我去做祂要我做的事，无论祂去哪里，我都跟随！在我生命中，我许下了很多梦想和目标要去完成。我要成为神大爱与盼望的最佳见证人，我要成为一个鼓舞人心的国际演说家，在基督徒与非基督徒场合中都被神使用的器皿。在25岁以前，我要经由房地产的投资而成为财务独立，我要为自己修改一部方便驾驶的汽车，我要上Oprah Winfrey脱口秀节目分享我的故事。写几本最畅销的书也是我的梦想之一，我希望第一本书可以在今年底之前完成。书名将取为《没手、没脚、没烦恼！》
I believe that if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it's God's will, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all! What's worse is putting limits on God who can do all things. We put God in a "box". The awesome thing about the Power of God, is that if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we can't do anything without Him. Once we make ourselves available for God's work, guess whose capabilities we rely on? God's!

我相信只要你有渴望与热情要做一些事，并且是合乎神的旨意，就会在最好的时机成就。人们经常毫无理由地将限制放在自己身上，更糟的是将限制放在可以成就万事的神身上，如同把神放进一个“箱子”里！有关神大能的奇妙之处，乃在于当你要为神做事时，不去看自己的能力大小、而是看自己愿意给祂使用多少，因为事情是祂藉我们成就的，离了神我们不能做什么！一但我们愿意为神所用，猜猜谁的能力将成为我们的依靠？神的！
转载自：没手，没脚，没烦恼 ！_joey_新浪博客 ]]> http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258717659#comment 402653185 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:47:39 GMT http://147306420.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258717659