第三週•週五

w03d05-ch

晨興餧養

猶3『親愛的，我盡心竭力要寫信給你們，論到我們共享之救恩的時候，就不得不寫信勸你們，要爲那一次永遠交付聖徒的信仰竭力爭辯。』

多一4『寫信給照着共同的信仰，作我真孩子的提多：願恩典與平安，從父神和我們的救主基督耶穌歸與你。』

猶大書三節的信仰不是主觀的相信，乃是客觀的信仰，就是我們所相信之物—新約的中心內容，成了我們共有的信仰（徒六7，提前一19，三9，四1，五8，六10、21，提後三8，四7，多一13），我們相信，就能得着我們共享的救恩。這信仰（不是任何道理）已經一次永遠的交付聖徒；我們應當爲這信仰竭力爭辯（提前六12）（新約總論第十三册，四○四頁）。

信息選讀

用在主觀的意義上時，…信…是指我們信的行動；用在客觀的意義上時，…信仰…是指我們所信的對象。…保羅在提前一章十九節說，『持守信心和無虧的良心；有人丟棄這些，就在信仰上猶如船破。』這節先題到的信心是主觀的，指我們相信的性能，後題到的信仰是客觀的，指我們所信的對象。彼得在他的第二封書信裏告訴我們，我們已經分得同樣寶貴的信（彼後一1）。這信是主觀的，是指我們裏面的信心。這與猶大書三節的信仰不同，因爲猶大書的信仰是客觀的。

就着客觀的意義說，信仰等於神在新約中所賜給我們之遺命的內容。…神在新約裏所賜的，乃是包括神新遺命一切項目的信仰。這遺命甚至包括三一神。然而，它並不包括蒙頭、洗腳或施浸的方法這類的事。雖然如此，有些信徒卻爲這類的事爭辯，以爲他們在爲信仰爭辯。但那不是正確的領會猶大所說，要爲那一次永遠交付聖徒的信仰竭力爭辯的意思。爲信仰爭辯，就是爲神新遺命中基本且要緊的事爭辯。

信仰—我們所信的—是由某些基本真理所構成。首先，我們相信神是一位卻又是三一的—父、子、靈。第二，我們相信我們的神在子（主耶穌基督）裏成爲肉體。第三，我們相信耶穌基督，就是神的兒子，成爲肉體作了人，在地上生活，並爲我們的罪死在十字架上，使我們得蒙救贖。第三天，祂在肉身上和屬靈上都從死人中復活，今天祂在復活裏是我們的救主，我們的主，又是我們的生命。如果我們相信祂，我們的罪便得赦免，祂就進到我們裏面作我們的生命，我們也就重生了。末了，主耶穌要回來接祂所有的信徒到祂那裏。這些乃是構成信仰的基本真理，基本道理，我們應當爲這信仰竭力爭辯。因爲每一個健全、真正的信徒都持守這些基本的真理，所以這些真理被稱爲共同的信仰（多一4）。

聖經裏沒有告訴我們要爲道理爭戰。然而，我們卻必須爲那與我們『共享之救恩』（猶3）有關的信仰爭辯。我們共享的救恩來自共同的信仰。…不同的宗派強調並持守不同的道理。雖然我們不爲道理爭戰，但我們必須樂意爲信仰爭戰。在提前六章十二節保羅囑咐提摩太：『你要爲信仰打那美好的仗。』所以，我們該爲我們的信仰竭力爭辯，但是不該爲我們的道理爭戰。在信仰的事上我們必須勇敢、剛強、明確，豫備好爲一次永遠交付聖徒的信仰竭力爭辯。然而，在道理上我們對人必須寬大（新約總論第十三册，四○四至四○六頁）。

參讀：新約總論，第三百九十八篇；猶大書生命讀經，第一、三篇。

WEEK 3 — DAY 5

Morning Nourishment

Jude 3 Beloved, while using all diligence to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you and exhort you to earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Titus To Titus, genuine child according to the common 1:4 faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

The faith in Jude 3 refers not to subjective faith as our believing but objective faith as our belief, referring to the things we believe in, the contents of the New Testament as our faith (Acts 6:7; 1 Tim. 1:19; 3:9; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 21; 2 Tim. 2:18; 3:8; 4:7; Titus 1:13), in which we believe for our common salvation. This faith, not any doctrine, has been delivered once for all to the saints. For this faith we should earnestly contend (1 Tim. 6:12). (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 4031)

Today’s Reading

When used in a subjective sense, faith denotes our action of believing; when used in an objective sense, faith denotes the object of our belief. In 1 Timothy 1:19…Paul says, “Holding faith and a good conscience, concerning which some, thrusting these away, have become shipwrecked regarding the faith.” The first reference to faith in this verse is subjective; it denotes our capacity to believe. The second use of faith is objective; it denotes the object of our faith. Peter tells us in his second Epistle that equally precious faith has been allotted to us (1:1). This faith is subjective and refers to the faith that is within us. This differs from the faith in Jude 3, which refers to what we believe.

The faith in the objective sense is equal to the contents of God’s will given to us in the New Testament…What God gives in the New Testament is the faith that includes all the items of God’s new will. This will includes even the Triune God. However, it does not include such matters as head covering, footwashing, or methods of baptism. Nevertheless, some believers contend for such things, thinking that they are contending for the faith. But that is not the correct understanding of what Jude means by contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. To contend for the faith is to contend for the basic and crucial matters of God’s new will.

The faith—our belief—is constituted of certain basic truths. First, we believe that God is one yet triune—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Second, we believe that our God became incarnated in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, we believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnated as man, lived on earth and died on the cross for our sins to secure our redemption. On the third day He was resurrected from the dead both physically and spiritually, and today He is our Savior, our Lord in resurrection, and our life. Because we believe in Him, our sins have been forgiven, He has come into us as our life, and we have been regenerated. Eventually, the Lord Jesus will come back to receive all His believers to Himself. These are basic truths, basic doctrines, that constitute the faith for which we should contend. Because every sound, genuine believer holds these basic truths, they are called the common faith
(Titus 1:4).

Nowhere in the Scriptures are we told to fight for doctrine. However, we must contend for the faith that is related to our “common salvation” (Jude 3). Our common salvation comes from the common faith…The different denominations emphasize different doctrines and hold on to them. Although we are not to fight for doctrine, we must be willing to fight for the faith. In 1 Timothy 6:12 Paul charges Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith.” Therefore, we should contend for our faith, but we should not fight for our doctrine. Concerning the faith, we must be bold, strong, and definite, ready to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. However, as far as
doctrines are concerned, we must be liberal with others. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4032-4033)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 398; Lifestudy of Jude, msgs. 1, 3