Tony Payne – 9 April 2016托尼·佩恩- 2016年4月9日
Translated by John Lau
Bilingual with Traditional Scripts
什麼是 “倫理”?
Our CCL tagline (and everyone needs a tagline) is ‘Bringing biblical ethics to everyday issues’. But what is ‘ethics’ exactly? And what would make them biblical?
我們CCL 的標語(每個人都需要一個標語)是「將合乎聖經的倫理帶到日常議題」。但究竟什麼是「倫理」呢? 是什麼令其成為合乎聖經的?
One common view is that ‘ethics’ covers all the stuff that isn’t in the Bible. There are things that the Bible clearly tells us to do (like “do not steal”), but then there are all those other issues we face that aren’t specifically mentioned in Scripture—like euthanasia, abortion and same-sex marriage. And that’s where ethics steps in.
有一個共同的觀點是，「倫理」涵蓋了《聖經》中所沒有的東西。有些事情聖經清楚地告訴我們的(例如「不可偷盜」)，但我們還要面對在聖經中沒有具體提及的其他問題…例如安樂死、墮胎和同性婚姻。這就是倫理介入的地方。
This is one of those statements that is quite wrong, but also reflects an important truth.
這是一個相當錯誤的觀點，但也反映了一個重要事實。
It’s wrong, because ethics is about far more than hard-case controversial moral issues. It’s about every aspect of ourselves and our actions that can be thought of as ‘moral’ (as relating to what is good and right and wrong and evil). And even though many of the moral issues or questions we face today aren’t specifically named in Scripture, God still has a great deal to say about them through the Bible. In fact, we can be confident that by his divine power God has “granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3).
這是錯誤的，因為倫理是遠超越困難和具爭議性的道德問題。它關乎任何我們或我們的行為，可以被認為是與『道德』有關的 (什麼是好與對，錯與邪惡)。儘管我們今天面臨的許多道德議題或問題沒有在《聖經》中具體的定明，但神仍然通過聖經有很多相關的話要說。事實上，我們可以相信「神的神能已將一切關於生命和敬虔的事賜給我們，皆因我們認識那用榮耀和美德召我們的主」(彼後 1:3)。
So this common view of ethics is inadequate, but at the same time it does express an important truth—namely, that ethics is concerned not only with ‘what is in the Bible’ but with the world outside the Bible that the Bible address. That is, ethics is concerned with the world of action and relationships and character that we inhabit day by day; it’s concerned with what we do with the convictions and promises and truths of Scripture in our daily lives.
因此，這種共同的倫理觀是不充分的，但與此同時，它確實表達了一個重要的真理…即倫理不僅關注「聖經中的內容」，而且還關注聖經以外的世界。也就是說，倫理關
注到我們每日的行為、人際關係和品格；關乎我們如何在日常生活中，活出聖經的信念、承諾和真理。
Every day we face situations or circumstances in which we face the challenge of acting—of doing something that could be good or right or desirable or commendable, or something that could be evil or wrong or blameworthy. It could be deciding how to treat our child when they have been disobedient; or how to react to the driver who cut in on us; how to order our priorities in spending our money; or complex situations like how to approach IVF if we are struggling with infertility.
我們每天面對著各種景況或情形，都需要我們面對行動的挑戰…去做一些可以是好或對、或可取或值得稱讚的，或者一些可以是邪惡、錯誤或值得指責的事情。這也可以是孩子不聽話時，決定如何對待他們；或駕車時如何回應切線的司機；如何在用錢時確定我們的優先次序；或更複雜的情況，如果我們不能成孕，如何考慮人工受孕。
And as we are confronted by these multiple and variegated circumstances, we have a framework of beliefs and convictions in our heads and hearts about what is true and good and right—convictions that, if we are Christian, should be formed by Scripture.
當我們面對這些多重和多變的環境時，我們頭腦和心中都有一個信念的框架，什麼是真實、美好和正確的。如果我們是基督徒，這信念的框架應該由聖經形成。
Ethics is really the process of thought that connects the two—that is, by which our (biblical) convictions drive and shape our contextual action in the world.
倫理實際上是連接兩者的思想過程，也就是說，我們(合乎聖經)的信念推動和塑造我們在世界的處境𥚃，有適當的言行舉止。
Much of the time, this process of thought happens quickly and without us being much aware of it—for good or ill. But we will do better, both in our instinctive moral reactions, and in the more complicated situations that require some considered thought, if have a good framework or thought process for bringing the truth of the Bible to bear thoughtfully, coherently and consistently to the issue at hand.
大部分時間，這種思維過程發生得很快，而且我們不會留意…不管是好是壞。但是，如果我們有一個良好的框架或思維過程，用《聖經》的真理來深思熟慮、連貫地和一致性地去解決手頭的問題，使我們在面對本能的道德反應，或在一些需要深思熟慮的更複雜的情況下，都能做得更好。
That’s what we’re seeking to model and to teach at the Centre for Christian Living—a good and consistent thought process that brings the theological convictions of Scripture to bear on Christian-living issues we face every day.
這就是我們在「基督徒生活中心」CCL尋求建立的榜樣和教導…一個良好和一致的思考過程，將聖經的神學信念帶到我們每天面對的基督徒生活問題上。
Bilingual with Simplified Scripts
什么是 “伦理”?
Our CCL tagline (and everyone needs a tagline) is ‘Bringing biblical ethics to everyday issues’. But what is ‘ethics’ exactly? And what would make them biblical?
我们CCL 的标语(每个人都需要一个标语)是「将合乎圣经的伦理带到日常议题」。但究竟什么是「伦理」呢? 是什么令其成为合乎圣经的?
One common view is that ‘ethics’ covers all the stuff that isn’t in the Bible. There are things that the Bible clearly tells us to do (like “do not steal”), but then there are all those other issues we face that aren’t specifically mentioned in Scripture—like euthanasia, abortion and same-sex marriage. And that’s where ethics steps in.
有一个共同的观点是，「伦理」涵盖了《圣经》中所没有的东西。有些事情圣经清楚地告诉我们的(例如「不可偷盗」)，但我们还要面对在圣经中没有具体提及的其他问题…例如安乐死、堕胎和同性婚姻。这就是伦理介入的地方。
This is one of those statements that is quite wrong, but also reflects an important truth.
这是一个相当错误的观点，但也反映了一个重要事实。
It’s wrong, because ethics is about far more than hard-case controversial moral issues. It’s about every aspect of ourselves and our actions that can be thought of as ‘moral’ (as relating to what is good and right and wrong and evil). And even though many of the moral issues or questions we face today aren’t specifically named in Scripture, God still has a great deal to say about them through the Bible. In fact, we can be confident that by his divine power God has “granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3).
这是错误的，因为伦理是远超越困难和具争议性的道德问题。它关乎任何我们或我们的行为，可以被认为是与『道德』有关的 (什么是好与对，错与邪恶)。尽管我们今天面临的许多道德议题或问题没有在《圣经》中具体的定明，但神仍然通过圣经有很多相关的话要说。事实上，我们可以相信「神的神能已将一切关于生命和敬虔的事赐给我们，皆因我们认识那用荣耀和美德召我们的主」(彼后 1:3)。
So this common view of ethics is inadequate, but at the same time it does express an important truth—namely, that ethics is concerned not only with ‘what is in the Bible’ but with the world outside the Bible that the Bible address. That is, ethics is concerned with the world of action and relationships and character that we inhabit day by day; it’s concerned with what we do with the convictions and promises and truths of Scripture in our daily lives.
因此，这种共同的伦理观是不充分的，但与此同时，它确实表达了一个重要的真理…即伦理不仅关注「圣经中的内容」，而且还关注圣经以外的世界。也就是说，伦理关注到我们每日的行为、人际关系和品格；关乎我们如何在日常生活中，活出圣经的信念、承诺和真理。
Every day we face situations or circumstances in which we face the challenge of acting—of doing something that could be good or right or desirable or commendable, or something that could be evil or wrong or blameworthy. It could be deciding how to treat our child when they have been disobedient; or how to react to the driver who cut in on us; how to order our priorities in spending our money; or complex situations like how to approach IVF if we are struggling with infertility.
我们每天面对着各种景况或情形，都需要我们面对行动的挑战…去做一些可以是好或对、或可取或值得称赞的，或者一些可以是邪恶、错误或值得指责的事情。这也可以是孩子不听话时，决定如何对待他们；或驾车时如何回应切线的司机；如何在用钱时确定我们的优先次序；或更复杂的情况，如果我们不能成孕，如何考虑人工受孕。
And as we are confronted by these multiple and variegated circumstances, we have a framework of beliefs and convictions in our heads and hearts about what is true and good and right—convictions that, if we are Christian, should be formed by Scripture.
当我们面对这些多重和多变的环境时，我们头脑和心中都有一个信念的框架，什么是真实、美好和正确的。如果我们是基督徒，这信念的框架应该由圣经形成。
Ethics is really the process of thought that connects the two—that is, by which our (biblical) convictions drive and shape our contextual action in the world.
伦理实际上是连接两者的思想过程，也就是说，我们(合乎圣经)的信念推动和塑造我们在世界的处境𥚃，有适当的言行举止。
Much of the time, this process of thought happens quickly and without us being much aware of it—for good or ill. But we will do better, both in our instinctive moral reactions, and in the more complicated situations that require some considered thought, if have a good framework or thought process for bringing the truth of the Bible to bear thoughtfully, coherently and consistently to the issue at hand.
大部分时间，这种思维过程发生得很快，而且我们不会留意…不管是好是坏。但是，如果我们有一个良好的框架或思维过程，用《圣经》的真理来深思熟虑、连贯地和一致性地去解决手头的问题，使我们在面对本能的道德反应，或在一些需要深思熟虑的更复杂的情况下，都能做得更好。
That’s what we’re seeking to model and to teach at the Centre for Christian Living—a good and consistent thought process that brings the theological convictions of Scripture to bear on Christian-living issues we face every day.
这就是我们在「基督徒生活中心」CCL寻求建立的榜样和教导…一个良好和一致的思考过程，将圣经的神学信念带到我们每天面对的基督徒生活问题上。
