基督徒的公民責任(主題十四)

序文


從有時間以來,人就聚集成群,先自伊甸園中的二個人起,發展成為較大的家庭群體,最後成為國家。
上帝以無比的先見,為這樣的人際行為提供了準繩,不僅為家庭,也為著我們可以稱之為公民領域的地方。
這些準繩可在賜給摩西的十誡中最精準的找到,也在整本聖經中到處可見。
聖經就因此是我們從事公民行動的教科書,
它包含了對所有人、所有文化、和所有時間都有效且都管用的原則,
它必須是今日世界的起始點。


教會的英雄們在過去世紀中已經看出在社會之中有不同的審斷權,每一種都直接向上帝負責,每一種各有其特定的疆界及其治理的結構。
這些審斷權有:自我治理、家庭治理、教會治理、公民(國家)治理。
每當這些治理權的任何一種逾越了本身上帝所給的疆界,不合聖經地干涉到任何其他審斷權的合法行動時,獨裁就興起了。


公民行動跟該群體的所有成員都有關涉,因為在社會中無人可以長期作用而不影響他人。
選擇會帶來後果,不僅是對自己個人,對其他人也是。
在社會中我們跟別人生活在一起,彼此依賴。
為了在這個關係中發揮功能,我們需要共同接受的規則去確保我們的行動是相對可以預期和公平的。


下面確認和否認的宣言是在復興聯盟(Coalition on Revival)基礎文件的情境下提出來的,其中包含了:
(1)芝加哥論聖經無誤宣言
(2)四十二條基督徒世界觀精要
(3)論上帝的國確認和否認的條款
這份文件也跟復興聯盟世界觀文件講到法律、政府、和政治行動的原則是一致的。




基督徒公民責任的確認和否認宣言
(小小羊註:下列條文,有些較不通順的我直接修改增減一些字詞,有些詞彙我加上不同的翻譯供大家參考,有些我另譯,以幫助大家更能讀懂條文意思)


第一條
我們確認上帝創造家庭作為社會的基石。(家庭在這裏的定義是人因著血緣、異性婚姻、或收養的關係,而有的單一或幾代的單位。)
我們否認公民政府對家庭無所謂或敵視的話,或者政府偏好不同時維持家庭整全的個人的話,健康的文化或社會還能受到好的照顧或維持下去。
(另譯:我們否認在這些情形下,健康的文化或社會還能受到良好培育或維持:
當公民政府對家庭抱持無所謂或敵視的態度;或是當政府對某些個人特別偏好,卻不同時維持家庭的整全)
We affirm that God created the family as the foundation of society. (Family is defined here as single- or multi-generational units of persons related by blood, heterosexual marriage, or adoption.)
We deny that healthy culture or society can be nurtured or maintained while civil government is indifferent or antagonistic toward the family, or when there is a governmental preference toward the individual which does not simultaneously maintain the integrity of the family.


第二條
我們確認強化並護衛家庭是公民政府的職責。
我們否認公民政府有權以任何有害於家庭健康和穩定的方式行事。
We affirm that it is the duty of civil government to strengthen and defend the family.
We deny that civil government has a right to act in any way detrimental to the health and stability of the family.


第三條
我們確認公民政府的原則是一個神聖建立的領域,並且所有的公民,特別是基督徒,在公民政府中有一種管家職份的角色。
我們否認公民政府在其本身是邪惡的,或者基督徒應避免牽扯在其中。
We affirm that the principle of civil government is a divinely established sphere, and that all citizens, especially Christians, have a stewardship role in civil government.
We deny that civil government is, in itself, evil, or that Christians should avoid involvement in it.


第四條
我們確認在任何政府底下的公民要為保守和增進正義、公義、憐憫、和國家安定,對上帝及其公民同胞負責。
我們否認在一共和政體中,全體公民把政府交在精英或政客(政治人物)手中,在道德上是可以接受的。
We affirm that citizens under any government are accountable to God and their fellow citizens for the preservation and increase of justice, righteousness, mercy, and national stability.
We deny that in a republic it is morally acceptable for the citizenry to leave government in the hands of the elite or in the hands of politicians.


第五條
我們確認在一個以代議政府為基礎的社會中,公民分擔他們領袖行動的責任。
我們否認在一個以代議政府為基礎的社會中,全體公民不必為他們所選之人的行動負責。
We affirm that in a society based upon representative government citizens share responsibility for the actions of their leaders.
We deny that in a society based upon representative government the citizenry is held blameless for the actions of those whom they elect.


第六條
我們確認上帝要所有人,特別是基督徒,負起建立並維持公義的公民政府之責。
我們否認基督徒可以避免牽扯在公民政府之中而保持無可責備。
We affirm that God holds all persons, especially Christians, responsible to establish and maintain righteous civil government.
We deny that Christians may avoid involvement in civil government and remain blameless.


第七條
我們確認法律和公民政府的任何和所有觀念都根據來自道德和宗教的意識形態原則。(另譯:我們確認法律和公民政府的任何和所有觀念,他們的基礎,都來自道德和宗教的意識型態原則)
我們否認法律或公民政府有辦法嚴格世俗化(非宗教化),或在其精髓,跟來自宗教和道德的意識形態脫離。
We affirm that any and all concepts of law and civil government have their basis in ideological principles which are moral and religious.
We deny that it is possible for either law or civil government to be strictly secular or divorced from ideologies which, in their essence, are religious and moral.


第八條
我們確認公民政府的每一條法律和每一個觀念,都是一群人或個人的宗教和道德的意識形態的執行(落實)。
我們否認法律或公民政府是離開宗教和道德的意識形態而存在。我們進一步否認法律或公民政府是無關道德,或非宗教性的。
We affirm that every law and every concept of civil government is the implementation of a group’s or individual’s religious and moral ideology.
We deny that either law or civil government exist apart from religious and moral ideologies. We further deny that either law or civil government are amoral, or non-religious.


第九條
我們確認每一個公民政府對某一個宗教和道德的意識形態看得比其他競爭的意識形態為高,也因此對那個掌控的意識形態有偏心(另譯:也因此會偏袒那個支配的意識型態)。
我們否認有可能所有的宗教和道德原則都可以被任何公民政府同等代表,或者公民政府可以價值中立來運作。
We affirm every civil government holds some single religious and moral ideology above other competing ideologies, and is thus partial to that reigning ideology.
We deny that it is possible for all religious and moral principles to be represented equally by any civil government, or that civil government is able to function value-neutral.


第十條
我們確認在聖經中,上帝教導了人類的公民責任和權利有關的原則,並且這些規定適用於所有人,基督徒和非基督徒都在內。
我們否認任何人在道德上有自由去使用跟聖經的真理矛盾(不符)的方式來治理或制定法律。
We affirm that God, in the Bible, teaches principles related to man’s civic responsibilities and rights, and that these precepts apply to all men, Christian and non-Christian.
We deny that any man is morally free to govern or enact laws at variance with the truth of the Bible.


第十一條
我們確認公民政府當它依據合乎聖經的原則運作時,最能造福所有公民。
我們否認公民政府和文明能建立在比那些在舊約和新約聖經中所發現的原則更高的原則之上。
We affirm that civil government will function most beneficially for all citizens when it is based on Biblical principles.
We deny that there are principles superior to those found in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible on which civil government and civilization may be founded.


第十二條
我們確認耶穌基督,天上地下所有的權柄都賜給祂了,祂有至高的權力治理每一個地上的邦國和機構,藉著其百姓和公民政府降服在包含舊約和新約的聖經原則之下。
我們否認任何人或制度,有一種合法或道德的權利去丟棄耶穌基督的統治;或是在他們的良心或身體中,以跟聖經原則或耶穌基督對立的方式去統治人。
We affirm that Jesus Christ, to whom all authority in Heaven and in Earth is given, has the supreme right to rule in every earthly state and institution by submission of its people and civil government to the principles of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments.
We deny that any man or system has a lawful or moral right to cast off the government of Jesus Christ, or to rule over men in either their consciences or their bodies in opposition to the principles of the Bible, or Jesus Christ.


第十三條
我們確認上帝創造了教會和國家為分開的實體。
我們否認教會應當統治國家,或者國家應當統治教會。
We affirm that God created church and state as separate entities.
We deny that either the Church should rule over the state, or that the state should rule over the Church.


第十四條
我們確認教會應影響國家朝向道德良善、正義、和憐憫,並且要求國家對聖經的原則負責。
我們否認教會沒有責任或權利對公民領域發言;我們也否認當公民政府違背聖經的原則時,教會保持緘默是道德的。
We affirm that the Church should influence the state toward moral goodness, justice, and mercy, and should hold the state accountable to the principles of the Bible.
We deny that the Church has no duty or right to speak into the civil sphere, and We deny that it is moral for the Church to remain silent while civil government violates biblical principles.


第十五條
我們確認大使命包含使萬民作門徒成為基督教的命令,因此其機構及其人民都跟合乎聖經的公民政府觀念符合。(另譯:如此其機關和人民能和聖經對公民政府的觀念相符合)
我們否認大使命並未包含要影響公民領域朝向合乎聖經的原則和活動的命令。
We affirm that the Great Commission includes the mandate to disciple all nations into Christianity, so that both its institutions and its people come into agreement with biblical concepts of civil government.
We deny that the Great Commission includes no mandate to influence the civil realm toward biblical principles and activities.


第十六條
我們確認教會要為教導其百姓合乎聖經的公民政府原則,並要為鼓勵他們按著他們個別呼召的程度參與在公民政府負責。(另譯:我們確認教會有責任要教導百姓關於聖經的公民政府的原則,並且鼓勵他們依照個別領受呼召的程度,參與公民政府)
我們否認教會的教導責任可以沒有對一個基督徒在基督的主權之下參與在公民責任之中的原則和職責,作合乎聖經地教導。(另譯:我們否認教會的教導責任有充分被履行-----沒有教導在基督主權之下基督徒參與在公民責任中的聖經原則與責任)
We affirm that the Church is responsible to teach its people principles of biblical civil government, and encourage their involvement in civil government to the degree of their individual callings.
We deny that the teaching responsibilities of the Church can be fully discharged without Biblical instruction in the principles and duties of a Christian’s participation in civic responsibilities under Christ’s Lordship.


第十七條
我們確認基督徒們應尋求各層級的政治職位,為要協助引導他們的國家朝向基督徒的原則而走。
我們否認每一個基督徒應去尋求政治職位;或者被選舉上的基督徒應為著個人的好處,而不是為著基督徒的原則而去尋求擴權。
We affirm that Christians should seek political office at every level in order to help guide their nation toward Christian principles.
We deny that every Christian should seek political office, or that Christians who are elected should seek to aggrandize power for personal gain rather than Christian principles.


第十八條
我們確認當上帝的律法和人的律法發生衝突時,所有人都有道德上的義務去遵守上帝的律法,而不是人的律法。
我們否認任何藉著順從人的律法就可以免掉對上帝律法的道德義務。
We affirm that all men are morally obligated to obey the laws of God rather than the laws of man when they conflict.
We deny that anyone is released from moral obligation to God’s laws by submitting himself to man’s law.






小小羊整理自ICCP信仰宣言

ICCP信仰宣言
http://churchcouncil.org/








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