By T.C. Lo (盧天賜); February 19, 2015
(There is an English summery for English readers)
今天是羊年初一，我是在羊年出生的，所以心中有特别的感受。
遠志明 (Ref. 1) 認為 “看待中國歷史, 可以有三種角度: 以己觀之, 以人觀之, 以道觀之。
- 國門未開之時, 唯一的歷史觀是: 以己觀之。史論褒貶, 均是自己比照自己, 如〈史記〉及後世各代史。
- 近代東西方接觸後, 發現山外有山, 人外有人, 便引發了以人觀之。
- 人類不是宇宙中一個孤立的存在。冥冥天道对人類生存方式的預設和介入，正像陽光, 大地, 空氣之於人類, 是一個不爭的事實。英国著名史學家湯因比 (Arnold J. Toynbee 1899-1975) 就談到歷史是一種天命 (Providence), 一種唯自由的人類聆聽和回應的天啓 (divine revelation) —簡言之, 歷史是上帝與人類之間的交往。這是以道觀之。”
所以有人把歷史 History 一字, 視為「His Story 祂 (道) 的故事」, 就是這個道理。
遠志明 “在「以道觀之」的角度下, 把中國歷史分為四部份:
- 敬虔時代—黄帝, 堯, 舜, 夏, 商, 周。那時「人神不雜」。人將神 (天) 當作神來敬畏，深知自己是有罪有限的人。
- 智慧時代—以春秋戰國為代表, 由「人神不雜」轉到「人神同位」, 應驗到創世記三章五節中的「你們便如神」的惡兆。
- 人本時代—秦漢直至清亡。中国從「神州」變成「人州」。一個個號稱「真龍天子」的皇帝，儼然竊取了上帝的尊榮和權威，帶來中國陷入自殘自孽的惡夢中。
- 回歸時代—推翻帝制後至今。人們開始意識到傳统的西方經濟，政治，信仰是一個完整的生命有機体，其内核是以基督教文明為内涵，神聖而密契的人神關係。”
遠志明看中国前途是樂觀的。現在讓我们單看看敬虔時代的特色，它可由中國文字的起源来探索：
“在〈聖經創世記第十章三十二節〉所記「各隨各的方言，宗族立國」的年代，中國文字出現了。這些公元三千至二千年之間出現的甲骨文、攜帶了豐富的遠古記憶，傳説和史實、比〈聖經創世記〉的成書，至少還早幾百年。
黄帝的史官倉頡 (有人說並非一人)，按照象形，指事，會意的方式造字，再用假借，諧音，轉注的辨法来擴增。中国文字，字中有信，字中有道。在慶祝羊年之際，筆者特選一個字 “義”, 作為説明我们中国人的老祖宗是一個敬天的民族，並且他們似乎與聖經中的猷太人同獲上帝的啓示。
- 「義」字，我在下，羔羊在上，我獻羔羊，羔羊蓋我，便稱為義。”
Reverend Kang and Dr. Nelson had the observance of some astonishing points of correspondence between certain characters in the Chinese language and elements of the Genesis account of man’s early beginnings. They went on to analyze dozens of the ideographic pictures that make up words in Chinese language. The evidence they compile is marshaled to support the thesis that the ancient picture writing of the Chinese language embodies memories of man’s earliest days.
On this first day of the Year of Sheep (A.D. 2015), we are to examine few Chinese characters: Sheep 羊， Me 我, and Righteousness義, and how they related to the Bible.
In Kang and Nelson’s book (Ref. 2), they wrote:
“The word for righteousness 義appears to have been derived from the original act of worship, asking forgiveness for sin. A sheep 羊is found in this figure, and beneath it, 我, picturing I, me, we, kneeling before the Lamb of God, who alone covers me and bring righteousness. Further dissection of this last character for me reveals a composite of hand 手 and a lance or spearhead 戈。This specifies that the slaying of the lamb is by me, by my own hand, using a spearhead, indicating that my sins would bring death to the innocent Lamb of God.
- Hand手 + lance戈 = Me我。
- Me我 + Sheep羊 = Righteousness義。
The authors also reminded us that China boasts of nearly 5000 years of unbroken civilization. The ancient Chinese were monotheists, serving a Supreme Heavenly Ruler; they worshiped the one true God, the Creator of Genesis chapters one and two.”
Two thousand years ago, the true meaning of “Righteousness義” was fully unfolded in Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God without blemish; He came to the world for the remission of our sins; He willingly gave up his life by dying on the cross. The death of Christ satisfied God’s holiness. Thus, the love, the righteousness, and the forgiveness of God converge on the cross. We sinners, through our faith in Jesus Christ are imputed with Christ’s perfect righteousness. This is in fact one of the important doctrine of Christianity—Justification by Faith Alone (and not by good deeds) 因信稱義. As we celebrate the Chinese Lunar Year of the Lamb in 2015, let’s all remember that we need a Redeemer—the Lamb of God who had substituted for us the penalty of sins that we may live.
两千多年前, 這個「義」字的真諦在耶稣基督的身上被完全並完美地啓示出来。他是上帝的兒子, 是為我們預備的無罪羔羊， 為了除去世人的罪孽。祂為了担當我們的罪債, 甘願被釘在十字架上, 滿足了父神聖潔的要求。上帝的慈爱，公義，和赦免都同時聚焦在十字架上，好叫基督的義，因我們的信，成就在我們身上。這就是基督教重要教義之一: 「因信称義」的道理。讓我們能藉著「過羊年」来被提醒，我們都需要一位完美的救主，就是那無瑕疵的代罪羔羊—耶穌基督。
References:
- “神州懺悔錄—上帝與五千年中國” by 遠志明; pp. iii-9. 此書也可在網上找到：http://www.cclw.net/famous/szchl/index.htm
- “The Discovery of Genesis 造—How the Truths of Genesis Were Found Hidden in the Chinese Language” by C.H. Kang and Ethel R. Nelson; pp.83-84.
