《威斯敏斯特大教理问答》

二十三、中保的资格

38问：中保为什么必须是上帝呢？

答：中保必须是上帝，才能：1）使祂的人性在上帝的震怒以及死亡的权势下，持守得住，不致沉沦（徒2:24-25；罗1:4，比较罗4:25；来9:14）；2）为祂的受苦、顺服、代求，带来有价值的果效（徒20:28；来9:14；7:25-28）；3）满足上帝公义的要求（罗3:24-26），得着恩典（弗1:6，7；太3:17），买赎了一群独特的子民（多2:13-14），将自己的灵赐给他们（加4:6），并征服他们所有的仇敌（路1:68-69，71，74），把他们带入永远的救恩（来5:8-9；9:11-15）。

Question 38: Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God?

Answer: It was requisite that the Mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience, and intercession; and to satisfy God’s justice, procure his favor, purchase a peculiar people, give his Spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation.

39问：中保为什么必须是人呢？

答：中保必须是人，才能在我们的人性中（来2:17），显明祂对律法的顺从（加4:4），并为我们受苦代求（来2:14；7:24-25），体恤我们的软弱（来4:15），使我们得着儿子的名分（加4:5），可以坦然无惧，来到施恩的宝座前（来4:16）。

Question 39: Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be man?

Answer: It was requisite that the Mediator should be man, that he might advance our nature, perform obedience to the law, suffer and make intercession for us in our nature, have a fellow feeling of our infirmities; that we might receive the adoption of sons, and have comfort and access with boldness unto the throne of grace.

40问：中保为什么必须在同一位格中既是上帝又是人呢？

答：中保为要使人与上帝和好，就必须在同一位格中既是上帝又是人，以便于此二性中为我们所成就的全人之工，既得以蒙上帝所悦纳（太1:21，23；3:17；来9:14），又得以为我们所信靠（彼前2:6）。

Question 40: Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God and man in one person?

Answer: It was requisite that the Mediator, who was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both God and man, and this in one person, that the proper works of each nature might be accepted of God for us, and relied on by us, as the works of the whole person.

《威斯敏斯特大教理问答》

二十二、恩典之约的中保

36问：恩典之约的中保是谁？

答：恩典之约唯一的中保是主耶稣基督（提前2:5），上帝永恒之子，与父同质同权（约1:1，14；10:30；腓2:6）。基督自从时候满足、降世为人以来（加4:4），就一直在同一位格中，存在着迥然不同的神人二性，直到永远（路1:35；罗9:5；西2:9；来7:24-25）。

Question 36: Who is the Mediator of the covenant of grace?

Answer: The only Mediator of the covenant of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, of one substance and equal with the Father, in the fulness of time became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two entire distinct natures, and one person, forever.

37问：上帝的儿子基督是如何成为人的？

答：上帝的儿子基督，是藉着圣灵的能力，透过童女马利亚受感成孕，取了人血肉之身与理性之魂（约1:14；太26:38），由马利亚所生（路1:27，31，35，42；加4:4），成为确确实实，只是没有罪的人（来4:15；来7:26）。

Question 37: How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

Answer: Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance, and born of her, yet without sin.

《威斯敏斯特大教理问答》

二十一、恩典之约的施行

33问：恩典之约是否始终都以同一方式来施行？

答：不是的，恩典之约在旧约和新约是以不同的方式来施行的（林后3:6-9）。

Question 33: Was the covenant of grace always administered after one and the same manner?

Answer: The covenant of grace was not always administered after the same manner, but the administrations of it under the Old Testament were different from those under the New.

34问：恩典之约在旧约是以什么形式施行的？

答：在旧约，恩典之约是藉应许（罗15:8）、预言（徒3:20，24）、祭祀（来10:1）、割礼（罗4:11）、逾越节（林前5:7），以及其他象征之后才要来临之基督的预表和规条来施行，使旧约选民对应许中之弥赛亚的信心得以建立（来8，9，10；11:13），可以靠着弥赛亚，罪过得以赦免，从而继承了永远的救恩（加3:7-9，14）。

Question 34: How was the covenant of grace administered under the Old Testament?

Answer: The covenant of grace was administered under the Old Testament, by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the passover, and other types and ordinances, which did all foresignify Christ then to come, and were for that time sufficient to build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they then had full remission of sin, and eternal salvation.

35问：恩典之约在新约是以什么形式施行的？

答：在新约，当作为约中之实体的基督已经显明出来，所以恩典之约固仍藉着圣言的传讲来施行（可16:15），但也藉圣洗礼（太28:19-20）和圣餐礼（林前11:23-25）来表明，使恩典和救赎在万国万民面前彰显得更透彻、更鲜明、更有效（林后3:6-9；来8:6，10-11；太28:19）。

Question 35: How is the covenant of grace administered under the New Testament?

Answer: Under the New Testament, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the same covenant of grace was and still is to be administered in the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; in which grace and salvation are held forth in more fulness, evidence, and efficacy, to all nations.

《威斯敏斯特大教理问答》

二十、恩典之约

31问：上帝与何人立下恩典之约？

答：上帝的恩典之约是与作为第二亚当的基督而立，也是与所有在基督里蒙拣选成为基督后嗣之人而立的（加3:16；罗5:15-21；赛53:10-11）。

Question 31: With whom was the covenant of grace made?

Answer: The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.

32问：上帝在第二个约中的恩典是如何显明出来的？

答：上帝在第二个约中的恩典可从以下各点显明出来：1）白白为罪人预备并提供了一位中保（创3:15；赛42:6；约6:27），使罪人可以从而得着生命和救恩（约壹5:11－12）；2）应许并赐下圣灵给祂所拣选的人，使他们能以藉着圣灵的运作，生发渴慕中保的信心（林后4:13），以及其他诸般相应的恩典（加5:22-23），使他们得救（约3:16；1:12）；3）赐他们能以按照祂所指定的得救之道（弗2:18），藉着敬虔和顺服（结36:27；各1:26，27）证明他们对上帝真实的信心（雅2:18，22），与真实的感恩（林后5:14-15）。

Question 32: How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?

Answer: The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provides and offers to sinners a Mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promises and gives his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he has appointed them to salvation.

《威斯敏斯特大教理问答》

十九、行为之约

30问：上帝是否任凭全人类在罪恶和痛苦的状态中灭亡？

答：上帝并不因人类违背了与祂所立的第一个约，即行为之约（加3:10，12），就任凭他们在罪恶和痛苦的状态中灭亡（帖前5:9）；反过来，祂却因为祂的慈爱和怜悯，就藉着第二个约，即恩典之约，将祂的选民拯救到得救的地位上（多3:4-7；加3:21；罗3:20-22）。

Question 30: Does God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?

Answer: God does not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery,into which they fell by the breach of the first covenant, commonly called the covenant of works; but of his mere love and mercy delivers his elect out of it, and brings them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant,commonly called the covenant of grace.