14灵恩神学与历史探讨
跋:你怕圣灵吗?
近年来,台湾教会虽然对灵恩运动有了较多的容忍与接纳,但对于这方面的教导与实践仍存许多戒心与关切。无可讳言,许多教会对此运动仍持保留的态度,甚至完全敌对。为什么我们对灵恩运动如此谨愼,甚至害怕?为什么我们会感到受灵恩派的威胁与惊吓?为什么有人害怕圣灵和圣灵的彰显?他们提出了下列几个值得关切的问题:
严谨面对忧虑
1.说方言——不合理性
对灵恩派来说,他们将方言视为圣灵的一种恩赐,也是神所给的祷告语言。但对那些只用理性对神说话的人,及认为方言根本不具语言特性的语言学专家,这似乎傻得令人惊讶,是自欺的,也不恰当。有人甚至担心如此不合理性的恩赐追求,有向魔鬼敞开大门的危险。
2.特殊身体现象——造成迷惑
灵恩运动中有些特殊的身体行为,如“圣笑”或“被圣灵击倒”,看起来都和圣经教导的节制和次序(加五23;林前十四40)反其道。这种因与灵界会遇而产生的特殊行为,常被解释为欺诈或心理上的操纵。所有这些不能控制的情绪或火热,对有些人而言,无疑是一种迷惑,并不能将之解释为圣灵的工作,且所有因灵恩带来的动力似乎更多是出自肉体,而非出自圣灵。
3.新的启示“神告诉我”——挑战圣经权威
新的启示所谓“神告诉我”成为灵恩运动中的一种敬虔崇拜形式。一些基督徒惯以“神告诉我”为谈话的开始。无可否认,其中亦不乏一些狂妄的预言,假冒神迹的例子。对此“新启示”分享颇不以为然者,认为私下说的预言、知识的言语、和智慧的言语无疑是挑战圣经的权威。因圣经正典已经完成,神的启示已完全,不应再有新的启示被视为是从神而来的真理。基督徒当只在圣经中寻找神所要对我们说的话。由此,任何新的启示都易于被解释为对圣经全备性的威胁。
4.过度的优越感——令人反感
灵恩派认为他们的属灵经验是神为更新和复兴所开的一种配方。因此自然对灵恩运动的重要性夸大其辞,这种大鸣大放的态度使人有太天真、过于激进、自大的印象,彷彿只有灵恩运动才是神眼中的珍宝,其他的都不算数。此种自大的优越感着实令人反感。
5.各持己见——造成分裂
灵恩运动的兴起,造成教会中形式主义、理智主义、及制度主义等三股思潮的敌对反应。由于灵恩运动打着自由经验主义的旗号,自然而然地吸引多人信主,却也造成了教会的分裂。因为灵恩派信徒不是在教会造成小圈圈,就是使人离开教会。即使有些教会包容少数保持低姿态的灵恩派信徒,却经常得煞费心机地开导这些信徒能按教会的方式行事。这使得教会头痛不已,牧者更倍感威胁。
论断引起论断
以上这些隐忧堪虑,固然要严谨待之,然而也必须知道论断会引起论断,且论断会喂养自己并不断坐大自己的胃口。很多基督徒就对灵恩运动的神学与实践十分不悦、并感到不舒服。有人甚至完全排斥此运动,将之视为一种迷惑,或更甚者说是魔鬼的搅扰。
但由于灵恩运动确实使多人信主,也教导人爱基督、爱圣经、爱邻舍、释放人尽情地敬拜赞美神和作见证等事实;只用魔鬼或心理迷惑来解释是不够的。不论是负面的批判或真正的关切,我们都必须有一个认知,即整体而言,灵恩运动带着真实的灵性更新的记号。当神藉灵恩运动的管道带给那么多人新生命时,若我们仍旧不愿去观察和学习,就是刚愎自大了。当然我们也需要更有洞见的评估。
避开陷阱
当我们扎于因灵恩而引起的不悦时,也需要评估自己的假设和神学。我们惯常用律法去规范他人,却用福音善待自己而不自知。其实我们也当以对待灵恩运动同样严厉的批判,来评估自己的神学和实践。当仔细检视我们的圣灵学时,让我建议几个应避开的陷阱:
1.圣灵并未随着第一世纪的过去而消逝
在神学上,我们都肯定使徒时代以后,圣灵仍继续存在运行,但实际上,所表现出来的就好像圣灵早已随着早期教会一同消失在历史中一般。许多人因其内心深处实是一位恩赐终止论者,故对三位一体的第三位——圣灵,只有应酬话而已。对恩赐终止论者来说,某些圣灵的恩赐如医治、说方言、和行神迹之所以在早期教会发生,乃是为了确实证明神行了新事,但这些恩赐早已随着最后一位使徒的逝世而终止了。
现今我们对圣灵的工作到底相信多少?当耶稣说“我的羊听我的声音”(约十27)是什么意思?当保罗宣告“凡被神的灵引导的都是神的儿子”(罗八14),保罗在讲什么?又当老约翰写到“你们从那圣者受了恩膏”(约壹二20),老约翰究竟意所何指呢?诚如今天许多基督徒所作的见证:神与他们的沟通超过圣经,但从不违背圣经。其实,神对信徒的启示固然透过圣经,也可以透过感动,或所谓细微的声音在信徒个人的心里说话、提醒、和催促他去行神所要他行的。圣灵仍然活着,祂并未在早期教会之后退休。
2.灵恩派重经验,理性福音派重知识,都不完全
有时灵恩派将经验放在关系之上,而理性的福音派将知识放在关系之上,二者皆不完全。使徒保罗在哥林多前书也对这两者提出指责。知识叫人自高自大,而没有爱的属灵经验毫无价值。意即太强调基督教中认知的成份,对神的看法便会扭曲。
而且,强调知识过于关系时,将易导致敬拜圣经。我们很容易把圣经当作神。经文可能成为我们敬拜的偶像。有些人更变成只敬拜经文,而非敬拜那位启示经文的神。这样的圣经崇拜,将使神不再是与个人产生关系的神。甚至,至终我们不再经验祂,与祂毫无关连。神成为我们探讨考究的对象而已,而非我们应敬拜的主。没有与神的个别关系,基督徒的生命不会有活力,也不可能有热情。
其实崇拜圣经、与神没有个别关系二者背后,带着强烈而深沉的控制欲。有些人对灵恩派最不满的,就是他们失控、及激烈的情绪。基督徒大多对“节制”这个圣灵的果子感到舒服自在,因有所制约,凡事才不致太过或不及,且圣经也教导凡事都要规规矩矩按着次序行(加五23;林前十四40)。故大部分基督徒解释这些经文的意义为“以中庸之道做所有的事”,包括敬拜上帝在内。有人实将保罗的训诫应用得过度,以致销灭了圣灵的火。
3.神仍然是医治和行神迹的神
神过去医治,今天仍继续医治。且神医治的方法很多,不一定藉某位从事信心医治的布道家的祷告来医治。有时神医治是经由信心的操练。诚然,有些灵恩派的问题在于他们相信神不仅能,且必须医治。如此一来,神的主权被剥夺,祂成了在我们之下,须服事我们的仆人。而非灵恩派的问题则在于,虽然他们宣称神可以医治,但所行的就像祂不会医治似的。甚至有人的内心深处对神今日仍行医治与否而存疑。对另一些人,神的医治则只在圣经中发生。总而言之,灵恩派的问题是否定神的主权,而非灵恩派的问题却是否定神的能力或良善。
4.福音派的理性主义
讽刺的是,福音派教会一面与启蒙运动的理性传统抗衡,一面又大多屈服于理性的精神。理性成为一切事情的判断,包括超过理性可及的事。这种理性主义显示,我们行事好像圣灵只在左脑的逻辑中心工作。事实上,无可否认,祂也在右脑工作,祂激发我们的想象力,以致我们会喜悦、欢笑、歌唱和创作。此外,理性主义在一些教会中的影响是,使整个决策过程成为认知上的操练,未给圣灵运行的空间。有时甚至没有给祷告空间,把圣灵的引导局限成一套逻辑的配方。坦白说,这就是销灭了圣灵在我们里面的感动。其实,在期望每天都有启示和单单根据逻辑常识作决定,这二者之间是可以取得平衡的。我们不一定得到启示,但我们应确信圣灵常以不可言喻的感动引导我们。
5.处理惧怕
我们必须承认我们对灵恩派有恐惧和极深的关切。他们的一些教导和实践会引起我们的担忧,甚至愤怒。的确,是有许多应该惧怕和担忧的事。但也有许多不该惧怕和担忧的事。我们最应怕的是谁?岂不是该惧怕神过于人吗?岂不是更该惧怕神的审判和不悦,过于对圣灵工作的欠缺认识?岂不是更该担心教会缺乏圣灵能力的彰显,过于灵恩派对圣灵恩赐的使用?这些问题的解答不难,但仍需所罗门的智慧才能作明智的抉择并实践。神不喜悦我们用祂的恩赐去拆毁人和分裂教会,也不喜悦我们对祂赐给教会的礼物胆怯。
哥林多前书十三章这伟大的爱篇,被放在使用恩赐和圣灵彰显的两章(林前十二和十四)经文之间,究竟有何重要性?它清楚地大声疾呼:只有爱可将我们从害怕中释放出来,以越过教会中因圣灵彰显所可能带来之关系上的伤害。
结语
没有爱,我们将不知何时或如何使用这些恩赐。没有爱,我们就不能宽容信徒们操练中的错误,也不知道如何带领他们,使他们对圣灵的工作更有洞察力。反之,在爱中,我们知道所有的恩赐都是暂时的。在爱中,我们知道先知所讲的有限(林前十三9),不是全面的,因此,我们对自大的灵会谨愼。有一天,这些恩赐都不需要了(林前十三8),但爱仍是最大的需要(林前十三13)。因此,让我们脱下惧怕,穿上爱,敞开心接受圣灵所赐的所有恩赐和彰显。
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周学信博士是中华福音神学院的教会历史老师。本书主要是从历史的角度,阐述圣灵论的发展,分析五旬节派背后的五个神学传统,介绍二十世纪在美国兴起的三波灵恩运动,等等。本书的目的不是要解答灵恩议题所引发的各种问题,乃是提供历史与神学的背景,让华人教会对灵恩议题能有深度的反省。如此周学信老师为众教会提供了一项很重要、很适时的服务。笔者诚恳地向每位关心灵恩运动的主内同道们推荐这本书。
中华福音神学院教务主任