儀式vs.真實─啟示錄

在中古世紀『分崩離析』時期，其中一個滲入教會帶來最毀滅性的常規就是以儀式取代真實。舉例來說，取代以聖餐來『紀念主』，這本是吃喝主，祂的生命、祂的身體的誡命─在初代教會稱其為koinonia─他們卻以儀式取代真理。取代了主和祂子民的相交，他們不過在儀式中領聖餐，覺得自己已盡了義務。這大大破壞了真理與基督和祂子民的真實相交。

當宗教改革者意識到以儀式取代真實深深破壞了教會，他們開始相信這就是但以理所預言的『那行毀壞可憎的』。他們明確看見此與聖餐變質的教義有關，此教義教導，由一位神父在聖餐中所提供的餅和杯，實質上就成為耶穌的身體和寶血。

此教義的破壞性在於它教導耶穌在十字架上的犧牲，只為了救贖亞當的罪。對於每天所犯的罪，人們必須參與『彌撒聖祭』，只有神父可以舉行此聖祭。只有神父可以展示神蹟性地將元素變成主的血和身體，也只有神父可以將此給百姓，好使他們的罪得赦免。此將神父變成神和人之間的中保，而非基督，使人們倚靠神父得著救恩，而不是靠著基督與祂的贖罪祭。這不僅賜給神父，包括教會對於人高不可測的權柄，更全然將基督從他們的日常生活中除去，為教會帶來終極毀壞。

並不是所有新教運動對彌撒都持有如此的看法，但最突顯的路德教派，在其教義中保有此觀點。然而，其餘教派看此就像是當時教會的終極邪惡與錯誤教導。

此外還有其他被用來取代真理的儀式；受洗是教會裡最大有能力與重要的儀式，本是為要指出真理，而不是取代真理。婚禮不是婚姻─單純是對結婚的委身，浸禮也是如此。你可以把一個人浸在水裡許多次，他卻沒有與基督同死、同埋與同復活。受浸是很重要的儀式，但最終仍要委身與基督合一，正如婚禮是對結婚的委身卻不是真實的婚姻。

透過新約，我們瞭解所有的儀式都是我們所做或所成為的先知性預言。當我們小心翼翼留意儀式是否正確完成，好像神不太重要，反而貶低了神。這不代表我們要對這些儀式漫不經心，而是花較少心思，意味著我們更看重它們所代表的含意。然而，瞭解儀式的基礎在於瞭解它們呈現出我們生活中必須擁有的真實性。

耶穌就是道路、真理和生命。道路不是一個公式或程序，而是我們在跟隨這位道成肉身的主。真理不單是正確的教義，而是我們必須認識主。倘若道成肉身的主不在我們的生命中，我們便無法真實認識道路或真理。這全關乎耶穌，認識道路和真理的目的是讓它們來改變我們的生命，讓耶穌成為我們的生命。

大復興家賀凡司（Vance Havner）曾說：『你不需要瞭解電力學才能打開開關。』這一點也沒錯，我知道有一些人對一些事情有錯誤的教義，例如聖餐，但毫無疑問他們與神和祂的子民都有相交，儘管他們的教義不太完全。當然，我們若愛真理，我們便會想讓我們的教義變得正確又合乎聖經，甚至遠超過此，我們想讓教義成為我們的所是和所行。

(摘自喬納 word for the week,Week40, 2016)


Ritual vs. Reality: The Book of Revelation
Week 40, 2016
Rick Joyner

     One of the most destructive practices that permeated the church during the “falling away” in the Middle Ages was the substitution of rituals for reality. For example, instead of communion being done in “remembrance of the Lord” and as a commitment to partake of Him, His life, and His body—known in the first century church as koinonia—a ritual took its place. Instead of having communion with Him and His people, they just took communion in a ritual and felt they had fulfilled their obligation. This was devastating to the truth and reality of Christ with His people.

     When the Reformers realized the depth to which the substitution of ritual for the reality had devastated the church, they began to believe this was “the abomination of desolation” prophesied by Daniel (or as it is literally translated, “the abomination that desolates”). They specifically saw this in relation to the doctrine of transubstantiation. This doctrine taught that the bread and wine offered by a priest for communion literally became the body and blood of Jesus.

     What was so devastating about this doctrine was that it taught that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was only to atone for Adam’s sin. For daily personal sins, people had to partake of “the sacrifice of the mass.” Only a priest could offer this. Only a priest could perform the miracle of changing the elements into the literal blood and body of the Lord, and only a priest could give this to the people for the remission of their sins. This placed the priest, not Christ, as the mediator between God and man. This made the people dependent on the priests for salvation instead of on Christ and His atoning sacrifice. Not only did this give the priests, and therefore the church, unfathomable authority over the people, but it completely removed Christ from their daily lives, bringing about an ultimate desolation of the church.

     Not all Protestant movements held to this view about the mass, but the most prominent, the Lutheran church, maintained it in their doctrine. However, most of the others saw this as the ultimate depravity and false teaching of the church at the time.

     There were other rituals that were also used to supplant the truth. Baptism, one of the most powerful and important rituals of the church, was intended to point to a truth, not take its place. A wedding is important and we make a big deal out of them because marriage is important, but the wedding is not the marriage—just the commitment to be married. So it is with baptism. You can dunk someone in water unlimited times and not have them partake of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Immersion is important as a ritual, but it is ultimately the commitment to be united with Christ, just as a wedding is the commitment to be married but not the actual marriage.

         Through the New Covenant, we come to understand that all rituals are prophetic messages of what we do and become. It demeans who God is to think that He is so petty as to carefully watch that a ritual is done properly. This does not mean that we become careless with them, but it means that we care-less, implying we are not as concerned about the message they represent. However, basic to understanding rituals is understanding that they represent a reality we must have in our lives.

         Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Way is not a formula or procedure but a Person we follow. Truth is not just accurate doctrine but a Person we must know. If that Person is not our Life, then we really don’t know the Way or the Truth. It’s all about Jesus. The purpose of knowing the Way and the Truth is for them to change our life and for Jesus to become our Life.

         The great revivalist Vance Havner once said, “You don’t have to know everything about electricity to turn the switch on.” This is truth. I know people who have flawed doctrines about some things, such as communion, but there is no question that they have communion with God and His people even though their doctrine isn’t perfect. Of course, if we love the truth we want our doctrines to be accurate and biblical, but even more than that, we want them to be who we are and how we live.