12月14日 圣灵的外在与内在见证
12月14日，主日
圣灵的外在与内在见证
“信神的儿子的，就有这见证在他心里；不信神的，就是把神当作说谎的，因为他不信神为祂儿子所作的见证。”（约翰壹书5:10）
这段经文涉及的是接受神所作的见证和自身作证的问题。神已经清楚地宣告：“这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的，你们要听祂！”（太17:5）。难道我们能拒绝祂吗？令人警惕的是，如果我们拒绝，实际上就是在宣告神的见证不是真的。
除了外在的证据之外，还有主观的、内在的证据。使徒约翰是这样表述的：“信神的儿子的，就有这见证在他心里。”因此，我们在这里探讨的是两大方面的见证：外在的和内在的。我甚至认为，这可能是整个主题中最关键的一部分。在改教家的思想中，这是一个至关重要的问题。他们对此作了清晰的界定：信徒面对着两大确信的来源，一个来自外面，一个来自里面——即圣灵的外在见证 (spiritus externus) 与圣灵的内在见证 (spiritus internus)。
也许，理解这一点最好的方式就是先问自己一个问题：“我如何能确知圣经是神的话呢？”主要有两大方面的证据，圣经本身及其外在见证：一方面，圣灵借着圣经所作的见证，以及书中各卷彼此间的和谐一致。圣经整体的共识、内在的统一性，加上各种历史、预言等论证。这就是外在的见证 (spiritus externus)，是从外面临到我们的确据。另一方面，圣灵在人心中的内在见证：根据改教家的看法，仅仅拥有外在证据还不足以使人得着确信。人还需要圣灵在内心深处的工作——圣灵会在他们里面赐下那内在的确据，这就是内在的见证 (spiritus internus)。
我可以用个人经历来阐明这一点：曾有一段时间，我阅读圣经，只觉得这是一本奇妙而深刻的书，是独一无二的文学作品。后来，当我阅读福音书、旧约与新约中所呈现的大量证据时，我的内心油然生出一种确信：这的确是神的话。这就是这里所说的“内在见证”的含义。
默想主题：
信徒面对着两大确信的来源，一个来自外面，一个来自里面。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代下16章，启5章
个人灵修：亚1章，约4章
December 14, Sunday
SPIRITUS EXTERNUS AND SPIRITUS INTERNUS
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 JOHN 5:10)
Here is a matter of accepting testimony and witness. God has said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5). Am I to refuse Him? Well, the terrifying thing is that if I do, I am saying that God’s pronouncement is not true.
In addition to the external evidence, there is also the subjective or internal evidence. John puts it in this way: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” So we are dealing here with these two different stands—the external and the internal. I am not at all sure but that this is not the most vital of all parts of the subject. It was a great matter to the minds of the Reformers. They clearly defined this matter. The believer is confronted by two great sources of certainty, one outside and one inside—spiritus externus and spiritus internus.
But perhaps the best way to understand this is to ask ourselves, “How may I know that the Bible is the Word of God?” There are two main ways. There is the Word itself—the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and the agreement of the books written within it. This general consensus, the internal unity of the Bible, and various other arguments—this is the spiritus externus—the outside testimony. But according to the Reformers, that is not enough to give people certainty. They need something inside as well, and the Holy Spirit also gives them that internal certitude—the spiritus internus.
Let me put this personally. There was a time when I read the Bible and thought it was a wonderful book; I felt it was a unique book. Later I was confronted with the great evidence given to me in the Gospels and the Old and New Testaments, and I had a feeling within me that this was the Word of God. That is what it means—this internal evidence.
A Thought to Ponder: The believer is confronted by two great sources of certainty, one outside and one inside.