5月29日 教义的重要性
教义的重要性
惟有那些认出真理、并且在生命中切身认识真理的人，才会爱慕并珍视真理。
既然撒但会像毒蛇一样，潜伏在假教师之中，企图以错谬冒充真理来欺骗我们，那么每一位基督徒都必须在基督的真理上拥有根基稳固的分辨力。庇哩亚人查考圣经，为要让自己的判断力对保罗所传的教义确信无疑。在“天天考查圣经，要晓得这道是与不是”之前（徒17:11），他们绝不盲从保罗所说的一切。他们将传道人所传的教义，直接带到成文的神的话语面前去对照验证，结果是“所以他们中间多有相信的”（徒17:12）。正因庇哩亚人先前不敢轻易相信，如今面对真道，他们才不能不信。
特土良曾这样描述异端的讲道：“他们借着花言巧语来教导，却不能借着教导使人信服真理。”也就是说，他们竭力迎合听众的情感，却未能以真理说服人的理性与判断。举例来说，一个奸夫很难从理性上说服他的女伴，让她相信自己的淫乱是合法的。因此，他往往另辟蹊径：用浪漫的言辞和肉体的诱惑来打动她。于是，律法的问题很快被抛诸脑后，理性的判断也轻易而迅速地被欲火吞噬了。
由此可见，错谬犹如盗贼，是翻窗而入的；然而真理却像房屋的主人，光明正大地从悟性的大门进入，继而深入良心、意志与情感之中。一个人若在真正明白真理的卓越与华美之前，就轻率地附和并宣认真理，他将永远无法完全珍赏这真理属天的源流与无限的价值。一位微服私访的王子是得不到尊荣的，因为人们认不出他的真实身份。同样，惟有那些认出真理、并且在生命中切身认识真理的人，才会爱慕并珍视真理。
如果我们不渴望认识真理，就意味着我们已经拒绝了真理。一个人若不知道自己手中拥有的是何等至宝，别人骗走他的真理便轻而易举。对于无知的人而言，真理与错谬毫无分别，因此他会把一切都称作真理。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：申2章，诗83-84章，
个人灵修：赛30章，犹1章
MAY 29, FRIDAY
THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCTRINE
Truth is loved and prized only by those who recognize it and know it personally.
Since Satan comes as a serpent concealed in false teachers and tries to deceive us with error for truth, every Christian needs an established judgment in the truths of Christ. The Bereans studied Scripture to satisfy their judgments concerning the doctrine Paul preached. They refused to believe anything he had said before they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). They took the preacher’s doctrine straight to the written word and compared it to that, and the result was “therefore many of them believed” (v. 12). As the Bereans dared not believe before, they could not help but believe now.
Tertullian described the preaching of heretics like this: “They teach by persuading, and do not by teaching persuade.” That is, they court the emotions of their hearers without convincing their judgment. For instance, it would be hard for an adulterer to convince his companion that her prostitution is lawful. Instead, he works another way. by romantic overtones and appeal to the flesh. The question of law is soon forgotten, judgment is easily and quickly absorbed by burning lust.
Thus error, like a thief, comes in through the window; yet truth, like the owner of the house, enters at the door of understanding, and from there moves into the conscience, will, and affections. The man who finds and professes truth before he understands its excellency and beauty cannot fully appreciate the worth of its heavenly birth and descent. A prince traveling in disguise is not honored because people do not realize who he is. Truth is loved and prized only by those who recognize it and know it personally.
If we do not desire to know truth we have already rejected it. It is not hard to cheat a person out of truth if he does not know what he has. Truth and error are all the same to the ignorant man and so he calls everything truth.