中華展望信仰宣言

China Horizon

STATEMENT OF FAITH

Revision - First draft, January 4, 2008

 
    上帝呼召耶穌基督的教會作祂的子民，基督的身體。教會的目的是讚美敬拜祂；教導祂的話語，以造就祂的子民；並透過口傳身傳，見證耶穌基督福音的大能，叫上帝得榮耀。
          The church of Jesus Christ is called by God to be his people and the body of Christ.  The goals of the church are to worship and praise the Triune God, to teach the Word of God for the edification of God’s people, and to witness to the power and grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ through word and deed, for His glory. 

    教會的宣教事工，不論是在同文化或跨越文化的處境，是為了男女老幼信靠基督，離罪歸正；為了基督的教會在每一個文化中成熟，興起能教導，能勸導，能治理的工人；與為了社會、思想、與文化，藉上帝的話被改變。
    As she engages in the task of witness in and across cultures, the church labors toward the conversion of men, women and children to saving faith in Christ; the maturing of the Body of Christ in every culture, raising up workers competent to teach, counsel and lead; and the transformation of society, thought and culture, according to the Word of God. 

    中華展望的董事與同工宣告我們有責任宣講、教導主一次交託給聖徒們的真理。我們承認基督教教義有更完整，更優美的講述，如《使徒信經》，《尼西亞信經》，《威敏斯特信仰告白與要理問答》 (1647)，《洛桑信約 》 (1974)，《芝加哥聖經無誤宣言》(1978) 與 《劍橋宣言》（1996）等；我們也同時接受此信仰宣言，作為我們信仰的總結。
    The Board of Directors and staff of China Horizon affirm our duty to proclaim, teach and defend the truth once delivered to the saints.  Recognizing that there are more complete and excellent expositions of Christian doctrine such as the the Apostles’ Creed , the Nicene Creed , the Westminster Confession and Catechisms (1647), The Lausanne Covenant (1974), and The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978)) and The Cambridge Declaration (1996), we subscribe to the following summary of our Biblical faith.  


1.    《聖經》SCRIPTURE   

《新舊約聖經》是聖靈所默示的，是上帝的話。《聖經》的原本是完全無謬無誤
的，不論在信仰，生活，歷史或科學方面。《聖經》對信徒與教會，是唯一最高的權威。唯有上帝的話語能束縛人的良心。基督徒領受《聖經》為上帝自己的話，因為聖靈是《聖經》的作者，祂在《聖經》裏與《聖經》同作見證。
The Bible of the Old and New Testaments is the inspired Word of God, is in its entirety infallible and inerrant in its original manuscripts in all it affirms, in matters of faith, conduct, history and science, and is the only supreme authority for every believer and the church.  The Word of God alone can bind the human conscience.  Christians receive the Bible as the Word of God because of the testimony in Scripture and with Scripture by the Holy Spirit, Who is its Author.  
    

2.    上帝GOD

我們相信只有一位真神，永活的上帝，聖父，聖子，聖靈三位格，本質無限，永恆，不變。上帝有至高的智慧，權能，聖潔，公義，良善與真理。三位一體是同尊，同永，同配人類與天使敬拜。
There is only one true, living and Triune God, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Who is infinite, eternal, and unchanging in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.  The three persons of the Triune God are equal in glory and power, and worthy of worship.  
    

3.  創造CREATION   
    
上帝以祂的大能，藉祂的話，從無有創造了宇宙，按祂的形象造人，造男造女。上帝吩咐人為了祂的榮耀治理宇宙。
God created the universe out of nothing by the power of His Word, and created man and woman in His own image to rule over the world for His glory.  


4. 罪SIN   

    人類都在亞當裏犯了罪，墮落，進入死中，配受上帝永恆的審判與咒詛。人從罪中得蒙救贖，與上帝和好，唯獨靠上帝在基督裏的恩典。
In Adam’s one sin all mankind sinned and fell into death, and is subject to God’s eternal  judgment and curse.  Only by the grace of God in Christ can men and women be redeemed from sin, and reconciled with God.  
    

5. 耶穌基督 JESUS CHRIST   

    耶穌基督是上帝的兒子，是上帝永恆的獨生子。祂道成肉身，完全是上帝，完全是人，由童貞女所生，在地上活了無罪的一生。祂在十字架上捨命，作代罪的挽回祭，為上帝子民的罪平息上帝的忿怒。耶穌基督身體從死復活，升到天上，有一天必親自，神人二性回來，眾目可賭，祂必審判活人死人。
Jesus Christ is God the Son, eternally begotten by the Father.  Fully God and fully man, he took on human nature in the Incarnation, was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life among us.  He died on the cross as a substitutionary, propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of God’s people.  Jesus Christ bodily rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will physically, visibly and imminently return to judge the living and the dead.
    

6.    救恩SALVATION

耶穌基督是人類認識上帝和得救的唯一道路。人得救完全依靠上帝的恩典，亦完全藉信心領受。
Jesus Christ is the only way to know God and be saved.  Salvation is by the grace of God alone, and received through faith alone.  
    

7.  新生命THE NEW LIFE   

真正的悔改與信心，結出順服與好行為的果子。信心與其果子在上帝面前毫無功勞，是聖靈開恩在人裏面工作的果效。上帝勸勉並吩咐重生的人過聖潔的生活，順服上帝的話，榮耀上帝的名。上帝的律法是順服和聖潔的準則。
True repentance and faith will bear the fruit of obedience and good works.  Faith and its fruits are not meritorious before God, but are the results of the Spirit’s gracious work in men and women.  Born again men and women are exhorted and required to live holy lives in obedience to the Word of God, to the glory of God.  The Law of God is the norm for obedience and holy living.  
    

8. 聖靈 THE HOLY SPIRIT   

    聖靈內住在每一位信靠基督的信徒裏。所有信徒藉悔改，以信心順服上帝主權與恩典的統治，能被聖靈充滿。聖靈是賜一切恩賜的主，信徒領受聖靈的諸般恩賜，是為上帝的國度與教會的事工。
The Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ.   All believers are filled by the Spirit as they yield in repentance and faith to His sovereign and gracious rule.  The Holy Spirit is the giver of all gifts for the work of ministry in the Kingdom of God.  
    

9.    教會與家庭THE CHURCH AND THE FAMILY  

教會是上帝的子民，基督的身體；上帝設立教會，為要敬拜祂，宣講祂的話，教導祂的子民，向失喪的人傳福音，好叫祂的名得榮耀。所有承認相信基督的人與他們的兒女，都有權利屬於地上有形的教會，從教會領受教導與管教。基督徒的父母親與教會有責任與他們的兒女禱告，為他們禱告，以上帝的話養育他們，教導他們敬畏上帝，認識上帝，認罪悔改信靠主耶穌基督。《聖經》特別吩咐上帝的兒女須關心寡婦，孤兒和寄居者。我們相信歷史上所有基督的信徒都同歸一體。

The Church is the people of God and the Body of Christ, instituted by God to worship Him, proclaim His Word, instruct His people and evangelize the lost, for His glory.  All who profess faith in Christ, and their children, have the right to belong to the visible church on earth, and to receive her teaching and discipline.  Christian parents and churches are obligated to pray with and for their children, and to bring them up, by the Word of God, to fear and know Him, and to repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible specially instructs God’s children to care for the widow, orphan and the sojourner in their midst.  We affirm the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ throughout history.
    

10.    文化CULTURE  

文化是上帝按照祂形象造的人的創作，是人對上帝在自然界啟示的回應，而不是上帝啟示本身。人理當厲行上帝賜的使命，管理統大地。因此所有文化都有上帝形象的印記。可是人類既在亞當裏墮落，所有文化都被罪污染，都在上帝的話語光中受審判。
Culture is the product of men and women created in God’s image as they carry out the mandate to manage and rule over the earth.  Culture is man’s response to God’s self-revelation in nature, and not God’s revelation itself.   Thus all culture bears the marks of God’s image.  Since all mankind has fallen in Adam, all cultures have been marred with sin, and are judged in the light of the Word of God.  
        
    
11.    福音與文化THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE

當人領受上帝的話，在基督的教會裏長進時，聖靈以祂的話光照信徒，帶領他們面對，承擔他們的文化。在這個過程中，有些文化的因素應被肯定，被保留；有些因素應被修改，調整在教會事工裏使用；有些因素被屏棄，因為它們違背上帝話語的原則。我們拒絕接受任何純正福音與世俗哲學、宗教或文化混合而成的信念與生活方式。
As men and women receive the Word of God and mature as the church of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit illumines them by His Word as they view and engage their own culture.  In this process, some elements in culture will be affirmed and retained; some will be modified and adjusted for use in life and ministry; and still others will be rejected as contrary to the principles of the Word of God.  We reject any belief and conduct built on the mixture of the Christian gospel and the philosophies and religions of the world.  
    
    
12.    歷史HISTORY  

歷史是上帝救贖祂的子民，啟示祂的真理的記錄。歷史也記錄了人如何順從與不順從上帝。宇宙歷史的意義，是上帝是天上地下一切的在耶穌基督裏同歸於一。有一天耶穌基督要第二次降臨地上，終結歷史。
History is the record of God’s redemption of His people, His revelation of truth, and the response of mankind in obedience and disobedience to Him. The meaning of the history of the universe, is that God makes all things in heaven and on earth one in Jesus Christ.  History will be consummated  when Christ returns to gather His people, judge the world, and usher in a new heaven and new earth.