MORALITY ｜ 道德

ENMORALITY. A general term—of large use among men, but not found in Scripture—expressing the fulfillment of duties imposed by the precepts of the Second Table. Christ affirmed supreme love to God to be the first, great, all-inclusive commandment, plainly implying that except this be first obeyed there could be no acceptable obedience to the Second. In other words, He declared that genuine love to fellow-men must be preceded by, and based upon, supreme love to God; that mere outward regard to the rights, and help to the needs, of fellow-men—though good and desirable—are of no avail with God, and are not reckoned as obedience to His law, unless prompted and vitalized by a supreme, all-mastering love to Him. In still other words: genuine, acceptable morality must be rooted in, and spring from, piety or godliness. This great truth is specially emphasized in two passages: Matt. 19:16-22. The young ruler had kept all the precepts of the Second Table, and Christ loved him for so much of natural goodness; but he turned away from the Lord's appeal for supreme heart-affection. 1 Cor. 13:1-3. Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. No other love than an all-mastering love to God can possibly interpret the sublime utterances of that whole chapter. The same truth underlies two other sayings of Christ: Matt. 16:24. Let him deny himself, and take up his cross. Matt. 25:40. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. Hence all specific moral statutes are only minute and special applications of the principles of action embodied in the Law of God, and find their vital force and motive power in that Law. See Law of God.

BSB1 Corinthians 13:3 If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.

中道德。这是一个通用词——在人间用途甚广，圣经中却找不到——用以表示履行第二块法版诸诫命所加的本分。基督宣告：至高地爱神是第一条、最大的、涵盖一切的诫命；这就明明含着一层意思：这一条若不先被遵行，对第二条的顺服就不可能蒙悦纳。换句话说，他宣告：真正的爱人，必须以至高的爱神为先导、为根基；仅仅在外面尊重同胞的权利、帮助他们的需要——虽属好事、可羡之事——在神那里却无效用，不被算为对他律法的顺服，除非这些行为是由一种至高的、掌管全人的爱神之心所激发、所赋活。再换一种说法：真实而蒙悦纳的道德，必须扎根于、并生发自敬虔（piety）或虔诚。这一伟大真理在两处经文中被特别着重：马太福音 19:16-22 —— 那少年官已经遵守了第二块法版的一切诫命，基督也因这许多天然的良善爱他；但他却在主索求至高心灵之爱的呼召前转身走了。哥林多前书 13:1-3 —— 我若将所有的周济穷人，又舍己身叫人焚烧，却没有爱，仍然与我无益。除了那掌管全人的爱神之心以外，别无任何一种爱能解得开这整章崇高的话语。基督另外两句话也以同一真理为底：马太福音 16:24 —— 就当舍己，背起他的十字架。25:40 —— 这些事你们既做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。因此，一切具体的道德条规，不过是神律法所体现之行动原则的细致而特别的应用；它们的生命力与动力，也只在那律法里。参主题词条：神的律法（098）。

EN[The Law of God binds every moral being in duty to God alone, and thus furnishes the only basis for sound morality. Of two essentially different theories of morality, the essence of the one—the pagan morality, whether taught in heathen or in Christian countries—is selfishness, and its results are inevitably demoralizing and destructive. Christian morality, on the other hand, is God-centered. In the view of the Word of God, righteousness, or conformity to the will of God, is the supreme thing to be sought in human conduct; the call of the law, from this point of view, is a call to duty and to obedience. In the view of the Word of God—which is directly contrary to the popular view of the day—all duty and morality turn Godward and Christward, rather than manward. Egoism and altruism, as usually understood, are the one immoral and the other non-moral. All duty is owed to God, and to Him only. It may be performed, according to His directions, toward one's self—in which case it is selfial and moral; toward one's fellows—in which case it is social and moral; or toward God—in which case it is theistic and moral. If not done as to God, selfial actions become selfish and immoral; social actions become altruistic merely, and non-moral; and all alike are directed to selfish or merely humanitarian ends. From the general theistic point of view, that alone is morally good which is intentionally conformed to the will of God; from the specific Christian point of view, that alone is morally good which is conformed to the will of Christ the Lord.]

中〔神的律法把每一个道德存有捆绑在唯独对神所负的本分之上，因而提供了健全道德的唯一根基。在两种本质不同的道德学说中，其一——异教式的道德，无论是在异教国还是在基督教国所教的——其实质是自私，其结果必然是败坏与毁灭。反之，基督教的道德以神为中心。按神话语的观点，公义（即与神旨意相符）是人的行为中所当追求的至高之事；从这一角度看，律法的召唤乃是对本分与顺服的召唤。按神话语的观点——这与当今流行的看法正相反——一切本分与道德都是转向神、转向基督的，而不是转向人的。通常所理解的『利己主义』（egoism）与『利他主义』（altruism），前者是不道德的，后者是非道德的。一切本分都是欠于神、且惟独欠于神的。这本分可以按他的指示履行：向自己履行——此时它是『对己的』且是道德的；向同胞履行——此时它是『社会的』且是道德的；或向神履行——此时它是『归神的』且是道德的。若不是作在神面前，对己的行为就变成自私而不道德的；社会性的行为就仅仅成了利他的、非道德的；两者同样都指向自私或仅仅人道主义的目的。从一般有神论的角度看，唯有有意与神旨意相符的，才是道德上善的；从具体基督教的角度看，唯有与主基督旨意相符的，才是道德上善的。〕

EN[In the preaching that makes for righteousness, the law needs to be presented as God's law for all organizations and associations of men—in the family, community, and State; in industrial, commercial, and civic pursuits. It is high time for the preacher to insist that Christian morality binds all human societies and corporations, in their dealings with mankind, by the same principles that it lays upon the individual in his social duties; that there is required of them the same strict regard for the rights of man—to life, liberty, property, truthfulness, and the offices of human brotherhood—that binds the individual man in his conduct; and that all this is the requirement of God. Genuine social and political reform can be reached in no other way than by bringing men up to these requirements of God, and making them understand that they are requirements of God—not to be escaped by shrewdness, and not to be neglected with impunity. The preacher is to present the moral law as supreme over all questions of society and social position. High manhood and womanhood—character, attainment, and achievement in service and self-sacrifice—are to be impressed, by scriptural precept and illustration, as the only titles of nobility and aristocracy in the Kingdom of God. In the precepts of the Divine Word he is to supply the test and touchstone of all social usages, amusements, and entertainments; ruling out thereby all that is detrimental to true manhood and womanhood. He is to find in the Divine law the supreme rule of economics—applicable to all industrial questions, whether concerning supply or demand, labor or capital, employee or employer; and in the same law the supreme rule in politics and statesmanship. Necessity will be upon him to hold up the Divine standard with absolute clearness, until every citizen shall feel the weight of obligation resting upon citizenship, and shall understand that he is individually responsible—and accept the responsibility—for the character of politics, of legislators, and of public officers and rulers. D. S. Gregory.]

BSBMicah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

中〔在那推动公义的讲道里，必须把律法陈明为神的律法——是给人一切组织与团体的：给家庭、社群与国家；给工业、商业与公民生活的各项事业。传道人早该坚持这一点：基督教的道德以同样的原则捆绑一切人类社会与法人团体在其待人处事上，正如它把这些原则加在个人的社会本分上一样；对它们所要求的，与捆绑个人行为的一样，是对人权同样严格的尊重——对生命、自由、财产、诚实、以及人类弟兄情谊之职分的尊重；而这一切都是神的要求。真正的社会与政治改革，舍此再无他途：只有把人提升到神这些要求的高度，并使他们明白这些是神的要求——不是靠精明可以躲过的，也不是可以怠忽而不受惩罚的。传道人要把道德律陈明为凌驾于一切社会与社会地位问题之上的至高准则。高尚的男子气与女子德——品格、造诣，以及在服事与舍己上的成就——须借圣经的训诲与例证深深印刻为神国中唯一的贵族头衔与门第。他要在神话语的训诲中，提供检验一切社会习俗、娱乐与消遣的试金石，从而剔除一切有损真男子气与真女子德的东西。他要在神圣的律法中找到经济学的至高准则——适用于一切产业问题，无论关乎供给还是需求、劳工还是资本、雇员还是雇主；也要在同一律法中找到政治与治国之道的至高准则。他必然要清清楚楚地高举神圣的标准，直到每一个公民都感到公民身份所负的义务之重，都明白自己个人有责任——并接受这责任——为政治的品格、为立法者与公职人员统治者的品格负责。格雷戈里（D. S. Gregory）〕