SOUL-WINNERS; SOUL-SAVING ｜ 得人灵魂

ENSOUL-WINNERS; SOUL-SAVING. In the rendering of service or help to men, the Master is the perfect exemplar for His followers. His whole earthly ministry consisted in helpfulness in every needful form of service: to the diseased or broken body, in healing and restoring; to the stricken heart, in sympathy, comfort and rest; to the ignorant, darkened mind, in imparting truths respecting personal and social elevation and well-being—and especially in revealing and unfolding the knowledge of God, the obligations and sanctions of law, the facts of sin and condemnation, and the way of the sinner's return to God, to be received again to childship and fellowship with Him. "I am among you," He said, "as He that serveth." But the one ultimate and highest service, to which all other help was tributary—that which He ever held in view, for which He came to earth, and to which He offered Himself a voluntary sacrifice—was "to seek and to save that which was lost," to give eternal life to those spiritually "dead in sins." So too, for all the immediate ends of man's personal, family and social elevation and well-being, the believer is appointed to service, according to the measure of ability, opportunity and grace given him. But to him also the highest exercise of Christian service is found in heartfelt, generous, self-sacrificing and persistent efforts to save the souls of condemned and dying men. For this Christlike work every believer finds an explicit commission in the closing invitation of the Bible: Rev. 22:17. And let him that heareth say, Come. Hence it appears that the supreme obligation and duty of the Christian believer lies in soul-winning and soul-saving.

BSBLuke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

中得人灵魂；拯救灵魂。在向人施行服事或帮助这件事上，主是他门徒完全的榜样。他在世的整个职事，都在于以一切必需的服事形式给人帮助：对患病或残破的身体，是医治与复原；对受创的心，是同情、安慰与安息；对无知、昏暗的心思，是把关乎个人与社会之提升与福祉的真理传授给他们——尤其是把关乎神的认识、律法的责任与制裁、罪与定罪的实情，以及罪人归回神、重新被接纳为儿女并与他相交之路，启示出来、展开出来。他说：『我在你们中间，如同服事人的。』但有一项最终、最高的服事，其他一切帮助都是为它作辅助的；那是他始终不离视线的、是他为之降世的、也是他为之自愿把自己献上为祭的——就是『寻找拯救失丧的人』，把永生赐给那些在灵性上『死在罪中』的人。照样，信徒也按着所赐给他的能力、机会与恩典的分量，被指派去服事人在个人、家庭与社会各方面提升与福祉的种种当前目的。但对信徒而言，基督徒服事的最高运用，同样在于发自内心、慷慨、舍己而不懈的努力，去拯救那些被定罪、正走向死亡之人的灵魂。为着这项像基督的工作，每一位信徒都在圣经末了的邀请中找到明确的托付：启示录 22:17 —— 听见的人也该说：来！由此可见，基督徒最高的责任与本分，就在于得人灵魂、救人灵魂。

ENThe passages in both Testaments which relate to and emphasize the faithful execution of this high commission and divinely assigned trust are few, but plain and impressive: Prov. 11:30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. Dan. 12:3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. James 5:20. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. Matt. 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Phil. 2:15, 16. Among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life. 2 Cor. 3:3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. These passages are confirmed, and find large illustration, in the urgent and tender utterances of psalmists, prophets and apostles: Ps. 34:8. O taste and see that the Lord is good. Ps. 66:16. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul. Personal longing is expressed by Moses (Ex. 32:32. Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book) and by Paul (Rom. 10:1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved). The spirit of the soul-seeker: Heb. 13:17. For they watch for your souls, as they that must give account. See also John 1:41, 45—Andrew bringing Peter, and Philip bringing Nathanael, to Christ. [If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds, if we imbue them with principles, with the just fear of God and love of our fellow-men, we engrave on those tablets something which will brighten to all eternity. Daniel Webster.]

BSBProverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

中两约中论及并着重这项崇高托付、这份神所指派之信托当如何忠心执行的经文虽不多，却明白而有力：箴言 11:30 —— 义人所结的果子就是生命树；有智慧的必能得人。但以理书 12:3 —— 智慧人必发光，如同天上的光；那使多人归义的，必发光如星，直到永永远远。雅各书 5:20 —— 这人该知道：叫一个罪人从迷路上转回，便是救一个灵魂不死，并且遮盖许多的罪。马太福音 5:16 —— 你们的光也当这样照在人前，叫他们看见你们的好行为，便将荣耀归给你们在天上的父。腓立比书 2:15-16 —— 你们显在这世代中，好像明光照耀，将生命的道表明出来。哥林多后书 3:3 —— 你们明显是基督的信，藉着我们修成的；不是用墨写的，乃是用永生神的灵写的；不是写在石版上，乃是写在心版上。这些经文又由诗人、先知与使徒那些恳切温柔的话语加以印证并大量例示：诗篇 34:8 —— 你们要尝尝主恩的滋味，便知道他是美善。66:16 —— 凡敬畏神的人，你们都来听！我要述说他为我所行的事。个人的切望，见于摩西（出埃及记 32:32 —— 倘或你肯赦免他们的罪……不然，求你从你所写的册上涂抹我的名）与保罗（罗马书 10:1 —— 弟兄们，我心里所愿的，向神所求的，是要以色列人得救）。寻求人灵魂者的心志：希伯来书 13:17 —— 因他们为你们的灵魂时刻警醒，好像那将来交账的人。另参约翰福音 1:41, 45——安得烈带彼得、腓力带拿但业来见基督。〔我们若在大理石上做工，它必朽坏；若在青铜上做工，时间必将它磨去；若建起殿宇，它们终必化为尘土；但我们若在不朽的心灵上做工，若把种种原则、把对神正当的敬畏与对同胞的爱注入其中，那就是在那些版上镌刻下一种要在永恒中愈发光亮的东西。丹尼尔·韦伯斯特（Daniel Webster）〕