问题27：是不是所有人都因着基督得救了，正如他们都因亚当失落了一样？
答：不，只有那些蒙神拣选、并因信与基督联合的人。然而，神出于祂的怜悯，仍向那些非选民显出了普遍恩典，如限制罪恶的影响，使文化行为能造福于人类。
儿童版：不，只有那些蒙神拣选，并因信与基督联合的人。

Question 27: Are All People, Just as They Were Lost Through Adam, Saved Through Christ?
Answer: No, only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith. Nevertheless God in his mercy demonstrates common grace even to those who are not elect, by restraining the effects of sin and enabling works of culture for human well-being.
For Kids: No, only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith.


歌谱 Lead Sheet

经文

《罗马书》5 章17 节：

　　若因一人的过犯，死就因这一人作了王；何况那些受洪恩又蒙所赐之义的，岂不更要因耶稣基督一人在生命中作王吗？

注解

钟马田

　　「普遍恩典」是指神按着自己的意志和喜好施予的普遍祝福，面向所有的人，并不仅限于祂自己的百姓。普遍恩典也指圣灵的普遍运行，这并非心意的更新，而是一种道德的影响力，使得罪恶得到抑制，社会生活的秩序得以维系，民间的正义获得提升。这是一般性的定义。圣灵从最开始就在这个世界上运行，祂对那些没有被拯救和已经走向灭亡的人也有着影响力和功效。虽然他们生活在这个世界上的时候，受到了圣灵的影响，但这种影响是一般性的，而非救赎性的，这是出于神的旨意……若没有圣灵普遍地运行在人心里，人类应该早就因为堕落和罪恶而消亡了……其次，普遍恩典也通常被描述为文化，我指的是艺术与科学，包括哲学、文学、建筑、雕塑、绘画和音乐等方面。毫无疑问，艺术修养是好的。它虽没有救赎性，但能使人变好，使人生活得更加美好。那么，所有这些文化艺术是从哪里来的呢？你如何解释像莎士比亚和米开朗基罗这样的人？圣经的答案是，这些人能够在圣灵的一般性影响下，也就是普遍恩典的影响下，将所得的恩赐发挥出来。

默想

提摩太·凯勒

　　在这个要理问答中，我们提及了一个重要的平衡。一方面我们学习到，不是所有的人都会得救。这点圣经在很多处都清楚地提及，多到我们无法列出所有的经文。但让我为你指出其中的两处。
在《约翰福音》6 章，耶稣说：「差我来者的意思就是：祂所赐给我的，叫我一个也不失落，在末日却叫他复活。」（约6:39）耶稣是在说，神赐给祂特定数目的人，在末日会叫他们复活，不是每个人在末日都会复活。

　　同样的，在《罗马书》8 章28 节至30 节，有类似的教导。保罗在30 节说：「预先所定下的人又召他们来，所召来的人又称他们为义，所称为义的人又叫他们得荣耀。」请注意，自始至终都是同一批人，祂不是说「其中一些」所召来的人又称他们为义。仿佛某些人被召，部分人被称义。不，只有那些被祂所召的才被称义，只有被称义的，才使他们得荣耀。是特定的数目，不是所有的人都得救。

　　另一方面，这个要理问答论到普遍恩典。毛瑞琪（Richard Mouw）在他的书中对这个命题给了一个定义：「有一种不属于拯救的恩惠，广泛存在于人类文化的互动中，是神对全人类的恩惠。无论是否被拣选，都能享受，这是基督徒与非基督徒互助的基础，甚至基督徒需要向非基督徒学习。」

　　圣经的答案是，《罗马书》1 章和2 章的答复是：是的。虽然不是所有的人都会得救，但神依然赐下从祂而来的智慧和洞见给了全人类，这智慧在艺术中、在科学中、在良好的政府中被呈现出来，以此建立一个更好的世界。这是基督徒独享的恩赐所无法企及的，所以我们必须有一个良好的平衡：一方面，不是所有人都得救，不是每个人都会得着耶稣基督的救赎之恩；但另一方面，我们必须珍惜普遍恩典，就是神赐给全人类的。我们必须知道，神借着很多不信的人帮助我们及世界，我们必须珍惜、感恩、尊重他们。这就是我们所必须取得的平衡。

祷告

　　至高的救赎主，除祢以外，别无拯救，求祢搭救一切求告祢名的人。若不是祢使我们从死里复活，我们就不可能呼求祢。虽然我们还不完全明白祢拣选的爱，但我们承认这是我们和其他任何人所不配得的。阿们。

Scripture

ROMANS 5:17

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Commentary

MARTYN LLOYD-JONES

Common grace is the term applied to those general blessings which God imparts to all men and women indiscriminately as He pleases, not only to His own people, but to all men and women, according to His own will. Or, again, common grace means those general operations of the Holy Spirit in which, without renewing the heart, He exercises a moral influence whereby sin is restrained, order is maintained in social life, and civil righteousness is promoted. That is the general definition. The Holy Spirit has been operative in this world from the very beginning and He has had His influence and His effect upon men and women who are not saved and who have gone to perdition. While they were in this life and world they came under these general, non-saving operations of the Holy Spirit. . . . It is not a saving influence, nor is it a redemptive influence, but it is a part of God’s purpose. . . . If the Holy Spirit were not operative in men and women in this general way, human beings, as a result of the Fall and of sin, would have festered away into oblivion long ago. . . . Next to that is what is generally described as culture. By that I mean arts and science, an interest in the things of the mind, literature, architecture, sculpture, painting, and music. Now, there can be no question at all but that cultivation of the arts is good. It is not redemptive, but it improves people, it makes them live better lives. Now, where do all these things come from? How do you explain men like Shakespeare or Michelangelo? The answer from the Scripture is that all these people had their gifts and were able to exercise them as the result of the operation of common grace, this general influence of the Holy Spirit.

Devotional

TIMOTHY KELLER

This particular catechism answer strikes a very helpful balance. On the one hand, we learn that not all human beings will be saved. This is taught so clearly in the Bible in so many places that it’s impossible to list all the texts. But let me call your attention to two.

In John 6, Jesus says, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (v. 39). Jesus is talking about coming for a very specific number of people that he’s been given, and he’s going to raise them up on the last day. Not everyone will be raised up on the last day.

Romans 8:28–30 teaches a similar thing. Paul says in verse 30: “Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glori- fied.” Notice, it’s the same number all through. He doesn’t say some of those he called, he justified, as if there were this many called and this many justified. No. All—and only—those he called, he justified. All—and only—those he justified he glorified. It’s a definite number. Not all people will be saved.

On the other hand, this catechism answer talks about common grace. Richard Mouw defines that in his book on this subject: “Is there a non-saving grace that is at work in the broader reaches of human cultural interaction, a grace that expedites a desire on God’s part to bestow certain blessings on all human beings—elect and non- elect alike, blessings that provide the basis for Christians to cooperate with and learn from non-Christians?”

And the Bible’s answer, in places like Romans 1 and 2, is yes. Though not all people are going to be saved, God still gives his gifts of wisdom and insight across the face of the whole human race. Through art and through science and through good government and in other ways, God is making this world a far better place than it would be if only Christians had those gifts. And so, again, here’s that very helpful balance that we should strike. On the one hand, no, not everyone is to be saved. No, not everyone has the saving grace of Jesus Christ in their lives. But on the other hand, we must appreciate the common grace that God gives across the whole human race. We must see that God is helping us and helping in the world through many people who do not believe. We need to appreciate those. We must be grateful for them, and we must respect them. That’s the balance that we must strike.

Prayer

Sovereign Savior, there is salvation in no one but you, and you save everyone who calls upon your name. We would never have called upon you if you had not brought us from death to life. We do not fully understand your electing love, but we confess that neither we nor anyone else deserves it. Amen.