Romans
Chapter 8
1 1 Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
今后为那些在基督耶稣内的人,已无罪可定,
2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.
因为在基督耶稣内赐与生命之神的法律,已使我获得自由,脱离了罪恶与死亡的法律。
3 For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
法律因了肉性的软弱所不能行的,天主却行了:他派遣了自己的儿子,带着罪恶肉身的形状,当作赎罪祭,在这肉身上定了罪恶的罪案,
4 so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
为使法律所要求的正义,成全在我们今后不随从肉性,而随从圣神生活的人身上。
5 For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit.
因为随从肉性的人,切望肉性的事;随从圣神的人,切望圣神的事;
6 The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
随肉性的切望,导入死亡;随圣神的切望,导入生命与平安。
7 For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;
因为随肉性的切望,是与天主为敌,决不服从,也决不能服从天主的法律;
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
反随从肉性的人,决不能得天主的欢心。
9 But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
至于你们,你们已不属于肉性,而是属于圣神,只要天主的圣神住在你们内。谁若没有基督的圣神,谁就不属于基督。
10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
如果基督在你们内,身体固然因罪恶而死亡,但神魂却赖正义而生活。
11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
再者,如果那使耶稣从死者中复活者的圣神住在你们内,那么,那使基督从死者中复活的,也必要借那住在你们内的圣神,使你们有死的身体复活。
12 Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
弟兄们!这样看来,我们并不欠肉性的债,以致该随从肉性生活。
13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
如果你们随从肉性生活,必要死亡;然而,如果你们依赖圣神,去致死肉性的妄动,必能生活。
14 2 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
因为凡受天主圣神引导的,都是天主的子女。
15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, 3 Father!"
其实你们所领受的圣神,并非使你们作奴隶,以致仍旧恐惧;而是使你们作义子。因此,我们呼号:"阿爸,父呀!"
16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
圣神亲自和我们的心神一同作证:我们是天主的子女。
17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
我们既是子女,便是承继者,是天主的承继者,是基督的同承继者;只要我们与基督一同受苦,也必要与他一同受光荣。
18 4 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
我实在以为现时的苦楚,与将来在我们身上要显示的光荣,是不能较量的。
19 For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God;
凡受造之物都热切地等待天主子女的显扬,
20 for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope
因为受造之物被屈伏在败坏的状态之下,并不是出于自愿,而是出于使它屈伏的那位的决意;但受造之物仍怀有希望,
21 that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
脱离败坏的控制,得享天主子女的光荣自由。
22 We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
因为我们知道,直到如今,一切受造之物都一同叹息,同受产痛;
23 and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
不但是万物,就是连我们这已蒙受圣神初果的,也在自己心中叹息,等待着义子期望的实现,即我们肉身的救赎。
24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?
因为我们得救,还是在于希望。所希望的若已看见,就不是希望了;那有人还希望所见的事物呢?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.
但我们若希望那未看见的,必须坚忍等待。
26 In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
同时,圣神也扶助我们的软弱,因为我们不知道我们如何祈求才对,而圣神却亲自以无可言喻的叹息,代我们转求。
27 And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.
那洞悉心灵的天主知道圣神的意愿是什么,因为他是按照天主的旨意代圣徒转求。
28 5 We know that all things work for good for those who love God, 6 who are called according to his purpose.
而且我们也知道:天主使一切协助那些爱他的人,就是那些按他的旨意蒙召的人,获得益处,
29 7 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
因为他所预选的人,也预定他们与自己儿子的肖像相同,好使他在众多弟兄中作长子。
30 And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.
天主不但召叫了他所预定的人,而且也使他所召叫的人成义,并使成义的人分享他的光荣。
31 8 What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
面对这一切,我们可说什么呢?若是天主偕同我们,谁能反对我们呢?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
他既然没有怜惜自己的儿子,反而为我们众人把他交出来了,岂不也把一切与他一同赐给我们吗?
33 Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us.
谁能控告天主所拣选的人呢?是使人成义的天主吗?
34 Who will condemn? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
谁能定他们的罪?是那已死或更好说已复活,现今在天主右边,代我们转求的基督耶稣吗?
35 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
那么,谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝?是困苦吗?是窘迫吗?是迫害吗?是饥饿吗?是赤贫吗?是危险吗?是刀剑吗?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered."
正如经上所载:‘为了你,我们整日被置于死地,人将我们视作待宰的群羊。’
37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.
然而,靠着那爱我们的主,我们在这一切事上,大获全胜,
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, 9 nor future things, nor powers,
因为我深信:无论是死亡,是生活,是天使,是掌权者,是现存的或将来的事物,是有权能者,
39 nor height, nor depth, 10 nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
是崇高或深远的势力,或其他任何受造之物,都不能使我们与天主的爱相隔绝,即是与我们的主基督耶稣之内的爱相隔绝。
Footnotes〔注解〕
1 [1-13] After his warning in Romans 7 against the wrong route to fulfillment of the objective of holiness expressed in Romans 6:22, Paul points his addressees to the correct way. Through the redemptive work of Christ, Christians have been liberated from the terrible forces of sin and death. Holiness was impossible so long as the flesh (or our "old self"), that is, self-interested hostility toward God (Romans 8:7), frustrated the divine objectives expressed in the law. What is worse, sin used the law to break forth into all manner of lawlessness (Romans 8:8). All this is now changed. At the cross God broke the power of sin and pronounced sentence on it (Romans 8:3). Christians still retain the flesh, but it is alien to their new being, which is life in the spirit, namely the new self, governed by the holy Spirit. Under the direction of the holy Spirit Christians are able to fulfill the divine will that formerly found expression in the law (Romans 8:4). The same Spirit who enlivens Christians for holiness will also resurrect their bodies at the last day (Romans 8:11). Christian life is therefore the experience of a constant challenge to put to death the evil deeds of the body through life of the spirit (Romans 8:13).
2 [14-17] Christians, by reason of the Spirit's presence within them, enjoy not only new life but also a new relationship to God, that of adopted children and heirs through Christ, whose sufferings and glory they share.
3 [15] Abba: see the note on Mark 14:36.
4 [18-27] The glory that believers are destined to share with Christ far exceeds the sufferings of the present life. Paul considers the destiny of the created world to be linked with the future that belongs to the believers. As it shares in the penalty of corrup tion brought about by sin, so also will it share in the benefits of redemption and future glory that comprise the ultimate liberation of God's people (Romans 8:19-22). After patient endurance in steadfast expectation, the full harvest of the Spirit's presence will be realized. On earth believers enjoy the firstfruits, i.e., the Spirit, as a guarantee of the total liberation of their bodies from the influence of the rebellious old self (Romans 8:23).
5 [28-30] These verses outline the Christian vocation as it was designed by God: to be conformed to the image of his Son, who is to be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29). God's redemptive action on behalf of the believers has been in process before the beginning of the world. Those whom God chooses are those he foreknew (Romans 8:29) or elected. Those who are called (Romans 8:30) are predestined or predetermined. These expressions do not mean that God is arbitrary. Rather, Paul uses them to emphasize the thought and care that God has taken for the Christian's salvation.
6 [28] We know that all things work for good for those who love God: a few ancient authorities have God as the subject of the verb, and some translators render: "We know that God makes everything work for good for those who love God. . . ."
7 [29] Image: while man and woman were originally created in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27), it is through baptism into Christ, the image of God (2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15), that we are renewed according to the image of the Creator (Col 3:10).
8 [31-39] The all-conquering power of God's love has overcome every obstacle to Christians' salvation and every threat to separate them from God. That power manifested itself fully when God's own Son was delivered up to death for their salvation. Through him Christians can overcome all their afflictions and trials.
9 [38] Present things and future things may refer to astrological data. Paul appears to be saying that the gospel liberates believers from dependence on astrologers.
10 [39] Height, depth may refer to positions in the zodiac, positions of heavenly bodies relative to the horizon. In astrological documents the term for "height" means "exaltation" or the position of greatest influence exerted by a planet. Since hostile spirits were associated with the planets and stars, Paul includes powers (Romans 8:38) in his list of malevolent forces.