加拉太書3:21–22的答案是：「絕對不是！」律法和應許不是兩條互相競爭的救恩道路；它們的功能不同。律法揭露人的罪和無力，應許則在基督裡賜下生命、稱義和祝福，並且由信心領受。
Galatians 3:21–22 answers, “Absolutely not!” The Law and the promise are not competing ways of salvation; they have different functions. The Law exposes human sin and inability, while the promise gives life, justification, and blessing in Christ, received through faith.
一、加拉太書的背景
保羅寫加拉太書，是因為有些人教導外邦信徒：相信耶穌還不夠，還必須遵守猶太律法的一些規條，才能真正成為神的子民。
Paul wrote Galatians because some teachers were telling Gentile believers that faith in Jesus was not enough and that they also needed to observe Jewish law in order to truly belong to God.
保羅強烈反對這種教導，因為它把人的行為加入基督的救恩，好像基督所成就的還不完整。加拉太書的核心是：人稱義、得救和領受聖靈，不是靠律法的行為，而是藉著信靠基督。
Paul strongly opposed this teaching because it added human performance to Christ’s salvation, as though Christ’s work were incomplete. The central message of Galatians is that people are justified, saved, and receive the Spirit not through works of the Law but through faith in Christ.
二、律法不能賜生命
第21節說，如果律法能夠賜生命，義就真的可以由律法而來。問題在於，律法雖然是好的，卻不能把罪人變成義人。
Verse 21 says that if the Law could give life, righteousness would indeed come through the Law. The problem is not that the Law is bad; it is that the Law cannot make sinners righteous.
律法可以：
The Law can:
- 告訴我們神所喜悅的標準。
- Tell us God’s righteous standard.
- 顯明甚麼是罪。
- Reveal what sin is.
- 暴露人的自義和無能。
- Expose human self-righteousness and inability.
- 使人知道自己需要救主。
- Show people their need for a Savior.
但律法不能：
But the Law cannot:
- 除去罪的刑罰。
- Remove sin’s penalty.
- 賜下重生的新生命。
- Give the new birth.
- 使罪人靠自己的表現站在神面前稱義。
- Enable sinners to stand justified before God through their own performance.
- 取代基督的十字架和復活。
- Replace Christ’s cross and resurrection.
律法像鏡子，可以照出臉上的污垢；但鏡子不能洗臉。
The Law is like a mirror: it can reveal dirt on the face, but it cannot wash the face.
三、「聖經把萬物都圈在罪裏」
第22節使用一個像監獄的圖像：聖經把「萬物」圈在罪的權勢之下。這裡的「萬物」不是指物質世界本身，而是指所有人都在罪的問題之中，沒有人能靠自己的義逃脫。
Verse 22 uses an image of imprisonment: Scripture has confined “everything” under sin’s power. “Everything” does not mean the material universe itself, but humanity as a whole; everyone is caught in the problem of sin, and no one can escape through self-made righteousness.
罪不只是偶爾犯錯，也是一種支配人的權勢。它表現在：
Sin is not merely occasional wrongdoing; it is a power that governs human life. It appears in:
- 驕傲：我要自己作主。
- Pride: I want to be my own lord.
- 貪婪：我永遠不會覺得足夠。
- Greed: I never feel that I have enough.
- 虛假：我需要扭曲真相來保護自己。
- Deception: I distort truth to protect myself.
- 苦毒：我要別人為我的傷害付代價。
- Bitterness: I want others to pay for the harm done to me.
- 宗教自義：我要靠自己的表現證明自己配得神接納。
- Religious self-righteousness: I want to prove that I deserve God’s acceptance through my performance.
律法使人看見自己不只是「偶爾做錯事」，而是需要神拯救的罪人。
The Law shows that we are not merely people who occasionally make mistakes; we are sinners who need God’s salvation.
四、律法和應許如何彼此配合？
律法和應許不是對立，而是有不同的角色：
The Law and the promise are not opposed; they have different roles:
| 律法 | 應許 |
|---|---|
| 顯明罪 | 賜下恩典 |
| 宣告神的標準 | 成就神的救恩 |
| 暴露人的無能 | 藉基督賜下能力和新生命 |
| 使人知道自己需要救主 | 使信的人得稱為義 |
| 把人帶到基督面前 | 在基督裡帶來赦免與盼望 |
| The Law | The Promise |
|---|---|
| Reveals sin | Gives grace |
| Declares God’s standard | Accomplishes God’s salvation |
| Exposes human inability | Gives new life and strength through Christ |
| Shows the need for a Savior | Justifies those who believe |
| Leads people to Christ | Brings forgiveness and hope in Christ |
律法的「壞消息」是：「你不能靠自己達到神的標準。」
The Law’s “bad news” is: “You cannot reach God’s standard by yourself.”
應許的「好消息」是：「基督已經為你成就你不能成就的事。」
The promise’s “good news” is: “Christ has accomplished for you what you cannot accomplish yourself.”
五、稱義不是靠表現換取
「稱義」不是說信徒從來沒有犯過罪，而是神因基督的工作，把相信基督的人算為義，接納他與自己和好。
Justification does not mean believers have never sinned; it means God counts those who trust Christ as righteous because of Christ’s work and reconciles them to Himself.
所以，基督徒的順服不是用來購買救恩，而是已經蒙恩後的回應：
Christian obedience does not purchase salvation; it is the response of those who have already received grace:
[
\text{不是先順服，才被神接納}
]
[
\text{Not: obey first, then be accepted by God}
]
[
\text{而是先在基督裡蒙接納，所以開始學習順服}
]
[
\text{But: accepted in Christ, therefore learning to obey}
]
這不表示行為不重要。真正的信心會產生愛、順服、悔改和生命改變；但這些是救恩的果子，不是用來取代基督的根基。
This does not mean conduct is unimportant. Genuine faith produces love, obedience, repentance, and transformation; but these are fruits of salvation, not substitutes for Christ as its foundation.
六、你承認自己是罪人嗎？
承認自己是罪人，不只是說：「我也有缺點。」
Acknowledging that we are sinners means more than saying, “I have flaws too.”
它包括：
It includes:
- 我承認自己曾經違反神的旨意。
- I acknowledge that I have violated God’s will.
- 我承認罪不只是環境造成，也在我的心裡。
- I acknowledge that sin is not only caused by circumstances but is also within my heart.
- 我承認不能靠好行為、宗教活動或道德比較拯救自己。
- I acknowledge that good works, religious activity, or moral comparison cannot save me.
- 我願意停止自我辯護，把自己交給神的憐憫。
- I am willing to stop defending myself and entrust myself to God’s mercy.
這種承認不是自我憎恨，而是停止假裝自己不需要恩典。
This acknowledgment is not self-hatred; it is ceasing to pretend that we do not need grace.
七、你願意用信心接受神的應許嗎？
用信心接受神的應許，不只是相信「神可能存在」，而是把自己交託給基督：
Receiving God’s promise by faith is more than believing that God may exist; it means entrusting oneself to Christ:
- 相信耶穌是神所應許的救主。
- Trusting Jesus as the promised Savior.
- 相信祂為罪人死而復活。
- Trusting that He died and rose for sinners.
- 承認自己需要赦免和新生命。
- Acknowledging the need for forgiveness and new life.
- 悔改離開以自己為主的生活。
- Turning from a life centered on self-rule.
- 接受基督作救主和生命的主。
- Receiving Christ as Savior and Lord of life.
可以用簡單的禱告回應：
You may respond with a simple prayer:
主耶穌，我承認自己是罪人，不能靠自己的行為在神面前稱義。我相信祢為我的罪死而復活，求祢赦免我、接納我，賜我新生命。今天我願意信靠祢，讓祢作我的救主和主。求祢帶領我一生跟隨祢。阿們。
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and cannot be justified before God by my own works. I believe that You died and rose for my sins. Please forgive me, receive me, and give me new life. Today I choose to trust You and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Lead me as I follow You throughout my life. Amen.
這段禱告不是一種魔法公式；重點不在句子本身，而在於人是否真誠地轉向基督、信靠祂和接受祂的恩典。
This prayer is not a magic formula. The important thing is not the wording but whether a person sincerely turns to Christ, trusts Him, and receives His grace.
八、對已信主的人有甚麼提醒？
對基督徒而言，這段經文也提醒我們，不要重新回到「靠律法稱義」的生活方式。
For Christians, this passage also warns against returning to a life of seeking justification through law-keeping.
以下思想都可能是另一種律法主義：
The following thoughts can become forms of legalism:
- 「神只有在我表現好時才愛我。」
- “God loves me only when I perform well.”
- 「我服事越多，神就越接納我。」
- “The more I serve, the more God accepts me.”
- 「我比那些不如我的人更配得神的恩典。」
- “I deserve God’s grace more than people who are worse than me.”
- 「如果我失敗，神一定完全不要我了。」
- “If I fail, God will reject me completely.”
福音不是叫人輕看罪，而是使人不必靠自我證明來換取神的愛。蒙恩的人仍然追求聖潔，但不是為了購買身份，而是因為已經在基督裡得著身份。
The gospel does not make sin insignificant; it frees people from having to earn God’s love through self-proving. Those who receive grace still pursue holiness, not to purchase an identity but because they already have an identity in Christ.
結語
Conclusion
加拉太書3:21–22的答案可以濃縮為：
Galatians 3:21–22 can be summarized like this:
律法顯明我需要救主，應許把救主賜給我；律法不能賜生命，基督卻能；律法使我看見自己的罪，信心使我領受神的恩典。
The Law shows me that I need a Savior; the promise gives me the Savior. The Law cannot give life, but Christ can. The Law reveals my sin; faith receives God’s grace.
你不需要先把自己修理到完全，才可以來到基督面前；正因為你承認自己不能靠自己稱義，所以可以憑信心接受神在基督裡的應許。
You do not need to repair yourself completely before coming to Christ. Precisely because you acknowledge that you cannot justify yourself, you can receive God’s promise in Christ by faith.
主啊，求祢使我不靠自己的表現誇口，也不因自己的失敗絕望；讓我在律法的光中承認罪，在基督的十字架前接受赦免，並在恩典中活出感恩、順服和聖潔的生命。
Lord, keep me from boasting in my performance or despairing over my failures. Under the light of the Law, help me confess my sin; before Christ’s cross, help me receive forgiveness; and in grace, help me live a grateful, obedient, and holy life.
Leave a Reply