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七十二、罪的程度

150问:一切违反上帝律法的事,就其本身,并在上帝的眼中,都是同样可憎吗?

答:一切违背上帝律法的事,不都是同样可憎的;相反,有些罪就其本身,并因某些加重情节,在上帝的眼中,比别的罪更为可憎(约19:11;结8:6,13,15;约壹5:16;诗78:17,32,56)。

Q. 150. Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?

A. All transgressions of the law are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

151问:那些使某些罪加重,比其它罪更可憎的情节是什么?

答:罪的加重情节有:

  1. 与犯罪之人有关的(耶2:8):他们的年龄越大(伯32:7,9;传4:13),或经验越丰富,或所领受的恩典越多(王上11:4,9),在见证(撒下12:14;林前5:1)、恩赐(雅4:17;路12:47-48)、地位(耶5:4-5)、职分(撒下12:7-9;结8:11-12)上,众所周知,为人师表(罗2:17-24),是其他人所效法的榜样(加2:11-14)。
  2. 与被侵害者有关的(太21:38-39):直接冒犯上帝(撒上2:25;徒5:4;诗51:4)、祂的属性(罗2:4)和敬拜(玛1:8,14);直接冒犯基督和祂的恩典(来2:2-3;12:25);直接冒犯圣灵(来10:29;太12:31-32)、祂的见证(弗4:30)和工作(来6:4-6);直接冒犯尊长、处于尊位之人(犹8;民12:8-9;赛3:5),以及和我们有特别关系与责任的人(箴30:17;林后12:15;诗55:12-15);直接冒犯圣徒(番2:8,10-11;太18:6;林前6:8;启17:6),特别是那些软弱的弟兄(林前8:11-12;罗14:13,15,21),冒犯他们或其他任何人的灵魂(结13:19;林前8:12;启18:12-13;太23:15),以及伤害所有人或许多人的共同利益(帖前2:15-16;书22:20)。
  3. 与犯罪性质有关的(箴6:30-33):直接违反律法的明确内容(拉9:10-12;王上11:9-10),违背多条诫命,本身包含诸多罪(西3:5;提前6:10;箴5:8-12;6:32-33;书7:21);不仅心中图谋,还在言语行为上(雅1:14-15;太5:22;弥2:1),绊倒他人(太18:7;罗2:23-24),并且不予补偿(申22:22,28-29;箴6:32-35);不顾外在方式(太11:21-24;约15:22)、怜悯(赛1:3;申32:6)、审判(摩4:8-11;耶5:3)、自然之光(罗1:26-27)、良心责备(罗1:32;但5:22;多3:10-11)、公开或私下的劝诫(箴29:1)、教会的劝惩(多3:10;太18:17)、国家的审判(箴27:22;23:35);蓄意(诗36:4)、故意(耶6:16)、任意(民15:30;出21:14)、无耻(耶3:3;箴7:13)、自夸(诗52:1)、恶意(约叁10)、屡次(民14:22)、顽固(亚7:11-12)地违背我们的祷告、决心、允诺(诗78:34-37;耶2:20;42:5-6,20-21)、许愿(传5:4-6;箴20:25)立约(利26:25)、与上帝或他人的约定(箴2:17;结17:18-19);在悔改之后,故态复萌(耶34:8-11;彼后2:20-22),仍然是欢喜作恶(箴2:14),继续犯罪(赛57:17)。
  4. 与犯罪时间(王下5:26)和地点(耶7:10;赛26:10)有关的:在主日(结23:37-39),或其它敬拜上帝的时间(赛58:3-5;民25:6-7),或恰在此前(林前11:20-21),或恰在此后(耶7:8-10;箴7:14-15;约13:27,30),或不顾拦阻、纠正此类失败的帮助(拉9:13-14);或在公共场所,或有他人在场,使其受到刺激或玷污(撒下16:22;撒上2:22-24)。

Q. 151. What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?

A. Sins receive their aggravations,
1. From the persons offending; if they be of riper age, greater experience or grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others.
2. From the parties offended: if immediately against God, his attributes, and worship; against Christ, and his grace; the Holy Spirit, his witness, and workings; against superiors, men of eminency, and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto; against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many.
3. From the nature and quality of the offence: if it be against the express letter of the law, break many commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation: if against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments; and our prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men: if done deliberately, willfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly, maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance.
4. From circumstances of time, and place: if on the Lord’s day, or other times of divine worship; or immediately before or after these, or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages: if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.