Ch2-1(Part 1)(生命樹與分別善惡樹&蛇的真面目)

Chapter 2 The Human Fall
第二章 墮落論

All people have an original mind which inclines them to reject evil and pursue goodness.
任何人都持有拒惡從善的本心指向性。
Yet, even without our being aware of it, we are driven by evil forces to abandon the goodness which our original mind desires and to perform evil deeds which, in our innermost heart, we do not want to do.
但是，所有的人自己也在不知不覺中，受到惡力的驅使，捨棄本心所願的善，反而行所不願的惡。
As long as these evil forces assail us, the sinful history of humanity will continue unabated.
人類的罪惡史即在此惡勢力下，綿延持續著。
In Christianity, the master of these evil forces is known as Satan.
在基督教教義中，把這惡勢力的主體稱為撒但
We have been utterly unable to liquidate the forces of Satan because we have not understood Satan's identity or how he came to exist.
人無法清算撒但，是因為人不知道撒但是什麼？或者它如何變成撒但，不知其真面目的緣故。
To extirpate evil by its root, and thereby end sinful history and usher in an era of goodness,
所以，如果人要根除此惡，清算人類的罪惡史，成就善的歷史，
we must first expose the motivation and origin of Satan and recognize the destruction he has wrought in human life.
即必須明瞭撒但變為撒但的動機、撒但的由來, 以及撒但在人的生命中所造成的毀滅狀態。
This explanation of the human Fall will clarify these issues.
墮落論將要來澄清這些問題。

Section 1 The Root of Sin
第一節 罪的根

No one has known the root of sin, which lies deep within and ceaselessly drives people toward the way of evil.
一直到現在，沒有人知道在人們心中深深紮根，不斷驅使人到罪惡道路的罪之根，到底是什麼。
On the basis of the Bible, Christians have held to a vague belief that Adam and Eve's eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the root of sin.
只有基督教信徒，根據聖經，模糊地相信是人類的始祖亞當與夏娃摘下善惡果喫，而成為罪的根。
Some Christians believe that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the fruit of an actual tree,
不過，雖然有些基督徒相信善惡樹的果子是真正的樹上的果子，
while others believe that the fruit is a symbol, as much of the Bible is written in symbolic language.
但也有些信徒相信，如同聖經裡許多部份一般，果子是對某事的象徵或比喻，
Let us consider the Bible's account of the human Fall and its differing interpretations in order to arrive at a complete explanation.
讓我們來思考聖經中對人類墮落的描述以及其不同的詮釋, 以求得對於此問題完全的解明。

1.1 The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
（一）生命樹與分別善惡樹
Adam and Eve fell when they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
亞當與夏娃所摘下善惡果來喫就墮落了
Many Christians to this day have thought that this was the fruit of an actual tree.
很多基督教信徒們，直到現在還一直相信，這裡所說的果子就是真正的樹所結的果子。
But would God, the loving Parent of humanity, make a fruit which could cause the Fall to look so attractive?1(Gen. 3:6)CEV|KJ|NI
然而，身為人類父母的神，為什麼把子女摘下來喫便會墮落的果子，造得如此吸引人呢?（創三．６），
Would He place it where His children could reach it so easily?
祂會擺在祂的孩子能夠輕易地摘下來喫的地方呢？
Furthermore, Jesus said, "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."2(Matt. 15:11)CEV|KJ|NI
而且, 耶穌曾經說過「入囗的不能污穢人，出囗的乃能污穢人」（太十五．１１）。
How, then, can a food which one eats cause one to fall?
食物怎麼可能使人吃人就墮落呢？


Humankind is beset by the original sin, which has been inherited from our first ancestors.
人類被人類祖先遺傳下來的原罪所困擾，
Yet how can something one eats cause a sin which can be transmitted to one's descendants?
但是怎麼會有食物是某人吃了之後就成為原罪而能夠遺傳到後代子孫的呢?
The only way something can be inherited is by being passed down through the lineage.
某些東西能夠遺傳下去的唯一途徑是必須經由血統。
The temporary ill effects of eating something cannot be perpetuated through the long descent of lineage.
因此，不可能因某人吃了某種食物，就把暫時的惡果永遠遺傳到長遠的血統上。

There are those who believe that God made the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and commanded Adam and Eve not to eat it in order to test their obedience to Him.
有些信徒們相信，神是為了要試驗人是否順從祂的聖言，而創造了分別善惡樹，並給予「不可喫」的命令。
We may ask: would the God of love test humans so mercilessly by a means that could cause their death?
但試問: 愛的神會用可能造成死亡的方法，作如此無慈悲的試驗嗎?
Adam and Eve knew they would die the moment they ate the fruit, for God had told them so. Yet still they ate it.
亞當與夏娃知道，如神所告訴他們的, 他們吃下善惡果的日子必定死，然而，他們卻摘下來喫了。
Adam and Eve did not lack for food. They would not have risked their lives and disobeyed God only to obtain some delicacy.
亞當與夏娃並不缺乏食物，他們不會只是為了食物，而冒生命的危險去違背神。
Therefore, we can surmise that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil could not have been an ordinary fruit.
因此，我們可以推測分別善惡樹的果子不可能是一般的水果.
Rather, it must have been something so extraordinarily stimulating that even the fear of death did not deter them from grasping it.
而必定是異常強烈的刺激，以致於為了得到, 連生死問題也置之度外的某種事物。

If the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not a material fruit,
既然善惡果不是有形的水果，
then it must be a symbol which represents something else.
那麼，必定是代表其他某種事物的象徵。
Why should we stubbornly adhere to a literal interpretation of the fruit when so much of the Bible makes use of symbolism and metaphor?
聖經中有許多主要部份，是以象徵或比喻記錄的，這是事實。那麼，為何一定要把善惡果勉強照字面的解釋相信呢？
We would do well to abandon such a narrow and old-fashioned attitude of faith.
我們應當拋棄過去受聖經文字拘束、固陋且習慣性的信仰態度。
To learn what the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents, let us first investigate the tree of life,
which stood next to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.3(Gen. 2:9)CEV|KJ|NI
若將善惡果視為比喻，那它到底意味著什麼呢？當作解明此問題的方法，我們先來察明在創世記二章９節所記載的，在伊甸園裏，與分別善惡樹一起存在的生命樹是什麼？
When we grasp the meaning of the tree of life, then we can also understand the meaning of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
當我們掌握住了生命樹的意義，那我們也就能明白分別善惡樹的意義。

1.1.1 The Tree of Life
（１）生命樹
According to the Bible, the hope of fallen people is to approach or attain the tree of life:
根據聖經記錄，墮落人的盼望是要到達生命樹前，成為生命樹。
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life."4(Prov. 13:12)CEV|KJ|NI
Thus, the Israelites of the Old Testament Age looked to the tree of life as their hope.
如箴言十三章１２節，在舊約時代，以色列民族是把生命樹當做他們所盼望的對象。
Likewise, the hope of all Christians from the time of Jesus until today has been to approach and partake of the tree of life:
同樣的, 從耶穌到今天的所有的基督教信徒們的盼望也是一心要到達生命樹。
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates."5(Rev. 22:14)CEV|KJ|NI
又如啟示錄二十二章１４節的記錄，
Since the ultimate hope of humankind is the tree of life, we can infer that the hope of Adam was also the tree of life.
由於墮落人最終的盼望在於生命樹；我們可以推論亞當所盼望的也必定是生命樹。
It is written that when Adam fell, God blocked his path to the tree of life by stationing the cherubim with a flaming sword to guard it.6(Gen. 3:24)CEV|KJ|NI
在創世記三章２４節記錄著，因亞當犯罪，神用發火燄的劍，把守了生命樹的道路，
From this we can also deduce that Adam's hope before the Fall was the tree of life.
看此事實，我們也可以推斷墮落前亞當的盼望就是生命樹。
Adam was cast out of the Garden of Eden without having attained his hope, the tree of life.
但是，亞當因墮落而未能到達他所盼望的生命樹，且被逐出伊甸園（創三．２４），
For fallen people ever since, the tree of life has remained a hope unfulfilled.
所以，生命樹就當作往後所有墮落人的盼望而被留下。

What was the hope of Adam during the time he was immature and growing toward perfection?
仰望著完成而成長過來的未完成之亞當，他所盼望的生命樹到底是什麼？
He must have hoped to become a man who would realize God's ideal of creation by growing to perfection without falling.
那必定是沒有墮落，而成長為完成神創造理想的男性。
The tree of life in fact symbolizes a man who has fully realized the ideal of creation.
事實上, 生命樹就是象徵完成創造理想的男性。
Perfected Adam was to be this ideal man. The tree of life thus symbolizes perfected Adam.
完成的亞當即意味著完成創造理想的男性，所以，生命樹就是比喻完成的亞當。

Had Adam not fallen but attained the tree of life, all his descendants could also have attained the tree of life.
假如亞當不墮落，而成為生命樹，他的所有子孫們也都可以成為生命樹，
They would have built the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
他們當時就可以建立起地上天國了。
But Adam fell, and God blocked his path to the tree with a flaming sword.
但是，亞當墮落了，神便以發火燄的劍，擋住通往生命樹的道路（創三．２４）。
Ever since, despite the best efforts of fallen people to restore the ideal of creation, the tree of life has remained an unattainable dream.
從那時候開始，不管人墮落人如何努力恢復創造的理想, 生命樹卻仍是達不到的夢想。
Burdened by the original sin, fallen people cannot complete the ideal of creation and become trees of life by their own efforts alone.
背負著原罪的墮落人，無法以自己的能力成為完成創造理想的生命樹。
For this ideal to be achieved, a man who has completed the ideal of creation must come to the earth as a tree of life.
因此，為了達成這個理想，就必須有一位完成創造理想的男性，以生命樹來到地上，
All of humanity must then be engrafted with him7(Rom. 11:17)CEV|KJ|NI and become one with him.
使所有的人與他接枝，成為一體。(羅馬書十一章１７節)
Jesus was the man who came as this tree of life.
以此生命樹來臨的，就是耶穌。
The tree of life for which the faithful people of the Old Testament Age longed8(Prov. 13:12)CEV|KJ|NI was none other than Jesus.
所以，我們知道箴言十三章１２節所記錄的，舊約時代，聖徒們所期待的生命樹，正是那初臨的耶穌。

Ever since God blocked Adam's path to the tree of life by guarding it with the flaming sword,
自從神以發火燄的劍，攔阻了亞當到生命樹的道路，
the tree could not be approached without first clearing the path.
除非打開此路，否則人將無法到達生命樹前。
On the day of Pentecost, tongues of fire descended upon the saints, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.9(Acts 2:3-4)CEV|KJ|NI This event marked the clearing of the path and the moving aside of the flaming sword,
如使徒行傳二章３節的記錄，在五旬節當日，擋在聖徒們面前如舌頭的火焰，
which appeared as the tongues of fire preceding the rush of the Holy Spirit.
即火燄劍分開之後，聖靈才降臨，
It opened the way for all humanity to approach Jesus, the tree of life, and be engrafted with him.
全人類才得以打開到生命樹耶穌面前的路，與他接枝。


Nonetheless, Christians have been engrafted with Jesus only spiritually.
但是，接於生命樹耶穌的基督徒們，只不過是靈的接枝，
This is why the children of even the most devout Christian parents still inherit sin, which must be redeemed.
所以，無論何等熱心信奉耶穌的父母，也只能生下必須再度贖罪的罪惡子女。
Even the most faithful saints have not been rid of the original sin,
無論怎樣篤實的信徒，至今尚未能除去原罪，
and thus cannot help but transmit it to their children.10(cf. Messiah 1)
而仍舊把它遺傳給後代子孫（前編第四章第一節）。
For this reason, Christ must come again on earth as the tree of life.
因此，耶穌即不得不再次以生命樹再臨到地上，
By engrafting all humankind with himself once more, he is to redeem their original sin.
再次與全人類接枝，並赦免他們的原罪。
Christians thus impatiently await the tree of life, which in the Book of Revelation symbolizes Christ at his Second Coming.11(Rev. 22:14)CEV|KJ|NI
新約聖徒們切望等待生命樹在瞭解啟示錄二十二章１４節所記錄的生命樹，正是比喻再臨的耶穌。

The purpose of God's providence of salvation is to restore the failure to attain the tree of life in the Garden of Eden by realizing the tree of life mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
神拯救攝理的目的，乃是要將在伊甸園裏失去的生命樹（創二．９），復歸為啟示錄二十二章１４節的生命樹。
Due to the Fall, Adam could not fulfill the ideal of the first tree of life.12(Gen. 2:9)CEV|KJ|NI
由於墮落, 亞當無法完成生命樹的理想(創世記二章９節)
In order to complete the salvation of fallen humanity, Jesus, the "last Adam,"13(I Cor. 15:45)CEV|KJ|NI must come again as the tree of life in the Last Days.
為了拯救墮落人，在末日末後的亞當耶穌即必須以末後生命樹再臨。(啟示錄二十二章１４節)


1.1.2 The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil（２）分別善惡樹

God did not create Adam to be alone; He also created Eve to be Adam's spouse.
神不但創造了亞當，同時也創造了他的配偶夏娃。
Just as there was a tree in the Garden of Eden which symbolized a perfected man,
因此，在伊甸園裡，有比喻完成創造理想男性的樹，
there also should have been a tree which represented a woman who has fully realized the ideal of creation.
那麼，應該也有比喻女性的另一棵樹, 象徵完成創造理想的女性，
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, standing beside the tree of life,14(Gen. 2:9)CEV|KJ|NIwas this tree which, by fulfilling its good purpose, represents the ideal woman, perfected Eve.
分別善惡樹與生命樹並立。就是完成善目的, 代表理想的女人, 完全的夏娃(創世記二章９節).
The Bible refers to Jesus using the metaphors of a vine15(John 15:5) CEV|KJ|NIand a branch.16(Isa. 11:1)CEV|KJ|NI; (Jer. 23:5) CEV|KJ|NI
聖經裡，把耶穌比喻為「葡萄樹」（約十五．５）或「橄欖樹」（羅十一．１７）；
Likewise, to give us a hint about the secret of the human Fall,
同樣地，神要暗示人墮落的祕密時，
God provided the symbolism of two trees to represent perfected Adam and Eve.
神也是以兩棵樹來比喻完成的亞當與夏娃作。


1.2 The Identity of the Serpent（二）蛇的真面目

In the Bible we read that a serpent tempted Eve to commit sin.17(Gen. 3:4-5)CEV|KJ|NI
聖經紀錄著，誘惑夏娃犯罪的就是蛇（創三．４～５）。
What does the serpent symbolize?
那麼，這蛇到底意味著什麼呢？
Let us investigate the true identity of the serpent, based on the Genesis account.
讓我們根據創世記所記錄的內容，探查這蛇的真面目。
The serpent described in the Bible was able to converse with people.
聖經所記錄的蛇，是能和人談話，
It caused the Fall of humans, who are spiritual beings.
並且能夠使有靈的人墮落，因此，它必定是靈的存在。
Furthermore, the serpent knew the Will of God, which strictly forbade human beings to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
何況，這蛇知道神不讓人喫分別善惡的果子的意圖，
This is compelling evidence that the being which the serpent symbolizes was a spiritual being.
這是強有力的證據證明，那以蛇作比喻的存在必定是靈的存在。
It is written: The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan,
啟示錄十二章９節記錄著:「大龍就是那古蛇，被摔在地上, 名叫魔鬼，又叫撒但，
the deceiver of the whole world - he was thrown down to the earth. -Rev. 12:9CEV|KJ|NI
是迷惑全世界的，他（從天上）被摔在地上」
This ancient serpent is the very serpent which tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden.
無須贅言，這古蛇就是在伊甸園誘惑夏娃的那條蛇。
Having lived in heaven before it was thrown down, this Devil or Satan must be a spiritual being.
從天上被摔到地上以前, 長久住在天上；這魔鬼或撒但，必定是靈的存在.
In fact, ever since the time of the human Fall, Satan has been continually turning the hearts of people toward evil.
事實上, 自從人類墮落至今，撒但不停地把人的心拖往惡的方向去，
Since Satan is a spiritual being, the serpent which symbolizes him must also represent a spiritual being.
因為撒但是靈的存在，這象徵他的蛇，當然也必定是靈的存在。
These strands of biblical evidence confirm that the serpent who tempted Eve was not an animal but a symbol for a spiritual being.
從記錄於聖經上的此事實推測，我們即可知道，誘惑夏娃的蛇，並非動物，乃是某種靈的存在。

The question arises whether the spiritual being symbolized by the serpent existed before the creation of the universe or was created as a part of the universe.
那麼，此被比喻為蛇之靈的存在，是否存在於創世之前呢？或者也是被造物之一？
If this being existed before the creation of the universe and had a purpose contrary to that of God,
假若這蛇在創世之前，就是與神持有對立目的的存在，
then the conflict between good and evil in the universe would be unavoidable and perpetual.
那麼，在被造世界裡，所展開的善惡鬥爭，必定為永續且不可避免的。
God's providence of restoration, then, would be in vain.
同時，神的復歸攝理必歸於無為，
Moreover, monotheism, which holds that everything in the universe was created by one God, would be unfounded.
而一切存在皆是神獨自創造的一元論就不成立。
We are left with the conclusion that the spiritual being represented by the serpent was originally created with a good purpose, but later fell and became Satan.
因此，必須將比喻為蛇之靈的存在，視為原本是為了善目的而被創造的某種存在，後來因為墮落而變為撒但。
What kind of spiritual being in God's creation could have conversed with people,
那麼，神所創造之靈的存在，能與人談話，
understood the Will of God, and lived in heaven?
知道神的目的，其所在之處是天，
What kind of being, even after it had fallen and become degraded to an evil being,
並且一旦墮落而轉變為惡的存在時，
could transcend time and space to dominate the human soul?
又持有超越時間與空間來支配人類心靈的能力，
There are no beings endowed with such characteristics other than angels.
具備這些條件的存在，到底是什麼呢？如此推想，除了天使以外，再也沒有具備這些條件的存在，
The verse "God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom"18(II Pet. 2:4)CEV|KJ|NI
彼得後書二章４節記錄，「就是天使犯了罪，神也沒有寬容，曾把他們丟在地獄。」
supports the conclusion that the serpent, which tempted human beings and sinned, is an angel.
這聖言就是決定性的立證，誘惑人犯罪的蛇就是天使。

A serpent has a forked tongue. It depicts someone who utters contradictory things with one tongue and lives a two-faced life with one heart.
蛇的舌尖分成兩叉。即象徵以一根舌頭說兩種話，以一顆心過雙重生活者。
A serpent twists its body around its prey before devouring it,
蛇以身體捲起自己的食物來吃，
a metaphor for someone who ensnares others for his own benefit.
象徵著為自己利益而誘惑別人。
For these reasons, the Bible likened the angel who tempted human beings to a serpent.
所以，聖經是把誘惑人的天使比喻為蛇。