關於西一15：基督是受造之物的第一個麼？（十）

關於西一15：基督是受造之物的第一個麼？（十）

八、M.R.Vincent西一15、18的註解

15. The first-born of every creature (πρωτοτοκος πασης κτισεως)

Rev., the first-born of all creation. For first-born, see on Apoc. i. 5; for creation, on 2Cor. v.17. As image points to revelation, so first-born points to eternal preexistence. Even the Rev. is a little ambiguous, for we must carefully avoid any suggestion that Christ was the first of created things, which is contradicted by the following words: in Him were all things created. The true sense is, born before the creation. Compare before all things, ver. 17. This fact of priority implies sovereignty. He is exalted above all thrones, etc., and all things are unto (εις) Him, as they are elsewhere declared to be unto God. Compare Ps. lxxxix. 27; Heb. i. 2.

（M.R.Vincent, Word Studies In The New Testament, Vol. III, pp.468-69, Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1980”）

【中譯】

西一15「每一造物的首生」（πρωτοτοκος πασης κτισεως，按是「欽定本」）

修定本作「一切造物的首生」。首生，參啟一5；造物，參林後五17。正如「像」是指啟示，「首生」則指永遠先存。即便是修訂本都有點含糊不清，因為我們必須小心避免任何暗示基督是受造之物的第一個的話，這是和以下的話相牴觸，就是「萬有都是靠他造的」。真正的涵義是「生在造物之前」，對照第十七節的「在萬有之先」。這個居先的事實表明主權。祂被高舉在所有寶座之上等等，而萬有都是「歸於」祂，正如在別處宣告他們歸於神。參詩八十九27，來一2。

18. The first-born from the dead (πρωτοτοκος εκ των νεκρων)

...There is a parallelism between first-born of the creation and first-born from the dead as regards the relation of headship in which Christ stands to creation and to the Church alike; but the parallelism is not complete. “He is the first-born from the dead as having been Himself one of the dead. He is not the first-born of all creation as being himself created” (Dwight).

（M.R.Vincent, Word Studies In The New Testament, Vol. III, pp.472, Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1980”）

西一18「從死裡首先復生的」

…關於基督向著造物與教會有同樣作頭的關係，「造物的首生」與「死人中的首生」二者為對句，然而卻不盡然是對句。「他是死人中復活的首生者，正如他曾是死人中的一個。他不是造物中的第一個，好像他是個造物似的。」(Dwight)。

九、K.S. Wuest

The word “firstborn” is prototokos. The Greek word implied two things, Priority to all creation and Sovereignty over all creation. In the first meaning we see the absolute pre-existence of the Logos. Since our Lord existed before all created things, He must be uncreated. Since He is uncreated, he is eternal. Since He is eternal, He is God. Since He is God, He cannot be one of the emanations from deity of which the Gnostic speaks, even though He proceeds from God the Father as the Son. In the second meaning we see that He is the eternal ruler, the acknowledged head of God’s household. Thus again, He cannot be one of the emanations from the deity in whom the divine essence is present but diffused. He is the Lord of creation.

（Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies From the Greek New Testament For the English Reader, Vol. I, Ephesians and Colossians, Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973, p.183）

「首生」這詞是prototokos。希臘文暗示兩件事：在所有造物之先和對所有造物之主權。在第一個意思裡，我們看見道的絕對先存。既然我們的主在一切造物之先已存，祂必定不是被造的。既然祂不是被造的，祂就是永遠的。既然祂是永遠的，祂就是神。既然祂是神，雖說祂是從父神而出的子，祂就不是如諾斯底派所說的是出於神祇的一個分身（emanation，或譯發散、流出、放射，下同）。在第二個意思裡，我們看見祂是永遠的統治者，是神的家人所公認的頭。因此再一次，祂不是神祇的分身之一，雖然具有神聖的本質，卻是零散的。祂乃是造物的主。

十、W.W. Wiersbe 西一15、16的註解

He existed before Creation (v. 15).

The term firstborn does not refer to time, but to place or status. Jesus Christ was not the first being created, since He Himself is the Creator of all things. Firstborn simply means “of first importance, of first rank.” Solomon was certainly not the first of all David’s son, yet he was named the firstborn (Ps. 89:27). Firstborn of all creation means “prior to all Creation.” Jesus Christ is not a created being; He is eternal God.

He created all things (v. 16)

Since Christ created all things, He Himself is uncreated. The word for that introduces this verse could be translated “because.” Jesus Christ is the Firstborn of all because He created all things. It is not wonder that the winds and waves obeyed Him, and diseases and death fled from Him, for He is the Master over all. “All things were made by Him” (John1:3). This includes all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible. All things are under His command.

（W.W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament Vol. 2, Cook Communications Ministries, 2001, P.115）

【中譯】

祂在萬有之先已存（15節）

「首生」一詞不是指時間，而是指地位和身份。耶穌基督不是第一個被造物，因為祂自己是萬有的創造主。「首生」不過就是「第一重要」、「首位」的意思。所羅門當然不是大衛的第一個兒子，但他被稱為長子（詩八十九27）。「一切造物的首生」意思是「在一切造物以先」。耶穌基督不是一個造物；祂乃是神。

祂創造萬有（16節）

因為基督創造了萬有，祂自己就不是被造的。帶進本節的「因為」一字可以翻成「由於」。耶穌基督是一切的首生，是由於祂創造了萬有。難怪風浪聽祂，疾病死亡從祂面前逃離，因為祂是萬有的主宰。「萬物是藉著他造的」（約一3），包括所有天上的和地上的，能看見的和不能看見的。萬有都服在祂的命令底下。

十一、Peter T. O’Brien

About prototokos of Col.1:15

…Stripped from its context and from other Pauline statements about Christ this phrase might be understood to include him among created things (as simply the “eldest” of the “family”: at Rom 8:29 “prototokos” appears to be used in this inclusive sense).

But the context makes it plain that the title cannot refer to him as the first of all created beings since the immediately following words, which provide a commentary on the title (oti), emphasize the point that he is the one by whom the whole creation came into being. Further, apart from the incompatibility of this thought with the teaching of Paul in general about the person and work of Christ, such an understanding is not required by the word “ prototokos” (“firstborn”) itself.

(Peter T. O’Brien, Word Biblical commentary)

【中譯】

關於西一15的「首生」

…脫離上下文，也脫離保羅其他關於基督的聲明，這個詞應當被領會為他是造物之一（正如一個「家」的「長子」，羅八29「長子」是用作包含的意思）。

但是上下文清楚表明這個頭銜不是指明他是一切造物之第一個，因為緊接在後的話給了這個頭銜一個註解（oti，按因為），強調一個重點，就是藉他所有的造物才得以產生。進一步說，除了與保羅關於基督的身位和工作一般的教訓不一致之外,這樣領會無法從「首生」這個字本身而來。

（未完待續）20090104