如果《普世欢腾》不是圣诞圣诗，那我们为什么要唱它？
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如果《普世欢腾》不是圣诞圣诗，那我们为什么要唱它？
2015-12-09 Alyssa Poblete 恩道书房
原文标题：Joy to the World A Christmas Hymn Reconsidered
原文链接：
http://www.thegospelcoalition.or ... s-hymn-reconsidered
版权来源：福音联盟The Gospel Coalition
作者：Alyssa Poblete
翻译：恩道书房
本文经福音联盟授权翻译，欢迎转发；如需转载，请联系本公众号恩道书房。
Isaac Watts was arguably the most prolific hymn writer of his day. He is known for writing such timeless hymns as “Behold the Glories of the Lamb” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” However, Watts is best known for writing the hymn “Joy to the World”—a song played worldwide during Christmas every year.
以撒·华兹可能是当时最多产的圣诗作者。他以写出许多隽永的圣诗著称，例如《看哪荣耀羔羊》（Behold the Glories of the Lamb）和《当我思想奇妙十字架》（When I Survey the Wondrous Cross）。然而，华兹最广为人知的圣诗是《普世欢腾》（Joy to the World）——一首每年圣诞节世界各地都会演奏的诗歌。
While he is much appreciated today, during his lifetime Watts was considered by many to be a disturbance of the status quo and even possibly a heretic for the lyrics he wrote. While he wasn’t a heretic,he was a revolutionary.
虽然华兹如今大受欢迎，但当他在世时却被认为是某种扰乱分子，甚至因为某些歌词被认作可能是异端。当然了，他可不是异端，他是一个革新者。
Watts grew up in a world where the music in every worship service consisted only of psalms or sections of Scripture put to music. Watts found the practice monotonous. To him, there was a lack of joy and emotion among the congregants as they sang. He once famously said,“To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly, while the psalm is upon their lips, might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion.”
华兹成长于一个只用诗篇或经文段落作为崇拜音乐的年代。他觉得如此做法实在单调乏味。他认为，会众这样唱诗时毫无喜乐或情感。他曾说过一句很著名的话，“看到所有会众嘴里唱着诗篇，脸上却体现出麻木的冷漠，轻忽和漫不经心，哪怕是最宽厚的人也会怀疑他们心里是否真的有信仰的热情。”
Hymnology Pioneer 圣诗的先锋
Watts’s father issued a challenge. He told Watts that if he struggled with the songs they sang, then he ought to do something about it. Perhaps he should attempt to write something different.This moment set Watts on a lifelong pursuit to write lyrics that exalted Christ and reminded Christians of their hope in his saving work on the cross.
华兹的父亲向他提出了挑战。他告诉华兹，如果听不下去这些歌，那他得做点什么吧。也许他应该试着写点不一样的东西出来。从这一刻起，华兹一生致力于写出尊崇基督、使基督徒想起他十架救赎大工所带来之盼望的歌词。
This desire is evident in the way he wrote“Joy to the World.” Watts was inspired to write the timeless tune while meditating on Psalm 98. Verse 4 gripped him “Make a joyful noise to the LORD,all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” And this is exactly what Watts set out to do. Little did he know that this song would spark a joyful noise that would ring through the ages.
华兹写《普世欢腾》的方式体现了他这一渴望。这首不朽诗歌的灵感来自于他对诗篇98篇的默想，第4节抓住了他的心：“全地都要向耶和华欢乐；要发起大声，欢呼歌颂！”而这正是华兹决定要做的。他所不知道的是，这首诗歌将会扬起经久不衰的喜乐之声。
Focus on the Second Coming以再临为焦点
While “Joy to the World” is primarily sung at Christmas, it's not about the incarnation. Rather, the song tells the story of Christ’s return—his second coming. We know this for at least three reasons.
虽然《普世欢腾》主要被用作圣诞圣诗，但它所说的不是道成肉身。相反，这首歌讲述了基督再来的故事——他的再临。我们至少可以以下三点中看出来。
First, the song speaks of the whole earth receiving her King.
第一，这首歌说全地都迎接主作王。
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
普世欢腾，救主下降！
大地接她君王；
惟愿众心预备地方，
诸天万物歌唱。
But is that what happened when Christ came? After all, Scripture tells us that he was not readily received by everyone.
但这是基督降临时的情景吗？毕竟，圣经告诉我们他当时并不被人乐意接受。
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is. 53:3)
他被藐视，被人厌弃；多受痛苦，常经忧患。他被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样，我们也不尊重他。（赛53:3）
The earth did not receive her King but like sheep, went astray. Still, we know that there will be a day when this will not be so:
大地并未接受她的君王，反倒如羊走迷。然而，我们知道这将有一天会改变：
God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11)
所以，神将他升为至高，又赐给他那超乎万名之上的名，叫一切在天上的、地上的，和地底下的，因耶稣的名无不屈膝，无不口称“耶稣基督为主”，使荣耀归与父神。（腓2:9-11）
On that day, both heaven and nature will sing out and repeat the sounding joy for all eternity.
当那日，诸天万物都要歌唱，喜乐扬声直到永远。
Second, we know this hymn is a song of Christ’s second coming because verse 3 talks about sins and sorrows being no more:
第二，诗歌第三节谈到不再有罪恶忧愁，故此我们能知这首圣诗乃是关于基督再临的。
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow,
Far as the curse is found.
罪恶忧愁，不容再长！
世途荆棘消亡；
化诅为恩无远弗届，
到处主泽流长。
If you have lived on this earth for more than two minutes, you know that this is not our current experience. In Mark 13 Jesus foretold what was yet to come after his death when he said:
你只要在这世界呆上超过2分钟，就会知道这歌词并非我们如今的经历。耶稣在马太福音13章预言了他死之后将要发生的事：
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Mark 13:8)
民要攻打民，国要攻打国；多处必有地震、饥荒。这都是灾难的起头。（可13:8）
The world is not sin-free. The world is not void of sorrow. Not yet, at least. Jesus told us that we should not be alarmed when we hear of the world’s brokenness. Why? Because “this must take place, but the end is not yet” (Mark 13:7). Hebrews 10 tells us:
这世界并非毫无罪恶，也非不见忧愁。至少现在还不是这样。耶稣告诉我们，若听到世界上破碎的事，不要惊奇。为什么呢？因为“这些事是必须有的，只是末期还没有到”（可13:7）。希伯来书10章告诉我们：
When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. (Heb. 10:12-13)
但基督献了一次永远的赎罪祭，就在神的右边坐下了。从此，等候他仇敌成了他的脚凳。（来10:12-13）
Although the fulfillment of all Christ’s work is not fully expressed this side of eternity, we know there will be a day when it is. Christ sits at the Father’s right hand, waiting until the perfect moment—a time when all good things will come to fruition. So we have hope.
虽然在这个世界上，基督的工作之应验还未完全展现，但我们知道会有这样的一天。基督坐在父神的右边，等候那完成的一刻——届时一切美好的事物都将被成就。因此，我们仍怀希望。
Third, the final verse reveals that this hymn is about the second coming. It says:
第三，诗歌的最后一节显明了它所讲的是再临。它这样说：
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.
主藉真理，恩治万方，
要使万邦证明，
上主公义，无限荣光，
主爱奇妙莫名。
These final lines speak of how the nations will take an active role in revealing the glory of God. We know that all the nations of the earth are ultimately subject to God’s ever-sovereign hand. He is the one who gives authority, and he’s the one who takes it away. He uses every mistake, every poor decision, every war, every calamity, and every season of prosperity, all for his glory. But we have not yet seen the nations of thisworld intentionally seeking to prove the wonders and glories of our ultimate King. In fact, they often seek to defame the name of God. But he will not share his glory with another. The I Am is jealous for his name. Surely, there will be a day when we can say, “He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove” his glory. And that day will be wonderful.
最后一段歌词说，万邦都会主动证明神的荣耀。我们知道，世上万邦最终都服在至高掌权之神的手中。他赐下权柄，也挪去权柄。为着他自己的荣耀，一切错误、决策失败、战争、灾祸、成功都为他所用。但如今世上万邦并无意要证明这位至高君王的奇妙与荣光。实际上，万邦常常想诽谤神的名。但神绝不将自己的荣耀享与他者。这位自有永有者要为他的名大发热心。无疑，终有一天我们都可以如此说：“主藉真理，恩治万方，要使万邦证明”他的荣耀。那天将美好无比。
Christmas Hymn After All终究是圣诞圣诗
So why do we sing this song at Christmas? It is clearly a song about Christ’s second coming—when the full expression of his glory will be revealed. It doesn’t really have anything to do with the Christmas story. Or does it After all, there is no second coming without a first coming.
那么，如果这首歌很明显是关于基督再临的（届时神的荣耀将彰显完全），为什么我们要在圣诞节唱它呢？它跟圣诞故事真的没什么关系。又或者，两者真有联系，因为没有基督第一次降临，就没有他的再临。
This song is all about the fulfillment of what Christ came to do in the first place. Christmas is not only a time to look back at the grace accomplished in the past. Christmas is also a time to look forward to the grace that was accomplished for our future. When we sing these words we are proclaiming the ultimate joy to be revealed. This is why we can sing ”Joy to the World” at Christmas.
这整首诗歌都是在说基督第一次来时所做工作的实现。圣诞节不只回顾过去已成就的恩典，它还前瞻将来要成就的恩典。当我们唱着这些歌词，我们乃是在宣告终极的喜乐要被显明。这就是我们在圣诞节唱《普世欢腾》的理由。
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And hewho was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Rev.21:1-5)
我又看见一个新天新地；因为先前的天地已经过去了，海也不再有了。我又看见圣城新耶路撒冷由神那里从天而降，预备好了，就如新妇妆饰整齐，等候丈夫。我听见有大声音从宝座出来说：“看哪，神的帐幕在人间。他要与人同住，他们要作他的子民。神要亲自与他们同在，作他们的神。神要擦去他们一切的眼泪；不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀、哭号、疼痛，因为以前的事都过去了。”
坐宝座的说：“看哪，我将一切都更新了！”（启21:1-5）
原文标题：Joy to the World A Christmas Hymn Reconsidered
原文链接：
http://www.thegospelcoalition.or ... s-hymn-reconsidered
版权来源：福音联盟The Gospel Coalition
作者：Alyssa Poblete
翻译：恩道书房
本文经福音联盟授权翻译，欢迎转发；如需转载，请联系本公众号恩道书房。
