601. 当今教会通过圣言和理智都知道, 重生者是一个新生的人或新人。 以下圣言经文证明了这一点:
你们要自做一个新心和新灵。 以色列家啊, 你们何必死亡呢? (以西结18:31)
我也要赐给你们一个新心, 将新灵放在你们里面。 又从你们的肉体中除掉石心, 赐给你们肉心。 我必将我的灵放在你们里面。 (以西结36:26-27)
所以我们从今以后, 不凭着外貌 (原文作肉体本节同) 认人了。 因此若有人在基督里, 他就是新造的人。 (哥林多后书5:16-17)
在这些经文中, “新心”表新的意愿, “新灵”表新的觉知。 因为在圣言中, “心”代表意愿, 而“灵”, 当与心连在一起时, 代表觉知。 教会凭理智也知道, 重生者会获得一个新的意愿和一个新的觉知, 因为这两种官能构成人, 要重生的正是它们。 故, 每个人的性质皆取决于这两种官能的性质, 即若其意愿是恶, 那他就是恶, 若其觉知支持这恶, 更加如此, 善的情况与之相反。 唯有宗教才能更新并重生人。 宗教在人类心智中占据最高位置, 能看清它下面属尘世的社会事务。 宗教还通过这些事务攀升, 如同纯净的树液通过树升到顶端, 然后它从那个高度俯视尘世, 如同人从塔顶或山顶俯视下面的平原。
601. When We Have Been Regenerated, We Have a New Will and a New Intellect
When we have been regenerated we are renewed, or new. This is something the church of today knows, both from the Word and from reason.
We know this from the following teachings in the Word.
Make your heart new and your spirit new. Why should you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18:31)
I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
From now on we regard no one on the basis of the flesh. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, she or he is a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
The new heart in these passages means a new will and the new spirit means a new intellect, since "heart" in the Word means the will and "spirit," when it appears alongside "heart," means the intellect.
From reason as well we know about our renewal: the person who has been regenerated must have a new will and a new intellect, because these two faculties are what make us human. They are the parts of us that are regenerated. The quality of these two faculties determines the quality of the human being. People who have an evil will are evil; if their intellect supports that will, they are even more evil. The opposite is true of good people.
Only religion renews and regenerates us. It is allotted the highest place in the human mind. Below itself it sees civic concerns that relate to the world. In fact, it rises up through these concerns the way the purest sap rises up through a tree to its very top, and surveys from that height the earthly things that lie below, the way someone looks down from a tower or a high point of land onto the fields below.
601. VIII. When a person is regenerated, he acquires a new will and a new understanding.
The present-day church is aware that, when a person is regenerated, he is renewed or becomes a new person; this is evident both from the Word and from reason. These passages from the Word prove this:
Make yourself a new heart and a new spirit; why will you die, o house of Israel? Ezekiel 18:31.
I will give you a new heart and a new spirit in your midst, and I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh; and I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit in your midst, Ezekiel 36:26-27.
From now on we know no one according to the flesh; so if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17.
A new heart in these passages means a new will, a new spirit means a new understanding. For heart in the Word stands for the will, and spirit, when linked with the heart, for the understanding.
The argument from reason is: when a person is regenerated he has a new will and a new understanding because these two faculties are what make him a human being, and it is these which are regenerated. Everyone, therefore, is such as he is in these two respects. If his will is evil, he is evil, and the more so if his understanding favours evil; and the reverse is true, if his will is good. It is only religion which renews and regenerates a person. Religion is allotted the highest place in the human mind, and sees below it the social matters which concern the world. Religion too climbs up through these as the pure sap rises in a tree to its top, and from that lofty position it has a view of natural matters, just as someone on a tower or a mountain has a view of the plains beneath.
601. VIII. THE REGENERATED MAN HAS A NEW WILL AND A NEW UNDERSTANDING.
The church of today knows both from the Word and from reason that a regenerated man is a renewed or new man. From the Word, by the following passages:
Make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18:31).
I will give you a new heart and a new spirit in the midst of you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh; and I will put My spirit within you (Ezekiel 36:26, 27).
Henceforth know we no man after the flesh, therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:16, 17).
In these passages "a new heart" means a new will, and "a new spirit" means a new understanding; for "heart" in the Word signifies the will, and "spirit," when connected with heart, signifies the understanding. The church also knows from reason that the regenerated man has a new will and a new understanding, since these two faculties constitute man, and they are what are regenerated. Therefore every man is such as he is with respect to these two faculties, that is, he is evil whose will is evil, and still more so he whose understanding favors the evil; while the reverse is true of the good. Religion alone renews and regenerates man. Religion occupies the highest seat in the human mind, and sees beneath it the civil matters pertaining to the world; it also ascends by means of them, as the pure sap ascends through a tree to its very top, and from that height it surveys what is natural, as from a tower or mountain one surveys the plains below.
601. VIII. THE REGENERATE MAN HAS A NEW WILL AND A NEW UNDERSTANDING.
That the man who has been regenerated is a renewed or a new man the present Church knows, both from the Word and from reason. It is assured from the Word in these passages:
"Make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezekiel 18:31.
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you" Ezekiel 36:26-27.
"Henceforth know we no man after the flesh... Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a now creature" 2 Corinthians 5:16-17.
A new heart here means a new will, and a new spirit a new understanding; for heart, in the Word, signifies the will, and spirit, when it is joined with heart, signifies the understanding. It is plain also from reason that the regenerate man has a new will and a new understanding; for these two faculties constitute man, and it is these that are regenerated; therefore, every man's true character is determined by them. He is a bad man if his will is bad, and still worse if his understanding favors it. On the other hand, he is a good man if his will is good, and still better if his understanding favors it. Religion alone renews and regenerates man, for religion occupies the highest place in the human mind, and sees beneath itself the civil matters that pertain to the world. It also passes through these, as pure sap passes through a tree to its very top, and from its elevated position it surveys what is natural, as a person from a tower or mountain top surveys the plains beneath.
601. Quod Homini regenerato sit nova Voluntas et novus Intellectus.
Quod homo regeneratus sit homo innovatus seu novus, scit Ecclesia hodierna tam ex Verbo, quam ex ratione, ex VERBO ex his, Facite vobis cor novum, et spiritum novum, quare moriemini domus Israelis, Ezechiel 18:31. Dabo vobis cor novum, et spiritum novum in medio vestri, et removebo cor lapidis e carne vestra, 1 et dabo vobis cor carnis, et spiritum meum dabo in medio vestri, Ezechiel 36:26-27. 2 Ex nunc neminem novimus secundum carnem; quare si quis in Christo est, nova Creatura est, 2 Corinthios 5:16-17; per cor novum ibi intelligitur voluntas nova, et per spiritum novum intellectus novus, nam Cor in Verbo significat voluntatem, et spiritus, dum conjungitur cordi, intellectum. EX RATIONE, quod homini regenerato sit nova voluntas et novus intellectus, est quia hae duae facultates faciunt hominem, et hae sunt quae regenerantur; quare omnis homo talis est, qualis est quoad illas; malus cui voluntas mala est, et plus malus, si intellectus illi favet; vicissim autem bonus. Sola religio renovat et regenerat hominem; haec supremam sedem in mente humana sortitur, et sub se videt civilia quae mundi sunt, et quoque transcendit per haec sicut purus succus per Arborem usque in apicem ejus, et ex altitudine illa prospicit naturalia, sicut qui e turri aut monte prospicit campestria infra.
Footnotes: