其他弟兄姐妹見諒及校對修改，希望沒有原則性錯誤，也望此破磚能引出玉石來。

以下是譯文：

讓我們首先概括一下聖約神學（covenant theology）。神透過聖經向我們顯明了自己，特別顯明了祂是守約的神。要正確地了解神本身以及祂的工作，我們必須從神為祂的選民立約並加以成就這道亮光去看祂。
Let us begin by recapitulating what we mean by covenant theology. God reveals Himself in the pages of Scripture specifically as the covenant-keeping God. To understand His person and works properly, we must see Him in light of the covenant He has made and fulfills with His people.
我們早已看到，從創世之初，神與人的關係從本質上講，就是誓約性質的。祂的誓約是從根本上有保證的。神與亞當所立的約與祂的恩慈相稱，是至高者所賦與的，也是相互約束的，在要求亞當的信靠和順服的同時，又不失監管（祝福或詛咒）。在亞當犯罪後，神仁慈地與亞當重新建立了一種誓約的關係。這個帶着恩慈和應許的誓約甚至着眼更遠 -- 救世主降臨的應許，這應許在整部舊約中逐步展開，詳細的敘述貫穿其中。
We have already seen that God's relationship with man from the very beginning was covenantal in nature. His covenant was covenantal in nature. His covenant with Adam was gracious in character, sovereignly imposed, mutually binding, called for trust and submission on Adam's part, and carried sanctions (blessings or curse). When Adam fell into sin, God mercifully re-established a covenantal relationship with him, one in which the gracious and promissory character of the covenant was accentuated even further -- in the promise of a coming Savior, a promise which is progressively unfolded and elaborated upon throughout the Old Testament.
人類墮落之後(包括摩西時代Mosaic administration)的誓約從本質上也都是恩慈的，是對以前的誓約的補足和延伸，並以基督以及祂的救贖工作為中心，不單為猶太人和巴勒斯坦的土地。舊約預表了基督和祂將要做的工作(借着預示和先知)，新約則回顧了基督和祂已成就的工作，為要宣告神的救贖之國已經到來這個福音。在各個時代這都是一個根本的誓約。
Thus all of the post-fall covenants (even the Mosaic administration ) were gracious in character, complementing and expanding upon previous ones, and centered on Christ and His redemptive work -- rather than upon the Jews or the land of Palestine. The Old Covenant looked ahead to Christ and His work (by foreshadow and prophecy), while the New Covenant looks back to Christ and His work, proclaiming the gospel that God's saving kingdom has now arrived. These are, then, but one underlying covenant under differing administrations.


問：時代派神學家（dispensationalists）和聖約神學家都察覺到新舊約聖經之間是連貫的，但也有不連續貫之處。雙方都認識到，墜落後的人類要得拯救，就需要從神而來的恩典。雙方都認為，在新約時代，摩西的崇拜（聖殿、獻祭、等等）已經被擱置到一邊。那麼，擺明所有觀點以後，兩種學派間的神學思想差異還真有這麼重大嗎？
QUESTION: Both dispensationalists and covenant theologians see continuity as well as discontinuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Both recognize the need for the grace of God for anybody to be saved after the fall. Both believe that the Mosaic cultus (temple, sacrifices, etc.) has been laid aside in the New Covenant. So is the theological difference between these two schools of thought really so significant when all is said and done?
答：巨大的分岐其實就是重點所在。它反映了對神的本性和性情的理解，影響到我們看待救恩和理解聖經的方法，對我們敬拜神的方式以及活在神前的俗世生活有更深一層的含意。時代派也許會推導出某些與聖約神學相同的結論，但他們推導出那些結論的方法卻成為了引起其它錯誤的宿主（根源）。
ANSWER: The significance of the difference is a weighty one indeed. It reflects upon the nature and character of God. It impacts the way in which we see salvation and scripture. It carries far-reaching implications for the way in which we worship God and live before Him in the world. Dispensationalists may arrive at certain conclusions which agree with the conclusions of covenant theology, but the way in which they reach those conclusions leads to a host of other errors.
比如說，時代派神學主張舊約中的每個教義原則已隨着新約的到來而結束，除了需要重申的教義以外。聖約神學則採取截然不同的方法來闡釋聖經。他們堅持，除了主本身以外，沒有一個人有特權去更改或廢除主的話。因此，隨着新約的到來，舊約中的所有教義原則繼續有效，除非立約的神有新的宣示。簡而言之：只有神本身才可以為新的教義賦予新意。因而，時代派神學和聖約神學所採用的推論剛好相反。
For instance, dispensationalists maintain that everything in the Old Covenant passes away with the coming of the New Covenant -- everything except that which is reiterated in the New Covenant. Covenant theologians take a diametrically different approach to Biblical interpretation. They hold that nobody has the prerogative to alter or abrogate the word of the Lord except the Lord Himself. Therefore, with the coming of the New Covenant all the principles of the Old Covenant continue to be valid except where the Lord of the Covenant declares things to be new. To put it simply: God alone can define the newness of the new. Thus the operating presumption of dispensationalists and covenant theologians is exactly the opposite of each other.
時代派神學宣稱，到了末了，舊約中的救贖可以憑着對神的恩典的信心得到。可是他們又假設，在舊約中，救恩的施予是取決人是否在律法上無所虧欠 -- 神對律法主義者也發出了請闌。與此相比較，他們甚至假定，新約不講律法；救贖純粹因為恩典，行為如何完全一概不論。這種對神的特性和主權的觀點令人憂慮、且偏離了聖經。按照聖約神學的觀點，得救不是通過行為，乃是出於神的恩典。並且，這恩典需要神的選民以忠心順服作為回應 -- 在舊約和新約裡面均如此。因此，時代派曲解了神的救贖工作和新約的新義。
Dispensationalists will say that, in the end, salvation in the Old Covenant was by the grace of God through faith. However, they also say that, hypothetically, salvation was offered to men on the basis of their keeping the law perfectly -- that God extended an invitation to legalism -- in the Old Covenant. By contrast, they say, the New Covenant knows no legalism, even hypothetically; salvation is purely by grace without any consideration of works whatsoever. This viewpoint displays a very disturbing and unbiblical understanding of God's character and sovereignty. According to Covenant theology, salvation has never been by works, even hypothetically; it has always been proclaimed on the basis of God's grace. And this grace has always called for the response of faithful obedience on the part of God's people -- in both of Old and New Testaments. Thus dispensationalists have misconstrued God's work of salvation and (again) the newness of the New Covenant.
此外，時代派神學不去榮耀神的誓約的一致性，今天他們同樣在誤導神的選民，把教會看成為神初期宣示的某種補充，並堅持猶太民族作為神在遠古的選民繼續享有的特權這個觀點。因而，時代派神學堅持把屬天的選民（教會）和屬世的民眾（猶太民族）的期盼和未來分別出來。可是，保羅的觀點沒有被超越。他不僅見證過屬於“以色列的神”的混雜着外邦人的教會（【加6:16】），那是由“以色列聯邦”的“公民們”借着基督的寶血建立起來的（【弗2:11-13，19】）；他還堅持，把橄欖樹嫁接到外邦人所嫁接的枝頭上，以色列未來的祝福會使有福音祝福的教會得以分享（【羅11:11-26】）。
Even further, because dispensationalists do not honor the unity of God's covenant, they also misconstrue the people of God today, seeing the church as something of a supplement to God's first declarations on the subject, and clinging to the idea of a continuing privilege for the ethnic Jews as God's ancient people. Accordingly dispensationalists insist on distinguishing the expectations and futures for the heavenly people (the church) and the earthly people (the Jews0. Nothing could be further from Paul's own outlook, however. He not only saw the mixed Gentile church as "the Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16 ) which is now made up of "fellow-citizens" of the "commonwealth of Israel" through Christ's blood (Eph. 2:11-13 , 19 ), but he insisted that Israel's future blessing would be precisely to share in the gospel blessings of the church (Rom. 11:11-26 ) -- by being grafted back into the single olive tree into which the Gentiles have been grafted.
所以，我們不得不認知時代派神學和聖約神學之間存在着巨大分歧，因為這些分歧影響到我們去思考神的品格、救贖的本質、神的選民的身份、以及我們應該如何運用聖經。
So then, we are forced to recognize that the differences between dispensationalists and covenant theologians are tremendous ones, for they affect what we think of the character of God, the nature of salvation, the identity of God's people, and how we use the Bible.
問：聖約神學用一種不同的途徑去解讀基督徒的信息和生活。儘管時代派神學（使用錯誤的神學方法）也可能得到某些相同的結論，您能談談聖約神學有些什麼實際的內涵嗎？
QUESTION: Covenant theology has a distinctive way of looking upon the Christian message and the Christian life. Even though dispensationalists may reach some of the same conclusions (through a faulty theological method), what would you say are some of the practical implications of covenant theology?
答：首先，從聖約神學的角度上去理解，基督教代表着救贖唯有通過恩典這一核心的、不可更改的信息。神以誓約的方式拯救我們，只憑着祂白白賜予我們的應許，就憑着祂對我們建立的慈愛的關係，並非因為我們身上有多少優點。
ANSWER: First of all, Christianity as understood by covenant theology stands for the central and unchanging message of salvation by grace alone. God saves us by way of covenant -- by His free promise and merciful relationship initiated by Him without consideration of any merit within us.
所以，在基督徒的生活中，首要的是憑着信心而活，在未來的事上還沒有得到結果和成就之前，要相信神的應許。神自己先為我們立了約並用祂的權柄設立了各項條款，聖約神學意指臣服於神的主權。
The Christian life is therefore above all a matter of living by faith, trusting the promise of God when the outcome or fulfillment is as yet unseen. And because God Himself initiated the covenant and set its terms by His own authority, covenant theology means bowing to the sovereignty of God.

因為祂是至高者，我們承認祂掌管世上的萬有，祂掌管我們及我們的一切 -- 包括我們的兒女。他們被恩慈地烙上了祂的印記。聖約神學不認同極端的個人主義，強調家庭、強調神的全體選民（教會）。它把教會（持守忠信的人）作為神的救贖目標的焦點，貫穿救贖的歷史。因為神的選民在新、舊約中作為一個整體，以色列民族並無特殊的地位，相同的祝福恩及教會中的所有人。
Since He is sovereign, we acknowledge that He owns the whole world and He owns us as well as everything about us -- including our children. They are graciously marked out as His own. Thus covenant theology shuns religious individualism in favor of an emphasis upon the family and upon the corporate people of God (the church). It sees the church, God's people by faith, as the focus of His saving purposes throughout redemptive history. Because of this unity between God's people in both the Old and New Covenants, there is no special place for ethnic Israel (apart from the same blessings which come to all men through the church).
聖約神學培育以基督為中心的思想，因為祂是神應許的中保。同時，聖約神學強調彌賽亞的三個職份：先知、祭司、和君王。而且，救贖主正在行使這三個職份。我們對於救贖的唯一盼望是祂憑着祂的救贖工作，在神前以祂大祭司的身份為我們代禱。作為先知，在我們生命的每一個領域，祂必定是超越我們的推理能力和教育成就。我們要榮耀祂作我們君王，在生活中的每個領域活出祂的道 -- 在職場、娛樂、藝術、科學、社會、政治、經濟，等等。聖約神學宣告了在神前（與祂“守約”）過聖潔、堅忍生活的需要。
Covenant theology fosters thinking which is Christ-centered because He is the Mediator of God's promises, and covenant theology puts emphasis upon all three of the Messiah's offices: prophet, priest, and king. All three are currently exercised by the Savior. Our only hope for salvation is His priestly intercession to God based upon His finished work of redemption. As our prophet He must be the Lord over our reasoning as well as our educational efforts, in all areas of life. Honoring Him as the reigning King, we seek to apply His word to every area of life (vocations, recreations, arts, sciences, society, politics, economics, etc.). Covenant theology declares the need for sanctified and persevering living under God ("keeping covenant" with Him).
最後，由於我們與神的關係從本質上誓約性的，務必把神的道作為誓約定義的條文。我們必須研究和珍視神所顯明的事 -- 從頭至尾，因為聖約神學堅守神的道的一致性和連貫性。從如上種種，我們可以了解到聖約神學是多麼重要、多麼實際。
Finally, because our relationship with God is covenantal in nature, there is a desperate need for God's word as the covenant's defining document. We must be people who study and cherish what God has there revealed -- from cover to cover, since covenant theology maintains the unity and continuity of that word. In all these ways we see just how important and how practical covenant theology really is.