其他弟兄姐妹见谅及校对修改，希望没有原则性错误，也望此破砖能引出玉石来。

以下是译文：

让我们首先概括一下圣约神学（covenant theology）。神透过圣经向我们显明了自己，特别显明了祂是守约的神。要正确地了解神本身以及祂的工作，我们必须从神为祂的选民立约并加以成就这道亮光去看祂。
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.
我们早已看到，从创世之初，神与人的关系从本质上讲，就是誓约性质的。祂的誓约是从根本上有保证的。神与亚当所立的约与祂的恩慈相称，是至高者所赋与的，也是相互约束的，在要求亚当的信靠和顺服的同时，又不失监管（祝福或诅咒）。在亚当犯罪后，神仁慈地与亚当重新建立了一种誓约的关系。这个带着恩慈和应许的誓约甚至着眼更远 -- 救世主降临的应许，这应许在整部旧约中逐步展开，详细的叙述贯穿其中。
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.
人类堕落之后(包括摩西时代Mosaic administration)的誓约从本质上也都是恩慈的，是对以前的誓约的补足和延伸，并以基督以及祂的救赎工作为中心，不单为犹太人和巴勒斯坦的土地。旧约预表了基督和祂将要做的工作(借着预示和先知)，新约则回顾了基督和祂已成就的工作，为要宣告神的救赎之国已经到来这个福音。在各个时代这都是一个根本的誓约。
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.


问：时代派神学家（dispensationalists）和圣约神学家都察觉到新旧约圣经之间是连贯的，但也有不连续贯之处。双方都认识到，坠落后的人类要得拯救，就需要从神而来的恩典。双方都认为，在新约时代，摩西的崇拜（圣殿、献祭、等等）已经被搁置到一边。那么，摆明所有观点以后，两种学派间的神学思想差异还真有这么重大吗？
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：巨大的分岐其实就是重点所在。它反映了对神的本性和性情的理解，影响到我们看待救恩和理解圣经的方法，对我们敬拜神的方式以及活在神前的俗世生活有更深一层的含意。时代派也许会推导出某些与圣约神学相同的结论，但他们推导出那些结论的方法却成为了引起其它错误的宿主（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.
比如说，时代派神学主张旧约中的每个教义原则已随着新约的到来而结束，除了需要重申的教义以外。圣约神学则采取截然不同的方法来阐释圣经。他们坚持，除了主本身以外，没有一个人有特权去更改或废除主的话。因此，随着新约的到来，旧约中的所有教义原则继续有效，除非立约的神有新的宣示。简而言之：只有神本身才可以为新的教义赋予新意。因而，时代派神学和圣约神学所采用的推论刚好相反。
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.
时代派神学宣称，到了末了，旧约中的救赎可以凭着对神的恩典的信心得到。可是他们又假设，在旧约中，救恩的施予是取决人是否在律法上无所亏欠 -- 神对律法主义者也发出了请阑。与此相比较，他们甚至假定，新约不讲律法；救赎纯粹因为恩典，行为如何完全一概不论。这种对神的特性和主权的观点令人忧虑、且偏离了圣经。按照圣约神学的观点，得救不是通过行为，乃是出于神的恩典。并且，这恩典需要神的选民以忠心顺服作为回应 -- 在旧约和新约里面均如此。因此，时代派曲解了神的救赎工作和新约的新义。
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，时代派神学不去荣耀神的誓约的一致性，今天他们同样在误导神的选民，把教会看成为神初期宣示的某种补充，并坚持犹太民族作为神在远古的选民继续享有的特权这个观点。因而，时代派神学坚持把属天的选民（教会）和属世的民众（犹太民族）的期盼和未来分别出来。可是，保罗的观点没有被超越。他不仅见证过属于“以色列的神”的混杂着外邦人的教会（【加6:16】），那是由“以色列联邦”的“公民们”借着基督的宝血建立起来的（【弗2:11-13，19】）；他还坚持，把橄榄树嫁接到外邦人所嫁接的枝头上，以色列未来的祝福会使有福音祝福的教会得以分享（【罗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，我们不得不认知时代派神学和圣约神学之间存在着巨大分歧，因为这些分歧影响到我们去思考神的品格、救赎的本质、神的选民的身份、以及我们应该如何运用圣经。
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.
问：圣约神学用一种不同的途径去解读基督徒的信息和生活。尽管时代派神学（使用错误的神学方法）也可能得到某些相同的结论，您能谈谈圣约神学有些什么实际的内涵吗？
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，从圣约神学的角度上去理解，基督教代表着救赎唯有通过恩典这一核心的、不可更改的信息。神以誓约的方式拯救我们，只凭着祂白白赐予我们的应许，就凭着祂对我们建立的慈爱的关系，并非因为我们身上有多少优点。
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，首要的是凭着信心而活，在未来的事上还没有得到结果和成就之前，要相信神的应许。神自己先为我们立了约并用祂的权柄设立了各项条款，圣约神学意指臣服于神的主权。
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.

因为祂是至高者，我们承认祂掌管世上的万有，祂掌管我们及我们的一切 -- 包括我们的儿女。他们被恩慈地烙上了祂的印记。圣约神学不认同极端的个人主义，强调家庭、强调神的全体选民（教会）。它把教会（持守忠信的人）作为神的救赎目标的焦点，贯穿救赎的历史。因为神的选民在新、旧约中作为一个整体，以色列民族并无特殊的地位，相同的祝福恩及教会中的所有人。
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).
圣约神学培育以基督为中心的思想，因为祂是神应许的中保。同时，圣约神学强调弥赛亚的三个职份：先知、祭司、和君王。而且，救赎主正在行使这三个职份。我们对于救赎的唯一盼望是祂凭着祂的救赎工作，在神前以祂大祭司的身份为我们代祷。作为先知，在我们生命的每一个领域，祂必定是超越我们的推理能力和教育成就。我们要荣耀祂作我们君王，在生活中的每个领域活出祂的道 -- 在职场、娱乐、艺术、科学、社会、政治、经济，等等。圣约神学宣告了在神前（与祂“守约”）过圣洁、坚忍生活的需要。
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).
最后，由于我们与神的关系从本质上誓约性的，务必把神的道作为誓约定义的条文。我们必须研究和珍视神所显明的事 -- 从头至尾，因为圣约神学坚守神的道的一致性和连贯性。从如上种种，我们可以了解到圣约神学是多么重要、多么实际。
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.