耶稣救赎我们脱离罪恶的奴役。

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1:7

我们藉这爱子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免。-以弗所书1章7节

We found our visit to Christ Church Cathedral in Stone Town, Zanzibar, deeply moving, for it sits on the site of what was formerly the largest slave market in East Africa. The designers of this cathedral wanted to show through a physical symbol how the gospel breaks the chains of slavery. No longer would the location be a place of evil deeds and horrible atrocities, but of God’s embodied grace.

当我们造访位于东非地区，桑吉巴尔石头城的圣公会大教堂，发现这座教堂的原址曾是东非最大的奴隶交易市场时，我们都百感交集。这座教堂的设计师要藉着实体建筑的象征，表达出福音打破奴役枷锁的深层意义。这个地方不再是一个充满罪恶与暴行之处，而是成为彰显上帝丰富恩典之地。

Those who built the cathedral wanted to express how Jesus’s death on the cross provides freedom from sin—that which the apostle Paul speaks of in his letter to the church at Ephesus: “In him we have redemption through his blood” (Ephesians 1:7). Here the word redemption points to the Old Testament’s notion of the marketplace, with someone buying back a person or item. Jesus buys back a person from a life of slavery to sin and wrongdoing.

那些建造这座大教堂的建筑师要表达的是耶稣如何在十字架上受死，断开罪恶的枷锁，让人得到释放与自由，如同使徒保罗在以弗所书中写道：“我们藉这爱子的血得蒙救赎”（1章7节）。“救赎”这个词在此处指的是旧约时代中的交易概念，也就是将人或物品重新再买回来。而耶稣所作的，正是将人从犯罪、作恶的奴役生涯中买赎回来。

In Paul’s opening words in this letter (vv. 3–14), he bubbles over with joy at the thought of his freedom in Christ. He points, in layer after layer of praise, to God’s work of grace for us through Jesus’s death, which sets us free from the cords of sin. No longer do we need to be slaves to sin, for we are set free to live for God and His glory.

保罗在以弗所书1章3-14节提及，当他想到自己在基督里所得到的自由时，心里就洋溢着无限的喜乐。他一次又一次地赞美，指出上帝使我们蒙恩得救，藉着耶稣受难让我们得以脱离罪恶的枷锁。我们不再作罪的奴隶，因我们已得着释放，可以自由地为上帝和祂的荣耀而活。

亲爱的天父，感谢祢藉着耶稣的受死，赐给我们永恒的生命。求祢帮助我们，今天能与人分享这份救赎的恩典。

Ephesians 1:3-14  NIV

1 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

以弗所书 1:3-14 

1 愿颂赞归于我们主耶稣基督的父神！他在基督里曾赐给我们天上各样属灵的福气， 4 就如神从创立世界以前在基督里拣选了我们，使我们在他面前成为圣洁，无有瑕疵；5 又因爱我们，就按着自己意旨所喜悦的，预定我们借着耶稣基督得儿子的名分， 6 使他荣耀的恩典得着称赞。这恩典是他在爱子里所赐给我们的。 7 我们借这爱子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免，乃是照他丰富的恩典。 8 这恩典是神用诸般智慧聪明，充充足足赏给我们的， 9 都是照他自己所预定的美意，叫我们知道他旨意的奥秘， 10 要照所安排的，在日期满足的时候，使天上、地上一切所有的，都在基督里面同归于一。 11 我们也在他里面得了基业，这原是那位随己意行做万事的，照着他旨意所预定的， 12 叫他的荣耀从我们这首先在基督里有盼望的人，可以得着称赞。 13 你们既听见真理的道，就是那叫你们得救的福音，也信了基督，既然信他，就受了所应许的圣灵为印记。 14 这圣灵是我们得基业的凭据，直等到神之民被赎，使他的荣耀得着称赞。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

For more on being set free from sin through faith in Christ, read Grace: Accepting God’s Gift to You at https://discoveryseries.org/courses/grace/.

相信基督就能脱离罪的捆绑，得到自由。

整理：于姊妹