聖約神學中的時代論解經
一般持聖約神學立場的基督徒因為不了解自身立場，又因為自身神學過分誇大聖約神學與
時代論間的差距，所以普遍會否定聖約神學與時代論在解經上有任何的重疊。特別是時代
論被聖約神學批判為【字義解經】。
以下是加爾文但以理書釋義上中的摘錄，大家可以參考。不過因為時間精力關係，這裏純
粹是摘錄，我就不做任何翻譯，只做總結。（畢竟，加爾文是改革宗的祖宗，應該是改革
宗的責任去熟讀並介紹自己祖宗的東西。不是嗎？:)）
Daniel 2:36-38
Daniel here declares “the golden head of the image“ to be the Babylonian
kingdom. We know that the Assyrians were subdued before the monarchy was
transferred to Babylon; but since they did not prevail sufficiently to be
considered as supreme rulers in that eastern territory, the Babylonian empire
is here mentioned first.
Daniel 2:39
In this verse Daniel embraces the Second and Third Monarchies. He says the
second should be inferior to the Chaldean in neither power nor wealth; for
the Chaldean empire, although it spread so far and so wide, was added to that
of the Medes and Persians. Cyrus subdued the Medes first; and although he
made his father-in-law, Cyaxares, his ally in the sovereignty, yet he had
expelled his maternal grandfather, and thus obtained peaceable possession of
the kingdom throughout all Media. Then he afterwards conquered the Chaldeans
and Assyrians, as well as the Lydians and the rest of the nations of Asia
Minor.
The description of the Third Monarchy now follows. It is called brazen, not
so much from its hardness as from its being worse than the second. The
Prophet teaches how the difference between the second and third monarchies is
similar to that between silver and brass. The rabbis confound the two
monarchies, through their desire to comprehend under the second what they
call the kingdom of the Greeks; but they display the grossest ignorance and
dishonesty....For instead of Alexander the son of Philip, they put Alexander
the son of Mammea, who possessed the Roman empire, when half its provinces
had been already separated from it.
Daniel 2:40-43
Here the Fourth Empire is described, which agrees only with the Roman,but
Macedonia was reduced to a province when Perseus was overcome and captured.
The kings of Syria and Asia suffered in the same way; and, lastly, Egypt was
seized upon by Augustus. For their posterity had reigned up to that period,
and Cleopatra was the last of that race, as is sufficiently known. When,
therefore, the three monarchies were absorbed by the Romans, the language of
the Prophet suits them well enough; for, as the sword diminishes, and
destroys, and ruins all things, thus those three monarchies were bruised and
broken up by the Roman empire.
The kingdom, therefore, shall be divided, and he adds yet another mixture, —
they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men, that is., they shall be
neighbors to others, and that mutual interchange which ought to promote true
friendship, shall become utterly profitless. The opinion of those who
introduce the alliance of Pompey and Caesar is farfetched, for the Prophet
is speaking of a continued government.
We may now inquire why Daniel said, The stone which was to be cut out of the
mountain should destroy all these empires; since it does not appear, at first
sight, to suit the kingdom of Christ..... The Kingdom or Christ is said to
break up all the empires of the world, not directly, but only accidentally,
as the phrase is. For Daniel here assumes a principle, sufficiently
understood by the Jews; namely, those monarchies were opposed to Christ’s;
kingdom.
簡單的說，加爾文認為但以理二章中的大金人，其金頭為巴比倫帝國，銀胸是波斯-米甸
帝國，銅腰是馬其頓帝國-亞曆山大，而鐵的下半身是羅馬帝國。最後那塊大石頭是基督
的國。唯一跟時代論解釋不同的地方在於兩條鐵腿。加爾文講的比較含糊，僅僅說是凱撒
和龐貝。時代論則明確的指出，這是東西羅馬帝國分裂後，世界往往分裂成兩個相互對抗
政治集團的常態。
以下是地方召會《但以理書生命讀經》第四章中的總論：
聖經啟示，但以理二章尼布甲尼撒所看見的人像，實際上不是開始於尼布甲尼撒，而是開
始於建立巴別城的寧錄。（創十9～10。）寧錄建造巴別，這乃是巴比倫的開始。然後，
巴比倫延續經過瑪代波斯帝國、希臘帝國和羅馬帝國，至終要包括羅馬帝國最後一位該撒
，敵基督，同其十王，就是大像的腳指頭所表徵的。（但二41～44。）啟示錄告訴我們，
在最後一位該撒敵基督的治理下，羅馬帝國要成為政治的和宗教的巴比倫。啟示錄十八章
說到敵基督的帝國是政治和物質的巴比倫，就是『大巴比倫。』（2。）不僅如此，藉著
康士坦丁大帝把基督教接納為國教，基督教的性質就改變為天主教，就是啟示錄十七章所
稱的『奧秘哉！大巴比倫。』（5。）這是宗教的巴比倫。所以，我們從聖經看見，不僅
巴比倫本身是巴比倫，羅馬帝國也是巴比倫。
兩者（加爾文和弟兄會）間的不同可以用兩者間有300年的歷史。這300年世界局勢的變化
會對這段聖經的詮釋產生進一步的變化。而從時間先後順序來看，時代論對於聖經預言的
解釋明顯的是繼承自加爾文，而加以進一步的細化，這是無可否認的。
另一個完全重疊的地方是但以理書四獸的解釋。
所以，有時候聖約神學可以將雙方的差距無限放大，實在是一件很奇怪的事。反而，因為
雙方具有如此巨大的重疊性，更應當彼此對話才對。
最後,拋一個問題:加爾文這個解經,是不是[靈義解經]呢?:p