“当时进入方舟，藉着水得救的不多，只有八个人。 这水所表明的洗礼，现在…… 也拯救你们……” – 彼前 3:20-21
在今天的经文中，使徒彼得提到了挪亚和方舟，我们在10月4日讨论过相关问题（创 8章）。你还记得本月有另一个同样指向方舟的故事吗？那是记载在出埃及记第 2 章（10月5日）中，你可能还记得，摩西的母亲把尚是婴孩的摩西放在一个“箱子”里，希伯来语的“箱子”也有“方舟”的意思。摩西的母亲这样做是出于信心，希望她的小儿子能躲过埃及法老的杀戮（见出 1:22）。
在新约圣经中，使徒兼渔夫彼得说，正如神“藉着水”拯救了挪亚和他的家人，而其他人则在审判中被卷走，基督徒也藉着基督的死和复活，从审判中被拯救出来，这层意义在洗礼中被体现出来。如果基督徒象征性地“藉着水”（洗礼）得救（就像挪亚和他的家人），那么“方舟”对于基督徒是什么？神拯救我们乃至整个受造界的器皿是什么？看来这就是教会，信仰基督的群体。请记住，洗礼将我们置于神子民的养育群体中，有敬拜、祷告、圣礼和团契。在这座“方舟”里，我们将进入神更新的世界，走向复活和整全的生命。
祷告
主啊，我们为着教会赞美你，虽然教会遭遇狂风大浪震撼摇动，但它仍由你掌舵，是你恩典和救赎的所在。阿们。
彼得前书 3:18-22
18因基督也曾一次为罪受苦，就是义的代替不义的，为要引我们到神面前。按着肉体说，他被治死；按着灵性说，他复活了。
19他藉这灵曾去传道给那些在监狱里的灵听，
20就是那从前在挪亚预备方舟、神容忍等待的时候不信从的人。当时进入方舟，藉着水得救的不多，只有八个人。
21这水所表明的洗礼，现在藉着耶稣基督复活也拯救你们；这洗礼本不在乎除掉肉体的污秽，只求在神面前有无亏的良心。
22耶稣已经进入天堂，在神的右边，众天使和有权柄的并有能力的，都服从了他。
Ark Of The Church
“In [the ark] only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also. . . .” – 1 Peter 3:20-21
In our reading for today, the apostle Peter mentions Noah and the ark, which we discussed on October 4 (Genesis 8). Do you remember another story this month that also pointed to the ark? In Exodus 2 (Oct. 5), as you may recall, Moses’ mother places him as a baby in a “basket,” and the Hebrew word for that can also mean “ark.” Moses’ mother did this, in faith, hoping that her little boy would escape the murderous reach of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt (see Exodus 1:22).
In the New Testament, the apostle and fisherman Peter states that just as God rescued Noah and his family “through water” while other people were swept away in judgment, Christians are rescued from judgment by Christ’s death and resurrection, which is symbolized in baptism. If believers in Christ are symbolically rescued (like Noah and his family) “through water” (baptism), then what is the “ark”? What is the vessel of God’s rescue for us and indeed for the whole creation? It seems that this would be the church, the community of faith. Remember, baptism places us in the nurturing community of the people of God with its worship, prayers, sacraments, and fellowship. In this “ark” we are on the way to the resurrection and full life in God’s renewed world.
Prayer
Lord, we praise you for the church, which, though it can be rocked by powerful winds and waves, is nonetheless piloted by you and is the place of your grace and salvation. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
