cover of episode Enslaved to Non-gods
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Timothy Keller
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保罗在加拉太书中指出，加拉太信徒们虽然皈依基督教，却正走向错误的道路，他们试图通过遵守律法来获得上帝的恩宠，这实际上是重新陷入“非神”的奴役。保罗认为，仅仅相信耶稣是不够的，还必须遵守圣经中的所有诫命，这种观点会导致信徒重新陷入“非神”的奴役。保罗的观点令人震惊，因为这暗示了即使是严格遵守圣经的道德律法，也可能导致信徒陷入与异教类似的奴役状态。他认为异教徒相信万物背后都有神灵，这是一种偶像崇拜；而福音的唯一替代方案也是偶像崇拜。任何被提升为终极目标的善事，无论好坏，都会导致精神上的奴役。违反十诫中的后八条诫命，其根本原因在于违反了前两条关于偶像崇拜的诫命。所有罪恶的根源都是偶像崇拜，即把某些事物置于上帝之上。偶像崇拜并非指不好的事物，而是指将好的事物提升到至高无上的地位，从而导致精神上的奴役。圣经中的“情欲”并非指对邪恶事物的正常渴望，而是指对美好事物的过度渴望，而这种过度渴望是由偶像崇拜造成的。苦毒的根源并非他人所为，而是个人对所失去之物的过度执着。罪恶感的根源并非个人所犯的错误，而是个人对所犯错误的过度关注和自我谴责。保罗认为，加拉太信徒试图通过遵守律法来获得上帝的恩宠，这与他们之前的放荡生活并无本质区别，两者都是对上帝的背叛。无论通过做好事还是做坏事，试图通过自己的努力来获得救赎都是偶像崇拜的表现，都会导致精神上的奴役。试图通过遵守律法来获得救赎，本质上也是一种偶像崇拜，与放荡的生活一样，都会导致精神上的奴役。浪子回头与长子都同样迷失，只是长子因其道德和宗教上的优越感而更加难以觉察自身的迷失。成为基督徒的关键在于被上帝所知晓和爱，而不是个人对上帝的认知。福音的核心在于上帝对人的认知和爱，而非个人的行为表现或外界的评价。战胜偶像崇拜的关键在于认识上帝并体验上帝的爱，这需要持续的祷告和与上帝的亲近。战胜偶像崇拜需要持续地祷告，体验上帝的爱，从而抵制其他诱惑。

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Chapters
Paul addresses the Galatians, who are falling back into slavery of non-gods, asking what they are and how they enslave. He emphasizes that these non-gods are elemental spirits of the universe, which enslave by turning good things into ultimate things.

Shownotes Transcript

This is a startling passage. The context is that the Galatians, who became Christians out of pagan backgrounds, are now falling under the influence of teachers who say, “It’s not enough just to believe in Jesus Christ. You also have to obey everything in the Bible.”

Paul says something here which is astounding. He says that if they do that, they will fall back under what he calls the slavery of the non-gods.

So we ask ourselves three questions: 1) what are the non-gods? 2) how do they enslave? and 3) how can we be free?

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 22, 1998. Series: Galatians: New Freedom, New Family. Scripture: Galatians 4:8-20.

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