This is a change from the way Good News Bibles Series normally is done, but we wanted to make available this translation of a booklet for our Chinese Speaking brothers and sisters. Depending on whether you want the Simplified or Traditional translation, click on the appropriate link below to open the PDF copy of the booklet.
我们想跟弟兄姊妹分享一本小册子的中文番译本,这跟平常的好消息圣经课程的操作不一样,你只需要按简体版或是繁体版的PDF档就能阅读。
Translator’s Introduction
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord. Welcome to visit our website!
I am a humble servant of God. I’ve been a Christian for over half a century. I am not a minister. I am just a layman. But I am actively involved in the church and in mission. My mission field is mainly in China. Although I finished theological training in a seminary, also serving in the church, I am still lacking in Biblical knowledge. My understanding of God’s will is only partial, not fully understanding the revealed will of God.
From my understanding of the church via personal involvement and observations, I see that the church is still lacking in many aspects. The main reason is that many churches are unclear of their missions as ordained by God. Also, teaching in the church is often lacking or inadequate. It leads to wrong emphasis on church activities and misuse of resources. Sometimes they can’t even distinguish truths, leading into heresy.
This booklet, “Jesus’ Victorious Kingdom,” gives me many teachings and revelations. First, it is not about any new discovery or theory. It is an old fashion Bible study. It attempts to link up Old Testament and New Testament passages in order to allow us to see God’s will. It reveals how God’s kingdom works throughout history. We all know Jesus Christ is King. But what is His kingdom like? What is the role of the church in His kingdom? The Bible clearly tell us that God’s kingdom is a victorious kingdom. But how is God’s kingdom victorious? The most important thing is, we know that Christians are citizens of God’s kingdom, then everything about the kingdom concerns us. We need to know all the things about the kingdom so we can play our part, unlike many Christians in our churches today, who are not sure about their own role in the kingdom and the responsibilities bestowed on them.
This booklet leads us into God’s Word. It clearly demonstrates and explains some important passages about God’s kingdom, especially concerning eschatology teaching in the book of Revelation. The author, Pastor John Otis is a theologian. He is my good friend since the college days. In Bible study groups we grew up together spiritually. He has the strong gift of teaching. This translation is a testimony in itself of the work of the Holy Spirit. We live a world apart. One day, as I was praying, the Holy Spirit impressed me to translate this booklet into Chinese. So I sent an email to Pastor Otis to share about this and asked for his permission to translate. To my elation, he replied that several days ago the Holy Spirit also prompted him to ask me to translate the booklet into Chinese! So amazing! What urges me to do the translation? Mainly because I found it very useful and biblically accurate after I read it. And it is exactly what most Chinese churches need to fill its void about teaching of God’s kingdom and eschatology. Therefore, I want to share with my Chinese brothers and sisters about these important truths.
May God blesses His glorious Church!
Simplified Chinese Translation of Translator’s introduction:
译者引介
弟兄姊妹平安,欢迎您进入这个网站浏览。
我是一个神卑微的仆人,信主超过半个世纪。我不是神职人员,只是一个普通的信徒,积 极参与教会及宣教事工,我的工场主要在中国。我虽 然读完神学课程,也在教会里参与事 奉,但对圣经的教导,对认识神的旨意仍然是一知半解,未能有一个全面的认识和了解。在我大半生对教会的认识和观察,总觉得教会有很多的欠缺,主要的原因是不清楚神给教 会的使命。由于对圣经的教导不清楚或不够全面,引至教会错置重点和资源,甚至有些不 能辨别真理,以至走入异端。
这本小册子「耶稣的得胜国度」给我很多的教导和启发,首先,它不是甚么新发现或理论,它是典形的查考圣经,把圣经新旧约串连起来,让我们看见神的心意,神的国度在历史中 的作为。我们知道耶稣基督是王,但祂的国度是一个甚么的国度?教会在神国度里扮演甚 么角色?圣经已清楚预言神的国度是一个得胜的国度,它如何得胜也是值得我们关注的。最重要的是,基督徒都是神国的子民,所以神国的一切对我们都息息相关。我们需要知道 并且配合,而不是好像现今的众多教会信徒,对我们天国国民的身份并我们的责任非常模 糊。
这本书带我们进入神的话语里面,清楚地解释和引证有关神的国的一些重要的经文,特别 是有关启示录对末世观的教导。作者约翰奥的斯牧师是一个神学家,他也是我的好友,我 们在大学时认识,一起在查经班里成长,他有很强的教导恩赐。这次促成我翻译这本小册 子也是圣灵的工作。我们天各一方,但圣灵在祷告中感动我要翻译这书,我发电邮给奥的 斯牧师分享此感动时,他兴奋地回覆说几天前圣灵也同样感动他要我把这书译成中文!事 就这样成了。为何我有翻译此书的意念呢?主要是因为我阅过此书后,觉得自己很受用,让我更明白很多圣经有关神国的教导,而这些教导正是教会所缺乏的,因此我很想跟大家 分享这些重要的真理。
愿神祝福祂荣耀的教会!
Traditional Chinese Translation of Translator’s introduction:
譯者引介
弟兄姊妹平安,歡迎您進入這個網站瀏覽。
我是一個神卑微的僕人,信主超過半個世紀。我不是神職人員,只是一個普通的信徒,積 極參與教會及宣教事工,我的工場主要在中國。我雖然讀完神學課程,也在教會裏參與事 奉,但對聖經的教導,對認識神的旨意仍然是一知半解,未能有一個全面的認識和了解。
在我大半生對教會的認識和觀察,總覺得教會有很多的欠缺,主要的原因是不清楚神給教 會的使命。由於對聖經的教導不清楚或不夠全面,引至教會錯置重點和資源,甚至有些不 能辨別真理,以至走入異端。
這本小冊子「耶穌的得勝國度」給我很多的教導和啟發,首先,它不是甚麼新發現或理論,它是典形的查考聖經,把聖經新舊約串連起來,讓我們看見神的心意,神的國度在歷史中 的作為。我們知道耶穌基督是王,但祂的國度是一個甚麼的國度?教會在神國度裏扮演甚 麼角色?聖經已清楚預言神的國度是一個得勝的國度,它如何得勝也是值得我們關注的。最重要的是,基督徒都是神國的子民,所以神國的一切對我們都息息相關。我們需要知道 並且配合,而不是好像現今的眾多教會信徒,對我們天國國民的身份並我們的責任非常模 糊。
這本書帶我們進入神的話語裏面,清楚地解釋和引證有關神的國的一些重要的經文,特別 是有關啟示錄對末世觀的教導。作者約翰奧的斯牧師是一個神學家,他也是我的好友,我 們在大學時認識,一起在查經班裏成長,他有很強的教導恩賜。這次促成我翻譯這本小冊 子也是聖靈的工作。我們天各一方,但聖靈在禱告中感動我要翻譯這書,我發電郵給奧的 斯牧師分享此感動時,他興奮地回覆說幾天前聖靈也同樣感動他要我把這書譯成中文!事 就這樣成了。為何我有翻譯此書的意念呢?主要是因為我閱過此書後,覺得自己很受用,讓我更明白很多聖經有關神國的教導,而這些教導正是教會所缺乏的,因此我很想跟大家 分享這些重要的真理。
願神祝福祂榮耀的教會!