SECTION A
甲部

1. Hello listening friends, we are glad you’ve joined us tonight.
亲爱的听众朋友，你好，很高兴您能够再次收听我们的节目。

2. We hope that you have been listening throughout this series of sermons.
我盼望您一直在收听我们这个系列的信息，

3. And today I want to speak to you about the older brother.
今天我想谈一谈浪子的故事里那个大儿子。

4. In the past messages we heard about the younger brother.
上一次的信息里，我们讲了关于小儿子的故事。

5. The rebellious one,
就是那个悖逆的儿子，

6. Yet he was the repentant one.
然而，他悔改了。

7. The older brother represents a different type of person.
那个大儿子则代表了另外一种类型的人。

8. There are some commentators who called him the older prodigal.
有些解经家称他是悖逆的长子。

9. The older brother in the story of the prodigal son is a perfect example of a legalist Christian.
在这个故事里，大儿子象征奉行律法主义的基督徒，

10. The legalist is a person who majors on the minors and minors on the majors.
所谓律法主义者，就是在信仰上本末倒置、舍本逐末的人。

11. We began with the lost sheep.
在这系列信息里，我们从失丧的羊开始讲起，

12. We looked at the lost coin,
我们也谈过失钱的比喻，

13. Then we looked into the father of the prodigal,
然后讲到浪子的父亲，

14. And then we looked at the prodigal himself.
上次我们看了浪子本身。

15. And today I want us to focus on the older brother.
今天，我想和大家来思想这个大儿子的事。

16. I want to remind you that in this teaching in Luke 15, the Lord Jesus began as a result of criticism by the Pharisees.
首先我要提醒你的是，在路加福音15章，主耶稣被法利赛人批评，

17. When they saw him reaching out to those who are outside of their religious circles, they complained.
当耶稣去接近那些被法利赛人排斥在宗教圈之外的人时，法利赛人就开始抱怨，

18. In telling them about the older brother in this story, Jesus in effect was saying this.
耶稣在故事中提到大儿子，其实就是要告诉那些法利赛人说，

19. Mr. Pharisee,
法利赛人啊，

20. That is what you look like.
你们就是这个样子的。

21. You look like the older brother in this prodigal story.
你们就像浪子故事中的那个大儿子，

22. This is a portrait of you.
他就是你们的写照。

23. Most people focus on the rebellion of the young brother,
大多数人把注意力放在了那个悖逆的小儿子身上，

24. They ignore the sin of the older brother.
他们却忽略了，大儿子同样犯了罪。

25. But in reality while the younger boy was guilty of the sin of passion,
实际上，小儿子因放纵情欲而犯罪，

26. The older boy was guilty of the sin of wrong thinking.
这个大儿子的罪，则因错误的观念而产生。

27. We cannot condemn profanity and ignore pride.
我们不能够只谴责亵渎的言行，却忽视内心的骄傲。

28. We cannot just condemn adultery and leave out greed.
我们不能够只谴责淫乱的行为，却忽视内心的贪婪。

29. We cannot only condemn lust and condone self-centeredness.
我们不能够只谴责情欲，却忽视以自我为中心。

30. Most people read this story and think that the older brother was a respectable person in comparison to the younger one.
大部分人读到这个故事的时候，都会觉得，和小儿子相比，大儿子比较值得尊敬。

31. It is not so,
其实不然，

32. True the older brother stayed home.
没错，大儿子的确一直呆在家里。

33. But his heart was in the far country,
可是他的心却在外游荡，

34. True the older brother kept the rules,
没错，大儿子很守规矩，

35. But he gritted his teeth in resentment,
可是，他却恨得牙痒痒的，

36. True he probably went to church,
没错，他大概经常去教会，

37. And he did not sow his wild oats.
他没有惹事生非，

38. And he did not sow any wild oats.
他也没有为非作歹，

39. He wasted no money,
他没有花天酒地，

40. But he was sour,
可是他心里酸溜溜的，

41. Bitter,
充满苦毒，

42. Mean,
又小器，

43. And a loveless hypocrite,
他是个心里没有爱而又假冒伪善的人，

44. I am sure by now you are asking, what is a legalist?
我想你现在也许要问，什么样的人是律法主义者呢？

45. It is the keeping of the manmade rules to obtain favor with God.
律法主义者就是那些想要靠遵守人为的规矩来讨神喜悦的人。

46. But you notice I said manmade rules.
请注意，我是说人为的规矩，

47. He thinks that this is how God is happy.
他觉得如果他这样作的话，神就会喜悦。

48. It is that religious spirit that says,
那些教条教规这么说：

49. As long as I go to confession and mass one day a week I can live like the devil for the rest of the week,
我只需要每星期去一次礼拜和忏悔，其余的时间就可以胡作非为了。

50. It is the religious spirit that says,
那些教条教规这么说：

51. That if you don’t pray in a certain position.
如果你不用特定的姿势祷告，

52. And if you do not pray at certain times of the day,
如果你不在特定的时间祷告，

53. That you are not a real believer.
你就不是一个真信徒。

54. That is false.
这显然是错误的。

55. What is acceptable as manmade tradition in one country may not be acceptable in another country.
一个国家所制定的法律在另一个国家里不见得行得通。

56. The problem with legalism is this.
律法主义的问题在于，

57. It gives the impression that all you need to do is keep certain rules about do’s and don’ts.
它让人觉得，你只要遵守某些教条，做这些，不做那些，就万无一失了。

58. I want to stop for a moment and will just read to you the passage about the older brother.
现在让我们来读关于大儿子的这段经文，

15:25-32：
那时，大儿子正在田里。他回来，离家不远，听见作乐跳舞的声音，便叫过一个仆人来，问是什么事。仆人说：“你兄弟来了；你父亲因为得他无灾无病地回来，把肥牛犊宰了。”大儿子却生气，不肯进去；他父亲就出来劝他。他对父亲说：“我服事你这多年，从来没有违背过你的命，你并没有给我一只山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同快乐。但你这个儿子和娼妓吞尽了你的产业，他一来了，你倒为他宰了肥牛犊。”父亲对他说：“儿啊！你常和我同在，我一切所有的都是你的；只是你这个兄弟是死而复活、失而又得的，所以我们理当欢喜快乐。”

59. What this means is this
故事告诉我们，

60. That there is nothing will get you to heaven except believing in the Lord Jesus Christ
除了相信耶稣基督，没有其他的路可以通向天国。

61. There is nothing that will get you to heaven except repentance of your sins.
如果我们不认罪悔改，我们断不能进天国。

62. Because God hates legalism,
因为神憎恶律法主义，

63. Because legalism gives the impression that you can be saved and you can make it to heaven by your good works,
因为律法主义告诉你，可以靠着你自己的善行进天国。

64. It gives the impression that you will be acceptable by God through keeping the manmade rule.
你可以通过遵守人为的规矩而蒙神接纳。

65. And here is the danger.
这是很危险的，

66. It would mean that Jesus has died on the cross in vein.
这就意味着耶稣死在十字架上是毫无意义的。

67. In fact, I want to venture to say that legalism is Satan’s theology in action.
进一步说，律法主义是撒但欺骗人的假神学，

68. And it literally puts Satan in charge.
实际上，它让撒但掌权，

69. I want to give you a basic gospel formula.
我要告诉你一个简单的福音公式，

70. Jesus plus nothing equals salvation.
就是耶稣自己就等于救赎，不需要添加任何东西，

71. By the same token.
同样的，

72. Keeping all of the manmade rules minus Jesus equals damnation.
遵守所有的教条，却没有耶稣基督，就等于定罪。

73. Saint Paul always opened his letter by thanking God for the recipients of his epistle.
保罗写信时，开头总是要为收信的人感谢神。

74. Even when he wrote to the Corinthians who were exercising irregular behavior, he thanked God for them.
即使当他写信给哥林多教会时，他明知这教会充满不当的行为，他仍然为他们感谢神。

75. But when it came to the Galatians,
可是当他写信给加拉太教会时，

76. He has a whole different attitude.
他的态度完全不一样。

77. He began his epistles thundering and calling them foolish Galatians.
他的信一开头就严厉的责备，并称他们为无知的加拉太人。

78. He said, who has bewitched you.
他说：有些人迷惑了你们。

79. Why?
为什么？

80. Because legalism was rampant in the Galatians church,
因为律法主义在加拉太的教会滋生蔓延，

81. They were adding manmade rules to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
他们在耶稣基督的福音上加上人为的教条，

82. They wanted to burden the people with these rule.
他们想用这些教条来辖制人。

83. Now the older brother in the prodigal story is just like that.
这个浪子故事中的大儿子就像这样，

84. The moment he heard that his lost brother was home.
他一听说他的弟弟回来了，

85. And that the father is having a celebration for his return.
他的父亲正在为他弟弟回来而庆祝的时候，

86. He became angry.
他很生气，

87. And he wouldn’t come inside the house.
他甚至不愿意回到家里，

88. He wanted nothing to do with his father and his brother.
他把父亲和弟弟当作与他无关，

89. I think most of us identify with the older brother more than we are willing to admit.
不管我们承不承认，其实我们更认同那个大儿子。

90. If we had looked in the mirror carefully.
如果我们对着镜子仔细的看我们自己，

91. We would be able to see the line of pride and judgment-alism on our faces.
就会发现我们脸上有骄傲和批判的皱纹，

92. If we had looked in the mirror carefully.
如果我们更仔细的照镜子，

93. We would not be able to avoid seeing the marks of self-sufficiency.
就不难看出我们的自负，

94. And the determination that we are right and they are wrong.
和我们的自以为是，

95. And that we will not apologize or forgive.
我们不愿意道歉，更不愿意饶恕。

96. I want to tell you something that I often remind myself with.
让我告诉你一些我经常提醒自己的事，

97. Like this case of the older brother.
就像这个故事里的大儿子，

98. And having difficulty to forgive his brother.
他不愿意原谅他的弟弟，

99. We have problems forgiving others too.
我们也很难原谅别人，

SECTION B
乙部

1. But you know what that does?
可是你知道吗？

2. It breaks fellowship not only with our brother but with our father as well.
这样不仅会破坏我们和人的关系，也会破坏我们和神的关系。

3. When you refuse to forgive someone,
当你拒绝原谅别人时，

4. Your relationship with your heavenly father is strained.
你和天父的关系也会因此而紧张。

5. Forgiveness is not optional for the Christian.
对于基督徒来说，宽恕不是一种选择，而是必须。

6. Because forgiveness unlocks the handcuffs of hatred.
因为宽恕打开了仇恨的手铐，

7. Forgiveness opens the closed doors of bitterness and resentment.
宽恕打开了因为苦毒和怨恨而紧闭的门，

8. Forgiveness can do wonders to your spiritual life and walk.
宽恕能够在你属灵的生命和信心之旅中成就奇迹，

9. The older brother’s indignation turned into rage.
大儿子因恨生怒，

10. Especially when he heard the reason for the celebration.
尤其是当他听说了庆祝的原因时。

11. When he heard that his brother is back he went ballistic,
当他听说他弟弟回来了，他更是怒火中烧，

12. And as if to say this.
他好像在说，

13. They celebrate this.
他们居然还庆祝，

14. This boy who’s a squanderer.
为了这个花花公子，

15. This irresponsible spender.
这个挥金如土，没良心的家伙，

16. This loose living boy.
这个生活不检点的小子，

17. He deserves no party.
他根本不配，

18. But I do!
该为我庆贺才对。

19. The older brother never asked.
大儿子根本没问，

20. If his brother was repentant,
他的弟弟是否已经悔改，

21. He never asked.
他从来没问，

22. If his brother was sorry for what he had done.
他的弟弟是否为了他过去的所作所为而悔恨，

23. He never asked.
他从来没有问过，

24. If his brother had acknowledged his error,
他弟弟是否已经承认他所犯的过错，

25. But he became angry out of self-righteousness.
他只是出于自以为义而发怒。

26. What did the father expect the older son to do?
父亲希望这个大儿子做些什么呢？

27. I will tell you that in our next broadcast.
我会在下一次节目中再告诉你。

28. Until that time, God bless you.
愿神赐福给你， 我们下次节目再会。