“从来没有人看见上帝，只有在父怀里的独生子〔*祂自己也是上帝〕将他表明出来。” - 约 1:18 （*根据英文新普及译本）
你能想像自己在超市里与人辩论耶稣是否是上帝这个问题的情景吗？在今天，世界各地的基督徒普遍都接受耶稣是上帝的儿子、而祂也全然是上帝。然而，初期教会的基督徒曾经激烈地争论，耶稣既是上帝的独生子，祂能否同时也是上帝自己呢？
若说某人是一个儿子，我们自然便会判定他的父亲为首要、儿子则是第二位的了。所以，在使徒信经中，我们称耶稣为上帝“独生的子”，我们是否似乎已经把衪放在第二位了呢？
不是这样。从第四世纪开始，教会已经正式维护圣灵默示约翰在今天这段经文中所写的：“从来没有人看见上帝，只有在父怀里的独生子〔祂自己也是上帝〕将他表明出来。”
我们无法完全理解圣父上帝和祂的独生子的奥妙关系。然而，我们凭信心相信，耶稣是上帝的儿子。我们凭信心与约翰一同相信，万物都是藉着上帝的独生子造成的（约翰福音 1:1-3）。我们凭信心相信，唯有藉着上帝的儿子亲自的受死，我们才能进入永远充满平安和喜乐的新生命。
我们既然天天都活在上帝和衪儿子的爱里，那么，无论身在何处，我们都可以找机会与别人分享这份爱。
祷告
耶稣啊，我们相信你是上帝的独生子。无论我们身在何处，求你帮助我们与人分享你的爱。阿们。
约翰福音 1:14-18
14道成了肉身，住在我们中间，充充满满地有恩典有真理。我们也见过他的荣光，正是父独生子的荣光。
15约翰为他作见证，喊着说：“这就是我曾说，‘那在我以后来的，反成了在我以前的，因他本来在我以前。’”
16从他丰满的恩典里，我们都领受了，而且恩上加恩。
17律法本是藉着摩西传的，恩典和真理都是由耶稣基督来的。
18从来没有人看见神，只有在父怀里的独生子将他表明出来。
God’s Only Son
“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” - John 1:18
Can you imagine having an argument at the supermarket about whether Jesus Christ is God? Today, Christians everywhere accept the fact that Jesus, God’s Son, is fully God. But in the early church, Christians argued vehemently about whether Jesus could be God if he was God’s only Son.
When we call someone a son, we naturally conclude that the father came first and the son came second. So when we refer to Jesus in the Apostles’ Creed as God’s “only Son,” are we somehow putting him in second place?
No. Since the fourth century the church has officially upheld what the Holy Spirit inspired John to write in our passage for today: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”
We can’t fully comprehend the mysterious relationship of God the Father and his only Son. But by faith we believe that Jesus is God’s Son. By faith we believe, with John, that through God’s only Son all of creation was made (John 1:1-3). By faith we also believe that only God’s own Son, through his death, could bring us into a new life filled with everlasting peace and joy.
As we live in the love of God and his Son each day, we can look for ways, wherever we are, to share that love with others.
Prayer
Jesus, we believe you are God’s only Son. Help us to share your love wherever we are. Amen.
