“耶和华 … 向亚伯拉罕显现出来。… 亚伯拉罕 … 举目观看，见有三个人在对面站着。” - 创 18:1-2
圣经中的故事有时会包括一些奥妙的细节。例如，在创世记18章，作者说耶和华向亚伯拉罕显现，当亚伯拉罕举目观看时，他看到三个人。那么，这三个人是否代表耶和华？我们知道，神是个灵，衪是没有身体的，更谈不上有三个身体了。然而，很明显，神是能够以一个人的形式来显现的。那么，其他两位究竟是天使、又或者是天上其他的灵体吗？
对这些问题，我们没有确定的答案。但我们知道，亚伯拉罕敬重这些访客，他在他们面前俯伏，他和妻子撒拉又为他们预备食物。他们吃饭时，神宣布亚伯拉罕和撒拉将要生一个儿子。
历世历代的基督徒曾经对此提出过一种解读，就是亚伯拉罕和撒拉面前所见到的三个访客，或许是一个指向将来的启示，这个启示在新约圣经中被清楚看见：神是三位一体的神 － 圣父、圣子、和圣灵。
当我们守主餐时，创世记中这个奥妙的故事，便提供了一个我们应当记念的功课。领受主餐时，神与我们特别接近。在主餐中，圣灵使我们与耶稣和圣父合而为一；每逢此时神便一次又一次应许赐我们生命 － 与衪同享的丰盛生命，从今时直到永永远远。
祷告
圣父、圣子、和圣灵，我们在你的桌前坐席时，感谢你领我们靠近你和应许赐我们生命。阿们。
创世记 18:1-15
1耶和华在幔利橡树那里，向亚伯拉罕显现出来。那时正热，亚伯拉罕坐在帐篷门口，
2举目观看，见有三个人在对面站着。他一见，就从帐篷门口跑去迎接他们，俯伏在地，
3说：“我主，我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你不要离开仆人往前去。
4容我拿点水来，你们洗洗脚，在树下歇息歇息。
5我再拿一点饼来，你们可以加添心力，然后往前去。你们既到仆人这里来，理当如此。”他们说：“就照你说的行吧。”
6亚伯拉罕急忙进帐篷见撒拉，说：“你速速拿三细亚细面调和做饼。”
7亚伯拉罕又跑到牛群里，牵了一只又嫩又好的牛犊来，交给仆人，仆人急忙预备好了。
8亚伯拉罕又取了奶油和奶，并预备好的牛犊来，摆在他们面前，自己在树下站在旁边，他们就吃了。
9他们问亚伯拉罕说：“你妻子撒拉在哪里？”他说：“在帐篷里。”
10三人中有一位说：“到明年这时候，我必要回到你这里，你的妻子撒拉必生一个儿子。”撒拉在那人后边的帐篷门口也听见了这话。
11亚伯拉罕和撒拉年纪老迈，撒拉的月经已断绝了。
12撒拉心里暗笑，说：“我既已衰败，我主也老迈，岂能有这喜事呢？”
13耶和华对亚伯拉罕说：“撒拉为什么暗笑，说：‘我既已年老，果真能生养吗？’
14耶和华岂有难成的事吗？到了日期，明年这时候，我必回到你这里，撒拉必生一个儿子。”
15撒拉就害怕，不承认，说：“我没有笑。”那位说：“不然，你实在笑了。”
The Trinity Meal
"The LORD appeared to Abraham. . . . Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. . . ." - Genesis 18:1-2
Some stories in the Bible include mysterious details. For example, in Genesis 18 the narrator says that the Lord appeared to Abraham, and then when Abraham looked, he saw three men. Hmm, did these three men represent the Lord? We know that God does not have a body, let alone three bodies, for he is spirit. But apparently God could appear in the form of a person. And were the other two angels, or were they maybe some other heavenly beings?
We do not have definite answers to these questions. But Abraham recognized these visitors as important, bowing down to them. And he and his wife Sarah prepared a meal for them. At that meal God announced that Abraham and Sarah would have a child.
Through the centuries, some Christians have suggested that perhaps the appearance of three visitors to Abraham and Sarah was meant to point forward to a revelation that is made clearer in the New Testament: that God is three persons, the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This story in Genesis, mysterious as it is, also provides a lesson to remember when we come to the Lord's table. At the Lord's Supper, God comes especially close. The Holy Spirit unites us with Jesus and the Father. And at this meal God promises again and again to give us life—abundant life with him that begins now and continues forever.
Prayer
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thank you for drawing us close and promising the gift of life as we eat at your table. Amen.
