57。还需传道吗:葛培理牧师认为不知道耶稣基督的福音也可以得救

作者:小草

在美国著名的布道家葛培理牧师(Billy Graham)去世之际,对他的一生做出高度赞扬的文章不断涌现,不可否认的,葛培理牧师不只是在美国,而是在全球基督教界里,都享有很高的声望,长期倍受尊敬和爱戴。在对葛培理牧师压到性的一片赞扬声中,只有非常非常少的人发出不同的声音,美国当代著名的约翰麦卡瑟牧师(John MacArthur)就是其中的一位。

2000年12月,约翰麦卡瑟牧师在他的一篇讲道里,颇为详细地指证了葛培理牧师在信仰上的问题,他这篇讲道的题目为《The Exclusiveness of the Gospel》《福音的排他性》。约翰麦卡瑟牧师指出,在一次对葛培理牧师的电视访谈上,葛培理牧师否认福音的排他性,他认为不认识主耶稣的人,无论是来自穆斯林界,还是来自佛教界,或来自非信徒,他们也都可以得救。这段电视采访发生在1997年5月31日,采访人为 Robert Schuller(舒乐,积极思想的代表人物),这段对话的文字附在本文末。

从葛培理牧师当时讲的话可见,他认为有些人虽然不认识耶稣,也从没听过福音,从没听过或读过圣经,但是他们心里相信有神,他们转向他们所见的光,努力活出与他们周围的人有分别的生活,这些人是可以得救的,是会在天堂里的。

约翰麦卡瑟牧师说:

Anybody who says people are saved by Hinduism, or by any other religion, anybody who says people are in the body of Christ, and are Christians, and in the Kingdom, and going to heaven who do not believe in Jesus Christ, is not telling you the truth. That’s not what the Bible says.( --- 引自约翰麦卡瑟牧师的讲道《The Exclusiveness of the Gospel》《福音的排他性》)

约翰麦卡瑟牧师这段话的意思是:无论是谁,认为人可以从印度教,或任何别的宗教得救,认为不信耶稣的人也在基督里,也是基督徒,也在天国,将来会在天堂,这样的人所讲的不是真理,圣经不是这样说的。

有些人怀疑是不是当时葛培理牧师年纪大了,才讲了这些糊涂话。但是,美国基督教护教事工网站CARM有篇文章指出,实际上,葛培理牧师在1978年就说出了类似的话,如下:

I used to play God, but I can’t do that anymore. I used to believe that pagans in far-off countries were lost – were going to hell – if they did not have the gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them. I no longer believe that. I believe that there are other ways of recognizing the existence of God – through nature, for instance – and plenty of other opportunities, therefore, of saying “yes” to God. ( James Michael Beam, "I Can’t Play God Anymore”)( --- 引自CARM : Billy Graham

葛培理牧师说的意思是,“我曾经以为那些在远处的国家的异教徒是迷失的,如果没有对他们传讲耶稣基督的福音,他们会到地狱去。但我不再这么认为了,我相信有别的方法可以意识到上帝的存在,比如,通过大自然,和许多其他的机会,他们可以对神说,是的。“

就此,CARM评论葛培理牧师:

Clearly Graham taught heresy in 1978. Pagans without the gospel are not saved. We do not find God through nature - which is why we have the Scriptures and the preaching of the Gospel. Billy Graham's sentiment is worldly and not biblical. It is a shame that he is teaching this false doctrine。(引自CARM : Billy Graham

这段评论的意思是:显然,葛培理在1978年所讲的是异端。异教徒没有福音是不会得救的。我们不能通过大自然认识神,这就是为什么我们有圣经和传讲福音。葛培理的观点是世俗的,是不符合圣经的。葛培理教导这种错误的教义是可耻的。

如果没有听过耶稣基督福音的人也可以得救的话,那么主耶稣的往普天下去传福音给万民听的大使命又有什么必要呢?甚至,神所启示的圣经岂不都成了多余的?葛培理牧师既然相信,没听到福音,不认识主耶稣也可以得救,那么他自己又有什么必要去传道呢?一生作为传道人的葛培理牧师,却又不信人一定得通过认识和信靠神的道才能得救,这岂不是很怪异吗?当然,最严重的问题是,他否认了唯独信靠主耶稣才能得救的圣经真理。

经上说,“信子的人有永生.不信子的人得不着永生、神的震怒常在他身上。” (约3:36)“但记这些事、要叫你们信耶稣是基督、是 神的儿子。并且叫你们信了他、就可以因他的名得生命。”(约20:31)“人有了 神的儿子就有生命。没有 神的儿子就没有生命。”(约一5:12)

附:葛培理牧师与舒乐在电视节目上的对话如下(引自约翰麦卡瑟牧师的讲道文字稿)

Dr. Schuller said, “Tell me, what is the future of Christianity?”

Dr. Graham said, “I think there’s the body of Christ, which comes from all the Christian groups around the world, or outside the Christian groups. I think everybody that loves Christ or knows Christ, whether they’re conscious of it or not, they’re members of the body of Christ. And I don’t think that we’re going to see a great sweeping revival that will turn the whole world to Christ at any time.”

Further, he says, “God’s purpose for this age is to call out a people for His name, and that’s what God is doing today. He’s calling people out of the world for His name. Whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the body of Christ because they’ve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have and they turn to the only light they have, and I think they’re saved, and they’re going to be with us in heaven.”

Dr. Schuller responded, “What I hear you saying is that it’s possible for Jesus Christ to come into a human heart, and soul, and life, even if they’ve been born in darkness, and have never heard, and never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you’re saying?”

Dr. Graham: “Yes, it is, because I believe that. I’ve met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations. They have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, have never heard of Jesus, but they’ve believed in their hearts that there is a God, and they’ve tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.”

Dr. Schuller: “This is fantastic. I’m so thrilled to hear you say that. There is a wideness in God’s mercy.”

Dr. Graham: “There is, there certainly is.”