上帝的应许乃千真万确。

People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said. Hebrews 6:16

人都是指着比自己大的起誓，并且以起誓为实据。-希伯来书6章16节

When a person without a long history of paying his or her bills on time wants to obtain a loan to purchase a home or car, lenders are often reluctant to take the financial risk. Without a track record, that person’s promise to repay what he borrows is insufficient for the bank. The would-be borrower usually resorts to finding someone who does have a history of making good on their debts, asking them to put their name on the loan too. The co-signer’s promise assures the lender the loan will be repaid.

一个人若没有长期按时还款的记录，想要贷款购车或买房，贷方通常都不会冒此财务风险。在这种缺少信用记录的情况下，只凭借款人单方面的还款保证，对银行而言是不够的。借款人往往需求助于借贷信用良好的第三方，请他们在借贷合约上签名作为担保。这名担保人则承诺能确保该笔款项必定还清。

When someone makes a promise to us—whether for financial, marital, or other reasons—we expect them to keep it. We want to know that God will keep His promises too. When He promised Abraham that He would bless him and give him “many descendants” (Hebrews 6:14; see Genesis 22:17), Abraham took God at His word. As the Creator of all that exists, there is no one greater than He; only God could guarantee His own promise.

当有人对我们许下承诺，无论是财务上、婚姻上或其他方面的承诺，我们都期许对方能信守诺言。同样地，我们也期盼上帝能说到做到。当上帝应许要赐福给亚伯拉罕，并让他的子孙昌盛（希伯来书6章14节，参见创世记22章17节），亚伯拉罕相信上帝言出必行。上帝是万物的创造主，至高无上，只有祂自己能担保祂所许下的承诺。

Abraham had to wait for the birth of his son (Hebrews 6:15) (and never saw how innumerable his offspring would grow to be), but God proved faithful to His promise. When He promises to be with us always (13:5), to hold us securely (John 10:29), and to comfort us (2 Corinthians 1:3–4), we too can trust Him to be true to His word.

虽然亚伯拉罕必须耐心等候孩子的到来（希伯来书6章15节），也没有机会看到自己数不尽的后裔，但上帝确实信守诺言。同样地，上帝也已承诺祂会永远与我们同在（13章5节）、看顾保守我们（约翰福音10章29节） ，以及安慰我们（哥林多后书1章3-4节） ，我们也大可相信，上帝必说到做到。

主啊，感谢祢是如此值得信赖。我不需要其他的保证，唯需祢的应许。求祢帮助我，一天比一天更信靠祢。

Hebrews 6:13-20    NIV

6 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

希伯来书 6:13-20 

6 当初神应许亚伯拉罕的时候，因为没有比自己更大可以指着起誓的，就指着自己起誓，说： 14 “论福，我必赐大福给你；论子孙，我必叫你的子孙多起来。” 15 这样，亚伯拉罕既恒久忍耐，就得了所应许的。 16 人都是指着比自己大的起誓，并且以起誓为实据，了结各样的争论。 17 照样，神愿意为那承受应许的人格外显明他的旨意是不更改的，就起誓为证。 18 借这两件不更改的事——神决不能说谎——好叫我们这逃往避难所、持定摆在我们前头指望的人可以大得勉励。 19 我们有这指望，如同灵魂的锚，又坚固又牢靠，且通入幔内； 20 做先锋的耶稣既照着麦基洗德的等次成了永远的大祭司，就为我们进入幔内。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

In Hebrews 6:19, the metaphor of an anchor is used to describe the believer’s secure hope. This metaphor was a common one in Greco-Roman literature and was used to describe a person’s security and hope based on their good character.

希伯来书6章19节用“锚”为比喻，来描述信徒有确定无疑的盼望。在古希腊罗马的文学中，常用锚为比喻来描述一个人的保障和希望，然而是基于他们良好的品格。

But the author of Hebrews does not describe the believer’s “anchor”—their hope (6:11–12)—as based on their own character. Instead, the author says our hope is found “behind the curtain” (v. 19)—alluding to the “holy of holies” in the temple. In the past, this was the primary place where God’s people could fully experience God’s presence. Only the high priest could enter, and only once a year.

不过，希伯来书的作者并没有说，信徒的“锚”——他们的盼望（6章11-12节），是基于他们自己的品格。相反地，作者说我们的盼望可以在“幔内”（19节）找到，就是指圣殿中的“至圣所”。在过去，至圣所是上帝的百姓能够充分体验上帝同在的主要场所，只有大祭司才能进入，而且每年只能进入一次。

But now Jesus, the One both fully God and fully human, is our priest, the One who gives access to God. Because He has conquered sin and death, our rock-solid hope is anchored in Him. Through Christ we experience the very presence and power of God (v. 20).

但现在耶稣成为了我们的大祭司，祂是完全的神，也是完全的人，祂让我们可以直接到上帝面前。因为祂战胜了罪恶和死亡，我们坚如磐石的盼望就在祂身上。藉着基督，我们可以体验上帝的同在和大能（20节）。

整理：于姊妹