上帝的福音和上帝應許：羅馬書神學前言

God Promises, Speech Act and the Gospel: A Prolegomenon to the Understanding of Romans

余德林(Tet-Lim N. Yee)

《漢語基督教學術論評》 2期 (2006/12) Pp. 173-204

摘要

本文提出羅馬書卷首(1:1-5)以開門見山的方式敞現了以上帝為本源的福音是上帝的傳訊行動：上帝承諾。作為表意行為，上帝承諾講求上帝與人勾連以及打通關係的傳訊行動，該行動成為開啟羅馬書神學、護教、宣教以及教牧議題的樞紐。透過亞伯拉罕、以色列、基督、羅馬信徒群社生活的故事以及將要發生的故事，保羅伸張上帝的福音本是上帝所親自應許，關乎他的兒子水－應許兌現的具現－耶穌基督。但承諾和誠信有關：上帝誠信嗎？上帝失言？神義論因而解釋了何以保羅必須為「上帝的義」（上帝的信實）極力而辯、甚至論爭。
上帝承諾在歷史流動的事件裡兌現、被人發現並且支取「以信」。儘管如此，人對上帝所承諾的仍然有脫離、後滯，甚至陷入本源偏斜的可能。
本文亦提出，從探討羅馬書所浮現的表意行為的特微，指引出目前關淤聖經身分論述的觀點有必要作進一步的修正。

關鍵字

言語施事 ； 上帝應許 ； 神義論 ； 停滯不前 ； 另一起始

並列摘要

The present essay sets out to claim that the gospel ”first to the Jew and also to the Greek” is god promises. Well-articulated in the prologue of Romans (1:1-5) is the divine speech act against which the righteousness of god and other pertinent theological themes (including disputes) are inextricably bound and subsequently unveiled. But why god promises? It is through this very illocutionary act of god that Paul explicates his gospel as an an-arche, in order to redefine the gospel vis-à-vis any possible (mis)appropriations and further explain the issue of theodicy, the cause of Israel's hysteresis, human dilemma, the scope of redemption and social reorientation.
The above claim is evidenced by the various levels of ”stories” which stack up as the test-cases of god promises: Abraham, Israel, Jesus Christ, the communities in Rome and even Paul's story to be-all these episodes are hinged on the one god who through his faithfulness climaxed what he had promised in Christ (the content of god's gospel) and with Christ as the eschatological embodiment (endeixis) of god who promises.
The current study also suggests that a refinement, if not redefinition, of the conventional identity-thesis of the Scriptures is necessary in light of the speech act theory.

並列關鍵字

speech act ； god promises ； theodicy ； hysteresis ； an-arche

參考文獻

Abraham, William J.(1981).Divine Inspiration of Holy Scripture.Oxford:Oxford University Press.

Austin, J. L.,J. O. Urmson (Edited),Marina Sbisà(1975).How to Do Things with Words.Cambridge:Harvard University Press.

Bakhtin, M. M.,Caryl Emerson (edited),Michael Holquist,Vern W. McGee (translated)(1986).Speech Genres and Other Late Essays.Austin, TX:University of Texas Press.

Balz, Horst Robert,Gerhard Schneider, (eds.)(1993).Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament.Grand Rapids, MI:Eerdmans.

Barth, Karl(1977).Church Dogmatics.Edinburgh:T & T Clark.