バイブルクラスがおこなわれました

Bible class on Saturday 18th July, 2015

 

この日のバイブルクラスは準メンバーの他教会の女性も交えて４名の出席でした。そして新たなテキスト、ルカによる福音書がスタートし、1章の冒頭から20節までを学びました。

前回、この日担当のメンバーより宿題があり、"ルカ福音書の冒頭における特徴について"それぞれ意見を述べました。また担当の方からもルカ伝の執筆意図なる資料をいただき、あらためてそれぞれの福音書を学ぶ意義やそこに込められた主張を知ることができました。

Luke 1 The Message (MSG)

 1-4 So
many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the
wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using
reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with
their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail,
starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write it all out for you,
most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the
reliability of what you were taught.

 

A Childless Couple Conceives

5-7 During the rule of Herod, King of
Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name
was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was
Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the
ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they
were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite
old.

 

8-12 It so happened that as Zachariah was
carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his
regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn
incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the
hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the
right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear.

 

13-15 But the angel reassured him, "Don't
fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a
son by you. You are to name him John. You're going to leap like a gazelle for
joy, and not only you--many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great
stature with God.

 

15-17 "He'll drink neither wine nor beer.
He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's
womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He
will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the
hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened
skeptics--he'll get the people ready for God."

 

18 Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you
expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman."

 

19-20 But the angel said, "I am Gabriel,
the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because
you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your
son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time--God's time."

 

宿題になったルカ福音書の冒頭は相当に特徴的です。So many
others have tried：とても多くの他の人たちが（イエスの伝記を）試みた、と記されているように、当時すでに複数のイエス伝（福音書）が書かれていたことがこの一文から推測できます。そして著者ルカの執筆意図の一つがつとして、ローマの高官テオフィロスに宛てた文書であることが明記されていますが、おそらくテオフィロスなる人物も、どういう経緯かわかりませんがキリストを神の子と信じる人の一人ではなかったかと思います。そのように当時の初期キリスト教会の主流であったユダヤ人キリスト者の枠を超え、広く異邦人社会にもキリスト　イエスの信仰を広めようとする意図がこのルカ福音書には在ったと思います。前回まで学んできたマタイ福音書が、ユダヤ人キリスト者に向けて記されたイエス伝だったの対して、今回のルカ福音書は冒頭のローマ高官へ宛てた書き出しでもわかるように、異邦人や女性、様々な職業や地位の人にイエス・キリストによる福音の証しを広めようとした意図が垣間見えます。神の救済のご計画にはなんら限界も隔たりも無く、誰にでも開かれ、そして届けられるるというわけです。まさにThe Openです。

その意味でも、次の展開も更に特徴的です。小見出しは、A Childless
Couple Conceives「子の無い夫婦に子が授かる」では、高齢の夫婦、祭司ザカリアとその妻エリザベツ、そして洗礼者ヨハネの誕生にまつわる神の御業の話しですが、並行して同時期に親戚の娘であるマリアもその時イエスを身篭り、キリストの誕生へと繋がるストーリーへと展開していきます。

 

次回は8月1日（土）、ルカ福音書1章21節以下です。