道成肉身是什么意思？
What is the Incarnation?
简答 Short Answer
道成肉身是指永恒的神子取了人的本性，成为真正的人，同时保持完全的神性。这是神拯救人类计划中最惊人的事件。
The Incarnation means the eternal Son of God took on human nature, becoming truly human while remaining fully divine. It's the most astonishing event in God's plan to save humanity.
详细解答 Detailed Answer
「道成了肉身，住在我们中间」（约1:14）——这短短一句话包含了基督教最深刻的奥秘。
1.【道成肉身的含义】「道」是指永恒的神子，祂在太初就与神同在，祂就是神（约1:1）。「成了肉身」不是说神性变成了人性，而是神子在祂的神性之外，又取了完整的人性——包括人的身体、灵魂、理性和情感。
2.【怎样发生的？】圣灵感孕童贞女马利亚（路1:35），使神子在没有人类父亲的情况下取了人的本性。这确保了耶稣既与人类完全认同，又不承继亚当的罪性。
3.【道成肉身不是什么】道成肉身不是神「变成」人（神性并未改变或减少）；不是神「装扮成」人（人性是真实的，不是伪装）；也不是两个不同的人住在一个身体里（是一个位格）。
4.【为什么必要？】希伯来书2:17说基督「凡事该与祂的弟兄相同」，才能做我们的大祭司。只有成为人，神才能在十字架上代替人受死；只有保持是神，这牺牲才有无限的功效。道成肉身是爱的最高表达——无限的神进入有限的人性，为要拯救祂所爱的人。
'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:14) — this brief sentence contains Christianity's most profound mystery.
1. **What it means**: 'The Word' refers to the eternal Son of God, who was with God in the beginning and was God (John 1:1). 'Became flesh' doesn't mean deity turned into humanity, but that the Son took on complete human nature — body, soul, mind, and emotions — in addition to His divine nature.
2. **How it happened**: The Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35), enabling the Son to assume human nature without a human father. This ensured Jesus fully identified with humanity yet did not inherit Adam's sinful nature.
3. **What it is not**: The Incarnation isn't God 'turning into' a man (deity wasn't changed or diminished); isn't God 'disguised' as a man (humanity was real, not pretense); nor two different persons in one body (one person).
4. **Why necessary**: Hebrews 2:17 says Christ had to be 'made like his brothers in every respect' to serve as our high priest. Only by becoming human could God die on the cross as our substitute; only by remaining God could this sacrifice have infinite efficacy. The Incarnation is love's highest expression — the infinite God entering finite humanity to save those He loves.
📖 经文引用 Bible Verses
📚 推荐阅读 Related Readings
- •The Person of Christ (Donald Macleod)
- •Cur Deus Homo (Anselm of Canterbury)
- •God the Son Incarnate (Stephen Wellum)