第三部分　祷告

第六祷告

批注：在这个祷告的解释中，路德提出了三种试探的来源：我们的罪身（老我），我们所处的世界以及魔鬼。路德确认我们罪人的本性是所谓的“老亚当”，就是圣经对我们这罪身的隐喻，而这又与“新亚当”基督所赐给我们的“新人”身份相对立。此外，路德也区别了“感受到罪的试探”与“屈从于罪”二者间的差异。人的一生中，在不同年纪与情境中，都会受到不同的试探。所以，我们在这个祷告中，恳求主在我们受到试探时，为我们预备出路，并且慈爱地帮助我们，使我们不致犯罪。

99不叫我们遇见试探。

100我们需要辛苦努力，才能保有我们所祈求的一切，才能坚持到底，我们已经听得够多了。只是，我们仍会软弱犯错。虽然我们已经领受了赦罪的恩典和拥有虔诚的良心，且完全得释放，但是我们天性仍是：今天坚持，明天跌倒〔以赛亚书40：6-8〕。因此，即使我们现在是敬虔的，并能以这敬虔的良心站立在上帝面前，但我们仍然需要再向祂祈求，求祂帮助我们不再跌倒，也不被引诱试探所胜过。

101试探（或是古撒克森习惯称之为引诱）有三种：属肉体的、属世界的和属魔鬼的试探。102由于我们生活在肉体中，且受到老亚当的纠缠，他就使尽全力怂恿我们每天淫乱、怠惰、贪食醉酒、贪婪欺诈，以及骗取邻居钱财，或向他们勒索〔加拉太书5：19-21；歌罗西书3：5-8〕。简言之，老亚当不断地引诱我们从事各种的邪恶欲望，不但透过生来就附着我们身上不放的邪恶欲望，也藉着我们在别人身上看到或听到的社会事件影响我们；它们经常带来伤害与愤怒。

103其次，是世界的试探，它常以言语和行为使我们不悦，使我们发怒和失去耐性。简言之，世界上只有憎恨、妒忌、敌视、暴力、邪恶、不忠、报复、诅咒、咒骂、毁谤、自大、傲慢，以及无用的奢华、尊荣、声誉和权力。没有人愿意为小，人人想居高位，万众瞩目〔路加福音14：7-11〕。

104最后就是属魔鬼的试探。魔鬼在各方面逼迫和诱惑我们。但是他特别会在良心和属灵的事上煽惑我们。他诱使我们鄙视和不尊重上帝的道和祂的作为，又使我们与信望爱决裂〔哥林多前书13：13〕，并在我们里面产生不信、虚假的平安和偏执。另一方面，他使我们绝望、否认上帝、亵渎，并做出无数令人震惊的事。这些都是魔鬼的陷阱与网罗〔提摩太后书2：26〕。它们就像炙热的毒箭，射入我们的心脏，这一切都不是血肉之躯的作为，乃是魔鬼的恶行〔以弗所书6：12，16〕。

105这些巨大的危险和试探，每个基督徒都必须承受，即使每次只临到一项试探危险，也足够我们受的了。我们生活在这个邪恶世界，无时无刻受到从四围而来的攻击〔哥林多后书4：8〕、追赶和猎杀，使得我们不得不大声呼求上帝，祈求祂不让我们因这些攻击而疲乏和软弱〔以赛亚书40：31；希伯来书12：3〕，且不致陷入罪恶、耻辱和不信当中。若不呼求上帝，我们可能连最微小的试探都不能克服。

106所以，“不叫我们遇见试探”的意思是：当我们遭遇试探时，上帝就赐给我们能力抗拒试探〔哥林多前书10：13〕。然而，这并不是说，试探就被挪开或是除去，因为只要我们的肉身仍然活着，又有魔鬼环伺，就没有人能逃脱他的试探和诱惑。只能说，我们须忍受这些试探，事实上，我们会卷入其中〔提摩太后书2：3〕。但是，我们在祷告中，恳求上帝不使我们在这些试探中跌倒或沉溺。

107因此，感受到试探，和认同或屈服于试探，是两件完全不同的事。虽然每个人对试探的感受不尽相同，但是我们都会感受到它的存在。可能有些人受试探的程度比其他人更强更严重。例如，年轻人特别会遭受从肉体而来的试探。之后，当他们到了中年和老年时，则会受到从世界而来的试探。然而，忙于属灵事物的人，也就是那些坚贞的基督徒，则会受到从魔鬼而来的试探。108只要我们感受到的这试探是违背我们的意愿，而且我们想要摆脱它，它便不能伤害人。倘若我们未感受到它，它就不能称为试探。但是，当我们放任它，不抵抗也不祷告对付它，我们就是屈从它了。

109所以，基督徒必须装备妥当〔以弗所书6：10-18〕，且预备好面对每一天必受的攻击。因为没有人能一直安稳无虞且粗心大意地以为魔鬼我们很远，反倒要时时预备并抵挡他的攻击。即使我现在是贞洁、忍耐、恩慈、良善且信心坚定，但是魔鬼可能此刻正朝我的心脏射箭，使我几乎站立不住。因为他是永不休息且勤于攻击我们的敌人。因此，一个试探结束后，必有新的试探出现。

110所以，没有什么可以帮助或安慰我们的，惟有紧紧抓住主祷文，并且诚心地对上帝说：“亲爱的天父，你曾吩咐我们要祷告。所以我恳求你，不要让我因试探而堕落。”然后，你就会看到试探必要停止，而且最终必会承认它们已被击垮。111然而，若是你试图以自己的想法和计划自救，你只会让事情变得更糟，也给魔鬼留下更多空间。因为魔鬼是古蛇〔启示录12：9〕，只要他的头发现可钻的洞，他的整个身体必立即跟进。惟有祷告能制止击退他。

第七与总结祷告

批注：路德正确地解释这个祷告，希腊原文如此说：“救我们脱离那恶者。”事实上，魔鬼是所有邪恶的总和。所以在这个祷告中，我们恳求上帝拯救我们，脱离那会使我们犯罪和堕落远离上帝的一切属魔鬼的阴谋伎俩。路德对魔鬼在这世上的作为和能力有着非常鲜明和真实的观点。圣经谈到魔鬼，说他像吼叫的狮子，遍地游行，寻找可吞吃的人。此外，我们应注意，路德在此并未对大部分新教徒所熟悉的主祷文通用结尾“因为国度、权柄、荣耀，全是你的，直到永远”（历代志上29：11-13）作解释，因为这句话并不一定是主祷文原始版本的一部分，或许是在后来的福音书抄本中加入的（有可能是在第二世纪）。不过，这句话列在主祷文中极为适恰。然而，不论是在路德时期，或在今日的罗马天主教，主祷文都以第七祷告作终。结尾的阿们，是诚心祈祷“是的！愿它如此成就！”的表达，是信心的言语，相信上帝必会因基督而倾听和回答我们的祷告。

112救我们脱离凶恶。阿们。

113在希腊文中，这个祈求表明：“救我们脱离或保护我们不致受到恶者的伤害”，“恶者”或称为“毁谤者”。看起来，耶稣在此是指着魔鬼，好似祂将每个祷告都总结在这个祈求当中。因此，主祷文中所有祷告的完整主旨，就是直接对抗我们的首要敌人，因为就是他在我们中间阻挡我们所祈求的一切，包括：上帝的圣名或是尊荣、上帝的国度和旨意、我们日用的饮食，与一颗喜乐虔诚的良心等等。

114所以，我们最后总结一切祷告说：“亲爱的天父，恳求你帮助我们除去所有的灾害。”115在魔鬼的国度中，任何可能发生在我们身上的恶事，也都包括在这个祷告中，例如：贫穷、耻辱、死亡，简单的说，就是这世上无数的苦难与悲惨。因为魔鬼不但是个说谎者，也是个杀人凶手〔约翰福音8：44〕，他不断地想要谋害我们的性命，而且无所不用其极地用灾难和伤害折磨我们的身体以报复我们。于是，常有这样的事：他折断许多人的脖子，或是使人发疯，让人溺毙，以及诱使人自杀和发生一些可怕的灾难〔例如：马可福音9：17-22〕。116故此，我们在这世上除了不停地祷告以抵抗这个大魔王之外，实在没有什么其他可做的。因为若不是上帝保护我们，使我们免于这敌人的伤害，我们连片刻都不得安全。

117如此，我们再一次提及，上帝是多么盼望我们也时常为一切会带给我们肉体益处的事向祂祷告，使我们只在祂里面寻求，并等候从祂而来的帮助。118然而，祂却将有关这事的祷告放在最后，因为我们若要获得保护并脱离一切邪恶得着拯救，首先在我们的内心必须尊上帝的名为圣，祂的国度必会在我们当中，而且祂的旨意也必要成就。然后，祂终必保护我们不受罪恶与耻辱的伤害，此外，祂也会保护我们不受任何危害。

119上帝已经将任何时候都可能发生在我们身上的一切苦难，简要地向我们提出，好使我们没有任何借口不祷告。一切有关祷告的事，都取决于我们在祷告的末了，也学着说：“阿们”。“阿们”的意思乃是：我们一点也不疑惑，我们的祷告定会蒙上帝的垂听，而且我们所祈求的也必要成就〔哥林多后书1：20〕。120因此，“阿们”这一词，除了不疑惑的信心之外，没有别的意思，并且这也不是意味着以碰碰运气的态度祷告，而是明白上帝必不会对我们说谎〔提多书1：2〕，因为祂已经应许必会应允我们的祷告。所以，倘若没有这样不疑惑的信心，就不可能有真正的祷告。

121因此，有些人在祷告时，好像不敢从内心说：“是的”，亦不敢肯定相信上帝必会听允他们的祷告，他们实在是被撒旦蒙蔽了。他们的心中仍存疑：“我怎能如此大胆地夸口，说上帝必会听允我的祷告呢？因为我只是个可怜的罪人啊！”以及其他错误的思想。

122我们之所以说这态度是出于撒旦的欺骗伎俩，理由是他们不尊重上帝的应许，只倚靠他们自己的行为和功德，鄙视上帝，并指控上帝说谎。123也因此，他们什么都领受不到，正如圣雅各所说：“只要凭着信心求，一点也不疑惑；因为那疑惑的人，就像海中的波浪被风吹动翻腾。这样的人不要想从主那里得到什么。”〔雅各书1：6-7〕。124看哪，上帝着重强调此事，为的是让我们确信我们的祷告不会落空，好使我们不会以任何方式藐视我们的祷告。

The Sixth Petition.

99 And lead us not into temptation.

100 We have now heard enough what toil and labor is required to retain all that for which we pray, and to persevere therein, which, however, is not achieved without infirmities and stumbling. Besides, although we have received forgiveness and a good conscience and are entirely acquitted, yet is our life of such a nature that one stands to-day and to-morrow falls. Therefore, even though we be godly now and stand before God with a good conscience, we must pray again that He would not suffer us to relapse and yield to trials and temptations.

101 Temptation, however, or (as our Saxons in olden times used to call it) Bekoerunge, is of three kinds, namely, of the flesh, of the world, and of the devil. 102 For in the flesh we dwell and carry the old Adam about our neck, who exerts himself and incites us daily to inchastity, laziness, gluttony and drunkenness, avarice and deception, to defraud our neighbor and to overcharge him, and, in short, to all manner of evil lusts which cleave to us by nature, and to which we are incited by the society, example and what we hear and see of other people, which often wound and inflame even an innocent heart.

103 Next comes the world, which offends us in word and deed, and impels us to anger, and impatience. In short, there is nothing but hatred and envy, enmity, violence and wrong, unfaithfulness, vengeance, cursing, raillery, slander, pride and haughtiness, with superfluous finery, honor, fame, and power, where no one is willing to be the least, but every one desires to sit at the head and to be seen before all.

104 Then comes the devil, inciting and provoking in all directions, but especially agitating matters that concern the conscience and spiritual affairs, namely, to induce us to despise and disregard both the Word and works of God, to tear us away from faith, hope, and love, and bring us into misbelief, false security, and obduracy, or, on the other hand, to despair, denial of God, blasphemy, and innumerable other shocking things. These are indeed snares and nets, yea, real fiery darts which are shot most venomously into the heart, not by flesh and blood, but by the devil.

105 Great and grievous, indeed, are these dangers and temptations which every Christian must bear, even though each one were alone by himself, so that every hour that we are in this vile life where we are attacked on all sides, chased and hunted down, we are moved to cry out and to pray that God would not suffer us to become weary and faint and to relapse into sin, shame, and unbelief. For otherwise it is impossible to overcome even the least temptation.

106 This, then, is leading us not into temptation, to wit, when He gives us power and strength to resist, the temptation, however, not being taken away or removed. For while we live in the flesh and have the devil about us, no one can escape temptation and allurements; and it cannot be otherwise than that we must endure trials, yea, be engulfed in them; but we pray for this, that we may not fall and be drowned in them.

107 To feel temptation is therefore a far different thing from consenting or yielding to it. We must all feel it, although not all in the same manner, but some in a greater degree and more severely than others; as, the young suffer especially from the flesh, afterwards, they that attain to middle life and old age, from the world, but others who are occupied with spiritual matters, that is, strong Christians, from the devil. 108 But such feeling, as long as it is against our will and we would rather be rid of it, can harm no one. For if we did not feel it, it could not be called a temptation. But to consent thereto is when we give it the reins and do not resist or pray against it.

109 Therefore we Christians must be armed and daily expect to be incessantly attacked, in order that no one may go on in security and heedlessly, as though the devil were far from us, but at all times expect and parry his blows. For though I am now chaste, patient, kind, and in firm faith, the devil will this very hour send such an arrow into my heart that I can scarcely stand. For he is an enemy that never desists nor becomes tired, so that when one temptation ceases, there always arise others and fresh ones.

110 Accordingly, there is no help or comfort except to run hither and to take hold of the Lord’s Prayer, and thus speak to God from the heart: Dear Father, Thou hast bidden me pray; let me not relapse because of temptations. Then you will see that they must desist, and finally acknowledge themselves conquered. 111 Else if you venture to help yourself by your own thoughts and counsel, you will only make the matter worse and give the devil more space. For he has a serpent’s head, which if it gain an opening into which he can slip, the whole body will follow without check. But prayer can prevent him and drive him back.

The Seventh Petition.

112 But deliver us from evil. Amen.

113 In the Greek text this petition reads thus: Deliver or preserve us from the Evil One, or the Malicious One; and it looks as if He were speaking of the devil, as though He would comprehend everything in one, so that the entire substance of all our prayer is directed against our chief enemy. For it is he who hinders among us everything that we pray for: the name or honor of God, God’s kingdom and will, our daily bread, a cheerful good conscience, etc.

114 Therefore we finally sum it all up and say: Dear Father, pray, help that we be rid of all these calamities. 115 But there is nevertheless also included whatever evil may happen to us under the devil’s kingdom-poverty, shame, death, and, in short, all the agonizing misery and heartache of which there is such an unnumbered multitude on the earth. For since the devil is not only a liar, but also a murderer, he constantly seeks our life, and wreaks his anger whenever he can afflict our bodies with misfortune and harm. Hence it comes that he often breaks men’s necks or drives them to insanity, drowns some, and incites many to commit suicide, and to many other terrible calamities. 116 Therefore there is nothing for us to do upon earth but to pray against this arch-enemy without ceasing. For unless God preserved us, we would not be safe from him even for an hour.

117 Hence you see again how God wishes us to pray to Him also for all the things which affect our bodily interests, so that we seek and expect help nowhere else except in Him. 118 But this matter He has put last; for if we are to be preserved and delivered from all evil, the name of God must first be hallowed in us, His kingdom must be with us, and His will be done. After that He will finally preserve us from sin and shame, and, besides, from everything that may hurt or injure us.

119 Thus God has briefly placed before us all the distress which may ever come upon us, so that we might have no excuse whatever for not praying. But all depends upon this, that we learn also to say Amen, that is, that we do not doubt that our prayer is surely heard, and [what we pray] shall be done. For this is nothing else than the word of undoubting faith, which does not pray at a venture, but knows that God does not lie to him, since He has promised to grant it. 120 Therefore, where there is no such faith, there cannot be true prayer either.

121 It is, therefore, a pernicious delusion of those who pray in such a manner that they dare not from the heart say yea and positively conclude that God hears them, but remain in doubt and say, How should I be so bold as to boast that God hears my prayer? For I am but a poor sinner, etc.

122 The reason for this is, they regard not the promise of God, but their own work and worthiness, whereby they despise God and reproach Him with lying, and therefore they receive nothing. 123 As St. James 1:6 says: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. 124 Behold, such importance God attaches to the fact that we are sure we do not pray in vain, and that we do not in any way despise our prayer.

 (Source: https://bookofconcord.org/large-catechism/lords-prayer/ )