ルカによる福音書12:8-12 Luke 12:8-12,

言っておくが、だれでも人々の前で自分をわたしの仲間であると言い表す者は、人の子も神の天使たちの前で、その人を自分の仲間であると言い表す。しかし、人々の前でわたしを知らないと言う者は、神の天使たちの前で知らないと言われる。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（ルカ12:8-9）

ここで言われていることは極めて単純な内容です。この世の生活の中でキリストを信じることを告白する人は、終わりの日の最後の審判の時にキリストからもクリスチャンとして認められるが、この世の生活の中でキリストを信じることを否定する人は、最後の審判の時にキリストからもクリスチャンであることを認められないということです。8節の後半にある「人の子」という表現は、最後の審判において人々を裁くキリストご自身のことを指しています。また、「仲間であると言い表す」という日本語に翻訳されているのは、原典のギリシャ語でホモロゲオーというギリシャ語の動詞です。ホモロゲオーとは、告白するという意味であり、この動詞の後にギリシア語の前置詞のエンという言葉がつくと「〜を認める」とか「〜への忠誠を言い表す」という意味になります。私たちが今用いている新共同訳聖書は、これを「仲間であると言い表す」というわかりやすい言葉に翻訳しています。

日本語で「告白する」と言いますと、恋愛の感情などを密かに告白するというニュアンスがあるのではないでしょうか。しかし、ギリシャ語でホモロゲオーと言いますと、公に宣言して言い表すという意味になります。そこで、私たちが用いている新共同訳聖書では、この言葉はしばしば「公に言い表す」と翻訳されています。この言葉は、先ほどあげましたローマの信徒への手紙の10章10節で「実に、人は心で信じて義とされ、口で公に言い表して救われるのです」という箇所でも用いられています。そして、それ以外でも聖書の中で要となるような大切な箇所で用いられています。たとえば、ヨハネの手紙一の4章2節と3節には次のように記されています。「イエス・キリストが肉となって来られたということを公に言い表す霊は、すべて神から出たものです。このことによって、あなたがたは神の霊が分かります。イエスのことを公に言い表さない霊はすべて、神から出ていません。これは、反キリストの霊です。」この箇所で教えられているのは、キリストが肉体をもって歴史的に実在した方であることを公に言い表すようにさせるのが、神から出た霊すなわち聖霊であるということです。また、同じヨハネの手紙一の4章15節には「イエスが神の子であることを公に言い表す人はだれでも、神がその人の内にとどまってくださり、その人も神の内にとどまります」とあります。このように、信仰を公に言い表すということは、してもしなくてもよいことではなく、キリストを信じることに伴って必ずなされるべきことなのです。　　　　　　　　　　　（8月24日の説教より）

Perhaps because of Japan’s long history of persecution of Christianity during the Tokugawa period, there are many people who believe in Christ but do not publicly confess their faith. Some people believe that faith is something to be believed in the heart and not spoken aloud. Of course, when speaking aloud, one must consider whether it is an appropriate setting. However, we should be careful not to use excuses such as “to avoid causing discomfort to others” as a justification for not confessing one’s faith. As taught in Romans 10:10, “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved,” believing and confessing are inseparable.

The first step in publicly confessing one’s faith is to attend church services and confess one’s faith publicly during the service. Even if one confesses one’s faith during church services, it is not heard by those outside. However, the very act of attending church services is already a confession of faith to those outside. Some may feel they lack the courage to confess their faith in front of others. However, I would like you to first keep in mind that the very act of attending church services is itself a noble confession of faith. From attending church service, the strength to confess one’s faith outside the church is given.

And we want to be able to clearly confess, “I believe in Jesus Christ,” not only when attending church services, but also when asked about my faith outside of church. Some people have the mistaken idea that “if someone like me confesses to believing in Christ, it will only drive people away from Christ.” And others think, “I will publicly confess that I am a Christian when I become a better Christian.” However, with such a mindset, that person will never become a better Christian. Hiding one’s belief in Christ before others is the same as hiding one’s relationship with Christ. Would a husband or wife hide the fact that they are married before others? If so, that is not a proper marital relationship. If they hide their marriage, it is likely because there is something they are ashamed of in their hearts. In the same way, hiding one’s belief in Christ is an act that blurs and destroys one’s relationship with Christ. Therefore, rather than worrying about what others think, we should prioritise our relationship with Christ and boldly confess our faith in Christ before others.

Today’s Bible passage contains an important teaching about confessing one’s faith in front of others. First, verses 8 and 9 teach us why it is important to confess one’s faith in relation to the Last Judgement on the Last Day. In verses 8 and 9, Christ says as follows.

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

What is being said here is extremely simple. Those who confess their belief in Christ in this life will be acknowledged as Christians by Christ at the Last Judgment on the Last Day, but those who deny their belief in Christ in this life will be denied as Christians by Christ at the Last Judgment. The expression “Son of Man” in the latter half of verse 8 refers to Christ himself, who will judge people at the Last Judgment. The English translation “to acknowledge” comes from the Greek verb homologeō (ὁμολογέω). Homologeō means “to confess,” and when followed by the Greek preposition en (ἐν), it means “to acknowledge” or “to declare one’s loyalty to.” In the Japanese Bible which we are using, this word is translated as the more understandable phrase “nakama de aru to iiarawasu” (to express that one is a fellow member).

In Japanese, “to confess” often carries the nuance of secretly revealing one’s feelings, such as in a romantic context. However, in Greek, “homologeō” means to publicly declare or express. Therefore, in the Japanese Bible which we are using, this term is often translated as “ōyake ni iiarawasu” (to declare publicly). This term is also used in the passage of Romans 10:10, which we mentioned earlier: “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” It is also used in other crucial passages throughout the Bible. For example, in 1 John 4:2-3, it is written as follows.

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

What is taught here is that the Spirit who enables one to publicly declare that Christ historically existed in the flesh is the Holy Spirit who comes from God. Furthermore, in 1 John 4:15, it says, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” Thus, publicly declaring one’s faith is not something optional but something that must necessarily accompany belief in Christ.

Proclaiming the gospel of Christ saying, “Believe in Jesus Christ, and you and your family will be saved,” is not something that everyone can do in the same way. Some people have been given the gift of proclaiming the gospel publicly in the form of a sermon during worship service. Others have been given the gift of proclaiming the gospel in the form of private conversations. And there are also those who find it difficult to proclaim the gospel in words, whether publicly or privately. However, confessing one’s faith by saying, “I believe in Jesus Christ,” that is, publicly expressing one’s faith, is something that all who believe in Christ should do. Whether or not this leads to proclaiming the gospel depends on God. Let us not hide the fact that we believe in Christ, but rather make it public trusting in God.

When you tell someone that you believe in Christ or that you go to church, it is up to them how they respond. Suppose that after you have publicly declared your belief in Christ, someone may say, “If a person like you is a Christian, then I will not believe in Christ.” In that case, the problem lies with the person who is criticising you. Believers are not Christ, so it is only natural that they have flaws. If someone criticises Christ, they should take responsibility for saying, “I do not believe because Jesus Christ is like this,” rather than criticising believers. Some people may think, “If even a flawed person like you can be a Christian, then I can be a Christian too,” and come to believe in Christ. As believers who follow Christ, we should confess our faith fearlessly and humbly.

Next, verses 10-12 of today’s passage teach that the power to confess our faith is given by the Holy Spirit. When we live our lives believing in Christ, there will be times when people ask us, “Do you believe in Christ?” There is no need to worry in advance about how to answer such questions. Even if we decide in advance how to answer when asked, “Do you believe in Christ?” it will not be very helpful in reality. For example, even if you prepare a vague and non-committal way of expressing your faith in advance, when pressed hard, you will either end up compromising or clearly confessing your faith. Furthermore, even if you decide in advance to boldly confess your faith, when the time comes, you may unexpectedly compromise. As you all know, Peter, who was particularly zealous among the twelve disciples of Christ, boldly said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33) just before Christ was put on trial. However, when he was in the high priest’s house and a servant said to him, “You are one of Christ’s disciples,” he denied three times that he was a disciple of Christ. Therefore, I do not intend to say anything bold about myself in advance. Nor do I intend to encourage you to say anything bold in advance.

What is important, then, is to repent daily through the work of the Holy Spirit, to believe that Christ died on the cross for me, to stop living by the power of my old self, and to continue living by the new life of Christ’s resurrection. In verse 10 of today’s passage, Christ says, “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” These words teach us how important it is to believe in and worship the Holy Spirit. In Book 3 Chapter 3 Section 21 of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin teaches that repentance is a gift of the Holy Spirit. In other words, repentance is not achieved by human power, but by God’s power through the Holy Spirit leading us to repentance. Immediately after this, he discusses the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. According to Calvin, blaspheming the Holy Spirit means stubbornly resisting the Holy Spirit even though he is trying to lead us to repentance. Calvin states as follows.

I say, therefore, that he sins against the Holy Spirit who, while so constrained by the power of divine truth that he cannot plead ignorance, yet deliberately resists, and that merely for the sake of resisting. (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Part 3, Chapter 3, 22)

Let us live daily in repentance, following the work of the Holy Spirit, so that we do not “resist for the sake of resisting” against the Holy Spirit. Those who live such a life will be able to answer correctly through the work of the Holy Spirit when asked in public whether they believe in Christ or not.

In verses 11 and 12 of today’s passage Christ says, “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” In the New Testament era, Christians faced severe persecution. Therefore, these words must have been very persuasive. A similar passage is found in Mark 13:11 as follows.

“And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”

In Mark’s account of Christ’s words, it is clearly shown that the subject of confessing faith is no longer human beings, but the Holy Spirit dwelling within the human hearts. Repentance means dying of the old self and being made alive by the life of Christ. Therefore, if we repent daily and cease to live by the power of the old self, then even in the critical moment of confessing our faith, we will not respond by the work of the old self, but by the work of the Holy Spirit who gives us new life.

During the Cultural Revolution in China around 1966, Christians faced unimaginable persecution. An 18-year-old female student at Peking University was arrested for the crime of sharing the gospel with a friend on campus and was subjected to interrogation. However, unable to contain what was overflowing in her heart, she continued to tell the public security officer about the wonderful life she was living through Jesus Christ. In response, she was met with fierce insults, her hair was grabbed, and eventually, her precious hair was cut off. She was released with the strict order, “You must never preach again,” and returned home, covering her head with a cloth out of shame. Three months later, she was summoned again by the public security authorities and interrogated about whether her so-called counter-revolutionary attitude had improved. However, when she once again spoke of salvation through Christ, she was subjected to intense verbal abuse and physical assault. Her hair, which had begun to grow back, was cut off again, leaving her completely bald, and she returned home with her head covered in a cloth.

Three months later, when she was brought before the authorities for a third interrogation, she lost the ability to speak amid the intense verbal abuse. The words she had once spoken so passionately about Christ’s salvation no longer came to her lips. Unable to answer the interrogators’ questions, she remained silent and bowed her head. At that moment, she heard a voice within her heart. The voice asked, “For whom are you suffering?” Hearing this, the peace and joy that had been crushed in her heart returned. She realised that she was suffering for Christ and sharing in the suffering of his cross. Once again, her hair was brutally cut off, and her head was completely shaved, but this time she went out into the open without covering her head with a cloth. People looked at her with curiosity and asked, “What happened?” Then, in front of those who had asked her, she confessed her faith, and as a result, many people came to believe in Christ. (MORIBE Yoshimasa, “Futari no Shōjo no Monogtari” (The Story of Two Girls), Hyakumannin no Fukuin, April 2001)

Even when not persecuted by the government, one may face persecution in the workplace, school, local community, or family because of one’s belief in Christ. However, those who live daily in repentance, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, can respond through the power of the Holy Spirit speaking within their hearts at that moment. That is, they are filled with the Holy Spirit and can confess their faith in Christ without fear.