人们普遍存在对他人的负面判断的倾向。在高中，这种趋势在群体中表现出来。一些受欢迎的孩子进入了一个小组，逐渐开始认为他们比别人更好，因为他们更喜欢。不“入内”的孩子可能会成为怜悯，鄙视甚至残酷笑话的对象。该集团以一种或另一种方式对其他人进行了微妙的判断，认为它们是人类的下层阶级。

在各种宗教中也表现出同样轻视他人的倾向。一些宗教团体变得如此以自我为中心，以至于他们相信任何一种不同的信仰都无法上天堂。极端化的话，这种态度比势利的少年集团残酷得多。

圣经的教导与此形成鲜明对比。首先，上帝的话语告诉我们，我们不应该将人们称为“得救”或“罪人”。耶稣说，

“不要判断，不要谴责您。为什么您要看哥哥眼中的斑点，却不考虑您自己眼中的木板？” （马太福音7:1, 3）

门徒詹姆士这样说：“有一个律政者，谁能拯救和毁灭。你是谁来审判另一个？” （雅各书4:1）

当主在世上的时候，教会的领袖中普遍存在一种判断态度。许多人以为，当弥赛亚降临时，他会拯救犹太人，而不是其他人。耶稣来的时候，他们谴责他与非犹太人和犹太人的交往。

耶稣不鼓励这种态度。祂曾经与一些“信任自己”的人说话，他们得救了，其他人则没有。他请他们考虑两个祈祷：“上帝，我感谢你，我不像其他人。”和“上帝，怜悯我，一个罪人！”耶稣称赞那个自以为是罪人的人。 （路加福音18:9-14）

最好将自己视为罪人，而不是认为自己已得救。

您可能还记得好撒玛利亚人的寓言，他停下来在路边帮助受伤的人。即使这个撒玛利亚人是“错误的”信仰（从犹太人的角度来看），耶稣说撒玛利亚人也应该被爱为邻居，因为他是个好人。实际上，他说，想要永生的人应该像这个撒玛利亚人（路加福音10:29-37），即使撒玛利亚人既不是基督徒也不是犹太人。耶稣看到了-并且看到了-一个人的内心，而不仅仅是教会所属的。

圣经清楚地表明，决定一个人是否去天堂的是人的生活方式，而不仅仅是他的信仰。耶稣说：“不是每个对我说'主啊，主'的人都要进入天国，但要奉行我父在天上的旨意。 （马太福音7:21）

再一次，“他将根据自己的工作奖励每一个人。” （马太福音16:27）

他说：“行善的人会复活，而行恶的人会死刑。” （约翰福音5:29）

由于一个人的生命不仅取决于他的信仰，还决定着他的永恒，耶稣预言许多基督徒将得不到拯救，因为他们过着邪恶的生活。

“那天有许多人对我说：'主啊，主啊，我们岂不是以你的名预言，以你的名驱赶魔鬼，以你的名行了许多奇事？”然后我向他们宣告：“我从不认识你：离开我，你们这是行不通的！””（马太福音27:22-23, 路加福音13:25-27）

非基督徒可以得救的一个原因是，他可以爱他的邻居。真正爱他的邻居的人也爱基督，尽管他可能没有意识到。耶稣说：“因为你照管了我弟兄中最少的一个，你就对我做了。” （马太福音25:40）

对耶稣的信仰，对邻居没有爱是没有意义的。

“尽管我有全部信念，所以我可以摘山，但没有爱，我什么都不是。” （哥林多前书13:2）

另一方面，真正的爱是一个人在心中认识主的标志，无论他信奉何种宗教。

“爱相信一切。” （哥林多前书13:7）

“行善的人是上帝的，但行恶的人却没有看见上帝。” （约翰三书1:11）

“让我们彼此相爱，因为爱是上帝的爱，每个相爱的人都是上帝所生，并且认识上帝。上帝就是爱，任何恪守爱心的人都恪守上帝，上帝也奉行上帝。” （约翰一书4:7-11）

摘要：

一些基督教教会教导：只有基督徒才能得救。

圣经实际上说的是什么（以及新基督教教会的教义）：拯救了来自所有宗教的好人。

有关新基督教教会教义的一些参考资料： 天堂与地狱318-328, 天命326

经非常有用的网站的作者John Odhner的许可使用：http://whatthebiblesays.info/Introduction.html

"And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel; and he answered, Here am I." 1 Samuel 3:1-4

Additional readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, Luke 2:25-40

Samuel was consecrated to the Lord in the days when Eli was the High Priest. At that time conditions in Israel were at a low ebb. The government of Eli had been feeble and careless; so the elements of evil and decay gathered and increased on every side. Eli made no real effort to stay the impending ruin. He was faithless to his duty, and permitted his children to mock at virtue and to make a mockery of worship. He should have been able to foresee the results. As a priest he was a watchman, but he gave no warning.

It is recorded that "the Word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision." Therefore the priests had a greater responsibility.

The invisible world is not distant; it is merely too refined for the course observation of natural sight. The spiritual world is as the soul to this — an inner universe which is the realm of causes and the source of power.

The Word of the Lord is the teacher, and it is precious. It contains Divine thoughts, and the means of communication between men and God. It is the refuge and strength of humanity, a very present help in trouble. The Word is precious for its uses, and because it conjoins the soul to the Lord Himself.

Our text portrays a night scene at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was set up. It represents the Church at that time. The priests are sleepy; their eyes are dim; they can hardly see. The lamp of God is going out in the temple of the Lord. We read, "Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see, and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord."

Natural life, as compared to spiritual life, is as sleep to wakefulness. Our life in the world is composed of nights and days. We cannot be always in the study of spiritual things. We have our work in the world. We have our occupations and daily tasks. Yet this outer world is the Lord's as well as the inner and higher world. We should love it for Him, and be earnest in our duties here. The proper use of life is an aid to our regeneration. So it is written, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how" (Mark 6:26-27). We should not sleep too much, lest we be not fully awake at any time. This is the kind of sleep Eli represented. Isaiah graphically describes this kind of priesthood: "His watchmen are all blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs which can never have enough, they are shepherds which cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one to his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink, and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant" (Isaiah 56:10-12).

A power-loving and luxurious priesthood is the greatest curse of a Church. Their minds are absorbed in their appetites. They are so greedy for gain that they are lynx-eyed for whatever will result in gain for themselves, but blind like owls at any ray of heavenly light. They come at last to love mystery, and pride themselves on the darkness of their dogmas, hoping to keep power from the people under the plea of being privileged guardians of deep and magical secrets.

How simple is the truth! "Cease to do evil, learn to do well" (Isaiah 1:16). "Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God" (Micah 6:8). If we live according to the Commandments, we shall go to heaven. The Word is given to guide us. If we read its precepts and live them, they will lead us on the path to eternal life. Then we shall rise higher and higher and see more and more clearly.

But these simple truths a corrupted priesthood cannot see; the eyes of their minds are too dim to see. To them, religion is a series of mysteries. "You cannot understand them; nobody can understand them," they say. They do not ask, "Send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring me to the holy mountain, and to Thy tabernacles" (Psalm 43:3), or "Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death" (Psalm 13:3). They will not learn, and they cannot teach.

The text continues, "Ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord." The dimness of Eli's eyes is, as has been noted, the little understanding possessed by the priesthood of the decaying church. The lamp dying out represents the light of the Word almost extinguished in the Church.

This also is a representative picture of the clergy taking the Word from the people and keeping it like a mysterious treasure useful for their own aggrandizement.

Those who cherish the Word and want its light for themselves and others are represented by Samuel, from whom some light can still be given. Such were Anna the prophetess, Simeon, and Zacharias. Such also were the apostles. Those who formed the center of the first Christian dispensation were a very few humble people, who were faithful and obedient. Such a remnant, mentioned in the Divine Word, should be a comfort and inspiration to those humble souls who feel compelled to stand for truth and goodness amidst shallow and unthinking multitudes. The seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal were the remnant in the days of Elijah. Indeed of all times and of our individual lives it may be said, "Except the Lord of Hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah" (Isaiah 1:9). To be of such a remnant, however despised by the world, is the truest glory.

The mission of the remnant is to come into conjunction with the Lord, and to be a means of bringing down His love and truth to the view of the world.

Samuel represented such a remnant. As a child, he represented simple trust in the Lord and willing obedience. The Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here am I." Samuel alone heard this voice. He did not know where it came from. He ran to Eli, thinking that it was he who called him. So it is today. They suppose that they owe their new call to the old established order of things. They think that the new thoughts granted to them will be welcomed by the world at large, and by the authorities in power. It is not, however, so. Eli had made no call. He had nothing to say but, "I called not; lie down again."

Nevertheless the Divine message does not rest; it is given again, and the third time. Still it appeared to Samuel that the call was from Eli. "He did not yet know the Lord, nor was the Word of the Lord yet revealed unto him." It is one thing to know OF the Lord, and quite another to know the Lord. To know the Lord is of the heart, not of the head. We know the Lord only in proportion as we love to learn and do His will. They who love God know God. So John writes, "He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).

We know but little of the Divine purposes, or of the meaning of the Word. But we should be conscious of a yearning for something higher, and of a desire to be true to what we know.

So it is with the revelation for the new age. To the multitudes it means little. Some think there may be something in it, but they are not interested. It is as Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth." This was was good counsel, though it made no difference to the giver of it. Many give good counsel but themselves do not care to follow it.

But the Samuels hear and do. They are not content with following in the thoughts and ways of the world. They seek Divine guidance.

In the changes and confusions of today, in the indisposition to receive new light, in the confessions of multitudes that their eyes are dim and they cannot see, we may recognize a parallel to the time of Eli. Let us strive that in the new unfoldings of the Word of God we may ever keep that humility of mind that says, "Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth."