（民11）学圣经的礼节 (Num 11) Etiquettes of Bible study
(ChatGPT was applied for English translation. 中文在后面）
In Chinese martial arts novels, the distinctions between sects are very important. If a disciple learns something not taught by their own master, the master may get very angry. For example, in Jin Yong’s martial arts novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (《笑傲江湖》), the master of the Qi Sect, Yue Buqun, became very angry because his senior disciple Linghu Chong learned the sword techniques of the Sword Sect from an elder.
Is there a similar phenomenon in the Bible? In the Bible, Moses learned the knowledge of the Scriptures directly from the Creator, and then passed it on to the other Israelites. So he was the leader and Bible teacher of all the Israelites who came out of Egypt. In Numbers chapter 11, according to the command of the Creator, Moses gathered seventy elders to share with them the Spirit that was upon him, to help him bear the heavy burden of managing the congregation. Two people stayed in the camp and did not come, yet the Spirit also came upon them, and they prophesied. Joshua, Moses’ assistant, said: “My lord Moses, forbid them.”
But Moses answered, “Do you envy for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” （See Numbers 11:28,29)
The two Israelites who stayed in the camp were named Eldad and Medad. They should also have been students of Moses who were taught the Scriptures.
This time, however, the Spirit and prophetic ability they received did not come through Moses. Then why wasn’t Moses angry that his students learned to prophesy from another source? It turns out that the Spirit the students received this time came directly from the Lord, just like the Spirit that was on Moses. From a certain point of view, they were not Moses’ “students” this time, but directly became the Lord’s “students,” Moses’ “fellow disciples.” Moses was a faithful servant of the Lord, so he was not angry, because he was not selfish. He taught the Scriptures for the Lord. As long as something was good for the Lord, he rejoiced.
I imagine that the students’ receiving of the prophetic ability directly from the Lord would not only make Moses rejoice for the Lord’s sake, but also for his students’ sake, as if he himself had received the Lord’s favor. Because Rashi’s commentary mentions that Moses treated his students as himself. For example, in Exodus 17:9, Moses said to his student Joshua, “Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek…” Moses uses “us” to refer to himself and Joshua together. I think this teaches that Moses views his student and himself to be in the same standpoint.
https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Exodus.17.9.1?lang=bi
In fact, Rashi’s commentary there mentions three etiquettes of Torah study among the Jews:
- A teacher should treat students as himself, as shown by the above Exodus 17:9, where Moses uses “us” to refer to himself and Joshua.
- One should respect one’s peers as one would respect a teacher, as evidenced by Numbers 12:11, where Moses’ brother Aaron refers to Moses as “my lord”, saying, “Alas, my lord, I beseech thee…”
- One should honor one’s teacher as one honors the Lord, as derived from Numbers 11:28, where Joshua says to Moses, “My lord Moses, forbid them.” This is because in Hebrew, the word “forbid” is similar to the word used for destruction of rebels.
Regarding the first point, I think it is very good.
Only by viewing students from one’s own standpoint can one think for their sake, teach them well, and also not be jealous when they learn good things from elsewhere—
unlike some traditional Chinese masters who would intentionally withhold knowledge, afraid the students would surpass them.
Regarding the second point, I also think it is very good.
When we treat our peers like teachers, we won’t be jealous, won’t trip them up, won’t look down on them, but instead respect them, cooperate with them, appreciate their strengths, and humbly learn from their strengths.
Regarding the third point—honoring a teacher as one honors the Lord—I think it should be viewed from two sides, not copied blindly.
I recall when I first came to church and heard a pastor preach, afterwards the host said, “Thank the Lord for His word.” I felt a bit uncomfortable, thinking: the pastor is also human—can his preaching really be the word of the Lord? Later I came to understand that when a preacher is teaching the Lord’s instructions, his role is as a tool and servant of the Lord, so listeners should respect the Lord’s teaching.
On the other hand, in modern Bible study, since teachers are also human and may make mistakes and have weaknesses, sometimes we also need to consider things from our own perspective and empathize with the teacher—
treating the teacher as oneself under the general command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
The teacher, like us, also has his own “old Adam” to contend with.
These three Jewish etiquettes are quite classic, and so also appear in the Jewish Chapters of the Forefathers, Pirkei Avot 4:12, and are worth Christians referring to with discernment.
See: https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.4.12?lang=bi
（民11）学圣经的礼节 (Num 11) Etiquettes of Bible study
中国的武侠小说里，门派的分别很重要，如果徒弟从别处学了不是自己师傅教的东西，师傅可能会很生气。比如金庸的武侠小说《笑傲江湖》里，气宗的师傅岳不群就因为他大徒弟令狐冲从长辈那里学了剑宗的武术而很生气。
圣经里有这样类似的现象吗？在圣经里，摩西直接从造物主那里学习圣经知识，然后再传授给其他以色列人。所以他是所有出埃及的以色列人的领袖和圣经老师。 在民数记11章，按造物主的吩咐，摩西召集70个长老，分享降在他身上的灵，以分担他在管理会众方面的沉重负担。有两个人留在营里没有过来，却也有灵降到他们的身上说预言。摩西的帮手约书亚说，请 我 主 摩 西 禁 止 他 们。摩西却回答，你 为 我 的 缘 故 嫉 妒 人 吗 ？惟愿主的百姓都受感说话，主把祂的灵降在他们身上。(参见民数记11:28，29）
两个留在营里的以色列人名叫伊 利 达 和米 达，他们应该也是摩西所教授的圣经学生。这次，他们所得到的灵和说预言的能力却不是从摩西那里来的，那么摩西为什么没有因为自己的学生从别处学会说预言而生气呢？原来，学生们这次所得到的灵是直接从主那里来的，和摩西身上的灵的来源一样。从某个角度来看，这次他们没作摩西的“学徒”，但却直接成了主的“学徒”，摩西的“师兄弟”。摩西是主的忠实仆人，所以他不生气，因为他不自私，他教圣经本来就是为了主，只要对主好的事，他就高兴。
我猜想，学生们直接从主那里得到说预言的能力，摩西为此除了为主高兴，也会为他的学生们高兴，就像自己得到了主的眷顾一样高兴。因为Rashi解经提到，摩西把学生当作自己一样看待，比如在出埃及记17:9，摩西对他的学生约书亚说，你 为 我 们 选 出 人 来 ， 出 去 和 亚 玛 力 人 争 战 。… 摩西对约书亚的称呼“我们”, 我觉得他是把学生和自己放在同一个立场看待。
https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Exodus.17.9.1?lang=bi
实际上，Rashi解经那里提到了三条犹太人学圣经的礼节：
一是老师应该把学生当作与自己一样看待，以上述出埃及记17:9摩西对约书亚的称呼“我们”为证；
二是应该把同侪当作老师那样尊敬，这是以民数记12:11摩西的哥哥亚伦对摩西的称呼为证，亚伦对摩西说“我主啊，求你…”；
三是应该对自己的老师像对主那样尊敬，这是以民数记11:28摩西的学生约书亚对摩西所说的“请 我 主 摩 西 禁 止 他 们”所作的推导，因为在希伯来文，“禁止”一词与对叛逆者的毁灭一词类似。
关于第一条，我觉得很好，真正把学生和自己放在同一个立场看待，才能为他们着想教他们，也才能像摩西那样不嫉妒学生从别处学到好东西，而不像中国古代有些教手艺的师傅要留一手，担心学生超过自己。
关于第二条，我觉得也很好，对同侪像对老师那样，就可以不嫉妒，不使绊子，也不会看不起，而是尊重他们，配合他们，欣赏他们的长处，虚心从他们那里学习他们的长处。
关于第三条，对老师要像对主那样尊重，我觉得要从两方面来看，不能一味照搬。我想起了刚到教会时，听牧师讲道后，主持人说感谢主的话语，我觉得不太习惯，我想牧师也是人，他讲的道就是主说的话吗？后来理解到，当传道人传授主的教导时，他的身份是主的工具和仆人，所以作为听众要尊敬主的教导。另一方面，我觉得，在现代的圣经学习中，因为老师也是人，也可能犯错，也有软弱，所以有时也要从自己的角度设身处地来看老师，从一般性的“爱人如己”来看老师；老师就像自己一样，也有他自己的“旧亚当”要对付。
犹太人的这三条礼节很经典，所以也出现在犹太人的先祖章节4:12里，值得基督徒有辨别性地参考，参见