_2_Religion in General
The derivation of the Latin word religio (whether from relegere or religare) has always been a debatable question. Latin scholars, both pagan and Christian, are not agreed on the etymology.8 But this etymological question need not trouble us. It does not affect our religious knowledge, since the meaning of a word is in the last analysis not established by its etymology, but by its usage (usus loquendi).9
“宗教”一词的拉丁文religio的词源(无论是派生于relegere还是religare)一直是一个有争议的问题。拉丁语学者,无论是异教徒还是基督徒,在该词源问题上都无法达成一致。但是这个词源问题无需困扰我们。它不会影响我们的宗教知识，因为一个词的的含义归根结底不是建立在词源学上，而是根据它的使用情况而定。
What, then, is the meaning of the term “religion” as established by common usage? There is no common usage. True, heathen and Christians use the word “religion.” But the former naturally associate heathen concepts with this word, and the latter Christian concepts. The fact that both Christians and heathen use the same word does not enable us to arrive at a definition of religion comprehensive enough to include both Christianity and the non-Christian religions under one genus. Men are today eagerly searching for such a definition, but it is a futile undertaking. For the concepts which these two groups attach to the word religion are absolutely contradictory.
那么，通常使用的“宗教”一词是什么意思呢？并没有一般通用的用法。现实情况是，异教徒和基督徒都使用“宗教”一词。但前者自然将异教徒的概念与这个词联系起来,而后者是基督教的概念。基督徒和异教徒使用同一个词语的事实并不能使我们得出一个全面的“宗教”一词的定义，以至于能够将基督教和非基督教的“宗教”一词包括在一个属类之下。人们今天急切地寻找这种定义,但这是白忙碌。因为这两个群体赋予“宗教”一词的概念,完全是相反的。
What religion means to the heathen is the exact opposite of what it means to the Christians. Since the heathen know nothing of the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 2:6-10: “neither have entered into the heart of man”), but have some knowledge of the Law (Rom. 1:32: “knowing the judgment of God”; Rom. 2:15: “work of the Law written in their hearts”), their entire religious thinking moves in the sphere of the Law. Religion to the heathen means man’s endeavor to placate the deity through his own efforts and works, through worship, sacrifices, moral exercises, ascetic discipline, and the like. The religion of the heathen is therefore a religion of the Law.10
异教徒与基督徒对宗教的理解完全是相反的。因为外邦人对基督的福音一无所知（林前2：6-10：“没有一个明白”），只有对律法有一些知识（罗1:32：“知道神的审判”；罗马书2:15：“律法的要求刻在他们心里”），他们整个的宗教思想都框在法律的范围内。异教徒的宗教意味着人通过自己的努力和行为,通过崇拜、牺牲、道德操练、苦行主义等等来安抚神。因此，异教徒的宗教是律法的宗教。
In the Christian language, religion has an altogether different meaning. The Christian religion is faith in the Gospel, that is, faith in the divine message that through the substitutionary satisfaction of Christ (satisfactio vicaria) God is already reconciled to all men. Paul declares in the name of all Christians: “Knowing [
] that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law” (Gal. 2:16). Apology: “By faith we obtain remission of sins for Christ’s sake, and not for the sake of our works that precede or follow” (Trigl. 287, 19).
在基督教语言中,宗教具有完全不同的意义。基督教的宗教是指对福音的信心，就是相信藉着基督的替代性赎罪上帝已经和所有人合好。保罗宣告说所有基督徒“既知道人称义不是因行律法，乃是因信耶稣基督，连我们也信了基督耶稣，使我们因信基督称义，不因行律法称义”（加2:16）。藉着信心，我们因基督的缘故获得了罪的赦免，而不是靠我们在之前或之后的行为。（Trigl. 287, 19）
Therefore such religious bodies within external Christendom as teach that man is reconciled to God, wholly or in part, through his own works have reverted to the pagan conception of religion and are, as to their teaching, outside Christendom. “Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law; ye are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4).11 The Large Catechism: “Therefore all who seek and wish to merit holiness [sanctification], not through the Gospel and forgiveness of sin, but by their works, have expelled and separated themselves [from this Church]” (Trigl. 693, 56). Meyer on Gal. 5:4: “Justification by the Law and justification for Christ’s sake are opposita (works — faith), so that one excludes the other.”
因此，在外部基督教中的这样的宗教团体，教导人完全或部分地通过他自己的行为来与神和好，已经回复到异教的宗教观念，至于他们的教导，不是基督教的教导。“你们这要靠律法称义的，是与基督隔绝，从恩典中堕落了。”（加5：4）大要理问答说：“因此，凡是不藉着福音与罪得赦免，而欲靠着自己的功劳以‘赚得’成圣的人，都是将自己清除在教会之外了”（Trigl.693，56）.Meyer评论加5：4说：“靠律法称义和因基督的缘故称义是对立的（行为-信心），所以两者互相排斥。