不肯做工，就不可吃飯
不肯做工，就不可吃飯
If Anyone Is Unwilling to Work, Neither Shall He Eat
保羅在《帖撒羅尼迦後書》留下了一句極具分量的話：「若有人不肯做工，就不可吃飯。」（帖撒羅尼迦後書 3:10）。今天，這句話常常被認為過於嚴厲。然而，它並不是對貧窮人的冷酷，而是建立在一個十分重要的區別之上：不能做工與不肯做工，並不是一回事。
Among the Apostle Paul’s most challenging teachings is this simple command: ‘If anyone is unwilling to work, neither shall he eat’ (2 Thessalonians 3:10). To many modern readers, the statement sounds severe. Yet Paul was not expressing contempt for the poor. His argument rests upon a distinction that remains essential today: there is a profound difference between being unable to work and being unwilling to work.
聖經從來沒有輕看貧窮人。舊約一再要求以色列人照顧孤兒、寡婦、寄居者和困苦的人；耶穌也不斷教導門徒憐憫貧寒的人；初代教會更是凡物公用，彼此供應。然而，聖經同樣強調，人若有能力工作，就應當盡自己的本分，而不是把自己的責任轉嫁給別人。這正是聖經在公義與憐憫之間所維持的平衡。
Scripture consistently calls God’s people to care for those in need. The Old Testament commands Israel to protect widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. Jesus repeatedly urged His followers to show compassion to the vulnerable, while the early church willingly shared its possessions so that no one would be left without help. At the same time, the Bible teaches that those who are able to work should assume responsibility for their own lives rather than transferring that responsibility to others. Biblical compassion has always been balanced by personal responsibility.
福利制度最大的挑戰
現代福利國家的發展，本意是幫助貧困者、保障弱勢群體，這是一個值得尊重的目標。問題並不在於是否幫助窮人，而在於如何幫助。如果福利制度不能區分無法工作的人、暫時失業的人，以及有能力卻長期拒絕工作的人，那麼制度本身便可能逐漸改變人的行為。
The modern welfare state was created with an admirable purpose: to protect the vulnerable and provide assistance to those in genuine need. The central question is therefore not whether society should help the poor, but how that help should be structured. When a welfare system fails to distinguish between those who cannot work, those who are temporarily unemployed, and those who are capable of working but consistently choose not to, the system itself begins to shape human behavior.
一個社會如果工作與不工作所得愈來愈接近，人工作的動力便會下降；愈來愈多的人依賴福利，而愈來愈少的人創造財富。經濟學稱之為「激勵機制」（Incentives）。制度並非只是在分配財富，也在塑造人的選擇。因此，一個制度如果獎勵勤奮，人們往往更加勤奮；如果獎勵依賴，依賴便可能愈來愈多。
When the rewards of employment become increasingly similar to the rewards of remaining outside the workforce, the incentive to work naturally declines. More people become dependent upon public assistance, while fewer people generate the wealth upon which that assistance depends. Economists describe this phenomenon in terms of incentives. Institutions do more than distribute resources—they influence behavior. A system that rewards diligence tends to cultivate diligence; a system that rewards dependency may unintentionally encourage dependency.
稅收不是無限的資源
福利最終並不會憑空產生財富。每一項福利，都來自某個人、某個企業所創造的價值。因此，福利制度愈擴大，政府便愈需要提高稅收。問題在於，稅收同樣存在極限。當稅負不斷提高時，高收入人才、企業家與投資資本可能遷往稅負較低的地區；企業減少投資，經濟成長放緩，稅基反而縮小。
Social welfare does not create wealth on its own. Every public benefit is ultimately financed by the value created through productive work, successful businesses, and economic growth. As welfare programs expand, governments generally require higher levels of taxation. Yet taxation, too, has practical limits. When tax burdens become excessive, highly skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, and investment capital often seek more favorable environments. Investment slows, economic growth weakens, and the tax base itself begins to shrink.
於是便形成一個惡性循環：更多福利 → 更高稅收 → 財富流失 → 稅基縮小 → 財政赤字擴大 → 再提高稅收。世界上不少國家和地區都曾面臨類似挑戰。任何財政制度都必須面對一個基本事實：財富必須先被創造，然後才能被分配。
The result can become a self-reinforcing cycle: expanding welfare leads to higher taxes; higher taxes encourage the departure of capital and talent; a shrinking tax base widens budget deficits, prompting still higher taxes. Variations of this pattern have appeared in many countries. Every fiscal system, regardless of political philosophy, must ultimately recognize one fundamental reality: wealth must first be created before it can be redistributed.
教會的慈善，與國家福利並不相同
歷史上，醫院、孤兒院、濟貧院、養老院以及大量慈善事業，並非首先由國家建立，而主要由教會、修道院和基督徒團體發展起來。原因並不只是組織形式不同，更重要的是，其背後具有完全不同的動力。
Historically, hospitals, orphanages, homes for the poor, nursing homes, and countless charitable institutions were not first established by governments. They grew largely out of churches, monasteries, and Christian communities. The distinction was not merely organizational. It reflected an entirely different source of motivation.
教會慈善的核心不是稅收，而是愛；不是法律命令，而是信仰驅動；不是國家機器，而是生命改變。當一位基督徒幫助窮人時，他不是因為政府要求，而是因為相信自己首先領受了神的恩典，因此願意把這份恩典分享給別人。慈善因此不僅改變接受幫助的人，也塑造施予者自己的生命。
Christian charity is founded not upon taxation but upon love; not upon legal obligation but upon faith; not upon governmental authority but upon transformed lives. When Christians care for those in need, they do so not because the state compels them, but because they believe they have first received God’s grace and are therefore called to extend that grace to others. In this understanding, charity transforms not only those who receive help, but also those who give it.
然而，當慈善逐漸完全由政府承擔之後，這種關係也開始改變。幫助變成了一項預算；奉獻變成了一項稅收；人與人的關係，逐漸被人與制度的關係所取代。
As governments gradually assume responsibility for an ever larger share of charitable work, however, the character of giving inevitably changes. Compassion becomes a budget category. Generosity becomes a tax obligation. Personal relationships are increasingly replaced by institutional ones.
於是，愈來愈多人開始認為：「照顧窮人是政府的責任。」而不是：「照顧窮人也是我的責任。」教會、家庭和社區原本承擔的重要角色逐漸縮小，而國家的角色則不斷擴張。
Over time, many people come to think, ‘Caring for the poor is the government’s responsibility,’ rather than, ‘Caring for the poor is also my responsibility.’ As this shift takes place, responsibilities once carried by families, churches, and local communities gradually diminish, while the role of the state continues to expand.
法律不能代替良知
現代社會十分強調法治、人權、公平、福利以及社會保障。這些價值本身都具有重要意義。然而，一個更根本的問題是：這些價值最終建立在什麼基礎之上？
Modern societies rightly place great importance upon the rule of law, human rights, equality, social welfare, and public security. These are indispensable achievements of modern civilization. Yet beneath them lies an even more fundamental question: upon what moral foundation do these values ultimately rest?
法律可以禁止偷竊，卻不能使人誠實；法律可以規定納稅，卻不能使人樂於奉獻；法律可以懲罰犯罪，卻不能在人心中產生敬畏。如果一個社會逐漸失去共同的道德基礎，制度便不得不依靠愈來愈複雜、愈來愈龐大的規則來維持秩序。
Law can prohibit theft, but it cannot make people honest. It can require taxes, but it cannot produce generosity. It can punish crime, yet it cannot instill reverence, integrity, or moral conviction. When a society loses its shared ethical foundation, institutions increasingly rely upon ever more detailed laws and ever larger bureaucracies simply to preserve order.
結果往往是：法律愈來愈多，官僚體系愈來愈龐大，財政負擔愈來愈沉重，而社會卻未必因此更加和諧。正如美國第二任總統約翰．亞當斯（John Adams）所說：「我們的憲法，只適用於一個有道德和有宗教信仰的人民；對於任何其他民族，它都是完全不足的。」制度從來不是孤立存在的，它終究建立在人心之上。
The result is often an expanding body of legislation, growing administrative institutions, and heavier public burdens—without a corresponding increase in social harmony. As America’s second president, John Adams, famously observed, ‘Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.’ Political institutions never stand alone; they ultimately depend upon the moral character of the people they serve.
教會不能被國家完全取代
現代國家當然應當承擔一定的公共責任。公共衛生、司法、公共安全以及基本社會保障，都具有不可或缺的重要性。但如果政府不斷擴張，把家庭、教會與社區原本承擔的責任全部接管，社會便可能逐漸形成一種新的依賴。
Modern governments unquestionably bear legitimate public responsibilities. Public health, justice, public safety, and a basic social safety net are all essential functions of civil government. Yet when the state continually expands into responsibilities once carried by families, churches, and local communities, a different kind of dependence can gradually emerge.
個人依賴政府，社區依賴政府，慈善依賴政府，最終甚至連道德責任也開始依賴政府。然而，政府能夠提供金錢，卻不能提供愛；能夠提供福利，卻不能創造信仰；能夠制定法律，卻不能改變人的內心。
Individuals begin to depend upon government. Communities depend upon government. Charitable work depends upon government. Eventually, even moral responsibility is expected from government. Yet government can distribute financial resources; it cannot create love. It can administer welfare; it cannot produce faith. It can enact laws; it cannot transform the human heart.
基督教始終認為，真正更新社會的起點，不是制度，而是生命。一個敬畏神的人，會誠實工作，會憐憫貧窮，會樂意奉獻，也願意承擔自己的責任。當愈來愈多這樣的人組成家庭、教會與社區，一個健康而穩固的社會秩序便會自然形成。
Christianity has always maintained that genuine social renewal begins not with institutions, but with transformed lives. A person who fears God is more likely to work honestly, care for the poor, give generously, and willingly accept personal responsibility. As increasing numbers of such people build families, churches, and local communities, a healthy social order develops from the ground up rather than being imposed from above.
因此，一個真正健康的社會，不應讓國家取代教會，也不應讓福利取代責任，而是在公義與憐憫之間維持平衡：幫助真正需要幫助的人，同時鼓勵每一位有能力的人勤勞做工、承擔責任。因為聖經所啟示的原則，從來不是冷酷無情，也不是無限縱容，而是公義與恩典同行。
A flourishing society therefore should not allow the state to replace the church, nor permit welfare to replace responsibility. Instead, it should preserve a careful balance between justice and mercy—providing help to those who truly need it while encouraging everyone who is able to work diligently and accept responsibility. The biblical vision is neither harsh indifference nor unlimited indulgence, but the union of justice and grace.
保羅的話直到今天仍然值得深思：「若有人不肯做工，就不可吃飯。」這並不是拒絕幫助窮人，而是在提醒我們：真正的憐憫，不是鼓勵依賴；真正的愛，也不是取消責任。若一個社會希望長久繁榮，它所需要的不僅是財富，更需要誠實、勤勞、責任，以及敬畏神的心。這些品格，任何制度都無法單獨創造，卻是一個文明得以長久興盛的重要根基。
Paul’s words remain as relevant today as when they were first written: ‘If anyone is unwilling to work, neither shall he eat.’ This is not a rejection of the poor. It is a reminder that genuine compassion does not encourage dependency, and genuine love does not abolish responsibility. A society that hopes to flourish over generations needs more than material prosperity. It requires honesty, diligence, personal responsibility, and reverence for God—virtues that no political system can manufacture on its own, yet without which no civilization can long endure.
2026年7月18日 · July 18, 2026
