1) Q. I’ve heard of the name Gretchen Passantino associated with Christian apologetics, but who is she?
A. Gretchen Passantino is co-founder and director of Answers In Action, one of the oldest and most respected apologetics organizations. She is a respected author of books and articles on apologetics, world religions, and theology.
问：我听说过格雷琴•巴沙迪诺这个名字，她与基督徒护教学有关系。但她是谁呢？
答：格雷琴•巴沙迪诺女士是真道实践会（Answers In Action）的联合创办人和会长；真道实践会是历史最悠久、最受人尊敬的卫道组织之一。她也是受人敬重的作者，撰写了关于护教学、世界宗教和神学的书籍与文章。
2) Q. As a respected Christian author, why did she become a supporter of the local churches?
A. She changed from a critic of the local churches in the 1970s to an endorser in the twenty-first century for several significant reasons. The five reasons most significant for this brief survey are these.
问：作为受人敬重的作者，为什么她成为了地方教会的支持者呢？
答：她在二十世纪七十年代是地方召会的批评者，在二十一世纪却变成他们的支持者，有几个重要原因。以下是这份简短研究中五个最重要的原因。
3) Q. I’m sure that Gretchen was around during the “Jesus Freak” period. How was this important?
A. First, as much as the “Jesus Freak” Christianity many of those in Gretchen’s time embraced in the late 1960s, early 1970s, was startlingly different from the “dead denominationalism” of her parents’ generation, it was still a product of American rational modernism.
问：我肯定格雷琴经历过“耶稣迷”的时代。这有什么重要的吗？
答：首先，就像格雷琴许多人在六十年代末七十年代初所热衷的“耶稣迷”基督教，虽然迥异于她父母那一代死沉的公会，它仍然是一个美国现代主义理性的产物。
4) Q. The local churches have their origins in China. How did this affect Gretchen’s initial analysis?
A. Second, since the enthusiastic young American converts to the local churches pointed directly from themselves to the New Testament churches, their initial analysis failed to give proper weight to the historical roots of the local churches in China, especially in the mission efforts of the Brethren Churches.
问：地方教会起源于中国。这如何影响了格雷琴最初的分析？
答：其次，因为当热情的美国年轻人来到地方教会之后，直接把自己联于新约的教会，所以他们的初步分析未能给予地方教会在中国的历史根源足够的注意，特别是弟兄会所作的传教工作。
5) Q. Early critical statements seemed to be lacking in historical context. Was this important?
A. Without its historical context, it was easy for young converts as well as young critics like Bob and Gretchen to take their self-identity as “the church in XX (city)” as exclusive rejection of all other Christians and churches.
问：早期的评论声明似乎缺少历史背景。这很重要吗？
答：若没有这样的历史背景，年轻的信徒和象鲍伯和她这样年轻的评论者，很容易以为他们的自我认同就仅是“在某处的教会”，从而排除并拒绝其他的基督徒和教会。
6) Q. In addition to not taking things in their historical context, what other errors were made?
A. Third, the amount of material available to the public in English at that time was inadequate to fully and fairly represent the depth and breadth of local church theology.
问：除了没有考虑到历史背景之外，还有什么其他的错误吗？
答：第三，当时提供给大众的英语材料数量还不足以全面并公正地代表地方教会神学的深度和广度。
7) Q. Early on, it seems that local church theology was misunderstood. Why was this?
A. The main theological statements of Nee and Lee came in the context of Bible studies and training sessions for believers who already embraced the distinctive understandings of the churches, not in the context of answering outsiders’ questions or defending themselves from critics.
问：在早期，似乎地方教会的神学被误解了。为什么会这样？
答：倪柝声和李常受主要的神学论述，并非为答复外界人士的疑问，或回应批评者的指控，而是取自为着已经接受地方教会特殊领会的信徒办的查经班和训练课程。
8) Q. Just like many in the 70s, I’m sure Gretchen had a conversion experience. How was this a factor?
A. Fourth, as with Gretchen’s early conversion experiences and those of many other new and enthusiastic believers, many of the earliest American believers who aligned themselves with the local churches failed to temper their zeal with irenic compassion toward believers outside their movement.
问：就像很多在七十年代的人一样，我肯定格雷琴有个转变的经历。这是怎样的一个因素呢？
答：第四，就像格雷琴个人和其他热情的新基督徒早年转变的经历一样，许多最早加入地方教会的美国信徒没有缓和他们的激情，未能对该运动之外的信徒有一种友好的善意。
9) Q. Since the local churches had their origins in the east, did this affect their beginning in America?
A. Fifth, the beginnings of the local churches in America were consumed with a positive and simple declaration of the faith their Chinese believers had embraced and practiced and brought to America with insufficient consideration for different culture, terminology, history, experience, and relationship.
问：因着地方教会源自东方，这是否影响了他们在美国的开始呢？
答：第五，地方教会早期在美国只有一个正面、简单的信仰宣言；中国信徒信奉、实行此一宣言，并将之带美国，却没有充分考虑文化、用辞、历史、经历和关系上的差异。
10) Q. In conclusion, what did Gretchen Passantino have to say about the local churches?
A. The local churches are a legitimate, theologically orthodox, spiritually faithful involvement by means of which your offspring can develop genuine Christian commitment and maturity. They are not a dangerous ensnarement of the devil.
问：综上所述，格雷琴•巴沙迪诺对于地方教会是怎么说的？
答：地方教会是正当的、在神学上正统、在属灵上忠信的团体，在其中你的子女能够培养真实的基督徒忠诚和成熟。他们绝不是魔鬼所设置的圈套。
Reference: http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/we-were-wrong-2/
参考网址：http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/we-were-wrong-2/