使徒行傳10:1-8

 

10:1 在凱撒利亞有一個人，名叫哥尼流，是「意大利營」的百夫長。
10:2 他是個虔誠人，他和全家都敬畏上帝，多多賙濟百姓，常常禱告上帝。
10:3 有一天，約在申初，他在異象中明明看見上帝的一個使者進去，到他那裡，說：「哥尼流。」
10:4 哥尼流定睛看他，驚怕說：「主啊，甚麼事呢？」天使說：「你的禱告和你的賙濟達到上帝面前，已蒙記念了。
10:5 現在你當打發人往約帕去，請那稱呼彼得的西門來。
10:6 他住在海邊一個硝皮匠西門的家裡，房子在海邊上。」
10:7 向他說話的天使去後，哥尼流叫了兩個家人和常伺候他的一個虔誠兵來，
10:8 把這事都述說給他們聽，就打發他們往約帕去。

 

 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. ² He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. ³ One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. ⁸ He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

 

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    上帝的工作是平行進行的，是可以互相映證的！正如福音傳向外邦的事情，不單是彼得一方受感動，上帝也會在哥尼流這個羅馬軍官身上做事，讓他看見異象，聽見天使說話：「你的禱告和你的賙濟達到上帝面前，已蒙記念了。現在你當打發人往約帕去，請那稱呼彼得的西門來。他住在海邊一個硝皮匠西門的家裡，房子在海邊上。」

 

    很有意思的是，天使既然向他顯現了，竟然沒有把福音傳給他，還要他去找彼得來，讓彼得來將福音傳給哥泥流。可見上帝有祂的作為，祂寧可讓福音透過人來傳揚，不給天使來傳！

 

    正如保羅說到：「耶穌基督的僕人保羅，奉召為使徒，特派傳上帝的福音。」(羅馬書1:1)

 

    上帝把傳福音的特權留給人，是天使無法取代的，所以我們要珍惜上帝給我們這樣的權利，忠心的傳講上帝的福音！