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!
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