使徒行傳5:1-11

 

5:1 有一個人，名叫亞拿尼亞，同他的妻子撒非喇賣了田產，
5:2 把價銀私自留下幾分，他的妻子也知道，其餘的幾分拿來放在使徒腳前。
5:3 彼得說：「亞拿尼亞！為甚麼撒但充滿了你的心，叫你欺哄聖靈，把田地的價銀私自留下幾分呢？
5:4 田地還沒有賣，不是你自己的嗎？既賣了，價銀不是你作主嗎？你怎麼心裡起這意念呢？你不是欺哄人，是欺哄上帝了。」
5:5 亞拿尼亞聽見這話，就仆倒，斷了氣；聽見的人都甚懼怕。
5:6 有些少年人起來，把他包裹，抬出去埋葬了。
5:7 約過了三小時，他的妻子進來，還不知道這事。
5:8 彼得對她說：「你告訴我，你們賣田地的價銀就是這些嗎？」她說：「就是這些。」
5:9 彼得說：「你們為甚麼同心試探主的靈呢？埋葬你丈夫之人的腳已到門口，他們也要把你抬出去。」
5:10 婦人立刻仆倒在彼得腳前，斷了氣。那些少年人進來，見她已經死了，就抬出去，埋在她丈夫旁邊。
5:11 全教會和聽見這事的人都甚懼怕。

 

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? ⁴ Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

⁵ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. ⁶ Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

⁹ Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

¹⁰ At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

 

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    亞拿尼亞和撒非喇奉獻的事情，給我們許多的提醒，尤其是對錢財看重的人弟兄姊妹。

 

    一般人認為錢財是重要的，而且是很有力量的。於是許多人的心目中，把錢財看得比上帝還重要，認為有錢才會有勢，甚至有些基督徒利用錢財來控制教會和弟兄姊妹，忘記「教會的主是上帝，而非錢財」！

 

    亞拿尼亞和撒非喇表面是「全然奉獻」，但是卻為自己留下幾分，在上帝看來是欺哄，所以上帝大大責罰，好做教會的警戒！對今日的信徒，這一段聖經是非常震撼的，因為許多人的行徑和亞拿尼亞和撒非喇相去不遠，上帝仍然寬容，希望人能夠悔改！

 

    然而亞拿尼亞和撒非喇被上帝擊殺的事件若發生在今日的教會，有一群「得了便宜又賣乖」的信徒，一定出來抗議上帝不仁慈，正如有些人認為：上帝既然是愛，就不可為犯罪的人以設立地獄！一旦強調上帝的主權，就說這是汙衊上帝、醜化上帝！

 

    現代的基督徒受到世界的思潮影響甚於聖經的教訓，這是令人非常憂心的事情！但是我們相信，上帝有預備「七千人」是不受影響的，是忠心於上帝的，你有沒有在其中？