8:9 有一個人，名叫西門，向來在那城裡行邪術，妄自尊大，使撒馬利亞的百姓驚奇；
8:10 無論大小都聽從他，說：「這人就是那稱為上帝的大能者。」
8:11 他們聽從他，因他久用邪術，使他們驚奇。
8:12 及至他們信了腓利所傳上帝國的福音和耶穌基督的名，連男帶女就受了洗。
8:13 西門自己也信了；既受了洗，就常與腓利在一處，看見他所行的神蹟和大異能，就甚驚奇。
8:14 使徒在耶路撒冷聽見撒馬利亞人領受了上帝的道，就打發彼得、約翰往他們那裡去。
8:15 兩個人到了，就為他們禱告，要叫他們受聖靈。
8:16 因為聖靈還沒有降在他們一個人身上，他們只奉主耶穌的名受了洗。
8:17 於是使徒按手在他們頭上，他們就受了聖靈。
8:18 西門看見使徒按手，便有聖靈賜下，就拿錢給使徒，
8:19 說：「把這權柄也給我，叫我手按著誰，誰就可以受聖靈。」
8:20 彼得說：「你的銀子和你一同滅亡吧！因你想上帝的恩賜是可以用錢買的。
8:21 你在這道上無分無關；因為在上帝面前，你的心不正。
8:22 你當懊悔你這罪惡，祈求主，或者你心裡的意念可得赦免。
8:23 我看出你正在苦膽之中，被罪惡捆綁。」
8:24 西門說：「願你們為我求主，叫你們所說的，沒有一樣臨到我身上。」
8:25 使徒既證明主道，而且傳講，就回耶路撒冷去，一路在撒馬利亞好些村莊傳揚福音。
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
**************
上帝的權柄是不能用金錢收買的，這是使徒彼得要對那行邪術後來信主的西門說的信息，而且使很嚴重的信息，正如經文所說：「「你的銀子和你一同滅亡吧！因你想上帝的恩賜是可以用錢買的。你在這道上無分無關；因為在上帝面前，你的心不正。你當懊悔你這罪惡，祈求主，或者你心裡的意念可得赦免。我看出你正在苦膽之中，被罪惡捆綁。」
彼得這段話讓我們看見，恩賜是上帝的主權，不是人的欲求，人想盡辦法要得的恩賜，若不是上帝所賜的，是人無法所得著的，更不用說要以金錢來購買，這是行不通的！
我們得恩賜是上帝自己有主權要賜給誰就是給誰，所以我們不可以用「野心」來想得到怎樣的恩賜，好來彰顯自己的名聲，這樣的動機不正確，是上帝所恨惡的，也是上帝所唾棄的，凡不順上帝的心意的，就是與上帝為敵，最後的下場就敗亡！
今日有許多人以為「傳道」是教會最重要的恩賜，不盡自己想傳道還鼓勵許多人同走傳道的路。然而有些人以為傳道是自願的，只要自己覺得喜歡就認為是上帝的呼召。其實不然，真正的呼召常常不是個人喜歡，上帝常常會使用不喜歡傳道的人來成為傳道人，這是很弔詭的事情！
因此，一切都要看上帝的作為，人的動機只有一個就是要順從上帝的心意，而不是顯揚自己的名聲或是追求任何利益，若是為了利益和名聲就不要成為專職的傳道人！
沒有留言:
張貼留言