使徒行傳11:19-30

 

11:19 那些因司提反的事遭患難四散的門徒直走到腓尼基和塞浦路斯，並安提阿；他們不向別人講道，只向猶太人講。
11:20 但內中有塞浦路斯和古利奈人，他們到了安提阿也向希臘人傳講主耶穌（有古卷：也向說希臘話的猶太人傳講主耶穌）。
11:21 主與他們同在，信而歸主的人就很多了。
11:22 這風聲傳到耶路撒冷教會人的耳中，他們就打發巴拿巴出去，走到安提阿為止。
11:23 他到了那裡，看見上帝所賜的恩就歡喜，勸勉眾人，立定心志，恆久靠主。
11:24 這巴拿巴原是個好人，被聖靈充滿，大有信心。於是有許多人歸服了主。
11:25 他又往大數去找掃羅，
11:26 找著了，就帶他到安提阿去。他們足有一年的工夫和教會一同聚集，教訓了許多人。門徒稱為「基督徒」是從安提阿起首。
11:27 當那些日子，有幾位先知從耶路撒冷下到安提阿。
11:28 內中有一位，名叫亞迦布，站起來，藉著聖靈指明天下將有大饑荒。（這事到克勞第年間果然有了。）
11:29 於是門徒定意照各人的力量捐錢，送去供給住在猶太的弟兄。
11:30 他們就這樣行，把捐項託巴拿巴和掃羅送到眾長老那裡。

 

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

²⁷ During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹ The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. ³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

 

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    因為受迫害的緣故，教會不只在耶路撒冷，教會也在安提阿被建立，這更是教會在宣教上的進展！而教會在安提阿被建立，更是「上帝的宣教」的展現！因為教會可以在各個城市被建立，這也是為將來保羅的宣教(佈道)旅行埋下伏筆，因為教會可以在各地方建立，雖然如此教會還是一個！

 

    透過教會在安提阿建立，給我們開始了「教會論」的想法，教會是一群被上帝呼召的人，這一群人(門徒)被稱為「基督徒」是從安提阿起首。他們雖在安提阿，在聖靈的引導下，於饑荒尚未發生時，定意照各人的力量捐錢，送去供給住在猶太的弟兄。他們就這樣行，把捐項託巴拿巴和掃羅送到眾長老那裡。

 

    可見在安提阿的門徒不是和耶路撒冷的弟兄姊妹決裂的，是在基督裡合一的，這是真正的教會的表現。這樣的表現不像一些自稱是教會的，只說自己是教會，別的宗派都是假的，要別人出來參加他們的教會！

 

    讓我們記得：教會只有一個，但是各地都可以建立。同樣宗派既是歷史的產物，但是教會仍然是合一的，我們都是「一主，一信，一洗，一上帝，就是眾人的父，超乎眾人之上，貫乎眾人之中，也住在眾人之內。」(以弗所書4:5-6)