使徒行傳15:22-35

 

15:22 那時，使徒和長老並全教會定意從他們中間揀選人，差他們和保羅、巴拿巴同往安提阿去；所揀選的就是稱呼巴撒巴的猶大和西拉。這兩個人在弟兄中是作首領的。
15:23 於是寫信交付他們，內中說：「使徒和作長老的弟兄們問安提阿、敘利亞、基利家外邦眾弟兄的安。
15:24 我們聽說，有幾個人從我們這裡出去，用言語攪擾你們，惑亂你們的心。（有古卷加：你們必須受割禮，守摩西的律法。）其實我們並沒有吩咐他們。
15:25 所以，我們同心定意，揀選幾個人，差他們同我們所親愛的巴拿巴和保羅往你們那裡去。
15:26 這二人是為我主耶穌基督的名不顧性命的。
15:27 我們就差了猶大和西拉，他們也要親口訴說這些事。
15:28 因為聖靈和我們定意不將別的重擔放在你們身上，惟有幾件事是不可少的，
15:29 就是禁戒祭偶像的物和血，並勒死的牲畜和姦淫。這幾件你們若能自己禁戒不犯就好了。願你們平安！」
15:30 他們既奉了差遣，就下安提阿去，聚集眾人，交付書信。
15:31 眾人念了，因為信上安慰的話就歡喜了。
15:32 猶大和西拉也是先知，就用許多話勸勉弟兄，堅固他們。
15:33 住了些日子，弟兄們打發他們平平安安地回到差遣他們的人那裡去。（有古卷加：
15:34 惟有西拉定意仍住在那裡。）
15:35 但保羅和巴拿巴仍住在安提阿，和許多別人一同教訓人，傳主的道。

 

²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings.

²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [d] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

 

***********

 

    這一次的會議會後，耶路撒冷教會寫了一封重要的信給外邦的基督徒，用建議的口吻勸戒他們：『因為聖靈和我們定意不將別的重擔放在你們身上，惟有幾件事是不可少的，就是禁戒祭偶像的物和血，並勒死的牲畜和姦淫。這幾件你們若能自己禁戒不犯就好了。願你們平安！』

 

    這段話樹立一個典範是︰基督徒看重在基督裡的自由，不要把重擔放在別人之身上。這也告訴我們：不要把福音教導成律法，以致使人被綑綁；但也不可把律法教導成福音，以致人覺得可以為所欲為，讓教會失去該有的次序。

 

    其實教會還是不可以離開福音和律法，但是不要混雜，這樣教會才會正常發展！