使徒行傳21:1-16

 

21:1 我們離別了眾人，就開船一直行到哥士。第二天到了羅底，從那裡到帕大喇，
21:2 遇見一隻船要往腓尼基去，就上船起行。
21:3 望見塞浦路斯，就從南邊行過，往敘利亞去，我們就在泰爾上岸，因為船要在那裡卸貨。
21:4 找著了門徒，就在那裡住了七天。他們被聖靈感動，對保羅說：「不要上耶路撒冷去。」
21:5 過了這幾天，我們就起身前行。他們眾人同妻子兒女，送我們到城外，我們都跪在岸上禱告，彼此辭別。
21:6 我們上了船，他們就回家去了。
21:7 我們從泰爾行盡了水路，來到多利買，就問那裡的弟兄安，和他們同住了一天。
21:8 第二天，我們離開那裡，來到凱撒利亞，就進了傳福音的腓利家裡，和他同住。他是那七個執事裡的一個。
21:9 他有四個女兒，都是處女，是說預言的。
21:10 我們在那裡多住了幾天，有一個先知，名叫亞迦布，從猶太下來，
21:11 到了我們這裡，就拿保羅的腰帶捆上自己的手腳，說：「聖靈說：猶太人在耶路撒冷，要如此捆綁這腰帶的主人，把他交在外邦人手裡。」
21:12 我們和那本地的人聽見這話，都苦勸保羅不要上耶路撒冷去。
21:13 保羅說：「你們為甚麼這樣痛哭，使我心碎呢？我為主耶穌的名，不但被人捆綁，就是死在耶路撒冷也是願意的。」
21:14 保羅既不聽勸，我們便住了口，只說：「願主的旨意成就」，便了。
21:15 過了幾日，我們收拾行李上耶路撒冷去。
21:16 有凱撒利亞的幾個門徒和我們同去，帶我們到一個久為（久為：或譯老）門徒的家裡，叫我們與他同住；他名叫拿孫，是塞浦路斯人。

 

After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ² We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³ After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. ⁶ After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

¹⁵ After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

 

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    雖然保羅這一趟回耶路撒冷，有許多人預言保羅到耶路撒冷會受到迫害；但是保羅卻回答他們：「你們為甚麼這樣痛哭，使我心碎呢？我為主耶穌的名，不但被人捆綁，就是死在耶路撒冷也是願意的。」

 

    從保羅的回答我們知道，我們信耶穌和世人求的平安是不同的。世人求的是不遭受災難，凡事都順利與亨通，但是基督徒求的平安是有上帝的同在！只要有主的同在，即使是為主耶穌的名，被人捆綁，甚至被迫害至死在也是願意的。因為，寧可為主喪失性命，也無所謂，因為主應許為祂喪失性命的，必得著永生！太過於保護自己的性命，反而得不著永生！

 

    這對今日的基督徒也是如此，尤其是阿富汗的事件，讓人擔憂神學士會殺害基督徒，卻不知基督徒是以為主名受逼迫、被殺害為榮耀！這是基督徒與其他宗教信仰不同之處！

 

    基督徒要向保羅一樣，不要畏懼為主名被人捆綁、被人殺害，主正在榮耀處迎接為祂名被害的人呢！這才是真正的榮歸天家！