22:1 「諸位父兄請聽,我現在對你們分訴。」
22:2 眾人聽他說的是希伯來話,就更加安靜了。
22:3 保羅說:「我原是猶太人,生在基利家的大數,長在這城裡,在迦瑪列門下,按著我們祖宗嚴緊的律法受教,熱心事奉上帝,像你們眾人今日一樣。
22:4 我也曾逼迫奉這道的人,直到死地,無論男女都鎖拿下監。
22:5 這是大祭司和眾長老都可以給我作見證的。我又領了他們達與弟兄的書信,往大馬士革去,要把在那裡奉這道的人鎖拿,帶到耶路撒冷受刑。」
22:6 「我將到大馬士革,正走的時候,約在晌午,忽然從天上發大光,四面照著我。
22:7 我就仆倒在地,聽見有聲音對我說:『掃羅!掃羅!你為甚麼逼迫我?』
22:8 我回答說:『主啊,你是誰?』他說:『我就是你所逼迫的拿撒勒人耶穌。』
22:9 與我同行的人看見了那光,卻沒有聽明那位對我說話的聲音。
22:10 我說:『主啊,我當做甚麼?』主說:『起來,進大馬士革去,在那裡,要將所派你做的一切事告訴你。』
22:11 我因那光的榮耀不能看見,同行的人就拉著我手進了大馬士革。
22:12 那裡有一個人,名叫亞拿尼亞,按著律法是虔誠人,為一切住在那裡的猶太人所稱讚。
22:13 他來見我,站在旁邊,對我說:『兄弟掃羅,你可以看見。』我當時往上一看,就看見了他。
22:14 他又說:『我們祖宗的上帝揀選了你,叫你明白他的旨意,又得見那義者,聽他口中所出的聲音。
22:15 因為你要將所看見的,所聽見的,對著萬人為他作見證。
22:16 現在你為甚麼耽延呢?起來,求告他的名受洗,洗去你的罪。』」
22:17 「後來,我回到耶路撒冷,在殿裡禱告的時候,魂遊象外,
22:18 看見主向我說:『你趕緊地離開耶路撒冷,不可遲延;因你為我作的見證,這裡的人必不領受。』
22:19 我就說:『主啊,他們知道我從前把信你的人收在監裡,又在各會堂裡鞭打他們。
22:20 並且你的見證人司提反被害流血的時候,我也站在旁邊歡喜;又看守害死他之人的衣裳。』
22:21 主向我說:『你去吧!我要差你遠遠地往外邦人那裡去。』」
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
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保羅在這裏見證自己是怎樣遇見主耶穌,讓他的生命改變。讓我們感受到,一個人的信主是出於上帝的恩典,並不是人用心傳福音,或是對保羅有特別的關懷。也因此保羅體會到:「我不以福音為恥;這福音本是上帝的大能,要救一切相信的,先是猶太人,後是希臘人。」(羅馬書1:16)
然而人的軟弱,常常將榮耀歸給人,沒有將榮耀歸給上帝。也因為這樣,許多人認為傳福音要很殷勤,要遷就人的需要,於是讓福音變質了,造成教會不需要的混亂!
因此,我們要強調「五要點」:
人完全敗壞 ,
無條件揀選 ,
限定的贖罪 ,
有效的呼召 ,
聖徒的堅忍 ,
讓人知道信主是出於上帝的主權,讓三一上帝在將教會中得榮耀,直到永遠!
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