使徒行傳22:1-21

 

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！