11:29 他們因著信,過紅海如行乾地;埃及人試著要過去,就被吞滅了。
11:30 以色列人因著信,圍繞耶利哥城七日,城牆就倒塌了。
11:31 妓女喇合因著信,曾和和平平地接待探子,就不與那些不順從的人一同滅亡。
11:32 我又何必再說呢?若要一一細說,基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳,和眾先知的事,時候就不夠了。
11:33 他們因著信,制伏了敵國,行了公義,得了應許,堵了獅子的口,
11:34 滅了烈火的猛勢,脫了刀劍的鋒刃;軟弱變為剛強,爭戰顯出勇敢,打退外邦的全軍。
11:35 有婦人得自己的死人復活。又有人忍受嚴刑,不肯苟且得釋放(原文是贖),為要得著更美的復活。
11:30 以色列人因著信,圍繞耶利哥城七日,城牆就倒塌了。
11:31 妓女喇合因著信,曾和和平平地接待探子,就不與那些不順從的人一同滅亡。
11:32 我又何必再說呢?若要一一細說,基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳,和眾先知的事,時候就不夠了。
11:33 他們因著信,制伏了敵國,行了公義,得了應許,堵了獅子的口,
11:34 滅了烈火的猛勢,脫了刀劍的鋒刃;軟弱變為剛強,爭戰顯出勇敢,打退外邦的全軍。
11:35 有婦人得自己的死人復活。又有人忍受嚴刑,不肯苟且得釋放(原文是贖),為要得著更美的復活。
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
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「因著信」是舊約聖經的一條「紅線」,將所有舊約的人物都串在一起,不管是先知書或是歷史書,讓我們看見,這些人之所以可以成為上帝的見證人,或是代表者,都是「因著信」!
「因著信」要告訴我們上帝揀選的奇妙,完全不是這些人的優異過人,而是上帝自己藉用這些人,來散發上帝對是人的慈愛和憐憫!若不是上帝出手拯救,人真的算不了什麼!
「因著信」更是與基督的復活連結在一起,正如這裡所說:「婦人得自己的死人復活。又有人忍受嚴刑,不肯苟且得釋放(原文是贖),為要得著更美的復活。」
「因著信」更是作者要激勵的受信者,讓他們知道,屬基督的人必定要為信仰受到逼迫,也惟有「因著信」才能突破眼前的困境,沒有別的路,就是要與基督同受苦,才能同復活!
因此「因著信」與為主受苦是分不開的!