約翰福音8:12-20

 

8:12 耶穌又對眾人說：「我是世界的光。跟從我的，就不在黑暗裡走，必要得著生命的光。」
8:13 法利賽人對他說：「你是為自己作見證，你的見證不真。」
8:14 耶穌說：「我雖然為自己作見證，我的見證還是真的；因我知道我從哪裡來，往哪裡去；你們卻不知道我從哪裡來，往哪裡去。
8:15 你們是以外貌（原文是憑肉身）判斷人，我卻不判斷人。
8:16 就是判斷人，我的判斷也是真的；因為不是我獨自在這裡，還有差我來的父與我同在。
8:17 你們的律法上也記著說：『兩個人的見證是真的。』
8:18 我是為自己作見證，還有差我來的父也是為我作見證。」
8:19 他們就問他說：「你的父在哪裡？」耶穌回答說：「你們不認識我，也不認識我的父；若是認識我，也就認識我的父。」
8:20 這些話是耶穌在殿裡的庫房、教訓人時所說的，也沒有人拿他，因為他的時候還沒有到。

 

¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

¹³ The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷ In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. ¹⁸ I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

¹⁹ Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ²⁰ He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

 

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    主耶穌在這裡宣告：「我是世界的光。跟從我的，就不在黑暗裡走，必要得著生命的光。」

 

    主耶穌這樣說不是支持「拜火教」或「光明會」，非也！主耶穌是上帝不用支持這些組織，反而這些組織要來皈依主耶穌才是對的！這也說明基督徒不是支持耶穌基督以外的，甚至是教皇或是某某牧師，這些都不是我們要支持的，我們是「唯獨基督」！

 

    也因為這樣我們是回應主耶穌的呼召，不是回應某某牧師，不管是獻心會或獻身會，甚至是佈道會！我們唯一回應的對象是主耶穌！因為需多人假借主耶穌的名義，讓信徒自願放棄自由的意志來跟隨某個組織、某個主義、某個運動、某個理想，這些都是在製造偶像，都是不合乎上帝的旨意，都是在搶奪上帝的主權！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，請快快清醒！我們是「唯獨基督」！

 

 

約翰福音8:1-11

 

8:1 於是各人都回家去了；耶穌卻往橄欖山去，

8:2 清早又回到殿裡。眾百姓都到他那裡去，他就坐下，教訓他們。

8:3 文士和法利賽人帶著一個行淫時被拿的婦人來，叫她站在當中，

8:4 就對耶穌說：「夫子，這婦人是正行淫之時被拿的。

8:5 摩西在律法上吩咐我們把這樣的婦人用石頭打死。你說該把她怎麼樣呢？」

8:6 他們說這話，乃試探耶穌，要得著告他的把柄。耶穌卻彎著腰，用指頭在地上畫字。

8:7 他們還是不住地問他，耶穌就直起腰來，對他們說：「你們中間誰是沒有罪的，誰就可以先拿石頭打她。」

8:8 於是又彎著腰，用指頭在地上畫字。

8:9 他們聽見這話，就從老到少，一個一個地都出去了，只剩下耶穌一人，還有那婦人仍然站在當中。

8:10 耶穌就直起腰來，對她說：「婦人，那些人在哪裡呢？沒有人定你的罪嗎？」

8:11 她說：「主啊，沒有。」耶穌說：「我也不定你的罪。去吧，從此不要再犯罪了！」

 

¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

 

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    這是一段很有意思的插曲，因為有些抄本並沒有這段記載，可是大部分的譯本會將這段放入內容之中，表示這個事蹟受到許多的讀者歡迎，將其視為聖經的一部分，也因此我們也要來認識這一段。

 

    有位法學家也將這段事蹟放入他的論述之中，稱讚主耶穌的睿智，因為刑罰不是法律的目的，法律的目的是要保護人！而主耶穌這兩樣都做到了，讓人認識守法律的重要，也保護該保護的人。

 

    因為在這裡讓我們看見了多方勢力的張力，有摩西的律法、羅馬的法律、上帝的拯救、罪惡的轄制、人性的尊嚴、…，然而主耶穌卻用看輕鬆的方式將一切擺平，但是卻讓人在這當中得警戒與教訓！

 

    的確，我們是有罪的人，不管是犯明顯或隱藏的罪，我們都是有罪的影響力在我們的生命中，我們都像那婦人一樣需要聽見主耶穌所說的：「我也不定你的罪。去吧，從此不要再犯罪了！」

 

    主耶穌更是將更新的力量放在我們生命中，就是我們信靠祂，就必領受聖靈為生命的泉源，活出上帝兒女的樣式，朝完全的方向成長，一直到上帝國完全實現，我們就是完全更新了！

 

 

 

詩篇112:6-7

 

112:6 他永不動搖；義人被記念，直到永遠。
112:7 他必不怕凶惡的信息；他心堅定，倚靠耶和華。

⁶ Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
⁷ They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

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    最近台灣的COVID-19的疫情稍微嚴重一點，就造成社會許多的動盪和不安，也彰顯台灣人的脆弱和一些政治人物的「用心」，以及對岸強國的「關心」！不過，我們再台灣的基督徒應該相信上帝的眷顧依然是這片土地上的人民，盼望大家快快悔改歸向祂！

 

    在這種情況下讀到詩篇112篇這兩節：「他永不動搖；義人被記念，直到永遠。他必不怕凶惡的信息；他心堅定，倚靠耶和華。」更感覺到基督徒在這個動盪的時候，更是要倚靠上帝成為身邊的人的「典範」，讓人感受到上帝的眷顧依然，上帝還是與敬畏祂的義人同在，讓我們已經為上帝的心來面對疫情。雖然不是每一位基督徒都有醫學的專業，但是我們有上帝的同在，可以帶給人「鎮靜」！

 

    求主保守，讓「鎮靜」的力量從我們開始，是人因「鎮靜」感受到上帝的大能與慈愛，這就是我們的任務！

 

 

 

 

歷代志下16章

     歷代志下16:1-14  ,

歷代志下16:1-14

 

16:1 亞撒三十六年，以色列王巴沙上來攻擊猶大，修築拉瑪，不許人從猶大王亞撒那裡出入。
16:2 於是亞撒從耶和華殿和王宮的府庫裡拿出金銀來，送與住大馬士革的亞蘭王便‧哈達，說：
16:3 「你父曾與我父立約，我與你也要立約。現在我將金銀送給你，求你廢掉你與以色列王巴沙所立的約，使他離開我。」
16:4 便‧哈達聽從亞撒王的話，派軍長去攻擊以色列的城邑。他們就攻破以雲、但、亞伯‧瑪音，和拿弗他利一切的積貨城。
16:5 巴沙聽見就停工，不修築拉瑪了。
16:6 於是亞撒王率領猶大眾人，將巴沙修築拉瑪所用的石頭、木頭都運去，用以修築迦巴和米斯巴。
16:7 那時，先見哈拿尼來見猶大王亞撒，對他說：「因你仰賴亞蘭王，沒有仰賴耶和華─你的上帝，所以亞蘭王的軍兵脫離了你的手。
16:8 古實人、路比人的軍隊不是甚大嗎？戰車馬兵不是極多嗎？只因你仰賴耶和華，他便將他們交在你手裡。
16:9 耶和華的眼目遍察全地，要顯大能幫助向他心存誠實的人。你這事行得愚昧；此後，你必有爭戰的事。」
16:10 亞撒因此惱恨先見，將他囚在監裡。那時亞撒也虐待一些人民。
16:11 亞撒所行的事，自始至終都寫在猶大和以色列諸王記上。
16:12 亞撒作王三十九年，他腳上有病，而且甚重。病的時候沒有求耶和華，只求醫生。
16:13 他作王四十一年而死，與他列祖同睡，
16:14 葬在大衛城自己所鑿的墳墓裡，放在床上，其床堆滿各樣馨香的香料，就是按做香的作法調和的香料，又為他燒了許多的物件。

 

 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

² Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ³ “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

⁴ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim^[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites^[b] and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen^[c]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

¹¹ The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. ¹³ Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor.

 

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    亞撒王年輕的時候敬畏上帝，年老的時候好大喜功，對於「以色列王巴沙上來攻擊猶大，修築拉瑪，不許人從猶大王亞撒那裡出入」這事竟然是找亞蘭王便‧哈達處理。

 

    怪不得上帝會透過先見哈拿尼說：「因你仰賴亞蘭王，沒有仰賴耶和華─你的上帝，所以亞蘭王的軍兵脫離了你的手。古實人、路比人的軍隊不是甚大嗎？戰車馬兵不是極多嗎？只因你仰賴耶和華，他便將他們交在你手裡。耶和華的眼目遍察全地，要顯大能幫助向他心存誠實的人。你這事行得愚昧；此後，你必有爭戰的事。」

 

    這也給教會很大的提醒，因為許多教會做社會服務的工作是去政府申請經費，或是從一些機構爭取經費。剛開始教會好像財務很豐富，後面去衍生許多問題。因為去取得這些費用，這些勢力就侵入教會，使教會失去立場，讓教會無法扮演她該扮演的角色！最基本的教會應該專屬基督的，不是屬政府的，也不是屬於社福機構的！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們要清楚教會唯一根基就是耶穌基督，不可以讓基督以外的勢力侵蝕教會，教會不是淫婦，教會是基督的新婦！