使徒行傳4:32-37

 

4:32 那許多信的人都是一心一意的，沒有一人說他的東西有一樣是自己的，都是大家公用。
4:33 使徒大有能力，見證主耶穌復活；眾人也都蒙大恩。
4:34 內中也沒有一個缺乏的；因為人人將田產房屋都賣了，
4:35 把所賣的價銀拿來，放在使徒腳前，照各人所需用的，分給各人。
4:36 有一個利未人，生在塞浦路斯，名叫約瑟，使徒稱他為巴拿巴（巴拿巴翻出來就是勸慰子）。
4:37 他有田地，也賣了，把價銀拿來，放在使徒腳前。

 

³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

 

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    教會因著使徒大有能力，見證主耶穌復活；眾人也都蒙大恩。但是在這種情況下也有現實要面對的問題，就是生活上所需用的事物。然而大家因為基督的救恩所帶來的新的生活與經濟型態：「內中也沒有一個缺乏的；因為人人將田產房屋都賣了，把所賣的價銀拿來，放在使徒腳前，照各人所需用的，分給各人。」

 

    這也就是說初代教會的信徒是如同「共產」的經濟型態，這樣的型態目前只有天主教的修會採用這樣的方式：他們凡物公用，一起吃飯、居住，每個人有三千新台幣零用金。

 

    當然這不是必定如此，一般的基督教會是各人有各人的財產，每月奉獻十分之一公教會的福音傳播使用。當然一切都要出於甘心樂意，不可勉強。正如保羅所說：「各人要隨本心所酌定的，不要作難，不要勉強，因為捐得樂意的人是上帝所喜愛的。」（哥林多後書9:7）

 

    因此，我們要樂意的奉獻，不要害怕奉獻太少上帝不賜福，反而愛表現奉獻太多，反而使自己受虧損又不得上帝的喜愛！

 

使徒行傳4:23-31

 

4:23 二人既被釋放，就到會友那裡去，把祭司長和長老所說的話都告訴他們。
4:24 他們聽見了，就同心合意地高聲向上帝說：「主啊！你是造天、地、海，和其中萬物的，
4:25 你曾藉著聖靈，託你僕人─我們祖宗大衛的口，說：外邦為甚麼爭鬧？萬民為甚麼謀算虛妄的事？
4:26 世上的君王一齊起來，臣宰也聚集，要敵擋主，並主的受膏者（或譯：基督）。
4:27 希律和本丟•彼拉多，外邦人和以色列民，果然在這城裡聚集，要攻打你所膏的聖僕（僕：或譯子）耶穌，
4:28 成就你手和你意旨所預定必有的事。
4:29 他們恐嚇我們，現在求主鑒察，一面叫你僕人大放膽量講你的道，一面伸出你的手來醫治疾病，並且使神蹟奇事因著你聖僕（僕：或譯子）耶穌的名行出來。」
4:30 【併於上節】
4:31 禱告完了，聚會的地方震動，他們就都被聖靈充滿，放膽講論上帝的道。

 

²³ On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
²⁶ The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.^[b]’^[c]

²⁷ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸ They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

 

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    彼得勇敢在會堂做見證，讓那些人無法對他們做甚麼！這樣的事蹟，彼得也分享給教會的弟兄姊妹知道，大家就同心禱告感謝上帝！甚至「禱告完了，聚會的地方震動，他們就都被聖靈充滿，放膽講論上帝的道。」

 

    其實今日的基督徒也要效法彼得和約翰，靠著聖靈來向世界宣告耶穌基督的名，讓世人清楚唯有靠耶穌基督的名，人才可以享受上帝所賜的永生！正如保羅所說：「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）

 

    因此，我們不要害怕自己沒有學問，也不要擔心自己社會地位低，更不用害怕自己的經濟沒有別人好，…。我們只要靠著聖靈，就會超越人的限制，將上帝的話語，也就是福音傳講得使人願意悔改歸向上帝！

 

 

歷代志下36:15-23

 

36:15 耶和華─他們列祖的上帝因為愛惜自己的民和他的居所，從早起來差遣使者去警戒他們。
36:16 他們卻嘻笑上帝的使者，藐視他的言語，譏誚他的先知，以致耶和華的忿怒向他的百姓發作，無法可救。
36:17 所以，耶和華使迦勒底人的王來攻擊他們，在他們聖殿裡用刀殺了他們的壯丁，不憐恤他們的少男處女、老人白叟。耶和華將他們都交在迦勒底王手裡。
36:18 迦勒底王將上帝殿裡的大小器皿與耶和華殿裡的財寶，並王和眾首領的財寶，都帶到巴比倫去了。
36:19 迦勒底人焚燒上帝的殿，拆毀耶路撒冷的城牆，用火燒了城裡的宮殿，毀壞了城裡寶貴的器皿。
36:20 凡脫離刀劍的，迦勒底王都擄到巴比倫去，作他和他子孫的僕婢，直到波斯國興起來。
36:21 這就應驗耶和華藉耶利米口所說的話：地享受安息；因為地土荒涼便守安息，直滿了七十年。
36:22 波斯王塞魯士元年，耶和華為要應驗藉耶利米口所說的話，就激動波斯王塞魯士的心，使他下詔通告全國，說：
36:23 「波斯王塞魯士如此說：耶和華─天上的上帝已將天下萬國賜給我，又囑咐我在猶大的耶路撒冷為他建造殿宇。你們中間凡作他子民的，可以上去，願耶和華─他的上帝與他同在。」

 

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. ¹⁷ He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[g] who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁸ He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

²⁰ He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

²² In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²³ “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

 

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    歷代志的結尾讓讀者感受到上帝的眷顧，祂使大衛家和猶大百姓被擄，卻照先知耶利米的預言70年後歸回，而且是正正當當的歸回，祂讓波斯王塞魯士如此說：「耶和華─天上的上帝已將天下萬國賜給我，又囑咐我在猶大的耶路撒冷為他建造殿宇。你們中間凡作他子民的，可以上去，願耶和華─他的上帝與他同在。」

 

    「被擄歸回」也是「基督再來」的預表，讓人之上帝的應許必不落空，必定會成就，因為祂是權能的上帝！

 

 

歷代志下36章

      歷代志下36:1-14  ,

      歷代志下36:15-23 ,

歷代志下36:1-14

 

36:1 國民立約西亞的兒子約哈斯在耶路撒冷接續他父作王。
36:2 約哈斯登基的時候年二十三歲，在耶路撒冷作王三個月。
36:3 埃及王在耶路撒冷廢了他，又罰猶大國銀子一百他連得，金子一他連得。
36:4 埃及王尼哥立約哈斯的哥哥以利雅敬作猶大和耶路撒冷的王，改名叫約雅敬，又將約哈斯帶到埃及去了。
36:5 約雅敬登基的時候年二十五歲，在耶路撒冷作王十一年，行耶和華─他上帝眼中看為惡的事。
36:6 巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒上來攻擊他，用銅鍊鎖著他，要將他帶到巴比倫去。
36:7 尼布甲尼撒又將耶和華殿裡的器皿帶到巴比倫，放在他神的廟裡（或譯：自己的宮裡）。
36:8 約雅敬其餘的事和他所行可憎的事，並他一切的行為，都寫在以色列和猶大列王記上。他兒子約雅斤接續他作王。
36:9 約雅斤登基的時候年八歲（在列王下二十四章八節是十八歲），在耶路撒冷作王三個月零十天，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事。
36:10 過了一年，尼布甲尼撒差遣人將約雅斤和耶和華殿裡各樣寶貴的器皿帶到巴比倫，就立約雅斤的叔叔（原文是兄）西底家作猶大和耶路撒冷的王。
36:11 西底家登基的時候年二十一歲，在耶路撒冷作王十一年，
36:12 行耶和華─他上帝眼中看為惡的事。先知耶利米以耶和華的話勸他，他仍不在耶利米面前自卑。
36:13 尼布甲尼撒曾使他指著上帝起誓，他卻背叛，強項硬心，不歸服耶和華─以色列的上帝。
36:14 眾祭司長和百姓也大大犯罪，效法外邦人一切可憎的事，污穢耶和華在耶路撒冷分別為聖的殿。

 

 ¹ And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

² Jehoahaz^[a] was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. ³ The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents^[b] of silver and a talent^[c] of gold. ⁴ The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.

⁵ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. ⁶ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. ⁷ Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple^[d] there.

⁸ The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

⁹ Jehoiachin was eighteen^[e] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁰ In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,^[f] Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

¹¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. ¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

 

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    猶大國處於亞述和埃及兩大國之間，所以政局受到這兩國的影響，最後因為王不聽上帝的話，輕忽與上帝的關係，於是被巴比倫所滅！

 

    這些王的事蹟讓我們感觸的是，人必須敬畏上帝，不要畏懼附近的強敵，上帝必定會給我們出路的！

 

 

歷代志下35章

    歷代志下35:1-37  ,