尼希米記2:1-10

 

2:1 亞達薛西王二十年尼散月，在王面前擺酒，我拿起酒來奉給王。我素來在王面前沒有愁容。
2:2 王對我說：「你既沒有病，為甚麼面帶愁容呢？這不是別的，必是你心中愁煩。」於是我甚懼怕。
2:3 我對王說：「願王萬歲！我列祖墳墓所在的那城荒涼，城門被火焚燒，我豈能面無愁容嗎？」
2:4 王問我說：「你要求甚麼？」於是我默禱天上的上帝。
2:5 我對王說：「僕人若在王眼前蒙恩，王若喜歡，求王差遣我往猶大，到我列祖墳墓所在的那城去，我好重新建造。」
2:6 那時王后坐在王的旁邊。王問我說：「你去要多少日子？幾時回來？」我就定了日期。於是王喜歡差遣我去。
2:7 我又對王說：「王若喜歡，求王賜我詔書，通知大河西的省長准我經過，直到猶大；
2:8 又賜詔書，通知管理王園林的亞薩，使他給我木料，做屬殿營樓之門的橫樑和城牆，與我自己房屋使用的。」王就允准我，因我上帝施恩的手幫助我。
2:9 王派了軍長和馬兵護送我。我到了河西的省長那裡，將王的詔書交給他們。
2:10 和倫人參巴拉，並為奴的亞捫人多比雅，聽見有人來為以色列人求好處，就甚惱怒。

 

  In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, ² so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, ³ but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

⁴ The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, ⁵ and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

⁶ Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

⁷ I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? ⁸ And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. ⁹ So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

¹⁰ When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

 

**************

 

    尼希米對耶路撒冷的關心，讓他的面帶憂愁，以至於王察覺到他的愁容，王就對他說：「你既沒有病，為甚麼面帶愁容呢？這不是別的，必是你心中愁煩。」

 

    對尼希米來說，這樣的表現有虧職守，然而上帝使他在王面前蒙恩，王還聽他的心聲：「願王萬歲！我列祖墳墓所在的那城荒涼，城門被火焚燒，我豈能面無愁容嗎？」

 

    王竟然開恩說：「你要求甚麼？」

 

    於是他禱告上帝之後，勇敢向王求：「僕人若在王眼前蒙恩，王若喜歡，求王差遣我往猶大，到我列祖墳墓所在的那城去，我好重新建造。」

 

    王不只答應他，還派他回耶路撒冷，還下詔書幫助他修復耶路撒冷，這真是上帝的恩典！

 

 

 

使徒行傳16:16-40

 

16:16 後來，我們往那禱告的地方去。有一個使女迎著面來，她被巫鬼所附，用法術，叫她主人們大得財利。
16:17 她跟隨保羅和我們，喊著說：「這些人是至高上帝的僕人，對你們傳說救人的道。」
16:18 她一連多日這樣喊叫，保羅就心中厭煩，轉身對那鬼說：「我奉耶穌基督的名，吩咐你從她身上出來！」那鬼當時就出來了。
16:19 使女的主人們見得利的指望沒有了，便揪住保羅和西拉，拉他們到市上去見首領；
16:20 又帶到官長面前說：「這些人原是猶太人，竟騷擾我們的城，
16:21 傳我們羅馬人所不可受不可行的規矩。」
16:22 眾人就一同起來攻擊他們。官長吩咐剝了他們的衣裳，用棍打；
16:23 打了許多棍，便將他們下在監裡，囑咐禁卒嚴緊看守。
16:24 禁卒領了這樣的命，就把他們下在內監裡，兩腳上了木狗。
16:25 約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告，唱詩讚美上帝，眾囚犯也側耳而聽。
16:26 忽然，地大震動，甚至監牢的地基都搖動了，監門立刻全開，眾囚犯的鎖鍊也都鬆開了。
16:27 禁卒一醒，看見監門全開，以為囚犯已經逃走，就拔刀要自殺。
16:28 保羅大聲呼叫說：「不要傷害自己！我們都在這裡。」
16:29 禁卒叫人拿燈來，就跳進去，戰戰兢兢地俯伏在保羅、西拉面前；
16:30 又領他們出來，說：「二位先生，我當怎樣行才可以得救？」
16:31 他們說：「當信主耶穌，你和你一家都必得救。」
16:32 他們就把主的道講給他和他全家的人聽。
16:33 當夜，就在那時候，禁卒把他們帶去，洗他們的傷；他和屬乎他的人立時都受了洗。
16:34 於是禁卒領他們上自己家裡去，給他們擺上飯。他和全家，因為信了上帝，都很喜樂。
16:35 到了天亮，官長打發差役來，說：「釋放那兩個人吧。」
16:36 禁卒就把這話告訴保羅說：「官長打發人來叫釋放你們，如今可以出監，平平安安地去吧。」
16:37 保羅卻說：「我們是羅馬人，並沒有定罪，他們就在眾人面前打了我們，又把我們下在監裡，現在要私下攆我們出去嗎？這是不行的。叫他們自己來領我們出去吧！」
16:38 差役把這話回稟官長。官長聽見他們是羅馬人，就害怕了，
16:39 於是來勸他們，領他們出來，請他們離開那城。
16:40 二人出了監，往呂底亞家裡去，見了弟兄們，勸慰他們一番，就走了。

 

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ³⁴ The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. ³⁹ They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

 

***********

 

    保羅和西拉外了傳福音下到監理，但是他們心中仍然喜樂，唱詩美上帝，於是感動了獄卒一家人信主！

 

    福音有時候是隨著我們受苦時傳揚出去，因為上帝奇妙的作為超越我們的想像，我們只要將我們的生命交託在上帝手中，上帝的榮耀就因此彰顯出來！

 

 

 

 

使徒行傳16:11-15

 

16:11 於是從特羅亞開船，一直行到撒摩特喇，第二天到了尼亞坡里。
16:12 從那裡來到腓立比，就是馬其頓這一方的頭一個城，也是羅馬的駐防城。我們在這城裡住了幾天。
16:13 當安息日，我們出城門，到了河邊，知道那裡有一個禱告的地方，我們就坐下對那聚會的婦女講道。
16:14 有一個賣紫色布疋的婦人，名叫呂底亞，是推雅推喇城的人，素來敬拜上帝。她聽見了，主就開導她的心，叫她留心聽保羅所講的話。
16:15 她和她一家既領了洗，便求我們說：「你們若以為我是真信主的（或譯：你們若以為我是忠心事主的），請到我家裡來住」；於是強留我們。

 

¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district^[a] of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

 

***********

 

    保羅到馬其頓的頭一個城就是腓立比，在這裡遇到一個賣紫色布疋的婦人，名叫呂底亞。主開導她的心，叫她留心聽保羅所講的話。也因為這樣，她和她一家既領了洗。

 

    不僅如此，他們還強留保羅這一群人，對他們說：「你們若以為我是真信主的（或譯：你們若以為我是忠心事主的），請到我家裡來住」！

 

    可見人的信主是出於聖靈的引導，怪不得改革宗教會會強調：「有效的呼召」，教導我們信主是出於上帝的恩典。

 

 

 

 

 

 

使徒行傳16:6-10

 

16:6 聖靈既然禁止他們在亞細亞講道，他們就經過弗呂家、加拉太一帶地方。
16:7 到了每西亞的邊界，他們想要往庇推尼去，耶穌的靈卻不許。
16:8 他們就越過每西亞，下到特羅亞去。
16:9 在夜間有異象現與保羅。有一個馬其頓人站著求他說：「請你過到馬其頓來幫助我們。」
16:10 保羅既看見這異象，我們隨即想要往馬其頓去，以為上帝召我們傳福音給那裡的人聽。

 

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

 

***********

 

    保羅在亞細亞傳福音，卻被聖靈禁止和不許。這讓我們感覺很奇特，為什麼聖靈會攔阻保羅呢？我們為甚麼沒有碰到這樣的情形呢？或許是我們不敏感聖靈的引導，常常隨心所欲的行我們想要行的，沒有尋求聖靈的引導，才不會感受到聖靈的攔阻！

 

    也因為這樣，我們要格外小心，既然明白聖靈有主權要做祂要做的事，我們就不要再隨自己的心意行事，要尋求聖靈的心意，受聖靈的管制！因為聖靈不是只給我們自由，也是給我們限制，才不至於得罪上帝！所以「節制」也是我們要學習的重要功課，如此才不會誤入歧途！

 

    其實在聖經中我們也看見主耶穌雖然與上帝同等，上帝仍然要祂被限制在上帝的旨意中，不可以越過上帝的旨意！求主幫助我們，不要讓自我的意志高漲超越上帝給我們的限制！

 

    然而上帝的旨意要保羅將福音傳到馬其頓，所以透過馬其頓的異象讓保羅看見上帝的心意！其實今日，上帝已會透過聖靈來引導與限制我們！

 

    主啊！我要感謝祢，祢的限制是好的，讓我不會竊取你的榮耀，讓我不會落入沉淪之中！

 

 

 

使徒行傳16章

     使徒行傳16:1-5  ,

     使徒行傳16:6-10  ,

     使徒行傳16:11-15 , 使徒行傳16:14 ,

     使徒行傳16:16-40  ,