使徒行傳20:13-24

 

20:13 我們先上船，開往亞朔去，意思要在那裡接保羅；因為他是這樣安排的，他自己打算要步行。
20:14 他既在亞朔與我們相會，我們就接他上船，來到米推利尼。
20:15 從那裡開船，次日到了基阿的對面；又次日，在撒摩靠岸；又次日，來到米利都。
20:16 乃因保羅早已定意越過以弗所，免得在亞細亞耽延，他急忙前走，巴不得趕五旬節能到耶路撒冷。
20:17 保羅從米利都打發人往以弗所去，請教會的長老來。
20:18 他們來了，保羅就說：「你們知道，自從我到亞細亞的日子以來，在你們中間始終為人如何，
20:19 服事主，凡事謙卑，眼中流淚，又因猶太人的謀害，經歷試煉。
20:20 你們也知道，凡與你們有益的，我沒有一樣避諱不說的，或在眾人面前，或在各人家裡，我都教導你們；
20:21 又對猶太人和希臘人證明當向上帝悔改，信靠我主耶穌基督。
20:22 現在我往耶路撒冷去，心甚迫切（原文是心被捆綁），不知道在那裡要遇見甚麼事；
20:23 但知道聖靈在各城裡向我指證，說有捆鎖與患難等待我。
20:24 我卻不以性命為念，也不看為寶貴，只要行完我的路程，成就我從主耶穌所領受的職事，證明上帝恩惠的福音。

 

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. ¹⁶ Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

¹⁷ From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. ¹⁹ I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. ²⁰ You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

 

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   保羅知道自己這一生奔跑的方向：「但知道聖靈在各城裡向我指證，說有捆鎖與患難等待我。我卻不以性命為念，也不看為寶貴，只要行完我的路程，成就我從主耶穌所領受的職事，證明上帝恩惠的福音。」

 

    這也就是告訴我們服事主必定要有勇敢的心，甚至要願意為主面對各樣的苦難和考驗，因為主耶穌說：「若有人要跟從我，就當捨己，背起他的十字架來跟從我。因為，凡要救自己生命（生命：或譯靈魂；下同）的，必喪掉生命；凡為我喪掉生命的，必得著生命。」(5)

 

    因此，我們要將自己的生命勇敢交託給主耶穌，正如保羅一樣！主耶穌也應許說：「人子要在他父的榮耀裡，同著眾使者降臨；那時候，他要照各人的行為報應各人。」(馬太福音16:27)

 

使徒行傳20:7-12

20:7 七日的第一日，我們聚會擘餅的時候，保羅因為要次日起行，就與他們講論，直講到半夜。
20:8 我們聚會的那座樓上，有好些燈燭。
20:9 有一個少年人，名叫猶推古，坐在窗臺上，困倦沉睡。保羅講了多時，少年人睡熟了，就從三層樓上掉下去；扶起他來，已經死了。
20:10 保羅下去，伏在他身上，抱著他，說：「你們不要發慌，他的靈魂還在身上。」
20:11 保羅又上去，擘餅，吃了，談論許久，直到天亮，這才走了。
20:12 有人把那童子活活地領來，得的安慰不小。

 

⁷ On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. ⁹ Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” ¹¹ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹² The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

 

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    「七日的第一日」表是教會開始將敬拜時間放在一週的開始，就是所謂的主日，紀念主耶穌的復活！

 

 

 

 

使徒行傳20:1-6

 

20:1 亂定之後，保羅請門徒來，勸勉他們，就辭別起行，往馬其頓去。
20:2 走遍了那一帶地方，用許多話勸勉門徒（或譯：眾人），然後來到希臘。
20:3 在那裡住了三個月，將要坐船往敘利亞去，猶太人設計要害他，他就定意從馬其頓回去。
20:4 同他到亞細亞去的，有庇哩亞人畢羅斯的兒子所巴特，帖撒羅尼迦人亞里達古和西公都，還有特庇人該猶，並提摩太，又有亞細亞人推基古和特羅非摩。
20:5 這些人先走，在特羅亞等候我們。
20:6 過了除酵的日子，我們從腓立比開船，五天到了特羅亞，和他們相會，在那裡住了七天。

 

When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. ² He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, ³ where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. ⁴ He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶ But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

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    保羅經過三次佈道旅行，事功慢慢轉移到外邦人了！

 

 

 

尼希米記5:1-19

5:1 百姓和他們的妻大大呼號，埋怨他們的弟兄猶大人。
5:2 有的說：「我們和兒女人口眾多，要去得糧食度命」；
5:3 有的說：「我們典了田地、葡萄園、房屋，要得糧食充飢」；
5:4 有的說：「我們已經指著田地、葡萄園，借了錢給王納稅。
5:5 我們的身體與我們弟兄的身體一樣；我們的兒女與他們的兒女一般。現在我們將要使兒女作人的僕婢，我們的女兒已有為婢的；我們並無力拯救，因為我們的田地、葡萄園已經歸了別人。」
5:6 我聽見他們呼號說這些話，便甚發怒。
5:7 我心裡籌劃，就斥責貴冑和官長說：「你們各人向弟兄取利！」於是我招聚大會攻擊他們。
5:8 我對他們說：「我們盡力贖回我們弟兄，就是賣與外邦的猶大人；你們還要賣弟兄，使我們贖回來嗎？」他們就靜默不語，無話可答。
5:9 我又說：「你們所行的不善！你們行事不當敬畏我們的上帝嗎？不然，難免我們的仇敵外邦人毀謗我們。
5:10 我和我的弟兄與僕人也將銀錢糧食借給百姓；我們大家都當免去利息。
5:11 如今我勸你們將他們的田地、葡萄園、橄欖園、房屋，並向他們所取的銀錢、糧食、新酒，和油，百分之一的利息都歸還他們。」
5:12 眾人說：「我們必歸還，不再向他們索要，必照你的話行。」我就召了祭司來，叫眾人起誓，必照著所應許的而行。
5:13 我也抖著胸前的衣襟，說：「凡不成就這應許的，願上帝照樣抖他離開家產和他勞碌得來的，直到抖空了。」會眾都說：「阿們！」又讚美耶和華。百姓就照著所應許的去行。
5:14 自從我奉派作猶大地的省長，就是從亞達薛西王二十年直到三十二年，共十二年之久，我與我弟兄都沒有吃省長的俸祿。
5:15 在我以前的省長加重百姓的擔子，每日索要糧食和酒，並銀子四十舍客勒，就是他們的僕人也轄制百姓；但我因敬畏上帝不這樣行。
5:16 並且我恆心修造城牆，並沒有置買田地；我的僕人也都聚集在那裡做工。
5:17 除了從四圍外邦中來的猶大人以外，有猶大平民和官長一百五十人在我席上吃飯。
5:18 每日預備一隻公牛，六隻肥羊，又預備些飛禽；每十日一次，多預備各樣的酒。雖然如此，我並不要省長的俸祿，因為百姓服役甚重。
5:19 我的上帝啊，求你記念我為這百姓所行的一切事，施恩與我。

 

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. ² Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”

³ Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”

⁴ Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”

⁶ When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. ⁷ I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them ⁸ and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

⁹ So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? ¹⁰ I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! ¹¹ Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

¹² “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. ¹³ I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”

At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

¹⁴ Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. ¹⁵ But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels^[a] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. ¹⁶ Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we^[b] did not acquire any land.

¹⁷ Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. ¹⁸ Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

¹⁹ Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.

 

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    尼希米表現出牧者的樣式，來照顧一起重建耶路撒冷城的百姓，更要求官長不要利用權勢來對奪取百姓的錢財，更要求富有的人不要像弟兄們取利息，讓大家共度難關，專心重建城牆。