羅馬書1:8-17

 

1:8 第一，我靠著耶穌基督，為你們眾人感謝我的上帝，因你們的信德傳遍了天下。
1:9 我在他兒子福音上，用心靈所事奉的上帝可以見證，我怎樣不住地提到你們；
1:10 在禱告之間常常懇求，或者照上帝的旨意，終能得平坦的道路往你們那裡去。
1:11 因為我切切地想見你們，要把些屬靈的恩賜分給你們，使你們可以堅固；
1:12 這樣，我在你們中間，因你與我彼此的信心，就可以同得安慰。
1:13 弟兄們，我不願意你們不知道，我屢次定意往你們那裡去，要在你們中間得些果子，如同在其餘的外邦人中一樣；只是到如今仍有阻隔。
1:14 無論是希臘人、化外人、聰明人、愚拙人，我都欠他們的債，
1:15 所以情願盡我的力量，將福音也傳給你們在羅馬的人。
1:16 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。
1:17 因為上帝的義正在這福音上顯明出來；這義是本於信，以至於信。如經上所記：「義人必因信得生。」

 

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. ⁹ God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you ¹⁰ in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

¹¹ I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,^[d] that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. ¹⁷ For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,^[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

 

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    有兩個詞在和合本聖經表達得不是很好，就是英文的「righteousness」和「justice」。其實兩者意義是有差異的：「righteousness」是與上帝之間的關係；「justice」是談到平等性和不虧欠別人。這裡提到「信」的結果是讓人與上帝有合宜的關係，不是讓人覺得自己比別人好。

 

    而然透過與上帝和好，才能繼續享受上帝的供應，是一種生命的聯繫，好像一棵樹栽在溪水旁，如此才能脫離死亡，進入永生的福樂！也因為如此，才能說：「義人必因信得生。」

 

    因此說到福音，有一點是非常重要的：就是要和上帝建立合宜的關係，讓上帝成為我們的上帝，我們成為上帝的兒女！而要建立這樣的關係，就是要透過耶穌基督，我們的責任就是「信靠」、就是「跟隨」主耶穌！

 

 

 *** 請繼續閱讀:         羅馬書1章

羅馬書1:1-7

 

1:1 耶穌基督的僕人保羅，奉召為使徒，特派傳上帝的福音。
1:2 這福音是上帝從前藉眾先知在聖經上所應許的，
1:3 論到他兒子─我主耶穌基督。按肉體說，是從大衛後裔生的；
1:4 按聖善的靈說，因從死裡復活，以大能顯明是上帝的兒子。
1:5 我們從他受了恩惠並使徒的職分，在萬國之中叫人為他的名信服真道；
1:6 其中也有你們這蒙召屬耶穌基督的人。
1:7 我寫信給你們在羅馬、為上帝所愛、奉召作聖徒的眾人。願恩惠、平安從我們的父上帝並主耶穌基督歸與你們！

 

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— ² the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³ regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life^[a] was a descendant of David, ⁴ and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power^[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵ Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from^[c] faith for his name’s sake. ⁶ And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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    在聖經中的福音，是以耶穌基督為中心，不是人為中心。所以，保羅在此宣告：「這福音是上帝從前藉眾先知在聖經上所應許的，論到他兒子─我主耶穌基督。按肉體說，是從大衛後裔生的；按聖善的靈說，因從死裡復活，以大能顯明是上帝的兒子。」

 

    主耶穌不只是人，祂更是上帝的兒子，也就是說祂也是上帝。說到祂是人，更是要強調舊約的背景，祂是大衛的子孫，是上帝透過先知所應許給世人的！先制由猶太人開始，然後臨到萬民！

 

    說到福音，不是教我們得拯救，而是要強調祂勝過死亡和罪惡，祂是從死人中復活的那一位，是上帝的大能在他身上彰顯！

 

     而在這裡的「萬民」，在原文特別是指「外邦人」，表示福音不被約束在猶太人中間，只是由猶太人開始，最終是要臨到各外邦人中的，使外邦人也成為上帝的子民！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們是猶太人的外邦人，然而上帝的聖召卻臨到我們，正如保羅所說：「為上帝所愛、奉召作聖徒的眾人」！

 

   保羅這段問候辭，也是聖靈給我們的問候，因為我們也是蒙召的聖徒！

 

 

 *** 請繼續閱讀:         羅馬書1章

 

以斯帖記3章

      以斯帖記3:1-15 , 以斯帖記3:7 ,

以斯帖記3:1-15

 

3:1 這事以後，亞哈隨魯王抬舉亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼，使他高升，叫他的爵位超過與他同事的一切臣宰。
3:2 在朝門的一切臣僕都跪拜哈曼，因為王如此吩咐；惟獨末底改不跪不拜。
3:3 在朝門的臣僕問末底改說：「你為何違背王的命令呢？」
3:4 他們天天勸他，他還是不聽，他們就告訴哈曼，要看末底改的事站得住站不住，因他已經告訴他們自己是猶大人。
3:5 哈曼見末底改不跪不拜，他就怒氣填胸。
3:6 他們已將末底改的本族告訴哈曼；他以為下手害末底改一人是小事，就要滅絕亞哈隨魯王通國所有的猶大人，就是末底改的本族。
3:7 亞哈隨魯王十二年正月，就是尼散月，人在哈曼面前，按日日月月掣普珥，就是掣籤，要定何月何日為吉，擇定了十二月，就是亞達月。
3:8 哈曼對亞哈隨魯王說：「有一種民散居在王國各省的民中；他們的律例與萬民的律例不同，也不守王的律例，所以容留他們與王無益。
3:9 王若以為美，請下旨意滅絕他們；我就捐一萬他連得銀子交給掌管國帑的人，納入王的府庫。」
3:10 於是王從自己手上摘下戒指給猶大人的仇敵─亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼。
3:11 王對哈曼說：「這銀子仍賜給你，這民也交給你，你可以隨意待他們。」
3:12 正月十三日，就召了王的書記來，照著哈曼一切所吩咐的，用各省的文字、各族的方言，奉亞哈隨魯王的名寫旨意，傳與總督和各省的省長，並各族的首領；又用王的戒指蓋印，
3:13 交給驛卒傳到王的各省，吩咐將猶大人，無論老少婦女孩子，在一日之間，十二月，就是亞達月十三日，全然剪除，殺戮滅絕，並奪他們的財為掠物。
3:14 抄錄這旨意，頒行各省，宣告各族，使他們預備等候那日。
3:15 驛卒奉王命急忙起行，旨意也傳遍書珊城。王同哈曼坐下飲酒，書珊城的民卻都慌亂。

 

 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. ² All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

³ Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” ⁴ Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. ⁶ Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

⁷ In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on^[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

⁸ Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. ⁹ If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents^[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”

¹⁰ So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

¹² Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. ¹³ Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. ¹⁴ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.

¹⁵ The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

 

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    事件發展的更是令人難以想像，竟然有一位惡劣的亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼出現，被國王高升，不知他是何德何能？但是令人費解的事，竟因為不被敬禮，就要滅人家整個民族！

 

    更誇張的還在後頭，一個泱泱大國的國王，竟然為了一萬他連得銀子就出賣了他的王權，甚至後來很慷慨地說：「這銀子仍賜給你，這民也交給你，你可以隨意待他們。」

 

    一方面看見君王的昏庸，另一方面也看見：不是以耶和華為上帝的國家，其百姓的生命是多麼沒有保障，王任意而為，不把人的性命當為性命，這是多麼恐怖的事情！

 

    其實這樣情況在今日還是會遇到，許多人看利益高於一切，甚至罔顧人的性命，已經到人吃人的狀態，這是非常可悲，更是上帝所震怒的事情呢！

 

 

 

羅馬書6:15

 

這卻怎麼樣呢？我們在恩典之下，不在律法之下，就可以犯罪嗎？斷乎不可！

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

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我們不可以用上帝的恩典，來縱容自己和弟兄姐妹繼續在罪中。我們要脫離罪，歸向上帝。因為悔改的真義，就是要我們的心意更新而變化，從悖逆上帝轉向順服上帝，尊耶穌基督為主，不願再犯罪遠離上帝。這是聖靈將十字架的作為實行在我們身上。

所以，我們要對自己，對基督的教會宣告，我們是屬基督的，雖然我們不能完全脫離罪的轄制，但是我們有一個心志，我們要在聖靈裡活出基督的樣式，願意凡事為榮耀上帝、享受上帝的自己。當然我們也只有透過耶穌基督，才可以有這樣的生命。

不要忘記，主耶穌呼召我們來跟從祂，就是要我們如同祂一樣，活出人該有的本色與自由，不要再為罪所轄制，我們可以向罪說不！