8:18 西門看見使徒按手,便有聖靈賜下,就拿錢給使徒,
8:19 說:「把這權柄也給我,叫我手按著誰,誰就可以受聖靈。」
8:20 彼得說:「你的銀子和你一同滅亡吧!因你想上帝的恩賜是可以用錢買的。
8:21 你在這道上無分無關;因為在上帝面前,你的心不正。
8:22 你當懊悔你這罪惡,祈求主,或者你心裡的意念可得赦免。
8:23 我看出你正在苦膽之中,被罪惡捆綁。」
8:24 西門說:「願你們為我求主,叫你們所說的,沒有一樣臨到我身上。」
8:25 使徒既證明主道,而且傳講,就回耶路撒冷去,一路在撒馬利亞好些村莊傳揚福音。
18 When
Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he
offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so
that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter
answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy
the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in
this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent
of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for
having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full
of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then
Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may
happen to me.”
25 After
they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus,
Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan
villages.
**************
行邪術的西門看見使徒彼得和約翰幫人按手聖靈就進入人的心中,感覺很神奇,也盼望自己有這樣的能力,就拿錢給使徒,希望使徒能夠將這樣的能力也給他,好使他有能力使人得聖靈,好可以控制人或賺更多錢。
然而她這樣的作為卻被使徒彼得斥責:「你的銀子和你一同滅亡吧!因你想上帝的恩賜是可以用錢買的。你在這道上無分無關;因為在上帝面前,你的心不正。你當懊悔你這罪惡,祈求主,或者你心裡的意念可得赦免。我看出你正在苦膽之中,被罪惡捆綁。」
從這事件中讓我再一次反省,自己服事主的動機是不是正確?要是服事是為了高抬自己,獲得人的稱讚,或是要控制別人,或是要獲得利益,這和行邪術的西門有何兩樣呢?要是不悔改,只有被罪惡綑綁與魔鬼一同滅亡!
主啊!請潔淨我們的心,不要存貪婪來服事主,這樣反遭罪惡的轄制,永不得自由,永遠沉淪!唯有以愛主與敬畏主的心來服事,才能享受永生之福!