尼希米記4:7-23

4:7 參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亞捫人、亞實突人聽見修造耶路撒冷城牆，著手進行堵塞破裂的地方，就甚發怒。
4:8 大家同謀要來攻擊耶路撒冷，使城內擾亂。
4:9 然而，我們禱告我們的上帝，又因他們的緣故，就派人看守，晝夜防備。
4:10 猶大人說：「灰土尚多，扛抬的人力氣已經衰敗，所以我們不能建造城牆。」
4:11 我們的敵人且說：「趁他們不知不見，我們進入他們中間，殺他們，使工作止住。」
4:12 那靠近敵人居住的猶大人十次從各處來見我們，說：「你們必要回到我們那裡。」
4:13 所以我使百姓各按宗族拿刀、拿槍、拿弓站在城牆後邊低窪的空處。
4:14 我察看了，就起來對貴冑、官長，和其餘的人說：「不要怕他們！當記念主是大而可畏的。你們要為弟兄、兒女、妻子、家產爭戰。」
4:15 仇敵聽見我們知道他們的心意，見上帝也破壞他們的計謀，就不來了。我們都回到城牆那裡，各做各的工。
4:16 從那日起，我的僕人一半做工，一半拿槍、拿盾牌、拿弓、穿（或譯：拿）鎧甲，官長都站在猶大眾人的後邊。
4:17 修造城牆的，扛抬材料的，都一手做工一手拿兵器。
4:18 修造的人都腰間佩刀修造，吹角的人在我旁邊。
4:19 我對貴冑、官長，和其餘的人說：「這工程浩大，我們在城牆上相離甚遠；
4:20 你們聽見角聲在哪裡，就聚集到我們那裡去。我們的上帝必為我們爭戰。」
4:21 於是，我們做工，一半拿兵器，從天亮直到星宿出現的時候。
4:22 那時，我又對百姓說：「各人和他的僕人當在耶路撒冷住宿，好在夜間保守我們，白晝做工。」
4:23 這樣，我和弟兄僕人，並跟從我的護兵都不脫衣服，出去打水也帶兵器。

 

⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, ¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. ²⁰ Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

²¹ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. ²² At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” ²³ Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.^[c]

 

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    尼希米建造城牆，不只有外患，也有內憂。敵人在外部破壞，內部是最惰性。也因此尼希米不僅要面對外敵的破壞，也要對內鼓勵弟兄姊妹。而他們這要的刻苦耐勞，上帝也幫他們抵擋外敵，而他們自己也一刻不懈怠！

 

    其實我們在教會的建造也是如此，要面對世界來的攻擊和影響，也要基地弟兄姊妹在靈性上的追求。也因為這樣，我們要不斷提醒弟兄姊妹：要面對世界來的征戰，要遵主為大；對內要加強靈修生活的建立，勝過自己的軟弱！

 

    相信我們這樣的刻苦與努力，更是需要聖靈的扶持！所以在禱告中不斷的求上帝加添心力，讓聖靈的大能不斷支持我們，讓我們盼望上帝的國快快實現，得著在基督裡的榮耀到永遠！

 

 

使徒行傳18:18-28

 

18:18 保羅又住了多日，就辭別了弟兄，坐船往敘利亞去；百基拉、亞居拉和他同去。他因為許過願，就在堅革哩剪了頭髮。
18:19 到了以弗所，保羅就把他們留在那裡，自己進了會堂，和猶太人辯論。
18:20 眾人請他多住些日子，他卻不允，
18:21 就辭別他們，說：「上帝若許我，我還要回到你們這裡」；於是開船離了以弗所。
18:22 在凱撒利亞下了船，就上耶路撒冷去問教會安，隨後下安提阿去。
18:23 住了些日子，又離開那裡，挨次經過加拉太和弗呂家地方，堅固眾門徒。
18:24 有一個猶太人，名叫亞波羅，來到以弗所。他生在亞歷山大，是有學問（或譯：口才）的，最能講解聖經。
18:25 這人已經在主的道上受了教訓，心裡火熱，將耶穌的事詳細講論教訓人；只是他單曉得約翰的洗禮。
18:26 他在會堂裡放膽講道；百基拉、亞居拉聽見，就接他來，將上帝的道給他講解更加詳細。
18:27 他想要往亞該亞去，弟兄們就勉勵他，並寫信請門徒接待他（或譯：弟兄們就寫信勸門徒接待他）。他到了那裡，多幫助那蒙恩信主的人，
18:28 在眾人面前極有能力駁倒猶太人，引聖經證明耶穌是基督。

 

 ¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[a] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

 

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    百基拉和亞居拉這對夫婦有非常好的屬靈風範，在以弗所遇到亞波羅，雖然他單曉得約翰的洗禮，卻熱心將耶穌的事詳細講論教訓人，就接他來，將上帝的道給他講解更加詳細。也因為經過他們的教導，亞波羅成為一位重要的同工。

 

    在教會中我們也要像百基拉和亞居拉這對夫婦一樣，能夠去發掘弟兄姊妹的恩賜，並且給於適當的引導，讓其恩賜能發揮可以造就教會，滿足教會的需要！正如保羅也提醒提摩太說：「我兒啊，你要在基督耶穌的恩典上剛強起來。你在許多見證人面前聽見我所教訓的，也要交託那忠心能教導別人的人。」(提摩太後書2:1-2)

 

    教會是訓練與造就門徒的地方，我們要喚醒和造就每一位主所呼召的門徒，成為合乎主用的人！也因此，信徒和門徒是沒有區別的，每一位信徒都是主的門徒，都要接受「 門徒訓練 」成為教導別人的人！

 

 

 

   

使徒行傳18章

    使徒行傳18:1-17  ,

    使徒行傳18:18-28  ,

使徒行傳18:1-17

 

18:1 這事以後，保羅離了雅典，來到哥林多。
18:2 遇見一個猶太人，名叫亞居拉，他生在本都；因為革老丟命猶太人都離開羅馬，新近帶著妻百基拉，從意大利來。保羅就投奔了他們。
18:3 他們本是製造帳棚為業。保羅因與他們同業，就和他們同住做工。
18:4 每逢安息日，保羅在會堂裡辯論，勸化猶太人和希臘人。
18:5 西拉和提摩太從馬其頓來的時候，保羅為道迫切，向猶太人證明耶穌是基督。
18:6 他們既抗拒、毀謗，保羅就抖著衣裳，說：「你們的罪（原文是血）歸到你們自己頭上，與我無干（原文是我卻乾淨）。從今以後，我要往外邦人那裡去。」
18:7 於是離開那裡，到了一個人的家中；這人名叫提多猶士都，是敬拜上帝的，他的家靠近會堂。
18:8 管會堂的基利司布和全家都信了主，還有許多哥林多人聽了，就相信受洗。
18:9 夜間，主在異象中對保羅說：「不要怕，只管講，不要閉口，
18:10 有我與你同在，必沒有人下手害你，因為在這城裡我有許多的百姓。」
18:11 保羅在那裡住了一年零六個月，將上帝的道教訓他們。
18:12 到迦流作亞該亞方伯的時候，猶太人同心起來攻擊保羅，拉他到公堂，
18:13 說：「這個人勸人不按著律法敬拜上帝。」
18:14 保羅剛要開口，迦流就對猶太人說：「你們這些猶太人！如果是為冤枉或奸惡的事，我理當耐性聽你們。
18:15 但所爭論的，若是關乎言語、名目，和你們的律法，你們自己去辦吧！這樣的事我不願意審問」；
18:16 就把他們攆出公堂。
18:17 眾人便揪住管會堂的所提尼，在堂前打他。這些事迦流都不管。

 

 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

 

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    哥林多是保羅停留很久的地方，照聖經的記載：「保羅在那裡住了一年零六個月，將上帝的道教訓他們。」

 

    兒保羅之所以停那麼久是因為：夜間，主在異象中對保羅說：「不要怕，只管講，不要閉口，有我與你同在，必沒有人下手害你，因為在這城裡我有許多的百姓。」

 

    雖然我們不是以果效來判斷成敗，但是上帝給的憑證也是很重要，尤其是面對許多的苦難對我們而言也是很大的考驗，我們心中所期盼的還是我們做工要有果效！

 

    也因此，我們還是要為服事有果效來禱告，當然更要求主給我們智慧和勇氣，使我們面對考驗不致失望和沮喪，能有堅忍和確信的心，好克服總總的困難，為主成就美好的事！