Books
使徒行传生命读经 · 第1篇

使徒行传的地位

The Position of the Book
1读经：路加福音24:44-49，马可福音16:15-16,19-20，马太福音28:18-20，使徒行传1:1-2。
1Scripture Reading: Luke 24:44-49; Mark 16:15-16, 19- 20; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:1-2
2从本篇信息起，我们开始使徒行传的生命读经。我们来到使徒行传时，需要了解这卷书与路加福音都是同一个人写的。路加一章一至三节说，『提阿非罗大人哪，…这一切的事我既从起头都详确考察了，就认为也该按著次序写给你。』行传头两节指明，这卷书是路加福音的延续：『提阿非罗阿，我已经作了前书，论到耶稣开头所行所教训的一切事，直到祂藉著圣灵，吩咐所拣选的使徒以后，被接上升的日子为止。』
2With this message we begin the Life-study of the Acts of the apostles. As we come to the book of Acts, we need to realize that both this book and the Gospel of Luke were written by the same person. Luke 1:3 says, “It seemed good to me also, having followed all things accurately from the first, to write to you a consecutive account, most excellent Theophilus.” The first two verses of Acts indicate that this book is the continuation of Luke’s Gospel: “The first account I made, O Theophilus, concerning all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which He was taken up, having given command through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He chose
路加福音的摘要
AN EXTRACT OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
3我们往前看以前，先要复习路加福音生命读经中所说的一些事。这卷福音书是说到人救主。我们也看见，我们的救赎主，救主，乃是神人。路加不只清楚的记载人救主的出生，也记载祂的成孕。路加描述主的成孕、出生、幼年、生活、职事、受死、复活与升天。所以，路加福音所包括的范围很广，从祂的成孕到祂的升天，说到这位神人奇妙人位的一切事。
3Before we go further, let us review some of the things that were covered in the Life-study of Luke. In this Gospel we have the Man-Savior, and we see that our Redeemer, the Savior, is the God-man. Luke gives us a clear record not only of the Man-Savior’s birth but also of His conception. Luke describes the Lord’s conception, birth, youth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. Therefore, the Gospel of Luke has a broad span covering all the matters of the wonderful Person of the God-man from His conception to His ascension
4我们可以说，人救主的成孕不仅是祂从诸天之上降下来，也是祂从父神降下来。同样的，祂的升天不仅是回到诸天之上，也是回到父那里。人救主的成孕乃是祂降到地上，祂的升天乃是祂升到诸天之上。因著这一来一去，主耶稣就成了奇妙的一位。藉著祂的成孕与出生，祂成了兼具神人二性者，是创造的神，又是受造的人。按照路加二章十三、十四节，天使因人救主降生拯救人而欢腾。天使赞美神说，『在至高之处荣耀归与神，在地上平安临及祂所喜悦的人。』
4We may say that the Man-Savior’s conception was His coming down not only from the heavens but also from God the Father. Likewise, His ascension was His going back not only to the heavens but also to the Father. The Man-Savior’s conception was His coming down to earth, and His ascension was His going up to the heavens. By this coming and going the Lord Jesus became a wonderful Being. Through His conception and birth He became a Person who is both divine and human, both God the Creator and man, a creature. According to Luke 2:13 and 14, the angels exulted at the birth of the Man- Savior for our salvation. The angels praised God and said, “Glory in the highest places to God, and on earth peace among men of His good pleasure
5身为这样的一位奇妙者，主耶稣在地上的生活乃是具有一切人性美德，彰显神圣属性的人。主就是这样生活并尽职的。凡祂所活的，就是祂尽职所供应的；祂尽职供应祂所活的，一直到死。人救主受死，走进死、经过死并从死里出来。祂游历了死和阴间，然后在复活里出来。一面说，是主自己复活了，另一面说，是神叫祂复活。所以，祂进到复活里，又在复活里升上诸天。现今这位得荣的人救主乃是在诸天之上。这是路加福音重要内容的简短摘要。
5As such a wonderful Person, the Lord Jesus lived on earth as a man with all the human virtues expressing the divine attributes. This was the way He lived and ministered. Whatever He lived, He ministered, and He ministered what He lived even unto death. The Man- Savior suffered death, walking into, through, and out of death. After making a tour of death and Hades, He came forth in resurrection. On the one hand, the Lord raised Himself up; on the other hand, He was raised up by God. Therefore, He entered into resurrection, and in resurrection He ascended to the heavens. Now this One, the glorified Man-Savior, is in the heavens. This is a brief extract of the crucial contents of the Gospel of Luke.
6主在祂升天里的职事主的升天不是祂活动的结束。相反的，人救主的升天乃是另一次引进。我们在路加福音生命读经中指出过，基督的升天乃是祂天上职事的就职，引进。主的成孕是祂头一次的引进，主的升天是另一次引进。祂的成孕引进祂在地上的生活与职事；祂的升天引进祂在诸天之上的生活与职事。因此，基督的升天不是祂活动的了结，乃是祂进一步活动－祂在诸天里的职事－的引进。
6THE LORD’S MINISTRY IN HIS ASCENSION The Lord’s ascension was not the end of His activity. Rather, the Man-Savior’s ascension was another initiation. As we pointed out in the Life-study of Luke, Christ’s ascension was His inauguration, His initiation, into His heavenly ministry. The Lord’s conception was His first initiation, and His ascension was another initiation. His conception was the initiation of His life and ministry on earth; His ascension was the initiation of His living and ministry in the heavens. Hence, Christ’s ascension was not the termination of His activity; instead, it was His initiation into further activity— His ministry in the heavens
7路加写的第一卷书，路加福音，描述主头一次的引进，以及祂在地上的生活与职事。现在需要第二卷书，使徒行传，告诉我们主藉著升天被引进那一种的生活与职事中。所以，路加有负担写第二卷书，揭示升天基督的生活与职事。我们在使徒行传看见，主如何在祂的升天里生活并尽职。我们要强调一个事实：按照路加福音，主在地上生活；那个生活与职事由祂的成孕引进，结束于祂的复活。主耶稣在复活以后，升上了诸天。这升天不是了结，乃是另一次引进。这引进把祂带至新的范围，就是诸天；现今祂在诸天里有另一种生活同另一种职事。这种生活与职事不是由那位仅仅在童女腹中从圣灵成孕，并生于伯利恒的耶稣完成的，乃是由升天的基督完成的。复活、升天的基督现今活在诸天里，并且在那里尽职。主在诸天里的生活与职事，乃是使徒行传的内容。但愿我们在使徒行传生命读经开始的时候，都对这幅图画有深刻的印象。
7The first book written by Luke, his Gospel, describes the Lord’s first initiation and His life and ministry on earth. Now there is the need of the second book, the book of Acts, to tell us into what kind of living and ministry the Lord has been initiated through His ascension. Therefore, Luke had the burden to write a second book to unveil the living and ministry of the ascended Christ. In Acts we see how the Lord lives and ministers in His ascension. We would emphasize the fact that, according to the Gospel of Luke, the Lord lived on earth. That life and ministry were initiated by His conception and concluded by His resurrection. Then after His resurrection the Lord Jesus ascended to the heavens. This ascension was not a termination but another initiation. This initiation brought Him into a new realm, that is, into the heavens, where He now has another living with another ministry. This living and ministry are carried out not by the Jesus who was merely conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin and born in Bethlehem; it is carried out by the ascended Christ. The resurrected and ascended Christ is now living in the heavens and ministering there. The Lord’s living and ministry in the heavens are the content of the book of Acts. May we all be impressed with this picture at the outset of this Life-study of Acts.
在圣经中的地位
IN THE SCRIPTURES
8我在本篇信息的负担是要指出，使徒行传在圣经内容安排上的地位。我们需要问一个问题：使徒行传在圣经六十六卷书中，站在甚么地位？使徒行传在四福音和书信（包括启示录）之间。因此，使徒行传是分界线。在使徒行传之前有四福音作旧约的延续。在使徒行传之后有书信，连同那作结语的启示录。使徒行传可以比作人体的背脊，将人体分为左右两边。身体上许多问题都是因背脊骨软弱而引起的。一个人的背脊骨若是软弱，他就不可能强壮。我们可以说，使徒行传是新约的背脊，将新约分成两部分：（一）福音书，（二）书信连同启示录。有些人听到我们说，使徒行传是新约的分界线和『背脊，』他们可能说，『已往你不是这样划分新约各卷的，现在你是以另外一种方式安排新约的各卷。』我们不该受人这个困扰，因为划分或安排圣经的各卷，有许多不同的方式。我们不该局限于一种方式。目前这种划分新约各卷的方式，是强调使徒行传在新约中的重要性。四福音说到主耶稣在地上，但在使徒行传中基督在那里？在这卷书中，基督在诸天之上。使徒行传不是向我们揭示在地上的基督，乃是启示在诸天之上的基督。关于主的升天，我们最好来看诗歌第一百十五首以下几节：
8My burden in this message is to point out the position of the book of Acts in the arrangement of the contents of the Scriptures. We need to ask this question: where does the book of Acts stand among all the books of the Bible? The book of Acts is between the four Gospels and the Epistles, which include the book of Revelation. Hence, the book of Acts is a dividing line. Before Acts, we have the four Gospels as the continuation of the Old Testament. After Acts we have the Epistles with the book of Revelation as a conclusion. The book of Acts can be compared to the backbone in the human body. The backbone divides the human body into two parts, the right side and the left side. Many problems in the body are caused by weakness in the backbone. If a person’s backbone is weak, he cannot be strong. We may say that the book of Acts is the backbone of the New Testament dividing it into two parts: (1) the Gospels and (2) the Epistles with the book of Revelation. When some hear us say that the book of Acts is the dividing line and “backbone” of the New Testament, they may say, “In the past you divided the books of the New Testament in a different way. Now you are arranging the New Testament books in another way.” We should not be bothered by this, since there are many different ways of dividing, or arranging, the books of the Bible. We should not be limited to one way. The present way of dividing the New Testament books emphasizes the crucial importance of the book of Acts in the New Testament. The four Gospels speak of the Lord Jesus on earth. But where is Christ in the book of Acts? In this book Christ is in the heavens. Acts does not unveil to us a Christ on earth; it reveals a Christ who is in the heavens. Concerning the Lord’s ascension, we do well to consider the following stanzas from Hymns, #132
看哪，耶稣天上坐著！我主基督登宝座！祂是那人神所高举，
Lo! in heaven Jesus sitting, Christ the Lord is there enthroned; As the man by God exalted
9荣耀、尊贵已得著。祂曾穿上人的性情，照神计画且死过，带著身体从死复活，仍然是人升天坐。在祂里面神降为卑，神来地上同人处；在祂里面人升为高，人到天上同神住。看哪，一人天上坐著！万有之主在宝座！这是救主耶稣基督，荣耀、尊贵永得著！
9With God’s glory He is crowned. He hath put on human nature, Died according to God’s plan, Resurrected with a body, And ascended as a man. God in Him on earth was humbled, God with man was domiciled; Man in Him in heav’n exalted, Man with God is reconciled. Lo! a man is now in heaven As the Lord of all enthroned; This is Jesus Christ our Savior, With God’s glory ever crowned!
10太奇妙了，现今基督在天上登宝座，乃是万有之主！在祂里面，神降为卑到地上；但如今，也是在祂里面，人被高举到天上。这是使徒行传所启示的基督，这卷书是在福音书和书信中间。
10How wonderful that Christ is now in heaven as the Lord of all enthroned! In Him God on earth was humbled, but now, also in Him, man is exalted in heaven. This is the Christ revealed in the book of Acts, the book that stands between the Gospels and the Epistles
福音书里基督的启示
THE REVELATION OF CHRIST IN THE GOSPELS
11福音书里揭示一位奇妙者；这位乃是永远的神，是旧约所称为耶和华的。祂是整个宇宙和人类的创造主。在创世记三章十五节，祂豫言有一天祂要成为女人的后裔。那个应许一直没有应验，直到头四千年的人类历史过去。然后主耶稣来作女人的后裔。祂是神在童女腹中成孕。我们都需要认识这一点。我们在路加福音生命读经也强调过这一点。全能的神，永远的耶和华，宇宙的创造主，成孕在童女腹中，并从那童女而生，成为一个人，兼具两种性情－神的性情与人的性情。这就是说，祂生为神人，既是完整的神，又是完全的人。在祂里面我们看见神，有神圣的性情和属性；在祂里面我们也看见人，有人的性情和人一切的美德。所以，在这一位人里面，我们能看见完整的神和完全的人。主耶稣是神人，祂过著人的生活；然而，这人是凭神而活且与神同活。我们甚至可以说，祂活神；祂在祂的人性里彰显神。我们在路加福音里看见一个人在地上生活，满了人性的美德，但祂彰显神圣的性情同神圣的属性。在这一位身上，神在人里面得著彰显，因为祂所过的生活是神性与人性的调和。祂的生活是神与人的融合。
11In the Gospels we have the unveiling of a wonderful Person. This Person is the eternal God, the One called by the name Jehovah in the Old Testament. He is the Creator of the entire universe and of man. In Genesis 3:15 He prophesied that one day He would become a seed of woman. That promise went unfulfilled until the expiration of the first four thousand years of human history. Then the Lord Jesus came as the seed of the woman. He came as the very God conceived in the womb of a human virgin. We all need to realize this, and we have emphasized this in the Life-study of Luke. The almighty God, the eternal Jehovah, the Creator of the universe, was conceived in the womb of a virgin and was born of that virgin to be a Person with two natures — the divine nature and the human nature. This means that He was born as the God-man, the One who is both the complete God and a perfect man. In Him we see God with His divine nature and attributes. In Him we also see man in the human nature and with all the human virtues. Therefore, in this one Person we can see both the complete God and a perfect man. As the God-man, the Lord Jesus lived a life that was the life of a man. However, this man lived by God and with God. We may even say that He lived God; He expressed God in His humanity. In the book of Luke we see a man living on earth full of the human virtues, yet He expressed the divine nature with the divine attributes. With this One God was expressed in a human being, for the life He lived was the mingling of divinity and humanity. His life was a blending of God with man.
12在主耶稣以前，没有人曾过这样的生活，这种生活从来没有存在过。所以，主的生活是独一的。在这生活里，我们看见神与人的融合，调和。主耶稣过这种生活，祂也在这生活里尽职。事实上，祂的职事就是祂的生活，祂的生活就是祂的职事，以成就旧约关于祂的豫言和豫表。主耶稣在地上生活了三十三年半，祂知道祂必须上摩利亚山，成就祂包罗万有的死。主的死不是普通的死；相反的，祂的死非常特别。这特别的死是包罗万有的，为要成就神所要求的一切，以清理宇宙，了结旧造，而将旧造一同带进坟墓。所以，整个宇宙与基督一同埋在坟墓里。主在了结旧造以后，一面说是安息在坟墓里。但另一面，当祂在肉身里安息时，祂在灵里却在阴间作工。（彼前三18～20。）祂在阴间宣扬神胜过了祂的仇敌撒但。然后，当祂藉著包罗万有的死，完全成功神的定旨以后，就从死里走出来，从坟墓中复活。就这样，祂成了复活的救主和救赎主。不仅如此，祂在复活里成了包罗万有赐生命的灵。（林前十五45。）已过我们指出，主从祂的话中给我们看见，这赐生命的灵是三一神的终极完成，临到祂的赎民。基督在复活里成为这样的一位。
12No one before the Lord Jesus had ever lived such a life. This kind of life had never been in existence. Therefore, the Lord’s life was unique. In this life we see the blending, the mingling, of God and man. The Lord Jesus lived this kind of life, and in this life He ministered. Actually, His ministry was simply His living. His living was His ministry to accomplish what had been prophesied and typified concerning Him in the Old Testament. Having lived on earth for thirty-three and a half years, the Lord Jesus knew that it was necessary for Him to go to Mount Moriah and accomplish His all-inclusive death. The Lord did not die an ordinary death; on the contrary, He died an extraordinary death. This extraordinary death was all-inclusive, and it accomplished everything God required to clear up the universe, terminate the old creation, and bring the old creation with Him into His tomb. Therefore, the entire universe was buried with Christ in the tomb. After terminating the old creation, the Lord, on the one hand, rested in the tomb. On the other hand, while He was resting in His fleshly body, He was working in His spirit in Hades (1 Pet. 3:18-20). In Hades He proclaimed God’s victory over His enemy, Satan. Then, after accomplishing in full God’s purpose through His all-inclusive death, Christ walked out of death and rose up from the tomb. In this way He became the resurrected Savior and Redeemer. Furthermore, in His resurrection He became the all-inclusive life- giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). As we have pointed out in the past, the Lord has shown us from the Word that this life-giving Spirit is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God reaching His redeemed people. In His resurrection Christ became such a One
13我们在约翰二十章看见，基督在祂的复活里，乃是赐生命的灵，就是三一神的终极完成临到祂的赎民，以绝佳且奥秘的方式，回到祂的门徒那里，将自己吹到他们里面。主向他们吹气，并说，『你们受圣灵。』（约二十22。）这些门徒是主身体的代表。祂是赐生命的灵，进到这些代表里面。
13In John 20 we see that in His resurrection Christ as the life-giving Spirit, the ultimate consummation of the Triune God reaching His redeemed people, came back to His disciples in an excellent and mysterious way to breathe Himself into them. The Lord breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). These disciples were the representatives of the Lord’s Body. Into these representatives He entered as the life-giving Spirit.
14另一次，复活的基督告诉门徒：『看哪，我要将我父所应许的，降在你们身上；你们要留在城里，直到你们穿上从高处来的能力。』（路二四49。）然后，『耶稣领他们出去，直到伯大尼附近，就举手给他们祝福。正祝福的时候，祂就离开他们，被带到天上去了。』（路二四50～51。）主在升上诸天以前，嘱咐门徒（他们已经在素质一面接受祂这赐生命的灵在里面作生命）要等候，直到祂升天以后，祂要在经纶一面将自己那包罗万有的灵浇灌在他们身上。
14On another occasion the resurrected Christ told the disciples, “And be hold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Then “He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came about that while He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up” (Luke 24:50-51). Before His ascension to the heavens, the Lord charged His disciples, who had already received Him as the life - giving Spirit within them as life essentially, to wait until, after His ascension, He would pour Himself out upon them as the all - inclusive Spirit economically.
经纶一面在宝座上，
ON THE THRONE ECONOMICALLY
素质一面在信徒里面
AND IN THE BELIEVERS ESSENTIALLY
15我们已经简要的陈明四福音里关于基督完整的启示。我们需要在灵里有这样的看见。我们需要看见，旧约有耶稣基督的豫言和豫表：祂在童女腹中成孕；祂由童女所生，成为神人；祂所过的生活，乃是在人性的美德里彰显神圣的属性；祂经过死，进入复活，成为临到我们的灵；祂在复活里是赐生命的灵，将自己吹到门徒里面。祂嘱咐他们，要等候祂在经纶一面从祂的宝座那里，将自己这灵浇灌在他们身上；然后祂升到诸天之上。
15In a brief way we have presented the complete revelation of Christ in the four Gospels. We need to see such a view in our spirit. We need to see that Jesus Christ was prophesied and typified in the Old Testament, that He was conceived in the womb of a virgin, that He was born of a virgin to become the God-man, that He lived a life of expressing the divine attributes in His human virtues, that He passed through death and entered into resurrection, becoming the reaching Spirit, and that in resurrection He breathed Himself into His disciples as the life-giving Spirit. Then, having charged them to wait for Him to pour Himself out upon them economically as the Spirit from the throne of God, He ascended to the heavens
16我们已经看见主耶稣成孕、出生并生活在地上，祂死而复活，现今在升天里乃在诸天之上。我们不可能用几个句子来描述这位奇妙者，我们需要许多话语来描绘现今在诸天里宝座上的这一位。我们需要不同的辞来描述这位升天的神人。祂是永远的神，耶和华，祂是整个宇宙全能的创造主。有一天祂在童女腹中成孕，从童女而生，成为神人。然后祂在地上过著神人调和的生活。祂完成了永远的救赎以后，就从死里出来；在复活里祂成为赐生命的灵。祂在复活里，在素质一面将自己吹到门徒里面。然后在经纶一面，祂升到诸天之上。所以，在经纶一面，主耶稣现今在诸天之上是那得荣耀的一位；在素质一面，祂在门徒里面作他们的生命。为著这一位，阿利路亚！祂既在素质一面在门徒里面，又在经纶一面在诸天里的宝座上！愿我们对这位奇妙的救主都有这样的看见。
16We have seen that the Lord Jesus was conceived, that He was born and lived on earth, that He died and resurrected, and that now in His ascension He is in the heavens. It is impossible to describe this wonderful One with a few sentences. We need a great many words to portray the One who is now on the throne in the heavens. Different terms are needed to describe the ascended God - man. He is the eternal God, Jehovah, and He is the almighty Creator of the entire universe. One day He was conceived in a virgin’s womb and born of her to become the God-man. Then He lived on earth a life that was the mingling of God with man. After accomplishing eternal redemption, He came forth out of death, and in resurrection He became the life- giving Spirit. In His resurrection He breathed Himself into His disciples essentially. Then economically He ascended into the heavens. Therefore, economically the Lord Jesus is now in the heavens as the glorified One, and essentially He is in His disciples as their life. Hallelujah for the One who is both within His disciples essentially and on the throne in the heavens economically! May we all have such a view of our wonderful Savior.
17今天基督在那里？对这个问题要这样回答：『在素质上，基督在我们里面；在经纶上，祂在诸天里的宝座上。我们的救主是素质的一位，也是经纶的一位。』今天许多基督徒不了解，我们的救主既是素质的一位，又是经纶的一位。祂是素质的一位，住在我们里面；但祂也是经纶的一位，坐在天上。我们引用的那首诗歌说，『看哪，耶稣天上坐著！』主耶稣坐在天上，这不是素质的，乃是经纶的。同时，在素质一面祂在我们里面。太奇妙了！这是在使徒行传之前的启示。我们来到使徒行传时需要看见这个启示。这就是说，我们研读使徒行传时需要看见，主耶稣在经纶一面是在宝座上，在素质一面是在我们里面。
17Where is Christ today? The way to answer this question is to say, “Essentially Christ is in us, and economically He is on the throne in the heavens. Our Savior is the essential One and also the economical One.” Many of today’s Christians do not realize that our Savior is both the essential One and the economical One. As the essential One, He dwells within us. But as the economical One, He is sitting in heaven. We have quoted the line of the hymn that says, “Lo! in heaven Jesus sitting.” The Lord Jesus is sitting in heaven not essentially but economically. Simultaneously, He is within us essentially. How wonderful! This is the revelation that precedes the book of Acts. We need to see this revelation as we come to Acts. This means that as we study Acts we need to have the view of the Lord Jesus as the One who is on the throne economically and within us essentially
18在使徒行传之后有书信。若要明白书信，我们必须透彻研读使徒行传。我们若对使徒行传没有正确的领会，就不能充分领会书信。许多新约读者对书信没有正确的领会，因为他们对使徒行传没有清楚的异象。所以，我们仰望主将这卷书向我们打开，叫我们清楚看见其中所启示的。
18Following Acts we have the Epistles. If we would understand the Epistles, we must have a thorough study of the book of Acts. If we do not have the proper understanding of Acts, we shall not be able to understand the Epistles adequately. Many readers of the New Testament do not have the right understanding of the Epistles, because they do not have a clear vision concerning Acts. Therefore, we look to the Lord to open this book to us and give us a clear view of what is revealed in it