Books
使徒行传生命读经 · 第17篇

藉著彼得一班同工的职事，在犹太地的繁殖（十二）

The Propagation in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria through the Ministry of Peter’s Company (12)
1读经：使徒行传四章三十二节至五章十二节。在行传四章三十二节至五章十一节，我们看见召会生活的延续，在五章十七至四十二节，我们看见犹太宗教徒逼迫的延续。关于召会生活的延续，在四章三十二至三十七节有积极的一面，在五章一至十一节有消极的一面。在本篇信息中，我们要来看在四章三十二节
1Scripture Reading: Acts 4:32—5:12 In 4:32—5:11 we have the continuation of the church life, and in 5:17-42, the continuation of the persecution by the Jewish religionists. Concerning the continuation of the church life, there is a positive scene in 4:32-37 and a negative scene in 5:1-11. In this message we shall consider the church life as seen in 4:32—5:11
2至五章十一节所见到的召会生活。
2
3召会生活的延续
3the continuation of the church life
积极的一面凡物公用
The Positive Scene Having All Things Common
4四章三十二节说，『那许多信的人，都是一心一魂的，没有人说他的财物有一样是自己的，都是大家公用。』正如在二章四十四节，凡物公用不是爱的标记，乃是基督大能的救恩拯救信徒脱离贪婪和自私的标记。凡物公用在神新约经纶的初期，只实行了很短时间，到了保罗尽职时，这事在召会生活中并没有长期持续，当作规条来实行。
4Acts 4:32 says, “And the multitude of those who believed was of one heart and soul; and not one said that any of his possessions was his own, but all things were common to them.” As in 2:44, having all things common was a sign not of love but of Christ’s dynamic salvation that saved the believers from greed and selfishness. This was practiced for a short time at the initiation of God’s New Testament economy; it did not continue for the long run as a practice of legality in the church life during Paul’s ministry
复活基督的见证人
Witnesses of the Resurrected Christ
5四章三十三节说，『使徒大有能力，见证主耶稣的复活，众人也都蒙大恩。』使徒是复活基督的见证人，他们不仅以言语，也以生活行动见证祂，特别是见证祂的复活。
5Verse 33 says, “And with great power the apostles gave testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” The apostles were witnesses of the resurrected Christ not in word only, but also by their life and action. In particular, they bore witness of His resurrection
所有信徒都蒙大恩
Great Grace upon All the Believers
6按照三十三节，所有的信徒都蒙大恩。律法是照著神的所是要求人；恩典却是以神的所是供应人，以应付神的要求。实际上，恩典就是神自己给人享受。恩典是复活的基督成了赐生命的灵，（林前十五45，）在复活里将经过过程的三一神带到我们里面，作我们的生命和生命的供应，使我们能在复活里活著。因此，恩典乃是三一神成了我们的生命和一切。
6According to 4:33, great grace was upon all the believers. The law makes demands upon man according to what God is, but grace supplies man with what God is to meet what God demands. Actually, grace is God Himself enjoyed by man. Grace is the resurrected Christ becoming the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) to bring the processed God in resurrection into us to be our life and life supply so that we may live in resurrection. Therefore, grace is the Triune God becoming life and everything to us.
7三十四、三十五节说，『他们中间没有一个缺乏的，因为凡有田产房屋的都卖了，把所卖的价银拿来，放在使徒脚前，照各人所需用的，分给各人。』正如在二章四十五节，卖田产房屋乃是证明主大能的救恩，使信徒能胜过属地的产业，这些产业霸占、占有、篡窃了堕落的人类。（太十九21～24，路十二13～19，33～34，十四33，十六13～14，提前六17。）
7Acts 4:34 and 35 say, “For neither was anyone among them in need; for as many as were owners of lands or of houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things which were sold and placed them at the feet of the apostles; and it was distributed to each according as anyone had need.” As in 2:45, the selling of lands and houses was an evidence of the Lord’s dynamic salvation. This salvation caused the believers to overcome their earthly possessions, which occupy, possess, and usurp fallen mankind (Matt. 19:21-24; Luke 12:13-19, 33-34; 14:33; 16:13-14; 1 Tim. 6:17).
巴拿巴的例子
The Example of Barnabas
8在三十六、三十七节，路加举了一个积极的例子，说到一个人卖了他的田产，把所卖的价银拿来，放在使徒脚前：『有一个利未人约瑟，按籍贯是居比路人，使徒称他为巴拿巴。（巴拿巴繙出来，就是劝慰子。）他有一块田地，也卖了，把钱拿来，放在使徒脚前。』巴拿巴是亚兰文，原意申言之子，转指说话以鼓励、劝导、安慰人者。籍贯是居比路的利未人巴拿巴，卖了他的产业，把所卖的钱拿来放在使徒脚前，要照圣徒所需用的，分给各人。这是四章三十二至三十七节积极面的一部分。
8In 4:36 and 37 Luke gives a positive example of one who sold his land and placed the proceeds at the feet of the apostles: “And Joseph, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, which is translated son of encouragement, a Levite, a Cyprian by birth, possessing a field, having sold it, brought the sum of money and placed it at the feet of the apostles.” The Greek word rendered “encouragement” in verse 36 also means consolation. Barnabas, a Levite and a native of Cyprus, sold his property, brought the money from the sale, and placed it at the feet of the apostles for distribution among the saints according to need. This is part of the positive scene in 4:32-37
消极的一面住在亚拿尼亚和撒非喇里面的两个人位
The Negative Scene The Two Persons Residing in Ananias and Sapphira
9在四章末了积极的一面之后，路加在五章一至十一节陈明消极的一面。消极的一面涉及一对夫妇，亚拿尼亚和撒非喇：『但是有一个人，名叫亚拿尼亚，同他的妻子撒非喇，卖了产业，把价银私自留下一部分，他的妻子也知道。他把一部分拿来放在使徒脚前。』（徒五1～2。）亚拿尼亚和撒非喇有个邪恶的计画，要欺骗内住的灵，向祂撒谎。『彼得说，亚拿尼亚，为什么撒但充满了你的心，叫你欺骗圣灵，把田产的价银私自留下一部分？』（徒五3。）亚拿尼亚表面上是欺骗使徒，实际上是欺骗圣灵，就是神，（徒五4，）因为在使徒为著主的工作上，圣灵与使徒乃是一。
9Following the positive scene at the end of chapter four, Luke presents the negative scene in 5:1-11. The negative scene involves a couple, Ananias and Sapphira: “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property, and put aside for himself some of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it; and having brought a certain part, he laid it at the feet of the apostles” (vv. 1-2). Ananias and Sapphira had an evil plan to deceive, to lie to, the indwelling Spirit. “But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and put aside for yourself some of the proceeds of the land?” (v. 3). Ananias lied apparently to the apostles but actually to the Holy Spirit, who is God (v. 4), because the Spirit and the apostles were one
10我们读这几节，就看见有两个人位住在这对夫妇里面。第一，那灵必然住在他们里面；因为他们已经得救，所以圣灵已经在他们里面得著住处。第二，撒但住在他们里面；因为撒但充满了他们的心，叫他们欺骗圣灵。所以，有两个居住者－圣灵与撒但，住在亚拿尼亚和撒非喇里面。
10As we read these verses, we see that two persons were making their residence in this couple. First, the Spirit was no doubt dwelling in them. Because they were saved, the Holy Spirit had taken up His residence within them. Second, Satan was dwelling in them, for he had filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, two residents— the Holy Spirit and Satan— were dwelling in Ananias and Sapphira.
11我们需要看见，我们信徒也有这两个居住者在里面。然而，一些圣经教师不相信撒但住留在信徒里面，也不相信圣徒可能被鬼附。宾路易师母（JessePenn-Lewis)因著在她『圣徒的争战』（WarontheSaints）一书中说到信徒被鬼附的事例，有些人甚至称她为『女巫。』虽然有些人否认信徒会被鬼附，但有些真信徒会被鬼附却是事实。行传五章这里也许是信徒被撒但占有或欺骗的第一个事例。彼得问亚拿尼亚：『为甚么撒但充满了你的心？』这指明撒但不仅在他们外面，也在他们心里欺骗他们，引诱他们。
11We need to realize that, as believers, we also have these two residents within us. However, some teachers of the Bible do not believe that Satan remains in the believers; neither do these teachers believe that saints can be possessed by demons. Because Jessie Penn-Lewis spoke about cases of demon possession of believers in her book War on the Saints, some went so far as to call her a “witch.” Although some may deny that believers can be possessed by demons, it is a fact that certain genuine believers have been demon possessed. Here in chapter five of Acts is perhaps the first case of believers possessed by or deceived by Satan. Peter asked Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart?” This indicates that Satan was not merely outside them but was in their hearts deceiving them and seducing them
野心的难处
The Problem of Ambition
12撒但怎能在他们里面有这样的地位？这是因著他们的野心。多年来我知道信徒会有野心，要得著名声、地位、头衔和阶级。这野心甚至在召会生活的人中间也能找到。我在东西方都看过，在召会里人有野心要得著阶级、地位、头衔和名声。甚至青年人也可能有野心要作带头的人。最近在台北，主在我们中间有这样的行动：我们在召会里设立了四百多个小排。已过我们建立类似的排，每一排都指派带头的和助手。但是我们发现，那些指派成了败坏的因素。所以，这次我们告诉召会，在小排里面不要任何指定的带头人，每一个人都可以带头。亚拿尼亚和撒非喇里面，有地位给撒但作欺骗他们的根基，那就是他们想要得著名声。他们想要得著为召会变卖一切的名声。因著他们的野心，他们就拟定一个计画，卖了一块田产，把所卖的价银私自留下一些，然后把一部分拿来，放在使徒脚前。
12How could Satan have such ground within them? Satan had this ground because of their ambition. I have learned over the years that believers can be ambitious to have a name, position, title, and rank. This ambition can be found even among those in the church life. Both in the Orient and in the West I have seen those in the church who were ambitious concerning rank, position, title, and name. Even the young people may be ambitious to be leaders. Recently in Taipei the Lord moved among us in such a way that we established more than four hundred small groups in the church. When we established similar groups in the past, we appointed a leader in every group and also assistants. However, we found out that those appointments became a factor of corruption. Therefore, this time we told the church that there would not be any designated leaders in the small groups. Rather, every one in every group could take the lead. The ground in Ananias and Sapphira that was the basis for Satan’s deception of them was their desire to have a name. They wanted to have the reputation for having sold everything for the church. Because of their ambition, they formed a plan. They sold a piece of property, kept some of the proceeds for themselves, and then brought a certain part and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
13我们曾指出，亚拿尼亚和撒非喇欺骗圣灵。你认为他们所欺骗的那灵是在天上，在他们的外面么？你认为他们仅仅欺骗一位客观的灵么？亚拿尼亚和撒非喇欺骗的这位灵，就在他们里面。如果圣灵不在他们里面，彼得为甚么说他们欺骗圣灵？撒但与圣灵同时住在亚拿尼亚和撒非喇里面。今天在圣经教师中间有一种倾向，否认撒但魔鬼住在人肉体里这个事实。但请想想彼得在马太十六章的经历。彼得承认耶稣是基督，是活神的儿子。主对他说，『西门巴约拿，你是有福的，因为不是血肉之人启示了你，乃是我在诸天之上的父启示了你。』（太十六17。）然后在同一章，我们看见这位从父领受了启示的彼得，也被撒但霸占了。当彼得拉著主责劝祂时，『祂却转过来，对彼得说，撒但，退我后面去罢！』（太十六23。）在这里我们看见，撒但不仅在彼得外面，也在彼得里面。
13As we have pointed out, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit. Do you think that the Spirit to whom they lied was the Spirit in the heavens, the Spirit outside them? Do you think they lied merely to an objective Spirit? Ananias and Sapphira lied to the very Spirit who was within them. If the Holy Spirit had not been within them, why would Peter have said that they lied to the Holy Spirit? Both Satan and the Holy Spirit resided in Ananias and Sapphira at the same time. Today there is a trend among Bible teachers to deny the fact that Satan, the Devil, dwells in man’s flesh. But consider Peter’s experience in Matthew 16. Peter recognized that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Lord said to him, “You are blessed, Simon Bar - jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens” (v. 17). Later in the same chapter we see that Peter, the one who received a revelation from the Father, was also occupied by Satan. When Peter took the Lord and began to rebuke Him, “He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan” (v. 23). Here we see that Satan was within Peter, not merely outside of him.
野心产生死亡
Ambition Resulting in Death
14撒但离我们并不远，我们需要谨慎，以免受他欺骗。我们若要避开撒但的欺骗，就必须弃绝、定罪并放弃要在召会生活中作重要人物的野心。每当我们在召会生活中想要成为重要人物，撒但就有地位来欺骗我们，按属灵一面说，就是把我们带进死亡。亚拿尼亚和撒非喇有野心要在召会中成为重要人物；他们有野心要得著名声。他们因著野心，就被欺骗，这欺骗把他们带进死亡。正如这段记载所指明的，亚拿尼亚和撒非喇两个人都肉身死了。
14Satan is not far from us, and we need to be careful lest we be deceived by him. If we would avoid Satan’s deception, we must reject, condemn, and abandon the ambition to be somebody in the church life. Whenever we have the thought of being somebody in the church life, Satan has the ground to deceive us and, spiritually speaking, to bring us into death. Ananias and Sapphira had the ambition to be somebody in the church; they had the ambition to have a name. Because of their ambition they were deceived, and that deception brought them into death. As the record indicates, both Ananias and Sapphira died physically
15我们不该认为在召会里既然没有亚拿尼亚和撒非喇那样的肉身死亡，就表示完全没有死亡。不是这样。要作重要人物的野心，要作带头人的野心，将有野心的人带进属灵的死亡。那些有野心的人也许肉身没有死，却有属灵的死亡。我们在主的恢复里看过类似的事例，这些事例证明野心产生属灵的死亡。在这事上我们都需要非常谨慎。
15We should not think that because there is no physical death in the church like that of Ananias and Sapphira, that this means there is no death at all. On the contrary, the ambition to be somebody, the ambition to be a leader, brings the ambitious ones into spiritual death. Those who are ambitious may not die physically, but they will die spiritually. We have seen cases like this in the Lord’s recovery. These cases make it evident that ambition results in spiritual death. Concerning this we all need to be very careful.
16亚拿尼亚和撒非喇遭受肉身死亡的惩罚，这事实并不是说，他们要永远沉沦。虽然亚拿尼亚和撒非喇得救了，他们却犯了至于死的罪。（约壹五16～17。）在神行政的对付里，有些神的儿女由于某种的罪，在今世被命定要肉身死亡。这是亚拿尼亚和撒非喇的光景，他们因著欺骗圣灵，受到肉身死亡的惩罚。他们的事例教训我们，对于召会生活里的野心和不诚实，我们要极其谨慎。圣灵使用路加记载亚拿尼亚和撒非喇的事例，向我们指出，召会生活也许是美妙的，但我们对于野心还需要谨慎。我们不该有任何野心，想要在召会里作重要人物。我们不该对阶级、地位或名声有野心。我们若有这样的野心，就会给仇敌地位，把我们带进属灵的死亡。
16The fact that Ananias and Sapphira suffered the punishment of physical death does not mean that they will suffer eternal perdition. Although Ananias and Sapphira were saved, they committed a sin unto death (1 John 5:16-17). In God’s governmental dealing, some of His children may be destined to physical death in this age due to a certain sin. This was the situation of Ananias and Sapphira, who were punished with physical death because of their lying to the Holy Spirit. Their case teaches us to be extremely careful about ambition and dishonesty in the church life. The Holy Spirit used Luke to record the case of Ananias and Sapphira to point out to us that although the church life may be wonderful, we still need to be careful concerning ambition. We should not have any ambition to be somebody in the church. We should not have the ambition for rank, position, or name. If we have such an ambition, we shall give the enemy the ground to bring us into spiritual death.
欺骗圣灵的罪
The Sin of Lying to the Holy Spirit
17五章四节的话与凡物公用有关系：『田产还留著，所留下的不是你自己的么？既卖了，价银不也是由你作主么？』这指明使徒不把变卖田产并分给别人，当作规条来实行。这里没有要求信徒要凡物公用，这件事该作得心甘情愿。如果亚拿尼亚和撒非喇不想卖自己的产业，没有人要求他们要这样作。不仅如此，所卖的钱也是由他们自己作主。他们的罪乃是企图欺骗圣灵。他们保留自己的产业，或保留所卖的钱，并不是罪。他们的罪乃在于欺骗圣灵。他们企图欺骗召会，藉著撒谎为自己取得名声。得罪内住的灵是粗鄙的罪。他们的罪乃是甘愿与他们里面邪恶的居住者撒但合作。我们都需要学习亚拿尼亚和撒非喇的事例所给我们的功课。在五章三节，彼得告诉亚拿尼亚，他欺骗了圣灵，然后在四节末了对他说，『你不是欺骗人，乃是欺骗神了。』这证明三节的圣灵就是神。
17In 5:4 there is a word related to having all things common: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And when it was sold, was it not in your authority?” This indicates that to sell possessions and distribute them to others was not considered by the apostles a practice of legality. The believers were not required to have all things common. That was something that should have been done willingly. If Ananias and Sapphira did not want to sell their property, they were not required to do so. Furthermore, the money from the sale was in their own authority. Their sin was that they intended to lie to the Holy Spirit. It would not have been sinful to keep their property or to keep the proceeds from the sale of the property. Their sin consisted in lying to the Holy Spirit. Their intention was to cheat the church and to get a name for themselves by lying. This was a gross sin that offended the indwelling Spirit. Their sin was a willing cooperation with Satan, the evil resident within them. We all need to learn the lesson afforded by the case of Ananias and Sapphira. In 5:3 Peter told Ananias that he lied to the Holy Spirit. Then at the end of verse 4 Peter said to him, “You did not lie to men, but to God.” This proves that the Holy Spirit in verse 3 is God
18后来彼得对撒非喇说，『你们为甚么同心试探主的灵？』三节的圣灵，四节的神和九节的主都是一，在信徒的经历中更是如此。
18Later, when Peter was speaking to Sapphira, he said to her, “Why was it agreed together by you to test the Spirit of the Lord?” The Holy Spirit in verse 3, God in verse 4, and the Lord in verse 9 are all one, especially in the experience of the believers.
召会惧怕
Fear Coming upon the Church
19在五章十一节，路加结束这消极一面的叙述，说，『全召会以及所有听见这事的人，都甚惧怕。』召会的希腊文是ekklesia，艾克利西亚，由ek，出来，和kaleo，蒙召的引伸辞组成，因此是蒙召出来的（会众），就是召会。使徒行传首次在这里题到召会，就是地方召会。我们在以后的信息中会看见，八章一节说到在耶路撒冷的召会。这是头一处在地方上建立的召会，在一个城，就是耶路撒冷城的辖区之内。这是一个在地方上的地方召会，正如主在马太十八章十七节所指明的。马太十六章十八节所启示的召会是宇宙召会，那是基督独一的身体。马太十八章十七节所启示的召会是地方召会，是基督独一的身体在地方上的彰显。新约对这事（在地方上建立召会）的记载是前后一贯的。（徒十三1，1十四23，罗十六1，林前一2，林后八1，加一2，启一4，11。）
19In verse 11 Luke closes his account of the negative scene by saying, “And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all those who heard these things.” The Greek word for “church” is ekklesia, composed of ek, out, and a derivative of kaleo, called; hence, the called out (congregation), the assembly. This is the first time that the church is mentioned in Acts as a local church. As we shall see in a later message, 8:1 speaks of the church in Jerusalem. This was the first church established in a locality. It was established within the jurisdiction of the city, the city of Jerusalem. It was a local church in its locality, as indicated by the Lord in Matthew 18:17. The church revealed in Matthew 16:18 is the universal church, which is the unique Body of Christ. The church revealed in Matthew 18:17 is the local church, the expression of the unique Body of Christ in a certain locality. The record of the New Testament concerning the establishment of the church in its locality is consistent throughout (Acts 13:1; 14:23; Rom. 16:1; Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 8:1; Gal. 1:2; Rev. 1:4, 11).
SIGNS AND WONDERS
藉著使徒所行的神迹奇事
DONE THROUGH THE APOSTLES
20五章十二节说，『主藉使徒的手，在民间行了许多神迹奇事。』这里与二章四十三节的记载非常相似。那里告诉我们：『又有许多奇事神迹，藉著使徒行出来。』我们需要看见，成为肉体、钉十字架、复活、升天的基督乃是神中心的见证，奇事神迹并不是这见证的一部分，也不是神完全救恩的一部分，只是证实使徒所传讲、所供应以及所行的，绝对是出于神，不是出于人。（来二3～4。）这就是说，奇事神迹既不是神中心见证的一部分，也不是神救恩的一部分。奇事神迹是神用以证明使徒的传讲与职事是出于神的方法。在使徒时代，需要藉著他们行神迹奇事。毫无疑问，那吸引了群众的注意。然而，我们今天不该强调奇事神迹。
20Acts 5:12 says, “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders took place among the people.” The record here is very similar to that in 2:43, where we are told that “many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” We need to realize that wonders and signs are not part of God’s central testimony of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ. Neither are they part of His full salvation. Rather, wonders and signs are only evidences that what the apostles preached and ministered and how they acted were absolutely of God and not of man (Heb. 2:3-4). This means that wonders and signs are neither a part of God’s central testimony nor apart of God’ss alvation. Wonders and signs are means used by God to prove that the preaching and ministry of the apostles are of God. At the apostles’ time there was the need for signs and wonders to be done through them. No doubt, that caught the attention of the multitude. However, we today should not emphasize wonders and signs