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使徒行传生命读经 · 第26篇

扫罗的悔改（二）

The Conversion of Saul (2)
1读经：使徒行传九章一至十九节。在本篇信息中，我们要继续来看扫罗的悔改。（徒九1～19。）
1Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-19 In this message we shall continue to consider the conversion of Saul (9:1-19
祷告三天
PRAYING FOR THREE DAYS
2扫罗将近大马色，『忽然有光从天上四面照著他，他就仆倒在地，听见有声音对他说，扫罗、扫罗，你为甚么逼迫我？』（徒九3～4。）扫罗从地上起来，睁开眼睛，竟不能看见什么。（徒九8。）扫罗三日不能看见。主不仅夺去他的视力，也对付他聪明的心思。我们已经看见，扫罗精通希伯来宗教、希腊文化和罗马政治。他在西方文化三种基本的元素里受过训练。主耶稣拿走扫罗的视力，是要他思想主。
2As Saul drew near to Damascus, “suddenly a light from heaven shone around him; and he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (vv. 3-4). After he rose from the ground, he saw nothing, even though his eyes were opened (v. 8). For three days Saul was not able to see. The Lord not only took away his sight; He also dealt with Saul’s clever mind. We have seen that Saul was learned in Hebrew religion, Greek culture, and Roman politics. He was trained in the three basic elements of Western culture. In taking away Saul’ss ight, the Lord Jesus wanted Saul to think about Him
3九章九节说，扫罗『三日不能看见，也不吃，也不喝。』在那三天他作甚么？答案是在十一节主向亚拿尼亚所说的话里：『起来，往那叫直的街上去，在犹大的家里，寻找一个大数人名叫扫罗。看哪，他正在祷告。』在这里我们看见，那三天扫罗一直在祷告。他不能看见，也不吃不喝。他所能作的就是祷告。我信扫罗在祷告的时候试著分析耶稣，要知道祂是谁。扫罗也许对自己说，『我知道耶稣被埋葬了，但祂从天上对我说话。怎么会有这事？耶稣说我在逼迫祂，祂怎么会在我所逼迫的人当中？』扫罗三天之久，一定在祷告这类的事。
3Acts 9:9 says that Saul “was three days without seeing, and neither ate nor drank.” What did he do during those three days? The answer to this question is found in the Lord’sword to Ananias recorded in verse 11: “Rise up and go to the lane called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas a man from Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying.” Here we see that in those three days Saul was praying. He did not see anything, and he did not eat or drink anything. All he could do was pray. I believe that as Saul prayed he tried to analyze Jesus, seeking to know who He is. Saul may have said to himself, “I know that Jesus was buried, yet He spoke to me from heaven. How can this be? Jesus said that I was persecuting Him. How could He have been among those I persecuted?” For three days Paul must have prayed about matters such as these
领受完备的福音信息
RECEIVING THE FULL MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL
4当扫罗祷告的时候，关于基督与召会的异象和启示，可能一一临到他。他在那几天的经历也许就像看属天的电视一样，他看见了许多关于主耶稣的事。扫罗看见了这些事，也许会说，『拿撒勒人耶稣是耶和华，祂是我的救主。难怪祂的跟从者极力见证祂复活了。祂必定复活了，因为祂从天上向我显现。』扫罗也许接著思想主的升天，这点含示祂成为肉体、为人生活、受死与复活。扫罗也许领悟，现今在诸天之上的主，经过了成为肉体、为人生活、受死、复活并升天的过程。
4It is likely that as Saul was praying, vision after vision and revelation after revelation came to him concerning Christ and the church. His experience during those days may have been one of watching a heavenly television in which he saw many things concerning the Lord Jesus. As he saw these things, Saul may have said, “Jesus the Nazarene is Jehovah. He is my Savior. No wonder that His followers testified strongly that He was resurrected. He surely has been resurrected, for He appeared to me from the heavens.” Saul may have gone on to consider the Lord’s ascension, which implies His incarnation, human living, death, and resurrection. Saul may have come to realize that as the One who is now in the heavens, the Lord passed through the process of incarnation, human living, death, resurrection, and ascension.
5我们需要对扫罗三天之久不吃也不喝的事实有深刻的印象。他只是祷告。他祷告的时候，关于基督的启示就『播映』到他这人里面。扫罗在这属天的电视上看见主奇妙的景象。扫罗对基督的复活不再有怀疑，他也开始相信主的成为肉体与受死。藉著他那几天所看见的异象，扫罗领受了完备的福音信息。
5We need to be impressed with the fact that for three days Saul did not eat or drink. All he did was pray. While he was praying, the revelation concerning Christ was “televised” into his being. Saul beheld a wonderful view of the Lord on this heavenly television. No longer did Saul have any doubt concerning Christ’s resurrection. He also came to believe in His incarnation and death. Through the visions that he saw during those days, Saul received the full message of the gospel
耶稣与团体的『我』
JESUS AND THE CORPORATE “ME
6扫罗不仅看见耶稣是耶和华救主，祂死了又复活了；他也看见主耶稣与祂的跟从者是一。也许扫罗对自己说，『我没有逼迫耶稣，我是逼迫跟从祂的人，但祂说我逼迫祂。这意思必定是祂与跟从祂的人是一。』这样，扫罗就看见了身体。他听到的信息不仅论到基督的救恩，也论到基督的身体。当主向扫罗显现时，主问他：『你为甚么逼迫我？』主似乎说，『扫罗，这「我」包括个人的我与我团体的身体。个人的我在诸天之上，但团体的身体在地上。当你逼迫跟从我的人时，你就是逼迫我的身体。逼迫我的身体，就是逼迫我。』所以，九章四节的『我』是团体的，包括主耶稣和他所有的信徒。按照九章五节，扫罗说，『主阿，你是谁？』主说，『我就是你所逼迫的耶稣。』四节的『我』和五节的『耶稣』这名，有重大的意义。保罗对于耶稣和这团体的『我，』必定思想了许多。他在那三天中，可能分析过『我』和耶稣这两个辞。当保罗说，『主阿，你是谁？』他必定得救了，并且领受了素质的灵。以后他在罗马书说，『凡呼求主名的，就必得救。』（罗十13。）在行传九章五节，扫罗不认识耶稣，却称祂为主。扫罗必定为主的显现和说话所震惊。那时，素质的灵应该已经进到他里面。然后他能祷告三天，不吃也不喝。在素质的灵的感动之下，他惟一的兴趣就是祷告，为要明白他所看见所听见之事的意义。在那几天，保罗领受了关于救恩与基督身体完备的福音。
6Saul not only saw that Jesus is Jehovah, the Savior, who died and was resurrected; he also saw that the Lord Jesus is one with His followers. Perhaps Saul said to himself, “I did not persecute Jesus — I persecuted His followers. But He told me that I persecuted Him. This must mean that He is one with His followers.” In this way Saul came to see the Body. He heard a message not only concerning Christ’s salvation, but also concerning the Body of Christ. When the Lord appeared to Saul, He asked him, “Why are you persecuting Me?” The Lord seemed to be saying, “Saul, this ‘Me’ includes Me personally and My Body corporately. Personally I am in the heavens, but corporately the Body is on earth. When you persecuted My followers, you persecuted My Body. To persecute My Body is to persecute Me.” Therefore, the “Me” in 9:4 is corporate, comprising the Lord Jesus and all His believers. According to 9:5, Saul said, “Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” The “Me” in verse 4 and the name “Jesus” in verse 5 are of great significance, and Paul must have considered much concerning Jesus and this corporate “Me.” During those three days he might have analyzed the two words Me and Jesus. When Paul said, “Who are You, Lord?” he must have gotten saved and received the essential Spirit. Later, in the book of Romans, he said, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13). In Acts 9:5 Saul called Jesus Lord even without knowing Him. No doubt, Saul was shocked by the Lord’s appearing and speaking. At that time the essential Spirit should have entered into his being. Then he was able to pray for three days without eating and drinking. Under the inspiration of the essential Spirit, his only interest was to pray in order to know the significance of what he had seen and heard. During those days, Paul received the full gospel concerning salvation and the Body of Christ.
7扫罗对团体的我－基督与身体－的经历，必定使他印象深刻，影响他将来关于基督与召会的职事。那次经历为他的职事立下根基。所以，他教导基督的身体非常有力，（罗十二4～5，林前十二12～27，弗一22～23，二16，四4，16，）他是新约里惟一使用『基督的身体』这辞的作者。他非常强调基督的身体，因为他在悔改的时候，听到一篇信息，论到团体的我，基督的身体。
7Saul’s experience of the corporate Me, Christ and the Body, must have made a deep impression on him and affected his future ministry regarding Christ and the church. That experience laid the foundation for his ministry. Therefore, he was very strong in teaching the Body of Christ (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:16; 4:4, 16). He is the only writer in the New Testament to use the term “the Body of Christ.” He placed great emphasis on the Body because at the time of his conversion he heard a message concerning the corporate Me, a message concerning the Body of Christ
CONFIRMED BY
由基督身体的代表印证
A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BODY
8扫罗得救以后，主立刻开始以基督身体的事教育他。主对扫罗说，『起来，进城去，你所当作的事，必有人告诉你。』(徒九6。)这里主似乎说，『扫罗，我不告诉你需要作甚么。你直接蒙我拯救，没有别的人知道你得救了。所以，你需要我身体的一个代表到你这里来，印证我已经拯救你、拣选你并呼召你的事实。你也需要这样一个身体的代表，带你进入与我身体的联合里。』我们会看见，当扫罗到了耶路撒冷，想与门徒结交，『众人却都怕他，不信他是门徒。』(徒九26。)这样的光景使他的得救必须由基督身体的代表来印证。
8Immediately after Saul was saved, the Lord began to educate him concerning the Body. This was the reason He said to Saul, “Rise up and enter into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do” (9:6). Here the Lord seemed to be saying, “Saul, I shall not tell you what you need to do. You have been saved directly by Me, and no other person knows that you have been saved. Therefore, you need a representative of My Body to come to you and confirm the fact that I have saved you, chosen you, and called you. You also need such a representative of the Body to bring you into the identification with My Body.” As we shall see, when Saul came to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, “all feared him, not believing that he was a disciple” (v. 26). Such a situation made it necessary for his salvation to be confirmed by a representative of the Body
9主叫亚拿尼亚去寻找扫罗，亚拿尼亚回答说，『主阿，我听见许多人说到这人，他在耶路撒冷向你的圣徒行了多少恶事。』（徒九13。）在这里我们看见，亚拿尼亚不想跟扫罗有什么牵连。然而主对亚拿尼亚说，『你只管去，因为这人是我所拣选的器皿，要在外邦人和君王并以色列子孙面前，宣扬我的名；我要指示他，为我的名必须受许多的苦难。』（徒九15～16。）亚拿尼亚就去接触扫罗。他与扫罗接触时，承认他是主里的弟兄。（徒九17。）如果主没有叫亚拿尼亚把扫罗寻找出来，没有一个信徒会承认扫罗是弟兄。藉著亚拿尼亚，主在身体生活的实行上，给了扫罗非常好的教导。
9When the Lord told Ananias to seek Saul, Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many concerning this man, how many evil things he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem” (v. 13). Here we see that Ananias did not want to have anything to do with Saul. Then the Lord went on to say to Ananias, “Go, for this man is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before both the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer on behalf of My name” (vv. 15-16). Then Ananias went to contact Saul. In his contact with Saul, Ananias recognized him as a brother in the Lord (v. 17). If the Lord had not told Ananias to seek out Saul, none of the believers would have recognized Saul as a brother. Through Ananias the Lord gave Saul excellent instruction concerning the practice of the Body life.
被圣灵充溢
BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
10在十七节，亚拿尼亚对扫罗说，『在你来的路上向你显现的耶稣，就是主，差遣我来，叫你能看见，又被圣灵充溢。』这里的充溢是外面被经纶的灵充溢。在九章扫罗的事例和八章撒玛利亚人的事例中，身体的头保留了经纶的灵。主保留经纶的灵，不给撒玛利亚信徒，因为犹太人将他们看作外人，与他们没有来往。犹太人很难相信神会拯救撒玛利亚人。所以，身体的元首将经纶的灵保留，直到彼得、约翰来到撒玛利亚，按手在撒玛利亚信徒身上。藉著彼得、约翰的按手，元首将经纶的灵降下，给犹太信徒作标记，表明撒玛利亚人也能成为基督身体的肢体。
10In 9:17 Ananias said to Saul, “The Lord has sent me, Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” The filling here is the outward filling with the economical Spirit. Both in the case of Saul in chapter nine and in the case of the Samaritans in chapter eight, the Head of the Body withheld the economical Spirit. The Lord held back the economical Spirit from the Samaritan believers because the Jews regarded them as strangers and had no dealings with them. The Jews would have found it difficult to believe that God would save the Samaritans. Therefore, the Head of the Body withheld the economical Spirit until Peter and John came to Samaria to lay their hands on the Samaritan believers. Through the laying on of the hands of Peter and John, the Head passed on the economical Spirit as a sign to the Jewish believers that even Samaritans could be members of the Body of Christ
11大数的扫罗当然是道地的犹太人，纯粹的希伯来人，但他带头逼迫召会，残害在耶路撒冷的召会。谁会相信他已经转向主并且得救了?当保罗接受主的救恩时，他也在里面接受素质的灵。然而，身体的元首保留经纶的灵，直到基督身体的一个代表到扫罗那里，按手在他身上。在那时刻，经纶的灵临到他，有力的证明他已经得救，并被元首接纳到身体里作肢体的事实。实际上，扫罗是个独特的肢体，要担当重大的使命，将神新约的经纶供应到外邦世界。要正确的领会九章一至十九节所描绘的一切并不容易。同样，要看见使徒行传这一段所记载的事的意义也不容易。我们对这段神圣话语的领会，不仅是从研读圣经和别人所写的书而来，也是从考量自己的历史和经历而来。因著多年的研读和经历，我们就看见九章一至十九节的要点。每一点对我们都不该只是教训，而该是我们在属天的电视上所看见的异象。
11Saul of Tarsus, of course, was a typical Jew, a pure Hebrew. However, he was a leading persecutor of the church, one who devastated the church in Jerusalem. Who would ever believe that he had turned to the Lord and had been saved? When Paul received the Lord’s salvation, he also received the essential Spirit within him. However, the Head of the Body held back the economical Spirit until a representative of the Body came to Saul and laid his hands on him. At that juncture, the economical Spirit came upon him as strong evidence of the fact that he had been saved and had been accepted by the Head into the Body as a member. Actually, Saul was a particular member, a member that was to bear the weighty commission to minister God’s New Testament economy to the Gentile world. It is not easy to have the proper understanding of all that is portrayed in 9:1-19. Likewise, it is not easy to see the significance of what is recorded in this section of Acts. Our understanding of this portion of the holy Word came not only from reading the Bible and books written by others, but also from considering our own history and experience. As a result of many years of study and experience, we can see the crucial points in 9:1-19. Each point should not merely be a teaching to us; rather, every point should be a vision that we see on the heavenly television.
the completion
神新约经纶约完成
OF GOD’S NEW TESTAMENT ECONOMY
12我们在行传九章看见，带头逼迫耶稣、最反对耶稣的人得救了，并且成为一个器皿。扫罗与头并与身体成为一。他是身体的肢体，彀资格接受属天的使命，完成神新约启示的话。他自己论到这一点说，『我照神为你们所赐我的管家职分，作了召会的执事，要完成神的话。』(西25。）没有保罗的书信，神新约的启示就无法完成。新约的二十七卷书中，十四卷是保罗写的，作为神新约经纶的完成。彼得一班同工的职事有起头，却没有完成。如果我们只有彼得一班同工的职事，神新约的经纶就无法完成。为著这完成，需要另一个器皿，就是神所拣选来执行祂新约经纶的器皿。至终，神在祂的智慧里将保罗下在监里，使他能写出对神新约经纶特别重要的书信。
12In Acts 9 we see that the leading persecutor and foremost opponent of Jesus was saved and became a vessel. Saul became one with the Head and with the Body. As a member of the Body, he was qualified to receive the heavenly commission to complete the word of God’s New Testament revelation. Concerning this, he himself says, “I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God” (Col. 1:25). Without the Epistles of Paul, God’s New Testament revelation would not have been completed. Among the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, fourteen were written by Paul as the completion of God’s New Testament economy. With the ministry of Peter and his company we have the initiation, but we do not have the completion. If we had only the ministry of Peter and his company, the New Testament economy of God would not be complete. For this completion there was the need of another vessel, the vessel chosen by God to carry out His New Testament economy. Eventually, God in His wisdom put Paul into prison so that he could write those Epistles which are especially crucial to the New Testament economy of God
蒙拣选的器皿
a chosen vessel
13我们在九章十五节看见，大数的扫罗是蒙拣选的器皿。我们读圣经时，可能不彀注意『器皿』这个重要的属灵名词。器皿是容器，所以与工具或武器不同。保罗的书信非常强调器皿的重要。比方说，罗马九章二十三节说到神『要在那些蒙怜悯、早豫备得荣耀的器皿上，彰显神荣耀的丰富。』罗马九章的思想是：人被神创造，作盛装祂的器皿。在林后四章七节保罗再次说到器皿：『我们有这宝贝在瓦器里，要显明这超越的能力，是属于神，不是出于我们。』然后他在提后二章二十节说，『在大户人家，不但有金器银器，也有木器瓦器；有作为贵重的，也有作为卑贱的。』神拯救大数扫罗的心意，是要以祂自己将他充满，因而使他成为特出的器皿。我们在保罗的著作里，看见『器皿』一辞属灵意义的发展。扫罗也许从亚拿尼亚得知他是蒙拣选的器皿。大数的扫罗不但蒙主拣选作祂的使徒、仆人、执事，也蒙拣选作祂的器皿。在行传九章十五节，主耶稣似乎对亚拿尼亚说，『扫罗是蒙拣选的器皿，他要盛装我，他的职事是要将我传输到外邦世界。』我们都需要看见扫罗是蒙拣选的器皿的重要。
13In 9:15 we see that Saul of Tarsus was a chosen vessel. In reading the Scriptures we may not pay adequate attention to the word “vessel,” an important spiritual term. A vessel is a container and therefore is different from a tool or a weapon. In the Epistles of Paul there is a strong emphasis on the importance of vessels. For example, Romans 9:23 speaks of God making known “the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory.” In Romans 9 we have the thought that human beings were made by God to be vessels to contain Him. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul again speaks of vessels: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” Then in 2 Timothy 2:20 he says, “In a great house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also wooden and earthen, and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.” God’sin tent i on in saving Saul of Tarsus was to fill him with Himself and thereby make him an outstanding vessel. In Paul’s writings we see the development of the spiritual significance of the word “vessel.” It may have been from Ananias that Saul learned that he was a chosen vessel. Saul of Tarsus was chosen by the Lord not only to be His apostle, His servant, and His minister; he was also chosen to be His vessel. In Acts 9:15 the Lord Jesus seemed to be saying to Ananias, “Saul is a chosen vessel. He will contain Me, and his ministry will be to convey Me to the Gentile world.” We all need to see the importance of Saul being a chosen vessel
14我们能在保罗的生活和著作里看见西方文化的三种元素－希伯来元素、希腊元素和罗马元素。保罗是这三种元素的组成。所以，他具体表现了希伯来宗教、希腊文化和罗马政治。因为他是这些元素的组成，所以他适合作器皿，盛装并传输包罗万有的基督。保罗足能成为这样的器皿。
14In Paul’s life and writings we can see the three elements of western culture—the Hebrew element, the Greek element, and the Roman element. Paul was a composition of these three elements. Therefore, he embodied Hebrew religion, Greek culture, and Roman politics. Because he was a composition of these elements, he became suitable as an earthen vessel to contain and convey the all-inclusive Christ. Paul was adequate to be such a vessel
我们需要属灵的异象
OUR NEED FOR SPIRITUAL VISION
15我们研读圣经，只懂得白纸黑字是不彀的。我们也需要属灵的异象和见识。当主耶稣启示『亚伯拉罕的神、以撒的神、雅各的神』这神圣的名称是指明复活时，（太二二23～33，）祂有这样的异象和见识。我们光读圣经的字句，无法看见这样的事。惟有凭著属灵的异象和见识，我们才能看见这神圣的名称里含示复活。有这样的领会，不是将圣经寓意化，或仅仅加以推断。反之，这是藉著研读神写出来的话而领受启示。我们读行传九章，也需要看见关于『我、』耶稣、与蒙拣选的器皿的异象。
15In studying the Bible it is not sufficient to know only the letters in black and white. We also need spiritual vision and insight. The Lord Jesus had such vision and insight when He revealed that the divine title the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” indicates resurrection (Matt. 22:23-33). We cannot see such a thing simply by reading the Bible in letters. Only by having spiritual vision and insight can we see that resurrection is implied in this divine title. To have such an understanding is not to allegorize the Scriptures or merely to make inferences. On the contrary, this is to receive revelation through the study of the written Word of God. In our reading of chapter nine of Acts we also need to see the heavenly vision concerning “Me,” Jesus, and the chosen vessel