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使徒行传生命读经 · 第60篇

藉著保罗一班同工的职事，在外邦地的繁殖 ( 二十六 )

The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (26)
1读经：使徒行传21:27—22:29。行传二十一章二十七节至二十六章三十二节是一段很长的话，记载犹太人终极的逼迫。二十一章二十七节至二十三章十五节记述抵挡保罗的暴动。在本篇信息中，我们要看保罗在耶路撒冷被犹太人捉拿，（徒二一27～30，）罗马千夫长干豫，（徒二一31～39，）以及保罗得机会在暴动者前分诉。(徒二一40～二二21。）保罗分诉完，就被
1Scripture Reading: Acts 21:27—22:29 Acts 21:27—26:32 is a lengthy section that records the ultimate persecution by the Jews. In 21:27—23:15 we have an account of an uproar against Paul. In this message we shall see that Paul was seized by the Jews in Jerusalem (21:27-30), that the Roman commander intervened (21:31-39), and that Paul was given the opportunity to defend himself before the rioting Jews (21:40—22:21). After making his defense, Paul was bound by the Romans (22:22-29
2罗马人捆绑。（徒二二22～29。）犹太人的捉拿
2seized by the Jews in Jerusalem
3二十一章二十七、二十八节说，『那七日将完，从亚西亚来的犹太人，看见保罗在殿里，就耸动了所有的群众，下手拿他，喊叫著说，诸位，以色列人哪，请帮忙，这人就是那在各处教训众人反对我们的百姓、律法和这地方的；他又带著希利尼人进殿，污秽了这圣地。』神照著祂新约经纶的新约教训，的确反对那些抵挡神新约经纶的犹太人，（太二一41，43～45，二二7，二三32～36，徒七51，十三～41，）也反对死的字句律法，（罗三20，28，六14，七4，6，加二19，21，五4，）也反对圣地、圣殿。(太三三38，二四2，徒七48。）既然保罗的职事是要执行神新约的经纶，就不能讨犹太人的喜悦。他们被神的仇敌撒但霸占并篡窃，用那走样的传统宗教，反对并残害神新约的行动。因此，保罗的职事触犯犹太人，也与他们所热中的律法和圣殿相对，惹动他们的嫉妒和仇恨到了极点，所以他们设计（徒二十3）要除掉他。（徒二一31，36。）
3Acts 21:27 and 28 say, “Now when the seven days were about to be concluded, the Jews from Asia saw him in the temple and threw all the crowd into confusion; and they laid their hands on him, crying out, Men, Israelites, help! This is the man who is teaching all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has profaned this holy place.” Yes, God’s New Testament teaching according to His New Testament economy is really against the Jews who oppose God’s New Testament economy (Matt. 21:41, 43-45; 22:7; 23:32-36; Acts 7:51; 13:40-41), 40 against the law of dead letters (Rom. 3:20, 28; 6:14; 7:4, 6; Gal. 2:19, 21; 5:4), and against the holy place, the temple (Matt. 23:38; 24:2; Acts 7:48). Because Paul’s ministry was to carry out God’s New Testament economy, it could not please the Jews who were possessed and usurped by Satan, the enemy of God, with their deformed traditional religion, to oppose and ravage God’s New Testament move. Rather, it offended them and it stirred up their jealousy and hatred to the uttermost, so that they made a plot (20:3) to do away with him (21:31, 36).
4二十一章二十八节的『这地方』和『这圣地』是指圣殿。二十九、三十节接著说，『原来他们先前看见以弗所人特罗非摩同保罗在城里，就以为保罗带他进了殿。全城都震动了，百姓一齐跑来，拿住保罗，拉他出殿，殿门立刻都关了。』罗马千夫长的干豫二十一章三十一至三十三节说，『他们正想要杀他，有人报信给营里的千夫长说，全耶路撒冷都乱了。千夫长立刻带著兵丁和几个百夫长，跑下去到他们那里；他们见了千夫长和兵丁，就止住不打保罗。于是千夫长上前拿住他，吩咐用两条铁炼捆锁，又查问他是甚么人，作的是甚么事。』千夫长指挥一千兵丁或一个营。古罗马一军团有十营。在主的主宰里，祂用这罗马千夫长的干豫，拯救保罗脱离想要杀他的犹太人。
4In 21:28 “this place” and “this holy place” refer to the temple. Verses 29 and 30 continue, “For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they supposed Paul had brought into the temple. And the whole city was aroused, and the people ran together; and laying hold of Paul, they dragged him outside the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.” Literally, the Greek words translated “the people ran together” mean “a running together of the people occurred.” THE INTERVENTION OF THE ROMAN COMMANDER Acts 21:31-33 say, “And as they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. And he took soldiers and centurions at once and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they ceased beating Paul. Then the commander drew near and laid hold of him and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and he inquired who he might be and what he had done.” This commander was a chiliarch in command of a thousand troops, or a cohort. A cohort was one of the ten divisions of an ancient Roman legion. In His sovereignty, the Lord used the intervention of this Roman commander to rescue Paul from the Jews, who were seeking to kill him.
5暴动者前的分诉
5DEFENDING HIMSELF BEFORE THE RIOTING JEWS
保罗需要分诉
Paul’s Need to Make a Defense
6保罗求千夫长准他向百姓说话。（徒二一39。）千夫长准了，保罗就用希伯来语对百姓讲话。这希伯来语就是亚兰语，是当时在巴勒斯坦所用的语言。在二十二章一节，保罗说，『诸位，弟兄父老，请听我现在对你们所分诉的。』保罗面对反对他的人，所采的方式与基督的不同。基督为著完成祂的救赎，像羊羔被牵到宰杀之地，又像羊在剪毛的人手下无声，被人审判的时候并不开口。（赛五三7，太二六62～63，二七12，14。）但保罗是主所差遣忠信勇敢的使徒，他需要辩护，运用智慧救自己的性命，脱离逼迫他的人，使他能完成他尽职的路程。虽然他愿意，也豫备好为主牺牲性命，（徒二十24，二一12～13，）但他仍然竭力要活得长久，使他尽可能执行主的职事。
6Paul asked permission of the Roman commander to speak to the people (v. 39). When the commander had given him permission, Paul addressed the people in the Hebrew dialect. This dialect was Aramaic, the language then spoken in Palestine. In 22:1 Paul said, “Men, brothers, and fathers, hear my defense which I now make to you.” Paul faced his opponents in a way different from Christ. Christ was a lamb brought to the slaughter, and as a sheep dumb before its shearer for the accomplishment of His redemption, He did not open His mouth when judged by men (Isa. 53:7; Matt. 26:62-63; 27:12, 14). But Paul, a faithful and bold apostle sent by the Lord, needed to make a defense and to exercise his wisdom to save his life from his persecutors so that he might fulfill the course of his ministry. Although he was willing and ready to sacrifice his life for the Lord (20:24; 21:13), he still endeavored to live longer that he might carry out the Lord’s ministry as much as possible
逼迫这道路
Persecuting This Way
7在二十二章三、四节，保罗接著说，『我是犹太人，生在基利家的大数，在这城里长大，在迦玛列脚前，按著我们祖宗严紧的律法受教，我为神热心，像你们众人今日一样。我也曾逼迫过这道路上的人，直到死地，无论男女都捆绑起来，下在监里。』我们看过，『这道路』是指在神新约经纶里主完全救恩的道路。
7In 22:3 and 4 Paul went on to say, “I am a man who is a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been trained according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today. And I persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering to prisons both men and women.” As we have seen, “this way” denotes the way of the Lord’s full salvation in God’s New Testament economy.
8在五节，保罗接著说，大祭司和众长老都可以给他作见证。这里的『众长老，』乃指议会，是由祭司长、长老、律法师、和经学家所组成之犹太人的最高法庭。
8In verse 5 Paul continued by saying that the high priest and all the council of the elders could testify for him. The Greek word for “council” here is presbuterion, presbytery, eldership (of the Sanhedrin), hence the Sanhedrin, the highest court of the Jews composed of the chief priests, elders, lawyers, and scribes
保罗在往大马色路上的经历
Paul’s Experience on the Road to Damascus
9在二十二章六、七节，保罗说，『我将到大马色，正走的时候，约在中午，忽然从天上发出大光，四面照著我，我就仆倒在地，听见有声音对我说，扫罗，扫罗，你为甚么逼迫我？』我们曾经指出，七节的『我』是团体的，包括主耶稣和祂所有的信徒，就是祂身体所有的肢体。从那时起保罗开始看见，主耶稣和祂的信徒是一个大的人－那奇妙的『我。』八节接著说，『我回答说，主阿，你是谁？祂对我说，我就是你所逼迫的拿撒勒人耶稣。』保罗不认识主，却称祂为主。然后主指明，保罗逼迫那些藉相信主与主联合的跟从者，实际上就是逼迫主。在九节保罗说，『与我同行的人看见了那光，却没有听明那对我说话者的声音。』说他们没有听明那声音，就是说他们没有听懂，如在马1可四章三十三节和林前十四章二节者。他们听见了声音，却不懂得，不明白，就如他们看见了那光，却看不见人。（徒九7。）
9In 22:6 and 7 Paul says, “Now it came about that as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, about midday, suddenly a great light shone out of heaven around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Literally, the Greek word for “great” in verse 6 means considerable. As we have pointed out, the “Me” in verse 7 was a corporate Me, including Jesus the Lord and all His believers, all the members of His Body. From that time he began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person, a wonderful “Me.” Verse 8 continues, “And I answered, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.” Even without knowing the Lord Jesus, Paul called Him Lord. Then the Lord indicated that Paul, by persecuting His followers, who were united to Him through their faith in Him, was actually persecuting Him. In verse 9 Paul says, “And those who were with me beheld the light, but did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me.” To say that they did not hear the voice means that they did not hear in the sense of understanding, as in Mark 4:33 and Corinthians 14:2. They heard the voice (Acts 9:7), but they did not understand it, just as they beheld the light, but beheld no one.
10按十节，保罗接著说，『我说，主阿，我当作甚么？主对我说，起来，进大马色去，在那里要将所派你作的一切事都告诉你。』我们在这里看见，保罗悔改以后，主不愿直接告诉他当作甚么，因为他需要基督身体的一个肢体，引他进入与这身体的联合里。
10According to verse 10, Paul went on to say, “What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you concerning all things which have been appointed for you to do.” Here we see that the Lord would not directly tell Paul right after his conversion what He wanted him to do, for the reason that He needed a member of His Body to initiate him into the identification with His Body
11十一节说，『我因那光的荣耀，不能看见，就由同行的人牵著我的手，进了大马色。』这是主对付保罗。在他悔改以前，他认为自己学识非凡，知道一切关于神和人的事。
11Acts 22:11 says, “And as I could not see because of the glory of that light, I was led by the hand of those who were with me and came into Damascus.” This was the Lord’s dealing with Paul who, prior to his conversion, considered himself knowledgeable concerning man and God.
被引进与基督身体的联合
Initiated into the Identification with the Body of Christ
12二十二章十二、十三节接著说，『有一个人名叫亚拿尼亚，按著律法是虔诚人，为一切住在那里的犹太人所称赞。他到我这里来，站在旁边对我说，扫罗弟兄，你看见罢。我当时一看，就看见了他。』我们从九章十一至十七节知道，主差遣亚拿尼亚，他身体的一个肢体，去保罗那里，将保罗引进与基督身体的联合里。这必定使保罗对基督身体的重要有深刻的印象，帮助他晓得，
12Verses 12 and 13 continue, “And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well attested by all the Jews dwelling there, came to me, and standing by said to me, Saul, brother, receive your sight! And in that very hour I looked up at him.” We know from 9:11-17 that the Lord sent Ananias, one member of His Body, to Paul so that he might be initiated into the identification with His Body. This must have impressed him with the importance of the Body of Christ and helped him realize that a believer needs the members of the Body of Christ
13得救的信徒需要基督身体的肢体。
13
14按十四至十六节，亚拿尼亚对保罗说，『我们祖宗的神豫先选定了你，叫你认识祂的旨意，又得见那义者，且得听祂口中所出的声音；因为你要将所看见所听见的，向万人为祂作见证。现在你为甚么耽延？起来，呼求著祂的名受浸，洗去你的罪。』『祂的』在这里很有意义，特别是指保罗所恨恶、所逼迫那一位的名字。（二二8。）在原文，呼求是由『在…上』和『按名呼叫』所组成，因此是以听得见的声音呼叫，甚至像司提反一样大声呼喊。（徒七59～60。）保罗曾捉拿许多呼求主名的信徒。呼求主名在这里乃是他洗去这罪的方法。所有的信徒都知道，保罗认为呼求主名是他所要捉拿之人的记号。(徒九14，21。）现在他归向了主。为了在神面前，并在所有信徒面前，洗去他过去逼迫并捉拿呼求主名之人的罪，亚拿尼亚嘱咐他在受浸，公开承认他从前所逼迫的主时，要呼求著他从前所憎恶的这名，一反他已往所作的。
14According to 22:14-16 Ananias said to Paul, “The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice of His mouth; for you will be a witness to Him unto all men of the things which you have seen and heard. And now, why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” “His” is significant here. It points particularly to the name of the One whom Paul hated and persecuted (v. 8). The Greek word translated “calling on” is epikaleo. This word is composed of epi, upon, and kaleo, call by name; that is, to call out audibly, even loudly, as Stephen did in 7:59-60. Calling on the Lord’s name in 22:16 was a means for Paul to wash away his sins in arresting so many of the believers who called on the Lord’s name. All the believers knew that he considered calling on the Lord’s name a sign of those he should arrest (9:14, 21). Now he had turned unto the Lord. In order to wash away his sins in persecuting and arresting the Lord’scall ers, not only before God but also before all the believers, Ananias charged him to do the same calling, which he had condemned, at his baptism, a public confession of the Lord whom he had persecuted
被差遣往外邦人那里去
Sent to the Gentiles
15在十七、十八节，保罗接著说，『后来我回到耶路撒冷，在殿里祷告的时候，魂游象外，看见主向我说，你要赶紧，快快离开耶路撒冷，因你为我所作的见证，人必不领受。』『魂游象外』原文意离开本位;因此是人在感觉上从自己里面出来的一种情景，又从其中回到自己，(徒十二11，）如在梦中，却未睡著。这种魂游象外与异象不同。在异象中，有可以看见的确定目标。
15In 22:17 and 18 Paul goes on to say, “And it came about that when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I came into a trance, and I saw Him saying to me, Hurry, and go quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony concerning Me.” The Greek word rendered “trance” is ekstasis, and may be translated “ecstasy.” This Greek word means being put out of its place; hence, it refers to a state in which a man passes out of himself and from which he comes to himself (12:11), as in a dream, but without sleep. It differs from a vision, in which definite objects are visible.
16在十九、二十节，保罗对主说，『主阿，他们知道我从前把信靠你的人收在监里，又在各会堂里鞭打他们，并且你的见证人司提反遇害流血的时候，我还亲自站在旁边，予以赞同，并且看守害死他之人的衣服。』然而，主向他说，『你去罢，因为我要差遣你远远的往外邦人那里去。』(徒二二。）圣经告诉我们，众人『听他说到这句话。』(徒二二22。）但听到『外邦人』这辞，他们开始高声说，『这样的人从地上除掉罢，他是不该活著的。』(徒二二22。）实际上，保罗在二十一节说出『外邦人』一辞，与时代的转移有关。他一说到这辞，彷佛一阵旋风临到，鼓动了群众。他们被这话激怒，不愿再听下去。在行传二十二章，保罗相当慎重的陈明他在往大马色路上的经历。但他无可避免的说出真理特殊的一面－主叫他远远的往外邦人那里去。主既这样告诉他，他怎能不向人见证这事？然而，他们无耳可听这样的话。今天在许多基督徒中间，原则也是一样。行传二十二章的犹太人怎样不想听到外邦人的事，照样，这些基督徒也不想听我们说到公会、召会、召会立场、以及基督是赐生命的灵。我们从经历中知道，我们若对某些信徒说到这些事，就会触犯他们。
16In 22:19 and 20 Paul said to the Lord, “Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who believe on You, and when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself also was standing by and consenting and keeping the garments of those who did away with him.” Nevertheless, the Lord said to him, “Go, for I will send you to Gentiles afar off” (v. 21). We are told the people “listened to him up to this word” (v. 22). 21 But hearing the word “Gentiles,” they began to shout, “Away with such a man from the earth, for it is not fitting for him to live!” (v. 22). Actually, the word “Gentiles” uttered by Paul in verse 21 is related to the matter of the dispensational transfer. As soon as he spoke this word, it seems that a whirlwind came to stir up the people. They were provoked by this word and were not willing to listen any longer. In Acts 22 Paul was somewhat cautious in presenting his experience on the way to Damascus. Yet he could not avoid relating a particular aspect of the truth—the Lord’sword to go to the Gentiles a far off. Since the Lord had told him this, how could he not testify of it to the people? They, however, did not have the ears to hear such a word. The principle is the same among many Christians today. Just as the Jews in Acts 22 did not want to hear anything about the Gentiles, so these Christians do not want to hear us speak concerning the denominations, the church, the church ground, and Christ being the life-giving Spirit. From experience we know that if we talk to certain believers about these matters, they will be offended.
罗马人的捆绑
bound by the Romans
17二十三、二十四节说，『众人喧嚷，摔掉衣服，把尘土向空中扬起来，千夫长就吩咐人将保罗带进营楼，叫人用鞭子拷问他，要确知他们向他这样喊叫，是为甚么缘故。』刚用皮带捆上，保罗对旁边站著的百夫长说，『人是罗马人，又没有定罪，你们就鞭打，这是合法的么？』（徒二二25。）我们在这里看到保罗的智慧。他利用罗马公民的身分，救自己脱离逼迫。
17Acts 22:23 and 24 say, “And as they were crying out and throwing off their garments and throwing dust in the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by scourging in order that he might ascertain for what cause they were shouting against him so.” But as they stretched out Paul with the thongs, he said to a centurion standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” (v. 25). Here we see Paul’s wisdom. He utilized his Roman citizenship to save himself from suffering persecution
18我们在使徒行传这些章节里，看见主主宰的手确实与保罗同在。在主的主宰、智慧和良善里，祂拯救、保护了保罗。在二十一章，保罗被迫处于非常艰难的处境，无法脱困。然而，主兴起了环境，使保罗得拯救脱离那处境。在这时，保罗濒临被杀的危险，然而，主藉著罗马千夫长的干豫，保护保罗脱离要杀他的犹太人。我们又看见，保罗被罗马人监禁以后，『犹太人就团结同谋，发咒起誓说，若不先杀保罗，就不吃不喝。一同起誓订这阴谋的，有四十多人。』(徒二三12～13。）然而，保罗的外甥听见这埋伏的事，就去告诉保罗。（徒二三16。）保罗请一个百夫长来，带这青年人到千夫长那里。当千夫长听到这阴谋，就对两位百夫长说，『豫备步兵二百、马兵七十、长枪手二百，今夜九时往该撒利亚去。也要豫备性口叫保罗骑上，把他平安的护送到总督腓力斯那里去。』（徒二三～24。）我们可能会惊奇，将保罗从耶路撒冷解送到该撒利亚，竟动用了这么多的步兵、马兵与长枪手。千夫长这样下令，可能是因为参与暴动抵挡保罗的犹太人很多。关于这事，我们要指出的点是，这里我们看见主对保罗主宰的保护。
18In these chapters in Acts we see that the Lord’ss ove reign hand surely was with Paul. In His sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness the Lord rescued Paul and protected him. In chapter twenty-one Paul was forced into a very difficult situation, and he had no way to be released from it. The Lord, however, raised up the environment through which Paul was rescued from that situation. However, Paul was then in danger of being killed. But the Lord intervened through the Roman commander to protect Paul from the Jews who wanted to kill him. As we shall see, after Paul was placed in Roman custody, “the Jews formed a plot and put themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. Now there were more than forty who formed this conspiracy” (23:12-13). However, the son of Paul’s sister heard of the ambush and reported it to Paul (23:16). Paul then called one of the centurions and told him to bring the young man to the commander. When the commander heard of the plot, he said to two of the centurions, “Prepare two hundred soldiers that they may go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen by the third hour of the night, and mounts to stand by to put Paul on that they may bring him safely to Felix the governor” (23:23-24). We may be surprised that so 23 many soldiers, horsemen, and spearmen were involved in transferring Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea. The commander may have ordered this because of the large number of Jews involved in the uproar against Paul. The point we are making concerning this is that here we see the Lord’ss ove reign protection of Paul.
19保罗在该撒利亚被监禁了两年。在这两年间，他受到安全的防卫、保护，脱离阴谋的犹太人。这成了保罗考虑他未来的黄金时间。这段时间特别给他思考一些事，后来他把这些事写成希伯来书、以弗所书、腓立比书和歌罗西书。在主的主宰之下，祂豫备了环境护卫保罗，豫备他尽书写的职事，以完成他的职事，并完成新约的启示。
19In Caesarea Paul was kept in custody for two years. During these years he was safely guarded, protected from the plotting Jews. This became a golden time for Paul to consider his future. In particular, it was a time for him to consider the matters he would later put into writing in such books as Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Sovereignly the Lord prepared an environment to safeguard Paul and to prepare him to carry out his writing ministry to complete his ministry and to complete the New Testament revelation