使徒行传生命读经 · 第62篇

藉著保罗一班同工的职事，在外邦地的繁殖 ( 二十八 )

The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (28)

1读经：使徒行传22:30—23:35。议会前的分诉

1Scripture Reading: Acts 22:30—23:35 DEFENDING HIMSELF BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN

2我们已经看见，在二十一章三十一至三十九节，罗马千夫长进来干豫，拯救保罗脱离想要杀他的犹太人。然后保罗得著机会在暴动者前分诉。（徒二一40～二二21。）但犹太人只听他说到一个地步，就开始骚动起来。于是保罗被罗马人捆绑。（徒二二22～29。）保罗凭智慧，25-用他罗马公民的身分，拯救自己脱离困迫。（徒二二25～29。）于是罗马千夫长给保罗机会，在议会前分诉。（徒二二30～二三10。）行传二十二章三十节说，『第二天，千夫长想要知道犹太人控告保罗的实情，便解开他，吩咐祭司长和全议会的人都聚集，将保罗带下来，叫他站在他们面前。』现在让我们来看保罗在议会前的分诉。

2We have seen that in 2 1:3 1-3 9 the Roman commander intervened to rescue Paul from the Jews who were seeking to kill him. Paul was then given the opportunity to defend himself before the rioting Jews (21:40—22:21). The Jews listened to him up to a point, but eventually began to make a disturbance. Paul was then bound by the Romans (22:22-29). In his wisdom, Paul utilized his Roman citizenship to save himself from suffering persecution (vv. 29). The Roman commander then gave Paul the opportunity to defend himself before the Sanhedrin (22:30—23:10). Acts 22:30 says, “And on the next day, intending to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together; and having brought Paul down, he had him stand before them.” Let us now consider Paul’s defense given before the Sanhedrin.

行事为人都凭无亏的良心

Conducting Himself in All Good Conscience

3二十三章一节说，『保罗定睛看著议会，说，诸位，弟兄们，我在神面前行事为人都是凭著无亏的良心，直到今日。』人堕落，被神打发出伊甸园之后，（创三23，）神在祂经纶的安排里，要人向自己的良心负责。但人没有照著他的良心生活行动，却进一步落到恶行里。（创六5。）在洪水审判以后，神命定人要受人的管治。（创九6。）在这点上，人又失败了。然后，神应许亚伯拉罕，万国要在他的后裔基督里得福。（创十二3，加三8。）在这应许成就之前，神先把人摆在律法的试验之下。（罗三20，五20。）人在这试验中，也完全失败了。这一切失败，指明人已经从神堕落到良心，从良心堕落到人治，又从人治堕落到不法。这就是说，人已经堕落到了极点。像保罗那样，在神面前行事为人都凭著无亏的良心，这是极大的回转，从人的堕落转向神。保罗说这话，是要在那些控告他是不法和妄为的人面前，表白他自己。他在二十四章十六节辩护时，再次说到他的良心。这表明他那高标准的道德，与犹太宗教徒的假冒为善、并罗马（外邦）政客的弯曲，成了对比。

3Acts 23:1 says, “And Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said. Men, brothers, I have conducted myself in all good conscience before God until this day.” Following man’s fall and his being sent out of the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:23), God wanted man, in His dispensation, to be responsible to his own conscience. But man failed to live and walk according to his conscience and fell further into wickedness (Gen. 6:5). After the judgment of the flood, God ordained man to be under human government (Gen. 9:6). Man failed also in this. Then, before fulfilling His promise to Abraham concerning the blessing of the nations in Christ (Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:8), God put man under the test of the law (Rom. 3:20; 5:20). Man failed utterly in this test. All these failures indicate that man has fallen from God to his conscience, from his conscience to human government, and from human government to lawlessness. Therefore, man has fallen to the uttermost. To conduct oneself “in all good conscience before God,” as Paul did, was a great return to God from man’s fall. Paul spoke this word to vindicate himself before those who accused him of being a lawless and even reckless person. He referred, in his defense, to his conscience again in 24:16. This showed his high standard of morality in contrast to the hypocrisy of the Jewish religionists and the crookedness of the Roman (Gentile) politicians.

4保罗在议会前，当著罗马政府代表的面分诉时，能说他个人的行为没有不是之处。他行事为人都是凭著良心，按著最高标准的道德。

4In his defense before the Sanhedrin in the presence of representatives of the Roman government, Paul could say that there was nothing wrong in his personal conduct. He did all things according to his conscience, behaving in the highest standard of morality

保罗的勇敢与智慧

Paul’s Boldness and Wisdom

5二十三章二、三节接著说，『大祭司亚拿尼亚就吩咐旁边站著的人打他的嘴。保罗对他说，你这粉饰的墙，神将要击打你了。你坐堂是要按律法审问我，你竟违背律法，吩咐人打我么？』这里我们看见保罗在对待逼迫者时的正直与勇敢。站在旁边的人说，『你辱骂神的大祭司么？』保罗回答说，『弟兄们，我不晓得他是大祭司；经上记著，「不可毁谤你百姓的官长。」』（徒二三5。）六节说，『保罗看出其中一部分是撒都该人，另一部分是法利赛人，就在议会中喊著说，诸位，弟兄们，我是法利赛人，是法利赛人的子孙；我现在受审问，是为了盼望死人复活。』法利赛人是犹太人中间最严紧的教派，（徒二六5，）约成立在主前二百年。他们夸耀自己超凡的宗教生活、对神的虔诚、并圣经的知识。其实，他们已经堕落到虚饰与假冒中。（太二三2～33。）撒都该人是犹太教的另一派，（徒五17，）他们不相信复活，也不相信有天使和灵。（太二二23，使二三8。）法利赛人可视为正统派，

5Acts 23:2 and 3 continue, “And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And you sit, judging me according to the law, and contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” Here we see Paul’s straight forwardness and boldness in dealing with his persecutors. Those standing by said to him, “Do you revile the high priest of God?” (v. 4). Paul replied, “I did not know, brothers, that he is the high priest; for it is written, You shall not speak evilly of a ruler of your people” (v. 5). Acts 23:6 says, “And Paul, knowing that one part was Sadducees, but the other Pharisees, cried out in the Sanhedrin, Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” The Pharisees were the strictest religious sect of the Jews (26:5), formed about 200 B.C. They were proud of their superior sanctity of life, devotion to God, and knowledge of the Scriptures. Actually, they were degraded into pretentious conduct and hypocrisy (Matt. 23:2-33). The Sadducees were another sect among Judaism. They did not believe in the resurrection, nor in angels, nor in spirits. While the Pharisees were supposed to be orthodox, the Sadducees were ancient modernists

6撒都该人乃是古代的摩登派。

7当保罗宣告他是法利赛人，受审是为了盼望死人复活，『法利赛人和撒都该人便起了争执，会众就分裂了。因为撒都该人说没有复活，也没有天使和灵；法利赛人却样样都承认。于是大大的喧嚷起来，有几个法利赛派的经学家站起来争辩说，我们在这人身上看不出甚么恶来，说不定有灵或天使对他说过话。』（徒二三7～9。）保罗智慧的用这情势帮助自己，因为他知道法利赛人会袒护他，与撒都该人争辩。

7When Paul declared that he was a Pharisee and that he was being judged concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead, “a dissension arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge both. And there was a great outcry; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party rose up and fought it out, saying, We find nothing evil in this man; and if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel...” (vv. 7-9). Paul wisely used this situation to his benefit, knowing that the Pharisees would take sides with him and then fight with the Sadducees.

8在这之前，当保罗察觉到表明他罗马公民的身分对他有帮助，他就那么作了，这吓住了罗马官员。在这里他喊著说，他是法利赛人，因为他知道这会引起法利赛人和撒都该人的争辩。保罗再次运用智慧，免受逼迫。我们看过，保罗面对反对他的人，所采的方式与基督的不同。基督为著完成救赎，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，他运用智慧救自己的性命脱离逼迫的人，使他能完成尽职的路程。为著完成这职事，他尽可能的竭力要活得长久。十节接著说，『那时大起纷争，千夫长恐怕保罗被他们扯碎了，就吩咐兵丁下去，把他从众人当中抢出来，带进营楼去。』这是神的主宰权柄，拯救保罗脱离犹太人的手。

8When Paul realized that it was helpful to him to take his stand as a Roman citizen, he did so, and this frightened the Roman officials. Here he cried out that he was a Pharisee, knowing that this would cause a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees. Once again Paul exercised his wisdom to avoid suffering persecution. As we have seen, Paul faced his opponents in a different way than Christ did. When Christ was judged by men for the accomplishment of redemption, He did not open His mouth (Isa. 53:7; Matt. 26:62-63; 27:12, 14). But Paul, as a faithful and bold apostle sent by the Lord, exercised his wisdom to save his life from his persecutors so that he might fulfill the course of his ministry. For the sake of carrying out this ministry, he endeavored to live as long as possible. Acts 23:10 goes on to say, “And when much dissension arose, the commander, fearing that Paul might be torn to pieces by them, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from their midst and bring him into the barracks.” This was the sovereignty of the Lord to rescue Paul from the hand of the Jews

主的鼓励

ENCOURAGED BY THE LORD

9十一节说，『当夜，主站在保罗旁边说，你当壮胆，你怎样在耶路撒冷郑重的为我作了见证，也必照样在罗马为我作见证。』主在素质一面是一直活在保罗里面。（加二20。）现在，为了坚固并鼓励他，主在经纶一面站在他旁边。这表明主的信实，以及对祂仆人妥善的照顾。在十一节，主论到保罗在耶路撒冷郑重的为祂作了见证，这指明主承认，使徒的确在耶路撒冷为他作了郑重的见证。见证与仅仅的教训不同。作见证需要人对主或属灵的事物有看见并享受的经历。

9Acts 23:11 says, “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Take courage, for as you have solemnly testified concerning Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” The Lord was living all the time in Paul essentially (Gal. 2:20). Now, to strengthen and encourage him, the Lord stood by him economically. This showed the Lord’s faithfulness and good care for His servant. The Lord’sword in 23:11 about Paul solemnly testifying concerning Him in Jerusalem indicates that the Lord admitted that the apostle had borne a solemn testimony concerning Him in Jerusalem. Testimony differs from mere teaching. To testify requires experiences of seeing, participation, and enjoyment

10升天的基督为了执行祂天上的职事，繁殖祂自已，使神的国得以建立，众召会得著建造，成为祂的丰满，祂所使用的，不是一批由人的教导训练出来的传道人，去作传道的工作；乃是一班见证人、殉道者，担负这位成为肉体、钉十字架、复活、升天之基督活的见证。见证人在生命里为复活升天的基督作活的见证，不同于传道人仅仅传讲字句的道理。福音书记载成为肉体的基督，在地上独自完成祂的职事，将祂自己作为神国的种子，仅仅撒在犹太地。行传记载升天的基督，在诸天之上执行祂的职事，乃是藉著这些在祂复活生命里，带著祂升天能力和权柄的殉道者，将祂自己扩展出去，作为神国的发展，从耶路撒冷开始，直到地极，作为祂新约职事的完成。在使徒行传，所有的使徒和门徒都是基督这样的见证人。

10What the ascended Christ wanted to use to carry out His heavenly ministry for the propagating of Himself so that the kingdom of God might be established for the building up of the churches for His fullness was not a group of preachers trained by man’ste aching to do a preaching work, but a body of His witnesses, martyrs, who bore a living testimony of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ. Witnesses bear a living testimony of the resurrected and ascended Christ in life. They differ from preachers who merely preach doctrines in letters. In His incarnation, Christ carried out His ministry on earth, as recorded in the Gospels, by Himself to sow Himself as the seed of the kingdom of God only in the Jewish land. In His ascension He carries out His ministry in the heavens, as recorded in Acts, through witnesses in His resurrection life and with His ascension power and authority to spread Himself as the development of the kingdom of God from Jerusalem unto the remotest part of the earth, as the consummation of His ministry in the New Testament. All the apostles and disciples in Acts were such witnesses of Christ.

11在行传二十六章十六节，保罗见证主已选定他作执事和见证人。执事是为著职事，见证人是为著见证。职事主要的与工作有关，与执事的所作有关；见证人则与人有关，与见证人的所是有关。撒但能煽动犹太宗教徒并利用外邦政客，捆绑使徒和他们传福音的职事，但他不能捆绑基督活的见证人和他们活的见证。犹太宗教徒和外邦政客越捆绑使徒和他们传福音的职事，这些基督的殉道者和他们活的见证就越刚强明亮。在这里，主向使徒显现时，指明主不会立刻拯救使徒脱离捆绑，乃要将他留在捆绑中，带到罗马去，使他得以为主作见证，正如他在耶路撒冷所作的。主激励保罗这样作。在二十三章十一节，主告诉保罗，他要在罗马为祂作见证。这要成就保罗在十九章二十一节所表达要看看罗马的心愿。后来，主的应许和

11As we shall see, in 26:16 Paul testified that the Lord had appointed him a minister and a witness. A minister is for the ministry; a witness is for the testimony. Ministry is mainly related to work, to what the minister does; testimony is related to the person, to what the witness is. Satan could instigate the Jewish religionists and utilize the Gentile politicians to bind the apostles and their evangelical ministry, but he could not bind Christ’s living witnesses and their living testimonies. The more the Jewish religionists and Gentile politicians bound the apostles and their evangelical ministry, the stronger and brighter these martyrs, these witnesses, of Christ and their living testimonies became. The Lord in 23:11, in His appearing to the apostle, indicated that He would not presently rescue him from his bonds, but that He would leave him in bonds and bring him to Rome so that he might testify concerning Him as he had done in Jerusalem. The Lord encouraged Paul to do this. In 23:11 the Lord told Paul that he would testify of Him in Rome. This would fulfill Paul’s desire, expressed in 19:21, to see Rome. Later, both the Lord’s promise and Paul’s desire were fulfilled

12保罗的心愿都得著成就。

13主在十一节的话，加强并鼓励了保罗。这话给保罗确据；主会将他安全的从耶路撒冷带到罗马。保罗从主口中，得著这清楚的话为保证，知道他会去罗马，在那里为主耶稣作见证。

13Paul was strengthened and encouraged by the Lord’sword in verse 11. This word gave Paul the assurance that the Lord would bring him safely from Jerusalem to Rome. Assured by this clear word from the mouth of the Lord, Paul knew that he would go to Rome and there bear the testimony of the Lord Jesus

犹太人的阴谋

THE PLOT OF THE JEWS

14十二至十五节描述犹太人对保罗的阴谋。十二至十三节说，『到了天亮，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。』十二至十五节的阴谋，显出假冒为善的犹太宗教徒满了虚假，也满了从撒但而来的仇恨。在这些经文里，我们看见犹太人对保罗的仇恨是多么强烈。同订这阴谋的四十个人可能是青年人。他们来到大祭司和长老跟前，说，『我们已经厉害的发咒起誓，若不先杀保罗，就不吃甚么。现在你们连同议会要通知千夫长，叫他带保罗下到你们这里来，假作要更详确审断他的事；我们已经豫备好了，不等他走近，就杀掉他。』（徒二三14～15。）『发咒起誓，』直译，咒诅了他们自己。意即在咒诅之下受捆绑，无法背誓。这是一种非常强烈的说法，那四十个同谋的人似乎说，他们若不能杀保罗，他们自己也不要活了。那些谋害保罗的人，可能想要在二十四小时内杀掉保罗。他们计画，在保罗被带到祭司长和长老那里作进一步调查时，设下埋伏杀他。

14Acts 23:12-15 describes the plot of the Jews against Paul. Verses 12 and 13 say, “And when it became day, 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.” The plot in verses 12 through 15 manifested the falsehood and satanic hatred (John 8:44; Matt. 23:34) in the hypocritical religionists of Judaism. In these verses we see how furious the Jews were in hating Paul. The forty who formed the conspiracy may have been young men. They came to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a curse to taste nothing until we kill Paul. Now therefore, you inform the commander with the Sanhedrin in order that he may bring him down to you, as though you were intending to determine more accurately the things concerning him; and we, before he draws near, are ready to do away with him” (vv. 14-15). Literally, the Greek words translated, “We have bound ourselves with a curse,” mean “We have cursed ourselves with a curse.” This is a very strong expression. It seems that the forty conspirators were saying that if they could not kill Paul, then they themselves would not live any longer. It is likely that those who plotted against Paul intended to kill him within twenty-four hours. Their plan was to ambush him as he was brought to the chief priests and elders for further investigation.

千夫长向罗马总督腓力斯

SECRETLY TRANSFERRED TO FELIX

秘密的解送

THE ROMAN GOVERNOR IN CAESAREA

15在二十三章十六节至二十四章二十七节，我们看见保罗被解送到该撒利亚的罗马总督腓力斯那里。按二十三章十六至二十五节，这解送是秘密完成的。十六至十八节说，『保罗的外甥听见这埋伏的事，就来，进了营楼，告诉保罗。保罗请一个百夫长来，说，你带这青年人到千夫长那里，他有事要告诉他。于是百夫长拉著他，带到千夫长那里，说，被囚的保罗请我到他那里，求我带这青年人到你这里，他有事要告诉你。』这里所记载的，也表明神的主宰权柄，暗中拯救保罗的性命。罗马千夫长听到对付保罗的阴谋，就运用他的权柄和智慧，将保罗从耶路撒冷送到犹太省的总督所在地，该撤利亚去。关于这事，二十三、二十四节说，『千夫长便叫了两个百夫长来，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。也要豫备牲口叫保罗骑上，把他平安的护送到总督腓力斯那里去。』这些长枪手可能是轻便武装的兵丁。腓力斯是犹太省的罗马总督，千夫长要把保罗平安的护送到他那里。

15In 23:16—24:27 we see that Paul was transferred to Felix, the Roman governor in Caesarea. According to 23:16-25, this transfer was carried out secretly. Acts 23:16-18 say, “But the son of Paul’s sister heard of the ambush, and he came and entered into the barracks and reported it to Paul. And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Bring this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him. So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, The prisoner Paul called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you.” What is recorded here also shows the sovereignty of the Lord to rescue Paul’s life. When the Roman commander heard of the plot against Paul, he exercised his authority and wisdom to send Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea, where the governor of the province of Judea was. Concerning this, verses 23 and 24 say, “And he called to him a certain two of the centurions and said, 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.” These spearmen may have been slingers, lightly armed soldiers. The third hour of the night was nine o’clock. Felix, to whom Paul was to be brought safely, was the Roman governor of the province of Judea

16罗马千夫长运用他的权柄到一个地步，动用了步兵二百、马兵七十、长枪手二百，将保罗从耶路撒冷送到该撒利亚。那些谋害保罗的人绝对想像不到，罗马千夫长会采取这样的行动。他们期待第二天杀保罗。但在当夜，罗马千夫长就把保罗放在四百七十名兵丁的行列中，护送出耶路撒冷。这里我们再次看见主的主宰权柄。三十一节说，『于是兵丁照所指示他们的，夜里将保罗带到安提帕底。』安提帕底离耶路撒冷约有五十九公里，离该撒利亚约有三十八公里。三十三至三十五节叙述保罗被带到该撒利亚以后所发生的事：『马兵来到该撒利亚，把文书呈给总督，也把保罗带到他面前。总督念了，就问保罗是那省的人；既查知他是基利家人，就说，等告你的人来到，我要细听你的事。便吩咐人把他看守在希律的王府里。』王府即先前的王宫，为大希律王所建，后来成了罗马帝国犹太省总督的官邸。腓力斯很宽大的把保罗看守在这里，没有囚在一般的监狱中。在下篇信息中，我们将看见保罗在该撒利亚罗马总督腓力斯手下的遭遇。

16The Roman commander exercised his authority to such an extent that he used two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to transfer Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea. Those who plotted against Paul never imagined that the Roman commander would take such an action. They expected to kill Paul the next day. But during the night, the Roman commander sent Paul out of Jerusalem in the midst of a procession of four hundred seventy soldiers. Here again we see the Lord’s sovereignty. Acts 23:31 says, “So the soldiers, according to what was directed them, took up Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.” Antipatris was a place about forty Roman miles away from Jerusalem and about twenty- six from Caesarea. Acts 23:33-35 relates what happened once Paul was brought into Caesarea: “And when they had entered into Caesarea and handed over the letter to the governor, they presented also Paul to him. And when he had read it, he asked from what province he was; and learning that he was from Cilicia, he said, I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive; and he ordered that he be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.” The praetorium, built by Herod the Great, was the palace of the former kings. It became the official residence of the governor of the Roman province of Judea. Paul was guarded here leniently, not as in the common prison. In the following message we shall see what happened to Paul under Felix, the Roman governor, in Caesarea