使徒行傳 第22章 中英摘要

 

  使徒行傳22章講到保羅第一次為自己辯論。保羅在使徒行傳共講了三篇為自己的辯論,22章是在猶太人面前,24章則是在巡撫腓力斯面前,第三篇是26章在亞基帕王面前。而在22章保羅自辯說,我生在基利家的大數,我不是住在貧民區裡,也並不是無名小卒,而為何我現在要高舉耶穌呢?保羅講了他的見證,也就是保羅在使徒行傳第9章往大馬色路上遇見神的經歷。而這見證他共講了3次,第一次在第9章,現在22章又講一次,在26章亞基帕王面前又講了一次,內容大體是一樣的。

  保羅在這見證中,提到一個名不見經傳的亞拿尼亞,這一位就是為新約裡偉大又愛主的僕人保羅受洗的。所以禱告不一定要找牧師、長老來為你禱告,你找一位最小的弟兄來為你禱告都是有功效的。我們不需要從美國請一個大講員來為我們禱告,他所信的神跟我們所信的神是同一位神。我們不用每天都一定要牧師,或主任牧師來為我們禱告,你可以找一位看起來最不起眼的人來為你禱告,神會垂聽的,因為你成全了弟兄,弟兄也會因此受到鼓勵。

  單單受洗並不能讓一個人得救,受洗是一個見證。真正讓人得救的是要真心求告主名。受了洗禮,但不相信主,不求告主名,如此就算是去約旦河受洗也是沒用的。要求告主名,從心裡相信耶穌基督是神的獨生兒子,相信祂從死裡復活,並且願意一生讓祂作我們的救主。我們都是被神的愛綑綁回來的,我們都是做神愛的奴僕。我們願意一生走在神愛的國度裡,讓神用我們,讓神高舉我們、提升我們,讓神來榮耀我們,我們如果不走這條路,而要走自己的路,那就是走撒旦的路,就像挪亞方舟一樣,不是在方舟裡,就是在洪水裡。不是在基督裡,就是在世界裡,世界被撒旦所控制,我們屬靈的爭戰,是空中執政掌權的撒旦。

  保羅一生的痛苦,就是因為堅持主的道,傳講神的話,而受到逼迫,保羅當時只要稍微妥協就不會有人逼迫他,但是保羅對神的真理,從不曾妥協。今日我們講神的話,也是會受到逼迫的,但是放心,耶穌基督已經得勝了,逼迫只是短暫的,是為讓你生命更成長,沒有受過環境訓練的人,生命不會成長,而我們所受的苦難,是為了能去幫助那些需要幫助的人。面對苦難,聖經提到4種食物:神的話、做神的工、環境及仇敵,我們只要好好把這4種食物吃下去,我們的靈命就會健康的成長,成為一位得勝的基督徒。

2015/06/11 葉長老 風美小組信息/天運 摘錄整理

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Acts 22

  In Acts 22, Paul defended himself for the first time. Paul defended himself three times throughout Acts. In chapter 22, he spoke in front of the Jews. In chapter 24, he debated before Felix. In chapter 26, he argued in front of Agrippa. Paul said, in chapter 22, that “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia.” Paul was not living in a slum, and he was not ordinary people, why would he praise and glorify Jesus? Paul told people how he met Jesus, which is also recorded in Acts 9 (he met God while he was on his way to Damascus). He recounted how he met Jesus three times in total; once in chapter 9, once in chapter 22, and once in chapter 26 (before Agrippa). The story is basically the same in that three accounts.

  In Paul’s story, a known figure, Ananias, was mentioned. He was the one who baptized Paul, the great one and the loyal servant of God in the New Testament. Hence, you don’t necessarily need a pastor or elder to pray for you; a little one’s prayer may be just as powerful! We don’t need to ask famous preachers to come all the way from the States to pray for us; we believe in the same God as they do. It is not necessary that we ask pastor to pray for us every day. You may find a nobody to pray for you, and God will listen. By doing so, your brothers and sister will be encouraged too!

  Baptism cannot save a man, it is only a testimony. What really saves a man is the calling to God from the bottom of one’s heart. If you don’t believe in Jesus and don’t call to His name after your baptism, your soul would not be saved even if you are baptized in the Jordan. You have to pray to Jesus’s name, believe with all your heart that Jesus is the son of God and that He has resurrected, and to let Him be your Savior. We are all saved by the love of God, and we are now the slave of love. If we are not willing to live in God’s Kingdom, to be the servant of God, and to let God raise and elevate us, we will be on the path of Satan. It is like what happened in Noah’s time; you are either in the ark, or in the flood. If you are not living in God’s Kingdom, you are living in, and being controlled by, this world. We are fighting a spiritual war against Satan.

  Paul suffered so much in his life; he was persecuted because he held firmly to the Lord and spread the words of God. If Paul yielded a little, no one would have oppressed him; however, he never compromised God’s Truth. Today, we may also be oppressed when we spread God’s words, but do not be frightened because Jesus has already won. Persecution is temporary, and it makes your spiritual life grow. Those who are not trained, their lives won’t grow. So, what we endure is to equip us with the ability to help those who are in need. There are four kinds of food mentioned in the Bible that can give us strength to withstand the hardships we encounter: the word of God, the work of God, our environment, and our enemy. If we can eat all these four kinds of food, our spiritual life will grow healthily, and we will become a victorious Christian.

2015/06/11 Message by Elder Yeh