Ⅹ.第十站。耶路撒冷大會.徒15:1-21 [開會溝通協調衝突宣教]
壹.耶路撒冷開會的原因。
一.有幾個人從猶太下來,教訓弟兄們說:徒15:1
「你們若不按摩西的規條受割禮,不能得救。」
二.保羅、巴拿巴與他們大大的分爭辯論;徒15:2
三.眾門徒就定規,徒15:2
1.叫保羅、巴拿巴和本會中幾個人,為所辯論的,
2.上耶路撒冷去見使徒和長老。
貳.起行。徒15:3
一.於是教會送他們起行。
二.他們經過腓尼基、撒瑪利亞,
三.隨處傳說外邦人歸主的事,叫眾弟兄都甚歡喜。
參.到了耶路撒冷。徒15:4(※提多同行.加2:1)
一.到了耶路撒冷,教會和使徒並長老都接待他們.徒15:4
1.他們就述說神同他們所行的一切事。徒15:4
2.惟有幾個信徒、是法利賽教門的人,起來說:徒15:5
「必須給外邦人行割禮,吩咐他們遵守摩西的律法。」
二.使徒和長老聚會商議這事;徒15:6
三.辯論已經多了,彼得就起來,說:徒15:7
1.諸位弟兄,你們知道神早已在你們中間揀選了我,徒15:7
叫外邦人從我口中得聽福音之道,而且相信。
2.知道人心的神也為他們作了見證,徒15:8
A.賜聖靈給他們,正如給我們一樣;徒15:8
B.又藉著信潔淨了他們的心,徒15:9
C.並不分他們我們。徒15:9
3.現在為甚麼試探神,徒15:10
要把我們祖宗和我們所不能負的軛放在門徒的頸項上呢?
4.我們得救乃是因主耶穌的恩,和他們一樣,這是我們所信的。徒15:11
5.眾人都默默無聲,聽巴拿巴和保羅述說徒15:12
神藉他們在外邦人中所行的神蹟奇事。
四.他們住了聲,雅各就說:徒15:13
1.諸位弟兄,請聽我的話。
2.方纔西門述說。徒15:14
A.神當初怎樣眷顧外邦人,
B.從他們中間選取百姓歸於自己的名下;
3.眾先知的話也與這意思相合。徒15:15
A.正如經上所寫的:徒15:16
B.此後,我要回來,重新修造大衛倒塌的帳幕,徒15:16
C.把那破壞的重新修造建立起來,徒15:16
D.叫餘剩的人,就是凡稱為我名下的外邦人,都尋求主。徒15:17
E.這話是從創世以來,顯明這事的主說的。徒15:18
4.所以據我的意見,不可難為那歸服神的外邦人;徒15:19
A.只要寫信,吩咐他們禁戒,偶像的污穢.徒15:20
B.和姦淫,
C.並勒死的牲畜和
D.血。
5.因為從古以來,摩西的書在各城有人傳講,徒15:21
每逢安息日,在會堂裏誦讀。
肆.回程。
一.回程原因。徒15:22
1.那時,使徒和長老並全教會定意從他們中間揀選人,
2.差他們和保羅、巴拿巴同往安提阿去;
3.所揀選的就是稱呼巴撒巴的猶大和西拉。這兩個人在弟兄中是作首領的。
二.回程任務。
1.於是寫信交付他們,內中說:
A.使徒和作長老的弟兄們. 徒15:23
問安提阿,敘利亞,基利家外邦眾弟兄的安.
B.我們聽說,有幾個人從我們這裏出去,徒15:24
a.用言語攪擾你們,惑亂你們的心。
b.(有古卷在此有:你們必須受割禮,守摩西的律法。)
c.其實我們並沒有吩咐他們。徒15:24
C.所以,我們同心定意,揀選幾個人,徒15:25
a.差他們同我們所親愛的巴拿巴和保羅往你們那裏去。徒15:25
b.這二人是為我主耶穌基督的名不顧性命的。徒15:26
c.我們就差了猶大和西拉,他們也要親口訴說這些事。徒15:27
D.因為聖靈和我們定意不將別的重擔放在你們身上;徒15:28
E.惟有幾件事是不可少的,徒15:28
a.就是禁戒祭偶像的物和血,並勒死的牲畜和姦淫。徒15:29
b.這幾件你們若能自己禁戒不犯就好了。願你們平安!徒15:29
2.他們既奉了差遣,就下安提阿去,聚集眾人,交付書信。徒15:30
3.眾人念了,因為信上安慰的話就歡喜了。徒15:31
4.猶大和西拉也是先知,就用許多話勸勉弟兄,堅固他們。徒15:32
5.住了些日子,徒15:33
A.弟兄們打發他們平平安安的回到差遣他們的人那裏去。
B.(惟有西拉定意仍住在那裏。)徒15:34
C.但保羅和巴拿巴仍住在安提阿,和許多別人一同教訓人,傳主的道。徒15:35
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。