Ⅱ.往馬其頓省。
壹.馬其頓省東邊頭一個城,腓立比城。16:6-16:40 (第二站)監門全開禁卒信神
一.聖靈禁止不許往亞細亞,保羅見異象往馬其頓。16:6-16:10
1.聖靈既然禁止他們在亞西亞講道,徒16:6
2.他們就經過弗呂家、加拉太一帶地方。徒16:6
3.到了每西亞的邊界,他們想要往庇推尼去,耶穌的靈卻不許。徒16:7
4.他們就越過每西亞,下到特羅亞去。徒16:8
5.在夜間有異象現與保羅。徒16:9
A.有一個馬其頓人站著求他說:「請你過到馬其頓來幫助我們。」徒16:9
B.保羅既看見這異象,我們隨即想要往馬其頓去,徒16:10
C.以為神召我們傳福音給那裏的人聽。徒16:10
二.往馬其頓省東邊頭一個城,腓立比城。16:11-16:40
1.坐船前往腓立行程。徒16:11
A.於是從特羅亞開船,一直行到撒摩特喇,第二天到了尼亞波利。徒16:11
B.從那裏來到腓立比,徒16:12
a.就是馬其頓這一方的頭一個城,
b.也是羅馬的駐防城。我們在這城裏住了幾天。
2.第一次到河邊禱告的地方向婦女講道。
A.當安息日,我們出城門到了河邊,知道那裏有一個禱告的地方,徒16:13
我們就坐下對那聚會的婦女講道。
B.有一個賣紫色布疋的婦人,徒16:14
a.名叫呂底亞,是推雅推喇城的人,
b.素來敬拜神。
c.他聽見了,主就開導他的心,叫他留心聽保羅所講的話。
d.他和他一家既領了洗,徒16:15
C.便求我們說:請到我家裏來住。徒16:15
你們若以為我是真信主的(或作:你們若以為我是忠心事主的),
D.於是強留我們。徒16:15
3.第二次到河邊禱告的地方講道。
A.後來,我們往那禱告的地方去。有一個使女迎著面來,徒16:16
他被巫鬼所附,用法術,叫他主人們大得財利。
B.他跟隨保羅和我們,喊著說:徒16:17
「這些人是至高神的僕人,對你們傳說救人的道。」
C.他一連多日這樣喊叫,保羅就心中厭煩,徒16:18
a.轉身對那鬼說:「我奉耶穌基督的名,吩咐你從他身上出來!」
b.那鬼當時就出來了。
4.被下到監裏。
A.原因。
a.使女的主人們見得利的指望沒有了,徒16:19
便揪住保羅和西拉,拉他們到市上去見首領;
b.又帶到官長面前說:「這些人原是猶太人,竟騷擾我們的城,徒16:20
傳我們羅馬人所不可受不可行的規矩。徒16:21
c.眾人就一同起來攻擊他們。徒16:22
官長吩咐剝了他們的衣裳,用棍打;
d.打了許多棍,便將他們下在監裏,囑咐禁卒嚴緊看守。徒16:23
B.過程。
a.禁卒領了這樣的命,就把他們下在內監裏,兩腳上了木狗。徒16:24
b.約在半夜,保羅和西拉禱告,唱詩讚美神,眾囚犯也側耳而聽。徒16:25
c.忽然,地大震動,甚至監牢的地基都搖動了,監門立刻全開,徒16:26
眾囚犯的鎖鍊也都鬆開了。
d.禁卒一醒,看見監門全開,以為囚犯已經逃走,就拔刀要自殺。徒16:27
e.保羅大聲呼叫說:「不要傷害自己!我們都在這裏。」徒16:28
C.結果。
a.禁卒叫人拿燈來,就跳進去,徒16:28
戰戰兢兢的俯伏在保羅、西拉面前;徒16:29
b.又領他們出來,說:「二位先生,我當怎樣行纔可以得救?」徒16:30
c.他們說:「當信主耶穌,你和你一家都必得救。」徒16:31
他們就把主的道講給他和他全家的人聽。徒16:32
d.當夜,就在那時候,禁卒把他們帶去,洗他們的傷;徒16:33
他和屬乎他的人立時都受了洗。徒16:33
e.於是禁卒領他們上自己家裏去,給他們擺上飯。徒16:34
他和全家,因為信了神,都很喜樂。
5.到了天亮,官長打發差役來,說:「釋放那兩個人罷。」徒16:35
A.禁卒就把這話告訴保羅說:徒16:36
「官長打發人來叫釋放你們,如今可以出監,平平安安的去罷。」
B.保羅卻說:我們是羅馬人,
a.並沒有定罪,他們就在眾人面前打了我們,徒16:37
b.又把我們下在監裏,徒16:37
c.現在要私下攆我們出去麼?這是不行的。
d.叫他們自己來領我們出去罷?」
C.差役把這話回稟官長,官長聽見他們是羅馬人,就害怕了。徒16:38
D.於是來勸他們,領他們出來,請他們離開那城。徒16:39
a.二人出了監,往呂底亞家裏去;徒16:40
b.見了弟兄們,勸慰他們一番,就走了。徒16:40
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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。