Ⅹ.該撒利亞。徒23:23-26:32b
肆.保羅在亞基帕王與巡撫非斯都面前。徒25:13-26:32
過了些日子,徒25:13
一.亞基帕王和百尼基氏來到該撒利亞,問非斯都安。徒25:13
1.在那裏住了多日,非斯都將保羅的事告訴王,說:徒25:14
A.這裏有一個人,是腓力斯留在監裏的。
B.我在耶路撒冷的時候,祭司長和猶太的長老將他的事稟報了我,徒25:15
求我定他的罪。徒25:15
C.我對他們說,無論甚麼人,被告還沒有和原告對質,徒25:16
未得機會分訴所告他的事就先定他的罪,這不是羅馬人的條例徒.25:16
D.及至他們都來到這裏,我就不耽延,第二天便坐堂,徒25:17
a.吩咐把那人提上來。徒25:17
b.告他的人站著告他;所告的,並沒有我所逆料的那等惡事。徒25:18
c.不過是有幾樣辯論,為他們自己敬鬼神的事,徒25:19
d.又為一個人名叫耶穌,是已經死了,保羅卻說他是活著的。徒25:19
2.這些事當怎樣究問,我心裏作難,所以問他說:徒25:20
A.你願意上耶路撒冷去,在那裏為這些事聽審麼?徒25:20
B.但保羅求我留下他,要聽皇上審斷,徒25:21
我就吩咐把他留下,等我解他到該撒那裏去。
二.亞基帕對非斯都說:「我自己也願聽這人辯論。」徒25:22
1.非斯都說:「明天你可以聽。」徒25:22
2.第二天,亞基帕和百尼基大張威勢而來,徒25:23
3.同著眾千夫長和城裏的尊貴人進了公廳。徒25:23
三.非斯都吩咐一聲,就有人將保羅帶進來。徒25:23
非斯都說:徒25:24
1.亞基帕王和在這裏的諸位阿,你們看這人,就是一切猶太人,在耶路撒冷和這裏,曾向我懇求、呼叫說:『不可容他再活著。』」徒25:24
2.但我查明他沒有犯甚麼該死的罪,並且他自己上告於皇帝,所以我定意把他解去。徒25:25
3.論到這人,我沒有確實的事可以奏明主上。徒25:26
4.因此,我帶他到你們面前,也特意帶他到你亞基帕王面前,為要在查問之後有所陳奏。徒25:26
5.據我看來,解送囚犯,不指明他的罪案是不合理的。徒25:27
四.亞基帕對保羅說:「准你為自己辯明。」徒26:1
1.於是保羅伸手分訴,說:徒26:1
亞基帕王阿,徒26:2
A.猶太人所告我的一切事,今日得在你面前分訴,實為萬幸;徒26:2
B.更可幸的,是你熟悉猶太人的規矩和他們的辯論;所以求你耐心聽我。徒26:3
2.我從起初在本國的民中,並在耶路撒冷,徒26:4
A.自幼為人如何,猶太人都知道。徒26:4
B.他們若肯作見證就曉得,我從起初是按著我們教中最嚴緊的教門作了法利賽人。徒26:5
3.現在我站在這裏受審,是因為指望神向我們祖宗所應許的;徒26:6
A.這應許,我們十二個支派,晝夜切切的事奉神,都指望得著。徒26:7
B.王阿,我被猶太人控告,就是因這指望。徒26:7
C.神叫死人復活,你們為甚麼看作不可信的呢?徒26:8
D.從前我自己以為應當多方攻擊拿撒勒人耶穌的名,徒26:9
a.我在耶路撒冷也曾這樣行了。徒26:10
既從祭司長得了權柄,我就把許多聖徒囚在監裏。
b.他們被殺,我也出名定案。徒26:10
c.在各會堂我屢次用刑強逼他們說褻瀆的話,又分外惱恨他們,徒26:11
甚至追逼他們,直到外邦的城邑。
4.那時,我領了祭司長的權柄和命令,往大馬色去。徒26:12
A.王阿,我在路上,晌午的時候,看見從天發光,比日頭還亮,四面照著我並與我同行的人。徒26:13
B.我們都仆倒在地,我就聽見有聲音用希伯來話向我說:
a.『掃羅!掃羅!為甚麼逼迫我?你用腳踢刺是難的!』徒26:14
b.我說:『主阿,你是誰?』徒26:15
C.主說:『我就是你所逼迫的耶穌。徒26:15
a.你起來站著,我特意向你顯現,要派你作執事,作見證,徒26:16
b.將你所看見的事和我將要指示你的事證明出來。徒26:16
c.我也要救你脫離百姓和外邦人的手。徒26:17
d.我差你到他們那裏去,要叫他們的眼睛得開,從黑暗中歸向光明,從撒但權下歸向神;又因信我得蒙赦罪和一切成聖的人同得基業。徒26:18
D.亞基帕王阿,我故此沒有違背那從天上來的異象;徒26:19
a.先在大馬色,後在耶路撒冷和猶太全地,以及外邦,勸勉他們應當悔改歸向神,行事與悔改的心相稱。徒26:20
b.因此,猶太人在殿裏拿住我,想要殺我。徒26:21
c.然而我蒙神的幫助,直到今日還站得住,對著尊貴、卑賤、老幼作見證;所講的並不外乎眾先知和摩西所說將來必成的事,徒26:22
d.就是基督必須受害,並且因從死裏復活,要首先把光明的道傳給百姓和外邦人。徒26:23
五.保羅這樣分訴,非斯都大聲說:「保羅,你癲狂了罷。你的學問太大,反叫你癲狂了!」徒26:24
1.保羅說:
A.非斯都大人,我不是癲狂,我說的乃是真實明白話。徒26:25
B.王也曉得這些事,所以我向王放膽直言,我深信這些事沒有一件向王隱藏的,因都不是在背地裏作的。徒26:26
C.亞基帕王阿,你信先知麼?我知道你是信的。徒26:27
2.亞基帕對保羅說:
你想少微一勸,便叫我作基督徒阿徒.26:28(或作:你這樣勸我,幾乎叫我作基督徒了)!」
3.保羅說:
「無論是少勸是多勸,我向神所求的,不但你一個人,就是今天一切聽我的,都要像我一樣,只是不要像我有這些鎖鍊。」徒26:29
4.於是,王和巡撫並百尼基與同坐的人都起來,徒26:30
退到裏面,彼此談論說:「這人並沒有犯甚麼該死該綁的罪。」徒26:31
5.亞基帕又對非斯都說:「這人若沒有上告於該撒,就可以釋放了。」徒26:32
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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。