使 徒 行 傳 2
Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version
圣灵的来临
2 五旬节 [a]到了，他们都聚在一个地方。 2 突然，从天上传来一个声音，好似狂风大作一般，充满了他们所在的屋子。 3 一团火舌般的烈焰出现在他们面前，然后分别落在了每个人的身上。所有的人于是都充满了圣灵， 4 并且按照圣灵赐予的能力，开始讲不同的语言。
5 那时候，来自世界各国的虔诚的犹太人住在耶路撒冷。 6 他们听到响声后，都来聚在一起。他们都很纳闷，因为当他们讲话时，每人都听到了自己的乡音。 7 他们无法理解怎么可能发生这种事情，都很吃惊，惊讶之余，他们说∶“说话的这些人难道不都是加利利人吗？ 8 那么为什么每个人听到的都是他自己的语言呢？ 9 其中有帕提亚人、玛代人、以拦人；还有从米所波大米、犹太、加帕多家、本都、亚西亚、 10 弗吕家、旁非利亚、埃及和古利奈附近的吕彼亚一带来的人；还有从罗马来的访问者， 11 有犹太人和皈依犹太教的人；还有克里特人以及阿拉伯人。我们听见那些人在用我们自己的母语讲述着上帝的伟迹！” 12 人们都感到十分惊奇和不解，彼此说道∶“这意味着什么呢？” 13 也有人取笑他们说∶“他们不过是喝多了！”
彼得对众人讲话
14 这时，彼得和另外十一个使徒站起身来。彼得提高了嗓门，对众人说∶“犹太同胞和所有住在耶路撒冷的人们，让我来告诉你们这是什么意思吧。请仔细听我说。 15 这些人并不像你们以为的那样是喝醉了，因为现在只是早晨九点钟， 16 但是，这情形正是先知约珥所说过的：
17 上帝说，
在最后的日子里，
我要把我的圣灵倾注给所有的人，
你们的儿女将会预言未来，
你们的年轻男子要看到异象，
你们的老年人要做出奇异的梦。
18 是的，在那些日子里，
我会把我的圣灵倾洒给我的奴仆，无论男女，
因此，他们都会预言。
19 我要在天上展示奇迹，
在地下显示迹象：有血、火以及烟雾，
20 在主的伟大、荣耀的那一天到来之前，
太阳要变得一团漆黑，
月亮会变成一片血红。
21 而所有信任主的人，都将得到拯救。 (A)
22 我的同胞以色列人，听着：拿撒勒的耶稣是一个非常特殊的人，上帝通过他在你们中间所行的奇迹、异象和神迹证实了这一点，你们都已看到了这些事情，你们自己知道这都是真实的。 23 上帝把这个人交给了你们，而你们却在恶人的帮助下，把他钉死在十字架上了。上帝知道这将会发生。这是按照他已决定的计划发生的。 24 然而，上帝却让他起死回生，把他从死亡的痛苦中解脱出来，因为他不可能受到死的束缚。 25 大卫是这样形容他的：
我总是看见主在我的面前，
他站在我的右侧，因而我不会受到困扰，
26 正因为如此，我的心充满了欢喜，
我的嘴伴着快乐说话；
我的身体也生在希望之中。
27 因为你不会把我丢弃在坟墓里，
你不会让你的圣者经历腐朽。
28 你已经告知我通向生活的道路；
与你同在，欢乐会充满我。 (B)
29 我的兄弟们，我可以确切地告诉大家，先祖大卫死了，被埋葬了。他的坟墓保留至今。 30 但是，他是一位先知，他知道上帝曾用誓言向他许诺，要把他的一个后代置于他的宝座上， 31 他看到了未来的事情，所以谈到基督复活时，他说：
‘他没有被丢弃在坟墓里，
他的身体也不会经历腐朽。’
32 上帝使这个耶稣从死里复活，我们都是这一事实的见证人。 33 耶稣被升至上帝的右侧，领受了天父许下的圣灵，并把它抛洒出去，即你们现在的所见所闻的。 34 大卫并没有到天上去，然而他却说：
‘主对我主说：
坐在我的右侧，
35 直到我把你的敌人置于你的脚下，
变成你的垫脚凳。’ (C)
36 因此，让所有的以色列人都肯定地知道，上帝让你们钉死在十字架上的这个耶稣成为主和基督了。”
37 众人听到这里，仿佛感到一把刀刺进了他们的心脏。他们对彼得和其他的使徒说∶“弟兄们，我们该怎么办呢？”
38 彼得对他们说∶“改变你们的内心与生活吧，你们中间的每一个人都应该奉耶稣基督的名义接受洗礼，使你们的罪得到宽恕。那么你们就会领受到圣灵的馈赠， 39 因为他的诺言是为了你们、你们的后代以及所有远方的人们－即所有那些受到主我们的上帝的召唤，来到他身边的人们。”
40 彼得又讲了很多话来警诫众人，然后又请求他们说∶“把你们自己从这邪恶的一代人里救出来吧！” 41 那些接受了他的信息的人们，都受了洗礼。那一天，大约有三千人增加到信徒的行列。 42 他们把时间都花在倾听他们的教导、同分享、同吃 [b]和祷告上。
信徒同分享
43 使徒们又行了很多奇事神迹，每个人的心里都生出敬畏之情。 44 信徒们呆在一起，分享他们的所有。 45 他们卖掉财物和家产，把它们分给所需要的人。 46 每天，他们都在大殿院里聚会，在家里同吃，并带着快乐与真挚的心享用， 47 他们赞美上帝，深得所有人的好感。每天主都增加人到得救的人的行列里去。
Footnotes
- 使 徒 行 傳 2:1 五旬节： 犹太人庆祝麦收的节日。它在逾越节后的50天。
- 使 徒 行 傳 2:42 同吃： 直译为分吃饼，其意为吃一顿饭或吃主的晚餐，即耶稣告诉他的信徒们为了记念他所吃的那顿特殊的晚餐。《路加福音》22:14-20。
Acts 2
New Catholic Bible
Pentecost[a]
Chapter 2
Descent of the Spirit and Birth of the Church.[b] 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all assembled together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there came from heaven a sound similar to that of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages,[c] as the Spirit enabled them to do so.
5 Now staying in Jerusalem there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 At this sound, a large crowd of them gathered, and they were bewildered because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 They were astounded and asked in amazement, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,[d] 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own languages about the mighty deeds of God.”
12 They were all astounded and perplexed, and they said to one another, “What does all this mean?” 13 However, others said mockingly, “They are filled with new wine.”
14 Peter Preaches in the Name of the Twelve.[e] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and proclaimed to them in a loud voice, “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only nine o’clock in the morning.[f] 16 Rather, this is what was revealed through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘It will come to pass in the last days, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;
your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Indeed, even upon my servants and my handmaids
I shall pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they shall prophesy.
19 I will show portents in the sky above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness
and the moon to blood
before the day of the Lord comes,
that great and glorious day.
21 Then it will come to pass
that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth was a man commended to you by God by means of miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him, as you yourselves know. 23 By the set plan and foreknowledge of God, he was handed over into the hands of lawless men. Crucifying him, you killed him. 24 However, God raised him up, releasing him from the pangs of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says of him:
‘I saw the Lord always before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be shaken.
26 Therefore, my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted;
moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
27 For you will not abandon me to the netherworld
or allow your holy one to suffer corruption.
28 You have made known to me the way of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Brethren, I can say to you boldly that our ancestor David both died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this very day. 30 But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, saying that he was not abandoned to the netherworld and that his flesh did not suffer corruption.
32 “God raised this Jesus to life. Of that we are all witnesses. 33 Exalted at God’s right hand, he received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’
36 “Therefore, let the whole house of Israel know with complete certitude that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”
37 When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “What are we to do, brethren?” 38 Peter answered, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise that was made is for you, for your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 Life of the First Community—I.[g] He offered further testimony with many other arguments as he exhorted them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand people were added to their number. 42 They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.
43 A sense of awe was felt by all for many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and owned everything in common. 45 They would sell their property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to all according to what each one needed. 46 Every day, united in spirit, they would assemble together in the temple. They would break bread in their homes and share their food with joyful and generous hearts 47 as they praised God, and they were regarded with favor by all the people. And day by day the Lord added to those who were being saved.
Footnotes
- Acts 2:1 For the first time, the witnesses come in contact with the crowd, which is made up of persons from all the nations. We are at the center of the world that is the starting point for a universal future.
- Acts 2:1 The gift of the Spirit founds the Church as a living reality; Christ has prepared the way for the Church; the Spirit comes to take possession of her, to animate her, to help her with his charisms. Thus, for every community of believers, Pentecost is the feast of its own birth. The Spirit is “poured out” (see Acts 2:17) like rain, which is the source of life in an arid land; as Jesus had promised, there is a “baptism with the Spirit” (Acts 1:5).
The phenomena that accompany the event are rich in symbolism and also have a biblical meaning: they call to mind the theophanies, i.e., the manifestations of God to his people in order to change their anonymous destiny into a life-giving covenant (see Ex 19:18; Deut 4:9-24, 36; Ps 68).
Pentecost, which occurred fifty days after Passover, was the feast on which the firstfruits of the harvest were offered to God, but it was above all the feast of the covenant and of the gift of the Law. - Acts 2:4 Different languages: i.e., different from their usual language. The reference may also be to ecstatic language (see Mk 16:17; 1 Cor 14:2-23).
- Acts 2:10 Proselytes: those who had accepted circumcision and the Jewish Law.
- Acts 2:14 The author of Acts does not make up his discourses like the historians of antiquity, who liked to place their own thoughts and reactions on the lips of their subjects. In Luke’s view, the Word is decisive for the life of the community.
This sermon is the first; therefore, it has programmatic value in addition to its function in the immediate context. It proclaims the paschal event to all of Israel and even to distant peoples. The same fundamental pattern will recur in the other addresses of the apostles to the Jews. - Acts 2:15 Nine o’clock in the morning: literally, “the third hour.” See notes on Mt 27:35 and Mk 15:25.
- Acts 2:40 Luke offers us three general descriptions of the first community, each depicting their manner of life: here, and in Acts 4:32-35 and 5:12-16.
Copyright © 2004 by World Bible Translation Center
