使徒行传 8
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
教会受迫害
8 当时，扫罗也赞成杀死司提凡。从那天起，耶路撒冷的教会开始遭到极大的迫害。除了使徒之外，门徒都分散到犹太和撒玛利亚各地。 2 有些虔诚人将司提凡埋葬了，为他大声痛哭。
3 扫罗却在摧毁教会，他挨家挨户搜寻，把男女信徒抓进监里。
腓利传扬福音
4 但那些逃往各地的信徒逃到哪里，就将福音传到哪里。 5 腓利来到撒玛利亚城宣讲基督。 6 城里的人耳闻目睹他所行的神迹，都聚精会神地听他讲道。 7 当时有许多人被污鬼附身，那些污鬼大声喊叫着被赶了出来。还有不少瘫子和瘸子也被医好了。 8 城里洋溢着欢乐的气氛。
术士归主
9 有个名叫西门的术士，向来妄自尊大，曾用邪术使撒玛利亚人惊奇不已。 10 无论贵贱，众人都听从他，称他为“上帝的大能者”。 11 他们听从他，因为他长期用邪术迷惑他们。 12 后来，他们相信了腓利传的有关上帝的国度和耶稣基督的福音，男男女女都接受了洗礼。 13 西门本人也信了基督，接受了洗礼，并常常追随腓利左右。腓利所行的神迹奇事令他非常惊奇。
14 耶路撒冷的使徒听说撒玛利亚人接受了上帝的道，就派彼得和约翰去那里。 15 二人到了，为那些信徒祷告，好让他们领受圣灵， 16 因为他们只是奉耶稣的名受了洗，圣灵还没有降在他们身上。 17 使徒把手按在他们身上，他们就领受了圣灵。
18 西门看见使徒把手一按在人身上，就有圣灵赐下来，便拿钱给使徒， 19 说：“请把这能力也给我吧，以便我把手按在谁身上，就使谁领受圣灵。”
20 彼得责备他说：“你和你的钱都一同毁灭吧！因为你以为可以用钱买上帝的恩赐！ 21 你在上帝面前心术不正，休想在我们的事工上有份。 22 你要悔改，离弃邪恶，向主祷告，或许主会赦免你心中的邪念。 23 我看得出你正因为嫉妒而心里充满了苦涩，被罪恶捆绑。”
24 西门说：“请为我求求主，免得我遭受你们所说的刑罚。”
25 彼得和约翰为主做见证，传讲主的道。之后，他们启程回耶路撒冷，沿途又在撒玛利亚各村庄传扬福音。
太监归主
26 有一天，主的天使对腓利说：“起来，向南走，往耶路撒冷通往迦萨的路去。”那条路很荒凉。 27 腓利立刻动身，结果在那条路上遇见一个埃塞俄比亚的太监。他是埃塞俄比亚女王甘大基手下的重臣，负责管理国库。他刚从耶路撒冷参加敬拜回来， 28 正坐在车上诵读以赛亚先知的书。 29 圣灵吩咐腓利：“赶上去，贴近那辆马车！”
30 腓利跑上前，听见太监在诵读以赛亚先知的书，就问：“你明白所读的经文吗？”
31 他说：“没有人为我解释，我怎能明白呢？”他就请腓利上车和他一起坐。 32 他刚才念的那段经文是：
“祂默然不语，
像被人牵去宰杀的羔羊，
又如在剪毛人手下一声不吭的绵羊。
33 祂忍受耻辱，
无人为祂主持公道，
谁能明白那个世代呢？
因为祂的生命竟然被夺去。”
34 太监问腓利：“请问先知是在说谁？在说他自己还是在说别人？” 35 腓利就从这段经文入手向他传耶稣的福音。 36 他们往前走的时候，经过一处有水的地方，太监说：“你看，这里有水，我可以在这里接受洗礼吗？” 37 腓利说：“只要你全心相信，当然可以。”太监说：“我相信耶稣基督是上帝的儿子！”
38 于是，太监吩咐停车，二人一同下到水里，腓利为他施洗。 39 他们从水里上来时，主的灵把腓利带走了。太监看不见腓利了，就继续前行，满心欢喜。 40 后来，腓利出现在亚锁都。他走遍那里，在各城各乡传扬福音，直到凯撒利亚。
Acts 8
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 8
The Church Becomes Open to the Gentiles.[a] 1 Saul approved of his death. That day marked the beginning of a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles scattered to the country districts of Judea and Samaria. 2 Stephen was buried by devout men who made loud lamentations over him. 3 Saul, meanwhile, began to inflict great harm on the Church. He entered house after house, dragging off men and women and sending them to prison. 4 Now those who had been scattered went from place to place proclaiming the word.
The Mission in Judea and Samaria
Springtime in Samaria.[b] 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. 6 The crowds welcomed the message proclaimed by Philip because they had heard and seen the signs he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits emerged with loud shrieks from many people who were possessed, and many others who were paralyzed or crippled were cured. 8 Thus, there was great joy in that city.
The Encounter with Magic.[c] 9 A man named Simon had been in that city for some time practicing magic and had astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, believed in him, declaring, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘The Great One.’ ”[d] 11 And they listened to him because for a long time they had been captivated by his magic.
12 However, when the people came to believe Philip as he preached about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself became a believer. After his baptism, he was constantly in Philip’s company, and he was astonished when he saw the great signs and mighty deeds that were taking place.
14 The Holy Spirit. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived there, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for as yet he had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Condemnation of Simony. When Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power too so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought that you could obtain God’s gift with money. 21 You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not upright in the eyes of God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours and beg the Lord that if possible you may be forgiven for devising your evil scheme. 23 I see that you are engulfed in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.”
24 Simon said in reply, “Pray for me to the Lord that nothing of what you have spoken about may befall me.” 25 Then, after giving their testimony and proclaiming the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the good news to many Samaritan villages.
26 Baptism of a High Official.[e] Then the angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and head south along the road that leads from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.” 27 Therefore, he got up and set out.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,[f] an official at the court of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was now returning home. As he sat in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join that chariot.” 30 When Philip ran up, he heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless I have someone to instruct me?” Then he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
32 This was the Scripture passage he had been reading:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter;
like a lamb that is silent before its shearer
he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will be able to speak of his posterity?
For his life on earth has been taken away.”
34 Then the eunuch said to Philip, “Please tell me, about whom is the prophet speaking—about himself or someone else?” 35 And so Philip, starting with this text of Scripture, proceeded to explain to him the good news of Jesus.
36 As they were traveling along the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, here is some water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?” [ 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch said in reply, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”][g] 38 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but he went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared in Azotus[h] and continued his journey, proclaiming the good news in every town until he reached Caesarea.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:1 The Hellenist Christians are driven out of Jerusalem. Their dispersion proceeds in an underground manner throughout the narrative until the moment when we will encounter a list of people who emigrate to Cyprus and Antioch. There, for the first time, the Church is opened to Gentiles (Acts 11:9ff). During this period, Luke shows the Gospel spreading to Samaria, Gaza, and the coast as far as Caesarea, Damascus in Syria, and Tarsus. The Gospel is received by many different cultures and people: the Pharisean persecutor, the functionary, the peasant of the plain of Sharon, the notable rich of Joppa, the artisan, the army, and the non-Jewish Greeks of Antioch.
Luke presents Paul under the somber traits of persecutor; once he becomes an apostle, Paul will remain marked by the memory of the time when he wanted to obstruct the path of the infant Gospel (see Acts 22:20; 26:10; 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13, 23; Phil 3:6). - Acts 8:5 Another deacon brings about an opening of the Church to the world. Since their separation, their installation of a worship of their own, and their intermingling with other peoples, the Samaritans who were once brethren in religion with the Jews have come to be regarded by the latter as heretics every bit as evil as the Gentiles. The Gospel is a powerful means of salvation for all human beings, surpassing the ancient religions and political frontiers. Presented here is the first step. The ministry of Philip the deacon is described in the spirit of the Gospels, and Luke stresses the climate of joy that follows in the wake of the good news.
- Acts 8:9 The proclamation of the Gospel is faced with an important problem as in our day. Can human beings own spiritual forces? Under an Eastern influence, personages endowed with the power of performing prodigies circulated throughout the Empire. There were itinerant exorcists or healers (Acts 9:11, 18). Simon has an outstanding reputation in this sphere. Now the magician has come to believe in the word of the Gospel. The community at Jerusalem is troubled to hear of prodigies and conversions in Samaria, a rejected land; an apostolic inspection can only confirm the facts and give them the authentication of the Spirit.
Simon the magician is attracted by the prestige that would be given him by the Spirit, and he wants to have the Spirit at his disposal, as do the apostles. He is even ready to pay well for it (whence the word “simony”). But he receives a stern refusal. Luke wants to set aside the forgeries that one could ascribe to Christ and the Spirit. We have here an example of a faith that becomes deeper, for the author stresses the importance of intercessory prayer for one another in matters of conversion. - Acts 8:10 The Great One: perhaps a divine title, which Simon has given himself.
- Acts 8:26 In this passage, Luke shows us the encounter of the Church with a new cultural environment. The official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia (Candace, like Pharaoh, is a title of a ruler) is interested in a passage of the Old Testament that speaks of a mysterious personage who is overwhelmed by suffering for the salvation of all; the passage is Isa 53, often used by the first community to express the mystery of Christ. The marvelous elements in this story of Philip recall God’s freedom of action in the time of the ancient Prophets: angel, Spirit, instantaneous transportation (see 1 Ki 18:12; 2 Ki 2:16; Ezek 3:12, 14; Dan 14:36). We will come across Philip the deacon again later on as the father of four daughters (Acts 21:9).
- Acts 8:27 Eunuch: may be simply a court title; for eunuch in the literal sense, see the prophecy of Isa 56:3-7.
- Acts 8:37 This verse is added by some ancient manuscripts.
- Acts 8:40 Azotus (called Ashdod in the Old Testament as one of the five Philistine cities) was about 25 miles north of Gaza. Caesarea, on the coast, was 33 miles north of the modern Tel Aviv, and served as the headquarters for the Roman governors.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
