使徒行傳 1
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
應許聖靈降臨
1 提阿非羅啊，在前一封信中，我從耶穌的生平和教導開始， 2 一直談到祂藉著聖靈吩咐了自己選立的使徒，然後被接回天上。 3 祂受難後用許多確鑿的證據證實自己活著，在四十天之內屢次向使徒顯現，與他們談論上帝的國。 4 有一次，耶穌和他們在一起吃飯的時候，叮囑他們：「你們不要離開耶路撒冷，要在那裡等候我對你們說過的天父的應許。 5 因為從前約翰用水給你們施洗，但再過幾天，你們要受聖靈的洗。」
6 他們跟耶穌在一起的時候問祂：「主啊，你要在這時候復興以色列國嗎？」 7 耶穌回答說：「天父照祂的權柄定下的時間、日期不是你們可以知道的。 8 但聖靈降臨在你們身上後，你們必得到能力，在耶路撒冷、猶太全境和撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證人。」
9 耶穌說完這番話，就在他們眼前被提升天，被一朵雲彩接去，離開了他們的視線。 10 祂上升時，他們都定睛望著天空，忽然有兩個身穿白衣的人站在他們身旁， 11 說：「加利利人啊！你們為什麼站在這裡望著天空呢？這位離開你們被接到天上的耶穌，你們看見祂怎樣升天，將來祂還要怎樣回來。」
選立新使徒
12 於是，他們從橄欖山回到耶路撒冷。橄欖山距離耶路撒冷不遠，約是安息日允許走的路程[a]。 13 他們進城後，來到樓上自己住的房間。當時有彼得、約翰、雅各、安得烈、腓力、多馬、巴多羅買、馬太、亞勒腓的兒子雅各、激進黨人西門、雅各的兒子猶大。 14 他們和耶穌的母親瑪麗亞、耶穌的弟弟們及幾個婦女在一起同心合意地恆切禱告。
15 那時，約有一百二十人在聚會，彼得站起來說： 16 「弟兄們，關於帶人抓耶穌的猶大，聖靈藉著大衛的口早已預言，這經文必須要應驗。 17 這人原本是我們中間的一員，與我們同擔使徒的職分。」
18 猶大用作惡得來的錢買了一塊田，他頭朝下栽倒在那裡，肚破腸流。 19 這消息很快傳遍了耶路撒冷，當地人稱那塊田為「亞革大馬」，就是「血田」的意思。
20 彼得繼續說：「詩篇上寫道，『願他的家園一片荒涼，無人居住』，又說，『願別人取代他的職位。』 21-22 所以，我們必須另選一個人代替猶大，與我們一同為主耶穌的復活做見證。他必須是從主耶穌接受約翰的洗禮起一直到主升天，始終與我們在一起的人。」
23 被提名的有別號巴撒巴又叫猶士都的約瑟和馬提亞兩個人。 24-25 大家便禱告說：「主啊！你洞悉人的內心，求你指明這兩個人中你要揀選哪一個來擔負使徒的職分。猶大丟棄了這職分，去了他該去的地方。」 26 然後，他們抽籤，抽中了馬提亞，就把他列入十一使徒中。
Footnotes
- 1·12 按猶太人的傳統，在安息日只能走約一公里遠。
Acts 1
The Voice
Luke, in this his second volume concerning the genesis of the Christian movement, doesn’t preserve Jesus’ teachings during those mysterious meetings with His emissaries after His death. Surely they are filled with joy, curiosity, and amazement as His followers hang on His every word and gaze on the reality of His bodily resurrection as He describes the kingdom of God. His words are undoubtedly intended to prepare each of them for this journey, a journey with a clear destination in sight—the kingdom of God.
An integral part of this kingdom is the activity of the Holy Spirit to empower the people of God as they expand the kingdom beyond the region of Palestine. Luke records surprisingly little about the day-to-day life of these early Christians, about how they integrated their faith into their culture; but he does emphasize the work of the Spirit who empowers miracles and gives believers the means to testify of their faith before Jews and the outsiders.
1 To a lover of God, Theophilus: In my first book, I recounted the events of Jesus’ life—His actions, His teachings— 2-3 from the beginning of His life until He was taken up into heaven. After His great suffering and vindication, He showed His apostles that He was alive—appearing to them repeatedly over a period of 40 days, giving them many convincing proofs of His resurrection. As before, He spoke constantly of the kingdom of God. During these appearances, He had instructed His chosen messengers through the Holy Spirit, 4 prohibiting them from leaving Jerusalem, but rather requiring them to wait there until they received what He called “the promise of the Father.”
Jesus: This is what you heard Me teach— 5 that just as John ritually cleansed people with water through baptism,[a] so you will be washed with the Holy Spirit very soon.
6 When they had gathered just outside Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives, they asked Jesus,
Disciples: Is now the time, Lord—the time when You will reestablish Your kingdom in our land of Israel?
Jesus: 7 The Father, on His own authority, has determined the ages and epochs of history, but you have not been given this knowledge. 8 Here’s the knowledge you need: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be My witnesses, first here in Jerusalem, then beyond to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest places on earth.
9 As He finished this commission, He began to rise from the ground before their eyes until the clouds obscured Him from their vision. 10 As they strained to get one last glimpse of Him going into heaven, the Lord’s emissaries[b] realized two men in white robes were standing among them.
Two Men: 11 You Galileans, why are you standing here staring up into the sky? This Jesus who is leaving you and ascending to heaven will return in the same way you see Him departing.
12 Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem—their short journey from the Mount of Olives was an acceptable Sabbath Day’s walk.
13-14 Back in the city, they went to the room where they were staying—a second-floor room. This whole group devoted themselves to constant prayer with one accord: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), Judas (son of James), a number of women including Mary (Jesus’ mother), and some of Jesus’ brothers.
15 As the disciples prayed, Peter stood among the group of about 120 people and made this proposal:
The Creator of heaven and earth is orchestrating a redemptive story that will radically change the course of history. The most significant supernatural event in the history of this newly formed church will be the filling of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, God will direct the church’s growth. But how does the early church make important decisions before the Holy Spirit descends on them?
The company of disciples turns to the practice of “drawing lots,” a practice used by saints for centuries to discover God’s providential leading. After much prayer, Joseph and Matthias most likely write their names on scraps; then someone draws the replacement’s name out of a bag. What seems like a 50/50 chance is, in fact, God’s way of imparting His will. The disciples aren’t putting their faith in “chance”; they are putting their faith in a God who lives. This living God isn’t distant; He is a player in their lives, active when His people seek Him and His will. They know God directs the process, start to finish, and determines whose name is drawn to join the eleven.
Peter: 16-17 My friends, everything in the Hebrew Scriptures had to be fulfilled, including what the Holy Spirit foretold through David about Judas. As you know, Judas was one of us and participated in our ministry until he guided the authorities to arrest Jesus. 18 (He was paid handsomely for his betrayal, and he bought a field with the blood money. But he died on that land—falling so that his abdomen burst and his internal organs gushed out. 19 News of this death spread to everyone in Jerusalem, so Judas’s property is known as Hakeldama, which means “field of blood.”) 20 In this way, one of David’s psalms was fulfilled: “May their camps be bleak, with not one left in any tent.”[c] But the psalms also include these words: “Let his position of oversight be given to another.”[d] 21 So we need to determine his replacement from among the men who have been with us during all of the Lord Jesus’ travels among us— 22 from His baptism[e] by John until His ascension. We need someone to join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.
23 The group put forward two men: Joseph (who was also known as Barsabbas or Justus) and Matthias.
Disciples: 24 Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Make it clear to us which of these two is Your choice 25 to take on this ministry as Your apostle, replacing Judas who went his own way to his own destination.
26 Then they drew lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, so he was added to the eleven apostles to reconstitute the twelve.
Footnotes
- 1:5 Literally, immersed, to show repentance
- 1:10 Literally, apostles
- 1:20 Psalm 69:25–26
- 1:20 Psalm 109:8
- 1:22 Literally, immersion, an act to show repentance
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.