在以哥念傳道

14 保羅和巴拿巴一同進入以哥念的猶太會堂講道,許多猶太人和希臘人信了耶穌。 但那些頑梗不信的猶太人卻慫恿外族人敵視信徒。 二人在那裡逗留了好些日子,靠著主勇敢地傳道。主賜給他們行神蹟奇事的能力,為祂的恩典之道做見證。 城裡的居民分成了兩派,有些附和猶太人,有些支持使徒。

當時,有些外族人、猶太人及其官長企圖惡待使徒,用石頭打他們。 保羅和巴拿巴得知後,就逃往呂高尼的路司得和特庇二城並周圍的地區, 在那裡繼續傳揚福音。

在路司得和特庇傳福音

路司得城裡坐著一個天生雙腳無力、不能走路的瘸子。 他也聽保羅講道。保羅定睛看他,見這個人有信心,可以得醫治, 10 就高聲對他說:「起來,兩腳站直!」那人就跳了起來,開始行走。 11 周圍的人看見保羅所行的,就用呂高尼話大聲說:「神明化成人形下凡了!」 12 於是,他們稱巴拿巴為希臘天神宙斯,又因為保羅是主要的發言人,就稱他為希耳米[a] 13 城外宙斯廟的祭司也牽著牛、拿著花環來到城門口,要和眾人一同向使徒獻祭。

14 巴拿巴和保羅見此情形,就撕裂衣服,衝進人群中,大聲喊著說: 15 「各位,你們為什麼這樣做?我們和你們一樣只是凡人!我們來這裡是要向你們傳福音,叫你們離棄這些虛妄的事,轉向那創造天、地、海和其中萬物的永活上帝。 16 在以往的世代,祂雖然容許萬國各行其道, 17 卻從未停止用美善的事證實自己的存在。祂常施恩惠,降下甘霖,賞賜豐年,又叫你們衣食飽足,滿心喜樂。」

18 保羅和巴拿巴說了這些話,才勉強制止住向他們獻祭的人群。 19 有些猶太人從安提阿和以哥念來煽動民眾,他們用石頭打保羅,以為他死了,就把他拖到城外。 20 當門徒圍過來看他的時候,他站了起來,走回城裡。第二天,保羅和巴拿巴前往特庇。

返回安提阿

21 他們向那裡的人傳福音,有很多人作了門徒。然後,他們又回到路司得、以哥念和安提阿, 22 堅固各地門徒的信心,鼓勵他們要持守信仰,並且說:「我們在進入上帝國的道路上必經歷許多苦難。」 23 二人又為每個教會選立長老,禁食禱告,把他們交託給所信靠的主。

24 後來,二人又經過彼西底,來到旁非利亞, 25 在別加講道,然後下到亞大利, 26 從那裡乘船回安提阿。當初就是在安提阿,他們被交託在上帝的恩手中去傳道,如今工作已經完成了。

27 他們到達之後,就召集教會的人,報告上帝藉著他們所做的一切事,以及上帝如何給外族人開了信仰之門。 28 之後,二人和門徒同住了很久。

Footnotes

  1. 14·12 希臘神話中天神宙斯是最大的神,希耳米則是為眾神傳遞信息的使者——「傳諭之神」。

Chapter 14

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium. In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks came to believe, although the disbelieving Jews stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. So they stayed for a considerable period, speaking out boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the word about his grace by granting signs and wonders to occur through their hands.(A) The people of the city were divided: some were with the Jews; others, with the apostles. When there was an attempt by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone them,(B) they realized it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued to proclaim the good news.

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. [a]At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, 10 and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.” He jumped up and began to walk about. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in human form.”(C) 12 They called Barnabas “Zeus”[b] and Paul “Hermes,” because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.

14 The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments[c] when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15 [d]“Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, ‘who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.’(D) 16 In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;(E) 17 yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”(F) 18 Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

19 (G)However, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

End of the First Mission. 21 After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. 22 They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”(H) 23 They appointed presbyters[e] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith. 24 Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. 25 After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished.(I) 27 And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

Footnotes

  1. 14:8–18 In an effort to convince his hearers that the divine power works through his word, Paul cures the cripple. However, the pagan tradition of the occasional appearance of gods among human beings leads the people astray in interpreting the miracle. The incident reveals the cultural difficulties with which the church had to cope. Note the similarity of the miracle worked here by Paul to the one performed by Peter in Acts 3:2–10.
  2. 14:12 Zeus…Hermes: in Greek religion, Zeus was the chief of the Olympian gods, the “father of gods and men”; Hermes was a son of Zeus and was usually identified as the herald and messenger of the gods.
  3. 14:14 Tore their garments: a gesture of protest.
  4. 14:15–17 This is the first speech of Paul to Gentiles recorded by Luke in Acts (cf. Acts 17:22–31). Rather than showing how Christianity is the logical outgrowth of Judaism, as he does in speeches before Jews, Luke says that God excuses past Gentile ignorance and then presents a natural theology arguing for the recognition of God’s existence and presence through his activity in natural phenomena.
  5. 14:23 They appointed presbyters: the communities are given their own religious leaders by the traveling missionaries. The structure in these churches is patterned on the model of the Jerusalem community (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 5, 22; 21:18).

In Iconium

14 At Iconium(A) Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.(B) There they spoke so effectively that a great number(C) of Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.(D) So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly(E) for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.(F) The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.(G) There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews,(H) together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.(I) But they found out about it and fled(J) to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach(K) the gospel.(L)

In Lystra and Derbe

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth(M) and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed(N) 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!”(O) At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.(P)

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”(Q) 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.(R) 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes(S) and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human,(T) like you. We are bringing you good news,(U) telling you to turn from these worthless things(V) to the living God,(W) who made the heavens and the earth(X) and the sea and everything in them.(Y) 16 In the past, he let(Z) all nations go their own way.(AA) 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony:(AB) He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;(AC) he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”(AD) 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

19 Then some Jews(AE) came from Antioch and Iconium(AF) and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul(AG) and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples(AH) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

21 They preached the gospel(AI) in that city and won a large number(AJ) of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium(AK) and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.(AL) “We must go through many hardships(AM) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a](AN) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,(AO) committed them to the Lord,(AP) in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia,(AQ) 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch,(AR) where they had been committed to the grace of God(AS) for the work they had now completed.(AT) 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them(AU) and how he had opened a door(AV) of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.(AW)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 14:23 Or Barnabas ordained elders; or Barnabas had elders elected