提摩太加入福音事工

16 保罗来到特庇,然后又到路司得。那里有个门徒名叫提摩太,母亲是信主的犹太人,父亲是希腊人。 路司得和以哥念的弟兄姊妹都称赞提摩太。 保罗打算带提摩太去传福音。因为当地的犹太人都知道提摩太的父亲是希腊人,保罗就给提摩太行了割礼。 他们走遍各城,把耶路撒冷的使徒和长老所定下的规条教导当地的门徒遵守。 这样,众教会在信仰上得到坚固,人数天天都在增加。

马其顿人的呼求

由于圣灵阻止他们到亚细亚传福音,他们便经过弗吕迦和加拉太地区, 来到每西亚的边界,正要进入庇推尼地区,耶稣的灵又加以拦阻。 他们就越过每西亚,下到特罗亚。 当天晚上,保罗在异象中看见一个马其顿人站在那里恳求他:“请到马其顿来帮助我们!”

10 保罗见了这个异象,确信是上帝呼召我们[a]到马其顿去传福音,就立刻准备动身。 11 我们从特罗亚启航,直接驶往撒摩特喇,第二天抵达尼亚坡里, 12 再从那里来到腓立比。腓立比是马其顿的主要城市,是罗马帝国的殖民地。我们在那里住了几天。 13 安息日那天,我们到城外的河边,知道那里有一个祷告的地方,就坐下来,向已经聚集的妇女讲道。 14 听众中有个卖紫色布匹的妇人名叫吕底亚,是推雅推喇城的人,向来敬拜上帝。上帝开启她的心,她便留心听保罗讲道。 15 吕底亚和家人接受洗礼之后,极力邀请我们,说:“如果你们认为我是真心信主的话,请来我家住。”于是强留我们住下。

保罗和西拉入狱

16 一天,我们又去河边那个祷告的地方,途中遇到一个被巫鬼附身的女奴。她用占卜为她的主人们赚了不少钱。 17 她跟着保罗和我们大喊大叫:“这些人是至高上帝的奴仆,是来向你们宣讲得救之道的。” 18 一连几天,她都这样喊叫。保罗不胜其烦,就转过身来斥责那鬼:“我奉耶稣基督的名命令你从她身上出来!”那鬼立刻从她身上出去了。

19 她的主人们眼见财路断绝了,就把保罗和西拉揪住,拖到广场去见官长。 20 他们在官长面前控告保罗和西拉,说:“这些是犹太人,竟扰乱我们的城市, 21 宣扬我们罗马人不可接受或实行的风俗。” 22 于是,大家都一起攻击他们,官长下令剥掉他们的衣服,杖打他们。 23 他们被毒打一顿,又被关进监狱,官长命狱卒严密看守。 24 狱卒接到命令后把他们关进内牢,双脚上了枷锁。

25 半夜,保罗和西拉祷告、唱诗赞美上帝,其他的囚犯都侧耳倾听。 26 突然间发生大地震,整座监狱的地基都摇动起来,牢门立刻全开了,囚犯的锁链也都松开了。 27 狱卒惊醒后,看见牢门尽开,以为囚犯已经逃走了,就想拔刀自杀。 28 保罗见状,大声喝止:“不要伤害自己,我们都在这里!”

29 狱卒叫人拿灯过来,冲进内牢,战战兢兢地俯伏在保罗和西拉面前。 30 狱卒领他们出来后问道:“两位先生,我该怎样做才能得救?”

31 他们说:“要信主耶稣,你和你一家就必定得救。” 32 于是保罗和西拉向狱卒和他全家传讲主的道。 33 当晚,狱卒把二人带去,为他们清洗伤口。他一家老小都接受了洗礼。 34 他请二人到家里吃饭,他和全家人充满了喜乐,因为都信了上帝。

35 第二天早上,官长派差役来,说:“把他们放了。” 36 狱卒转告保罗说:“官长下令释放你们,现在你们可以平安地走了。” 37 保罗却说:“我们是罗马公民,他们不经审讯就当众打我们,又把我们关进牢里,现在却想偷偷打发掉我们吗?这样不行,叫他们亲自来领我们出去!”

38 差役回报官长。官长得知保罗和西拉都是罗马公民,非常害怕, 39 连忙到狱中向他们道歉,领他们出监,又央求他们离开腓立比。 40 二人离开监狱,来到吕底亚家中,见了弟兄姊妹,劝勉一番之后,便离开了那里。

Footnotes

  1. 16:10 本书作者路加此时加入保罗的行列,故改用第一人称复数“我们”。

16 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy - the son of a believing Jewish woman, but whose father was Greek

of whom the brothers at Lystra and Iconium reported well.

Paul wanted him to go forth with him. So, he took and circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in that area (for they all knew that his father was Greek).

And as they went through the cities, they delivered the decrees to keep, ordained by the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

And so the churches were established in the faith and increased in number daily.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia.

Then they came to Mysia and sought to go into Bithynia. But the Spirit did not allow them.

Therefore they passed through Mysia, and came down to Troas,

where a vision appeared to Paul in the night: A Macedonian man stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come into Macedonia, and help us!”

10 And after he had seen the vision, we immediately prepared to go into Macedonia, being assured that the Lord had called us to preach the Gospel to them.

11 Then went we forth from Troas. And with a straight course, we came to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis;

12 and from there to Philippi (which is the chief city in the parts of Macedonia, and whose inhabitants came from Rome to dwell there). And we stayed in that city some days.

13 And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the city, to a riverside where they customarily prayed. And we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

14 And a certain woman named Lydia (a seller of purple, of the city of the Thyatirians), who worshipped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart, so that she paid attention to the things which Paul spoke.

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she implored us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she insisted.

16 And it happened that as we went to prayer, a certain maid having a spirit of divination (who made her masters much money with divining) met us.

17 She followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who show to you the way of salvation!”

18 And she did this for many days. But Paul, being annoyed, turned around and said to the spirit, “I command you in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out the same hour.

19 Now when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace, to the Magistrates.

20 And they brought them to the governors, saying, “These Jewish men trouble our city,

21 “and preach ordinances which are not lawful for us to receive, nor to observe, seeing we are Romans!”

22 Then the people rose up together against them. And the governors tore their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23 And when they had beaten them terribly, they cast them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely

24 (who, having received such a commandment, cast them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks).

25 Now at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed, and sang Psalms to God. And the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken. And immediately all the doors opened. And all the shackles were loosened.

27 Then the keeper of the prison awoke from his sleep. And when he saw the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and was about to kill himself (having assumed that the prisoners had escaped).

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm! For we all are here!”

29 Then he called for a light and rushed in, trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas.

30 And he brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your household shall be saved.”

32 And they preached the Word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in the house.

33 Afterward, that same hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. And he was baptized immediately, with all who belonged to him.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and rejoiced that he, with all his household, believed in God.

35 And when it was day, the governors sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go!”

36 Then the keeper of the prison told these words to Paul, saying, “The governors have sent word to free you. Therefore, leave now. And go in peace.”

37 Then Paul said to them, “After they have beaten us openly (uncondemned Romans) and have cast us into prison, now they wish to thrust us out secretly? Certainly not! But let them come and bring us out.”

38 And the sergeants told these words to the governors, who were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.

39 Then they came and pleaded with them; and brought them out and asked them to leave the city.

40 And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they comforted them, and departed.