使徒行传 20
Chinese Standard Bible (Simplified)
保罗在马其顿
20 骚乱平息以后，保罗请门徒们来，鼓励一番，然后与他们告别，就出发往马其顿省去了。 2 他走遍了那些地区，用很多的话鼓励门徒们[a]，就来到希腊， 3 在那里住了三个月。他正要起航往叙利亚省去的时候，犹太人设计了一个针对他的阴谋，他就决定从马其顿省回去。 4 与他同行[b]的，有庇里亚人普罗斯的儿子[c][d]索巴特，帖撒罗尼迦人亚里达古和西肯多，也有代尔贝人盖尤斯和提摩太，还有亚细亚省人特其库斯和特罗费摩。 5 这些人先走，在特罗阿斯港等我们。 6 过了除酵节的日子，我们从腓立比起航，五天后到了特罗阿斯港见他们，在那里住了七天。
特罗阿斯的犹图克斯复活
7 在一周的头一天[e]，门徒们[f]聚集掰饼的时候，保罗向他们讲论，因第二天就要离开，于是一直讲到半夜。 8 我们聚集的楼上房间，有许多灯火。 9 有一个名叫犹图克斯的年轻人坐在窗台上，陷入了沉睡。保罗又讲论了很久，犹图克斯在沉睡中从三楼掉了下去，被扶起来的时候，已经死了。 10 保罗下去，伏在他身上，抱着他说：“不要慌乱，他的灵魂还在身上！” 11 保罗再上去，掰饼吃了，又交谈了许久，直到天亮才出发。 12 他们把那活生生的年轻人带走，并且受到了不少的安慰。
从特罗阿斯到米利都
13 我们先上船开往阿索，要在那里接保罗；原来他这样安排，是因为自己要走陆路。 14 当他在阿索与我们会合的时候，我们接他上船，来到了米蒂利尼。 15 我们从那里开船，第二天到达了希俄斯岛的海域，过了一天在萨莫斯岛靠岸，[g]再过一天来到米利都。 16 原来保罗已经决定驶过以弗所城，免得在亚细亚省耽延时间，因为他急着赶路，如果有可能，但愿五旬节那一天已经在耶路撒冷了。
告别以弗所的长老
17 保罗从米利都派人到以弗所去，请教会的长老们来。 18 他们来了以后，保罗对他们说：“你们知道，自从我踏进亚细亚省的第一天起，我一直怎样与你们共处—— 19 我在完全的谦卑中、泪水中、以及因犹太人的阴谋而带来的许多试炼中服事主； 20 对你们有益的事，在公众场所和各家各户，没有一件我因畏缩而不传讲、不教导给你们； 21 无论对犹太人或希腊人，我都郑重地劝诫他们要向神悔改，相信我们的主耶稣[h]。
22 “看，现在我灵里受到催逼[i]，要去耶路撒冷。我不知道在那里将会遇到什么事， 23 只知道在各城里圣灵向我郑重地做见证说，有捆锁和患难等着我。 24 但是我不把自己的生命看为宝贵，为要[j]跑尽我该跑的路程[k]，完成从主耶稣所领受的服事工作，为神恩典的福音郑重地做见证。
25 “我曾在你们中间走遍各地，宣讲神的[l]国，但现在，看哪，我知道你们都不会再见到我的面了！ 26 所以我今天向你们见证：对于任何人的灭亡[m]，我都是清白的！ 27 因为神的整个计划，我没有一样因畏缩而不传讲给你们。 28 你们当为自己谨慎，也当为全体羊群谨慎。圣灵把你们放在这羊群里做监督，为要牧养神的[n]教会，就是他用自己的血所赎来的。 29 我知道在我离开以后，凶恶的豺狼将进入你们中间，不会顾惜羊群。 30 你们自己当中也会有人起来，讲说一些歪曲的道理，要拉拢门徒跟随他们。 31 所以你们要警醒，记住这三年来，我日夜不住地流着泪水劝诫你们每一个人。
32 “[o]现在我把你们交托给神和他恩典的话语。这话语能造就你们，并且在所有被分别为圣的人中间赐给你们那继业。 33 我没有渴望过任何人的金子、银子或衣服。 34 你们自己也知道，我这双手供应了我和与我在一起之人的需要。 35 在一切事上，我都给你们做了榜样：必须这样地劳苦做工来扶助软弱的人，并且要记住主耶稣自己说过的话：‘施比受更加蒙福。’”
36 保罗说了这些话，就跪下来与大家一起祷告。 37 大家都痛哭起来，搂住保罗的脖子亲吻他。 38 尤其使他们伤心的，就是他说他们不会再看到他面的那句话。然后他们送他上了船。
Footnotes
- 使徒行传 20:2 门徒们——原文直译“他们”。
- 使徒行传 20:4 同行——有古抄本作“一直同行到亚细亚”。
- 使徒行传 20:4 有古抄本没有“普罗斯的儿子”。
- 使徒行传 20:4 儿子——辅助词语。
- 使徒行传 20:7 一周的头一天——指“星期日”。
- 使徒行传 20:7 门徒们——有古抄本作“我们”。
- 使徒行传 20:15 有古抄本附“在特罗古林停留，”。
- 使徒行传 20:21 耶稣——有古抄本作“耶稣基督”。
- 使徒行传 20:22 受到催逼——原文直译“被捆绑”。
- 使徒行传 20:24 有古抄本附“怀着喜乐的心”。
- 使徒行传 20:24 跑尽我该跑的路程——原文直译“完成我的赛程”。
- 使徒行传 20:25 有古抄本没有“神的”。
- 使徒行传 20:26 任何人的灭亡——原文直译“任何人的血”。
- 使徒行传 20:28 神的——有古抄本作“主的”。
- 使徒行传 20:32 有古抄本附“弟兄们，”。
Acts 20
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 20
Journey to Macedonia and Greece.[a] 1 When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he embraced them and set out on his journey to Macedonia.[b] 2 As he traveled through those areas, he gave the believers much encouragement. Then he arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months.
Return to Troas. He was about to set sail for Syria when a plot against him was devised by the Jews, and so he decided to return by way of Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Beroea, by Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, by Gaius from Derbe, and by Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia.[c] 5 They went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas.[d] 6 We sailed from Philippi after the feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later we joined them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
Paul’s Witness and Testament[e]
Paul Raises Eutychus to Life. 7 On the first day of the week, when we gathered for the breaking of the bread, Paul spoke to the people, and because he was going to leave on the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were assembled, 9 and a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting on the window ledge, became ever more drowsy as Paul talked on and on. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below, and when they picked him up, he was dead.
10 Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and took him in his arms. “Do not be alarmed,” he said. “He is still alive.”[f] 11 Then he went back upstairs and broke bread and ate. He went on to converse with them until dawn, at which time he left. 12 Meanwhile, they had taken the boy home, greatly relieved that he was alive.
13 Journey to Miletus. We went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard, since he intended to continue his journey by land. 14 When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene.
15 We sailed from there, and on the following day we reached a point opposite Chios. A day later, we reached Samos; and the day after that, we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus in order to avoid spending time in the province of Asia. He was eager to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
17 Paul’s Farewell Speech at Miletus.[g] From Miletus, he sent a message to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. 18 When they came to him, he addressed them as follows:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that befell me as a result of the intrigues of the Jews. 20 I did not hesitate to tell you what was for your benefit as I proclaimed the word to you and taught you publicly as well as from house to house. 21 I have attested to Jews and Gentiles alike about repentance before God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that I will face imprisonment and hardships. 24 As for me, I do not regard my life as of any value, only that I finish the race and complete the mission that I received from the Lord Jesus—to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace.
25 “I have gone among you proclaiming the kingdom, but now I realize that none of you will ever see my face again. 26 Therefore, I solemnly declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, and be shepherds of the Church of God that he purchased with the price of his own blood.
29 “I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own ranks men will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. 31 Therefore, be on your guard. Remember that for three years I never ceased night and day to warn every one of you with tears.
32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace that is able to build you up and give you your inheritance among all who are sanctified. 33 I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You are aware that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. 35 In all this, I have shown you that by such hard work we must help the weak, keeping in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”[h]
36 When he had finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with them. 37 They were all weeping loudly as they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 for they were deeply distressed at his words that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.
Footnotes
- Acts 20:1 This departure constitutes an important moment as indicated by the fact that Luke inserts a list of Paul’s companions. Then he describes three brief journeys: one to Greece, to revisit the communities, especially that of Corinth, which had caused some trouble; the second to Troas; and the third to Miletus, on the return route to Jerusalem.
In connection with these journeys we discover new aspects of the life of the communities. The Eucharist, which had been mentioned at the beginning of Acts (2:46), is clearly referred to here: Christians came together on Sunday (“the first day of the week”) in order to “break bread,” after a lengthy hearing of the Gospel and a communal reflection on it. The raising of the boy is a sign of the presence of the Lord; through his Resurrection, life is possible in its fullness. - Acts 20:1 Paul had apparently been seeking to preach in Troas on his way to Macedonia, meet Titus at Troas with a report from Corinth (see 2 Cor 2:12f), and continue collecting the offering for Judea (see Rom 15:25-28; 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8:1—9:15).
- Acts 20:4 These men have no doubt been assigned to accompany Paul and the collection for the needy in Judea (see 2 Cor 8:23).
- Acts 20:5 Here begins the second so-called “we-section” of Acts (see note on Acts 16:9-15).
- Acts 20:7 In this chapter, it is no longer a case of proclaiming the word or creating a Church; it is a moment of respite and retreat that clears up Paul’s personal destiny and expresses the principal concerns for the development and perseverance of a Church. Paul is aware that he will never return (see Acts 21:14), and he envisages undergoing the same suffering as Christ. The Book of Acts will not recount his martyrdom, no more than it will enlighten us about Peter’s martyrdom, for this Book is not intended to be a biography of the apostles. Its purpose is to make known the life of the Churches and the power of the Spirit who animates them, the great realities that ensure their development, their relationships and their unity. The communities are to find themselves devoted to one another, but with the Spirit (v. 28) and the living tradition that carries them along. The atmosphere recalls Christ’s discourse after the Last Supper (Jn 14–16). Paul gives his testament.
- Acts 20:10 Paul’s action of throwing himself upon a boy thought to be dead recalls that of Elijah in raising the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Ki 17:21) and that of Elisha in raising the son of the Shunammite (2 Ki 4:34). Thus, as Peter had raised Tabitha (Acts 9:40), so now Paul raises Eutychus.
- Acts 20:17 This farewell scene is especially important for the history of the Church as an institution. Those whom Paul summons are the “elders” (in Greek: presbyteroi, whence our “priests”), whom he describes (v. 28) as “shepherds” and “overseers” (Greek: episkopoi, whence our “bishops”; see 1 Pet 2:25), i.e., as responsible for the spiritual nourishment, guidance, and protection of the People of God. This authority they receive not from the assembly of the faithful but from the Spirit.
Here, in substance, is the ecclesial structure in which we live today (although only later would a distinction be made between “presbyters” and “bishops”). - Acts 20:35 It is more blessed to give than to receive: a saying of Jesus that is not found in the canonical Gospels.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
