使徒行传 21
Chinese Standard Bible (Simplified)
劝阻耶路撒冷之行
21 我们与他们惜别以后就开船直航，来到科斯岛。第二天到了罗得岛，又从那里到帕塔拉， 2 找到了一条开往腓尼基的船，就上船起航。 3 我们望见塞浦路斯岛，驶过的时候它在左边。我们继续向叙利亚省航行，在提尔登陆，因为船要在那里卸货。 4 我们找到了一些门徒，就在那里住了七天。他们藉着圣灵，一直告诉保罗不要上耶路撒冷去。 5 那些日子过了以后，我们出发前行，大家与妻子和儿女一起送我们到城外。我们都跪在岸上祷告， 6 彼此告别。我们上了船，他们就回自己的家去了。
7 我们结束了从提尔开始的航程，到达托勒密，就去问候弟兄们，在他们那里住了一天。 8 第二天我们[a]离开那里，来到凯撒里亚，进了传福音者腓利的家，住在他那里，他是那七位执事[b]中的一位。 9 他有四个女儿，都是童贞女，是做先知传道[c]的。
10 我们住了好几天，有一个名叫阿伽布斯的先知从犹太下来了。 11 他来到我们这里，拿起保罗的腰带，把自己的手脚捆起来，说：“圣灵这样说，犹太人在耶路撒冷要如此捆绑这腰带的主人，把他交在外邦人的手中。” 12 我们一听这些话，就和当地的人恳求保罗不要上耶路撒冷去。
13 这时候保罗说：“你们为什么哭，使我心碎呢？我为了主耶稣的名，不仅被捆绑，即使死在耶路撒冷，也都预备好了。”
14 我们既然不能说服保罗，就都安静下来，只说：“愿主的旨意成就。”
有关外邦宣教的争议
15 过了几天，我们收拾行李，上耶路撒冷去。 16 凯撒里亚的一些门徒也陪我们一起去，带我们到一个塞浦路斯人纳森家里去作客住宿。他做门徒已经很久了。
17 我们到了耶路撒冷，弟兄们很高兴地欢迎我们。 18 第二天，保罗与我们一起去探望雅各，所有的长老也都来了。 19 保罗问候他们后，一一述说神藉着他的服事，在外邦人中所做的事。
20 他们听了就不住地荣耀神[d]，又对保罗说：“弟兄，你看犹太人中信主[e]的人有多少万，而且他们都是对律法热心的人。 21 他们听到有关你的事，说你教导所有在外邦人中的犹太人离道反教、背弃摩西，叫他们不要给孩子行割礼，也不要按规矩行事。 22 他们一定会听到你来这里了[f]。那么该怎么办呢？ 23 你就照我们告诉你的去做吧。我们这里有四个人，他们都许过愿。 24 你带他们去，与他们一起行洁净礼，并且替他们付钱，好让他们剃掉头发。这样，大家就会知道有关你的传闻不是真的，而且你自己也是照着规矩行事、遵守律法的。 25 至于已经相信的外邦人，我们照着决定写了信，要他们远避祭过偶像的食物，远避血和勒死的动物，远避淫乱。[g]”
圣殿里的骚乱
26 于是，第二天保罗带了那四个人，与他们一起行了洁净礼，进了圣殿，宣告洁净期满的日子，直到为他们每一个人的供物都被献上为止。 27 那七天快要结束的时候，从亚细亚省来的一些犹太人看到保罗在圣殿里，就煽动整个人群，下手捉拿他， 28 喊叫：“各位以色列人哪，请帮忙！这个人就是那到处教导大家反对我们的民族、律法，反对这地方的！他甚至把希腊人带进圣殿，玷污了这圣地。” 29 原来他们曾经看见以弗所人特罗费摩与保罗一起在城里，就以为保罗带他进了圣殿。
30 于是全城的人都被煽动了，民众一起跑来，抓住保罗，把他拖出圣殿，殿门立刻关上了。 31 在他们想杀保罗的时候，有消息上报到军团的千夫长，说全耶路撒冷都混乱了。 32 千夫长立即带着士兵和几个百夫长跑下去，到了他们那里。他们一看见千夫长和士兵们，就停止殴打保罗。 33 于是千夫长上前抓住保罗，下令用两条铁链把他捆起来，然后查问他到底是什么人，做了什么事。 34 人群当中，有的喊这个，有的喊那个；千夫长因为骚乱，无法知道真相，就下令把保罗带到营楼里去。 35 保罗到了台阶上的时候，由于人群凶猛，士兵们只好把他抬起来走。 36 那一群人跟在后面，喊叫：“除掉他！”
保罗对群众的讲话
37 保罗快要被押进营楼的时候，就对千夫长说：“我是否可以对你说句话？”
千夫长说：“你懂希腊语吗？ 38 你究竟是不是那个前些日子作乱、带领四千个凶徒进入旷野的埃及人呢？”
39 保罗回答说：“我是犹太人，是奇里乞亚省的塔尔苏人，并不是无名之城的公民，请求你准许我向民众说话。”
40 千夫长准许了，保罗就站在台阶上，向民众挥一下手，大家都寂静无声，保罗就用希伯来语呼吁，说：
Footnotes
- 使徒行传 21:8 我们——有古抄本作“跟随保罗的人”。
- 使徒行传 21:8 执事——辅助词语。
- 使徒行传 21:9 做先知传道——原文直译“说预言”。
- 使徒行传 21:20 神——有古抄本作“主”。
- 使徒行传 21:20 主——辅助词语。
- 使徒行传 21:22 他们一定会听到你来这里了——有古抄本作“他们听到你来了，民众必定会聚集”。
- 使徒行传 21:25 有古抄本附“除了这些以外，不要遵守任何这样的事”。
使徒行传 21
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
保罗前往耶路撒冷
21 我们和众人道别之后，乘船直接驶往哥士，第二天到达罗底，从那里前往帕大喇， 2 在帕大喇遇到一艘开往腓尼基的船，就上了船。 3 塞浦路斯遥遥在望，船从该岛的南面绕过，一直驶向叙利亚。因为船要在泰尔卸货，我们就在那里上了岸， 4 找到当地的门徒后，便和他们同住了七天。他们受圣灵的感动力劝保罗不要去耶路撒冷。 5 时间到了，我们继续前行，众门徒和他们的妻子儿女送我们出城。大家跪在岸边祷告之后，彼此道别。 6 我们上了船，众人也回家去了。
7 我们从泰尔乘船抵达多利买，上岸探访那里的弟兄姊妹，和他们住了一天。 8 第二天我们离开那里，来到凯撒利亚，住在传道人腓利家里。他是当初选出的七位执事之一。 9 腓利有四个未出嫁的女儿，都能说预言。 10 过了几天，一个名叫亚迦布的先知从犹太下来。 11 他到了我们这里，拿保罗的腰带绑住自己的手脚，说：“圣灵说，‘耶路撒冷的犹太人也要这样捆绑这腰带的主人，把他交给外族人。’”
12 听到这话，我们和当地的信徒都苦劝保罗不要去耶路撒冷。 13 但保罗说：“你们为什么这样哭泣，令我心碎呢？我为主耶稣的名甘愿受捆绑，甚至死在耶路撒冷。”
14 我们知道再劝也无济于事，只好对他说：“愿主的旨意成就。”
15 过了几天，我们收拾行装启程上耶路撒冷。 16 有几个凯撒利亚的门徒和我们一起去，并带我们到一个信主已久的塞浦路斯人拿孙家里住宿。
保罗会见雅各和众长老
17 我们抵达耶路撒冷后，受到弟兄姊妹的热烈欢迎。 18 第二天，保罗和我们去见雅各，众长老都在那里。 19 保罗向大家问安之后，便一一述说上帝如何借着他传福音给外族人。 20 大家听了，都同声赞美上帝，又对保罗说：“弟兄，你知道数以万计的犹太人信了主，他们都严守律法。 21 他们听见有人说你教导住在外族人中的犹太人背弃摩西的律法，不替孩子行割礼，也不遵守犹太人的规矩。 22 他们一定会听到你来这里的消息，这该怎么办？ 23 请你听我们的建议，这里有四位向上帝许过愿的弟兄， 24 你和他们一起去行洁净礼，并由你替他们付费，让他们可以剃头，好叫众人知道你严守律法，循规蹈矩，关于你的传闻都是假的。 25 至于那些外族信徒，我们已经写信吩咐他们，不可吃祭过偶像的食物，不可吃血和勒死的牲畜，不可淫乱。”
保罗被捕
26 于是，保罗和四位弟兄第二天行了洁净礼，然后上圣殿报告他们洁净期满的日子，好在期满后让祭司为他们每个人献祭物。 27 当七日的洁净期将满的时候，有些从亚细亚来的犹太人发现保罗在圣殿里，就煽动众人去抓他。 28 他们高喊：“以色列人快来帮忙！就是这人到处教唆人反对我们的民族、律法和圣殿。他还带希腊人进圣殿，玷污这圣地。” 29 这是因为他们在城里见过一个名叫特罗非摩的以弗所人和保罗在一起，以为保罗一定把他带进圣殿了。
30 消息一传开，全城轰动。众人冲进圣殿把保罗拉出来，随即关上殿门。 31 正当他们要杀保罗的时候，有人把耶路撒冷发生骚乱的消息报告给罗马军营的千夫长， 32 千夫长马上带着军兵和几个百夫长赶来了。众人一见千夫长和军队，便停止殴打保罗。 33 千夫长上前拿住保罗，命人用两条铁链把他锁起来，问他是什么人、做了什么事。 34 人群中有人这样喊，有人那样喊，情形混乱不堪，千夫长无法辨明真相，便命人将保罗带回军营。 35 保罗刚走上台阶，众人便凶猛地拥挤过来，士兵们只好把他举起来抬着走。 36 众人挤在后面喊着说：“杀掉他！”
保罗的申辩
37 士兵们抬着保罗来到军营门口，保罗问千夫长：“我可以和你讲几句话吗？”千夫长说：“你也懂希腊话吗？ 38 不久前煽动叛乱、带着四千暴徒逃到旷野去的那个埃及人是你吗？” 39 保罗说：“我是犹太人，来自基利迦的大数，并非无名小城的人。请准许我向百姓讲几句话。” 40 千夫长答应了，保罗就站在台阶上向众人挥手示意，他们都安静下来，保罗用希伯来话对他们说：
Acts 21
New Catholic Bible
From Jerusalem to Rome[a]
Chapter 21
Last Journey to Jerusalem[b]
Arrival at Tyre. 1 When we[c] had finally torn ourselves away from them and set sail, we traveled directly to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 There, we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, so we went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus, we passed by it on our left and sailed to Syria, landing at Tyre where the ship was to unload her cargo.
4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them for seven days. Through the Spirit, they advised Paul to abandon his plans to move on to Jerusalem. 5 However, when our time with them was ended, we left and continued on our journey. All of them, including women and children, escorted us outside the city. Kneeling down on the beach, we prayed 6 and then bid farewell to one another. Afterward, we boarded the ship and they returned home.
Arrival at Ptolemais and Caesarea. 7 We finished our voyage from Tyre and arrived at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brethren and stayed with them for one day. 8 On the next day, we left and came to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven,[d] and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who possessed the gift of prophecy.
10 After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea. 11 He came up to us, took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
12 When we heard this, we joined with the people who lived there in begging Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 Since he would not be dissuaded, we finally gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
Various Events and Paul’s Defenses at Jerusalem
15 Paul Is Welcomed by the Elders.[e] At the end of our stay, we made preparations and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, one of the early disciples, with whom we were to stay.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren gave us a warm welcome. 18 On the next day, Paul paid a visit to James. We accompanied him, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard this, they gave praise to God. Then they said to Paul, “You can see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of them are zealous upholders of the Law. 21 They have been informed in your regard that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or to observe their custom. 22 What then is to be done? They are sure to hear that you have arrived.
23 “This is what we suggest that you do. We have four men here who are under a vow. 24 Take these men, go through the rite of purification with them, and pay the expenses involved with the shaving of their heads. In this way, all will know that there is nothing in these reports they have been given about you and that you observe the Law. 25 As for the Gentiles who have become believers, we have informed them of our decision that they must abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from anything that has been strangled, and from unchastity.”
26 Therefore, on the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. He then entered the temple to give notice of the date when the period of purification would end and the offerings would be made for each of them.
27 Paul’s Arrest in the Temple.[f] When the seven days were nearly over, the Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple. Stirring up the whole crowd, they seized him, 28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against our people, the Law, and this place. What is more, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” 29 They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30 Thus, the entire city was in turmoil, and people came running from all directions. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and the gates were then shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 Immediately, he took soldiers and centurions with him and charged down on them.
When the Jews saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came forward, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Next he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another; and since the commander could not arrive at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When he came to the steps, the violence of the crowd was so intense that he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!”
37 Just as he was about to be taken into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” The commander replied, “So you speak Greek? 38 Then you are not the Egyptian[g] who recently started a revolt and led the four thousand assassins into the desert.” 39 Paul asserted, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. May I have your permission to speak to the people?” 40 When the permission was granted, Paul stood on the steps and raised his hand to the people for silence. As soon as quiet was restored, he started speaking to them in Aramaic.[h]
Footnotes
- Acts 21:1 The period of missionary journeys is over. The new series of events begins in Jerusalem with an address of the elders of the community to Paul (Acts 21:20-26), followed by an address of Paul to the people (Acts 22:1-21). Then follows a series of four trials, of increasing importance, in Jerusalem and in Caesarea (Acts 23:1ff; 24:1ff; 25:1ff; 26:1ff). In this suffering of Paul, which makes him, like every martyr, a sharer in the suffering of Jesus, the basic theme of the discourses, almost their very reason for being, is the resurrection. Finally, there is the journey to Rome. In the capital of the Empire, the decisive turning point comes. Paul henceforth addresses himself to the Gentiles without any longer taking account of the privilege of the Jews to be the first to receive the message (Acts 28:28).
- Acts 21:1 This is the third “we-section” (see note on Acts 16:9-15).
- Acts 21:1 Right from the beginning, the presence of the Spirit is apparent. It is he who urges Paul toward his destiny, and his presence is signified by the prophets who discuss the hour from which all want to save Paul. The assembly takes up the words of our Lord in the Garden of Olives: “The Lord’s will be done” (v. 14).
- Acts 21:8 Seven: see Acts 6:2-4.
- Acts 21:15 The elders extend a cordial but anxious welcome. Paul gives the community of Jerusalem an account of his mission, and the Church offers thanks. In this Jewish city, in a community presided over by James, a relative of Jesus deeply attached to Judaism, Paul accepts to live in the Jewish manner—in accord with his dictum: “I have become all things to all” (1 Cor 9:22). He must also give proof of his good faith: if he does not impose the practices of Judaism on Gentiles, he does not on the other hand wish to turn away those of Jewish origin from those practices.
In fact, Paul does not blame Jewish practices but those who insist on making them the condition of salvation. As a Jew himself, he loyally consents to perform a typically Jewish act of devotion: he joins a group of pilgrims who have taken a Nazirite vow (see Acts 18:18); at the appointed time he will come to be purified in the temple in accord with the prescriptions of the Law (Num 6:1-21) and will even pay the expenses. The Book of Acts does not say anything about Paul bringing the collection of the Churches to this mother community that has fallen in need. - Acts 21:27 Now the time for imprisonment and captivity has arrived, sparked by a misunderstanding. The Jews come to believe that Paul is bringing into the temple a non-Jew—someone who is forbidden under penalty of death from entering the inner courts. Hence, a cry of sacrilege rings out. In reality, hatred is about to explode. Judaism has felt the jolt of a nascent Christianity and has reacted defensively to it. This reflexive sentiment has already been at work against Stephen (see Acts 6:11-14), and the same accusations were formulated against Jesus (Mt 26:61; 27:40; Mk 14:58; 15:29).
The defensive reaction is a violent, irrational, and almost visceral one. It has to be such in order that the Christian originality may be manifest and that one may know what to hold on to. The commander of the cohort, who watches the temple from the fortress installed at the north-west corner, intervenes to prevent a riot. The soldiers believe they are arresting a nationalist extremist. Luke stresses once more that neither Paul nor Christians have ever been involved in a subversive plot against the Empire. - Acts 21:38 The Egyptian: in A.D. 54, an Egyptian agitator, Ben Stada, had stirred up the Jewish nationalists to whom reference is made here, as we know from the historian Flavius Josephus. The Roman authorities were forced to put down the riot, and thousands were killed. Assassins: literally, sicarii, violent nationalists who carried a short dagger, called sica in Latin, and did not hesitate to use it.
- Acts 21:40 Aramaic: the language spoken by Jews at this time; Hebrew was no longer spoken or understood by the people after the Babylonian exile (587 B.C.).
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
