使徒行傳 8
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
教會受迫害
8 當時，掃羅也贊成殺死司提凡。從那天起，耶路撒冷的教會開始遭到極大的迫害。除了使徒之外，門徒都分散到猶太和撒瑪利亞各地。 2 有些虔誠人將司提凡埋葬了，為他大聲痛哭。
3 掃羅卻在摧毀教會，他挨家挨戶搜尋，把男女信徒抓進監裡。
腓利傳揚福音
4 但那些逃往各地的信徒逃到哪裡，就將福音傳到哪裡。 5 腓利來到撒瑪利亞城宣講基督。 6 城裡的人耳聞目睹他所行的神蹟，都聚精會神地聽他講道。 7 當時有許多人被污鬼附身，那些污鬼大聲喊叫著被趕了出來。還有不少癱子和瘸子也被醫好了。 8 城裡洋溢著歡樂的氣氛。
術士歸主
9 有個名叫西門的術士，向來妄自尊大，曾用邪術使撒瑪利亞人驚奇不已。 10 無論貴賤，眾人都聽從他，稱他為「上帝的大能者」。 11 他們聽從他，因為他長期用邪術迷惑他們。 12 後來，他們相信了腓利所傳關於上帝的國度和耶穌基督的福音，男男女女都接受了洗禮。 13 西門本人也信了基督，接受了洗禮，並常常追隨腓利左右。腓利所行的神蹟奇事令他非常驚奇。
14 耶路撒冷的使徒聽說撒瑪利亞人接受了上帝的道，就派彼得和約翰去那裡。 15 二人到了，為那些信徒禱告，好讓他們領受聖靈， 16 因為他們只是奉耶穌的名受了洗，聖靈還沒有降在他們身上。 17 使徒把手按在他們身上，他們就領受了聖靈。
18 西門看見使徒把手一按在人身上，就有聖靈賜下來，便拿錢給使徒， 19 說：「請把這能力也給我吧，以便我把手按在誰身上，就使誰領受聖靈。」
20 彼得責備他說：「你和你的錢都一同毀滅吧！因為你以為可以用錢買上帝的恩賜！ 21 你在上帝面前心術不正，休想在我們的事工上有份。 22 你要悔改，離棄邪惡，向主禱告，或許主會赦免你心中的邪念。 23 我看得出你正因為嫉妒而心裡充滿了苦澀，被罪惡捆綁。」
24 西門說：「請為我求求主，免得我遭受你們所說的刑罰。」
25 彼得和約翰為主做見證，傳講主的道。之後，他們啟程回耶路撒冷，沿途又在撒瑪利亞各村莊傳揚福音。
太監歸主
26 有一天，主的天使對腓利說：「起來，向南走，往耶路撒冷通往迦薩的路去。」那條路很荒涼。 27 腓利立刻動身，結果在那條路上遇見一個衣索匹亞的太監。他是衣索匹亞女王甘大基手下的重臣，負責管理國庫。他剛從耶路撒冷參加敬拜回來， 28 正坐在車上誦讀以賽亞先知的書。 29 聖靈吩咐腓利：「趕上去，貼近那輛馬車！」
30 腓利跑上前，聽見太監在誦讀以賽亞先知的書，就問：「你明白所讀的經文嗎？」
31 他說：「沒有人為我解釋，我怎能明白呢？」他就請腓利上車和他一起坐。 32 他剛才念的那段經文是：
「祂默然不語，
像被人牽去宰殺的羔羊，
又如在剪毛人手下一聲不吭的綿羊。
33 祂忍受恥辱，
無人為祂主持公道，
誰能明白那個世代呢？
因為祂的生命竟然被奪去。」
34 太監問腓利：「請問先知是在說誰？在說他自己還是在說別人？」 35 腓利就從這段經文入手向他傳耶穌的福音。 36 他們往前走的時候，經過一處有水的地方，太監說：「你看，這裡有水，我可以在這裡接受洗禮嗎？」 37 腓利說：「只要你全心相信，當然可以。」太監說：「我相信耶穌基督是上帝的兒子！」
38 於是，太監吩咐停車，二人一同下到水裡，腓利為他施洗。 39 他們從水裡上來時，主的靈把腓利帶走了。太監看不見腓利了，就繼續前行，滿心歡喜。 40 後來，腓利出現在亞鎖都。他走遍那裡，在各城各鄉傳揚福音，直到凱撒利亞。
Acts 8
International Children’s Bible
8 Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing.
Trouble for the Believers
2-3 Some religious men buried Stephen. They cried very loudly for him. On that day people began trying to hurt the church in Jerusalem and make it suffer. Saul was also trying to destroy the church. He went from house to house. He dragged out men and women and put them in jail. All the believers, except the apostles, went to different places in Judea and Samaria. 4 And everywhere the believers were scattered, they told people the Good News.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
5 Philip[a] went to the city[b] of Samaria and preached about the Christ. 6 The people there heard Philip and saw the miracles he was doing. They all listened carefully to the things he said. 7 Many of these people had evil spirits in them. But Philip made the evil spirits leave them. The spirits made a loud noise when they came out. There were also many weak and crippled people there. Philip healed them, too. 8 So the people in that city were very happy.
9 But there was a man named Simon in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had practiced magic. He amazed all the people of Samaria with his magic. He bragged and called himself a great man. 10 All the people—the least important and the most important—paid attention to what Simon said. They said, “This man has the power of God, called ‘the Great Power’!” 11 Simon had amazed them with his magic tricks so long that the people became his followers. 12 But Philip told them the Good News about the kingdom of God and the power of Jesus Christ. Men and women believed Philip and were baptized. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. He stayed very close to Philip. When he saw the miracles and the very powerful things that Philip did, Simon was amazed.
14 The apostles were still in Jerusalem. They heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God. So they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When Peter and John arrived, they prayed that the Samaritan believers might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. But the Holy Spirit had not yet entered any of them. 17 Then, when the two apostles began laying their hands on[c] the people, they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money. 19 He said, “Give me also this power so that when I lay my hands on a person, he will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter said to him, “You and your money should both be destroyed! You thought you could buy God’s gift with money. 21 You cannot share with us in this work. Your heart is not right before God. 22 Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing you have done. Pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you for thinking this. 23 I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and ruled by sin.”
24 Simon answered, “Both of you pray for me to the Lord. Pray that the things you have said will not happen to me!”
25 Then the two apostles told the people the things they had seen Jesus do. And after the apostles had given the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and preached the Good News to the people.
Philip Teaches an Ethiopian
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip.[d] The angel said, “Get ready and go south. Go to the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem—the desert road.” 27 So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He was responsible for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and 28 now he was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah, the prophet. 29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 So Philip ran toward the chariot. He heard the man reading from Isaiah, the prophet. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 He answered, “How can I understand? I need someone to explain it to me!” Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him. 32 The verse of Scripture that he was reading was this:
“He was like a sheep being led to be killed.
He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut.
He said nothing.
33 He was shamed and was treated unfairly.
He died without children to continue his family.
His life on earth has ended.” Isaiah 53:7-8
34 The officer said to Philip, “Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or about someone else?” 35 Philip began to speak. He started with this same Scripture and told the man the Good News about Jesus.
36 While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The officer said, “Look! Here is water! What is stopping me from being baptized?” 37 [Philip answered, “If you believe with all your heart, you can.” The officer said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”][e] 38 Then the officer commanded the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the officer never saw him again. The officer continued on his way home, full of joy. 40 But Philip appeared in a city called Azotus and preached the Good News in all the towns on the way from Azotus to Caesarea.
Footnotes
- 8:5 Philip Not the apostle named Philip.
- 8:5 the city Some Greek copies read “a city.”
- 8:17 laying their hands on Here, doing this showed that these men were given a special work of God.
- 8:26 Philip Not the apostle named Philip.
- 8:37 Philip . . . God. Some Greek copies do not contain the bracketed text.
Acts 8
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
8 1 And Saul was giving-approval to his killing.
The Church Is Persecuted And Driven Out of Jerusalem
And a great persecution came about on that day against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed[a] throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And reverent men carried-in Stephen [for burial], and made a loud lamentation over him. 3 And Saul was destroying[b] the church. Entering from house to house, dragging-away both men and women, he was handing them over to prison. 4 So indeed, the ones having been dispersed went about announcing the word as good news.
Philip Proclaims Christ And Does Miracles In Samaria. Many Are Baptized, Including Simon
5 Now Philip, having gone down to the city[c] of Samaria, was proclaiming the Christ to them. 6 And the crowds were with-one-accord paying-attention-to[d] the things being said by Philip, during their hearing and seeing the signs which he was doing. 7 For many of the ones having unclean spirits— they were coming out while shouting with a loud voice. And many paralyzed ones and lame ones were cured. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 9 Now a certain man, Simon by name, was-previously in the city practicing-magic and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all, from the small up to the great, were paying attention, saying, “This one is the Power[e] of God being called ‘Great’”. 11 And they were paying attention to him because he had astonished them for a considerable time with the magic-arts. 12 And when they believed Philip announcing-the-good-news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized— both men and women. 13 Now Simon himself also believed. And having been baptized, he was attaching-himself to Philip. He was astonished, seeing both signs and great miracles taking place.
Peter and John Come So The Samaritans Might Receive The Holy Spirit
14 And the apostles in Jerusalem, having heard that “Samaria has accepted the word of God”, sent-forth Peter and John to them— 15 who, having come down, prayed for them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they were laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now Simon, having seen that the Spirit was given through the laying-on of the hands of the apostles, offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me also, so-that on whomever I lay on my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit”. 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver be with you for destruction, because you thought to acquire the gift of God with money. 21 There is no part nor share for you in this matter. For your heart is not straight before God. 22 Therefore repent from this evilness of yours, and pray to the Lord, if perhaps[f] the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. 23 For I see you being in the gall[g] of [h] bitterness and the bond[i] of [j] unrighteousness”. 24 And having responded, Simon said, “You[k] two pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing of the things which you have spoken may come upon me”. 25 So indeed the ones— having solemnly-testified, and having spoken the word of the Lord— were returning to Jerusalem and announcing-the-good-news-to many villages of the Samaritans.
An Angel Sends Philip Down The Road To an Ethiopian Eunuch Reading Isaiah
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go toward the south[l] on the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza”. This[m] is a wilderness [road]. 27 And having arisen, he proceeded. And behold— there was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch[n], a court-official of Candace[o] (queen of the Ethiopians), who was over all her treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and was returning, and sitting on his chariot[p]. And he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Approach and join this chariot”. 30 And having run up, Philip heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you indeed understand the things which you are reading?” 31 And the one said, “How indeed might I be able, unless someone will guide me?” And he invited Philip to sit with him, having come up.
Philip Explains That Isaiah 53 Refers To Jesus
32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter. And as a lamb before the one having sheared it is silent, so He does not open His mouth. 33 In His humiliation, His justice[q] was taken-away. Who will describe[r] His generation[s]? Because His life is taken-away from the earth” [Isa 53:7-8]. 34 And having responded, the eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom is the prophet saying this— about himself or about some other?” 35 And Philip— having opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture— announced Jesus as good news to him.
The Man Believes And Is Baptized, And Continues Home Rejoicing
36 And as they were proceeding along the road, they came upon some water. And the eunuch says, “Behold— water. What is preventing me from being baptized?” 37 [t] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop. And they both went down into[u] the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out-of [v] the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. And the eunuch did not see him any longer, for he was going his way rejoicing.
Philip Continues Announcing The Good News In Other Cities
40 And Philip was found at Azotus. And while going through, he was announcing-the-good-news-to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:1 Or, scattered.
- Acts 8:3 Or, inflicting outrages upon, inflicting personal injuries upon.
- Acts 8:5 That is, the main city (Sebaste, known as Samaria in the OT, and called such here to link this to 1:8); or, the main religious city (Neapolis, known as Shechem in the OT).
- Acts 8:6 Or, giving-heed-to.
- Acts 8:10 That is, the supernatural spirit-being from God.
- Acts 8:22 That is, in the hope that. Peter expresses some uncertainty about whether this will happen, for which he gives his reason in v 23, on which compare Deut 29:18-19.
- Acts 8:23 Or, poison, venom.
- Acts 8:23 That is, characterized by; a bitter gall, a bitter poison.
- Acts 8:23 That is, binding, fetter, chain.
- Acts 8:23 That is, proceeding from or belonging to.
- Acts 8:24 This word is plural, referring to Peter and John.
- Acts 8:26 toward the south. Or, at mid-day.
- Acts 8:26 Or, this explanation may continue as part of the angel’s words.
- Acts 8:27 That is, a castrated male.
- Acts 8:27 This is a title, like Pharaoh, not a name.
- Acts 8:28 That is, traveling chariot or carriage. Not a war or racing chariot.
- Acts 8:33 Or, judgment. That is, the justice due Him.
- Acts 8:33 Or, tell-of-in-detail.
- Acts 8:33 That is, His contemporaries who did this. Or, descendants; His posterity. Or, family; His origin.
- Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts add here, And Philip said to him, ‘If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted’. And having responded, he said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’.
- Acts 8:38 Or, to.
- Acts 8:39 Or, from.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
