使徒行傳 1
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
應許聖靈降臨
1 提阿非羅啊，在前一封信中，我從耶穌的生平和教導開始， 2 一直談到祂藉著聖靈吩咐了自己選立的使徒，然後被接回天上。 3 祂受難後用許多確鑿的證據證實自己活著，在四十天之內屢次向使徒顯現，與他們談論上帝的國。 4 有一次，耶穌和他們在一起吃飯的時候，叮囑他們：「你們不要離開耶路撒冷，要在那裡等候我對你們說過的天父的應許。 5 因為從前約翰用水給你們施洗，但再過幾天，你們要受聖靈的洗。」
6 他們跟耶穌在一起的時候問祂：「主啊，你要在這時候復興以色列國嗎？」 7 耶穌回答說：「天父照祂的權柄定下的時間、日期不是你們可以知道的。 8 但聖靈降臨在你們身上後，你們必得到能力，在耶路撒冷、猶太全境和撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證人。」
9 耶穌說完這番話，就在他們眼前被提升天，被一朵雲彩接去，離開了他們的視線。 10 祂上升時，他們都定睛望著天空，忽然有兩個身穿白衣的人站在他們身旁， 11 說：「加利利人啊！你們為什麼站在這裡望著天空呢？這位離開你們被接到天上的耶穌，你們看見祂怎樣升天，將來祂還要怎樣回來。」
選立新使徒
12 於是，他們從橄欖山回到耶路撒冷。橄欖山距離耶路撒冷不遠，約是安息日允許走的路程[a]。 13 他們進城後，來到樓上自己住的房間。當時有彼得、約翰、雅各、安得烈、腓力、多馬、巴多羅買、馬太、亞勒腓的兒子雅各、激進黨人西門、雅各的兒子猶大。 14 他們和耶穌的母親瑪麗亞、耶穌的弟弟們及幾個婦女在一起同心合意地恆切禱告。
15 那時，約有一百二十人在聚會，彼得站起來說： 16 「弟兄們，關於帶人抓耶穌的猶大，聖靈藉著大衛的口早已預言，這經文必須要應驗。 17 這人原本是我們中間的一員，與我們同擔使徒的職分。」
18 猶大用作惡得來的錢買了一塊田，他頭朝下栽倒在那裡，肚破腸流。 19 這消息很快傳遍了耶路撒冷，當地人稱那塊田為「亞革大馬」，就是「血田」的意思。
20 彼得繼續說：「詩篇上寫道，『願他的家園一片荒涼，無人居住』，又說，『願別人取代他的職位。』 21-22 所以，我們必須另選一個人代替猶大，與我們一同為主耶穌的復活做見證。他必須是從主耶穌接受約翰的洗禮起一直到主升天，始終與我們在一起的人。」
23 被提名的有別號巴撒巴又叫猶士都的約瑟和馬提亞兩個人。 24-25 大家便禱告說：「主啊！你洞悉人的內心，求你指明這兩個人中你要揀選哪一個來擔負使徒的職分。猶大丟棄了這職分，去了他該去的地方。」 26 然後，他們抽籤，抽中了馬提亞，就把他列入十一使徒中。
Footnotes
- 1·12 按猶太人的傳統，在安息日只能走約一公里遠。
Acts 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. The Preparation for the Christian Mission
Chapter 1[a]
The Promise of the Spirit. 1 In the first book,(A) Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught 2 until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.(B) 3 He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days[b] and speaking about the kingdom of God.(C) 4 While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father[c] about which you have heard me speak;(D) 5 for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”(E)
The Ascension of Jesus. 6 When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going[d] to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 [e]He answered them,(F) “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. 8 [f]But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you,(G) and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.(H) 10 While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.(I) 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”(J) 12 (K)Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.
The First Community in Jerusalem. 13 When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.(L)
The Choice of Judas’s Successor. 15 During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said, 16 “My brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.(M) 17 He was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry. 18 (N)He bought a parcel of land with the wages of his iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out.[g] 19 This became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem, so that the parcel of land was called in their language ‘Akeldama,’ that is, Field of Blood. 20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
‘Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.’
And:
‘May another take his office.’(O)
21 Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.”(P) 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” 26 [h](Q)Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.
Footnotes
- 1:1–26 This introductory material (Acts 1:1–2) connects Acts with the Gospel of Luke, shows that the apostles were instructed by the risen Jesus (Acts 1:3–5), points out that the parousia or second coming in glory of Jesus will occur as certainly as his ascension occurred (Acts 1:6–11), and lists the members of the Twelve, stressing their role as a body of divinely mandated witnesses to his life, teaching, and resurrection (Acts 1:12–26).
- 1:3 Appearing to them during forty days: Luke considered especially sacred the interval in which the appearances and instructions of the risen Jesus occurred and expressed it therefore in terms of the sacred number forty (cf. Dt 8:2). In his gospel, however, Luke connects the ascension of Jesus with the resurrection by describing the ascension on Easter Sunday evening (Lk 24:50–53). What should probably be understood as one event (resurrection, glorification, ascension, sending of the Spirit—the paschal mystery) has been historicized by Luke when he writes of a visible ascension of Jesus after forty days and the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost. For Luke, the ascension marks the end of the appearances of Jesus except for the extraordinary appearance to Paul. With regard to Luke’s understanding of salvation history, the ascension also marks the end of the time of Jesus (Lk 24:50–53) and signals the beginning of the time of the church.
- 1:4 The promise of the Father: the holy Spirit, as is clear from the next verse. This gift of the Spirit was first promised in Jesus’ final instructions to his chosen witnesses in Luke’s gospel (Lk 24:49) and formed part of the continuing instructions of the risen Jesus on the kingdom of God, of which Luke speaks in Acts 1:3.
- 1:6 The question of the disciples implies that in believing Jesus to be the Christ (see note on Lk 2:11) they had expected him to be a political leader who would restore self-rule to Israel during his historical ministry. When this had not taken place, they ask if it is to take place at this time, the period of the church.
- 1:7 This verse echoes the tradition that the precise time of the parousia is not revealed to human beings; cf. Mk 13:32; 1 Thes 5:1–3.
- 1:8 Just as Jerusalem was the city of destiny in the Gospel of Luke (the place where salvation was accomplished), so here at the beginning of Acts, Jerusalem occupies a central position. It is the starting point for the mission of the Christian disciples to “the ends of the earth,” the place where the apostles were situated and the doctrinal focal point in the early days of the community (Acts 15:2, 6). The ends of the earth: for Luke, this means Rome.
- 1:18 Luke records a popular tradition about the death of Judas that differs from the one in Mt 27:5, according to which Judas hanged himself. Here, although the text is not certain, Judas is depicted as purchasing a piece of property with the betrayal money and being killed on it in a fall.
- 1:26 The need to replace Judas was probably dictated by the symbolism of the number twelve, recalling the twelve tribes of Israel. This symbolism also indicates that for Luke (see Lk 22:30) the Christian church is a reconstituted Israel.
Acts 1
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
1 I made the first account about everything, O Theophilus, which Jesus began both to do and teach 2 until which day He was taken-up [after] having given-commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He chose— 3 to whom He indeed presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing-proofs, appearing[a] to them during forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Jesus Ascends After Directing His Apostles To Be His Witnesses By The Spirit’s Power
4 And being assembled-with[b] them, He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait-for the promise of the Father “which you heard from Me. 5 Because John baptized with[c] water, but you will be baptized with[d] the Holy Spirit after these not many days!” 6 So indeed the ones having come together were asking Him, saying “Lord, are You restoring[e] the kingdom to Israel at this time?”. 7 And He said to them, “It is not yours to know the times or seasons which the Father appointed[f] by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you. And you will be My witnesses— both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and as far as the last place of the earth”. 9 And having said these things, while they were looking He was lifted-up. And a cloud received[g] Him from their eyes. 10 And as they were looking-intently into heaven, while He was going— and behold, two men in white clothing were standing near them, 11 who also said, “Galilean men, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus having been taken-up from you into heaven will come in this manner— the way you saw Him going into heaven”.
The Apostles Return to Jerusalem And Await The Holy Spirit In Prayer
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain being called ‘of Olives’, which is near Jerusalem (having a Sabbath’s day journey[h]). 13 And when they went in the city, they went up to the upper-room where they were staying— both Peter and John, and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all were devoting-themselves with-one-accord to prayer, along with women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.
Peter Suggests That According To Scripture, Judas Should Be Replaced
15 And during these days, Peter, having stood up in the midst of the brothers (and the crowd of names at the same place was about one-hundred twenty), said, 16 “Men, brothers, the Scripture had-to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke-beforehand through the mouth of David concerning Judas, the one having become a guide for the ones having arrested Jesus, 17 because[i] he was numbered among us, and received his share of this ministry”. (18 Now indeed this one acquired a field with the wages of unrighteousness[j]. And having become prostrate[k], he burst-open in the middle and all his inward-parts spilled-out. 19 And it became known to all the ones dwelling-in Jerusalem, so that that field was called ‘Hakeldama’ in their own language, that is, ‘Field of Blood’). 20 “For it has been written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his residence become desolate[l], and let there not be the one dwelling in it’ [Ps 69:25], and ‘let another take his office’ [Ps 109:8]. 21 Therefore, from the men having accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day that He was taken-up from us— one of these must become a witness of His resurrection with us”.
Matthias Is Chosen
23 And they put-forward two: Joseph (the one being called Barsabbas, who was called Justus), and Matthias. 24 And having prayed, they said, “You, Lord, heart-knower of all— appoint[m] the one whom You chose from these two 25 to take the place of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned-aside to go to his own place”. 26 And they gave lots for them. And the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was added with the eleven apostles.
Footnotes
- Acts 1:3 Or, being-seen by.
- Acts 1:4 Or, And coming-together; or, And while eating-with them; or, And while staying-with them.
- Acts 1:5 Or, in.
- Acts 1:5 Or, in.
- Acts 1:6 Compare Mt 21:43.
- Acts 1:7 Or, fixed, set.
- Acts 1:9 Or, took Him up.
- Acts 1:12 The Rabbi’s taught that 2000 cubits or 5 stades (about 1000 yards or 914 meters) was the maximum journey permitted on a Sabbath.
- Acts 1:17 Judas was counted as one of the twelve because the prophecies concerning him (v 20) had to be fulfilled.
- Acts 1:18 That is, unrighteous wages; or, wages received for his unrighteousness.
- Acts 1:18 Or, prone. That is, flat on his face.
- Acts 1:20 Or, deserted.
- Acts 1:24 Or, show-forth, reveal.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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
