使徒行傳 13
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
巴拿巴和掃羅接受差遣
13 安提阿教會中有幾位先知和教師，就是巴拿巴、綽號「黑人」的希緬、古利奈人路求、與分封王希律一同長大的馬念以及掃羅。 2 一天，他們正在敬拜主、禁食的時候，聖靈對他們說：「要為我把巴拿巴和掃羅分別出來，好讓他們做我呼召他們去做的事。」 3 於是，他們禁食禱告並把手按在巴拿巴和掃羅身上，然後差遣他們出去。
4 二人受聖靈差遣，下到西流基，從那裡乘船去塞浦路斯。 5 他們到了撒拉米，就在當地的猶太會堂傳講上帝的道。約翰·馬可作他們的助手。
6 他們走遍全島，遠至帕弗，在那裡遇見一個冒充先知的猶太術士巴·耶穌。 7 這人和當地的士求·保羅總督常有來往。士求·保羅是個聰明人，他邀請了巴拿巴和掃羅來，要聽上帝的道。 8 但希臘名字叫以呂馬的那個術士反對使徒，試圖攔阻總督信主。 9 又名保羅的掃羅被聖靈充滿，盯著他說： 10 「你這魔鬼的兒子，充滿了詭詐和邪惡，是一切正義之敵，到現在還想歪曲主的正道嗎？ 11 現在主要親手懲罰你，使你瞎眼，暫時不見天日！」
他頓覺眼前一片漆黑，只好四處摸索，求人領他走路。 12 總督看見所發生的事，對主的道感到驚奇，就信了。
保羅傳揚基督
13 保羅和同伴從帕弗乘船到旁非利亞的別加。約翰·馬可在那裡離開他們回耶路撒冷去了。 14 他們由別加繼續前行，來到彼西底區的安提阿。在安息日那天，他們進了會堂坐下來。 15 讀完律法書和先知書後，會堂主管派人告訴他們：「弟兄們，如果你們有什麼勸勉眾人的話，請講。」
16 保羅站起來向大家揮手示意，說：「各位以色列同胞和各位敬畏上帝的外族朋友們，請聽我說。 17 以色列的上帝揀選了我們的祖先，讓他們在埃及寄居期間人丁興旺成為大族，後來祂伸出臂膀帶領他們離開埃及。 18 他們在曠野漂泊的那四十年間，上帝一直照顧、容忍他們。 19 後來上帝又滅了迦南境內的七族，把土地分給他們作產業。 20 前後歷時約四百五十年。之後，上帝又為他們設立士師，直到撒母耳先知的時代。
21 「後來，他們求上帝為他們立一位王，上帝就選立便雅憫支派中基士的兒子掃羅為王，執政四十年。 22 之後，上帝廢掉掃羅，選立大衛作王，並為他作證說，『我找到了耶西的兒子大衛，他是合我心意的人，他必遵行我一切的旨意。』 23 上帝照自己的應許，從大衛的後裔中為以色列人立了一位救主，就是耶穌。 24 在耶穌還未公開露面以前，約翰已經勸告以色列人要悔改，接受洗禮。 25 約翰在工作快要完成的時候說，『你們以為我是誰？我不是基督。在我之後來的那位，我連給祂解鞋帶也不配。』
26 「弟兄們，各位亞伯拉罕的子孫和敬畏上帝的外族人啊，這救恩之道原是傳給我們的。 27 可是耶路撒冷的人和他們的官長不知道耶穌是基督，雖然每個安息日都誦讀先知的信息，卻把基督判死罪。這正應驗了先知們的話。 28 他們雖然找不到判祂死罪的理由，卻強求彼拉多將祂處死。 29 祂受死的記載全部應驗之後，有人把祂從十字架上取下來，安放在石墓裡。 30 但上帝卻使祂從死裡復活。 31 之後有許多天，那些從加利利跟隨祂上耶路撒冷的人都看見過祂，他們如今在百姓中都是祂的見證人。 32 我們要報給你們一個好消息，上帝給我們祖先的應許， 33 祂藉著使耶穌復活已為我們做子孫的成就了。正如詩篇第二篇所說，
『你是我的兒子，
我今日成為你父親。』
34 聖經曾這樣記載上帝使祂從死裡復活、永不朽壞的事，
『我必將應許大衛的聖潔、
可靠的恩福賜給你們。』
35 又在詩篇上說，
『你必不讓你的聖者身體朽壞。』
36 「大衛在世時遵行上帝的旨意，最後死了，葬在他祖先那裡，肉身也朽壞了。 37 然而，上帝使之復活的那位卻沒有朽壞。 38 所以，弟兄們，你們應該知道，赦罪的信息是藉著耶穌傳給你們的。 39 你們靠遵行摩西律法不能被稱為義人，只有信靠耶穌才能被稱為義人。 40 你們要當心，免得先知說的話應驗在你們身上，
41 『藐視真理的人啊，看吧！
你們要在驚懼中滅亡，
因為我要在你們的時代行一件事，
即使有人告訴你們，
你們也不會信。』」
42 保羅和巴拿巴離開會堂時，會堂裡的人請求他們下一個安息日再來講道。 43 許多猶太人和誠心改信猶太教的外族人都跟隨保羅和巴拿巴，二人就與他們談論，勸勉他們要堅定不移地信靠上帝的恩典。
44 到了下一個安息日，幾乎全城的人都聚集起來，要聽上帝的道。 45 猶太人看見那麼多人聚集，充滿嫉妒，便反駁保羅所講的，誹謗他。 46 保羅和巴拿巴毫不畏懼地說：「上帝的道本該先傳給你們，你們既然拒絕接受，認為自己不配得永生，我們現在就把這道傳給外族人。 47 因為主這樣吩咐我們，
『我已使你成為外族人的光，
好把救恩帶到地極。』」
48 外族人聽後，非常歡喜，頌讚主的道。凡被選定得永生的人都信了主。 49 主的道傳遍了那個地方。
50 但猶太人煽動虔誠的貴婦和城中顯要迫害保羅和巴拿巴，將二人趕出城去。 51 保羅和巴拿巴便當眾跺掉腳上的塵土[a]，去了以哥念。 52 門徒滿心喜樂，被聖靈充滿。
Acts 13
Living Bible
13 Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch were Barnabas and Symeon (also called “The Black Man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the foster-brother of King Herod), and Paul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping and fasting the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Paul for a special job I have for them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them—and sent them on their way.
4 Directed by the Holy Spirit they went to Seleucia and then sailed for Cyprus. 5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogue and preached. (John Mark went with them as their assistant.)
6-7 Afterwards they preached from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a fake prophet named Bar-Jesus. He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, a man of considerable insight and understanding. The governor invited Barnabas and Paul to visit him, for he wanted to hear their message from God. 8 But the sorcerer, Elymas (his name in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Paul and Barnabas said, trying to keep him from trusting the Lord.
9 Then Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, glared angrily at the sorcerer and said, 10 “You son of the devil, full of every sort of trickery and villainy, enemy of all that is good, will you never end your opposition to the Lord? 11 And now God has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be stricken awhile with blindness.”
Instantly mist and darkness fell upon him, and he began wandering around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. 12 When the governor saw what happened, he believed and was astonished at the power of God’s message.
13 Now Paul and those with him left Paphos by ship for Turkey,[a] landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark deserted them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 But Barnabas and Paul went on to Antioch, a city in the province of Pisidia.
On the Sabbath they went into the synagogue for the services. 15 After the usual readings from the Books of Moses and from the Prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: “Brothers, if you have any word of instruction for us come and give it!”
16 So Paul stood, waved a greeting to them[b] and began. “Men of Israel,” he said, “and all others here who reverence God, let me begin my remarks with a bit of history.
17 “The God of this nation Israel chose our ancestors and honored them in Egypt by gloriously leading them out of their slavery. 18 And he nursed them through forty years of wandering around in the wilderness. 19-20 Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave Israel their land as an inheritance. Judges ruled for about four hundred and fifty years and were followed by Samuel the prophet.
21 “Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul (son of Kish), a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. 22 But God removed him and replaced him with David as king, a man about whom God said, ‘David (son of Jesse) is a man after my own heart, for he will obey me.’ 23 And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel!
24 “But before he came, John the Baptist preached the need for everyone in Israel to turn from sin to God. 25 As John was finishing his work he asked, ‘Do you think I am the Messiah? No! But he is coming soon—and in comparison with him, I am utterly worthless.’
26 “Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also all of you Gentiles here who reverence God—this salvation is for all of us! 27 The Jews in Jerusalem and their leaders fulfilled prophecy by killing Jesus; for they didn’t recognize him or realize that he is the one the prophets had written about, though they heard the prophets’ words read every Sabbath. 28 They found no just cause to execute him, but asked Pilate to have him killed anyway. 29 When they had fulfilled all the prophecies concerning his death, he was taken from the cross and placed in a tomb.
30 “But God brought him back to life again! 31 And he was seen many times during the next few days by the men who had accompanied him to Jerusalem from Galilee—these men have constantly testified to this in public witness.
32-33 “And now Barnabas and I are here to bring you this Good News—that God’s promise to our ancestors has come true in our own time, in that God brought Jesus back to life again. This is what the second Psalm is talking about when it says concerning Jesus, ‘Today I have honored you as my Son.’[c]
34 “For God had promised to bring him back to life again, no more to die. This is stated in the Scripture that says, ‘I will do for you the wonderful thing I promised David.’ 35 In another Psalm he explained more fully, saying, ‘God will not let his Holy One decay.’ 36 This was not a reference to David, for after David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died and was buried, and his body decayed. 37 No, it was a reference to another[d]—someone God brought back to life, whose body was not touched at all by the ravages of death.
38 “Brothers! Listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins! 39 Everyone who trusts in him is freed from all guilt and declared righteous—something the Jewish law could never do. 40 Oh, be careful! Don’t let the prophets’ words apply to you. For they said, 41 ‘Look and perish, you despisers of the truth,[e] for I am doing something in your day—something that you won’t believe when you hear it announced.’”
42 As the people left the synagogue that day, they asked Paul to return and speak to them again the next week. 43 And many Jews and godly Gentiles who worshiped at the synagogue followed Paul and Barnabas down the street as the two men urged them to accept the mercies God was offering. 44 The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the Word of God.
45 But when the Jewish leaders[f] saw the crowds, they were jealous, and cursed and argued against whatever Paul said.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that this Good News from God should be given first to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and shown yourselves unworthy of eternal life—well, we will offer it to Gentiles. 47 For this is as the Lord commanded when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to lead them from the farthest corners of the earth to my salvation.’”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and rejoiced in Paul’s message; and as many as wanted[g] eternal life, believed. 49 So God’s message spread all through that region.
50 Then the Jewish leaders stirred up both the godly women and the civic leaders of the city and incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas, and ran them out of town. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against the town and went on to the city of Iconium. 52 And their converts[h] were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes
- Acts 13:13 Turkey, literally, “Pamphylia.” deserted them, literally, “departed from them”; see 15:38.
- Acts 13:16 waved a greeting to them, literally, “beckoned with the hand.” let me begin my remarks with a bit of history, implied.
- Acts 13:32 Today I have honored you as my Son, literally, “This day have I begotten you.”
- Acts 13:37 No, it was a reference to another, implied. was not touched at all by the ravages of death, literally, “saw no corruption.”
- Acts 13:41 of the truth, implied.
- Acts 13:45 the Jewish leaders, literally, “the Jews.” cursed, or “blasphemed.”
- Acts 13:48 wanted, or “were disposed to,” or “were ordained to.”
- Acts 13:52 their converts, literally, “the disciples.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.