Five Verses That Sum It All Up

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 3:1-8.  Let’s go!

Titus 3:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 
2  to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

On verses 1-2:  One of the big themes of the book of Titus is that Christians are to lead by example as much as by their words.  In verses 1 and 2 Paul identifies several characteristics by which Christians can lead by example.   How well do you demonstrate these characteristics?  For example, are you law-abiding (v1)?  Are you quick and ready to do what is good (v1)?  Do you slander (speak maliciously about) no one (v2)?  Do you get along with others (“peaceable” – v2)?  Are you thoughtful and considerate in the way you treat others (v2)?   Do you show true humility to everyone you meet (v2)?  Which of these characteristics do you especially need to work on? 

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耶罗波安二世

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〈列王纪〉下 14:27 耶和华并没有说要将以色列的名从天下涂抹，乃藉约阿施的儿子耶罗波安拯救他们。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  14:23-29

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户→约哈斯→约阿施→耶罗波安(二世) →撒迦利雅

在谈到耶罗波安二世时，不能不提到当时的背景，以及先知约拿。耶罗波安二世做王的时期约在主前793-753年，而亚述之前虽然有时强大有时衰落，在主前约900年时，变得空前强大。那西尔帕二世（主前883－859年）和沙尔马纳塞三世（主前839－824年）相继征服了北部和南部的亚兰（叙利亚）。在约哈斯做王时（主前814-798），因为他带领百姓继续拜金牛犊，因此神屡次把以色列人交在亚兰王哈薛和他儿子便哈达的手里。后来约哈斯恳求耶和华，耶和华就给以色列人一位拯救者，使他们脱离亚兰人的手，让以色列人仍旧安居在家里。这位拯救者是谁？就是亚述王亚大得尼拉力三世。

有块亚述石碑在米索不达米亚北部的 Tell Rimah 出土，记载亚述王亚大得尼拉力三世在（主前805-802）曾有对抗叙利亚之役，他攻击亚兰，使他们一蹶不振，无力再与以色列作对。在这块石碑中记载了当时向他进贡的统治者中，包括“撒玛利亚约阿施”。

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亚玛谢和约阿施

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〈列王纪〉下14:7 亚玛谢在盐谷杀了以东人一万，又攻取了西拉，改名叫约帖，直到今日。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  14:1-22

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户→约哈斯→约阿施→耶罗波安(二世) →撒迦利雅

犹大王约阿施不顾耶和耶大救他和抚育他长大成人的情份，叫人用石头打死了耶和耶大的儿子祭司撒迦利亚，当他患重病在床时，他的臣仆背叛他，为撒迦利亚报仇，把他杀死在床上。约阿施死后，他的儿子亚玛谢登基，一坚定，就把杀他父王的臣仆杀了。这事假如发生在北国以色列，王位早就被篡，但是在犹大南国里，不管发生何事，王位还是回到大卫的后裔身上。可见神是一个何等信实的神，祂持守与大卫所立的约直到永远。所以一个人的敬虔深深地影响到他的后代，一个人的悖逆也会使后裔遭到咒诅。信仰，从来不是你一个人的事。

在〈历代志〉下廿五章把亚玛谢去攻打以东的事记载得详尽一些：亚玛谢招聚犹大人，按著犹大和便雅悯的宗族设立千夫长、百夫长，又数点人数，从二十岁以外，能拿枪拿盾牌出去打仗的精兵共有三十万。又用银子一百他连得，从以色列招募了十万大能的勇士。有一个神人来见亚玛谢，对他说：「王啊，不要使以色列的军兵与你同去，因为耶和华不与以色列人以法莲的后裔同在。 你若一定要去，就奋勇争战吧，但神必使你败在敌人面前，因为神能助人得胜，也能使人倾败。」亚玛谢问神人说：「我给了以色列军的那一百他连得银子怎么样呢？」神人回答说：「耶和华能把更多的赐给你。」于是亚玛谢将那从以色列召来的军兵分别出来，叫他们回家去。故此，他们甚恼怒犹大人，气愤愤地回家去了，在回去的路上到处抢劫杀人。

有了神人的应许，亚玛谢壮起胆来，率领他的民到盐谷，杀了西珥人一万；又生擒了一万，带到山崖上，从那里把他们扔下去，以致他们都摔碎了。奇怪的是，亚玛谢打了胜仗之后，却把西珥（以东）的神像带回去叩拜。假如以东打胜，拜他们的神还有一点道理，因为以东得胜；但是以东人都打败了，怎么还把一个打输的神像带回来呢？反而离弃那个使他得胜的耶和华神？他的心何等地愚蠢，且缺乏智慧！神差先知去见王，王反而骂他。

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Jesus Is All You Need + Making Your Faith in Christ Attractive

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 2:9-15.  Let’s go!

Titus 2:9-10 (NIV) 
9  Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 
10  and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. 

On verses 9-10:  When Paul tells slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, is Paul condoning slavery?  Nowadays whenever we think of slaves, we might think of the barbaric practices of more recent Western slave trading, where people are kidnapped, treated inhumanely and forced to work as slaves against their will for little or no compensation. We might also think about the cruel enslavement of the Israelites by the Egyptians in Exodus. Keep in mind that slavery during Paul’s time probably looked quite different.  During Paul’s time, a person would voluntarily enter into a formal contract with his or her boss to work for them as a slave for a period of time, in exchange for compensation, food and lodging.  Back then to work as a slave in the Roman empire was a form of employment.   For this reason, when Paul addresses slaves in verses 9-10, there are certain principles we can apply from his teaching to employer-employee relationships today.

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Protect the Truth

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 1:10-16.  Let’s go

Titus 1:10-11 (NIV) 
10  For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. 
11  They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

On verses 10-11: Paul warns Titus to guard against those who try to deceive the church in Crete with false doctrine.  In particular, Paul warns Titus about the “circumcision group” (also known as the Judaizers) who taught that in order to be saved it was not enough to believe in Jesus but that you must also be circumcised and follow the ceremonial and food regulations of the Jewish law.   Paul warns Titus sternly about them.  He tells Titus to speak for the truth and silence those false teachers.  It’s no wonder that when picking leaders, Paul especially emphasized that a leader must “hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refuse those who oppose it” (v9).

What can we learn from this?  If you are a parent in your home, a leader in your small group, a teacher in your classroom, or in some other leadership position where people look to you for leadership, you must remember that part of your role is that of a protector.  You are to protect those in your care from believing in lies and false doctrine.  Don’t remain silent but be sure to speak up on issues of truth so that those in your care can know right from wrong.

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耶和华的得胜箭

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〈列王纪〉下13:19 神人向他发怒，说：「应当击打五六次，就能攻打亚兰人直到灭尽。现在只能打败亚兰人三次。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  13:1-25

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户→约哈斯→约阿施→耶罗波安(二世)

自耶户在以色列灭了亚哈全家和巴力之后，神应允让耶户的后裔做王直到四代（王下10:30），这里谈到的就是耶户的后代：约哈斯、约阿施和耶罗波安二世。耶户虽然灭掉巴力，却不肯离开耶罗波安一世做的金牛犊。您会不会觉得很奇怪，以色列人在神的教导之下，怎么老是弄不清楚耶和华神和金牛犊是何等的不同！从以色列人出埃及后，第一个做的偶像就是金牛犊；耶罗波安成了以色列北国的王之后，就立刻造了两个金牛犊取代到圣殿的敬拜。他们的头脑真的分不出牛和神之间的区别吗？

周神助牧师说了一个例子：钓螃蟹的人，钓到一只放在篓里，一定要把口关起来，不然螃蟹一定会跑出来。但只要钓到两三只，甚至更多，你就不需要封口，因为没有一只爬得出来！因为只要有一只拼命爬到篓口，其他的螃蟹会想尽办法把他拉下来，无一例外！这一种见不得别人好，我爬不出去，别只也休想爬出去，这就是非常可悲的螃蟹定律！也就是罪和死的律。以色列北国的王也是如此，都要学耶罗波安拜金牛犊，所以就一起深陷在罪和死的律里。

当我们再想远一点时，就会记得以色列人在埃及的430年里，必然接触了许多埃及的偶像崇拜。在埃及和希伯来人的近邻，古代近东和爱琴海地区，野牛受到广泛的崇拜；而在每个地区都有其图腾（区徽），在最接近以色列人聚居的下埃及的中部至东部一带的那些地区，以牛为区徽的比例异常地高。在埃及宗教神话中，金牛犊不是随随便便的一个牛神，而是太阳神，或说是太阳神之子。根据许多神话，原来的太阳是一个金牛犊，为天神所生。天神被想像为一硕大牝牛，横亘在天宇之间，其躯体布满星辰。所以在埃及的牛神头上或其他神的牛角头饰上，往往有代表太阳的圆盘，即是，牛顶上的太阳（神）才是他们真正拜的那个神，而不是那头牛。

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《圣经中各种审判》11 — 对埃及的审判 之六

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上帝的权柄高过世上所有的政权，在世的政权都要必须向上帝负责。政府被授予政权在地上统治百姓，政府不应用强硬的手段欺压人民。埃及帝国无论在政治、建筑方面的成就都超越其他帝国，圣经却记载首先遭受上帝审判的帝国，就是埃及。《圣经》所记载的审判乃是告诉我们：「没有任何权柄高过上帝的权柄，所有的权柄要在上帝的审判下受制裁。」当法老越发独裁，上帝等候时刻到了，要将法老从王位挪开。上帝许可埃及四百三十年奴隶以色列，上帝纪念祂与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各所立的约，垂听以色列哀叹的声音。韩德尔（George Frederic Handel, 1685-1759）在一七三二年写了第一部神曲〈以斯帖〉（Esther），之后写了〈以色列人在埃及〉（Israel in Egypt），描述上帝如何顾念祂的百姓，音乐优美，令人动容。

时间神学与谦卑忍耐

纪念约瑟功勋的法老过世后，新的法老继位，毫不顾念昔日宰相的功勋，奴役著以色列人，在埃及皇宫成长的摩西看不过眼，动手杀了一名欺负以色列人的埃及人，因事迹败露逃往旷野。上帝的作为与上帝的时间密不可分，我们非常盼望上帝马上答应我们的祷告，马上解决我们的问题，但上帝有祂的时间表，不是我们可以干预的。为什么要到时候满足，耶稣才到世上？为什么以色列人受逼害四百三十年，上帝才施行拯救？这都告诉我们时间神学的重要性。基督徒经常想掌控上帝，做越过基督教训的事，但上帝有祂行事的时间与主权，祂是独行奇事的上帝。不懂时间神学的人，就不会懂得如何用谦卑、忍耐、等候的心来看上帝怎么做。

第一到第三灾：血灾、蛙灾、虱灾

上周我们提到四大刑罚，第一、水变成血。水是生命的泉源，当清澈、干净的水变成腥臭的血，这是何等可怕的景象。当上帝把灾难降在埃及帝国，第一灾就是水变成血，使我们得到生命的水现在失去作用，你想如果你用血洗澡，用血刷牙，用血煮饭，情况会是怎样？上帝把很多我们没有求、不配得的普遍恩惠赐与我们，如果我们在恩中不知恩，这是很可悲的。第二灾，千万只青蛙从水域跳到陆地上，使埃及人鸡犬不宁，法老要求术士施行同样的事，法老丝毫没有察觉上帝的刑罚是让生命受搅扰，如果法老的术士能让生命受搅扰，这有什么可夸的呢？第三灾是虱灾。当虱子跳到人的皮肤上，人的身上遍满了吸血的虫，法老却依然刚硬着心，要术士变出更多的虱子，但这次术士做不到，术士就对法老说：「这是上帝的手段」（新译本译为：「这是上帝的手指头」）。

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What to Look for in a Leader

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 1:1-9.  Let’s go!

Titus 1:1 (NIV) 
1  Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness–

On verse 1:  God’s truth is not just something God wants you to know for the sake of gaining more knowledge or for mere academic reasons.  Rather, knowing God’s truth is meant to lead to godliness.   God’s truth is not just informational; it’s transformational.  It is there not just to inform you, but to transform your heart, your mind and your behavior, to make you more like Christ.

Titus 1:2 (NIV) 
2  a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,

On verse 2:  God’s intention has always been that we His creation would experience the hope of eternal life.  So before the beginning of time, Paul says, God made a promise to make eternal life available to humankind.  Also in this verse Paul affirms that God does not lie; in other words, you can count on God to tell the truth and to keep His promises.

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犹大王约阿施

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〈列王纪〉下 12:2 约阿施在祭司耶何耶大教训他的时候，就行耶和华眼中看为正的事。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  12:1-21

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户

今天我们要读到一个忘恩负义的王，其实就是一个忘恩负义的人。这个犹大王约阿施，《圣经》给了他一句评语：“约阿施在祭司耶何耶大教训他的时候，就行耶和华眼中看为正的事”。这句话引人思想，那么当耶和耶大不在的时候，他是一个怎样的人呢？耶和耶大用尽心血去教育约阿施，所以当耶和大在的时候，他行眼和华眼中看为正的事，例如修理圣殿。

从所罗门建殿（约主前966年完工）到约阿施（约主前818年）已经超过140年，不管再怎样坚固的建筑，过了140年也会有许多地方需要整修。尤其是在亚她利雅执政时，她不但不尊重神，而且容许她的众子拆毁神的殿，又用圣殿中分别为圣的物供奉巴力（代下24:7）。约阿施从小住在圣殿中，对圣殿的修护非常在心。因此要求祭司拿各方面收到的银子，去修理殿的一切破坏之处。

没想到光阴似箭，到了约阿施廿三年，也就是约阿施卅岁时，竟然还没有动工。这次约阿施改变了筹款的方式，让祭司耶何耶大取了一个柜子，在柜盖上钻了一个窟窿，放于坛旁，在进耶和华殿的右边，这个柜子里收到的钱就拿来修理圣殿。这下子工程就得以开始进行。因为以前收钱的指示太模糊，哪部份要修殿，哪部份归祭司都没弄清楚，现在大家都清楚了，便“交给耶和华殿里办事的人，他们就雇了石匠、木匠重修耶和华的殿，又雇了铁匠、铜匠修理耶和华的殿。” 唯有赎愆祭、赎罪祭的银子都归祭司。

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He Put Himself on the Line for You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Philemon 1:17-25.  Let’s go!

Philemon 1:17-19 (NIV) 
17  So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 
18  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 
19  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back–not to mention that you owe me your very self.

On verses 17-19:  Earlier in verses 8 to 16 we saw Paul acting as a mediator between Philemon and Onesimus, trying to help Philemon and Onesimus reconcile with one another.  But here in these verses we see Paul going beyond what a typical mediator would do.  For while a mediator’s role is help two warring sides reach an agreement, a mediator normally does not sacrifice himself just so that the two sides can reconcile.  But that’s what Paul does.  Paul writes in verses 17-18, “So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.” To emphasize how serious he is about this, Paul even takes his secretary Timothy’s pen and writes these words himself on the scroll: “I will pay it back” (v19).  

What is Paul doing?  He’s putting himself on the line, sacrificing his own reputation and financial well-being, all so that Philemon would forgive Onesimus and take him back.

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