When You Love Others in Little Ways, It Makes a Big Difference

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Colossians 4:7-18.   Let’s go!

Colossians 4:7-14 (NIV)
7  Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
8  I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.
9  He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

On verses 7-14: Paul had just finished telling the Colossians in verse 6 that their conversation should be “always full of grace, seasoned with salt”. Now in verses 7-14 we see Paul practicing what he preaches as he speaks graciously about his co-workers.

As Paul describes each of his co-workers, notice how he speaks only good things about them to the Colossian church. He calls Tychicus “a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord” (v7-8). He calls Onesimus “our faithful and dear brother” (v9). He says Aristarchus, Mark and Justus are “a comfort” to him (v10-11). When talking about Epaphras, he calls him “a servant of Christ Jesus” who “is always wrestling in prayer for you” (v12) and who is “working hard for you” (v13). He calls Dr. Luke, the one who wrote the gospel of Luke, “our dear friend” (v14).

木軛換鐵軛

耶利米書 28:9  先知預言的平安,到話語成就的時候,人便知道他真是耶和華所差來的。

閱讀經文:  28:1-17

1 當年,就是猶大王西底家登基第四年五月,基遍人押朔的兒子先知哈拿尼雅,在耶和華的殿中當著祭司和眾民對我說: 2 「萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說:我已經折斷巴比倫王的軛。 3 二年之內,我要將巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒從這地掠到巴比倫的器皿,就是耶和華殿中的一切器皿,都帶回此地。 4 我又要將猶大王約雅敬的兒子耶哥尼雅和被擄到巴比倫去的一切猶大人,帶回此地,因為我要折斷巴比倫王的軛。這是耶和華說的。」

從這一章經文的解釋,我們對前一章所發生的事有進一步的理解,確定這是在西底家第四年所發生的事情。看到耶利米負軛,先知哈拿尼雅做了一件似乎是很有義氣的事。他上前取下耶利米頸項上的軛,把它折斷,然後預言耶和華也要如此折斷巴比倫王的軛,何等地戲劇化。在眾人面前,他何等威風啊!

同樣是先知,為何不能說耶和華的話臨到他呢?這就要測試眾人的分辨力了。現在社會上也有很多掛羊頭賣狗肉的“基督教”,他們高舉《聖經》想引人入門,但是一入門後就把自己的那一套取代《聖經》。我們對《聖經》的認識有多少?我們有分辨的能力嗎?基督徒的失敗,往往不是因為外力的介入,而是本身對神話語的陌生,以致無法知道自己應該有怎樣的立場。因此基於“人道”的立場,為撒旦助陣,還覺得自己人偏激。