Entries by

耶穌的門徒馬太

馬太福音9章9節:耶穌從那裡往前走,看見一個人名叫馬太,坐在稅關上,就對他說:「你跟從我來!」他就起來,跟從了耶穌。

路加福音章27 -28節   這些事以後,耶穌出去,看見一個稅吏,名叫利未,在稅關坐着,就對他說:「來跟從我!」他就撇下所有的,起來跟從耶穌。

陳希曾牧師論到馬太時說,如果要明白整本〈馬太福音〉,一定要從一個故事開始,那就是馬太的故事。因為是馬太寫了〈馬太福音〉。在〈馬太福音〉,〈馬可福音〉和〈路加福音〉裡,都記載了主第一次遇見馬太的情形。這三本福音裡都說到主耶穌看見一個人。

在〈馬太福音〉裡是「看見一個人」,〈馬可福音〉裡是「看見亞勒腓的兒子利未」,〈路加福音〉裡是「看見一個稅吏,名叫利未」。按中文的意思,看見就是看見,好像沒有很深的印象。但在希臘原文裡面,這個「看見」乃是定晴的看、仔細的看,是帶著透視的眼睛看。所以這裡《聖經》說看見一個稅吏,乃是主耶穌看到一個稅吏的心坎裡去。就是主那一次那樣的看,令馬太完全地轉變過來。那一看,就叫他撇下所有的來跟隨我們的主。

在〈馬太福音〉裡面,馬太最喜歡用一個詞,而那個詞幾乎變成他的口頭禪,或者是他的習慣語。因為那個詞正代表主耶穌那次呼召他的時候,在他身上的一看;那一看,叫他整個人破碎了,完全改變了。為著那一次不平凡的遭遇,你看見馬太最喜歡用的一個詞是「看哪! 」在〈馬太福音〉裡面,這個詞一共用了多少次呢?

The Dangers of Pride and the Power of Humility

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 29:1-21.  Let’s go!
 
Ezekiel 29:1 (NIV) 
1  In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD came to me:
 
On verse 1:  Scholars have calculated this date to be January 5, 587 B.C., about 11 months after Nebuchadnezzar began besieging Jerusalem (see Ezekiel 24:1-2).

Ezekiel 29:2 (NIV)  
 2  “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
 
On verse 2:  Here the Lord begins His message to Pharaoh king of Egypt.  According to scholars, that would have been Pharaoh Hophra, who reigned in Egypt from approximately 588 B.C. to 569 B.C. 
 

耶穌的門徒拿但業(巴多羅買)

約翰福一章49節  拿但業回答他:「拉比!祢是神的兒子,祢是以色列的王。」

一般認為拿但業就是巴多羅買的另一個名字。《聖經》中凡有「巴」字在名字前的都是什麼人的兒子的意思,「巴多羅買」的意思是「多買之子」,馬太、馬可、路加則稱呼他「巴多羅買」,只有約翰用他的本名稱呼他「拿但業」。在前三本福音書裡,馬太、馬可、路加常提及腓力與巴多羅買;在〈約翰福音〉裡,使徒約翰則提及腓力與拿但業。(太10:3;可3:18;路6:14;約1:45,46)前三本福音書從未提過拿但業,約翰福音也從未提過巴多羅買,可見兩者為一。

拿但業來自加利利的迦拿,大家可能都記得,那是主耶穌行第一個神蹟,以水變酒的地方。所以有的人就猜想,迦拿的婚禮和拿但業是否有關係?所以才會把耶穌和門徒通通邀請去婚禮?也有人說,拿但業就是婚禮的新郎,這些都是後人的猜想,沒有正確答案。那麼,拿但業是怎樣認識耶穌的?

上次我們談到腓力,耶穌找到腓力,叫腓力跟從祂。腓力一跟從耶穌,就立刻去找拿但業,因為:「摩西在律法書上所寫的,和眾先知所記的那一位,我們遇見了,就是約瑟的兒子拿撒勒人耶穌。」腓力相信耶穌就是他們一直在等待的彌賽亞,所以他立刻把耶穌介紹給拿但業。沒想到拿但業一聽到耶穌是拿撒勒人,就很失望,因為拿撒勒實在太落後了,怎麼可能出個彌賽亞?腓力沒有喪志,反而鼓勵他去看看。腓力的心態很值得我們學習,不要因人家一時的拒絕就放棄。

Pride Poisons and God Restores

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 28:1-26.  Let’s go!
 
Ezekiel 28:1-10 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me: 
2  “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.” But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. 
3  Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? ……

On verses 1-10:  Here the Lord has a message specifically for “the ruler of Tyre”, whom scholars identify as Ethbaal III, who ruled over Tyre from approximately 590 B.C. to 573 B.C.  The message is that because Ethbaal III in his pride called himself a god (v2, 9) and considered himself “as wise as a god” (v2, 6), Ethbaal III would be brought down by foreigners and die a violent death, proving himself to be anything but a god.   That the ruler of Tyre “will die the death of the uncircumcised” suggests that the ruler of Tyre will be cut off from God for eternity.

Your One Sure Thing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 27:25-36.  Let’s go!

On verses 25-36:  Earlier in verses 8-11 we saw how the best and the brighest of sailors, oarsmen and soldiers all flocked to Tyre to work and to help run Tyre’s impressive ships and military.  However, here in these verses we see that not even the best and the brightest among people could match the power of the Lord (v27-31).  In verses 32-36 we see how public opinion about Tyre will change from raving about the city to mourning when thinking about the city.

What can we learn from this?  Fame, wealth and power can be here today and gone tomorrow.  So don’t put your hope in them.  Put your hope in God, the One sure thing who will never leave you or forsake you.

用生命榮耀神

歌羅西書 3章23節「無論做什麼,都要從心裡做,像是給主做的,不是給人做的。」

馬丁路德有一次告訴德國婦女,要以天堂的眼光看自己,當她們在做家事時,和修士、祭司所做的聖職同樣偉大。我們每天的日常生活,都是與神同行的機會。在生活的各種瑣事上都操練與神同在,時時刻刻都為祂發光,以順服的心服事祂,並且與人分享祂的福音,這就算是背起十字架了。今天就用你的生活來榮耀神吧!(基督教論壇報)

耶穌的門徒腓力

約翰福音一章45節   腓力找到拿但業,對他說:「摩西在律法書上所寫的,和眾先知所記的那一位,我們遇見了,就是約瑟的兒子拿撒勒人耶穌。」

在施洗約翰把自己的兩個門徒介紹給耶穌之後,約翰記載:「又過了一天,耶穌想要往加利利去。祂找到腓力,就對他說:『來跟從我!』(約1:43)」這裡很特別的是說耶穌「找到腓力」,既然是找到,表示之前有可能己經知道。在我的朋友之中,也有不少人表示,在他們尚未信主時,是耶穌「找到」他們。你和主的關係,是否也是如此?有的人見證,信耶穌時有一段艱苦的尋覓之旅,有的人走了很多彎路,有的人花了數年研究卻信不下去。所以假如是耶穌「找到」你,你就是一個很幸運的人了。

十二使徒之一的腓力和〈使徒行傳〉裡的傳福音的腓力是不同的人。使徒腓力來自伯賽大,和彼得是同鄉。腓力和安得烈一樣,一跟隨耶穌,立刻去找好友拿但業。那時的拿撒勒是個默默無聞的小地方,因此拿但業回答:「拿撒勒還能出甚麼好的嗎?」腓力不和他爭辯,只說:「你來看。」

假如有人帶你去看一位牧者,他會有怎樣的特色吸引你呢?當腓力帶拿但業去看耶穌時,拿但業也被耶穌吸引,而跟隨耶穌。所以當我們希望把耶穌介紹給朋友時,只要把耶穌介紹給他,教他怎樣向耶穌禱告,有不少人就因為如此而信主。因為不是我們能做什麼,而是主能做什麼;不是我們做什麼可以吸引人,而是當他們看到主時,他們就被主所吸引。

Beautiful and Powerful, But Prideful

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 27:1-24.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 27:1-24 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me:
2  “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre.
3  Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘You say, O Tyre, “I am perfect in beauty.”
4  Your domain was on the high seas; your builders brought your beauty to perfection…….

On verses 1-24:  Here in these verses we really get a sense of how prosperous, beautiful and sophisticated was the city of Tyre.  Verses 4 through 7 speak of Tyre’s asthetic beauty.  Verses 8 through 11 speak of how Tyre attracted the best and the brightest, making their shipping industry and military very powerful.  Verses 12 to 24 speak of Tyre’s extensive trade relationships and burgeoning economy.  As powerful, prosperous and beautiful as Tyre was, the one problem we see in Tyre — which would prove to be her fatal flaw — was her pride.  In verse 3, God quotes Tyre as saying, “I am perfect in beauty”.

耶穌的門徒約翰

約翰一書 4章7節   親愛的弟兄啊,我們應當彼此相愛,因為愛是從神來的。凡有愛心的,都是由神而生,並且認識神。

《聖經》的新約裡有許多人的名字叫約翰,因為這個名字的希伯來文意思是「耶和華神是仁慈的」。最出名的是耶穌的表兄(或堂兄)施洗約翰;另一位便是耶穌所愛的門徒,也就是西庇太的兒子雅各的弟弟約翰。在他所寫的〈約翰福音〉裡,他通常隱去自己的名字,而用「主所愛的那個門徒」代替。我覺得一個人若能明白主對自己的愛,而在墓碑上刻下:「主所愛的門徒」,那該是何等的美事。每一個相信耶穌的人都應該明白,自己就是「主所愛的門徒」。你有沒有這樣的自信?

有人認為當施洗約翰把耶穌介紹給自己的兩位門徒時,一個是安得烈,另一個很可能就是約翰。因此,當耶穌呼召了彼得和安得烈之後,再往前走,看見雅各和約翰,就呼召了他們,他們立刻捨了船,告別父親,跟隨耶穌。這幾句話說來容易,做來難。捨了船,表示放棄這世上的財物和擁有權;告別父親,就好像亞伯拉罕那樣,離開自己的親人,本家本族,去走一條自己完全不知道的路,只因為相信耶穌。而那時,他們對耶穌的暸解還是非常有限,能夠把自己的後半生交在這位拉比手中,義無反顧的跟隨,我覺得在這之前,他們對耶穌己經有了一些認識,加上施洗約翰的推薦,所以他們下得了這樣的決心。

這種跟隨比起現代的閃婚還要快,還要冒險。所以為什麼有的父母或配偶無法接受兒女奉獻為全職傳道人,我們是可以理解的。世界上的名利地位看得見摸得著,但是神的事工在人看是無頭無緒,不可思議,有誰願意自己用心血栽培的兒女就這樣去走一條看不見前途(錢途)的路呢?

Nothing Is Impossible For God

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 26:1-21.  Let’s go!  

On verses 1-21:  Tyre was a prosperous coastal city in the ancient Middle East, with the older part of the city (“old Tyre”) situated on the mainland and the newer part situated on an island.  Known as one of the great economic centres of the ancient Middle East, Tyre was a significant port city.  In addition, Tyre was famous for its purple dye used most famously to make royal robes.  It is for this reason that, according to some scholars, the people in the region of Phoenicia, where Tyre was located, became known as “the purple people”.

In verses 1-6 God goes after the people of Tyre for trying to capitalize on the misfortune of the people of Jerusalem (v2).  In response to their attitude God says that He will bring down the prosperous, powerful “city of renown” (v17) that is Tyre and turn it into “a desolate city” (v8) and “plunder for the nations” (v5).  God would reduce Tyre to “a place to spread fishnets” (v6) (i.e. where fishermen wash their nets) and a city that is “never to be rebuilt” (v6).  In verse 14 when God says of Tyre, “I will make you a bare rock” (v14), this is a play on words, since Tyre’s name literally means “rock”.