使徒行傳 12 章 神奇的拯救
- 馬克牧師
- May 27, 2024
- 9 min read
雅各被殺，彼得被囚
1那時，希律王下手苦害教會中幾個人， 2用刀殺了約翰的哥哥雅各。 3他見猶太人喜歡這事，又去捉拿彼得。那時正是除酵的日子。 4希律拿了彼得，收在監裏，交付四班兵丁看守，每班四個人，意思要在逾越節後把他提出來，當着百姓辦他。 5於是彼得被囚在監裏；教會卻為他切切地禱告神。
彼得獲救出獄
6 希律將要提他出來的前一夜，彼得被兩條鐵鍊鎖着，睡在兩個兵丁當中；看守的人也在門外看守。 7忽然，有主的一個使者站在旁邊，屋裏有光照耀，天使拍彼得的肋旁，拍醒了他，說：「快快起來！」那鐵鍊就從他手上脫落下來。 8天使對他說：「束上帶子，穿上鞋。」他就那樣做。天使又說：「披上外衣，跟着我來。」 9彼得就出來跟着他，不知道天使所做是真的，只當見了異象。 10過了第一層第二層監牢，就來到臨街的鐵門，那門自己開了。他們出來，走過一條街，天使便離開他去了。 11彼得醒悟過來，說：「我現在真知道主差遣他的使者，救我脫離希律的手和猶太百姓一切所盼望的。」 12想了一想，就往那稱呼馬可的約翰、他母親馬利亞家去，在那裏有好些人聚集禱告。 13彼得敲外門，有一個使女，名叫羅大，出來探聽， 14聽得是彼得的聲音，就歡喜的顧不得開門，跑進去告訴眾人說：「彼得站在門外。」 15他們說：「你是瘋了！」使女極力地說：「真是他！」他們說：「必是他的天使！」 16彼得不住地敲門。他們開了門，看見他，就甚驚奇。 17彼得擺手，不要他們作聲，就告訴他們主怎樣領他出監；又說：「你們把這事告訴雅各和眾弟兄。」於是出去，往別處去了。 18到了天亮，兵丁擾亂得很，不知道彼得往哪裏去了。 19希律找他，找不着，就審問看守的人，吩咐把他們拉去殺了。後來希律離開猶太，下凱撒利亞去，住在那裏。
希律的死
20 希律惱怒泰爾、西頓的人。他們那一帶地方是從王的地土得糧，因此就託了王的內侍臣伯拉斯都的情，一心來求和。 21希律在所定的日子，穿上朝服，坐在位上，對他們講論一番。 22百姓喊着說：「這是神的聲音，不是人的聲音。」 23希律不歸榮耀給神，所以主的使者立刻罰他，他被蟲所咬，氣就絕了。
24神的道日見興旺，越發廣傳。 25巴拿巴和掃羅辦完了他們供給的事，就從耶路撒冷回來，帶着稱呼馬可的約翰同去。
各位弟兄姊妹平安，我們今天讀的是《使徒行傳》第12章。接下來，我們會看到教會繼續遭受迫害，尤其是由猶太地區的管轄者希律所施加的迫害。他為了討好猶太人，繼續破壞教會。其實，希律本人對於耶穌和基督教並沒有特別的惡意，但他看到猶太人非常反對這些人，所以為了鞏固自己的地位，他選擇迫害教會。
我們看到彼得和雅各在這裡受到困難，雅各被殺了，彼得被下在監裡。其實，希律原本的目的也是要殺死彼得，只是因為當時是逾越節，所以希律暫時把他下在監獄裡，等過完節再當著百姓的面處決他。希律把迫害基督徒當作讓猶太百姓更支持自己的手段，而不是出於對猶太教的信仰，這與保羅的動機是相當不同的。
彼得被兩條鎖鏈鎖著，兩個兵丁分別銬著他的左右手，同時在門口還有兩個守衛，這種嚴密的看守方式讓彼得幾乎不可能逃脫。然而，彼得卻非常安詳地睡著了，天使甚至要拍他的肋旁才把他喚醒。我們看到，彼得此時的心態與當時背叛耶穌的心態完全不同。當時他三次不認主，但在即將面對審判的前一天晚上，他卻能安然入睡。
天使叫醒彼得，讓他起來，鎖鏈就脫落了。彼得按照天使的指示一步步走出監獄，經過的各層門都自動打開，沒有人發現，彼得才意識到這不是夢，而是真實發生的事情。他趕忙跑到會眾聚集的地方，告訴大家自己出監獄的經過。起初，大家都不相信彼得能夠這樣逃脫，但彼得告訴他們，他不會與他們在一起，以免連累他們，所以他離開了。
看到這樣一個迫害教會並將榮耀歸給自己的人終究受到上帝的懲罰。在和泰爾，西頓人的會議上，希律原本是要討論關於糧食運輸和港口使用權的問題，但他在發言時把榮耀都歸在自己身上，結果以奇怪的方式死去。我們看到，迫害教會的人最終會受到上帝的懲罰，而希律王只是為了自己的權利和榮耀而破壞教會，最終受到上帝的懲罰。
巴拿巴和掃羅在耶路撒冷完成了他們的任務，帶著馬可（馬可福音的作者）回到安提阿，準備開始他們的第一次宣教之旅。《使徒行傳》13章和14章描述了他們第一次的傳道故事，從敘利亞的安提阿出發，渡海到塞浦路斯，經過薩拉米和帕弗，然後到旁非利亞的別迦，最後來到彼西底的安提阿。在13章45節，我們看到全城的人都來聽保羅講道。保羅和巴拿巴在城中影響了整個城，這次旅程大概持續了三年。我們會在13章和14章繼續看保羅的第一次宣教之旅。
我們看到了信仰對彼得的影響，從一個原本害怕被迫害，三次不認主的門徒，到這次可以坦然面對死亡，坦然面對迫害的勇者。下一章，我們也會看見一個馬可，這一個年輕人在早期的宣教之旅，可能因著某種原因，退出了宣教，以致讓保羅相當不悅，但到後十多年後，馬可也成為了教會的重要人物，而且被保羅稱為 “在傳道的事上對我大有益處的人”的夥伴。
當我們在閱讀聖經的時候，其實我們要去注意那些可能沒有特別被提到的微小細節。當我們仔細閱讀聖經中的每個人時，你會發現沒有一個人是從頭到尾都剛強壯膽、毫無缺點的。每個人在不同的時間點上都曾經跌倒過，也都失敗過。我們看見大衛的失敗，也看見所羅門的失敗，看到亞伯拉罕的失敗，以及摩西的失敗。
聖經中的所謂英雄人物們都有我們每個人一樣的人性和自己的軟弱之處。當我們閱讀聖經時，不是去批判這些人，而是從他們的身上看見我們自己，並從他們的改變中得到信心和力量。我們知道，沒有人是一開始就完美並且一直完美到最後的，所以我們也不需要苛責自己。只要跟隨上帝，上帝的聖靈會不斷地改變我們，提醒我們，使我們能夠從軟弱變得剛強，從膽怯變得勇敢。
感謝各位的聆聽。
Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.
Herod’s Death
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today we are reading Acts chapter 12. We will see how the church continues to face persecution, especially from Herod, who governs the region of Judea. To please the Jews, he continues to destroy the church. In fact, Herod himself did not have particular malice towards Jesus and Christianity, but seeing the Jews' strong opposition, he chose to persecute the church to solidify his position.
We see that Peter and James faced difficulties; James was killed, and Peter was imprisoned. Herod's original intention was also to kill Peter, but because it was the Passover, he temporarily imprisoned him, planning to execute him publicly after the festival. Herod used the persecution of Christians to gain more support from the Jewish people, not out of religious zeal, which is quite different from Paul's motivation.
Peter was bound with two chains, with soldiers on either side, and guards at the door, making escape nearly impossible. However, Peter slept peacefully, and the angel had to strike his side to wake him up. We see that Peter's mindset was completely different from when he denied Jesus. Back then, he denied the Lord three times, but now, on the eve of his trial, he could sleep soundly.
The angel woke Peter, told him to get up, and the chains fell off. Peter followed the angel step by step, and all the doors opened automatically. No one noticed; only then did Peter realize it was not a dream but a real event. He hurried to the place where the congregation was gathered and told them about his escape. Initially, no one believed Peter could escape, but he explained and then left to avoid implicating them.
Seeing someone who persecuted the church and glorified himself being punished by God is evident in Herod's case. At a meeting with the people of Tyre and Sidon, Herod spoke about issues regarding food transportation and port usage, but he took all the glory upon himself and died in a strange manner. We see that those who persecute the church ultimately face God's punishment. Herod destroyed the church for his power and glory, but he was eventually punished by God.
Barnabas and Saul completed their mission in Jerusalem and took Mark (the author of the Gospel of Mark) back to Antioch, preparing for their first missionary journey. Acts chapters 13 and 14 describe their first missionary journey, starting from Syrian Antioch, crossing to Cyprus, passing through Salamis and Paphos, then to Perga in Pamphylia, and finally to Pisidian Antioch. In Acts 13:45, we see the whole city gathered to hear Paul preach. Paul and Barnabas influenced the entire city during this three-year journey. We will continue to look at Paul's first missionary journey in chapters 13 and 14.
We see the impact of faith on Peter, transforming him from a disciple who once denied the Lord out of fear to a courageous man who could face death and persecution calmly. In the next chapter, we will also see Mark, who withdrew from the early missionary journey for some reason, causing Paul's displeasure. But over the next decade, Mark became an important figure in the church and was called a "useful helper in my ministry" by Paul.
When we read the Bible, we should pay attention to the small details that may not be specifically mentioned. When we carefully read about each person in the Bible, we see that no one is strong and fearless, without flaws, from beginning to end. Everyone has fallen and failed at different times. We see David's failures, Solomon's failures, Abraham's failures, and Moses' failures.
The so-called heroes in the Bible have the same human nature and weaknesses as we do. When we read the Bible, we should not criticize these people, but see ourselves in them and gain confidence and strength from their changes. We know that no one starts perfect and remains perfect, so we do not need to be harsh on ourselves. As long as we follow God, the Holy Spirit will continually change us, remind us, and make us strong from weakness, and brave from fear.
Thank you all for listening.
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