Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 11

1 Shǐtú hé zaì Yóutaì de zhòng dìxiōng , tīngshuō waìbāngrén yĕ lǐngshòu le shén de dào .

2 Jízhì Bǐdé shàng le Yēlùsǎlĕng , nàxiē fèng gēlǐ de méntǔ hé tā zhēng biàn shuō ,

3 Nǐ jìnrù wèi shòu gēlǐ zhī rén de jiā , hé tāmen yītóng chī fàn le .

4 Bǐdé jiù kāikǒu , bǎ zhè shì ái cì gĕi tāmen jiǎngjiĕ shuō ,

5 Wǒ zaì yuē pà chéng lǐ dǎogào de shíhou , hún yóu xiàng waì , kànjian yìxiàng , yǒu yī wù jiàng xià , hǎoxiàng yī kuaì dà bù , jì zhe sì jiǎo , cóng tiān shàng zhuì xià , zhí lái dào wǒ gēnqián .

6 Wǒ déngjīng guānkàn , jiàn neì zhòng yǒu dì shàng sì zú de shēngchù , hé yĕshòu , kūnchóng , bìng tiān shàng de fēiniǎo .

7 Wǒ qiĕ tīngjian yǒu shēngyīn xiàng wǒ shuō , Bǐdé , qǐlai , zǎi le chī .

8 Wǒ shuō , Zhǔ a , zhè shì bùkĕ de . fán sú ér bú jiéjìng de wù , cónglái méiyǒu rù guō wǒde kǒu .

9 Dì èr cì , yǒu shēngyīn cóng tiān shǎng shuō , shén suǒ jiéjìng de , nǐ bùkĕ dàng zuò sú wù .

10 Zhèyàng yī lián sān cì , jiù dōu shōu huí tiān shàng qù le .

11 Zhèngdāng nàshí , yǒu sān gèrén zhàn zaì wǒmen suǒ zhù de fáng mén qián , shì cóng Gāisālíyà chāi lái jiàn wǒde .

12 Shènglíng fēnfu wǒ hé tāmen tóng qù , búyào yíhuò . ( huò zuò búyào fēnbié dĕng leì ) tóng zhe wǒ qù de , hái yǒu zhè liù wèi dìxiōng . wǒmen dōu jìn le nà rén de jiā .

13 Nà rén jiù gàosu wǒmen , tā rúhé kànjian yī wèi tiānshǐ , zhàn zaì tā wū lǐ , shuō , nǐ dǎfa rén wǎng yuē pà qù , qǐng nà chēnghu Bǐdé de Xīmén lái .

14 Tā yǒu huà gàosu nǐ , kĕyǐ jiào nǐ hé nǐde quán jiā déjiù .

15 Wǒ yī kāi jiǎng , Shènglíng biàn jiàng zaì tāmen shēnshang , zhèng xiàng dàng chū jiàng zaì wǒmen shēnshang yíyàng .

16 Wǒ jiù xiǎngqǐ zhǔ de huà shuō , Yuēhàn shì yòng shuǐ shīxǐ , dàn nǐmen yào shòu Shènglíng de xǐ .

17 Shén jìrán gĕi tāmen ēncì , xiàng zaì wǒmen xìn zhǔ Yēsū Jīdū de shíhou , gĕi le wǒmen yíyàng , wǒ shì shuí , néng lánzǔ shén ne .

18 Zhòngrén tīngjian zhè huà , jiù bù yányǔ le . zhǐ guī róngyào yǔ shén , shuō , zhèyàng kàn lái , shén yĕ cì ēn gĕi waìbāngrén , jiào tāmen huǐgǎi dé shēngmìng le .

19 Nàxiē yīn sī tí fǎn de shì zāo huànnàn sì sǎn de méntǔ , zhí zǒu dào féi ní jī , hé jū bǐ lù , bìng ān tí a . tāmen bú xiàng biérén jiǎng dào , zhǐ xiàng Yóutaìrén jiǎng .

20 Dàn neì zhōng yǒu jū bǐ lù , hé Gǔlìnaì rén , tāmen dào le ān tí a , yĕ xiàng Xīlà rén chuán jiǎng zhǔ Yēsū . ( yǒu gǔ juǎn zuò yĕ xiàng shuō Xīlà huà de Yóutaìrén chuán jiǎng zhǔ Yēsū )

21 Zhǔ yǔ tāmen tóng zaì , xìn ér guī zhǔ de rén jiù hĕn duō le .

22 Zhè fēngshēng chuán dào Yēlùsǎlĕng jiàohuì rén de ĕr zhōng , tāmen jiù dǎfa Bāná bā chū qù , zǒu dào ān tí a wéizhǐ .

23 Tā dào le nàli , kànjian shén suǒ cì de ēn , jiù huānxǐ , quànmiǎn zhòngrén , lìdéng xīnzhì , héng jiǔ kào zhǔ .

24 Bā ná bā yuán shì gè hǎo rén , beì Shènglíng chōngmǎn , dà yǒu xìnxīn . yúshì yǒu xǔduō rén guī fú le zhǔ .

25 Tā yòu wǎng dà shǔ qù zhǎo Sǎoluó ,

26 Zhǎo zhe le , jiù daì tā dào ān tí a qù . tāmen zú yǒu yī nián de gōngfu , hé jiàohuì yītóng jùjí , jiàoxun le xǔduō rén . méntǔ chēngwèi Jīdū tú , shì cóng ān tí a qǐ shǒu .

27 Dàng nàxiē rìzi , yǒu jǐ wèi xiānzhī cóng Yēlùsǎlĕng xià dào ān tí a .

28 Neì zhòng yǒu yī wèi , míng jiào yà jiā bù zhàn qǐlai , jiè zhe Shènglíng , zhí míngtiān xià jiāng yǒu dà jīhuāng . zhè shì dào gé lǎo diū nián jiàn guǒrán yǒu le .

29 Yúshì méntǔ déng yì , zhào gèrén de lìliang juān qián , sòng qù gōngjǐ zhù zaì Yóutaì de dìxiōng .

30 Tāmen jiù zhèyàng xíng , bǎ juān xiàng tuō Bāná bā hé Sǎoluó , sòng dào zhòng zhǎnglǎo nàli .

Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

Peter's defence. (1-18) The success of the gospel at Antioch. (19-24) The disciples named Christians, Relief sent to Judea. (25-30)

Verses 1-18 The imperfect state of human nature strongly appears, when godly persons are displeased even to hear that the word of God has been received, because their own system has not been attended to. And we are too apt to despair of doing good to those who yet, when tried, prove very teachable. It is the bane and damage of the church, to shut out those from it, and from the benefit of the means of grace, who are not in every thing as we are. Peter stated the whole affair. We should at all times bear with the infirmities of our brethren; and instead of taking offence, or answering with warmth, we should explain our motives, and show the nature of our proceedings. That preaching is certainly right, with which the Holy Ghost is given. While men are very zealous for their own regulations, they should take care that they do not withstand God; and those who love the Lord will glorify him, when made sure that he has given repentance to life to any fellow-sinners. Repentance is God's gift; not only his free grace accepts it, but his mighty grace works it in us, grace takes away the heart of stone, and gives us a heart of flesh. The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit.

Verses 19-24 The first preachers of the gospel at Antioch, were dispersed from Jerusalem by persecution; thus what was meant to hurt the church, was made to work for its good. The wrath of man is made to praise God. What should the ministers of Christ preach, but Christ? Christ, and him crucified? Christ, and him glorified? And their preaching was accompanied with the Divine power. The hand of the Lord was with them, to bring that home to the hearts and consciences of men, which they could but speak to the outward ear. They believed; they were convinced of the truth of the gospel. They turned from a careless, carnal way of living, to live a holy, heavenly, spiritual life. They turned from worshipping God in show and ceremony, to worship him in the Spirit and in truth. They turned to the Lord Jesus, and he became all in all with them. This was the work of conversion wrought upon them, and it must be wrought upon every one of us. It was the fruit of their faith; all who sincerely believe, will turn to the Lord, When the Lord Jesus is preached in simplicity, and according to the Scriptures, he will give success; and when sinners are thus brought to the Lord, really good men, who are full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, will admire and rejoice in the grace of God bestowed on them. Barnabas was full of faith; full of the grace of faith, and full of the fruits of the faith that works by love.

Verses 25-30 Hitherto the followers of Christ were called disciples, that is, learners, scholars; but from that time they were called Christians. The proper meaning of this name is, a follower of Christ; it denotes one who, from serious thought, embraces the religion of Christ, believes his promises, and makes it his chief care to shape his life by Christ's precepts and example. Hence it is plain that multitudes take the name of Christian to whom it does not rightly belong. But the name without the reality will only add to our guilt. While the bare profession will bestow neither profit nor delight, the possession of it will give both the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Grant, Lord, that Christians may forget other names and distinctions, and love one another as the followers of Christ ought to do. True Christians will feel for their brethren under afflictions. Thus will fruit be brought forth to the praise and glory of God. If all mankind were true Christians, how cheerfully would they help one another! The whole earth would be like one large family, every member of which would strive to be dutiful and kind.