Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 16

1 Bǎoluó lái dào tè bì , yòu dào lù sī dé . zaì nàli yǒu yī gè méntǔ , míng jiào Tímótaì , shì xìn zhǔ zhī Yóutaì fùrén de érzi , tā fùqin què shì Xīlà rén .

2 Lù sī dé hé yǐ gē niàn de dìxiōng , dōu chēngzàn tā .

3 Bǎoluó yào daì tā tóng qù , zhǐ yīn nàxiē dìfang de Yóutaìrén , dōu zhīdào tā fùqin shì Xīlà rén , jiù gĕi tā xíng le gēlǐ .

4 Tāmen jīngguò gè chéng , bǎ Yēlùsǎlĕng shǐtú hé zhǎnglǎo suǒ déng de tiaó guī , jiāo gĕi méntǔ zūnshǒu .

5 Yúshì zhòng jiàohuì xìnxīn yuèfā jiāngù , rén shǔ tiāntiān jiā zēng .

6 Shènglíng jìrán jìnzhǐ tāmen zaì yà xī yà jiǎng dào , tāmen jiù jīngguò Fú lǚ jiā , jiā lá taì yī daì dìfang .

7 Dào le mĕi xī yà de biānjiè , tāmen xiǎng yào wǎng bì tuī ní qù , Yēsū de líng què bù xǔ .

8 Tāmen jiù yuèguò mĕi xī yà , xià dào tè luó yà qù .

9 Zaì yè jiàn yǒu yìxiàng xiàn yǔ Bǎoluó . yǒu yī gè Mǎqídùn rén , zhàn zhe qiú tā shuō , qǐng nǐ guō dào Mǎqídùn lái bāngzhu wǒmen .

10 Bǎoluó jì kànjian zhè yìxiàng , wǒmen suí jì xiǎng yào wǎng Mǎqídùn qù , yǐwéi shén zhào wǒmen chuánfúyin gĕi nàli de rén tīng .

11 Yúshì cóng tè luó yà kāi chuán , yīzhí xíng dào sā mó tè lā , dì èr tiān dào le ní yà bō lì .

12 Cóng nàli lái dào Féilìbǐ , jiù shì Mǎqídùn zhè yī fāng de tóu yī gè chéng . yĕ shì Luómǎ de zhù fáng chéng . wǒmen zaì zhè chéng lǐ zhù le jǐ tiān .

13 Dàng ānxīrì , wǒmen chū chéng mén , dào le hé biān , zhīdào nàli yǒu yī gè dǎogào de dìfang , wǒmen jiù zuò xià duì nà jùhuì de fùnǚ jiǎng dào .

14 Yǒu yī gè maì zǐse bù diǎn de fùrén , míng jiào lǚ dǐ yà , shì tuī yǎ tuī lā chéng de rén , sùlái jìngbaì shén . tā tīngjian le , zhǔ jiù kāi dǎo tāde xīn , jiào tā liú xīn tīng Bǎoluó suǒ jiǎng de huà .

15 Tā hé tā yī jiā , jì lǐng le xǐ , biàn qiú wǒmen shuō , nǐmen ruò yǐwéi wǒ shì zhēn xìn zhǔ de , ( huò zuò nǐmen ruò yǐwéi wǒ shì zhōngxīn shìfèng zhǔ de ) qǐng dào wǒ jiā lǐ lái zhù . yúshì jiàng liú wǒmen .

16 Hòulái , wǒmen wǎng nà dǎogào de dìfang qù . yǒu yī gè shǐnǚ yíng zhe miàn lái , tā beì wū guǐ suǒ fù , yòng fǎshù , jiào tā zhǔrén dé dà cái lì .

17 Tā gēnsuí Bǎoluó hé wǒmen , hǎn zhe shuō , zhèxie rén shì zhìgāo shén de púrén , duì nǐmen chuánshuō jiù rén de dào .

18 Tā yī lián duō rì zhèyàng hǎnjiào , Bǎoluó jiù xīn zhòng yànfán , zhuǎn shēn duì nà guǐ shuō , wǒ fèng Yēsū Jīdū de míng , fēnfu nǐ cóng tā shēnshang chūlai . nà guǐ dāngshí jiù chūlai le .

19 Shǐnǚ de zhǔrén men , jiàn dé lì de zhǐwang méiyǒu le , biàn jiū zhù Bǎoluó hé Xīlā , lá tāmen dào shì shàng qù jiàn shǒulǐng .

20 Yòu daì dào guān zhǎng miànqián shuō , zhèxie rén yuán shì Yóutaìrén , jìng sāo rǎo wǒmen de chéng ,

21 Chuán wǒmen Luómǎ rén suǒ bùkĕ shòu , bùkĕ xíng de guīju .

22 Zhòngrén jiù yītóng qǐlai gōngjī tāmen . guān zhǎng fēnfu bō le tāmende yīshang , yòng gùn dǎ .

23 Dǎ le xǔduō gùn , biǎn jiāng tāmen xià zaì jiānlǐ , zhǔfu jìn zú yán jǐn kānshǒu .

24 Jìn zú lǐng le zhèyàng de méng , jiù bǎ tāmen xià zaì jiānlǐ , liǎng jiǎo shàng le mù gǒu .

25 Yuē zaì bàn yè , Bǎoluó hé Xīlā , dǎogào chàng shī zànmĕi shén , zhòng qiúfàn yĕ cè ĕr ér tīng .

26 Hūrán dì dà zhèndòng , shènzhì jiàn laó de dìjī dōu yáodòng le . jiàn mén lìkè quán kāi , zhòng qiúfàn de suǒliàn yĕ dōu sōng kāi le .

27 Jìn zú yī xǐng , kànjian jiàn mén quán kāi , yǐwéi qiúfàn yǐjing taó zǒu , jiù bá dāo yào zì shā .

28 Bǎoluó dàshēng hūjiào shuō , búyào shānghaì zìjǐ , wǒmen dōu zaì zhèlǐ .

29 Jīn zú jiào rén ná dēng lái , jiù tiào jìn qù , zhàn zhàn jìng jìng de , fǔfú zaì Bǎoluó Xīlā miànqián .

30 Yòu lǐng tāmen chūlai shuō , èr wèi xiānsheng , wǒ dàng zĕnyàng xíng cáinéng déjiù .

31 Tāmen shuō , dàng xìn zhǔ Yēsū , nǐ hé nǐ yī jiā dōu bì déjiù .

32 Tāmen jiù bǎ zhǔ de dào , jiǎng gĕi tā hé tā quán jiā de rén tīng .

33 Dàng yè jiù zaì nàshíhòu , jìn zú bǎ tāmen daì qù , xǐ tāmende shāng . tā hé shǔ hū tāde rén , lìshí dōu shòu le xǐ .

34 Yúshì jìn zú lǐng tāmen shàng zìjǐ jiā lǐ qù , gĕi tāmen bǎi shàng fàn , tā hé quán jiā , yīnwei xìn le shén , dōu hĕn xǐlè .

35 Dào le tiān liàng , guān zhǎng dǎfa chāiyì lái shuō , shìfàng nà liǎng gèrén bā .

36 Jìn zú jiù bǎ zhè huà gàosu Bǎoluó shuō , guān zhǎng dǎfa rén lái jiào shìfàng nǐmen . rújīn kĕyǐ chū jiàn , píng píngān ān de qù bā .

37 Bǎoluó què shuō , wǒmen shì Luómǎ rén , bìng méiyǒu dìng zuì , tāmen jiù zaì zhòngrén miànqián dǎ le wǒmen , yòu bǎ wǒmen xià zaì jiānlǐ . xiànzaì yào sīxià niǎn wǒmen chū qù má , zhè shì bù xíng de . jiào tāmen zìjǐ lái lǐng wǒmen chū qù bā .

38 Chāiyì bǎ zhè huà huí bǐng guān zhǎng . guān zhǎng tīngjian tāmen shì Luómǎ rén , jiù haìpà le .

39 Yúshì lái quàn tāmen , lǐng tāmen chūlai , qǐng tāmen líkāi nà chéng .

40 Èr rén chū le jiàn , wǎng lǚ dǐ yà jiā lǐ qù . jiàn le dìxiōng men , quànwèi tāmen yī fān , jiù zǒu le .

Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

Paul takes Timothy to be his assistant. (1-5) Paul proceeds to Macedonia, The conversion of Lydia. (6-15) An evil spirit cast out, Paul and Silas scourged and imprisoned. (16-24) The conversion of the jailer at Philippi. (25-34) Paul and Silas released. (35-40)

Verses 1-5 Well may the church look for much service from youthful ministers who set out in the same spirit as Timothy. But when men will submit in nothing, and oblige in nothing, the first elements of the Christian temper seem to be wanting; and there is great reason to believe that the doctrines and precepts of the gospel will not be successfully taught. The design of the decree being to set aside the ceremonial law, and its carnal ordinances, believers were confirmed in the Christian faith, because it set up a spiritual way of serving God, as suited to the nature both of God and man. Thus the church increased in numbers daily.

Verses 6-15 The removals of ministers, and the dispensing the means of grace by them, are in particular under Divine conduct and direction. We must follow Providence: and whatever we seek to do, if that suffer us not, we ought to submit and believe to be for the best. People greatly need help for their souls, it is their duty to look out for it, and to invite those among them who can help them. And God's calls must be complied with readily. A solemn assembly the worshippers of God must have, if possible, upon the sabbath day. If we have not synagogues, we must be thankful for more private places, and resort to them; not forsaking the assembling together, as our opportunities are. Among the hearers of Paul was a woman, named Lydia. She had an honest calling, which the historian notices to her praise. Yet though she had a calling to mind, she found time to improve advantages for her soul. It will not excuse us from religious duties, to say, We have a trade to mind; for have not we also a God to serve, and souls to look after? Religion does not call us from our business in the world, but directs us in it. Pride, prejudice, and sin shut out the truths of God, till his grace makes way for them into the understanding and affections; and the Lord alone can open the heart to receive and believe his word. We must believe in Jesus Christ; there is no coming to God as a Father, but by the Son as Mediator.

Verses 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accused of teaching bad customs.

Verses 25-34 The consolations of God to his suffering servants are neither few nor small. How much more happy are true Christians than their prosperous enemies! As in the dark, so out of the depths, we may cry unto God. No place, no time is amiss for prayer, if the heart be lifted up to God. No trouble, however grievous, should hinder us from praise. Christianity proves itself to be of God, in that it obliges us to be just to our own lives. Paul cried aloud to make the jailer hear, and to make him heed, saying, Do thyself no harm. All the cautions of the word of God against sin, and all appearances of it, and approaches to it, have this tendency. Man, woman, do not ruin thyself; hurt not thyself, and then none else can hurt thee; do not sin, for nothing but that can hurt thee. Even as to the body, we are cautioned against the sins which do harm to that. Converting grace changes people's language of and to good people and good ministers. How serious the jailer's inquiry! His salvation becomes his great concern; that lies nearest his heart, which before was furthest from his thoughts. It is his own precious soul that he is concerned about. Those who are thoroughly convinced of sin, and truly concerned about their salvation, will give themselves up to Christ. Here is the sum of the whole gospel, the covenant of grace in a few words; Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. The Lord so blessed the word, that the jailer was at once softened and humbled. He treated them with kindness and compassion, and, professing faith in Christ, was baptized in that name, with his family. The Spirit of grace worked such a strong faith in them, as did away further doubt; and Paul and Silas knew by the Spirit, that a work of God was wrought in them. When sinners are thus converted, they will love and honour those whom they before despised and hated, and will seek to lessen the suffering they before desired to increase. When the fruits of faith begin to appear, terrors will be followed by confidence and joy in God.

Verses 35-40 Paul, though willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, and without any desire to avenge himself, did not choose to depart under the charge of having deserved wrongful punishment, and therefore required to be dismissed in an honourable manner. It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle stood upon, but justice, and not to himself so much as to his cause. And when proper apology is made, Christians should never express personal anger, nor insist too strictly upon personal amends. The Lord will make them more than conquerors in every conflict; instead of being cast down by their sufferings, they will become comforters of their brethren.