Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 25

1 Fēi sī dū dào le rèn , guò le sān tiān , jiù cóng Gāisālíyà shàng Yēlùsǎlĕng qù .

2 Jìsīzhǎng , hé Yóutaìrén de shǒulǐng , xiàng tā kònggào Bǎoluó ,

3 Yòu yāng gào tā , qiú tāde qíng , jiāng Bǎoluó tí dào Yēlùsǎlĕng lái . tāmen yào zaì lù shàng máifu shāhaì tā .

4 Fēi sī dū què huídá shuō , Bǎoluó yē zaì Gāisālíyà , wǒ zìjǐ kuaì yào wǎng nàli qù .

5 Yòu shuō , nǐmen zhōngjiān yǒu de rén , yǔ wǒ yītóng xià qù , nà rén ruò yǒu shénme bú shì , jiù kĕyǐ gào tā .

6 Fēi sī dū zaì tāmen nàli , zhù le bú guò shí tiān bá tiān , jiù xià Gāisālíyà qù . dì èr tiān zuò táng , fēnfu jiāng Bǎoluó tí shàng lái .

7 Bǎoluó lái le , nàxiē cóng Yēlùsǎlĕng xià lái de Yóutaìrén , zhōuwéi zhàn zhe , jiāng xǔduō zhòng dà de shì kònggào tā , dōu shì bùnéng zhèngshí de .

8 Bǎoluó fēnsù shuō , wúlùn Yóutaìrén de lǜfǎ , huò shì shèng diàn , huò shì Gāisǎ , wǒ dōu méiyǒu gānfàn .

9 Dàn fēi sī dōu yào tǎo Yóutaìrén de xǐhuan , jiù wèn Bǎoluó shuō , nǐ yuànyì shàng Yēlùsǎlĕng qù , zaì nàli tīng wǒ shĕn duàn zhè shì má .

10 Bǎoluó shuō , wǒ zhàn zaì Gāisǎ de táng qián , zhè jiù shì wǒ yīngdāng shòu shĕn de dìfang . wǒ xiàng Yóutaìrén bìng méiyǒu xíng guò shénme bú yì de shì , zhè yĕ shì nǐ míng míng zhīdào de .

11 Wǒ ruò xíng le bú yì de shì , fàn le shénme gāisǐ de zuì , jiù shì sǐ , wǒ yĕ bú cí . tāmen suǒ gào wǒde shì ruò dōu bú shí , jiù méiyǒu rén kĕyǐ bǎ wǒ jiāo gĕi tāmen . wǒ yào shàng gào yú Gāisǎ .

12 Fēi sī dū hé yì huì shāngliang le , jiù shuō , nǐ jì shǎng gào yú Gāisǎ , kĕyǐ wǎng Gāisǎ nàli qù .

13 Guò le xiē rìzi , yà jī pà wáng , hé bǎi ní jī zhī , lái dào Gāisālíyà , wèn fēi sī dū ān .

14 Zaì nàli zhù le duō rì , fēi sī dū jiāng Bǎoluó de shì gàosu wáng , shuō , zhèlǐ yǒu yī gèrén , shì Féilìsī liú zaì jiānlǐ de .

15 Wǒ zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng de shíhou , Jìsīzhǎng hé Yóutaì de zhǎnglǎo , jiāng tāde shì bǐng bào le wǒ , qiú wǒ déng tāde zuì .

16 Wǒ duì tāmen shuō , wúlùn shénme rén , beì gào hái méiyǒu hé yuán gào duì zhì , wèi dé jīhuì fēnsù suǒ gào tāde shì , jiù xiān déng tāde zuì , zhè bú shì Luómǎ rén de tiaólì .

17 Jízhì tāmen dōu lái dào zhèlǐ , wǒ jiù bú dān yán , dì èr tiān biàn zuò táng , fēnfu bǎ nà rén tí shàng lái .

18 Gào tāde rén zhàn zhe gào tā . suǒ gào de , bìng méiyǒu wǒ suǒ nì liào de nà dĕng ĕ shì .

19 Bú guò shì yǒu jǐ yàng biànlùn , wéi tāmen zìjǐ jìng guǐ shén de shì , yòu wéi yī gèrén míng jiào Yēsū , shì yǐjing sǐ le , Bǎoluó què shuō tā shì huó zhe de .

20 Zhèxie shì dàng zĕnyàng jiū wèn , wǒ xīnli zuò nán . wǒ yǐ wèn tā shuō , nǐ yuànyì shàng Yēlùsǎlĕng qù , zaì nàli wéi zhèxie shì tīng shĕn má .

21 Dàn Bǎoluó qiú wǒ liú xià , tā yào tīng huáng shàng shĕn duàn , wǒ jiù fēnfu bǎ tā liú xià , dĕng wǒ jiĕ tā dào Gāisǎ nàli qù .

22 Yà jī pà duì fēi sī dū shuō , wǒ zìjǐ yĕ yuàn tīng zhè rén biànlùn . fēi sī dū shuō , míngtiān nǐ kĕyǐ tīng .

23 Dì èr tiān , yà jī pà hé bǎi ní jī dà zhāng wēi shì ér lái , tóng zhe zhòng qiā fú zhǎng , hé chéng lǐ de zūnguì rén , jìn le gōng tīng . fēi sī dū fēnfu yī shēng , jiù yǒu rén jiāng Bǎoluó daì jìnlái .

24 Fēi sī dū shuō , yà jī pà wáng , hé zaì zhèlǐ de zhūwèi a , nǐmen kàn zhè rén , jiù shì yīqiè Yóutaìrén zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng , hé zhèlǐ , céng xiàng wǒ kĕnqiú , hūjiào shuō , bùkĕ róng tā zaì huó zhe .

25 Dàn wǒ chá míng tā méiyǒu fàn shénme gāisǐ de zuì . bìngqiĕ tā zìjǐ shǎng gào yú huángdì , suǒyǐ wǒ déng yì bǎ tā jièqù

26 Lún dào zhè rén , wǒ méiyǒu quèshí de shì , kĕyǐ zòu míng zhǔ shàng . yīncǐ wǒ daì tā dào nǐmen miànqián , yĕ tèyì daì tā dào nǐ yà jī pà wáng miànqián , wéi yào zaì cháwèn zhī hòu , yǒu suǒ chén zòu .

27 Jù wǒ kàn lái , jiĕ sòng qiúfàn , bú zhǐ míng tāde zuì àn , shì bú hélǐ de .

Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

Paul before Festus, he appeals to Caesar. (1-12) Festus confers with Agrippa respecting Paul. (13-27)

Verses 1-12 See how restless malice is. Persecutors deem it a peculiar favour to have their malice gratified. Preaching Christ, the end of the law, was no offence against the law. In suffering times the prudence of the Lord's people is tried, as well as their patience; they need wisdom. It becomes those who are innocent, to insist upon their innocence. Paul was willing to abide by the rules of the law, and to let that take its course. If he deserved death, he would accept the punishment. But if none of the things whereof they accused him were true, no man could deliver him unto them, with justice. Paul is neither released nor condemned. It is an instance of the slow steps which Providence takes; by which we are often made ashamed, both of our hopes and of our fears, and are kept waiting on God.

Verses 13-27 Agrippa had the government of Galilee. How many unjust and hasty judgments the Roman maxim, ver. ( 16 ) , condemn! This heathen, guided only by the light of nature, followed law and custom exactly, yet how many Christians will not follow the rules of truth, justice, and charity, in judging their brethren! The questions about God's worship, the way of salvation, and the truths of the gospel, may appear doubtful and without interest, to worldly men and mere politicians. See how slightly this Roman speaks of Christ, and of the great controversy between the Jews and the Christians. But the day is at hand when Festus and the whole world will see, that all the concerns of the Roman empire were but trifles and of no consequence, compared with this question of Christ's resurrection. Those who have had means of instruction, and have despised them, will be awfully convinced of their sin and folly. Here was a noble assembly brought together to hear the truths of the gospel, though they only meant to gratify their curiosity by attending to the defence of a prisoner. Many, even now, attend at the places of hearing the word of God with "great pomp," and too often with no better motive than curiosity. And though ministers do not now stand as prisoners to make a defence for their lives, yet numbers affect to sit in judgment upon them, desirous to make them offenders for a word, rather than to learn from them the truth and will of God, for the salvation of their souls But the pomp of this appearance was outshone by the real glory of the poor prisoner at the bar. What was the honour of their fine appearance, compared with that of Paul's wisdom, and grace, and holiness; his courage and constancy in suffering for Christ! It is no small mercy to have God clear up our righteousness as the light, and our just dealing as the noon-day; to have nothing certain laid to our charge. And God makes even the enemies of his people to do them right.