“God Is with Those Whom He Accepts in Christ for Fearing Him and Doing What Is Right 神與那些因敬畏祂而行義、在基督裡蒙祂悅納的人同在“(Acts 使徒行傳 10:34-38)
Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. … how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
彼得就開口說:“我實在看出神是不偏待人的。原來在各民族中,凡敬畏他而行義的,都蒙他悅納。神藉著耶穌基督(他是萬有的主)傳和平的福音,把這道傳給以色列人。… 神怎樣用聖靈和能力膏立拿撒勒人耶穌。他到各處行善事,醫好所有被魔鬼壓制的人,因為神與他同在。
The truth that God shows no favouritism is the foundation for Peter’s understanding of the gospel now going forth to Gentiles. This goes completely against the prevailing Jewish thought at that time that God loved the Jews while hating the Gentiles. One aspect of the essence of Christianity is to disregard/eliminate racial, cultural and national limitations. The spreading of Christ’s good news should be ‘ideally’ accompanied with the presence of God (the Holy Spirit). When we as God’s people/children showed some kind/form of partiality, we were not being faithful to God’s heart as revealed in the Bible!
神不偏待人這真理,是彼得對福音要現在被傳達至外邦人之理解的基礎。這完全違背了當時流行的猶太思想,認為神恨外邦人而喜(偏)愛猶太人。基督信仰本質的一方面,是要漠視/排除種族、文化和國籍的限制。基督好消息的傳播,理應「理想地」有神(聖靈)的臨在伴隨。當我們作為神的子民/兒女表現出某類/形式的偏待時,我們就沒有忠於在聖經裡所揭示神的心意了!
Prayer: God of Trinity, praise you for Jesus Christ being indeed Lord of all who believe/trust in Him alone for salvation, both Jews and non-Jews. Thank you for reminding us through Peter’s point that those like Cornelius fearing you and doing what is right do need to become Christians but need not feel excluded from your house because of their national background. May your peace, which transcends all understanding and affirms your holy presence/acceptance, as well as the leading of the Holy Spirit guard our hearts and our minds in Christ to follow Him closely. Amen.
禱告: 三一真神啊,因著耶穌基督確實是所有單單相信/靠賴祂,得著救恩之猶太人和非猶太人的主,要讚美稱頌你。感謝你透過彼得的解說要點提醒我們,那些好像哥尼流一樣,敬畏你而行義的人,都需要成為基督徒,卻無須因著他們民族的背景,而感到被排斥在你家之外。願你那超過人能了解,併申明你神聖同在/悅納的平安,與及聖靈的引領,必在基督裡保守我們的心思意念,去緊緊地跟從祂。阿們。