“May We Unite Together in God’s Love and Build Up Each Other in Christ 願我們在神愛裡合一，在基督裡彼此建立“（Acts 使徒行傳 11:25-30）
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. … Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
後來他到大數去找掃羅，找到了，就帶他來安提阿。足足有一年，他們一同在教會聚集，教導了許多人。門徒稱為基督徒，是從安提阿開始的。… 叫亞迦布的站起來，藉著聖靈指出天下將要有大饑荒；這事在革老丟時期果然發生了。於是門徒決定按著各人的力量捐款，好送給住在猶太的弟兄。他們就這樣行了，由巴拿巴和掃羅經手送到長老們那裡。
All the exciting gospel work and opportunities in Antioch prompted Barnabas to remember Saul. Saul was so valuable to Barnabas that it was worth it for him to leave his work for a season and search hard to find Saul in Tarsus. Then they returned together and taught great numbers of people in Antioch making the church strong there. As the people of Antioch called/mocked Jesus’ followers the ‘Jesus People/Christians’, the believers appreciated the title so much that it stuck. Taking the prediction of a severe famine seriously, truly disciples/Christians in Antioch, as each one was able, determined to give generously to meet the need according to the ability of their resources and their faith, trusting that their gift to God’s work was a worthy investment in His kingdom, and not a loss.
在安提阿所有令人振奮的福音工作和機會，促使巴拿巴想起掃羅。巴拿巴視掃羅如此有價值，以致他值得放下自己的工作一段時間，並要到大數去盡力找到掃羅。之後他們一起回到安提阿，教導了許多人，使那裡的教會強壯起來。當安提阿人稱呼/嘲笑耶穌的跟從者為「耶穌人/基督徒」時，信徒們如此意識到這稱呼，以致它仍被使用。在安提阿真心信主的門徒/基督徒，對大饑荒的預測嚴肅正視，定意按著各人的資源和信心的力量，慷慨地奉獻來滿足需要，相信他們對神工作的奉獻，是對神國度的值得投資，而不是一種損失。
Prayer: Abba Father, today more and more Christians tend to lose the idea of the title ‘Jesus People / Christians’ and thus do not really care about being worthy of the name or not. Thank you for reminding us your wonderful hand in Antioch not only in their church physical growth but also in their spiritual growth towards maturity demonstrated by their act of offering. Indeed, if a person does not determine to give, that person seldom or never does. Amen.
禱告: 阿爸父啊，今天越來越多的基督徒倾向失掉「耶穌人/基督徒」這稱呼的觀念，因此並不真正關注配得这名與否。感谢你提醒我们你在安提阿那奇妙的手，不單只在他们教會實軆的增长上，而且也在他们屬靈的成长迈向成熟上，以他们奉獻的作为証明出来。確實，如果一個人不定意去捐款付出，那人就少有或永不捐款付出。阿們。
