從迷惘到信靠
常常?是不是翻譯錯了?
經文
帖撒羅尼迦前五12-24
12弟兄們,我們勸你們敬重那在你們中間勞苦的人,就是在主裡面治理你們、勸戒你們的。
13又因他們所作的工,用愛心格外尊重他們。你們也要彼此和睦。
14我們又勸弟兄們,要警戒不守規矩的人,勉勵灰心的人,扶助軟弱的人,也要向眾人忍耐。
15你們要謹慎,無論是誰都不可以惡報惡;或是彼此相待,或是待眾人,常要追求良善。
16要常常喜樂,
17不住的禱告,
18凡事謝恩;因為這是神在基督耶穌裡向你們所定的旨意。19不要銷滅聖靈的感動;
20不要藐視先知的講論。
21但要凡事察驗,善美的要持守,22各樣的惡事要禁戒不作。
23願賜平安的神親自使你們全然成聖!又願你們的靈與魂與身子得蒙保守,在我主耶穌基督降臨的時候,完全無可指摘!
24那召你們的本是信實的,他必成就這事。
信息分享
很多基督徒認為這段經文太富挑戰性了,以致他們很難思念它。但正如我們曾經說過:逃避不會有出路。我曾經收過一封信,信中提出這麼一個問題:「保羅的意思真的是要我們常常喜樂嗎?他的意思會不會是有的時候喜樂呢?這會否是翻錯了?」不是,那不是翻錯了,那是使徒的話,是真實和準確的翻譯。
但我們真的可能常常喜樂嗎?我相信這是可能做到的。秘訣就是,唯有我們凡事都看到神,才能夠凡事保持喜樂。有些人也許會覺得很難接受而提出說:「有些事情是來自魔鬼,你這句話怎能應用到那些事情上去?」不錯,神確實可能不在某些事情的開頭,但祂肯定會在事情的過程中。你所遇到的境況或困難可能源自魔鬼,但到了事情臨到、或你在經歷時,就會有神的目的在其中了。
有一位年老的姊妹祈求要有麵包,一些頑皮的男孩聽到她的禱告後決定要作弄她,於是他們爬上屋頂把麵包從煙囪裡拋了下去。老姊妹看到麵包高聲喊說:「讚美主,神聽了我的禱告。」那些男孩跑來敲她的門,告訴她說:「不是神給妳麵包,是我們給的。」老姊妹笑著回答說:「那可能是魔鬼帶來的,不過它卻是受了神的差遣」。事情不論來自哪裡,當它發生在你身上的時候,你都可以肯定是有神的允許在其中。因此,它便能夠從本來是麻煩的來源,轉而成為得勝的源頭。
「任何事情都可以成為得勝的源頭」
進深研究
彼前四1-13;腓四4;詩三十三1;雅一2-3
1. 為甚麼神容許我們經歷試煉?
2. 為甚麼我們可以在試煉中喜樂?
祈禱
天父,感謝您把「常常喜樂」的秘訣賜給我,就是當我們凡事都看到神的時候,就可以凡事保持喜樂。求您將這真理永遠銘刻在我的心靈裡,讓我永遠都在它的亮光下生活。奉耶穌的名祈求,阿們。
From Confusion to Confidence
"All times" a mistranslation?
Bible reading:
1 Thessalonians 5:12-24
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.
13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray continually,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt
21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,
22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Message
Many Christians find this text so challenging that they cannot allow their minds to focus on it. But as we have been saying - evasion will never get us anywhere. A letter I once received asked: "Did Paul really mean we should rejoice at all times? Didn't he mean sometimes? Can this be a mistranslation?" No, it is not a mistranslation - it is a true and accurate translation of the apostle's words.
But is it really possible to rejoice at all times? I believe it is. Here's the secret: we can rejoice in everything only to the extent that we see God in everything. Some might have difficulty with this, and respond: "There are some things which come from the devil; how can what you say be applied to that?" It is true that God may not be in the genesis of something, but He can certainly be in its exodus. Your circumstances or problems may have begun with the devil, but by the time they get to you and through you, they have a divine purpose running through them.
An old lady was praying for bread. Some boys, hearing her, decided to play a trick on her. They climbed up on her roof and threw some loaves down the chimney. "Praise the Lord," shouted the old lady, "God has heard my prayer." The boys then knocked on her door and said: "But it was not God who gave you the bread - it was us." She laughingly replied: "Well, the devil may have brought it, but it was God who sent it." Wherever an event comes from, by the time it gets to you, you can be sure it has got God's permission - and thus has the potential of becoming not a source of trouble but a source of triumph.
"Any event can be a source of triumph"
Prayer
O Father, thank You for imparting to me the secret of continuous rejoicing - we can rejoice in everything when we see God in everything. Imprint these words indelibly on my spirit so that I may for ever live in the light of them. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
1 Peter 4:1-13
Philippians 4:4
Psalm 33:1
James 1:2-3
1. Why does God allow us to go through trials?
2. Why can we rejoice in our trials?
本文英文版權屬 CWR 所有,承蒙允准刊載。
背景音樂版權屬 讚美之泉音樂事工 所有,承蒙允准使用。

