八福
基督教没有强逼
经文
彼得前书四7-19
7万物的结局近了。所以，你们要谨慎自守，儆醒祷告。
8最要紧的是彼此切实相爱，因为爱能遮掩许多的罪。
9你们要互相款待，不发怨言。
10各人要照所得的恩赐彼此服事，作神百般恩赐的好管家。
11若有讲道的，要按着神的圣言讲；若有服事人的，要按着神所赐的力量服事，叫神在凡事上因耶稣基督得荣耀。原来荣耀、权能都是他的，直到永永远远。阿们！
12亲爱的弟兄阿，有火炼的试验临到你们，不要以为奇怪（似乎是遭遇非常的事），
13倒要欢喜；因为你们是与基督一同受苦，使你们在他荣耀显现的时候，也可以欢喜快乐。
14你们若为基督的名受辱骂，便是有福的；因为神荣耀的灵常住在你们身上。
15你们中间却不可有人因为杀人、偷窃、作恶、好管闲事而受苦。
16若为作基督徒受苦，却不要羞耻，倒要因这名归荣耀给神。
17因为时候到了，审判要从神的家起首。若是先从我们起首，那不信从神福音的人将有何等的结局呢？
18若是义人仅仅得救，那不虔敬和犯罪的人将有何地可站呢？
19所以那照神旨意受苦的人要一心为善，将自己灵魂交与那信实的造化之主。
信息分享
我们继续讨论昨天的话题──很多基督徒受逼迫，不是因为与基督认同，而是因为行事为人缺乏技巧和智慧。第八福「为义受逼迫的人有福了！因为天国是他们的」，说的并不是这种人。我们对这一点要有清楚的认识。
到底是为义受逼迫呢？还是为了自己的义受逼迫？这中间的区别很大。很多基督徒在这些事情上很愚昧，他们不明白偏见和原则之间的分别，因此为自己带来不必要的痛苦。那些在作见证时过份热心的人也是这样。他们令人讨厌却把所受到的逼迫解释成为义受逼迫。
圣经教导我们要「灵巧像蛇，纯良像鸽子」。箴言的作者有力地指出：「有智慧的，必能得人」（箴十一30）。第八福没有告诉我们：「为了过分热心而受逼迫的人有福了」，也没有告诉我们：「为了狂热而受逼迫的人有福了」。有一间教会曾经要求我辅导他们的一位会友，因为他冲动地作见证，惹来了很多麻烦，导致教会威胁要对他进行纪律处分，除非他同意接受辅导。后来我发觉他那作见证的强逼性行为不是来自基督，而是来自他自己内里的冲动。他需要以作见证来让自己感到重要。事实上，基督徒作见证应该有节制，绝对不能被强逼。
「有智慧的，必能得人」
进深研究
徒九1-29；林前四12；林后四9
1.扫罗真正迫害的是谁？
2.他早期传扬基督的经验是怎么样的？
祈祷
天父，求您让我知道如何分辨甚么是强逼，甚么是节制。帮助我从自己与您的关系中找到我的重要性，免得我走歪路。阿们。
The Beatitudes
No compulsions in Christianity
Bible reading:
1 Peter 4:7-19
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"[a]
19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Message
We continue focusing on the fact that many Christians are persecuted, not because of identifying with Christ, but because of their tactlessness and folly. This eighth Beatitude - "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" - does not apply to such people. Let us be quite clear about that.
There is a great difference between persecution for the sake of righteousness and persecution for the sake of self-righteousness. Many Christians are foolish in these matters. They fail to realise the difference between prejudice and principle, and thus bring unnecessary suffering upon themselves. The same applies to those who are over-zealous in their witnessing. They make a nuisance of themselves and interpret the persecution that comes as persecution for righteousness' sake.
The Scripture teaches us to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves". The writer of the Proverbs puts it powerfully when he says: "He who wins souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30). We are not told in this eighth Beatitude, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because they are over-zealous", neither are we told, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because they are fanatical." I was once asked by a church to counsel one of their members who had a compulsion to witness. The man got into so many difficulties because of this that the church threatened to discipline him unless he agreed to receive counselling. I found his compulsion to witness came not from Christ, but from his own inner drives. He needed to witness so as to feel significant. Witnessing should be a constraint, never a compulsion.
"He who wins souls is wise"
Prayer
O Father, show me how to distinguish between what is a compulsion and what is a constraint. And help me to see that if I don't find my significance in my relationship with You, then I will attempt to find it in other ways. Amen.
Further study
Acts 9:1-29
1 Corinthians 4:12
2 Corinthians 4:9
1. Who was Saul really persecuting?
2. What was his early experience of proclaiming Christ?
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