Acts

提摩太跟保羅、西拉同工

1保羅來到特庇，又到路司得。在那裏有一個門徒，名叫提摩太，是信主之猶太婦人的兒子，他父親卻是希臘人。

2路司得和以哥念的弟兄都稱讚他。

3保羅要帶他同去，只因那些地方的猶太人都知道他父親是希臘人，就給他行了割禮。

4他們經過各城，把耶路撒冷使徒和長老所定的條規交給門徒遵守。

5於是眾教會信心越發堅固，人數天天加增。

保羅看見馬其頓人的異象

6聖靈既然禁止他們在亞細亞講道，他們就經過弗呂家、加拉太一帶地方。

7到了每西亞的邊界，他們想要往庇推尼去，耶穌的靈卻不許。

8他們就越過每西亞，下到特羅亞去。

9在夜間有異象現與保羅。有一個馬其頓人站着求他說：「請你過到馬其頓來幫助我們。」

10保羅既看見這異象，我們隨即想要往馬其頓去，以為上帝召我們傳福音給那裏的人聽。

呂底亞歸主

11於是從特羅亞開船，一直行到撒摩特喇，第二天到了尼亞坡里。

12從那裏來到腓立比，就是馬其頓這一方的頭一個城，也是羅馬的駐防城。我們在這城裏住了幾天。

13當安息日，我們出城門，到了河邊，知道那裏有一個禱告的地方，我們就坐下對那聚會的婦女講道。

14有一個賣紫色布疋的婦人，名叫呂底亞，是推雅推喇城的人，素來敬拜上帝。她聽見了，主就開導她的心，叫她留心聽保羅所講的話。

15她和她一家既領了洗，便求我們說：「你們若以為我是真信主的，請到我家裏來住」；於是強留我們。

在腓立比被囚

16後來，我們往那禱告的地方去。有一個使女迎着面來，她被巫鬼所附，用法術，叫她主人們大得財利。

17她跟隨保羅和我們，喊着說：「這些人是至高上帝的僕人，對你們傳說救人的道。」

18她一連多日這樣喊叫，保羅就心中厭煩，轉身對那鬼說：「我奉耶穌基督的名，吩咐你從她身上出來！」那鬼當時就出來了。

19使女的主人們見得利的指望沒有了，便揪住保羅和西拉，拉他們到市上去見首領；

20又帶到官長面前說：「這些人原是猶太人，竟騷擾我們的城，

21傳我們羅馬人所不可受不可行的規矩。」

22眾人就一同起來攻擊他們。官長吩咐剝了他們的衣裳，用棍打；

23打了許多棍，便將他們下在監裏，囑咐禁卒嚴緊看守。

24禁卒領了這樣的命，就把他們下在內監裏，兩腳上了木狗。

25約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告，唱詩讚美上帝，眾囚犯也側耳而聽。

26忽然，地大震動，甚至監牢的地基都搖動了，監門立刻全開，眾囚犯的鎖鍊也都鬆開了。

27禁卒一醒，看見監門全開，以為囚犯已經逃走，就拔刀要自殺。

28保羅大聲呼叫說：「不要傷害自己！我們都在這裏。」

29禁卒叫人拿燈來，就跳進去，戰戰兢兢地俯伏在保羅、西拉面前；

30又領他們出來，說：「二位先生，我當怎樣行才可以得救？」

31他們說：「當信主耶穌，你和你一家都必得救。」

32他們就把主的道講給他和他全家的人聽。

33當夜，就在那時候，禁卒把他們帶去，洗他們的傷；他和屬乎他的人立時都受了洗。

34於是禁卒領他們上自己家裏去，給他們擺上飯。他和全家，因為信了上帝，都很喜樂。

35到了天亮，官長打發差役來，說：「釋放那兩個人吧。」

36禁卒就把這話告訴保羅說：「官長打發人來叫釋放你們，如今可以出監，平平安安地去吧。」

37保羅卻說：「我們是羅馬人，並沒有定罪，他們就在眾人面前打了我們，又把我們下在監裏，現在要私下攆我們出去嗎？這是不行的。叫他們自己來領我們出去吧！」

38差役把這話回稟官長。官長聽見他們是羅馬人，就害怕了，

39於是來勸他們，領他們出來，請他們離開那城。

40二人出了監，往呂底亞家裏去， 見了弟兄們，勸慰他們一番，就走了。

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

1Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

2The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian

6After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia,they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

7And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

9During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

11We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis.

12From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia.And we stayed there several days.

13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.

14Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

15And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

16One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination,who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.

17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

18She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

19When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.

20They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil

21by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”

22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.

23And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

24On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Conversion of the Jailer

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

26Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.

28But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”

29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.

30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

32Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

33At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.

34Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.

An Official Apology

35When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”

36The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”

37But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”

38So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

39They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.

40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.