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。

1He came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek.

2The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

3Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

5So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

7When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.

8Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.”

10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them.

11Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

12and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

13On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

14A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.

15When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

16As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.

17Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

18She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.

19But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

20When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city

21and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

22The multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, then commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

24Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

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

26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.

27The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”

29He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,

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

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

32They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.

33He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.

34He brought them up into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his household, having believed in God.

35But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”

36The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.”

37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”

38The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

39and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

40They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.