Acts

提摩太跟保罗、西拉同工

1保罗来到特庇，又到路司得。在那里有一个门徒，名叫提摩太，是信主之犹太妇人的儿子，他父亲却是希腊人。

2路司得和以哥念的弟兄都称赞他。

3保罗要带他同去，只因那些地方的犹太人都知道他父亲是希腊人，就给他行了割礼。

4他们经过各城，把耶路撒冷使徒和长老所定的条规交给门徒遵守。

5于是众教会信心越发坚固，人数天天加增。

保罗看见马其顿人的异象

6圣灵既然禁止他们在亚细亚讲道，他们就经过弗吕家、加拉太一带地方。

7到了每西亚的边界，他们想要往庇推尼去，耶稣的灵却不许。

8他们就越过每西亚，下到特罗亚去。

9在夜间有异象现与保罗。有一个马其顿人站着求他说：「请你过到马其顿来帮助我们。」

10保罗既看见这异象，我们随即想要往马其顿去，以为 神召我们传福音给那里的人听。

吕底亚归主

11于是从特罗亚开船，一直行到撒摩特喇，第二天到了尼亚坡里。

12从那里来到腓立比，就是马其顿这一方的头一个城，也是罗马的驻防城。我们在这城里住了几天。

13当安息日，我们出城门，到了河边，知道那里有一个祷告的地方，我们就坐下对那聚会的妇女讲道。

14有一个卖紫色布疋的妇人，名叫吕底亚，是推雅推喇城的人，素来敬拜 神。她听见了，主就开导她的心，叫她留心听保罗所讲的话。

15她和她一家既领了洗，便求我们说：「你们若以为我是真信主的，请到我家里来住」；于是强留我们。

在腓立比被囚

16后来，我们往那祷告的地方去。有一个使女迎着面来，她被巫鬼所附，用法术，叫她主人们大得财利。

17她跟随保罗和我们，喊着说：「这些人是至高 神的仆人，对你们传说救人的道。」

18她一连多日这样喊叫，保罗就心中厌烦，转身对那鬼说：「我奉耶稣基督的名，吩咐你从她身上出来！」那鬼当时就出来了。

19使女的主人们见得利的指望没有了，便揪住保罗和西拉，拉他们到市上去见首领；

20又带到官长面前说：「这些人原是犹太人，竟骚扰我们的城，

21传我们罗马人所不可受不可行的规矩。」

22众人就一同起来攻击他们。官长吩咐剥了他们的衣裳，用棍打；

23打了许多棍，便将他们下在监里，嘱咐禁卒严紧看守。

24禁卒领了这样的命，就把他们下在内监里，两脚上了木狗。

25约在半夜，保罗和西拉祷告，唱诗赞美 神，众囚犯也侧耳而听。

26忽然，地大震动，甚至监牢的地基都摇动了，监门立刻全开，众囚犯的锁链也都松开了。

27禁卒一醒，看见监门全开，以为囚犯已经逃走，就拔刀要自杀。

28保罗大声呼叫说：「不要伤害自己！我们都在这里。」

29禁卒叫人拿灯来，就跳进去，战战兢兢地俯伏在保罗、西拉面前；

30又领他们出来，说：「二位先生，我当怎样行才可以得救？」

31他们说：「当信主耶稣，你和你一家都必得救。」

32他们就把主的道讲给他和他全家的人听。

33当夜，就在那时候，禁卒把他们带去，洗他们的伤；他和属乎他的人立时都受了洗。

34于是禁卒领他们上自己家里去，给他们摆上饭。他和全家，因为信了 神，都很喜乐。

35到了天亮，官长打发差役来，说：「释放那两个人吧。」

36禁卒就把这话告诉保罗说：「官长打发人来叫释放你们，如今可以出监，平平安安地去吧。」

37保罗却说：「我们是罗马人，并没有定罪，他们就在众人面前打了我们，又把我们下在监里，现在要私下撵我们出去吗？这是不行的。叫他们自己来领我们出去吧！」

38差役把这话回禀官长。官长听见他们是罗马人，就害怕了，

39于是来劝他们，领他们出来，请他们离开那城。

40二人出了监，往吕底亚家里去，见了弟兄们，劝慰他们一番，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.