《使徒行傳的NPC》Day 03

欺哄聖靈的NPC

有一個人,名叫亞拿尼亞,同他的妻子撒非喇賣了田產,把價銀私自留下幾分,他的妻子也知道,其餘的幾分拿來放在使徒腳前。3 彼得說:「亞拿尼亞!為甚麼撒但充滿了你的心,叫你欺哄聖靈,把田地的價銀私自留下幾分呢?田地還沒有賣,不是你自己的嗎?既賣了,價銀不是你作主嗎?你怎麼心裏起這意念呢?你不是欺哄人,是欺哄上帝了。」亞拿尼亞聽見這話,就仆倒,斷了氣;聽見的人都甚懼怕。6 有些少年人起來,把他包裹,抬出去埋葬了。約過了三小時,他的妻子進來,還不知道這事。8 彼得對她說:「你告訴我,你們賣田地的價銀就是這些嗎?」她說:「就是這些。」9 彼得說:「你們為甚麼同心試探主的靈呢?埋葬你丈夫之人的腳已到門口,他們也要把你抬出去。」10 婦人立刻仆倒在彼得腳前,斷了氣。那些少年人進來,見她已經死了,就抬出去,埋在她丈夫旁邊。11 全教會和聽見這事的人都甚懼怕。 (使徒行傳五1-11)

1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. (Act 5:1-11)

分享:今天要跟大家分享一對欺哄聖靈的NPC:亞拿尼亞與他的妻子撒非喇。聖經記載他們把部分財產獻上,然後被責備,再仆倒斷了氣。有人質疑,為什麼初期教會一定要人獻上所有財產?請留意,亞拿尼亞夫婦二人的問題不在於「獻上多少」,而是因為「欺哄聖靈」。

初期教會的情況是:信徒互相幫助、分享財產,甚至將田產賣了讓使徒按需要分配給眾人。(參使徒行傳二43-46、四32) 如果亞拿尼亞二人是出於好意,賣田產和眾人分享,無論獻出多少也是一件美事。然而,亞拿尼亞二人卻分別向使徒聲稱,已經把賣田得到的「全部」捐出。為什麼他們要說謊?筆者認為有兩個可能性。首先,他們想得到好名聲。當時,凡物公用是愛人愛神的表現,如果他們沒有這樣擺上,就得不到好名聲 (或被其他信徒比下去)。其次,他們想得到最大的收益。試想,如果他們只是獻出部分,然後又能享有別人所獻上的 (基於凡物公用的機制),他們的資產就會變得更多。

表面看來,亞拿尼亞
夫婦二人都有奉獻,但心態卻是大錯特錯,所以彼得責備他們:「為甚麼撒但充滿了你的心?」同時更指出他們「不是欺哄人」,而是「欺哄聖靈」、「欺哄上帝」(Ref. v.3-4)  於是,他們最後的結果是:「仆倒、斷了氣」。

這讓筆者想起一個喻道故事。一個人,靠賣雞和牛維生,但生意很差。於是他向上帝祈求:「若能把雞和牛都賣出,就把賣牛所得的金錢奉獻給教會。」於是,他到市場擺賣,標價是這樣的:「牛10元一隻,雞200元一隻。」今次,都能把牛和雞都買出去。結果,農夫就履行對上帝的承諾,把賣出牛隻所得的金錢 (10元) 奉獻給教會。各位,你認為他的奉獻有什麼問題呢?

反思:今天,我們為主獻上什麼?我們奉獻的心又是如何?

禱告:親愛的天父, 感謝祢透過亞拿尼亞夫婦二人的事蹟提醒我們,要檢視自己奉獻的心態。但願我們的奉獻都是全心全意為祢擺上的,而不是為了得到別人的稱讚,或是從中獲取更大的收益。 求祢賜我們一顆清潔的心來親近祢、事奉祢、榮耀祢。以上禱告,奉主耶穌得勝的名求,阿們。