《使徒行傳的NPC》Day 07
衣索匹亞的NPC
26 有主的一個使者對腓利說：「起來！向南走，往那從耶路撒冷下迦薩的路上去。」那路是曠野。27 腓利就起身去了，不料，有一個衣索匹亞人，是個有大權的太監，在衣索匹亞女王甘大基的手下總管銀庫，他上耶路撒冷禮拜去了。28 現在回來，在車上坐著，念先知以賽亞的書。29 聖靈對腓利說：「你去！貼近那車走。」30 腓利就跑到太監那裏，聽見他念先知以賽亞的書，便問他說：「你所念的，你明白嗎？」31 他說：「沒有人指教我，怎能明白呢？」於是請腓利上車，與他同坐。32 他所念的那段經，說：祂像羊被牽到宰殺之地，又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下無聲；祂也是這樣不開口。33 祂卑微的時候，人不按公義審判祂；誰能述說祂的世代？因為祂的生命從地上奪去。34 太監對腓利說：「請問，先知說這話是指著誰？是指著自己呢？是指著別人呢？」35 腓利就開口從這經上起，對他傳講耶穌。36 二人正往前走，到了有水的地方，太監說：「看哪，這裏有水，我受洗有甚麼妨礙呢？」38 於是吩咐車站住，腓利和太監二人同下水裏去，腓利就給他施洗。39 從水裏上來，主的靈把腓利提了去，太監也不再見他了，就歡歡喜喜地走路。40 後來有人在亞鎖都遇見腓利；他走遍那地方，在各城宣傳福音，直到凱撒利亞。(使徒行傳八26-40)
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He did not open his mouth. 33 In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40)
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He did not open his mouth. 33 In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40)
分享：腓利，是一個很了不起的人物。有一天他依從聖靈的帶領，來到了無人煙的曠野中，向一個衣索匹亞太監講聖經，最後更為對方施洗。這事蹟的主角是腓利，而NPC則是那看不明白聖經的衣索匹亞太監。在這事蹟裡，衣索匹亞太監的舉動給我們以下的反思：
1. 敬拜上帝的態度：為了敬拜，他不但千里迢迢從衣索匹亞來到耶路撒冷，也不怕別人的看法 (畢竟他是一個外邦人，也是高官，不易被人接受)。他心裡只有一件事：要到耶路撒冷禮拜，當抓緊了一個原因，其他的問題也不再是問題了。
2. 渴慕真理的追求：除了去耶路撒冷敬拜之外，他更在途中讀聖經。此時，腓利突然出現，當太監知道對方能夠指教他時，他立即邀請腓利上車，並認真地求問腓利。然後，當他見到有水池出現 *，又立即主動地提出要接受水禮。由此可見，太監對真理持有渴慕及追求的心。
3. 見證上帝的生命： 最後，太監親眼經歷了一個神跡，就是主的靈把腓利提了去。聖經形容太監往後歡歡喜喜地走路，因為他已經得着了生命之道。雖然聖經並沒有加以補充，但相信這樣的喜樂生命，定必能夠讓他在衣索匹亞一帶見證這生命之道。
各位，今天我們的生命有沒有像衣索匹亞太監一樣？正因為他知道這生命之道使他活得豐盛，所以他願意竭力追求真理，並全心全意地敬拜上帝。筆者常常都反思一個問題：究竟我們這「信主的生命」與未信之前有什麼分別呢？願這NPC的見證再一次激勵我們吧！
* 該水池近年被考古學家發掘出來。
反思：嘗試從第三者的角度看自己今天「信主的生命」，你會給予什麼評價呢？
禱告：親愛的天父，求祢賜我們一顆渴慕真理的心，叫我們活出與救恩相稱的生命。以上禱告，奉主耶穌得勝的名求，阿們。
Posted in CGCep09