第八章

27 ……有一個衣索匹亞（即古實，見以賽亞十八章一節）人，是個有大權的太監，在衣索匹亞女王干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 腓利就跑到太監那裡，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：

他像羊被牽到宰殺之地，又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下無聲；他也是這樣不開口。 33 他卑微的時候，人不按公義審判他（原文是他的審判被奪去）；誰能述說他的世代，因為他的生命從地上奪去。

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。

 

默想

1. 司提反殉道後，教會大遭迫害，信徒由耶路撒冷四散各地。聖靈叫腓利走進衣索匹亞太監的馬車，太監聽完腓利講解，很快就相信，且要馬上受洗。這個例子表明，很多人都不認識耶穌，也不明白何謂作耶穌的門徒，只是單單想遇見神，腓利扶他們一把，就簡單直接地將基督介紹給他們。
2. 腓利的生命提醒我們宣揚基督：是聖靈的愛激勵我們去接觸真誠尋求神的人；聖靈之前已經動工，並且在我們完工後繼續作工。我們可以效法腓利，向尋求神的人傳講耶穌，相信聖靈會使人得著救恩。
3. 在我所熟識的人中，我可以開始為什麼人的得救禱告？有什麼已經開始向我詢問“屬靈”的問題，有關生命的意義，信仰，人生目標等等？將他/她的名字寫在 “靈程筆記”簿上，經常定時地為他/她禱告；體察聖靈在他/她生命中有什麼工作？並求神賜我智慧，把握機會來向他/她作見證，傳講耶穌的福音。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

Chapter 8

^27………  an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”  ³⁰Then 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.  ³²The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,  so he did not open his mouth. ³³In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants?      For his life was taken from the earth.”

³⁴The 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.

Meditation

1. After Stephen was martyred, persecution of the Church increased and Christians scattered.  Philip went to Samaria to speak of Jesus Christ, people believed quickly and many were baptized.  Later, the Spirit led Philip to the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch.  The eunuch too believed quickly and wanted to be baptized.  In both instances, they didn’t know Jesus and did not understand what it meant to become a disciple of Jesus.  They simply wanted to meet God and Philip told them of Christ
2. Philip’s life reminds us of what it really means to proclaim Christ.  We come in the love of the Holy Spirit to those who honestly seek God, trusting that the Spirit began the work before we did and will carry it on after us.  We can all be like Philip, speaking Jesus to those who seek God, trusting that the Spirit can draw souls to salvation.
3. Who, among my closely acquainted, can I begin to pray for his/her salvation?  Is there anyone around me who has been asking “spiritual” questions—questions about life’s meaning, belief, purpose, etc.?  Write the name down and pray regularly, taking note of the Holy Spirit’s work and asking for wisdom to share the gospel with him/her.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.