第十六章

22 眾人就一同起來攻擊他們（保羅和西拉）。官長吩咐剝了他們的衣裳，用棍打； 23 打了許多棍，便將他們下在監裡，囑咐禁卒嚴緊看守。24 禁卒領了這樣的命，就把他們下在內監裡，兩腳上了木狗。

25 約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告唱詩讚美　神，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，眾囚犯的鎖鏈也都鬆開了。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！我們都在這裡。」

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裡去，給他們擺上飯。他和全家，因為信了神，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！」

 

默想

1. 為什麼獄卒因為保羅和西拉的行為，會有這麼大的反應和轉變？想一下這樣幾乎不可思議的情景：獄卒接待囚犯到家中；保羅和西拉為全家人施洗；大家在不知明天保羅和西拉會有怎樣的下場的情況下，一起飽享一頓豐富的午夜餐。
2. 告訴神，這段經文中最感動我的是什麼？這說明我需要向神求什麼？現在就向神求。
3. 保羅這句話「你和你一家都必得救」並非應許每個孩子都必定得救，而是說，孩子們和我們一樣，都可以因著信主而得到拯救。我是否常為家中的成員逐一提名為他們的得救禱告？現在就一一提名為他們禱告吧！

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 16

²²The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. ²³After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.  ²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. ²⁷The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”  ²⁹The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰He then 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 they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.  ³⁵When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

Meditation

1. Why was the jailer so dramatically affected by Paul and Silas’ behavior?  Picture these scenes: the jailer making his prisoners feel at home with his family, Paul and Silas baptizing the family, the group eating a festive meal together, not knowing what would happen to Paul and Silas the next day.
2. Talk to God about what touches me the most in this passage.  What does that tell me about what I need from God?  Ask God for that.
3. Paul’s words on salvation to “you and your household” is not a blanket assurance that one’s children will someday be saved, but as assurance that they, like us, can find salvation through faith in the Lord.  Do I often pray for the salvation of my family members and mention their names to the Lord?  Pray for each one of them NOW!

 

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.