2025-07-15

Reading for Today:
今日读经：

2 Chronicles 25:1–27:9
历代志下 25:1–27:9
Psalm 84:1-7
诗篇 84:1-7
Proverbs 21:4-5
箴言 21:4-5
Acts 19:1-20
使徒行传 19:1-20

Notes:
注解：

2 Chronicles 25:7 man of God. This is a technical term used about 70 times in the Old Testament, always referring to one who spoke for God. He warned Amaziah not to make idolatrous Israel his ally because the Lord was not with Ephraim, i.e., Israel, the capital of idolatry.
历代志下 25:7 “神人” 这是旧约中使用约70次的专有称呼，每次都指代神的代言人。神人警告亚玛谢，不可与拜偶像的以色列联盟，因为耶和华不与以法莲同在，即不与以色列同在——以色列是拜偶像的中心。

2 Chronicles 25:8 God has power. The man of God reminded the king sarcastically that he would need to be strong, since God wouldn’t help.
历代志下 25:8 “神有能力” 神人带着讽刺口吻提醒王，他若坚持自己的决定就得靠自己刚强，因为神不会帮助他。

2 Chronicles 25:14–16 Amaziah did the unthinkable from both a biblical and political perspective—he embraced the false gods of the people whom he had just defeated. Perhaps he did this because he was seduced by the wicked pleasures of idolatry and because he thought it would help him in assuring no future threat from Edom. However, it only brought destruction to the king, who just wanted to silence the voice of God.
历代志下 25:14–16 亚玛谢所做之事，从圣经和政治角度看都令人震惊——他竟然去敬拜那些刚刚被他打败之人的假神。也许他这样做是因为被偶像的罪恶享乐所诱惑，也可能以为这样可以保证以东不再成为威胁。然而，这只给亚玛谢带来了毁灭，他却只急于让神的声音消失。

Acts 19:13 itinerant Jewish exorcists. Simon Magus (8:9–25) and Bar-Jesus (13:6–12) were other possible examples of such charlatans (Matt. 12:27). In contrast to the absolute authority exercised by Jesus and the apostles over demons, those exorcists sought to expel the demons by attempting to call on a more potent spirit being—in this case the Lord Jesus.
使徒行传 19:13 “游行各处的犹太赶鬼的” 行为类似西门（8:9-25）和巴耶稣（13:6-12）等骗局（参太12:27）。与耶稣及使徒对邪灵拥有绝对权柄不同，这些驱魔人试图通过呼喊更有能力的灵体（这里是主耶稣的名）来赶鬼。

Acts 19:15 Jesus…Paul I know. Recognizing that the exorcists had no authority over him (unlike Jesus and Paul), the demon rejected their attempt to expel him from his victim. This confirms that the power to cast out demons belonged to Jesus and the apostles and no one else. Even the demons give testimony to that.
使徒行传 19:15 “耶稣我认识……保罗我也知道” 邪灵意识到这些赶鬼之人没有权柄（不像耶稣和保罗），所以拒绝离开所附着的人。这证明赶鬼的权柄只属于耶稣和使徒，绝非他人——连邪灵都作证。

Acts 19:19 books. Of secret magical spells. Burning them proved the genuineness of the magicians’ repentance. Having destroyed these books, they could not easily resume their practices. fifty thousand pieces of silver. Fifty thousand days’ wages for a common laborer—an astonishing sum of money given to indicate how widespread the practice of magic was in Ephesus.
使徒行传 19:19 “书籍” 指含有秘密法术的魔法书。焚烧这些书证明行邪术者真正悔改了。既然这些书毁掉了，他们便无法轻易回到旧行当。“五万块钱”——即五万名普通工人的一天工钱，是个极其巨大的数目，显示以弗所行邪术的风气之盛。

DAY 15: How could the “disciples” of Acts 19:1 not have received the Holy Spirit?
第十五天：为什么使徒行传19:1所说的“门徒”没有领受圣灵？

Coming to Ephesus, Paul found “some disciples.” They were of John the Baptist (v. 3), hence Old Testament seekers. That they did not yet fully understand the Christian faith is evident from their reply to Paul’s question (v. 2). The word “disciple” means “learner,” or “follower,” and does not always refer to Christians (Matt. 9:14; 11:2;Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33; 7:18, 19; 11:1; John 1:35; 6:66). Followers of John the Baptist, like this group, existed into the second century.
保罗来到以弗所，遇见“几个门徒”。他们是施洗约翰的追随者（3节），属旧约意义上的寻求者。从他们对保罗问题的回答（2节）可以看出，他们尚未完全明了基督信仰。“门徒”一词原意为“学习者”或“跟随者”，并不总指基督徒（参太9:14；11:2；可2:18；路5:33；7:18,19；11:1；约1:35；6:66）。像此处这样的约翰门徒，一直到二世纪仍有存在。

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (v. 2). The question reflects Paul’s uncertainty about their spiritual status. Since all Christians receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, their answer revealed they were not yet fully Christians. They had not yet received Christian baptism (having been baptized only “into John’s baptism”), which further evidenced that they were not Christians. These disciples did not realize Jesus of Nazareth was the One to whom John’s baptism pointed. Paul gave them instruction not on how to receive the Spirit, but about Jesus Christ. “They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 5). They believed Paul’s presentation of the gospel and came to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (2:41). Although required of all Christians, baptism does not save.
“你们信的时候受了圣灵没有？”（2节）这问题表明保罗对他们属灵状况的疑惑。每个真正的基督徒在得救时都领受圣灵，但他们的回答显示，他们尚未成为真正意义上的基督徒。他们还没有受基督徒的洗，只是“受了约翰的洗”，这又表明他们不是基督徒。这些门徒并未明白拿撒勒的耶稣正是约翰所指的那位。保罗给他们讲解的焦点不是如何接受圣灵，而是介绍耶稣基督。“他们就奉主耶稣的名受了洗”（5节）。他们信了保罗所传的福音，归信主耶稣得救（2:41）。受洗虽然是每个基督徒都应当践行的，但洗礼本身并不能带来救恩。

Then “Paul…laid hands on them” (v. 6). This signified their inclusion into the church. Apostles were also present when the church was born (chap. 2), and when the Samaritans (chap. 8) and Gentiles (chap. 10) were included. In each case, God’s purpose was to emphasize the unity of the church. And they “spoke with tongues and prophesied.” This served as proof that they were part of the church. They also needed tangible evidence that the Holy Spirit now indwelt them, since they had not heard that He had come (v. 2).
接着，“保罗……按手在他们头上”（6节），这象征他们被正式接纳进教会。教会诞生（第2章）、撒玛利亚人加入（第8章）、外邦人加入（第10章）时，使徒都在场，每一次都彰显神对教会合一的重视。“他们就说方言，又说预言。”这是他们确实属于教会的凭据。因他们过去没有听过圣灵降临的事（2节），所以需要这样具体的圣灵印证自己已被神内住。

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