不准再说这事！

“我们不是严严地禁止你们，不可奉这名教训人吗？” - 徒 5:28

　　对耶路撒冷的祭司和公会来说，当前的情况比他们以前所有经历的都差。他们以为杀了耶稣便结束了祂的影响力。可是，发生在他们眼前的，是很多人开始奉耶稣的名医病赶鬼，并且人数每天都在加增。每逢有人被医治，他们就听到医病的人开始见证耶稣的受死和复活。

　　那些当日带头嘲弄侮辱耶稣的宗教领袖，发觉耶稣的门徒现在竟然开始提醒百姓宗教人士的恶行。于是，他们更威吓使徒：“你们要马上停止，不准再提有关耶稣的事！你们把我们说得好像罪人一样，你们实在捏造是非和纷争”。 他们更用暴力和监禁来威胁群众。

　　采取掩饰的手段有时候可以行得通。恐吓、行贿、受贿、敲诈，以及各式各样的威胁，都是有权有势的人常常使用的策略，目的是为了逃避责任。此时，圣灵大大加添信徒的勇气，使他们放胆传讲耶稣。

　　无论动机如何，使用掩饰的手段都不是真正的悔改。

　　我们是否曾为了保护自己，而威胁别人要保持沉默呢？

祷告

主耶稣，我曾尝试用各种方法来掩饰我的罪，求祢赦免我，也感谢袮让我有机会听闻福音而得蒙医治。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。

 

使徒行传 5:27-33

27带到了，便叫使徒站在公会前；大祭司问他们说：
28“我们不是严严地禁止你们，不可奉这名教训人吗？你们倒把你们的道理充满了耶路撒冷，想要叫这人的血归到我们身上！”
29彼得和众使徒回答说：“顺从神，不顺从人，是应当的。
30你们挂在木头上杀害的耶稣，我们祖宗的神已经叫他复活。
31神且用右手将他高举，叫他作君王，作救主，将悔改的心和赦罪的恩赐给以色列人。
32我们为这事作见证；神赐给顺从之人的圣灵也为这事作见证。”
33公会的人听见就极其恼怒，想要杀他们。

Don't Talk About This!

"'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,' he said." — Acts 5:28

英语音频 English Audio

For the Jerusalem priests and the court of the Sanhedrin, it was worse than déjà vu. They had thought that killing Jesus would close the book on his influence. But now, instead of just one teacher, there were many, increasing in number daily, offering healing in Jesus' name. And whenever someone received healing, they also were hearing the testimony from the healers about how the death of Jesus had come about, and about his resurrection.

The very same religious leaders who had publicly led the jeers and insults at Jesus' cross now found that Jesus' followers dared to remind people of what the religious establishment had done. So they threatened the apostles: "Stop now! Do not talk about this Jesus anymore! You're making us look guilty; you're causing trouble and dissension." And they backed up their threats with brutal beatings and imprisonment.

Sometimes cover-up tactics work. Threats, favors, payoffs, blackmail, intimidation of all sorts—people in positions of power can often use these to escape accountability. In this case, power from the Holy Spirit emboldened the apostles to keep talking.

In any case, the cover-up approach is not repentance.

Do we engage in demanding silence and threaten retaliation to protect ourselves?

Prayer

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳