见证人是我们的祝福

　　我曾经是个律师，接触过许多见证人。我的工作范围是保险赔偿，所以，我大部份经手的个案都是和失足跌倒或交通意外有关的。我发觉到，善于观察的证人真是非常罕有的。注意力不集中容易引起意外，但很多人都习惯了这样过日子的。

　　在解释信徒们需要找一个人来取代犹大时，彼得清楚指出，成为十二使徒的其中一个先决条件，是这人要在耶稣在世传道的日子中，曾一直与祂和其他门徒在一起。换句话说，这人必须要是一个可靠的见证人。

　　多一个见证人有什么好处呢？圣经学者们都同意，他们要把一个传统传流下去，就是从以色列的十二支派到十二使徒，他们要把耶稣的福音传到万邦。而加添马提亚，便使使徒的数目恢复到十二个人了。

　　此外，使徒们明白，他们需要优秀的见证人，来向人传讲耶稣；若要成就耶稣交付给他们的使命，他们需要有见证人，把耶稣的一生、死亡，和复活的信息传开去。

　　在今天，我们仍然需要有见证人，虽然我们不能像马提亚那样与人分享自己亲眼见到的事情，然而神仍然呼召我们去为耶稣作见证。

亲爱的神，愿我们能清楚地为耶稣作见证。当我们向人见证救主耶稣是我们生命的主时，求祢赐我们勇气去做忠心的见证人。奉祂的名祈求，阿们。

21 “所以主耶稣在我们中间始终出入的时候，
22 就是从约翰施洗起，直到主离开我们被接上升的日子为止，必须从那常与我们做伴的人中立一位与我们同作耶稣复活的见证。”
23 于是选举两个人，就是那叫做巴撒巴、又称呼犹士都的约瑟和马提亚。
24 众人就祷告说：“主啊，你知道万人的心，求你从这两个人中指明你所拣选的是谁，叫他得这使徒的位分。这位分犹大已经丢弃，往自己的地方去了。”
26 于是众人为他们摇签，摇出马提亚来，他就和十一个使徒同列。

The Blessing Of Witnesses

“One of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” — Acts 1:22

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As a former attorney, I dealt a lot with witnesses. I worked in the area of insurance defense, and slips and falls and car accidents were the focus of most of my cases. I learned that observant witnesses can be really hard to find. Inattention leads to many accidents, and that is also a feature of the way many people live their lives.

As Peter explains that the believers need to identify one person to replace Judas, he makes clear that the key qualification for becoming one of the twelve apostles is that one needs to have been with Jesus and the disciples throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth. This person has to be a reliable witness.

What good is adding another witness? Bible scholars agree that a parallel is being carried forward—from the twelve tribes of Israel to the twelve apostles, who will take the good news of Jesus to the whole world. Adding Matthias will restore the number of apostles to twelve.

Further, the apostles understand that good witnesses are needed to tell others about Jesus. Witnesses are needed to bring a message about the reality of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to fulfill the mission that Jesus has given them.

Witnesses are still needed today as well. We may not be able to give a first-hand account like Matthias, but we are still called to be witnesses for Jesus.

Prayer

Dear God, may our witness for Jesus be clear. Grant us courage in being faithful witnesses as we give testimony about the Savior as the Lord of our lives. In his name, Amen.