16 Mar 2017, Acts 8:1-25 使徒行传 8:1-25, True or False Believers 真伪信徒

Posted on Mar 12, 2017 in Acts, Devotions |

Scripture Reading        : Acts 8:1-25

Theme                            : True or False Believers

 

  1. True believers. The death of Stephen marked the beginning of “great persecution against the church in Jerusalem”. Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, was first mentioned here. He was still an unbeliever and he persecuted the church. Because of the persecution, the true believers were scattered and they preached the Gospel wherever they went. In particular, the passage contrasts two characters, Philip and Simon. Philip was a true believer who was empowered by the Holy Spirit to perform mighty works. A true believer, like Philip, proclaims Christ (8:5). When true believers bring the Gospel to unbelievers, they bring true joy to those who repents (8:8).
  1. False believers. Simon was a false believer who proclaimed his own greatness before he professed faith (8:9), and he continued to seek his own greatness after he heard the Gospel (8:18-19). False believers attract attention to themselves, misleading people with lies that causes destruction of souls (8:11). Peter’s rebuke of Simon (8:20-23) clearly showed that Simon was an unbeliever, even though he professed to be one (8:13). Simon was not interested in the salvation of his own soul, but wanted the same power that he saw the Apostles possessed.

 

Praying the Scripture

  1. Times of persecution will review true believers from false believers, since those who profess faith in Jesus stand to gain nothing except persecution. Pray that if we are persecuted for our faith, we may stand strong and continues to preach the Gospel.
  1. Pray that we will not want to attract attention to ourselves, but direct the attention to Jesus by proclaiming the Gospel like Philip.
  1. Many professing believers are phonies, who are trying to benefit themselves in one way or another (usually in monetary gain – 1 Tim 6:5 “depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.”) Pray that we will have the discernment to identify false believers and not be attracted to them. If we had been like Simon, may we heed Peter’s warning and pray that God will forgive us.
 
 
 

经文：使徒行传8:1-25

主题：真伪信徒

 

  1. 真信徒。司提反的殉道正是耶路撒冷教会大受逼迫的开端。扫罗，就是后期信主的使徒保罗，首次出现；当时的他仍热心反基督和逼迫教会。由于教会受逼迫，所以真信徒分散到各处，但他们仍随走随传天国的福音。本章特别提出两个截然不同的人物，腓利与西门。腓力是真信徒，并靠圣灵的能力行了许多神迹奇事。真信徒就如他一样，宣讲基督（8:5）。真信徒会藉着传福音给愿意悔改的人带来真正的喜乐。
  1. 伪信徒。西门是个伪信徒。他在宣称自己是信徒之前是个妄自尊大，向来行邪术的人（8:9）。及至宣称已归信（8:13），他却仍追求自我利益（8:18-19）。伪信徒以自我为中心，并用谎言误导众人，引他们到灭亡之路（8:11）。尽管西门宣称自己是信徒(8:13)，但彼得对他严厉的斥责清楚显明西门是伪信徒。西门对自己的灵魂是否得救并不关注，却妒忌圣灵显在使徒们身上的能力。

 

用经文祷告

  1. 长久以来，基督徒所得到的是逼迫而不是福音以外的好处，所以当逼迫临近，真伪信徒就显而易见了。祈求即使因信仰而面临逼迫时，我们都能坚定并继续宣扬福音。
  1. 祈求我们不以自我为中心，却效法腓力宣扬福音，引人归向基督。
  1. 许多人冒称是信徒，却是图谋私利以满足个人私欲。（经常是谋取钱财——提前6:5：“并那坏了心术，失丧真理之人的争竞。他们以敬虔为得利的门路。”）祈求我们能分辨伪信徒，不轻易受到他们的诱惑。倘若我们曾像西门一般，让我们听从彼得的警告，远离罪恶，求神赦免。