Manna issue 69 - Four Families in the Apostolic Church (IV): Priscilla and Aquila 使徒教會的四個家庭(IV)：百基拉、亞居拉
Derren Liang— Irvine, California, USA 美國加州爾灣 梁得仁傳道
IV. PRISCILLA AND AQUILA’S
FAMILY—A FAMILY FOR ALL
百基拉、亞居拉的家 - 眾人的家
After these things Paul departed from
Athens and went to Corinth. And he
found a certain Jew named Aquila,
born in Pontus, who had recently
come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
(because Claudius had commanded all
the Jews to depart from Rome); and
he came to them.
(Acts 18:1–2)
1這事以後，保羅離了雅典，來到哥林多。
2遇見一個猶太人，名叫亞居拉，他生在本都；
因為革老丟命猶太人都離開羅馬，新近帶著妻百基拉，從義大利來。保羅就投奔了他們。
(羅 18：1-2)
Here Paul met a couple, Aquila and
Priscilla—a unique family, for their
house was actually a church (cf. Rom
16:5). Aquila and Priscilla are an ideal
Christian family and illustrate the
greatest goal for a Christian family: to
act as a church—a place where people
feel warm and where everyone wants
to be.
保羅在這裡遇見一對夫婦，百基拉、亞居拉 - 一個獨特的家庭，
因為他們的房子實際上就是教會。
(參考，羅 16：5)
百基拉、亞居拉他們是一個理想的基督徒家庭，
是一個基督家庭最大目標的好例子：
要扮演成為教會的角色 -
在那裡人們都感覺很溫暖，每個人都想要住在其中。
A Home Away from Home 離家之後，外面遇到的新家
Paul dedicated his life to bringing the
gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike. At
Corinth, where he first met Aquila
and Priscilla, there were many souls
to be harvested for the Lord (cf. Acts
18:4, 8). However, he also faced
considerable opposition (Acts 18:6)
and probably experienced moments
of discouragement or fear. Clearly,
a critical factor that helped pull Paul
through such moments, supplying him
with resilience and courage to continue
proclaiming God’s word through the
one and a half years in Corinth, was
the Lord’s reassurance, especially given
through a vision (Acts 18:9–10). A
second key factor was the fellowship
he enjoyed at the home of this couple.
Burdens shared are burdens lightened
(Eccl 4:9). In Paul’s case, he could
always be sure to find emotional and
spiritual support from co-workers
who knew him well and would always
provide a sanctuary for him. And he
was grateful to the Lord for enabling
Aquila and Priscilla to be part of his life.
保羅獻出自已的生命，把福音傳給猶太人和外邦人。
在哥林多的時候，一開始他就遇見百基拉、亞居拉，
為主有許多靈魂要收取。(參考，徒 18：4，8)
然而，他也面臨相當嚴重的反對力量，(徒 18：6)
或許有時候會感受到灰心和恐懼。
很清楚地，而幫助拉著保羅走過這些重大時刻的最主要力量，
讓他有在哥林多一年半的時間裡，有動力和勇氣來繼續宣揚神的話，
就是他有得到神一再的保証，特別是讓他看見了異象。
(徒 18：9-10)
第二個主要因素是，他在這對夫婦家中享受到的團契生活。
有人分擔重負，就會覺得稍加輕省了許多。(傳 4：9)
在保羅的例子中，他總是可以確定找到一些幫助，
來自於同工來支持他情感上或是屬靈力量上的需要，
他們都很認識保羅，都很願意成為他的避難所。
而且保羅對神的安排很感激，可以百基拉、亞居拉成為他生命的一部份。
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow
workers in Christ Jesus, who risked
their own necks for my life, to whom
not only I give thanks, but also all the
churches of the Gentiles.
(Rom 16:3–4)
3問百基拉和亞居拉安。他們在基督耶穌裡與我同工，
4也為我的命將自己的頸項置之度外。不但我感謝他們，就是外邦的眾教會也感謝他們。
(羅 16：3-4)
The movies occasionally glorify the
emotionally strong, self-sufficient loner
hero who triumphs over huge odds and
innumerable foes stacked against him.
But in our spiritual battles, there is no
need for us to “go it alone.” Evidently,
even an apostle like Paul, whom most
would associate with great spiritual
strength and stamina, needed comfort
and support from brethren. From the
long list of personal greetings that Paul
sends in Romans 16, we can see that he
was thankful not only for the Corinth based
couple who loved him so much
they were prepared to risk their lives for
him, but also for many who had made
him part of their families, Rufus’ mother
(Rom 16:13) and Gaius (Rom 16:23),
for instance. We can feel his joy too at
the “fellowship in the gospel” provided
by the Philippians who constantly
interceded for his evangelistic work
(Phil 1:3–5).
電影偶爾會稱頌那些，情感上非常堅強，又能自立自足的孤獨英雄，
他們可以勝過巨大命運的阻力，打敗無數群聚在他面前的敵人。
但在我們屬靈的戰場上，我們沒有必要"獨自一人"來作戰。
很明顯地，即使是使徒保羅，大部份的人都會認為，
他的屬靈很有力量，信仰上的底子也很好，但仍需來自弟兄姐妹的安慰和幫助。
從保羅他在羅馬書16章，他個人一長患的感謝名單中，
我們可以看到，他不只對這些住在哥林多的夫婦很感謝，
他們非常愛他，甚至準備好要為保羅冒著自已生命的危險，
而且還有許多人把保羅當作自已家中的一份子，舉例來說，
魯孚的母親，(羅 16：13)
該猶這些人都是。(羅 16：23)
我們在他"傳福音的團契"之中，也能感覺到保羅從腓利比教會所得到的喜悅，
因為他們不斷為了他福音的工作代禱。
(腓 1：3-5)
Therefore, if God has blessed us with
wonderful loving families, let us extend
such love to our brethren who are
laboring in the field by providing them
with a home away from home. Beyond
the material, intercessory support is also
very important. Do not think that the
strong and the actively-serving need
no further affection or prayer. In fact,
Satan may be even more determined to
attack them and/or their families just to
derail the progress of divine work. So let
us learn from the Lord Jesus’ concern
and prayer for Peter (Lk 22:31–32),
and constantly keep our ministers and
workers in our prayers.
所以，若神祝福我們有一個美好可愛的家，
我們把這樣的愛延展到弟兄姐妹，
雖然他們外面工作，但我們可以讓他們在遠離自已家的同時，再次感受到有一個家。
除了物質上的供應之外，幫助代禱也很重要。
不要認為，那些又堅強，又積極服事的人，
不會需要關心和禱告。
事實是，撒旦甚至或許更堅定要攻擊他們及他們的家庭，
這樣就可以破壞聖工的進展。
所以讓我們向主耶穌覺關懷及為彼得的禱告，(路 22：31-32)
一直把我們服事主的工人放在禱告之中。
On the other hand, let us not limit
the hospitality and care for our brethren
to “high-profile” visitors. Look around
you. Are there brothers and sisters who
are sole believers, who may welcome
our concern for and interest in their
families? Are there students or members
working away from home who may
appreciate an invitation to dinner with
our families? Are there visitors from
abroad who may be touched when we,
the local members, greet them warmly
and spend time to chat with them?
另一方面，不要把對弟兄姐妹的善意和關懷的工作，
只放在那些"高調"的訪客上。
看一看你的四周
是不是有一些弟兄和姐妹，他們只是唯一信主的人，
他們或許很歡迎我們去關心他們的家人，對他們有些許的關注？
是不是有一些學生，或是信徒，他們離家在外地工作，求學，
或許我們邀他們來家裡一起吃頓飯，難道他們不會很感激嗎？
是不是有從國外來的訪客，
當我們地方教會的信徒熱烈來招呼他們，
花一些時間陪他們聊一聊，難道他們不會很感動嗎？
Let us not be content with giving
brethren a distant nod when we meet
them. In the apostolic era, the church
was in the homes of believers, e.g.,
Priscilla and Aquila or Nymphas (Col
4:15). Today, let us take the first step
to recreate the home in the church by
infusing it with familial warmth and
sincere concern.
當我們遇見弟兄姐妹的時候，
不要只是滿足於遠遠的點個頭就好。
在使徒時代，教會都在信徒的家中，
舉例來說，百基拉、亞居拉夫婦家裡的教會，或是老底嘉寧法家裡的教會。
(西 4：15)
今日，讓我們先展開第一步，
重新在教會中建立家庭的感覺，
在教會中注入家庭的溫暖和真誠的關懷。
A Home within a Home 家中有家
Besides providing familial warmth, the
exemplary Christian home should also
be the place where others can find
spiritual help and guidance. In most
modern societies, given the general
rise in affluence, it is less common
to find members who need material
assistance. Instead, many more require
spiritual guidance and help.
除了要有家庭的溫暖之外，
模範的基督家庭，應該也是別人可以尋找到屬靈幫助和指引的地方。
在現代大部份的社會中，由於大家越來越富裕了，
信徒需要物質上幫盼的人，有越來越少的趨勢。
相反地，會有更多的人屬靈上的指引和幫助。
(a) Guidance 引導
When Priscilla and Aquila met the
eloquent Apollos and listened to him
(Acts 18:24–26), they realized that he
had an incomplete understanding of
the truth. They could have just shaken
their heads and said, “Such a pity! If
this outstanding orator had the right
concepts, he could have been a good
worker for the Way…” and done
nothing more. But this couple’s further
actions demonstrate their emulation worthy
attributes. They were not just
people with much love for others;
they also knew the Scriptures so well
that they recognized Apollos had
been “taught accurately the things of
the Lord.” What’s more, they were
prepared to invest time and effort to
study the word of God with Apollos so
that he could learn and subsequently
preach the complete gospel.
當百基拉、亞居拉遇到口才很好的亞波羅的時候，就聽他講道，(徒 18：24-26)
他們了解到，他對真理的認識並不完全。
他們或許可以搖頭說，
"真可惜！若這個很出色的演說者有正確的概念，
他早就是真理的好工人了...", 然後口頭說說，不再提供任何協助。
但是這對夫婦進一步的行動，展現了他們值得仿效的特質。
他們並不是一般普通人，對人特別有愛心；
他們也很了解聖經，所以才可以認出，亞波羅是"將耶穌的事詳細講論教訓人"。
不僅僅這樣，他們準備花更多的時間和精力，來和亞波羅一起學習神的話，
這樣他才學會，並且接下來可以傳揚全備的福音。
Their simple act of spiritual concern
had great multiplier effects—it not only
saved Apollos but many more in the
future who benefited from Apollos’
eloquent evangelism (cf. Acts 18:26).
他們在屬靈上關心的簡單行動，卻有很大加乘的效果 -
這麼作不只拯救了亞波羅，而且在以後還拯救了更多的人，
使他們得益於亞波羅口才很好的福音講道。
(參考，徒 18：26)
(b) Assistance 協助
Today, when believers face spiritual
problems or hardship in life, who can
they turn to? Who can help to counsel
and guide them back onto the correct
path when they need comfort and
help the most? Logically, fellow church
members should be the natural source
of comfort for one another. However,
many members prefer to turn to
external help when their spiritual lives
hit a downturn—friends in the world or
self-help books. Unfortunately, when
they turn to external sources for help,
they run the risk of receiving advice
that may be counter to their faith.
今日，若有信徒在生活上面臨了屬靈上的問題，或是困難的時候，
他們可以轉向誰來尋求幫助呢？
當他們最需要別人安慰和幫助的時候，
誰可以來幫助他們，安慰他們，指引他們走到正確的道路呢？
Hence, every church must strive
to cultivate families like Priscilla and
Aquila who provide a secure “home
within a home.” Like loving parents or
siblings, they nurture and take care of
the weak and needy in a discreet and
trustworthy way. When more families
willingly open up their hearts and
homes to others and invite members
who live nearby or who need spiritual
support, this warmth will definitely
spread throughout the church (cf. Acts
16:15).
因此，每一個教會，都要努力造就像百基拉、亞居拉的家庭，
他們可以在屬世中，給大家在"教會這個家中，又提供了一個更溫暖的家"。
就像慈愛的父母和弟兄姐妹，
他們會用謹慎和讓人信賴的方式，來好好養育及照顧那些比較軟弱，或是有需要的人。
當有更多的家庭願意打開他們的內心和家庭，讓別人可以來同享，
並且邀請那些住在附近的信徒來，幫助那些屬靈需要幫助的人，
這種溫暖一定要經由教會而散播出去。
(參考，徒 16：15)
Then Jesus said to them “Children,
have you any food?”… Then, as soon
as they had come to land, they saw
a fire of coals there, and fish laid on
it and bread… Jesus said to them,
“Come and eat breakfast.”… Jesus
then came and took the bread and
gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
(Jn 21:5–13)
然後耶穌對他們說，"
9他們上了岸，就看見那裡有炭火，上面有魚，又有餅。
12耶穌說：你們來吃早飯。
13耶穌就來拿餅和魚給他們。
(約 21：5-13)
In their weakness, Peter and the
other disciples returned to their original
occupations after Jesus’ crucifixion.
Appearing to them, the Lord’s words
were not of stern rebuke but of gentle
concern—an expression of love that
would continue to long motivate His
disciples.
在軟弱之中，彼得和其他門徒，在耶穌被釘十字架之後，
又回到他們原本從事的職業。
神再次出現在他們面前的時候，
主耶穌的話語不是嚴厲的斥責，而是溫柔的關心 -
是一種愛的關懷，這種力量可以一直長久的感動祂的門徒。
Families who bring warmth and
comfort to those in need can impact
more lives than any sermon that is
spoken on the pulpit. We need more
families to open up their houses to be a
church and home for others. Not only
does this strengthen our church, it will
be a beautiful example of love, which
can inspire our children to do the same.
可以帶來溫暖和安慰給那些欠缺之人的家庭，可以影響更多的生命，
比在講台上的講道更能發揮果效。
我們需要有更多的家庭打開他們的屋子來成為一間教會，
同時也讓這個家成為別人的家。
這樣不只可以增加我們教會的力量，
也能成為一種很美好愛的模範，
也可以感動我們的子女，以後加以效法。
Conclusion 結論
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul
has predicted that men’s love will grow
cold. The challenge before families in
the true church today is how to keep
this coldness from pervading our own
households as well as the household
of God. Like the tent-making couple
Aquila and Priscilla, let us make our
home a place of trust, refuge, and
warmth for everyone.
藉著聖靈的感動，保羅預言說，人心的愛會變得越來越冷淡。
在今日真教會家庭所面臨的挑戰，
就是要防止這種冷淡的情形，也在我們自已的家中擴散，
同時也要防止它在神的家中擴大。
若能像織帳棚的夫婦百基拉、亞居拉他們一樣，
也讓我們的家，成為一個值得信賴的地方，一個避難所。
讓大家都能感到溫暖。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)