742 英翻中 (442) How did the Colossian church begin? 歌罗西教会的开始. 4/23/2024

742 英翻中 (442)  How did the Colossian church begin?     歌罗西教会的开始.     4/23/2024

我們在天上的父,  願人都稱祢的名為聖, 願祢的國降臨, 願祢的旨意行在地上,  如同行在天上。我們日用的飲食, 今日賜給我們, 免我們的債,  如同我們免了人的債。不叫我們遇見試探,  救我們脫離兇惡,  因為國度, 權柄, 榮耀全是祢的, 直到永遠。 阿們。

親愛的訪友, 為什麼編輯者把從前翻譯的歌羅西書, 放在 "英文文法" 博客中, 與主內訪友見面.  主要是我想與您們分享我在想傳講基督信仰心志後, 的痛定思痛的回憶.  2004年從達拉斯搬到塩湖城, 把讀了一年多的基督學房辦的聖經函授學校的課給停了.   其中原因是我在選修＂歌羅西書＂一課時, 沒有通過.  現在想與您們共同研讀這卷保羅對聖經要義特別闡述得仔細的書, 而又是他在羅馬坐監時寫的.    

 ＂歌羅西書＂是保羅的精心傑作有關基督信仰全備的聖經要義.  各種要抵擋耶穌基督為首的宗教思想都聚集在歌羅西教會.  他坐在羅馬監獄中,  聽到以巴弗報告這消息後,  立刻寫此書申明基督信仰的要義.  輯者所翻譯的這本對信, 望, 愛深思熟慮闡揚的釋經書,  是Dr. Warran W. Wiersbe (華倫. W. 魏士比)所著.  他是在Billy Graham 洛杉磯福音大復興中的帳篷傳福音得救的, 任慕迪聖經學院主任牧師, 兩年前過世.  編輯曾用過他所著的: Be alive 及 Be transform 兩有關 "約翰福音" 的解經書作主日學教材, 受益很多.

How did the Colossian church begin? It was the outgrowth of Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19; 20:17–38). So effective was the witness of the church at Ephesus that “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). This would include people in Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis.                                                          歌罗西教会是如何开始的？  是保罗在以弗所三年的事工延伸發展的果子（徒    19;  20：17-38）。是以弗所教会见证的成果，如此說，“他们全住在亚洲，都听见有關主耶稣的話，不管是犹太人，或希腊人”（徒     19:10）。这或許包括歌羅西，希拉波立，和老底嘉。

When we examine the persons involved in the prison correspondence of Paul (see Eph., Phil., Col., Philem., and 2 Tim.), we can just about put the story together of how the Colossian church was founded. During Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, at least two men from Colosse were brought to faith in Jesus Christ— Epaphras and Philemon (see Philem. 19). Epaphras apparently was one of the key founders of the church in Colosse, for he shared the gospel with his friends there (Col. 1:7). He also had a ministry in the cities of Hierapolis and Laodicea (Col. 4:12–13). Philemon had a church meeting in his home (Philem. 2). It is likely that Apphia and Archippus, mentioned in this verse, were respectively the wife and son of Philemon, and that Archippus was the pastor of the church (Col. 4:17).                                                                            当我们讀過保罗的监狱書信，及與他同在的同工們時（參见  以弗所，腓立比，歌羅西，腓利門，和提摩太後書），可以把如何建立歌罗西教會的故事與些信结合在一起。當保罗在以弗所的事工中，至少有两名来自兩位來自歌羅西的人 —— 以巴弗(Epaphras)和腓利门(Philemon)參與，他們被帶領信仰耶稣基督 (见  門     19节）。以巴弗显然是歌羅西教会的主要创始人之一，因为他向他的朋友分享福音（西   1:7）。他还在希拉波立和老底嘉兩城參與服事（西  4:12-13）。腓利门在他家里举行了一次教会会议（門  第2節）。在这节经文中，或許提到亞腓亞和亞基布，他們可能分别是腓利门的妻子和儿子，亞基布是教会的牧师（西   4:17）。

There is a good lesson for us here: God does not always need an apostle, or a “full-time Christian worker” to get a ministry established. Nor does He need elaborate buildings and extensive organizations. Here were two laymen who were used of God to start ministries in at least three cities. It is God’s plan that the Christians in the large urban areas like Ephesus reach out into the smaller towns and share the gospel. Is your church helping to evangelize “small-town” mission fields?                                                                                                                                                        對我們這是很好的教训：上帝并不总是需要使徒，或者  “全职基督福音宣教的工作者” 来從事上帝福音的傳播。也不必需要精心设计的教會建築，和過多的教會组织。这里有两位是外行人，被上帝用来至少在這三个城市建造教會的創始人。上帝的计划是，像使用以弗所这样的大城市的基督徒，进入小城镇去分享福音。你的教会是否帮助 “小城镇” 作传福音的任务？

The Colossian assembly was predominantly Gentile in its membership. The sins that Paul named (Col. 3:5–9) were commonly associated with the Gentiles, and his statement about the mystery applied more to the Gentiles than to the Jews (Col. 1:25–29). The church was probably about five years old when Paul wrote this letter.                                                                                                    在歌罗西教會聚會中，會友主要是外邦人。保罗所稱的罪（西     3：5-9）通常与外邦人有联系，他所講神秘的事件，是指外邦人应用多于犹太人（西     1:25-29）。当保罗写信时，該教会大约有五年的歷史。

The Crisis Why did Paul write this letter to the church in Colosse? Because a crisis had occurred that was about to destroy the ministry of the church. By comparing the prison letters, we can arrive at the following reconstruction of events.                                                                                     为什么保罗把歌罗西的教堂里的危机，放在他所寫的信中？ 因为這危機的发生，即将摧毁教会的宣教事工。以此信與监狱信件比较，可以得到以下信件重要事件的構成。

Paul was at that time a prisoner in Rome (Acts 21:17—28:31). He met a runaway slave named Onesimus who belonged to Philemon, one of the leaders of the church in Colosse. Paul led Onesimus to Christ. Hethen wrote his letter to Philemon, asking his friend to forgive Onesimus and receive him back as a brother in Christ.                                                                                        保罗当时是罗马政府的囚犯（徒21：17-28：31）。此時他遇到叫阿尼西母的人，他是腓利门的一名逃跑的奴隶，腓利门是歌羅西教会的领导人之一。阿尼西母是保罗在羅馬领他相信基督。依生(Hethen)写信给腓利门，请求他的朋友原谅阿尼西母，并在基督里以弟兄的熱情來接待他。

About the same time, Epaphras showed up in Rome because he needed Paul’s help. Some new doctrines were being taught in Colosse and were invading the church and creating problems. So Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians in order to refute these heretical teachings and establish the truth of the gospel. Epaphras remained with Paul in Rome (Col. 4:12–13). Onesimus and Tychicus carried Paul’s epistles to their destinations: Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7–9; and Philemon. Epaphras was called Paul’s “fellow prisoner,” a title also given to Aristarchus (Col. 4:10; Philem. 23). This suggests that Epaphras willingly remained with Paul to assist him. Neither Aristarchus nor Epaphras was a prisoner because he broke the law and was arrested. They were Paul’s willing companions, sacrificing their own comfort to help him.                           因為以巴弗需要保羅的幫助，大約在同一時間他也出現在羅馬。他告訴保羅在歌羅西教會有些新的教義傳講，入侵教會，並在教會裡製造問題。 因此，保羅寫這封信給歌羅西教會，駁斥這些異端教義，並確立福音的真理。 以巴弗被留下與保羅同在羅馬（西  4：12-13）。 阿尼西母和推基古把保羅的書信帶到目的地：以弗所書6章21節; 歌羅西書4章7–9等節; 和腓利門書所記載的各個教會。 以巴弗稱為保羅的  “同伴囚犯”，也賦予亞里達古同樣的稱號（西  4:10; 門  第23節）。 這表明以巴弗自願意留在保羅身邊來協助他。亞里達古和以巴弗都不是因為觸犯了法律而成為囚犯。 他們是自願留下作保羅的同伴，犧牲自己的自由來安慰並幫助保羅。

(繼續第一課)