1578英翻中(使徒行傳12) WAKE UP TO A MIRACLE! 唤醒通到神迹！ 19/05/2026

1578英翻中(使徒行傳12)               WAKE UP TO A MIRACLE!     唤醒通到神迹！                  19/05/2026

我們在天上的阿巴父,  求祢再次饒恕孩子犯眼目情慾的罪, 孩子跪下向祢祈求, 接納孩子的懺悔, 再一次進入我的心中, 賜孩子重生的恩典, 求聖靈今天就再次住進孩子的心內, 管教孩子, 使我有資格再繼續翻譯使徒行傳, 為祢作見證.  奉主耶穌基督的聖名禱告.  阿們. 

CHAPTER TWELVE               WAKE UP TO A MIRACLE!                            Acts 12                        第十二課                                                                                唤醒通到神迹！                                                                          使徒行传12                                                                                                                                                                                               Imagine waking up to a miracle and having an angel for your alarm clock!                              想象一下，醒来就是神迹，并有天使是你的闹钟！

        That’s what happened to Peter when he was in prison for the third time, awaiting trial and certain death. Years later, when he wrote his first epistle, Peter may have had this miraculous experience in mind when he quoted Psalm 34:15–16: “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). That quotation certainly summarizes what God did for Peter, and it reveals to us three wonderful assurances to encourage us in the difficult days of life.
这是彼得第三次在监狱里发生的事情，他等待著审判和預定的死亡。 多年以后，当他写他的第一封书信(彼得前書)時，引用诗篇34章15至16節时, 可能有这种神跡的经验：“因为主的眼看顧义人,  主的耳听他们的祈祷,   唤醒通到神迹！惟有行恶的人,  主向他們變臉”（彼前3:12）. 这句话总结了上帝为彼得所做的一切，这也向我们展现了三个極好的保证，鼓励我们在艰难的日子里生活。

       1.  God Sees Our Trials (12:1–4)
       1.  上帝看到我们所受的试探（12：1-4）

       “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous” (1 Peter 3:12).
“因為主的眼睛看顧义人”（彼前3:12）。

       God watched and noted what Herod Agrippa I was doing to His people. This evil man was the grandson of Herod the Great, who ordered the Bethlehem children to be murdered, and the nephew of Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded. A scheming and murderous family, the Herods were despised by the Jews, who resented having Edomites ruling over them. Of course, Herod knew this, so he persecuted the church to convince the Jewish people of his loyalty to the traditions of the fathers. Now that the Gentiles were openly a part of the church, Herod’s plan was even more agreeable to the nationalistic Jews who had no place for “pagans.”
上帝定睛注意到希律王安提帕第一, 如何正在對他的國民所做的.  这个邪恶的人是吩咐杀害所有伯利恒兩歲以下的男孩子的大希律王的孙子，他是斩首施洗约翰的希律王安提帕的侄子。這个險惡和谋杀的家庭，犹太人鄙视希律一家，犹太人厌恶以东人统治他们。当然，希律安提帕第一知道，所以他迫害教会証明給犹太人看, 他對父亲的传统的忠诚。现在外邦人很明顯地是教会的一部分，希律的计划对于不給 “异教徒” 地位的民族主义的犹太人更是乐意。

         Herod had several believers arrested, among them James, the brother of John, whom he beheaded. Thus James became the first of the apostles to be martyred. When you ponder his death in the light of Matthew 20:20–28, it takes on special significance. James and John, with their mother, had asked for thrones, but Jesus made it clear that there can be no glory apart from suffering. “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” He asked (Matt. 20:22). Their bold reply was, “We are able.”
希律捕捉几个信徒，其中包括约翰的兄弟雅各，他被斩首。因此，雅各成为第一个殉教的使徒。当你根据马太福音20章20至28節思考他的死亡时，它具有特殊的意义。雅各和约翰与母亲一起要求宝座，但耶稣明确表示在祂保座旁除痛苦之外，没有荣耀。 主耶穌問,  “你们能喝我喝的杯子，受我所受的洗礼吗？” （太20:22）。他们大胆的回答,  “我们能够。”

         Of course, they did not know what they were saying, but they eventually discovered the high cost of winning a throne of glory: James was arrested and killed, and John became an exile on the Isle of Patmos, a prisoner of Rome (Rev. 1:9). Indeed, they did drink of the cup and share in the baptism of suffering that their Lord had experienced!
当然，他们不知道他们在说些什么，但是他们最终发现了获得荣耀王位的高昂代价：雅各被捕和杀害，约翰成为罗马囚犯流亡在拔摩岛（启1：9）。事实上，他们喝了主的杯,  分享了他们的主经历的痛苦的洗礼！

        If it pleased the Jews when James was killed, just think how delighted they would be if Peter were slain! God permitted Herod to arrest Peter and put him under heavy guard in prison. Sixteen soldiers, four for each watch, kept guard over the apostle, with two soldiers chained to the prisoner and two watching the doors. After all, the last time Peter was arrested, he mysteriously got out of jail, and Herod was not about to let that happen again.
如果雅各的遇害使犹太人感到高兴，那麼想想看,  若彼得被杀，他们会如何的更高兴！上帝允许希律逮捕彼得，把他放在重犯的监狱里。十六名士兵分成四人一班的守卫使徒，两名士兵與彼得手绑手捆在一起，两名士兵看守監门。毕竟是彼得最后一次被捕，上帝用神跡使他离开了监狱，希律也不能再使這樣的事发生。

         Why was James allowed to die, while Peter was rescued? After all, both were dedicated servants of God, needed by the church. The only answer is the sovereign will of God, the very thing Peter and the church had prayed about after their second experience of persecution (Acts 4:24–30). Herod had “stretched forth” his hand to destroy the church, but God would stretch forth His hand to perform signs and wonders and glorify His Son (Acts 4:28–30). God allowed Herod to kill James, but He kept him from harming Peter. It was the throne in heaven that was in control, not the throne on earth.
为什么上帝允许雅各的死亡，而彼得被救出？毕竟，两个都奉献為上帝的僕人，是教会所重用的。唯一的答案,  這是上帝的主权旨意，彼得和教会在第二次迫害经历之后所祈求的事（徒4：24-30）。希律已经“大打出手的”来摧毁教会，所以上帝必伸出祂的手来行神迹和奇事，來荣耀祂的儿子（徒4：28-30）。上帝允许希律杀雅各，但祂不让他伤害彼得。是上帝在掌權，而不是地上的撒旦。

         Please note that the Jerusalem church did not replace James as they had replaced Judas (Acts 1:15–26). As long as the gospel was going “to the Jew first,” it was necessary to have the full complement of twelve apostles to witness to the twelve tribes of Israel. The stoning of Stephen ended that special witness to Israel, so the number of official witnesses was no longer important.
请留意耶路撒冷教会没有找人替代雅各，像他们選人取代犹大（徒1：15-26）。只要福音首先进入犹太人，就有必要补足十二位使徒來向以色列的十二个部落作见证。司提反的被石头打死,  结束了以色列的特别见证，因此一些官方的見证就不再重要了。

        It is good to know that, no matter how difficult the trials or how disappointing the news. God is still on the throne and has everything under control. We may not always understand His ways, but we know His sovereign will is best.
很高兴知道，无论试探多么困难或者消息如何令人失望。上帝仍然坐在宝座上，祂在掌權。可能我们不常體會祂的道路，但知道祂仍以最好的旨意在掌权。

        2.  God Hears Our Prayers (12:5–17)
        2.  上帝听我们的祷告（12：5-17） 

        “And His ears are open unto their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12).
“祂的耳聽他们的祷告”（彼前3:12）。                 

       The phrase “but prayer” is the turning point in the story. Never underestimate the power of a praying church! “The angel fetched Peter out of prison,” said the Puritan preacher Thomas Watson, “but it was prayer that fetched the angel.” Follow the scenes in this exciting drama in Acts 12.
短语 “除了祷告” 是這故事的转折点。不要低估教会祈祷的力量！ 清教徒传教士多马·沃森（Thomas Watson）说，“天使把彼得带出监狱，但是, 是祈祷羸得天使。”  緊隨使徒行传十二章的令人兴奋的戏剧讀下去.

         Peter sleeping (vv. 5–6). If you were chained to two Roman soldiers and facing the possibility of being executed the next day, would you sleep very soundly? Probably not, but Peter did. In fact, Peter was so sound asleep that the angel had to strike him on the side to wake him up!
彼得睡得很甜（5-6）。如果你與两名罗马士兵绑在一起，面对第​​二天可能會处死的情況下，你会睡得很好吗？可能不會，但是彼得行。事实上，彼得睡得很好，天使不得不打醒他！

        The fact that Peter had been a prisoner twice before is not what gave him his calm heart. For that matter, this prison experience was different from the other two. This time, he was alone, and the deliverance did not come right away. The other two times, he was able to witness, but this time, no special witnessing opportunities appeared. Peter’s previous arrests had taken place after great victories, but this one followed the death of James, his dear friend and colleague. It was a new situation altogether.
彼得曾经有過两次被囚, 都不能让他有這樣平静的心。因為这次上帝的參與，坐监狱的经验与其他两次都不同。这一次，他是独自一人，救赎没有立即出现。另外两次，他能够见证，但这次没有特别的见证机会出现。彼得以前的逮捕是在伟大的胜利之后发生的，但这一次是他亲爱的朋友和同事雅各的去世。完全是新的狀况。

         What gave Peter such confidence and peace? To begin with, many believers were praying for him (Acts 12:12), and kept it up day and night for a week, and this helped to bring him peace (Phil. 4:6–7). Prayer has a way of reminding us of the promises of God’s Word, such as, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8). Or, “Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10).
是什么使彼得有这样的信心和平靜？首先，许多信徒为他祷告（徒12:12），并且保持日夜一个星期不停的禱告，这有助于使他心境平靜（腓   4：6-7）。祷告可以用来提醒我们記憶上帝应许的话语，例如：“我必然躺下睡觉，因为獨有祢主使我安然居住”（诗4：8）。或者，“你不要害怕。因为我與你同在，不要惊惶,  因為我是你的上帝，我必堅固你, ,  我必幫助你,  我必用我公义的右手扶持你.”（赛41:10）。

        But the main cause of Peter’s peace was the knowledge that Herod could not kill him. Jesus had promised Peter that he would live to be an old man and end his life crucified on a Roman cross (John 21:18–19). Peter simply laid hold of that promise and committed the entire situation to the Lord, and God gave him peace and rest. He did not know how or when God would deliver him, but he did know that deliverance was coming.
但彼得有平靜的主要原因是他知道希律不能杀他。耶稣已经答应彼得，他要活着到老，到時被羅馬的十字架結束他的生命（翰21：18-19）。彼得简单地守住這诺言，完全依賴主，上帝使他平静安息。他不知上帝会如何或何时拯救他，但他确信救赎已经來到。

         Peter obeying (vv. 7–11). Once again we behold the ministry of angels (Acts 5:19; 8:26; 10:3, 7) and are reminded that the angels care for God’s children (Ps. 34:7). The angel brought light and liberty into the prison cell, but the guards had no idea that anything was going on. However, if Peter was going to be delivered, he had to obey what the angel commanded. He probably thought it was a dream or a vision, but he arose and followed the angel out of the prison and into the street.  Only then did he come to himself and realize that he had been a part of another miracle.
彼得的顺服（7-11等节）。再次，我们看到天使的事工（徒     5:19; 8:26; 10：3,7），并被提醒我們天使會照顾上帝的兒女（诗34：7）。天使把光明和自由带到监牢之中，但卫兵却不知道发生什么事情。然而，如果彼得要被拯救，他就不得不順服天使所吩咐的。他或許认为这是梦或異象，但他仍然起来, 并跟随着天使離開监狱, 逃到街道.  只有後來他自己醒過來，才意识到這是另一个神迹的一部分。

        The angel commanded Peter to bind his garments with his girdle, and then to put on his sandals. These were certainly ordinary tasks to do while a miracle is taking place! But God often joins the miraculous with the ordinary just to encourage us to keep in balance. Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes, but then commanded His disciples to gather up the leftovers. He raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead, then told her parents to give her something to eat. Even in miracles, God is always practical.
天使吩咐彼得束腰，然后穿上凉鞋。这确实是在神迹正在进行時，應該做平凡的事！但是上帝经常以平凡的事與神迹放在一起，是鼓励我们要參與使之保持平衡。耶稣行五饼和二鱼變多餵飽五千人的神跡后, 吩咐祂的门徒收集剩下的。耶穌行使耶魯的女儿从死里复活的神跡, 然后告诉她的父母给她吃东西。即使是在神迹中，上帝总是顧及要人做平凡的事。

         God alone can do the extraordinary, but His people must do the ordinary. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but the men had to roll the stone from the tomb. The same angel that removed the chains from Peter’s hands could have put the shoes on Peter’s feet, but he told Peter to do it. God never wastes miracles.
只有上帝能做非凡的事情，但祂的子民必须要做平凡的事。耶稣使拉撒路从死里复活，但是人必須把封閉坟墓的大石滚開。 把彼得的鎖链打開的同一天使，可以為彼得把鞋子放在他的脚上，但天使却告诉彼得自己做这件事。上帝永遠珍惜神迹。

         Peter had to stoop before he could walk. It was a good lesson in humility and obedience. In fact, from that night on, every time Peter put on his shoes, it must have reminded him of the prison miracle and encouraged him to trust the Lord.
彼得在走路之前必須要躬腰起身。这是谦卑和顺从的好教训。事实上，从那天晚上起，每当彼得穿上鞋子的时候，都必會提醒他监狱的神迹，并鼓励他相信主。

        This deliverance took place at Passover season, the time of year when the Jews celebrated their exodus from Egypt. The word delivered in Acts 12:11 is the same word Stephen used when he spoke about the Jewish exodus (Acts 7:34). Peter experienced a new kind of “exodus” in answer to the prayers of God’s people.
救恩发生在逾越节，犹太人庆祝他們出埃及到曠野的那年的时间。使徒行传12章11節中所提到的事件与司提反谈到犹太人的出埃及记时所使用的一样（徒7:34）。彼得经历了新的 “出走” ,  藉以說明上帝回答祂子民的祷告。

        Peter knocking (vv. 12–16). As Peter followed the angel, God opened the way, and when Peter was free, the angel vanished. His work was done, and now it was up to Peter to trust the Lord and use his common sense in taking the next step. Since it was the prayers of God’s people that had helped to set him free, Peter decided that the best place for him would be in that prayer meeting at Mary’s house. Furthermore, he wanted to report the good news that God had answered their prayers. So Peter headed for the house of Mary, mother of John Mark.
彼得敲门（12-16等节）。当彼得跟随天使，上帝為他們开路，当彼得自由时，天使便消失了。天使的工作已经完成了，现在是彼得相信主，靠他自己的常识走下一步。因為是上帝听取祂的子民的祷告，他才得自由，所以彼得决定最好的去的地方是在那里祷告聚会的玛丽家。此外，他還想告訢他們,  上帝已聼了他们的祷告的好消息。所以彼得前往约翰·马可母亲玛丽的家。

         When you remember that (a) many people were praying, (b) they were praying earnestly, (c) they prayed night and day for perhaps as long as a week, and (d) their prayers were centered specifically on Peter’s deliverance, then the scene that is described here is almost comical. The answer to their prayers is standing at the door, but they don’t have faith enough to open the door and let him in! God could get Peter out of a prison, but Peter can’t get himself into a prayer meeting!
当你记得（a）许多人在祷告时，（b）他们正在认真地祷告，（c）他们日夜长达一个星期不停的祈祷,  和（d）他们的祷告是专门针对彼得的拯救，然而, 此處的描述的境況几乎是喜劇性的。他们祈祷的回答---得救的人站在门口，但他们没有足够的信心去开门，让他进来！上帝可以让彼得离开监狱，但彼得却不能进入祷告会！

         Of course, the knock at the door might have been that of Herod’s soldiers, coming to arrest more believers. It took courage for the maid Rhoda (“rose”) to go to the door, but imagine her surprise when she recognized Peter’s voice! She was so overcome that she forgot to open the door! Poor Peter had to keep knocking and calling while the “believers” in the prayer meeting decided what to do! And the longer he stood at the gate, the more dangerous his situation became.
当然，可能是希律士兵的来临的敲门聲，要逮捕更多的信徒。女仆罗达（“玫瑰”）勇敢地走到门口，但是当她认出是彼得的声音时，可想象她是多麼的惊喜！她甚至忘了給彼得开门！可怜的彼得不得不继续敲门及叫喊， 因為 “信徒們” 在祷告会上决定要做什么！彼得逗留在门口的时间越长，對他的情况就变得越危险。        

         The exclamation, “It is his angel! ” (v. 15) reveals their belief in “guardian angels” (Matt. 18:10; Heb. 1:14). Of course, the logical question is, “Why would an angel bother to knock?” All he had to do was simply walk right in! Sad to say, good theology plus unbelief often leads to fear and confusion.
第15 節的感叹号 “他會是天使!” 揭示了他们对 “守护天使” 的信念（太18:10; 来1:14）。在逻辑上的问题是, “为什么天使会需要來敲门打扰他們來開門呢？” 他所要的只是要进去！可悲的是，好的神学者加上不信，往往会导致恐惧和混乱。

        We must face the fact that even in the most fervent prayer meetings there is sometimes a spirit of doubt and unbelief. We are like the father who cried to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). These Jerusalem saints believed that God could answer their prayers, so they kept at it night and day. But, when the answer came right to their door, they refused to believe it. God graciously honors even the weakest faith, but how much more He would do if only we would trust Him.
在必须面对这样的事实時，我们即使在最热烈的祷告会上，有时也会有屬靈的怀疑和不信。就像先祖, 我们向耶稣呼求，“主啊，我相信; 帮助我的小信“（可9:24）。耶路撒冷的圣徒相信上帝會回答他们的祷告，所以他们日夜地不住的禱告。但是，当應允到达门口时，他们又拒绝相信。上帝恩慈地尊重最弱的信心，但如果我们只要信靠上帝,  祂会做多做多少事。

待贖

                 Note the plural pronouns in verse 16: “They … opened the door and … they were astonished.” I get the impression that, for safety’s sake, they decided to open the door together and face together whatever might be on the other side. Rhoda would have done it by herself, but she was too overcome with joy. It is commendable that a lowly servant girl recognized Peter’s voice and rejoiced that he was free. Rhoda surely was a believer who knew Peter as a friend.
注意16節中的复数代词：“他们...打开门，並且...他们惊讶.”  我的印象是，为了安全起见，他们决定一起打开门，面对在另一边將會發生什麼事。罗达或許会自己去做，但是她被過分的興奮所控制。值得赞扬的是低下的女仆能认出彼得的声音，并高兴地他獲得自由。罗达肯定是信徒，认彼得為朋友。                               

         Peter declaring (v. 17). Apparently everybody began to speak at once, and Peter had to silence them. He quickly gave an account of the miracle of his deliverance and no doubt thanked them for their prayer help. He instructed them to get the word to James, the half-brother of the Lord, who was the leader of the Jerusalem assembly (Matt. 13:55; Acts 15:13ff.; Gal. 1:19). James was also the author of the epistle of James.
彼得宣称（第17节）。显然大家立刻开始说话，彼得不得不請他们靜默。他很快就说出了他被救出的神迹，並且毫无疑问地感谢他们為他得救的祷告。他吩咐他们把話傳給主的同父異母的兄弟雅各, 他是耶路撒冷教會的领袖 ( 太 13:55，徒15：13參考，加1:9）。雅各也是雅各书信的作者。

         Where Peter went when he left the meeting, nobody knows to this day! It certainly was a well-kept secret. Except for a brief appearance in Acts 15, Peter walks off the pages of the book of Acts to make room for Paul and the story of his ministry among the Gentiles. First Corinthians 9:5 tells us that Peter traveled in ministry with his wife, and 1 Corinthians 1:12 suggests that he visited Corinth. There is no evidence in Scripture that Peter ever visited Rome. In fact, if Peter had founded the church in Rome, it is unlikely that Paul would have gone there, for his policy was to work where other apostles had not labored (Rom. 15:18–22). Also, he certainly would have said something to or about Peter when he wrote his letter to the Romans.
彼得在离开会议後到何處去，直到今天没有人知道！这当然是必定要保密的秘密。除了在使徒行传15章中對彼得作简短介绍之外，他不再出現於使徒行传中，給保罗留下空間，也是保羅在外邦人中的事工。哥林多前书9章5節告诉我们，彼得与妻子同行旅行傳道，哥林多前书1連12節表示他访问了哥林多。在圣经中没有证据表明彼得曾访问过罗马。事实上，如果彼得在罗马建立教会，保罗就不可能去那里，因为保羅從不在其他使徒工作的地方再去傳教（马15：18-22）。此外，当他写罗马人書时，他肯定会提起彼得。

        Before we leave this section, it would be profitable to consider how Christians can best pray for those in prison, for even today there are many people in prison only because they are Christians. “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them” commands Hebrews 13:3. In other words, pray for them as you would want them to pray for you if your situations were reversed.
在离开本节之前，我们應考虑基督徒如何为监狱里的人祷告, 這是有益的，因为即使在今天仍有很多人只因为他是基督徒, 而被放在监狱里的。希伯来书13章3節這樣命令說,  “你們要记念被捆綁的人,  好像与他们同受捆綁”。换句话说，如果你們在他們的情况裡，你们也祈望他们为你祷告。

         We ought to pray that God will give them grace to bear with suffering so that they might have a triumphant witness for the Lord. We should ask the Spirit to minister the Word to them and bring it to their remembrance. It is right to ask God to protect His own and to give them wisdom as they must day after day deal with a difficult enemy. We must ask God that, if it is His will, they be delivered from their bondage and suffering and reunited with their loved ones.
我们应该祈祷，上帝会给他们恩惠，忍受痛苦，使他们能為主作得胜的见证。我们应该要求圣灵将主的话传给他们，放在他們的记憶裡。要求上帝保护自己的子民，賜予他們智慧，因为他们必须日复一日地处理敌人給他們的困难,  這是正确的。我们必须這樣问上帝，如果是祂的旨意，祂就要將他们從束缚和痛苦中解脱出来，並与他们的亲人重聚。

         3.  God Deals with Our Enemies (12:18–25)
         3.  上帝与我们的敌人交戰（12：18-25）：

         “But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12 c).
“但耶和华的面对与恶者相反的人”（彼前3:12下）。

         If the account had ended with Peter’s departure, we would find ourselves wondering, “What happened to the prison guards and to Herod?” We do not know at what time the angel delivered Peter, but when the next quaternion arrived at the cell, imagine their consternation when they discovered that the guards were there but the prisoner was gone! If the new watch awakened the old watch, it was certainly a rude awakening for them! If the old watch was already awake and alert, they must have had a difficult time explaining the situation to the new watch. How could a chained prisoner escape when there were four guards present and the doors were locked?
如果这事结束於彼得的离去，我们自己會這樣來思想：“在监狱守卫和希律之間會發生什麼？”  不知道天使在什么时候救出彼得，但是当下一批四名守衛到达牢房时，想象一下, 當囚犯逃走了,  而发现守卫還在那里，他们該是多麼的惊奇！若是新守衛唤醒了旧守衛，那肯定對他們的唤醒是无礼的！如果旧守衛已经是清醒並且機警，那么他们必须很难向新來的守衛解释當時的情况。当有四名警守看著, 并且门是锁住的，囚犯是被捆綁在一起的, 囚犯是怎麼逃跑的？                     

        If a guard permitted a prisoner to escape, Roman law required that he receive the same punishment that the prisoner would have received, even if it was death (see Acts 16:27; 27:42). This law did not strictly apply in Herod’s jurisdiction, so the king was not forced to kill the guards, but, being a Herod, he did it anyway. Instead of killing one man to please the Jews, he killed four and perhaps hoped it would please them more.
如果守卫允许囚犯逃跑，罗马法律规定，即使囚犯死亡，警衛也将受到與囚犯同样的惩罚（參 徒16:27; 27:42）。 該法律并没有严格适用于希律的審判权，所以国王是因故杀死卫兵,  因他是希律，反正他要这样做。他代替杀死一人来討好犹太人，而現在是杀死了四个人，也许他希望能让更多的討好他们。

        “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead” (Prov. 11:8). This truth is illustrated in the death of Herod. While God does not always bring retribution this quickly, we can be sure that the Judge of all the earth will do what is right (Gen. 18:25; Rev. 6:9–11).
 “义人被摆脱了麻烦，恶人来了”（箴11：8）。这个真理在希律之死中得以说明。虽然上帝并不总是很快地报复，但我们可以肯定地球上的法官将会做正确的事（创18:25;启6：9-11）。

         The people of Tyre and Sidon, who depended on the Jews for food (see Ezra 3:7), had in some way displeased King Herod and were in danger of losing this assistance. In true political fashion, they bribed Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bed chamber, and thus atrusted official; he in turn convinced the king to meet the delegation. It was an opportunity for the proud king to display his authority and glory, and for the delegates to please him with their flattery.
依靠犹太人吃饭的轮胎和西顿人（见以西3：7）在某种程度上使希律王不满，并有失去这种援助的危险。以真正的政治形式，他们贿赂了布拉斯图斯，他负责国王的卧室，从而不信任官员;他又说服国王会见代表团。这位骄傲的国王，是展现自己的权威和荣耀的机会，也是代表们用奉承的方式来欢迎他。

         The Jewish historian Josephus said that this scene took place during a festival honoring Claudius Caesar, and that the king wore a beautiful silver garment in honor of the occasion. We do not know what Herod said in his oration, but we do know why he said it: he wanted to impress the people. And he did! They played on his Herodian ego and told him he was a god, and he loved every minute of it.
犹太历史学家约瑟夫（Josephus）说，这个场面发生在克莱狄斯凯撒节日的一个节日，国王穿着漂亮的银色服装来纪念这个场合。我们不知道希律在他的讲话中说什么，但是我们知道他为什么这么说：他想打动人们。他做到了！他们在希律堂的自我中扮演，并告诉他他是一个神，他每一分钟都喜欢。

         But he did not give the glory to the Lord, so this whole scene was nothing but idolatry. “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another” (Isa. 42:8; see 48:11). Instead of Peter being killed by Herod, it was Herod who was killed by Peter’s God! Perhaps the same angel who delivered Peter also smote the king. Herod contracted some affliction in his bowels and died five days later, according to Josephus. This was in AD 44.
但他并没有将荣耀归给耶和华，所以这整个场景只不过是偶像崇拜。 “我是耶和华，这是我的名，我的荣耀不会给别人”（以赛亚书42：8;见48:11）。而不是彼得被希律杀死，是希律王被彼得的神杀死了！也许彼得的同一位天使也打了王。根据约瑟夫的说法，Herod在他的肠内收缩了一些痛苦，五天后死亡。这是在公元44年。

         This event is more than a slice of ancient history, because it typifies the world and its people today. The citizens of Tyre and Sidon were concerned about one thing only—getting sufficient food to feed their stomachs. To be sure, food is essential to life, but when we pay any price to get that food, we are doing wrong. By flattering the king and calling him a god, the delegation knew they could get what they wanted.
这个事件不仅仅是一个古老的历史，因为它代表了世界和它的人民今天。轮胎和西顿的公民只关心一件事 - 得到足够的食物来喂饱肚子。可以肯定的是，食物对生命至关重要，但是当我们付出任何代价来获得食物时，我们做错了。通过奉承国王并称他为神，代表团知道他们可以得到他们想要的东西。

         I cannot help but see in King Herod an illustration of the future “man of sin” who will one day rule the world and persecute God’s people (2 Thess. 2; Rev. 13). This “man of sin” (or Antichrist) will make himself god and will command the worship of the whole world. But Jesus Christ will return and judge him and those who follow him (Rev. 19:11–21).
我不禁要在希律王面前看见未来的“罪人”，他们有一天会统治世人，迫害上帝的子民（2 Thess。2; Rev. 13）。这个“罪人”（或敌基督）将会使自己成为神，并将指挥对全世界的崇拜。但是耶稣基督会回来审判他和追随他的人（启19：11-21）。

        The world still lives for praise and pleasure. Man has made himself his own god (Rom. 1:25). The world still lives on the physical and ignores the spiritual (see 1 John 2:15–17). It lives by force and flattery instead of faith and truth, and one day it will be judged.
世界仍然以赞美和快乐为生。人已经使自己成为自己的神（罗1:25）。世界仍然生活在身体上，忽视了精神（见约翰一书2：15-17）。它通过武力和奉承而不是信仰和真理，有一天会被判断。

        The church today, like Israel of old, suffers because of people like Herod who use their authority to oppose the truth. Beginning with Pharaoh in Egypt, God’s people have often suffered under despotic rulers and governments, and God has always preserved His witness in the world. God has not always judged evil officials as He judged Herod, but He has always watched over His people and seen to it that they did not suffer and die in vain. Our freedom today was purchased by their bondage.
今天的教会，像以色列的老人一样，受到像希律王这样的使用权威来反对真相的人。从埃及的法老开始，上帝的子民常常受到专制统治者和政府的苦难，上帝一直保留了他在世界上的见证。上帝并不总是认定邪恶的官员，因为他审判希律王，但他一直在看他的子民，并且认为他们没有受苦，没有死。我们今天的自由被他们的束缚所购买。

         The early church had no “political clout” or friends in high places to “pull strings” for them. Instead, they went to the highest throne of all, the throne of grace. They were a praying people, for they knew that God could solve their problems. God’s glorious throne was greater than the throne of Herod, and God’s heavenly army could handle Herod’s weak soldiers any day or night! The believers did not need to bribe anyone at court. They simply took their case to the highest court and left it with the Lord!
早期教会在高处没有“政治影响力”，也没有朋友为他们“拉绳”。相反，他们去了最高的宝座，恩典的宝座。他们是一个祈祷的人，因为他们知道上帝可以解决他们的问题。上帝的光荣王位大于希律王位，上帝的天国军队可以昼夜处理希律士的弱者！信徒不需要在法庭上贿赂任何人。他们只是把他们的案件交给最高法院，并与主一起离开了他！
 
         And what was the result? “But the word of God grew and multiplied” (Acts 12:24). This is another of Luke’s summaries, or “progress reports,” that started with Acts 6:7 (see 9:31; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31). Luke is accomplishing the purpose of his book and showing us how the church spread throughout the Roman world from its small beginnings in Jerusalem. What an encouragement to us today!
结果是什么？ “但神的话增长倍增”（使徒行传12:24）。这是卢克的另一个摘要，或者是“进步报告”，这是从使徒行传6：7开始的（见9:31; 16：5; 19：20; 28:31）。卢克正在完成他的书的目的，并告诉我们教会如何从耶路撒冷的小起点传遍整个罗马世界。今天对我们的鼓励.

         At the beginning of Acts 12, Herod seemed to be in control, and the church was losing the battle. But at the end of the chapter, Herod is dead and the church— very much alive—is growing rapidly!
在使徒行传12开始时，希律似乎受到控制，教会失去了战斗。但是在本章末尾，希律死了，教会非常活跃 - 正在快速增长！
The secret? A praying church!
秘密？祈祷教会！

        Missionary Isobel Kuhn used to pray when in trouble, “If this obstacle is from thee, Lord, I accept it; but if it is from Satan, I refuse him and all his works in the name of Calvary!” And Dr. Alan Redpath has often said, “Let’s keep our chins up and our knees down— we’re on the victory side!”
传教士Isobel Kuhn曾经在祈祷麻烦，“如果这个障碍来自你，主啊，我接受它;但是如果是撒但，我就以Cal髅的名义拒绝他和他所有的作品！“艾伦·雷德罗斯博士经常说：”让我们的下巴，我们的跪下 - 我们在胜利的一边！

        God works when churches pray, and Satan still trembles “when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.”
當教会祷告时,  上帝就工作;  “当撒但看到最軟弱的信徒用膝盖跪地上时”它會不停的颤抖着.