1587 英翻中 (使21課) Paul and prisonal 保羅和囚犯 27/5/2026
親愛的天父上帝, 今晨在後花園工作太久, 跌了一跤, 祢讓孩子跌在左邊, 沒有傷到右邊的受傷的骨頭, 還能走路, 不要動手術. 謝謝祢的仁慈大愛.
Chapter twenty - one Paul and prisonal Acts 22:30-23:35
第 21 課 保羅和囚犯 使徒行使 22:30-23:35
I
was once called to be a character witness in a child custody case involving
a man who had served time in prison. This was a new experience for me, and
I was completely unprepared for the first question the attorney asked
me: “Reverend, do you think that a man who has been a prisoner is fit to raise
a child?”
曾经有人叫我做过儿童监护案的品格证人，案中涉及一名在监服役的男子。这对我来说是一种新的体验，我完全没有为律师的第一个问题做好准备, 他问我：“牧师，您认为曾经被囚的男人适合抚养孩子吗？”
“That
depends on the man,” I replied bravely. “Some of the greatest men in history
have been prisoners John the Baptist, John Bunyan, and even the apostle Paul.” 我勇敢地回答, “这取决于那个人，历史上一些最伟大的人是囚犯，施洗约翰，约翰·本扬，甚至使徒保罗。”
“Simply answer yes or no!” said the judge curtly, and that was the end of my sermon.
“Paul
the prisoner” (Acts 23:18) was the name the Roman soldiers used for the
apostle, a designation he himself often used (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:8;
Philem. 1, 9). Paul was under “military custody,” which meant he was bound to a
Roman soldier who was responsible for him. Prisoners under “public custody”
were put in the common jail, a horrible place for any human being to suffer
(Acts 16:19–24).
罗马士兵用于称呼使徒的名字，他本人经常使“囚犯保罗”（使徒行传23:18）是（以弗所书3：1; 4：1; 提後：8; 腓利門书1, 9）。保罗处于 “军事拘留” 状态，这意味着他被绑架了对他负责的罗马士兵。 “公众拘留”下的囚犯被放到了普通监狱里，这是任何人类受难的地方（徒16：19-24）。
Paul’s
friends could visit him and help meet his personal needs. It is sad that
we don’t read, “And prayer was made fervently by the church for Paul”
(see Acts 12:5). There is no record that the Jerusalem church took
any steps to assist him, either in Jerusalem or during his two years in
Caesarea.
This
is an exciting chapter, and in it we read of three confrontations that Paul
experienced.
这是一个令人兴奋的篇章，在其中我们读到了保罗经历的三个对抗。
1. Paul and the Jewish Council (22:30—23:10)
Having
discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen, the Roman captain now had two serious
problems to solve. First, he needed to
let the prisoner know what the official charges were against him, since that
was Paul’s right as a Roman citizen. Second, he also needed to have some
official charges for his own records and to share with
his superiors. He was sure that Paul had done something notorious, otherwise
why would so many people want to do away with him? Yet nobody seemed to know
what Paul’s crimes were. What a plight for a Roman official to be in!
The
logical thing was to let Paul’s own people try him, so the captain arranged for
a special meeting of the Jewish council (Sanhedrin). This group was composed of
seventy (or seventy-one) of the leading Jewish teachers, with the high priest
presiding. It was their responsibility to interpret and apply the sacred Jewish
law to the affairs of the nation, and to try those who violated that law. The
Romans gave the council permission to impose capital punishment where the
offense deserved it.
顺理成章的事情是让保罗自己的人民去尝试他，于是上尉安排了犹太人议会（Sanhedrin），并审判那些违反该法律的人。罗马人准许议会在罪行应得的情况下处以死刑。合乎邏輯的做法是讓保羅的同胞審判他，於是千夫長安排召開猶太公會（公會）的特別會議。這個公會由七十位（或七十一位）猶太教的領袖組成，大祭司主持會議。他們的職責是解釋和運用猶太教的律法來處理國家事務，並審判那些違反律法的人。羅馬人授權公會，在罪行嚴重的情況下，可以處以死刑。
The
captain and his guard (Acts 23:10) brought Paul into the council chamber and
stepped aside to watch the proceedings. Knowing how the Jews in the temple had
treated Paul, Claudius remained there on guard lest his prisoner be taken from
him and killed. No Roman soldier could afford to lose a prisoner, for that
might mean the forfeiting of his own life. The loss of a prisoner against whom
the charges were nebulous would be especially embarrassing for any Roman
officer. As Paul faced the council and examined it carefully, he decided to
start with a personal approach. “Men and brethren” immediately identified him
as a Jew and no doubt helped win the attention of his countrymen.
队长和他的警卫（使徒行传23:10）将保罗带进了会议厅，并走到一边观看会议程序。克劳迪乌斯知道圣殿中的犹太人是如何对待保罗的，克劳迪斯留在那儿守卫，以免将他的囚犯从他身边带走并杀死。没有任何一个罗马士兵能够承受失去囚犯的负担，因为这可能意味着丧失自己的生命。对于任何罗马军官来说，丢掉一个被指控含糊其词的囚犯将尤其令人尴尬。保罗面对理事会并仔细检查时，他决定从个人角度入手。 “男人和弟兄”立即将他确定为犹太人，无疑帮助赢得了他的同胞的注意。
The
Greek word translated “lived” means “to live as a citizen.” It gives us the
English word politics. Paul affirmed that he was a loyal Jew who had
lived as a good Jewish citizen and had not broken the law. His conscience
did not condemn him even though the Jews had condemned him.
“Conscience”
is one of Paul’s favorite words; he used it twice in Acts (23:1; 24:16) and
twenty-one times in his letters. The word means “to know with, to know
together.” Conscience is the inner “judge” or “witness” that approves when
we do right and disapproves when we do wrong (Rom. 2:15). Conscience does
not set the standard; it only applies it. The conscience of
a thief would bother him if he told the truth about his fellow crooks just as
much as a Christian’s conscience would convict him if he told a lie about his
friends. Conscience does not make the standards; it only applies the standards
of the person, whether they are good or bad, right or wrong.
Conscience
may be compared to a window that lets in the light. God’s law is the light, and the
cleaner the window is, the more the light shines in. As the window gets dirty, the light gets dimmer, and
finally the light becomes darkness. A good conscience, or pure
conscience (1 Tim. 3:9), is one that lets in God’s light so that we are properly
convicted if we do wrong and encouraged if we do right. A defiled conscience (1
Cor. 8:7) is one that has been sinned against so much that it is no longer
dependable. If a person continues to sin against his conscience, he may end up with an evil
conscience (Heb. 10:22) or a seared conscience (1 Tim. 4:2). Then he would feel
convicted if he did what was right rather than what was wrong!
Paul had persecuted the church and had even caused innocent people to die, so how could he claim to have a good conscience? He had lived up to the light that he had, and that is all that a good conscience requires. After he became a Christian and the bright light of God’s glory shone into his heart (2 Cor. 4:6), Paul then saw things differently and realized that he was “the chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15).
保罗曾迫害教堂，甚至造成无辜者死亡，那么他怎么能声称自己有良心呢？他辜负了自己的光明，他已经实现了自己的光明，这就是良心所需要的。保罗成为基督徒之后，上帝荣耀的光芒照进了他的内心（林前2：4：6），然后保罗有了不同的看法，并意识到他是“罪人的首领”（添1:15）。
Ananias the high priest (not to be
confused with Annas in Acts 4:6) was so incensed at Paul's saying that he had
“lived in all good conscience” that he ordered the nearest Jewish council
members to slap Paul across the mouth. (Jesus had been treated in a similar
way—John 18:22.) This was, of course, illegal and inhumane, for, after all,
Paul had not even been proven guilty of anything. Certainly the high priest
would be expected to show honesty and fairness, if not compassion and concern
(Lev. 19:15; Heb. 5:2).
大祭司亚那尼亚斯（不要在使徒行传4：6中与安娜斯混为一谈）对保罗的话非常反感，以至于他“过着良心生活”，以至于命令下一个最近的犹太议会议员将保罗掌嘴。
（以类似的方式对待耶稣-约翰福音18:22。）当然，这是非法的和不人道的，因为毕竟保罗甚至没有被证明有罪。当然，如果没有同情和关心，大祭司应该表现出诚实和公正（利19:15；来5：2）。
Paul responded with what appears to me to
be justified anger, though many disagree about this. When called to account for
what he had said, Paul did not apologize. Rather, he showed respect for the office
but not for the man. Ananias was indeed one of the most corrupt men
ever to be named high priest. He stole tithes from the other priests and did
all he could to increase his authority. He was known as a brutal man who cared
more for Rome's favor than for Israel's welfare.
保罗以我认为合理的愤怒回应，尽管许多人对此表示反对。当被要求解释他所说的话时，保罗没有道歉。相反，他表现出对办公室的尊重，而不是对人的尊重。亚纳尼亚斯确实是有史以来被任命为大祭司的最腐败的人之一。他从其他神父那里窃取了什一税，并竭尽所能来增强自己的权威。他被认为是一个残酷的人，他更关心罗马的恩宠，而不是以色列的福利。
In calling the high priest a “whited
wall,” Paul was simply saying that the man was a hypocrite (Matt. 23:27; see
Ezek. 13:10–12). Paul spoke prophetically, because God did indeed smite this
wicked man. When the Jews revolted against Rome in the year 66, Ananias had to
flee for his life because of his known sympathies with Rome. The Jewish
guerrillas found him hiding in an aqueduct at Herod's palace, and they killed
him. It was an ignominious death for a despicable man.
保罗称大祭司为“白墙”，只是在说这人是伪君子（太23:27；见以西结13：10-12）。保罗预言了，因为上帝确实打了这个恶人。当犹太人于66年起义反抗罗马时，阿纳尼亚斯因对罗马的同情而不得不逃亡。犹太游击队发现他躲在希律王宫的水槽中，并杀死了他。对于一个卑鄙的人来说，这是可耻的死亡。
Paul's reply in Acts 23:5 has been
variously interpreted. Some say that Paul did not know who the high priest was.
Or perhaps Paul was speaking in holy sarcasm: “Could such a man actually be the
high priest?” Since this was an informal
meeting of the council, perhaps the high priest was not wearing his traditional
garments and sitting in his usual place. For that matter, Paul had been away
from the Jewish religious scene for many years and probably did not know many
people in the council.
保罗在使徒行传23：5中的回答有不同的解释。有人说保罗不知道大祭司是谁。也许保罗是在嘲讽中说：“这样的人真的可以当大祭司吗？”由于这是理事会的非正式会议，因此大祭司也许没有穿着他的传统服装，而是坐在他平时的位置。就此而言，保罗已经离开犹太宗教舞台很多年了，可能在议会中不认识很多人。
The quoting of Exodus 22:28 would indicate
that Paul may not have known that it was the high priest who ordered him to be
smitten. Again, note that Paul showed respect for the office, but not for the
man who held the office. There is a difference.
出埃及记22:28的引用将表明保罗可能不知道是命令他被击杀的是大祭司。同样，请注意，保罗表现出对办公室的尊重，但不尊重在办公室負責担任的人。它们是有区别的。
Having failed in his personal approach,
Paul then used a doctrinal approach. He declared that the real issue was his
faith in the doctrine of the resurrection, a doctrine over which the Pharisees
and Sadducees violently disagreed. Paul knew that by defending this important
doctrine, he would divide the council and soon have the members disputing among
themselves, which is exactly what happened. So violent was the response that
Claudius and his men had to rush down to the floor of the council chamber and
rescue their prisoner for the second time!
保罗的个人方法失败了，于是他采用了理论方法。他宣布，真正的问题是他对复活学说的信念，即法利赛人和撒都该人激烈地反对这一学说。保罗知道，通过捍卫这一重要学说，他将分裂理事会，并很快使成员之间发生争执，这就是事实。如此强烈的反应使克劳迪乌斯和他的手下不得不冲到议会厅的地板上，第二次营救他们的囚犯！
Was Paul “playing politics” when he took this approach? I don't think so. After his unfortunate clash with the high priest, Paul realized that he could never get a fair trial before the Sanhedrin. If the trial had continued, he might well have been condemned and taken out and stoned as a blasphemer. The Asian Jews, if given opportunity to testify, could well have added fuel to the fire with their false witness. No, the wisest thing to do was to end the hearing as soon as possible and trust God to use the Roman legions to protect him from the Jews. 保罗采用这种方法时是否在“玩政治”？我不这么认为。在与大祭司发生不幸的冲突之后，保罗意识到他永远不可能在Sanhedrin之前受到公正的审判。如果审判继续进行，他很可能会受到谴责并被带走，并被亵渎为亵渎神灵。亚洲犹太人，如果有机会作证，很可能以他们的虚假证人为火上加油。不，最明智的做法是尽快结束听证会，并相信上帝会使用罗马军团保护他免受犹太人的袭击。
There is a second consideration: Paul was absolutely right when he said that the real issue was the doctrine of the resurrection, not “the resurrection” in general, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Acts 24:21; 26:6–8; 28:20). Had he been given the opportunity, Paul would have declared the gospel of “Jesus Christ and the resurrection” just as he had declared it before Jewish congregations in many parts of the empire. The witness in Acts centers on the resurrection (see Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15). 还有第二点考虑：当保罗说真正的问题是复活的教义时，保罗绝对是对的，而不是普遍的“复活”，而是耶稣基督的复活（参 使徒行传24:21; 26：6-8 ; 28:20）。如果他有机会，保罗会宣告＂耶稣基督和祂的复活”的福音，正如他在羅馬许多地方的犹太教集会前宣布的那样。使徒行传中的见证以复活为中心（参 徒1：22; 2：32; 3：15）。
Jesus had stood trial before the Sanhedrin, and so had
His apostles, and now Paul had witnessed to them. What great opportunities the
council had, and yet they would not believe!
耶稣在公会面前受审，祂的使徒也在公會受审判，现在保罗在這裏對他們见证主耶穌。公會的人有這麼大好机会聽到這信息，但他们仍然不相信！
2. Paul and the Lord Jesus (23:11)
2. 保羅與主耶穌（23:11）
A few years after Paul’s conversion, when Paul’s life was
in danger in Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to him in the temple and told him what
to do (Acts 22:17–21). When Paul was discouraged in Corinth and contemplated
going elsewhere, Jesus appeared to him and encouraged him to stay (Acts
18:9–10). Now, when Paul was certainly at “low ebb” in his ministry, Jesus
appeared once again to encourage and instruct him. Paul would later receive
encouragement during the storm (Acts 27:22–25) and during his trial in Rome (2
Tim. 4:16–17). “Lo, I am with you always” is a great assurance for every
situation (Matt. 28:20).
保罗信主耶穌基督後的几年，当他的生命在耶路撒冷面临危险时，耶稣在殿里向他显现，并告诉他该做什么（徒22：17-21）。当保罗在哥林多受到劝阻并考虑到其他地方时，耶稣向他显现并鼓励他留下（徒18：9-10）。现在，当保罗在他的事工中的确处于“低潮”时，耶稣再次顯现, 鼓励和指导他。保罗后来在暴风雨期间（使徒行传27：22-25）和在罗马审判期间得到祂的鼓励（提后4：16-17）。 “保羅，我永远和你在一起”是对保羅在任何情况下的绝对保证（马太福音28:20）。
The Lord’s message to Paul was one of courage. “Be of good cheer!” simply means “Take courage!” Jesus often spoke these words during His earthly ministry. He spoke them to the palsied man (Matt. 9:2) and to the woman who suffered with the hemorrhage (Matt. 9:22). He shouted them to the disciples in the storm (Matt. 14:27) and repeated them in the Upper Room (John 16:33). As God’s people, we can always take courage in times of difficulty because the Lord is with us and will see us through.
主的信息對保罗是一種勇气。 “祝你好运！＂簡單的意味着“拿出勇气！”耶稣在祂的世俗事工中经常说这些话。祂向癱子說这些话（太9：2）和對那患血漏的妇人也說這話（太9:22）。祂在风暴中向门徒大声喊叫（太14:27），并在樓房里重复向他们説這話
（约16:33）。作为上帝的子民，我们总能在困难时期勇敢地面对，因为主与我们同在，并且祂会看到我们渡过。
It was also a message of commendation. The Lord did not
rebuke Paul for going to Jerusalem. Rather, He commended him for the witness he
had given, even though that witness had not been received. When you read the
account of Paul’s days in Jerusalem, you get the impression that everything
Paul did failed miserably. His attempt to win over the legalistic Jews only
helped cause a riot in the temple, and his witness before the Sanhedrin left
the council in confusion. But the Lord was pleased with Paul’s testimony, and
that’s what really counts.
这也是表扬的信息。主并没有责备保罗去耶路撒冷。相反，祂赞扬他所作的見证，即使这見证没有被接受。当你读到保罗在耶路撒冷的日子的记载时，你会得到保罗在那裡所做的一切都是失败的印象。他试图争取法律主义的犹太人, 却在寺庙中引起骚乱，他在公会面前的見证造成公會的困惑。但主对保罗的见证很满意，这才是真正重要的。
Finally, it was a message of confidence: Paul would go to
Rome! This had been Paul’s desire for months (Acts 19:21; Rom. 15:22–29), but
events in Jerusalem had made it look as though that desire would not be
fulfilled. What encouragement this promise gave to Paul in the weeks that
followed, difficult weeks when leaders lied about him, when fanatics tried to
kill him, and when government officials ignored him. In all of this, the Lord
was with him and fulfilling His perfect plan to get His faithful servant to
Rome.
最后是自信的信息：保罗会去罗马！这一直是保罗数月來的渴望（使徒行传19:21;罗马书15：22-29），但在耶路撒冷發生的事件，看起来好像这愿望不会实现。在接下来的几周里，主的應許给了保罗這麼大的鼓励，如在困難的幾週里以来，领导人对他的撒谎，当狂热分子试图杀死他，以及当政府官员忽视他。在这一切中，主都与他同在，并且实现了祂完美的计划，使祂的忠实仆人前往罗马。
3. Paul and the Jewish Conspirators (23:12–35)
3. 保罗和犹太人的阴谋者對抗（23：12-35）
Paul’s life had been in danger from the very beginning of
his ministry, when he witnessed for Christ in Damascus (Acts 9:22–25). During
his first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion, the Hellenistic Jews tried
to kill him (Acts 9:29). The Jews drove him out of Antioch in Pisidia (Acts
13:50–51) and threatened to stone him in Iconium (Acts 14:5). Paul was stoned
in Lystra (Acts 14:19–20), and in Corinth, the Jews tried to get him arrested
(Acts 18:12–17). In Ephesus, the Jews had a plot to kill him (Acts 20:19), and
they even planned to kill him at sea (Acts 20:3). Paul’s words in 1
Thessalonians 2:14–16 take on special meaning when you consider all that Paul
suffered at the hands of his own countrymen.
保罗在大马士革为基督作见证时，他的生命一直处于危险之中（使徒行传9：22-25）。在他信主基督后第一次访问耶路撒冷期间，説希腊話的犹太人试图杀死他（徒9:29）。犹太人把他从皮西底的安提阿赶出去（使徒行传13：50-51），并威胁要将他在以哥念用石頭打死他（使徒行传14：5）。保罗在路司得被石头打死（使徒行传14：19-20），在哥林多犹太人也试图逮捕他（徒18：12-17）。在以弗所，犹太人有谋杀他的阴谋（使徒行传20:19），他们甚至计划在海上杀死他（徒20：3）。保罗在帖撒罗尼迦前书2章14至16節所說的话，若你仔細考虑到保罗在他自己的同胞手中所遭受的一切时，它們具有特别的意义。
Perhaps it was the Asian Jews who conspired to kill Paul
(Acts 21:27–29). Certain of the chief priests and elders agreed to cooperate
with them and try to influence Claudius. It was a natural thing for the council
to want further information from Paul, and it would have been an easy thing to
ambush Paul’s party and kill the apostle. If this got the captain in trouble
with his superiors, the high priest could protect him. The Romans and the Jews
had cooperated this way before (Matt. 28:11–15).
也许是亚裔犹太人圖谋杀死保罗（徒21：27-29）。大祭士和长老確定同意与他们合作，并试图影响革老丟。公会希望得到保罗的进一步消息是很自然的事情，而伏击保罗的同黨，並且杀死使徒本来不是一件太難的事。若這事引起队长与上级发生冲突，大祭司會出面可以保护他。之前，罗马人和犹太人曾经这样的合作过（太28：11-15）。
But the forty fasting men and the scheming religious
leaders had forgotten that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and that the
exalted Lord was watching from heaven. At Paul’s conversion, the Lord had told
him that he would suffer, but He had also promised that He would deliver him
from his enemies (Acts 9:15–16; 26:16–17). Paul held on to that promise all of
his life, and God was faithful.
但是這四十个禁食的人和诡计多端的宗教领袖已经忘记了，保罗是耶稣基督的使徒，并且那位被高舉的上帝从天上看着他。在保罗悔改的时候，主曾告诉他会受苦，但主也曾對他承诺, 祂会将他从敌人手中救出来（徒9：15-16; 26：16-17）。保罗一生都坚持活在这應許裡，上帝是信实的。
We know nothing about Paul’s sister and
nephew except what is recorded here. Philippians 3:8 suggests that Paul
lost his family when he became a Christian, but we do not know if any of his
relatives were converted later. (The word kinsman in Rom. 16:7 and 11 means
“fellow Jew,” as in Rom. 9:3.) Since Paul’s family had long been connected with
the Pharisees (Acts 23:6), his sister was no doubt in touch with the “powers
that be” and able to pick up the news that was passed along. Wives do chat with
each other, and a secret is something you tell one person at a time!
除了这里有些记录之外, 我们对保罗的妹妹和侄子一无所知。腓立比书3章8節表明保罗在成为基督徒时失去了他的家庭，但我们不知道他的亲戚是否在以后有沒有悔改。(罗马书16：7和11節中的亲属称为 “犹太人同胞”，如在罗马书9：3）。由于保罗的家人长期与法利赛人有关（使徒行传23：6），他的妹妹无疑在接触 “這些有權勢者”, 并能够做到消息的接收和传递。 妻子们互相聊天，而秘密就是你每次只告诉一人的一些事情！
It is not likely that either the sister or the nephew
were believers, for that certainly would have shut them out of the official
religious circle in Jerusalem. But they were devout Jews and knew that the plot
was evil (Ex. 23:2). It was in the providence of God that they were able to
hear the news and convey it privately to Claudius. St. Augustine said, “Trust
the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His
providence.”
姊妹和侄子都不可能是信徒，因为这肯定会让他们與耶路撒冷的官方宗教界被隔离。但他们是虔诚的犹太人，知道這情节是邪恶的（出23：2）。他们能够听到这个消息，并私下传达给革老丟，这是上帝的天意。圣奥古斯丁说：“相信上帝過去祂的仁慈，现在祂的大爱和未来祂的天意。”
We certainly must admire the integrity and courage of
Claudius Lysias, the captain. How did he know the boy was even telling the
truth? Paul had already caused Claudius so much trouble that it might be a
relief to get rid of him! The Jews did not know that Claudius was aware of
their plot, so he could have used his “inside knowledge” for his own profit. No
Roman soldier could afford to lose a prisoner, but there were always ways to
work things out.
肯定必须敬佩路司得的革老丟隊長的正直和勇气。他怎么會相信这男孩竟然说出了真相？保罗已经使革老丟陷入困境，甚至于他想摆脱, 認為是解脱！犹太人不知道革老丟知道他们的阴谋，所以他可以利用他的“内部已知”为自己谋利。没有罗马士兵能承受失去囚犯的責任，但总是有办法解决這问题。
Throughout the book of Acts, Dr. Luke speaks favorably of
the Roman military officers, beginning with Cornelius in Acts 10 and ending
with Julius (Acts 27:1, 3, 43). There is no record in Acts of official Roman
persecution against the church; the opposition was instigated by the
unbelieving Jews. While the empire had its share of corrupt political
opportunists, for the most part, the military leaders were men of quality who
respected the Roman law.
在整个使徒行传中，路加博士都稱赞罗马军官，从使徒行传10章的哥尼流开始，到猶流（使徒行传27：1,34）结束。罗马官員对教会的迫害行为在使徒行传中没有记录; 對保羅的反对是由不信的犹太人发起的。虽然羅馬帝国在腐败的政治机会主义者中占有一席之地，但军事领导人大部分都是尊重罗马法的高素质人才。
Claudius’s plan was simple and wise. He knew that he had
to get Paul out of Jerusalem or there would be one murderous plot after
another, and one of them just might succeed. He also knew that he had better
determine the charges against Paul or he might be accused of illegally holding
a Roman citizen. He could solve both problems by sending Paul to Caesarea and
putting him under the authority of Felix, the Roman governor.
革老丟的计划简单而明智。知道他必须让保罗离开耶路撒冷，否则就会有一个接一个的谋杀阴谋，其中總有一个可能会成功。也知道他最好确定对保罗的指控，否则他可能会被指控非法持有罗马公民。他可以通过送保罗去該撒利亚, 并将他置于罗马總督腓力斯的领导下来解决这两个问题。
If Paul had been a private citizen, attempting to travel
from Jerusalem to Caesarea (about sixty-five miles), he would have been an easy
target for the conspirators. But God arranged for 470 Roman soldiers to protect
him, almost half of the men in the temple garrison! Once again in his career,
Paul was smuggled out of a city under cover of night (Acts 9:25; 17:10).
如果保罗只是普通人，企图从耶路撒冷前往约該撒里亚（约六十五英里），他将成为共谋者的容易攻擊的目标。但是上帝却安排了470名罗马士兵来保护他，差不多有一半的人是在圣殿守卫！保罗在他的职业生涯中, 再度在夜幕下從城市偷渡出來（徒9:25; 17:10）。
The captain’s official letter is most interesting. Of
course, Claudius put himself and his men in the best light, which is to be
expected. While it is true they prevented Paul from being killed, it was not
because they knew he was a Roman. Claudius thought Paul was an Egyptian and
almost had him scourged!
隊长的公函是最為有趣。当然，革老丟把自己和他的手下放在了最為有利之處，这是可以预料的。但他们為了阻止保罗的被杀害, 这也是真的，并不是因为他们知道他是罗马的公民。革老丟认为保罗是埃及人，几乎让他受到鞭打！
Acts 23:29 is another of Luke’s “official
statements” from Roman officials, proving that Christians were not
considered criminals. The officials in Philippi had almost apologized to Paul
(Acts 16:35–40), and Gallio in Corinth had refused to try him (Acts 18:14–15).
In Ephesus, the town clerk told twenty-five thousand people that the Christians
were innocent of any crime (Acts 19:40), and now the Roman captain from the
temple fortress was writing the same thing. Later, Festus (Acts 25:24–25) and
Herod Agrippa (Acts 26:31–32) would also affirm that Paul should have been set
free. Even the Jewish leaders in Rome had to confess that they had had no
official news against Paul (Acts 28:21).
使徒行传23章29節是路加的另一个来自罗马官员的 “官方声明”，证明基督徒不被视为罪犯。腓立比的官员几乎向保罗致歉（使徒行传16：35-40），哥林多的迦流拒绝審判他（徒18：14-15）。在以弗所，城里的书记告诉二万五千人，基督徒是无辜的（徒19:40），现在来自圣殿要塞的罗马队长正在写同样的东西。后来，非斯都（使徒行传25：24-25）和希律亚基帕（使徒行传26：31-32）也肯定保罗应该被释放。甚至罗马的犹太领导人也不得不承认他们没有官方消息控告保罗（使徒行传28:21）。
Leaving at nine o’clock that night, Paul and his escort
went from Jerusalem to Antiparis, about thirty seven miles away. This must
have been an all-night forced march for that many people to cover that much
ground in that short a time. The cavalry then continued with Paul while the two
hundred soldiers returned to the barracks, since the dangerous part of the trip
was now over. They traveled another twenty-seven miles to Caesarea, where Paul
was officially turned over to Felix. Paul was safe from the Jewish plotters,
but was he safe from Felix?
那天晚上九点离开，保罗和他的护卫队从耶路撒冷前往距离三十七英里远的安提帕底。对于那么多人来说，这一定是整夜的强迫行军，為的是在這樣短的时间内，在這地方要覆盖這么多的人. 隨着两百名士兵回到军营，骑兵继续与保罗同行，因为这次旅行的危险的部分已经過去。他们又走了二十七英里才到該撒利亚，保罗正式被交给腓力斯。保罗從策划殺害者方面是安全了，但他從腓力斯這方面能得到安全吗？
Antonius Felix was governor (procurator) of Judea. He was married to Drusilla, a Jewess who was daughter of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1) and who left her husband to become Felix’s third wife. She was sister of Herod Agrippa II (Acts 25:13ff.). The Roman historian Tacitus said that Felix “exercised the power of a king in the spirit of a slave.” Felix was called “a vulgar ruffian” and lived up to the name.
安东尼亞斯. 腓力斯是犹大的總督（检察官）。他婜了土西拉(Drusilla)，猶太的女子, 是希律王亞基帕一世(Herod Agrippa I)的女儿（使徒行传12：1），她离开了她的丈夫，成为了腓力斯的第三任妻子。她是希律亚基帕二世的妹妹（使徒行传25：13比照研讀）。罗马历史学家塔西说，腓力斯 “以奴隶的精神來行使国王的权力”。腓力斯被称为 “粗俗的流氓”, 其生活與其名相稱。
Not only was Paul protected by an escort fit for a king,
but he was put, not in the common prison, but in the palace built by Herod the
Great, where the governor had his official headquarters. We wonder if any of
the believers in Caesarea knew about Paul’s presence and sought to bring him
personal aid and encouragement. They would certainly remember the visit of
Agabus and realize that his dire prophecy had been fulfilled (Acts 21:10–14).
保罗不仅受到有如护送国王的保护，而且沒有被安置在普通监狱中，是放在希律王所建造的宫殿里，那里有州长的官方总部。我们想知道該撒利亚的任何信徒，是否知道保罗現在在那裡，并试图给他提供个人援助和鼓励。他们肯定会记得亞迦布的访问，并意识到他的可怕预言已经实现（徒21：10-14）。
As you review the events recorded in this chapter, you
cannot help but be impressed with the commitment of the apostle Paul to his
calling. “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24). If ever a man dared to
follow Christ, come what may, he was that man. Paul did not look for the easy
way but for the way that would most honor the Lord and win the lost. He was
even willing to become a prisoner if that would further the work of the gospel.
当你回顾本章所记载的事件时，使徒保罗对他的呼召的承诺不能不让人有深刻印象。 “这些事都不能使我轉移”（使徒行传20:24）。如果有人敢于跟随基督，那么就是像保羅這樣的人。保罗并没有寻找容易的途徑，而是寻求最尊貴主, 來赢得喪失者。如果这能促进福音的工作，保羅甚至愿意成为囚犯。
You are also impressed with the amazing providence
of God in caring for His servant. “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those
who fear Him, and delivers them” (Ps. 34:7 nkjv). “Let us trust in God, and be
very courageous for the gospel,” wrote Charles Spurgeon, “and the Lord Himself
will screen us from all harm.”
上帝照顾祂仆人的惊人天意，也使你印象深刻。 “主的天使在那些敬畏祂的人的周围安营，並且拯救他们”（诗34：7新欽定版）。 查尔斯 . 司布貞写道，“让我们信靠上帝，对福音勇往直前，主自己会让我们免受任何伤害。”
God’s people can afford to be daring, in the will of God,
because they know their Savior will be dependable and work out His perfect
win. Paul was alone—but not alone! His Lord was with him and
he had nothing to fear.
上帝的子民值得為上帝的旨意敢于勇往直前，因为知道他们的救主可靠，并作出祂完美的胜利。保罗独自一人 — 但并不孤单！他的主与他同在，他沒有畏惧。
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