QT 26/05/2024 Sunday Acts 16. Wisdom directed ethics. 有智慧指导的道德。
QT 26/05/2024 Sunday Acts 16.
READ & LISTEN here
https://www.esv.org/Acts+16/
LISTEN TO Acts 16
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Acts.16
In Acts 15, we see the Jerusalem Council's decision that DID AWAY with circumcision as a prerequisite for Gentile salvation. Yet in the midst of delivering this decision to the brothers (16:4), Paul circumcised Timothy. So did Paul flip-flop over this? No.
Acts 15:20 did not demand circumcision. Gentiles obtained salvation without first becoming Jews;
Titus (a non Jew) thus remained uncircumcised (Gal 2:3);
Paul's message to the Galatians was to warn them against this (Gal 5:2-3, 6:15).
Timothy's case (Acts 16:3) was a specific one because he was a Jew. He was known in that area and the fact that he remained uncircumcised was a hindrance to the preaching of the gospel. Jewish sensitivities did bear on this matter herein.
REFLECTION: Christian ethics—what should a Christian do or not do under certain circumstance is not always a straight forward question that can be easily answered. Let's pray for God's guidance as we seek God's will within the church community that God has placed us.
As promised by God, the church grew!
(a) Act 2:47 - And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved;
(b) Acts 6:7 - And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7);
(c) Acts 9:31 - So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied (Acts 9:31);
(d) Acts 12:24 - But the word of God increased and multiplied.
(e) And here, in Acts 16:5 - So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily (Acts 16:5).
APPLICATION: Praise God, the gospel was not chained!
REFLECTION: A solid biblical foundation which leads to biblically guided ethical decisions for daily living facilitates the healthy growth of the church.
APPLICATION: Let us not be lazy, but be diligent, in working out the correct way to read and apply the bible:
(1) Learn how to read WHAT the bible SAYS;
(2) Learn to interpret what is MEANT by what is said.
(3) Learn to translate what it MEANT THEN to what it MEANS NOW for us today, in Asia, in Singapore.
星期日2024年5月26日 今日读经：使徒行传16章。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Act/16/
听音频使徒行传16章
https://www.bible.com/bible/41/act.16.cnvs
在使徒行传15章，我们看到耶路撒的议会做出了免除以割礼为外族人得救的先决要求，这样的决定。然而在把这决定交给弟兄的当儿(16:4),保罗却为提摩太行了割礼。那么，保罗是不是在这件事情上反反复复？不是的。
使徒行传15:20并没有要求割礼。外族人并没有先成为犹太人才得到救恩；
提多(非犹太人)也一直没受割礼(加2:3);
保罗给加拉太人的信息就是要预先警告他们这件事(加5:2-3,6:15)。
提摩太的案例(徒16:3)是特别的因为他是犹太人。他在那一带，很多人认识他，他不受割礼的话会造成传福音的阻碍。犹太人的敏感性确实在这里考虑到了。
反思：基督教伦理--一个基督徒在什么情况下可以做什么或者不可以做什么，并不是每次都有清楚直接的答案的。让我们祈求神的指引，在神把我们放置的教会群体里一起寻求祂的旨意。
就如神所应允的，教会增长了！ 主将得救的人，天天加给教会 (徒2:47）。神的道传开了；在耶路撒冷，门徒人数大大增加，有很多祭司也信从了真道(徒6:7，也见徒9:31,12:24,16:5).
应用：感谢神。福音没有被捆绑！
反思: 稳固的圣经基础能协助读者过符合圣经的道德选择。这能协助教会健康的成长。
让我们学习(1)：了解圣经讲什么，(2）学习解释其中的意识，（3）学习把这意识，化为今日亚洲/新加坡适合应用的生活实践。
