• 使徒行传 7

司提反当众申诉

1大祭司说：“果真有这些事吗？” 2司提反说：“诸位父老弟兄请听！从前我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕在美索不达米亚，还没有住在哈兰的时候，荣耀的上帝向他显现， 3对他说：‘你要离开本地和亲族，往我所要指示你的地去。’ 4他就离开迦勒底人的地方，住在哈兰。他父亲死了以后，上帝使他从那里搬到你们现在所住的地方。 5在这里上帝并没有给他产业，连立足的地方都没有，但应许要将这地赐给他和他的后裔为业，虽然那时他还没有儿子。 6上帝这样说：‘他的后裔必寄居外邦，那里的人要使他们作奴隶，苦待他们四百年。’ 7上帝又说：‘但我要惩罚使他们作奴隶的那国。以后他们要出来，在这地方事奉我。’ 8上帝又赐他割礼的约。于是亚伯拉罕生了以撒，在第八日给他行了割礼；后来以撒生雅各，雅各生十二位先祖。

9“先祖嫉妒约瑟，把他卖到埃及去，上帝却与他同在， 10救他脱离一切苦难，又使他在埃及王法老面前蒙恩，又有智慧。法老派他作埃及国的宰相兼管法老的全家。 11后来全埃及和迦南遭遇饥荒和大灾难，我们的祖宗绝了粮。 12雅各听见在埃及有粮，就打发我们的祖宗初次往那里去。 13第二次约瑟与兄弟们相认，法老才认识他的家族。 14约瑟就打发人，请父亲雅各和全族七十五个人都来。 15于是雅各下了埃及，后来他和我们的祖宗都死在那里； 16他们又被迁到示剑，葬于亚伯拉罕在示剑用银子从哈抹子孙“在示剑…子孙”：有古卷是“用银子从示剑的哈抹子孙”。买来的坟墓里。

17“当上帝应许亚伯拉罕的日期将到的时候，以色列人在埃及人丁兴旺， 18直到另一位不认识约瑟的王兴起统治埃及有古卷没有“统治埃及”。。 19他用诡计待我们的宗族，苦待我们的祖宗，强迫他们丢弃婴孩，使婴孩不能存活。 20就在那时，摩西生了下来，上帝看为俊美，在父亲家里被抚养了三个月。 21他被丢弃的时候，法老的女儿拾了去，当自己的儿子抚养。 22摩西学了埃及人一切的学问，说话办事都有才能。

23“他到了四十岁，心中起意去看望他的弟兄以色列人。 24他见他们中的一个人受冤屈，就庇护他，为那被压迫的人报仇，打死了那埃及人。 25他以为他的弟兄们必明白上帝是藉他的手搭救他们，他们却不明白。 26第二天，他遇见有人在打架，就想劝他们和好，说：‘二位，你们是弟兄，为什么彼此欺负呢？’ 27那欺负邻舍的人把他推开，说：‘谁立你作我们的领袖和审判官呢？ 28难道你要杀我像昨天杀那埃及人一样吗？’ 29摩西听见这话就逃走了，寄居于米甸地，在那里生了两个儿子。

30“过了四十年，在西奈山的旷野，有一位天使在荆棘的火焰中向摩西显现。 31摩西见了那异象，觉得很惊讶，正往前观看的时候，有主的声音说： 32‘我是你列祖的上帝，就是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的上帝。’摩西战战兢兢，不敢观看。 33主对他说：‘把你脚上的鞋脱下来，因为你所站的地方是圣地。 34我的百姓在埃及所受的困苦，我确实看见了；他们悲叹的声音，我也听见了。我下来要救他们。现在，你来，我要差你往埃及去。’

35“这摩西就是有人曾弃绝他说‘谁立你作我们的领袖和审判官’的，上帝却藉那在荆棘中显现的天使的手差派他作领袖，作解救者。 36这人领以色列人出来，在埃及地，在红海，在旷野的四十年间行了奇事神迹。 37这人是摩西，就是那曾对以色列人说‘上帝要从你们弟兄中给你们兴起一位先知像我’的。 38这人是那曾在旷野的会众中和西奈山上，与那对他说话的天使同在，又与我们祖宗同在的，他领受了活泼的圣言传给我们。 39我们的祖宗不肯听从，反弃绝他，他们的心转向埃及， 40对亚伦说：‘你为我们造神明，在我们前面引路，因为领我们出埃及地的这个摩西，我们不知道他遭遇了什么事。’ 41那时，他们造了一个牛犊，又拿祭物献给那像，为自己手所做的工作欢跃。 42但是上帝转脸不顾，任凭他们祭拜天上的日月星辰，正如先知书上所写的：

‘以色列家啊，你们四十年间在旷野，

何曾将牺牲和祭物献给我？

43你们抬着摩洛的帐幕

和理番──你们神明的星，

就是你们所造为要敬拜的像。

因此，我要把你们迁到巴比伦外去。’

44“我们的祖宗在旷野，有作证的会幕，是上帝吩咐摩西照着他所看见的样式做的。 45这帐幕，我们的祖宗同约书亚相继承受了，当上帝在他们面前赶走外邦人的时候，他们把这帐幕搬进承受为业之地，直存到大卫的日子。 46大卫在上帝面前蒙恩，祈求为雅各的家“家”：有古卷是“上帝”。预备居所。 47但却是所罗门为上帝造成殿宇。 48其实，至高者并不住人手所造的，就如先知所言：

49‘主说：天是我的宝座，

地是我的脚凳。

你们要为我造怎样的殿宇？

哪里是我安歇的地方呢？

50这一切不都是我手所造的吗？’

51“你们这硬着颈项，心与耳未受割礼的人哪，时常抗拒圣灵！你们的祖宗怎样，你们也怎样。 52先知中有哪一个不是受你们祖宗的迫害呢？他们把预先宣告那义者要来的人杀了。如今你们成了那义者的出卖者和凶手了。 53你们领受了天使所传布的律法，竟不遵守。”

众人用石头打死司提反

54众人听见这些话，心中极其恼怒，向司提反咬牙切齿。 55但司提反满有圣灵，定睛望天，看见上帝的荣耀，又看见耶稣站在上帝的右边， 56就说：“我看见天开了，人子站在上帝的右边。” 57众人大声喊叫，捂着耳朵，齐心冲向他， 58把他推到城外，用石头打他。作见证的人把他们的衣裳放在一个名叫扫罗的青年脚前。 59他们正用石头打司提反的时候，他呼求说：“主耶稣啊，求你接纳我的灵魂！” 60然后他跪下来，大声喊着：“主啊，不要将这罪归于他们！”说了这话，就长眠了。

• 约翰福音 11:16

于是那称为低土马的多马对其他的门徒说：“我们也去和他同死吧！”

使徒行传7章的故事极其震撼人心。司提反是圣经里最具代表性的殉道者之一。他在被杀之前不久，叙述了上帝的选民的故事，并且阐明了上帝横跨历史的救赎工作。我们也从早期教父们所传下的无数其他故事，知道许多人曾因为坚持信仰而惨遭剥皮、吊死、被石头打死，或被其他暴虐方式杀死。他们愿意忍受这一切，肯定是因为他们见证了一件惊天动地又改变了他们人生的事。

假如耶稣的故事只不过是一些追随者在他死于十字架上后编造出来的谎言，他们怎么可能宁愿受虐惨死，也拒绝承认他们的信仰只是一场闹剧罢了呢？历世历代以来，有千千万万人为了圣经而抛头颅洒热血，而圣经至今仍是全球最广为流传的一本书。上帝的话语真是太奇妙了。

• Acts 7

Stephen’s Speech

1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:

“Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. 19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.

23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

30 “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

“ ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’

44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

49 “ ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

• John 11:16

So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

This story is incredibly powerful. Stephen is one of the best examples that we find in the Bible of a man who retells the story of God’s chosen people and His redemption across time shortly before being killed. There are countless other stories that we know of that have been passed down from church fathers of people being fileted, hung, stoned, and otherwise brutally murdered for their faith. If these men were willing to endure these things, surely it must be because they had witnessed something incredible and life-changing.

If the story of Jesus were just a tale made up by some people who had followed Him before He was crucified, it's hard to believe they would be willing to endure such incredibly painful deaths without admitting it was a farce. The Bible has been sacrificed for by millions of people across thousands of years and still remains the most popular book throughout the world. God's Word is truly amazing.

我们遇到逆境时，可以从司提反等人的身上得到激励。他们博上了一切，以确保信仰能够流传后世。

When going through difficult times in our lives, we ought to be inspired by men and women like Stephen who risked absolutely everything to ensure the faith was passed down to upcoming generations.