1. Hello, our listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好，
2. We are glad that you tuned in today.
很高兴你今天能收听我们的节目。
3. I want to begin by telling you that I have a continuous prayer.
首先让我告诉你，我一直向神祷告，
4. And it is the prayer from which the title of this series comes from.
而我们这系列的主题也是从这个祷告来的。
5. And my prayer goes something like this,
我的祷告是这样的：
6. Lord, bless me so that I may be a blessing to others.
主啊！求你赐福给我，以致你能藉我赐恩福给别人。
7. I pray this prayer for members of my family.
我为我的家人这样祷告，
8. I pray this prayer for my dear friends and loved ones.
我为我的朋友和我所爱的人这样祷告。
9. It took me long time to understand what that means.
经过很长的时间，我才真正了解这祷告的意义，
10. This prayer has been used throughout the scripture.
在整本圣经里也常用到这祷告。
11. Some of you are blessed of God.
你们有些人是蒙神赐福的，
12. And you have learned what it is to be a blessing to others.
你们已经学到，成为别人的祝福是怎么一回事。
13. You have learned what it is to bless the kingdom of God.
你们学会了，什么是“为神的国祝福”；
14. You have learned what it is to bless the work of God.
你们学会了，什么是“为神的事工祝福”；
15. You have understood what it is to be blessed in order to be a blessing.
你们明白了，一个蒙福的人就会成为使别人得福的人。
16. And yet there are many, many, many others who have yet to learn this incredible teaching of the scripture.
但还有许许多多的人，需要学习圣经中这个奇妙的教训。
17. Some people are blessed of God and have yet to discover how to be a blessing.
有些人自己蒙神赐福，但还需要去经历如何成为别人的祝福。
18. This biblical principle goes all the way back to the call of Abraham.
圣经里的这个原则，早在神呼召亚伯拉罕时已经有了。
19. The Bible says,
圣经说，
20. God blessed Abraham and made him a blessing.
神赐福给亚伯拉罕，使许多人因他得福。
21. Why did God bless Abraham,
神为什么要赐福给亚伯拉罕，
22. so that he might be a blessing to others?
以致于他能够成为别人的祝福呢？
23. God blessed other people through his children.
神是借着祂的儿女来赐福给世人的。
24. The problem comes when you receive the blessings of God and you hoard it.
但当你接受神的赐福却收藏起来时，就会发生问题。
25. The problem comes when you do not pass it on and become a blessing to others.
当你不肯分享你所得到的福分让别人蒙福时，就会出现问题。
26. At that point God says,
到这地步，神说，
27. okay, now it’s time for me to go to somebody else and start blessing them.
好吧！我只好去赐福给别人了。
28. Why?
为什么？
29. Because God wants to bless his people.
因为神乐意赐福给祂的百姓，
30. And the only way he’s going to bless them is through believers.
神唯有通过基督徒来赐福给人。
31. There are two bodies of water in the land of Palestine,
在巴勒斯坦有两个大湖，
32. there is the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.
就是加利利海和死海。
33. The Sea of Galilee is beautiful.
加利利海非常美丽，
34. The water is crystal clear.
湖水清澈，
35. Water flows down from Mt. Herman and goes out into the River Jordan.
水从黑门山上流入湖中，再从约旦河流出去。
36. The water is pure and good to drink and can sustain animal life.
湖水纯净，适合饮用，供养了许多生物。
37. But then there is the Dead Sea,
但那里还有死海，
38. where the water comes in and stays there.
水流入湖就停留在那里，
39. Its water is filled with salts and cannot be used for drinking and no fish can live in it.
水质充满高度的盐分不能喝，鱼类也不能生存。
40. And the question that you must ask yourself is this,
你必须问自己这个问题，
41. spiritually speaking, am I the Sea of Galilee or the Dead Sea?
从属灵上来说，我是加利利海还是死海？
42. God wants to bless people,
神愿意赐福给人，
43. but he wants to bless them through us.
但祂要通过我们来赐福。
44. God wants to bless people,
神愿意赐福给人，
45. but the only way he’s going to bless them is through the faithfulness of his children.
但唯有通过神忠心的儿女才能使别人蒙福。
46. Let’s look at some examples in the Scripture.
让我们来看看圣经里的实例，
47. Do you remember Jacob?
你还记得雅各吗？
48. The Bible said that Jacob blessed Jacob’s tricky Uncle Laban.
圣经告诉我们，雅各为他狡猾的舅舅拉班祝福。
49. He was a very tricky man that Uncle Laban.
这位舅舅拉班，的确是个很狡猾的人，
50. He deceived Jacob twice.
他欺骗了雅各两次，
51. First, he gave Jacob the wrong girl to marry.
第一次他骗雅各娶了另一个女子，
52. And then, Laban made him work for another seven years.
后来又骗雅各替他多做了七年工。
53. Laban was a deceitful man.
拉班是个诡诈的人，
54. And yet the Bible says that God blessed tricky Uncle Laban because of Jacob.
然而圣经说，神因为雅各就赐福给狡猾的拉班，
55. That’s how God works!
神就是这么做的。
56. If you are a believer, God will bless somebody because of you.
如果你是基督徒，神会因为你而赐福给别人，
57. And he will bless somebody through you.
祂会通过你来赐福。
58. God blessed the house of Potifer in the times of the Pharos in Egypt.
当法老统治埃及时，神赐福给波提乏的家。
59. Why?
为什么？
60. Because of Joseph.
因为约瑟。
61. Because God blessed Joseph.
因为神赐福给约瑟，
62. And then he blessed the pagan family through Joseph.
通过约瑟，神就赐福给这个不信神的家庭，
63. God blessed the whole nation of Egypt through his blessing of Joseph.
神通过赐福约瑟，就赐福给整个埃及。
64. We know in the Old Testament times that God blessed Israel.
我们知道在旧约时代，神赐福给以色列。
65. Why?
为什么？
66. Because of Abraham.
因着亚伯拉罕。
67. Today God blesses the whole world because of Jesus Christ.
今天因着耶稣基督，神赐福给全世界。
68. My listening friends, I want you to listen very carefully.
亲爱的朋友，请你仔细听我说，
69. I don’t want you to misunderstand me.
请不要误会我的意思，
70. God wants to bless his people.
神愿意赐福给祂的百姓。
71. Why?
为什么？
72. So that his people may be a blessing to their community.
这样，神的百姓才能为社区带来祝福，
73. So that believers may be a blessing to their nations
基督徒才能成为国家的祝福。
74. Well let’s begin by going to the scripture.
好，让我们先来看圣经。
75. Let’s read from I Peter chapter 2 verses 13 to 20.
让我们读彼得前书二章3-20节。
76. Some of you perhaps while you’re listening to this passage may have questions.
也许有些人在听这段经文时会问一些问题，
77. You’ve heard the word, submit yourself to every authority.
你听到圣经说，要顺服人的一切制度，
78. Or slave, submit to your masters.
或说，做仆人的要顺服主人。
79. And some of you may not like the word submission.
有些人不喜欢“顺服”这个词，
80. Some of you may have already jumped to conclusion.
有些人可能已经下了结论。
81. I want to explain the meaning of the word submission in this verse.
我要解释一下这节经文里“顺服”的意义。
82. You must understand what Peter is saying to his original readers.
你必须了解，当时彼得对他的读者说这话的意义，
83. What did they understand that he was saying to them?
以及这些读者如何理解彼得的意思。
84. Then we can take the major principles of Peter’s teaching in this epistle,
然后我们才可以从彼得的教训中，找出主要的原则来，
85. and apply those principles in our lives today.
并应用在我们的日常生活里。
86. My listening friends, this is very important.
亲爱的朋友，这是很重要的。
87. Before Peter could tell us that we must be a blessing to others in our community and at our work,
在彼得告诉我们，必须在我们的社区，和工作场所成为别人的祝福之前，
88. he began by telling us about our blessings.
他先说到我们是蒙了何等的福气，
89. Then, he told us about our response to these blessings.
然后他又告诉我们该如何回应神的恩典。
90. These messages from the epistle of Peter like a ladder that we are climbing.
彼得书信里所讲的资讯，就好像一座楼梯，让我们一级一级地往上爬。
91. Before Peter could ever tell us that believers must be a blessing to others,
在彼得告诉我们，基督徒必须成为别人的祝福之前，
92. He had to begin by first emphasizing the incredible blessings of grace that Christians have received from the hand of God.
他先强调，基督徒从神的手中所领受的恩福是多么奇妙。
93. And in the first 12 verses of I Peter he gave us those blessings.
在彼得前书开始的十二节经文里，他述说了这些福气。
94. And only after Peter tells us all of this can he come to this point and tells us
彼得说了这些以后，他才能继续告诉我们，
95. That we have responsibilities toward the unbelieving world,
我们对这个不信神的世界是有责任的；
96. our responsibilities toward the government and local authority,
我们对政府，对本地的当权者是有责任的；
97. and our responsibilities to our bosses and our employers.
我们对雇主和上级领导是有责任的。
98. You can never be a blessing to anyone, until you have been blessed of God;
除非你有神赐的福气，不然你不能成为别人的祝福，
99. You cannot give what you don’t have;
你不能付出你所没有的。
100. Until the Holy Spirit of God opens your spiritual eyes,
唯有当圣灵开启了你属灵的心眼，
101. and you become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ;
你成为在耶稣基督里的信徒，
102. until you walk with him in discipleship every single day,
成为主的门徒，每天与主同行，
103. you will not be able to bless somebody else.
不然，你不能使别人蒙福。
104. And that is what Peter is doing here.
这就是彼得这么做的心意。
105. He talks about the blessings that God has given us.
他谈到神赐给我们的福气，
106. And then he says, those blessings give you these six responsibilities toward God.
接着他说，这些福气带给你对神的六项责任，
107. And now he gives us two responsibilities toward unbelievers.
现在他告诉我们，对非信徒我们有两项责任。
108. First, Peter tells us to be a blessing to the local authorities,
第一，彼得说，我们要成为本地掌权者的祝福，
109. be a blessing to the government,
成为政府的祝福，
110. be a blessing to the society in which you live.
成为你所居住的社区里的祝福。
111. And secondly, Peter says, be a blessing in your workplace.
彼得说，第二，要在你的工作场所成为别人的祝福。
112. You might ask, how can I bless the government?
你可能会问，我怎么可以成为政府的祝福呢？
113. First, do not become a guest of the government.
首先，不要成为政府的客人，
114. How can you avoid that?
你如何避免这种情形？
115. By obeying the law of the land.
就是遵守法律，
116. That’s really what Peter is saying.
彼得确实是这么说的。
117. So, how can you bless the government?
那么，你怎样成为政府的祝福呢？
118. Do not become a burden on the government.
不要成为政府的负担。
119. How can you do that?
怎么做？
120. By working hard and paying taxes and being a giver rather than a receiver.
勤劳工作，缴税纳粮，宁做施予者，而不仅仅做接受者。
121. That is how you bless the government.
这样，你就可以成为政府的祝福。
122. In fact, that is the meaning of the passage in I Peter chapter 2 verses 13 and following.
事实上，彼得前书二章13节开始所讲的就是这意思。
123. In I Peter 2:12,
彼得前书二章12节，
124. Peter told us that we are aliens and strangers.
彼得告诉我们说，我们是外地人、陌生人，
125. We are tourists on this earth.
我们是这世界的旅客而已，
126. This is not our home, heaven is our home.
这里不是我们的家，天堂才是。
127. And we are going to get to heaven sooner or later.
迟早我们要回天家的，
128. And Peter does not want people to misunderstand him and say to themselves,
但彼得不希望人们误会了他的意思，
129. okay, if I’m an alien and a stranger, then I don’t have to obey the laws of the land.
就说：好吧！既然我只不过是外地人、陌生人，那我也不用遵守这地方的法律啦！
130. Peter could see people using that as an excuse for disobeying the law,
彼得知道有些人会以这个借口做出违法的事，
131. and they would get themselves into trouble.
因此惹上麻烦。
132. Then, when the local authority asked them why they broke the law,
同时，当局要是问起他们为什么知法犯法，
133. they would say, because Peter told me so
他们会说，是彼得叫他们这么做的。
134. So, what does Peter do?
于是彼得怎么做呢？
135. He immediately goes on to say in verse 13,
他紧接着在13节里说，
136. do not even think about breaking the law.
千万不要以身试法，
137. Do not think about living in lawlessness.
不要以为可以逍遥法外，
138. Do not even think about living in disregard to the laws of the land.
不要以为可以目无法纪。
139. Or try to look at it this way.
或者，让我们这么看，
140. Think about an ambassador.
就好像一位大使。
141. Do you understand the pressure that they are under?
你能不能体会他们的压力？
142. It is a unique kind of pressure.
这是一种很独特的压力。
143. While an ambassador represents his own country,
大使代表着自己的国家，
144. he is living in another country.
却住在另一个国家里，
145. He is always loyal to his own country.
他永远效忠自己的国家。
146. While he is living in his host country,
虽然他住在出使的国家，
147. he is still subject to the laws of his home country.
他仍然受自己国家法律的管制。
148. While he is representing his home country,
他代表自己的国家，
149. but he does not and cannot go around breaking the laws of his host country in which he is living.
但在他出使的国家里生活，他不能任意妄为，而触犯当地的法律。
150. An ambassador respects the laws of the host country.
一位大使尊重出使国的法律，
151. Ambassadors have to walk a very tight rope.
大使就好像走钢索的人，
152. He abides by the laws of the host country.
他遵守出使国的法律，
153. To avoid a hint of scandal or embarrassment to his country.
他要避免任何丑闻，以免自己的国家窘迫。
154. Why?
为什么？
155. Because he does not want to shame, dishonor, disgrace, or bring disrepute to his own country.
因为他不能使自己的国家蒙羞、受辱、声名扫地，
156. And that’s exactly what Peter is saying.
这就是彼得的意思。
157. He is saying, this is how you, believers in Jesus Christ, should behave in your host country.
他告诉我们，这就是基督徒在你出使的国家应该有的行为。
158. Every one of us who know Jesus as savior and Lord,
每一个认耶稣基督为救主的人，
159. is an ambassador.
都是大使；
160. Each one of us who are walking with the Lord,
我们每一个与主同行的人，
161. is an ambassador.
都是大使。
162. And I want you to join us next time when I’ll tell you more about being a blessing in your country and in your workplace.
请继续收听我们下次的节目，我还要再告诉你，如何在你的国家和你工作的场所，成为别人的祝福。
