1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好，

2. Thank you very much for tuning in to this broadcast.
很感谢你能收听这一期的节目。

3. It is our prayer that this broadcast is blessing your life.
我们一直祷告让这个节目成为你生命的祝福。

4. If you have not written to us, either on the Internet or by mail, please do so.
如果你还没有给我们写过信或发电子邮件，请你即刻动手。

5. Someone said that, when people cease to believe in the biblical God,
有人说，当人们不再相信圣经所讲的这位真神时，

6. the problem is not that they believe in nothing.
其实问题不在于他们什么都不信，

7. It is that they believe in everything.
而是，除了真神之外，他们什么都信。

8. We saw in the last message, from Paul and Silas’ experience in the Philippian jail,
上一次信息我们讲到，保罗和西拉在腓立比监狱的经历，

9. that God does His best work when there is a clear definition between truth and falsehood.
神作了奇妙的工作来显明真理与谎言的区别。

10. God always manifests His power among His people when they trust in Him alone.
当祂的子民单单信靠祂的时候，神就将大能彰显出来。

11. God’s supernatural manifestations are best experienced by His people when they turn to Him alone;
当祂的子民单单仰望祂的时候，神就让他们最深刻地经历到祂那超自然的神奇。

12. and the Apostle Paul gives us a model of this in the Book of Acts, Chapter 17.
保罗在使徒行传17章中为我们设立了榜样。

13. Please turn to Acts 17 with me, if you have a Bible.
如果你手中有圣经的话，请跟我一起翻到使徒行传第17章。

14. What Paul is giving us, here, is a model of how to deal with an adulterous culture.
保罗给我们设立了一个典范，教导我们如何对付叛逆，不忠于真理的文化。

15. He tells us how to deal with a culture that has abandoned the truth in the confusion of idolatry;
祂告诉我们，如何面对一个抛弃真理，膜拜偶像的文化。

16. but I want to summarize Chapter 17, verses 1 to 15, for you.
现在我要谈谈，使徒行传17章1到15节中的重点。

17. Paul goes to Berea and is persecuted and opposed;
保罗在庇哩亚遭受迫害和敌对；

18. so he goes to Thessalonica and the same thing happens;
在帖撒罗尼迦也是一样；

19. so he leaves Timothy and Silas and Luke and goes alone to Athens, the cultural capital of the Roman Empire.
后来，他离开提摩太，西拉和路加独自前往罗马帝国的文化之都雅典。

20. Let me tell you a few things about Athens.
让我稍稍给你介绍一下雅典这个城市。

21. Athens, like so many of our cities today, boasted about its rich philosophical heritage;
雅典就像我们当代的很多城市一样，因其丰富的文化遗产而自傲；

22. but they did not plan for the present and the future;
但雅典人并没有为自己的现在和未来打算；

23. and Paul lands in Athens as a tourist, because he had to be smuggled out of Thessalonica,
保罗是以游客的身份来到雅典的，因为他不得不悄悄地离开帖撒罗尼迦，

24. because there were people who wanted to kill him there;
在帖撒罗尼迦，人们想杀害他；

25. so he goes to Athens as a tourist, but he ends up being an evangelist.
他虽以游客的身份来到雅典，却在那里传起福音来。

26. How did he do that?
保罗怎样传福音呢？

27. I have three things that I want to share with you.
我想从三个方面来和你分享。

28. First of all, Paul became distressed over their idolatry.
首先，保罗为他们拜偶像而哀伤。

29. Secondly,
其次，

30. Paul becomes determined to introduce them to Jesus.
保罗定意要向他们传讲耶稣。

31. Thirdly,
第三，

32. Paul had a definitive message to their empty hearts.
针对他们空虚的心灵，保罗带来了明确的信息。

33. Let’s look at the first point,
我们先看第一点，

34. Paul’s distress over their idolatry.
保罗为他们拜偶像而哀伤。

35. Why was he distressed?
他为什么会哀伤呢？

36. Let me explain.
我来解释一下。

37. If you know Jesus Christ and are in deep appreciation of the grace of God,
如果你认识耶稣基督，并且对神的恩典心存感激的话，

38. you should be distressed over the condition of unsaved people.
你也会为还没有得救的人，他们的处境而忧心。

39. Paul’s reaction should be our reaction when we come face-to-face with ignorance of the truth.
面对不认识真理的无知，我们应该像保罗那样。

40. Paul’s reaction should be our reaction when we see our world smothered with idolatry and materialism.
看到当今世界已被拜偶像和物欲所充斥，我们应该像保罗那样。

41. Look at verse 16 of Chapter 17 of the Book of Acts.
请翻开使徒行传17章的16节。

42. The Bible said that Paul was greatly distressed.
圣经说，保罗当时心里着急。

43. Paul was distressed that men and women, who were created to glorify God, were honoring statues and idols.
保罗着急，是因为那些本来为荣耀神而被创造的男男女女，却在拜人手所造的偶像。

44. What’s an idol?
什么是偶像呢？

45. An idol is a God-substitute.
它是神的一个替代品。

46. It doesn’t matter what it is,
无论那是什么无关重要，

47. An idol can be the pursuit of wealth for wealth’s sake.
看重钱财的人，追求财富可以成为他的偶像。

48. An idol can be uncontrollable appetite for immoral things.
心怀邪念的人，那不可控制的欲望就成为他的偶像。

49. Anything that takes God’s place is an idol.
任何替代神的都是一种偶像。

50. The city of Jerusalem did not have the idols that the city of Athens had;
耶路撒冷没有雅典城里的那些偶像；

51. and, yet, the Lord Jesus Christ comes up to the Mount of Olives and He looks down upon the city and He begins to weep over Jerusalem,
但是当主耶稣上到橄榄山，向下看到耶路撒冷城时，主耶稣哭了，

52. because the idols of Jerusalem were false religion.
因为耶路撒冷城里的人以虚伪的宗教代替神，成为他们的偶像。

53. The idols of Jerusalem were false rituals.
他们以虚伪的宗教仪式代替神，成为他们的偶像。

54. The idols of Jerusalem were people who were religious people, but their hearts were far away from God.
耶路撒冷有许多道貌岸然的教徒，但是他们的心却远离真神，这就是他们的偶像崇拜。

55. That’s why Jesus wept;
耶稣为此哀哭；

56. and that is why Paul was distressed.
保罗为此着急。

57. Until you become distressed over sin in our world, God will not move.
当你开始为这世上的罪恶忧伤，神就要采取行动。

58. Until you are broken over idolatry with all of its forms,
除非你为世上一切形式的偶像感到心碎，

59. until you are able to weep over idolatry in all its forms,
除非你能为世上一切形式的偶像哀哭，

60. we will not understand why Paul was greatly distressed;
我们就不能理解为什么保罗如此着急忧伤；

61. but one of the great things about the Apostle Paul is that he did not allow distress to lead him into discouragement,
然而，使徒保罗非常了不起的是，他没有因忧伤而绝望，

62. which brings me to second point.
这就是我要说的第二点。

63. Paul’s distress motivated him to introduce them to Jesus.
保罗的忧伤反而激励他去向那些人传讲耶稣。

64. If you ever have a sense of distress over the condition in which we live,
如果现实生活让你忧伤，

65. it’s going to lead you to hopelessness, or, motivate you to do something about the situation.
它会让你陷入绝望，还是促使你采取行动来扭转情况？

66. Our sense of distress must motivate us to either lovingly confront people with the Gospel or become indifferent and apathetic.
这种忧伤若不能促使我们以爱心向人传讲福音，就会使我们冷漠地不再关心。

67. Our sense of inward unrest must lead us to either lovingly invite others to have an encounter with the living God, or become unfruitful for Him.
我们内心的不安若不能导致我们大发爱心，邀请人们来到永生上帝的面前，就会使我们不再为主结果子。

68. Our sense of sorrow over false belief systems must remind us of how empty they are,
对虚伪信仰的悲伤，必然使我们醒觉，这些人的生命是多么地空虚，

69. and that Jesus Christ is the only fulfilling Hope.
唯有耶稣基督能成为他们满足的盼望。

70. Paul understood that, in a culture with conflicting philosophies, a Christian should not retreat.
保罗懂得，在哲学思想混乱的文化中，基督徒不应该退避。

71. This is no time to say, “I don’t have anything to offer...”
这时不应该说：“我无能为力……”

72. or, “I can’t do anything about that.”
或者说：“我做不了什么。”

73. In Athens, in the time of Paul, there were many conflicting, philosophical schools.
在保罗时代的雅典，有很多相矛盾的哲学体系。

74. The two dominant ones were the Epicureans and the Stoics.
最主要的两个是伊比鸠鲁和斯多葛学派。

75. Both the Epicureans and the Stoics called Paul a “babbler.”
伊比鸠鲁和斯多葛这两个学派都认为保罗所说的是“胡言乱语”。

76. A “babbler” means that he is a person who does not have an original thought.
“胡言乱语”的意思就是说，保罗没有自主的思想。

77. Now, they thought that this is an insult, but Paul took it as a compliment.
他们认为这是对保罗的一个羞辱，但是保罗却当作是称赞。

78. He was not proclaiming himself. He was proclaiming Jesus.
他没有宣扬他自己，他在宣扬耶稣。

79. Sure enough, he didn’t have an original thought.
没错，保罗的确没有自创一套思想。

80. In fact, Paul was very happy with that description because his only thought was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
事实上，保罗很乐意接受这种评价，因为他唯一的思想就是耶稣基督的福音。

81. The Epicurean philosophy was established by Epicurus;
伊比鸠鲁学说是由伊比鸠鲁创立的；

82. and the Epicureans taught that indulgence is the key to life.
他们认为放纵情欲是生活的核心，

83. They taught that pleasure is the highest good.
及时行乐是人生的至善。

84. The Epicurean professed to believe in the gods who are not really interested in mankind;
伊比鸠鲁学派宣称他们所信的，其实是一些对人类漠不关心的神；

85. and, then, they go on to teach that there is no life after death.
他们也灌输“人死如灯灭”的思想。

86. The Stoics, on the other hand, almost had an opposite kind of philosophical approach to life.
那么，另外一个斯多葛学派对于人生，则有完全相反的哲学理念。

87. The Stoics taught that God was the world’s soul and the world was God’s body.
斯多葛学派认为神是世界的灵魂，而世界是神的身体。

88. At its best, Stoicism was marked with moral earnestness, but it was marred with spiritual pride.
它最大的影响在于，斯多葛学派热切追求道德上的完美，却陷入了心灵的骄傲之中。

89. To the Stoic, virtue was the supreme good.
对于斯多葛学派而言，美德是人生的最高境界。

90. Men, they said, should live above passion.
他们认为，人应该超越情感。

91. People should be unmoved by grief or joy or pain or pleasure.
人不应该为喜怒哀乐而动。

92. No wonder they called the Apostle Paul a babbler!
难怪他们说使徒保罗“胡言乱语”！

93. No wonder they were aghast at the thought that the God who created the world became a man;
难怪当他们听说，创造的主宰竟然道成肉身成为人，他们感到很讶异；

94. and, then, He hung on a cross and died to pay for the sins of people who believe in Him;
而且这位神还在十字架上为那些信靠祂的人赎罪而死；

95. and, then, He rose from the dead in order that He comes back one day to judge all of humanity.
并从死里复活，有一天要回来审判整个人类。

96. They were aghast at this preaching;
他们被这样的讲道惊呆了；

97. but Paul was determined to introduce them to Jesus;
但保罗却定意向他们讲述耶稣基督；

98. and, therefore, he preached a definitive message to their empty heart;
所以，对他们空虚的心灵而言，这真是非常明确的信息；

99. and this is my third point;
这就是我要讲的第三点。

100. and I want you to listen to me very carefully, my listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，请注意地听。

101. The reason why men and women did not worship and obey the true God
人们不愿敬拜顺服真神，

102. is because they do not want to know the true God.
是因为他们不想认识这位真神。

103. God made Himself known in so many ways, but people deliberately and consciously reject Him.
神用各种方式显明祂自己，但人们却有意地，顽固地拒绝祂。

104. I want to illustrate what I mean by this.
再进一步说，

105. Most people will say that they believe in God;
很多人说他们相信神；

106. but, if you go up to one of these people and say to them, “God will judge you,”
但如果你当面对他们说：“神会审判你，”

107. and that, “You will stand before His Judgment Seat one day,”
“有一天你会站在祂的审判台前，”

108. most of them would say, “Oh, no. Not this God.”
那么，他们中的大部分人会说：“不会的，这个神不会这么做的。”

109. If you would go up to them and say that all who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will spend eternity in torment,
如果你当面对他们说，所有拒绝主耶稣基督的人，将来都会在永恒的痛苦中煎熬。

110. they will say, “We can’t believe in that God.”
他们将回答说：“我们不能相信这样的神。”

111. They want a God that is designed by man;
他们需要的是一个人造的神；

112. and Paul’s message was, in effect,
而保罗的信息却是这样的，

113. “You reject the God who revealed Himself in His creation and choose to worship other gods and, yet, your hearts are empty. You are discontented with your gods.
“从祂所创造的万物中启示自己的这位真神，你们拒绝了祂，反倒去敬拜别神，但你的心灵仍然空虚，可见，你所拜的神不能满足你。

114. You refuse to worship the Creator and, yet, you continue to worship His creatures and His creation...”
你拒绝敬拜这位造物主，却敬拜那些受造物……”

115. and that is why Paul says there will be no excuse on the Day of Judgment;
所以保罗说，在末日审判时，这些人没有借口推诿；

116. and Paul’s message begins with the Creator God and ends with a call to repent for their rejection of God.
保罗的信息从创造万物的真神讲起，最后，他呼召他们悔改，不要再拒绝这位真神。

117. The Athenians acknowledged that, in having an altar to the unknown God,
雅典人设立了一座未识之神的祭坛，

118. they have acknowledged their ignorance of the true God;
已表明了，他们对真神的蒙眛无知；

119. and, here, the Apostle Paul provides them with the evidence for their ignorance.
使徒保罗也指出了他们的蒙眛无知。

120. Look at verse 30 of Acts 17.
请看使徒行传17章的30节。

121. Paul said
保罗说：

122. ignorance is no excuse.
蒙眛无知不是借口。

123. Ignorance is no excuse, because God never left Himself without a witness.
蒙眛无知不是借口，因为总有证据显示神的存在。

124. In His mercy, God is giving them a second chance.
因着祂的怜悯，神给人第二次机会。

125. In His mercy, He is giving them another opportunity to repent and ask for His forgiveness;
祂怜悯人，给人机会悔改，并让人祈求祂的宽恕；

126. but, not only that,
不仅如此，

127. Paul said God provided proof that the Day of Judgment is coming
保罗说，神也向我们证明，审判的日子近了，

128. and that the Judge is going to be Jesus Christ;
而审判官就是耶稣基督；

129. and the greatest proof that Jesus is the coming Judge was Jesus’ resurrection.
耶稣的复活有力地证明了，祂就是这位要来的审判官。

130. Paul is saying that the resurrection is God’s ultimate proof that the Judgment is coming upon the living and the dead.
保罗在说，复活是最重要的凭据，表明神的审判将临到活人和死人。

131. Every one of us is going to face the judgment of God.
我们每一个人都要面临神的审判。

132. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
耶稣说：“我就是道路，真理和生命。”

133. That is why He was raised from the dead;
因此祂从死里复活；

134. and that is why He is the coming Judge.
并且，祂就是将要来临的审判官。

135. My friend, if you have been confused by all the different ideas and philosophies,
亲爱的朋友，如果你已被各种不同的哲学思潮所迷惑，

136. if you have been ignoring the Lord of life,
如果你一直无视这位生命的主，

137. He is calling you today to surrender to Him;
祂现在就在呼召你归向祂；

138. to repent of your sins and receive His forgiveness.
为自己的罪悔改，并接受祂的饶恕。

139. If you have broken one of the Ten Commandments, you have broken all commandments;
你违背了十诫中的一条，就违背了所有的律法；

140. and, therefore, you deserve Hell.
你应该到地狱受刑罚。

141. That’s what the Bible said;
圣经上是这么说的；

142. but there is a way out.
但还有一条出路。

143. God said, “Through Jesus, I forgive you and assure you of eternal life...”
神说：“通过耶稣，我原谅你，并赐给你永生……”

144. and the Bible said that God desires not for anyone to die in their sin,
圣经说，神不愿一人在罪中沈沦死去，

145. but that they would turn from their wickedness and live.
而愿他们离弃罪恶，存活下来。

146. Will you respond to Him today?
今天你愿意回应祂吗？

147. If you want to be assured of eternal life and not eternal judgment, you can do that today.
如果你想得到永生，而不是永远的审判，你今天就能。

148. You can say to Him,
你可以对神说，

149. “Lord Jesus Christ,
“主耶稣基督，

150. forgive me of my sins.
请宽恕我的罪。

151. Thank You for paying for the judgment of my sin on the cross.
感谢你为我的罪，在十字架上付出了代价。

152. I repent of my sins
我为自己的罪而悔改，

153. and I receive You as my Savior.
我愿接受你作为我生命的救主。

154. In your name, Jesus,
奉主耶稣的名祷告，

155. Amen.”
阿们。”