Forget about church, Youre not going! Lis mother insisted angrily.You need to concentrate on your education and forget all this talk about religion. Li hung her head sadly and fought back the tears. She knew there was no way she could make her mother understand that Jesus Christ was real, He wasnt just another religion.今天你別想去教會, 好好給我在家待著, 小麗的媽媽很生氣地對她說：你要好好學習, 別一天到晚又教會, 又信教的。 小麗忍著眼淚, 低下頭。她實在是沒有辦法讓她媽媽知道耶穌是真的, 這并不是又一個什么宗教

　　Every day, all over the world, people are suffering and being ridiculed for their faith in the Lord Jesus. Suffering for what you believe in is called ?persecution. In our Bible time today, were going to learn about how to handle persecution. Aunt Dee is going to tell you the story, but Stephen will be your teacher.

　　在這個世界上, 每天都有很多人因為信耶穌而被人嘲笑, 甚至被迫害。因為你的信仰而受到逼迫叫迫害。我們今天的圣經故事就是要講到受逼迫這件事。今天的圣經人物叫司提反。

　　Forty days after the Lord Jesus had died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again, He went back to Heaven. Jesus promised before He left that He would send the Holy Spirit to help believers. Ten days after the Lord Jesus went to Heaven, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and filled the apostle Peter and the other believers with great power. In that power, Peter preached to thousands of Jews who had gathered in the streets of Jerusalem. The same Holy Spirit that empowered Peter to preach with such boldness also convicted the unbelievers of their sin and their need of Jesus. That day 3, 000 people turned from their sin, believing on the Lord Jesus. Stephen was most likely one of the 3, 000 saved that day.

　　耶穌為我們的罪死在十字架上, 被埋葬, 又從死里復活。四十天后, 他回到天上。他走之前, 應許他要賜下圣靈來幫助那些相信他的人。在耶穌回到天上十天以后, 圣靈從天而降, 充滿彼得和其他信徒, 并賜給他們極大的能力。彼得帶著這能力, 大膽地向耶路撒冷的猶太人傳道。圣靈的能力又讓人認識到自己的罪, 讓他們認識到他們實在是需要耶穌來拯救他們。在那一天, 有三千人接受了耶穌成為他們的救主。 而司提反很有可能就是其中之一。

　　Every day the church kept growing, but there was also a growing problem in the church. The Grecian believers were complaining that their widows were not getting as much attention and food as the Hebrew widows. A widow is a woman whose husband has died. The twelve apostles advised the church to find seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, who could take care of this problem. Stephen was one of the seven men chosen.

　　隨著教會人數的增加, 教會里也出現了一些問題。有說希臘語的猶太人, 向希伯來人發怨言, 因為在天天的供給上忽略了他們的寡婦。寡婦就是失去了丈夫的婦女。于是，使徒就建議選出七個有好名聲, 被圣靈充滿, 智慧充足的人, 派他們管理這事。司提反就是七人之一。

　　Acts 6：8 describes Stephen as a man ?full of faith and power?, who ?did great wonders and miracles among the people. Stephen not only faithfully served in the church, but he was also out preaching about the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit was doing miracles through him. The Holy Spirit is the invisible part of Jesus that comes to live in us when we believe in Jesus. Even though the Spirit cannot be seen or touched, He is real and He gives believers power to live for Him and do whats right.

　　使徒行傳6：8說：司提反滿得恩惠能力, 在民間行了大奇事和神跡。 司提反不但在教會衷心侍奉, 他還向人傳講耶穌以及圣靈通過他所行的神跡。當我們相信耶穌的時候, 圣靈就住進我們里面。圣靈就是耶穌的一部份, 他是看不見的, 也摸不到的。但圣靈是真實的, 他賜給信他的人能力來為主耶穌而活.

　　Although Stephen was a godly example of the Lord Jesus and helped many people, there were many who hated Stephen.If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you, Jesus said in John 15：18. The reason some people hated Stephen was only because he preached about Jesus. They especially hated to hear Stephen preach that Jesus was risen from the dead, and that He was the Son of God. As Stephen went out in public places to preach about Jesus, these enemies began to argue with him. But Acts 6：10 says, They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.

　　雖然司提反被神的靈充滿, 大有能力, 又幫助了許多的人, 但也有很多人恨他。 耶穌在約翰福音15：18說：世人若恨你們, 你們知道恨你們以先, 已經恨我了。 那些人恨司提反的原因只有一個：因為他傳講耶穌。特別是他提到耶穌是神的兒子, 他從死里復活。但司提反傳講耶穌的時候, 這些人就和司提反辯論.使徒行傳6：10說：司提反是以智慧和圣靈說話, 眾人敵擋不住。

　　This caused them to hate Stephen even more, and to make plans to persecute HIM. Do you remember what the word persecution means?It means suffering for what you believe in. If you have believed in the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin, you may have already been persecuted. Paul wrote to young Timothy in II Timothy 3：12, ? 這些人就更恨司提反, 他們準備要迫害他。你還記得迫害是什么意思嗎?就是因為你的信仰受到逼迫。如果你已經接受耶穌做你的救主, 你可能已經受到過逼迫了。在提摩太后書3：12,

　　all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. You may be the only one in the family who has believed on the Lord Jesus, and your family makes fun of you. Maybe other kids laugh at you because you refuse to take part in their dirty jokes, or to look at the sinful pictures on the Internet. Your teacher at school may have even embarrassed you when you said you believed that God created the world.

　　保羅寫信給提摩太說：凡立志在基督耶穌里敬虔度日的, 也都要受逼迫。 也許你是家里唯一一個相信耶穌的人, 也許別的孩子嘲笑你, 因為你不愿意和他們一起講黃色笑話, 在網上看那些不好的圖片。你學校的老師可能批評你因為你相信神創造了世界, 我們不是猴子變來的。

　　No believer enjoys being persecuted. At times you may feel like giving in and doing the wrong thing so people wont bother you any more. You may have thought, its just too hard to be a Christian, I give up. Gods enemy, Satan, wants you to feel sorry for yourself and give up, so you will be a bad example to others. If Youre a bad example, then you surely wont lead anyone else to believe in Jesus, which is what Satan wants.

　　沒有人愿意受逼迫。有時候你可能很灰心, 心想他們做什么, 我做什么就算了, 省得別人找我麻煩。當個基督徒真難啊!神的仇敵撒但, 最希望你這么想了, 他希望你灰心喪氣, 不能在世人的面前為主耶穌做見證。這樣你就不會領別人信耶穌了。

　　But dont give up! dont give in! dont let the devil make you sin! I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me! Philippians 4：13. Will you memorize that little poem to help you when you are persecuted?

　　但你不要上了魔鬼的當。記住這句話：別灰心, 莫喪氣, 不能中了魔鬼的計, 信靠基督加我力, 凡事行出主美意。然后, 記住我們今天的圣經經節：腓利比書4章13節說：我靠著那加給我力量的, 凡事都能作。

　　Stephen was about to be persecuted for preaching about the Lord Jesus. His enemies got some false witnesses together to lie about Stephen, then they stirred up the religious leaders so that Stephen was arrested and brought to the Jewish religious court. There in the courtroom, the false witnesses began again to lie about Stephen.This man will not stop speaking against the temple and the laws of God. We even heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth is going to destroy the temple and will change all the laws and customs that Moses taught us.

　　司提反因為傳講耶穌而受到逼迫。那些恨他的人收買人來做假見證, 他們又聳動了百姓, 長老, 并文士, 就來捉拿他, 把他帶到公會去。那些作假見證的人說, 這個人說話, 不住的糟踐圣所和律法。我們曾聽見他說, 這拿撒勒人耶穌, 要毀壞此地, 也要改變摩西所交給我們的規條。

　　How would you react if people were lying about you?Acts 6：15 says, And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. The high priest then asked Stephen, Are these things true?

　　如果有人造你的謠, 你會怎么樣呢?來看看司提反的反應。圣經上說：在公會里坐著的人, 都定睛看他, 見他的面貌, 好像天使的面貌。 大祭司就說, 這些事果然有么。

　　The Holy Spirit gave Stephen the words God wanted those men to hear. Stephen began far back in the history of the Jewish people and reminded them about how God had called Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. Then Stephen told about Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and even Moses. Stephen reminded the people how Israel had turned away from God to worship idols; and that when God had sent His prophets to warn the people, instead of turning from the idols, they killed Gods prophets.You are so stubborn in your heart, and you refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit! You are just like your fathers! They persecuted and killed the prophets who told about the coming of the Just One, Stephen said, And now when the Just One came, you yourselves have betrayed and murdered Him!

　　圣靈就感動司提反, 賜給他當說的話。司提反就從猶太人的歷史講起, 講到神怎樣召了他們的祖宗亞伯拉罕。他還講到以撒, 雅各, 約瑟, 摩西。司提反講到那時的以色列人怎樣不肯聽從神, 反要拜偶像。當神派先知去警告他們的時候, 他們不但不聽, 還把先知給殺了。司提反繼續說：你們這硬著頸項, 心與耳未受割禮的人, 常時抗拒圣靈。你們的祖宗怎樣, 你們也怎樣。那一個先知, 不是你們祖宗逼迫呢?他們也把預先傳說那義者要來的人殺了。如今你們又把那義者賣了, 殺了。

　　Who was this ?Just One?that Stephen was talking about?You may have guessed Stephen was talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the One the Jewish leaders had hated so much that they had him betrayed and then crucified.Just?means righteous and pure. God is perfectly pure and righteous and so is His Son the Lord Jesus, the Just One.

　　誰是那義者呢?就是我們的主耶穌基督。我們的神是圣潔公義的, 他的兒子耶穌也是這樣。但那些猶太人恨他, 把他出賣了, 并釘上十字架。

　　How foolish for these sinful people to hate Jesus and want to get rid of Him when they needed Him so much! What they did was more foolish than a person with a dreadful disease throwing away the only medicine that could cure him! The Bible teaches us that we are all born with something more dreadful than a disease and that is sin. Sin is breaking Gods laws. When you destroy someones elses property, when you tease and hurt others, when you think hateful thoughts toward your parents, you are sinning.

　　那些罪人恨耶穌, 要除掉他, 其實他們真的很傻, 因為他們實際上是多么需要耶穌。他們就象絕癥病人把唯一能治病的藥丟一樣。圣經告訴我們, 我們生來就有罪, 罪要比得了絕癥更糟糕, 因為罪是違反了神的律法。什么是罪呢?具體一點說, 當你破壞公物, 罵人, 傷害別人, 心里對父母有怨恨, 這些都是罪。

　　Ecclesiastes 7：20 says, There is not a just man upon earth, that does good and does not sin. Sin causes us not only to have die in our body, but also to suffer an everlasting death in hell. God our Creator loves us so much and He does not want even one of us to be lost from Him forever. His great desire is that we be brought back to Him so we can enjoy all the riches of Heaven with God forever.

　　傳道書7：20說：時常行善而不犯罪的義人, 世上實在沒有。 因為我們的罪, 我們的身體不但要死, 我們還要經歷地獄里永遠的死亡。但神實在是愛我們, 他不愿意我們經歷這樣永遠的痛苦。神愿意我們每個人都回到他身邊, 永遠和神在天堂, 享受那里的美好。

　　I Peter 3：18 says, For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. That is why Jesus, the Just One, allowed foolish, sinful people to nail Him to a cross. He had the power to stop it, but Jesus knew He must give His life and His blood to pay for our sin. He died, was buried and came alive the 3rd day. Jesus is alive today in Heaven, and when we believe on Him, He brings us back to God. It would be so foolish to turn away from the Lord Jesus, when He is the only One Who can make us right with God.

　　彼得一書3：18說：因基督也曾一次為罪受苦, 就是義的代替不義的, 為要引我們到神面前。 這就是為什么耶穌, 這位義者, 讓那些罪人把他釘在十字架上。耶穌有能力制止他們, 但他并沒有, 因為他必須要為我們的罪流出寶血, 付出生命的代價。耶穌死了, 被埋葬, 第三天, 他從死里復活。今天耶穌就活在天上, 當我們相信他, 他就把我們帶回到神那里。當我們知道主耶穌是唯一可以使我們與神和好的那一位, 我們若不相信他, 不是太傻了嗎?

　　Stephen was trying to show the Jewish leaders how foolish they were to have betrayed and murdered the Lord Jesus, the only One Who could make them right with God! But when the leaders heard Stephens bold words, the Bible says they were ?cut to the heart.

　　司提反想讓猶太人的領袖們明白, 他們背叛并殺害了主耶穌是多么愚蠢一件事。

　　Instead of being sorry for their sin, they hated Stephen even more. They began to gnash on him with their teeth. Have you ever seen a dog growling and about to fight?They turn back their lips, and grit their teeth together as they growl. The Jewish leaders were like wild animals as they turned back their lips and gritted their teeth at Stephen.

　　因為主耶穌是唯一可以使我們與神和好的那一位。但是, 當猶太人聽到司提反的責備的時候, 圣經里說：眾人聽見這話, 就極其惱怒, 向司提反咬牙切齒。 他們不但不為他們的罪悔改, 反而更恨司提反。你有沒有見過狗打架的時候, 它們呲牙吼叫的樣子。

　　How do you think Stephen reacted?Lets read Acts 7：55：But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Stephen was not concerned with foolish, sinful men. God was showing him his heavenly reward!

　　這些猶太人的領袖們就象野獸一樣對著司提反呲牙吼叫。你知道司提反怎樣反應的嗎?讓我們讀使徒行傳7：55：但司提反被圣靈充滿, 定睛望天, 看見神的榮耀, 又看見耶穌站在神的右邊。 司提反沒有被那些愚昧的罪人壓倒。因為神正在啟示給他那屬天的賞賜!

　　Matthew 5：11 and 12 says, Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad：for great is your reward in heaven.

　　馬太福音5：11-12說：人若因我辱罵你們, 逼迫你們, 捏造各樣壞話毀謗你們, 你們就有福了。應當歡快樂, 因為你們在天上的賞賜是大的, 在你們以前的先知, 人也是這樣逼迫他們。

　　If you are a child of God, you can rejoice and be glad, even as people are persecuting you. God says there is special blessing for you, and a great reward for you in Heaven. In many places in the world at this very moment believers are suffering because they believe in Jesus. God can give His children power to rejoice and praise Him even in persecution. Do you remember our little poem? dont give up, dont give in; dont let the devil make you sin.I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.? Philippians 4：13. Ask God to give you strength to be a good example that will help and encourage other believers.

　　如果你是神的孩子, 你就可以在別人逼迫你的時候仍然喜樂。因為這是神對你特別的祝福。不但如此, 你在天上也有一個極大的祝福。此時此刻, 在世界上的許多地方, 有許多人因為相信耶穌而受逼迫。但神可以給他的兒女們能力, 讓他們在逼迫中歡贊美神。 你記得我們那首詩嗎：別灰心, 莫喪氣, 不能中了魔鬼的計, 信靠基督加我力, 凡事行出主美意。 然后, 記住我們今天的圣經經節：腓利比書4章13節說：我靠著那加給我力量的, 凡事都能作。 你要禱告神給你力量, 讓你在眾人面前成為一個好的榜樣。

　　What a great example Stephen was! He was not giving up! God was giving him power to do the right thing when he was persecuted. The angry crowd cried out loudly to drown out Stephens voice, they stopped their ears so they couldnt hear him. Then they grabbed Stephen and dragged him out of the city to stone him. Picking up huge stones, they began to hurl them at Stephen to kill him. As they did, still Stephen did not complain or give in.

　　司提反是一個多么好的榜樣。他沒有屈服, 神給他力量, 在他受壓迫的時候, 仍然為主站立。憤怒的人群大聲喊叫, 捂著耳朵, 齊心擁上前去, 他們的叫聲掩蓋了司提反的聲音。他們抓住司提反, 把他推到城外, 用石頭打他。他們撿起很大的石頭, 想要砸死司提反。這個時候, 司提反沒有報怨, 也沒有屈服。