【双语灵修】一个名叫提摩太的新造之人A NEW CREATION NAMED TIMOTHY

使徒行传 16:1-5

保罗来到特庇，又到路司得。在那里有一个门徒名叫提摩太，是信主之犹太妇人的儿子，他父亲却是希腊人。 路司得和以哥念的弟兄都称赞他。 保罗要带他同去，只因那些地方的犹太人都知道他父亲是希腊人，就给他行了割礼。 他们经过各城，把耶路撒冷使徒和长老所定的条规交给门徒遵守。 于是众教会信心越发坚固，人数天天加增。

4月21日

一个名叫提摩太的新造之人

“保罗来到特庇，又到路司得。在那里有一个门徒，名叫提摩太……” - 使徒行传 16:1

在我居住的美国，很常见的一种情况，是有些人的父母和祖父母来自不同的国家或拥有不同的种族背景。例如，某位邻居或同事的祖先可能来自印度、非洲和欧洲。

这在古代并不那么常见，这也是为什么《使徒行传》的作者特意指出提摩太的母亲是犹太人，父亲是希腊人。在他的家乡群体中，提摩太在这方面很独特。正因如此，提摩太可能曾经挣扎着寻找一个自己真正有归属感的群体。他是犹太人吗？还是希腊人？后来提摩太成了基督的信徒，那里的教会肢体都称赞他。

当保罗和他的宣教同伴来到时，他们邀请提摩太与他们同行。当他们栽培提摩太时，很可能清楚地向他表明他的信心—那神所赐予、并使他“在基督里”的信心，使他成为了一个不断增长、紧密联结，且真正美好的群体的一部分：这就是教会。像他们一样，提摩太也是一个新造的人（《哥林多后书》5:17），是那不断增长的“新造之人”群体的一部分。

今天，如果你遇见其他基督徒，请记住，你们共同属于那个不断增长的群体。睁大你的眼睛，留意那些面孔和眼神背后的生命。你将看到新造的人。他们和你一样，都是神在这个世上更新工作的路标，指向祂的新创造。

祷告

主啊，求你帮助我们看所有信耶稣的人都是新造的人，是你的杰作，是指向将来荣耀之事的路标。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。

Acts 16:1-5

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

A NEW CREATION NAMED TIMOTHY

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. . . . —Acts 16:1

In the United States, where I live, it is common for people to have parents and grandparents from different countries or ethnic backgrounds. A neighbor or coworker might have ancestors from India, Africa, and Europe, for example.

This wasn’t as common in ancient times, and that is why the writer of Acts points out that Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. In his home community Timothy was unique in that way. Because of that, Timothy may have struggled to find a community in which he truly belonged. Was he Jewish? Was he Greek? Timothy became a believer in Christ, and the community of believers spoke well of him.

When Paul and his missionary companions came along, they invited Timothy to come with them. As they discipled Timothy, they likely made clear that his faith, the faith given to him by God and by which he was “in Christ,” made him part of a growing, deeply bonded, and truly beautiful community: the church. Timothy, like them, was a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), part of a growing gathering of new creations.

Today, if you meet other Christians, take note that together you are part of that growing gathering. Keep your eyes open for what lies behind the faces, the eyes. You’ll be seeing new creations. With you, they are signposts of God’s renewal in this world, pointing to his new creation.

Lord, help us to see all believers in Jesus as new creations, your handiwork, signposts of glorious things to come. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.