0328靈修：眾叛親離時

3月28日

翻譯：大江

眾叛親離時

我初次申訴，沒有人前來幫助，竟都離棄我；但願這罪不歸與他們。惟有主站在我旁邊，加給我力量，使福音被我盡都傳明，叫外邦人都聽見；我也從獅子口裡被救出來。主必救我脫離諸般的兇惡，也必救我進他的天國。願榮耀歸給他，直到永永遠遠。阿們。（提摩太後書 4:16-18）

今天早晨我的心沉浸在這宏偉而又令人動容的話語中。保羅被扣押在羅馬，據我們所知，他再也沒被釋放。他最後一封信就此擱筆了。

仔細想來，震憾我心！

他被離棄了：「沒有人前來幫助我。」此時的他，白髮蒼蒼，忠心為仆，身居異國，遠離故鄉，敵人環繞，命在弦上！為什麼要發生這一切？如此，他才能為我們這些恢心、恐懼、孤苦的靈魂寫下這們寶貴的句子——「惟有主站在我旁邊！」

噢，我愛慕這些話語！當你被親密的朋友離棄，你向神哭訴嗎？你生命中的這些人，他們豈是你的神嗎？還是無論何人離棄你，你在這偉大的真理中，鼓足勇氣——「……我常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。」（馬太福音 28:20）？你以這不可動搖的宣告來剛強自己嗎——「我總不撇下你，也不丟棄你！」（希伯來書 13:5）？

讓我們說：「有主在我身旁！「

問：在提摩太後書4章18節中，是什麼受到了威脅？

答：是保羅也許不能進神的國！但是面對這樣的威脅，保羅呼喊道：「我主也必救我進他的天國。「

問：保羅進天國如何被威脅了？

答：「諸般的兇惡！」「主必救我脫離諸般的兇惡，也必救我進他的天國。」

問：諸般的兇惡如何可能威脅保羅進天國？

答：通過試探他向神背逆，放棄對耶穌基督的忠心！

問：最終保羅被救脫離的試探就是「獅子的口」嗎？

答：是的！「務要謹守，警醒。因為你們的仇敵魔鬼，如同吼叫的獅子，遍地遊行，尋找可吞吃的人。你們要用堅固的信心抵擋他，因為知道你們在世上的眾弟兄也是經歷這樣的苦難。」（彼得前書 5:8-9）

問：那麼，保羅不曾向撒但的試探屈服，而是在信心、順服中持守到底，誰得著榮耀呢？

答：「願權能歸給他，直到永永遠遠。阿們！」（彼得前書 5:11）「……願榮耀歸給他，直到永永遠遠。阿們。」（提摩太後書 4:18）

問：為什麼榮耀歸給神呢？不是保羅堅定站立，忠心到底嗎？

答：「惟有主站在我旁邊，加給我力量」！

March 28

When Everyone Deserts You

Devotional by John Piper

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion』s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16–18)

This morning I was lingering over these magnificent and heartbreaking words. Paul is in custody in Rome. So far as we know, he was never released. His last letter comes to an end like this.

Consider and be astounded!

He is deserted: 「no one came to stand by me.」 He is an old man. A loyal servant. In a foreign city, far from home. Surrounded by enemies. In danger of death. Why? Answer: So he could write this precious sentence for our discouraged, or fearful, or lonely souls: 「But the Lord stood by me!」

Oh, how I love those words! When you are deserted by close friends, do you cry out against God? Are the people in your life, then, really your god? Or do you take courage in this magnificent truth: 「I am with you always, to the end of the age」 (Matthew 28:20) — no matter who deserts you? Do you strengthen your heart with this inexorable oath: 「I will never leave you nor forsake you」 (Hebrews 13:5)?

Then let us say, 「The Lord stood by me!」

Question: What was threatened in 2 Timothy 4:18? Answer: that Paul might not attain the Lord』s heavenly kingdom! But over against the threat Paul cries, 「The Lord will . . . bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.」

Question: How was Paul』s attaining the heavenly kingdom threatened? Answer: 「Evil deeds.」 「The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.」

Question: How could an evil deed threaten Paul』s attaining the heavenly kingdom? Answer: by tempting him to forsake his allegiance to Christ through disobedience.

Question: Was this temptation the 「lion』s mouth」 from which he was rescued? Answer: Yes. 「Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith」 (1 Peter 5:8–9).

Question: So who gets the glory that Paul did not yield to this satanic temptation, but endured to the end in faith and obedience? Answer: 「To him [the Lord] belong glory and dominion forever and ever」 (1 Peter 5:10). 「To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen」 (2 Timothy 4:18)

Question: Why? Wasn』t it Paul who stood firm? Answer: 「The Lord stood by me and strengthened me!」

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