LESSON 36

SPEECH OF PAUL ON MARS HILL

保罗在玛斯山上的演讲

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill, and said, Ye men of Athens! I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein (seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth) dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from everyone of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed; among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

(From Bible )

【中文阅读】

保罗站在战神玛斯山上中央的，说道，你们雅典人听着！我觉得你们对任何事情都尊奉神明。我经过的时候，观看你们所敬拜的。我遇到一座祭坛，上面写着——“敬未识之神”。你们虽不识但刻意敬拜的，我现在就告诉你们是哪路神明。创造世界及万物的上帝（他是天地的主宰），当然不会住在人手修建的庙堂。也不用人手来敬奉，好像他需要一切，其实将生命气息和万物赐给众生。他从一支血脉造出万族的人，住在整个世间，并且预先确定了他们的寿限，以及居住区域的疆界。众生寻求神的帮助，或许揣摩可期，或然可遇，实则他离我们每个人不远。我们生活，活动，存留皆赖于他；犹如你们的诗篇中所讲的，我们也是他的后代。鉴于我们是神的后代，就不该认为神的神性如同人用手艺和心思所雕刻的金、银和石头。众生蒙昧无知之时，神并不能全都查知；如今，他却吩咐所有的人都要悔改。因为他已经指定了日子，要通过他所钦定的人，按公义来裁决世间。为此命他从死里复活，借此让众生相信。当众生听见从死里复活的话，有的讥诮，其他人则说，我们再听你讲讲这个事情。于是，保罗从他们中出去了。但是，有几个人跟随他，就信了上帝的存在，其中有雅典最高法院的法官迪奥尼索斯，还有一个叫达玛丽斯的妇人，以及追随他们的人。

(选自《圣经》）