(English following)

今日のことば

使徒の働き 28:3,5 （新改訳JSS2017）パウロが枯れ枝を一抱え集めて火にくべると、熱気のために一匹のまむしが這い出して来て、彼の手にかみついた。5しかし、パウロはその生き物を火の中に振り落として、何の害も受けなかった。

コメント

主はパウロを見守り続けています。遭難はしたものの、他の全員と共に助かりました。海から上がって、温まるためにたきぎを集め、火を起こしましたが、マムシがパウロの手にかみつきました。島の人たちはきっとパウロは犯罪人か、悪い人なので、その因縁が彼に降りかかったと最初に思いましたが、何も悪い結果がなかったので逆に、神ではないかと言い始めた。しかし、これを通しても、パウロは福音の証をし、島の多くの人たちは福音を聞き影響されました。島の役人もその家族にも福音の力が及びました。これはイエスが約束し任命した通りです。「15それから、イエスは彼らに言われた。「全世界に出て行き、すべての造られた者に福音を宣べ伝えなさい。17その手で蛇をつかみ、たとえ毒を飲んでも決して害を受けず、病人に手を置けば癒やされます」（マルコ16:15,17 JSS2017）。私たちはこれに従って、福音を語るときに主がともに働いてくださると約束しています。「弟子たちは出て行って、いたるところで福音を宣べ伝えた。主は彼らとともに働き、みことばを、それに伴うしるしをもって、確かなものとされた」（マルコ16:20 JSS2017）。

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Scripture

Act 28:3-6 NLT As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4  The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5  But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.

Observation
The Lord continues to watch over and protect Paul.  Even though he is shipwrecked, all survive.  Paul works along with everyone else to build a fire and warm up after coming up out of the sea.  When a viper bites and hangs on to Paul’s hand, people are shocked and fear for his life. But when Paul shakes the serpent into the fire and exhibits no ill effects, they proclaim him as a god.  Again Paul uses the opportunity to preach the gospel.  This was exactly as Jesus had promised the disciples before ascending to heaven. “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18  they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mar 16:17-18  NIV84) Paul goes on to lay hands on the father of the chief official of the island and he is healed (see. v.8-9).  When we are following the Lord, no matter where it leads, he will use us to share his good news with others.  When we do as he says and preach the Gospel, the Lord does his part. “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by signs that accompanied it. (Mark 16:20 NIV84)  It worked in the early church and every time through history when God and his people worked together.

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