使徒行传13：圣灵差遣；福音扩展
 
GK611晨祷生命读经 
26.05.2026 
主讲：陈炎明牧师

 引言：果然是神的心意，且有圣灵的带领！

一、蒙召作主工(13:1-3) 
安提阿教会是一间充满属灵生命与团队配搭的教会，里面有不同背景的人，却能同心侍奉主、禁食祷告，显明神国的事工不是建立在人的身份与过去，而是在于同心寻求神。当他们专心敬拜时，圣灵主动说话，分别巴拿巴和扫罗去作神所召他们的工，说明真正的呼召是从圣灵而来，不是出于人的安排。教会随后禁食、祷告并按手差遣他们，也让我们看见属灵使命必须建立在祷告、遮盖与差派之上。
一个被神大大使用的人，背后往往都有一间愿意同心扶持、成全使命的教会。

二、被圣灵差遣(13:4-12) 
巴拿巴与保罗既被圣灵差遣，就顺服踏上宣教旅程，显明福音工作真正的推动者乃是圣灵。他们一路传讲神的道，但事奉中也立刻遇见属灵争战。行法术的以吕马敌挡福音，试图拦阻方伯相信真道，可见每当福音要进入有影响力的人群时，仇敌也会起来搅扰。然而，当保罗被圣灵充满时，就靠着神的权柄胜过黑暗势力，使假先知显露败坏。最终，方伯因看见神的大能与真道而信主。
这段经文提醒我们：真正被圣灵差遣的人，不只是出去传道，更会在属灵争战中经历神的能力，而神的大能最终必要使人归向真道。

三、救世的真道(13:13-41) 

1. 神历世历代预备救恩（v13-25）
保罗首先从以色列的历史讲起，从出埃及、士师时代、扫罗到大卫，一步一步指出神一直在掌管祂百姓的历史。整个旧约历史不是零散事件，而是在预备那位将要来的救主耶稣。特别当保罗提到“大卫的后裔”时，显明耶稣正是神所应许的弥赛亚。连施洗约翰也只是为基督预备道路的人。这让我们看见，神的救恩计划从未改变，历史的中心始终是耶稣基督。
对犹太人而言，这样的传讲方式是有根有据，而不容置疑的！

2. 耶稣复活成全救世真道（v26-37）
保罗进一步宣告，耶稣虽然被人弃绝、被钉十字架，但这一切都应验了先知的预言。人虽然拒绝基督，神却借着祂的死与复活完成了救恩。耶稣从死里复活，不像大卫已经朽坏，因为祂是真正永活的圣者。复活不只是一个神迹，更证明耶稣就是神的儿子，是那位胜过死亡的救主。福音的核心，不只是耶稣曾经来过，而是祂如今仍然活着。这就是救世之道啊！

3. 因信称义的恩典呼召（v38-41）
保罗最后把信息带入人的回应，宣告“赦罪的道”已经借着耶稣传开。人无法靠摩西律法完全称义，因为律法只能显明人的罪，却不能真正除去罪；唯有信靠耶稣的人，才能在神面前被称为义。这是福音最大的恩典。然而，保罗也严肃警告众人，不可轻忽神的救恩，因为人若不断拒绝真道，最终将错失神所预备的恩典。福音既是救恩的信息，也是一个必须回应的呼召。

四、预定得救者(13:42-52) 

1. 神主动拣选，人成为蒙恩者（v42-48）
这段经文特别提到：“凡预定得永生的人都信了。”这显明救恩的起头在于神主动的恩典与拣选，而不是人天然的能力。福音虽然向众人传讲，但真正愿意相信、被真道吸引的人，是因神已经在他们心中动工。相反的，那些嫉妒、毁谤、拒绝真道的人，也显出他们里面刚硬的光景。预定论并不是叫人骄傲，而是让人谦卑，因为我们能够相信主，不是因为自己比别人更好，而完全是神怜悯与恩典的拣选。

预定是居于神的预知，无所不知的神早就看到人以后对福音的“反应”。因着预知所以才预定。这样的经文有至少好几处。例如《罗马书 8:29》“因为他预先所知道的人，就预先定下效法他儿子的模样……”。

2. 神的预定推动福音不断扩展（v49-52）
虽然保罗和巴拿巴遭遇逼迫，被人赶出城外，但神所预定得救的人仍不断归向主，因此主的道继续传遍各地。人的拦阻无法停止神救恩计划的成就，因为神早已定意要使外邦人也得着救恩。预定论不但显明神的主权，也带给信徒极大的信心与安慰：福音工作不建立在人数、环境或人的接受程度上，而是建立在神永不失败的旨意之上。因此，即使在逼迫与拒绝中，门徒仍满心喜乐，被圣灵充满，因为他们知道神的计划必定成全。

总结：我们也回应圣灵的差遣

《使徒行传》第13章记载圣灵差遣巴拿巴与保罗展开第一次宣教旅程，成为福音转向外邦人的重要开始。保罗宣讲耶稣就是神所应许的救主，借着祂的死与复活，使人因信称义。虽然有人因嫉妒拒绝真道，但外邦人却欢喜接受福音，“凡预定得永生的人都信了”。整章显明：圣灵推动宣教，神掌管救恩历史，而福音的大能无人能够拦阻。

我们也被圣灵差遣，推动One For Jesus福音领人运动！



  

Acts Chapter 13:  The Holy Spirit’s Commission; The Expansion of the Gospel
 GK611 Morning Devotion 
23.05.2026
Speaker: Rev David Tan

 Introduction: This was indeed God’s will, led by the Holy Spirit！

I. Called to the Lord’s Work (13:1–3) 
The church in Antioch was a church filled with spiritual life and teamwork in ministry. People from different backgrounds were able to serve the Lord in one heart, fasting and praying together. This reveals that the work of God’s kingdom is not built upon human status or past experiences, but upon seeking God in one heart. As they worshiped the Lord wholeheartedly, the Holy Spirit spoke and set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which He had called them. This shows that true calling comes from the Holy Spirit, not from human arrangement. The church then fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them before sending them out, showing us that spiritual missions must be established upon prayer, spiritual covering, and commissioning.

Behind a person whom God uses mightily, there is often a church willing to support them with one heart and to fulfil the mission.

 II. Sent by the Holy Spirit (13:4–12) 
Having been sent by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Paul obediently set out on their missionary journey, demonstrating that the true driving force behind the work of the Gospel is the Holy Spirit. They preached the Word of God along the way, but immediately encountered spiritual warfare in their ministry. Elymas the sorcerer opposed the Gospel, attempting to prevent the proconsul from believing the truth. This shows that whenever the Gospel seeks to reach influential people, the enemy will rise up to cause disturbance. However, when Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, he overcame the forces of darkness through God’s authority, exposing the false prophet’s corruption. Ultimately, the proconsul believed in the Lord upon seeing God’s mighty power and the truth of the Gospel.

This passage reminds us that those truly sent by the Holy Spirit do not merely go out to preach; they also experience God’s power in spiritual warfare, and God’s mighty power will ultimately lead people to the true faith.

 III. The True Faith That Saves (13:13–41) 

1. God’s Salvation Prepared Throughout the Ages (v13–25)
Paul begins by tracing the history of Israel, from the Exodus, through the era of the Judges, and from Saul to David, demonstrating step by step that God has consistently been in control of His people’s history. The entire history of the Old Testament is not a collection of isolated events, but a preparation for the coming Saviour, Jesus Christ. In particular, when Paul mentions ‘the descendant of David’, he reveals that Jesus is indeed the Messiah promised by God. Even John the Baptist was merely one who prepared the way for Christ. This shows us that God’s plan of salvation has never changed; the centre of history has always been Jesus Christ.

For the Jews, this manner of preaching was well-grounded and undeniable!

2. Jesus’ Resurrection Fulfils the True Way of Salvation (v26-37)
Paul further declares that although Jesus was rejected and crucified, all this fulfilled the prophecies of the prophets. Though people rejected Christ, God accomplished salvation through His death and resurrection. Jesus rose from the dead, unlike David whose body decayed, for He is the true and ever-living Holy One. The resurrection is not merely a miracle; it proves that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour who has conquered death. The heart of the Gospel is not merely that Jesus once came, but that He is alive today. This is the true way of salvation!

3. The Call to the Grace Through Justification by Faith (v38–41)
Finally, Paul brings the message to the point of human response, declaring that ‘the message of forgiveness’ has been made known through Jesus. People cannot be fully justified by the Law of Moses, for the Law can only reveal sin but cannot truly remove it; only those who trust in Jesus can be declared righteous before God. This is the greatest grace of the Gospel. However, Paul also solemnly warns everyone not to treat God’s salvation lightly, for if people persistently reject the true gospel, they will ultimately miss out on the grace God has prepared. The gospel is not only a message of salvation but also a call that demands a response.

 IV. Those Predestined for Salvation (13:42–52) 

1. God’s Active Choice: Those Who Become Recipients of Grace (v42–48)
This passage specifically states: ‘All who were appointed to eternal life believed.’ This reveals that the origin of salvation lies in God’s active grace and choice, rather than in man’s natural ability. Although the Gospel is preached to all, those who are truly willing to believe and are drawn to the true doctrine do so because God has already been at work in their hearts. Conversely, those who are envious, slanderous, and reject the truth reveal the hardness of their hearts. Predestination is not meant to make people proud, but to humble them; for our ability to believe in the Lord does not stem from our being better than others, but is entirely due to God’s merciful and gracious election.

Predestination is rooted in God’s foreknowledge; the all-knowing God has long foreseen people’s future ‘response’ to the Gospel. It is because of this foreknowledge that He predestines. There are at least several such passages in Scripture. For example, Romans 8:29 states: ‘For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…’.

2. God’s Predestination Drives the Continual Expansion of the Gospel (v49–52)
Although Paul and Barnabas faced persecution and were driven out of the city, those whom God had predestined for salvation continued to turn to the Lord, and so the word of the Lord continued to spread throughout the region. Human opposition cannot halt the fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation, for God had already determined that the Gentiles too should receive salvation. The doctrine of predestination not only reveals God’s sovereignty but also brings great faith and comfort to believers: the work of the Gospel is not built upon numbers, circumstances, or the degree of human acceptance, but upon God’s unfailing will. Therefore, even amidst persecution and rejection, the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit, for they knew that God’s plan would surely be fulfilled.

 Conclusion: We too respond to the Holy Spirit’s commission
Acts chapter 13 records how the Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey, marking a crucial turning point as the gospel began reaching the Gentiles. Paul proclaimed that Jesus is the Saviour promised by God, and that through His death and resurrection, people are justified by faith. Although some rejected the truth out of jealousy, the Gentiles joyfully received the Gospel, and ‘all who were appointed to eternal life believed’. The entire chapter demonstrates that the Holy Spirit drives mission, God governs the history of salvation, and the power of the Gospel cannot be hindered by anyone.

We also respond to the Holy Spirit’s commission and advance the ‘One For Jesus’ evangelistic movement!