腓利门书
In our new series, Little Big Shots - we’re looking at the five shortest books of the Bible. Because they’re short, there is a tendency for them to get overlooked. Often times what’s short gets overlooked, right? But, we’re going to see that each of these five short books packs well above its weight and size. Though none of them has more than one chapter in length. Each of these five short books showcases the beauty of grace.
Grace is a word we love around GRACEcity. These books are going to help us understand what it means to showcase grace through our lives, work, relationships. Though we might feel small in a world that is changing fast – grace punches well above their perceived weight and size.
Today – we come to the shortest book written by the apostle Paul. I suggest you read the whole letter later today – it will take just 3-4 minutes.
在我们的新系列 - 小人物大舞台 - 我们正在研究圣经中最短的五本书。因为他们很短——他们常常被忽视。很多时候短的东西会被忽视，对吧？但是，我们将超出这五本短书中的每一本的篇幅长短来仔细研究它们。尽管它们的长度都不超过一章——但是这五本短书中的每一本都展示了恩典的美好。
恩典（Grace） 是我们恩典之城教会 GRACEcity 很喜欢使用的一个词。这些书将帮助我们理解通过我们的生活、工作和人际关系来展示恩典的意义。尽管在一个瞬息万变的世界中，我们可能会觉得自己渺小——但恩典的冲击力远远超过其感知的大小。
今天——我们来看看使徒保罗写的最短的书。我建议你今天晚些时候阅读整封信——只需3-4分钟。
The letter is called Philemon because that’s who it is being written to. Philemon was was likely a wealthy guy. We know that because:
1) church met in his house, the church in Colossae. If you have a house big enough for a church to meet, you are probably in the upper echelon of society.
2) we also know he had servants/slaves which was pretty normal in the Roman Empire. About 1inevery 4 people were slaves. This is different to slavery we know from other countries /our own history but it’s still not good. In fact, when Christianity took hold in the Roman empire by the 3rdcentury, slavery got eradicated because of the teachings of Christianity. As we’re going to see, this small letter is key to that social transformation.
这封信被称为腓利门书，因为这就是它所写给的人。腓利门很可能是个有钱人。因为：
1) 歌罗西的教会在他家聚会。如果你的房子大到足以容纳一个教会，那么你很可能处于社会的上层。
2）我们也知道他有仆人或者奴隶，这在罗马帝国很正常。大约每4 人中就有1 人是奴隶。这虽然与我们从其他国家或者我们自己的历史中了解的奴隶制不同，但仍然不好。事实上，当基督教在 3 世纪进入罗马帝国时，由于基督教的教义，奴隶制被根除。正如我们将要看到的，这封短信是促成社会转型的关键。
There is another character – Onesimus. Onesimus had been one of Philemon’s slaves. Apparently, he has stolen a bunch of stuff and fled. Perhaps he left under the cover of night or perhaps while on a business trip for his master. But, this wrong-doing has placed a huge rift between Philemon and Onesimus. Somehow, Onesimus meets up with the Apostle Paul who at this point is a prisoner because of his faith in Jesus and because of growing persecution towards Christianity. We don’t know how Paul and Onesimus met up – but they met up quite a bit. So much so that Onesimus becomes a Christianandexperiences life transformation. Eventually, he and Paul decided it’s time for Onesimus to take responsibility for his actions because when Christians wrong someone we are to do everything we can to make it right.
还有另一个角色——阿尼西母。阿尼西母曾是腓利门的奴隶之一。显然，他偷了一堆东西然后逃走了。也许他是在夜幕下离开的，也许是在为他的主人出差的时候离开的。但是，这个错误的行为在腓利门和阿尼西母之间造成了巨大的裂痕。不知何故，阿尼西母遇到了使徒保罗，当时保罗因为他对耶稣的信仰以及基督徒所遭受的迫害日益加剧而成为囚犯。我们不知道保罗和阿尼西母是如何相遇的——但他们经常相聚。他们频繁的相聚让阿尼西母成为基督徒并经历生命的转变。最终，阿尼西母和保罗决定是为他的行为负责的时候了，因为当基督徒做错事时，我们要尽一切努力改正。
So, Paul writes this letter that is sent with Onesimus, pleading with Philemon to lay out the welcome mat for his ex-slave Onesimus who had done him wrong. Think about how radical this is: Consider moments in your life when someone has wronged you. You’re here in the shoes of Philemon. They’re there in the shoes of Onesimus. Because of what they have done, there is a wall between you. It’s not normally a physical wall – but there is an emotional and relational barrier. That barrier is there because they did something wrong. They hurt you.
How are we meant to respond?
所以，保罗写了这封信，让阿尼西母带着，信里恳求腓利门为他的前奴隶阿尼西母布置一张欢迎席，哪怕他曾伤害了他。想想这有多激进：想想你生命中有人得罪你的时刻。你站在腓利门的角度。他们站在阿尼西母的立场上。 因为他们的所作所为，你们之间有一堵墙。 它不是通常的物理意义上的墙 – 而是存在于情感和关系上的障碍。那个障碍之所以存在，是因为他们做错了什么。他们伤害了你。
我们应该如何回应？
Typically there are three different words that can be used to describe the variety of responses. Each of these is appropriate ways that people can respond to wrongdoing:
# justice
# mercy
# grace
通常可以使用三个不同的词来描述各种反应。这些都是人们对错误行为做出反应的适当方式：
#正义
#怜悯
#恩典
# Justice: You get you what you deserve. In your case, that person did something wrong and they need to pay the consequences. At the very least, that’s a cold shoulder – distancing yourself – making them pay for what they did.
Onesimus is guilty of at least two crimes: theft and running away. Justice in the Roman Empire allowed for slave owners like Philemon to execute run-away slaves and thieves like Onesimus. If not executed, slaves were typically branded with the Latin letter“F” standing for fugitive, or “CF” which was shorthand for ‘beware of thief!’ Onesimus could have gotten both ‘F’ and “CF” branded on him for life – assuming Philemon was in a good mood.
Can you hear the voices that would be calling for justice to be imposed? The thinking was that if you did not bring justice – such crimes would continue to spread and would tear away the fabric of the Roman Empire which was built on slavery. Contemporary to this letter, we know a wealthy Roman by the name of Pedanium Secundum was murdered by one of his 400 slaves. During his trial, the persecution argued that all 400slaves should be killed as a lesson. The prosecution won and apparently, all 400 slaves were publicly executed as an example.
I say that to give us an indication of the significant trouble that Onesimus is in. Justice demands he gets what he deserves.
#正义：你得到你应得的。站在你的角度，那个人做错了，他们就需要承担相应的后果。至少，这是一个冷遇——与自己保持距离——让他们为自己的所作所为付出代价。
阿尼西母至少犯有两项罪行：盗窃和逃跑。罗马帝国的律法允许像腓利门这样的奴隶主处决像阿尼西母这样逃跑的奴隶和小偷。如果不被处决，奴隶通常会被烙上代表逃犯的拉丁字母“F”，或者“CF”，这是“当心小偷”的简写！– 假设腓力门心情不错。
你能听到呼吁伸张正义的声音吗？他们的想法是，如果你不伸张正义——这种罪行会继续蔓延，并会撕裂建立在奴隶制基础上的罗马帝国的结构。在这封信的时代，我们知道一位名叫花足草“ Pedanium Secundun” 的富有的罗马人被他的400 名奴隶之一谋杀了。在审判中，原告认为作为一个教训，所有400 名奴隶都应该被杀死。原告胜诉，所有 400 名奴隶都被公开处决引以为戒。
从这个例子可以看出阿尼西母遇到的重大麻烦。正义要求他得到他应得的。
#2 Mercy: You don’t get what you deserve.
In your case, if that person has done wrong to you, you decide you’re not going to impose the severity of the consequence they deserve. If mercy was given to Onesimus – it would mean – Philemon doesn’t kill him or brand him or punish him but certainly still bring him back as a slave. Mercy is a big step from justice.
Grace – this third word - takes an even bigger step. A monumental step.
#2 怜悯：你没有得到你应得的。
站在你的角度，如果那个人对你做错事了，你决定不让他们承担相应的后果。如果怜悯阿尼西母——这意味着——腓利门不会杀他、给他烙上烙印或惩罚他，但肯定仍然把他作为奴隶带回来。怜悯是从正义的基础上迈出的一大步。
恩典——这第三个词——迈出了更大的一步。里程碑式的一步。
#3 Grace: You get what you don’t deserve.
For the person that has hurt you, it means that not only do they not get the punishment that they deserve – but they get something better – a pay rise, better treatment, hospitality. What do you think Paul asks Philemon to bring to Onesimus?
Yeah, Grace. It’s summed up right here in verse 17: “So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me” (Philemon 17) “Philemon, I want you to lay out the welcome mat for Onesimus. And give him the type of welcome that you would give to a close friend like me.”
The word “partner” is used a couple of times here in this short letter.
#3 恩典：你得到了你不应该得到的
对于伤害你的人来说，这意味着他们不仅没有得到他们应得的惩罚——而且给他们更好的东西——加薪、更好的待遇、款待。 你认为保罗要腓利门给阿尼西母带来什么？ 是的 – 恩典。
第 17 节总结如下： “你若以我为同伴，就收纳他，如同收纳我一样。” (腓利门书 17) “腓利门，我要你为阿尼西母摆好欢迎席。并像对待我这样的亲密朋友一样欢迎他。” 在这封简短的信中，“同伴”这个词被使用了几次。
The other time – is back in verse 6. Paul writes: “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” (Philemon 6-7)
The word for partner/partnership in Greek is Koinonia. It has the idea of sharing together, of mutual participation/ fellowship. Here in verse 6, Paul is praising Philemon for the way he shows himself to be a large-hearted, grace-filled person to so many others. He has been an outstanding member of the church and there is great affection between Paul and Philemon.
On that basis, Paul makes this bold request: I want you to be that large-hearted, grace-filled person you have been to others to the one person you probably don’t want to be that person to – Onesimus.
另一次——回到第 6 节。保罗写道： 愿你与人所同有的信心显出功效，使人知道你们各样善事都是为基督做的。同伴啊，我为你的爱心大有快乐，大得安慰，因众圣徒的心从你得了畅快。(腓利门书6-7)
同伴/伙伴关系的希腊语是 Koinonia。有共同分享，共同参与/团契的意思。在第6节，保罗赞美腓利门，因为他向许多人证明自己是一个心胸宽广、满有恩典的人。他一直是教会中的杰出成员，保罗和腓利门之间的感情很深。
在此基础上，保罗提出了一个大胆的要求：我希望你用你常常对待别人的方式，一样的心胸宽广、充满恩典，去同样地对待那个伤害你的人——阿尼西母。
If you are truly a ‘partner’ with me – then receive him in the same way. Receive him back not as a slave but as a brother. Welcome him back as a social equal.
To restate that verse: “So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me” (Philemon 17) This is radical. Again, think of someone who has hurt you in the past. How would you respond to this plea?
If it were me, I would go ‘this is unfair. Don’t you know how that person has robbed me and shamed me?’ But grace goes beyond what’s fair and right.
If we’re honest, we don’t tend to see much grace in our day-by-day lives. We’re more familiar with justice and fairness. We grow up with a concept of fairness. Early on kids say things like ‘it’s not fair.’ To which our parents normally said ‘life’s not fair.’ We expect fairness. We don’t expect grace.
如果你真的是我的“同伴”——那么以同样的方式接待他。 不要把他当作奴隶，而是当作兄弟来接待他。 欢迎他作为有平等的社会地位的人回来。 重读这节经文：“所以，如果你认为我是你的同伴，欢迎他就像欢迎我一样” (腓利门书17) 这是激进的。再一次，想想过去曾伤害过你的人。你会如何回应这个请求？
如果是我，我会说‘这不公平。你不知道那个人是如何抢劫我并羞辱我的吗？”但恩典超越了公平和正义。老实说，我们在日常生活中往往看不到多少恩典。我们更熟悉正义和公平。我们在公平的概念中长大。孩子们很早就会说“这不公平”。我们的父母通常会说“生活是不公平的”。我们期待公平。我们不期待恩典。
So, Paul pleas with Philemon to bring grace. The surprising /stunning reality is that this will actually place Onesimus in a much better place than if he had never done anything wrong in the first place.
“I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. (Philemon 10-11)
所以，保罗恳求腓利门带来恩典。令人惊讶/令人震惊的事实是，这实际上会使阿尼西母处于一个比他一开始就没有做错任何事情要好得多的位置。
就是为我在捆锁中所生的儿子阿尼西慕求你。他从前于你没有益处，但如今于你我都有益处。(腓利门书 10-11)
There is a play of words here. The name Onesimus means ‘useful.’ Paul says ‘he wasn’t much use to you before. He didn’t live up to his name. But, he has come to know Jesus. He is now living out his name–and is incredibly useful in the way he serves so freely and diligently.
He continues in verse 12: I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you …Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. (Philemon 12-16)
For Onesimus, this would actually place him into a better position than if this had never happened. No longer a slave but a brother. No longer facing justice – but being treated as a fellow partner. No longer rejected as a thief and a runaway – but welcomed like a dear friend.
这里有一个文字游戏。阿尼西母这个名字的意思是“有益处/有用”。保罗说“他以前对你没什么用。”他辜负了他的名字。但是，他已经认识了耶稣。他现在活出了他的名字——非常有用，他现在如此自由和勤奋的服侍着教会。
他在第 12 节继续说：我现在打发他亲自回你那里去，他是我心上的人。 我本来有意将他留下，在我为福音所受的捆锁中替你伺候我。 但不知道你的意思，我就不愿意这样行，叫你的善行不是出于勉强，乃是出于甘心。他暂时离开你，或者是叫你永远得着他， 不再是奴仆，乃是高过奴仆，是亲爱的兄弟。在我实在是如此，何况在你呢？这也不拘是按肉体说，是按主说。(腓利门书12-16)
对于阿尼西慕而言——这实际上会让他处于比以前的更好的境遇。不再是奴隶而是兄弟。 不再面临正义——而是被当作伙伴对待。 不再像小偷和逃亡者一样被拒绝——而是像亲爱的朋友一样受到欢迎。
Q: Why should Philemon do what Paul is asking?
A: Because this is the type of grace Philemon received from Jesus. The grace we have received is the grace we share with others
Paul introduced Philemon to Jesus. At one point, Philemon had been over the other side of this flip chart. HE was a wrong-doer with a list of wrong-doing that had built a wall between Philemon and God. But, God took the initiative to send Jesus to deal with the wrongdoing and pay the debt. Jesus dealt with the justice issues and then he laid out a welcome mat to Philemon – in the same way, he offers grace upon grace to you and me.
It’s this grace that transforms our status, absorbs our debts, and welcomes us into the family of God. Through that grace, God adopted us into his very family and makes us an heir of all that Jesus has. We are actually in a better position than if we had done anything wrong. If the welcome mat of grace has been laid out to us, surely we should lay that welcome mat out to others. The grace we have received is the grace we share with others.
问：腓利门为什么要照保罗的要求去做？
答：因为这是和腓利门从耶稣那里得到的恩典一样的恩典。 我们所领受的恩典是我们与他人分享的恩典
保罗把腓利门介绍给耶稣。 有一次，腓利门 已经在这张活动挂图的另一边。 （活动挂图）他是一个罪人，他有一系列错误行为在他和上帝之间筑起了一道墙。 但是，上帝主动差遣耶稣去处理错误的行为并偿还债务。 耶稣处理了正义问题，然后他为腓利门摆了一张欢迎席——就像他给你我施恩一样。
正是这种恩典改变了我们的地位，免去了我们的债务，并欢迎我们进入上帝的家庭。借着那恩典，上帝将我们收养到他的家庭中，并使我们成为拥有耶稣一切的继承人。我们实际上处于比我们犯错之前更好的位置。 如果恩典的红毯已经摆在我们面前，我们当然应该把那张红毯摆上欢迎别人。我们所领受的恩典就是我们与他人分享的恩典。
So, what did Philemon do?
We’re not told how Philemon responded to the letter. But church history fills in the gap.
It seems that Philemon likely sent Onesimus back to Paul to help him. Onesimus developed into a great leader. 50 years later when Ignatius, one of the famous Christian martyrs was being transportedfromAntioch to Rome for execution, he wrote various letters to churches. In writing to the church in Ephesus, he praised the bishop there who just happens to be called Bishop Onesimus. He even makes the same pun on his name that Paul uses in this letter to say that he is very useful. Most likely this is the same runaway slave – who over the years – has been transformed into one of the great bishops of church history.
It all happened because grace laid out the welcome mat and transformed the way Philemon could relate to Onesimus.
那么，腓利门做了什么？
我们没有被告知腓利门是如何回复这封信的。但教会历史填补了这一空白。
看来腓利门很可能将阿尼西慕送回给保罗帮助他。阿尼西慕发展成为一位伟大的领袖。50年后，当著名的基督教殉道者之一伊格内修斯（Ignatius）从安条克被运往罗马执行死刑时，他给教堂写了多封信。在写给以弗所教会的信中，他称赞那里的主教恰好被称为阿尼西慕主教。他甚至在他的名字上使用了与保罗在这封信中用来表示他非常有用的双关语。这很可能是同一个逃跑的奴隶——多年以后——他已经转变为教会历史上最伟大的主教之一。
这一切的发生因为恩典布置了欢迎席，并改变了腓利门与阿尼西慕的关系。
It’s only grace that has that kind of power to transform relationships.
Justice does not transform relationships. It deals with what went wrong – but doesn’t bring two people into friendship.
Mercy does not transform relationships. It takes away the punishment but doesn’t extend the welcome mat.
But grace has the power to transform the way we relate.
只有恩典才有能力改变人际关系。
正义不会改变关系。它处理问题——但不会让两个人成为友谊。
怜悯不会改变关系。它消除了惩罚，但不会扩展为欢迎。
但恩典有能力改变我们的交往方式。
Our big idea today is: Grace lays out a welcome mat that transforms the way we relate to each other
It was grace that transformed the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus because Grace transforms the way we relate. But this grace went even further.
Grace transforms relationships across society.
I find it interesting that Paul did not directly attack the institution of slavery, but he undermined it in this letter. When Paul asked Philemon to receive Onesimus not as a slave but as a brother and asked Philemon to share this letter with the entire church, he overturned the values of Greco-Roman society.
Social structures that are opposed to the gospel are able to be replaced by new healthy relationships of love and respect at every level of human relationships. This letter to Philemon was actually sent along with another letter called Colossians – which we looked at last year in our Navigation series. The same courier delivered both letters at once.
我们今天的主要想法是：
恩典布置了一张欢迎的红毯，改变了我们彼此相处的方式 是恩典改变了腓利门和阿尼西慕之间的关系，因为恩典改变了我们的交往方式。但这种恩典走得更远。
恩典改变了整个社会的关系。
我觉得有趣的是，保罗并没有直接攻击奴隶制度，而是在这封信中破坏了它。当保罗要求腓利门不要把阿尼西慕当作奴隶而是以兄弟的身份接受他，并要求腓利门将这封信分享给整个教会时，他颠覆了希腊罗马社会的价值观。与福音相反的社会结构能够被建立在人类关系的各个层面上的新的健康的爱与尊重的关系所取代。这封写给腓利门的信实际上是与另一封名为歌罗西书的信一起寄出的——我们去年在导航系列中看过这封信。同一个快递员同时递送了两封信。
The letter to Philemon is a living demonstration of Colossians 3:11: “Here there is not GreekandJew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians3:11) (NIV)
Paul is playing with huge contrasts between people: Jews didn’t eat with the Greeks. They stayed away from each other. Owners and slaves didn’t come together socially. One is up here. One is down. Barbarians were people who were not educated or travelled enough to speak the Greek language. It sounds gibberish to you. In fact, what it sounded like to you was ‘ba ba bar’ So you called them the barbarians.
Scythians were from north of the Black Sea. Uncultured. Unmannered. Undisciplined. Scythian and barbarians are like from another planet! Unless you self-identify with them, you don’t want them in your circle.
写给腓利门的信是歌罗西书 3:11 活生生的例子：“在此并不分希腊人、犹太人，受割礼的、未受割礼的，化外人，西古提人，为奴的，自主的，唯有基督是包括一切，又住在各人之内。” (歌罗西书 3:11) (NIV)
保罗揭示了人与人之间的巨大反差： 犹太人不和希腊人一起吃饭。他们彼此远离。 主人和奴隶没有在社交上走到一起。一个在上面。一个在下面。“野蛮人 Barbarians”是那些没有受过足够教育或没见过世面不足以说希腊语的人。他们说话对你来说是胡言乱语。事实上，你听起来像是“ba ba bar”，所以你称他们为野蛮人Barbarians。斯基泰人来自黑海北部。没文化。没礼貌。散漫。 斯基泰人和野蛮人就像来自另一个星球！ 除非你认同他们，否则你不希望他们进入你的圈子。
But Paul says that grace overhauls the normal barriers that exist in society.
It transforms Racial barriers: no barrier between Greek and Jews
It transforms Religious barriers: no distinction between circumcised or uncircumcised Social barriers: no slave or free labels
There is no blue-collar or white collar.
There is no Presbyterian or Pentecostal
There is no Asian or Pacifica
There is no Maori or Pakeha
There is no city professional or urban hipster
There is no high school drop-out or high school dux
There is no vaccinated or unvaccinated
Or‚ I vote green or I vote blue, I vote red
Rather Christ is all and is in all. He is the main thing.
但保罗说恩典彻底改变了社会中普遍存在的障碍。
它改变了种族障碍：希腊人和犹太人之间没有障碍
它改变了宗教障碍：割礼和未割礼之间没有区别
社会障碍：没有奴隶或自由标签
没有蓝领或白领。
没有长老会或五旬节派
没有亚洲或大洋洲
没有毛利人或白人
没有都市专业人士或都市潮人
没有高中辍学者或学术精英
没有接种疫苗的或未接种疫苗的
或者‘没有我投绿色或我投蓝色我投红色
相反，基督是一切，并且在一切之中。 他是主要的。
This is the beauty of grace - the way grace lays out a welcome mat that transforms the way we relate to each other.
Notice too the way … Grace transforms the way we engage.
Did you notice in this letter the way grace is evident in the way Paul writes and communicates? This letter is a model of communication. He doesn’t demand – though he could have: v 8-9: “Therefore, although in Christ I could behold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.” (Philemon8-9)
He doesn’t use his power and authority as an apostle. He doesn’t demand. When you read the whole letter you will notice that he is very persuasive in the way he writes –He’s not afraid to lay it on thick: ‘I’m an old man. My back hurts. I’m in prison. But don’t let any of that influence you. ☺’ But, I love the way he makes his plea on the basis of relationship and of grace. This is the way Paul ministered throughout his life. For much of the time, he was “in chains” - under lockdown in Rome. Yet not once did he call the believers to rise up, take a stand and resist the authorities. Instead, he humbly served and pointed to the way of grace. Paul knows that grace packs a punch well above its perceived weight and size.
这就是恩典的美妙之处——恩典以布置了一张欢迎红毯的方式，改变了我们彼此之间的联结的方式。
还要注意方式……恩典改变了我们参与的方式。
在这封信中，你有没有注意到，在保罗写作和交流的方式中，恩典是显而易见的？这封信是沟通的典范。 他没有要求——尽管他可以有：第 8-9 节：“虽然靠着基督能放胆吩咐你合宜的事，然而像我这有年纪的保罗，现在又是为基督耶稣被囚的，宁可凭着爱心求你，” (腓利门书8-9)
他没有使用他作为使徒的权力和权威。他没有命令。 当你阅读整封信时，你会注意到他的写作方式非常有说服力——他不怕把它写得很厚：‘我是个老人。我的背受伤了。我在监狱里。但不要让任何这些影响你”。但是，我喜欢他基于关系和恩典提出请求的方式。这就是保罗一生的服事方式。在大部分时间里，他都“被锁在链子里”——就像他被“封锁”在罗马。然而，他一次也没有呼召信徒起来站起来，站起来反抗当局。相反，他谦卑地服侍并指出恩典之道。保罗知道恩典远远超过其感知的重量和大小。
Effectively, Paul places himself much like Jesus as a mediator between these two men. What Paul does is he places himself in that gap and mediates. He takes on the way of Jesus, the way of the cross – in his own life. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. (Philemon 18) Paul grabs the pen from his secretary and effectively writes the IOU: “I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND: I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON’T MENTION THAT YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL!.” (Philemon 18-19)
Paul is standing in the awkward gap between these two and saying ‘charge it to me. I will absorb the cost.’ It’s remarkable. This is the way of Jesus, the way of the cross, the way of grace. So, here are three implications for you and me today as we grapple with the awkwardness of relationships and hurt that comes our way:
实际上，保罗把自己变得很像耶稣，作为这两个人之间的中保。保罗所做的就是将自己置身于那个缺口中并进行调解。他在自己的生活中走上了耶稣的道路，十字架的道路。
他若亏负你或欠你什么，都归在我的账上。(腓利门 18) 保罗从秘书手里抢过笔，有效地写下了借据—— 我必偿还——这是我保罗亲笔写的。我并不用对你说，连你自己也是亏欠于我！(腓利门18-19)
保罗站在这两者之间的尴尬间隙，说‘交给我吧。我会承担代价。’这很了不起。这是耶稣的道路，十字架的道路，恩典的道路。 因此，当我们努力应对我们遇到的人际关系的尴尬和伤害时，这对你和我来说有以下三个意义
Q1: Have you received the surprising grace of God in your own life?
It was only when Philemon and Onesimus responded to the welcome mat God laid out to them, that they experienced the transforming power of grace in their own lives – that rippled into the way they treated others. That journey is simply a prayer that says yes to Jesus. It’s like receiving an invite from someone. You have to respond in your own words/ways. If you haven’t responded to that grace, we would love to talk with you more. Type the word YES into the chat and one of our team will connect with you in a private chat.
And if you’re watching on-demand, contact us at help@gracecity.nz We’d love to send you a starting pack to help you in your newfound faith.
问题 1：你在自己的生活中有没有得到神惊人的恩典？
只有当腓利门和阿尼西慕对上帝摆在他们面前的欢迎席做出回应时，他们才在自己的生活中体验到恩典改变的力量——这改变了他们对待他人的方式。那个旅程只是对耶稣说“是”的简单祈祷。这就像收到某人的邀请。你必须用你自己的话/方式来回应。 如果您还没有回应这种恩典，我们很乐意与您进行更多的交谈。在聊天对话框中输入“是”一词，我们的团队中的一位同工将在私人聊天对话框中与您联系。如果您正在观看回播，请通过 help@gracecity.nz 与我们联系我们很乐意向您发送一个欢迎礼包，以帮助您建立新的信仰。
Q2: What practical way might you lay out the welcome mat to another this week?
There is a lot of divisions happening across society right now... a lot of hurts... a lot of anger. How can you lay out the welcome mat? How might grace transform the way you relate to someone who thinks differently to you in this divisive confusing cultural moment?
问题 2：本周你可以用什么实用的方式来布置欢迎垫给另一个人？
现在整个社会发生了很多分歧……很多伤害……很多愤怒。你如何布置迎宾垫？ 在这个分裂混乱的时刻，恩典如何改变你同与你想法不同的人的相处方式？
Q3: How might the way you converse with others (eg social media) be seasoned with grace? How would your conversations change if you showed grace?
Does that comment on social media reflect the grace of Jesus? Is that word or posture embodying the way of Jesus? Really? It’s moments like this where Gracecity can shine amidst fracturing relationships and angry voices.
问题 3：您与他人（例如社交媒体）交谈的方式如何彰显恩典？
如果你表现出恩典，你的谈话会如何改变？ 社交媒体上的评论是否反映了耶稣的恩典？那个词或姿势是否体现了耶稣的方式？真的吗？在这样的时刻，恩典可以在破裂的关系和愤怒的声音中闪耀。
Maybe you didn’t realise this but our iconic ‘G’ in Gracecity is designed to be a subtle open door. That idea comes from the value we have of whānau – a place where everyone is welcome, a place where the door is always open. So, may we live up to our name, Gracecity, in all that we do and say: Grace to our city. Grace to each other. Grace to others at this time.
For Grace lays out a welcome mat that transforms the way we relate to each other.
也许你没有意识到这一点，但我们在 Gracecity 中标志性的“G”被设计成一扇微妙的敞开的门。这个想法来自我们对 whānau（大家庭） 的价值——一个欢迎所有人的地方，一个永远敞开大门的地方。所以，愿我们在我们所做的一切中不辜负我们的名字（恩典之城），并说：恩典归于我们的城市。恩典归于我们彼此。在这个时候给别人恩典。
恩典布置了一张欢迎垫，它改变了我们彼此相处的方式。
Prayer / 祷告
Jesus – thank you for your radical inclusion of us. Thank you for such radical grace that brings us into a relationship with you. By your Spirit, help us spill that grace into every relationship and send its ripples through every sphere of society.
May we experience the way grace punches above its perceived weight. Amen.
耶稣——感谢你对我们的彻底包容。感谢你如此彻底的恩典，使我们与你建立关系。借着你的圣灵，帮助我们将那恩典洒进每一个关系中，并在社会的每一个领域传播它的涟漪。愿我们所体验的恩典超越我们所感知的它的大小。 阿门。
