Swedish Bible
Acts 8:26-40 (public domain version)
26
Men en Herrens ängel talade till Filippus och sade: »Stå upp och begiv dig vid middagstiden ut på den väg som leder ned från Jerusalem till Gasa; den är tom på folk.»
27
Då stod han upp och begav sig åstad. Och se, en etiopisk man for där fram, en hovman som var en mäktig herre hos Kandace, drottningen i Etiopien, och var satt över hela hennes skattkammare. Denne hade kommit till Jerusalem för att där tillbedja,
28
men var nu stadd på hemvägen och satt i sin vagn och läste profeten Esaias.
29
Då sade Anden till Filippus: »Gå fram och närma dig till denna vagn.»
30
Filippus skyndade fram och hörde att han läste profeten Esaias. Då frågade han: »Förstår du vad du läser?»
31
Han svarade: »Huru skulle jag väl kunna förstå det, om ingen vägleder mig?» Och han bad Filippus stiga upp och sätta sig bredvid honom.
32
Men det ställe i skriften som han läste var detta: »Såsom ett får fördes han bort till att slaktas; och såsom ett lamm som är tyst inför den som klipper det, så öppnade han icke sin mun.
33
Genom hans förnedring blev hans dom borttagen. Vem kan räkna hans släkte? Ty hans liv ryckes undan från jorden.»
34
Och hovmannen frågade Filippus och sade: »Jag beder dig, säg mig om vilken profeten talar detta, om sig själv eller om någon annan?»
35
Då öppnade Filippus sin mun och begynte med detta skriftens ord och förkunnade för honom evangelium om Jesus.
36
Och medan de färdades vägen fram, kommo de till ett vatten. Då sade hovmannen: »Se, här finnes vatten. Vad hindrar att jag döpes?»
37
38
Och han lät vagnen stanna; och de stego båda ned i vattnet, Filippus och hovmannen, och han döpte honom.
39
Men när de hade stigit upp ur vattnet, ryckte Herrens Ande bort Filippus, och hovmannen såg honom icke mer, då han nu glad fortsatte sin färd.
40
Men Filippus blev efteråt sedd i Asdod. Därefter vandrade han omkring och förkunnade evangelium i alla städer, till dess han kom till Cesarea.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
THE FINAL WORD ON "TONGUES"
The Apostle Paul
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
[8} Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in art, and we prophesy in part,
[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1 Corinthians 14:1-19 King James Version
[1] Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
[2] For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
[3] But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
[4] He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
[5] I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
[6] Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
[7] And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
[8] For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
[9] So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
[10] There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
[11] Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
[12] Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
[13] Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
[14] For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
[15] What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
[16] Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
[17] For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
[18] I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
[19] Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
[8} Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in art, and we prophesy in part,
[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1 Corinthians 14:1-19 King James Version
[1] Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
[2] For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
[3] But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
[4] He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
[5] I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
[6] Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
[7] And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
[8] For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
[9] So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
[10] There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
[11] Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
[12] Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
[13] Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
[14] For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
[15] What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
[16] Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
[17] For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
[18] I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
[19] Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
TEMPTATION! - HOW SHALL I ESCAPE?
I read an article in a doctor’s waiting room recently. It dealt with the using of weights to build muscle mass and strength. I had never considered how to use weights. To me, they were just inert resistance. The first point that the writer made was that one must first test one’s self by selecting weights that could be lifted by you between eight to twelve times. If you could continue beyond that number, select a heavier weight until more than a dozen times is not possible. The reason for this is that the muscle must be strained and actually stretched so that the body will fill in the gaps formed with new muscle. After that one can lift a slightly heavier weight and so on. In other words, this explains the saying, “No pain, no gain” If there is no pain, you have not damaged the muscle, and it will not grow larger.
With this background, let’s consider, 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Is this not saying, God will permit you to be tempted, strained like the muscle, that you may be strengthened? He permits it to strengthen us.
God is not in the tempting business, but as there are plenty of others who are, God is still in control. He will not allow you to be tempted greater than you are able. God is in the protection, and the escape business. He will make a way of escape, in every case, thus making nonsense the saying, “The Devil made me do it.” The Devil, or one of his, cam put you under great pressure, but God will not allow him to overwhelm you.
Immediately after his baptism, our Lord Jesus, went into the wilderness where the Devil used every pressure he could to break him. Jesus had not eaten for forty days, so the Devil tried to tempt him to use his power selfishly for himself. Jesus’ answer was, “It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4. Again the Devil tried with a different temptation to get him to use his power in order to get immediate attention by leaping from the temple tower and to land safely in front of the crowds gathered there. When this failed, he tried again to tempt Jesus to avoid his coming crucifixion for the salvation of the nations. This time, he showed him the nations spread out before him, offering them to him, if Jesus would just worship him. In each case, the words, “It is written” prefix the response. There is our clue, Jesus was tempted, but without sin. “The Word, it is written” was his answer, and should be ours as well.
Know the Word, use it, and The Devil will flee you. Both Phyllis and I have felt the cold chill of the presence of an evil one, and in both cases, it was reference to Jesus Christ who shed his blood for our salvation, and the Word, that brushed him aside. And he went away for a time.
It is written, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall received the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted he any man” James 1:12,13.
With this background, let’s consider, 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Is this not saying, God will permit you to be tempted, strained like the muscle, that you may be strengthened? He permits it to strengthen us.
God is not in the tempting business, but as there are plenty of others who are, God is still in control. He will not allow you to be tempted greater than you are able. God is in the protection, and the escape business. He will make a way of escape, in every case, thus making nonsense the saying, “The Devil made me do it.” The Devil, or one of his, cam put you under great pressure, but God will not allow him to overwhelm you.
Immediately after his baptism, our Lord Jesus, went into the wilderness where the Devil used every pressure he could to break him. Jesus had not eaten for forty days, so the Devil tried to tempt him to use his power selfishly for himself. Jesus’ answer was, “It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4. Again the Devil tried with a different temptation to get him to use his power in order to get immediate attention by leaping from the temple tower and to land safely in front of the crowds gathered there. When this failed, he tried again to tempt Jesus to avoid his coming crucifixion for the salvation of the nations. This time, he showed him the nations spread out before him, offering them to him, if Jesus would just worship him. In each case, the words, “It is written” prefix the response. There is our clue, Jesus was tempted, but without sin. “The Word, it is written” was his answer, and should be ours as well.
Know the Word, use it, and The Devil will flee you. Both Phyllis and I have felt the cold chill of the presence of an evil one, and in both cases, it was reference to Jesus Christ who shed his blood for our salvation, and the Word, that brushed him aside. And he went away for a time.
It is written, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall received the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted he any man” James 1:12,13.
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