专属神父的《圣经》

我一直很渴望可以学习《圣经》，但教会的领袖说《圣经》是神父专属的。

容我述说整件事的来龙去脉。

我自小在一个基督教家庭里长大，并且是东帝汶（Timor-Leste）克多村 （Kodo Village）教会的一名热心信徒。

我在23岁开始带领教会的青年团。27岁参加了教会在村庄外面举办的布道活动。教会领袖看见了我的热诚，就在我31岁时安排我牧养村庄里面的一个教会。12年过去了，我每周日都是根据一本教会教义书分享给会众听。

忽然有一天，一位名叫马力欧的基督复临安息日教会查经员来到了我的村庄。在我整理菜园时，他主动提出要帮我工作。我们一边工作，他一边为我讲解好多来自《圣经》但我从来没听过的话语。我也渴望了解更多。

回到我自己的教会之后, 在一次大型会议时,我们教会给每位教会领袖发言的机会，我便提议教会发给每个人一本《圣经》并且为大家查经。

当时担任的主教回答我说：“先生，由于《圣经》是只有神父才能学习的书，我们不能教你圣经。我们可以简单地教您一系列的教条和规章, 方便您去教导会众。”

会议结束后,我内心感到十分不安。

 “为什我不能学习《圣经》？”我问道。

我在祷告中开始问上帝：“到底谁才是真神？我必须知道这个答案，才能正确地教导我的会众。”

回到家里，我的心仍然感到不安，就找上了那位复临教会的查经员。

我向他请求说：“请问您可以为我查经吗？我愿意花一年的时间查经。”

我跟马力欧便开始学习《圣经》， 一起研究复临教会的《基本信仰28条》。

经过几个月的查经之后，他对我说：“既然你现在已经知道真理，请不要再继续教导你的会众这些错误的真理了。因为你继续教导他们错误的真理,你是无法进入天国的。”

我知道马力欧说得对。耶稣曾对他的门徒说：“所以，无论何人废掉这诫命中最小的一条，又教训人这样做，他在天国要称为最小的。但无论何人遵行这诫命，又教训人遵行，他在天国要称为大的。”（太5 19）

我心里非常渴望能在天国被称为大，我为过去感到懊悔。我马上就卸下了领导的职位，但我似乎没办法离开教会。我在接下来的六年一直与上帝挣扎，说：“主啊，我何时才能与祢的子民在一起？”

一天，我经过我叔叔家时，看到他正与马力欧谈话。我心里忽然涌出了一股不可抗拒的渴望，要受洗归入那位在查经班成为我朋友的救主。

我问马力欧：“请问什么时候会有浸礼？我可以受洗吗”

马力欧当下就联络了一位复临教会的牧师，由于疫情的缘故他们必须做比较特别的安排。2020年我与我的岳父岳母一起受洗加入了复临教会。

我非常高兴能加入基督复临安息日会的大家庭，请继续为我的妻子与孩子祷告，希望他们也愿意跟从上帝的真道。 

来源：本文译自《圣工消息》（社会青年季刊）2022年第一季

Bible Only for Priests

       My heart longed to study the Bible, but my church leader told me that the Bible was only for priests.

Let me tell you what happened.

I grew up in a Christian family and always was active in my church in Kodo village in Timor-Leste.

When I was 23, I began to help lead the church’s youth group. At the age of 27, I joined a mission initiative to go outside the village. Church leaders saw my enthusiasm and, when I was 31, asked me to lead one of my village’s congregations. For 12 years, I led the congregation and preached every Sunday from a book of church teachings.

Then a Seventh-day Adventist Bible worker named Mario showed up in my village. He approached me as I was working in my garden and volunteered to help. As we worked side by side, he told me truths from the Bible that I had never heard before. I wanted to learn more.

My opportunity came at a large meeting of leaders from my church. When we were given a chance to speak, I suggested that each of us receive Bible lessons and a Bible to use in teaching our congregations.

 “Sir,” the presiding bishop replied, “We cannot teach you about the Bible because the Bible can only be studied by priests. We only can offer you a short lesson on our doctrines so that you can teach them to your congregation.”

When the meeting ended, my heart was restless.

 “Why can’t I study the Bible?” I wondered.

Praying, I asked the Lord, “Who is the true God? I need to know so I can teach my congregation about Him.”

Returning home, my heart remained uneasy, and I sought out the Adventist Bible worker.

 “Can you give me Bible lessons?” I asked. “I am ready to study the Bible with you for a whole year.”

Mario and I opened his Bible, and we studied the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

When we finished several months later, he said, “Now you know the pure truth. Please do not continue to teach false truths to your congregation because, if you teach that which is not true, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I knew that Mario spoke the truth. I had read Jesus’ words to His disciples, “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:19; ESV).

I wanted to be called great in the kingdom of heaven, and I felt sad and guilty about my past. I immediately stepped down as the leader of the congregation, but it didn’t seem possible to leave the church. For six years I struggled, praying, “Lord, when will I be able to join Your people?”

One day, as I was passing my uncle’s house, I saw him talking with Mario. An irresistible desire filled me to be baptized into the life of the Savior whom I had befriended in the Bible studies.

 “When will there be another baptism?” I asked Mario. “Can I get baptized?”

Mario straightaway contacted an Adventist pastor and, after they made special arrangements because of COVID-19 restrictions, I was baptized, together with my wife’s parents, in 2020.

I am very happy to be a member of the Seventh-day Adventist worldwide church. Please pray that my wife and children also will want to follow God’s truth.

Please find the original article at: https://am.adventistmission.org/mqa22q1-10