一部東方史詩

      

               Introduction

IN modern missions nothing is more fascinating, instructive, encouraging and thrilling than the lives of those who are enacting the new Acts of the Apostles. On the foreign field we seem to be back again in the early years of the Christian Church, to be living over again the experiences of those who first carried Christianity to now Christian people. And every mission field has its superb and shining example of devotion, courage, self-sacrifice, faith, statesmanship and Christian wisdom. Every field proudly treasures certain great and famous names, and uses them as names to conjure with. These are the recognized vintage of the Church universal.

  簡介

在現代宣教曆史上，最有意義，最鼓舞人心，最令人震撼的，是宣教士們用生命見證並撰寫的‘新’《使徒行傳》。他們窮極一生，經曆了《使徒行傳》中所描述的耶穌的使徒最初建立教會和傳播福音的艱難曆程。他們在異國他鄉，就像回到了基督教會形成的初期，親身體驗那些將福音精神傳播至今的先行者們傳道殉道的人生經曆。我們宣教布道的每一個領域都隨處可見光輝卓越的典範。他們的精神表現在奉獻，勇敢，自我犧牲，忠誠，政治家風度以及基督徒的智慧。每個領域的典範都當之無愧，他們名字如其內涵，召喚著並激勵著無數基督徒。這些宣教士的生命曆程被公認為是普世教會傳承下來的瑰寶。

Some achieve general reputation, others a local recognition which is beyond all words. Every mission is   richly blessed in the lives of some who have done or are doing an immortal work, without reaching such fame as Livingstone's or Carey's or Martyn's. The time always fails us to tell of many who, through their faith, subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God's promises, shut the mouths of lions, quelled the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, found strength in the hour of weakness, were valiant in war, routed hostile armies and did those other marvellous deeds that belong to the life of faith.

 

宣教士當中有人隻獲得了一般的聲譽，有人卻在當地獲得了不可言喻的認可。然而對於過去或者現在一直為神做工的傳道人來說，即便沒有得到像利文斯通、凱裏或馬丁那樣的聖譽，他們每一次的傳道，都充滿了聖靈的祝福。時間往往讓我們淡忘了那些人們—他們因著信仰，平息王國的暴亂，公正地掌管國家，獲得了上帝承諾的獎賞；他們讓獅子閉嘴，使憤怒火焰熄滅，或讓你避開鋒利的刀劍，在脆弱的時刻找到支撐的力量；他們使你在戰爭中英勇無畏，擊潰敵軍，並完成了那些屬靈的千秋偉業。