“但基督已经从死里复活，成为睡了之人初熟的果子。” – 林前 15:20
你曾用过委婉语吗？委婉语是使用好听一点的词句去表达一些严厉和难受的事。例如我们会说“金色年华”而不是说“老年，”而在很多文化中，人们会用“过身”去代替说死去。保罗则形容死去的基督徒为“在基督里睡了”。
古希伯来人常用“睡觉”作为死亡的委婉语。以色列君王的生平时常会用“与他的父亲同睡”或“与他的列祖同睡”（见王上 2:10）作结。在今天我们所读的经文中，保罗多次用“睡了”去形容死亡，而他这种新的说法是与相信基督有关的。一些在哥林多教会的人，显然怀疑神是否真的使耶稣从死里复活，然而神当然这样做了。保罗还说，如果神没有使耶稣从死里复活，那么跟随耶稣的人就比众人更可怜了。
耶稣真的复活了！而正如保罗在这里所说的，所有相信耶稣的人死去时只不过是在祂里面“睡了。”耶稣既已经战胜罪恶和坟墓，死亡也被征服了。保罗形容死亡为“睡觉”，因为死亡已被打败了！
在耶稣未回来之前，我们都会死，但藉着祂的死和复活，我们已在衪里面活过了，而有一天祂会再提升我们的身体和与祂永远在一起。
祷告
主耶稣，感谢你战胜死亡，好叫我们的身体和灵魂都能永远与你同活。阿们。
哥林多前书 15:12-20
12既传基督是从死里复活了，怎么在你们中间有人说没有死人复活的事呢？
13若没有死人复活的事，基督也就没有复活了。
14若基督没有复活，我们所传的便是枉然，你们所信的也是枉然。
15并且明显我们是为神妄作见证的，因我们见证神是叫基督复活了；若死人真不复活，神也就没有叫基督复活了。
16因为死人若不复活，基督也就没有复活了。
17基督若没有复活，你们的信便是徒然，你们仍在罪里。
18就是在基督里睡了的人，也灭亡了。
19我们若靠基督只在今生有指望，就算比众人更可怜！
20但基督已经从死里复活，成为睡了之人初熟的果子。
Asleep In Jesus
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” – 1 Corinthians 15:20
Do you ever use euphemisms? Euphemisms are nice-sounding phrases that we use to talk about something harsh or difficult. For example, we may say “golden years” rather than “old age.” And many cultures describe dying in terms of “passing away.” Paul describes Christians who have died as being “asleep in Christ.”
The ancient Hebrews commonly used “sleep” as a euphemism for death. The accounts of Israel’s kings often end by saying “he slept with his fathers” or “rested with his ancestors” (see 1 Kings 2:10). In our reading for today, Paul uses “sleep” several times to describe death. And he does this in a new way in connection with believing in Christ. Apparently some people in the church at Corinth were questioning whether God had truly raised Jesus from the dead. But of course God has done that, Paul says, adding that if God didn’t raise Jesus, then his followers would be the most pitiable of all people.
Indeed, Jesus is risen! And, as Paul describes it here, all who have died believing in Jesus are merely “asleep” in him. Because of Jesus’ victory over sin and the grave, death has been conquered. Paul describes death as “sleep” because death has been defeated!
Until Jesus returns, we will all die, but through his death and resurrection we have all been made alive in him. And one day he will raise our bodies again to live with him forever.
Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for conquering death so that we can live with you—body and soul—forever. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
