討論問題

TAFPC Adult Sunday School Bible Study

台美團契長老教會成人主日學三年讀經運動 05/21/2006 討論問題

Question 1:  Ezra 1:1-4, 5:5, 6:22, & 7:6

The Book of Ezra covers the return of Israelites from captivity to rebuild the temple up to the decree of Artaxerxes. This history of second temple rebuilding is full of dramas: hopes, jubilations, despairs, struggles, determinations and persistence. Eventually Israelites prevailed. What are the main reasons that Israelites succeed? Who had given permission to build this house of God? What can we learn from this narrative as Christians?

以斯拉記 敘述流亡巴比倫的猶太人得到允許回鄉重建聖殿的經過 .這段歷史充滿了戲劇性的轉折變化, 最後猶太人終於爭取到勝利.  這些猶太人成功的原因到底是什麼? 聖殿能重建成功是經過誰的允准 ?作為基督徒的我們可以從這段敘述學到什麼功課?

Question 2:     Ezra 4:3   & 6:19-22

In a multiethnic, multicultural society, how do we find that balanced middle path so that we can be  both“faithful to our own faith” and “inclusive, tolerant to others”?

在一個多元文化的社會環境中, 我們如何能推敲出一條 不偏不倚, 既能“堅持自己信仰中心真理”又能“包容他人宗教信仰”的中間路?

Question 3:   Ezra 4: 1-7

Approved by the Persian King Cyrus, the exiles of Israel went back to Judea seeking their cultural tradition through religious reform. Believing in the same God, the people, judged as Israeli's enemies (v. 1) who stayed or were relocated to Judea (or vicinity) years earlier by Assyria, came to the exiles and proposed to collaborate in re-building the temple in Jerusalem. The exiles rejected their proposal because ethnic / cultural difference*. This refusal resulted in great opposition and delay of the temple building. Even sharing the same belief in God, do we tend to, consciously or not, separate ourselves from the others of different cultures and races? What educational activities in church can we promote to help our congregation welcome and appreciate cultural diversity?

波斯皇帝居魯士允許那些流亡的猶太人歸回故土﹐重守猶太人的宗教禮儀和文化習慣。有些早期沒有被流放､或被亞述帝國遷移到猶太地附近﹐被看做是猶太人的敵人(第一節)﹐也相信上帝。前來向這些歸回的猶太人提議合作﹐一起重建耶路撒冷的聖殿。但是因為文化和種族的差異*﹐遭到猶太人的拒絕。猶太人對這些人的排拒導致聖殿的重建受到攔阻 (第六節)。即使相信同一個上帝﹐我們有意或無意間是不是會避開跟我們不一樣文化和種族的人﹖教會裡可以推行什麼樣的活動幫助會友習慣和欣賞文化多元﹖