1 TIMOTHY 1
提摩太前书1：16 （活泼圣经版）

16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as an example to show everyone how patient he is with even the worst sinners, so that others will realize that they too, can have everlasting life. (living bible)
16 然而，我蒙了怜恤，是因为耶稣基督要在我这罪魁身上显明他一切的忍耐，给后来信他得永生的人做榜样。

The Goal of Mercy
怜悯的目的

Mercy is God’s compassion demonstrated in the pardoning of sinners.
怜悯是上帝在赦免罪人时所显露出来的怜悯心。

Of all the people in the New Testament, Paul was the ultimate example of God’s mercy.  Prior to his conversion, Paul was a member of a religious sect known as the Pharisees.  But he was no ordinary Pharisee.  Paul was a Pharisee on a mission…a mission to destroy the church of Jesus Christ.  Consider this account of Paul in Acts 8:1-3 (Living Bible):
在新约所有的人物当中，保罗是神的怜悯的终极典范。在他归向基督之前，保罗是法利赛教派的成员。但他并不是普通的法利赛人，他的使命是要摧毁耶稣基督的教会。我们看使徒行传8:1-3节中对保罗的记载：

1 And a great wave of persecution of the believers began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled into Judea and Samaria. 2 (But some godly Jews came and with great sorrow buried Stephen.) 3 Paul was like a wild man, going everywhere to devastate the believers, even entering private homes and dragging out men and women alike and jailing them.
使徒行传1-3（活泼圣经版）：从这日起，耶路撒冷的教会大遭逼迫，除了使徒以外，门徒都分散在犹太和撒玛利亚各处。有虔诚的人把司提反埋葬了，为他捶胸大哭。扫罗却残害教会，进各人的家，拉着男女下在监里。

Fast Forward 30 years and you have Paul, the great Missionary to the Gentiles writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, about the mercy of God.  After all of those years, Paul never forgot about the day God showed mercy to him on the road to Damascus.  And like Paul may we never forget the moment that our God showed us mercy and brought us into His divine family.
30年后，这位伟大的外邦人的传教士，写信给他在信仰上的儿子提摩太，讲述上帝的怜悯。这么多年过去了，保罗从未忘记在去大马士革的路上，神向他施怜悯的时刻，并将我们带入他神圣的家。

Why does He show mercy to us?  Why does He save us?
He saves us to show people that his grace and mercy can save even the worst sinners.  Sinners like you and like me. There is no one beyond the reach of God’s mercy.  God saved us to show the world that His love is real and that His mercy is available to all.
为什么上帝向我们施行怜悯？为什么他拯救我们？
他救我们是为了向人们显示，他的恩惠和怜悯甚至可以拯救罪人中的罪魁，就是像你我一样的罪人。没有人是神的怜悯所不能触及的。他拯救我们是要向世界显明他的爱是真实的，他的怜恤对所有人敞开的。

You and I are the evidence that God is merciful and gracious.  May we live in such a way that others will be drawn to the amazing grace of our amazing God.
你和我就是神仁慈和恩典的活证据。愿你我以一种能吸引他人前来认识我们伟大的上帝的恩典的方式来生活。

God bless you
上帝祝福你