EMHUOGHAẠPH PHỌ 8

Ookpomhoghan Phọ ‘Umhoọgh Eephọ’

PEGH

ASọl phọ aḍighi ghan bọ oye ikpuuroghọm dị agbagarạ anmia ni aḍighi okaaphọm dị amhoọgh oophugh

Okpasị ḍinyạ Iiḍighi phọ 9:1-43

1, 2. ASọl agbiighi oḍighi eeghe epẹ Damaskọs?

¹Bạl onhụ English

² Bạl onhụ English

3, 4. (a) Eeghe kụ imitenhaan Sọl? (b) Yira kooḅeghiọn ighẹn asipuru?

³ Bạl onhụ English

⁴ Bạl onhụ English

SAUL’S MANDATE IN DAMASCUS

How did Saul get authority to arrest Christians in a foreign city? The Sanhedrin and the high priest exercised moral authority over Jews everywhere, and the high priest’s powers apparently included authority to extradite criminals. Thus, letters from the high priest would elicit the cooperation of the elders of the Damascus synagogues.—Acts 9:1, 2.

The Romans, moreover, had granted the Jews the right to manage their own judicial affairs. This explains how five times the Jews could inflict “40 strokes less one” on the apostle Paul. (2 Cor. 11:24) The book of 1 Maccabees also mentions a letter written by a Roman consul to Ptolemy VIII of Egypt in 138 B.C.E. that demanded: “If any pestilent men have fled to you from their country [Judaea], hand them over to Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law.” (1 Macc. 15:21) In 47 B.C.E., Julius Caesar confirmed the privileges previously granted to the high priest along with his right to settle any questions that arose over Jewish customs.

“Uḍighi Ika Kụ Nạ Rugbiphoghọm Bọ Imị?” (Iiḍighi 9:1-5)

5, 6. Yira otuughạ eeghe esi ipẹ aZizọs aḅenhị bọ Sọl?

⁵ Bạl onhụ English

⁶ Bạl onhụ English

7. Nạ kaḍighi eeghe orue okparạm igbiphoghọm?

⁷ Bạl onhụ English

Sọl, Umor Amị! . . . Omoọgh-we Phọ . . . Kụ Urom Imị” (Iiḍighi 9:6-17)

8, 9. Ananayạs alhoghomha ika ilọ oḍighi phọ odị?

⁸ Bạl onhụ English

⁹ Bạl onhụ English

10. Yira otuughạ eeghe ilọ aZizọs esi eten phọ epẹ odị azoọm bo Ananayạs?

¹⁰ Bạl onhụ English

11, 12. Ipẹ emite bọ itughemhị iyira eeghe ilọ aZizọs, Ananayạs r’aSọl?

¹¹ Bạl onhụ English

¹² Bạl onhụ English

“Amiigh Oghaạph [Ilọ] AJizọs” (Iiḍighi 9:18-30)

13, 14. Eḍighi maạr dị nạ ratuughạ ni Baibul phọ kụ k”oḍiiny muụm, eḍeenhaan phọ aSọl etughemhị nyinhạ eeghe?

¹³ Bạl onhụ English

¹⁴ Bạl onhụ English

15, 16. ASọl aḍighi ghan eeghe epẹ arubughotu phọ, kụ abuọ aJu phọ orọl bọ epẹ Damaskọs umhegheron ika?

¹⁵ Bạl onhụ English

¹⁶ Bạl onhụ English

17. (a) Ighẹn areten kụ edị awe romegheron ghan koghị esi igey aBaibul phọ? (b) Eeghe kụ edị yira kokiọm ghisigh oḍighi ghan, kụ eeghe kụ iḍighi?

¹⁷ Bạl onhụ English

18, 19. (a) ABanabạs alhoghonhaạn bọ ḍighaạgh Sọl, eeghe kụ iḍuạ emite? (b) Ika kụ idị yira kotuughaạny Banabạs r’aSọl?

¹⁸ Bạl onhụ English

¹⁹ Bạl onhụ English

“Ibadị Omeeraam” (Iiḍighi 9:31-43)

20, 21. Iḍiodi phọ r’arodon, ika kụ idị arebenhẹ Enhaạn mosighẹ oḍighinhom agey simem eephọ?

²⁰ Bạl onhụ English

²¹ Bạl onhụ English

22. Ika kụ idị nạ kasighẹ eereẹgh phọ nạ amhoọgh bọ aḍighinhom agey?

²² Bạl onhụ English

23, 24. (a) Yira otuughạ eeghe esi ipẹ emitenhaan bọ aTabitạ? (b) Yira kosopha oḍighi eeghe?

²³ Bạl onhụ English

How can you imitate Tabitha?

²⁴ Bạl onhụ English

SAUL THE PHARISEE

The “young man called Saul” who appears in the Acts account at the stoning of Stephen was from Tarsus. It was the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, in the south of modern-day Turkey. (Acts 7:58) A sizable Jewish community dwelled in that city. According to his own writings, Saul was “circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born from Hebrews; regarding law, a Pharisee.” That was viewed as an impeccable Jewish pedigree!—Phil. 3:5.

Saul’s home was in a large, prosperous trading city, a center of Greek culture. Growing up in Tarsus, Saul knew Greek. It is likely that he would have received his primary education in a Jewish school. Saul learned to be a tentmaker, a skill typical of his native area. In all probability, while still a youth, Saul acquired this trade from his father.—Acts 18:2, 3.

The Acts account also reveals that Saul was born a Roman citizen. (Acts 22:25-28) This means that one of his forebears had already acquired that distinction. How Saul’s family obtained Roman citizenship is unknown. Whatever the case, that privilege would place them among the social elite of their province. Saul’s background and education, then, gave him a firm foothold in three different cultures—Jewish, Greek, and Roman.

Likely, when he was no older than 13, Saul moved 520 miles (840 km) to Jerusalem to continue his education. In that city, Saul studied at the feet of Gamaliel, a highly esteemed teacher in the Pharisaic tradition.—Acts 22:3.

These additional studies, comparable to going to a university today, would consist of instruction in and memorization of both Scripture and Jewish oral law. A successful student of Gamaliel would have a promising career before him, and apparently Saul was just such a student. He later wrote: “I was making greater progress in Judaism than many of my own age in my nation, as I was far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (Gal. 1:14) Of course, Saul’s zeal for Jewish tradition was what turned him into a notorious persecutor of the fledgling Christian congregation.

TABITHA—“SHE ABOUNDED IN GOOD DEEDS”

Tabitha was a member of the Christian congregation in the seaport town of Joppa. Her fellow believers loved her because “she abounded in good deeds and gifts of mercy.” (Acts 9:36) Like many Jews who lived in areas having a mixed Jewish and Gentile population, Tabitha had two names—one Hebrew or Aramaic and the other Greek or Latin. Her Greek name, Dorcas, was rendered “Tabitha” in Aramaic. Both names mean “Gazelle.”

It appears that Tabitha fell sick and suddenly died. As was the custom, her body was washed in preparation for burial. It was laid out in an upper chamber, possibly in her own house. The hot climate of the Middle East required that burials take place either on the day of a person’s death or on the next day. The Christians in Joppa had heard that the apostle Peter was in nearby Lydda. There was enough time for Peter to come to Joppa before Tabitha would have to be buried, since the distance between the two cities was only 11 miles (18 km)—about a four-hour walk. So the congregation dispatched two men to ask Peter to come without delay. (Acts 9:37, 38) Says one scholar: “It was a regular practice in early Judaism to send out emissaries in pairs, in part so that one could validate the testimony of the other.”

What happened when Peter arrived? The account tells us: “They led him up into the upper room; and all the widows presented themselves to him, weeping and showing many garments and robes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.” (Acts 9:39) Among the factors that endeared Tabitha to the members of her congregation was that she was in the habit of sewing for them. She made tunics, worn next to the body, and cloaks or robes, which were worn over the tunic. Whether Tabitha paid for all the material herself or just provided her labor is not stated. In any case, she was loved for her kindness and “gifts of mercy.”

What Peter saw in that upper chamber must have moved him. “This was mourning which was far different from that manifested in the house of Jairus with its noisy, hired mourning women and fluteblowers,” says scholar Richard Lenski. “This was not such artificial mourning as that.” (Matt. 9:23) It was genuine and heartfelt. The fact that no mention is ever made of a husband leads many to conclude that Tabitha was single.

When Jesus commissioned his apostles, he gave them power to “raise up the dead.” (Matt. 10:8) Peter had seen Jesus perform such miracles, including the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, but we have no record prior to this of an apostle performing a resurrection. (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43) But now Peter put onlookers out of the upper room, and then he prayed earnestly, with the result that Tabitha opened her eyes and sat up. What joy there must have been among the Christians in Joppa when Peter was then able to present to the holy ones and the widows their beloved Tabitha—alive!—Acts 9:40-42.

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