1-3. (a) Long first century, wanem nao happen wea klosap divaedem olketa Christian kongregeson? (b) Story long buk bilong Acts savve helpem iumi long wanem wei?

 PAUL and Barnabas hapi tumas bihaen tufala finisim first missionary gogo and go bak long Antioch long Syria. Tufala hapi bikos Jehovah givim chance “long olketa wea no Jew for olketa savve biliv.” (Acts 14:26, 27) Pipol long Antioch hapi tumas tu for herem gud nius and “staka pipol” wea no Jew biliv and joinim kongregeson.​—Acts 11:20-26.

² No longtaem bihaen, olketa long Judea herem nius abaotem samting wea happen, bat no evriwan hapi. Samfala laekem olketa wea no Jew for mas circumcise, so olketa brata luksavve olketa mas mekem disison abaotem datwan. Hao nao olketa Jew Christian and olketa Christian wea no Jew shud ting long each other? And hao nao olketa wea no Jew shud ting long Law bilong Moses? Problem abaotem wei for circumcise mekem raoa kamap wea klosap divaedem olketa Christian kongregeson. Wanem nao olketa brata duim for stretem datwan?

³ Bae iumi lanem plande samting from disfala story long buk bilong Acts. Olketa samting hia bae helpem iumi for duim wise samting taem eni problem kamap wea savve divaedem kongregeson.

4. Wanem rong tingting nao samfala brata garem, and wanem kwestin nao kamap?

⁴ Disaepol Luke sei: “Samfala man . . . from Judea [kam long Antioch] and teachim olketa brata olsem: ‘Sapos iufala no followim law bilong Moses wea sei man mas circumcise, God bae no sevem iufala.’” (Acts 15:1) Bible no storyim sapos olketa man hia Pharisee bifor or nomoa. Bat luk olsem olketa followim tingting bilong olketa Pharisee saed long Law. Maet olketa talem tu samfala samting bat sei olketa aposol and elder long Jerusalem nao talem olketa for duim datwan. (Acts 15:23, 24) Bat samting olsem 13 year bifor datwan, God mekem aposol Peter luksavve hem acceptim pipol wea no Jew and no circumcise for joinim Christian kongregeson. So why nao olketa Jew Christian gohed sei olketa Christian wea no Jew mas circumcise? a​—Acts 10:24-29, 44-48.

5, 6. (a) Why nao maet samfala Jew Christian laekem olketa Christian wea no Jew for mas circumcise? (b) Waswe, agreement for circumcise hem part bilong first agreement wea Jehovah mekem witim Abraham? Minim kam. (Lukim footnote.)

 ⁵ Maet olketa garem staka reason why olketa laekem olketa Christian wea no Jew for mas circumcise. Wanfala main reason, Jehovah nao talem olketa man for circumcise and hem saen wea showimaot olketa spesol pipol bilong hem. Abraham and olketa long haos bilong hem nao first wan for circumcise. b Law bilong Moses tu talem olketa Israelite for mas circumcise. (Lev. 12:2, 3) Datfala Law sei pipol from difren kantri tu mas circumcise sapos olketa laek joinim olketa celebration olsem for kaikaim kaikai bilong Pasova. (Ex. 12:43, 44, 48, 49) Tru tumas, long tingting bilong olketa Jew, man wea no circumcise hem no klin and olketa les long hem.​—Isa. 52:1.

⁶ So for acceptim disfala niu teaching, olketa Jew Christian mas hambol and garem faith. Niu agreement wea Jesus startim hem changem Law bilong Moses, so datwan minim nation bilong Israel no spesol pipol bilong God nao. And from olketa Jew Christian stap long sem community witim olketa Jew wea no biliv, olketa Jew Christian mas no fraet for talemaot olketa biliv long Christ and acceptim olketa Christian wea no Jew and no circumcise. Staka Jew Christian long Judea stap long community olsem.​—Jer. 31:31-33; Luke 22:20.

7. Wanem tru teaching nao olketa man from Judea no minim?

⁷ Nomata Law bilong Moses hem finis, standard bilong God no change. Niu agreement showimaot datwan bikos hem mekhae long important samting long Law bilong Moses. (Matt. 22:36-40) Olsem example, Paul sei olsem abaotem wei for circumcise long heart: “Tingting bilong man nao mekem hem wanfala Jew and hem circumcise long heart. Spirit nao mekem diswan and no law.” (Rome 2:29; Deut. 10:16) Olketa man from Judea sei God no finisim law wea sei man mas circumcise, bat olketa no luksavve long tru teaching hao olketa man mas circumcise long heart. Waswe, olketa willing for followim samting wea olketa herem?

8. Why nao olketa elder disaed for askem help from governing body long Jerusalem abaotem wei for circumcise?

⁸ Luke sei: “Paul and Barnabas no agree witim diswan and raoa witim [olketa man from Judea]. So [olketa elder] disaed for sendem Paul and Barnabas and samfala nara brata for go storyim diswan witim olketa  aposol and olketa elder long Jerusalem.” c (Acts 15:2) From ‘olketa no agree and raoa,’ datwan showimaot evriwan garem strong tingting abaotem wei for circumcise. Kongregeson long Antioch no savve stretem datfala problem. So for kongregeson gohed garem peace and wan mind, olketa elder disaed for askem help from “olketa aposol and olketa elder long Jerusalem,” wea olketa nao governing body. Wanem nao iumi lanem from olketa elder long Antioch?

9, 10. Wanem nao iumi lanem from olketa elder long Antioch, Paul, and Barnabas?

⁹ Iumi lanem hem important for trustim organization bilong God. Tingim diswan: Olketa elder long Antioch savve evri member bilong governing body olketa Jew Christian. Nomata olsem, olketa trustim governing body bae iusim olketa Holy Raeting for stretem datfala problem. Olketa trustim Jehovah bae iusim holy spirit and Jesus Christ wea Hed bilong Christian kongregeson for leadim governing body. (Matt. 28:18, 20; Eph. 1:22, 23) Taem eni big problem kamap, iumi shud followim example bilong olketa brata long Antioch for trustim organization bilong God and Governing Body.

¹⁰ Iumi lanem tu hem important for hambol and patient. Nomata God iusim holy spirit for markem Paul and Barnabas for preach long pipol wea no Jew, tufala no mekius long paoa wea tufala garem for stretem problem wea kamap long Antioch. (Acts 13:2, 3) Paul raet olsem long olketa long Galatia: “Mi go long [Jerusalem] bikos Lord hem showimaot klia mi shud go.” (Gal. 2:2) Olketa elder distaem tu traem best for hambol and patient taem eni problem kamap wea savve divaedem kongregeson. Olketa no followim tingting bilong olketa seleva, bat olketa depend long Jehovah for helpem olketa. Olketa lukluk long Bible and followim instruction wea wakaman wea faithful and wise talem.​—Phil. 2:2, 3.

11, 12. Why nao hem important for weit long Jehovah?

 ¹¹ Maet samfala taem iumi mas weit long Jehovah for helpem iumi minim klia wanfala teaching long Bible. Tingim olketa brata long taem bilong Paul. Olketa mas weit go kasem samting olsem 49 C.E. for Jehovah stretem problem abaotem wei for circumcise. Datwan hem 13 year bihaen Cornelius kamap anointed Christian long 36 C.E. Why nao Jehovah no kwiktaem stretem datwan? Maet hem laekem staka year for go pas mekem olketa Jew wea hambol savve acceptim datfala big change. For samting olsem 1,900 year olketa Jew keepim agreement for circumcise wea Jehovah mekem witim grani bilong olketa Abraham. So hem big change for olketa no keepim nao datfala agreement!​—John 16:12.

¹² Dadi bilong iumi long heven hem patient and kaen. Hem nambawan privilege for iumi lane from hem and for hem stretem iumi! Iumi evritaem kasem gud samting from datwan. (Isa. 48:17, 18; 64:8) So taem eni change kamap long organization or hao iumi minim samfala scripture, iumi mas no praod and laek followim tingting bilong iumiseleva nomoa or showimaot iumi les for followim change wea kamap. (Eccl. 7:8) Sapos iu start for garem tingting olsem, prea long Jehovah for helpem iu and ting raonem olketa Bible principle long Acts chapter 15. d

13. Hao nao iumi savve followim example bilong Jehovah for patient taem iumi duim ministry?

¹³ Iumi mas patient taem iumi studyim Bible witim pipol. Maet hem no isi for olketa lusim biliv or kastom bilong olketa wea againstim Bible bikos olketa tinghae tumas long datwan. Sapos olsem, hem gud for letem lelebet taem go pas mekem holy spirit helpem datfala Bible study for luksavve long tru teaching. (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) Iumi shud prea abaotem datwan tu. Gogo God bae helpem iumi for luksavve long wise samting for duim abaotem datfala Bible study.​—1 John 5:14.

14, 15. (a) Wanem nao olketa brata long Antioch duim wea showimaot olketa tinghae long Paul, Barnabas, and olketa nara brata? (b) Wanem nao Paul, Barnabas, and olketa nara brata duim for encouragem olketa Christian?

¹⁴ Luke gohed story olsem: “Olketa long kongregeson go lusim olketa long midol road and then olketa tane go bak. Paul and Barnabas and olketa nara brata gogo moa and kasem Phoenicia and Samaria. Olketa story abaotem pipol wea no Jew olketa biliv, and taem olketa brata herem diswan olketa hapi tumas.” (Acts 15:3) From olketa brata long kongregeson go lusim Paul, Barnabas, and olketa nara brata long midol road, datwan showimaot olketa lovem and tinghae long olketa and laekem God for blessim gogo bilong olketa. Datwan tu hem gud samting wea iumi lanem from olketa brata long Antioch! Waswe, iu showimaot iu respectim and tinghae long olketa brata and sista long kongregeson wea “main wan nao olketa elder wea waka  hard for storyim and teachim toktok bilong God”?​—1 Tim. 5:17.

¹⁵ Taem Paul, Barnabas, and olketa nara brata kasem Phoenicia and Samaria, olketa encouragem olketa Christian long there. Olketa “story abaotem” olketa naes experience taem olketa preach long pipol wea no Jew. Maet olketa wea herem olketa experience hia hem olketa Jew Christian wea ranawe go long Phoenicia and Samaria bihaen olketa bigman killim dae Stephen bikos long biliv bilong hem. Iumi tu herem olketa naes experience hao Jehovah blessim preaching waka distaem. Datwan encouragem iumi and olketa wea kasem hard taem tu. Waswe, iu kasem gud samting from olketa report olsem taem iu go long olketa meeting, assembly, convention, and taem iu readim olketa experience and laef story long olketa buk bilong iumi wea olketa printim or wea stap lo jw.org?

16. Wanem nao showimaot wei for circumcise hem kamap big problem?

¹⁶ Bihaen Paul, Barnabas, and olketa nara brata wakabaot go long south for samting olsem 550 kilometer, olketa kasem nao ples wea olketa gogo for hem. Luke sei: “Taem olketa kasem Jerusalem, olketa long kongregeson, olketa aposol, and olketa elder barava hapi for lukim olketa. Paul and Barnabas storyim evri samting wea God iusim tufala for duim.” (Acts 15:4) “Bat samfala wea biliv wea olketa Pharisee bifor, olketa standap and sei: ‘Olketa wea no Jew wea biliv mas circumcise and iumi mas talem olketa for followim law bilong Moses.’” (Acts 15:5) Tru tumas, datfala kwestin abaotem wei for circumcise hem kamap big problem and olketa brata mas stretem datwan.

17. Hu nao insaed governing body long Jerusalem, and maet why nao “olketa elder” insaed governing body?

¹⁷ Proverbs 13:10 sei: “Man wea lukaotem advaes hem garem wisdom.” For followim datfala principle, “olketa aposol and olketa elder hipap tugeta for story” sapos man mas circumcise. (Acts 15:6) Long datfala taem, “olketa aposol and olketa elder” nao disaedem olketa important samting for evri Christian kongregeson, olsem Governing Body duim distaem. Why nao “olketa elder” tu insaed governing body long datfala taem? Tingim hao samfala year bifor, olketa soldia killim dae aposol James and for lelebet taem aposol Peter stap long prison. Maet samting olsem kasem olketa nara aposol  tu! Sapos datwan happen, olketa nara anointed Christian brata savve gohed for leadim and lukaftarem olketa kongregeson.

18, 19. Wanem nao Peter talem, and wanem nao olketa wea lisin long hem shud luksavve long hem?

¹⁸ Luke sei: “Bihaen long bigfala story hia, Peter hem standap and sei long olketa: ‘Olketa brata, iufala savve, long iumi evriwan God chusim mi nao for first wan for talemaot gud nius long pipol wea no Jew mekem olketa tu savve biliv. God, wea savve gud long tingting bilong evriwan, hem givim holy spirit long olketa for showimaot hem hapi long olketa, olsem hem duim long iumi tu. Long tingting bilong hem, olketa semsem nomoa witim iumi. Hem mekem heart bilong olketa kamap klin bikos olketa showimaot faith.’” (Acts 15:7-9) Wanfala Bible dictionary sei Greek word wea iumi transleitim “bigfala story” long verse 7 hem minim for “trae for faendemaot samting” or “kwestinim samting.” Nomata olketa brata no garem sem tingting, luk olsem olketa feel free for talemaot datwan.

¹⁹ Peter sei hem stap taem God givim holy spirit long Cornelius and famili bilong hem long 36 C.E. Olketa nao first wan wea no Jew and no circumcise for kasem holy spirit. So sapos Jehovah ting long olketa Jew and pipol wea no Jew olketa semsem nomoa, olketa man no garem raet for sei olketa difren! Nara samting tu, faith long Christ nao mekem man raeteous and no wei for followim Law bilong Moses.​—Gal. 2:16.

20. Hao nao olketa wea strong tumas for sei man mas circumcise “mekem God feel nogud”?

²⁰ Toktok bilong God and holy spirit showimaot klia God acceptim olketa wea no Jew, so Peter sei: “Hao, iufala laek for mekem God feel nogud? Distaem iufala putim bigfala hevi long olketa disaepol for duim samting wea nomata iumi and olketa grani bilong iumi no savve duim tu. Bat samting wea iumi bilivim nao, God bae sevem iumi bikos long love wea Lord Jesus hem showimaot. Olketa disaepol wea no Jew bilivim datwan tu.” (Acts 15:10, 11) Olketa wea strong tumas for sei man mas circumcise, olketa “mekem God feel nogud.” Olketa trae for mekem olketa wea no Jew for mas followim Law, nomata olketa seleva hard for barava followim datwan. From olketa Jew no savve barava followim Law, olketa kasem judgment for dae. (Gal. 3:10) Olketa Jew shud no putim hevi long narawan for mas circumcise bat olketa shud thankiu long God bikos hem kaen tumas and iusim Jesus for sevem olketa.

21. Wanem nao Barnabas and Paul storyim?

²¹ Luk olsem evriwan tinghevi long wanem Peter talem bikos taem olketa herem datwan, “olketa kwaet nao.” Then Barnabas and Paul storyim “olketa saen and mirakol wea God iusim tufala for duim for pipol wea no Jew.” (Acts 15:12) Governing body savve ting raonem evri pruv hia and mekem disison abaotem wei for circumcise wea followim tingting bilong God.

22-24. (a) Hao nao Governing Body distaem followim example bilong governing body long first century? (b) Wanem nao evri elder savve duim for respectim wei wea Jehovah leadim organization bilong hem?

²² Taem olketa member bilong Governing Body distaem garem meeting,  olketa tu lukluk long Bible for leadim olketa and evritaem askem God for holy spirit. (Ps. 119:105; Matt. 7:7-11) For helpem olketa disaedem samting wea followim will bilong God, each member kasem list long olketa samting wea olketa bae storyim long meeting. Datwan mekem olketa garem taem for ting raonem and prea abaotem olketa samting hia. (Prov. 15:28) Long meeting bilong olketa, olketa anointed brata hia no hol bak for talemaot tingting bilong olketa and olketa duim long wei wea showimaot respect. Olketa evritaem iusim Bible taem olketa story.

²³ Olketa elder long kongregeson shud followim example bilong olketa. And sapos olketa elder storyim wanfala serious samting bat olketa no savve disaedem wanem for duim, olketa savve askem help from branch office or olketa circuit overseer. Sapos branch office needim help olketa savve raetem leta long Governing Body.

²⁴ Tru tumas, Jehovah blessim olketa wea followim wanem kongregeson disaedem. Hem blessim olketa wea hambol, faithful, and patient. Long next chapter bae iumi storyim hao olketa wea garem wei olsem savve garem peace and wan mind. Olketa minim gud tu olketa samting wea God talem and Jehovah blessim olketa.