CHAPTER 11
‘God Givim Holy Spirit Long Olketa and Olketa Hapi Tumas’
Wanem Paul duim taem pipol no interest long gud nius and againstim hem
Acts 13:1-52 storyim diswan
1, 2. (a) Hao nao waka wea Barnabas and Saul duim bae difren from olketa nara missionary? (b) Hao nao waka wea tufala duim bae help for mekem toktok long Acts 1:8 kamap tru?
KONGREGESON long Antioch long Syria hapi tumas. Nomata olketa garem samfala profet and teacher, holy spirit chusim Barnabas and Saul for preachim gud nius long olketa farawe ples. a (Acts 13:1, 2) Hem tru, samfala missionary go long olketa nara ples finis, bat olketa go nomoa long ples wea pipol acceptim gud nius. (Acts 8:14; 11:22) Bat Barnabas and Saul bae go long olketa ples wea staka pipol no herem yet gud nius. John Mark tu go for helpem tufala.
2 Samting olsem 14 year bifor Jesus sei long olketa wea followim hem: “Iufala bae talem pipol abaotem mi long Jerusalem, long evri ples long Judea and long Samaria, and long evri farawe ples long earth.” (Acts 1:8) From holy spirit chusim Barnabas and Saul for missionary, datwan bae help for mekem datfala toktok bilong Jesus kamap tru! b
Markem Tufala “for Duim Spesol Waka” (Acts 13:1-12)
3. Long first century, why nao hem no isi for travel?
3 From iumi garem olketa trak and plane distaem, pipol savve kasem olketa farawe ples insaed tu-thri hour nomoa. Bat long first century C.E., hem no olsem. Plande taem pipol mas baeleg for go long nara ples and hem no isi for kasem staka ples. Pipol savve baeleg for samting olsem 30 kilometer long wanfala day and olketa savve taed tumas! c Barnabas and Saul laekem tumas for duim missionary waka, bat tufala luksavve tufala mas waka hard and sakrifaesim samfala samting for duim datfala waka.—Matt. 16:24.
4. (a) Wanem nao mekem olketa brata for chusim Barnabas and Saul, and hao nao tingting bilong olketa Christian abaotem datwan? (b) Wanem nao iumi savve duim for showimaot iumi hapi long olketa wea kasem privilege long organization?
4 Bat why nao holy spirit leadim olketa brata for markem Barnabas and Saul nomoa “for duim spesol waka”? (Acts 13:2) Bible no storyim bat iumi savve holy spirit nao chusim tufala. No eni scripture sei olketa profet and teacher long Antioch long Syria no agree long datwan. Olketa hapi long waka wea tufala kasem. Masbi Barnabas and Saul tinghae long olketa brata bikos olketa no jealous bat olketa followim kastom for ‘no kaikai, olketa prea, and putim hand long tufala and sendem tufala go.’ (Acts 13:3) Iumi tu shud hapi long olketa wea kasem assignment long kongregeson and olketa brata wea kasem appointment for kamap elder. Iumi shud no jealous long olketa wea kasem privilege olsem bat iumi shud “barava kaen long olketa and lovem olketa bikos long waka wea olketa duim.”—1 Thess. 5:13.
5. Storyim preaching waka wea Barnabas and Saul duim long Cyprus.
5 Barnabas and Saul baeleg go long harbor long Seleucia, wanfala taon klosap long Antioch long Syria. Then tufala go insaed boat for go long Cyprus, wanfala island wea stap samting olsem 160 kilometer from Seleucia. d From Barnabas hem man bilong Cyprus, masbi hem hapi tumas for storyim gud nius long pipol long hom. Taem tufala kasem Salamis, wanfala taon long east saed long Cyprus, stretawe tufala go “preach insaed olketa sinagog bilong olketa Jew.” e (Acts 13:5) Barnabas and Saul preach long wansaed long island go kasem narasaed. Luk olsem tufala preach long olketa main taon. Maet tufala missionary hia baeleg for samting olsem 160 kilometer!
6, 7. (a) Hu nao Sergius Paulus, and why nao Bar-Jesus no laekem hem for herem gud nius? (b) Wanem nao Saul duim for stopem Bar-Jesus?
6 Long first century, staka pipol long Cyprus worshipim olketa false god. Barnabas and Saul luksavve long datwan taem tufala kasem Paphos, wanfala taon long west saed long island. Tufala meetim “wanfala Jew wea nem bilong hem Bar-Jesus. Hem wanfala laea profet and man for duim magic. Hem waka for datfala bigman Sergius Paulus, wanfala man wea garem bigfala savve.” Long first century, staka pipol long Rome wea garem bigfala savve, savve askem advaes from olketa narawan taem olketa mas disaedem important samting. Olketa savve askem help from man wea duim magic or from man wea lukluk long olketa star for trae savve long future. Sergius Paulus tu askem help from olketa man olsem. Nomata olsem, hem “barava laek for herem message bilong God.” Bar-Jesus no hapi long datwan. Pipol kolem hem Elymas wea minim “man for duim magic.”—Acts 13:6-8.
7 Bar-Jesus les long message abaotem Kingdom. Hem “laek stopem Sergius Paulus for no biliv long Lord” bikos hem no laek lusim hae position bilong hem for givim advaes long Sergius. (Acts 13:8) Bat Saul no laekem Bar-Jesus for stopem Sergius Paulus for biliv. So wanem nao Saul duim? Bible sei: “God givim holy spirit long Saul, wea nara nem bilong hem Paul. Hem luk stret go long [Bar-Jesus] and sei: ‘Iu man for barava laea and trikim pipol. Iu pikinini bilong Devil stret ia. Iu againstim evri samting wea stret. Iu mekem olketa stretfala wei bilong Jehovah luk olsem laea samting. No duim datwan moa! Jehovah bae panisim iu and mekem iu blind and iu bae no lukim sun for lelebet taem.’ Semtaem nomoa, samting olsem smoke mekem hem no savve lukluk nao. Hem lukaotem eniwan for holem hand bilong hem and leadim hem.” f Wanem nao Sergius Paulus duim taem hem lukim datwan? Bible sei: “Hem biliv nao bikos hem barava sapraes long olketa samting wea hem lanem abaotem Jehovah.”—Acts 13:9-12.
Taem pipol againstim iumi, iumi no hol bak for storyim tru samting long Bible, olsem Paul duim
8. Hao nao iumi savve followim example bilong Paul for no fraet?
8 Paul no fraetem Bar-Jesus. Iumi tu shud no fraetem pipol wea trae hard for spoelem faith bilong olketa wea interest long message abaotem Kingdom. Hem tru, toktok bilong iumi mas “evritaem kaen and olsem [iumi] putim solt long hem.” (Col. 4:6) Bat iumi shud no hol bak for preach long pipol wea interest bikos iumi no laekem narawan for raoa witim iumi. Iumi shud no hol bak tu for storyim nogud samting wea false religion duim. False religion “mekem olketa stretfala wei bilong Jehovah luk olsem laea samting,” olsem Bar-Jesus duim. (Acts 13:10) Iumi laek for olsem Paul and no fraet for talemaot tru samting long Bible and story long wei wea mekem pipol interest long gud nius. And nomata sapos iumi no lukim klia wei wea Jehovah helpem iumi olsem hem helpem Paul, Jehovah bae iusim holy spirit for leadim kam pipol wea hambol for worshipim hem.—John 6:44.
“Toktok for Encouragem Pipol” (Acts 13:13-43)
9. Hao nao Paul and Barnabas showimaot gud example for olketa wea leadim waka long kongregeson distaem?
9 Luk olsem change kamap taem Barnabas, Paul, and John Mark lusim Paphos and sail go long Perga, wanfala taon long saedsea long Asia Minor wea stap samting olsem 250 kilometer from Paphos. Luk olsem Paul nao start for leadim grup hia bikos Acts 13:13 sei datfala grup hem “Paul and tufala wea go witim hem.” Bat no eni scripture sei Barnabas jealous long Paul. Tufala gohed for waka tugeta for duim wanem God laekem. Paul and Barnabas showimaot gud example for olketa wea leadim waka long kongregeson distaem. Olketa Christian no trae for winim narawan bat olketa tingim disfala toktok bilong Jesus: “Iufala evriwan olketa brata.” Jesus sei tu: “Man wea mekhae long hemseleva bae God mekem hem for hambol, bat man wea hambol bae God mekhae long hem.”—Matt. 23:8, 12.
10. Waswe, hem isi for kasem Antioch long Pisidia? Minim kam.
10 Taem thrifala kasem Perga, John Mark lusim Paul and Barnabas and go bak long Jerusalem. Bible no storyim why hem lusim tufala, bat Paul and Barnabas gohed long missionary waka. Tufala lusim Perga and go long Antioch long Pisidia, wanfala taon long Galatia. Hem no isi for kasem Antioch long Pisidia bikos olketa mas baeleg go ap long maunten wea hem samting olsem 1,100 meter hae winim sea. Hem danger tu bikos road hem nogud and staka man for steal savve followim datfala road. Hem no isi for tufala and luk olsem Paul sik tu. g
11, 12. Long Antioch long Pisidia, wanem nao Paul storyim long sinagog for mekem olketa wea lisin long hem interest?
11 Paul and Barnabas kasem Antioch long Pisidia and long Sabbath, tufala go insaed long sinagog. Bible sei: “Bihaen olketa long sinagog readim Law and raeting bilong olketa profet, olketa bigman bilong sinagog askem Paul and Barnabas olsem: ‘Olketa brata, sapos iufala garem eni toktok for encouragem pipol long hia, plis iufala talem kam.’” (Acts 13:15) Paul standap and story long olketa.
12 Hem sei: “Pipol long Israel and iufala olketa narawan wea worshipim God, iufala herehere kam.” (Acts 13:16) Olketa wea lisin long Paul hem olketa Jew and olketa wea followim religion bilong olketa Jew. Olketa no savve long waka bilong Jesus insaed plan bilong God. So wanem nao Paul talem for mekem olketa interest? Paul storyim samfala samting abaotem history bilong olketa Israelite. Hem storyim Jehovah helpem olketa “taem olketa stap long Egypt, wea hem no ples bilong olketa.” Then Jehovah tekem olketa aot from Egypt and for “foti year wea olketa stap long wilderness, hem no kwiktaem for kros long nogud samting wea olketa duim.” Paul storyim tu wanem Jehovah duim mekem olketa Israelite stap long Promis Land and hao Jehovah “divaedem land hia and givim for olketa tribe bilong Israel.” (Acts 13:17-19) From hem Sabbath, samfala pipol sei maet Paul storyim samting wea olketa just readim long olketa Holy Raeting. Sapos olsem, datwan hem nara example wea showimaot Paul savve “change for fitim evri didifren kaen man.”—1 Cor. 9:22.
13. Wanem nao iumi savve duim for mekem pipol interest long gud nius?
13 Iumi tu shud traem best for story long wei wea mekem pipol interest long gud nius. Olsem example, sapos iumi savve long religion bilong wanfala man, iumi savve storyim subject wea hem interest long hem and olketa scripture wea maet hem savve long hem. Hem gud tu for askem hem for readim scripture from Bible bilong hemseleva. Trae for tingim olketa nara samting wea iu savve duim for encouragem pipol for laek lane abaotem Jehovah.
14. (a) Hao nao Paul startim story bilong hem abaotem Jesus, and wanem warning nao hem talem? (b) Wanem nao pipol duim taem olketa herem story bilong Paul?
14 Paul storyim tu laen bilong olketa king bilong Israel. Hem sei wanfala man from laen bilong olketa “bae sevem Israel. Datfala man hem Jesus,” wea John Baptaesa nao kam firstaem long hem. Paul storyim hao pipol killim dae Jesus and God mekem hem laef bak. (Acts 13:20-37) Hem sei: “Mi laek talem long iufala, God bae forgivim olketa sin bilong iufala bikos long dae bilong disfala man . . . Eniwan wea biliv, bae God sei hem raeteous.” Then Paul warnim olketa olsem: “Iufala mas lukaot gud, nogud nao samting wea olketa profet raetem hem kasem iufala, wea hem sei: ‘Iufala wea barava les and ting daonem olketa samting wea mi duim bae lukim datwan and sapraes. Then iufala bae nomoa nao. Diswan hem bikos samting wea mi duim long taem bilong iufala, hard for iufala bilivim nomata sapos eniwan storyim long iufala.’” Wanem nao pipol hia duim taem olketa herem story bilong Paul? Bible sei: “Olketa pipol askem tufala for kam bak long next Sabbath for storyim moa olketa samting hia.” And bihaen evriwan lusim sinagog, “staka Jew and olketa wea followim religion bilong olketa Jew, olketa go followim Paul and Barnabas.”—Acts 13:38-43.
“Mifala Go Long Olketa wea No Jew Nao” (Acts 13:44-52)
15. Wanem nao happen long next Sabbath?
15 Long next Sabbath “klosap evriwan long datfala taon” hipap kam for herem story bilong Paul. Samfala Jew no hapi, so “olketa talem barava nogud toktok againstim samting wea Paul talem.” Paul and Barnabas no hol bak for sei long olketa: “Iufala nao mas first wan for herem message bilong God bat iufala les long datwan wea showimaot iufala no fit for kasem laef olowe. So distaem mifala go long olketa wea no Jew nao. Jehovah hem sei olsem long mifala: ‘Iu nao laet wea mi markem for pipol long evri kantri, mekem iu talemaot samting wea mi bae duim for sevem olketa man long evri ples long earth.’”—Acts 13:44-47; Isa. 49:6.
‘Olketa mekem pipol spoelem Paul and Barnabas. God gohed givim holy spirit long olketa disaepol and olketa hapi tumas.’—Acts 13:50-52
16. (a) Wanem nao olketa Jew duim taem olketa herem strongfala toktok bilong Paul and Barnabas? (b) Wanem nao Paul and Barnabas duim?
16 Olketa wea no Jew hapi long samting wea olketa herem, and “evriwan wea showimaot olketa laekem laef olowe, olketa biliv.” (Acts 13:48) No longtaem bihaen, pipol long evri ples long datfala area herem message bilong Jehovah. Bat olketa Jew no hapi long samting wea Paul and Barnabas talem. Tufala sei olketa Jew nao first wan for herem message bilong God, bat olketa les long Messiah dastawe hem fitim for God judgem olketa. Olketa Jew mekem olketa big woman and olketa bigman bilong taon for againstim Paul and Barnabas. And “olketa mekem pipol spoelem tufala and raosem tufala from datfala taon.” Wanem nao Paul and Barnabas duim? “Tufala aotem dust from leg bilong tufala, wea diswan hem wanfala saen for warnim olketa. Then tufala go long Iconium.” Waswe, olketa Christian long Antioch long Pisidia no gohed for worshipim Jehovah nao? Nomoa! “God hem gohed for givim holy spirit long olketa disaepol” long there and “olketa hapi tumas.”—Acts 13:50-52.
17-19. (a) Hao nao iumi savve followim example bilong Paul and Barnabas? (b) Why nao wei for duim olsem bae mekem iumi hapi?
17 Iumi lanem important samting from wanem Paul and Barnabas duim taem pipol againstim tufala. Iumi gohed for preach nomata olketa bigman or olketa big woman long world trae for stopem iumi. Iumi lanem tu taem pipol long Antioch long Pisidia les long message wea Paul and Barnabas talemaot, tufala “aotem dust from leg bilong tufala.” Tufala no kros, bat samting wea tufala duim showimaot tufala bae no kasem blame for eni samting wea bae happen long pipol hia. Paul and Barnabas luksavve tufala no fit for kontrolem wanem nara pipol bae duim, bat tufala savve gohed for preach nomoa. And hem nao wanem tufala duim. Tufala go preach long Iconium!
18 Waswe long olketa disaepol wea stap long Antioch long Pisidia? Nomata olketa stap long ples wea pipol againstim olketa and no acceptim gud nius, olketa hapi nomoa. Why nao olsem? Jesus sei: “Olketa wea herem toktok bilong God and obeyim datwan nao olketa hapi!” (Luke 11:28) Hem nao wanem olketa disaepol long Antioch long Pisidia laekem tumas for duim.
19 Olsem Paul and Barnabas, iumi shud tingim evritaem waka bilong iumi hem for preachim gud nius. Bat pipol wea iumi preach long olketa nao bae disaed sapos olketa bae lisin or nomoa. Sapos man no interest long message, iumi savve lane from example bilong olketa disaepol long first century. Sapos iumi tinghae long tru samting wea iumi lanem and letem holy spirit leadim iumi, bae iumi hapi nomata pipol againstim iumi.—Gal. 5:18, 22.
a Lukim box, “ Barnabas Hem ‘Man for Strongim Narawan.’”
b Long datfala taem, olketa kongregeson stap finis long farawe ples olsem Antioch long Syria, wea stap samting olsem 550 kilometer north long Jerusalem.
c Lukim box, “ Taem Olketa Gogo Long Road.”
d Long first century, sapos wind hem blow gud ship savve sail for samting olsem 150 kilometer long wanfala day. Bat sapos weather hem nogud, hem savve tek longtaem lelebet for kasem wanfala ples.
e Lukim box, “ Insaed Olketa Sinagog Bilong Olketa Jew.”
f Start long datfala taem, Saul garem nem Paul. Samfala sei hem iusim datfala nem long languis bilong Rome for showimaot respect for Sergius Paulus. Bat Saul gohed iusim nem Paul bihaen hem lusim Cyprus. From Saul hem “aposol for preach long pipol wea no Jew,” hem disaed for iusim nara nem bilong hem long languis bilong Rome wea hem garem taem hem pikinini yet. Maet datwan hem bikos long Hebrew languis datfala nem Saul hem here olsem Greek word wea minim nogud samting.—Rome 11:13.