CHAPTER 6
‘God Hapi Long Stephen and Givim Paoa Long Hem’
Lane from wei wea Stephen no fraet for preach long hae kot
Acts 6:8–8:3 storyim diswan
1-3. (a) Wanem nao happen long Stephen, bat hao nao hem ting long datwan? (b) Olketa wanem kwestin nao bae iumi storyim?
STEPHEN standap front long 71 member bilong hae kot. Evriwan sidaon raonem hem for judgem hem. Olketa hipap long wanfala big building wea maet klosap long temple. Olketa judge garem bigfala paoa ovarem pipol and staka no respectim and les long disfala disaepol bilong Jesus. Hae Priest Caiaphas nao talem kot for hipap. Samfala month bifor, hem chairman taem hae kot judgem Jesus Christ for dae. Waswe, Stephen fraet?
2 Olketa judge lukluk strong long Stephen, bat feis bilong hem “luk olsem feis bilong wanfala angel.” (Acts 6:15) Olketa angel talemaot olketa message bilong Jehovah and datwan mekem olketa for no fraet and no wari. Stephen tu no fraet and no wari and olketa judge wea barava heitim hem luksavve long datwan. Why nao Stephen hem olsem?
3 Iumi savve lanem plande samting long ansa bilong datfala kwestin. Iumi need for savve tu why nao Stephen standap front long olketa judge. Hao nao Stephen ansarem toktok bilong olketa wea accusim hem? And hao nao iumi savve followim example bilong hem?
Olketa Mekem Pipol “for Kros Tumas” (Acts 6:8-15)
4, 5. (a) Why nao kongregeson long Jerusalem tinghae long Stephen? (b) Why nao God hapi long Stephen and givim paoa long hem?
4 Niu kongregeson long Jerusalem tinghae long Stephen bikos hem barava helpem olketa. Iumi lanem long Chapter 5, hem wanfala long 7-fala man wea olketa aposol markem for sharem kaikai. Hem hambol and willing for duim datfala waka. Iumi tinghae long Stephen bikos nomata God givim paoa long hem for duim staka samting, Stephen hem hambol. Acts 6:8 sei God “barava hapi” long Stephen and “givim paoa long hem for duim olketa mirakol and saen” olsem olketa nara aposol duim. Why nao God hapi long Stephen and givim paoa long hem?
5 Greek word wea olketa iusim for “hapi,” olketa savve transleitim tu olsem wei for kaen. Luk olsem Stephen hem kaen and staka pipol laekem hem. Wei wea hem story from heart mekem pipol for changem tingting bilong olketa. Olketa luksavve hem teachim tru samting wea savve helpem olketa. And Stephen kasem paoa for duim olketa mirakol and saen bikos hem hambol and letem holy spirit for leadim hem. Hem no praod bat hem evritaem praisem Jehovah for samting wea hem duim. Hem showimaot hem tingim pipol taem hem story long olketa. Dastawe olketa wea againstim hem mas duim samting for stopem hem!
6-8. (a) Wanem tufala samting nao pipol accusim Stephen long hem, and why nao olsem? (b) Why nao example bilong Stephen savve helpem olketa Christian distaem?
6 Samfala man kam for raoa witim Stephen, bat “olketa no savve talem eni samting nao from Stephen hem wise tumas and holy spirit leadim hem long toktok bilong hem.” a From olketa feel nogud, olketa “talem samfala man” for laea and accusim Stephen nomata hem no duim eni rong samting. Olketa mekem pipol, olketa bigman, and olketa man wea teachim law “for kros tumas” gogo olketa holem Stephen and tekem hem long Hae Kot bilong olketa Jew. (Acts 6:9-12) Olketa accusim Stephen long tufala samting. Olketa sei Stephen tok againstim God and tok againstim Moses. Wanem nao olketa sei Stephen hem talem?
7 Olketa laea and sei Stephen tok againstim God from olketa sei hem talem samting againstim “holy ples,” wea hem nao temple long Jerusalem. (Acts 6:13) Olketa sei hem tok againstim Moses from olketa sei hem talem samting wea difren from Law bilong Moses. Long tingting bilong olketa Jew, datwan hem barava nogud samting bikos olketa tinghae tumas long temple, Law bilong Moses, and olketa kastom wea olketa addim go long Law. So long tingting bilong olketa, Stephen hem barava nogud man and hem shud dae!
8 Pipol long religion duim semkaen samting tu for spoelem pipol bilong God distaem. Olketa bigman bilong religion savve mekem olketa wea rul for kros long Olketa Jehovah’s Witness and spoelem olketa. Wanem nao iumi shud duim taem pipol laea for accusim iumi or twistim toktok bilong iumi? Iumi savve lanem staka samting from example bilong Stephen.
No Fraet for Preach Abaotem “God wea Garem Bigfala Paoa” (Acts 7:1-53)
9, 10. Wanem nao samfala pipol talem abaotem samting wea Stephen storyim, bat wanem nao iumi shud tingim?
9 Olsem iumi storyim finis, nomata pipol accusim Stephen, feis bilong hem luk olsem feis bilong wanfala angel. Caiaphas luk go long Stephen and sei: “Hao, olketa samting hia hem tru tu?” (Acts 7:1) Stephen garem chance for story, so hem story nao!
10 Samfala pipol sei Stephen storyim plande samting bat hem nating ansarem nomoa wanem pipol talem for accusim hem. Bat Stephen showimaot nambawan example long hao for “ansarem” pipol wea askem kwestin abaotem biliv bilong iumi. (1 Pet. 3:15) Tingim, pipol accusim Stephen bikos olketa sei hem tok againstim God long wei for tok againstim temple and tok againstim Moses long wei for talem samting wea difren from Law bilong Moses. For ansarem olketa, Stephen storyim thrifala difren taem long history bilong Israel and hem mekhae long samfala important point. Bae iumi storyim thrifala difren taem hia.
11, 12. (a) Wanem important samting nao Stephen storyim abaotem Abraham? (b) Why nao Stephen story abaotem Joseph?
11 Taem bilong olketa grani bifor. (Acts 7:1-16) Firstaem Stephen story abaotem Abraham. Olketa Jew tinghae long Abraham bikos hem garem strongfala faith. Stephen disaed for storyim samting wea olketa agree long hem, so hem mekhae long firstaem wea Jehovah kam long Abraham. Hem sei “God wea garem bigfala paoa” kam long Abraham taem hem stap long Mesopotamia. (Acts 7:2) Bihaen, Abraham go stap long Promis Land nomata datwan hem no kantri bilong hem. Abraham no garem eni temple for worship or Law bilong Moses tu for followim. So no eniwan savve sei man hard for faithful long God sapos hem no garem temple for worship or Law for followim!
12 Olketa judge tinghae tu long Joseph wea born long laen bilong Abraham. Bat Stephen sei olketa brata bilong Joseph, wea olketa nao olketa laen dadi bilong evri tribe bilong Israel, olketa spoelem raeteous man Joseph and salem hem for kamap slave. Nomata olsem, God iusim Joseph for sevem olketa. Joseph givim kaikai long olketa mekem olketa gohed laef long taem bilong bigfala hangre. Luk olsem Stephen luksavve God iusim Jesus Christ for duim semkaen samting olsem Joseph, bat hem no storyim datwan bikos hem laekem olketa for gohed lisin long hem.
13. (a) From pipol sei Stephen tok againstim Moses, wanem nao hem talem? (b) Wanem important point nao Stephen mekhae long hem?
13 Taem bilong Moses. (Acts 7:17-43) Stephen storyim staka samting abaotem Moses. Hem gud for Stephen duim olsem bikos plande member bilong hae kot olketa Sadducee and olketa acceptim nomoa olketa buk long Bible wea Moses raetem. Nomata pipol sei Stephen tok againstim Moses, samting wea Stephen talem showimaot hem barava tinghae long Moses and Law wea God givim long Moses. (Acts 7:38) Stephen sei Moses laek sevem olketa Israelite, bat olketa les long hem. Datwan happen taem Moses hem 40 year. Nomata 40 year bihaen, staka taem olketa Israelite sei olketa no laekem hem for leadim olketa. b Stephen mekhae long disfala important point: Plande taem pipol bilong God les long olketa wea Jehovah markem for leadim olketa.
14. Olketa wanem point nao Stephen mekhae long hem taem hem storyim example bilong Moses?
14 Stephen storyim hao Moses talem olketa Israelite God bae chusim wanfala man from Israel for kamap profet olsem hem. Hu nao datfala man, and olketa Israelite ting hao long hem? Stephen no ansarem datwan stretawe bat hem ansarem long end bilong story bilong hem. Hem mekhae long disfala important point tu: Moses lanem hao Jehovah savve mekem eni ples wea man standap long hem for holy. Jehovah duim datwan taem hem story kam long Moses long ples wea fire gohed for bonem wanfala tree. So waswe, man mas worshipim Jehovah long wanfala building nomoa, olsem long temple long Jerusalem? Iumi bae ansarem.
15, 16. (a) Why nao hem important for Stephen storyim tent wea Moses wakem? (b) Wanem nao Stephen talem abaotem temple wea Solomon wakem?
15 Tent and temple. (Acts 7:44-50) Stephen storyim long kot taem no eni temple stap yet long Jerusalem, God talem Moses for wakem wanfala tent for worship wea olketa Israelite savve tekem long eni ples wea olketa go stap. No eniwan bae sei datfala tent no important olsem temple, bikos Moses tu worship long tent!
16 Taem Solomon wakem temple long Jerusalem, hem talem wanfala important samting long prea bilong hem. Stephen storyim datwan. Hem sei: “Barava Haefala God hem no stap insaed olketa haos wea man wakem.” (Acts 7:48; 2 Chron. 6:18) Jehovah savve iusim temple for mekem plan bilong hem kamap tru, bat datwan no minim Jehovah mas iusim temple nomoa. So pipol bilong Jehovah shud no tingse olketa mas worshipim hem long wanfala building nomoa wea olketa man nao wakem! For finisim story bilong hem abaotem tent and temple, Stephen talem disfala important toktok bilong profet Isaiah: “Heven hem throne blo mi, and earth hem footstool blo mi. So wea nao haos wea iufala savve wakem for mi, And wea nao ples for mi rest lo hem? Mi wakem evri samting hia witim hand blo mi.”—Acts 7:49, 50; Isa. 66:1, 2.
17. (a) Hao nao samting wea Stephen storyim showimaot olketa wea accusim hem no garem stretfala tingting? (b) Hao nao story bilong hem ansarem wanem pipol talem againstim hem?
17 Samting wea Stephen storyim long hae kot showimaot klia olketa wea accusim hem no garem stretfala tingting! Stephen pruvim Jehovah no need for followim olketa kastom, bat hem savve changem samfala samting for mekem plan bilong hem kamap tru. Olketa Jew tinghae tumas long nambawan temple long Jerusalem and olketa kastom wea olketa addim go long Law, bat olketa nating minim why nao God givim datfala Law and temple! Samting wea Stephen talem mekhae long disfala point: Wei for obeyim Jehovah nao showimaot man tinghae long Law and temple! Tru tumas, story bilong Stephen pruvim hem duim samting wea hem talem. Hem traem best for obeyim Jehovah.
18. Hao nao iumi savve followim example bilong Stephen?
18 Wanem nao iumi lanem from story bilong Stephen? Hem savve gud long olketa Holy Raeting. Iumi tu mas studyim gud Bible mekem iumi savve iusim long stretfala wei “toktok bilong God wea tru.” (2 Tim. 2:15) Iumi savve followim example bilong Stephen tu for kaen and story gud long pipol. Nomata olketa wea lisin long Stephen heitim hem, Stephen storyim samting wea olketa tinghae long hem mekem olketa gohed for lisin. Hem story long olketa long wei wea showimaot respect. Hem kolem olketa bigman, “olketa dadi.” (Acts 7:2) Iumi tu mas “hambol and showimaot bigfala respect” taem iumi story long pipol abaotem olketa tru samting long Bible.—1 Pet. 3:15.
19. Wanem nao Stephen talem long hae kot wea showimaot hem no fraet for talemaot judgment message bilong Jehovah?
19 Nomata iumi no laek mekem pipol kros, iumi no hol bak for storyim tru samting long Bible and talem olketa judgment message bilong Jehovah. Stephen showimaot gudfala example long datwan. Nomata hem storyim staka tru samting, hem luksavve olketa judge bae no changem tingting bilong olketa. Holy spirit strongim Stephen for no fraet for talem olketa judge olketa olsem olketa grani bilong olketa bifor wea les long Joseph, Moses, and evri profet. (Acts 7:51-53) Olketa judge nao killim dae Messiah wea Moses and evri profet sei hem bae kam. So olketa judge barava brekem Law bilong Moses!
“Lord Jesus, Mi Putim Laef Bilong Mi Long Hand Bilong Iu” (Acts 7:54–8:3)
“Taem olketa herem diswan, olketa kros fogud and laek killim hem.”—Acts 7:54
20, 21. Tru samting wea Stephen talem mekem olketa judge feel hao, and wanem nao Jehovah duim for strongim hem?
20 Tru samting wea Stephen talem mekem olketa judge kros fogud and laek killim hem. Masbi Stephen luksavve olketa bae no showim mercy long hem olsem olketa no showim mercy long Lord bilong hem Jesus.
21 Stephen mas gohed strong and no fraet and luk olsem vision wea Jehovah showim long hem barava strongim hem. Stephen lukim bigfala paoa bilong God shaen braet tumas and hem lukim Jesus tu standap long raet saed bilong Jehovah! Taem Stephen storyim datfala vision, olketa judge satem ear bilong olketa. Why nao olsem? Hem bikos bifor Jesus dae, Jesus talem datfala kot hem nao Messiah and hem bae sidaon long raet saed bilong Dadi bilong hem. (Mark 14:62) Vision wea Stephen storyim pruvim Jesus talem tru samting. Hae Kot bilong olketa Jew nao againstim Messiah and killim hem dae! So evriwan long hae kot pullim Stephen go aotsaed long taon and sutim hem long ston gogo hem dae. c
22, 23. (a) Bifor Stephen dae, hao nao hem olsem Jesus? (b) Wanem nao olketa Christian bilivim wea Stephen tu bilivim?
22 Bifor Jesus dae, hem garem peace, hem trustim Jehovah, and hem forgivim olketa wea killim hem dae. Hem semsem tu witim Stephen. Hem sei: “Plis Lord Jesus, mi putim laef bilong mi long hand bilong iu nao.” Maet hem talem datwan bikos hem lukim yet Jesus witim Jehovah long datfala vision. Masbi Stephen savve long disfala toktok bilong Jesus: “Mi nao givim laef long pipol and mekem olketa for laef bak moa.” (John 11:25) Then Stephen prea big olsem long God: “Jehovah, iu no panisim olketa for disfala rong.” Bihaen hem tok olsem nomoa, hem dae nao.—Acts 7:59, 60.
23 Stephen nao first Christian wea dae bikos long biliv bilong hem. (Lukim box, “ Wanem Nao Greek Word ‘Martyr’ Minim?”) Bat olketa narawan tu bae kasem sem samting. Kam kasem distaem, olketa long religion, gavman, and olketa narawan killim dae samfala brata and sista wea faithful long Jehovah. Bat olsem Stephen, iumi tu bilivim Jesus bae mekem pipol laef bak. Jesus hem King distaem and hem kasem bigfala paoa from Dadi bilong hem. No eni samting bae stopem Jesus for mekem olketa wea followim hem for laef bak.—John 5:28, 29.
24. Hao nao Saul join long wei for killim dae Stephen, and hao nao example bilong Stephen helpem olketa narawan?
24 Saul, wanfala young man, lukim evri samting wea happen. Hem agree for olketa killim dae Stephen and hem lukaftarem tu kaleko bilong olketa wea sutim Stephen long ston. No longtaem bihaen datwan, hem nao main wan wea spoelem olketa Christian. Bat example bilong Stephen strongim olketa Christian kam kasem distaem. Hem helpem olketa for gohed faithful go kasem taem olketa dae. And staka year bihaen Stephen dae, Saul wea iusim nem Paul sorre tu taem hem ting go bak long samting wea hem duim. (Acts 22:20) Hem sapotim olketa wea killim dae Stephen, bat gogo hem luksavve hem duim rong samting. Hem sei: “Mi tok spoelem God, mi spoelem pipol bilong hem, and mi nating showimaot respect.” (1 Tim. 1:13) Tru tumas, Paul nating forgetim Stephen and olketa samting wea Stephen storyim long kot. Samfala samting wea Paul storyim and raet abaotem hem semsem witim wanem Stephen storyim. (Acts 7:48; 17:24; Heb. 9:24) Paul followim example bilong Stephen for garem strongfala faith and no fraet. Stephen hem man wea ‘God barava hapi long hem and givim paoa long hem.’ So waswe, bae iumi tu followim example bilong Stephen?
a Samfala hia wea againstim Stephen hem pipol bilong wanfala sekson wea olketa kolem “Sinagog bilong olketa man wea free.” Maet olketa long Rome tekem olketa for prisoner bat olketa kamap free, or olketa slave bifor bat then olketa kamap free and followim religion bilong olketa Jew. Samfala kam from Cilicia, olsem Saul from Tarsus. Bible no storyim sapos Saul hem wanfala from Cilicia wea no savve talem eni samting for againstim Stephen.
b Long Bible, Stephen nomoa storyim information abaotem education bilong Moses long Egypt, age bilong hem taem hem firstaem ranawe from Egypt, and haomas year hem stap long Midian.
c Luk olsem law bilong Rome tambuim Hae Kot bilong olketa Jew for killim man dae. (John 18:31) So luk olsem olketa judge killim dae Stephen bikos olketa kros tumas long hem and no from olketa garem paoa for killim hem dae.
