CHAPTER 23
‘Herehere Kam, Mi Laek Ansarem Toktok Bilong Iufala’
Paul defendim truth long olketa pipol wea kros and long hae kot
Acts 21:18–23:10 storyim diswan
1, 2. Why nao Paul go long Jerusalem, and wanem hard taem nao hem kasem?
PAUL kasem Jerusalem nao! Hem wakabaot moa followim olketa smol road wea staka pipol followim. Jerusalem hem important taon long history bilong pipol bilong Jehovah and plande pipol long there tinghae tumas long datwan. Paul savve staka Christian long Jerusalem tingim tumas samting long bifor and olketa no change followim wei wea Jehovah deal witim pipol bilong hem. Taem Paul stap long Ephesus, hem disaed for go long Jerusalem for tekem contribution for olketa brata. Bat taem hem long Jerusalem, hem luksavve samfala Christian no minim yet hao Jehovah no gohed iusim Law. (Acts 19:21) Nomata hem savve hem maet stap long danger, hem no changem plan bilong hem for visitim Jerusalem.
2 Wanem nao happen long Paul long Jerusalem? Wanfala problem kamap bikos samfala Christian herem laea story wea gogo raon abaotem Paul. Pipol wea againstim Christ duim olketa nogud samting long hem tu. Olketa talem laea samting abaotem Paul, whipim hem, and laek killim hem dae. Nomata olketa duim olsem long Paul, hem garem chance for defendim biliv bilong hem. Wei wea hem hambol, no fraet, and showimaot faith, hem nambawan example for olketa Christian distaem. Bae iumi storyim hao nao olsem.
“Olketa Mekhae Long God” (Acts 21:18-20a)
3-5. (a) Long Jerusalem, Paul hipap witim hu and wanem nao olketa storyim? (b) Wanem nao iumi lanem from datfala meeting?
3 Long next day, Paul and olketa wea go witim hem go lukim olketa elder. Luke no storyim eni samting abaotem olketa aposol. Maet olketa go stap long nara ples for helpem olketa nara kongregeson. Nomata olsem, James wea hem brata bilong Jesus hem stap. (Gal. 2:9) Luk olsem James nao chairman taem Paul hipap witim “olketa nara elder.”—Acts 21:18.
4 Paul meetim olketa “and storyim staka samting wea hem duim long ministry bilong hem long olketa nara kantri, wea God nao iusim hem for duim datwan.” (Acts 21:19) Masbi datwan barava encouragem olketa elder. Iumi tu hapi for herem gudfala report abaotem preaching waka long olketa nara kantri.—Prov. 25:25.
5 Luk olsem Paul storyim tu contribution wea olketa brata long Europe sendem kam. Masbi olketa elder hapi tumas and tinghae long love wea olketa brata from olketa farawe ples olketa showimaot. Taem olketa herem evri samting hia, “olketa mekhae long God”! (Acts 21:20a) Olketa Christian distaem wea kasem disaster or wea sik big, olketa tinghae long olketa brata and sista wea helpem and encouragem olketa.
Staka Strong Yet for “Followim Law Bilong Moses” (Acts 21:20b, 21)
6. Paul herem nius abaotem wanem problem?
6 Then olketa elder talem Paul abaotem problem wea kamap long Judea bikos long story wea gogo raon abaotem hem. Olketa sei: “Brata, iu lukim staka thousand Jew olketa biliv nao and olketa strong for followim Law bilong Moses. Bat story wea gogo raon nao iu teachim olketa Jew wea stap long olketa nara kantri for no followim Law bilong Moses. Iu talem olketa for no circumcisem pikinini bilong olketa and for no followim olketa nara samting long worship bilong iumi.” a—Acts 21:20b, 21.
7, 8. (a) Wanem nao staka Jew Christian long Judea no minim? (b) Waswe, datwan minim olketa apostate nao? Minim kam.
7 Why nao staka Christian strong yet for followim Law bilong Moses nomata Christ finisim Law winim 20 year go finis? (Col. 2:14) Long 49 C.E., olketa aposol and olketa elder wea hipap long Jerusalem sendem leta long olketa kongregeson for explainim hao olketa Christian wea no Jew no need for circumcise and followim Law bilong Moses. (Acts 15:23-29) Bat datfala leta no story abaotem olketa Jew Christian and staka long olketa no minim hao Law bilong Moses hem finis.
8 From staka Jew Christian no minim datwan, waswe, olketa apostate nao? Nomoa. Olketa no worshipim olketa false god bifor then go bak moa for followim olketa kastom bilong datfala religion. Jehovah nao givim Law wea olketa Jew Christian tinghae long hem. No eni samting long Law hem rong or mekem olketa for worshipim demon. Bat Law hem old agreement and olketa Christian followim nao niu agreement. So pipol wea worshipim Jehovah no followim nao Law bilong Moses. Olketa Hebrew Christian wea strong for followim Law no luksavve olketa mas stop for duim datwan. Olketa tingse wei for followim Law nao mekem man raeteous. Olketa need for stretem tingting bilong olketa for followim change wea kamap abaotem Law. b—Jer. 31:31-34; Luke 22:20.
“Samting wea Pipol Storyim Abaotem Iu Hem No Tru” (Acts 21:22-26)
9. Wanem nao Paul teachim abaotem Law bilong Moses?
9 Waswe long story wea gogo raon hao Paul teachim olketa Jew wea stap long olketa nara kantri for “no circumcisem pikinini bilong olketa and for no followim olketa nara samting long worship bilong [olketa]”? Paul hem aposol for preach long pipol wea no Jew and hem talem disison bilong governing body hao olketa no need for followim Law. Hem sei tu hem no stret for eniwan forcem olketa Christian wea no Jew for circumcise for showimaot olketa followim Law bilong Moses. (Gal. 5:1-7) Paul preachim gud nius tu long olketa Jew long evri taon wea hem go long hem. Masbi hem explainim long olketa wea acceptim datwan hao Jesus finisim Law taem hem dae and wei for biliv long Jesus nao mekem man raeteous and no wei for followim Law.—Rome 2:28, 29; 3:21-26.
10. Wanem nao showimaot Paul tingim feeling bilong olketa narawan?
10 Nomata Paul talem datwan, hem tingim feeling bilong olketa wea laek followim yet samfala kastom bilong olketa Jew, olsem for no waka long Sabbath or no kaikaim samfala kaikai. (Rome 14:1-6) And hem no mekem rul and sei olketa man mas no circumcise. Hemseleva nao disaed for circumcisem Timothy mekem olketa Jew no ting daonem hem bikos dadi bilong hem man bilong Greece. (Acts 16:3) Man seleva savve disaed for circumcise or nomoa. Paul sei long olketa long Galatia: “Hem no important sapos olketa [Christian] circumcise or nomoa. Samting wea important nao, hem faith wea kam from love.” (Gal. 5:6) Bat hem bae no stret for man circumcise bikos hem laek followim Law or tingse man mas circumcise for mekem Jehovah hapi. Datwan bae showimaot hem no garem faith.
11. Wanem nao olketa elder laekem Paul for duim, and wanem nao datwan minim? (Lukim footnote tu.)
11 Nomata datfala story abaotem Paul hem no tru, olketa Jew Christian feel nogud long datwan. So olketa elder talem Paul wanem olketa laekem hem for duim. Olketa sei: “Fofala man stap wea mekem promis and olketa gohed followim yet datwan. Iu go witim olketa man hia and duim samting followim law for kamap klin. Iu peim tu evri samting for diswan mekem olketa savve katem short hair bilong olketa. Then evriwan bae savve samting wea pipol storyim abaotem iu hem no tru, and tu, samting wea iu duim hem stret and iu followim Law bilong Moses.” c—Acts 21:23, 24.
12. Wanem nao Paul duim wea showimaot hem willing for change and followim wanem olketa elder long Jerusalem talem?
12 Paul savve talem olketa elder problem wea kamap hem no bikos long story wea gogo raon abaotem hem, bat hem witim olketa Jew Christian wea strong for followim Law bilong Moses. Bat Paul willing for change and duim evri samting wea olketa elder talem sapos datwan no againstim olketa principle bilong God. Hem talem finis long olketa long Corinth: “Nomata mi no followim law, taem mi stap witim olketa wea followim law, mi olsem man wea followim law tu mekem mi savve helpem olketa wea followim law.” (1 Cor. 9:20) Paul followim wanem olketa elder long Jerusalem talem and datwan showimaot hem “olsem man wea followim law.” Example bilong hem encouragem iumi for waka tugeta witim olketa elder and no forcem pipol for duim samting wea iumiseleva laekem.—Heb. 13:17.
Paul willing for agree witim tingting bilong olketa narawan long samting wea no againstim olketa principle bilong God. Waswe, iu olsem tu?
“Hem No Fit for Laef!” (Acts 21:27–22:30)
13. (a) Why nao samfala Jew startim raeot long temple? (b) Hu nao sevem Paul and hao nao olsem?
13 Nogud samting happen long temple. Klosap long taem for fofala brata finis for keepim promis, olketa Jew from Asia lukim Paul long temple. Olketa accusim Paul and sei hem tekem pipol wea no Jew go insaed long temple, then olketa startim raeot. Sapos komanda bilong army bilong Rome no sevem Paul, pipol hia bae whipim hem gogo hem dae nao. Bat nomata komanda sevem hem, hem arrestim Paul and taengem hem long tufala chain. Start long datfala taem Paul bae prisoner for winim fofala year. Bat Paul stap yet long danger. Taem komanda askem olketa Jew why nao olketa whipim Paul, olketa singaotem difren samting. Gogo komanda no minim wanem nao happen. Taem olketa soldia tekem Paul go long haos bilong olketa, pipol barava raf tumas long hem and olketa soldia mas karem hem nao. Taem olketa klosap for tekem Paul go insaed haos bilong olketa soldia, Paul askem datfala komanda: “Plis, iu letem mi for toktok firstaem long olketa pipol hia.” (Acts 21:39) Komanda letem Paul, so Paul gohed story nao long olketa abaotem biliv bilong hem.
14, 15. (a) Wanem nao Paul talem long olketa Jew? (b) Wanem nao komanda bilong army duim for faendaot why olketa Jew kros long Paul?
14 Paul sei long olketa Jew: “Iufala herehere kam firstaem. Mi laek ansarem toktok bilong iufala.” (Acts 22:1) Paul story long olketa long Hebrew languis and datwan mekem olketa kwaet nao. Hem talem stret why nao hem followim Christ. Hem storyim olketa samting wea olketa Jew savve chekim sapos hem tru or nomoa. Gamaliel nao teacher bilong hem and Paul spoelem olketa Christian bifor. Maet samfala savve long datwan. Bat taem Paul klosap kasem Damascus hem lukim Christ long vision and Christ story long hem. Olketa man wea go witim Paul lukim datfala braet laet bat “olketa no minim” toktok bilong man wea story long Paul. (Acts 9:7; 22:9) From laet hia mekem Paul blind, olketa wea go witim Paul leadim hem go long Damascus. Long there, Ananias, wanfala man wea olketa Jew savve long hem mekem Paul for lukluk moa.
15 Then Paul sei taem hem go bak long Jerusalem and go insaed temple hem lukim Jesus long vision. Taem olketa Jew herem datwan, olketa kros and singaot olsem long hem: “Killim hem dae. Hem no fit for laef!” (Acts 22:22) Komanda no laekem olketa for killim dae Paul, so hem talem olketa soldia for tekem Paul go long haos bilong olketa. From hem laek savve why nao olketa Jew kros long Paul, hem talem olketa soldia for whipim and kwestinim hem. Bat Paul talem olketa soldia hem citizen bilong Rome and hem no stret for whipim man wea olketa no kotem yet. Olketa Jehovah’s Witness distaem tu iusim law for protectim olketa and defendim biliv bilong olketa. (Lukim tufala box, “ Olketa Citizen and Law Bilong Rome” and “ Iusim Law for Defendim Gud Nius Distaem.”) Taem datfala komanda herem Paul hem man bilong Rome, hem luksavve hem mas duim difren samting for faendaot why olketa Jew kros long Paul. So long next day, hem talem olketa bigman bilong Hae Kot bilong olketa Jew for hipap and hem tekem Paul go long olketa.
“Mi Wanfala Pharisee” (Acts 23:1-10)
16, 17. (a) Wanem nao happen taem Paul story long hae kot? (b) Taem olketa hitim hem, wanem nao Paul duim wea showimaot hem hambol?
16 For defendim biliv bilong hem, Paul sei long olketa bigman bilong hae kot: “Olketa brata, long tingting bilong mi, no enitaem mi duim samting wea againstim God.” (Acts 23:1) Bat hem no savve talem eni nara samting moa bikos Bible sei: “Semtaem nomoa hae priest Ananias talem olketa wea standap klosap long Paul for hitim mouth bilong hem.” (Acts 23:2) Datwan nating showimaot respect! Hem olsem olketa sei Paul hem man for laea bat olketa no herem eni pruv yet! Dastawe Paul sei long hem: “Iu man for laea tumas ia! Bae God hem panisim iu. Hao nao iu laek judgem mi followim samting wea Law hem talem, bat iuseleva nao iu brekem Law taem iu talem olketa for hitim mi?”—Acts 23:3.
17 Olketa wea stap long there seke tumas long wanem Paul talem! Olketa sei: “Hao nao iu tok spoelem hae priest bilong God?” Taem Paul ansarem olketa, hem showimaot hem hambol and tinghae long Law. Hem sei: “Sorre tumas olketa brata, mi nating savve hem hae priest. Olketa Holy Raeting sei, ‘Iu mas no tok spoelem eni bigman bilong iu.’” d (Acts 23:4, 5; Ex. 22:28) So Paul disaed for storyim difren samting. From hem luksavve olketa long hae kot hem olketa Pharisee and Sadducee, hem sei: “Olketa brata, mi wanfala Pharisee, and dadi and olketa grani bilong mi Pharisee tu. Iufala judgem mi bikos mi bilivim olketa wea dae finis bae laef bak.”—Acts 23:6.
Taem iumi story witim man bilong nara religion, iumi trae for storyim samting wea hem agree long hem olsem Paul duim
18. Why nao Paul sei hem wanfala Pharisee, and hao nao iumi savve followim example bilong hem?
18 Why nao Paul sei hem wanfala Pharisee? Hem bikos “dadi and olketa grani bilong [hem] Pharisee.” So staka Jew bae ting long hem olsem wanfala Pharisee yet. e Bat hao nao Paul savve sei hem tu bilivim pipol wea dae finis bae laef bak olsem olketa Pharisee bilivim? Olketa Pharisee sei soul bilong man no dae and soul bilong man wea raeteous bae laef moa long nara body. Paul no bilivim kaen teaching olsem. Hem bilivim olketa man bae laef bak olsem Jesus teachim. (John 5:25-29) Nomata olsem, Paul agree witim olketa Pharisee hao hope hem stap for olketa wea dae finis. Datwan hem difren from olketa Sadducee wea sei no eniwan savve laef bak. Maet iumi tu story olsem taem iumi meetim pipol wea sei olketa biliv long Christ. Iumi savve sei iumi biliv long God olsem olketa nomata olketa bilivim Trinity and iumi bilivim God wea Bible story abaotem. Iumi evriwan bilivim wanfala God hem stap.
19. Why nao olketa long hae kot raoa?
19 Samting wea Paul talem mekem olketa long hae kot raoa nao. Bible sei: “Tufala sekson hia gohed singaot big, and samfala man wea teachim law and wea olketa Pharisee tu, olketa standap and tok strong olsem: ‘Mifala nating faendem disfala man hem duim eni rong samting. Maet wanfala angel or spirit nao story long hem.’” (Acts 23:9) Olketa Sadducee kros tumas taem olketa herem datwan bikos olketa sei no eni angel hem stap! (Lukim box long daon, “ Olketa Sadducee and Pharisee.”) Raoa hia kamap big gogo datfala komanda mas sevem Paul moa. (Acts 23:10) Nomata olsem, Paul stap long danger yet. Wanem nao happen long hem bihaen? Bae iumi storyim long next chapter.
a From staka Jew kamap Christian, luk olsem plande kongregeson savve hipap for meeting long haos bilong olketa brata and sista.
b Samfala year bihaen, aposol Paul raetem leta for olketa Hebrew and pruvim hao niu agreement hem winim old agreement. Hem sei niu agreement mekem old agreement no garem paoa nao. Paul storyim olketa pruv wea olketa Jew Christian savve storyim for ansarem olketa Jew wea sei Law bilong Moses gohed yet. Masbi datwan strongim faith bilong samfala wea tinghae tumas long Law bilong Moses.—Heb. 8:7-13.
c Samfala savveman sei olketa man hia mekem promis for Nazirite. (Num. 6:1-21) Hem tru, wei for mekem promis olsem hem followim Law bilong Moses. Bat nomata datfala Law hem finis, maet Paul tingse hem no rong for olketa man gohed followim promis wea olketa mekem long Jehovah. So hem bae no rong for Paul go witim olketa and peim evri samting wea olketa needim. Nomata iumi no savve wanem promis nao olketa mekem, luk olsem hem hard for Paul agree for givim animal sakrifaes for forgivim sin olsem olketa Nazirite savve duim. Perfect sakrifaes bilong Christ nomoa savve forgivim sin. Iumi savve Paul bae no laek duim eni samting wea bae spoelem konsens bilong hem.
d Samfala sei eye bilong Paul no mas gud dastawe hem no luksavve long hae priest. Or maet hem no luksavve long niu hae priest bikos hem no kakam long Jerusalem for longtaem. Or from staka pipol standap maet hem no lukim man wea talem narawan for hitim hem.
