CHAPTER 24
“Iu No Fraet!”
Olketa Jew plan for killim dae Paul and Paul defendim biliv bilong hem front long Felix
Acts 23:11–24:27 storyim diswan
1, 2. Why nao Paul no seke long nogud samting wea happen long hem long Jerusalem?
OLKETA long hae kot kros fogud long Paul, so olketa soldia tekem Paul from olketa and putim hem long prison. Aposol Paul no seke long nogud samting wea happen long hem long Jerusalem. Holy spirit warnim hem finis bae hem “go long prison” and “kasem hard taem.” (Acts 20:22, 23) And nomata Paul no savve wanem nao bae kasem hem, hem savve hem bae safa from hem talemaot nem bilong Jesus.—Acts 9:16.
2 Olketa Christian profet warnim Paul tu olketa Jew long Jerusalem bae taemapem hem and givim hem long “pipol wea no Jew.” (Acts 21:4, 10, 11) No longtaem go nomoa staka Jew trae for killim hem dae and then olketa long hae kot raoa abaotem samting wea hem talem gogo hem luk olsem olketa bae ‘killim hem dae’ tu. So olketa soldia long Rome putim hem long prison. Paul savve hem bae go long kot and pipol bae accusim hem. (Acts 21:31; 23:10) Aposol Paul barava needim encouragement!
3. Wanem nao encouragem iumi for gohed duim preaching waka?
3 Long taem bilong iumi, “pipol bae spoelem tu eniwan wea laek for faithful long God and followim Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:12) Samfala taem iumi tu needim encouragement for gohed duim preaching waka. Iumi tinghae tumas long encouragement wea iumi kasem long olketa meeting and buk wea “wakaman wea faithful and wise” provaedem long barava taem! (Matt. 24:45) Jehovah sei olketa wea againstim gud nius bae nating finisim evri pipol bilong hem or stopem preaching waka. (Isa. 54:17; Jer. 1:19) Bat waswe long aposol Paul? Waswe, hem kasem encouragement for gohed storyim gud Kingdom bilong God taem pipol againstim hem? Sapos olsem, hu nao encouragem hem and wanem nao hem talem? Wanem nao Paul duim?
‘Plan Bilong Olketa Hem Fail’ (Acts 23:11-34)
4, 5. (a) Hu nao encouragem Paul and wanem nao hem talem? (b) Why nao Paul barava needim datwan?
4 Bihaen olketa soldia sevem aposol Paul from olketa bigman bilong hae kot, wanfala samting happen long naet wea barava encouragem Paul. Bible sei: “Lord hem kam long hem. Hem standap klosap long hem and sei: ‘Iu no fraet! Iu talem finis long evriwan long Jerusalem olketa samting abaotem mi, and iu mas talem pipol abaotem mi long Rome tu.’” (Acts 23:11) Toktok bilong Jesus encouragem Paul bikos hem luksavve hem bae no dae bat hem bae kasem Rome and garem chance for preach abaotem Jesus.
“Winim foti man nao weitim hem.”—Acts 23:21
5 Paul kasem encouragement long taem wea hem barava needim. Long next day, winim 40-fala man wea Jew “mekem wanfala plan for killim dae Paul, and olketa swear satem olketa seleva for no kaikaim or drinkim eni samting go kasem taem wea olketa duim datwan.” From “olketa swear satem olketa seleva for no kaikaim or drinkim eni samting,” datwan showimaot olketa barava laek for killim dae Paul. Sapos plan bilong olketa fail, olketa tingse nogud samting nao bae kasem olketa. (Acts 23:12-15) Olketa hed priest and olketa bigman agree witim plan bilong olketa Jew for tekem Paul go bak long hae kot for askem samfala kwestin moa long hem. Olketa duim olsem for mekem pipol tingse olketa laek faendemaot tru samting abaotem Paul, batawea olketa plan for weitim hem long road for killim hem dae.
6. Hao nao Paul savve long plan bilong olketa Jew, and hao nao olketa young wan savve followim example bilong nephew bilong Paul?
6 Bat young boy bilong sista bilong Paul savve long nogud plan hia, so hem go storyim long Paul. Paul talem hem for reportim datwan long Claudius Lysias, komanda bilong army bilong Rome. (Acts 23:16-22) Nomata iumi no savve long nem bilong nephew bilong Paul, Jehovah lovem olketa young wan olsem wea no fraet for helpem pipol bilong God and duim best bilong olketa for sapotim Kingdom.
7, 8. Wanem nao Claudius Lysias duim for sevem Paul?
7 Taem Claudius Lysias, komanda bilong 1,000 soldia herem datfala nogud plan for killim dae Paul, semtaem nomoa hem talem 200 soldia witim 70 man wea raedem horse and 200 man wea faet witim spia for tekem Paul go long Caesarea long datfala naet. Hem talem olketa for tekem hem go long Felix, bigman bilong Judea. a Olketa long Rome wea rulim Judea stap long Caesarea. Nomata staka Jew stap long there, big namba bilong pipol hem olketa wea no Jew. Pipol long Caesarea savve followim olketa law bat staka pipol long Jerusalem ting daonem pipol bilong nara religion and savve raeot. Hedquarter bilong army bilong Rome for province bilong Judea stap long Caesarea tu.
8 For followim law bilong Rome, Lysias raetem leta long Felix for explainim case bilong Paul. Hem sei taem hem herem Paul hem citizen bilong Rome, hem sevem Paul from olketa Jew wea laek “killim hem dae.” Lysias sei Paul no duim eni samting wea “fitim for olketa putim hem long prison or for olketa killim hem dae.” Bat hem sei from olketa Jew plan for killim hem dae, hem sendem Paul go long Felix mekem Felix savve herem tingting bilong olketa wea accusim Paul and judgem case bilong Paul.—Acts 23:25-30.
9. (a) Wanem nao Lysias duim long Paul wea againstim law bilong Rome? (b) Maet why nao iumi iusim raet bilong iumi saed long law?
9 Waswe, Lysias talem tru samting long leta bilong hem? Samfala samting wea hem talem hem no barava tru. Luk olsem hem laekem Felix for tinghae long hem. Lysias sevem Paul no bikos hem faendaot Paul hem citizen bilong Rome. Hem no talem Felix tu hem talem olketa soldia for “taengem [Paul] long tufala chain” and “whipim and kwestinim hem.” (Acts 21:30-34; 22:24-29) Samting wea Lysias duim hem againstim law bilong Rome bikos Paul hem citizen bilong Rome. Distaem Satan iusim pipol wea strong tumas long religion bilong olketa for barava spoelem olketa Christian and for stopem olketa for no worshipim God. Bat olsem Paul, pipol bilong God savve iusim raet bilong olketa saed long law for protectim olketa seleva.
“Mi Hapi for Iu Nao Judge Taem Mi Ansarem Toktok wea Pipol Hia Talem” (Acts 23:35–24:21)
10. Wanem nao olketa wea kam from Jerusalem accusim Paul long hem?
10 Long Caesarea, olketa soldia putim Paul “long haos bilong Herod and gaedem hem gud” go kasem taem olketa long Jerusalem wea accusim hem arrive. (Acts 23:35) Faevfala day bihaen, Hae Priest Ananias, Tertullus wea hem lawyer, and samfala bigman arrive. Firstaem, Tertullus praisem Felix for olketa samting wea hem duim for olketa Jew. Hem ososo long Felix bikos hem laekem Felix for saedem olketa. b Then Tertullus sei olsem abaotem Paul: “Disfala man hem man for mek trabol. Hem mekem olketa Jew long evri ples for againstim gavman and leadim datfala sekson wea olketa kolem ‘olketa Nazarene.’ Hem trae for duim samting wea mekem temple for no holy, so mifala holem hem nao.” Olketa Jew tu “tok spoelem [Paul] and sei evri samting hia hem tru.” (Acts 24:5, 6, 9) Tertullus sei Paul hem againstim gavman, leadim wanfala sekson wea spoelem pipol, and mekem temple for no holy. Man savve kasem panis for dae sapos hem guilty long olketa samting hia.
11, 12. Wanem nao Paul talem for ansarem olketa wea accusim hem?
11 Felix mekem saen long Paul for story. Paul sei: “Mi hapi for iu nao judge taem mi ansarem toktok wea pipol hia talem againstim mi.” Paul sei evri samting wea olketa talem hem no tru. Paul no mekem temple for no holy and hem no againstim gavman. “Bihaen samfala year” nao hem just go long Jerusalem for “givim selen for helpem” olketa Christian wea poor bikos long bigfala hangre wea kamap and from pipol spoelem olketa. Paul sei hem “duim finis samting wea law talem for [hem] klin” bifor hem go insaed long temple and hem “waka hard for garem gudfala konsens front long God and olketa man.”—Acts 24:10-13, 16-18.
12 Bat Paul talem olketa hem worshipim God bilong olketa grani bilong hem followim hao datfala “sekson wea olketa kolem ‘olketa Nazarene’” worshipim God. Hem sei hem bilivim “evri samting wea Law talem and wea olketa profet raet abaotem.” And olsem olketa wea accusim hem, Paul tu bilivim “pipol wea raeteous and pipol wea no raeteous [bae] laef bak.” Then Paul talem olketa wea accusim hem for pruvim wanem olketa talem. Hem sei: “Maet olketa man long hia savve talem eni samting wea olketa faendem mi duim rong taem olketa kotem mi long Hae Kot bilong olketa Jew. Olketa savve accusim mi long wanfala samting nomoa. Taem mi stap long datfala kot mi sei, ‘Iufala judgem mi bikos mi bilivim olketa wea dae finis bae laef bak!’”—Acts 24:14, 15, 20, 21.
13-15. Why nao Paul hem gudfala example for followim sapos iumi mas storyim biliv bilong iumi long olketa wea rul?
13 Sapos olketa wea rul kotem iumi bikos long worship bilong iumi and olketa sei iumi mekem pipol raeot, againstim gavman, or iumi wanfala sekson wea spoelem pipol, iumi savve followim gudfala example bilong Paul. Paul no ososo long Felix olsem Tertullus duim. Paul no raoa bat hem showimaot respect. Hem storyim olketa tru samting long kliafala wei. Paul sei olketa “Jew from Asia” wea sei hem mekem temple for no holy shud stap taem hem story long Felix. Paul garem raet saed long law for lukim olketa and herem wanem olketa talem againstim hem.—Acts 24:18, 19.
14 Bat tingim important samting wea iumi lanem from Paul. Hem no hol bak for storyim biliv bilong hem. Paul no fraet for talem moa hao pipol wea dae finis bae laef bak, wea datwan nao mekem olketa long Hae Kot bilong olketa Jew for raoa. (Acts 23:6-10) Why nao Paul mekhae long biliv hao God bae mekem olketa wea dae finis for laef bak? Hem bikos Paul preachim tru samting abaotem Jesus and hao hem laef bak. Olketa wea accusim hem nating acceptim datwan. (Acts 26:6-8, 22, 23) So samting wea olketa raoa abaotem hem sapos olketa man bae laef bak and main samting nao hem wei for biliv long Jesus and hao hem laef bak.
15 Iumi savve followim example bilong Paul and no fraet for preach. Iumi savve kasem strong tu from wanem Jesus talem long olketa disaepol. Hem sei: “Evriwan bae heitim iufala bikos iufala olketa disaepol bilong mi. Bat man wea bae sev nao hem man wea no givap go kasem taem world hem finis.” Waswe, iumi shud wari abaotem wanem for talem? Nomoa, bikos Jesus promis olsem: “Taem olketa tekem iufala go long kot, no wari abaotem wanem nao iufala bae talem. Talem nomoa samting wea iufala kasem from holy spirit long datfala taem, bikos hem no iufala nao wea toktok, bat hem holy spirit.”—Mark 13:9-13.
“Felix Hem Fraet Nao” (Acts 24:22-27)
16, 17. (a) Wanem nao Felix duim and talem taem hem kotem Paul? (b) Maet why nao Felix hem fraet, bat why nao hem lukim Paul staka taem moa?
16 Hem no firstaem for Felix herem biliv bilong olketa Christian. Bible sei: “From Felix hem savve gud long olketa samting abaotem disfala niu wei [wea minim olketa disaepol bilong Christ bifor olketa garem nem Christian], hem ting for muvim datfala case for narataem moa. So hem sei long olketa: ‘Taem Lysias, datfala komanda bilong army hem arrive kam, then bae mi disaedem case bilong iufala.’ Hem talem bigman bilong army for olketa gohed gaedem Paul. Hem talem olketa for no strict tumas and letem olketa fren bilong hem tekem kam olketa samting wea hem needim.”—Acts 24:22, 23.
17 Bihaen samfala day, Felix and waef bilong hem Drusilla wea hem wanfala Jew askem olketa for tekem kam Paul mekem tufala savve “lisin long wanem hem talem abaotem wei for biliv long Christ Jesus.” (Acts 24:24) “Bat taem Paul gohed for storyim wei for duim stret samting, wei for man kontrolem seleva, and hao God bae judgem evriwan, Felix hem fraet nao.” Maet hem fraet bikos hem duim olketa rabis samting and datwan pokem konsens bilong hem. So hem sei long Paul: “Iu go firstaem, and taem mi free bae mi sendem olketa man for tekem iu kam moa.” Felix lukim Paul staka taem moa bikos hem tingse Paul bae givim eni selen long hem and no bikos hem laek savve long truth.—Acts 24:25, 26.
18. Why nao Paul story long Felix and waef bilong hem abaotem “wei for duim stret samting, wei for man kontrolem seleva, and hao God bae judgem evriwan”?
18 Why nao Paul story long Felix and waef bilong hem abaotem “wei for duim stret samting, wei for man kontrolem seleva, and hao God bae judgem evriwan”? Hem bikos tufala laek savve wanem nao man wea “biliv long Christ Jesus” mas duim. Paul savve tufala durong, raf long pipol, and duim olketa samting wea no stret. So hem talem stret wanem olketa man mas duim sapos olketa laek followim Jesus. Samting wea Paul storyim showimaot olketa wei and principle bilong God hem barava difren from samting wea tufala duim. Tufala shud luksavve evriwan mas ansa long God for wanem olketa tingim, talem, and duim and samting wea important nao hem hao God bae judgem tufala and no hao Felix bae judgem Paul. Dastawe Felix “hem fraet”!
19, 20. (a) Wanem nao iumi shud duim taem iumi meetim pipol wea interest long truth bat no laek changem laef bilong olketa? (b) Wanem nao showimaot Felix hem no fren bilong Paul?
19 Long ministry, maet iumi tu meetim pipol wea olsem Felix. Maet firstaem olketa interest long truth bat olketa no laek changem laef bilong olketa for followim datwan. Iumi shud iusim gudfala tingting taem iumi laek helpem pipol olsem. Bat olsem Paul, iumi savve story long kaenfala wei abaotem samting wea olketa mas duim for mekem God hapi. Maet tru samting wea olketa lanem mekem olketa changem wei bilong olketa. Bat sapos iumi luksavve olketa no laek change, iumi lukaotem pipol wea laek savve long truth.
20 Samting wea Felix talem showimaot really tingting bilong hem. Bible sei: “Bihaen tufala year, Porcius Festus nao changem Felix, bat from Felix laek for mekem olketa Jew hapi long hem, hem leavim Paul long prison.” (Acts 24:27) Samting wea Felix duim showimaot hem no fren bilong Paul. Felix savve olketa wea followim “datfala niu wei” no againstim gavman or laek changem gavman. (Acts 19:23) Hem savve tu Paul no brekem law bilong Rome. Nomata olsem, Felix leavim Paul long prison for mekem “olketa Jew hapi long hem.”
21. Wanem nao happen long Paul bihaen Porcius Festus changem Felix, and wanem nao strongim Paul?
21 Olsem Acts 24:27 storyim, Paul hem prisoner yet taem Porcius Festus changem Felix. Start long datfala taem, olketa nara bigman herem case bilong Paul. Olsem Jesus talem finis, hem go standap front long “olketa king and bigman.” (Luke 21:12) Long olketa nara chapter, iumi bae storyim hao King long Rome tu herem case bilong Paul. Nomata Paul kasem olketa samting hia, hem nating givap. Masbi samting wea strongim Paul nao hem disfala toktok bilong Jesus: “Iu no fraet!”
a Lukim box, “ Felix Hem Bigman Bilong Judea.”
b Tertullus thankiu long Felix for mekem pipol long kantri “stap long peace.” Bat datwan no tru. Olketa narawan wea rulim Judea go kasem taem olketa Jew againstim Rome mekem pipol long Judea stap long peace winim taem Felix hem rul. Tertullus sei “evriwan barava thankiu” for olketa bigfala change wea Felix mekem long kantri. Bat datwan no tru tu bikos klosap evri Jew les long Felix. Hem mekem olketa safa and hem barava raf long olketa taem olketa againstim hem.—Acts 24:2, 3.
