Kasem Olketa Mark for Christian Baptism
Kasem Olketa Mark for Christian Baptism
“Waswe, eni samting stopem mi for baptaes?”—ACTS 8:36.
1, 2. Hao nao Philip startim story witim wanfala bigman bilong Ethiopia, and wanem nao showimaot disfala man hem interest long tru worship?
SAMTING olsem wan or tufala year bihaen Jesus dae, wanfala bigman bilong gavman hem travel long road from Jerusalem for go long Gaza. Hem mas travel long chariot for samting olsem 1,500 kilometer. Disfala man wea strong for worshipim God hem travel kam from Ethiopia for kasem Jerusalem mekem hem savve worshipim Jehovah. Taem hem go bak, hem iusim gud datfala taem for readim Word bilong God, wea showimaot hem garem faith. Jehovah lukim man hia, and thru long wanfala angel, Hem givim direction long disaepol Philip for go preach long hem.—Acts 8:26-28.
2 Hem isi nomoa for Philip startim story witim disfala bigman bilong Ethiopia bikos man hia hem read big, wea hem nao fasin bilong pipol long datfala taem. Dastawe Philip fit for herem hao hem read from scroll bilong Isaiah. Wanfala simpol kwestin wea Philip askem long datfala bigman bilong Ethiopia mekem hem interest. Philip ask olsem: “Waswe, iu minim samting wea iu readim?” Diswan openem wei for tufala story abaotem Isaiah 53:7, 8. Bihaen datwan, Philip “talemaot long hem gud nius abaotem Jesus.”—Acts 8:29-35.
3, 4. (a) Why nao Philip stretawe baptaesim datfala man bilong Ethiopia? (b) Wanem nao olketa kwestin wea iumi bae ting raonem distaem?
3 Insaed short taem nomoa, datfala man bilong Ethiopia kasem savve abaotem part wea Jesus duim insaed plan bilong God, and tu, wei wea hem need for kamap disaepol bilong Christ wea baptaes. Taem hem lukim wanfala pool wata long saed road, hem askem Philip olsem: “Waswe, eni samting stopem mi for baptaes?” Hem tru, diswan hem difren lelebet bikos disfala man hem garem faith and hem wanfala Jew proselyte, wea minim hem wanfala worshiper bilong God finis. Sapos hem no baptaes long datfala taem, maet bae hem mas weit for longtaem moa bifor hem garem nara chance for baptaes. Samting wea moa important, disfala man minim samting wea God laekem hem for duim, and hem laek for duim datwan witim full heart bilong hem. Philip hapi for duim wanem disfala man bilong Ethiopia askem, and bihaen Philip baptaesim hem, man hia “gohed long gogo bilong hem and hem hapi tumas.” For sure hem kamap wanfala man wea strong for preach abaotem gud nius long hom bilong hem.—Acts 8:36-39.
4 Nomata man mas tingting gud firstaem bifor hem dedicate and baptaes, example bilong disfala bigman bilong Ethiopia showimaot hao samfala taem pipol baptaes no longtaem bihaen olketa herem truth insaed Word bilong God. * Dastawe hem fitim for iumi ting raonem olketa kwestin hia: Wanem nao man mas duim for prepare for baptaes? Waswe, age bilong man hem important? Wanem nao olketa spiritual mark wea man shud kasem bifor hem baptaes? Winim evri samting, why nao Jehovah sei evri servant bilong hem mas duim diswan?
Wanfala Serious Promis
5, 6. (a) Hao nao pipol bilong God long bifor showimaot fasin for tinghae long love bilong Jehovah? (b) Taem iumi baptaes, wanem wei for fren gud witim God nao iumi savve garem?
5 Bihaen Jehovah sevem olketa Israelite from Egypt, hem willing for acceptim olketa olsem “spesol samting” bilong hem for lovem and protectim olketa, and mekem olketa kamap “wanfala holy nation.” Nomata olsem, for kasem olketa blessing hia olketa mas duim samting for showimaot fasin for tinghae long love bilong God. Olketa duim diswan taem olketa agree for ‘duim evri samting wea Jehovah talem’ and go insaed long wanfala covenant witim hem. (Exodus 19:4-9) Long first century, Jesus komandim olketa follower bilong hem for mekem pipol bilong evri nation kamap disaepol, and olketa wea acceptim teaching bilong hem olketa baptaes. Sapos man laek for fren gud witim God hem mas garem faith long Jesus Christ and baptaes.—Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38, 41.
6 Olketa story hia insaed Bible showimaot wei wea Jehovah blessim olketa wea mekem wanfala serious promis for servem hem and followim datwan. Wei for dedicate and baptaes hem barava important samting for olketa Christian mas duim, wea datwan hem lead go long wei for kasem blessing bilong Jehovah. Iumi disaed strong for followim olketa standard bilong hem and for depend long hem for leadim iumi. (Psalm 48:14) From diswan, Jehovah holem hand bilong iumi long tokpiksa wei and hem leadim iumi go long wei wea iumi shud wakabaot followim.—Psalm 73:23; Isaiah 30:21; 41:10, 13.
7. Why nao wei for dedicate and baptaes hem samting wea man seleva mas disaedem?
7 Samting wea shud muvim iumi for duim olketa samting hia nao hem love wea iumi garem for Jehovah and feeling for laek servem hem. No eniwan shud baptaes bikos samwan sei hem study for longfala taem finis or bikos olketa fren bilong hem bae baptaes. Hem tru, olketa dadi and mami and narafala mature Christian savve encouragem samwan for ting raonem wei for dedicate and baptaes. Aposol Peter encouragem olketa wea lisin long hem long Pentecost for “baptaes.” (Acts 2:38) Nomata olsem, dedication bilong iumi hem samting wea iumiseleva mas disaedem and no eniwan savve duim datwan for iumi. Iumiseleva nao mas disaed for duim will bilong God.—Psalm 40:8.
Prepare Gud for Baptaes
8, 9. (a) Why nao wei for baptaesim olketa baby hem no fitim wanem Bible talem? (b) Wanem nao olketa young wan bae need for garem and minim saed long will and plan bilong God bifor olketa savve baptaes?
8 Waswe, olketa pikinini garem inaf savve and fit for ting raonem gud wanem nao insaed long dedication, mekem olketa savve duim datwan? Bible no talem wanem age nao man mas kasem bifor hem fit for baptaes. Nomata olsem, olketa baby no savve kamap man wea biliv, showimaot faith, or dedicate long God. (Acts 8:12) Man wea raetem history, Augustus Neander, sei olsem abaotem olketa Christian long first century insaed buk bilong hem, General History of the Christian Religion and Church: “Long firstaem olketa full-grown man and woman nomoa baptaes, bikos olketa minim wei wea baptism and faith barava join tugeta.”
9 Nomata olketa young, samfala savve minim gud olketa main teaching abaotem God and plan bilong hem, and tu, olketa savve garem feeling for laek followim olketa standard bilong hem. Bat olketa nara young wan needim moa taem for minim olketa samting hia. Nomata olsem, bifor wanfala young wan savve baptaes, hem mas fren gud witim Jehovah, garem stretfala savve abaotem olketa main teaching insaed Bible, and minim gud wanem nao insaed long dedication, long sem wei wea olketa full-grown man tu mas minim evri samting hia.
10. Wanem nao man mas duim bifor hem dedicate and baptaes?
10 Jesus givim instruction long olketa disaepol bilong hem for teachim olketa niu wan evri samting wea hem komandim finis long olketa. (Matthew 28:20) Firstaem, olketa niu wan mas kasem stretfala savve abaotem truth, wea bae mekem olketa fit for mekem grow faith long Jehovah and Word bilong hem. (Romans 10:17; 1 Timothy 2:4; Hebrews 11:6) Then, taem truth insaed Bible affectim heart bilong man, datwan bae muvim hem for repent and lusim olketa wei and fasin wea hem garem bifor hem savve long truth. (Acts 3:19) Bihaen hem duim evri samting hia, bae hem laek for dedicatem hemseleva long Jehovah and baptaes, for followim komand bilong Jesus.
11. Why nao hem important for iumi share evritaem insaed long waka for preach bifor iumi baptaes?
11 Narafala important samting wea man mas duim bifor hem baptaes hem for share long waka for preachim gud nius abaotem Kingdom. Diswan nao main waka wea Jehovah markem for pipol bilong hem duim long olketa last day distaem. (Matthew 24:14) From diswan, olketa pablisa wea no baptaes savve kasem hapi wea kamaot from wei for story abaotem faith bilong olketa long nara pipol. Wei for share long disfala waka hem redyim olketa tu for strong long field ministry and for share long datwan evritaem bihaen olketa baptaes.—Romans 10:9, 10, 14, 15.
Waswe, Eni Samting Stopem Iu for Baptaes?
12. Wanem nao maet mekem samfala hol bak for baptaes?
12 Samfala maet hol bak for baptaes bikos olketa no willing for acceptim responsibility wea insaed long diswan. Olketa luksavve hao olketa mas mekem olketa bigfala change long laef bilong olketa mekem olketa savve kasem olketa standard bilong Jehovah. Or maet olketa wari, nogud olketa faendem hem hard for duim samting wea God laekem bihaen olketa baptaes. Samfala maet sei tu, “Nogud wantaem bae mi duim samting wea no stret and disfellowship from kongregeson.”
13. Long taem bilong Jesus, wanem nao mekem samfala hol bak for kamap olketa follower bilong Jesus?
13 Long taem bilong Jesus, samfala letem samting wea olketa seleva laekem and hevi from famili stopem olketa for kamap olketa disaepol bilong hem. Wanfala scribe talem hem bae followim Jesus long eni ples Hem go. Bat Jesus talem man hia hao plande taem hem no garem eni ples for sleep long naet. Taem Jesus invaetem nara man for kamap follower bilong hem, datfala man talem Jesus hao hem mas “berem” firstaem dadi bilong hem. Luk olsem samting hem laek duim nao hem for stap long hom and weit go kasem taem dadi bilong hem dae, winim wei for followim Jesus firstaem and then lukaftarem datfala famili responsibility long taem wea datwan kamap. Narawan talem hao bifor hem followim Jesus hem mas “go for sei gudbae” long famili bilong hem firstaem. Jesus sei wei for delay olsem hem wei for man “lukluk long olketa samting bihaen.” So, hem luk olsem olketa wea laek for delay bae evritaem lukaotem enikaen excuse for no acceptim Christian responsibility bilong olketa.—Luke 9:57-62.
14. (a) Wanem nao Peter, Andrew, James, and John duim taem Jesus invaetem olketa for kamap olketa fisherman for kasem olketa man? (b) Why nao iumi shud no hol bak for acceptim yoke bilong Jesus?
14 Example bilong Peter, Andrew, James, and John hem barava difren. Taem Jesus invaetem olketa for followim hem and kamap olketa fisherman for kasem olketa man, Bible hem sei: “Stretawe olketa lusim olketa net and followim hem.” (Matthew 4:19-22) From olketa willing for disaed stretawe for followim Jesus, olketa experiencem disfala samting wea Jesus talem olketa bihaen: “Karem yoke bilong mi and lane from mi, from mi garem kwaet fasin and mi hambol long heart, and iufala bae faendem samting for strongim soul bilong iufala. From yoke bilong mi hem kaenfala and lod bilong mi hem no hevi.” (Matthew 11:29, 30) Hem tru wei for baptaes hem mekem man garem yoke bilong responsibility, bat Jesus promisim iumi hao datwan hem samting wea man savve karem and wea savve barava strongim iumi.
15. Hao nao example bilong Moses and Jeremiah showimaot wei wea iumi savve trust long God for sapotim iumi?
15 Tru nao, hem normal samting for garem feeling for sei iumi no fit for fulfillim responsibility wea kamap bihaen iumi baptaes. Long firstaem, Moses and Jeremiah tu feel olsem tufala no fit for duim assignment wea Jehovah givim long tufala. (Exodus 3:11; Jeremiah 1:6) Hao nao God encouragem tufala? Hem sei long Moses: “Mi bae stap witim iu.” Hem talem disfala promis long Jeremiah: “Mi stap witim iu for sevem iu.” (Exodus 3:12; Jeremiah 1:8) Iumi tu savve trustim wei wea God bae sapotim iumi. Love bilong iumi for God and wei for trustim hem savve helpem iumi for winim eni wei for daotem sapos iumi bae fit for fulfillim dedication bilong iumi. Aposol John hem raet olsem: “Love hem no mekem man fraet, bat perfect love torowem fraet aotsaed.” (1 John 4:18) Wanfala smol boy maet fraet sapos hem mas wakabaot seleva, bat taem hem holem hand bilong dadi bilong hem and wakabaot, hem nating fraet. Long sem wei tu, sapos iumi trustim Jehovah witim full heart bilong iumi, hem promis for ‘mekem olketa wei wea iumi followim stretfala’ taem iumi wakabaot witim hem.—Proverbs 3:5, 6.
Wanfala Taem wea Iumi Mas Respectim
16. Why nao taem man baptaes, hem mas barava go andanit long wata?
16 Bifor baptism, wanfala Bible tok kamap wea explainim wei wea Christian baptism hem important tumas. Long end bilong disfala tok, olketa wea redy for baptaes bae talemaot faith bilong olketa long pablik taem olketa ansarem tufala kwestin. (Romans 10:10; lukim box long page 18.) Then olketa hia baptaes anda long wata for followim example wea Jesus showimaot. Bible hem talem hao bihaen Jesus baptaes hem “kamaot from wata.” (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10) Hem klia hao John Baptaesa putim Jesus andanit long wata evribit. * Wei for barava go andanit long wata hem wanfala samting wea barava fit for piksarem bigfala change wea iumi duim insaed laef bilong iumi. Hem olsem iumi dae saed long laef bilong iumi bifor and startim wanfala niu laef for servem God.
17. Long wanem wei nao olketa wea bae baptaes and olketa wea lukluk savve showimaot respect long taem bilong baptism?
17 Baptism hem wanfala taem for hapi and for serious tu. Bible showimaot hao Jesus hem gohed for prea taem John baptaesim hem insaed long Jordan River. (Luke 3:21, 22) Example bilong Jesus mekem iumi luksavve hao olketa wea baptaes shud showimaot respect. And from Bible encouragem iumi for evritaem werem kaleko wea showimaot respect, iumi shud barava followim disfala kaonsel long day wea iumi baptaes! (1 Timothy 2:9) Olketa wea lukluk savve showimaot respect taem olketa lisin gud long baptism tok, and tu, taem olketa lukluk long baptism.—1 Corinthians 14:40.
Olketa Blessing wea Olketa Disaepol wea Baptaes Kasem
18, 19. Baptism hem mekem man kasem olketa wanem privilege and blessing?
18 Bihaen iumi dedicatem iumiseleva long God and baptaes, iumi kamap part bilong wanfala spesol famili. Firstfala blessing nao Jehovah hem kamap Dadi and Fren bilong iumi. Bifor iumi baptaes iumi stap farawe from God; bat distaem iumi fren bak witim hem. (2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:20) Thru long sakrifaes bilong Christ, iumi fren gud witim God and hem fren gud witim iumi. (James 4:8) Profet Malachi hem explainim wei wea Jehovah interest and lisin long olketa wea garem nem bilong hem, and hem putim nem bilong olketa insaed buk for rememberim olketa. God hem sei: “Olketa mas kamap pipol bilong mi . . . mi bae showimaot fasin for kea long olketa, olsem wanfala man hem showimaot fasin for kea long son bilong hem wea servem hem.”—Malachi 3:16-18.
19 Baptism hem mekem iumi fit for kamap part bilong wanfala spiritual famili evriwea long world tu. Taem aposol Peter ask abaotem olketa blessing wea olketa disaepol bilong Christ bae kasem from wei wea olketa sakrifaesim plande samting, Jesus talem disfala promis: “Evriwan wea lusim olketa haos or brata or sista or dadi or mami or pikinini or land for saed bilong nem bilong mi bae kasem plande moa samting and bae kasem laef olowe.” (Matthew 19:29) Staka year bihaen, Peter raet abaotem “full sekson bilong olketa brata” wea stap “long world.” Peter seleva kasem help and olketa blessing from olketa loving brata hia, and iumi tu savve kasem datwan.—1 Peter 2:17; 5:9.
20. Baptism hem mekem man kasem wanem nambawan hope?
20 Narafala samting moa, Jesus showimaot hao olketa wea followim hem bae “kasem laef olowe.” Tru tumas, dedication and baptism hem mekem iumi garem hope for kasem “datfala really laef,” hem nao, laef olowe insaed niu world bilong God. (1 Timothy 6:19) No eni faondeson for future hem moabeta for iumi and famili bilong iumi! Disfala nambawan hope bae mekem iumi fit for “wakabaot long nem bilong God bilong iumi Jehovah, for longfala taem, yes for olowe.”—Micah 4:5.
[Footnotes]
^ par. 4 Thri thousand Jew and proselyte wea lisin long tok bilong Peter long Pentecost tu baptaes stretawe. Olsem datfala eunuch bilong Ethiopia, olketa savve finis long olketa main teaching and principle insaed long Word bilong God.—Acts 2:37-41.
^ par. 16 Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words sei datfala Greek word baʹpti·sma (baptism) hem minim “wei for barava go andanit long wata and kamaot moa.”
Waswe, Iu Savve Minim?
• Hao nao iumi shud showimaot iumi tinghae long love bilong Jehovah, and why nao olsem?
• Wanem nao olketa spiritual mark wea man shud kasem bifor hem baptaes?
• Why nao iumi shud no letem wei for fraet nogud iumi fail, or wei for no laek acceptim responsibility mekem iumi hol bak for baptaes?
• Wanem nao olketa spesol blessing wea olketa disaepol bilong Jesus Christ wea baptaes savve enjoyim?
[Olketa Kwestin]
[Piksa long page 23]
“Waswe, eni samting stopem mi for baptaes?”
[Piksa long page 26]
Baptism hem wanfala taem for hapi and for serious tu