1, 2. Which people de travel from Philippi go Thessalonica, and wetin them fit de think for their mind?

 PAUL, Silas, and Timothy de travel more than 130 km from Philippi go Thessalonica. Them de pass one road wey pass through different-different rough mountain wey people de pass well-well. Na engineers for Rome build-am. Noise dey the road. The noise de come from people wey de talk, like soldiers, business men and women, and people wey de use hand make thing wey de travel for the road too. Noise still de come from donkeys wey de shout, and tires of chariots wey de pass the big-big stones wey dey ground. The journey no easy at all, especially for Paul and Silas. This na because wounds still dey their body from the beating wey them use sticks beat them for Philippi.​—Acts 16:​22, 23.

² Wetin help this men no put mind for how the road far reach as them de trek? Them de talk to each other. Them still de remember the better thing wey happen for Philippi as the watchman for prison and im family become Christians. This thing wey happen, make this men ready their mind more-more say them go continue to preach the word of God. But as them de near the city of Thessalonica, them fit de wonder how Jew people for that city go treat them. Them go attack them, or even beat them as them do for Philippi?

3. Wetin we fit learn from Paul as e no fear to preach?

³ Later, for the letter wey Paul write to the Christians for Thessalonica, e talk wetin dey im mind that time. E talk say: “Even though say we first suffer and them treat us anyhow for Philippi as una know, our God help us make we no fear to tell una the good news of God even as people give us plenty trouble.” (1 Thess. 2:2) Wetin Paul talk show say because of wetin happen for Philippi, e be de worry about wetin fit happen for Thessalonica. You understand the way Paul feel? You de struggle to preach the good news sometimes? Paul trust Jehovah to help-am, to give-am the strong heart wey e need to preach. We go fit copy Paul example if we study about-am.​—1 Cor. 4:16.

4. Why we talk say the time wey Paul stay for Thessalonica fit pass three weeks?

⁴ Bible tell us say when Paul dey Thessalonica, e preach for the synagogue for three Sabbaths. This one come mean say na only three weeks e stay for there? No be so. We no know whether e go the synagogue as e just reach there, or if e go after some time. Apart from that one, Paul talk for im letter say im and im friends work to care for theirself when e dey there. (1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:​7, 8) And na two times the brothers for Philippi send things to help Paul. (Phil. 4:16) So the time wey Paul stay for Thessalonica fit pass three weeks.

5. Wetin Paul do to help the people believe wetin e de preach?

⁵ As Paul don get the strong heart wey e need to preach, e come preach to the people wey gather for the synagogue. As e de always do, “e reason with them from the Word of God. E de explain and de use the things wey them don write to prove say e dey important for the Christ to suffer and to come back to life. E tell them say: ‘Na this one be the Christ, this Jesus wey I de tell una about.’” (Acts 17:​2, 3) Paul no want talk wetin go just sweet the people, but e tell them wetin go make them think. E know say the people for the synagogue know the Word of God and them no de take-am play. But them no understand-am well. So Paul reason with them, explain, and use the Word of God prove say na Jesus wey come from Nazareth be the Messiah, or Christ.

6. How Jesus take reason from the Word of God, and how that one affect im disciples?

⁶ Paul follow the example of Jesus wey de always teach from the Word of God. For example, when Jesus de do im preaching work, e tell im disciples say as the Word of God don talk, the Son of man must suffer and die, and God go bring-am back to life. (Matt. 16:21) After Jesus come back to life, e appear to im disciples. Only that one self show say wetin Jesus talk na true. But e give them more reasons to believe the Word of God more-more. Bible say: “Then e explain to them [some disciples] all the things wey them don write about-am for inside the Word of God, and na the things wey Moses and all the Prophets write e start from.” Wetin come happen? The disciples talk say: “E no really touch our heart as e de talk with us for road, as e de explain the Word of God well for us?”​—Luke 24:​13, 27, 32.

7. Why e dey important make we de always use the Bible when we de preach?

⁷ The message for inside the Word of God get power. (Heb. 4:12) So Christians today de carry everything wey them de teach, from Bible just as Jesus, Paul, and other apostles do. We de reason with people and explain the meaning of wetin dey Bible. To prove say wetin we de talk na true, we de open, and de show them wetin dey inside Bible, because no be we get the message wey we de preach. When we de use Bible well-well, we de help people know say na God message we de preach, no be our own. E really good make we remember  say everything wey we de preach na from Bible, and na wetin people fit trust. This one de make us get strong mind to preach to people as Paul do?

8-10. (a) Wetin the people for Thessalonica do when them hear the good news? (b) Why some of the Jew people jealous Paul? (c) Wetin the Jew people wey dey against Paul do?

⁸ Jesus talk say: “Slave no de big pass im oga. If them don suffer me, them go suffer una too. If them obey my word, them go obey una own too.” (John 15:20) Paul don already see say this one na true. For Thessalonica, Paul see say some people accept the Word of God, but other people reject-am. Luke write about the people wey accept-am say: “Because of this one, some of them [the Jew people] believe the good news [become Christians] and join Paul and Silas, and plenty-plenty Greek people wey de worship God join them too, together with some big women.” (Acts 17:4) E clear say this new disciples happy say them don help them understand the Word of God.

⁹ Even though say some people accept wetin Paul preach, other people vex for-am no be small. As Paul don help “plenty-plenty Greek people” become Christians, some of the Jew people come de jealous. Those Jew people be want make the Greek people join Jew people religion, so them don teach them things from the Hebrew Scriptures, and them de see the Greek people as their disciples. But before them know, Paul just come their own synagogue de convince the Greek people to become Christians! This one make the Jew people vex no be small.

¹⁰ Luke tell us the next thing wey happen: “The Jew people start to jealous. So, them gather some wicked men together wey dey the market area and wey no get work, and form group and start to turn the city upside down. Them attack the house of Jason and try to find Paul and Silas to bring them come outside for the people wey de make trouble. When them no see them, them drag Jason and some of the brothers to the people wey de rule the city, and them de shout say: ‘This men wey don cause trouble for the earth dey here too, and Jason don accept them as im visitors. All this men de do things wey dey against the laws of Caesar, as them de talk say another king dey wey be Jesus.’” (Acts 17:​5-7) How this thing wey this people do, go affect Paul and im friends?

11. Wetin them talk say Paul and the other brothers do, and which law them want use against them? (Check footnote.)

¹¹ When plenty people wey de vex gather together, them de always do bad things. Them no de fit control them, like water for river wey de rush. Na this kind group of people Jew people use so that them go fit stop Paul and Silas. After the people don “turn the city upside down,” them try to convince the rulers say Paul and im people don commit serious crime. The first thing wey them talk say Paul and the other brothers do, na say them “don cause  trouble for the earth,” even though say no be Paul and the other brothers cause the kata-kata for Thessalonica. The second thing wey them talk say them do, na im worst pass. Them say the brothers de disobey the laws of the emperor for Rome as them de announce another king​—Jesus. a

12. Wetin show say the things wey them say Christians for Thessalonica do, fit put them for serious trouble?

¹² Remember say the Pharisee people and scribes talk say Jesus do the same thing. Them tell Pilate say: “We see say this man de turn our people against government . . . and e de talk say e be Christ wey be king.” (Luke 23:2) E fit be say Pilate de fear make the emperor for Rome no think say e de support another king, so e talk say make them kill Jesus. The things wey them say the Christians for Thessalonica do, fit make them enter serious trouble too. One book talk say: “The kind danger wey this one for put them, no be small one. Because that time, if them just suspect say person want try comot any emperor for Rome, them go kill-am.” This wicked plan wey Jew people get go work?

13, 14. (a) Why the people wey gather together to attack the Christians, no fit stop the preaching work? (b) How Paul take show say e dey careful like Jesus, and how we fit copy im example?

¹³ The plenty people wey gather together to attack the Christians, no fit stop the preaching work. Why? One reason be say, them no see Paul and Silas. Apart from that one, e be like say the rulers for the city no believe say the Christians do those things wey the people talk. Them come release Jason and the other brothers after them don collect bail from them. This bail fit be money. (Acts 17:​8, 9) Paul follow Jesus advice wey talk say: “Make una show say una get sense like snake, but dey innocent like doves.” Because of this one, e use sense comot from where danger dey so that e go fit continue to preach for other areas. (Matt. 10:16) Even though say Paul don comot fear from body, e still dey careful. How Christians fit follow im example today?

¹⁴ Today, leaders for church de make people vex for Jehovah people and gather attack them. Them de talk say Jehovah Witness de make people dey against government and de plan wicked things against their country. Na im make government de suffer Jehovah people. Just as e be for the apostles time, them de go against us, because them de jealous say more and more people de join us. But no matter wetin happen, true Christians no de put their life for danger anyhow. If e dey possible, we de comot from where those kind people wey de vex dey, so that we fit continue to do our work without trouble, and maybe go back later when everywhere don cool.

15. Wetin Beroea people do when them hear the good news?

¹⁵ To protect Paul and Silas, the brothers send them go Beroea about 65 km from Thessalonica. As them reach, Paul go the synagogue and start to preach to people wey gather. E go don happy well-well say e see people wey want hear the good news! Luke write say the Jew people for Beroea “dey ready to learn pass the people for Thessalonica, because them accept the word of God with all their heart, and them take their time de check the Word of God everyday to see whether this things na true.” (Acts 17:​10, 11) Wetin Luke write mean say the people for Thessalonica wey don be Christians, no get better mind? No! Paul later write say: “We never stop to thank God, because when una receive the word of God wey una hear from us, una no accept-am as word from people, but una accept-am as the word of God, and na so e be true-true, and e still de work for inside una wey believe the good news.” (1 Thess. 2:13) But why Bible talk say the Jew people for Beroea ready to learn?

16. Why Luke talk say Beroea people “dey ready to learn”?

¹⁶ Even though say Beroea people never hear this message before, them no suspect Paul or talk anyhow about im message; but this one no mean say them just believe like that. Them first listen well to wetin Paul want talk. Then, them open the Word of God to check whether the things wey Paul don make them understand na true. Them still de study the Word of God everyday, no be only for Sabbath day. And them use “all their heart” study-am, de take their time check how  the Word of God explain this new things wey them don learn. Them come show say them carry body down and change their life as “plenty of them believe the good news.” (Acts 17:12) No wonder Luke talk say them “dey ready to learn”!

17. Why Beroea people example be better one, and how we fit continue to copy their example even if e don tey wey we start to serve Jehovah?

¹⁷ Beroea people no know say them go write their better example for the Word of God as them accept the good news and ready to learn. Them do exactly wetin Paul hope say them go do, and wetin Jehovah want make them do. Na this one we de encourage people make them do too, make them take time check wetin dey Bible to make sure say wetin them believe na from the Word of God. But e mean say after we don accept the truth, we no need to de learn again? No! Na this time e dey more important make we always ready to learn from Jehovah and no waste time to do wetin we de learn. If we de do like this, we de allow Jehovah to mold us and train us as e want. (Isa. 64:8) This one go make our Papa for heaven continue to use us, and we go de make-am happy well-well.

18, 19. (a) Why Paul comot from Beroea, but wetin e continue to do, and how we fit copy im example? (b) Na which people Paul go preach to next, and for where?

¹⁸ Paul no stay long for Beroea. Bible talk say: “When Jew people from Thessalonica know say Paul de preach the word of God for Beroea too, them come there to turn the mind of the plenty people and cause trouble. Then at once, the brothers send Paul comot go the sea, but Silas and Timothy remain for there. But the people wey de follow Paul bring-am reach Athens, and them comot after them tell them say make Silas and Timothy come meet Paul quick-quick.” (Acts 17:​13-15) Those people wey dey against the good news no want stop to cause trouble for the brothers at all! Them pursue Paul comot from Thessalonica, and still travel go Beroea to cause the same trouble for there, but them no succeed. Paul know say the area wey e go preach big, so e just comot go another area go preach. Make we self ready our mind say we no go allow anybody stop our preaching work!

¹⁹ As Paul don preach well-well to the Jew people for Thessalonica and Beroea, e don learn say e dey important to comot fear from body as e de preach, and to help people see the truth for the Word of God by theirself. We self don learn this one too. But now, the people wey Paul want preach to different, na the people of the nations for Athens. Wetin the people go do when them hear im preaching? We go talk about-am for the next chapter.