1-3. (a) Wetin happen wey almost divide the congregation for the apostles time? (b) Wetin we go gain as we de study this story for the book of Acts?

 PAUL and Barnabas just come back to Antioch wey dey Syria after their first travel as missionary. Them really de happy say Jehovah “don open door for people of the nations so that them go fit get faith.” (Acts 14:26, 27) For Antioch too, the disciples de really spread the good news, and “plenty-plenty people” wey no be Jew de become Christians.—Acts 11:20-26.

² This better news no waste time to reach Judea. But no be everybody de happy. Some people think say everybody wey be Christian go need to circumcise, but other people no agree with that one. How Christians wey be Jew and the ones wey no be Jew go de treat each other? The Christians wey no be Jew go need to obey the Law of Moses? This matter cause serious problem wey almost divide the congregation. How them go settle-am?

³ We go learn plenty important lessons from this story wey dey the book of Acts. Wetin we go learn fit help us when something happen wey fit divide the congregation.

4. Wetin some Jew Christians still de teach, and which question we fit ask?

⁴ Luke wey be disciple write say: “Some men come from Judea and start to teach the brothers say: ‘Unless una circumcise as the Law of Moses talk, God no go save una.’” (Acts 15:1) We no know if this “men . . . from Judea” don be Pharisee before them become Christian. But e be like say them still de think like Pharisee people wey de too hold the Law strong. And them fit don talk say wetin them de talk na from the apostles and elders from Jerusalem. (Acts 15:23, 24) So, why those Jew Christians still de think say e dey important to circumcise, even after God don make-am clear to apostle Peter say e don de accept  people wey no be Jew and wey never circumcise to join the Christian congregation? a—Acts 10:24-29, 44-48.

5, 6. (a) Wetin fit make some Christians wey be Jew de think say e dey important to circumcise? (b) The covenant about circumcision na part of the other covenant wey God get with Abraham? Explain. (Check footnote.)

⁵ Plenty reasons dey. One of their reasons fit be say, na Jehovah give command say make men de circumcise, and this na sign to show the special friendship wey Jehovah get with im people. E command Abraham and all the men wey live with-am to circumcise, and e later give Israel people the same command. b (Lev. 12:2, 3) Even Moses Law talk say people from another country must circumcise before them go fit de join Israel people do some things, like to chop the Passover food. (Ex. 12:43, 44, 48, 49) So, Jew people de see any man wey never circumcise as person wey no clean and wey no go fit serve God.—Isa. 52:1.

⁶ So, Jew people wey don become Christian need faith and need to dey humble to fit change the way them de think. As the new covenant don replace the Law covenant, person no go become part of God people just because them born-am as Jew. And as many of this Christians wey be Jew still de live among other Jews, them really need strong heart to fit be Jesus disciple and worship God together with other Christians wey no be Jew and wey never circumcise.—Jer. 31:31-33; Luke 22:20.

7. Wetin the “men . . . from Judea” never understand?

⁷ We know say the main things wey God want for im worship never change, because the main things wey dey the Law of Moses still dey for the new covenant. (Matt. 22:36-40) For example, when Paul de write about circumcision, e talk say: “Person na Jew because of who e be for inside, and na im heart e circumcise with spirit and no be with the law wey them write.” (Rom. 2:29; Deut. 10:16) The “men . . . from Judea” never understand this truth, them de talk say Jehovah still want make im people circumcise. Them go gree change their mind?

8. Why them carry the circumcision matter go meet the governing body for Jerusalem?

⁸ Luke continue the story. E say: “After Paul and Barnabas no agree and de argue with them for some time, them arrange say make Paul, Barnabas and  some other people go up to Jerusalem go see the apostles and elders about this matter.” c (Acts 15:2) The brothers for the congregation for Antioch “no agree and de argue” about whether Christians go circumcise or them no go circumcise. Each person believe say na wetin e de talk correct. To get peace and one mind, them decide to ask “the apostles and elders” for Jerusalem, wey be the governing body. Wetin we fit learn from the elders for Antioch?

9, 10. Which better example we fit learn from the brothers for Antioch, and from Paul and Barnabas?

⁹ One better lesson wey we learn na say we need to trust Jehovah organization. Think-am: The brothers for Antioch know say all the brothers wey dey the governing body for Jerusalem na Jews. Even with that one, them trust say this group of brothers go follow wetin dey for God Word to settle the matter about circumcision. Why them trust them? The congregation dey sure say Jehovah go direct them. E go use im holy spirit and Jesus, wey be the Head of the Christian congregation. (Matt. 28:18, 20; Eph. 1:22, 23) Today too, when serious matter dey, make we copy the better example of the brothers for Antioch and trust Jehovah organization and the Governing Body.

¹⁰ We still learn why e dey important to dey humble and patient. Paul and Barnabas no think say because holy spirit don choose them to go the nations, them get right to decide the circumcision matter there for Antioch. (Acts 13:2, 3) Paul write say: “I go [Jerusalem] because of wetin the Lord show me from heaven.” This one show say na holy spirit de direct-am. (Gal. 2:2) For the same way, elders today de try to dey humble, and dey patient when something happen wey fit scatter the peace and one mind for congregation.  Instead of to de argue, them de allow Jehovah direct them as them de check wetin Bible talk and wetin the faithful slave don talk about the matter.—Phil. 2:2, 3.

11, 12. Why e dey important to wait for Jehovah to direct matter?

¹¹ Sometimes, we fit need to wait make Jehovah help us understand matter well. Remember say the brothers for the time of Paul need to wait until around 49 C.E.—about 13 years from the time wey Cornelius receive holy spirit for 36 C.E.—before Jehovah make-am clear to everybody say people wey no be Jew no need to circumcise. Why Jehovah wait for all this years? Maybe e want give the Christians wey be Jew time to adjust their thinking and start to see things the way e de see-am. After all, the covenant about circumcision wey Jehovah get with Abraham, their papa wey them really love and respect, don dey for 1,900 years, so this one na really big change for them.—John 16:12.

¹² Na really big honor as our Papa Jehovah de sofri teach us and help us change our thinking to be like im own! We de always gain from wetin e de teach us. (Isa. 48:17, 18; 64:8) So make we no ever carry shoulder and de think say na our own idea dey correct or de find fault with wetin organization don change or the new way wey them explain wetin we understand before. (Eccl. 7:8) If you ever start to think for this bad way, think deep about wetin you fit learn from Acts chapter 15 and pray make Jehovah help you do wetin you learn. d

13. How we fit copy the way Jehovah dey patient for our preaching work?

¹³ We need to dey patient when we de study Bible with people and e de hard them to leave the lie-lie things wey Bible no support wey them de do. When e happen like that, make we continue to try to help them as we de wait to see whether them go allow make God spirit help them change. (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) We still need to pray for them. As time de go, Jehovah go help us see the best way to help them.—1 John 5:14.

14, 15. (a) How the congregation for Antioch show respect for Paul, Barnabas and the people wey follow them? (b) How Paul and the other people wey follow-am encourage their brothers?

¹⁴ Luke talk say: “After the congregation escort them small, this men continue their journey through Phoenicia and Samaria, and tell the brothers everything about how people of the nations de turn to worship God. And this one make all the brothers really happy.” (Acts 15:3) The congregation escort Paul, Barnabas, and the people wey follow them to show their love, respect,  support, and to wish them blessing from God. This one na another better lesson wey we fit learn from the brothers for Antioch! You de respect your Christian brothers and sisters, “especially the . . . [elders] wey de work hard for the way them de talk about the word of God and for the way them de teach”?—1 Tim. 5:17.

¹⁵ As them de go Jerusalem, Paul and the people wey follow-am encourage the brothers for Phoenicia and Samaria as them tell them “everything” about the plenty people wey no be Jew wey de become Christians. Some of the brothers for there fit be Jew wey don run come this area after them kill Stephen. Na so e still be today, e de encourage us to hear report about how Jehovah de bless the preaching work, especially if we de face different problems. So try your best, make you no miss this reports wey de encourage us for meetings, assemblies, conventions, for story about people life wey dey inside our books and for jw.org!

16. Wetin show say the circumcision matter na really big problem?

¹⁶ After them don travel about 550 km for the south side, the brothers from Antioch finally reach where them de go. Luke talk say: “As them reach Jerusalem, the congregation and the apostles and the elders welcome them well, and them tell them plenty things about wetin God don use them do.” (Acts 15:4) But, “some of the people wey be dey part of the group wey them de call Pharisee but wey don believe the good news, stand up from their seat and talk say: ‘E dey important to circumcise them and command them to obey the Law of Moses.’” (Acts 15:5) E clear say, the circumcision matter don be big problem and them really need to settle-am.

17. Which people dey for the governing body for Jerusalem, and why “the elders” de work with them?

¹⁷ Proverbs 13:10 talk say, “People wey de ask for advice go get sense.” This na exactly wetin the apostles and the elders do. Them “gather together to discuss this matter [about circumcision].” (Acts 15:6) “The apostles and the elders” make decision for all the congregations, just like the Governing Body de do for this our time. Why “the elders” de work together with the apostles?  Remember say them don kill apostle James, and Peter don dey prison for some time. Maybe something like that fit still happen to the other apostles. If e happen like that, e go dey important to get other anointed brothers wey go fit continue to direct the work.

18, 19. Wetin Peter talk, and wetin this one suppose make the people wey e de talk to understand?

¹⁸ Luke continue the story, e talk say: “After them don really discuss this matter for long time, Peter get up and tell them say: ‘My people, my brothers, una really know say long time ago, God choose me among una, say through me, make people of the nations hear the word of the good news and believe. And God wey know the heart show say e don accept them as e give them holy spirit just as e don give us too. And e no treat we and them for different way at all, but e use faith to make their heart dey pure.’” (Acts 15:7-9) One research show say, the Greek word wey them translate as ‘really discuss for long time’ for verse 7 fit still mean say the elders ask questions and sofri check everything about the matter. E clear say even though the brothers no de see the matter for the same way, them ready and them feel free to discuss-am and talk how them feel.

¹⁹ Wetin Peter talk remind everybody say Peter dey there when Cornelius and im family—the first people wey no be Jew and wey never circumcise wey become Christian—receive holy spirit for 36 C.E. So if Jehovah don stop to separate Jew people from other nations, wetin go make anybody no stop? Wetin Peter talk still show say no be to obey Law of Moses go make Jehovah accept person worship, but na when the person show faith for Jesus Christ.—Gal. 2:16.

20. How the people wey de argue say circumcision dey important take “de test God”?

²⁰ Because of wetin God don talk and how e de use im holy spirit, Peter end im talk with this words: “So why una de test God as una de put heavy load ontop the disciples, wey our papa-papa them and even we no fit carry? But we get faith say God don save us through the special favor of the Lord Jesus for the same way like them.” (Acts 15:10, 11) Peter talk say people wey de argue say circumcision dey important, really “de test God,” or de test God patience. Them de try to force the Christians wey no be Jew to follow the Law. But even Jew people theirself no de really obey all the Law, and because of this one, them suppose die. (Gal. 3:10) So those Jew people suppose de thank God for the special favor wey e don use Jesus show them.

21. Wetin Barnabas and Paul talk wey help the brothers make better decision?

²¹ E clear say, wetin Peter talk make the people think, because “everybody for the group quiet.” Then Paul and Barnabas come talk “about the many signs and wonderful things wey God use them do among the nations.” (Acts 15:12) Now, the apostles and the elders fit check all the proof, and decide something wey agree with wetin God think about this circumcision matter.

22-24. (a) How Governing Body today de follow the example of the governing body for the apostles time? (b) How elders fit show say them want do things the way Jehovah want?

 ²² Today too, when Governing Body de do meeting, them de allow the Word of God to direct them, and de always pray for holy spirit. (Ps. 119:105; Matt. 7:7-11) Each of them go don already receive the list of wetin them want talk about, so that them fit take time to pray and think about-am before the meeting. (Prov. 15:28) For the meeting, this anointed brothers de show respect for each other and them de feel free to talk their mind. Them de always check wetin Bible talk as them de discuss.

²³ Elders for congregation suppose follow that example. And if them don discuss any serious matter but them never still know how to settle-am, them fit ask the branch office for their country or people wey branch send, like circuit overseers. Then the branch office fit write letter to Governing Body if them need more help.

²⁴ Yes, Jehovah de bless people wey dey humble, faithful, patient, wey de respect and follow the direction from the organization and congregation. For the next chapter, we go see how Jehovah go give us peace, one mind, and help our congregation de grow when we de do like this.