1, 2. Why e no surprise Paul say them de suffer-am for Jerusalem?

 FOR Jerusalem, them save Paul from one group of people wey de vex and them put-am for prison again. Apostle Paul no surprise as them de suffer-am for Jerusalem. Them tell-am say them go put-am for ‘prison and suffer-am’ for this city. (Acts 20:​22, 23) Even though say Paul no know wetin go happen to-am, e know say e go continue to suffer because of Jesus name.​—Acts 9:16.

² Even some Christians wey be prophet warn Paul say, them go tie-am and give-am “to the people of the nations.” (Acts 21:​4, 10, 11) E never tey wey some Jew people try to kill-am. Later, e be like say the people wey dey the Sanhedrin want “tear Paul to pieces” as them de argue because of wetin Paul talk. Now Paul dey for prison and Rome soldiers de guard-am. E go need to go court again and defend imself. (Acts 21:31; 23:10) True-true, apostle Paul need encouragement!

3. Where we de get encouragement to fit continue our preaching work?

³ As we de live for this last days, we know say “all the people wey want serve God well as people wey de follow Christ Jesus go still face suffer from people.” (2 Tim. 3:12) From time to time, we need encouragement to fit continue our preaching work. We really de happy say our books and meetings wey “the faithful and discreet slave” de arrange for us for the correct time, de really encourage us! (Matt. 24:45) Jehovah promise us say no enemy go fit destroy im people and them no go fit stop our preaching work. (Isa. 54:17; Jer. 1:19) But, wetin happen to apostle Paul? E get anything wey encourage Paul to continue to preach well even when people dey against-am? If na so, wetin encourage-am, and wetin e do?

4, 5. How Paul get the encouragement wey e need, and why we fit talk say e come for the correct time?

⁴ Apostle Paul get the encouragement wey e really need the night after them save-am from the Sanhedrin. Bible tell us say: “The Lord stand near Paul and talk say: ‘No fear! Because just as you don de  really preach well about me for Jerusalem, na so you go still preach for Rome.’” (Acts 23:11) As Jesus encourage Paul, e help-am know say e no go die for Jerusalem, e go reach Rome and get the chance to preach about Jesus for there.

⁵ Paul get the encouragement for the correct time. The next day, more than 40 men wey be Jew “plan together and swear say them no go chop or drink until them don kill Paul.” As them ‘plan and swear,’ e show say them really ready to kill Paul. If them no succeed for wetin them plan, them believe say bad thing go happen to them. (Acts 23:​12-15) The chief priests and the elders agree with their plan say make them bring Paul back to the Sanhedrin to ask-am more question, like say them want know more about the matter, but them go hide and wait to attack Paul and kill-am for road.

6. How Paul take know of the plan wey them get to kill-am, and wetin young people today fit learn from Paul sister pikin?

⁶ But Paul sister son hear wetin them de plan and tell Paul about-am. So Paul tell the young man to report the matter to Rome army commander Claudius Lysias. (Acts 23:​16-22) True-true, Jehovah love young people wey de use strong heart support Jehovah people and wey de do everything wey them fit do to work for God like this Paul sister pikin wey them no mention im name.

7, 8. Wetin Claudius Lysias do to make sure say Paul dey safe?

⁷ When Claudius Lysias wey de control 1,000 soldiers hear about the plan to kill Paul, e command total of 470​—soldiers, horsemen, and men wey de use spear to escort Paul that night from Jerusalem go Caesarea. When them reach there, the men go carry Paul go meet Governor Felix. a Caesarea na the capital of Judea wey Rome de rule. But even though say plenty Jew people de live for there, the people wey plenty pass, na people wey no be Jew. For Caesarea, them de enjoy peace, e no be like Jerusalem wey fight-fight de happen because them no want any other religion. For inside Judea, the main headquarter of Rome army dey for Caesarea.

⁸ Lysias follow wetin dey for Rome law when e write letter to Governor Felix to explain the matter. E talk say when e hear say Paul na Rome person, e come save-am from Jew people wey “want kill-am.” Lysias still talk say e no see anything wey Paul do wey go make them kill-am or put-am for prison, but because Jew people don plan to kill-am, e come send-am to Felix so that e go fit hear the people wey de accuse-am and judge the matter.​—Acts 23:​25-30.

9. (a) Wetin Lysias do wey go against the right wey Paul get as Rome person? (b) Why we fit use our right as citizen?

⁹ Na everything wey Lysias write be true? No. E be like say, e want make the governor see-am as better person. E no save Paul because Paul na Rome  person. Another thing be say, e no talk say e be don “chain-am with two chains” and say e give order “make them de beat-am as them de ask-am question.” (Acts 21:​30-34; 22:​24-29) This things wey Lysias do, go against the right wey Paul get as Rome person. Today, Satan de use people wey de carry their lie-lie religion for head to make God people suffer more-more, and them fit want stop us make we no worship Jehovah. But as Paul do, Jehovah people fit use the right wey them get as citizen to protect theirself.

10. Which serious things them accuse Paul say e do?

¹⁰ For Caesarea, ‘them keep Paul for Herod palace’ to wait for the people wey accuse-am wey de come from Jerusalem. (Acts 23:35) After five days, Ananias wey be High Priest, one lawyer wey e name na Tertullus, and some elders come there. Tertullus first praise Governor Felix for wetin e de do for Jew people, but e no mean wetin e talk, e talk-am to get favor. b Now, Tertullus start to talk about the matter, e talk say Paul “de make trouble, e de make people among all the Jew people for the earth to fight against government, and e de lead one group wey them de call the Nazarenes. E still try to make the temple no dey holy, so we catch-am.” Other “Jew people still join de talk against Paul, de talk say this things na true.” (Acts 24:​5, 6, 9) Them say e de make people fight against government, de lead one dangerous group, and de try to make the temple no dey holy. This things wey them accuse Paul say e do, fit make them kill-am.

11, 12. How Paul defend imself for the things wey them accuse-am?

¹¹ Them allow Paul make e talk and e talk say: “I really happy as I want talk to defend myself.” Paul no gree say e do the things wey them say e do. E no do anything to make the temple no dey holy, or even make people fight against government. E let them know say e no dey for Jerusalem for “many years” and e come give “gifts to help poor people.” This contribution na to help Christians wey dey poor and e fit be say, them dey poor because food scarce and people de suffer them. Paul still talk say, before e enter the temple, e don already “dey clean as the Law of Moses talk” and e de always try to “continue to get clean conscience for front of God and people.”​—Acts 24:​10-13, 16-18.

¹² Paul agree say, e “de follow the way wey people de call new group” de worship the God of im papa-papa them. But e still talk say, e believe “all the things wey dey inside the Law and the things wey the Prophets write.” And  like the people wey accuse-am, im imself believe say “people wey don die go come back to life, people wey do the correct thing for God eye and people wey no do the correct thing for God eye.” Paul come challenge the people wey de accuse-am say, “make the men for here talk by theirself the bad thing wey them see say I do as I stand for front of the Sanhedrin. The only thing wey them fit talk against me na say, when I stand among them I tell them say: ‘Them de judge me today because I get the hope say people wey don die go come back to life!’ ”​—Acts 24:​14, 15, 20, 21.

13-15. Wetin make Paul be better example for us when we de talk for front of government?

¹³ Paul show us better example to follow if them carry us go defend ourself for front of government because of wetin we believe or if na because them lie against us say we de do things wey de cause fight, or de go against government, or say we dey one dangerous group. Paul no praise the governor because e want get favor as Tertullus do, but Paul respect-am and e dey calm. When Paul de talk, e dey kind, e talk true and wetin e talk clear. Paul talk say, the “Jew people from Asia” wey accuse-am say e spoil the temple no dey there, and according to law, e suppose face them make them talk wetin e do for im front.​—Acts 24:​18, 19.

¹⁴ Wetin dey important pass be say, Paul no fear to talk about wetin e believe. Paul use strong heart talk wetin e believe say people wey don die go come back to life, even though say this matter don cause trouble before when e face the Sanhedrin. (Acts 23:​6-10) When e de defend imself, Paul talk more about resurrection. Why? Because Paul de preach the truth about Jesus and say Jesus come back to life again, and this na wetin the people wey de go  against-am no believe. (Acts 26:​6-8, 22, 23) The real reason why Paul dey here de defend imself be say, e believe say Jesus come back to life and say people go still come back to life.

¹⁵ Jesus tell im disciples say: “Everybody go hate una because of my name, but the person wey don endure reach the end, them go save-am.” This one fit encourage us and give us strong heart to preach just like Paul. We suppose worry about wetin we go talk? No, Jesus promise us say: “When them de carry una go, make una no come de over-worry about wetin una go talk, but any word wey them give una that time, make una talk-am, because no be una de talk, but na the holy spirit.”​—Mark 13:​9-13.

16, 17. (a) Wetin Felix talk and do for Paul matter? (b) Wetin make Felix fear, but why e continue to call Paul and talk with-am?

¹⁶ No be the first time wey Governor Felix don hear about the things wey Christians believe. Bible talk say: “Felix really know things about this Way [the word wey them de use describe Christians that time], e shift the case and talk say: ‘Anytime wey Lysias the army commander come, I go make my decision for this una case.’ And e command the army officer say make them still keep the man for prison but make them give-am freedom to do some things, and say make them allow im people to care for the things wey e need.”​—Acts 24:​22, 23.

¹⁷ After some days, Felix and im wife Drusilla, wey be Jew person, say make them call Paul, and e “listen to-am as e de talk about wetin e mean to believe Christ Jesus.” (Acts 24:24) But as Paul talk about “wetin correct for God eye, how person fit control imself, and the judgment wey de come, Felix start to really fear,” e fit be say this things de worry im mind because of the bad things e don do for im life. E say make Paul de go when e talk say: “Comot for here first, but when I get chance I go call you again.” After that one, Felix call Paul plenty times and talk with-am, no be because e want learn the truth, but na because e de hope say Paul go bribe-am.​—Acts 24:​25, 26.

18. Why Paul talk to Felix and im wife about “wetin correct for God eye, how person fit control imself, and the judgment wey de come”?

¹⁸ Why Paul talk to Felix and im wife about “wetin correct for God eye, how person fit control imself, and the judgment wey de come”? Remember say, them want know wetin person wey “believe Christ Jesus” go need to do. Paul know say Felix and im wife de do things wey no clean for God eye, them de do wicked things, and them no de treat people for correct way, so e talk-am clear for them wetin God want make people wey want follow Jesus do. Wetin Paul talk show say the way Felix and im wife don live their life dey different from wetin correct for God eye. This one suppose make them understand say God go judge everybody for wetin them de think, talk, and do. And the judgment  of God wey them go face dey important pass the one wey Felix go judge Paul. Na wetin make Felix “start to really fear” be that!

19, 20. (a) For our preaching work, wetin we go do if we meet people wey de do like say them want learn but them no really want to change things for their life? (b) How we take know say Felix no be Paul friend?

¹⁹ For our preaching work, we fit see people wey be like Felix. For the first time, e fit be like say them really want learn the truth, but the truth be say them no want obey God and change their life. Make we dey careful when we de try help them. Like wetin Paul do, we go tell them with respect wetin them need to do to fit do wetin God want. Maybe the truth from Bible fit make them change. But, if e dey clear say them no want change, we no go force them. Instead, we go go find people wey really want learn the truth.

²⁰ For this matter, wetin really dey Felix mind show for wetin this place talk: “But when two years don pass, Porcius Festus take over from Felix; and because Felix want make the Jew people like-am, e leave Paul under arrest.” (Acts 24:27) Felix no be Paul friend. Felix know say, those wey de follow “The Way” no de try fight against government or encourage other people to do-am. (Acts 19:23) E still know say Paul no break any Rome law. But e put Paul for prison because e “want make Jew people like-am.”

21. After Porcius Festus become governor, wetin happen to Paul, and wetin fit don continue to encourage Paul?

²¹ As we see for the last verse of Acts chapter 24, Paul still dey for prison when Porcius Festus take over from Felix as governor. So Paul come start to defend imself for front of different government people many times. True-true, this apostle wey no de fear appear for the “front of governors and kings.” (Luke 21:12) As we go see, e go later preach to the ruler wey high pass for that time. Upon all the things wey Paul see, e no allow im faith weak. We dey sure say, as Jesus tell Paul say make e “No fear,” this one continue to encourage Paul.