CHAPTER 20
Them Fight Against-am But “the Word of Jehovah Continue to Grow and to Win”
How Apollos and Paul help more people to hear the good news
As e dey for Acts 18:23–19:41
1, 2. (a) Paul and im friends wey de travel with-am dey which problem for Ephesus? (b) Wetin we go talk about for this chapter?
PEOPLE for Ephesus de run and shout for the streets. The people de vex and them start to riot. Them catch two of the brothers wey de travel with apostle Paul and them start to drag them comot. Plenty people dey the main street wey plenty shops dey and them join the people wey de riot march go the big theater for the city wey 25,000 people fit sitdown. Many of the people no really know wetin cause the problem, but them think say the matter concern something wey dey against their temple and god wey them love well-well. So them start to shout again and again: “Artemis of Ephesus people dey great!”—Acts 19:34.
2 This time again, Satan de try use people wey de vex and wey ready to attack Jehovah people to stop how the good news de spread. But this one no be the only method wey Satan de use. For this chapter, we go talk about some of the methods wey Satan use to try stop the preaching work and to try make the brothers for the apostles time no dey as one. We go still see say, wetin dey important pass be say, everything wey e do fail and “for powerful way, the word of Jehovah continue to grow and to win.” (Acts 19:20) Na wetin help those Christians to fit continue their work still de help us today. Jehovah de help us and this one de make us continue our work and dey as one. But like the Christians for the apostles time, we must work hard. Jehovah spirit go fit help us get fine-fine character wey go help us to continue to preach. Make we first talk about Apollos example.
“E Really Know God Word” (Acts 18:24-28)
3, 4. Wetin Aquila and Priscilla see about Apollos, and wetin them do to help-am?
3 When Paul dey road de go Ephesus the third time wey e travel as missionary, one Jew wey im name na Apollos come the city. E come from the city of Alexandria wey dey Egypt. People know this city well-well. Apollos get better-better character. E know how to talk well and “e really know God word.” “The spirit de move-am” and e de really put body for the work as e de preach to Jew people for synagogue without fear.—Acts 18:24, 25.
4 Aquila and Priscilla hear Apollos when e de preach. We know say them go really happy when them hear-am de “talk and teach the correct things about Jesus.” Wetin e talk about Jesus dey correct, but e no waste time before Aquila and Priscilla see say “na only the baptism of John e sabi.” Even though say Aquila and Priscilla na people wey de make tent, them no fear Apollos wey go school and wey know how to talk well. Instead, “them draw-am near body and explain the correct thing about the way of God to-am more-more.” (Acts 18:25, 26) Wetin Apollos do? Wetin e do, show say e get one of the most important character wey any Christian suppose get—e carry body down.
5, 6. Wetin help Apollos come be better servant of Jehovah pass as e be before, and wetin we fit learn from im example?
5 Because Apollos accept the help wey Aquila and Priscilla give-am, e come be better servant of Jehovah pass as e be before. Later, e travel go Achaia and for there, “e really help” the brothers. E still preach to Jew people for there wey believe say Jesus no be the Messiah wey God promise. Luke write say: “e use all im heart prove-am say wetin Jew people de talk no correct, and e show them from the Word of God say na Jesus be the Christ.” (Acts 18:27, 28) Apollos come be big blessing to the congregation! Many people hear about “the word of Jehovah” because of-am. Wetin we fit learn from im example?
6 As Christians we must learn to carry body down. Jehovah don bless all of us for different-different way. We fit sabi how to do some things pass other people or we fit get experience or don learn about something. But, we must learn to de carry body down so that Jehovah go fit use us. If we no do like this, the things wey we know fit cause problem for us. If we no dey careful we fit start to de carry body up because of the things wey we sabi. (1 Cor. 4:7; Jas. 4:6) If we really de carry body down, we no go think say we better pass other people. (Phil. 2:3) We no go still vex when other people correct us and we go allow them teach us. We go still ready to change how we de think if we learn say Jehovah holy spirit don de lead the organization for new way. If we continue to de carry body down, Jehovah and im son go continue to use us to do their work.—Luke 1:51, 52.
7. How Paul and Apollos set better example about how to carry body down?
7 If we de carry body down, e go help us no de jealous anybody. Just think about how Satan want make the brothers that time no dey as one. Satan for really happy if Apollos and Paul, wey be people wey really sabi teach, start to jealous each other and try to dey important pass each other for the congregation! E for no hard for them to do this one. For Corinth some brothers start to talk say, “I de follow Paul,” and other brothers de talk say, “I de follow Apollos.” But na so Paul and Apollos want-am? No! Paul carry body down and e praise Apollos for wetin e don do for the preaching work and Paul even give-am more work to do. Apollos do as Paul talk. (1 Cor. 1:10-12; 3:6, 9; Titus 3:12, 13) Paul and Apollos carry body down, and them work well together. Them be better example for us.
‘E Reason for Way Wey Go Make Them Believe the Kingdom of God’ (Acts 18:23; 19:1-10)
8. How Paul take reach Ephesus, and why?
8 Paul don promise say e go come back to Ephesus and na wetin e do be that. a (Acts 18:20, 21) But notice how Paul take go back. Paul start the journey for Antioch wey dey Syria. To go Ephesus e for fit go Seleucia wey no far from-am, then enter ship wey go carry-am reach Ephesus. But e come “pass through the areas wey far from sea.” E dey possible say, the journey wey Paul travel for Acts 18:23 and 19:1, fit reach 1,600 km! But why Paul choose this long distance wey no easy to travel? E want “make the faith of all the disciples strong.” (Acts 18:23) This im third missionary journey no go easy and na so e be the other two times wey e don travel. But e see wetin e want do as something wey dey important. Na so circuit overseers and their wives still be today and we really value the love wey them de show—love wey no de think about only imself!
9. Why this group of disciples need to baptize again and wetin we fit learn from them?
9 When Paul reach Ephesus, e see about 12 disciples of John the baptizer. Na the baptism of John them don do and no be that baptism Jehovah de accept again. And e be like say them never know about the holy spirit or na only small them know about the holy spirit. Paul explain to them why e dey important to baptize for Jesus name and like Apollos, them carry body down, and ready to learn. After them baptize for Jesus name, them receive holy spirit and some of the gifts wey holy spirit de give. E clear say Jehovah de always bless anybody wey ready to follow any new direction wey come from im organization.—Acts 19:1-7.
10. Why Paul move from the synagogue go the big hall for one school, and how we fit copy im example when we de preach?
10 Another thing happen again. Paul don de preach for the synagogue for three months. Even though say e de “reason with people for way wey go make them believe wetin e de talk about the Kingdom of God,” some of them no gree listen and them start to go against Paul. E no waste im time with those people wey de “talk bad things about The Way” instead, e arrange to go preach for the big hall wey dey one school. (Acts 19:8, 9) Anybody wey want continue to learn more about the Kingdom of God need to leave the synagogue and start to go the hall for the school. Like Paul, when we de preach, we need to stop when we see say the householder no want listen or e only want argue. Plenty people wey want really learn still dey!
11, 12. (a) How Paul show say e de work hard and say e ready to adjust? (b) How Jehovah Witness de show say them de work hard and adjust for the preaching work?
11 Paul fit don teach for this hall every day from around 11:00 a.m. until about 4:00 p.m. (Check study note for Acts 19:9, nwtsty.) Around this time, everywhere de quiet and na when the weather de hot pass. Many people de stop to rest and eat around this time. If Paul continue to preach every day around this hours for two full years, na im be say e go don teach for more than 3,000 hours. b This one na another reason why the word of Jehovah continue to grow and to win. Paul work hard and e ready to adjust. E ready to change the time and place wey e de preach to fit help more people. Wetin come happen? “All the people wey de live for Asia hear the word of the Lord, both Jew people and Greek people.” (Acts 19:10) Paul really preach well!
We de try to reach people for the time and place wey we fit see them
12 Jehovah Witness for this our time still de work hard and them ready to adjust so that them go fit preach to more people. We de do our best to preach for the place and time wey we go fit meet more people. We de preach for streets, market, and other place wey people dey. We still de preach with phone and letter. And for house to house, we de try preach when people go dey house.
The Word “Continue to Grow and Win” But Wicked Spirits Fail (Acts 19:11-22)
13, 14. (a) Jehovah help Paul to fit do wetin? (b) Which mistake the sons of Sceva make, and how plenty people today de make the same mistake?
13 The book of Acts come tell us about how Jehovah help Paul do “wonderful miracles.” Them even carry the cloths and aprons wey Paul wear go give sick people and their sickness leave them and wicked spirits come out too. c (Acts 19:11, 12) Many people surprise say the demons come out. But no be everybody happy.
14 Some ‘of the Jew people wey de go round go drive demons comot from people,’ try to copy Paul miracle. Some of them even try to use Jesus and Paul name comot demons. The seven sons of Sceva wey be chief priest try to do this one. The demon talk say: “I know Jesus and I know Paul too, but who una be?” The man wey get the wicked spirit come attack them. E jump ontop them, fight them one by one and them naked run comot with wound for their body. (Acts 19:13-16) This thing wey happen really make-am clear to everybody say na Jehovah really give Paul power but no be im give the other men wey de practice lie-lie religion. Plenty people today de make mistake because them think say wetin them just need to do, na to call the name of Jesus or to talk say them be Christian. Jesus make-am clear say the only people wey get hope for future, na only the ones wey de do wetin im Papa want.—Matt. 7:21-23.
15. How we fit copy the example of Ephesus people for anything wey connect with demons?
15 When people come know say the sons of Sceva no get power, many of them become Christians and them comot hand from anything wey concern demons. Many Ephesus people de practice magic well-well. Them de use charm, books wey talk about magic, and things like chain and ring for protection. The people for Ephesus wey get faith for God, come bring their magic books and burn them for where people dey even though say the books cost plenty money. d Luke talk say: “So for powerful way, the word of Jehovah continue to grow and to win.” (Acts 19:17-20) True-true, Jehovah and true worship win, but the demons and lie-lie worship fail! This people set better example for us today. Today, we de live among people wey de put hand for things wey connect with demons. If we see say we get anything wey connect with demons, we need to do as Ephesus people do, we go throwey or destroy-am quick-quick! Make we dey far from anything wey connect with demons even if e hard for us to do-am.
“Big Problem Start” (Acts 19:23-41)
“Men, una really know say na this business de give us plenty money.”—Acts 19:25
16, 17. (a) Describe how Demetrius make the people for Ephesus riot. (b) How people for Ephesus show say them no want reason things well because of their belief?
16 The next thing wey Luke talk about na how Satan use people wey de vex and wey ready to attack the disciples. Luke talk say “big problem start about The Way.” This one na really serious matter. e (Acts 19:23) Demetrius na one man wey de use silver make things and na im start the problem. The first thing wey e do, na to remind the other men wey all of them de do the same business say, them de make money from the idols wey them de sell. E come tell them say the message wey Paul de preach no good for their business because Christians no de worship idols. Because e know say the people love their city and their country, e warn them say if them listen to Paul, people go de see their god wey be Artemis and im temple “as nothing.”—Acts 19:24-27.
17 Demetrius succeed as e make the people reject Paul message. The men wey de make things with silver start to shout say: “Artemis of Ephesus people dey great!” The people for the city come confuse and them start to riot as the beginning of this chapter talk. f Paul really get strong mind and e want go inside the theater to talk to the people, but the disciples tell-am make e no put imself for danger. One man wey im name na Alexander stand for front of the people and e try to talk to them. Because e be Jew person, e fit be say e want explain the difference between Jew people and this Christians. But the people no want listen to-am. When them know say na Jew person, them no allow-am talk, instead, them continue to shout for about two hours say “Artemis of Ephesus people dey great!” E still get people like this today wey no de want reason things well at-all at-all because of wetin their religion don make them believe.—Acts 19:28-34.
18, 19. (a) Wetin the head of the city do to make Ephesus people quiet? (b) How people wey dey for power don protect Jehovah people, and wetin we fit do to make them respect us?
18 Last-last, the head of the city make the plenty people quiet. This man de reason well. E first tell the people say Christians no go fit cause problem for their god and their temple. Another thing wey e talk be say, Paul and im friends no commit crime against Artemis temple. E still talk say if the people no like wetin Paul and im friends de do, make them go court. E fit be say of all the things wey e talk, the one wey touch them pass na as e tell them say, the way them gather dey against Rome law. E come tell them make them go. Because sense dey wetin the man talk, the people come quiet quick-quick the same way them vex quick-quick.—Acts 19:35-41.
19 This one no be the first time and e no go be the last time wey somebody wey dey for big position go do something to protect Jesus followers. In fact, for vision apostle John see say for the last days “the earth” wey be some strong government or courts, go swallow “the river” wey be the plenty suffer way Satan de cause for God people. (Rev. 12:15, 16) This one don happen. Many times for court, judges wey de reason things well, de protect the right wey Jehovah Witness people get to gather together for their worship and to preach to other people. The truth be say, our good character na one reason wey fit make judges protect the right wey we get. Paul good character make some people wey get big position for Ephesus government respect-am, and them make sure say e dey safe. (Acts 19:31) Our good character fit make other people respect us and many good things fit happen because of this one.
20. (a) How you de feel when you de think about how Jehovah word continue to win for the apostles time and for this our time? (b) Wetin you don ready your mind to do so that Jehovah word go continue to grow and win?
20 We really de happy when we think of how “the word of Jehovah continue to grow and to win” for the time of the apostles! E still de make us happy to see how Jehovah de do the same thing for us today. You go like to do something wey go make Jehovah word continue to grow and win? If na so, make you learn from the example of the people wey we don talk about. Make you de carry body down, quick follow any new direction wey come from Jehovah organization, reject anything wey connect with demons, and do your best to use your good character preach to people.
a Check the box “ Ephesus—Capital of Asia for Old Time.”
b Paul still write 1 Corinthians when e dey Ephesus.
c The cloths fit be handkerchief wey Paul de tie round im head because of sweat. As them mention say e wear apron, this one fit mean say Paul de do im business wey be to make tent anytime wey e no de preach. This one fit be for early morning.—Acts 20:34, 35.
d Luke talk say the price of the books reach 50,000 pieces of silver. If na denarius e de talk about, na 50,000 days or about 137 years na im person go work to get this money that time, if e work seven days every week.
e Some people talk say when Paul tell people for Corinth say “we no even dey sure about our life at all,” na this thing wey happen for Ephesus e de talk about. (2 Cor. 1:8) But e fit dey talk about another dangerous thing wey happen, wey serious pass this one. When Paul talk say e “fight with wicked animals for Ephesus,” e fit de talk about wetin happen when e meet dangerous animals or e fit de talk about when people de attack or suffer-am. (1 Cor. 15:32) The truth be say e fit be anyone among this two.
f This kind group of men wey de do handwork, their union de strong well-well. For example, about 100 years after this time, one group of people wey de bake still riot for Ephesus.