1. Pitɛ e tua leŋ gɛɛ daa nyɛ̃ɛ tamaa soŋ a ŋɛi-kɛ-maa pere?

 PETER spend the whole night fishing but he not catch anything. Peter was surprise when Jesus tell him: “Go to the place that deep, and put your nets down to catch fish.” (Luke 5:4) Peter never wanted to do it because he was thinking they will not catch any fish, but he follow what Jesus say. Peter and his friend them catch plenty fish until the net started tearing. When they got to know that Jesus just perform miracle, they were really surprise. Peter say: “Move from near me, Lord, because I sinner.” (Luke 5:​6-9) Peter was feeling that he not deserve to be with Jesus.

2. Le mɛni ɓe nɛlɛɛi la a gɛɛ ku Pitɛ ŋɔmɛni-kɔɔŋ-maai maa-kɔri?

² Peter was right, he was “sinful man.” The Bible show that sometime Peter use to say and do some thing them that use to make him feel bad later on. You can feel like Peter sometime? You get certain quality that you fighting to improve or you been working on certain habit for long? If so, it will encourage you when you study Peter example. Why? Just think about this: It was easy for Jehovah to not put Peter mistake in the Bible. But he made sure they write it there so we can learn something from his example. (2 Tim. 3:​16, 17) When we learn about Peter who was having feeling and weakness like us, it will help us to understand that Jehovah not expect us to be perfect. He want us to not give up, but to continue trying even though we can make mistakes.

3. Le mɛni ɓe kufii fe kpɛɛ lai?

³ Why it important for us to not give up? People can say, practice make perfect. For example: It can take long  time for somebody to learn how to play piano. During that time, the person will make plenty mistakes. But if he keep practicing, he will know it good-good. Even if he know how to play the piano good, he will still make mistake sometime. But still, he will not give up. He will continue to practice so that he will know it good-good. That the same thing with us. Even if we feel that we na overcome certain weakness, sometime we can make that same mistake again. But we must continue working hard to improve. All of us can say or do things that can make us to feel bad later on. But if we not give up, Jehovah will help us to continue to improve. (1 Pet. 5:10) Let look at Peter example and see how he never give up. The way Jesus feel sorry for Peter even though he made mistakes, can help us to continue serving Jehovah.

4. Yɛɛ berei gaa la Luu 5:​5-​10 sui, le ɓe Pitɛ e mo e pilaŋ gbiŋ ma, kɛlɛ Zisɛ e vɔrɔ leŋ?

⁴ The Bible not give the reason why Peter call himself “sinful man” or the kind na sin them he was thinking about. (Read Luke 5:​5-10.) But maybe he already made some serious mistakes. Jesus knew that Peter was scary maybe because Peter was feeling that he can’t do anything good. But Jesus also knew that Peter was able to remain faithful. So Jesus was kind and he tell Peter ‘to not be scary.’ The way Jesus trust Peter help him throughout his life. Later on, Peter and his brother Andrew leave their fishing business and follow Jesus to do the preaching work full-time. Because of that, Jehovah bless them in plenty different-different ways.—Mark 1:​16-18.

5. Luwa-ŋa kɛɛ leŋ ɓe Pitɛ e zɔlɔ ɓo gɛɛ nyee aa tɛɛ yao ma da nyee seɛɛ Zisɛ ŋɔtoli-ɓo wooi mu?

⁵ Peter enjoy plenty fine experiences when he was following Jesus. He saw Jesus healing the sick people, freeing people from the demons and bringing dead people back to life. b (Matt. 8:​14-17; Mark 5:​37, 41, 42) Peter also saw one vision about Jesus future Kingdom glory and Peter never forget that vision. (Mark 9:​1-8; 2 Pet. 1:​16-18) Yes, Peter was never going to see the thing them that he saw, if he was not Jesus disciple. We sure he was very happy to overcome all his  bad feelings and enjoy all this blessing them!

6. Ilaai la Pitɛ yee e tɛɛ ŋɔfii-kpɛɛ mɛni-ŋai dia a maa felaa? Ŋaa-lɛ.

⁶ Even with all the thing them that Peter hear and see, he was still fighting to overcome certain attitude and behavior. Let look at some example them. When Jesus was explaining how he will suffer and die to fulfill Bible prophecy, Peter say it will not happen to him. (Mark 8:​31-33) Peter and the other apostles use to argue over and over about who was the big person. (Mark 9:​33, 34) The night before Jesus die, Peter attack one man and cut off his ear. (John 18:10) That same night, Peter was so scary that three times, he say he not know Jesus. (Mark 14:​66-72) This one made Peter to cry bad way.—Matt. 26:75.

7. Zisɛ ŋɔmu-siɣe-saa-yeei polu ma, tii kɛɛ leŋ ɓe e dɛɛ Pitɛ pɔ?

⁷ Jesus not give up on the apostle Peter who was really discourage. After Jesus was resurrected, he gave Peter the opportunity to show whether Peter still love him. Jesus gave Peter the assignment to be humble and take care of his sheep. (John 21:​15-17) Peter was ready to do what Jesus told him. So, he was in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and he was among the first people to be anointed with holy spirit.

8. Pɔara-mɛni maa kɛɛ leŋ ɓe Pitɛ e gɛ Ɛŋtiɔ?

⁸ Even after Peter was anointed with holy spirit, he was still fighting with his weaknesses. In 36 C.E., Peter was there when God anointed Cornelius with holy spirit even though this man was not Jew. This one was clear proof that God can’t pick and choose and that people who not Jews can be part of the Christian congregation. (Acts 10:​34, 44, 45) After that, Peter use to feel free to eat with people from different nation. And this one was something that Peter never use to do before. (Gal. 2:12) But some Christians who were Jews felt that people from different nation not suppose to eat with Jews. When some of the Christians who were having this thinking came to Antioch, Peter stop eating with the other brother them. Maybe it was because he was scare of making the Jewish Christians vex. The apostle Paul saw what Peter did and correct him in front everybody. (Gal. 2:​13, 14) Peter never give up even though he made this mistake. Wetin help him?

9. Zɔŋ 6:​68, 69 e nɛ leŋ a gɛɛ Pitɛ e kɛ a dɔɔ Zisɛ polu?

⁹ Peter was loyal. He not let anything to stop him from following Jesus. For example, one time he show that he was loyal to Jesus when Jesus said something that his disciple them not understand. (Read John 6:​68, 69.) Plenty of them stop following Jesus without even asking Jesus what he mean. But Peter not act like that. He was loyal to Jesus and say that only Jesus get “sayings of everlasting life.”

10. Zisɛ e nɛ leŋ a gɛɛ e kɛ a naa a Pitɛ? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

¹⁰ Jesus not leave Peter. On the night before he die, Jesus knew that Peter and the other apostles were coming to leave him and runaway. But Jesus told Peter that he was sure that Peter will come back and remain faithful. (Luke  22:​31, 32) Jesus knew that the spirit . . . willing, but the flesh weak. (Mark 14:38) So even after Peter deny Jesus, Jesus not still give up on his apostle. After Jesus came back to life, he appear to Peter when he was by himself. (Mark 16:7; Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5) Just think about how this one really encourage Peter who was feeling bad about what he do!

11. Zisɛ e nɛ leŋ Pitɛ ma a gɛɛ Ziova a pai kpɔŋ maa tɛɛi bɔ?

¹¹ Jesus help Peter to see that Jehovah will take care of him. After Jesus came back to life, he perform miracle for Peter and the other apostle them to catch plenty fish. (John 21:​4-6) We sure that this miracle remind Peter that it easy for Jehovah to give them the things they need. Maybe it made Peter to start thinking about what Jesus say about Jehovah providing for people who will continue putting the Kingdom first. (Matt. 6:33) All this one help Peter to put the preaching work first in his life instead of his fishing business. On Pentecost 33 C.E., Peter preach with courage and help plenty people to accept the good news. (Acts 2:​14, 37-41) After that, he help the Samaritans and people from other nations to learn about Jesus and follow him. (Acts 8:​14-17; 10:​44-48) Jehovah use Peter to help different-different people to come in the congregation.

12. Yɛɛ berei Pitɛ ŋɔmɛni-kɔɔŋ-maai e kɛ lai, le ɓe maa nɛ̃ɛi e lɛɛ kukili-ŋa a kɛ kwa kɔi fii-kpɛɛ mɛni-ŋa yeei a tai tamaa?

¹² Jehovah can help us to not give up. It can’t always be easy, especially when we been fighting hard to overcome certain weakness. Sometime, our problem them can be looking like they too hard more than the problems that Peter face. But Jehovah can help us to not give up. (Ps. 94:​17-19) For example, one brother was gay for plenty years before learning the truth. He change his whole life and started living by what the Bible say. But sometime, he can still get this wrong desire. Wetin help him to not give up? He say: “Jehovah can give us the strength. With the help of Jehovah spirit . . . , I na learn that it possible to continue living the way Jehovah want us to live . . . Jehovah was able to use me,  and even though I not perfect he continue to help me.”

13. Yɛɛ berei gaa la Dikɛ-mɛni-ŋai 4:​13, 29, 31 sui, kwa pɔri Pitɛ nɔmɛni-kɔɔŋ-maai pɔɔkɔɔni leŋ? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

¹³ We learn in this article how Peter made some serious mistakes because he was scare of people. But Peter was able to be brave because he pray to Jehovah for courage. (Read Acts 4:​13, 29, 31.) We too can fight hard to not be scare of people. Think about what happen to one young brother name Horst. He was living in Nazi Germany. At that time, people were force to say “Heil Hitler!” which mean “Hitler will save us.” Even though Horst knew that saying this greeting was wrong, sometime he use to say it because he was scare of his teachers and classmate them. Horst parents not get vex and blast at him. But they pray with him. They ask Jehovah to give him courage. With the help of his parents and relying on Jehovah, Horst was able to get the strength to stand up for the truth. Later on, he say: “Jehovah never leave him.” c

14. Korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da pɔri diai dilii toɔɔi polui fɔrɔi leŋ?

¹⁴ Jehovah and Jesus will not give up on us. After Peter deny Jesus, he was having important decision to make. He will stop or he will continue following Jesus as his disciple? Before Peter deny him, Jesus already pray for him so that his faith can remain strong. Jesus told Peter about that prayer. And he also told him that he was sure that Peter was coming to strengthen the other brother them later on. (Luke 22:​31, 32) We sure Peter was really feeling encourage when he remember what Jesus  say! When we get important decision to make, Jehovah can use the elder them to take care of us and encourage us to remain faithful. (Eph. 4:​8, 11) One brother name Paul, who been elder for long time can try to comfort his brother them. He can ask those who can feel like giving up to think on how Jehovah brought them in the truth. He can tell them that Jehovah loyal love will not make Him to give up on them. Finally, he say, “I na see plenty people who were discourage and who Jehovah na help to not give up.”

15. Pitɛ da bɔlɔ Horst dimɛni-kɔɔŋ-maai e nɛ leŋ a gɛɛ mɛnii Maafiu 6:​33 e moi kaa a tɔ̃ya?

¹⁵ Jehovah gave Peter and the other apostles the material thing them they needed. That the same way He will give us the material thing them we need when we put the preaching work first in our life. (Matt. 6:33) After World War II, Horst that we talk about before, started thinking about pioneering. He was very poor. So he was thinking whether he was going to get enough money to support himself while pioneering. Wetin he do? He decided to test Jehovah and see if He will really provide for him. So he spend the whole week in field service during the circuit visit. At the end of the week, Horst was surprise when the circuit overseer gave him one envelope without telling Horst who gave him the envelop. It was having enough money to help him in his pioneer service for some months. This gift convince Horst that Jehovah will continue to provide for him. He spend the rest of his life putting Kingdom interests first.—Mal. 3:10.

16. Le mɛni ɓe Pitɛ ŋɔmɛni-kɔɔŋ-maai da mɛni-ŋai e bɔ̃yɛi lɛlɛɛi la kumɛni ma?

¹⁶ Peter was really happy that Jesus not leave him, even though that what he ask Jesus to do! Jesus continue to train Peter to be faithful apostle and to set good example for Christians. And we can learn plenty fine-fine lessons from that training that Jesus gave Peter. Peter put some of those lessons in the two Bible books that he write to the congregation them way back. And now this book them part of the Bible. The next article will talk about some lessons from these two books and how we can apply them today.