Many times, Rome government de allow the rulers for the local areas to make their own decision. Na im make Jew people de use their own law to rule their communities. Rome army commander only enter Paul matter because the riot wey happen fit make peace no dey the city.

For the areas wey Rome de rule, If person no be Rome citizen e no de get many right. But the way the government de treat people wey be citizen dey different.a For all the areas wey Rome de rule, people wey be citizen get some right and things wey them dey free to do. For example, e dey against Rome law to chain or beat Rome citizen if them never judge-am as criminal. Na only slave them fit do like that. Rome citizen get right to tell the emperor for Rome to judge their case if e think say the person wey de rule for the local area no judge-am well.

Many ways dey to be Rome citizen. The first one na if person papa and mama na Rome citizens, the pikin go be citizen. Except for people wey be slave, sometimes the person wey de rule Rome go make one person citizen or e go make all the people for some cities or areas citizens, to pay them for wetin them do for Rome government. Slave fit be citizen if e pay Rome citizen money to dey free, or if Rome person free-am, or soldier wey no be Rome person but e fight for Rome army until e retire fit be Rome citizen. E clear say sometimes person fit pay to be citizen. Claudius Lysias wey be army commander tell Paul say: “I use big money buy this right them to be Rome person.” Paul come talk say: “But them born me as Rome person.” (Acts 22:28) Na im be say one of the men for Paul family line be Rome citizen even though say e no dey clear how this one take happen.

a For the time of Jesus and the apostles, Rome citizens wey live for Judea no many. But after about 200 years all the people wey de live for the areas wey Rome de rule come be citizens.

“I Dukpẹ K’i Adeju N!” (Ẹwn̄ 21:27–22:30)

13. (a) Ẹn̄wu chi k’amaJu ka a ch’ihianyi efu Unyi Ọjọ? (b) Ẹn̄wu gba Pọl tanẹ?

¹³ Gba al’ichi Pidgin, Ẹnẹfu

14, 15. (a) Ẹn̄wu Pọl ka n̄wu amaJu? (b) Ẹn̄wu agboji abogwu Rom che ki neke ma ẹn̄wu ki chi k’amaJu a w’ẹdọ ru Pọl?

¹⁴ Gba al’ichi Pidgin, Ẹnẹfu

¹⁵ Gba al’ichi Pidgin, Ẹnẹfu

COURT CASE FOR THIS OUR TIME

Like apostle Paul, Jehovah Witness today de go court so that them go dey free to preach. Them de work hard to “defend the good news and to use law continue to make the good news stand well.”—Phil. 1:7.

Between 1920 and 1940 for many countries, them arrest many brothers because them de give people our books. For example for 1926 for Germany, 897 brothers wey them arrest de wait for court to hear their matter. Because of all this plenty case, the branch office for Germany come get Legal Department. Between 1930 and 1940 for United States, them arrest plenty brothers every year because them de preach from house to house. For 1936, the number of brothers wey them arrest come reach 1,149. To help the brothers, United States come get Legal Department too. From 1933 to 1939, Jehovah Witness for Romania get 530 court case. But the brothers win many of them as them carry-am go Romania High court. The same thing de happen today for many lands.

Them don carry some Christians go court because their conscience no allow them to do things wey go make them part of the world. (Isa. 2:2-4; John 17:14) People wey dey against Jehovah people don lie say our brothers de do things against government and sometimes, this one don make them ban our work. But for many years now, many government don see say Jehovah people no de do things against them.b

b You fit read more story about court case wey Jehovah people win for many lands for chapter 15 of the book God’s Kingdom Rules! and chapter 30 of the book Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom.

“Omi Che Farisi” (Ẹwn̄ 23:1-10)

16, 17. (a) D’ujiwe ẹn̄wu ki che ẹgba ki Pọl kọla n̄wu Abo Ọhiala. (b) Iko kuma d’ọwọ fi’ọ alu, abu Pọl d’ujiwe uhiọla wanẹ n̄a le?

¹⁶ Gba al’ichi Pidgin, Ẹnẹfu

¹⁷ Gba al’ichi Pidgin, Ẹnẹfu

One church leader de sofri look im Bible as one brother de preach to-am. — Like Paul, when we de preach to people from other religions, we de find something wey we and them agree with

18. Ẹn̄wu chi ki Pọl d’ọla-wn̄ kọ Farisi, abu a neke d’ujiwe-i chekwu efu am’un̄a ka?

¹⁸ Gba al’ichi Pidgin, Ẹnẹfu

19. Ẹn̄wu chi k’ujeju Abo Ọhiala lẹ kpoji lọna ki ma nyọ n?

¹⁹ Gba al’ichi Pidgin, Ẹnẹfu

SADDUCEE AND PHARISEE PEOPLE

The Sanhedrin na Jew people high court and na there Jew people government de rule from. The two main group for the Sanhedrin, na the Sadducee and the Pharisee people wey no de agree with each other. Flavius Josephus wey de write history for that time talk say the main difference between them be say Pharisee people de try force Jew people to follow plenty traditions wey them don form for long time, but Sadducee people de only follow wetin dey the five books wey Moses write. But the two group agree to dey against Jesus.

E fit be say Sadducee people wey de only follow Moses Law get power to fit control wetin de happen among the priests, and both Annas and Caiaphas wey serve as high priest dey for this powerful group. (Acts 5:17) Josephus talk say “na only rich people de like wetin Sadducee people de teach.”

Na Pharisee people de fit control the common people but the things wey them believe de make-am hard for the ordinary people to obey the Law. For example, sense no dey inside the rules wey them make about how to dey clean for God eye. Them believe say God don already plan everything before them happen and say something inside person de continue to live after person die and say God go punish or bless people for the way them live their life after them die. But Sadducee people no believe this things.

“Ma Kwodojima N̄w Ọjọ” (Ẹwn̄ 21:​18-20a)

Amone Wewe “La Gọlaru Ọlọda” Kpọ (Ẹwn̄ 21:20b, 21)

“K’ọla Ẹwn̄-wẹ Du K’amonẹ N’alu Aka N̄w Ma Lẹ Ch’ofofo” (Ẹwn̄ 21:​22-26)

“I Dukpẹ K’i Adeju N!” (Ẹwn̄ 21:27–22:30)

“Omi Che Farisi” (Ẹwn̄ 23:​1-10)

“Ma Kwodojima N̄w Ọjọ” (Ẹwn̄ 21:18-20a)

“K’ọla Ẹwn̄-wẹ Du K’amonẹ N’alu Aka N̄w Ma Lẹ Ch’ofofo” (Ẹwn̄ 21:22-26)

“Omi Che Farisi” (Ẹwn̄ 23:1-10)