Avoidim Darkness —Gohed Stap Insaed Laet

1-2. (a) Wea nao Paul stap taem hem raetem leta for olketa lo Ephesus? (b) Olketa wanem kwestin nao bae iumi discussim?

TAEM Paul prisoner lo wanfala haos lo Rome, hem laek for encouragem olketa brata and sista. Hard for hem go visitim olketa in person, so hem raet leta go lo olketa. Lo samting olsem 60 or 61 C.E., hem raetem wanfala leta for olketa lo Ephesus.—Eph. 1:1; 4:1.

² Samting olsem ten years bifor Paul kamap prisoner, hem stap lelebet longtaem lo Ephesus. Hem preach and teachim gud nius lo there. (Acts 19:​1, 8-10; 20:​20, 21) Hem lovem tumas olketa brata and sista and laek for helpem olketa for gohed faithful lo Jehovah. Bat why nao Paul raet lo olketa anointed Christian hia abaotem darkness and laet? And wat nao evri Christian savve lanem from disfala kaonsel? Bae iumi discussim ansa for olketa kwestin hia.

FROM DARKNESS GO LO LAET

3. Wat nao tokpiksa wea Paul iusim lo leta blo hem for olketa lo Ephesus?

³ Paul raet go lo olketa Christian lo Ephesus and sei: “Bifor, iufala darkness bat distaem iufala laet.” (Eph. 5:8) Paul iusim word darkness and laet for explainim hao olketa lo Ephesus stap lo darkness bifor, then olketa kam lo laet. Bae iumi storyim why Paul sei olketa Christian lo Ephesus olketa “darkness” bifor.

4. Hao nao false religion mekem olketa lo Ephesus stap lo darkness?

⁴ False religion. Bifor olketa lanem truth and kamap Christian, olketa lo Ephesus wea Paul raet for olketa bilivim olketa idea blo false religion and spiritism. Datfala city blo Ephesus garem famous temple blo Artemis, wea hem mek-seven famous building lo full world lo datfala taem. Pipol lo there interest tumas for worshipim idol. Lo datfala ples, pipol savve kasem staka selen from olketa wakem and salem olketa idol blo datfala woman god Artemis. (Acts 19:​23-27) And tu, datfala city hem famous bikos pipol lo there savve duim magic.—Acts 19:19.

5. Hao nao olketa nogud wei blo olketa lo Ephesus mekem olketa stap lo darkness?

⁵ Nogud wei. Pipol lo Ephesus garem barava nogud wei and olketa nating shame lo wat olketa duim. Staka taem olketa talem dirty toktok abaotem sex lo olketa theater show and even lo olketa religious celebration. (Eph. 5:3) Wei blo staka lo Ephesus hem ova tumas gogo olketa “no savve long wanem hem stret and wanem hem no stret.” Paul iusim wanfala Greek word for diswan wea minim olketa “no savve feelim eni pain nao.” (Eph. 4:​17-19) So taem olketa lo Ephesus no lanem yet wat hem stret and no stret, konsens blo olketa no pokem olketa. And tu, olketa no kea abaotem feeling blo Jehovah abaotem wat olketa duim. Dastawe Paul sei olketa stap lo darkness and “no savve minim samting and olketa farawe from datfala laef wea God promisim.”

6. Why nao Paul sei samfala lo Ephesus ‘distaem olketa laet’?

⁶ Bat samfala lo Ephesus no laek for gohed stap lo darkness. Paul sei ‘distaem olketa laet bikos olketa wan mind witim Lord.’ (Eph. 5:8) Olketa acceptim laet from Word blo God. (Ps. 119:105) Olketa lusim false religion and olketa nogud wei. Olketa “followim wei” blo God and duim best blo olketa for worshipim Jehovah and mekem hem hapi.—Eph. 5:1.

7. Hao nao situation blo iumi hem semsem witim olketa Christian lo Ephesus?

⁷ Lo sem wei, taem iumi no lanem truth yet iumi tu stap lo darkness bikos lo false religion and nogud wei blo iumi. Samfala lo iumi celebrate olketa holiday blo false religion, and samfala garem laef stael blo world. Bat iumi mekem olketa change lo laef blo iumi taem iumi lanem standard blo Jehovah abaotem samting wea hem stret and no stret. Iumi start for followim olketa raeteous standard blo hem. From datwan, iumi enjoyim staka blessing. (Isa. 48:17) Nomata olsem, iumi still feisim olketa challenge. Iumi need for stap klia lo darkness wea iumi lusim finis and ‘gohed for showimaot lo laef blo iumi, hao iumi olketa pikinini blo laet.’ Hao nao iumi savve duim datwan?

Image digitally reproduced with the permission of the Papyrology Collection, Graduate Library, University of Michigan, P.Mich.inv. 6238. Licensed under CC by 3.0

AVOIDIM DARKNESS

8. Olsem Ephesus 5:​3-5 storyim, wat nao olketa Christian lo Ephesus need for avoidim?

⁸ Readim Ephesus 5:​3-5. For olketa Christian lo Ephesus stap klia from olketa nogud wei, olketa need for gohed rejectim olketa samting wea mekem Jehovah no hapi. Diswan minim for avoidim wei for durong and tu for no talem eni dirty toktok abaotem sex. Paul talem olketa lo Ephesus dat olketa mas avoidim olketa samting olsem if olketa laek for “kasem Kingdom bilong Christ and bilong God.”

9. Why nao iumi shud rejectim eni samting wea savve mekem iumi for duim samting wea no stret?

⁹ Iumi mas gohed for faet againstim wei for involve insaed “olketa iusles samting wea join witim darkness.” (Eph. 5:11) Olsem iumi savve finis, pruv hem showimaot taem samwan hem lukluk, lisin, or storyim olketa dirty samting, datwan bae mekem hem isi for hem duim samting wea no stret. (Gen. 3:6; Jas. 1:​14, 15) Lo wanfala kantri, olketa brata kamap frens lo wanfala online chat grup. Taem olketa start for chat, staka lo olketa story abaotem olketa spiritual samting. Then gogo, chat blo olketa hem start for go difren. Olketa start for story abaotem sex evritaem. Bihaen, staka lo olketa brata hia sei hao story blo olketa abaotem sex hem mekem olketa for durong.

10. Hao nao Satan trae for laea lo iumi? (Ephesus 5:6)

¹⁰ World blo Satan trae for laea lo iumi and mekem iumi tingse wat Jehovah sei hem no stret and no klin, hem olraet nomoa. (2 Pet. 2:19) Iumi no sapraes lo datwan. Wanfala lo olketa teknik wea Devil iusim for longtaem finis hem for konfiusim pipol mekem olketa no luksavve lo wat hem stret and wat hem rong. (Isa. 5:20; 2 Cor. 4:4) Dastawe staka movie, television show, and website promotim olketa idea wea againstim olketa raeteous standard blo Jehovah! Satan trae for laea lo iumi for mekem iumi tingse olketa nogud wei and laef stael blo disfala world hem olraet nomoa and man savve enjoyim and bae hem no spoelem iumi.—Readim Ephesus 5:6.

11. Hao nao experience blo Angela showim hem important for followim kaonsel lo Ephesus 5:7? (Lukim tu piksa.)

¹¹ Satan laekem iumi for associate witim pipol wea bae mekem hem isi for iumi no followim olketa standard blo Jehovah. Dastawe Paul sei lo olketa lo Ephesus: “Iufala mas no olsem olketa.” Datwan minim for olketa mas no olsem pipol wea duim samting wea no stret lo eye blo God. (Eph. 5:7) Hem gud for tingim hao wei for associate hem no minim for spendem taem witim pipol wea iumi meetim in person nomoa. Bat hem minim tu olketa lo social media, wea datwan hem danger wea olketa lo Ephesus bifor no feisim. Angela,a wea stap lo Asia, experiencem hao social media hem danger tumas. Hem sei: “Hem wanfala trap wea isisi savve mekem konsens for numb. Gogo, konsens blo mi hem letem mi for garem olketa frens wea no respectim olketa Bible principle. Datwan mekem mi start for ting dat hem olraet nomoa for mi garem laef stael wea Jehovah no hapi lo hem.” Bat gud samting, olketa elder helpem Angela for change. Hem sei: “Distaem mi fulimap mind blo mi witim olketa spiritual samting and no social media.”

12. Wat nao bae helpem iumi for gohed followim standard blo Jehovah saed lo wat hem stret and no stret?

¹² Iumi mas faet againstim tingting blo world wea acceptim nomoa olketa nogud wei. Iumi luksavve datwan no stret. (Eph. 4:​19, 20) Hem gud for askem iumiseleva: ‘Waswe, mi avoidim olketa unnecessary association witim olketa workmate, classmate, or olketa narawan wea no respectim olketa raeteous standard blo Jehovah? Waswe, mi no fraet for followim standard blo Jehovah nomata samfala sei mi ova tumas?’ Olsem 2 Timothy 2:​20-22 storyim, insaed kongregeson tu iumi need for careful taem iumi chusim hu nao for associate witim. Iumi need for tingim hao samfala maet no helpem iumi for gohed faithful for servem Jehovah.

GOHED SHOWIMAOT “IUFALA OLKETA PIKININI BILONG LAET”

13. Wat nao hem minim for gohed showimaot iumi “olketa pikinini bilong laet”? (Ephesus 5:​7-9)

¹³ Paul encouragem olketa Christian lo Ephesus for no rejectim nomoa darkness bat for gohed showimaot “olketa pikinini bilong laet.” (Readim Ephesus 5:​7-9.) Wat nao datwan minim? Hem minim evri samting wea iumi duim lo laef mas showimaot iumi olketa tru Christian. Wanfala wei for duim datwan hem for readim and studyim Bible evritaem witim olketa pablikeson blo iumi. Hem important for lukluk gud lo example and teaching blo Jesus Christ wea hem ‘laet for disfala world.’—John 8:12; Prov. 6:23.

14. Hao nao holy spirit savve helpem iumi?

¹⁴ Iumi needim tu help from holy spirit blo God mekem iumi savve gohed duim olketa samting wea showimaot iumi “olketa pikinini bilong laet.” Why? Bikos hem no isi for gohed stap klin insaed disfala world wea garem nogud wei. (1 Thess. 4:​3-5, 7, 8) Holy spirit savve helpem iumi for faet againstim tingting blo disfala world, wea includim olketa idea and teaching wea againstim tingting blo God. Holy spirit savve helpem iumi tu for garem olketa wei wea “gud and wea raeteous.”—Eph. 5:9.

15. Hao nao iumi savve kasem holy spirit? (Ephesus 5:​19, 20)

¹⁵ Wanfala wei for kasem holy spirit hem for askem datwan lo prea. Jesus sei Jehovah bae “givim holy spirit long olketa wea askem hem.” (Luke 11:13) And taem iumi praisem Jehovah lo olketa meeting, iumi kasem tu holy spirit. (Readim Ephesus 5:​19, 20.) Holy spirit mekem iumi garem olketa gudfala wei wea bae helpem iumi for duim olketa samting wea mekem God hapi.

16. Wat nao bae helpem iumi for mekem olketa wise disison? (Ephesus 5:​10, 17)

¹⁶ Taem iumi mas mekem wanfala important disison, iumi need for “luksavve long samting wea Jehovah laekem” and duim samting followim datwan. (Readim Ephesus 5:​10, 17.) For luksavve lo olketa Bible principle wea fitim situation blo iumi, hem showim iumi faendem tingting blo God. Then taem iumi followim olketa principle blo hem, bae iumi mekem olketa gud disison.

17. Wat nao hem minim for iusim gud taem blo iumi? (Ephesus 5:​15, 16) (Lukim tu piksa.)

¹⁷ Paul encouragem olketa Christian lo Ephesus for iusim gud taem blo olketa. (Readim Ephesus 5:​15, 16.) Enemy blo iumi Satan, laekem tumas for mekem iumi busy for aftarem olketa samting lo world mekem iumi no garem taem for servem God. (1 John 5:19) Hem isi tumas for wanfala Christian letem olketa material samting, education, or waka for important winim for servem Jehovah. Sapos datwan hem happen, hem minim man letem tingting blo disfala world for affectim hem. Hem tru, olketa samting hia hem no rong, bat olketa shud no kamap main samting lo laef. For gohed showimaot iumi “olketa pikinini bilong laet” iumi need for “iusim gud taem” blo iumi for focus lo wat hem barava important.

18. For Donald iusim gud taem blo hem, wat nao hem duim?

¹⁸ Lukaotem olketa chance for duim moa samting for servem Jehovah. Hem nao samting wea Donald, wea stap lo South Africa, hem duim. Hem sei: “Mi luk lo situation blo mi and askem Jehovah for helpem mi for duim moa samting lo ministry. Mi prea for garem waka wea bae allowim mi for garem moa taem for preaching. Witim help blo Jehovah, mi faendem waka wea fitim. Mi and waef blo mi start for duim full-taem service tugeta.”

19. Hao nao iumi savve gohed showimaot iumi “olketa pikinini bilong laet”?

¹⁹ Masbi leta wea Paul raetem for olketa Christian lo Ephesus hem really helpem olketa for gohed faithful for servem Jehovah. And datfala kaonsel savve helpem iumi tu. Olsem iumi lanem finis, hem savve helpem iumi for wise taem iumi chusim gud entertainment and olketa wea iumi associate witim. Hem savve helpem iumi for studyim Bible evritaem mekem laet blo truth gohed gaedem iumi lo evri samting wea iumi duim. And hem strongim tu hao holy spirit hem important bikos hem savve helpem iumi for garem olketa gudfala wei. Taem iumi followim kaonsel blo Paul, hem bae helpem iumi for mekem olketa wise disison wea followim tingting blo Jehovah. Taem iumi duim olketa samting hia, bae iumi savve avoidim darkness blo disfala world and gohed for stap insaed lo laet!