Standap Evribit Witim Biliv wea Strong

“Hem trae hard evritaem for prea for iufala, mekem long end iufala savve standap evribit witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.”—COLOSSIANS 4:12.

1, 2. (a) Wanem nao pipol long aotsaed luksavve abaotem olketa Christian bifor? (b) Hao nao buk bilong Colossians showimaot loving interest?

OLKETA follower bilong Jesus interest tumas long olketa nara worshiper. Tertullian (man for raet long mek-tu and mek-thri century C.E.) story abaotem kaenfala fasin wea olketa garem for pikinini wea no garem dadi and mami, olketa wea poor, and olketa olo. Olketa pruv hia bilong love wea duim samting, hem barava muvim olketa wea no biliv gogo samfala sei olsem abaotem olketa Christian, ‘Lukim hao olketa lovem olketa narawan.’

² Buk bilong Colossians showimaot loving interest olsem wea aposol Paul and fren bilong hem Epaphras garem for olketa brata and sista long Colossae. Paul raet olsem long olketa: Epaphras hem “trae hard evritaem for prea for iufala, mekem long end iufala savve standap evribit witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.” Long 2001, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bae garem yeartext long olketa toktok hia bilong Colossians 4:12: “Standap evribit witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.”

3. Wanem tufala samting nao Epaphras prea for hem?

³ Olketa prea bilong Epaphras for olketa wea hem lovem garem tufala part: (1) for olketa ‘long end standap evribit’ and (2) for olketa standap “witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.” Disfala information stap insaed long Bible for helpem iumi. So askem iuseleva, ‘Wanem nao miseleva needim mekem long end, mi standap evribit and witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God? And taem mi duim olsem, wanem nao bae kamaot from diswan?’ Bae iumi lukim.

Waka Hard for “Standap Evribit”

4. Olketa long Colossae need for “standap evribit” long wanem wei?

⁴ Epaphras laekem tumas for olketa spiritual brata and sista bilong hem long Colossae for ‘long end standap evribit.’ Datfala word Paul iusim, wea olketa transleitim “evribit” long hia, savve minim for perfect, full-grown, or mature. (Matthew 19:21; Hebrews 5:14; James 1:4, 25) Maet iu savve hao wei wea samwan hem baptaes Witness bilong Jehovah hem no minim hem wanfala full-grown Christian. Paul raet go long olketa long Ephesus, wea stap long west saed bilong Colossae, for olketa shepherd and teacher trae for helpem “evriwan kamap wanfala nomoa insaed long faith and insaed long stretfala savve bilong Son bilong God, olsem wanfala full-grown man, and kasem full size wea fitim Christ.” Long nara scripture Paul encouragem olketa Christian for kamap “full-grown man long paoa for minim samting.”—Ephesians 4:8-13; 1 Corinthians 14:20.

5. Hao nao iumi savve mekem wei for full-grown evribit hem wanfala main goal?

⁵ Sapos samfala long Colossae no full-grown, or mature long spiritual wei, datwan nao mas goal bilong olketa. Waswe, datwan fitim distaem tu? Nomata iumi baptaes planti year finis or no longtaem go nomoa, waswe, iumi lukim klia hao iumi muv ahed long wei for ting raonem samting and long tingting bilong iumi? Waswe, iumi tingim olketa Bible principle bifor iumi disaedem eni samting? Waswe, olketa samting wea join long God and kongregeson go ahed for kamap main part long laef bilong iumi, and no smol part long laef nomoa? Iumi kanduit storyim evri wei wea iumi savve showimaot wei for grow evribit, bat tingim tufala example.

6. Wanem nao wanfala samting wea man savve muv ahed long hem for kamap perfect, olsem Jehovah?

⁶ First example: Sapos iumi growap midolwan tingting for daonem or heitim pipol bilong nara color skin, nation, or area. Iumi savve distaem hao God no favorim eniwan and iumi tu mas olsem. (Acts 10:14, 15, 34, 35) Insaed kongregeson or circuit bilong iumi, samfala bilong datfala sekson stap, so iumi kaban witim olketa. Bat, haomas nogud feeling or wei for no trust nao iumi still garem insaed long iumi for pipol bilong datfala ples? Waswe, iumi ‘man for againstim narawan,’ kwiktaem for ting nogud long man from datfala ples wea duim mistek or duim smol samting wea spoelem iumi? Askem iuseleva, ‘Waswe, mi need for muv ahed long wei for garem tingting bilong God for no favorim eniwan?’

7. Wei for kamap wanfala Christian evribit maet minim wei for garem wanem tingting abaotem nara pipol?

⁷ Mek-tu example: Olsem Philippians 2:3 hem talem, iumi shud ‘no duim eni samting thru long wei for raoa or for tinghae long seleva, bat witim hambol mind tingim narafala pipol olsem hae winim iumi.’ Hao nao iumi muv ahed long diswan? Evri man wanwan garem wik point and strong point. Sapos long bifor iumi kwiktaem for pointim wik point bilong nara pipol, waswe iumi muv ahed distaem, and no expectim olketa for klosap “perfect”? (James 3:2) Distaem, winim bifor, waswe iumi savve lukim—and lukaotem tu—olketa wei wea nara pipol moa hae winim iumi? ‘Mi mas talemaot hao disfala sista hem moabeta winim mi long fasin for patient.’ ‘Datwan showimaot hem garem faith wea moa strong.’ ‘For tok stret, hem moabeta teacher winim mi.’ ‘Datfala sista hem winim mi long wei for kontrolem kros bilong hem.’ Maet samfala long Colossae need for muv ahed long diswan. Waswe, iumi tu olsem?

8, 9. (a) Long wanem wei nao Epaphras prea for olketa long Colossae for “standap” evribit? (b) ‘For standap evribit’ hem minim wanem abaotem future?

⁸ Epaphras prea for olketa bilong Colossae “standap evribit.” Tru nao, Epaphras prea long God for mekem wei wea olketa bilong Colossae olketa mature, full-grown Christian finis, for mas go ahed “standap,” or no bakslaed.

⁹ Iumi no savve sei evriwan wea kamap Christian, nomata hem kamap mature, bae go ahed olsem. Jesus sei wanfala angel son bilong God “no hol strong long truth.” (John 8:44) And Paul remindim olketa bilong Corinth abaotem samfala bifor wea servem Jehovah for lelebet taem bat then olketa fail. Hem warnim olketa brata wea spirit anointim: “Man wea tingse hem standap mas lukaot nogud hem foldaon.” (1 Corinthians 10:12) Diswan strongim prea for olketa bilong Colossae ‘long end standap evribit.’ Taem olketa kamap full-grown evribit, olketa need for strong for go ahed, no hol bak, kamap taed, or isisi go difren. (Hebrews 2:1; 3:12; 6:6; 10:39; 12:25) Then bae olketa “standap evribit” long day for hem lukluk and appruvim olketa.—2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 2:12.

10, 11. (a) Epaphras showimaot wanem example for iumi saed long prea? (b) Followim samting wea Epaphras duim, wanem nao iu laek for disaed strong long hem?

¹⁰ Iumi storyim finis wei wea hem important for talem nem bilong pipol taem iumi prea for olketa, for targetim samting taem iumi askem Jehovah for helpem, comfortim, blessim, and givim holy spirit long olketa. Olketa prea bilong Epaphras for olketa long Colossae hem kaen prea olsem. And iumi savve—tru nao, iumi shud—faendem gudfala idea long olketa toktok hia abaotem wanem nao iumi storyim abaotem iumiseleva long Jehovah insaed prea. Yes, iumi mas askem help bilong Jehovah witim goal for iumi wanwan bae ‘long end standap evribit.’ Waswe, iu duim datwan?

¹¹ Waswe sapos iu storyim living bilong iu insaed long prea? Story long God abaotem hao nao iu go ahed for “standap evribit,” full-grown, mature. Barava askem hem for helpem iu luksavve long olketa point wea iu need for grow yet long hem long spiritual wei. (Psalm 17:3; 139:23, 24) Tru nao, iu garem samfala samting olsem. Sapos olsem, winim wei for feel wikdaon long diswan, askem God klia, long wei for targetim olketa point hia for helpem iu for muv ahed. Duim diswan winim wantaem. Tru nao, disaed strong for dis week iu bae prea for lelebet longtaem for iu bae ‘long end standap evribit.’ And plan for duim diswan moa and moa taem iu ting long yeartext. Long olketa prea bilong iu, targetim olketa feeling wea iu maet garem for hol bak, wikdaon, or isisi go difren from service bilong God and hao iu savve stap klia from datwan.—Ephesians 6:11, 13, 14, 18.

Prea for Biliv Strong

12. Why nao olketa bilong Colossae needim “biliv wea strong”?

¹² Epaphras prea tu for nara samting wea important sapos long end olketa bilong Colossae bae standap long wei wea God acceptim. Iumi tu needim diswan. Wanem nao datwan? Hem prea for olketa standap “witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.” Wei for againstim olketa biliv and tingting wea savve spoelem man, wea samfala luk olsem tru worship stap raonem olketa. Olsem example, olketa kasem hevi for keepim samfala spesol day long wei for no kaikai or for duim feast, olsem olketa Jew need for duim saed long worship bifor. Olketa giaman teacher mekhae long olketa angel, olketa strong spirit wea givim kam Law long Moses. Tingim sapos iu kasem kaen hevi olsem! Staka enikaen difren idea nomoa stap wea konfiusim man.—Galatians 3:19; Colossians 2:8, 16-18.

13. Wei for luksavve long wanem samting nao savve helpem olketa long Colossae, and hao nao diswan savve helpem iumi?

¹³ Paul againstim diswan long wei for mekhae long part bilong Jesus Christ. “From iufala acceptim Christ Jesus wea Lord, go ahed for wakabaot long wan mind witim hem, garem rut and go ahed for build ap long hem and kamap strong long faith, olsem iufala lanem.” Yes, wanfala need stap (for olketa bilong Colossae and for iumi) for biliv wea strong long part bilong Christ insaed purpose bilong God and insaed laef bilong iumi. Paul hem sei: “Bikos long body bilong hem evri fasin bilong God hem stap. So iufala garem wei for full thru long hem, wea hem nao hed ovarem evri gavman and paoa.”—Colossians 2:6-10.

14. Why nao hope hem wanfala really samting for olketa long Colossae?

¹⁴ Olketa Christian long Colossae, olketa nao Christian wea spirit anointim. Olketa garem spesol hope, laef long heven, and olketa garem evri reason for keepim braet datfala hope. (Colossians 1:5) Hem “will bilong God” for olketa biliv strong hao hope bilong olketa bae kamap. Waswe, eniwan long olketa shud daotem datfala hope? Nomoa nao! Waswe, fitim for datwan difren distaem for evriwan wea garem hope wea God givim for laef insaed wanfala paradaes earth? Barava nomoa nao! Datfala sure hope hem part long “will bilong God.” Tingim olketa kwestin hia: Sapos iu trae hard for part long “datfala big crowd” wea bae winim “datfala big trabol,” waswe, hope bilong iu hem really samting long iu? (Revelation 7:9, 14) Waswe, hem part long “biliv wea strong long full will bilong God,” bilong iu?

15. Wanem nao olketa point wea Paul storyim wea hope stap insaed?

¹⁵ Taem iumi storyim “hope” iumi no minim feeling for laekem samting wea no mas klia, or dream nomoa. Iumi savve lukim diswan from samfala point wea Paul talem bifor long olketa Roman. Long olketa point hia, hem joinim each samting long next wan or hem lead go long next samting. Lukim wea nao Paul putim “hope” long story bilong hem: “Iumi mas hapi taem iumi kasem hard taem, from iumi savve hard taem hem mekem fasin for stand strong hem kamap; then, fasin for stand strong, mekem wei for God acceptim iumi; then, wei for God acceptim iumi, mekem hope kamap, and hope hem nating mekem man wikdaon; bikos thru long holy spirit, wea hem givim long iumi, love bilong God hem kapsaet insaed long heart bilong iumi.”—Romans 5:3-5.

16. Taem iu lanem Bible truth, wanem hope nao iu kasem?

¹⁶ Taem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness firstaem sharem message bilong Bible witim iu, maet wanfala part bilong truth nao pullim interest bilong iu, olsem hao nao olketa wea dae or resurrection. For planti, barava niu samting wea olketa lanem nao hope insaed Bible for laef insaed wanfala paradaes earth. Tingim taem iu firstaem herem datfala teaching. Hem nambawan hope—sik and olo age bae nomoa, iu savve go ahed for laef for enjoyim olketa frut from hard waka bilong iu, and stap long peace witim olketa animal! (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Isaiah 65:17-25; John 5:28, 29; Revelation 21:3, 4) Iu kasem wanfala nambawan hope!

17, 18. (a) Hao nao olketa point wea Paul talem long olketa Roman hem lead go long hope? (b) Wanem kaen hope nao Romans 5:4, 5 hem storyim, and waswe iu garem hope olsem?

¹⁷ Bihaen, maet iu feisim samfala wea againstim iu or persecutim iu. (Matthew 10:34-39; 24:9) No longtaem go nomoa, pipol spoelem haos and forcem olketa Witness long samfala kantri for kamap refugee. Pipol attakim samfala long olketa, aotem Bible literature bilong olketa, or nius talem laea report abaotem olketa. Nomata wanem kaen persecution iu bin feisim, olsem Romans 5:3 hem talem, iu savve hapi taem iu kasem datfala hard taem, and gud samting nao kamaot from datwan. Olsem Paul hem raetem, hard taem wea iu kasem hem mekem iu garem fasin for stand strong. Then, fasin for stand strong lead go for God acceptim iu. Iu savve samting wea iu duim hem stret, hem will bilong God, so iu feel sure hem appruvim iu. Long toktok bilong Paul, iu feelim ‘wei wea God acceptim iu.’ Paul sei moa “then, wei for God acceptim iumi, mekem hope kamap.” Datwan hem difren samting lelebet. Why nao Paul listim “hope” long klosap long end bilong olketa point hia? Waswe, iu no garem hope longtaem finis, taem iu firstaem herem gud nius?

¹⁸ Hem klia hao long hia Paul hem no story abaotem firstfala feeling bilong iu for hope for perfect laef. Samting wea hem storyim hem winim datwan; hem moa deep, hem barava muvim man. Taem iumi stand strong long faithful wei and luksavve God appruvim iumi, diswan barava affectim iumi long wei for joinim go and strongim hope wea iumi garem firstaem. Hope wea iumi garem hem distaem kamap moa real, moa strong, moa samting bilong iumiseleva. Disfala hope wea moa deep hem shaen moa braet. Hem stap long evri part bilong iumi. “And hope hem nating mekem man wikdaon; bikos thru long holy spirit, wea hem givim long iumi, love bilong God hem kapsaet insaed long heart bilong iumi.”

19. Hao nao hope bilong iu mas part long olketa prea wea iu talem evritaem?

¹⁹ Hem strongfala prea bilong Epaphras for olketa brata and sista bilong hem long Colossae for go ahed for bilivim samting wea stap front long olketa and for datwan barava affectim olketa, and garem “biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.” Long sem wei, letem iumi wanwan story evritaem long God abaotem hope bilong iumi. Long prea bilong iuseleva, story tu abaotem hope bilong iu saed long niu world. Talem long Jehovah hao iu laekem tumas for kasem datwan, witim biliv wea strong evribit long wei wea hem bae kam. Askem hem for helpem iu mekem moa deep and moa waed datfala biliv bilong iu. Olsem Epaphras hem prea for olketa long Colossae for garem “biliv wea strong long full will bilong God,” duim sem samting. Duim datwan evritaem.

20. Sapos samfala lusim Christian wei, why nao diswan no need for kamap samting for mekem iumi wikdaon?

²⁰ No letem wei wea no evriwan standap evribit witim biliv wea strong hem pullim iu or mekem iu feel wikdaon. Samfala maet fail, tan difren, or givap nao. Datwan happen midolwan olketa klos disaepol bilong Jesus, olketa aposol bilong hem. Bat taem Judas go againstim hem, waswe, olketa nara aposol slow daon or givap? Barava nomoa nao! Peter iusim Psalm 109:8 for showimaot hao narawan bae changem Judas. Olketa chusim wanfala wea bae changem hem, and olketa loyal wan bilong God go ahed long preaching assignment bilong olketa. (Acts 1:15-26) Olketa disaed strong for standap evribit witim biliv wea strong.

21, 22. Long wanem wei nao samfala bae lukim wei wea iu standap evribit witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God?

²¹ Iu savve barava sure hao wei wea iu standap evribit and witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God hem no hard waka nating. Samfala bae lukim and tinghae long datwan. Hu?

²² Well, olketa brata and sista bilong iu, wea savve and lovem iu, bae olketa lukim. Nomata planti long olketa no talemaot, diswan bae semsem olsem samting wea iumi readim long 1 Thessalonians 1:2-6: “Evritaem mifala sei thankiu long God taem mifala tok abaotem iufala evriwan long prea bilong mifala, from mifala evritaem tingim faithful waka bilong iufala and wei wea iufala waka hard witim love and wei wea iufala stand strong from iufala garem hope long Lord bilong iumi Jesus Christ front long God and Father bilong iumi. From . . . gud nius wea mifala preachim hem no kam long iufala thru long toktok nomoa bat witim paoa and witim holy spirit and biliv wea strong . . . ; and iufala followim example bilong mifala and bilong Lord.” Olketa loyal Christian raonem iu bae feel olsem tu taem olketa lukim iu “standap evribit witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.”—Colossians 1:23.

23. Long disfala year, wanem nao iu shud disaed strong for duim?

²³ Long sem wei, Father bilong iu long heven bae lukim and bae hem hapi. Feel sure long datwan. Why? Bikos iu standap evribit and witim biliv wea strong long “full will bilong God.” Paul raet for encouragem olketa long Colossae taem hem storyim wei wea olketa “wakabaot fitim Jehovah witim goal for mekem hem hapi evribit.” (Colossians 1:10) Yes, olketa man wea no perfect fit for mekem hem hapi evribit. Olketa brata and sista bilong iu long Colossae duim datwan. Olketa Christian raonem iu duim datwan distaem. Iu tu savve duim olsem! So, insaed long disfala year, letem prea bilong iu evriday and samting wea iu duim evritaem pruvim iu disaed strong for ‘long end for standap evribit witim biliv wea strong long full will bilong God.’

Waswe, Iu Remember?

• Wanem nao insaed long wei wea iu “standap evribit”?

• Wanem samting abaotem iuseleva nao iu shud talem insaed long prea?

• Olsem Romans 5:4, 5 talem, wanem kaen hope nao iu laek for garem?

• Study bilong iumi hem muvim iu for garem wanem goal long year wea bae kam?

[Piksa long page 20]

Epaphras prea for olketa brata bilong hem go ahed standap evribit, witim biliv wea strong abaotem Christ and hope bilong olketa

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Olsem iu, planti million narawan garem sure hope and wei for biliv strong