Kasem Persecution for Saed Bilong Raeteous Fasin
“Hapi nao olketa wea kasem persecution for saed bilong raeteous fasin.”—MATTHEW 5:10.
1. Why nao Jesus stap front long Pontius Pilate, and wanem nao Jesus hem sei?
“FOR diswan nao mi born kam, and for diswan nao mi kam insaed long world, for mi mas witness abaotem truth.” (John 18:37) Taem Jesus talem disfala toktok, hem front long Pontius Pilate, Roman Governor bilong Judea. Hem no disison bilong Jesus for kam long there and Pilate tu no invaetem hem for kam. Hem stap long there from olketa bigman bilong olketa Jew laea for sei hem man wea duim rong and hem fit for dae.—John 18:29-31.
2. Wanem nao Jesus duim, and diswan lead go long wanem?
2 Jesus savve hao Pilate garem paoa for letem hem go free or for killim hem dae. (John 19:10) Bat datwan no mekem hem hol bak for story witim Pilate abaotem Kingdom witim fasin for no fraet. Nomata laef bilong Jesus stap long danger, hem iusim chance for witness long datfala bigman wea garem hae position long gavman winim eni narawan long datfala ples. Nomata Jesus witness long hem, hem kasem judgment for dae for faith bilong hem witim bigfala pain long wanfala torture stake.—Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:24, 25; John 19:13-16.
Witness or Martyr?
3. Wanem nao datfala word “martyr” hem minim long taem bilong Bible, bat wanem nao hem minim distaem?
3 Planti pipol distaem tingse wanfala martyr hem man wea ova tumas and krangge. Planti taem pipol tingse olketa wea willing for dae for faith bilong olketa masbi olketa terrorist, or wanfala danger long community. Bat, datfala word martyr hem kam from wanfala Greek word (marʹtys) wea long taem bilong Bible hem minim “witness,” wanfala man wea talemaot samting, maet long kot, for pruvim hao samting wea hem bilivim hem tru. Bihaen long datfala taem nao datfala word garem minim “man wea givim laef bilong hem for givim witness,” or givim witness long wei for givim laef.
4. Wanem nao main wei wea Jesus hem wanfala martyr?
4 Main wei wea Jesus hem wanfala martyr hem followim firstfala mining bilong datfala word. Olsem hem talem Pilate, hem kam for “witness abaotem truth.” Pipol garem enikaen difren feeling abaotem witness wea hem givim. Samting wea olketa lukim and herem barava muvim samfala man nating for garem faith long Jesus. (John 2:23; 8:30) Staka nara pipol and especially olketa bigman bilong religion strong for againstim hem. Jesus sei long olketa relative bilong hem wea no biliv: “World no garem eni reason for heitim iufala, bat hem heitim mi, bikos mi witness abaotem wei wea olketa waka bilong hem wicked.” (John 7:7) From Jesus witness abaotem truth, olketa bigman bilong datfala nation heitim hem, wea lead go long dae bilong hem. Tru nao, hem “datfala faithful and tru witness (marʹtys).”—Revelation 3:14.
“Pipol Bae Heitim Iufala”
5. Long start bilong ministry bilong hem, wanem nao Jesus sei abaotem persecution?
5 Jesus hem safa from barava raf persecution and hem givim warning tu hao olketa follower bilong hem bae kasem semkaen samting. Long start bilong ministry bilong hem, Jesus talem olketa wea lisin long Sermon Long Maunten: “Hapi nao olketa wea kasem persecution for saed bilong raeteous fasin, from kingdom bilong heven hem bilong olketa. Hapi nao iufala taem pipol tok spoelem iufala and persecutim iufala and laea for talem evri barava nogud samting againstim iufala for saed bilong mi. Hapi and jamp ap from iufala hapi, from reward bilong iufala hem big long heven.”—Matthew 5:10-12.
6. Wanem warning nao Jesus givim 12-fala aposol taem hem sendem olketa go?
6 Bihaen, taem hem sendem go 12-fala aposol, Jesus talem olketa: “Luk aot long olketa man; from olketa bae tekem iufala go long kot, and olketa bae whipim iufala insaed long olketa synagogue. Tru nao, olketa bae tekem iufala front long olketa governor and king for saed bilong mi, for wanfala witness long olketa and long olketa nation.” Bat no olketa religion nomoa bae persecutim olketa disaepol. Jesus sei tu: “Brata bae givim go brata for pipol killim dae, and dadi bae givim go pikinini bilong hem, and olketa pikinini bae againstim dadi and mami and killim olketa dae. And pipol bae heitim iufala bikos long nem bilong mi; bat man wea go ahed strong go kasem end nao bae sev.” (Matthew 10:17, 18, 21, 22) Record bilong olketa hard samting wea olketa Christian long first century kasem pruvim hao toktok hia hem tru.
Record Bilong Olketa wea Faithful for Go Ahed Strong
7. Wanem nao happen wea mekem Stephen kamap wanfala martyr?
7 No longtaem bihaen dae bilong Jesus, Stephen hem first Christian for dae from wei wea hem witness abaotem truth. Hem “fulap witim kaenfala fasin and paoa [and] hem duim olketa saen midolwan olketa pipol.” Olketa bilong religion wea againstim hem “no savve talem eni samting againstim wisdom and spirit wea muvim hem for toktok.” (Acts 6:8, 10) From olketa fulap witim jealous fasin, olketa pullim Stephen go long Sanhedrin, hae kot bilong olketa Jew, wea hem feisim olketa wea laea for accusim hem and hem givim strongfala witness. Nomata olsem, olketa enemy bilong disfala faithful witness killim hem dae.—Acts 7:59, 60.
8. Wanem nao olketa disaepol long Jerusalem duim taem olketa kasem persecution bihaen dae bilong Stephen?
8 Bihaen olketa killim dae Stephen, “bigfala persecution kamap againstim kongregeson long Jerusalem; olketa aposol nomoa stap bat evri narawan muv go aot thru long olketa area bilong Judea and Samaria.” (Acts 8:1) Waswe, persecution stopem olketa Christian for witness? Nomoa, record talem iumi hao “olketa wea go stap long olketa nara ples go ahed for talemaot gud nius bilong word.” (Acts 8:4) Masbi olketa feel olsem aposol Peter bifor, taem hem sei: “Mifala mas obeyim God olsem ruler and no olketa man.” (Acts 5:29) Nomata olketa kasem persecution, olketa faithful disaepol wea no fraet no givap long waka for witness abaotem truth, nomata olketa savve diswan minim olketa bae kasem hard taem.—Acts 11:19-21.
9. Wanem persecution nao olketa follower bilong Jesus go ahed for kasem?
9 Tru nao, olketa go ahed for deal witim olketa hard taem. First samting, iumi lanem hao Saul—datfala man wea lukim and appruvim wei wea olketa sutim Stephen long ston—“wea go ahed for kros tumas and laek killim dae olketa disaepol bilong Lord, go long hae priest and askem hem for olketa leta for olketa synagogue long Damascus, mekem hem savve taemap and tekem long Jerusalem eniwan wea hem faendem wea followim Datfala Wei, olketa man and woman.” (Acts 9:1, 2) Then, long samting olsem 44 C.E., “King Herod start for persecutim samfala long olketa brata. Hem killim dae James, brata bilong John, witim sword.”—Acts 12:1, 2.
10. Wanem nao record bilong persecution wea stap long Acts and Revelation?
10 Nara haf bilong buk bilong Acts garem record bilong olketa test, persecution, and wei for stap long prison wea kasem olketa wea faithful olsem Paul, man wea persecutim olketa Christian bifor wea bihaen hem kamap aposol. Luk olsem Paul dae olsem martyr followim komand bilong Emperor bilong Rome, Nero, long samting olsem 65 C.E. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27; 2 Timothy 4:6-8) Gogo, long buk bilong Revelation, wea John raetem klosap long end bilong first century, olo aposol John hem prisoner long island bilong Patmos ‘from hem tok abaotem God and givim witness abaotem Jesus.’ Revelation storyim tu “Antipas, witness bilong mi, datfala faithful wan, wea olketa killim dae” long Pergamum.—Revelation 1:9; 2:13.
11. Hao nao samting wea olketa firstfala Christian willing for duim pruvim hao toktok bilong Jesus abaotem persecution hem tru?
11 Evri samting hia pruvim hao samting wea Jesus talem long olketa disaepol bilong hem, hem tru. Hem sei: “Sapos olketa persecutim mi, bae olketa persecutim iufala tu.” (John 15:20) Olketa firstfala Christian wea faithful willing for feisim test wea big winim eni narawan, hem nao dae—thru long wei for safa, from olketa wild animal, or long eni nara wei—mekem olketa followim disfala komand bilong Lord Jesus Christ: “Iufala bae witness for mi long Jerusalem and long Judea and Samaria and go kasem evri farawe ples long earth.”—Acts 1:8.
12. Why nao persecution bilong olketa Christian hem no just samting wea happen bifor nomoa?
12 Sapos eniwan tingse wei wea pipol spoelem olketa follower bilong Jesus hem samting bilong bifor nomoa, hem barava rong. Paul, wea hemseleva kasem hard taem, raet olsem: “Evriwan wea laek garem fasin for lovem God wea join witim Christ Jesus bae kasem persecution tu.” (2 Timothy 3:12) Saed long persecution, Peter hem sei: “Hem kolem iufala for followim disfala wei, from Christ hem safa for iufala, and leavim wanfala example for iufala followim gud olketa step bilong hem.” (1 Peter 2:21) Kam kasem “olketa last day” hia bilong disfala system, pipol go ahed for heitim and againstim pipol bilong Jehovah. (2 Timothy 3:1) Evriwea long world, long olketa democratic kantri and long olketa kantri wea stap anda long raf ruler, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wanwan and olsem wanfala sekson safa long persecution.
Why Nao Pipol Heitim and Persecutim Olketa?
13. Wanem nao olketa servant bilong Jehovah distaem mas no forgetim saed long persecution?
13 Nomata planti long iumi distaem garem freedom for duim preaching waka and meet tugeta long peace, iumi mas tinghevi long reminder from Bible hao “wei bilong disfala world hem go ahed for change.” (1 Corinthians 7:31) World savve change kwiktaem tumas and sapos iumi no redy saed long mind, feeling, and spiritual wei, iumi savve isi for foldaon. So, wanem nao iumi savve duim for protectim iumiseleva? Wanfala best wei for protectim iumiseleva hem for no forgetim reason why pipol heitim and persecutim olketa Christian wea lovem peace and obeyim law.
14. Peter sei wanem samting nao mekem olketa Christian kasem persecution?
14 Aposol Peter storyim diswan long first leta bilong hem wea hem raetem long 62-64 C.E., taem olketa Christian long Roman Empire kasem olketa test and persecution. Hem sei: “Olketa wea mi lovem, no konfius and tingse disfala samting for testim iufala wea olsem fire midolwan long iufala hem wanfala sapraesing samting.” For minim diswan klia, Peter hem go ahed for sei: “Nogud eniwan long iufala safa olsem man wea min for killim dae samwan or man for steal or man wea duim nogud samting or man wea poke nose long bisnis bilong nara pipol. Bat sapos hem safa olsem wanfala Christian, hem mas no feel shame, bat hem mas go ahed for givim glory long God long disfala nem.” Peter talem klia hao olketa no safa from olketa duim eni rong samting, bat from olketa nao olketa Christian. Sapos olketa Christian followim “semkaen rabis wei” bilong pipol wea stap raonem olketa, pipol hia bae lovem olketa. Bat olketa safa bikos olketa trae for live followim Christ. Hem olsem tu for olketa Christian distaem.—1 Peter 4:4, 12, 15, 16.
15. Wanem nao olketa difren wei wea pipol ting long and deal witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness distaem?
15 Long planti ples long world, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem praise from pablik for wei wea olketa wan mind and waka tugeta long olketa convention and construction project, garem honest fasin and waka hard, garem klin fasin and gudfala famili laef, and gudfala lukluk and wei bilong olketa tu.a Long narasaed, waka bilong olketa hem tambu long samting olsem 28 kantri taem mifala raetem disfala article, and from faith bilong olketa, planti Witness safa from wei wea pipol spoelem material samting bilong olketa and spoelem olketa saed long body tu. Why nao olketa gud pipol olsem kasem diswan? And why nao God letem diswan for happen?
16. Wanem nao main reason why God letem pipol bilong hem for kasem persecution?
16 First important samting wea iumi shud no forgetim hem toktok bilong Proverbs 27:11: “Kamap wise, son bilong mi, and mekem heart bilong mi hapi, mekem mi givim ansa long wan wea tok daonem mi.” Tru nao, diswan join witim datfala kwestin from bifor kam abaotem hu nao fit for rul olsem sovereign bilong universe. Nomata staka pipol long history pruvim hao olketa faithful long Jehovah, Satan go ahed for tok daonem Jehovah olsem hem duim long taem bilong datfala raeteous man Job. (Job 1:9-11; 2:4, 5) Long disfala taem wea Kingdom bilong God hem rul and planti pipol raonem world loyal for saportim diswan, iumi sure Satan barava trae hard for pruvim samting wea hem talem from taem bilong hem klosap finis. Waswe, bae olketa hia go ahed faithful long God nomata wanem trabol or hard taem nao olketa kasem? Evri servant bilong Jehovah wanwan mas ansarem disfala kwestin long samting wea hem duim.—Revelation 12:12, 17.
17. Wanem nao Jesus minim taem hem sei “hem bae olsem for iufala savve givim wanfala witness”?
17 Taem Jesus talem olketa disaepol bilong hem abaotem samting wea bae happen long “taem bilong end bilong disfala system,” hem talem nara reason tu why Jehovah letem olketa servant bilong hem for kasem persecution. Hem sei long olketa: “Iufala bae standap front long olketa king and governor for nem bilong mi. Hem bae olsem for iufala savve givim wanfala witness.” (Matthew 24:3, 9; Luke 21:12, 13) Jesus givim witness front long Herod and Pontius Pilate. Aposol Paul tu “standap front long olketa king and governor.” Followim direction bilong Lord Jesus Christ, Paul luk aotem wei for givim witness long datfala ruler wea garem hae position winim eni narawan long datfala taem, taem hem sei: “Mi appeal long Caesar!” (Acts 23:11; 25:8-12) Long distaem tu, olketa hard samting wea olketa Witness kasem planti taem givim gudfala witness long olketa bigman and pipol long pablik.b
18, 19. (a) Hao nao wei wea iumi deal witim olketa test savve helpem iumi? (b) Olketa wanem kwestin nao bae iumi storyim long nextfala article?
18 Last samting, wei wea iumi deal witim olketa test and trabol savve helpem iumi wanwan. Long wanem wei? Disaepol James remindim olketa Christian brata and sista bilong hem: “Tingim olsem hapi samting, olketa brata bilong mi, taem iufala kasem olketa difren kaen test, from iufala savve hao faith wea kasem test mekem grow fasin for go ahed strong.” Tru nao, persecution savve strongim faith bilong iumi and wei wea iumi go ahed strong. Dastawe, iumi no fraetem persecution and no luk aotem wei wea againstim Bible for missim or finisim datwan. Winim wei for duim datwan, iumi followim kaonsel bilong James for: “Letem fasin for go ahed strong finisim waka bilong hem, mekem iufala fit long evri wei and no short long eni samting.”—James 1:2-4.
19 Nomata Word bilong God helpem iumi for minim why nao olketa faithful servant bilong God kasem persecution and why Jehovah letem datwan go ahed, datwan no mekem persecution isi for deal witim. Wanem nao savve strongim iumi for deal witim datwan? Wanem nao iumi savve duim taem iumi kasem persecution? Long nextfala article bae iumi storyim olketa important samting hia.
[Olketa Footnote]
a Lukim The Watchtower bilong December 15, 1995, page 27-9; April 15, 1994, page 16-17; and Awake! bilong December 22, 1993, page 6-13.
b Lukim Awake! bilong January 8, 2003, page 3-11.
Waswe, Iu Savve Minim?
• Long wanem main wei nao Jesus hem wanfala martyr?
• Hao nao persecution affectim olketa Christian long first century?
• Olsem Peter explainim, why nao olketa first Christian kasem persecution?
• Why nao Jehovah letem olketa servant bilong hem kasem persecution?
[Olketa Piksa long page 10, 11]
Olketa Christian long first century safa, no from olketa duim rong samting, bat from olketa nao olketa Christian
PAUL
JAMES
JOHN
ANTIPAS
STEPHEN