Kwestin From Reader
Waswe, toktok bilong Stephen long Acts 7:59, showimaot iumi shud prea long Jesus?
Acts 7:59 hem sei: “Olketa gohed for sutim ston long Stephen taem hem singaot and sei: ‘Lord Jesus, tekem spirit bilong mi.’ ” Olketa toktok hia mekem samfala konfius, bikos Bible talem hao Jehovah nao “Datwan wea herem prea.” (Psalm 65:2) Waswe, Stephen really prea long Jesus? Waswe, diswan showimaot Jesus semsem witim Jehovah?
King James Version hem sei Stephen “singaot go long God.” Dastawe, staka pipol garem sem tingting olsem disfala man Matthew Henry wea sei: “Stephen prea long Christ, and so iumi tu mas olsem.” Bat, datfala tingting hem barava no stret. Why nao olsem?
Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament hem tok stret olsem: “Datfala word God hem no stap firstaem, and hem shud no stap insaed datfala transleison. Hem nating stap insaed olketa firstfala [manuscript].” Why nao gogo olketa putim datfala word “God” insaed datfala verse? Savveman Abiel Abbot Livermore sei diswan hem “tingting bilong olketa transleita nomoa.” Klosap evri transleison distaem aotem datfala word God from hem shud no stap insaed datfala scripture.
Nomata olsem, planti transleison talem hao Stephen “prea” long Jesus. And footnote long New World Translation showimaot hao datfala toktok “singaot go” savve minim tu “prea for askem help.” Waswe, datwan minim Jesus hem Olmaeti God? Nomoa. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words explainim hao, long disfala scripture, datfala Greek word, e·pi·ka·leʹo, hem minim: ‘For askem samwan wea garem paoa for givim help.’ Paul iusim disfala sem word taem hem tok olsem: “Mi laekem bigman bilong Rome for judgem case bilong mi!” (Acts 25:11) Dastawe, hem barava fitim for The New English Bible for sei Stephen “singaot go” long Jesus.
Wanem nao muvim Stephen for singaot olsem? Acts 7:55, 56 hem talem hao Stephen, “from hem fulap witim holy spirit, hem luk go ap long heven and lukim glory bilong God and hem lukim Jesus wea standap long raet saed bilong God.” Evritaem, sapos Stephen askem eniting long Jehovah hem savve askem thru long nem bilong Jesus. Bat from hem lukim Jesus long vision, Stephen hem barava feel free for ask stret long Jesus: “Lord Jesus, tekem spirit bilong mi.” Stephen hem savve Jesus kasem finis paoa for resurrectim olketa wea dae finis. (John 5:27-29) Dastawe hem askem Jesus for keepim gud spirit, or laef paoa bilong hem, go kasem taem Jesus resurrectim hem for garem laef long heven wea kanduit finis.
Waswe, datfala short toktok bilong Stephen hem showim hao iumi mas prea long Jesus? Barava nomoa nao, bikos insaed disfala scripture Stephen luksavve Jesus hem difren from Jehovah. Scripture hem sei Stephen lukim Jesus “standap long raet saed bilong God.” And tu, only narataem wea man story stret go long Jesus hem aposol John wea datwan hem semsem olsem Stephen bikos John lukim Jesus long vision tu.—Revelation 22:16, 20.
Nomata olketa Christian distaem talem evri prea long Jehovah God, olketa tu garem strongfala faith hao Jesus nao “resurrection and laef.” (John 11:25) Olsem Stephen, wei for garem faith long paoa bilong Jesus for resurrectim olketa follower bilong hem from dae savve helpem and strongim iumi taem iumi kasem test.