Olketa Christian Worship Witim Spirit and Truth
“God hem wanfala Spirit, and olketa wea worshipim hem mas worship witim spirit and truth.”—JOHN 4:24.
1. Wanem kaen worship nao mekem God hapi?
ONLY-BORN son bilong Jehovah, Jesus Christ, barava talem klia worship wea mekem Dadi bilong hem long heven hapi. Taem hem witness long wanfala Samaritan woman long well klosap long taon bilong Sychar, Jesus hem sei: “Iufala worshipim samting wea iufala no savve long hem; mifala worshipim samting wea mifala savve long hem, bikos salvation hem start witim olketa Jew. Nomata olsem, hour bae kam, and hem kam finis, wea olketa trufala worshiper bae worshipim Father witim spirit and truth, from Father hem lukaotem pipol olsem for worshipim hem. God hem wanfala Spirit, and olketa wea worshipim hem mas worship witim spirit and truth.” (John 4:22-24) Wanem nao mining bilong toktok hia?
2. Wanem nao faondeson bilong worship bilong olketa Samaritan?
2 Olketa Samaritan garem olketa false biliv saed long religion. Olketa acceptim first faevfala buk bilong olketa Holy Scripture nomoa olsem samting wea kam from God—and only taem olketa seleva nao transleitim olketa buk hia and kolem Samaritan Pentateuch. Olketa Samaritan no really savve long God, bat God givim savve from olketa Scripture long olketa Jew. (Romans 3:1, 2) Olketa Jew and nara pipol savve enjoyim favor bilong Jehovah. Bat wanem nao olketa need for duim?
3. Wanem nao man need for duim for worshipim God “witim spirit and truth”?
3 For mekem Jehovah hapi, olketa Jew, Samaritan, and nara pipol bifor mas duim wanem? Olketa mas worshipim hem “witim spirit and truth.” Iumi tu mas olsem. Nomata service bilong iumi long God mas witim feeling, or witim strong, wea kam from heart wea fulap witim love and faith, for worshipim God witim spirit hem barava needim iumi for garem holy spirit bilong hem and for followim lead bilong spirit. Iumi mas mekem spirit bilong iumi, or wei bilong iumi for tingting, followim bilong God thru long wei for studyim and followim Word bilong Hem. (1 Corinthians 2:8-12) For Jehovah acceptim worship bilong iumi, iumi mas worship witim truth. Worship bilong iumi mas followim wanem Word bilong God, Bible, hem showaot abaotem hem and olketa purpose bilong hem.
Iu Savve Faendem Truth
4. Hao nao samfala ting long truth?
4 Samfala talem hao olketa man no fit for kasem full truth. Tru nao, man for raet long Sweden, Alf Ahlberg, hem raet: “Staka kwestin bilong olketa savveman no fit for kasem ansa evribit.” Samfala sei truth wea man no really sure long hem nomoa stap, waswe, diswan hem tru? Jesus Christ no ting olsem.
5. Why nao Jesus kam insaed long world?
5 Tingim sapos iuseleva stap and lukim samting wea happen hia: Hem year 33 C.E., and Jesus hem standap front long Governor bilong Rome, Pontius Pilate. Jesus talem Pilate: “For diswan nao mi born kam, and for diswan nao mi kam insaed long world, for mi mas witness abaotem truth.” Pilate hem ask: “Wanem nao truth?” Bat hem no weit for herem ansa bilong Jesus.—John 18:36-38.
6. (a) Hao nao olketa minim disfala word “truth”? (b) Wanem nao Jesus talem olketa follower bilong hem for duim?
6 Olketa minim “truth” olsem “olketa really samting, samting wea happen, tru samting.” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary) Bat, waswe, Jesus kam for witness abaotem eni truth nomoa? Nomoa. Hem minim wanfala kaen truth. Hem talem olketa follower bilong hem for talemaot disfala truth, taem hem sei: “Mek-disaepol long pipol bilong evri nation, baptaesim olketa long nem bilong Father and bilong Son and bilong holy spirit, teachim olketa for duim evri samting wea mi komandim long iufala.” (Matthew 28:19, 20) Bifor end bilong disfala system, olketa tru follower bilong Jesus bae talemaot “truth bilong gud nius” evriwea long world. (Galatians 2:14) Diswan bae fulfillim toktok bilong Jesus: “Olketa bae talemaot disfala gud nius bilong kingdom evriwea long earth for givim witness long evri nation; and then end bae kam.” (Matthew 24:14) So hem important for iumi luksavve long olketa wea teachim truth long evri nation thru long wei for preachim gud nius abaotem Kingdom.
Hao Iumi Savve Lanem Truth
7. Hao nao bae iu pruvim wei wea truth hem kam from Jehovah?
7 Spiritual truth kam from Jehovah. Tru nao, man wea raetem psalm, David, hem kolem Jehovah “God bilong truth.” (Psalm 31:5; 43:3) Jesus talemaot hao word bilong Dadi bilong hem, hem truth, and hem talem tu: “Olketa Profet raetem finis, ‘And olketa bae kamap pipol wea Jehovah teachim.’ Evriwan wea herem samting from Father and wea lanem samting kam long mi.” (John 6:45; 17:17; Isaiah 54:13) So hem klia, Jehovah datfala Barava Nambawan Teacher nao mas teachim olketa wea lukaotem truth. (Isaiah 30:20, 21) Olketa wea lukaotem truth need for kasem “barava savve bilong God.” (Proverbs 2:5) And long loving wei Jehovah teachim or givim kam truth long olketa difren wei.
8. Long olketa wanem wei nao God hem teachim truth?
8 Olsem example, God givim Law long olketa Israelite thru long olketa angel. (Galatians 3:19) Thru long olketa dream, hem promis for givim olketa blessing long Abraham and Jacob. (Genesis 15:12-16; 28:10-19) God toktok from heven tu, olsem taem Jesus hem baptaes and herem datfala barava spesol toktok: “Diswan nao Son bilong mi, wea mi lovem, wea mi appruvim.” (Matthew 3:17) Iumi savve thankiu tu from God givim iumi truth thru long wei wea hem muvim olketa wea raetem Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) So iumi savve garem ‘faith long truth’ taem iumi lane from Word bilong God.—2 Thessalonians 2:13.
Truth and Son Bilong God
9. Hao nao God iusim Son bilong hem for showimaot truth?
9 Main wan wea Jehovah iusim for talem truth long olketa man hem Son bilong hem, Jesus. (Hebrews 1:1-3) Tru nao, Jesus talem truth long wei wea no eni nara man duim. (John 7:46) Nomata bihaen hem go long heven, hem showimaot truth bilong Dadi bilong hem. Olsem example, aposol John kasem “wanfala revelation from Jesus Christ, wea God givim long hem, for showim olketa slave bilong hem evri samting wea bae klosap happen.”—Revelation 1:1-3.
10, 11. (a) Truth wea Jesus witness abaotem hem join witim wanem? (b) Hao nao Jesus mekem truth kamap really samting?
10 Jesus talem Pontius Pilate hao Hem kam long earth for givim witness abaotem truth. Long ministry bilong hem, Jesus talemaot hao truth hem join witim wei for vindicatem sovereign rul bilong Jehovah thru long Kingdom bilong God wea Christ nao King. Bat for givim witness abaotem truth hem needim Jesus for duim moa samting winim wei for preach and teach. Jesus mekem datfala truth kamap really samting taem hem fulfillim. Dastawe Paul hem raet: “No letem eni man judgem iufala long kaikai or drink or long eni day bilong feast or for keepim niufala moon or sabbath; from evri samting hia olsem shadow bilong samting wea bae kamap, bat really samting nao hem Christ.”—Colossians 2:16, 17.
11 Wanfala wei wea truth kamap really samting hem from wei wea Jesus hem born long Bethlehem olsem Bible talem long profesi. (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4-11) Truth hem kamap really samting tu taem profesi toktok bilong Daniel abaotem wei wea Messiah bae showaot long end bilong 69 ‘week bilong olketa year’ hem fulfill. Datwan hem happen taem Jesus baptaes and kasem anointing witim holy spirit, long barava taem wea profesi talem, long 29 C.E. (Daniel 9:25; Luke 3:1, 21, 22) Truth hem kamap really samting tu thru long ministry bilong Jesus olsem man for talemaot Kingdom. (Isaiah 9:1, 2, 6, 7; 61:1, 2; Matthew 4:13-17; Luke 4:18-21) Hem kamap really samting tu taem hem dae and resurrect.—Psalm 16:8-11; Isaiah 53:5, 8, 11, 12; Matthew 20:28; John 1:29; Acts 2:25-31.
12. Why nao Jesus fit for sei, ‘Mi nao truth’?
12 From main part bilong truth hem abaotem Jesus Christ, hem savve sei: “Mi nao wei and truth and laef. No eniwan savve kam long Dadi bat only thru long mi.” (John 14:6) Pipol kamap free taem olketa putim olketa seleva “long saed bilong truth” long wei for acceptim part wea Jesus duim insaed purpose bilong God. (John 8:32-36; 18:37) From olketa wea olsem sheep acceptim truth and followim Christ long faith, olketa bae kasem laef olowe.—John 10:24-28.
13. Iumi bae lukluk gud long truth from Bible wea join witim wanem thrifala samting?
13 Truth wea Jesus and olketa disaepol givim wea spirit muvim olketa, hem nao datfala trufala Christian faith. So olketa wea ‘obey long faith go ahed for wakabaot long truth.’ (Acts 6:7; 3 John 3, 4) So, hu nao wakabaot long truth distaem? Hu nao olketa wea really teachim truth long evri nation? For ansa, iumi bae tingim olketa firstfala Christian and lukluk gud long olketa truth from Bible wea join witim (1) olketa biliv, (2) hao for worship, and (3) fasin bilong man seleva.
Truth and Olketa Biliv
14, 15. Wanem nao iu savve sei abaotem tingting bilong olketa first Christian and olketa Jehovah’s Witness abaotem Bible?
14 Olketa firstfala Christian barava tinghae long Word bilong God. (John 17:17) Hem nao standard bilong olketa saed long olketa biliv and samting olketa duim. Clement bilong Alexandria bilong mek-tu and mek-thri century hem sei: “Olketa wea barava aftarem hae standard bae no givap for lukaotem truth, go kasem taem olketa kasem pruv from Bible for wanem olketa bilivim.”
15 Olsem olketa firstfala Christian, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness barava tinghae long Bible. Olketa bilivim hao “evri Scripture kam from God and hem gud for teach.” (2 Timothy 3:16) So iumi bae lukim samfala biliv bilong olketa firstfala Christian and markem witim wanem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness lanem from wei wea olketa iusim Bible olsem main buk bilong olketa.
Truth Abaotem Soul
16. Wanem nao truth abaotem soul?
16 From olketa bilivim toktok insaed olketa Scripture, olketa firstfala Christian teachim truth abaotem soul. Olketa savve hao “man hem kamap wanfala living soul” taem God creatim hem. (Genesis 2:7) And tu, olketa acceptim hao soul bilong olketa man savve dae. (Ezekiel 18:4; James 5:20) Olketa savve tu hao ‘olketa wea dae finis nating savve long eni samting.’—Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10.
17. Hao nao bae iu explainim hope for olketa wea dae finis?
17 Nomata olsem, olketa firstfala disaepol bilong Jesus garem sure hope hao olketa wea dae finis wea God rememberim bae kasem resurrection, or laef bak moa. Paul talem klia disfala biliv, taem hem sei: “Mi garem hope long God . . . hao wanfala resurrection bae kamap for olketa wea raeteous and olketa wea no raeteous.” (Acts 24:15) Nomata longfala taem bihaen, man wea sei hem Christian, Minucius Felix, hem raet: “Hu nao bae krangge for talem hao nomata God nao wakem man firstaem, hem bae no savve wakem hem niu moa?” Olketa Jehovah’s Witness barava bilivim olketa sem Bible truth abaotem soul, dae, and resurrection olsem olketa firstfala Christian. So distaem iumi bae lukim hu nao God and Christ.
Truth and Trinity
18, 19. Why nao iumi fit for sei Trinity hem no teaching wea kam from Bible?
18 Olketa firstfala Christian no ting long God, Christ, and holy spirit olsem wanfala Trinity. The Encyclopædia Britannica hem talem: “Datfala word Trinity and teaching bilong hem no stap insaed long Niu Testament, and Jesus and olketa follower bilong hem no min for talem difren samting from wanem Shema [wanfala Hebrew prea] long Old Testament talem: ‘Herem, O Israel: Datfala Lord wea hem God bilong iumi hem wanfala Lord’ (Deut. 6:4).” Olketa Christian no worshipim god bilong olketa Roman wea thrifala or olketa nara god. Olketa acceptim toktok bilong Jesus hao iumi mas worshipim Jehovah seleva nomoa. (Matthew 4:10) Witim diswan, olketa bilivim toktok bilong Jesus: “Father hem hae winim mi.” (John 14:28) Olketa witness bilong Jehovah distaem tu biliv olsem.
19 Olketa firstfala follower bilong Jesus bilivim hao God, Christ, and datfala holy spirit no semsem. Tru nao, olketa baptaesim olketa disaepol (1) long nem bilong Father, (2) long nem bilong Son, and (3) long nem bilong holy spirit, no long nem bilong wanfala Trinity. Olsem tu, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness teachim truth from Bible wea showimaot hao God, Son bilong hem, and holy spirit bilong hem, no semsem.—Matthew 28:19.
Truth and Baptism
20. Wanem savve nao olketa wea bae baptaes need for garem?
20 Jesus talem olketa disaepol bilong hem for mek-disaepol thru long wei for teachim pipol truth. For kasem mark for baptaes, olketa need for savve long olketa main teaching insaed Bible. Olsem example, olketa mas luksavve long position and paoa bilong Father and bilong Son bilong hem, Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) Olketa wea redy for baptaes need tu for minim hao holy spirit hem no wanfala man bat hem paoa bilong God.—Genesis 1:2, footnote.
21, 22. Why nao iu sei olketa wea biliv nomoa fit for baptaes?
21 Olketa firstfala Christian baptaesim nomoa olketa wea garem savve abaotem truth and wea repent and dedicate evribit long God for duim will bilong hem. Olketa Jew and olketa proselyte wea hipap long Jerusalem long Pentecost 33 C.E. hem olketa wea garem finis savve long olketa Hebrew Scripture. Taem olketa herem toktok bilong aposol Peter abaotem Jesus datfala Messiah, samting olsem 3,000 long olketa “acceptim word bilong hem witim full heart” and “olketa baptaes.”—Acts 2:41; 3:19–4:4; 10:34-38.
22 Christian baptism hem for olketa wea biliv. Pipol long Samaria acceptim truth, and “taem olketa bilivim Philip, wea talemaot gud nius bilong kingdom bilong God and bilong nem bilong Jesus Christ, olketa baptaes nao, olketa man and woman tu.” (Acts 8:12) Olsem wanfala wea kasem savve abaotem Jehovah and barava biliv strong, datfala Ethiopian eunuch firstaem acceptim toktok bilong Philip abaotem wei wea olketa profesi abaotem Messiah hem fulfill, and then hem baptaes. (Acts 8:34-36) Bihaen, Peter talem Cornelius and olketa nara Gentile hao “man wea fraet long [God] and duim raeteous fasin nao hem acceptim” and hao evriwan wea garem faith long Jesus Christ bae kasem forgiveness for olketa sin bilong olketa. (Acts 10:35, 43; 11:18) Evriting hia followim komand bilong Jesus for ‘mek-disaepol, and teachim olketa for duim evri samting wea hem komandim.’ (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8) Olketa Jehovah’s Witness followim sem standard taem olketa acceptim for baptism only olketa wea garem olketa main savve from Bible and wea dedicate finis long God.
23, 24. Wanem nao proper wei for duim Christian baptism?
23 Wei for go anda long wata evribit nao hem stretfala wei for baptaesim olketa wea biliv. Bihaen Jesus hem baptaes long Jordan River, hem “kamaot from wata.” (Mark 1:10) Datfala Ethiopian eunuch hem baptaes insaed “wanfala pool wata.” Hem and Philip “go daon long wata” and then hem kam ap “aot from wata.” (Acts 8:36-40) Wei wea Bible markem baptism witim tokpiksa wei for berem man, showimaot tu wei for go anda long wata evribit.—Romans 6:4-6; Colossians 2:12.
24 The Oxford Companion to the Bible hem sei: “Olketa baptism wea stap insaed long Niu Testament showimaot olketa putim man wea baptaes anda long wata.” Datfala buk long French languis Larousse du XXe Siècle (Paris, 1928) hem sei, “olketa firstfala Christian kasem baptism thru long wei for go anda long wata long eni ples wea pool wata hem stap.” And datfala buk After Jesus—The Triumph of Christianity hem sei: “Evritaem, [baptism] needim man for talemaot faith bilong hem, and then for go anda long wata evribit long nem bilong Jesus.”
25. Wanem nao bae iumi storyim long nextfala article?
25 Olketa Bible biliv and samting olketa firstfala Christian duim wea iumi story abaotem hem olketa example nomoa. Iumi fit for talem olketa nara wei wea biliv bilong olketa and bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness olketa semsem. Long next article, iumi bae storyim olketa nara wei for luksavve long pipol wea teachim truth.
Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?
• Wanem kaen worship nao God mas kasem?
• Hao nao truth kamap really samting thru long Jesus Christ?
• Wanem nao truth abaotem soul and dae?
• Wanem nao stretfala wei for duim Christian baptism, and wanem nao olketa wea redy for baptaes mas duim?
[Piksa long page 16]
Jesus talem Pilate: ‘Mi kam for witness abaotem truth’
[Piksa long page 17]
Waswe, iu savve explainim why Jesus sei: ‘Mi nao truth’?
[Piksa long page 18]
Wanem nao truth abaotem Christian baptism?