‘Sapos Man No Sev Bae Mi No Kasem Blame’

1-3. (a) Wanem nao happen long naet wea Eutychus dae? (b) Wanem nao Paul duim, and wanem nao datwan showimaot abaotem hem?

LONG Troas, Paul hipap witim staka disaepol long rum antap long wanfala haos. From Paul bae lusim olketa long next day, hem story gogo hem midolnaet nao. Staka lamp laet long datfala rum so hem hot lelebet and hem smoke tu. Wanfala young man wea nem bilong hem Eutychus sidaon long window. Taem Paul gohed for story, Eutychus deepim sleep and hem foldaon from mek-thri story!

² From Luke hem doctor, maet hem witim samfala narawan nao first wan for ran go aotsaed for lukim datfala young man. Taem olketa go kasem Eutychus, “hem dae finis.” (Acts 20:9) Bat then Paul duim mirakol. Hem leidaon antap long hem and sei long olketa pipol: “Iufala stap kwaet, hem laef nao ia.” Paul mekem Eutychus laef bak!​—Acts 20:10.

³ Datwan showimaot holy spirit bilong God hem strongfala paoa. Nomata Paul no kosim dae bilong Eutychus, hem no laekem datwan for mekem eniwan stambol or for spoelem important hipap bilong olketa. Taem Paul mekem Eutychus laef bak, kongregeson hapi tumas and gohed strong for duim ministry. Tru tumas, Paul tinghae long laef bilong narawan. Datwan mekem iumi tingim disfala toktok bilong hem: “Sapos eniwan hem no sev, bae mi no kasem blame for datwan.” (Acts 20:26) Bae iumi storyim hao example bilong Paul savve helpem iumi tu for tinghae long laef bilong narawan.

Hem “Go Long Macedonia” (Acts 20:1, 2)

4. Wanem nogud samting nao happen taem Paul stap long Ephesus?

⁴ Olsem iumi storyim long Chapter 20 long disfala buk, nogud samting happen taem Paul stap long Ephesus. Pipol raoa bikos olketa no hapi long ministry wea Paul duim. Olketa wea wakem olketa idol bilong Artemis raeot bikos olketa depend long selen wea olketa kasem from datwan. Acts 20:1 sei: “Bihaen bigfala raoa hia hem finis, Paul sendem message for olketa disaepol kam long hem. Hem encouragem olketa, then hem sekhand witim olketa and go long Macedonia.”

5, 6. (a) Maet hao long nao Paul stap long Macedonia, and wanem nao hem duim for olketa brata? (b) Hao nao Paul ting long olketa brata and sista?

⁵ Taem Paul gogo for Macedonia, hem stap lelebet taem long Troas. Nomata Titus stap long Corinth, Paul laek meetim hem long Troas. (2 Cor. 2:12, 13) Bat from Titus no kam, Paul go olowe long Macedonia. Maet hem stap long there for six month for “encouragem olketa disaepol.”a (Acts 20:2) Gogo Titus go long Paul long Macedonia. Hem talem gud samting wea olketa Christian long Corinth duim bihaen olketa kasem first leta bilong Paul. (2 Cor. 7:5-7) Datwan mekem Paul for raetem mek-tu leta for olketa.

⁶ Taem Paul visitim olketa brata and sista long Ephesus and Macedonia, Luke sei Paul “encouragem” olketa. Datwan showimaot tingting bilong Paul abaotem olketa Christian hia! Olketa Pharisee ting daonem narawan, bat Paul tinghae long olketa sheepsheep and hem waka tugeta witim olketa. (John 7:47-49; 1 Cor. 3:9) Nomata Paul mas givim strong kaonsel long olketa, hem tingim olketa.​—2 Cor. 2:4.

7. Wanem nao olketa elder and circuit overseer savve duim for followim example bilong Paul?

⁷ Olketa elder and circuit overseer distaem traem best for followim example bilong Paul. Taem olketa mas givim kaonsel, olketa laek strongim olketa wea needim help. Olketa traem best for encouragem olketa brata and sista and no judgem olketa. Wanfala brata wea circuit overseer for longtaem hem sei: “Staka brata and sista laek for duim stret samting, bat plande taem olketa stragol for duim datwan. Olketa savve feel nogud, fraet, and samfala taem olketa no savve deal witim problem or hard taem and needim help bilong olketa elder.” Olketa elder and circuit overseer savve strongim olketa brata and sista hia.​—Heb. 12:12, 13.

“Olketa Jew Plan for Killim Hem Dae” (Acts 20:3, 4)

8, 9. (a) Wanem nao spoelem plan bilong Paul for sail go long Syria? (b) Maet why nao olketa Jew kros long Paul?

⁸ Paul lusim Macedonia and go long Corinth.b Bihaen hem stap long there for thrifala month, hem laekem tumas for go long Cenchreae mekem hem savve tekem ship for go long Syria. Then from Syria hem savve go long Jerusalem for givim selen wea olketa kolektem for olketa brata wea needim help.c (Acts 24:17; Rome 15:25, 26) Bat wanfala samting happen wea mekem Paul changem plan bilong hem. Acts 20:3 sei: “Olketa Jew plan for killim hem dae”!

⁹ Olketa Jew kros long Paul bikos long tingting bilong olketa, hem apostate. Taem hem preach long Corinth bifor, Crispus wea hem bigman bilong sinagog hem kamap Christian. (Acts 18:7, 8; 1 Cor. 1:14) Wanfala taem tu olketa Jew long Corinth accusim Paul and tekem hem go long Gallio, bigman bilong Achaia. Bat Gallio sei samting wea olketa Jew talem hem no tru, so datwan mekem olketa kros tumas. (Acts 18:12-17) Maet olketa Jew savve Paul bae tekem ship long Cenchreae, so olketa plan for weitim hem long there for killim hem dae. Wanem nao Paul duim?

10. Waswe, Paul hem man for fraet bikos hem no go long Cenchreae? Minim kam.

¹⁰ From hem no sef for Paul go long Cenchreae and hem no laekem eniwan for stealim contribution wea hem lukaftarem, hem disaed for go bak long Macedonia. Bat hem danger tu for go followim road bikos olketa man for steal savve haed followim road and hem no sef for stap long olketa resthaos. Nomata olsem, hem moabeta for Paul followim road hia winim wei for go long Cenchreae. And gud samting tu, Paul no go seleva. Hem go witim Aristarchus, Gaius, Secundus, Sopater, Timothy, Trophimus, and Tychicus.​—Acts 20:3, 4.

11. Wanem nao olketa Christian distaem duim for protectim olketa seleva, and wanem example nao Jesus showimaot?

¹¹ Olsem Paul, olketa Christian distaem tu duim samting for protectim olketa seleva taem olketa duim ministry. Long samfala ples, olketa Christian no go seleva long territory or preach seleva bat tufala pablisa or wanfala grup waka tugeta. Wanem nao olketa Christian duim taem pipol laek spoelem olketa? Olketa savve pipol bae duim datwan. (John 15:20; 2 Tim. 3:12) Nomata olsem, taem danger kamap long wanfala ples, olketa lusim datfala ples. Tingim Jesus. Long wanfala taem long Jerusalem, olketa wea againstim hem tekem olketa ston for sutim hem. “Jesus hem haed and go aot from temple.” (John 8:59) Long narataem, olketa Jew plan for killim dae Jesus. “So Jesus no gogo raon long ples wea staka pipol savve lukim hem. Hem go stap . . . long wilderness.” (John 11:54) Jesus duim samting for protectim hemseleva taem datwan no stopem hem for duim wanem God laekem. Olketa Christian distaem tu duim sem samting.​—Matt. 10:16.

“Olketa Hapi Tumas” (Acts 20:5-12)

12, 13. (a) Hao nao feeling bilong kongregeson taem Eutychus laef bak? (b) Wanem hope long Bible nao comfortim iumi?

¹² Paul and olketa brata wea go witim hem go long Macedonia, bat luk olsem olketa separate long there and meet moa long Troas.d Luke sei: “Long mek-faev day nao mifala kasem olketa long Troas.”e (Acts 20:6) Olsem iumi storyim finis, long Troas nao Paul mekem young man Eutychus for laef bak. Tingim feeling bilong olketa brata taem olketa lukim Eutychus laef bak! Luke sei “olketa hapi tumas.”​—Acts 20:12.

¹³ Hem tru, God no duim olketa mirakol distaem for mekem pipol laef bak. Nomata olsem, iumi “hapi tumas” bikos iumi garem hope long Bible for lukim olketa wea iumi lovem laef bak long future. (John 5:28, 29) Tingim Eutychus. From hem no perfect gogo hem dae moa. (Rome 6:23) Bat olketa wea laef bak long niu world bae garem hope for laef olowe! And olketa wea rul witim Jesus long heven bae garem body wea no savve dae. (1 Cor. 15:51-53) Datwan mekem olketa anointed Christian and “olketa nara sheepsheep” for “hapi tumas.”​—John 10:16.

“Long Pablik and Long Haos tu Haos” (Acts 20:13-24)

14. Wanem nao Paul talem long olketa elder long Ephesus taem hem meetim olketa long Miletus?

¹⁴ Paul and olketa brata lusim Troas and go long Assos. Then olketa go long Mitylene, Chios, Samos, and Miletus. From Paul hariap for kasem Jerusalem bifor day bilong Pentecost, hem tekem ship wea go pas long Ephesus. Bat from hem laek story witim olketa elder long Ephesus, hem sendem message for olketa meetim hem long Miletus. (Acts 20:13-17) Taem olketa kasem Paul, hem sei long olketa: “Start long taem wea mi kam stap witim iufala long Asia go kasem taem wea mi lusim iufala, iufala savve gud long wei bilong mi. Mi no tingim miseleva taem mi duim waka bilong Lord and plande taem mi krae tu. Taem olketa Jew trae for killim mi dae, mi kasem enikaen hard taem. Mi evritaem talem iufala olketa samting for helpem iufala and mi teachim iufala long pablik and long haos tu haos. Mi story gud long olketa Jew and olketa pipol bilong Greece for olketa mas repent, worshipim God, and garem faith long Lord bilong iumi Jesus.”​—Acts 20:18-21.

15. Why nao hem gud for preach long haos tu haos?

¹⁵ Distaem tu iumi preach long olketa difren wei for meetim pipol. Olsem Paul, iumi trae for preach long ples wea pipol stap. Iumi preach long bas stop, long street, and long market. Bat main wei wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness preach hem long haos tu haos. Why nao olsem? First samting, taem iumi preach long haos tu haos, evriwan garem chance for herem message abaotem Kingdom no wanfala taem nomoa bat staka taem. Datwan showimaot God no favorim eniwan. Mek-tu, iumi savve helpem olketa man wanwan fitim need bilong olketa. And mek-thri, taem iumi preach long haos tu haos, datwan strongim faith bilong iumi and helpem iumi for no givap. Tru tumas, wanfala mark bilong olketa tru Christian hem wei wea olketa strong for preach “long pablik and long haos tu haos.”

16, 17. Wanem nao Paul duim wea showimaot hem no fraet, and hao nao olketa Christian distaem followim example bilong hem?

¹⁶ Paul talem olketa elder long Ephesus hem no savve wanem nogud samting nao bae kasem hem long Jerusalem. Bat hem sei: “Long tingting bilong mi, laef bilong mi hem no important. Samting wea important long mi nao hem for finisim resis bilong mi and ministry wea Lord Jesus givim long mi for talemaot long evriwan gud nius abaotem love bilong God.” (Acts 20:24) Nomata sapos hem sik or pipol againstim hem, hem no letem eni samting stopem hem for duim assignment bilong hem.

¹⁷ Olketa Christian distaem tu kasem olketa difren kaen hard taem. Long samfala ples, gavman tambuim preaching waka and pipol spoelem olketa brata and sista. Olketa narawan gohed faithful nomata olketa kasem sik. Olketa young Christian kasem hevi from olketa narawan long skul. Nomata wanem hard taem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem, olketa gohed faithful olsem Paul. Olketa laekem tumas for ‘talemaot gud nius long evriwan.’

“Lukluk Gud Long Iufala Seleva and Lukaftarem Olketa Sheepsheep” (Acts 20:25-38)

18. (a) Wanem nao Paul duim mekem hem no kasem blame sapos eniwan no sev? (b) Hao nao olketa elder long Ephesus savve followim example bilong Paul?

¹⁸ Then Paul givim kaonsel long olketa elder long Ephesus and hem storyim example wea hemseleva showimaot. Hem talem olketa maet olketa no lukim hem moa, then hem sei: “Sapos eniwan hem no sev, bae mi no kasem blame for datwan bikos mi traem best for talem iufala evri samting wea God bae duim for olketa man.” Hao nao olketa elder long Ephesus savve followim example bilong Paul mekem olketa tu no kasem blame sapos eniwan no sev? Paul talem olketa: “Holy spirit hem markem iufala for elder long kongregeson bilong God wea hem baem long blood bilong Son bilong hem. So iufala mas lukluk gud long iufala seleva and lukaftarem olketa sheepsheep.” (Acts 20:26-28) Paul warnim olketa hao “samfala man wea olsem olketa wild dog” bae kam joinim kongregeson and olketa bae “talem olketa samting wea no stret for mekem olketa disaepol followim olketa.” Wanem nao olketa elder shud duim? Paul sei: “Iufala lukaot gud and no forgetim hard waka wea mi duim for iufala. For thrifala year nao mi teachim iufala evriwan and mi krae for iufala tu.”​—Acts 20:29-31.

19. Klosap long end bilong first century, wei for apostate hem hao, and wanem nao happen long mek-thri and mek-foa century?

¹⁹ Klosap long end bilong first century, “samfala man wea olsem olketa wild dog” start for joinim kongregeson. Long samting olsem 98 C.E., aposol John sei: “Staka long olketa man wea againstim Christ showaot finis. . . . Olketa stap witim iumi firstaem bat then olketa lusim iumi bikos olketa no olsem iumi. Sapos olketa olsem iumi bae hard for olketa lusim iumi.” (1 John 2:18, 19) Long mek-thri century wei for apostate kamap big tumas gogo olketa bigman wea sei olketa Christian garem grup wea olketa kolem clergy. Long mek-foa century King bilong Rome, Constantine, acceptim olketa laea Christian hia olsem wanfala religion. Olketa bigman bilong religion acceptim olketa heathen kastom and mekem hem luk olsem samting wea olketa Christian savve duim. Tru tumas, olketa “talem olketa samting wea no stret.” Olketa religion wea sei olketa Christian gohed yet for followim olketa kastom and teaching wea olketa apostate startim.

20, 21. Wanem nao Paul duim wea showimaot hem no tingim hemseleva, and hao nao olketa elder distaem savve followim example bilong hem?

²⁰ Example wea Paul showimaot hem barava difren from olketa apostate wea spoelem kongregeson. Paul waka for selen bikos hem no laek fulbae long eniwan long kongregeson. Hem helpem olketa Christian no bikos hem laek for kasem staka material samting from olketa. Paul encouragem olketa elder long Ephesus for iusim taem, strong, and material samting for helpem narawan. Hem sei olketa “mas waka for helpem olketa wea wik” and “tingim disfala toktok bilong Jesus, ‘Man wea givim samting hem barava hapi winim man wea kasem samting.’”​—Acts 20:35.

²¹ Olsem Paul, olketa elder distaem tu iusim taem, strong, and olketa material samting for helpem narawan. Olketa bigman bilong olketa religion wea sei olketa Christian tekem selen bilong olketa member bilong church for olketa seleva nomoa. Bat olketa elder “lukaftarem olketa sheepsheep” bilong God from olketa tingim narawan and no olketa seleva. Olketa Christian mas no praod and no laek garem bignem bikos olketa wea “mekhae long olketa seleva” bae no kasem eni gud samting. (Prov. 25:27) Man wea praod bae kasem shame.​—Prov. 11:2.

22. Why nao olketa elder long Ephesus lovem Paul?

²² Olketa elder long Ephesus lovem Paul bikos hem lovem olketa. Taem hem redi for lusim olketa, “evriwan barava krae nao. Olketa holem Paul and kissim hem.” (Acts 20:37, 38) Olketa Christian lovem and tinghae long olketa wea olsem Paul wea willing for givim taem, strong, and material samting for helpem kongregeson. Taem iumi tingim nambawan example wea Paul showimaot, iumi luksavve hem no tok praod or mekhae long hemseleva taem hem sei: “Sapos eniwan hem no sev, bae mi no kasem blame for datwan.”​—Acts 20:26.