Hu Nao Olketa Minister Bilong God Distaem?
“Wei wea mifala kamap fit hem kam from God, wea hem barava mekem mifala kamap fit for olsem olketa minister bilong wanfala niu covenant.”—2 CORINTHIANS 3:5, 6.
1, 2. Wanem responsibility nao evri first-century Christian share for duim, bat hao nao diswan change?
LONG first century bilong Common Era bilong iumi, evri Christian share long wanfala important responsibility—waka for preachim gud nius. Evriwan long olketa anointed and minister bilong datfala niu covenant. Samfala garem moa responsibility, olsem for teach long kongregeson. (1 Corinthians 12:27-29; Ephesians 4:11) Olketa dadi and mami garem olketa bigfala responsibility insaed famili. (Colossians 3:18-21) Bat evriwan share long datfala main and important waka for preach. Long firstfala Greek languis bilong olketa Christian Scripture, disfala responsibility hem wanfala di·a·ko·niʹa—wanfala wei for serve, or ministry.—Colossians 4:17.
2 Taem olketa year go pas, olketa change kamap. Wanfala sekson kamap, wea pipol kolem clergy, wea keepim privilege for preach for olketa seleva. (Acts 20:30) Datfala clergy hem smol haf nomoa long pipol wea kolem olketa seleva Christian. Gogo olketa wea no insaed clergy sekson kasem nem laity. Nomata olketa laity kasem teaching hao olketa garem samfala responsibility, wea insaed diswan hem for givim contribution for lukaftarem olketa clergy, staka long olketa kamap man for herem nomoa bat no strong for followim, saed long preaching.
3, 4. (a) Hao nao olketa insaed Christendom kamap minister? (b) Hu nao olketa kolem minister long Christendom, and why nao diswan difren midolwan Olketa Jehovah’s Witness?
3 Olketa clergy sei olketa nao minister (from minister, Latin word for di·aʹko·nos, “servant”).a For diswan, olketa skul long olketa college or seminar bifor olketa ordain. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia hem sei: “‘Ordain’ and ‘ordination’ hem spesol position wea olketa minister or priest kasem thru long olketa ceremony bilong church, wea apim paoa for talemaot datfala Word or for duim olketa difren kaen service bilong church, or tufala evriwan.” Hu nao appointim olketa minister? The New Encyclopædia Britannica hem sei: “Long olketa church wea go ahed for keepim wei for garem bishop, bishop nao appointim olketa minister. Long olketa Presbyterian church, olketa minister bilong presbytery nao duim.”
4 So, insaed olketa church bilong Christendom, privilege for kamap minister hem for samfala nomoa. Bat, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness no olsem. Why? Bikos first-century Christian kongregeson no duim olsem.
Hu Nao Olketa Really Minister Bilong God?
5. Hu nao Bible kolem olsem olketa minister?
5 Bible hem sei evriwan wea worshipim Jehovah—long heven and earth—olketa minister. Olketa angel servem Jesus. (Matthew 4:11; 26:53; Luke 22:43) Olketa angel tu “servem olketa wea bae kasem salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14; Matthew 18:10) Jesus hem wanfala minister. Hem sei: “Son bilong man hem kam, no for olketa servem hem, bat for serve.” (Matthew 20:28; Romans 15:8) So, from olketa follower bilong Jesus mas “followim gud olketa step bilong hem,” iumi no sapraes hao olketa tu mas kamap minister.—1 Peter 2:21.
6. Hao nao Jesus showimaot olketa disaepol bilong hem shud kamap minister?
6 No longtaem bifor hem go long heven, Jesus talem olketa disaepol bilong hem: “Go and 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) Olketa disaepol bilong Jesus mas mek disaepol—olketa minister. Olketa niu disaepol wea kamap bae lane for duim evri samting Jesus komandim, wea insaed diswan hem datfala komand for go and mek disaepol. Wanfala tru disaepol bilong Jesus Christ bae kamap minister nomata hem man or woman, full-grown or pikinini.—Joel 2:28, 29.
7, 8. (a) Olketa wanem scripture nao showimaot hao evri tru Christian olketa minister? (b) Olketa wanem kwestin nao kamap abaotem wei for kamap fit olsem minister?
7 Diswan showaot long day bilong Pentecost 33 C.E., taem evri disaepol bilong Jesus wea stap, man and woman, share for talemaot “olketa nambawan samting bilong God.” (Acts 2:1-11) And tu, aposol Paul hem raet: “Witim heart man showimaot faith for raeteous fasin, bat witim mouth man talemaot long pablik for salvation.” (Romans 10:10) Paul raetem toktok hia, no for smolfala sekson bilong olketa clergy nomoa, bat “for evriwan long Rome olsem olketa wea God lovem.” (Romans 1:1, 7) Olsem tu, evri ‘holy wan wea stap long Ephesus and olketa faithful wan wea wan mind witim Christ’ mas “werem shoe bilong gud nius bilong peace.” (Ephesians 1:1; 6:15) And evriwan wea herem leta wea go for olketa Hebrew kasem encouragement for ‘hol strong long wei for talemaot long pablik hope bilong olketa and no garem daot.’—Hebrews 10:23.
8 Bat, wanem taem nao wanfala hem kamap minister? Or, wanem taem nao hem kasem appointment? And hu nao appointim hem olsem minister?
Kasem Appointment Olsem Minister—Wanem Taem?
9. Wanem taem nao Jesus kasem appointment olsem minister, and hu nao appointim hem?
9 Long saed long wanem taem and hu nao appointim man olsem minister, tingim example bilong Jesus Christ. Hem nating garem wanfala pepa wea appointim hem or wanfala degree from wanfala skul for pruvim hem wanfala minister, and no man nao appointim hem. So, why nao iumi sei hem wanfala minister? Bikos hem fulfillim toktok bilong Isaiah wea kam from God: “Spirit bilong Jehovah hem stap long mi, from hem anointim mi for talemaot gud nius.” (Luke 4:17-19; Isaiah 61:1) Toktok hia mekem klia hao Jesus kasem komand for talemaot gud nius. Hu nao komandim hem? Bikos spirit bilong Jehovah nao anointim hem for datfala waka, hem klia hao Jehovah God nao appointim Jesus olsem minister. Wanem taem nao diswan happen? Spirit bilong Jehovah kamdaon long Jesus taem hem baptaes. (Luke 3:21, 22) So hem kasem appointment olsem minister taem hem baptaes.
10. Hu nao markem wanfala Christian olsem hem “kamap fit” for minister?
10 Waswe long olketa first-century follower bilong Jesus? Position bilong olketa olsem olketa minister hem kam from Jehovah tu. Paul hem sei: “Wei wea mifala kamap fit hem kam from God, wea hem barava mekem mifala kamap fit for olsem olketa minister bilong wanfala niufala covenant.” (2 Corinthians 3:5, 6) Hao nao Jehovah mekem olketa wea worshipim hem for kamap fit olsem minister? Tingim example bilong Timothy, wea Paul kolem “minister bilong God for gud nius abaotem Christ.”—1 Thessalonians 3:2.
11, 12. Hao nao Timothy gogo kamap minister?
11 Toktok hia wea olketa raetem for Timothy hem helpem iumi for minim hao nao hem kamap minister: “Bat iu, go ahed long olketa samting wea iu lanem finis and wea olketa muvim iu for bilivim, from iu savve wanem kaen pipol nao teachim iu, and from taem iu baby iu savve long olketa holy raeting, wea fit for mekem iu wise for salvation thru long faith long Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 3:14, 15) Faondeson for faith bilong Timothy, wea bae muvim hem for tokaot long pablik, hem savve bilong hem long olketa Scripture. Waswe, diswan needim wei for read seleva nomoa? Nomoa. Timothy needim help for kasem stretfala savve and spiritual wei for minim wanem hem readim. (Colossians 1:9) From diswan olketa ‘muvim [Timothy] for biliv.’ From hem savve long olketa Scripture ‘from taem hem baby,’ mami and granmami bilong hem nao mas tufala first wan for teachim hem, from dadi bilong hem no biliv.—2 Timothy 1:5.
12 Bat, moa samting insaed wei wea Timothy kamap minister. Wan samting, faith bilong hem kamap moa strong thru long wei for kaban tugeta witim olketa Christian kongregeson klosap. Hao nao iumi savve? Bikos taem Paul firstaem meetim Timothy, “olketa brata long Lystra and Iconium givim gudfala report abaotem” disfala young man. (Acts 16:2) And tu, samfala brata long datfala taem raetem olketa leta go long olketa kongregeson for strongim olketa. And olketa overseer savve visitim olketa for buildimap olketa. Olketa samting olsem helpem olketa Christian olsem Timothy for muv ahed long spiritual wei.—Acts 15:22-32; 1 Peter 1:1.
13. Wanem taem nao Timothy kasem appointment olsem minister, and why nao iu bae sei wei wea hem grow long spiritual wei no stop long there?
13 From komand bilong Jesus wea stap long Matthew 28:19, 20, iumi savve sure hao faith bilong Timothy muvim hem for followim Jesus and baptaes. (Matthew 3:15-17; Hebrews 10:5-9) Diswan showimaot whole-soul dedication bilong Timothy long God. Timothy kamap minister taem hem baptaes. Start from datfala taem, strong bilong hem, and evriting hem garem hem bilong God. Diswan hem important part bilong worship bilong hem, “wanfala holy service.” Bat, Timothy nating stop long there. Hem go ahed for grow long spiritual wei and kamap mature Christian minister. Diswan kamap bikos Timothy kaban klos witim olketa mature Christian olsem Paul, hem duim study seleva, and hem strong long preaching waka.—1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 6:1.
14. Distaem, hao nao samwan wea “garem fasin fitim laef olowe” gogo kamap wanfala minister?
14 Distaem, wei for kasem appointment olsem Christian ministry hem klosap semsem. Man wea “garem fasin fitim laef olowe” kasem help for lane abaotem God and olketa purpose bilong hem thru long wanfala Bible study. (Acts 13:48) Man wanwan lane for followim olketa Bible principle long living bilong hem and for prea long gudfala wei long God. (Psalm 1:1-3; Proverbs 2:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18) Hem kaban witim olketa narawan wea biliv olsem hem and mekius long olketa samting wea “faithful and wise slave” arrangem and provaedem. (Matthew 24:45-47; Proverbs 13:20; Hebrews 10:23-25) From diswan hem muv ahed insaed long wanfala organize wei for lane.
15. Wanem nao happen taem wanfala baptaes? (Lukim footnote tu.)
15 Gogo, datfala Bible student, bihaen hem kamap for lovem Jehovah God and garem strong faith long ransom sakrifaes, hem laek for dedicatem hemseleva evribit long Dadi bilong hem long heven. (John 14:1) Hem mekem datfala dedication taem hem prea seleva and then showimaot diswan long pablik taem hem baptaes. Taem wea hem baptaes nao taem bilong ceremony bilong appointment bilong hem bikos long datfala taem nao olketa luksavve long hem olsem wanfala servant wea dedicate evribit, wanfala di·aʹko·nos, bilong God. Hem mas stap separate from world. (John 17:16; James 4:4) Hem givim hemseleva evribit olsem “sakrifaes wea laef, holy, wea God acceptim,” and no holem eniting bak. (Romans 12:1)b Hem minister bilong God, wea followim Christ.
Wanem Nao Datfala Christian Ministry?
16. Wanem nao samfala responsibility bilong Timothy olsem minister?
16 Wanem nao insaed long ministry bilong Timothy? Hem garem olketa spesol duty olsem wan wea go witim Paul. And taem hem kamap elder, Timothy waka hard for teachim and strongim olketa nara Christian. Bat main part bilong ministry bilong hem, olsem Jesus and Paul, hem for preachim gud nius and mek disaepol. (Matthew 4:23; 1 Corinthians 3:5) Paul talem Timothy: “Bat iu nao, iusim gudfala tingting long evri samting, stand strong taem iu safa, duim waka for talemaot gud nius, duim evribit ministry bilong iu.”—2 Timothy 4:5.
17, 18. (a) Wanem ministry nao olketa Christian duim? (b) Hao important nao datfala preaching waka for wanfala Christian minister?
17 Hem klosap semsem witim olketa Christian minister distaem. Olketa share long wanfala pablik ministry, waka for talemaot gud nius, wea showim pipol wei for salvation long faondeson bilong sakrifaes bilong Jesus and for teachim olketa hambol wan for singaot long nem bilong Jehovah. (Acts 2:21; 4:10-12; Romans 10:13) Olketa pruvim from Bible hao Kingdom nomoa hem hope for olketa man wea safa and hao living savve kamap moabeta nomata distaem sapos iumi live followim olketa principle from God. (Psalm 15:1-5; Mark 13:10) Bat wanfala Christian minister no preachim wei for stretem olketa problem long world distaem witim olketa Christian principle. Bat, hem teachim hao ‘wei for lovem God hem garem promis bilong laef distaem and datwan wea bae kam.’—1 Timothy 4:8.
18 Hem tru, klosap evri minister garem samfala wei moa for serve, wea savve difren for evri Christian. Planti garem olketa famili responsibility. (Ephesians 5:21–6:4) Olketa elder and ministerial servant garem olketa responsibility insaed kongregeson. (1 Timothy 3:1, 12, 13; Titus 1:5; Hebrews 13:7) Planti Christian help for buildim olketa Kingdom Hall. Samfala garem nambawan privilege for waka olsem volunteer insaed olketa Bethel hom bilong Watch Tower Society. Nomata olsem, evri Christian minister share for preachim gud nius. Diswan hem for evriwan. For share long disfala waka nao showimaot long pablik hao wanfala hem trufala Christian minister.
Wei for Tingting Bilong Wanfala Christian Minister
19, 20. Olketa Christian minister mas mekem grow wanem wei for tingting?
19 Klosap evriwan long olketa minister bilong Christendom expectim pipol for givim olketa spesol respect, and olketa kasem kaen title olsem “reverend” and “father.” Bat, wanfala Christian minister savve hao Jehovah seleva fit for kasem honor. (1 Timothy 2:9, 10) No eni Christian minister askem barava hae respect olsem or aftarem spesol title. (Matthew 23:8-12) Hem savve hao main mining bilong di·a·ko·niʹa hem “wei for serve.” Samfala taem insaed Bible, olketa iusim wanfala word wea join witim datwan wea minim olketa service for man wanwan, olsem wei for servem kaikai and drink. (Luke 4:39; 17:8; John 2:5) Nomata olketa iusim long wei wea garem moa respect for saed long Christian ministry, wanfala di·aʹko·nos hem still wanfala servant.
20 Dastawe no eni Christian minister garem reason for feel olsem hem important. Olketa trufala Christian minister—nomata olketa wea garem spesol responsibility insaed long kongregeson—olketa hambol slave. Jesus hem sei: “Eniwan wea want for kamap big midolwan long iufala mas kamap minister bilong iufala, and eniwan wea want for first midolwan long iufala mas kamap slave bilong iufala.” (Matthew 20:26, 27) For showim stretfala tingting long olketa disaepol bilong hem, Jesus wasim leg bilong olketa, wea hem waka bilong slave long barava lowfala position. (John 13:1-15) Barava hambol service! Dastawe, olketa Christian minister servem Jehovah God and Jesus Christ long hambol wei. (2 Corinthians 6:4; 11:23) Olketa showimaot olketa garem hambol tingting taem olketa servem narawan. And taem olketa preachim gud nius, olketa no selfish for servem neiba bilong olketa wea no biliv.—Romans 1:14, 15; Ephesians 3:1-7.
Go Ahed Strong Long Ministry
21. Wanem reward nao Paul kasem from wei wea hem go ahed strong long ministry?
21 For Paul, wei wea hem minister needim fasin for go ahed strong. Hem talem olketa long Colossae hao hem safa long staka samting for mekem hem fit for preachim gud nius long olketa. (Colossians 1:24, 25) Bat, bikos hem go ahed strong, staka acceptim gud nius and kamap minister. Olketa kamap spiritual son bilong God and brata bilong Jesus Christ, witim hope for kamap spirit and stap witim hem long heven. Hem nambawan reward for fasin for go ahed strong!
22, 23. (a) Why nao olketa Christian minister distaem needim fasin for go ahed strong? (b) Wanem nao olketa nambawan frut wea kam from Christian wei for go ahed strong?
22 Fasin for go ahed strong hem important for olketa trufala minister bilong God distaem. Staka stragol evriday witim sik or pain bilong wei for olo. Olketa dadi and mami waka hard—staka long olketa no garem partner—for bringimap pikinini. Witim strong for no fraet, olketa pikinini long skul againstim olketa nogud wei raonem olketa. Staka Christian barava stragol saed long selen. And staka kasem persecution or feisim hard taem bikos long “nogud taem wea hard for deal witim” distaem! (2 Timothy 3:1) Tru nao, klosap six million minister bilong Jehovah distaem savve joinim aposol Paul for sei: “Long evri wei mifala showimaot mifala olketa minister bilong God, long wei for stand strong long planti samting.” (2 Corinthians 6:4) Olketa Christian minister no givap. Olketa barava fit for kasem praise for wei wea olketa go ahed strong.
23 And tu, olsem hem happen long Paul, fasin for go ahed strong mekem olketa nambawan frut kamap. Thru long wei for go ahed strong, iumi keepim klos wei for fren witim Jehovah and mekem heart bilong hem hapi. (Proverbs 27:11) Iumi strongim faith bilong iumiseleva and mek disaepol, wea mekem grow famili bilong olketa Christian brata. (1 Timothy 4:16) Jehovah saportim olketa minister bilong hem and blessim ministry bilong olketa insaed olketa last day distaem. From diswan, hem hipimap finis olketa last wan bilong 144,000, and staka million moa garem sure hope for enjoyim laef olowe long paradaes earth. (Luke 23:43; Revelation 14:1) Tru tumas, disfala Christian ministry showimaot mercy bilong Jehovah. (2 Corinthians 4:1) Letem iumi evriwan barava tinghae long hem and thankiu hao olketa frut bilong hem bae stap for olowe.—1 John 2:17.
[Footnote]
a Greek word di·aʹko·nos nao hem datfala word wea olketa transleitim “deacon,” wanfala wea garem position insaed church. Long olketa church wea woman savve kamap deacon, olketa savve garem nem deaconess.
b Nomata Romans 12:1 hem for olketa anointed Christian, disfala principle fitim olketa “nara sheep” tu. (John 10:16) Olketa hia “joinim olketa seleva long Jehovah for servem hem and for lovem nem bilong Jehovah, for kamap olketa servant bilong hem.”—Isaiah 56:6.
Iu Savve Explainim?
• Wanem responsibility nao evri first-century Christian garem?
• Wanem taem and hu nao appointim wanfala Christian olsem minister?
• Wanem wei for tingting nao wanfala Christian minister mas mekem grow?
• Why nao wanfala Christian minister shud stand strong taem hem feisim hard samting?
[Piksa long page 16, 17]
Olketa teachim Timothy Word bilong God from taem hem baby. Hem kasem appointment olsem minister taem hem baptaes
[Piksa long page 18]
Baptism showimaot man hem dedicate long God and hem kasem appointment olsem minister
[Piksa long page 20]
Olketa Christian minister willing for serve