Christ Hem Tok Long Olketa Kongregeson
“Diswan nao olketa samting wea hem wea holem sevenfala star long raet hand bilong hem talem.”—REVELATION 2:1.
1, 2. Why nao iumi shud interest long samting Christ hem talem long sevenfala kongregeson long Asia Minor?
ONLY-BORN Son bilong Jehovah, Jesus Christ, hem Hed bilong Christian kongregeson. For keepim kongregeson bilong olketa anointed follower bilong hem klin, Christ hem showimaot hedship bilong hem taem hem praisem and stretem olketa. (Ephesians 5:21-27) Samfala example hem stap long Revelation chapter 2 and 3, long there iumi savve lukim olketa strongfala and loving message wea Jesus hem talem long sevenfala kongregeson bilong Asia Minor.
2 Bifor hem herem toktok bilong Jesus long sevenfala kongregeson, datfala aposol John kasem wanfala vision abaotem “day bilong Lord.” (Revelation 1:10) Datfala “day” hem start taem Messiah Kingdom hem kamap long 1914. Dastawe, toktok bilong Christ for olketa kongregeson hia hem barava important for olketa last day distaem. Encouragement and kaonsel wea hem givim hem helpem iumi for deal witim olketa nogud taem distaem.—2 Timothy 3:1-5.
3. Wanem nao tokpiksa mining bilong olketa “star,” “angel” and “gold lampstand” wea aposol John lukim?
3 John lukim Jesus Christ wea kasem glory, hem “holem sevenfala star long raet hand bilong hem” and “wakabaot midolwan sevenfala gold lampstand,” wea piksarem olketa kongregeson. Olketa “star” hia olketa nao “olketa angel long sevenfala kongregeson.” (Revelation 1:20; 2:1) Samfala taem olketa star piksarem olketa spirit creature, bat Christ bae no iusim wanfala man for raetem message for olketa spirit creature. So, olketa “star” hia piksarem olketa overseer, or body of elders, wea spirit anointim. Disfala toktok “olketa angel” hem showimaot waka bilong olketa for talemaot message. From organization bilong God kamap big, “datfala faithful wakman” hem appointim tu olketa man wea fit from midolwan olketa “nara sheep” bilong Jesus for kamap olketa overseer.—Luke 12:42-44; John 10:16.
4. Hao nao wei for lisin gud long toktok bilong Christ long olketa kongregeson bae helpem olketa elder?
4 Wei wea “olketa star” stap long raet hand bilong Jesus hem minim olketa anda long paoa, kontrol, favor, and protection bilong hem. So, olketa mas givim ansa long hem. Thru long wei for obeyim toktok bilong hem long sevenfala kongregeson hia, olketa elder distaem bae luksavve hao for deal witim olketa semkaen problem. Tru nao, evri Christian need for lisin long Son bilong God. (Mark 9:7) So, wanem nao iumi savve lanem taem iumi lisin gud long toktok bilong Christ long olketa kongregeson?
Long Angel Long Ephesus
5. Wanem kaen taon nao Ephesus?
5 Jesus hem praisem and givim repruv long kongregeson long Ephesus. (Readim Revelation 2:1-7.) Bigfala temple bilong woman god Artemis hem stap long disfala rich taon wea hem nao main ples bilong bisnis and religion long west part bilong Asia Minor. Nomata Ephesus hem fulap witim dirty fasin, false religion, and wei for duim magic, God blessim ministry bilong aposol Paul and olketa narawan long datfala taon.—Acts, chapter 19.
6. Hao nao olketa loyal Christian distaem olsem olketa long Ephesus bifor?
6 Christ hem praisem kongregeson long Ephesus and sei: “Mi savve long olketa samting iu duim, and waka bilong iu and wei wea iu go ahed strong, and wei wea iu no laekem olketa nogud man, and hao iu testim evriwan wea sei olketa nao aposol, bat wea no tru wan, and iu faendaot olketa laea nomoa.” Olketa kongregeson bilong olketa follower bilong Jesus distaem tu duim olketa gud samting, hard waka, and go ahed strong. Olketa nating acceptim olketa giaman brata wea laekem pipol for tingim olketa olsem aposol. (2 Corinthians 11:13, 26) Olsem olketa long Ephesus, olketa loyal Christian distaem “no laekem olketa nogud man.” So, for keepim worship bilong Jehovah klin and for protectim kongregeson, olketa no kaban witim olketa apostate wea no repent.—Galatians 2:4, 5; 2 John 8-11.
7, 8. Wanem serious problem nao stap insaed kongregeson long Ephesus, and hao nao maet iumi deal witim kaen problem olsem?
7 Nomata olsem, olketa Christian long Ephesus garem serious problem. Jesus hem sei: “Mi garem disfala samting againstim iu, dat iu lusim nao datfala love wea iu garem firstaem.” Olketa member bilong kongregeson need for strongim bak firstfala love wea olketa garem for Jehovah. (Mark 12:28-30; Ephesians 2:4; 5:1, 2) Iumi tu mas protectim iumiseleva from wei for lusim love wea iumi garem firstaem for God. (3 John 3) Bat waswe sapos olketa samting olsem wei for aftarem material riches or hapitaem olketa kamap main samting long laef bilong iumi? (1 Timothy 4:8; 6:9, 10) Then iumi shud prea strong for Jehovah helpem iumi changem diswan witim deep love for hem and feeling for tinghae long evriting hem and Son bilong hem duim finis for iumi.—1 John 4:10, 16.
8 Christ encouragem olketa long Ephesus olsem: “No forgetim love wea iu garem firstaem, and repent and duim samting wea iu duim bifor.” Waswe sapos olketa no duim diswan? “Sapos iu no duim,” Jesus hem sei, “mi bae kam long iu, and mi bae tek aotem lampstand bilong iu from ples bilong hem.” Sapos evri sheep lusim firstfala love bilong olketa, datfala “lampstand,” wea piksarem kongregeson, bae no stap nao. So, olsem olketa Christian wea garem strong, iumi shud waka hard for mekem kongregeson evritaem shaen long spiritual wei.—Matthew 5:14-16.
9. Hao nao iumi shud ting long wei for startim and saportim wanfala sect?
9 Hem gud tumas hao olketa long Ephesus heitim “evri samting wea sect bilong Nicolaus duim.” No eni information moa stap abaotem start, teaching, and wanem disfala sect duim. Bat, from Jesus hem tok againstim wei for followim olketa man, iumi need for go ahed for heitim olketa sect, olsem olketa Christian long Ephesus duim.—Matthew 23:10.
10. Wanem nao olketa wea followim wanem spirit hem talem bae kasem?
10 Christ hem sei: “Letem man wea garem ear herem samting wea spirit talem long olketa kongregeson.” Taem Jesus stap long earth, evri toktok wea hem talem hem kam from spirit bilong God. (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:16-21) So iumi shud lisin gud long next toktok bilong God wea Jesus talem thru long holy spirit. Anda long direction bilong spirit, Jesus hem promis: “For man wea win bae mi letem hem kaikai from tree bilong laef, wea stap long paradaes bilong God.” For olketa anointed wan wea followim wanem spirit talem, diswan minim wei for kasem laef long “paradaes bilong God” long heven, wea minim barava ples Jehovah hem stap. Datfala “big crowd,” wea olketa tu lisin long wanem spirit hem talem, bae enjoyim paradaes long earth wea olketa bae drink from “wanfala river bilong wata bilong laef” and bae kasem healing from “olketa leaf bilong olketa tree” wea grow saed long hem.—Revelation 7:9; 22:1, 2; Luke 23:43.
11. Hao nao iumi savve apim fasin for lovem Jehovah?
11 Olketa long Ephesus lusim firstfala love bilong olketa, bat waswe sapos sem samting start for kakamap insaed wanfala kongregeson distaem? Iumi wanwan savve apim fasin for lovem Jehovah taem iumi storyim olketa loving wei bilong hem. Iumi savve storyim wei wea iumi tinghae long love wea God showim taem hem provaedem ransom thru long Son bilong hem wea hem lovem. (John 3:16; Romans 5:8) Sapos hem fitim, taem iumi givim koment and garem part long meeting iumi savve tok abaotem love bilong God. Iumi savve showim wei wea iumi lovem Jehovah taem iumi praisem nem bilong hem long Christian ministry. (Psalm 145:10-13) Tru nao, toktok and wanem iumi duim maet barava help for strongim bak firstfala love bilong kongregeson.
Long Angel Long Smyrna
12. Wanem nao history showimaot abaotem Smyrna and samting wea olketa duim long there saed long religion?
12 Kongregeson long Smyrna kasem praise from Christ, olsem “‘datwan wea First and wea Last,’ wea dae and kamap laef moa” thru long resurrection. (Readim Revelation 2:8-11.) Smyrna (distaem hem Izmir, Turkey) hem stap long west saed bilong Asia Minor. Pipol bilong Greece nao firstaem stap long there, bat pipol bilong Lydia distroem datfala taon long samting olsem 580 B.C.E. Olketa ruler wea kamap bihaen Alexander the Great buildim moa Smyrna long niu ples. Hem kamap part bilong province bilong Rome long Asia and hem kamap ples for duim bisnis wea garem olketa naes building. Smyrna hem wanfala main ples for worshipim emperor from temple bilong Tiberius Ceasar hem stap long there. Olketa worshiper mas bonem lelebet incense and sei “Caesar hem Lord.” Olketa Christian hard for obeyim diswan bikos long tingting bilong olketa, “Jesus hem Lord.” From diswan, olketa kasem trabol.—Romans 10:9.
13. Nomata olketa poor long material wei, long wanem wei nao olketa Christian long Smyrna rich?
13 Witim wei for kasem trabol, olketa Christian long Smyrna stragol witim poor living, maet hard taem saed long selen from olketa no join insaed wei for worshipim emperor. Olketa servant bilong Jehovah distaem kasem kaen test olsem tu. (Revelation 13:16, 17) Nomata olketa man poor long material wei, olketa wea olsem olketa Christian long Smyrna olketa rich long spiritual wei, and datwan nao hem barava important!—Proverbs 10:22; 3 John 2.
14, 15. Wanem comfort nao olketa anointed wan savve kasem from Revelation 2:10?
14 Big haf long olketa Jew long Smyrna olketa “wanfala synagogue bilong Satan” bikos olketa hol strong long olketa kastom wea no followim Bible, rejectim Son bilong God, and tok againstim olketa follower bilong Jesus wea spirit anointim. (Romans 2:28, 29) Bat olketa anointed wan savve kasem bigfala comfort from next toktok bilong Christ! Hem sei: “No fraet long olketa samting wea klosap bae iufala safa long hem. Lukim! Devil bae go ahed for torowem samfala long iufala insaed long prison for mekem iufala kasem test evribit, and mekem iufala kasem trabol for tenfala day. Pruvim iuseleva faithful go kasem dae, and mi bae givim iufala crown bilong laef.”—Revelation 2:10.
15 Jesus no fraet for dae from wei for saportim rul bilong Jehovah. (Philippians 2:5-8) Nomata Satan hem go ahed for faet againstim olketa anointed wan wea stap yet, olketa no fraetem olketa samting olketa mas safa long hem olsem wanfala grup—trabol, prison, or dae long raf wei. (Revelation 12:17) Olketa bae winim world. And winim wei wea olketa wea win long olketa heathen game kasem crown bilong flaoa wea savve dae, Christ promis for givim olketa anointed wan wea resurrect “crown bilong laef ” olsem olketa spirit long heven wea kanduit dae. Datwan hem barava spesol present!
16. Sapos iumi insaed wanfala kongregeson olsem datwan long Smyrna bifor, wanem nao iumi shud tingting long hem evritaem?
16 Waswe sapos iumi, nomata iumi hope for go long heven or stap long earth, insaed wanfala kongregeson olsem datwan long Smyrna bifor? Iumi savve helpem olketa narawan insaed kongregeson for ting strong long datfala kwestin abaotem sovereign rul bilong universe wea hem nao main reason why God letem persecution. Evri Witness bilong Jehovah wea keepim faithful fasin givim pruv hao Satan hem laea and showimaot hao nomata man wea kasem persecution savve faithful for saportim wei wea God fit for rulim universe. (Proverbs 27:11) Iumi shud encouragem olketa nara Christian for stand strong long persecution and, from diswan, go ahed for garem “privilege for no fraet for duim holy service long [Jehovah] witim loyal and raeteous fasin front long hem for full laef bilong iumi” and for olowe.—Luke 1:68, 69, 74, 75.
Long Angel Long Pergamum
17, 18. Pergamum hem wanfala main ples bilong wanem kaen worship, and wanem nao savve kamaot from wei for no join insaed worship olsem?
17 Datfala kongregeson long Pergamum kasem praise and kaonsel. (Readim Revelation 2:12-17.) Hem stap samting olsem 80 kilometer north long Smyrna and hem taon wea barava fulap witim heathen religion. Luk olsem olketa man from Chaldea wea savve studyim olketa star ranawe kam long there from Babylon. Staka sik pipol kam long Pergamum for go long temple bilong Asclepius, false god bilong healing and medicine. Olketa kolem Pergamum witim temple bilong hem for worshipim Caesar Augustus, “main ples for worshipim emperor anda long datfala firstfala rul.”—Encyclopædia Britannica, 1959, Volume 17, page 507.
18 Long Pergamum, olketa garem wanfala altar wea olketa dedicatem long Zeus. Long datfala taon, Devil barava bihaenem pipol for mekem olketa worshipim man. Dastawe Jesus sei datfala kongregeson hem stap long ples wea “throne bilong Satan” stap! Wei for no worshipim emperor savve lead go long dae for man wea saportim sovereign rul bilong Jehovah. World hem stap yet long paoa bilong Devil, and olketa mekhae long olketa samting wea stand for kantri. (1 John 5:19) Start kam from first century kam kasem distaem, staka faithful Christian dae for faith bilong olketa. Olsem example, Christ kolem “Antipas, witness bilong mi, datfala faithful wan, wea olketa killim dae midolwan long iufala.” Jehovah God and Jesus Christ barava rememberim olketa loyal servant olsem.—1 John 5:21.
19. Wanem nao Balaam duim, and evri Christian mas gard againstim wanem?
19 Christ hem story tu abaotem “teaching bilong Balaam.” From hem greedy for kasem material samting, datfala false profet Balaam trae for cursim Israel. Taem God tanem curse bilong hem for kamap blessing, Balaam joinim Balak, King bilong Moab, and switim staka Israelite for worshipim idol and duim dirty fasin. Olsem wei wea Phinehas duim samting againstim plan bilong Balaam, olketa Christian elder need for strong for raeteous fasin. (Numbers 22:1–25:15; 2 Peter 2:15, 16; Jude 11) Tru nao, evri Christian mas gard againstim wei for worshipim idol and dirty fasin nogud olketa samting hia kam insaed kongregeson.—Jude 3, 4.
20. Sapos eni Christian hem start for garem apostate tingting, wanem nao hem shud duim?
20 Kongregeson bilong Pergamum hem insaed bigfala danger bikos hem letem “olketa wea hol strong long teaching bilong sect bilong Nicolaus” for kam insaed kongregeson. Christ talem kongregeson: “Repent. Sapos nomoa, bae mi kam kwiktaem long iufala, and bae mi faet againstim olketa witim longfala sword bilong mouth bilong mi.” Pipol wea strong for followim wanfala man or tingting laek for spoelem olketa Christian long spiritual wei, and olketa wea barava laek for kosim wei for divaed bae no kasem Kingdom bilong God. (Romans 16:17, 18; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Galatians 5:19-21) Sapos eni Christian start for garem apostate tingting and laek for spreadim, hem shud followim warning bilong Christ! For sevem hemseleva from barava nogud samting, hem shud repent and luk aotem spiritual help from olketa elder insaed kongregeson. (James 5:13-18) Hem important for duim samting stretawe, from Jesus bae kwiktaem kam for givim judgment.
21, 22. Hu nao kaikaim datfala “manna wea stap haed,” and wanem nao hem piksarem?
21 Olketa faithful anointed Christian and olketa loyal fren bilong olketa no need for fraetem judgment wea bae kam. Evriwan wea obeyim kaonsel bilong Jesus wea kam thru long direction bilong holy spirit bilong God bae kasem blessing. Olsem example, olketa anointed wan wea winim world bae kasem invitation for kaikaim samfala “manna wea stap haed” and bae kasem “wanfala white ston” wea garem “wanfala niu nem.”
22 Insaed 40 year wea olketa Israelite muv raon long wilderness, God feedim olketa witim manna. Olketa keepim samfala “bred” hia long wanfala gold container insaed datfala ark bilong covenant wea stap haed insaed long Most Holy rum bilong tabernacle, wea wanfala mirakol laet hem stap wea piksarem wei wea Jehovah stap long there. (Exodus 16:14, 15, 23, 26, 33; 26:34; Hebrews 9:3, 4) No eniwan shud kaikaim datfala manna wea haed. Wei wea olketa kaikaim “manna wea stap haed” hem piksarem wei wea olketa anointed follower bilong Jesus wea resurrect olketa kanduit dae moa.—1 Corinthians 15:53-57.
23. Wanem nao mining bilong datfala “white ston” and datfala “niu nem”?
23 Long olketa kot bilong Rome blakfala ston hem minim nogud judgment, bat white ston hem minim wei wea man kamap free from samting olketa accusim hem long hem. Wei wea Jesus givim “wanfala white ston” long olketa anointed Christian wea faithful hem showimaot hao hem tingim olketa no guilty, stret, and klin. From pipol bilong Rome savve iusim olketa ston tu olsem ticket for go insaed olketa important hipap, maet datfala “white ston” piksarem wei wea datfala anointed wan fit for go long heven long taem bilong marit bilong Lamb. (Revelation 19:7-9) Luk olsem disfala “niu nem” hem showimaot privilege wea olketa garem for join witim Christ for rul long Kingdom long heven. Diswan hem barava encouragem olketa anointed wan and tu olketa wea join witim olketa for servem Jehovah, wea garem hope for laef long wanfala paradaes earth!
24. Wanem nao iumi shud duim saed long apostate fasin?
24 Hem wise for remember hao kongregeson long Pergamum hem stap long danger from olketa apostate. Sapos spiritual living bilong kongregeson wea iumi insaed kasem semkaen danger, iumi mas rejectim apostate fasin evribit and go ahed for wakabaot long truth. (John 8:32, 44; 3 John 4) From olketa false teacher or man wanwan wea gogo for kamap apostate savve spoelem full kongregeson, iumi mas strong for againstim apostate fasin, and nating letem wei for pullim tingting stopem iumi for obeyim truth.—Galatians 5:7-12; 2 John 8-11.
25. Olketa message bilong Christ for olketa wanem kongregeson nao bae iumi storyim long next article?
25 Jesus Christ wea kasem glory givim nambawan praise and kaonsel long thrifala long olketa sevenfala kongregeson long Asia Minor! Nomata olsem, from holy spirit directim hem, hem garem staka samting for talem tu long nara fofala kongregeson. Iumi bae storyim olketa message for Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, long next article.
Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?
• Why nao iumi shud lisin gud long toktok bilong Christ for olketa kongregeson?
• Hao nao maet iumi savve help for strongim bak firstfala love bilong kongregeson?
• Why nao iumi fit for sei olketa Christian long Smyrna wea poor olketa really rich?
• Taem iumi tingim samting wea happen long kongregeson long Pergamum, hao nao iumi shud ting long apostate tingting?
[Map long page 10]
(For formatted text, lukim pablikeson)
GREECE
ASIA MINOR
Ephesus
Smyrna
Pergamum
Thyatira
Sardis
Philadelphia
Laodicea
[Piksa long page 12]
Datfala “big crowd” bae hapi long wanfala paradaes earth
[Olketa Piksa long page 13]
Olketa Christian wea kasem persecution nao winim world