Fehuʻi mei he Kau Lautohí

Ko e hā ʻoku ʻai ai ʻe he Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová ʻa e ʻapositolo ko Paulá ke ne ʻasi ʻokú ne tula pe ʻikai loko ʻi ai hano louʻulú?

Ko hono moʻoní, ʻoku ʻikai ha tangata ʻi he ʻahó ni ʻe lava ke ne fakapapauʻi ʻa e fōtunga ʻo Paulá. Ko e ngaahi tā fakatātā mo e tā valivali ʻi heʻetau ʻū tohí ko e ngaahi ʻaati pē ia, ʻo ʻikai ko ha ngaahi ʻata naʻe makatuʻunga ʻi ha ngaahi moʻoniʻi meʻa kuo fakamoʻoniʻi fakaʻākeolosia.

Kae kehe, ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi fakamatala fekauʻaki mo e fōtunga ʻo Paulá. Ko e fakatātaá, ko e Zion’s Watch Tower ʻo Maʻasi 1, 1902, naʻe lave ai ki ha fakamatala ʻe taha, naʻe pehē: “ʻI he fekauʻaki mo e fōtunga fakafoʻituitui ʻo Paulá: . . . ʻI he ‘Acts of Paul and Thecla,’ . . . naʻe hiki nai ʻi he 150 T.S, ʻoku ʻi ai ha fakamatala fekauʻaki mo Paula ʻa ia ʻoku ngalingali ko e fakamatala lelei tahá ia, pea ko ha fakamatala moʻoni. ʻI hení ʻoku fakamatalaʻi ai ia ʻokú ne ‘tapukupuku, ʻulu tula, veʻe-kali, mo sino lelei, kemo aʻu; kae kiʻi ihu lōloa.’”

ʻOku pehē ʻi he The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (pulusinga 1997) fekauʻaki mo e tohi ko ia ʻi he kuonga muʻá: “ʻOku ʻikai taʻemalava ke ʻi he ‘Acts’ ha ngaahi ʻelemēniti ʻo ha moʻoni fakahisitōlia.” Ko e The Acts of Paul and Thecla naʻe vakai ki ai ʻi he muʻaki ngaahi senitulí ʻoku ʻi ha tuʻunga māʻolunga, hangē ko ia ʻoku fakapapauʻi ʻe he moʻoniʻi meʻa ko ia ʻo e kei ʻi ai hano muʻaki tatau tohinima faka-Kalisi ʻe 80, pea pehē ki he ngaahi liliu ʻi he ngaahi lea kehe. Ko ia ai, ko ʻetau ngaahi ʻātí ʻoku fehoanaki ia mo e fakamatala ʻe niʻihi ʻi he kuonga muʻá ʻo fekauʻaki mo e fōtunga ʻo e ʻapositoló.

Kae kehe, manatuʻi, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e ngaahi meʻa kehe ʻoku mahuʻinga ange ia ʻi he fōtunga ʻo Paulá. Naʻa mo e lolotonga hono fakahoko ʻe Paula ʻa ʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, naʻe tukuakiʻi ʻe ha kau fakaanga ʻe niʻihi ʻi he māmaní ʻo pehē “ko ʻene fotu mai ʻi he sinó [naʻe] vaivai pea ko ʻene leá ʻoku ʻikai hano mahuʻinga.” (2 Kol. 10:10) Ka ʻoku ʻikai totonu ke ngalo ʻiate kitautolu naʻá ne hoko ko ha Kalisitiané ʻi ha founga fakaemana meia Sīsū. ʻOku toe lava foki ke tau fakakaukau fekauʻaki mo e meʻa naʻe fakahoko ʻe Paula ʻi hono tuʻunga “ko ha ipu kuo fili [maʻa Kalaisi] ke ne fataki [ʻa e huafa ʻo Sīsuú] ki he ngaahi puleʻangá.” (Ngā. 9:3-5, 15; 22:6-8) Pea fakakaukau atu ki he lahi ʻo e ʻaonga ʻe lava ke tau maʻu mei he ngaahi tohi ʻi he Tohi Tapú naʻe fakamānavaʻi ʻe Sihova ʻa Paula ke ne tohí.

Naʻe ʻikai ke pōlepole ʻa Paula ʻi he ngaahi meʻa naʻá ne lavaʻi ki muʻa ke ne hoko ko ha Kalisitiané; pea naʻe ʻikai te ne fakamatala ki hono fōtunga hā maí. (Ngā. 26:4, 5; Fil. 3:4-6) Naʻá ne fakahaaʻi: “Ko e siʻi taha au ʻi he kau ʻapositoló, pea ʻoku ʻikai te u taau mo hono ui ko ha ʻapositoló.” (1 Kol. 15:9) Naʻá ne tohi ki mui ai: “Ko au, ko ha tangata ʻoku ou siʻisiʻi ange ʻi he siʻisiʻi taha ʻi he kotoa ʻo e kakai tapú, naʻe foaki mai ki ai ʻa e ʻofa maʻataʻatā ko ení, koeʻuhi ke u talaki ai ki he ngaahi puleʻangá ʻa e ongoongo lelei ʻo fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi koloa taʻemafakatotoloa ʻa e Kalaisí.” (ʻEf. 3:8) Ko e pōpoaki ko iá ʻoku mahuʻinga moʻoni ange ia ʻi ha hohaʻa pē pe naʻe fōtunga fēfē nai ʻa Paula.