TỊBỊYỌ 8

Itu Mị “Dọọ Nana Mị”

Christtuuduo-otu penimọtimi Saul mị, bo angọtụa egberigbaa kịmị a paa mị

Duo boemi yọbị Acts 9:1-43

1, 2. Saul, Damascus amú teeki mịẹmụ bara kị tọnpẹlẹ wẹrị ma o?

Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

² Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

3, 4. (a) Teeki Saul paamọ ma o? (b) Omịnị te biibịbịama kị kẹrị ẹrẹtei dọụmịnị a o?

³ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

⁴ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

SAUL’S MANDATE IN DAMASCUS

How did Saul get authority to arrest Christians in a foreign city? The Sanhedrin and the high priest exercised moral authority over Jews everywhere, and the high priest’s powers apparently included authority to extradite criminals. Thus, letters from the high priest would elicit the cooperation of the elders of the Damascus synagogues.—Acts 9:1, 2.

The Romans, moreover, had granted the Jews the right to manage their own judicial affairs. This explains how five times the Jews could inflict “40 strokes less one” on the apostle Paul. (2 Cor. 11:24) The book of 1 Maccabees also mentions a letter written by a Roman consul to Ptolemy VIII of Egypt in 138 B.C.E. that demanded: “If any pestilent men have fled to you from their country [Judaea], hand them over to Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law.” (1 Macc. 15:21) In 47 B.C.E., Julius Caesar confirmed the privileges previously granted to the high priest along with his right to settle any questions that arose over Jewish customs.

“Tetuu Kị Duonị Ị́mịnị Ine Ụyamọmịnị A O?” (Acts 9:1-5)

5, 6. Jesus gbaa akị Saul pịrị egberibo, te ka kị wó tolumọ ma o?

⁵ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

⁶ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

7. Teeki wó barị wẹrị ụyamọye ine a paa emi a o?

⁷ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

“Saul, Ine Bịnaowei, Nanaowei Kị . . . Ị Fịrịmọ Bo Mị” (Acts 9:6-17)

8, 9. Kaanghaba Ananias tebara ka kị wo fịrị dimọ wẹrị ma o?

⁸ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

⁹ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

10. Jesus akị Ananias mọ mịẹbara mị, te ka kị wó tolumọ ma o?

¹⁰ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

11, 12. Omịnị Jesus, Ananias bá Saul mọ duo teeki tolumọ akị a paa emi a o?

¹¹ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

¹² Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

“Omịnị Koro Jesus Egberi Gbaa Mị” (Acts 9:18-30)

13, 14. Ị́mịnị Bible tolumọtimi naa benibileghaba, Saul mịẹdịaye mị te ka kị ị́ tolumọ ma o?

¹³ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

¹⁴ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

15, 16. Saul karịwarị bọọ teeki mịẹ ma, Damascus bọọ timi Jewotubo teeki mịẹ ma o?

¹⁵ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

¹⁶ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

17. (a) Kịmịotu tebara ka kị Bible gesii dimọ wẹrị emi a o? (b) Omịnị pẹlẹgha bara teeki mịẹ agbẹị emi a, bá tetuu a o?

¹⁷ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

18, 19. (a) Barnabas baratụa Saul pịrị duonị teeki paa ma o? (b) Omịnị tebara ka kị Barnabas mọ Saul mọ dimịẹ a paa emi a o?

¹⁸ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

¹⁹ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

“Biin Kịmịama Bo Gesii Kẹrị-akị Mị” (Acts 9:31-43)

20, 21. Buode ifie Jehovah otubo mọ mị ifie Jehovah otubo mọ, tebara ka kị anị nana wẹrị emi ‘dọọ ifie’ mị akị egberigbaa mịnị a o?

²⁰ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

²¹ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

22. Ị́mịnị tebara ka kị iné nana wẹrị emi fomuun mị akị fịrịwẹnị a paa emi a o?

²² Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

23, 24. (a) Tabitha paamọ ye mị te ka kị wó tolumọ ma o? (b) Omịnị teeki gbinipẹlẹ agbẹị emi a o?

²³ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

A sister giving flowers to an elderly and infirm sister. — How can you imitate Tabitha?

²⁴ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

SAUL THE PHARISEE

The “young man called Saul” who appears in the Acts account at the stoning of Stephen was from Tarsus. It was the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, in the south of modern-day Turkey. (Acts 7:58) A sizable Jewish community dwelled in that city. According to his own writings, Saul was “circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born from Hebrews; regarding law, a Pharisee.” That was viewed as an impeccable Jewish pedigree!—Phil. 3:5.

Saul’s home was in a large, prosperous trading city, a center of Greek culture. Growing up in Tarsus, Saul knew Greek. It is likely that he would have received his primary education in a Jewish school. Saul learned to be a tentmaker, a skill typical of his native area. In all probability, while still a youth, Saul acquired this trade from his father.—Acts 18:2, 3.

The Acts account also reveals that Saul was born a Roman citizen. (Acts 22:25-28) This means that one of his forebears had already acquired that distinction. How Saul’s family obtained Roman citizenship is unknown. Whatever the case, that privilege would place them among the social elite of their province. Saul’s background and education, then, gave him a firm foothold in three different cultures—Jewish, Greek, and Roman.

Likely, when he was no older than 13, Saul moved 520 miles (840 km) to Jerusalem to continue his education. In that city, Saul studied at the feet of Gamaliel, a highly esteemed teacher in the Pharisaic tradition.—Acts 22:3.

These additional studies, comparable to going to a university today, would consist of instruction in and memorization of both Scripture and Jewish oral law. A successful student of Gamaliel would have a promising career before him, and apparently Saul was just such a student. He later wrote: “I was making greater progress in Judaism than many of my own age in my nation, as I was far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (Gal. 1:14) Of course, Saul’s zeal for Jewish tradition was what turned him into a notorious persecutor of the fledgling Christian congregation.

TABITHA—“SHE ABOUNDED IN GOOD DEEDS”

Tabitha was a member of the Christian congregation in the seaport town of Joppa. Her fellow believers loved her because “she abounded in good deeds and gifts of mercy.” (Acts 9:36) Like many Jews who lived in areas having a mixed Jewish and Gentile population, Tabitha had two names—one Hebrew or Aramaic and the other Greek or Latin. Her Greek name, Dorcas, was rendered “Tabitha” in Aramaic. Both names mean “Gazelle.”

It appears that Tabitha fell sick and suddenly died. As was the custom, her body was washed in preparation for burial. It was laid out in an upper chamber, possibly in her own house. The hot climate of the Middle East required that burials take place either on the day of a person’s death or on the next day. The Christians in Joppa had heard that the apostle Peter was in nearby Lydda. There was enough time for Peter to come to Joppa before Tabitha would have to be buried, since the distance between the two cities was only 11 miles (18 km)—about a four-hour walk. So the congregation dispatched two men to ask Peter to come without delay. (Acts 9:37, 38) Says one scholar: “It was a regular practice in early Judaism to send out emissaries in pairs, in part so that one could validate the testimony of the other.”

What happened when Peter arrived? The account tells us: “They led him up into the upper room; and all the widows presented themselves to him, weeping and showing many garments and robes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.” (Acts 9:39) Among the factors that endeared Tabitha to the members of her congregation was that she was in the habit of sewing for them. She made tunics, worn next to the body, and cloaks or robes, which were worn over the tunic. Whether Tabitha paid for all the material herself or just provided her labor is not stated. In any case, she was loved for her kindness and “gifts of mercy.”

What Peter saw in that upper chamber must have moved him. “This was mourning which was far different from that manifested in the house of Jairus with its noisy, hired mourning women and fluteblowers,” says scholar Richard Lenski. “This was not such artificial mourning as that.” (Matt. 9:23) It was genuine and heartfelt. The fact that no mention is ever made of a husband leads many to conclude that Tabitha was single.

When Jesus commissioned his apostles, he gave them power to “raise up the dead.” (Matt. 10:8) Peter had seen Jesus perform such miracles, including the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, but we have no record prior to this of an apostle performing a resurrection. (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43) But now Peter put onlookers out of the upper room, and then he prayed earnestly, with the result that Tabitha opened her eyes and sat up. What joy there must have been among the Christians in Joppa when Peter was then able to present to the holy ones and the widows their beloved Tabitha—alive!—Acts 9:40-42.