Tingting Bilong Bible
Waswe, Thrifala King Visitim Jesus Long Bethlehem?
BIHAEN Jesus hem born, samfala important man from East kam long Bethlehem for showim respect long hem olsem king bilong olketa Jew. Kasem distaem planti pipol evriwea long world wea celebratem Christmas rememberim datfala visit.
Long samfala ples pipol wakem samting for actim taem wea olketa visitor from East wea luk olsem thrifala king karem present go long Jesus wea just born. Long samfala kantri moa, olketa pikinini werem kaleko olsem “olketa Holy King” and wakabaot raonem ples wea olketa stap. Nomata bihaen 2,000 year, pipol evriwea rememberim yet olketa important visitor hia. Bat hu nao olketa?
Waswe, Olketa King?
Record bilong disfala story hem stap insaed long Bible buk bilong Matthew. Long there hem read olsem: “Bihaen Jesus hem born . . . olketa man wea studyim star from east kam wanday long Jerusalem and ask olsem, ‘Wea nao king bilong olketa Jew wea just born? Mifala lukim star bilong hem taem hem kamap and mifala kam for showim respect long hem.’ ” (Matthew 2:1, 2, New American Bible) Why nao disfala Bible transleison kolem olketa visitor from east olsem olketa man wea studyim star and no olketa king?
Long hia olketa scripture iusim Greek word maʹgos. Samfala difren Bible transleison sei “olketa wise man,” “olketa man for studyim star,” or “pipol for lukluk long star,” or olketa transleitim nomoa olsem “Magi.” Disfala toktok hem minim pipol for givim advaes and talem future followim position bilong olketa star and planet. Dastawe Bible showimaot olketa man hia wea go long Bethlehem olsem pipol wea duim divination, wea iusim spiritism, samting wea God no appruvim.—Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
Waswe, olketa hia king tu? Sapos olketa king, hem stret for tingse Bible bae talem klia. Matthew 2:1-12 iusim disfala word “king” fofala taem, wantaem for minim Jesus and thrifala taem for minim Herod. Bat no enitaem hem kolem olketa Magi hia olsem olketa king. The Catholic Encyclopedia sei olsem abaotem disfala point: “No eni Father bilong Church tingse olketa Magi hia hem olketa king.” Bible tu no ting olsem.
Waswe, Olketa Thrifala?
Record long Bible no talemaot namba bilong Magi. Nomata olsem, wei for actim taem wea Jesus born and olketa Christmas singsing saportim kastom biliv bilong planti pipol wea talemse thrifala Magi nao visit. Luk olsem diswan kamaot from thrifala difren present wea olketa givim. Bible sei olsem abaotem diswan: “Olketa openem tu olketa samting wea garem hae price and givim olsem present [long Jesus], gold and frankincense and myrrh.”—Matthew 2:11.
Waswe, hem stret for sei from olketa Magi givim thrifala difren present, hem minim thrifala Magi nao visit? Tingim nara story abaotem wanfala important visitor wea go long Israel. Wantaem queen bilong Sheba visitim King Solomon and givim hem “balsam oil and staka gold and richfala stone” olsem present. (1 Kings 10:2) Nomata scripture storyim thrifala difren present, hem storyim wanfala person nomoa wea givim, hem nao queen bilong Sheba. Haomas present hem givim no showimaot thrifala pipol nao visitim Solomon long datfala taem. Long sem wei tu, thrifala present wea Jesus kasem no showimaot eniting abaotem haomas pipol nao tekem present kam.
The Catholic Encyclopedia sei: “Story long Gospel no talem haomas Magi nao visit, and no eni kliafala kastom biliv stap long diswan. Samfala Father story abaotem thrifala Magi; luk olsem maet from olketa tingim haomas present nao stap.” Disfala buk talem tu hao samfala painting showim tufala, thrifala, fofala, and eitfala tu wea visitim Jesus. Samfala kastom bilivse 12-fala. No eni wei stap for pruvim haomas Magi nao visit.
Story wea Planti Savve bat wea No Tru
Long wei wea difren from biliv wea planti savve, olketa Magi firstaem kam, no long Bethlehem, bat long Jerusalem, bihaen Jesus hem born. Olketa no stap taem Jesus hem born. Bihaen, taem olketa go long Bethlehem, Bible hem sei “taem olketa go insaed long haos olketa lukim youngfala pikinini.” (Matthew 2:1, 11) So, hem klia hao taem olketa Magi visitim Jesus, famili bilong hem stap long wanfala haos. Olketa no lukim hem leidaon long ples for putim grass for animal.
For fitim wanem Bible talem, datfala story wea planti savve abaotem thrifala king wea honorim Jesus taem hem born hem no tru. Olsem iumi readim antap, Bible teachim hao olketa Magi wea visitim Jesus no olketa king bat olketa man wea studyim star wea duim spiritism. Bible no talem haomas nao visit. And tu, olketa no visitim Jesus taem hem born, taem hem leidaon long ples for putim grass for animal, bat, long narataem bihaen, taem famili bilong hem stap long haos.
Datfala story abaotem thrifala king and samfala nara Christmas story, nomata hem no stret fitim Bible, planti tingse olketa olsem holiday story nomoa wea no savve spoelem man. Bat, olketa Christian barava tinghae long worship wea free from giaman samting. Jesus ting olsem tu. Wantaem, taem hem prea long Dadi bilong hem, hem sei: “Word bilong iu nao truth.” (John 17:17) Hem sei “olketa trufala worshiper bae worshipim Father witim spirit and truth, from Father hem lukaotem pipol olsem for worshipim hem.”—John 4:23.
[Piksa long page 27]
“Worship wea Magi givim”