Olketa First Christian and Law Bilong Moses

“Law hem kamap olsem man wea leadim iumi go long Christ.”—GALATIANS 3:24.

1, 2. Wanem nao samfala gud samting wea olketa Israelite wea obeyim Law Bilong Moses kasem?

LONG year 1513 B.C.E., Jehovah givim olketa Israelite olketa Law. Hem talem olketa hao sapos olketa obeyim toktok bilong hem, hem bae blessim olketa and olketa bae hapi and satisfae long living.—Exodus 19:5, 6.

² Olketa law hia, wea olketa kolem Law Bilong Moses, or “datfala Law,” hem “holy and raeteous and gud.” (Romans 7:12) Hem apim olketa nambawan fasin olsem kaen fasin, honest fasin, klin fasin, and wei for kamap gudfala neiba. (Exodus 23:4, 5; Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 15:13-15; 22:10, 22) And tu, disfala Law hem muvim olketa Jew for lovem each other. (Leviticus 19:18) Witim diswan, olketa mas no kaban or maritim woman from difren nation wea no stap anda long datfala Law. (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4) Datfala Law Bilong Moses hem olsem wanfala “wall” for separatem olketa Jew and olketa Gentile, hem protectim pipol bilong God from olketa heathen tingting and fasin.—Ephesians 2:14, 15; John 18:28.

3. Hao nao datfala Law hem affectim pipol nomata no eniwan savve keepim long perfect wei?

³ Nomata olketa Jew wea obeyim gud datfala Law bae hard for keepim Law bilong God long perfect wei. Waswe, samting wea Jehovah expectim hem hard tumas? Nomoa. Wanfala reason why God givim datfala Law long Israel hem for “showimaot klia olketa sin.” (Galatians 3:19) Datfala Law mekem olketa faithful Jew for luksavve hao olketa barava needim wanfala Man for Baem Olketa Bak. Taem Datwan hem arrive, olketa Jew wea faithful olketa barava hapi. Olketa klosap nao for kamap free from curse bilong sin and dae!—John 1:29.

4. Long wanem wei nao datfala Law hem “olsem man wea leadim [pipol] go long Christ”?

⁴ Datfala Law Bilong Moses hem wanfala arrangement wea bae no stap for olowe. Taem hem raet long olketa nara Christian brata bilong hem, aposol Paul storyim datfala Law “olsem man wea leadim iumi go long Christ.” (Galatians 3:24) Long taem bifor, wanfala man savve garem spesol waka for leadim pikinini go and kam from skul. Hem no really wanfala teacher; hem for leadim pikinini go long teacher nomoa. Olsem tu, datfala Law Bilong Moses hem for leadim olketa Jew wea fraet long God go long Christ. Jesus promis hao hem bae stap witim olketa follower bilong hem “evriday go kasem taem bilong end bilong disfala system.” (Matthew 28:20) So taem Christian kongregeson hem kamap, samting wea “olsem man wea leadim” olketa—datfala Law—fulfill finis nao. (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:25) Bat, samfala Jew Christian no kwiktaem minim disfala important truth. From diswan, olketa go ahed for followim samfala Law nomata bihaen Jesus hem resurrect. Bat, samfala changem tingting bilong olketa for no keepim datfala Law. Samting olketa duim hem showimaot gudfala example for iumi distaem. Bae iumi lukim hao nao olketa duim diswan.

Olketa Niu Savve Saed Long Christian Teaching

5. Olketa wanem instruction nao Peter kasem long wanfala vision, and why nao hem barava seke?

⁵ Long 36 C.E., Christian aposol Peter lukim wanfala spesol vision. Long datfala taem wanfala voice from heven komandim hem for killim dae and kaikaim olketa bird and animal wea Law sei hem no klin. Peter hem barava seke! No enitaem hem “kaikaim eniting wea dirty and no klin.” Bat datfala voice sei long hem: “No kolem dirty, samting wea God mekem klin.” (Acts 10:9-15) Winim wei for hol strong long datfala Law, Peter stretem tingting bilong hem. Diswan leadim hem for savve long wanfala nambawan samting saed long olketa purpose bilong God.

6, 7. Wanem nao mekem Peter luksavve hem fit for start for preach long olketa Gentile, and olketa wanem samting moa hem luksavve long hem?

⁶ Diswan nao samting wea happen. Thrifala man go long haos wea Peter stap insaed for askem hem for go witim olketa long haos bilong Cornelius, wanfala Gentile wea no circumcise bat wea fraet long God. Peter welkamim olketa man hia long haos bilong hem. From hem luksavve long mining bilong datfala vision, long next day Peter go witim thrifala hia long haos bilong Cornelius. Long there Peter hem witness evribit abaotem Jesus Christ. Peter hem sei: “Tru nao, mi luksavve hao God hem no saed witim eniwan, bat long evri nation man wea fraet long hem and duim raeteous fasin nao hem acceptim.” No Cornelius nomoa bat olketa relative and klos fren bilong hem tu putim faith long Jesus, and “holy spirit hem kasem evriwan wea herem datfala toktok.” From hem luksavve Jehovah nao bihaenem diswan, Peter “komandim olketa for baptaes long nem bilong Jesus Christ.”—Acts 10:17-48.

⁷ Wanem nao mekem Peter for luksavve hao olketa Gentile, wea bifor olketa no followim Law Bilong Moses, olketa fit distaem for kamap follower bilong Jesus Christ? Spiritual wei for luksavve. Peter hem luksavve hao olketa fit for baptaes bikos God showimaot hem appruvim olketa Gentile wea no circumcise taem hem pourim spirit bilong hem long olketa. And tu, Peter hem luksavve dat God no expectim olketa Gentile Christian for followim Law Bilong Moses olsem mark for baptaes. Sapos iu bin stap long datfala taem, waswe, bae iu willing olsem Peter for stretem tingting bilong iu?

Samfala Go Ahed for Followim Datwan wea “Olsem Man wea Leadim Iumi”

8. Wanem tingting saed long wei for circumcise nao samfala Christian long Jerusalem saportim wea difren from tingting bilong Peter, and why nao olsem?

⁸ Bihaen hem lusim haos bilong Cornelius, Peter hem go long Jerusalem. Nius hao samfala Gentile wea no circumcise olketa “acceptim word bilong God” hem kasem kongregeson long there, and samfala Jew disaepol no hapi long diswan. (Acts 11:1-3) Nomata olketa wea “saportim wei for circumcise” acceptim hao olketa Gentile savve kamap follower bilong Jesus, olketa hol strong yet long tingting hao pipol wea no Jew mas followim datfala Law for kasem salvation. Long narasaed, long olketa ples wea staka Gentile stap, wea tu-thri nomoa olketa Jew Christian, wei for circumcise hem no important. Tufala difren tingting hia stap for samting olsem 13 year. (1 Corinthians 1:10) Hem big test for olketa firstfala Christian—especially olketa Gentile wea stap long olketa area wea staka Jew pipol stap!

9. Why nao hem important for olketa stretem datfala problem saed long wei for circumcise?

⁹ Disfala problem kamap big long 49 C.E. taem olketa Christian long Jerusalem go long Antioch bilong Syria, wea Paul go ahed for preach long hem. Olketa start for teachim hao olketa Gentile wea kamap Christian mas circumcise fitim Law. Bigfala raoa nao kamap midolwan olketa and Paul and Barnabas! Sapos olketa no stretem datfala problem, samfala Christian, nomata Jew or Gentile, bae stambol. So, olketa arrange for Paul and samfala moa for go long Jerusalem and askem Christian governing body for stretem datfala problem.—Acts 15:1, 2, 24.

No Agree—Then, Wan Mind!

10. Wanem nao samfala point wea governing body ting raonem bifor olketa mekem disison saed long olketa Gentile?

¹⁰ Long wanfala important meeting, samfala saedem wei for circumcise, and samfala garem difren tingting. Bat feeling bilong olketa no bossim datfala disison. Bihaen staka strong toktok kamap, aposol Peter and Paul storyim olketa saen wea Jehovah duim saed long olketa wea no circumcise. Olketa explainim hao God hem pourimaot holy spirit long olketa Gentile wea no circumcise. Hem olsem tufala ask, ‘Waswe, Christian kongregeson fit for rejectim olketa wea God acceptim?’ Then datfala disaepol James hem readim sekson bilong Bible wea helpem evriwan long there for luksavve long will bilong God long datfala samting.—Acts 15:4-17.

11. Wanem samting nao nating affectim datfala disison saed long wei for circumcise, and wanem nao showim Jehovah blessim datfala disison?

¹¹ Long datfala taem evriwan weitim ansa from governing body. Waswe, from olketa really Jew, bae olketa favorim wei for circumcise? Nomoa. Olketa faithful man hia disaed strong for followim Bible and wei wea holy spirit bilong God hem lead. Bihaen olketa herem evri important pruv, governing body witim wan mind disaedem wei wea olketa Gentile Christian no need for circumcise and stap anda long Law Bilong Moses. Taem olketa brata herem diswan, olketa hapi, and kongregeson “kamap moa big evriday.” Olketa Christian wea followim kliafala theocratic direction kasem blessing bilong wanfala ansa wea klia, and wea kam from Bible. (Acts 15:19-23, 28, 29; 16:1-5) Nomata olsem, wanfala important kwestin no kasem yet ansa.

Waswe Olketa Jew Christian?

12. Wanem kwestin nao no kasem ansa yet?

¹² Governing body showim klia hao olketa Gentile Christian no need for circumcise. Bat waswe olketa Jew Christian? Disison bilong governing body no talem klia datfala saed bilong kwestin.

13. Why nao hem rong for sei wei for followim Law Bilong Moses hem important for salvation?

¹³ Samfala Jew Christian wea “strong for followim Law” go ahed for mekem pikinini bilong olketa for circumcise and for followim samfala part bilong Law. (Acts 21:20) Samfala narawan duim moa samting, olketa sei olketa Jew Christian need for followim Law bifor olketa savve sev. Diswan hem barava serious mistek. Olsem example, hao nao eni Christian fit for offerim animal sakrifaes for forgiveness bilong olketa sin? Sakrifaes bilong Christ hem finisim need for mekem kaen sakrifaes olsem. Waswe long Law wea tambuim olketa Jew for kaban witim olketa Gentile? Hem bae barava hard for olketa Christian wea strong for preach for followim olketa Law hia and still fit for fulfillim komand for teachim olketa Gentile evriting Jesus teachim. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; 10:28)a No eni pruv stap hao governing body meet tugeta for stretem disfala problem. Nomata olsem, kongregeson go ahed for kasem help.

14. Wanem help abaotem Law nao leta bilong Paul givim?

¹⁴ Olketa kasem disfala help no from wanfala leta from governing body, bat from olketa leta wea olketa aposol raetem. Olsem example, aposol Paul sendem strongfala message go long olketa Jew and Gentile wea stap long Rome. Long leta bilong hem for olketa, hem explainim hao wanfala really Jew “hem wanfala long insaed, and hem circumcise long heart thru long spirit.” (Romans 2:28, 29) Insaed disfala sem leta, Paul iusim tokpiksa for pruvim hao olketa Christian no stap anda long Law. Hem sei wanfala woman hem hard for maritim tufala man long semtaem. Bat sapos hasband bilong hem dae, hem free for marit moa. Then Paul minim datfala tokpiksa, wea showimaot hao olketa anointed Christian no savve stap anda long Law Bilong Moses and semtaem stap anda long Christ. Olketa mas “dae saed long Law” mekem olketa savve wan mind witim Christ.—Romans 7:1-5.

Slow for Minim Point

15, 16. Why nao samfala Jew Christian fail for kasem point abaotem datfala Law, and wanem nao diswan showimaot abaotem need for stap wekap long spiritual saed?

¹⁵ Paul hem barava explainim klia olketa samting saed long law. So why nao samfala Jew Christian fail for minim point? Wanfala reason hem from olketa short long spiritual wei for luksavve. Olsem example, olketa fail for kaikaim strong spiritual kaikai. (Hebrews 5:11-14) Olketa no evritaem attendim olketa Christian meeting. (Hebrews 10:23-25) Nara reason why samfala no minim point maet hem from datfala Law seleva. Hem garem faondeson long olketa samting wea man savve lukim and feelim and tasim, olsem datfala temple and sekson bilong olketa priest. Man wea no garem spiritual saed bae faendem moa isi for keepim datfala Law winim olketa deep principle bilong Christian Wei, wea garem faondeson long olketa samting wea man no lukim.—2 Corinthians 4:18.

¹⁶ And, nara reason why samfala wea sei olketa Christian wantem tumas for keepim datfala law, hem stap insaed long leta bilong Paul for olketa long Galatia. Hem explainim hao olketa man hia laekem pipol for tinghae long olketa olsem olketa member bilong religion bilong olketa Jew. Olketa no laek for difren from pipol raonem olketa, so olketa willing for duim eniting for mekem olketa kamap part bilong community. Olketa moa interest for mekem pipol hapi winim wei for God appruvim olketa.—Galatians 6:12.

17. Wanem taem nao stretfala tingting saed long wei for keepim datfala Law hem kamap klia?

¹⁷ Olketa Christian wea garem fasin for luksavve, olketa studyim gud olketa leta wea God muvim Paul and samfala narawan for raetem, and olketa kasem stretfala tingting saed long datfala Law. Nomata olsem, stretfala tingting saed long Law bilong Moses hem barava kamap klia long evri Jew Christian bihaen long year 70 C.E. Datwan happen taem God letem Jerusalem, temple bilong hem, and olketa record abaotem sekson bilong olketa priest hem distroe. Bihaen long datwan olketa kanduit nao for followim datfala Law evribit.

Leson for Iumi

18, 19. (a) Olketa wanem wei for tingting nao iumi mas followim and olketa wanem wei for tingting nao iumi mas stap klia from hem, mekem iumi stap healthy long spiritual wei? (b) Example bilong Paul teachim iumi wanem samting abaotem wei for followim direction wea iumi kasem from olketa brata wea garem responsibility? (Lukim box long page 24.)

¹⁸ Bihaen iu readim olketa samting hia wea happen longtaem bifor, maet iu askem iuseleva: ‘Sapos mi bin stap long datfala taem, wanem nao bae mi duim taem will bilong God hem isisi showaot? Waswe, bae mi hol strong long samting wea mi bin bilivim? Or waswe, bae mi patient go kasem taem stretfala savve kamap klia? And taem hem kamap, waswe, bae mi saportim witim full heart?’

¹⁹ Hem tru, hem hard for really savve wanem iumi bae duim sapos iumi stap long datfala taem. Bat iumi savve askem iumiseleva: ‘Wanem nao mi savve duim taem wei for minim wanfala Bible teaching hem kamap moa klia? (Matthew 24:45) Taem mi kasem help from Bible, waswe, mi trae for followim no just datwan bat datfala principle bihaenem tu? (1 Corinthians 14:20) Waswe, mi patient for weit long Jehovah taem wanfala kwestin wea mi garem for longtaem hem no kasem ansa yet?’ Hem important for iumi readim and studyim gud olketa spiritual kaikai wea stap distaem, mekem “iumi nating isisi go difren.” (Hebrews 2:1) Iumi mas lisin gud taem Jehovah provaedem direction thru long Bible, spirit bilong hem, and organization bilong hem. Sapos iumi duim olsem, Jehovah bae blessim iumi witim laef olowe wea mekem man hapi and satisfae.

[Footnote]

Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?

• Long wanem wei nao datfala Law Bilong Moses hem “olsem man wea leadim iumi go long Christ”?

• Hao nao bae iu explainim why Peter hem difren from olketa wea “saportim wei for circumcise” saed long niufala savve bilong truth?

• Wanem nao iu lanem abaotem wei wea Jehovah hem showimaot truth distaem?

[Box/Picture long page 24]

Paul Showim Hambol Fasin Taem Hem Kasem Test

Bihaen wanfala missionary gogo bilong hem, Paul kasem Jerusalem long 56 C.E. Long there, hem kasem wanfala test. Kongregeson herem nius abaotem wei wea hem teachim hao Law Bilong Moses hem finis. Olketa older man fraet hao stretfala toktok bilong Paul abaotem Law bae mekem olketa Jew wea just kamap Christian for stambol and for tingse olketa Christian no respectim arrangement bilong Jehovah. Insaed kongregeson, fofala Jew Christian olketa stap anda wanfala spesol promis, maet datfala Nazirite promis. Olketa mas go long temple for fulfillim datfala promis.

Olketa older man askem Paul for go witim fofala hia long temple and for luk aftarem olketa saed long selen. Paul hem raetem finis winim tufala leta wea hem pruvim long kliafala wei hao salvation no kam from wei for obeyim Law. Nomata olsem, hem respectim conscience bilong olketa narawan. Hem raet olsem bifor: “Long olketa anda long law mi kam anda long law . . . mekem mi savve kasem olketa wea anda long law.” (1 Corinthians 9:20-23) Paul hem no savve againstim olketa Bible principle, bat hem willing for duim wanem olketa older man askem hem for duim. (Acts 21:15-26) And hem no rong for duim olsem. Arrangement bilong olketa spesol promis hem no againstim Bible, and olketa iusim temple bifor for klinfala worship, no for worshipim idol. From hem no want for mekem eniwan stambol, Paul hem duim samting wea olketa askem. (1 Corinthians 8:13) For duim datwan Paul mas hambol long bigfala wei, and diswan, shud muvim iumi for barava tinghae long hem.

[Piksa long page 22, 23]

For samfala year, olketa Christian garem olketa difren tingting abaotem Law Bilong Moses