Ko Tīmote—Ko e Tokoni Foʻou ʻo Paula

KO E tangata talavou ko ʻeni ʻokú ke sio ki ai mo e ʻapositolo ko Paulá ko Tīmote ia. Naʻe nofo ʻa Tīmote mo hono fāmilí ʻi Lisita. Ko e hingoa ʻo ʻene faʻeé ko ʻIunisi pea ko ʻene kui fefiné ko Loisi.

Ko e tuʻo tolu ʻaki ʻeni ʻa e ʻaʻahi ʻa Paula ki Lisita. Ko ha taʻu nai ʻe taha ki muʻa atu, naʻe ʻuluaki haʻu ʻa Paula mo Panepasa heni ʻi he fononga fakamisinale. Pea ko e foki mai ʻeni ʻa Paula mo hono kaungāmeʻa ko Sailosi.

ʻOkú ke ʻilo pe ko e hā ʻoku tala ange ʻe Paula kia Tīmoté? ʻOkú ne ʻeke: ‘Te ke fie ʻalu mo Sailosi pea mo au? ʻE lava ke ke tokoni ʻi he malanga ki he kakai ʻi he ngaahi feituʻu mamaʻo atú.’

Naʻe tali ange ʻe Tīmote: ‘ʻIo, ʻoku ou fie ʻalu.’ Ko ia naʻe ʻikai ke fuʻu fuoloa mei ai pea naʻe mavahe ʻa Tīmote mei hono fāmilí pea ʻalu mo Paula mo Sailosi. Ka ki muʻa ke tau ako ʻo fekauʻaki mo ʻenau fonongá, tau sio ange pe ko e hā naʻe hoko kia Paulá. Ko e taʻu nai ʻeni ʻe 17 talu mei he hā ʻa Sīsū kiate ia ʻi he hala ki Tāmasikusí.

Manatuʻi, naʻe haʻu ʻa Paula ki Tāmasikusi ke fakamamahiʻi ʻa e kau ākonga ʻa Sīsuú, ka naʻe hoko ai ia heni ko ha ākonga! Ki mui mai naʻe faʻufaʻu ʻe ha ngaahi fili ke tāmateʻi ʻa Paula koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai te nau saiʻia ʻi heʻene akonaki ʻo kau kia Sīsuú. Ka naʻe tokoni ʻa e kau ākongá kia Paula ke ne hola. Naʻa nau faʻo ia ki ha kato ʻo tukutuku hifo ʻi he tuʻaʻā ʻo e koló.

Hili iá naʻe ʻalu ʻa Paula ki ʻAniteoke ke malanga. Ko e feituʻu ʻeni naʻe ʻuluaki ui ai ʻa e kau muimui ʻo Sīsuú ko e kau Kalisitiané. Pea naʻe fekau atu leva ʻa Paula mo Panepasa mei ʻAniteoke ʻi ha fononga fakamisinale ki he ngaahi fonua mamaʻó. Ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi kolo naʻá na ʻaʻahi ki aí ko Lisita, ko e kolo ia ʻo Tīmoté.

ʻI he taʻu ʻe taha ki mui mai ai, naʻe toe foki mai ʻa Paula ki Lisita lolotonga ia ʻa e fononga hono uá. ʻI he mavahe ʻa Tīmote mo Paula mo Sailosí, ʻokú ke ʻilo pe naʻa nau ʻalu ki fē? Sio ki he mapé, pea te tau ako ki ha niʻihi ʻo e ngaahi feituʻú.

ʻUluakí, naʻa nau ō ki ʻAikoniume ʻa ia naʻe ofi mai pē, pea ki he kolo hono uá naʻe ui ko ʻAniteoke. Hili iá naʻa nau fononga hake ki Taloasi, pea ki Filipai, Tesalonaika mo Pēlea. ʻOkú ke sio ki ʻĀtenisi ʻi he mapé? Naʻe malanga ʻa Paula ʻi ai. ʻI he ʻosi iá naʻa nau nofo ʻo malanga ʻi Kolinitō ʻi he taʻu ʻe taha mo e konga. Fakaʻosí naʻa nau mālōlō taimi siʻi ʻi ʻEfesō. Pea nau foki vaka mai ki Sesalia, pea fononga atu ki ʻAniteoke, ʻa ia naʻe nofo ai ʻa Paulá.

Ko ia naʻe fononga ʻa Tīmote ʻi he ngaahi maile ʻe laui ngeau ʻo tokoni kia Paula ke malangaʻi ʻa e “ongoongo lelei” mo fokotuʻu ha ngaahi fakatahaʻanga faka-Kalisitiane lahi. ʻI haʻo tupu ʻo matuʻotuʻa angé, te ke hoko ko ha sevāniti angatonu ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻo hangē ko Tīmoté?