Founga Hono Fokotuʻutuʻu Maau mo Puleʻi ʻa e Fakatahaʻangá

ʻI HE ʻuluaki tohi ʻa e ʻapositolo ko Paulá ki he kau Kolinitoó, naʻá ne fakahaaʻi ha moʻoni mahuʻinga fekauʻaki mo e ʻOtuá. Naʻe tohi ʻe Paula: “Ko e ʻOtuá ʻoku ʻikai ko ha ʻOtua ia ʻo e māveuveu, ka ʻo e melino.” Pea ʻi heʻene toe lave fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi fakataha ʻa e fakatahaʻangá, naʻá ne pehē: “Tuku ke fakahoko ʻa e ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē ʻi ha tuʻunga taau mo maau.”—1 Kol. 14:33, 40.

² ʻI he kamataʻanga pē ʻo e tohi tatau, naʻe fai ai ʻe he ʻapositoló ha ekinaki fekauʻaki mo e māvahevahe naʻe hoko ʻi loto ʻi he fakatahaʻanga Kolinitoó. Naʻe ekinaki ʻa Paula ki he fanga tokoua ʻi aí ke nau “lea loto-taha” pea ke nau “fāʻūtaha kakato ʻi he ʻatamai tatau mo e fakakaukau tatau.” (1 Kol. 1:10, 11) Naʻá ne ʻoatu leva kia kinautolu ha akonaki fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi meʻa kehekehe naʻá ne uesia ʻa e fāʻūtaha ʻa e fakatahaʻangá. ʻI hono fakatātāʻaki ʻa e sino ʻo e tangatá, naʻá ne fakahaaʻi ai ʻa e fiemaʻu ʻo e fāʻūtahá mo e ngāue fakatahá. Naʻá ne ekinaki ki he tokotaha kotoa ʻi he fakatahaʻanga Kalisitiané, ʻo tatau ai pē pe ko e hā honau ngafá, ke nau fetokangaʻaki ʻi ha founga anga-ʻofa. (1 Kol. 12:12-26) Ko e feongoongoi ʻi he ngāue fakataha pehē ʻi he haʻohaʻonga ʻo e faʻahinga ʻi he fakatahaʻangá ʻoku fakahuʻunga ia ʻe hoko ʻo fokotuʻutuʻu maau.

³ Ka ʻe anga-fēfē hano fokotuʻutuʻu maau ʻa e fakatahaʻanga Kalisitiané? Ko hai te ne fokotuʻutuʻu maau iá? Ko e faʻahinga faʻunga fēfē te ne maʻú? Ko hai ʻe ngāue ʻi he ngaahi fatongia ʻe fokotuʻú? ʻI hono tuku ʻa e Tohi Tapú ke hoko ko hotau tatakí, te tau maʻu ai ʻa e ngaahi tali mahino ki he ngaahi fehuʻi ko ení.—1 Kol. 4:6.

FOKOTUʻUTUʻU MAAU FAKATEOKALATI

⁴ Naʻe fokotuʻu ʻa e fakatahaʻanga Kalisitiané ʻi he ʻaho ʻo e Penitekosi 33 T.S. Ko e hā ʻe lava ke tau ako mei he fakatahaʻanga ʻi he ʻuluaki senitulí? Naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu maau ia pea puleʻi fakateokalati, ʻa ia ko hono ʻuhingá ko e ʻOtuá (faka-Kalisi, the·osʹ) ʻoku pulé (kraʹtos). Ko e ongo foʻi lea ko ení ʻoku ʻasi ʻi he 1 Pita 5:10, 11. Ko e fakamatala fakamānavaʻi ʻo e meʻa naʻe hoko ʻi Selusalema ʻi he meimei taʻu ʻe 2,000 kuohilí ʻoku ʻikai ha veiveiua ko e fakatahaʻanga ʻo e kau Kalisitiane paní naʻe fokotuʻu ia ʻe he ʻOtuá. (Ngā. 2:1-47) Ko e fale ia ʻoʻona, ko hono fāmili. (1 Kol. 3:9; ʻEf. 2:19) Ko e sīpinga fokotuʻutuʻu maau mo e founga ngāue naʻe fokotuʻu lolotonga ʻa e ʻuluaki senitulí ʻoku muimui ki ai ʻa e fakatahaʻanga Kalisitiané ʻi he ʻahó ni.

⁵ Ko e muʻaki fakatahaʻangá naʻe kamata ia ʻaki ha kau ākonga ʻe toko 120 nai. Naʻe ʻuluaki lilingi hifo ʻa e laumālie māʻoniʻoní ki he faʻahinga ko ení, ko e fakahoko ia ʻo e Sioeli 2:28, 29. (Ngā. 2:16-18) Ka ko e ʻaho pē ko iá, ko e toko 3,000 kehe nai naʻe papitaiso ʻi he vaí pea ʻomi ki he fakatahaʻanga ʻo e faʻahinga kuo pani ʻe he laumālié. Naʻa nau tali ʻa e folofola fekauʻaki mo Kalaisí pea “hokohoko atu ʻenau līʻoa kinautolu ki he faiako ʻa e kau ʻapositoló.” Hili iá, “naʻe hokohoko atu hono tānaki fakaʻaho mai ʻe Sihova kiate kinautolu ʻa e faʻahinga kuo fakahaofí.”—Ngā. 2:41, 42, 47.

⁶ Ko e tupulaki ʻa e fakatahaʻanga ʻi Selusalemá naʻe lāunga ai ʻa e taulaʻeiki lahi Siú kuo hanga ʻe he kau ākongá ʻo fakafonu ʻa Selusalema ʻaki ʻenau akonakí. Ko e kau ākonga foʻou ʻi Selusalemá naʻe aʻu ʻo kau ai ʻa e kau taulaʻeiki Siu tokolahi ʻa ia naʻa nau hoko ko e konga ʻo e fakatahaʻangá.—Ngā. 5:27, 28; 6:7.

⁷ Naʻe pehē ʻe Sīsū: “Te mou hoko ko e kau fakamoʻoni kiate au ʻi Selusalema, ʻi he kotoa ʻo Siuteá mo Samēlia, pea ki he feituʻu taupotu taha ʻo e māmaní.” (Ngā. 1:8) Pea ko e meʻa ia naʻe hokó, ʻi he taimi ko ē naʻe malanga hake ai ha fuʻu fakatanga ʻi Selusalema hili ʻa e mate ʻa Sitīvení, ko e kau ākonga naʻe nofo ʻi aí naʻa nau movete holo ʻi Siutea mo Samēlia. Ka ʻi ha feituʻu pē naʻa nau ʻalu ai, naʻa nau hokohoko atu hono talaki ʻa e ongoongo leleí mo ngaohi ʻa e kau ākonga lahi ange, ʻo kau ai ʻa e niʻihi mei he kau Samēliá. (Ngā. 8:1-13) Ki mui ange ai, naʻe malangaʻi ola lelei ʻa e ongoongo leleí ki he kakai taʻekamu ʻikai ko e Siu ʻi he ngaahi puleʻangá. (Ngā. 10:1-48) Ko e kotoa ʻo e ngāue fakamalanga ko ení naʻe iku ia ki he ngaohi ʻo e kau ākonga tokolahi mo hono fokotuʻu ʻo e ngaahi fakatahaʻanga foʻou ʻi tuʻa mei Selusalema.—Ngā. 11:19-21; 14:21-23.

⁸ Ko e hā ʻa e ngaahi fokotuʻutuʻu naʻe fai ke fakapapauʻi ai ko e fakatahaʻanga foʻou taki taha kuo fokotuʻú naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu maau ia pea puleʻi ʻi he founga ʻa e ʻOtuá—ʻo fakateokalati? Fakafou ʻi he ngāue ʻa e laumālie ʻo e ʻOtuá, naʻe fai ai hono tokonaki ʻo e kau tauhi-sipi ke tokangaʻi ʻa e tākangá. ʻI he ngaahi fakatahaʻanga naʻe ʻaʻahi ki ai ʻa Paula mo Panepasá lolotonga ʻo ʻena ʻuluaki fononga fakamisinalé, naʻá na fakanofo ai ha kau mātuʻa. (Ngā. 14:23) ʻOku fakamatala ʻa e tokotaha-hiki Tohi Tapu ko Luké fekauʻaki mo e fakataha ʻa Paula mo e kau mātuʻa ʻi he fakatahaʻanga ʻi ʻEfesoó. Naʻe pehē ʻe Paula kia kinautolu: “Tokanga kiate kimoutolu pea ki he kotoa ʻo e tākangá, ʻa ia kuo fakanofo kimoutolu ki ai ʻe he laumālie māʻoniʻoní ko honau kau mātuʻa, ke tauhi ʻa e fakatahaʻanga ʻa e ʻOtuá, ʻa ia naʻá ne fakatau mai ʻaki ʻa e taʻataʻa ʻo hono ʻAló tonu.” (Ngā. 20:17, 28) Naʻa nau taau ke hoko ko e kau mātuʻa koeʻuhí naʻa nau aʻusia ʻa e ngaahi fiemaʻu Fakatohitapú. (1 Tīm. 3:1-7) Ko e kaungāngāue ʻo Paula ko Taitusí naʻe fakamafaiʻi ke ne fai hono fakanofo ha kau mātuʻa ʻi he ngaahi fakatahaʻanga ʻo Kēlití.—Tai. 1:5.

⁹ ʻI he lahi ange ʻa e ngaahi fakatahaʻanga naʻe fokotuʻú, naʻe hokohoko atu ʻa e kau ʻapositolo mo e kau mātuʻa ʻi Selusalemá ke ngāue ko e kau mātuʻa ki he fakatahaʻanga Kalisitiane tupulaki fakavahaʻapuleʻanga ʻi he ʻuluaki senitulí. Naʻa nau hoko ko hono kulupu pule.

¹⁰ ʻI heʻene tohi ki he fakatahaʻanga ʻi ʻEfesoó, naʻe fakamatalaʻi ai ʻe he ʻapositolo ko Paulá ko e ngāue ʻo fakatatau mo e laumālie ʻo e ʻOtuá, ʻe lava ke tauhi maʻu ai ʻe he fakatahaʻanga Kalisitiané ʻa e fāʻūtahá fakafou ʻi he pipiki ki he tuʻunga-ʻulu ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí. Naʻe ekinaki ʻa e ʻapositoló ki he kau Kalisitiane ʻi aí ke nau fakatupulekina ʻa e anga-fakatōkilaló pea tauhi maʻu “ʻa e laumālie taha” ʻi he feohi melino mo e faʻahinga kotoa ʻi he fakatahaʻangá. (ʻEf. 4:1-6) Naʻá ne toʻo-lea leva mei he Saame 68:18 ʻo fakahanga ia ki he tokonaki mai ʻe Sihova ʻa e kau tangata taau fakalaumālie ke fakalato ʻa e ngaahi fiemaʻu ʻa e fakatahaʻangá ʻi he tuʻunga ko e kau ʻapositolo, kau palōfita, kau ʻevangeliō, kau tauhi-sipi mo e kau faiako. Ko e kau tangata peheé, ʻa ia ko e ngaahi meʻaʻofa meia Sihova, te nau langa hake ʻa e fakatahaʻangá kotoa ki ha tuʻunga kakato fakalaumālie ʻe fakahōifua ki he ʻOtuá.—ʻEf. 4:7-16.

MUIMUI ʻA E NGAAHI FAKATAHAʻANGA HE ʻAHO NÍ KI HE SĪPINGA FAKAʻAPOSITOLÓ

¹¹ ʻI he ʻahó ni, ʻoku fai ʻa e muimui ki he sīpinga fokotuʻutuʻu maau pehē ʻi he ngaahi fakatahaʻanga kotoa ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. ʻI hono fakatahaʻi fakakātoá, ʻoku hoko eni ko ha fakatahaʻanga fāʻūtaha ʻi māmani lahi ʻoku uhoʻaki ʻa e faʻahinga kuo pani ʻe he laumālié. (Sāk. 8:23) ʻOku ʻai eni ʻe Sīsū Kalaisi ke malava. ʻI he fai ki heʻene talaʻofá, kuó ne nofo mateaki ai pē mo ʻene kau ākonga paní “ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo aʻu ki he fakaʻosiʻosi ʻo e fokotuʻutuʻu lolotongá.” Ko e kakai ʻoku ʻomai ki he fakatahaʻanga tupulaki ko ení ʻoku nau tali ʻa e ongoongo lelei ʻo e ʻOtuá, fakatapui kakato ʻenau moʻuí kia Sihova pea papitaiso ko e kau ākonga ʻa Sīsū. (Māt. 28:19, 20; Mk. 1:14; Ngā. 2:41) ʻOku nau ʻiloʻi ʻa e “tauhi-sipi leleí,” ʻa Sīsū Kalaisi, ko e ʻUlu ia ʻo e tākangá kotoa, ʻa ia ʻoku faʻuʻaki ʻa e kau Kalisitiane pani pehē foki ki he “fanga sipi kehe.” (Sione 10:14, 16; ʻEf. 1:22, 23) ʻOku tauhi maʻu ʻe he “tākanga ʻe taha” ko iá ʻenau fāʻūtahá ʻaki hono ʻiloʻi moʻoni ʻa e tuʻunga-ʻulu ʻo Kalaisí pea fakamoʻulaloa ki he fouʻanga fokotuʻutuʻu maau, ko e “tamaioʻeiki anga-tonu mo potó,” ʻa ia kuo fakanofo ʻe Kalaisí. ʻOfa ke hokohoko atu ʻetau tuipau mo e falala kakato ki he fouʻanga ko ení ʻi he ʻahó ni.—Māt. 24:45.

NGAFA ʻO E NGAAHI KAUTAHA FAKALOTÚ

¹² Koeʻuhi ke tokonaki ʻa e meʻakai fakalaumālie ʻi hono taimi totonú pea ke malangaʻi ʻa e ongoongo lelei ʻo e Puleʻangá ki muʻa ke hoko mai ʻa e ngataʻangá, kuo fokotuʻu ai ha ngaahi kautaha pau. Ko e ngaahi kautaha fakalao ko ení ʻoku ʻiloʻi ia ʻe he ngaahi lao ʻo e ngaahi fonua kehekehe pea ʻoku nau fengāueʻaki fakataha. ʻOku nau tokangaʻi hono malangaʻi ʻa e ongoongo leleí ʻi māmani lahi.

FAʻUNGA ʻO E FOKOTUʻUTUʻU MAAU ʻO E VAʻÁ

¹³ ʻI he fokotuʻu pē ha ʻōfisi vaʻa, ʻoku fakanofo leva ai ha kau mātuʻa ʻe toko tolu pe lahi ange ko ha Kōmiti Vaʻa, ke nau tokangaʻi ʻa e ngāue ʻi he fonua pe ngaahi fonua ʻoku ʻi he malumalu ʻo e mafai ʻo e vaʻa ko iá. ʻOku hoko leva ʻa e mēmipa ʻe taha ʻo e kōmití ko e sea ʻo e Kōmiti Vaʻá.

¹⁴ Ko e ngaahi fakatahaʻanga fakalotofonua ʻi he malumalu ʻo e vaʻa taki taha ʻoku fokotuʻutuʻu maau ia ki he ngaahi sēketi. ʻOku kehekehe pē ʻa e lahí, ʻo fakatuʻunga pē ʻi he ngaahi tuʻunga fakasiokālafí mo e leá, pea pehē ki he lahi ʻo e ngaahi fakatahaʻanga ʻi he ʻēlia ʻoku vaheʻi ki he vaʻá. ʻOku fakanofo ha ʻovasia sēketi ke ngāue ki he ngaahi fakatahaʻanga ʻo e sēketi taki taha. Ko e ʻōfisi vaʻá ʻokú ne ʻoatu ʻa e fakahinohino ki he ʻovasia sēketí ki he founga ke fakahoko ai hono ngaahi fatongiá.

¹⁵ ʻOku ʻiloʻi ʻe he ngaahi fakatahaʻangá ʻoku ʻomai ʻa e ngaahi fokotuʻutuʻu fakaekautahá ke maʻu ʻaonga kotoa mei ai. ʻOku nau tali ʻa e fakanofo ʻo e kau mātuʻá, ʻa ia ʻoku nau tokangaʻi ʻa e ngāue ʻi he ngaahi vaʻá, ngaahi sēketí mo e ngaahi fakatahaʻangá. ʻOku nau hanga ki he tamaioʻeiki anga-tonu mo potó ki he meʻakai fakalaumālie ʻi hono taimi totonu. Pea ko e tamaioʻeiki anga-tonu ʻi he ʻaho ní leva, ʻokú ne pīkitai ʻaupito ki he tuʻunga-ʻulu ʻo Kalaisí, pipiki ki he ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni Fakatohitapú pea tali ʻa e tataki ʻa e laumālie māʻoniʻoní. ʻI heʻetau ngāue fakataha kotoa ʻi he fāʻūtahá, ʻoku tau maʻu ai ʻa e ngaahi ola hangē ko ia naʻe hokosia ʻe he kau Kalisitiane ʻi he ʻuluaki senitulí: “Ko e moʻoni, naʻe hokohoko atu ʻa hono ʻai ʻa e ngaahi fakatahaʻangá ke tuʻu mālohi ʻi he tuí mo tupulekina ai pē honau tokolahí ʻi he ʻaho ki he ʻaho.”—Ngā. 16:5.