Naʻa Nau Fai ʻa e Finangalo ʻo Sihová

Ikunaʻi ʻe Paula ʻa e Faingataʻá

ʻOKU ʻi ha tuʻunga taʻehaʻamanaki ʻa Paula. Ko ia mo e toko 275 kehe ʻoku nau heka ʻi ha vaka ʻoku maʻukovia ʻi he haʻahaʻa ʻo ʻEulakuloné​—ʻa e matangi mālohi taha ʻi he Metiteleniané. ʻOku fuʻu mālohi lahi ʻa e afaá ʻo ʻikai lava ai ke sio ki he laʻaá ʻi he ʻahó, pe ko e ngaahi fetuʻú ʻi he poʻulí. Ko hono moʻoní, ʻoku ilifia ʻa e kau pāsesé telia ʻenau moʻuí. Ka, ʻoku fakafiemālieʻi kinautolu ʻe Paula ʻaki ʻene fakahā ʻa e meʻa naʻe fakahā fakaʻotua ange kiate ia ʻi ha misi: “ʻE ʻikai mate hamou toko taha, ka ko e vaka pe.”​—Ngāue 27:​14, 20-22.

ʻI he pō hono 14 ʻo e afaá, ʻoku ʻiloʻi fakafokifā ai ʻe he kau kauvaká ha meʻa​—ʻoku ofa pē ʻe 20 ʻa e loloto ʻo e tahí.a ʻI he hili atu ha kiʻi vaha nounou, ʻoku nau toe fakaongo mai. ʻI he taimi ko ʻení, ʻoku ofa ʻe 15 ʻa e loloto ʻo e tahí. ʻOku ofi ha fonua! Ka ʻoku maʻu ʻe he ngaahi ongoongo leleí ni ha meʻa fakatupu fakakaukau fakamātoato. ʻI hono liaki takai holo ʻi he poʻulí ʻi he mamahá, ʻoku haʻaki nai ai ʻa e vaká ʻi he maká pea ʻauha ai. ʻI he fakapotopotó, ʻoku lī taula ʻa e kau kauvaká. Ko e niʻihi ʻo kinautolu ʻoku nau loto ke tuku hifo ʻa e kiʻi vaka-fokotuʻú ʻo heka ki ai, ke fakaʻaongaʻi honau faingamālie taupotu ʻi tahí.b Ka ʻoku taʻofi kinautolu ʻe Paula. ʻOkú ne tala ange ki he ʻōfisa fakakautaú mo e kau sōtiá: “Kapau ʻe ʻikai nofo ʻi vaka ʻa e kau siana ni, ʻe ʻikai lava hamou fakahaofi.” ʻOku fanongo ʻa e ʻōfisá kia Paula, pea ʻoku tatali loto-tailiili leva ʻa e kotoa ʻo e kau pāsese ʻe toko 276 ki he maʻa ʻa e ʻahó.​—Ngāue 27:​27-32.

Vaka-Tūkia

ʻI he pongipongi hono hokó, ʻoku fakatokangaʻi atu ai ʻe he kau pāsese ʻo e vaká ha fanga ʻoku ʻi ai ha matātahi. ʻI he toe fakafoʻou ʻa e ʻamanakí, ʻoku tuʻusi atu ʻe he kau kauvaká ʻa e ngaahi taulá pea fusi hake ʻa e lā muʻá ki he matangí. ʻOku kamata leva ke ngaʻunu atu ʻa e vaká ʻo fakahangatonu atu ki ʻuta​—ʻoku ʻikai ha veiveiua ʻa e lotolotoi ai ʻa e ngaahi kaila fiefiá.​—Ngāue 27:​39, 40.

Kae kehe, fakafokifā pē kuo fihia ʻa e vaká ʻi ha foʻi mamaha. Ko e toe kovi angé, ʻoku faʻaki ʻa e ngaahi peau mālohi ʻi he taumuli ʻo e vaká, ʻo haveki ia. Kuo pau ki he kotoa ʻo e kau pāsesé ke nau liʻaki e vaká! (Ngāue 27:41) Ka ʻoku hoko heni ha palopalema. Ko e tokolahi ʻo e faʻahinga ʻoku heka aí​—kau ai ʻa Paula​—ko e kau pōpula. ʻI he malumalu ʻo e lao ʻa Lomá, ko ha kaʻate ʻokú ne fakaʻatā haʻane pōpula ke hola kuo pau ke ne fuesia ʻa e tautea naʻe fakahangahanga ki heʻene pōpulá. Ko e fakatātaá, kapau ko ha tokotaha fakapō naʻe holá, ʻe pau leva ke hanga ʻe he kaʻate taʻetokangá ʻo totongi ʻaki ʻene moʻuí.

ʻI he manavahē ki he ngaahi nunuʻa peheé, ʻoku tukupā ai ʻa e kau sōtiá ke tāmateʻi ʻa e kau pōpula kotoa pē. Kae kehe, ʻoku fakalaloaʻi ia ʻe he ʻōfisa fakakautaú, ʻa ē ʻoku kaumeʻa mo Paulá. ʻOkú ne tuʻutuʻuni ke puna ki tahi ʻo kakau ki he fonuá ʻa ia kotoa pē ʻe lava ke ne fai pehē. Ko e faʻahinga ʻoku ʻikai lava ʻo kakaú kuo pau ke nau piki ki he ngaahi lauʻi papa pe ngaahi meʻa kehe mei he vaká. ʻOku totolo taha taha atu ki ʻuta ʻa e kau pāsese mei he vaka maumaú. ʻI he moʻoni ʻa e ngaahi lea ʻa Paulá, kuo ʻikai ha moʻui ʻe taha ʻe mole!​—Ngāue 27:​42-44.

Mana ʻi Mēlita

Kuo maʻu ʻe he kulupu ongosiá ha maluʻanga ʻi ha motu ʻoku ui ko Mēlita. Ko e kakai ʻo e motú ko e “kakai lea-muli,” ko hono moʻoní, ko e “kau pāpeliane” (faka-Kalisí, barʹba·ros).c Ka ʻoku ʻikai ke anga-fītaʻa ʻa e kakai Mēlitá. ʻI hono kehe ʻaupitó, ko Luke, ko ha kaungā fononga ʻo Paula, ʻokú ne pehē “ko e meʻa kehe ʻa e angalelei ʻa e kau pāpeliane he naʻa nau tafu afi, ʻo ʻave kimautolu kotoa pē ki ai, koeʻuhi ko e ʻuha naʻe to, mo e momoko.” ʻOku kau atu mo Paula ki he kakai tonu ʻo Mēlitá ʻi he okooko ʻo ʻai ki he afí.​—Ngāue 28:​1-3, NW, fakamatala ʻi lalo.

Fakafokifā pē, kuo tāupe ha ngata-fekai ʻi he nima ʻo Paulá! ʻOku fakamahalo ai ʻa e kakai ʻo e motú ʻo pehē kuo pau pē ko ha tokotaha fakapō ʻa Paula. ʻOku nau fakakaukau nai ʻoku tauteaʻi ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻa e kau angahalá ʻaki hono ʻohofi ʻa e kupu ʻo honau sinó naʻe meʻangāueʻaki ʻe he angahalá. Kae vakai! Ki he ʻohovale lahi ʻa e kakai ʻo e motú, ʻoku hanga ai ʻe Paula ʻo tupeʻi ʻa e ngata-fekaí ki he loto afí. Hangē ko ia ʻoku pehē ʻe he fakamatala siotonu ʻa Luké, “naʻa nau ʻamanaki [ko Paulá] ʻe toe siʻi pea ne fepulopulasi, pe to fakafokifā ʻo pekia.” ʻOku liliu ʻa e fakakaukau ʻa e kakai ʻo e motú pea kamata ke nau pehē kuo pau pē ko ha ʻotua ʻa Paula.​—Ngāue 28:​3-6.

ʻOku nofo atu ʻa Paula he māhina ʻe tolu hono hokó ʻi Mēlita, ʻa ia ko e lolotonga ʻo e taimi ko iá ʻokú ne fakamoʻui ai ʻa e tamai ʻa Popilió, ʻa e ʻeiki ʻo e motú, ʻa ia naʻá ne talitali lelei ʻa Paulá, pea pehē ki he niʻihi kehe ʻoku nau puke ʻi ha alangamahaki. ʻIkai ngata aí, ʻoku tūtuuʻi ai ʻe Paula ʻa e ngaahi tenga ʻo e moʻoní, ʻo hoko ai ʻa e ngaahi tāpuaki lahi ki he kakai anga-talitali kakai ʻo Mēlitá.​—Ngāue 28:​7-11.

Lēsoni Kiate Kitautolu

ʻI he ʻalunga ʻo ʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, naʻe fehangahangai ai ʻa Paula mo e ngaahi pole lahi. (2 Kolinito 11:​23-27) ʻI he fakamatala ʻi ʻolungá, naʻá ne hoko ko ha pōpula koeʻuhi ko e ongoongo leleí. Ko ia, naʻe pau ke ne fehangahangai mo e ngaahi ʻahiʻahi taʻeʻamanekina: ko ha afā fakailifia mo e vaka-tūkia ki mui ai. ʻI he kotoa ʻo e meʻá ni, naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito toumoua ai ʻa Paula ʻi heʻene fakapapau ke hoko ko ha tokotaha malanga faivelenga ʻo e ongoongo leleí. Mei he taukeí, naʻá ne tohi ai: “Ne akoʻi au, ʻi heʻeku meʻa tāu taha mo hono kotoa, kau potopotoʻi ʻi he nofo makona mo e nofo fiekaia, mo e nofo mohumeʻa mo e nofo masiva. ʻOku ou mafeia ʻa e meʻa kotoa pe ʻiate ia ʻoku ne fakakaukaua au.”​—Filipai 4:​12, 13.

ʻOku totonu ke ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa hanga ʻe he ngaahi palopalema ʻo e moʻuí ʻo fakavaivaiʻi ʻetau fakapapau ke hoko ko e kau faifekau faivelenga ʻa e ʻOtua moʻoní! ʻI he taimi ʻe malanga hake ai ha ʻahiʻahi taʻeʻamanekina, ʻoku tau lī ʻetau kavengá kia Sihova. (Sāme 55:22) Pea, tau tatali anga-kātaki ʻo sio ki he founga ʻokú ne ʻai ai kitautolu ke tau malava ʻo kātekina ʻa e ʻahiʻahí. ʻI he taimi tatau, ʻoku tau hokohoko atu hono tauhi anga-tonu iá, ʻi ha falala pau ʻokú ne tokanga mai kiate kitautolu. (1 Kolinito 10:13; 1 Pita 5:7) ʻI he kei tuʻumaʻu atu ai pē, neongo pe ko e hā ʻe hoko maí, ko kitautolu​—hangē pē ko Paulá—ʻe lava ke tau ikunaʻi ʻa e faingataʻá.

[Fakamatala ʻi lalo]