Ko e Hā Naʻe Fakatangaʻi Ai ʻe Saula ʻa e Kau Kalisitiané?

‘KO IA ʻOKU TOTONU KE U ngāue lahi ke taʻofi ʻa e huafa ʻo Sisu mei Nasaletí. ʻA ia naʻá ku fai foki ʻi Selusalema: pea ko e tokolahi ʻo e faʻahinga tapú naʻá ku ʻai pilisone ʻe au, he naʻe fakangofua mai ʻe he houʻeiki taulaʻeikí; pea ʻi he fai honau tamateʻí, naʻá ku hikinima ki ai. Pea tuʻo lahi ʻeku tautea kinautolu ʻi heʻeku fakatotofu ʻa e ngaahi falelotú, ko ʻeku fakamamahiʻi kinautolu ke nau talakāʻi ʻa e ʻEikí; pea naʻe pehē fau ʻeku kālili kiate kinautolú, ko ia naʻá ku fakafeʻātungia ʻo aʻu ki he ngaahi kolo mulí foki.’​—Ngāue 26:​9-11.

KO E lea ia ʻa Saula ʻo Tāsusí, ʻa ia naʻe toe ʻiloa ko e ʻapositolo ko Paulá. ʻI he aʻu mai ki he taimi naʻá ne leaʻaki ai ení, ko e moʻoni, naʻá ne ʻosi hoko ko ha tangata foʻou. ʻI he ʻikai te ne kei hoko ko ha tokotaha fakafepaki ʻo e lotu faka-Kalisitiané, naʻá ne hoko he taimi ko ení ko e taha ia ʻo hono kau poupou fefeká. Ka ko e hā naʻá ne ueʻi ki muʻa ʻa Saula ke ne fakatangaʻi ʻa e kau Kalisitiané? Ko e hā naʻá ne fakakaukau ai ‘naʻe totonu ke ne ngāue lahi ke taʻofi’ ʻa e ngaahi ngāue peheé? Pea ʻoku ʻi ai ha lēsoni ʻe maʻu mei heʻene talanoá?

Ko Hono Tolomakaʻi ʻo Sitīvení

ʻOku kau ʻa Saula ʻi he faʻahinga ko ia ʻi he lēkooti ʻo e Tohitapú naʻa nau tāmateʻi ʻa Sitīvení. “ʻO nau kapusi kituaʻā kolo [ʻa Sitīveni], ʻo kamata tolomakaʻi: pea ko e kau tukuaki naʻa nau laku atu honau ngaahi kote ki he vaʻe ʻo ha talavou naʻe hingoa ko Saula.” “Ko Saula ne ne fakavaʻevaʻe hono fakapōngi.” (Ngāue 7:​58; 8:1) Ko e hā naʻe taki atu ki he ngaohikoviʻi ko iá? Ko e kau Siú, kau ai ʻa e niʻihi mei Silisia, naʻa nau fakakikihi mo Sitīveni ka naʻe ʻikai te nau lava ke tali kiate ia. Pe naʻe ʻi honau lotolotongá ʻa Saula, ʻa ia ko ha Silisia foki, ʻoku ʻikai ha fakamatala ki ai. Kae kehe, naʻa nau ngāueʻaki ʻa e ngaahi fakamoʻoni loi ke tukuakiʻi ʻa Sitīveni ki he lea fieʻotua pea toho atu ia ki he ʻao ʻo e Sanetalimí. (Ngāue 6:​9-​14) Ko e fakataha ko ení, ʻa ia naʻe sea ai ʻa e taulaʻeiki lahí, naʻe ngāue ia ko e fakamaauʻanga māʻolunga faka-Siú. ʻI hono tuʻunga ko e mafai fakalotu taupotú, ko hono kau mēmipá naʻa nau toe maluʻi ʻa e meʻa naʻa nau tui ko e fakamaʻa fakatokāteline. ʻI heʻenau vakaí naʻe tuha ʻa Sitīveni ia mo e maté. Naʻá ne loto-toʻa ʻi hono tukuakiʻi kinautolu ʻi he ʻikai te nau tauhi ʻa e Laó, ko ia koā? (Ngāue 7:​53) Naʻa nau fakahaaʻi ai pē kiate ia ʻa e anga hono tauhi iá!

Ko e loto ʻa Saula ki he fakakaukau ko iá ko ha nunuʻa moʻoni ia ʻo ʻene ngaahi tuipaú. Ko ha Fālesi ia. Ko e lotu-mavahe mafai lahi ko ení naʻa nau kounaʻi ʻa hono tauhi fefeka ʻo e laó mo e talatukufakaholó. Ko e lotu faka-Kalisitiané naʻe pehē ko e fehangahangai ia ʻo e ngaahi tui ko ení, ʻi hono akoʻi ai ha founga foʻou ki he fakamoʻuí fakafou ʻia Sīsuú. Naʻe ʻamanekina ʻe he kau Siu ʻi he ʻuluaki senitulí ʻa e Mīsaiá te ne hoko ko ha Tuʻi lāngilangiʻia ʻa ia te ne fakatauʻatāinaʻi kinautolu mei he ʻioke fehiʻanekinaʻi ʻo e pule ʻa Lomá. Ke lava ke hoko ko e Mīsaiá ʻa e tokotaha ko ia naʻe fakahalaiaʻi ʻe he Sanetalimi Lahí ʻi hano tukuakiʻi ki he lea fieʻotua pea hili ia naʻe tutuki ki ha ʻakau fakamamahi ʻo hangē ha faihia kuo fakamalaʻiaʻí naʻe ngali-kehe fakaʻaufuli ia, taʻealatali, pea fepaki ia mo ʻenau fakakaukaú.

Naʻe pehē ʻe he Laó ko ha tangata naʻe tautau ʻi ha ʻakau naʻe “malaʻia ki he ʻOtua.” (Teutalonome 21:​22, 23; Kaletia 3:​13) Mei he vakai ʻa Saulá, “ko e ngaahi leá ni naʻe kaunga maʻalaʻala ia kia Sīsū,” ko e fakamatala ia ʻa Frederick F. Bruce. “Kuó ne mate ʻi hono fakamalaʻia ʻe he ʻOtuá, pea ko ia ai heʻikai lava ke fakakaukau atu te ne hoko ko e Mīsaiá, ʻa ia, meimei ko hono fakamatalaʻí, ʻoku nofo ai ʻi ha tuʻunga taʻehanotatau ʻa e tāpuaki ʻa e ʻOtuá. Ke taukaveʻi ko Sīsū ʻa e Mīsaiá naʻe hoko ia ko ha lea fieʻotua; ko e faʻahinga ko ia naʻa nau fai ha taukaveʻi ngalivale peheé naʻa nau tuha ke mamahi ʻi he tuʻunga ko e kau lea fieʻotua.” Hangē ko ia naʻe fakahaaʻi ki mui tonu ʻe Saulá, ko e foʻi fakakaukau pē ko ia ko “Kalaisi nae tutuki ki he akau [naʻe hoko ia] ko e tukiaaga ki he kakai Jiu.”​—1 Kolinito 1:​23, PM.

Ko e tali ʻa Saula ki he akonaki peheé ko hono fakafepakiʻi ia ʻaki ʻa e loto-ʻalovili lahi taha ʻe ala lavá. Naʻa mo e anga-fakamamahí naʻe pau ke ngāueʻaki ia ʻi ha feinga ke fakangata ia. Naʻá ne fakapapauʻi ko e meʻa eni ia naʻe fiemaʻu ʻe he ʻOtuá. ʻI hono fakamatalaʻi ʻa e fakakaukau naʻá ne ohí, naʻe pehē ʻe Saula: “Ka lau ki hono mamahiʻi, naʻa ku fakatangaʻi ʻa e siasi ko eni, ka lau ki he maʻoniʻoni fakalao, ne u haohaoa.” “ʻA e makehe atu oʻeku fakatangaʻi ʻa e siasi ʻa e ʻOtua, mo ʻeku laiki ia: mo ʻeku ʻamo atu ʻi he tokolahi ʻo hoku kakai naʻe toʻumeʻa mo au ʻi he lotu faka-Siu, ʻo u hulu atu ʻi he mamahiʻi ʻo e ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni naʻe tukufakaholo mei heʻeku ngaahi kui.”​—Filipai 3:6; Kaletia 1:​13, 14.

Takimuʻa ʻi he Fakatangá

Hili ʻa e mate ʻa Sitīvení, naʻe ʻikai kei hoko ai ʻa Saula ko ha fakafofonga fika ua pē ʻo e fakatangá ka ko e takimuʻá ia. ʻI heʻene peheé, kuo pau pē naʻá ne maʻu ai ha tuʻunga ʻiloa papau, koeʻuhi naʻa mo e ʻi he hili ʻa ʻene liliú, ʻi he taimi naʻá ne fai ai ʻa e ngaahi feinga ke ne kau ki he kau ākongá, naʻa “nau teteki kotoa pe kiate ia, ko e ʻikai te nau tui ko ha ako ia.” ʻI he taimi naʻe hoko ai ʻo mahino ko iá ko ha Kalisitiane moʻoní, naʻe hoko ai ʻa ʻene liliú ko ha tupuʻanga ia ʻo e fiefia mo e fakafetaʻi ʻi he kau ākongá, ʻa ia naʻa nau fanongo, naʻe ʻikai ko ha tokotaha fakafepaki noaʻia pē ki muʻa kuó ne fai ʻa e liliu ʻi hono lotó, ka “ko ia naʻa ne fakatanga muʻa kiate kitautolu, ʻoku ne malangaʻaki ʻeni ʻa e lotu naʻa ne motuʻa laiki.”​—Ngāue 9:​26, fakaʻītali ʻamautolu; Kaletia 1:​23, 24, fakaʻītali ʻamautolu.

ʻOku tokoto ʻa Tāmasikusi ʻi he kilomita nai ʻe 220​—ko ha luelue ia ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe fitu pe valu​—mei Selusalema. Ka, “nae kei mānava ʻe Saula ae lea fakamanavahe moe fakabo ki he kau akoga,” ʻo ne ʻalu ki he taulaʻeiki lahí ʻo kole meiate ia ʻa e ngaahi tohi ki he ngaahi sinakoke ʻi Tāmasikusí. Ko e hā hono ʻuhingá? Koeʻuhi ke haʻi ʻo taki mai nai ai ʻe Saula ki Selusalema ha taha pē naʻá ne maʻu ʻoku kau ki he “hala.” ʻI hono tali fakaʻofisiale iá, naʻá ne ‘haveʻi ʻa e siasí, heʻene fehūfaki ʻi he ngaahi tuʻu falé, mo ne fetoho ʻa e tangata mo e fefine fakatouʻosi, ʻo fakahū ki he pilīsoné.’ Ko e niʻihi kehé naʻá ne ‘haha ʻi he ngaahi fale lotú,’ peá ne ‘tuku atu ʻene filí’ (ko hono moʻoní, ko ʻene “maka filí”) ʻi heʻene loto ki honau tautea maté.​—Ngāue 8:3; 9:1, 2, 14, PM; 22:​5, 19; 26:10, NW, fakamatala ʻi laló.

ʻI he fakakaukau atu ki he ako naʻe maʻu ʻe Saula ʻia Kāmelielí pea mo e ngaahi mafai naʻá ne ngāueʻaki ʻi he taimi ko iá, ʻoku tui ʻa e kau mataotao ʻe niʻihi naʻá ne fakalakalaka mei he hoko ko ha tokotaha ako pē ʻo e Laó ki he tuʻunga ko hono fakahoko ʻo ha kiʻi tuʻunga mafai ʻi he lotu faka-Siú. Ko e fakatātaá, naʻe pehē ʻe ha tokotaha, naʻe hoko nai ʻa Saula ko ha faiako ʻi ha sinakoke ʻi Selusalema. Kae kehe, ko e ʻuhinga ʻo e ‘tuku atu ʻe Saula ʻene fili’​—pe ko ha mēmipa ia ʻo ha fakamaauʻanga pe ko ha taha ʻokú ne fakahāhā ʻa ʻene poupou māfana ki hono tāmateʻi ʻo e kau Kalisitiané​—ʻoku ʻikai lava ke tau fakapapauʻi.a

Koeʻuhi ʻi he kamatá ko e kau Kalisitiane kotoa pē ko e kau Siu pe ko e kau ului Siu, ʻoku hā mahino naʻe ʻuhinga kia Saula ʻa e lotu faka-Kalisitiané ko ha feinga liliu tafoki mei he moʻoní ʻi loto ʻi he lotu faka-Siú, peá ne vakai ki ai ko ha fatongia ia ʻo e lotu fakaʻofisiale faka-Siú ke fakatonutonu ʻa hono kau muimuí. “ʻOku ʻikai ngali ia,” ko e lea ia ʻa e mataotao ko Arland J. Hultgren, “mo e tokotaha fakatanga ko Paulá ke ne hanga ʻo fakafepakiʻi ʻa e lotu faka-Kalisitiané koeʻuhi naʻá ne vakai ki ai ko ha lotu ia ʻi tuʻa mei he lotu faka-Siú, ko ha lotu-fakafepaki. Ko e feinga liliu Kalisitiané naʻá ne mei vakai ki ai mo e niʻihi kehé ʻoku kei ʻulutukua pē ki he mafai faka-Siú.” Ko ʻene taumuʻá leva ke fakamālohiʻi ʻa e kau Siu talangataʻá ke nau tafoki mei ai ki he tui tukufakaholó, ʻo ngāueʻaki ʻa e ngaahi founga kotoa naʻe ala lavá. (Ngāue 26:11) Ko e founga ʻe taha naʻe fakaʻatā kiate iá ko e tuku pilīsoné. Ko e taha ko hono haha ʻi he ngaahi sinakoké, ko ha founga anga-maheni ia ʻo e akonakí ʻa ia naʻe lava ke ngāueʻaki ko ha tautea ki he talangataʻa ko ia ki he tuʻunga mafai fakalāpaí ʻi ha fakamaauʻanga fakafeituʻu pē ʻo e kau fakamaau ʻe toko tolu.

Ko e moʻoni, ko e hā ʻa Sīsū kia Saula ʻi he hala ki Tāmasikusí, naʻá ne taʻofi ʻa e meʻa kotoa ko iá. Mei heʻene hoko ko ha fili anga-fakamamahi ʻo e lotu faka-Kalisitiané, naʻe hoko fakafokifā ʻa Saula ko ha poupou faivelenga ʻo ia, pea naʻe vave ʻaupito hono kumi ia ʻe he kau Siu ʻi Tāmasikusí ke tāmateʻi. (Ngāue 9:1-23) Ko e meʻa fakaʻohovalé, ʻi hono tuʻunga ko ha Kalisitiané, naʻe faingataʻaʻia ʻa Saula ʻi he ngaahi meʻa lahi naʻá ne fai tonu ʻi hono tuʻunga ko e tokotaha fakatangá, ʻo lava ai ke ne pehē ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu ki mui ange: “Ne tuʻo nima malo hoku kauʻimaeaʻi ʻe he kakai Siu, pea ka nau ka fai, naʻe toe ʻa e hapo ʻe taha pea kakato ʻa e fangofuluʻi hapo.”​—2 Kolinito 11:24.

Ko e Faivelengá ʻe Lava ke Ngāuehalaʻaki

“Ko e toko taha au naʻe laukovi ki he ʻOtua ʻi muʻa, mo fakatanga mo pauʻu,” ko e tohi ia ʻa Saula hili ʻene liliú, ʻi he taimi naʻe ʻiloʻi lelei ange ai ia ko Paulá. “Ka naʻe fai meesi kiate au, koeʻuhi naʻa ku fai taeʻilo pe, he ko e taʻetui.” (1 Timote 1:13) Ko ia ai, ʻi he hoko ʻo loto-moʻoni mo longomoʻui ʻi he lotu ʻokú te kau ki aí, ʻoku ʻikai ko e fakapapauʻiʻanga ia ʻo hono maʻu ʻa e hōifua ʻa e ʻOtuá. Naʻe faivelenga ʻa Saula pea ngāue ʻo fakatatau ki hono konisēnisí, ka naʻe ʻikai ke ʻai ʻe he meʻa ko iá ia ke ne tonu. Naʻá ne ngāuehalaʻaki ʻa ʻene faivelenga māfaná. (Fakafehoanaki mo Loma 10:2, 3.) ʻOku totonu ke ʻai kitautolu ʻe he meʻa ko iá ke tau fakakaukau.

ʻOku tuipau mālohi ʻa e tokolahi ʻi he ʻahó ni ko e ʻulungaanga leleí ko e meʻa pē ia ʻoku fiemaʻu ʻe he ʻOtuá meiate kinautolú. Ka ʻoku pehē? ʻOku lelei ki he tokotaha taki taha ke fanongo ki he enginaki ʻa Paulá: “Mou sivi kotoa pe: ʻilonga pe ʻa e lelei, puke maʻu ia.” (1 Tesalonaika 5:21) ʻOku ʻuhinga iá ko hano vaheʻi ʻa e taimi ke maʻu mai ai ʻa e ʻilo totonu ki he Folofola ʻo e moʻoni ʻa e ʻOtuá pea moʻui leva ʻo fehoanaki kakato mo ia. Kapau ʻoku tau ʻilo mei hono sivisiviʻi ʻa e Tohitapú ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi liliu ke tau fai, tā ʻoku totonu leva ke tau fai kotoa ia ʻo ʻoua ʻe toe toloi. Mahalo ko e tokosiʻi pē ʻo kitautolu naʻe faifai ange pea hoko ko e kau lea fieʻotua, kau fakatanga, pe ko e kau tangata pauʻu ʻo aʻu ki he tuʻunga naʻe ʻi ai ʻa Saulá. Ka neongo ia, ko e ngāue pē ʻo fakatatau ki he tuí mo e ʻilo totonú te tau lava ai, hangē ko iá, ʻo maʻu ʻa e hōifua ʻa e ʻOtuá.​—Sione 17:​3, 17.

[Fakamatala ʻi lalo]