“We Don Decide Together”

1, 2. (a) Which important questions the governing body for Jerusalem need to answer? (b) Wetin help them know the correct thing to decide?

EVERYBODY de wait. The apostles and the elders wey dey this room for Jerusalem de look each other as them know say this decision wey them want make dey important. Circumcision matter don bring many important questions. Christians need to obey Moses Law? Jehovah de see Christians wey be Jew say them different from the ones wey no be Jew?

² The men wey de take the lead don get many information. Them don talk about prophecy for Bible and other things wey happen wey show say Jehovah don accept people of the nations. All of them don talk everything wey them know about the matter. Them get all the information wey them need to make the decision. Them don know wetin Jehovah want. But them go gree do-am?

3. Wetin we fit learn from Acts chapter 15?

³ This men wey de take the lead go really need strong heart and faith to do wetin Jehovah want. The leaders for Jew people religion fit hate them more-more. Some people for the congregation wey want make people de follow Moses Law fit no accept wetin the governing body go decide. Wetin the governing body go do? Make we see. We go still learn about how the Governing Body for this our time de follow the example wey them set. The example wey them set, na wetin we need to de follow as Christians when we de face problems or when we want make decision.

“This Things Agree With the Things Wey the Prophets Don Talk” (Acts 15:13-21)

4, 5. Which verse James talk about from wetin the prophets don talk for God Word?

⁴ The disciple James wey be Jesus half brother start to talk.a E be like say na im be the chairman for this meeting. E be like say wetin e talk, na wetin all of them get for mind. James tell all the men for there say: “Symeon don really talk about how God for the first time don remember the people of the nations, to gather from among them, people wey go answer im name. And this things agree with the things wey the prophets don talk.”—Acts 15:14, 15.

⁵ James don listen to Symeon or Simon Peter and to Paul and Barnabas. This one fit don make-am think of some scriptures wey help the brothers understand wetin Jehovah want about this matter. (John 14:26) After James talk say “this things agree with the things wey the prophets don talk,” e talk wetin dey Amos 9:11, 12. The book of Amos dey part of the Hebrew Scriptures wey them de call “the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:40; Acts 15:16-18) You go see say the words wey dey that place for the book of Amos now, different small from the words wey James use. E fit be say James use the words wey dey the Septuagint, wey be Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

6. How the Scriptures help the brothers know wetin Jehovah want?

⁶ Jehovah use prophet Amos talk say time de come when E go raise up the “house of David,” wey be the royal line wey go lead to the Kingdom wey the Messiah go rule. (Ezek. 21:26, 27) This one mean say Jehovah go start to show favor to only Israel people again? No. The prophecy still talk say them go bring “people of all the nations” together and them go be “people wey de answer [God] name.” Remember say, Peter just explain say God “no treat we [Christians wey be Jew] and them [Christians wey no be Jew] for different way at all, but e use faith to make their heart dey pure.” (Acts 15:9) So wetin God want, na for both Jew people and people wey no be Jew to be rulers for im Kingdom. (Rom. 8:17; Eph. 2:17-19) No place for inside Bible show say people wey no be Jew must circumcise first or join Jew people religion first before them go fit be rulers for the Kingdom.

7, 8. (a) Wetin James talk? (b) James de try talk say e get authority to tell the brothers wetin them go do? Explain.

⁷ Because of the things wey the prophets don write, and wetin Peter, Barnabas, and Paul don talk, James come talk say: “So wetin I don decide no be to trouble people of the nations wey de turn de follow God, but na to write to them make them run from idols, from sex wey no clean, from animals wey them no cut their neck, and from blood. Long time ago, people don de preach about Moses from city to city, because them de read the things wey e write loud for synagogues for every Sabbath.”—Acts 15:19-21.

⁸ When James talk say “wetin I don decide,” e de try talk say e get authority to take the decision wey the brothers must follow, maybe because na im be the chairman of the meeting? No! The Greek word wey them translate as “wetin I don decide” fit mean “this na wetin I judge” or “na wetin I think be this.” So no be say James de decide for them, but e de only tell them wetin dey im mind because of the things wey e don hear and because of wetin the scriptures talk about the matter.

9. Wetin be the gain wey come from the things wey James talk?

⁹ Wetin James talk make sense? Yes, e clear say e make sense because the apostles and the elders accept wetin e talk. Wetin them gain? Wetin James talk go make-am easy for the Christians wey no be Jew because them no go need to obey Moses Law. (Acts 15:19) Another gain be say, wetin James talk show say e respect the conscience of the Christians wey be Jew wey don de go synagogue before now to listen as “them de read the things wey [Moses] write loud for every Sabbath.”b (Acts 15:21) Wetin James talk go really help the Christians wey be Jew and the ones wey no be Jew to dey close to each other. But wetin dey important pass be say, this one go make Jehovah happy because e agree with wetin Jehovah want. This one na better way to solve the problem wey for make people for the congregation no dey as one! And this one na better example for the Christian congregation today!

10. How the Governing Body today de follow the example of the governing body for the apostles time?

¹⁰ As we talk for Chapter 13, the Governing Body of Jehovah Witness today, de follow the example of the governing body for the apostles time. Before them decide any matter, them de follow the direction of Jehovah, the Number One Person for Heaven and Earth, and Jesus, the Head of the congregation.c (1 Cor. 11:3) How them de do this one? Brother Albert D. Schroeder, wey be Governing Body member from 1974 until im life end for earth for March 2006 talk say: “The Governing Body de meet every Wednesday and them de start their meeting with prayer to beg Jehovah for im holy spirit. Them de make sure say everything wey them talk about and everything wey them decide agree with wetin dey inside Bible.” Brother Milton G. Henschel wey serve as Governing Body member for long time until im life end for earth for March 2003, ask the Gilead students wey de graduate from class 101 one important question. E talk say, “E get any other organization for this earth wey the people wey de take the lead, de check Bible before them make important decisions?” E clear say another one no dey.

“Send Men Wey Them Don Choose” (Acts 15:22-29)

11. How the governing body tell the congregations wetin them don decide?

¹¹ The governing body for Jerusalem don make one decision about the circumcision matter. When them de tell the congregations about their decision, them need to make-am dey clear and still talk-am for way wey go encourage them. This one go help the brothers dey as one. But how them go fit do-am? Bible talk say: “Then the apostles and the elders together with the whole congregation, decide to send men wey them don choose from among them to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas. Them send Judas wey them de call Barsabbas and Silas, men wey dey front of the work among the brothers.” Them still write one letter wey them give this men so that them go read-am for all the congregations wey dey Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.—Acts 15:22-26.

12, 13. Why e make sense say them send (a) Judas and Silas? (b) letter from the governing body?

¹² As “men wey dey front of the work among the brothers,” Judas and Silas qualify as people wey the governing body go send to tell the brothers their decision. The four men wey them send make-am clear say the message wey them bring no be just answer to the circumcision matter but na new direction from the governing body. This “men wey them don choose” go help all Christians to dey as one, both the ones for Jerusalem wey be Jew and the ones for other congregations wey no be Jew. E really make sense say them send this men and this one show love. E really make Jehovah people dey as one.

¹³ The letter give the Christians wey no be Jew clear direction about circumcision and other things wey them must do to fit get favor and blessings from Jehovah. The part wey important pass for the letter talk say: “The holy spirit and we, don see say no need to add to una load, except this important things: make una continue to run from things wey them sacrifice to idols, from blood, from animals wey them no cut their neck, and from sex wey no clean. If una continue to run from this things, una go succeed. Make una stay well!”—Acts 15:28, 29.

14. Wetin make Jehovah people fit dey as one even for this world wey people no dey as one?

¹⁴ Today, Jehovah people wey pass 8,000,000 dey more than 100,000 congregations for the whole world, and them really dey as one. All of them de do the preaching work and them get the same belief. But wetin make them fit dey as one even with the plenty problem for this world and as people today no dey as one? Na because of the clear direction wey Jesus Christ, the Head of the congregation de give through the “faithful and discreet slave” wey be the Governing Body. (Matt. 24:45-47) We still dey as one because brothers and sisters for the whole earth, de use all their heart cooperate with the direction wey the Governing Body de give.

Them “Happy Because Wetin Them Hear Encourage Them” (Acts 15:30-35)

15, 16. Wetin the congregations do when them hear wetin the governing body decide, and why?

¹⁵ The story for the book of Acts tell us say when the brothers wey them send from Jerusalem reach Antioch, them “gather the whole group together and give them the letter.” Wetin the brothers do when them hear wetin the governing body decide? “After them read [the letter] finish, them really happy because wetin them hear encourage them.” (Acts 15:30, 31) Judas and Silas still “encourage the brothers with many talks and make them strong.” Like Barnabas, Paul and other men, two of them be “prophets.” Them call them prophets because them tell people about wetin Jehovah want.—Acts 13:1; 15:32; Ex. 7:1, 2.

¹⁶ E clear say Jehovah bless the decision of the governing body and this one encourage all the congregation. Wetin make the matter end well? Na because holy spirit guide the governing body and them use God Word give clear direction wey come for the right time. Another thing be say the brothers wey them send show love and concern when them de tell the congregations about the decision.

17. How circuit overseers today be like Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas?

¹⁷ Na this method the Governing Body of Jehovah Witness today de follow, as them de give direction to brothers for the whole world for the correct time. When them make decision, them de give clear and direct instructions to congregations. One way them de do this one, na when circuit overseers visit congregations. As this brothers de travel go different-different congregations, them de give clear directions and de encourage the brothers. Like Paul and Barnabas, them de spend plenty time “de teach and de preach the good news about the word of Jehovah, together with many other people.” (Acts 15:35) And like Judas and Silas, them de encourage “the brothers with many talks” and make them strong.

18. Wetin God people need to do so that Jehovah go continue to bless them?

¹⁸ Wetin go help congregations for the whole world continue to enjoy peace and dey as one for this world wey people no dey as one? Remember say, na the disciple James later write say: “The sense wey come from God de first make person clean. E still de make person always do wetin go make peace dey. The person no de talk say na im own them must take, e ready to obey . . . Another thing be say, people wey de try so that their friendship with other people no go spoil, de make peace dey and this one go make them de do wetin correct.” (Jas. 3:17, 18) We no know if James de talk about the meeting for Jerusalem when e write this words. But from wetin we don learn from Acts chapter 15, e clear say Jehovah go bless us only if we de cooperate and de live as one.

19, 20. (a) Wetin make-am dey clear say peace dey the congregation for Antioch and them get one mind? (b) Wetin Paul and Barnabas fit do after them settle the circumcision matter?

¹⁹ After the brothers for Antioch hear wetin the governing body decide, the congregation for there come get peace and one mind. Them no go against the brothers wey them send come from Jerusalem, but them really happy say Judas and Silas visit them. Bible talk say: “After them spend some time there, the brothers tell them say make them go well back to the people wey send them,” for Jerusalem.d (Acts 15:33) We dey sure say the brothers for Jerusalem still happy when them hear wetin the two men talk about their journey. Because of Jehovah special favor, them do the work wey them give them and complete-am.

²⁰ Paul and Barnabas stay for Antioch after them don settle the circumcision matter. This one make them fit take the lead for the preaching work. Na the same thing circuit overseers de do when them visit congregations today. (Acts 13:2, 3) This one na blessing for Jehovah people! But how Jehovah continue to use this two men wey really put body for the preaching work? We go see this one for the next chapter.