Koutou Nofo Tokaga Ki Te Simonia!
KO SIMONE ʼo Samalia neʼe ko te tagata neʼe fakaʼapaʼapaʼi e te hahaʼi. Neʼe maʼuli ʼi te ʼuluaki sēkulō ʼo totatou temi, pea neʼe ōfo ʼaupito te hahaʼi ʼi tana fai meʼa fakamanamana, pea neʼe nātou ʼui ʼo ʼuhiga mo ia: “Ko te tagata ʼaia ʼe ko te Mālohi ʼo te ʼAtua, pea ʼe feala ke higoa ko te tagata Lahi.”—Gāue 8:9-11.
Kae ʼi te ʼosi liliu ʼa Simone ko he Kilisitiano kua papitema, neʼe ina fakamoʼoni ʼe ʼi ai te mālohi neʼe lahi age ʼi te mālohi ʼaē neʼe ina maʼu ʼi muʼa atu. Neʼe ko te mālohi ʼaē neʼe tuku ki te ʼu ʼapositolo ʼa Sesu, ʼo feala ai ke nātou foaki ki ʼihi he ʼu fealagia faka milakulo ʼaki te laumālie maʼoniʼoni. Neʼe ōfo ʼaupito ai ia Simone, ʼo ina foaki ai he falā ki te ʼu ʼapositolo pea mo kole fēnei age kia nātou: “[Koulua] foaki mai te mālohi ʼaenā, ke foaki te laumālie maʼoniʼoni kia ia ia ʼaē ʼe ʼau hilifaki ki ai ʼoku nima.”—Gāue 8:13-19.
Neʼe fakatonutonuʼi e te ʼapositolo ko Petelo ia Simone, ʼo ina ʼui fēnei: “Ke puli atu tau paʼaga mo koe, he neʼe ke manatu ʼe ke maʼu anai ʼaki tau falā te meʼa ʼofa ʼaē ʼe foaki mai e te ʼAtua. ʼE mole hou vahe pea mo hou ʼinasi ʼi te faʼahi ʼaenī, heʼe mole totonu tou loto kia mata ʼo te ʼAtua.”—Gāue 8:20, 21.
Ko te fakamatala faka Tohi-Tapu ʼaia, neʼe tupu mai ai te kupu “simonia,” ʼaē ʼe faka ʼuhiga ki “te agahala ʼo ia ʼaē ʼe ina totogi peʼe ina fakatau he ʼu tuʼulaga ʼi te ʼēkelesia.” ʼE fakamoʼoni e te tohi New Catholic Encyclopedia, neʼe lahi tāfito ʼi te 9 pea mo te 11 sēkulō, “te mafola ʼo te simonia ʼi te ʼu monasetelio, mo te ʼu patele, mo te kau ʼēpikopō, pea māʼiape la mo te ʼu tuʼi tapu.” Ko te hiva tohi ʼo te The Encyclopædia Britannica (1878) ʼe ina ʼui fēnei: “Kapau ʼe sivisivi e he tahi te hisitolia ʼo te ʼu fono faka Kaletinale ʼaē neʼe filifili ai te ʼu Tuʼi tapu, pea ʼe mahino anai kia ia ʼi te ʼu fono fuli ʼaia neʼe hoko ai te simonia, pea neʼe lahi te ʼu lakaga ʼaē neʼe kovi ʼaupito ai te simonia, pea neʼe ko he meʼa fakaufiufi pea mo fai fakahāhā.”
Ko te kau Kilisitiano moʼoni ia ʼaho nei, ʼe tonu ke nātou nofo tokaga ki te simonia. Ohage la, ʼe lagi fai e ʼihi he ʼu tuʼuga fakavikiviki peʼe ko he ʼu meʼa ʼofa lahi kia nātou ʼaē ʼe feala ke nātou foaki he ʼu pilivilesio. ʼI te tahi faʼahi, ko nātou ʼaē ʼe feala ke nātou foaki he ʼu pilivilesio ʼe lagi nātou fakahā anai he ʼofa makehe kia nātou ʼaē ʼe feala ke nātou foaki age he ʼu meʼa ʼofa maʼuhiga. Ko te ʼu faʼahi ʼaia e lua ʼe maʼu ai te simonia, pea ʼe tauteaʼi e te Tohi-Tapu te faʼahiga aga ʼaia. Neʼe ʼui e Petelo kia Simone, “Koia, fakahemala ʼi tau agakovi pea tagi kia Sehova, ke ina fakamolemole atu kia te koe, mo kapau ʼe feala, te holi ʼo tou loto [“tau fakatuʼutuʼu,” ʼi te Bible de Jérusalem]; heʼe ʼau sio ko koe ʼe ko he kafo kona pea mo he noʼo ʼo te heʼe faitotonu.”—Gāue 8:22, 23.
Meʼa fakafiafia foki, he neʼe mahino kia Simone te kovi ʼo tana holi. Neʼe tagi fēnei ki te ʼu ʼapositolo: “Koulua hūfaki ʼau kia Sehova ke ʼaua naʼa hoko kia ʼau he tahi meʼa ʼi te ʼu meʼa ʼaē neʼe koulua ʼui mai.” (Gāue 8:24) ʼI tanatou manatuʼi te ako maʼuhiga ʼaē ʼe maʼu ʼi te fakamatala ʼaenī, ʼe faiga ai te kau Kilisitiano moʼoni ke nātou tekeʼi te simonia.