Naʻa Nau Fai ʻa e Finangalo ʻo Sihová

Ko e Faifakamoʻoni Loto-Toʻa ʻa Paula ʻi he ʻAo ʻo e Kau Māʻolungá

KO E faikehekehe ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e ongo tangatá naʻe ʻikai fiemaʻu ia ke toe fakapapauʻi lahi ange. Naʻe tui ʻe he taha ha kalauni lolotonga ia naʻe haʻi sēiniʻi ʻa e taha ia ko ē. Ko e taha ko ha tuʻi; ko e taha ia ko ē, ko ha pōpula. Hili ʻa e taʻu ʻe ua ʻi he fale pōpulá, naʻe tuʻu ai ʻi he taimi ko ení ʻa Paula ʻi he ʻao ʻo e pule ʻo e kau Siú, ʻa Hēlota ʻAkilipa II. Ko e tuʻí mo hono hoá, ʻa Pelenaise, naʻá na haʻu “ʻo fakalaukau ʻaupito, ʻo hū ki he fale-tali-ʻeiki: naʻe ʻi ai foki ʻa e ngaahi ʻeikitau, mo ha kau tangata ʻilonga ʻo e kolo.” (Ngāue 25:23) ʻOku pehē ʻe ha tohi faifakamatala: “Ngalingali naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e kakai ʻe laui teau.”

Ko e kōvana ne toki fokotuʻu foʻou ko Fesitó, naʻá ne fokotuʻutuʻu ʻa e fakatahá. Ko e kōvana ʻa ia naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate iá ʻa Filike, naʻá ne fiemālie pē ke tuku pē ʻa Paula ke fakaʻauʻausino ʻi he pilīsoné. Ka naʻe fehuʻia ʻe Fesito ʻa e totonu fakalao ʻo e ngaahi tukuakiʻi naʻe fai kia Paulá. ʻIkai koā, naʻe mātuʻaki vilitaki pē ʻa Paula ia ki heʻene tonuhiá he naʻá ne kole ke ʻave ʻene keisí kia Sisa! Naʻe langaʻi ʻe he keisi ʻa Paulá ʻa e fieʻilo ʻa Tuʻi ʻAkilipá. “ʻA, naʻa ku mei loto ke fanongo ʻe au foki ki he tangata,” ko ʻene leá ia. Naʻe fai fakavavevave leva ʻe Fesito ʻa e ngaahi fokotuʻutuʻú, ʻo ngalingali naʻá ne fifili pe ko e hā ha fakakaukau ʻa e tuʻí ʻo fekauʻaki mo e pōpula makehe ko ení.​—Ngāue 24:27–​25:22.

ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe tuʻu ai ʻa Paula ʻi he ʻao ʻo e fuʻu kau māʻolunga tokolahi. “ʻOku ou lau ko hoku monū ʻete tuʻu ʻi ho ʻao he ʻaho ni ke fai ʻete fakamatala ki he ngaahi meʻa kehekehe,” ko ʻene lea ia kia ʻAkilipá, “koeʻuhi ko e potopotoʻi koe ʻi he ngaahi toʻonga kotoa pe ʻa e kakai Siu, mo e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ʻu ki ai honau loto: ko ia ʻoku ou kole ke ke kātaki, ʻo meʻa lelei mai kiate au.”​—Ngāue 26:​2, 3.

Ko e Taukapo Loto-Toʻa ʻa Paulá

ʻUluakí, naʻe tala ʻe Paula kia ʻAkilipa fekauʻaki mo hono kuohilí ko ha tokotaha fakatangaʻi ʻo e kau Kalisitiané. “Ko ʻeku fakamamahiʻi kinautolu ke nau talakāʻi ʻa e ʻEiki,” ko ʻene leá ia. “Naʻa ku fakafeʻātungia ʻo aʻu ki he ngaahi kolo muli foki.” Naʻe hoko atu ʻa Paula ʻo fakamatala ki he founga naʻá ne maʻu ai ha vīsone fakatoʻoaloto ʻa ia naʻe ʻeke ange ai kiate ia ʻe Sīsū kuo toetuʻú: “Ko e ha ʻoku ke fakatangaʻi ai au? ʻoku faingataʻa hoʻo ʻakahi ʻa e meʻa masila.”a​—Ngāue 26:​4-​14.

Naʻe fekauʻi leva ʻe Sīsū ʻa Saula ke faifakamoʻoni ki he kakai ʻo e puleʻanga kotoa pē ʻa e “ngaahi meʻa kuo ke mamata ki ai, pea mo e ngaahi meʻa te u ha ai kiate koe ʻamui.” Naʻe fakamatala ʻa Paula naʻá ne feinga tōtōivi ke fakahoko ʻene vāhenga-ngāué. Ka, “ko hono ʻuhinga ia,” ko ʻene tala ange ia kia ʻAkilipá, “naʻe puke ai au ʻe he kakai Siu ʻi he temipale, ʻo nau ʻahiʻahi ke tamateʻi.” ʻI heʻene maongo koeʻuhi ko e mahuʻingaʻia ʻa ʻAkilipa ʻi he lotu faka-Siú, naʻe fakamamafaʻi ai ʻe Paula ko ʻene faifakamoʻoní naʻe lave moʻoni pē ia ʻo fekauʻaki mo e pekia pea mo e toetuʻu ʻa e Mīsaiá, “o ikai ha mea kehe ka ko ia nae tala e he kau balofita mo Mosese e hoko mai.”​—Ngāue 26:​15-​23, PM.

Naʻe fakamotutalanoa mai leva ʻa Fesito. “Ko e ʻatunga ē ʻo hoʻo faʻa lau tohi ʻoku ke fakaaʻau ke faha,” ko ʻene kalangá mai ia. Naʻe tali ange ʻe Paula: “ʻE Fesito, tapu mo e feituʻu na, ʻoku ʻikai te u faha; ka ko e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ou puʻaki ko e ngaahi tala ʻa e moʻoni mo e fakapotopoto.” Naʻe lea leva ʻa Paula ʻo kau kia ʻAkilipa: “ʻOku meaʻi ʻe he Tuʻi ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ni: pea ʻoku ou ʻasili faingofuaʻia ke lea kiate ia, koeʻuhi ʻoku ou pehē, ʻoku ʻikai hano momoʻi meʻa ʻe taha ʻe ʻufikaua kiate ia; he talāʻehai ko ha meʻa ia naʻe fai ʻi ha tuliki.”​—Ngāue 26:​24-​26.

Naʻe toki lea fakahangatonu leva ʻa Paula kia ʻAkilipa. “ʻE Kingi Akilipa, ʻoku ke tui ki he kau Palōfita?” Naʻe ʻikai ha veiveiua naʻe faingataʻaʻia ʻa ʻAkilipa ʻi he foʻi fehuʻí. Ko hono moʻoní, naʻe ʻi ai hono tuʻunga manakoa ke tauhi maʻu, pea ka loto-tatau mo Paula te ne ʻi he tafaʻaki ai naʻe ui ʻe Fesito ko e “faha.” ʻI heʻene ongoʻi nai ʻa e toumoua ʻa ʻAkilipá, naʻe tali pē ʻe Paula ʻa ʻene fehuʻí. “ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku ke tui ki ai,” ko ʻene leá ia. Naʻe lea leva he taimi ko iá ʻa ʻAkilipa, ka naʻá ne hanganaki ʻai pē hono leʻó ke taʻepau. “Ta ʻoku ke lau ʻa pē ʻe faingofua,” ko ʻene lea ange ia kia Paulá, “hoʻo liliu au ke [Kalisitiane].”​—Ngāue 26:​27, 28.

Naʻe ngāuepōtoʻiʻaki ʻe Paula ʻa e fakamatala kalofanga ʻa ʻAkilipá ke faʻuʻaki ha foʻi poini mālohi. “Tauange mo e ʻOtua,” ko ʻene leá ange ia, “ke ke hoko​—ʻo ʻikai ko koe pe, ka ko kinautolu kotoa pe kuo fanongo kiate au he ʻaho ni​—ke mou hoko ke tatau mo au​—tuku kehe pe ʻa e ongo seini ni!”​—Ngāue 26:29.

Naʻe ʻikai ke sio ʻa ʻAkilipa ia mo Fesito ki ha meʻa ʻe taha ʻe taau ai ʻa Paula ke mate pe tuku pōpula. Ka, ko ʻene kole ke ʻave kia Sisa ʻene keisí he naʻe ʻikai lava ia ke toe kaniseli. Ko hono ʻuhinga ia naʻe tala ange ai ʻe ʻAkilipa kia Fesito: “Ne mei tukuange ʻa e siana ni, ʻo ka ne taeʻoua ʻene unga kia Sisa.”​—Ngāue 26:​30-​32.

Lēsoni Maʻatautolu

Ko e founga ʻo e faifakamoʻoni ʻa Paula ʻi he ʻao ʻo e kau māʻolungá ʻokú ne ʻomai ha faʻifaʻitakiʻanga tuʻu-ki-muʻa maʻatautolu. ʻI heʻene lea kia Tuʻi ʻAkilipá, naʻe ngāueʻaki ʻe Paula ʻa e fakapotopotó. Naʻá ne lāuʻilo taʻetoeveiveiua fekauʻaki mo e lauʻikovi ʻoku mafola holo ʻo kau kia ʻAkilipa mo Pelenaisé. Ko ʻena nofó ko ha nonofo kāinga ofi, he ko e tuofefine moʻoni ʻo ʻAkilipa ʻa Pelenaise. Ka ʻi he meʻa ko eni naʻe hokó naʻe ʻikai ke fili ai ʻe Paula ia ke ne malanga fekauʻaki mo e ʻulungāngá. ʻI hono kehé, naʻá ne fakamamafaʻi ʻe ia ʻa e ngaahi foʻi poini naʻá na felotoi ki ai mo ʻAkilipá. ʻIkai ngata aí, neongo naʻe akoʻi ʻa Paula ʻe he Fālesi poto ko Kāmelielí, naʻá ne lāuʻilo ko ha mataotao ʻa ʻAkilipa ʻi he ngaahi anga fakafonua faka-Siú. (Ngāue 22:3) Neongo ʻa e ngaahi ʻulungaanga fakafoʻituitui ʻo ʻAkilipá, naʻe lea fakaʻapaʻapa ʻa Paula kiate ia koeʻuhi he naʻe maʻu ʻe ʻAkilipa ha tuʻunga mafai.​—Loma 13:7.

Lolotonga ʻetau fakamoʻoni loto-toʻa fekauʻaki mo ʻetau tuí, ʻoku ʻikai ko ʻetau taumuʻá ia ke fakaeʻa pe fakahalaiaʻi ʻa e ngaahi tōʻonga ʻuli ʻa ʻetau kau fanongó. Ka koeʻuhi ke ʻai ke faingofua ange kiate kinautolu ke tali ʻa e moʻoní, ʻoku totonu ke tau fakamamafaʻi ʻa e ngaahi tafaʻaki lelei ʻo e ongoongo leleí, ʻo fakamamafaʻi ʻa e ngaahi ʻamanaki tatau ʻoku tau maʻú. ʻI he lea ki he faʻahinga ko ia ʻoku taʻumotuʻa angé pe ʻoku nau ʻi ha tuʻunga mafaí, ʻoku totonu ke tau lāuʻilo ki honau tuʻungá. (Livitiko 19:32) ʻI he foungá ni, ʻe lava ke tau faʻifaʻitaki ai kia Paula, ʻa ia naʻá ne pehē: “Kuo u hoko ko e meʻa kehekehe ki he kakai kehekehe, kehe ke u fakamoʻui hanau niʻihi.”​—1 Kolinito 9:​22.

[Fakamatala ʻi lalo]