1. Le ɓe a kɛ nuu ta a sɔnyɔŋ kɛtɛ kɛ?

 IN THE article before this one, we see how the apostle Paul handle the case of one man who commit serious sin in the congregation in Corinth. He never wanted to change so they move him from the congregation. But like what our theme text say, it possible to still help somebody who commit serious sin to repent. (Rom. 2:4) How the elders can help them to repent?

2-3. Le ɓe maa nɛ̃ɛi ku gɛ kwa gɔlɔŋ a gɛɛ kuɓaraŋ korai-nuu ta aa sɔnyɔŋ kɛtɛ kɛ, nyaŋ le mɛni ma?

² The elder dem need to know what really happen before they can be able to help. So, if we know any brother or sister who commit serious sin that will make the elders to move them from the congregation, wetin we must do? We must encourage the person to go to the elders for help.—Isa. 1:18; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2.

³ But suppose the person refuse to go to the elders? Then we our self must go tell the elder dem so they can help the person. It will show that we get love for the person because we not want the person to leave Jehovah. If the person continue doing the bad thing, that the more time he will spoil his friendship with Jehovah. He can also spoil the congregation good name. So we must be brave and take action because we love Jehovah and the person.—Ps. 27:14.

BEREI KORAI-TOLI-KPƆŊ LAA-TUƐ-ƁELAI DA KPƆŊ MAA TƐƐ LA DIAI PƆ DAA SƆNYƆŊ KƐTƐ KƐI

4. Le ɓe korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da kɔ a gɛɛ di gɛ da kɛ lonoi nuu ta pɔ nyii aa sɔnyɔŋ kɛtɛ kɛi?

⁴ When somebody in the congregation commit serious sin, the body of elders can choose three qualify brothers  from among them to form one committee. a This men dem need to be humble and know their limit. Even though they want try to help the person to repent, but they must know that they can’t force the person to change. (Deut. 30:19) The elder dem must know that not everybody who commit serious sin will repent, like the way King David do it. (2 Sam. 12:13) Some of them will decide to not listen to Jehovah advice. (Gen. 4:​6-8) But, the elder dem must know that their goal that to help the person to repent if it possible. What Bible principles the elder dem must remember when they meet with somebody who commit serious sin?

5. Tua-pere kɛɛ leŋ ɓe maa nɛ̃ɛi e kɛ korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai yeei da kɛ lonoi nuu ta pɔ nyii sɔnyɔŋ kɛtɛ kɛi? (2 Temete 2:​24-​26) (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

⁵ The elders must look at the person who sin to be precious, lost sheep. (Luke 15:​4, 6) So, when they meet with the person, they must not talk to the person harsh way or treat them bad. Or the elder dem must not think that they just going there to ask question, go through some directions and cut the case. But they must show the good-good qualities that 2 Timothy 2:​24-26 talk about. (Read.) They must be mild, gentle, and kind because they want help the person to change.

6. Korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da dilii su kpɛtɛ leŋ di lɛɛ pai lonoi nuu ta pɔ nyii sɔnyɔŋ kɛi? (Lomaŋ 2:4)

⁶ The elder dem must prepare their own heart. When they helping somebody who sin, they must follow Jehovah example and remember what Paul say: “God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repentance.” (Read Romans 2:4.) The elder dem must remember that they shepherds and that Jesus directing them. (Isa. 11:​3, 4; Matt. 18:​18-20) Before the committee meet with the person who sin, they must pray and remember that their reason for meeting the person that to help them to repent. They must do research in the Bible and in our publication dem, and pray to understand the person and the situation. They must also try to know about the person background, so they can know what make the person to think and act like that.—Prov. 20:5.

7-8. Korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da pɔri Ziova ŋɔlii-kpelei pɔɔkɔɔni leŋ da kɛ lonoi nuu ta pɔ nyii sɔnyɔŋ kɛi?

 ⁷ The elder dem must be patient like Jehovah. They must remember how Jehovah help people in the past who commit serious sin. For example, Jehovah wor patient with Cain. He tell Cain what wor coming happen if he not change and he wor coming bless him if he obey. (Gen. 4:​6, 7) Jehovah send the prophet Nathan to counsel David. Nathan use one example that help David to repent. (2 Sam. 12:​1-7) And Jehovah continue sending his prophets over and over when the Israelite dem disobey him. (Jer. 7:​24, 25) He not wait for his people to repent before helping them. He take upon his self to help them to repent.

⁸ The elder dem can follow Jehovah example when they trying to help those who commit serious sin. 2 Timothy 4:2 say they must reason “with all patience” when they helping their brother or sister who commit serious sin. The study note on this verse say something about the elder who will do this one. It say: “He will always need to control his self, be patient and help the person who sin to get the desire to do the right thing. If [the elder] get vex or frustrated, maybe the person will not listen to the advice].”

9-10. Korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da kpɔŋ leŋ zɔnyɔŋ-nuui ma a gɛɛ e gili-ŋa sia mɛnii e gɛi ma?

⁹ The elder dem must try to know wetin make the person to sin. For example, the person wor getting weak small-small because they wor not doing their personal study or going field service? He wor not always praying to Jehovah? He been allowing wrong desires to control him? He not choose good friends or the things he decide to enjoy his self with? How the decision dem he made affect him? He understand how Jehovah feel about the decisions he made and the thing he do?

¹⁰ When the elders ask question dem like this, it can help the person to think on what they na do. But they must be careful to not ask questions that will embarrass the person. (Prov. 20:5) Beside that, they can use examples to help the person to think about the thing they do and know why it wor wrong, just how Nathan use example to help David. The first time they meet with the person, maybe the person will even repent and feel sorry for the thing he do.

11. Zisɛ e tua leŋ a sɔnyɔŋ-ɓela?

¹¹ The elder dem must try hard to follow Jesus example. When Jesus wor helping Saul of Tarsus, he ask him this interesting question: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” By asking this question, Jesus help Paul to understand the bad thing he do. (Acts 9:​3-6) And talking about “that woman Jezebel,” Jesus say: “I gave her time to repent.”—Rev. 2:​20, 21.

12-13. Korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da pɔri tãi tɛɛi leŋ zɔnyɔŋ-nuui pɔ a gɛɛ e nii pene? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

¹² Like Jesus, the elder dem must not be quick to think that the person who commit serious sin will not repent. Some people can repent the first time the committee meet with them, but some people need more time. So the elder dem can meet with the person more than one time. Maybe after the elder dem meet with the person the first time, he will go  and start thinking about the thing they tell him. Maybe he will bring his self down and pray to Jehovah to forgive him. (Ps. 32:5; 38:18) Then maybe when the elder dem meet with him the next time, he will change his attitude.

¹³ To help the person who sin to repent, the elder dem must feel sorry for the person and be kind. They hope and pray that Jehovah will bless their efforts and that their brother will come to his self and repent.—2 Tim. 2:​25, 26.

14. Gbɛɛ kpɔ ɓa kpɔŋ maa tɛɛ sɔnyɔŋ-nuu pɔ a gɛɛ e nii pene, nyaŋ kwa pɔri moi ti le mɛni ma?

¹⁴ All of us can be happy when somebody repent! (Luke 15:​7, 10) But that who the praise must go to? You think that to the elder dem? See wetin Paul say about the people who sin: “Perhaps God may give them repentance.” (2 Tim. 2:25) The study note on that verse say: “When they change their thinking and attitude, the praise will not go to any human being, but to Jehovah, who help the person to make this important change. Paul also talk about the benefit that can come when the person repent. It can help the person to understand the truth good-good. It can also help him to come to his self, and escape from Satan trap.—2Ti 2:26.”

15. Korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da pɔri kanani leŋ kpɔŋ maa tɛɛi sɔnyɔŋ-nuu pɔ nyii nii penei?

¹⁵ When the person repent, the elder dem will continue visiting the person to encourage him so he can be able to do the right thing and not fall in Satan trap. (Heb. 12:​12, 13) But the elder dem will not tell other people what the person do. Wetin the congregation need to know?

“LONO DIA NUU KELEE ŊƐI”

16. Yɛɛ berei gaa la 1 Temete 5:​20 sui, gbɛɛ-ni ɓa ‘nuu keleei’ nyii Pɔɔ a lonoi e pilaŋ diai?

¹⁶ Read 1 Timothy 5:20. Paul tell another elder name Timothy to reprove  the person who sin in front of all onlookers. What he mean? He not mean that the whole congregation wor the “onlookers.” But he wor talking about the few people who already know what happen. Some of them see the thing that happen or the person self tell them about it. That only this people dem the elders will tell that they na handle the case.

17. A kɛ korai-toli-kpɔŋ su-ɓela tamaa ɣele da gɔlɔŋ a gɛɛ nuu ta aa sɔnyɔŋ kɛtɛ kɛ kpaa da pai gɔlɔni, lolo kɛɛ leŋ ɓe korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da dooi, nyaŋ le mɛni ma?

¹⁷ In some cases, maybe the thing the person do, plenty people already know about it or plenty people will know about it. If that one happen, then the “onlookers” will be the whole congregation. So, one elder will announce to the congregation that they na reprove the person. Why? Paul say: “As a warning to the rest” so that other people will not commit serious sin.

18. Loloŋ nyii ŋɔbatai kɛɛi a sɔnyɔŋ kɛtɛ kɛ, le ɓe korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da gɛi? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

¹⁸ Suppose baptize person who not reach 18 years old commit serious sin? The body of elders will arrange for two elders to meet with him and his Christian parents or the people he living with. b The elders will find out wetin the parents already na do to help their child  to repent. If the young person get good attitude and the parents helping him, then the two elders can just decide to allow the parents to continue helping their child. The elders know that God gave the parents the responsibility to correct their children. (Deut. 6:​6, 7; Prov. 6:20; 22:6; Eph. 6:​2-4) But from time to time, the elder dem will check with the parents to make sure that the young person getting the help they need. But suppose the baptize young person continue to do the wrong thing and refuse to repent? Then the elders will form one committee to meet with him and his Christian parents or the people he living with.

‘WƐLI-KƐ-MAA DA ŊƐI-MALOŊ-KAA KAA ZIOVA YEEI’

19. Korai-toli-kpɔŋ laa-tuɛ-ɓelai da kɔ leŋ a gɛɛ di Ziova pɔɔkɔɔŋ da kɛ lonoi nuu ta pɔ nyii sɔnyɔŋ kɛtɛ kɛi?

¹⁹ The elders who will be on this committee dem get the responsibility to keep the congregation clean. (1 Cor. 5:7) But they also want people who sin to repent, if it possible. And when they helping that person, they must get hope that the person will change. Why? Because they want be like Jehovah who “very tender in affection and merciful.” (Jas. 5:11) And that just how the apostle John show love to his brothers and sisters. He say: “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not commit a sin. And yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one.”—1 John 2:1.

20. Le ɓe kwa pai maa-kɔrii zɛŋ-lɛɛi gbɛɛ-ŋai su zɛŋ-lɛɛ kpului ŋi sui?

²⁰ Sad to say, sometime somebody who sin can refuse to repent. If that one happen, they must move that person from the congregation. How the elder dem must handle this kindna serious case? We will talk about that one in the last article.