E le faailoga tagata le Atua ma e faapena foi Lana fanau. Ae mea sili, o le mea lena e tatau ona i ai. I Iakopo 2:1 ua tusia, Ou uso, Le Faatuatua o lo Tatou Alii o Iesu Keriso, Le Alii o le Mamalu, Ma le faaaloalo i tagata. Ae peitai, this doesn’t always happen in daily life. E iai tagata, O Lē o loo Valaau I Le Amiotonu, but unlike God, they do have respect of persons. What does the Bible say about respect of persons and is having respect of persons a sin?
E le ogatasi le Atua
God made His will known through His Word and He expects His sons (e faatatau lenei mea i alii ma tamaitai) that by the renewing of their minds with the Word, they know His will and execute His will on earth. Pei o Iesu, who is our Example and has shown us, how a son of God should walk in obedience to God, unlike the sons of the devil, who walk in disobedience to God.
The Father is no Respecter of persons, Iesu Keriso, le atalii, is no Respecter of persons, ma le Agaga Paia, O lē e mau i le tagata fou (foafoaga fou), is also no Respecter of persons, but is holy, righteous and acts according to the Word. (Faitau foi: Le Faamaoniga o le Agasala i Tisipepepepa Faaulu e Tolu).
The Father has no respect of persons
Ae mamalu, mamalu, ma le filemu, i tagata uma e fai mea lelei, i le tagata Iutaia, faapea foi i le Nuuese: Auā e leai se fa‘ailoga tagata i le Atua. Mole i le toatele ua agasala e aunoa ma le tulafono e aunoa ma ni sauaga: Ma o le toʻatele lava ua agasala i le Tulafono, o le a faʻamasinoina e le tulafono; (Aua e le o le au leoleo o le tulafono na o le Atua, ae o le au fai le tulafono o le a faamaonia (Roma 2:10-13)
God the Father has no respect of persons. God is holy and righteous and makes no distinction between people. He doesn’t consider the natural status and/or the right someone has. Fa'ata'ita'iga, a privileged position like the right of the firstborn son and the right of the sons of Israel (Iakopo (Le Fale o Isaraelu)).
God doesn’t look at that and doesn’t act according to one’s natural position or status on earth. But God acts according to His Word.
God only wants one thing and that is obedience to His Word.
Obedience to His Word is only possible if someone believes in God and loves God with all his heart, agaga, mafaufau, and strength and has a fear of God.
Because if this lacks in someone’s life, the person shall not believe and obey the words of God and keep His commandments.
As a result of that, the person shall not walk in righteousness doing His will.
Adam disobeyed the word of God
Adam was God’s son and walked with God until Adam became disobedient to God and left His commandment. Because of his act of disobedience to God’s word, Adam made God, E pei ona iai, o se pepelo.
Na fetalai le Atua i le mea moni, the devil lied. But man chose to believe the words of the devil, o pepelo ia, and obeyed his lies. Because of Adam’s deed, the spirit of man died and man fell from his position and lost his dominion to the devil (which has been restored through – and in Jesus Christ. (Faitau foi: The peace which Jesus restored between man and God)
Cain rejected the words of God and killed Abel
Cain was the firstborn and owned the birthright, ae ui i lea, Cain didn’t submit to God, but went his own way and rejected the words of God, whereby God rejected Cain (Kenese 4 (Faitau foi: Aisea na le faʻaaloalo ai le Atua i le taulaga a Kaino?)).
Na faatau atu e Esau lona tofi o le ulumatua, which was given by God, to satisfy his hunger
Esau was the firstborn of Isaac and possessed the birthright. Ae peitai, Esau was profane and considered his carnal lust more important than his birthright, which was given by God. And so Esau sold his birthright to satisfy his (le tumau) fia aai, which was objectionable to God and He despised (Kenese 25-28).
Even David, who was a man after God’s heart, did not escape the penalty of his sin (2 Samuelu 11-24).
E tele isi fa'ata'ita'iga, where God spoke and acted according to His Word; His Law, ma Lana amiotonu, instead of being led by someone’s natural right, someone’s position of power, or by His feelings and emotions.
God forbade the judges of the Law to judge with respect of persons
E ala i le Tulafono, God made His will known and revealed good and evil and treated everyone equally. God was not partial and didn’t judge with respect of persons. Since God didn’t judge with respect of persons, He wanted His judges of the Law, who would judge for the Lord and not for man, to do the same.
And He set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, ae mo le Alii, Who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts (2 Nofoaiga a Tupu 19:5-7)
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. E sogi tagata ta'ito'atasi i ona laugutu e tali tonu mai (Faataoto 24:23-26)
Na finagalo le Atua e faamasino tutusa tagata uma e tusa ai ma Lana afioga (His Law) ma sa le faamasino atu i le faailoga tagata.
Afai e leaga se mea ona leaga lea, pe a lelei se mea, sa lelei. Afai na faia e se tasi le leaga, ona tatau lea ona faasalaina le leaga e tusa ai ma le Tulafono, e tusa lava po o ai na tu i luma o le faamasino(s).
Sa lē faatagaina foʻi faamasino o le Tulafono ona ave meaalofa a tagata. Aisea? Auā o le aveina o meaalofa e mafai ona taaʻina ai la latou faamasinoga.
Sa faaaloalo Eli i tagata
O atali‘i o Eli ‘ua amio leaga ma ‘ua ‘inosia e le Atua. E lē pei o lo latou tamā faalelalolagi o Eli, o lē na iloa e uiga i agasala a ona atalii ae e leʻi faia se mea e uiga i ai ae tuu atu ia i latou o latou ala, E leʻi faatagaina e le Atua i latou e faia lo latou ala. Na faalaa ane le Atua, despite the fact that they were the sons of Eli and were born as priests and raised and appointed in the priesthood (1 Samuelu 2,3,4).
God saw a bunch of prideful rebels, who didn’t fear God and made the service of the Lord a mockery and a disgrace. They refused to submit to God and obey the Law of Moses and keep God’s commandments, and slept with women.
The priests despised God and defiled the sacrifice of the Lord and mocked God.
Since the priests were mediators and representatives for God and His will (Lana tulafono), their sins affected people’s view of God, whereby the people despised God.
Eli didn’t intervene, but God intervened. God dealt with the prideful and rebellious behavior of the priests and the disobedience to God of Eli and his sons. (Faitau foi: Le Agaga o Eli).
God will not let anyone stop Him.
God is God! He is almighty, paia, and righteous and He has no respect of persons and doesn’t judge with respect of persons.
God shall never approve of the sinful behavior of His people. Sin shall never remain unpunished, not even among His sons, O ai e ola pea i le agasala.
E alofa le Atua i tagata, but He can’t have communion with sin, which He showed when Jesus was crucified and carried the sins of the world. Even Jesus had no privileged position and was no exception to the rule. (Faitau foi: E mafai ona e ola i le agasala ma faaolaina? ma O le mea moni e uiga i le teenaina)
Jesus has no respect of persons
Iesu, o le Alo o le Atua, has no respect of persons. But Jesus acts and judges the works of man according to the Word. Jesus treated everyone equally. There was no difference in the way Jesus treated the poor and the rich, the insignificant and the significant, those who held a lower position in society and those who held a higher position in society. Everyone was equal to Jesus.
Jesus didn’t act from His emotions, nor His feelings. But Jesus acted in obedience to His Father and the words He spoke.
Jesus didn’t let the children of Israel continue in their sins. He preached the Kingdom of God and called the people of the house of Israël to repentance and the removal of sin.
Jesus didn’t fellowship with sinners, but with repented sinners, o ē na fānau mai i le fānau a Isaraelu, but gave heed to the call of repentance.
O ni tagata agasala, because they didn’t keep the Law of Moses. Ae peitai, when they heard the message of the Kingdom and the call to repentance, they believed the words of Jesus. They believed that Jesus was sent by God and that He was the Messiah.
As a result of their faith, they gave heed to Jesus’ call and repented of their wicked works.
They yielded to Jesus and did what Jesus commanded them to do. They were baptized in water and followed Him. (Faitau foi: O Iesu o se uo o tagata lote?)
Unlike many of the prideful learned Pharisees, Sadducees and (maualuga)ositaulaga, who were influential and were esteemed by the people, but refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and was sent by God. As a result of their unbelief, they refused to repent and be papatisoina.
They considered Jesus as the son of Beelzebub and a sinner, who didn’t belong to God but was an enemy of God and His house.
But Jesus wasn’t influenced and moved by them nor intimidated by what they said and accused Him off. Jesus didn’t compromise and do His best to be liked and accepted by them.
Jesus didn’t look at their outward appearance and their position in God’s house and their influential position in society. Nai lo lena, Jesus looked at their hearts, Aumaia e le Agaga Paia, and spoke to them from the will and knowledge of God and condemned their wicked works. Just like Jesus condemned the wicked works of sinners.
Jesus doesn’t act with respect of persons
Jesus treated everyone equally. He made no distinction between people and was not afraid of the consequences thereof. Even the mother and brothers of Jesus were no exception to the rule.
While He yet talked to the people, faauta, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him. Then one said unto Him, Faauta, Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with Thee. But He answered and said unto him that told him, O ai loʻu tina? Ma o ai o ou uso? And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, ma fai mai, Faauta i lo'u tina ma o'u uso! Mo ai lava o le a faia le finagalo o loʻu Tama o loʻo i le lagi, o loʻu uso lea, ma tuafafine, ma tina (Mataio 12:46-50)
Jesus made it very clear through His words that a natural position was not authoritative and didn’t make a difference in His treatment of someone, nor the place the person had in His life.
The will of God and obedience to His will were (ma o loo i ai pea) authoritative.
The Holy Spirit has no respect of persons
The Holy Spirit has also no respect of persons. He acts according to the Word, wherein the will of God is revealed.
Mai le taimi nei, that Peter was born again and received the Holy Spirit, Who made His abode in Him, Peter couldn’t stay silent but preached in boldness the gospel of Jesus Christ and called the people of the house of Israel to repentance.
Peteru, who was led by the Holy Spirit, was just like His Father and just like His Lord and Master confrontational and spoke hard and even accusative words to the children of Israel, who had come from all over the world to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of firstlings.
When they heard the hard confrontational preaching of Peter, who spoke from the Spirit, many of them repented.
As a result of His bold preaching, 3000 na faaolaina agaga ma papatisoina i le vai (e ui lava ina ua peritomeina i latou).
Ina ua tu Anania i luma o Peteru, ma mulimuli ane i lana avā o Safaira, ma sa latou pepelo i le Agaga Paia ma faapea e mafai ona latou faaseseina o Ia, e leʻi gaoioi le Agaga Paia ma le faaaloalo i tagata ona o i latou o tagata o le lotu.
Nai lo le sola ese ma a latou pepelo ma le taufaavalea ma fiafia i a latou tupe, Na ave i latou e le Atua ma latou feoti ai.
E tele isi fa'ata'ita'iga, lea o le Agaga Paia, O lē e soifua atoatoa i le tagata fou (foafoaga fou), e le‘i faia ma le fa‘ailoga tagata a o le finagalo o le Tamā i le usiusita‘i i le Upu ma taupulepule ai i mea leaga..
O tagata, o lē na avea ma tagata fou ma sa ta‘ita‘iina pea e le Agaga Pa‘ia, e le’i fa’aaloalo fo’i i tagata. O lea la, they spoke the truth boldly and preached the uncompromised gospel of Jesus Christ and the Valaau i le Salamo and because that many true sons of God were born, who walked in obedience to Jesus Christ and the Father.
Christians should have no respect of persons
Born-again Christians have laid down their own lives and died in Christ. They have been raised from the dead in Christ and have become a new creation. E ala i le Papatisoga ma le Agaga Paia, O Le Agaga Paia, Who has no respect of persons, dwells in the new man.
The new man loves God and walks in love. This means walking in obedience to God and Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments.
The new man shall not speak and act from his own understanding, malamalama, poto, and skills and shall not be led by his will, lagona, ma lagona. But the new man shall trust upon God’s understanding and His knowledge, poto, and power and be led by His Word and the Holy Spirit and speak the truth of God to everyone, no matter who the hearer is. Because the new man has no respect of persons.
Christians shall never compromise with darkness and twists the words of God and approve the works of the flesh, o le agasala.
Christians shall not call evil good and say to the unrighteous (tagata agasala) that he or she is righteous, because of their relationship with the person, status or fame of a person. But Christians shall always speak the truth of God and call the person to repentance. Ae paga lea, e le o taimi uma e tupu ai lenei mea.
Why many Christians have respect of persons?
Many Christians have respect of persons when it comes to their own family or famous preachers and other people, who are famous and/or are in a position of power.
Fa'ata'ita'iga, when other people ola faatasi e le faaipoipo, Christians judge this act and consider it evil. But when their child decides to live together unmarried, they accept it and they don’t consider this a rebellious act against God and as something evil. Suddenly living together unmarried is not a sin anymore.
This also applies to sexual uncleanness, like having sexual relationships outside the bond of marriage, homosexualliety, faitaaga, mulilua, ma isi.
As long as others commit these sins, it is condemned, since it’s not according to the will of God. But if this happens in a family and emotions and feelings are involved, then the words of God are suddenly forgotten and don’t play a role and are rejected and the sin is approved and accepted.
Instead of acting the same way as with those other people and they obey Jesus Christ and the will of the Father and stand on the Word despite the consequences and condemn the evil works of the flesh and decide to not fellowship with those, who persevere in sin and are not willing to repent, they bow to the will of evil spirits and submit to them and support the sin of their (maaleale) tamaititi, tama, tina, niece, nephew etc. (Faitau foi: Can you be complicit to the sin of fellow believers?)
And so the devil found his way into many families and local churches through emotional family ties of believers, tiakono, Toeaina, and pastors, which are put above the Word of God
Faifeau, who have respect of persons
There are also pastors, who seem spiritual but are carnal. They act from their flesh, lea latou te le faia tutusa ai tagata uma, but act with respect of persons.
They don’t speak, sao, or admonish the believers the same way, and they don’t judge sin the same way for everyone. Nai lo lena, they act from their feelings, lagona, and the relationship they have with the person.
O le faaiuga, they judge the sin of one person, but allow the sin of another person and close their eyes to the person’s lifestyle, despite the fact that they know the will of God and the judgment of God.
Ma, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him (Efeso 6:9)
To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress (Faataoto 28:21)
The privileged position of members, who give a lot of money to the church
How often does it happen that people, who give a lot of money to the church, are noticed and are given a special place in the church and are treated differently than the rest of the congregation?
They say to the generous givers what they want to hear and please them and do everything they can to keep them satisfied. And when the generous givers disobey the words of God and do things, which diametrically oppose the will of God, and their lifestyle is not in alignment with the Word, they let them have their way and pretend they don’t see it and don’t confront and admonish them, ona o le fefe, that they become offended and leave the church and stop giving.
And so they compromise with the works of darkness and bow for the sins of the rich people.
Instead of staying faithful to God and believing in God and His Word and trusting in God, knowing that God is a Provider and that He will provide, they bow to the will and the sins of people, whom they consider their providers.
Ou uso, Le Faatuatua o lo Tatou Alii o Iesu Keriso, Le Alii o le Mamalu, Ma le faaaloalo i tagata. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, ma fai atu ia te ia, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Ia e alofa i lou tuaoi pei o oe lava, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors (Iakopo 2:1-9)
The privileged position of children and relatives of pastors, Toeaina, and deacons
Tele taimi, the children or relatives of pastors, Toeaina, and deacons are also treated differently than the other believers in the church and have a privileged position.
The believers ought to obey certain rules and their sins are more easily judged than the sins of their children (or relatives). While other believers have to fear the consequences of their sins in the church, the children (or relatives) are secured of their place in the church, no matter how they live and the sins they commit.
O le toeaina, who is not a relative and commits fornication, mulilua, and/or gets a divorce will be punished and removed from the office, while an elder, who is a relative and commit fornication, mulilua, and/or get a divorce will be punished behind closed door (or not at all), but may remain in the office or take a leave of absence for some months and then return in the office again.
A deacon, who is not a relative, and steals from the church is punished and removed from the office, while a deacon, who is a relative and steals from the church may remain in the office or take a leave of absence and after some time return in the office.
The closer the family ties and the bloodlines, the more is overlooked and the more compromises are made.
In general living together unmarried, having sexual relationships outside marriage, faitaaga, mulilua, tatala faaipoipoga, homosexualliety, Faapau pepe, gaoi, ma isi. is not tolerated and accepted in the church, but when a son or daughter of the pastor commits them it’s a whole other story.
Many times pastors find a way to adjust and change the words of God and compromise and accept the sin and lifestyle of their child to keep the peace between the parent and the child
A father’s dream for his son or daughter
Many fathers, who have a family business, have a dream that one day their son or daughter become their apprentice. Even many pastors have this dream and hope that their children walk in their footsteps and become their apprentices.
Sometimes they desire and want this so much, that the Word and the will of God are no longer leading, but their will and their dream are leading.
Many pastors don’t ask God and listen to His voice, whether it is also His will, ae latou te filifili.
They don’t look at the life and walk of the child and whether the child is born again and died to the flesh and lives a holy life after the Spirit in submission to the Word and bears the fua o le Agaga.
They don’t look at whether the child walks in obedience to the will of God and is capable of leading the sheep and feeding the believers with the words of God and raising them in the will of God and disciplining, faʻasaʻoina, and admonishing them, so that they grow up in the image of Jesus Christ and become mature sons of God. But they only look at the human aspects and the will and the dream of the pastor.
Because of this many sons are appointed by the will of the flesh, who should not have been appointed, and preach behind the pulpit, and defile the church, just like the sons of Eli defiled the temple and the service of the Lord and harmed the people of God and caused the people of God to walk in sin, only because the parent had a respect of persons.
Ua iloa e le tiapolo i le tele o olaga e pule le tino nai lo le Agaga ma e taitaia tagata e lo latou loto., lagona, ma lagona. Nai lo le gauai atu i le Upu ma gauai atu o latou loto i le finagalo o le Atua, e tatau ona gauai atu le Upu ia i latou ma o latou loto. Ae e matua manino lava le Tusi Paia ma fai mai:
O ia e sili ona alofa i le tama poo le tina e sili atu nai lo aʻu e le aoga ia te aʻu: Ma e alofa o ia i le atalii po o le afafine nai lo aʻu e le aoga mo aʻu. O lē na te lē amoina lona satauro, ma mulimuli mai ia te au, e le aoga mo au. O lē maua lona ola, e maumau ai: ma o le na te leiloa lona ola ona o aʻu o le a mauaina ai (Mataio 10:37-38)
O le fa'aaloalo i tagata o se agasala?
O le faaaloalo i tagata o se agasala e tusa ai ma le Tusi Paia. E lē faailoga tagata le Atua ma e lē gaoioi foʻi ma le faaaloalo i tagata
E tasi lava le mea e finagalo i ai le Atua ma o le usiusitai lea ia te Ia. E finagalo le Tama i Ona atalii (alii ma tamaitai) ina ia usiusitai ia te Ia ma ola i le usiusitai i Lana Afioga. E finagalo o ia ia latou tautatala i le upu moni ma le faamasinotonu a le Atua, e tusa lava po o ai le tagata faalogo ma e tusa lava po o a taunuuga.
Atonu e leai se faaaloalo o tagata i le ekalesia, e leai se tasi e i ai se tulaga taualoa.
Have the faith without respect of persons
Ona tatala lea o le gutu o Peteru, ma fai mai, Of a truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of persons: A o le mata'u ia te Ia i nuu uma lava, and works righteousness, ua talia faatasi ma Ia (Galuega 10:34-35)
If you are born again in Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells in you and you have become a son of God, then you shall, just like your Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, O ai e nofo i totonu ia te oe, be no respecter of persons and you shall not act with respect of persons.
You shall fear the Lord God and obey the Word and speak the truth of God and not compromise, tusa lava pe a.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
