Philippians 4:8-9: Khalam Detdouna

• Text     : Philippians 4:8-9
• Theme : Khalam Detdouna

Huai khit chiangin unaute aw, thil dik peuhmah, thil phathuai peuhmah, thil kilawm peuhmah, thil siangthou peuhmah, thil hoih peuhmah, thil minhoih peuhmah, hoihna himhim a oma, phatna ding a om aleh, huai thilte tuh ngaihtuah un. Keimah a na thil theihte, tante, zakte leh muhte uh, huai thilte hih un: huchiin muanna Pathian na kiang uah om ding hi.

 

I.        Introduction of the background

Rome khua a Paul suangkulh atan lai a Philippi saptuamte kianga A.D. 62 a alaikhak ahi. Philippi khua ahihleh tu in Greece gam a om ahi. Paul missionary khualzin nihveina (A.D. 50) a Philippi saptuam a phuhkhiat (Nas 16:12-40), A.D. 55 vel a veh in A.D. 62 in lai akhak hi. A laikhak tup-le-ngimte―Paul dinmun hilhchetna (1:19-26), Tanchinhoih nasataka puanzak lungngulhna (1:12, 15, 29), kingaihniamna (2:1-8), example hoihtak hiding (2:5-11; 3:17), Khrist theihna a khang ding (3:7-14), leh kipahthu gen gige ding (4:4) chihte ahi.

I tang tel ma bung 4na ah Paul in ngetna leh hasotna thu agen hi: Toupa ah ding kip un (v.1), kituak in om un (vv. 2-3), kipak gige un (v. 4), nunnem ding (v. 5), lunghimoh lou ding (v. 6a), thil bangkim ah ngetna toh kipahthugen a thum un (v. 6b). Huan, i tang tel zoh in tang 10-20 ah Philippi saptuamte’n Paul a awlmohna uh leh thil bangkim a Paul in lungkim dan siam ahihdan agen hi.

 

II.      Thil hoih Ngaihtuah Ngitnget Ding (v.8)

“Huai khit chiangin unaute aw, thil dik peuhmah, thil phathuai peuhmah, thil kilawm peuhmah, thil siangthou peuhmah, thil hoih peuhmah, thil minhoih peuhmah, hoihna himhim a oma, phatna ding a om aleh, huai thilte tuh ngaihtuah un” (v.8).

 “Abehlapna in” (Gk. λοιπόν, Eg. In addition) unaute aw chiin pan in hoihna chi-8-te gen in, agen khit in hiaite ngaihtuah/teenchilh un achi hi. Thumal “ngaihtuah un” Gk. λογίζεσθε kichi imperative/command ahi, zuih teitei dinga thupiak ahi a, optional ahikei hi. Ngaihtuahna maimai ahikei a, sut/sui, enchian, pilvangtak a ngaihtuah detdet (ponder), chiim deuh a ngaihtuah ngitnget (meditate) chihna hi. Huan, zuih teitei dinga thupiak kia ahikei a, niteng hunteng a ngaihtuah gige ding chih present imperative in a ensak hi (24/7). Paul in Philippi saptuamte’n angaihtuah ding uh hoihna (virtues) chi-8 apia hi.

(i)     Thildik peuhmah (Whatever is true): “Thil peuhmah” Jesu Khrist’ sinsaknate leh zuih dinga example hon notsiatte a ensak hi (3:17; 4:9). Thumal “dik” in Pathian’ thu (Johan 17:17; Rom 1:18, 25) ahihkeileh a thupiakte (Sam 119:151), leh Khrist’ Tanchinhoih (Gal 2:5, 2 Kor 4:2) akok hi. Pathian’ thu tuh A’ hatkhum Lai Siangthou a thute ahi a, Amah akipan pot ahihman in nial vuallou a dik, a lem hilou a taktak (Sam 31:5; Isa 65:16, cf. Eph 4:21) ahi (True means real, genuine, authentic, and reliable). Hiai “thildik peuhmah” in agen tuh Pathian’ thu sim unla, nouneltak in sui unla, ngaihtuah ngitnget un. Thildik in ngaihtuahna dik, lungput dik, leh nasep dik a ensak hi. Paul in Philippi saptuamte kiang ah Pathian’ thutak na ngaihtuah uhleh gingtu diktak na hiding ua, himahleh, a diklou na ngaihtuah uhleh gilou hinkhua ahon tun ding achi hi.

 

Tukhang ah Pathian’ thu Lai Siangthou a thudik kigelh kingakna bulpi (foundation) pomlouhna postmodernism world ah i omta uhi. Postmodernism’s ideology―relativism: no absolute truth; truth, knowledge, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, historical context, and individual―thudik kichi mahni theihdan, muhdan, society a kinga chih pomna khovel ah i om uhi (e.g. LGBTQ, feminist Bible translation, etc). Absolute truth pomlouhna phetlou in sinsakna gingtute lak mahmah ah hong lut hi. Himahleh, “Thildik” tuh Pathian in “dik chi a teh” (measure) Lai Siangthou a kigelh hi. Thildik peuhmah kichi tuh tawndan hiam or mahni ngaihdan a dik i sakte ahikei hi.

(ii)   A thupi a manpha peuhmah (Whatever is Honorable): Hiai thumal “thupi” ahihleh “Biakna” (worship/reverend/respect) apan kilakhia ahi. Khovel thilte; zahmoh, thil sianglou, thulimlou, manphalou, kilawmlou, leh hou chikte sang in thil thupi, hoih, kilawm, siangthou, leh zahtakhuaite ngaihtuah zaw un. A sianglou, kilawm lou, zahmohhuai thilte ngaihtuahlou, genlou, omdan gamtat ah hih/kilangsaklou, leh nasep thilhihte ah kilangsaklou ding achihna leng ahi. Thil thupi leh zahtakhuai ngaihtuahna in Pathian thupisak a mite zahtakna tun a, himahleh, ngaihtuahlouhna in Pathian a hihmualphou hi.

(iii) A diktat peuhmah (Whatever is Righteous): “A diktat peuhmah”―a kikheng ngeilou Pathian dan tehna (standard) akinga Lai Siangthou a i muh thute ahi. A dik leh diklou, kilawm leh kilawmlou mihingte’n i hilhchian (defined) kei ua, a diktat Pathian in a define ahizaw hi. Diktat ahihleh dik, kilawm, dan-zuihna, leh amuanhuai Lai Siangthou toh kimilna ahi. Lai Siangthou thu 24 hours ngaihtuah ding chihna ahikei a, himahleh, ngaihtuahnate tengteng Lai Siangthou toh kituak, akikalhlouh ding ahi. Paul in Philippi saptuamte kiang ah na ngaihtuahte uh Pathian’ dan toh akituak hiam chih buktuah (balance) un, Pathian siangthouna toh akituah ding hi. Thildik (right) i ngaihtuah leh a dik hinkhua i zang ding ua, a diklou i ngaihtuah leh a diklou hinkhua i zang ding uhi. Bang ziak in? I ngaihtuahna leh i hindan akizop in akikhen theikei hi.

(iv) A siangthou peuhmah: (Whatever is pure): Thumal “siangthou” ahihleh NT ah “nu-le-pa kipolhna apan siangthouna” (‘chaste’-2 Kor 11:2; Tita 2:5), “dembei” (innocent- 2 Kor 7:11), or omdan-nungchang siangthou leh dik (moral & ethical purity) genna a zat in om hi. Paul in a lungsim ah ngaihtuahna, kampau, nasep, leh nu-le-pa kal siangthouna nei ahiding hi. Hinkhua siangthou neihna ding in i ngaihtuahnate uh siangthou/buahlouh ding ahi. I hondampa a siangthou banga gingtute i siangthou ding ahi (I Johan 3:3).

(v)   A kilawm peuhmah (Whatever is lovely): “Akilawm” chihsang mah in kipak/lungkimsak (Pleasing/delighting) a context toh kituak zaw a, midangte toh kizopna a ensak hi. Hiai thumal in Pathian kipaksaktheite―migitna leh adeih thil kilawmte ngaihtuahna akok hi. Paul in ngaihtuahna kilawm in Pathian lungkimsak ahihman in midangte leng lungkimsak a, huaiziakin, huai bang thilte ngaihtuah un chiin agen hi.

(vi) A deihhuai peuhmah (Whatever is commendable): Minthanna leh thil phathuaite ngaihtuah a thangpaihna thilte ngaihtuahlouh ding. I pau chianga thumal zatte kamsiam leh thunuailut a midangte zahtakna banah a zaknop uhleh namtui ahihding (constructive languages), huai dinga ahoih leh aphathuai thilte ngaihtuah masak ding chihna ahi. Nasep hoih a minthannate genna ahikei. Paul in Ephesa saptuamte kiang ah hiai toh kisai agen hi: “Zahmohte, thuginalou gente, chiamnuih thu nangawn huaite bang a kilawm lou hi; huaite hih sang in kipahthu gen zaw un” (5:4). Kipahthu genna di thilte ngaihtuah ding ahi.

 

(vii)   Hoihna himhim a om a (If there is any excellence): Paul in hoihna chi-6-te agen khit in apoimohna gen behlapna in conditional phrases nih agen hi. Hiai condition phrase laka khat tuh―hoihna himhim a om leh (if): Pathian’ hoihna ngaihtuahna (reflection) tungtawn a nungchang hoihna leh diktatna, migitna, thil thupi leh hoihte ngaihtuah ding. Hiai bang ngaihtuahna in Pathian akipaksak ding hi.

(viii)    Phatna ding a om leh (If there is anything worthy of praise): Conditional phrase nihna: Pathian mitmuh a thil kipahhuai ahihnate―a hoihna, thupina, itna, migitna, hehpihna, nunnemna, etc. (Any of God’s attribute); a vualzawlnate ngaihtuah ding. Inn thupi, car mantamte ngaihtuah ding chihna ahipah kei a, Pathian muh a thil phathuai leh kipahhuaite ahizaw hi.

 

III.    Thildik Sinkhiakte Hih/Sep Ding (v.9)

“Keimah a na thil theihte, tante, zakte leh muhte uh, huai thilte hih un: huchiin muanna Pathian na kiang uah om ding hi” (v. 9).

Paul in hoihna chi-8-te ngaihtuahna kia bukim asa kei a (theoretical), hiai hoihna a sinsakte leh amahmah hinkhua a amuhte uh a practical mahmah in “semkhia un” chiin v. 9 ah agen hi. Tang 8 leh 9 akizom hi. Hiai tang 9 ah thumal poimohtak nih om hi.

(i)     Semkhia un (v. 9a)

Kei apan na sin, na ngah, na zak, leh na muh-te uh “Semkhia un” (Practice): Thumal “sem” Gk. πράσσετε ahihleh present imperative, akhiakna―imperative/command, sep teitei dinga thupiak ahi. Septheih or seplouh theih (optional) chihna ahikei hi. Huan, khatvei kia sep ding chihna leng ahikei a sep gige ding chihna ah. Doctor te’n doctor a zil ziak un a profession uh damloute etkolna niteng hunteng in a sem uhi.

 

Bang ahia a sepkhiat ding uh?

Paul apan a sinkhiakte uh (Learned): Thumal “sinkhia” (learned) Gk. ἐμάθετε in sinsaknate, thuhilhnate, leh nungzuihna dinga a sinkhiakte akok hi. Paul in Philippi saptuamte kianga Tanchinhoih leh thugin a sinsakte, Khrist a it dan, a kipumpiak dan, leh midangte a dia a nasep dante―vantang lak ah bang & inn teng ah (to Ephesian elders Nas 20:20) thilhoih leh manpha ahihziak in semkhia un achi hi. Paul in Timothy kiang ah hichiin agen hi: “Nangzaw ka hon thuhilhte, ka omdante, ka thiltupte, ka ginnate, ka thuakzohnate, ka itna te, ka kuhkalnate zui in” (2 Tim 3:10).

 

Paul apan a ngahte uh (Received): Thumal “ngah” Gk. παρελάβετε―Paul in Philippi saptuamte kianga Pathian’ thutak or Gospel agelhte, agente leh Tanchinhoih thil hihtheihna amah toh a gah/tante (experience) uh semkhia un achi hi. Paul in amah hinkhua ah sulang hi: “Kei a di’n zaw hin Khrist ahi a, huan sih leng punna ahi” (Phil 1:21).

 

Paul apan a zakte uh (Heard): Thumal “zak” Gk. ἠκούσατε―Paul toh avantang houlimna ua a sinsakte leh midangte apan atanchin a zakte uh: a minhoihna (good reputation)―nungchang hinkhua (character), gamtatdan (behavior/demeanor), a haksatnate, a lifestyle, leh a Pathian miitna hinkhua/Pathian deihdan hoihna thilhihte, semkhia un. Paul in Jesu Khrist a aginna a practical in a lakkhia hi.

 

Paul apan amuhte uh (Seen): Thumal “amuh” Gk. εἴδετε in midangte apan a zak kia uh hilou, Philippi saptuam tuh Paul phuhkhiak ahihman in, a mit mahmah ua amuh uh a sinsaknate, a khamiit dan, omdan, leh gamtat dante mu a enkhia uh ahihman in a thugente a hinkhua ah zui ahihdan atheichian mahmah uhi. Banah, Pathian deihdan a melmate a dawn dan, dikloutak a gelgotna a tuah dan, Pathian’ thu hangsantak agen dante amu uhi. Huan, Paul in a thugen zui ahihman in Philippi saptuamte kiang ah ka hih bang in hih un (copy/imitate) chiin kimuangngamtak in agen hi (cf. 3:17). Noute’n Gospel ka hinpih dan bang in hinpih un achi hi.

 

(ii)   Muanna Pathian (v. 9b)

Muanna Pathian na kiang uah om ding: Paul in a sinsak Pathian’ thu leh ahinkhua a example alahkhiakte thumangtaka Philippi saptuamte’n a zuih uhleh Pathian huai muanna pepa na kiang uah a om ding achi hi. Thuchiam ahi. Pathian muanna pepa kia ahikei a, muanna tuh ahihna ahi. Huaiziakin, muanna, Pathian in a hon piak sang in a pepa Pathian ompihna ahoih zaw hi (v. 7). Thukhun Lui a thumal poimohtak ahihleh “Pathian in a ompih” chih ahi. Joseph, David, leh zawlnei dangte’n muanna aneih ziak un lohchihna amu uh chih ahikei a, Pathian in a ompih ziakin chih ahi zaw hi.

IV.   Reflection

I lungsim luahthei ding thu―Meitei gal, Israel leh Hamas-te kidouna leh ziinling thute, atam mahmah hi. Huan, information age or digital age ah i om a Internet zang in Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Tweeter, etc. apan information, pictures, videos, etc. tuamtuamte mu/en in i lungsim ngaihtuahnate ala mahmah hi. Social media in i hun tamzaw la a, gal thu in i lungsim ngaihtuahna tamzaw luah ahihman in hiai khalam khanna ding leh detdouna dinga Paul in Philippi saptuamte kianga hoihna chi-8 ngaihtuah dinga apiakte nelhsiah in om khanak hi. Anglican theologian, John Stott in, “Khristian hinkhua kidouna tuh lungsim ngaihtuahna kidouna ahi” achi hi. I ngaihtuahna tuh Khristian kidouna a ding in a frontline ahi. I lungsim i kepbit zoh leh kampau, omdan, leh gamtat khohei nuamtak in i kembit zou ding uhi. Khristian hinkhua function/work dan hih i thil ngaihtuahte’n i lungtang sukha in thupukna leh deihtelna i bawl tengteng a makaih (determine) hi. Huaiziakin, i ngaihtuah dan a om/gamtang kihi ahi. Ngaihtuahna hoih in thil hoih suang a, ngaihtuahna hoihlou/buah in gah hoihlou a suang hi. Hiai tuh pumpelh theihlouh! Thil gilou ngaihtuah in thil hoih lamen kichi thil hitheilou a phetlou in a omthei thil hilou ahi. Kumpi Solomon in, “Mi khat in a angsung a mei-am apom in, ama puansilh kanglou thei ding ahi hiam?” achi hi. Jesu’n leng agen: “Mihing sunga kipan a pawtkhia, huai in mihing a hihnin nak ahi” (Mark 7:20). Huaiziakin, i hun leh lungsim ngaihtuahna tamzaw i senna thilte kivelchet gige apoimoh hi: Ka thil ngaihtuahte a dik hia? A thupi in a zahtakhuai hia? A siangthou hia? A deihuai hia? A kilawm hia? A phathuai hia? A hoihpen hia? chihte kidot gige ding ahi.

 

Huan, Paul in ngaihtuahna kia huntawk salou in a sepkhiatna leng agen hi. Ei lak a taksapna lianpen ahihleh a sepkhiatna (practical) ahi. Ke’n tuh Pathian’ thu thei leh gen ahihziaka a hinpih/semsuah lou tuh khalam buaina (spiritual crisis) ka chi ahi. Thugente zui zou chetchet chih gen ka hikei! Paul in Tanchinhoih kia agen kei, ahinpih hi. Paul in ka thugente ka zuih a ka hinpih bang in nou Philippi saptuamte’n hon enton unla, ka kam a na zak uhleh ka hinkhua a na muhte uh hinpih un achi hi. Hiai message tuh tuni a i vek ua ding ahi. Tuni’n kua’n midangte kiang ah Jesu deihdan zui ka hi chi a kei hon enton un i chi ngam a? Khalam a ettontak i sak heutu ahihkeileh gingtu khalam hinkhua tuh apoimoh mahmah hi. A ziak ahihleh i ngaihsang leh ettonte omdan, kampau, leh a thilhihte ki copy ahi. Hiai tuh nungzui bawlna (discipleship) ahi. Paul in Philippi saptuamte kianga achih (cf. 3:27) bang in Korinth saptuamte kiang ah leng agen hi: “Khrist ka etton bang in, noute’n kei hon enton un” (I Kor 11:1). Paul bang in i Pathian thu theih leh gente hinpih lehang Pathian ompihna kitang dinga, midangte etton in i om ding uhi. Huaiziakin, a theih leh gen thoh kia kituhlou in a hinpih leh a semkhia lam kituh in nei zaw ni.

 

Gelhtu,

Kapsuanmung

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