UPhawuli LoThimothi

UThimothi wayelijaha elalisebandleni leListra. Uyise wayengumGrikhi, unina engumJuda. Unina uYunisi logogo wakhe uLoyisi bamfundisa ngoJehova esesemncane.

UPhawuli wathi evakatshele eListra ehambweni lwakhe lwesibili, wananzelela ukuthi uThimothi wayebathanda sibili abazalwane futhi ezimisele ukubanceda. UPhawuli wacela uThimothi ukuthi bahambe bonke. UPhawuli wayelokhu efundisa uThimothi ukutshumayela lokufundisa abanye izindaba ezinhle.

UPhawuli loThimothi babeqondiswa ngumoya ongcwele loba ngaphi lapho ababesiya khona. Ngobunye ubusuku uPhawuli waba lombono. Wabona enye indoda imtshela ukuthi aze eMakhedoniya azobanceda. Yikho uPhawuli, uThimothi, uSila loLukha bahamba bayatshumayela khona baqalisa amabandla.

Edolobheni laseMakhedoniya okuthiwa yiThesalonika, amadoda labesifazana abanengi baba ngamaKhristu. Kodwa amanye amaJuda aba lomhawu ngoPhawuli labangane bakhe. Avusa isiphithiphithi ahambisa abazalwane kubaphathi bedolobho ememeza esithi: ‘Amadoda la ayizitha zombuso wamaRoma.’ UPhawuli loThimothi basebesengozini, yikho babaleka ebusuku baya eBheriya.

Abantu beBheriya babefisa ukuzwa izindaba ezinhle futhi amaGrikhi lamaJuda ayehlala khona aba ngamakholwa. Kodwa lapho kufika amanye amaJuda evela eThesalonika futhi eqalisa ukubangela uhlupho, uPhawuli wasuka waya e-Athene. UThimothi loSila basala eBheriya okwesikhatshana beqinisa abazalwane. Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile uPhawuli wathi uThimothi abuyele eThesalonika ayeqinisa abazalwane ukuze benelise ukubekezelela ukuhlukuluzwa. UPhawuli waphinda wathuma uThimothi ukuthi aye emabandleni atshiyeneyo ukuze ayekhuthaza abazalwane.

UPhawuli watshela uThimothi wathi: ‘Labo abafuna ukukhonza uJehova bazahlutshwa.’ UThimothi wahlukuluzwa futhi wabotshwa ngenxa yalokho ayekukholwa. Lokhu kwamthokozisa ngoba kwamnika ithuba lokutshengisa uJehova ukuthi uyamthanda.

UPhawuli watshela abaseFiliphi wathi: ‘Ngithuma uThimothi kini. Uzalifundisa ukutshumayela lokuthi amaKhristu kumele aphile njani.’ UPhawuli wayemthemba uThimothi. Basebenza bonke okweminyaka eminengi njalo babengabangane.