UPhawuli Uhanjiswa ERoma

Uhambo lukaPhawuli lokucina lwaphelela eJerusalema. Wafika wabotshwa wavalelwa ejele. Ngobunye ubusuku uJesu watshela uPhawuli embonweni wathi: ‘Uzakuya eRoma uyetshumayela khona.’ UPhawuli bamsusa eJerusalema bamusa eKhesariya lapho ahlala khona iminyaka emibili ejele. Ngesikhathi ethonisiswa nguMbusi uFestu, uPhawuli wathi: ‘Ngidlulisela icala kuKhesari eRoma.’ UFestu wathi kuye: ‘Usudlulisele icala kuKhesari yikho uzaya kuye.’ UPhawuli wagadiswa umkhumbi owawusiya eRoma futhi abazalwane ababili uLukha lo-Aristakhu bahamba laye.

Sebephakathi kohambo kwaba lomoya omkhulu elwandle owavunguza okwamalanga amanengi. Bonke basebecabanga ukuthi kwasekuyikufa kwabo. Kodwa uPhawuli wathi kubo: ‘Madoda, ebusuku ngibone ingilosi yathi kimi: “Ungesabi Phawuli. Uzakuyafika eRoma futhi akula muntu emkhunjini ozakufa.” Ngakho lingesabi. Asisoze sife.’

Ngelanga lesi-14 babona isihlenge. Isihlenge leso kwakuthiwa yiMalitha. Umkhumbi watshayeka, wabanjelwa etshebetshebeni ephakathi kolwandle wahle wabhidlika. Kwakulabantu abangu-276 emkhunjini njalo bonke bafika esihlengeni bephila. Abanye babhukutsha ikanti abanye babambelela emaplankeni ayehlephuke emkhunjini. Abantu beMalitha babaphatha kuhle njalo bababasela umlilo ukuze bakhudumale.

Ngemva kwenyanga ezintathu amasotsha athatha uPhawuli agada laye omunye umkhumbi owawusiya eRoma. Wathi efika khona wathola abazalwane bemlindele. UPhawuli wathi ebabona wabonga uJehova njalo waba lesibindi. Lanxa wayeyisibotshwa wavunyelwa ukuthi ahlale kweyinye indlu ayeyibhadalela, kodwa wayehlala elindwe lisotsha. Wahlala lapho okweminyaka emibili. Abantu babebuya bezombona njalo wayebafundisa ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu langoJesu. Elapho wabhalela amabandla ase-Asiya leJudiya izincwadi. UJehova wamsebenzisa kakhulu uPhawuli ukuthi atshumayele izindaba ezinhle kwabezizwe.