Indaba 110

UThimothi—Umsizi KaPowula Omutjha

INDODA eseseyitja oyibona lapha le noPowula, nguThimothi. UThimothi uhlala nabekhabo eListra. Ibizo lakanina nguYunisi kanti lakagogwakhe nguLowisa.

Lesi besele kusikhathi sesithathu uPowula avakatjhela eListra. Gade sele kudlule isikhathi esipheze sibe mnyaka namtjhana ngaphezulu, uPowula noBhanabhasi bafika kokuthoma lapha bazokutjhumayela. Nje, uPowula nomnganakhe uSilasi sele babuyile.

Uyazi bona uPowula uthini kuThimothi? Uyambuza uthi: ‘Ungathanda na ukukhamba nami noSilasi? Ungasirhelebha ekutjhumayeleni ebantwini beendaweni ezikude.’

UThimothi waphendula wathi: ‘Iye, ngingathanda ukukhamba nani.’ Msinyana ngemva kwalokho uThimothi watjhiya bekhabo wakhamba noPowula noSilasi. Kodwana ngaphambi kokufunda ngekhambo labo, akhe sibone bona gade kwenzekani kuPowula. Besele kuminyaka epheze ibe yi-17 solo uJesu abonakala kuye endleleni eya eDamaseku.

Khumbula, uPowula weza eDamaseku ukuzokulimaza abafundi bakaJesu, kodwana nje naye mfundi kaJesu! Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi amanye amanaba enza amano wokubulala uPowula ngombana bebangathandi bona afundise ngoJesu. Kodwana abafundi barhelebha uPowula ukubaleka. Bamfaka ngemantjini bamehlisa emthangaleni ngaphandle komuzi.

Ngemva kwalokho uPowula wayokutjhumayela e-Anthiyoka. Kulapha e-Anthiyoka lapho abalandeli bakaJesu babizwa khona kokuthoma bona maKrestu. UPowula noBhanabhasi bathunyelwa basuka e-Anthiyoka bayokutjhumayela eenarheni ezikude. Enye indawo abavakatjhela kiyo kuseListra, ekhabo lakaThimothi.

Esikhathini esipheze sibe mnyaka, uPowula wabuyela eListra ekhambweni lakhe lesibili. Lokha uThimothi nekakhamba noPowula noSilasi, uyazi bona bayaphi? Qala ibalazwe, bese sifunda ngezinye iindawo.

Kokuthoma, baya edorobheni eliseduze i-Ikhoniyo, bese baya kelesibili elibizwa bona yi-Anthiyoka. Ngemva kwalokho baya eTrowasi, bese badlulela eFilipi, eTesalonika neBheriya. Uyayibona i-Atheni ebalazweni? UPowula watjhumayela lapho. Ngemva kwalokho bahlala umnyaka nesiquntu batjhumayela eKorinte. Emaswapheleni bahlala isikhatjhana e-Efesu. Babuya ngomkhumbi baya eKhesariya, banyukela e-Anthiyokiya lapho gade kuhlala khona uPowula.

UThimothi wakhamba amakhulu-khulu wamakhilomitha arhelebha uPowula ukutjhumayela “iindaba ezimnandi,” bathoma amabandla amanengi wobuKrestu. Wena newukhulako, uzokuba yinceku kaZimu ethembekileko njengoThimothi na?

IZenzo 9:19-30; 11:19-26; izahluko 13 ukuya ku-17; 18:1-22.

[UMebhe]

(Emagameni ahlelwe ngokuzeleko, qala incwadi)

Roma

Malta

Tesalonika

Bheriya

Korinte

Filipi

Atheni

Kerite

Trowasi

Efesu

Miletusi

Kholose

Anthiyoka

Ikhoniyo

Listra

Anthiyoka

Sayipurasi

Damaseku

Khesariya

Jopa

Jerusalema

ILWANDLE ELIKHULU (IMEDITHERA)