Umthetheli-khulu WaseRoma Onobubele
ABATHETHELI-KHULU baseRoma babengadumanga ngokuba nobubele. Ekubeni wayenomsebenzi wokukhokela umkhosi wamajoni alikhulu angoondikho, umthetheli-khulu kwafuneka abe ngumqeqeshi kwezomthambo ongumfo apha ongacengi solala-phi, onelungelo lokohlwaya, yaye, ngamaxesha athile, ade abe ngumxhomi. Sekunjalo, iBhayibhile isixelela ngomthetheli-khulu waseRoma womkhosi ka-Awugusto owabonakalisa ukuba nesisa ngokwenene nemfesane kumpostile uPawulos. Ngubani igama lakhe? NguYuliyo.
IBhayibhile isazisa ngale ndoda kwiZenzo isahluko 27. Umpostile uPawulos wayecele ukuba ityala lakhe lichotshelwe nguKesare eRoma. Ngaloo ndlela, uPawulos, namanye amabanjwa aliqela, wanikelwa ezandleni ‘zomthetheli-khulu ogama linguYuliyo, webutho loMhlekazi (lika-Awugusto, NW).’ Bahamba ngenqanawa besuka eKesareya, kwisixeko esisezibukweni kumntla-ntshona waseYerusalem esasilikomkhulu lamajoni aseRoma. Umbhali-mbali uLuka uthi: “Ngengomso safika eTsidon; waza uYuliyo wamphatha uPawulos ngobubele, wamvumela ukuba aye ezihlotyeni zakhe, ongiwe.”—IZenzo 27:1-3.
Ukuba kwakutheni ukuze uYuliyo ashukunyiselwe ekuboniseni ububele obunjalo akuchazwanga eBhayibhileni. Kusenokuba wayeyalelwe yiRhuluneli uFesto ukuba aphathe uPawulos ngendlela ekhethekileyo. Okanye mhlawumbi kuba uYuliyo wayezazi iimeko zokubanjwa kukaPawulos, kusenokuba wayesuke nje wamhlonipha uPawulos ngenxa yenkalipho nengqibelelo yakhe. Nokuba imeko yayiyintoni na, uYuliyo wabonakala eyiqonda into yokuba uPawulos wayengelobanjwa liqhelekileyo.
Sekunjalo, uYuliyo wakhetha ukungasiphulaphuli isilumkiso sikaPawulos sokuba makungandulukwa kumaChweba aMahle. Kungabanga thuba lide inqanawa yafunyanwa sisaqhwithi somoya esayisongela ngokuyintlithela kwisidibi sentlabathi kude nonxweme lomntla Afrika. (IZenzo 27:8-17) Ebudeni bokuvuthuza kwesi saqhwithi, uPawulos waphakama waza waqinisekisa abahambi abankwantyayo ukuba ‘akukho namnye kubo uya kulahlekelwa bubomi bakhe, yoba ngumkhombe wodwa.’ Sekunjalo, kamva abanye boomatilose bazama ukusaba. UPawulos wandula waxelela uYuliyo oku: “Ukuba aba abathanga bahlale emkhombeni, aninakusindiswa nina.”—IZenzo 27:21, 22, 30, 31.
Ngeli xesha, uYuliyo wakhetha ukuphulaphula uPawulos, yaye icebo lokusaba loomatilose laphanziswa. Kusenzeka oko kwakuxelwe nguPawulos kwangaphambili, inqanawa yantlitheka kwisidibi sentlabathi yaza yaphuka. Esoyikela ukuba amabanjwa aza kusaba, amajoni asenqanaweni agqiba kwelokuwabulala onke. Noko ke, kwakhona uYuliyo wangenelela waza wawanqanda amadoda akhe, ngaloo ndlela esindisa ubomi bukaPawulos.—IZenzo 27:32, 41-44.
IBhayibhile ayisixeleli ukuba lo mthetheli-khulu unobubele waphelela phi na okanye enoba wakha walwamkela ukholo lobuKristu kusini na. Nabuphi na ububele awabubonakalisayo babuyimbonakaliso yokusebenza kwesazela asinikwe nguThixo. (Roma 2:14, 15) Noko ke, amaKristu agqitha ngaphaya kobubele nje bomntu yaye abonakalisa ububele bobuThixo obubangelwa kukuba nomoya kaThixo. (Galati 5:22) Ngokuqinisekileyo, ukuba ijoni elingumhedeni elalingamazi uThixo labonakalisa ububele, hayi indlela okufaneleke ngayo ukuba abantu bakaThixo bashukunyiselwe ekwenzeni njalo!