ULidiya—Umnquli KaThixo Obuk’ Iindwendwe

UKUSUSELA kumaxesha amandulo, abakhonzi bakaThixo wokwenyaniso babebalasele ngokubuk’ iindwendwe. (Genesis 18:1-8; 19:1-3) Kuchazwa njengokuba “nothando, uxabiso okanye ububele ngabantu basemzini,” ukubuk’ iindwendwe okusuk’ entliziyweni nanamhlanje kuseluphawu lobuKristu bokwenyaniso. Eneneni, kuluphawu olufunekayo kubo bonke abo banqula uThixo ngokwamkelekileyo.—Hebhere 13:2; 1 Petros 4:9.

Omnye umntu owabonisa umzekelo wokubuk’ iindwendwe yayinguLidiya. ‘Wawenza kanye’ amaKristu angabahambisi bevangeli awayetyelele eFilipi ahlala endlwini yakhe. (IZenzo 16:15) Nangona kungathethwa kangako ngoLidiya eZibhalweni, oko kuncinane kuthethwayo ngaye kunokuba lukhuthazo kuthi. Ngayiphi indlela? Wayengubani uLidiya? Yintoni esiyaziyo ngaye?

“Umthengisi Wezimfusa”

ULidiya wayehlala eFilipi, isixeko esasilikomkhulu laseMakedoniya. Noko ke, wayesuka eTiyatira, esisixeko sommandla waseLydia, entshona Asia Minor. Ngenxa yesi sizathu bambi bathi eFilipi bampha igama lokuba “nguLidiya.” Ngamanye amazwi, ‘wayengummi waseLydia,’ njengokuba nomfazi uYesu Kristu awanikela kuye ubungqina wayenokubizwa ngokuthi “umfazi ongumSamariya.” (Yohane 4:9) ULidiya wayethengisa “ezimfusa” okanye iimpahla ezijikwe imibala ngale dayi. (IZenzo 16:12, 14) Imibhalo ekroliweyo eyafunyanwa ngabembi bezinto zakudala ingqina ukuba babekho abenzi bedayi eTiyatira naseFilipi. Usenokuba uLidiya wafuduka ngenxa yomsebenzi wakhe, enoba yayikukuqhuba ishishini lakhe okanye njengommeli wenkampani yabadayi baseTiyatira.

Idayi emfusa isenokuba yayivela kwimithombo eyahlukahlukeneyo. Eyona ixabiso likhulu yayifunyanwa kwiintlobo ezithile zezilwanyana zaselwandle ezinamaqokobhe. Ngokutsho kwembongi yaseRoma yenkulungwane yokuqala uMartial, esona sinxibo sifanelekileyo sangaphandle esasingenamikhono esenziwe ngezimfusa zaseTire (elinye iziko apho le dayi yayisenziwa khona) sasingaxabisa i-10 000 eesesterces okanye ama-2 500 eedenariyo, mali leyo elingana nomvuzo weentsuku ezingama-2 500. Ngokucacileyo, ezo zinxibo zazizizinto zobunewunewu ezazinokuthengwa kuphela ngabambalwa. Ngoko kusenokuba uLidiya wayesisityebi kwezoqoqosho. Enoba yayinjani na imeko yakhe, wakwazi ukubonisa ukubuk’ iindwendwe kumpostile uPawulos namaqabane akhe—uLuka, uSilas, uTimoti mhlawumbi nabanye.

Ukushumayela KukaPawulos EFilipi

Malunga nonyaka wama-50 C.E., uPawulos wayekuhambo lwakhe lokuqala eYurophu yaye waqalisa ukushumayela eFilipi.a Xa wafikayo kwesi sixeko sitsha, yayilisiko likaPawulos ukutyelela indlu yesikhungu ashumayele kuqala kumaYuda nakwabo babeguqukele ebuYudeni ababebuthelana apho. (Thelekisa IZenzo 13:4, 5, 13, 14; 14:1.) Noko ke, bambi bathi, umthetho wamaRoma wawungawavumeli amaYuda ukuba anqulele ‘kwimida engcwele’ yaseFilipi. Ngoko ke, emva kokuchitha “imihla ethile” apho, ngomhla weSabatha aba bahambisi bevangeli bafumana indawo ngasemlanjeni ngaphandle kwesixeko apho ‘babecinga ukuba kwakukho indawo yokuthandaza.’ (IZenzo 16:12, 13) Kuyabonakala ukuba lo yayinguMlambo iGangites. Apho abo bahambisi bevangeli bafumana amabhinqa kuphela, omnye wawo yayinguLidiya.

“Umnquli KaThixo”

ULidiya ‘wayengumnquli kaThixo,’ kodwa mhlawumbi wayeguqukele ebuYudeni efuna unqulo oluyinyaniso. Nangona wayenomsebenzi ohlawula kakuhle, uLidiya wayengazithandi izinto eziphathekayo. Kunoko, wayezibekela ixesha lezinto zokomoya. “UYehova wayivula yabanzi intliziyo yakhe ukuze anikele ingqalelo kwizinto ezazithethwa nguPawulos,” yaye uLidiya wayamkela inyaniso. Eneneni, “yena nendlu yakhe babhaptizwa.”—IZenzo 16:14, 15.

IBhayibhile ayicacisi ukuba yayingoobani amanye amalungu endlu kaLidiya. Ekubeni kungathethwa nto ngendoda yakhe, kusenokuba wayengatshatanga okanye engumhlolokazi. Mhlawumbi ‘abendlu yakhe’ yayizizalamane, kodwa eli binzana likwaquka amakhoboka okanye izicaka. Enoba yayinjani na imeko yakhe, uLidiya ngenzondelelo wabelana nabo babehlala naye ngezinto awazifundayo. Yaye olunjani uvuyo ekumele ukuba waba nalo xa bakholwayo baza babambelela kukholo lokwenyaniso!

“Wasenza Kanye Ukuba Size”

Ngaphambi kokudibana noLidiya, mhlawumbi aba bahambisi bevangeli babenelisekile yindawo ababehlala kuyo bezihlawulela ngemali yabo. Kodwa wakuvuyela ukubanika ezinye iindawo zokuhlala. Noko ke, isibakala sokuba kwakufuneka azingise sibonisa ukuba uPawulos namaqabane akhe baxhathisa. Kwakutheni? Kwakungenxa yokuba uPawulos wayefuna ‘ukuzilungiselela iindaba ezilungileyo ngaphandle kwendleko, angalisebenzisi kakubi igunya lakhe’ yaye angabi luxanduva nakubani na. (1 Korinte 9:18; 2 Korinte 12:14) Kodwa uLuka wongezelela athi: “Ke kaloku xa yena nendlu yakhe babhaptizwayo, wababongoza wathi: ‘Ukuba nindigwebe ndingothembekileyo kuYehova, ngenani endlwini yam nize nihlale.’ Yaye wasenza kanye ukuba size.” (IZenzo 16:15) Eyona nto wayeyixhalabele uLidiya kukuthembeka kuYehova, yaye kuyabonakala ukuba ukubonisa ukubuk’ iindwendwe kwakungqinela ukholo lwakhe. (Thelekisa eyoku-1 kaPetros 4:9.) Onjani umzekelo ukubalasela! Ngaba ubuncwane bethu sibusebenzisela ukuhambisela phambili izilangazelelo zeendaba ezilungileyo?

Abazalwana EFilipi

Xa uPawulos noSilas bakhululwayo entolongweni emva kokuphilisa isicakazana esithile esasinedemon yokuvumisa, babuyela kwikhaya likaLidiya, apho bafumana abanye abazalwana. (IZenzo 16:40) Amakholwa awayekwelo bandla lalisandul’ ukumiselwa eFilipi kusenokuba ayesebenzisa ikhaya likaLidiya njengendawo esisigxina yokuhlanganisana. Kusengqiqweni ukucinga ukuba ikhaya lakhe laqhubeka lisisazulu somsebenzi wobuthixo kweso sixeko.

Ukubuk’ iindwendwe ngokufudumeleyo okwaboniswa okokuqala nguLidiya kwangqineka kuyinto ebalaseleyo kwibandla lonke. Phezu kwabo nje ubuhlwempu babo, abaseFilipi bathumelela uPawulos izinto awayezifuna kangangezihlandlo eziliqela, yaye loo mpostile wayenombulelo.—2 Korinte 8:1, 2; 11:9; Filipi 4:10, 15, 16.

ULidiya akuthethwa nto ngaye kwileta kaPawulos awayithumelela abaseFilipi malunga nowama-60-61 C.E. IZibhalo azithethi nto ngokwenzeka kuye emva kweziganeko ezibaliswa kwiZenzo isahluko 16. Sekunjalo, oko kuncinane kuthethiweyo ngeli bhinqa lizibhokoxayo kusenza sifune ‘ukulandela ikhondo lokubuk’ iindwendwe.’ (Roma 12:13) Onjani umbulelo esinawo ngokuba namaKristu anjengoLidiya phakathi kwethu! Umoya wawo wenza okungakumbi ukwenza amabandla abe nobubele nobuhlobo, ukuze kuzukiswe uYehova uThixo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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Ubomi BamaYuda EFilipi

Ubomi eFilipi bumele ukuba babungekho lula kumaYuda nakwabo babeguqukele ebuYudeni. Kusenokuba kwakukho abathile ababewachasile amaYuda, kuba ngaphambi nje kotyelelo lukaPawulos, uMlawuli uKlawudiyo wawagxotha amaYuda eRoma.—Thelekisa IZenzo 18:2.

Okuphawulekayo kukuba uPawulos noSilas barhuqelwa phambi koomantyi emva kokuphilisa isicakazana esasinomoya wokuvumisa. Lakubhanga ishishini leenkosi zaso, ngoku zinqunyelwe linqatha, zasebenzisa kakubi ikhethe labanye abemi ngokuthi: “Aba bantu basiphazamisa ngokukhulu isixeko sethu, bengamaYuda nje bona, yaye bavakalisa amasiko ekungekho mthethweni ngathi ukuba siwamkele okanye siwaqhelisele, ekubeni singamaRoma.” Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos noSilas babethwa ngeentonga baza baphoswa entolongweni. (IZenzo 16:16-24) Kwimeko-bume enjalo, ukumnqula ekuhleni uYehova, uThixo wamaYuda, kwakufuna inkalipho. Kodwa kucacile ukuba uLidiya wayengacengi solala phi.

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Amanxiwa aseFilipi