“Simele Sithobele UThixo Njengomlawuli Kunabantu”

Ukunikela Ubungqina Obucokisekileyo ‘Ngokomelela Okukhulu’

IHLOKONDIBA labantu elinogonyamelo lifuna ukumbulala umkhonzi kaThixo othobekileyo. Kusenjalo kugaleleka amajoni aseRoma aze ayixhwile le ndoda aye kuyivalela. Esi sisiqalo sothotho lweziganeko ezithabatha iminyaka emihlanu. Ngenxa yoko, amagosa aphezulu amaRoma amaninzi eva ngoYesu Kristu.

Le ndoda iza kubulawa nguPawulos. Malunga nowama-34 C.E., uYesu watyhila ukuba uPawulos (uSawule) wayeza kuthwala igama lakhe alise “kookumkani.” (IZenzo 9:15) Kubetha unyaka wama-56 C.E., ibe oku akukenzeki. Noko ke, njengoko lo mpostile sele eza kugqiba uhambo lwakhe lwesithathu lobuvangeli basemazweni, izinto ziza kuguquka.

Uhlaselwa Lihlokondiba Kodwa Akanikezeli

UPawulos uqhubeka nohambo lwakhe lokuya eYerusalem, ibe “ngomoya” amaKristu athile amlumkisa ngentshutshiso eqatha aza kujamelana nayo apho. Ngenkalipho uPawulos uthi: “Ndilungele kungekuphela nje ukubotshwa, kodwa kwanokufa eYerusalem ngenxa yegama leNkosi uYesu.” (IZenzo 21:4-14) Akuba nje efikile kwitempile yaseYerusalem, amaYuda avela eAsiya aziyo ngokushumayela kwakhe ngempumelelo eAsiya avusa isiphithiphithi efuna abulawe. Ngokukhawuleza amajoni aseRoma ayamhlangula. (IZenzo 21:27-32) Oko kuhlangulwa kwanika uPawulos ithuba elikhethekileyo lokuvakalisa inyaniso ngoKristu kubantu abanengcwangu nakwabo bakwizikhundla eziphezulu.

Ukushumayela Kubantu Abangafumaneki Lula

UPawulos unyuswa kwizinyuko zenqaba eyaziwa ngokuba yiNqaba yaseAntoniya.a Emi kwezo zinyuko, lo mpostile unikela ubungqina obunamandla kwihlokondiba labantu bonqulo. (IZenzo 21:33–22:21) Kodwa akuba nje echazile ukuba uthunyelwe ukushumayela kwiiNtlanga, luqala phantsi ugonyamelo. Umphathi-mkhosi uLisiya uyalela uPawulos ukuba atyakatywe ukuze kwaziwe isizathu sokuba emangalelwa ngamaYuda. Noko ke, xa uPawulos ezichaza ukuba ungummi waseRoma akabi satyakatywa. Ngosuku olulandelayo, uLisiya usa uPawulos phambi kweSanhedrin ukuze azi isizathu sokuba amaYuda emmangalela.—IZenzo 22:22-30.

Emi phambi kwale nkundla iphakamileyo, uPawulos ufumana elinye ithuba elihle lokunikela ubungqina kwamanye amaYuda. Lo mshumayeli unenkalipho uvakalisa inkolelo yakhe kuvuko. (IZenzo 23:1-8) Kodwa amaYuda asamfun’ esiqwini, ngoko usiwa kwindawo yokuhlala amajoni. Ngobusuku obulandelayo, ufumana esi siqinisekiso somelezayo kwiNkosi: “Yomelela kakhulu! Kuba njengoko ubunikela ubungqina obucokisekileyo ngezinto ezingam eYerusalem, ngoko ukwamele unikele ubungqina naseRoma.”—IZenzo 23:9-11.

Iyelenqe lokubulala uPawulos liyaphanza xa lo mpostile ebalekiselwa ngokufihlakeleyo eKesareya, isixeko esilikomkhulu lamaRoma kwaYuda. (IZenzo 23:12-24) EKesareya, kuphinda kuvele amanye amathuba amahle, ibe uPawulos unikela ubungqina “kookumkani.” Ekuqaleni lo mpostile ubonisa iRhuluneli uFeliks ukuba abukho ubungqina bezityholo atyatyekwa zona. Kamva, uPawulos ushumayela kuye nakumfazi wakhe uDrusila ngoYesu, ukuzeyisa, ubulungisa nomgwebo ozayo. Noko ke, uPawulos uhlala entolongweni iminyaka emibini njengoko uFeliks enethemba lokuba uza kumnyoba, nto leyo uPawulos angazange ayenze.—IZenzo 23:33–24:27.

Xa uFesto engena ezihlangwini zikaFeliks, amaYuda aqalisa phantsi ngemigudu yawo yokuba uPawulos agwetyelwe ukubulawa. Eli tyala liphinda liphulwaphulwe eKesareya, ibe ukunqanda ukuba liye kuthethwa eYerusalem, uPawulos uthi: “Ndimi phambi kwesihlalo sokugweba sikaKesare . . . Ndibhenela kuKesare.” (IZenzo 25:1-11, 20, 21) Kwiintsuku ezithile, emva kokuba lo mpostile ezithethelele phambi kukaKumkani uHerode Agripa II, lo kumkani uthi: “Ngexesha elifutshane ubuya kundeyisela ekubeni ndibe ngumKristu.” (IZenzo 26:1-28) Malunga nowama-58 C.E., uPawulos uthunyelwa eRoma. Ngoxa elibanjwa apho, ngaphezu kweminyaka emibini lo mpostile uphum’ izandla uqhubeka efumana iindlela zokushumayela ngoKristu. (IZenzo 28:16-31) Kuyabonakala ukuba ekugqibeleni uPawulos wema phambi koMlawuli uNero, wafunyaniswa engenatyala waza waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wobuvangeli ngokukhululekileyo. Ayikho ingxelo ebonisa ukuba kukho omnye umpostile owafumana ithuba lokuthetha nezidwangube ngeendaba ezilungileyo.

Njengoko ingxelo engasentla ibonisa, umpostile uPawulos waphila ngokuvisisana nomgaqo obalulekileyo owachazwa ngamanye amaKristu kwinkundla yamaYuda othi: “Simele sithobele uThixo njengomlawuli kunabantu.” (IZenzo 5:29) Usimisela umzekelo omhle ngokwenene. Phezu kwayo nje imigudu yokumval’ umlomo, lo mpostile wawuthobela ngokupheleleyo umyalelo wokunikel’ ubungqina ngokucokisekileyo. Ngenxa yokungagungqi kwakhe ethobela uThixo, uPawulos ufeza isabelo sakhe ‘njengesitya esinyuliweyo’ sokuthwala igama likaYesu “ezintlangeni nakookumkani noonyana bakaSirayeli.”—IZenzo 9:15.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 9]

NGABA EYONA NTO WAYENOMDLA KUYO UPAWULOS YAYIKUKUZITHETHELELA?

Ephendula lo mbuzo, umbhali uBen Witherington, III, ubhala athi: ‘Ngokwembono kaPawulos, eyonanto yayibalulekile yayingekokuzithethelela, kodwa yayikukunikela ubungqina ngevangeli kwabasemagunyeni, amaYuda neeNtlanga. Eneneni eyona nto yayimangalelwa yayiyivangeli yakhe.’