48 USTEFANE
Wayelokholo Oluqinileyo, Egcwele Umoya Ongcwele
USTEFANE wayesesengozini. Wayesetheswa icala futhi kumele azivikele emthethwandaba wamaJuda omkhulu okwakuthiwa yiSanihedrini. Umthethwandaba lo yiwo ezinyangeni ezazisanda kwedlula owawugwebele uJesu ukuthi abulawe. Lanxa uStefane wayekwazi ukuthi laye wayengabulawa wayehlalisekile engethukanga. Ubuso bakhe babunjengobengilosi. Kodwa kuyini okwakusenza uStefane indoda eyayilesono njengathi, ihlaliseke kangaka yona ikhangelane lokufa? Yikuthi yayilesibindi.
UStefane wayeyindoda eyayilokholo oluqinileyo njalo eyayigcwele umoya ongcwele. Abaphostoli eJerusalema babemthemba yikho bamnika umsebenzi oqakathekileyo wokuthi akhangele indaba yokupha abayanga ukudla. Ngelinye ilanga wazibona esemi phambi kweqembu labantu ababemphikisa. Wayisebenzisa kuhle imibhalo okokuthi baze baswela lokuthi bamphikise bathini. Yikho bazonda kakhulu basebemusa eSanihedrini. Wazibona esemiswe phambi kwamadoda okwakumele atsho ukuthi wayezagwetshelwa ukufa kumbe hatshi.
Kufanele ukuthi uStefane wayekwazi lokho uJesu ayekutshele abalandeli bakhe ababezahlangana lezimo ezinjalo. Wayethe: “Lingakhathazeki ngokuthi lizafika lithini. Khulumani loba yini elizayiphiwa ngalesosikhathi ngoba kayisini elizabe likhuluma kodwa ngumoya ongcwele.” (Mak. 13:11) Amazwi la kaJesu yiwo enza uStefane waqunga isibindi. Kanti njalo kumele ukuthi umoya ongcwele wamncedisa ukuthi ahlaliseke, abeke amaphaphu phansi. Yikho abantu ababemkhangele baze babona angani ulobuso bengilosi ngesikhathi emi phambi kweSanihedrini.
Umthethwandaba weSanihedrini wawulamalunga angu-71. Bonke babengabakhokheli benkolo yesiJuda, befundile njalo behlonitshwa ngabantu emphakathini. Babehlezi baba yimizila emithathu bemhanqile uStefane. Khonapho kwakulamadoda amabili ayebhala yonke into eyayisenzakala enkantolo. UStefane wayemi phambi kwabo esetheswa icala lokuthi ukhulume kubi ngoMthetho kaMosi langethempeli futhi amacala la ayengatsho ukubulawa kwakhe. UKhefasi umphristi omkhulu wamcela uStefane ukuthi azivikele.
UStefane wathi esethula udaba lwakhe, wakhuluma ngembali yama-Israyeli. Waqala ngokukhuluma ngokhokho wabo u-Abrahama wasekhuluma ngoJosefa. Wabakhumbuza lokuthi abafowabo bakaJosefa, okwadabuka khona izizwana ezingu-12 zako-Israyeli yibo abamhlukuluzayo. Eqeda lapho waphinda wakhuluma ngoMosi langezinto ayezenzile futhi wabakhumbuza ukuthi ama-Israyeli amanengi awazange amlalele uMosi. Ezinye izinto ezakhulunywa nguStefane ngoMosi azikho eMibhalweni yesiHebheru.
Okwakhulunywa nguStefane kwaveza egcekeni ukuthi wayewuhlonipha uMthetho kaMosi kanye lethempeli likaJehova. Kanti njalo watshengisa lokuthi abantu bako-Israyeli babehlala behlamukela uNkulunkulu lanxa wayebathumela abaphrofethi abanengi ukuthi babancedise.
UStefane kwakumele alwele ukholo lwakhe phambi kwabantu ababengawathandi amaKhristu futhi abasebezimisele ukumbulala
UStefane wazibonela ukuthi amadoda ayekhuluma lawo ayengasoze amzwele kodwa ayezacina embulele kuphela. Umoya ongcwele kaJehova wamenza waba lesibindi sokuthi awatshele ukuthi ayesenza izinto ezimbi. Wawatshela ukuthi ayengamadoda ayiziqholo ayehlala ephikisana lomoya ongcwele njengabokhokho bawo. Phezu kwakho konke lokhu, uStefane wawatshela ukuthi ayebulele indoda uMosi ayethe izakuba ngumphrofethi omkhulu kulaye. Wawatshela lokuthi ayethengise njalo abulala indoda leyo eyayilungile enguJesu uMesiya.
Amalunga eSanihedrini athi esizwa okwakukhulunywe nguStefane azonda adla inja! Lanxa kunjalo uJehova wamqinisa ngokumtshengisa okwakusenzakala ezulwini. UStefane wathi: “Khangelani! Ngibona amazulu evulekile leNdodana yomuntu imi esandleni sokudla sikaNkulunkulu.” ISanihedrini yathi isizwa amazwi la yazonda kakhulu yahle yamhahabela! Basebezondiswe kuyini? Phela amazwi kaStefane ayefanana lalawo ayekhulunywe nguJesu Khristu ngesikhathi bemthonisisa. UJesu wayethe: “Lizabona iNdodana yomuntu ihlezi esandleni sokudla salowo olamandla.” (Mat. 26:64) UStefane wayetshengisa ukuthi amazwi kaJesu ayesegcwalisekile. UJesu wayesemi eceleni kukaJehova.
Amadoda la ayesezonde engasazazi, ambamba uStefane amkhiphela ngaphandle kwedolobho asemkhanda ngamatshe. Kufanele ukuthi ngesikhathi bemkhanda wayelokhu ewubona umbono kaJesu, yikho wayicela iNkosi yakhe ukuthi yamukele umoya wakhe. Esetsho njalo wacela okunye kuJehova wathi: “Ungabethesi isono lesi.” Ngemva kwesicelo lesi uStefane wafa kodwa enqobile ngoba waba ngumKhristu wokuqala owafela ukholo. Kusenzakala konke lokhu kwakulejaha elalisekela ukubulawa kwakhe kodwa elingazange liwakhohlwe amazwi okucina kaStefane. Sizaxoxa ngalo kuSahluko 50, 51 lo-53.
Bala indaba le eBhayibhilini:
Ingxoxo:
UStefane watshengisa njani ukuthi ulesibindi?
Julisa Ingqondo
1. Kuyini okwenza abaphostoli bakhetha uStefane lamanye amadoda ‘ayegcwele umoya lokuhlakanipha’ ukuthi kube yibo abakhangela indaba yokupha abayanga ukudla? (Imiseb. 6:3-5; bt 41-42 ¶17-18) A
Umfanekiso A
2. Kuyini okwakhulunywa nguStefane ngoMosi esingakutholiyo eMibhalweni yesiHebheru? (bt 48 ¶13, amabala angaphansi)
3. Kuyini okwenza uStefane wahlaliseka ngesikhathi ehlukuluzwa? (w18.10 32)
4. Okubhalwe kumiSebenzi 7:59 kutsho ukuthi uStefane wayethandaza kuJesu yini? Chasisa. (w05 1/1 31-wcgr)
Cabangisisa Ngezifundo
UStefane ‘wayelokholo oluqinileyo, egcwele umoya ongcwele’ futhi “wayegcwele umusa kaNkulunkulu lamandla.” Lanxa kunjalo wavuma ukwenza umsebenzi wokukhangela indaba yokupha abayanga ukudla. (Imiseb. 6:2, 5, 8) Abafowethu abazingcitshi emsebenzini othile kumbe abalemisebenzi eminengi ebandleni bangamlingisela njani uStefane? B
Umfanekiso B
UStefane wathandazela abantu ababemhlukuluza. Thina singatshengisa njani ukuthi siyabathanda abantu abasiphikisayo kumbe abasihlukuluzayo? (Mat. 5:44-48)
Yiziphi indlela ongatshengisa ngazo ukuthi ulesibindi njengoStefane?
Cabangisisa
Indaba le ingifundisani ngoJehova?
Indaba le ingenelana njani lenhloso kaJehova?
UStefane wakhethwa ukuthi ayebusa loKhristu ezulwini. Kuyini okuthandayo ngaye okwenza uthi ufanele sibili ukuyabusa loKhristu?
Funda Okunengi
Bala uzwe ukuthi ungenzani ukuze uchasisele abanye lokho okukholwayo ngendlela elenhlonipho futhi ungesabi njengoStefane.
“UStefane—‘Wayegcwele Umusa KaNkulunkulu Lamandla’” (bt 47-50 ¶9-19)
Abantu bakaJehova batshengisa njani ukuthi balesibindi njengoStefane nxa behlukuluzwa?