UBarnaba—“INdodana Yenduduzo”

WAGCINA nini ukududuzwa umngane? Uyakhumbula ukuthi wena wagcina nini ukududuza othile? Ngezikhathi ezithile, sonke sidinga isikhuthazo, futhi yeka ukuthi sibazisa kanjani labo abasinikeza ngothando! Ukududuza kusho ukuzinika isikhathi sokulalela, uqonde bese usiza. Ingabe ukulungele ukwenza lokho?

Omunye umuntu owabonisa ukuzimisela okunjalo ngendlela eyisibonelo kwakunguBarnaba, ‘owayeyindoda enhle negcwele umoya ongcwele nokholo.’ (IzEnzo 11:24) Kungani kwakungashiwo kanjalo ngoBarnaba? Yini ayenza eyamenza wafanelwa yile ncazelo?

Umsizi Ongazigodli

Igama lakhe langempela kwakunguJosefa, kodwa abaphostoli bamnika isibongo esichazayo esasivumelana kakhulu nobuntu bakhe—esithi Barnaba, esisho ukuthi “iNdodana Yenduduzo.”a (IzEnzo 4:36) Ibandla lobuKristu lalisanda kumiswa. Abanye babecabanga ukuthi uBarnaba wayengumfundi kaJesu ngaphambili. (Luka 10:1, 2) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lokho kunjalo noma cha, le ndoda yayizenzele umlando omuhle.

Ngemva nje kwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., uBarnaba, owayengumLevi waseKhupro, wathengisa ngendawo ethile ngokuzithandela futhi imali ayithola wayinika abaphostoli. Wayekwenzelani lokho? Ukulandisa okusencwadini yezEnzo kusitshela ukuthi phakathi kwamaKristu eJerusalema ngaleso sikhathi, ‘kwakwabelwa lowo nalowo, kuye ngesidingo sakhe.’ Ngokusobala uBarnaba wabona ukuthi kwakunesidingo, futhi ngenhliziyo ephanayo wenza okuthile ngakho. (IzEnzo 4:34-37) Kungenzeka ukuthi wayeyindoda emi kahle, kodwa wayenganqikazi ukunikela ngezinto zakhe ezibonakalayo nangaye ngokwakhe ekuthuthukiseni izithakazelo zoMbuso.b Isazi u-F. F. Bruce siyaphawula: “Noma kuphi lapho uBarnaba ethola khona abantu noma izimo ezidinga isikhuthazo, wayesinikeza ngokusemandleni akhe.” Lokhu kusobala esenzakalweni sesibili avela kuso.

Cishe ngo-36 C.E., uSawulu waseTarsu (owayezoba umphostoli uPawulu), ngaleso sikhathi owayesengumKristu, wayezama ukuxhumana nebandla laseJerusalema, “kodwa bonke babemesaba, ngoba babengakholwa ukuthi ungumfundi.” Wayengalenza kanjani ibandla likholwe ukuthi wayephenduke ngempela nokuthi kwakungelona isu nje lokuchitha ibandla ngokwengeziwe? “UBarnaba wamsiza futhi wamhola wamyisa kubaphostoli.”—IzEnzo 9:26, 27; Galathiya 1:13, 18, 19.

Akushiwo ukuthi kungani uBarnaba ayemethemba uSawulu. Nokho-ke, “iNdodana Yenduduzo” yenza ngokuvumelana nesibongo sayo ngokulalela uSawulu futhi imsize kuleso simo esasibonakala singenathemba. Nakuba uSawulu abe esebuyela lapho adabuka khona eTarsu, kwase kwakheke ubuhlobo phakathi kwalawa madoda amabili. Eminyakeni eyayizolandela, lokho kwakuzoba nemiphumela ebalulekile.—IzEnzo 9:30.

E-Antiyokiya

Cishe ngo-45 C.E., eJerusalema kwafika izindaba zezinto ezingavamile ezenzeka e-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya—izakhamuzi eziningi zakulowo muzi ezikhuluma isiGreki zaziba amakholwa. Ibandla lathuma uBarnaba ukuba ayohlola abese ehlela umsebenzi lapho. Babekhethe ngokuhlakanipha. ULuka uthi: “Lapho efika futhi ebona umusa ongafanelwe kaNkulunkulu, wajabula futhi waqala ukubakhuthaza bonke ukuba baqhubeke eNkosini ngenjongo eqotho; ngoba wayeyindoda enhle negcwele umoya ongcwele nokholo. Futhi isixuku esikhulu sanezelwa eNkosini.”—IzEnzo 11:22-24.

Akenzanga lokho kuphela. Ngokwesazi uGiuseppe Ricciotti, “uBarnaba wayeyindoda ewusizo, futhi washeshe wasiqonda isidingo sokuqala umsebenzi ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi lokho okwakubonakala kuzoqhakaza kulandelwa isivuno esikhulu. Ngakho-ke, isidingo esiyinhloko kwakungesezisebenzi zokuvuna.” Njengoba ayengowaseKhupro, kungenzeka ukuthi uBarnaba wayejwayelene nendlela yokusebenzelana nabeZizwe. Kungenzeka ukuthi wayezizwa ekufanelekela ngokukhethekile ukushumayeza amaqaba. Kodwa wayekulungele ukuhilela nabanye kulo msebenzi ojabulisayo nokhuthazayo.

UBarnaba wacabanga ngoSawulu. Kungenzeka ukuthi uBarnaba wayazi ngesambulo esingokwesiprofetho esatholwa u-Ananiya ngesikhathi sokuphenduka kukaSawulu, sokuthi lona owayekade engumshushisi ‘wayeyisitsha esikhethiweyo sokuphatha igama likaJesu ezizweni.’ (IzEnzo 9:15) Ngakho uBarnaba walibangisa eTarsu—uhambo olungamakhilomitha angaba ngu-200 ukuya—eyofuna uSawulu. Bobabili laba basebenza ndawonye unyaka wonke, futhi “kwaqala e-Antiyokiya” ngaleso sikhathi “ukuba ngokwelungiselelo laphezulu abafundi babizwe ngokuthi amaKristu.”—IzEnzo 11:25, 26.

Phakathi nokubusa kukaKlawudiya, kwaba nendlala enkulu ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zoMbuso WaseRoma. Ngokwesazi-mlando esingumJuda uJosephus, eJerusalema “kwafa abantu abaningi ngenxa yokuntula lokho okwakudingeka ukuze bathole ukudla.” Ngakho, abafundi e-Antiyokiya “banquma, yilowo nalowo kubo njengalokho umuntu ayenamandla okukwenza, ukuthumela inkonzo yokusiza [kubafowabo] abahlala eJudiya; futhi lokhu bakwenza, bekuthumela emadodeni amadala ngesandla sikaBarnaba noSawulu.” Ngemva kokukufeza ngokugcwele lokho kuthunywa, laba ababili babuyela noJohane Marku e-Antiyokiya, lapho baba khona abaprofethi nabafundisi bebandla.—IzEnzo 11:29, 30; 12:25; 13:1.

Isabelo Esikhethekile Sokuba Izithunywa Zevangeli

Khona-ke kwenzeka isenzakalo esingavamile. “Njengoba babekhonza uJehova obala futhi bezila ukudla, umoya ongcwele wathi: ‘Kubo bonke abantu ngihlukaniseleni uBarnaba noSawulu ngenjongo yomsebenzi engibabizele wona.’” Cabanga nje! Umoya kaJehova wayala ukuba laba ababili banikwe isabelo esikhethekile. “Ngakho lamadoda, ethunywe umoya ongcwele, ehlela eSelukiya, futhi esuka lapho ahamba olwandle aya eKhupro.” UBarnaba naye angabizwa ngokufanelekile ngokuthi umphostoli, noma isithunywa.—IzEnzo 13:2, 4; 14:14.

Ngemva kokuba sebelihambe lonke elaseKhupro futhi beguqule uSergiyu Pawulu, umbusi wakuleso siqhingi esasiyisifundazwe saseRoma, baqhubekela ePherge, eningizimu nogu lwase-Asia Minor, lapho uJohane Marku abashiya khona wabuyela eJerusalema. (IzEnzo 13:13) Kubonakala sengathi kuze kube yileso sikhathi, uBarnaba wayehola, mhlawumbe njengoba ayenokuhlangenwe nakho okwengeziwe kubo bobabili. Kusukela lapho kuqhubeke, kuhola uSawulu (manje obizwa ngokuthi uPawulu). (Qhathanisa nezEnzo 13:7, 13, 16; 15:2.) Ingabe lokho kwamphatha kabi uBarnaba? Cha, wayengumKristu ovuthiwe owakuqaphela ngokuthobeka ukuthi uJehova wayemsebenzisa ngamandla nalona ayesebenza naye. UJehova wayefuna nezinye izindawo zizwe izindaba ezinhle ngabo.

Empeleni, ngaphambi kokuba laba ababili baxoshwe e-Antiyokiya ePhisidiya, yonke indawo yezwa izwi likaNkulunkulu ngoPawulu noBarnaba, futhi abaningi bawamukela umyalezo. (IzEnzo 13:43, 48-52) E-Ikoniyu “uquqaba olukhulu kokubili lwamaJuda namaGreki lwaba amakholwa.” Lokhu kwashukumisela uPawulu noBarnaba ukuba basebenzise isikhathi esiningi kuleyo ndawo ‘bekhuluma ngesibindi ngegunya likaJehova, owanika izibonakaliso nemihlola ukuba yenzeke ngezandla zabo.’ Lapho bezwa ukuthi kwakwenziwe uzungu lokuba bakhandwe ngamatshe, laba ababili babaleka ngokuhlakanipha futhi baqhubeka nomsebenzi wabo eLikawoniya, eListra naseDerbe. Naphezu kwezigigaba ezazisongela ukuphila eListra, bobabili uBarnaba noPawulu baqhubeka “beqinisa imiphefumulo yabafundi, bebakhuthaza ukuba bahlale okholweni futhi bethi: ‘Kumelwe singene embusweni kaNkulunkulu ngezinsizi eziningi.’”—IzEnzo 14:1-7, 19-22.

Laba bashumayeli ababili abakhuthele babengenakuvuma ukusatshiswa. Ngokuphambene, babuyela bayokwakha amaKristu amasha ezindaweni ababeke babhekana nokuphikiswa okunonya kuzo ngaphambili, cishe besiza amadoda afanelekayo ukuba ahole emabandleni amasha.

Indaba Yokusoka

Eminyakeni engaba ngu-16 ngemva kwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., uBarnaba wahileleka esenzakalweni esiyingqopha-mlando ngokuphathelene nendaba yokusoka. “Abantu abathile [behlela e-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya] bevela eJudiya futhi baqala ukufundisa abafowethu bethi: ‘Ngaphandle kokuba nisokwe ngokwenkambiso kaMose, aninakusindiswa.’” UBarnaba noPawulu babazi kahle ukuthi akunjalo, ngakho bakuphikisa lokho. Kunokuba bagomele besebenzisa igunya labo, baqaphela ukuthi leyo kwakuyindaba okwakudingeka ixazululwe ngendlela eyayizozuzisa yonke inhlangano yabazalwane. Ngakho bayidlulisela endikimbeni ebusayo eJerusalema, lapho imibiko yabo yasiza khona ekuxazululeni leyo ndaba. Ngemva kwalokho, uPawulu noBarnaba, abachazwa ‘njengabathandekayo abaye banikela imiphefumulo yabo ngenxa yegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu,’ babephakathi kwalabo ababelwa ukuba badlulisele isinqumo kubazalwane e-Antiyokiya. Lapho incwadi evela endikimbeni ebusayo ifundwa futhi kubekwa nezinkulumo, ibandla ‘lajabula ngalesosikhuthazo’ futhi ‘laqiniswa.’—IzEnzo 15:1, 2, 4, 25-32.

‘Ukuqhuma Kwentukuthelo Enkulu’

Ngemva kokulandisa okuningi kangaka okuhle ngoBarnaba, singase sibe nomuzwa wokuthi akunakwenzeka ukuba silingise isibonelo sakhe. Nokho, “iNdodana Yenduduzo” yayingaphelele njengathi sonke. Lapho yona noPawulu behlela uhambo lwesibili lwezithunywa zevangeli lokuhambela amabandla, kwaphakama impikiswano. UBarnaba wayezimisele ukuhamba nomzala wakhe uJohane Marku, kodwa uPawulu wayecabanga ukuthi kwakungafanele, njengoba uJohane Marku ayebashiyile ohambweni lwabo lokuqala lwezithunywa zevangeli. “Kwaqhuma intukuthelo enkulu, kangangokuthi bahlukana; futhi uBarnaba wathatha uMarku wahamba olwandle waya eKhupro,” kuyilapho “uPawulu akhetha uSila futhi wahamba” wabheka ngakolunye uhlangothi.—IzEnzo 15:36-40.

Yeka ukuthi kudabukisa kanjani! Noma kunjalo, lesi senzakalo sisitshela okunye ngobuntu bukaBarnaba. Esinye isazi sithi: “uBarnaba uyohlale encomeka ngokuthi wazimisela ukuzifaka engozini ngokwethemba uMarku okwesibili.” Njengoba nje lo mlobi esikisela, kungenzeka ukuthi “ukubonisa kukaBarnaba ukuthi uyamethemba kwamsiza ukuba aphinde azethembe ngokwakhe futhi kwavuselela umuzwa wakhe wesibopho.” Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwabonakala ngokugcwele ukuthi uyakufanelekela ukwethenjwa, ngoba kwafika isikhathi lapho ngisho noPawulu avuma khona ukuthi uMarku wayewusizo enkonzweni yobuKristu.—2 Thimothewu 4:11; qhathanisa neyabaseKolose 4:10.

Isibonelo sikaBarnaba singasishukumisela ukuba sizinike isikhathi sokulalela, ukuqonda nokukhuthaza labo abadangele futhi sibanike usizo olusebenzisekayo noma nini lapho sibona kunesidingo. Umlando wakhe wokuzimisela ukukhonza abafowabo ngobumnene nangesibindi, kanye nemiphumela emihle lokhu okwaba nayo, kuyakhuthaza ngokwako. Yeka ukuthi kuyisibusiso kanjani ukuba nabantu abanjengoBarnaba emabandleni ethu namuhla!

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

UBarnaba “wayeyindoda enhle negcwele umoya ongcwele nokholo”