USawulu—Isitsha Esikhethiweyo SeNkosi

USAWULU waseTarsu wayengumphikisi wabalandeli bakaKristu onenhloso yokubulala. Kodwa iNkosi yayimgcinele ikusasa elihlukile. USawulu wayezoba ummeleli ovelele wayo kanye le nkambo ayelwa nayo ngamandla kangako. UJesu wathi: “Lomuntu [uSawulu] uyisitsha esikhethiweyo kimi ukuba aphathe igama lami ezizweni kanye nasemakhosini nasemadodaneni ka-Israyeli.”—IzEnzo 9:15.

Ukuphila kukaSawulu ‘njengomuntu oweyisayo’ kwashintsha ngokuphelele lapho eboniswa isihe futhi eba “isitsha esikhethiweyo” seNkosi uJesu Kristu. (1 Thimothewu 1:12, 13) Amandla ayemshukumisele ekuhlanganyeleni ekukhandweni ngamatshe kukaStefanu nokunye ukuhlaselwa kwabafundi bakaJesu, ashintshelwa emigomweni ehluke ngokuphelele lapho uSawulu eba umphostoli uPawulu ongumKristu. Kusobala ukuthi uJesu wabona izici ezikhangayo kuSawulu. Ziphi? Wayengubani uSawulu? Isizinda sakhe samenza kanjani wafanelekela ukusetshenziselwa ukuthuthukisa ukukhulekela kweqiniso? Ingabe singafunda okuthile kokuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe?

Isizinda Somkhaya Wakubo KaSawulu

Ngesikhathi sokubulawa kukaStefanu, ngemva nje kwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., uSawulu ‘wayeyinsizwa.’ Lapho ebhalela uFilemoni cishe ngo-60-61 C.E., “wayeyindoda esindala.” (IzEnzo 7:58; Filemoni 9) Izazi zisikisela ukuthi, ngokwendlela yasendulo yokubala iminyaka, elithi “insizwa” cishe lalisho iminyaka ephakathi kuka-24 no-40, kuyilapho ukuthi “indoda esindala” kwakusho iminyaka yobudala esuka kwengu-50 kuya kwengu-56. Ngakho, uSawulu wayezalwe cishe eminyakeni embalwa nje ngemva kokuzalwa kukaJesu.

Ngaleso sikhathi amaJuda ayehlala ezingxenyeni eziningi zezwe. Ukunqotshwa, ubugqili, ukudingiswa, ezohwebo nokuthutha ngokuzithandela kwakungezinye zezimbangela zokusakazeka kwawo esuka eJudiya. Nakuba umkhaya wakubo wawungamaJuda asakazekile, uSawulu uqokomisa ukuthobela kwawo uMthetho, ethi ‘wasokwa ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili, ephuma emndenini wakwa-Israyeli, engowesizwana sakwaBenjamini, umHeberu ozalwa amaHeberu; ngokuqondene nomthetho, engumFarisi.’ USawulu wayenegama lesiHeberu elifana nelelungu elivelele lesizwe sakubo—inkosi yokuqala yakwa-Israyeli. Njengoba ayengumRoma ngokuzalwa, uSawulu waseTarsu wayenanegama lesiLatini, elithi Paullus.—Filipi 3:5; IzEnzo 13:21; 22:25-29.

Ukuba kukaSawulu umRoma wokuzalwa kwakusho ukuthi omunye wokhokho bakhe besilisa wayethole ilungelo lokuba isakhamuzi. Kanjani? Kuningana okungenzeka ukuthi kwenzeka. Ngaphandle kokulizuza njengefa ilungelo lokuba isakhamuzi, lalinganikwa abantu noma amaqembu ngenxa yokufaneleka okuthile, ngokulifanelekela ngokwezombangazwe noma njengomvuzo ngenxa yenkonzo ekhethekile eyenzelwe uMbuso. Isigqila esiye sakwazi ukukhokhela ukukhululwa kwaso kumRoma, noma esikhululwe isakhamuzi saseRoma, sasingaba umRoma ngokwaso. Kungokufanayo nangomuntu owayekade eyisosha esekhululiwe ebuthweni lezempi laseRoma. Abomdabu ababehlala emakoloni aseRoma babengaba izakhamuzi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Kuthiwa futhi ngenkathi ethile, ilungelo lokuba isakhamuzi lalithengwa ngemali eningi. Ukuthi umkhaya wakubo kaSawulu waba kanjani izakhamuzi kusalokhu kungaziwa.

Siyazi ukuthi uSawulu wayevela eTarsu, inhloko-dolobha yesifunda saseKhilikhiya esiseRoma (manje okuyiningizimu yeTurkey). Nakuba kwakunomphakathi omkhulu wamaJuda owawuhlala kuleyo ndawo, kungenzeka ukuthi ukuphila kwalapho kwenza uSawulu wajwayelana namasiko abeZizwe. ITarsu yayiyidolobha elikhulu nelichumayo elalibhekwa njengesikhungo semfundo yobuGreki, noma yesiGreki. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi umphakathi walapho ngekhulu lokuqala wawuphakathi kuka-300 000 no-500 000. Yayiyisikhungo sezohwebo esisemgwaqweni omkhulu ophakathi kwe-Asia Minor, iSiriya, neMesopotamiya. ITarsu yachuma ngenxa yezohwebo nokuvunda kwethafa elaliyizungezile, elalikhiqiza ngokuyinhloko okusanhlamvu, iwayini nelineni. Embonini yayo echumayo yezindwangu kwakutholakala indwangu yoboya bezimbuzi okwakwenziwa ngayo amatende.

Imfundo KaSawulu

USawulu, noma uPawulu, wayezondla ngokwethembeka futhi imisebenzi ephathelene nomsebenzi wakhe wokuba isithunywa sevangeli wayeyisekela ngokwenza amatende. (IzEnzo 18:2, 3; 20:34) Umsebenzi wokwenza amatende wawuvamile edolobheni lakubo, eTarsu. Kungenzeka ukuthi uSawulu wawufunda kuyise esemncane lo msebenzi wokwenza amatende.

Ukwazi kukaSawulu izilimi—ikakhulukazi ukwazi kwakhe kahle isiGreki, okuwulimi olwaluvamile eMbusweni WaseRoma—nakho kwaba usizo olukhulu emsebenzini wakhe wokuba isithunywa sevangeli. (IzEnzo 21:37–22:2) Abahlaziyi balokho akuloba bathi isiGreki sakhe sihle kakhulu. Amagama awasebenzisa awawona avamile noma awezinye izincwadi kodwa, kunalokho, afana nawe-Septuagint, inguqulo yesiGreki yemiBhalo YesiHeberu ayevame ukucaphuna kuyo noma ayibeke ngenye indlela. Ngenxa yalobu bufakazi, izazi ezihlukahlukene zisikisela ukuthi uSawulu wathola okungenani imfundo ekahle yokuqala ngesiGreki, cishe esikoleni samaJuda. Isazi uMartin Hengel sithi: “Endulo imfundo engcono—ikakhulukazi imfundo yesiGreki—yayingatholakali mahhala; ngokuvamile, yayisikisela kusengaphambili ukusekelwa okuthile ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo.” Ngakho imfundo kaSawulu isikisela ukuthi wayevela emkhayeni ovelele.

Cishe, lapho eneminyaka engu-13 noma ngaphansana, uSawulu waqhubeka nemfundo yakhe eJerusalema, eqhele ngebanga elingamakhilomitha angu-840 ukusuka ekhaya. Wafundiswa ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli, umfundisi wesiko lobuFarisi owaziwayo nohlonishwa kakhulu. (IzEnzo 22:3; 23:6) Lezo zifundo, ezifana nemfundo yaseyunivesithi namuhla, zazivula ithuba lokuvelela ebuJudeni.a

Amakhono Asetshenziswa Kahle

Njengoba azalelwa emkhayeni wamaJuda edolobheni laseRoma lobuGreki, uSawulu wayeyingxenye yezigaba ezintathu zabantu. Akungabazeki ukuthi isizinda sakhe sezizwe ezihlukahlukene ezinezilimi eziningi samsiza ukuba abe “yizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo.” (1 Korinte 9:19-23) Ukuba kwakhe yisakhamuzi saseRoma kamuva kwamvumela ukuba avikele inkonzo yakhe ngokomthetho futhi ayise izindaba ezinhle phambi kweziphathimandla eziphakeme zoMbuso WaseRoma. (IzEnzo 16:37-40; 25:11, 12) Yiqiniso, uJesu ovusiwe wayesazi isizinda sikaSawulu, imfundo nobuntu bakhe, njengoba athi ku-Ananiya: “Hamba, ngoba lomuntu uyisitsha esikhethiweyo kimi ukuba aphathe igama lami ezizweni kanye nasemakhosini nasemadodaneni ka-Israyeli. Ngoba ngizombonisa ngokukhanyayo ukuthi ziningi kangakanani izinto okumelwe ahlupheke ngazo ngenxa yegama lami.” (IzEnzo 9:13-16) Lapho intshiseko kaSawulu isiqondiswe kahle, yaba usizo ekusakazeni isigijimi soMbuso ezindaweni ezikude.

Ukukhetha kukaJesu uSawulu ukufeza lokhu kuthunywa okukhethekile kwakuyisenzakalo esiyingqayizivele emlandweni wamaKristu. Nokho, wonke amaKristu osuku lwanamuhla anamakhono nobuntu babo obungasetshenziswa ngokuphumelelayo ekusakazeni izindaba ezinhle. Lapho uSawulu eqaphela lokho uJesu ayekufuna kuye, akazange azigodle. Wenza konke ayengakwenza ukuze athuthukise izithakazelo zoMbuso. Ingabe kunjalo ngawe?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Ukubhalisa Nokugunyazwa Ukuba Isakhamuzi SaseRoma

Ukubhaliswa kwezingane ezingokomthetho zezakhamuzi zaseRoma kwasungulwa u-Augustus ngemithetho emibili eyamiswa ngo-4 nango-9 C.E. Kwakufanele kubhaliswe zingakapheli izinsuku ezingu-30 umntwana ezelwe. Ezifundeni, umkhaya kwakudingeka usho phambi kwemantshi ehhovisi elifanele elinezincwadi zomphakathi ukuthi ingane ingeyawo ngokomthetho futhi iyisakhamuzi saseRoma. Kwakubhalwa amagama abazali, ubulili negama lengane nosuku lokuzalwa. Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba kumiswe le mithetho, ukubhaliswa kwezakhamuzi kubo bonke omasipala, amakoloni nasezifundeni zezimantshi zaseRoma kwakuvuselelwa njalo ngemva kweminyaka emihlanu ngokubalwa kwabantu.

Ukuma komuntu kwakungabonakala ngokubhekisela emibhalweni egcinwe kahle. Amakhophi aqinisekisiwe emibhalo enjalo ayengatholakala ekuma-diptych (izingqwembe ezivalwayo) okhuni aphathwayo. Ngokombono wezazi ezithile, lapho uPawulu ethi uyisakhamuzi saseRoma, kungenzeka ukuthi wayekwazi ukuveza isitifiketi esifakazela lokho. (IzEnzo 16:37; 22:25-29; 25:11) Njengoba ukuba isakhamuzi saseRoma kwakubhekwa cishe njengokuba ‘nesimo esingcwele’ futhi kwenza umuntu abe namalungelo amaningi, ukushintshwa ngokungemthetho kwezincwadi ezinjalo kwakuyicala elibomvu. Ukushintsha komuntu ukuma kwakhe ngokungeyikho kwakunesijeziso sokufa.

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Historic Costume in Pictures/Dover Publications, Inc., New York

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Igama LesiRoma LikaSawulu

Isakhamuzi ngasinye sesilisa saseRoma sasinezici okungenani ezintathu egameni laso. Sasinegama lokuqala, igama lomkhaya (elihlobene nesizwana saso, noma i-gens) nesibongo. Isibonelo esidumile ngesikaGaius Julius Caesar. IBhayibheli aliwanikezi amagama aphelele esiRoma, kodwa izincwadi zezwe zisitshela ukuthi u-Agripha kwakunguMarcus Julius Agrippa. UGaliyu kwakunguLucius Junius Gallio. (IzEnzo 18:12; 25:13) Izibonelo ezingokomBhalo zamagama amabili okugcina emagameni amathathu omuntu uPontiyu Pilatu (umbhalo oqoshwe ngezansi), uSergiyu Pawulu, uKlawudiyu Lisiya noPorkiyu Festu.—IzEnzo 4:27; 13:7; 23:26; 24:27.

Akunakwenzeka ukuthola ngokuqiniseka ukuthi elithi Paullus kwakuyigama lokuqala likaSawulu noma kwakuyisibongo sakhe. Kwakungekhona okungavamile ukuzinezelela elinye igama umuntu angase abizwe ngalo umkhaya noma abantu abamejwayele. Noma, igama okungelona elesiRoma njengelithi Sawulu lalingasetshenziswa esikhundleni selinye. Esinye isazi sithi: “[Elithi Sawulu] alinakuba igama lesiRoma, kodwa lingasebenza kahle kakhulu impela esakhamuzini saseRoma njengegama lasekhaya esiqanjwa lona eliyi-signum.” Ezindaweni ezinezilimi eziningi, kungenzeka ukuthi kwakunquma isimo ukuthi iliphi emagameni omuntu elingakhethelwa ukusetshenziswa.

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Photograph by Israel Museum, ©Israel Antiquities Authority