“Kumelwe Silalele Unkulunkulu Njengombusi Kunabantu”

Ukufakaza Ngokugcwele ‘Ngesibindi’

ISIXUKU esinobudlova sesimi ngomumo ukuze sishaye inceku kaNkulunkulu siyibulale. Kulowo mnyama, kufika amasosha aseRoma ayithathe le ndoda kubahlaseli bayo futhi ayibophe. Lokhu kuqala uchungechunge lwezenzakalo oluthatha iminyaka engaba mihlanu. Ngenxa yalokho, izikhulu zaseRoma eziningi eziphakeme ziyezwa ngoJesu Kristu.

Lo muntu ohlushwayo umphostoli uPawulu. Cishe ngo-34 C.E., uJesu wembula ukuthi uPawulu (uSawulu) wayezofakazela igama laKhe “emakhosini.” (IzEnzo 9:15) Ngalo nyaka ka-56 C.E., lokhu akukenzeki. Nokho, njengoba sekuseduze ukuba luphele uhambo lwalo mphostoli lwesithathu lwezithunywa zevangeli, izinto sezizoshintsha.

Uhlaselwa Isixuku Kodwa Akayeki

UPawulu uyaqhubeka nohambo lwakhe oluya eJerusalema, futhi amaKristu athile amxwayisa “ngomoya” ukuthi uzobhekana noshushiso olukhulu kulowo muzi. Ngesibindi, uPawulu uthi: “Angilungele ukuboshwa nje kuphela kodwa futhi nokufa eJerusalema ngenxa yegama leNkosi uJesu.” (IzEnzo 21:4-14) Ngokushesha nje lapho uPawulu engena ethempelini eJerusalema, amaJuda avela e-Asiya aziyo ukuthi umsebenzi walo mphostoli wobuvangeli uyaphumelela kuleyo ndawo, ashoshozela isixuku ukuba simbulale. Amasosha aseRoma asheshe amsize. (IzEnzo 21:27-32) Lokho kukhululwa kunika uPawulu amathuba angandile okumemezela iqiniso ngoKristu kubantu abanobutha nezikhulu eziphakeme.

Ukushumayela Kubantu Abangafinyeleleki Kalula

Ukuze aphephe, uPawulu uhudulelwa phezulu ezitebhisini zenqaba eyaziwa ngokuthi uMbhoshongo Ka-Antonia.a Ekulezo zitebhisi, lo mphostoli ufakaza ngentshiseko kulesi sixuku senkolo. (IzEnzo 21:33–22:21) Kodwa lapho nje ethi uthunywe ukuba ayoshumayela kwabeZizwe, isixuku siba nobudlova futhi. Umlawuli wamabutho uLisiya uyala ukuba uPawulu aphenywe ngokubhaxabulwa ukuze athole isizathu sokuba amaJuda ambeke icala. Nokho, lapho uPawulu ebatshela ukuthi uyisakhamuzi saseRoma, akabe esabhaxabulwa. Ngakusasa, uLisiya uthatha uPawulu amyise kuyiSanhedrini ukuze athole isizathu sokuba amaJuda ammangalele.—IzEnzo 22:22-30.

Njengoba ephambi kwale nkantolo ephakeme, uPawulu uthola elinye ithuba elihle lokufakaza kumaJuda akanye nawo. Lo mvangeli onesibindi umemezela ngenkolelo yakhe ovukweni. (IzEnzo 23:1-8) Inzondo enobudlova yamaJuda afuna ukumbulala isalokhu ikhona, futhi uPawulu uyiswa ekamu lamasosha. Ngobusuku obulandelayo, uthola lesi siqinisekiso esikhuthazayo sivela eNkosini: “Yiba nesibindi! Ngoba njengoba ubufakaza ngokungashwampuluzi ngezinto eziphathelene nami eJerusalema, kanjalo kumelwe ufakaze futhi naseRoma.”—IzEnzo 23:9-11.

Icebo lokubulala uPawulu liyabhuntsha lapho ebalekiswa isinyenyela eyiswa eKhesariya, inhloko-dolobha yamaRoma eseJudiya. (IzEnzo 23:12-24) Ngenkathi eseKhesariya, kuvela amanye amathuba akahle, futhi uPawulu ufakaza “emakhosini.” Okokuqala, lo mphostoli ubonisa uMbusi uFeliksi ukuthi abukho ubufakazi bamacala abekwe wona. Kamuva, uPawulu ubashumayeza bobabili nomkakhe uDrusila ngoJesu, ukuzithiba, ukulunga nangesahlulelo sangesikhathi esizayo. Noma kunjalo, uPawulu ugqunywa ejele iminyaka emibili, ngoba uFeliksi unethemba lokuthi uzofunjathiswa. UPawulu akamfumbathisi.—IzEnzo 23:33–24:27.

Lapho kungena uFestu esikhundleni sikaFeliksi, amaJuda aphinde aqale phansi efuna uPawulu agwetshwe futhi abulawe. Icala liyaqulwa futhi eKhesariya. Ukuze avimbe ukuba leli cala lingabuyiselwa eJerusalema, uPawulu uthi: “Ngimi phambi kwesihlalo sokwahlulela sikaKhesari . . . Ngidlulisela icala kuKhesari.” (IzEnzo 25:1-11, 20, 21) Ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa lo mphostoli ethule icala lakhe eNkosini uHerode Agripha II, leyo nkosi ithi: “Ngesikhashana nje uzongithonya ukuba ngibe umKristu.” (IzEnzo 26:1-28) Cishe ngo-58 C.E., uPawulu uthunyelwa eRoma. Njengoba eboshiwe, lo mphostoli uqhubeka ngobuhlakani ethola izindlela zokushumayela ngoKristu iminyaka emibili. (IzEnzo 28:16-31) Kubonakala sengathi ekugcineni uPawulu wavela phambi koMbusi uNero, watholakala engenacala futhi wakwazi ukuphinde aqale umsebenzi wakhe wezithunywa zevangeli engasaboshiwe. Awukho umbhalo obonisa ukuthi kunomunye umphostoli owathola ithuba lokufinyelela izikhulu ezingaka ngezindaba ezinhle.

Njengoba kuboniswe ngenhla, umphostoli uPawulu waphila ngokuvumelana nalesi simiso esibalulekile esashiwo amanye amaKristu enkantolo yamaJuda: “Kumelwe silalele uNkulunkulu njengombusi kunabantu.” (IzEnzo 5:29) Yeka isibonelo esihle asishiyela sona! Naphezu kokuba abantu babephikelela bezama ukumvimba, lo mphostoli wawulalela ngokuphelele umyalo wokuba afakaze ngokugcwele. Ngenxa yalokho kulalela kwakhe uNkulunkulu okungantengantengi, uPawulu wasifeza isabelo sakhe ‘njengesitsha esikhethiweyo,’ sokuba afakazele igama likaJesu “ezizweni nasemakhosini nakubantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”—IzEnzo 9:15.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasin 9]

INGABE UPAWULU WAYEMANE NJE EFUNA UKUZIVIKELA?

Ephendula lo mbuzo, umlobi uBen Witherington III, uyabhala: “Ngokombono . . . kaPawulu, into ebalulekile akukona ukuzivikela, kodwa kunalokho ukuba afakazele ivangeli ezikhulwini, kokubili ezamaJuda nezabeZizwe. . . . Empeleni yivangeli elimangalelwayo.”