UPawulu Uthunyelwa ERoma

Uhambo lukaPawulu lwesithathu lokushumayela lwaphelela eJerusalema. Ngesikhathi elapho waboshwa wavalelwa ejele. Phakathi nobusuku, wabona umbono, kulowo mbono uJesu wathi kuye: ‘Uzohamba uye eRoma uyoshumayela khona.’ UPawulu wathathwa eJerusalema wathunyelwa eKhesariya, wafike wahlala lapho iminyaka emibili ejele. Ngesikhathi kuqulwa icala lakhe, uPawulu wathi kuMbusi uFestu: ‘Ngicela uKhesari waseRoma aqule icala lami.’ UFestu wathi: ‘Ngizokudlulisela kuKhesari njengoba nje ucelile.’ UPawulu wagibela umkhumbi wayiswa eRoma futhi abazalwane ababili, uLuka no-Aristarku, bahamba naye.

Olwandle kwaba nesiphepho esikhulu, esaqhubeka izinsuku eziningi. Wonke umuntu owayesemkhunjini wayecabanga ukuthi uzofa. Kodwa uPawulu wathi: ‘Madoda, ephusheni ingelosi ithe kimi: “Ungesabi, Pawulu. Wonke umuntu osemkhunjini uzofika ephephile eRoma.” Ngakho ningesabi! Ngeke sife.’

Isiphepho savunguza izinsuku ezingu-14. Ekugcineni, babona indawo eyomile. Kwakuyisiqhingi saseMalta. Umkhumbi waphuka lapho nje usuzofika, kodwa bonke abantu abangu-276 ababesemkhunjini bafika bephephile esiqhingini. Abanye babhukuda kanti abanye babambelela ezingcezwini zomkhumbi bantanta phezu kwazo baze bayofika ogwini. Abantu abahlala eMalta babanakekela bababasela nomlilo wokotha.

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezintathu, amasosha ayisa uPawulu eRoma ngomunye umkhumbi. Lapho efika, abazalwane beza bazombona. Lapho ebabona, uPawulu wabonga uJehova waba nesibindi. Nakuba uPawulu ayeyisiboshwa, wayevunyelwa ukuba aqashe indlu uma ezogadwa isosha. Wahlala lapho iminyaka emibili. Abantu babeza bezombona futhi wayebashumayeza ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ebafundisa nangoJesu. UPawulu wayephinde abhalele amabandla ase-Asia Minor nawaseJudiya. Ngempela, uJehova wamsebenzisa uPawulu ukuze asakaze izindaba ezinhle ezindaweni eziningi.