“Waqapheleni Amadoda Alolohlobo”
AKUKHO okwakuhamba kahle ebandleni laseKorinte. Kwakube necala elishaqisayo lokuziphatha okubi, futhi abazalwane babehlukana beba amaqembu. Abathile babenezinkinga zomuntu siqu ezingathi sína noma benemibuzo edinga ukuphendulwa. Abanye abazalwane babeyisana ezinkantolo; abanye babeze baphike ngisho novuko.
Kwaphakama nemibuzo engathi sína. Ingabe labo abasemikhayeni ehlukene phakathi ngokwenkolo kufanele bahlale nabangane babo bomshado abangakholwa, noma kufanele bangahlali nabo? Yayiyini indima yodade ebandleni? Ingabe kwakufanelekile ukudla inyama ehlatshelwe izithombe? Imihlangano—kuhlanganise neSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa—kwakufanele iqhutshwe kanjani?—1 Korinte 1:12; 5:1; 6:1; 7:1-3, 12, 13; 8:1; 11:18, 23-26; 14:26-35.
Ngokungangabazeki bekhathazekile ngenhlalakahle yabafowabo ababekuleso simo esicindezelayo ngokomoya, o-Akhayiku, uFortunatu, noStefana bahamba bayovakashela umphostoli uPawulu e-Efesu. Ngaphezu kwalezo zindaba eziphazamisayo, kungenzeka ukuthi babephathele uPawulu incwadi evela ebandleni enemibuzo ngalezi zindaba. (1 Korinte 7:1; 16:17) Ngokobufakazi obutholakalayo, laba bazalwane abathathu kwakungebona bodwa ababekhathazekile ngesimo. Eqinisweni, uPawulu kakade wayesezwe izindaba ‘ngabendlu kaKlowe’ zokuthi kukhona ukungezwani phakathi kwamalungu ebandla. (1 Korinte 1:11) Akungabazeki ukuthi umbiko walezi zithunywa wasiza uPawulu ukuba asiqonde ngokucace kakhudlwana isimo, abone ukuthi yisiphi iseluleko okufanele asinikeze, nokuthi kufanele ayiphendula kanjani imibuzo ephakanyisiwe. Kubonakala sengathi incwadi namuhla esiyazi ngokuthi eyokuQala KwabaseKorinte iyimpendulo kaPawulu, eyayiqondiswa umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu. Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Akhayiku, uFortunatu, noStefana yibona abahambisa lencwadi.
Babengobani o-Akhayiku, uFortunatu, noStefana? Yini esingayifunda ngokuhlola lokho imiBhalo ekushoyo ngabo?
Indlu KaStefana
Indlu kaStefana ‘yayiwulibo’ lwenkonzo kaPawulu esifundazweni saseRoma i-Akhaya, ngaseNingizimu yeGreece, cishe ngonyaka ka-50 C.E., futhi yabhapathizwa uPawulu ngokwakhe. Kusobala ukuthi uPawulu wayeyibheka njengesibonelo, ithonya elanele lokuqinisa abaseKorinte. Wayitusa ngokufudumele ngenxa yomsebenzi eyayiwenzela ibandla: “Manje ngiyanikhuthaza, bafowethu: Niyazi ukuthi indlu kaStefana iwulibo lwase-Akhaya nokuthi yazilungisela ukuba ikhonze abangcwele. Kwangathi nani ningaqhubeka futhi nizithoba kubantu balolohlobo nakuwo wonke umuntu onobambiswano noshikashikekayo.” (1 Korinte 1:16; 16:15, 16) Ukuthi obani ngempela ababakha “indlu” kaStefana akushiwongo. Leli gama lingasho nje amalungu omkhaya kodwa futhi lingahlanganisa nezigqila noma abaqashwa. Njengoba elithi Akhayiku kuyigama lesiLatini elivame esigqileni, futhi elithi Fortunatu livame kumuntu okhululekile, abahlaziyi abathile bacabanga ukuthi laba ababili kungenzeka babengamalungu aleyondlu efanayo.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, uPawulu wayeyibheka njengeyisibonelo indlu kaStefana. Amalungu ayo ‘ayezilungisele ukuba akhonze abangcwele.’ Kumelwe ukuba umkhaya kaStefana wawuqaphela ukuthi kwakunomsebenzi okumelwe wenziwe ukuze kusizwe ibandla futhi ngokuzithandela wamukela lenkonzo wayenza umthwalo wemfanelo wawo siqu. Akungabazeki ukuthi isifiso sawo sokunikela inkonzo enjalo kwabangcwele kwakufanele sisekelwe futhi siqashelwe.
“Bawenze Waqabuleka Umoya Wami Nowenu”
Nakuba uPawulu ayekhathazekile ngesimo saseKorinte, ukufika kwalezi zithunywa ezintathu kwamkhuthaza. UPawulu uthi: “Ngiyajabula ngokuba khona kukaStefana noFortunatu no-Akhayiku, ngoba bavale isikhala sokungabikho kwenu lapha. Ngoba bawenze waqabuleka umoya wami nowenu.” (1 Korinte 16:17, 18) Uma sibheka izimo, kungenzeka ukuthi ukuhlukana ngokwenyama nabaseKorinte kwambangela ukukhathazeka uPawulu, kodwa manje ukuba khona kwezithunywa zabo kwavala isikhala sokungabikho kwalo lonke ibandla. Cishe umbiko wazo wanikeza uPawulu umbono ophelele ngesimo futhi waqeda okungenani okunye kokwesaba kwakhe. Mhlawumbe izinto zazingezimbi njengoba ayecabanga.
NgokukaPawulu, ukuthunywa kwalaba abathathu akuzange kuqabule umoya wakhe nje kuphela kodwa futhi kwakhuthaza nebandla laseKorinte. Akungabazeki ukuthi kwalikhulula ukwazi ukuthi izithunywa zalo zazichazele uPawulu ngokucacile zonke izici zesimo futhi zazizobuya neseluleko sakhe.
Ngakho uStefana nabangane bakhe ababili batuswa ngokufudumele ngomshikashika wabo ngenxa yabaseKorinte. Ukwazisa kukaPawulu ngalamadoda kwakukukhulu kangangokuthi lapho ebuya kwakufanele ahole ebandleni laseKorinte elihlukene phakathi. Lomphostoli unxusa abazalwane: ‘Qhubekani nizithoba kubantu balolohlobo nakuwo wonke umuntu onobambiswano noshikashikekayo. Waqapheleni amadoda alolohlobo.’ (1 Korinte 16:16, 18) Ukutuswa ngokunamandla okunjalo kukubonisa ngokucacile ukwethembeka kwalamadoda naphezu kobunzima phakathi kwebandla. Amadoda alolo hlobo kufanele abhekwe njengathandekayo.—Filipi 2:29.
Ukubambisana Ngokukholeka Kuletha Imiphumela Emihle
Akungabazeki ukuthi ukubambisana ngokuseduze nenhlangano kaJehova nabameleli bayo kuletha imiphumela emihle. Lapho uPawulu ebhala incwadi manje eyaziwa ngokuthi eyesiBili KwabaseKorinte, ngemva nje kwencwadi yokuqala, kakade izinto zase zingcono kuleli bandla. Umsebenzi oqhubekayo wesineke wabazalwane abanjengo-Akhayiku, uFortunatu, noStefana, kanye nokuhambela kukaThithu, kwakube nemiphumela emihle.—2 Korinte 7:8-15; qhathanisa nezEnzo 16:4, 5.
Amalungu amabandla abantu bakaJehova osuku lwanamuhla angazuza ngokuzindla ngalokho okushiwo kafushane emiBhalweni ngalamadoda akholekile. Ngokwesibonelo, ake sithi isimo esithile esiqhubekayo ebandleni lakini asixazululeki ngokushesha ngenxa yesizathu esithile futhi sibangela ukukhathazeka kubazalwane. Yini okufanele yenziwe? Lingisa uStefana, uFortunatu, no-Akhayiku, abangazange bawubalekele umthwalo wabo wemfanelo wokwazisa uPawulu ngesimo bese ngethemba ushiyela izindaba ezandleni zikaJehova. Ukushisekela ukulunga akuzange nakancane kubenze bazithathele bona ngokwabo isinyathelo noma ‘bathukuthelele uJehova.’—IzAga 19:3.
Amabandla ngakaJesu Kristu, futhi ngesikhathi sakhe esifanele, njengaseKorinte, uyothatha isinyathelo ukuze axazulule noma iziphi izinkinga ezingase zisongele inhlalakahle yawo engokomoya nokuthula. (Efesu 1:22; IsAmbulo 1:12, 13, 20; 2:1-4) Okwamanje, uma silandela isibonelo esihle esabekwa uStefana, uFortunatu, no-Akhayiku futhi siqhubeka sishikashikeka ekukhonzeni abafowethu, nathi siyobe sisekela ilungiselelo lebandla ngokwethembeka, sakha abafowethu, futhi ‘sibavuselela othandweni nasemisebenzini emihle.’—Heberu 10:24, 25.