ULidiya—Umkhulekeli KaNkulunkulu Owayengenisa Izihambi

KUSUKELA endulo, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu weqiniso ziye zazenza zahluka ngomoya wazo wokungenisa izihambi. (Genesise 18:1-8; 19:1-3) Njengoba uchazwa ngokuthi “ukuthanda, noma ukuba nomusa ezihambini,” umoya wokungenisa izihambi osuka enhliziyweni eqotho uwuphawu lobuKristu beqiniso ngisho nanamuhla. Eqinisweni, uyimfuneko kubo bonke abafuna ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu ngendlela eyamukelekayo.—Heberu 13:2; 1 Petru 4:9.

Omunye umuntu owabonisa umoya wokungenisa izihambi ngendlela eyisibonelo kwakunguLidiya. ‘Wazicindezela’ izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu ezazihambele eFilipi ukuba zihlale kwakhe. (IzEnzo 16:15) Nakuba imiBhalo ingakhulumi kakhulu ngoLidiya, lokho okuncane ekushoyo ngaye kungasikhuthaza. Kanjani? Wayengubani uLidiya? Yini esiyaziyo ngaye?

“Umthengisi Wokunsomi”

ULidiya wayehlala eFilipi, umuzi oyinhloko waseMakedoniya. Nokho, wayengowaseThiyathira, umuzi wasendaweni yaseLidiya, entshonalanga ye-Asia Minor. Ngenxa yalokhu abanye basikisela ukuthi elithi “Lidiya” kwakuyigama eliyisifekethiso alethiwa eFilipi. Ngamanye amazwi, ‘wayengumLidiya,’ njengoba nje owesifazane uJesu Kristu afakaza kuye ayebizwa ngokuthi ‘owesifazane ongumSamariya.’ (Johane 4:9) ULidiya wayethengisa “okunsomi” (purple) noma izinto ezidaywe ngalombala. (IzEnzo 16:12, 14) Ukuthi eThiyathira naseFilipi kwakunabathaki bakadayi kufakazelwa imibhalo eqoshiwe evunjululwe abavubukuli. Kungenzeka ukuthi uLidiya wayethuthe ngenxa yomsebenzi wakhe, ukuze aqhubeke nebhizinisi lakhe noma ukuze azomelela inkampani yabadayi baseThiyathira.

Udayi onsomi wawutholakala ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. Obiza kakhulu wawukhishwa ezinhlotsheni ezithile zezilwane zasolwandle. Ngokwembongi yekhulu lokuqala yaseRoma uMartial, isembatho esinsomi esizidlula zonke saseTire (esinye isikhungo salomkhiqizo) sasingabiza ama-sesterce angu-10 000, noma odenariyu abangu-2 500, imali elingana nomholo wezinsuku ezingu-2 500. Kuyacaca ukuthi izembatho ezinjalo zaziyizinto zokunethezeka ezazifinyelelwa abambalwa kuphela. Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi uLidiya wayemi kahle ngokwezimali. Noma ngabe yikuphi, wakwazi ukubonisa umoya wokungenisa izihambi kumphostoli uPawulu nabangane bakhe—uLuka, noSila, noThimothewu, mhlawumbe nabanye.

Ukushumayela KukaPawulu EFilipi

Cishe ngonyaka ka-50 C.E., uPawulu walibangisa eYurophu ngokokuqala ngqá wabe eseqala ukushumayela eFilipi.a Lapho efika emzini omusha, uPawulu wayevame ukuhambela esinagogeni eyoshumayela kuqala kumaJuda namaproselithe ayebuthana lapho. (Qhathanisa nezEnzo 13:4, 5, 13, 14; 14:1.) Nokho, ngokwabathile, umthetho wamaRoma wawuwenqabela amaJuda ukuba aqhube inkolo yawo ‘endaweni engcwele’ yaseFilipi. Ngakho-ke, ngemva kokuchitha “izinsuku ezithile” zilapho, ngosuku lweSabatha lezi zithunywa zevangeli zathola indawo eseceleni komfula ngaphandle komuzi lapho ‘zazicabanga ukuthi kwakukhona khona indawo yokuthandaza.’ (IzEnzo 16:12, 13) Kubonakala sengathi lona kwakuwuMfula iGangites. Kuleyo ndawo lezi zithunywa zevangeli zafica abesifazane bodwa, omunye wabo kunguLidiya.

“Umkhulekeli KaNkulunkulu”

ULidiya ‘wayengumkhulekeli kaNkulunkulu,’ kodwa cishe wayengumproselithe eNkolweni YobuJuda owayefuna iqiniso elingokwenkolo. Nakuba ayenomsebenzi omuhle, uLidiya wayengenawo umoya wokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo. Kunalokho, wayebekela eceleni isikhathi sezinto ezingokomoya. “UJehova wayivula kakhulu inhliziyo yakhe ukuba anake izinto ezazikhulunywa uPawulu,” futhi uLidiya walamukela iqiniso. Eqinisweni, ‘yena nendlu yakhe babhapathizwa.’—IzEnzo 16:14, 15.

IBhayibheli aliwagaguli amanye amalungu endlu kaLidiya. Njengoba kungashiwo lutho ngomyeni, kungenzeka wayengashadile noma wayewumfelokazi. Mhlawumbe ‘indlu yakhe’ kwakuyizihlobo, kodwa lenkulumo ingasikisela nezigqila noma izinceku. Noma ngabe yikuphi, uLidiya wazihlanganyela ngentshiseko izinto ayezifundile nalabo ababehlala naye. Futhi yeka injabulo okumelwe ukuba waba nayo lapho bekholwa futhi bamukela ukholo lweqiniso!

“Wasicindezela Ukuba Sihambe Naye”

Ngaphambi kokuba zihlangane noLidiya, mhlawumbe lezi zithunywa zevangeli kwakudingeka zaneliswe indawo yokuhlala ezaziyikhokhela ngokwazo. Kodwa uLidiya wakujabulela ukukwazi ukuzinikeza enye indawo yokuhlala. Nokho, iqiniso lokuthi kwadingeka aphikelele lisikisela ukuthi uPawulu nabangane bakhe babenqaba ngandlela-thile. Ngani? UPawulu wayefuna ‘ukunikeza izindaba ezinhle ngaphandle kwenkokhiso, ukuze angalisebenzisi kabi igunya lakhe’ futhi angabi umthwalo kunoma ubani. (1 Korinte 9:18; 2 Korinte 12:14) Kodwa uLuka uyanezela: “Manje lapho yena nendlu yakhe bebhapathizwa, ngokuncenga wathi: ‘Uma nina madoda niye nangahlulela njengokholekile kuJehova, ngenani endlini yami nihlale.’ Futhi wasicindezela ukuba sihambe naye.” (IzEnzo 16:15) ULidiya wayekhathalela kakhulu ukukholeka kuJehova, futhi ngokusobala ukubonisa umoya wokungenisa izihambi kwakuwubufakazi bokholo lwakhe. (Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Petru 4:9.) Yeka isibonelo esihle! Ingabe nathi sisebenzisa izinto esinazo ukuze sithuthukise izithakazelo zezindaba ezinhle?

Abazalwane BaseFilipi

Lapho uPawulu noSila bekhululwa ejele ngemva kwesigigaba esasihilela intombazane eyisigqila eyayikhwelwe idemoni, babuyela ekhaya likaLidiya, lapho bathola khona abazalwane abathile. (IzEnzo 16:40) Kungenzeka ukuthi amakholwa ebandla laseFilipi elalisanda kumiswa ayesebenzisa ikhaya likaLidiya njengendawo yokuhlangana. Kunengqondo ukucabanga ukuthi ikhaya lakhe laqhubeka liyisikhungo somsebenzi ongokwasezulwini kulomuzi.

Umoya ofudumele wokungenisa izihambi owawuboniswe uLidiya ekuqaleni waba isici esivelele salo lonke ibandla. Naphezu kokuba mpofu kwabo, izikhathi eziningana abaseFilipi bathumelela uPawulu izinto ayezidinga, futhi lomphostoli wayebonga.—2 Korinte 8:1, 2; 11:9; Filipi 4:10, 15, 16.

Encwadini eyathunyelwa uPawulu kwabaseFilipi cishe ngo-60-61 C.E. akukhulunywa ngoLidiya. ImiBhalo ayivezi ukuthi kwenzekani kuye ngemva kwezenzakalo ezilandiswe kuzEnzo isahluko 16. Noma kunjalo, indawana ekhuluma ngalona wesifazane okhuthele isenza sifune ‘ukulandela inkambo yokungenisa izihambi.’ (Roma 12:13) Yeka indlela esibonga ngayo ngokuba namaKristu anjengoLidiya phakathi kwethu! Umoya wawo ufeza okukhulu ekwenzeni amabandla afudumale futhi abe nobungane, kube inkazimulo kuJehova uNkulunkulu.

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Ukuphila KwamaJuda EFilipi

Kumelwe ukuba kwakungelula ukuphila kumaJuda namaproselithe enkolo yobuJuda eFilipi. Kungenzeka ukuthi amaJuda ayenyamana-mbana, ngoba ngaphambi nje kokuhambela kukaPawulu, uMbusi uClaudius wayexoshe amaJuda eRoma.—Qhathanisa nezEnzo 18:2.

Ngokuphawulekayo, uPawulu noSila bahudulelwa phambi kwezimantshi ngemva kokwelapha intombazane eyisigqila eyayinomoya wokubhula. Abanikazi bayo, njengoba base bephucwe umthombo okhiqizayo wemali, basizakala ngobandlululo izakhamuzi zakubo ezazinalo bathi: “Lababantu baphazamisa umuzi wethu kakhulu, njengoba bona bengamaJuda, futhi bamemezela izinkambiso okungekhona okungokomthetho ukuba sizamukele noma sizenze, njengoba thina singamaRoma.” Ngenxa yalokho, uPawulu noSila bashaywa ngemishiza babe sebephonswa ejele. (IzEnzo 16:16-24) Kuleso simo, ukumkhulekela obala uJehova, uNkulunkulu wamaJuda, kwakudinga isibindi. Kodwa kusobala ukuthi kwakungamkhathazi uLidiya ukuhluka.

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Amanxiwa aseFilipi