Sila Munthu Wolimbikitsa Kwambiri

KUYAMBIRA kalekale m’mbiri yachikristu, ntchito ya oyang’anira oyendayenda okhulupirika inali yofunika polimbikitsa mipingo ya anthu a Mulungu ndiponso pofalitsa uthenga kufikira ku malekezero a dziko. Mmodzi mwa oyang’anira oyambirira kuikidwa anali Sila, mneneri komanso munthu wofunika kwambiri mu mpingo wa ku Yerusalemu. Anachita mbali yaikulu m’ntchito yolalikira ndipo anali m’modzi wa amishonale oyamba kulalikira gawo la Azungu. Kodi n’chiyani chinapangitsa Sila kukhala woyenerera kuchita zonsezi? Ndipo kodi ndi mikhalidwe yake iti imene tiyenera kuitsanzira?

Nkhani ya Mdulidwe

Pamene nkhani yogaŵanitsa ya mdulidwe inabuka m’ma 49 C.E., bungwe lolamulira ku Yerusalemu linafunika kutumiza malangizo kwa Akristu kuti nkhaniyi ithe. M’nkhani za Baibulo zimenezi, m’pamene Sila, wotchedwanso Silvano akutchulidwa. Ayenera kuti anali m’modzi wa anthu ogamula nkhani yemwenso anasankhidwa kukhala nthumwi ya “atumwi ndi akulu,” kuti akapereke zigamulo zawo kwa “abale a ku Antiokeya, ndi Suriya, ndi Kilikiya.” Sila, Yuda (Barsaba), Barnaba ndi Paulo, anapereka ku Antiokeya zomwe anatumidwa, mwachionekere ankasimba za msonkhano wa m’Yerusalemu, zimene anagamula, ndi zolembedwa m’kalatamo. Ndipo “anasangalatsa abale ndi mawu ambiri, nawalimbikitsa.” Chosangalatsa n’chakuti Akristu a m’Antiokeya “anakondwera.”​—Machitidwe 15:1-32.

Choncho Sila anachita mbali yaikulu pothetsa nkhani yaikuluyi. Komabe ntchito yake inali yovuta. Sanadziŵe mmene mpingo wa Antiokeya ukachitire ndi zimene zinagamulidwazo. Choncho, ntchitoyi “inafunika munthu wanzeru kwambiri komanso waluso kuti afotokoze zimene atumwi analemba m’kalatamo,” akutero wothirira ndemanga wina. Kusankhidwa kwa Sila kaamba ka ntchito yofuna chisamaliro chapadera imeneyi kumatiuza za mtundu wa munthu amene iye anali. Ayenera kuti anali kum’dalira kuti amapereka malangizo a bungwe lolamulira mokhulupirika. Ayeneranso kuti anali woyang’anira wanzeru wokhala ndi luso loyanjanitsa mpingo patati pakhale mkangano.

Ayenda ndi Paulo

Sizidziŵika ngati Sila anabwerera ku Yerusalemu atatha ntchitoyi. Mulimonse mmene zingakhalire, Paulo ndi Barnaba atakangana chifukwa cha Yohane Marko, Paulo anasankha Sila, amene panthaŵiyi anali ku Antiokeya, napita naye ulendo womwe Paulo anakonza wobwerera m’midzi yomwe analalikirako paulendo wake woyamba wa umishonale.​—Machitidwe 15:36-41.

Paulo anasankha Sila mwina chifukwa chakuti anali kuyamikira kwambiri ntchito yake kwa Akunja ndiponso chifukwa cha ulamuliro umene iye monga mneneri komanso nthumwi ya bungwe lolamulira, anali nawo popereka zigamulo zawo kwa okhulupirira a ku Suriya ndi Kilikiya. Zotsatirapo zake zinali zabwino kwambiri. Buku la Machitidwe limati: “Pamene anapita kupyola pamidzi, anapereka kwa iwo malamulo awasunge, amene analamulira atumwi ndi akulu a pa Yerusalemu. Kotero Mipingoyo inalimbikitsidwa m’chikhulupiriro, nachuluka m’chiŵerengero chawo tsiku ndi tsiku.”​—Machitidwe 16:4, 5.

Pamene amishonalewa anali kupitiriza ulendo wawo, mzimu woyera kwa maulendo awiri unawaletsa kupita komwe ankafuna. (Machitidwe 16:6, 7) Mkati mwa ulendowu Timoteo anaphatikizidwa pagulu lawolo, ku Lustra patapezeka “zonenera” zokhudza iye. (1 Timoteo 1:18; 4:14) M’masomphenya a Paulo, yemwenso anali ndi mphatso yolosera, anthu oyendera limodzi ameneŵa anauzidwa kuolokera ku Makedoniya, ku Europe.​—Machitidwe 16:9, 10.

Kumenyedwa ndi Kuikidwa m’Ndende

Ku Filipi, “mudzi . . . waukulu wa m’dzikomo,” Sila anakumana ndi mavuto opweteka ndi osaiŵalika. Paulo atatulutsa mzimu wambwebwe mwa namwali wina, ambuye a namwaliyo, poona kuti sadzipezanso ndalama, anagwira Paulo ndi Sila kumka nawo kwa oweruza. Kumeneko, anachitidwa chipongwe mwa kuwaonetsa poyera monga ochita zoipa, anang’ambiridwa malaya, ndipo anakwapulidwa pabwalo.​—Machitidwe 16:12, 16-22.

Kukwapulidwa kumeneku sikunali chilango chopweteka chabe, komanso chosapiririka, ndipo Paulo ndi Sila analandira chilango chosemphana ndi malamulo. Chifukwa? Malamulo a Roma analetsa kumenya nzika za Roma. Paulo anali nzika ya Roma, ndipo n’kutheka kuti Sila analinso nzika ya Roma. Pambuyo powamenya nakhala ndi “mikwingwirima yambiri,” Paulo ndi Sila anaikidwa m’ndende ndipo mapazi awo anamangidwa m’zigologolo. Zinali “zida zopweteka,” akufotokoza motero Gustav Stahlin, “miyendo ya akaidi ankaitambasula kwambiri zedi, moti sankapeza tulo.” Komabe pakati pa usiku, mosakayika zilonda zikupweteka kumsana kwawo, “Paulo ndi Sila analinkupemphera, naimbira Mulungu nyimbo.”​—Machitidwe 16:23-25.

Zimenezi zikutiuza zinanso za umunthu wa Sila. Ankasangalala kuvutika chifukwa cha dzina la Kristu. (Mateyu 5:11, 12; 24:9) Ndithudi ndi mzimu womwewunso womwe unapangitsa Sila ndi anzake kukhala okhoza kulimbikitsa ndi kulimbitsa mpingo, komanso kusangalatsa Akristu anzawo paulendo wawo woyamba wa ku Antiokeya. Chisangalalo cha Paulo ndi Sila chiyenera kuti chinawonjezeka pamene anatulutsidwa m’ndende mozizwitsa ndi chivomezi ndiponso pamene anathandiza mdindo yemwe ankafuna kudzipha ndi banja lake kukhulupirira Mulungu.​—Machitidwe 16:26-34.

Paulo ndi Sila sanaope kukwapulidwa kapena kuikidwa m’ndende. Pamene oweruza anawatumizira mawu kuti atulutsidwe m’ndendemo, anakana kutuluka m’Filipi mwam’seri, monga mmene oweruza anafunira. Anakanitsitsa kusintha maganizowa ndipo anapezeraponso mwayi woyankha oweruza odzikuza ndi oponderezawo. “Adatikwapula ife pamaso pa anthu, osamva mlandu wathu, ife amene tili Aroma, natiika m’ndende: ndipo tsopano kodi afuna kutitulutsira ife m’seri?” anafunsa motero Paulo. “Iyayi, ndithu; koma adze okha atitulutse.” Poopa zomwe zikanachitika, oweruza anakakamizika kupempha aŵiriwa kuchoka m’mudzimo.​—Machitidwe 16:35-39.

Choncho atadzidziŵikitsa kwa oweruza kuti anali Aroma, Paulo ndi Sila anamvera pempho la oweruzawo koma choyamba anakatsazikana ndi anzawo. Mogwirizana ndi chimene tsopano chinali chizoloŵezi chawo paulendo wonse wolalikira, Sila ndi mnzake ‘anawasangalatsanso’ abale namuka.​—Machitidwe 16:40.

Kuchoka ku Makedoniya Kupita ku Babulo

Paulo, Sila, ndi anzake mosalefuka ndi zokumana nazo zoipa, anapitirizabe umishonale kumagawo atsopano. Anakumananso ndi mavuto ku Tesalonika. Utumiki unam’yendera bwino Paulo masabata atatu. Chifukwa cha chimenechi otsutsa ansanje anayambitsa chiwawa, ndipo amishonalewo anachoka m’mudzimo usiku. Anapita ku Bereya. Otsutsa aja atamva za zimene Paulo ndi anzake akuchita m’mudziwo, anawalondola komweko kuchokera ku Tesalonika. Paulo anapitiriza yekha, pamene Sila ndi Timoteo anatsala ku Bereya kuti ayang’anire gulu la anthu okondwerera chatsopano. (Machitidwe 17:1-15) Sila ndi Timoteo anampeza Paulo ku Korinto atam’tengera uthenga wabwino mwinanso ndi mphatso yochokera kwa anzake okhulupirika a ku Makedoniya. Mphatsoyi mwina inasiyitsa mtumwi wosowayu ntchito yakuthupi, yomwe anali atayamba, n’kuyambanso ulaliki wanthaŵi yonse mwachangu. (Machitidwe 18:1-5; 2 Akorinto 11:9) Ku Korinto, Sila ndi Timoteo akutchulidwa kuti alaliki komanso anzake a Paulo. Choncho n’kwachidziŵikire kuti ntchito yawo inapitabe patsogolo m’mudzi umenewo.​—2 Akorinto 1:19.

Kugwiritsa ntchito mloŵam’malo “ti” m’makalata onse a kwa Tesalonika​—ochokera ku Korinto​—kwapangitsa kulingalira kuti mwina Sila ndi Timoteo anathandiza nawo kulemba. Komabe, zimene Petro ananena m’kalata yake ina n’zimene makamaka zapangitsa ena kuganiza kuti Sila anali ndi ntchito yolemba nawo makalata. Petro akuti analemba kalata yake ali ku Babulo “mwa Silvano, mbale wathu wokhulupirika.” (1 Petro 5:12, 13) Pamene kuli kwakuti zimenezi zingatanthauze kuti Silvano ndiye anakapereka kalatayo, kusiyana kwa makalata aŵiri a Petro m’kalembedwe kawo kukusonyeza kuti Sila ndiye analemba kalata yoyamba osati yachiŵiri. Choncho, kuphatikiza pa maluso ambiri ndi maudindo ateokalase amene Sila anali nawo, angakhale analinso mlembi.

Chitsanzo Choyenera Kutsatira

Pamene tilingalira zimene anachita Sila, mbiri yake n’njochititsa chidwi. N’chitsanzo chabwino kwambiri kwa amishonale ndi oyang’anira oyendayenda amakono. Mopanda dyera anayenda maulendo akutali kwambiri, akumawononga zinthu zake osati kuti apindule mwakuthupi, kapena kuti apeze ulemu, koma ndi cholinga chofuna kuthandiza ena. Cholinga chake chinali kuwalimbikitsa ndi uphungu wanzeru ndi woperekedwa mwaluso, komanso ndi nkhani zokonzedwa bwino ndi zosangalatsa, ndiponso ndi changu chake mu utumiki wakumunda. Kaya muli ndi ntchito yotani m’gulu la Yehova, ngati inunso muyesetsa kukhala wolimba​—ngakhale pamavuto​—mudzakhala munthu wolimbikitsa kwambiri kwa okhulupirira anzanu.

[Mapu patsamba 29]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

Ulendo Wachiŵiri wa Paulo wa Umishonale

Nyanja Yaikulu

Antiokeya

Derbe

Lustra

Ikoniyo

Trowa

Filipi

Amfipoli

Tesalonika

Bereya

Atene

Korinto

Efeso

Yerusalemu

Kaisareya

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

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