Barnaba​—“Mwana wa Chitonthozo”

NDI liti pamene munalandirapo chitonthozo kuchokera kwa bwenzi lanu? Kodi mukukumbukira pamene munachiperekapo kwa winawake? Nthaŵi ndi nthaŵi, tonsefe timafuna chilimbikitso, ndipo timawayamikira chotani nanga awo amene amachipereka mwachikondi! Kutonthoza kumafuna kukhala ndi nthaŵi yomvetsera, kumvetsa, ndi kuthandiza. Kodi ndinu wokonzekera kuchita zimenezo?

Munthu mmodzi amene anasonyeza kufunitsitsa kumeneku m’njira yopereka chitsanzo chabwino anali Barnaba, amene “anali munthu wabwino, ndi wodzala ndi Mzimu Woyera ndi chikhulupiriro.” (Machitidwe 11:24) Nchifukwa chiyani anatchula zimenezo ponena za Barnaba? Kodi anachitanji kuti amfotokoze motero?

Wothandiza Wooloŵa Manja

Dzina lake lapaukhanda linali Yosefe, koma atumwi anamutchanso dzina latanthauzo logwirizana kwambiri ndi umunthu wake​—Barnaba, kutanthauza “Mwana wa Chitonthozo.”a (Machitidwe 4:36, NW) Mpingo wachikristu unali utangopangidwa kumene. Ena amanena kuti Barnaba ayenera kuti poyamba anali mmodzi wa ophunzira a Yesu. (Luka 10:1, 2) Kaya zinalidi motero kapena si mmene zinalili, mwamunayu anali atadzipangira mbiri yabwino.

Mwamsanga pambuyo pa Pentekoste wa 33 C.E., Barnaba, amene anali Mlevi wa ku Kupro, anagulitsa munda wake modzifunira napereka ndalamazo kwa atumwi. Kodi anachitiranji zimenezo? Nkhaniyo m’buku la Machitidwe ikutiuza kuti pakati pa Akristu a ku Yerusalemu panthaŵiyo, “anagaŵira yense monga kusoŵa kwake.” Mwachionekere Barnaba anaona kuti panali kusoŵa kwinakwake, ndipo mwachikondi anachitapo kanthu. (Machitidwe 4:34-37) Mwinamwake anali munthu wachuma ndithu, koma sanazengereze kupereka chuma chake ndi kudzipereka iyemwini kaamba ka kupititsa patsogolo zinthu za Ufumu.b “Kulikonse kumene Barnaba anapeza anthu kapena mikhalidwe yofuna chilimbikitso, iye anapereka chilimbikitso chonse chimene anali wokhoza kuchipereka,” akutero katswiri wamaphunziro F. F. Bruce. Zimenezi nzoonekeratu pamene akuyamba kutchulidwanso kachiŵiri.

M’chaka cha 36 C.E., Saulo wa ku Tariso (amene anadzakhala mtumwi Paulo pambuyo pake), amene tsopano anali Mkristu, anali kuyesa kuonana ndi mpingo wa ku Yerusalemu, “[koma] anamuopa iye onse, osakhulupirira kuti ali wophunzira.” Kodi akanaukhutiritsa motani mpingowo kuti kutembenuka kwake kunali kwenikweni ndipo osati machenjera wamba ofuna kuupasuliratu? “Barnaba anamtenga, napita naye kwa atumwi.”​—Machitidwe 9:26, 27; Agalatiya 1:13, 18, 19.

Chifukwa chimene Barnaba anakhulupirira Saulo sichikutchulidwa. Mulimonse mmene zinalili, “Mwana wa Chitonthozo” anakhala monga mwa dzina lakelo mwa kumvetsera Saulo ndi kumthandiza kutuluka mumkhalidwe wooneka ngati wopandiratu chiyembekezo. Ngakhale kuti Saulo anabwerera kwawo ku Tariso, ubwenzi unayambika pakati pa amuna aŵiriwa. M’zaka zamtsogolo, ubwenziwo unali kudzakhala ndi zotsatirapo zofunika kwambiri.​—Machitidwe 9:30.

Ku Antiokeya

M’chaka cha 45 C.E., mbiri inafika ku Yerusalemu yonena za zochitika zachilendo ku Antiokeya wa Suriya​—anthu olankhula Chigiriki a mumzinda umenewo anali kukhala okhulupirira. Mpingo unatumiza Barnaba kukafufuza ndi kukalinganiza ntchito kumeneko. Anasankha munthu woyenerera kwambiri. Luka akuti: “Ameneyo, mmene anafika, naona chisomo cha Mulungu, anakondwa; ndipo anawadandaulira onse, kuti atsimikize mtima kukhalabe ndi Ambuye; chifukwa anali munthu wabwino, ndi wodzala ndi Mzimu Woyera ndi chikhulupiriro: ndipo khamu lalikulu lidawonjezeka kwa Ambuye.”​—Machitidwe 11:22-24.

Si zokhazo zimene anachita. Malinga ndi kunena kwa katswiri wamaphunziro Giuseppe Ricciotti, “Barnaba anali munthu wodziŵa kuyendetsa zinthu, ndipo nthaŵi yomweyo anaona kufunika kwa kuchitapo kanthu pofuna kutsimikizira kuti mmene maluŵa anasansuka choncho, padzakhalenso kututa zambiri. Choncho, chofunika chachikulu chinali antchito otuta.” Pokhala wochokera ku Kupro, Barnaba ayenera kuti anazoloŵera kuchita ndi Akunja. Mwina anadzimva kuti iye anali wokhoza bwino kulalikira kwa anthu akunja. Koma anali wokonzekera kuloŵetsamo ena m’ntchito yosangalatsa ndiponso yolimbikitsa imeneyi.

Barnaba anaganiza za Saulo. Ndithudi, Barnaba ayenera kuti anali kudziŵa za vumbulutso laulosi kwa Hananiya panthaŵi ya kutembenuka kwa Saulo, lonena kuti wozunza wakale ameneyo anali ‘chotengera chosankhika, chonyamula dzina la Yesu pamaso pa amitundu.’ (Machitidwe 9:15) Choncho, Barnaba ananyamuka kupita ku Tariso​—ulendo umodzi wa makilomita pafupifupi 200​—kukafunafuna Saulo. Aŵiriwa anagwirira ntchito pamodzi kwa chaka chonse, ndipo inali nthaŵiyi pamene “ophunzira anayamba kutchedwa Akristu ku Antiokeya.”​—Machitidwe 11:25, 26.

Mu ulamuliro wa Klaudiyo kunagwa njala yaikulu m’mbali zosiyanasiyana za Ufumu wa Roma. Malinga ndi kunena kwa wolemba mbiri wachiyuda Josephus, ku Yerusalemu “anthu ochuluka anafa posoŵa zinthu zofunikira kuti apeze chakudya.” Choncho ophunzira a ku Antiokeya “yense monga anakhoza, anatsimikiza mtima kutumiza zothandiza abale akukhala m’Yudeya; ichonso anachita, natumiza kwa akulu mwa dzanja la Barnaba ndi Saulo.” Atatsiriza kuchita ntchito imeneyo, aŵiriwo anabwerera ku Antiokeya ndi Yohane Marko, kumene anaŵerengeredwa pakati pa aneneri ndi aphunzitsi a mpingo.​—Machitidwe 11:29, 30; 12:25; 13:1.

Ntchito ya Umishonale Yapadera

Kenako chinthu chachilendo chinachitika. “Ndipo pakutumikira Ambuye iwowa, ndi kusala chakudya, Mzimu Woyera anati, Mundipatulire ine Barnaba ndi Saulo kuntchito imene ndinawaitanirako.” Tangolingalirani! Mzimu wa Yehova unalamula kuti aŵiriwo awapatse ntchito yapadera. “Pamenepo iwo, otumidwa ndi Mzimu Woyera, anatsikira ku Selukeya; ndipo pochokerapo anapita m’ngalawa ku Kupro.” Barnaba nayenso anayenerera kutchedwa mtumwi, kapena kuti munthu wotumidwa.​—Machitidwe 13:2, 4; 14:14.

Atayendayenda m’Kupro ndipo atatembenuza Sergio Paulo, chiŵanga cha Roma pachisumbucho, iwo anapitiriza ulendo wawo mpaka kukafika ku Perge, kugombe lakummwera kwa Asia Minor, kumene Yohane Marko anawasiya nabwerera ku Yerusalemu. (Machitidwe 13:13) Zikuoneka kuti mpaka pano Barnaba ndiye anali kutsogolera, mwinamwake pokhala wachidziŵitso kwambiri. Kuyambira pano kumka mtsogolo, ndi Saulo (tsopano wotchedwa Paulo) amene akutsogolera. (Yerekezerani ndi Machitidwe 13:7, 13, 16; 15:2.) Kodi Barnaba anakhumudwa ndi kusintha kumeneku? Ayi, iye anali Mkristu wokhwima amene anazindikira modzichepetsa kuti Yehova anali kugwiritsiranso ntchito mnzakeyo m’njira yamphamvu kwambiri. Kudzera mwa iwo, Yehova anafunabe kuti magawo enanso amve uthenga wabwino.

Kwenikweni, aŵiriwo asanaponyedwe kunja kwa Antiokeya ku Pisidiya, dera lonselo linamva za mawu a Mulungu kuchokera kwa Paulo ndi Barnaba, ndipo angapo anaulandira uthengawo. (Machitidwe 13:43, 48-52) Ku Ikoniyo, “khamu lalikulu la Ayuda ndi Ahelene anakhulupira.” Zimenezi zinasonkhezera Paulo ndi Barnaba kukhalako nthaŵi yaikulu kumeneko, ‘kunenetsa zolimba mtima mwa Ambuye, amene anawapatsa zizindikiro ndi zozizwa kuti zichitidwe ndi manja awo.’ Atamva kuti awapangira chiŵembu chowaponya miyala, aŵiriwo mwanzeru anathaŵa napitiriza ndi ntchito yawo ku Lukaoniya, Lustra, ndi Derbe. Mosasamala kanthu za zokumana nazo zoika moyo pachiswe ku Lustra, onse aŵiri Barnaba ndi Paulo anapitirizabe “[ku]limbikitsa mitima ya akuphunzira, nadandaulira iwo kuti akhalebe m’chikhulupiriro, ndi kuti tiyenera kuloŵa m’ufumu wa Mulungu ndi zisautso zambiri.”​—Machitidwe 14:1-7, 19-22.

Alaliki amphamvu aŵiri sanafune kuchita mantha. M’malo mwake, iwo anabwerera kukamangirira Akristu atsopano kumalo amene poyamba anakumana ndi chitsutso choopsa, mwachionekere kukathandiza amuna oyeneretsedwa kuti atsogolere m’mipingo yatsopano.

Nkhani ya Mdulidwe

Zaka pafupifupi 16 pambuyo pa Pentekoste wa 33 C.E., Barnaba anakhudzidwa pankhani yamdulidwe yomwe inasiya mbiri. “Anadza ena akutsika ku Yudeya [kubwera ku Antiokeya wa Suriya], nawaphunzitsa abale, nati, Mukapanda kudulidwa monga mwambo wa Mose, simungathe kupulumuka.” Barnaba ndi Paulo anadziŵa kuti zimenezo si zoona malinga ndi zimene iwo anaona, choncho anaitsutsa mfundoyo. M’malo motenga nkhaniyo m’mphamvu zawo, iwo anazindikira kuti limeneli linali funso loyenera kuyankhidwa kuti gulu lonse la abale lipindule. Choncho funso limenelo analipereka ku bungwe lolamulira ku Yerusalemu, kumene malipoti awo anathandiza kuthetsa nkhaniyo. Pambuyo pake, Paulo ndi Barnaba, onenedwa kukhala “okondedwa . . . amene anapereka moyo wawo chifukwa cha dzina la Yesu Kristu Ambuye wathu,” anali ena mwa awo amene anatumidwa kukafotokoza chosankhacho kwa abale a ku Antiokeya. Ataŵerenga kalata ya bungwe lolamulira ndiponso atapereka nkhani, mpingowo ‘unakondwera chifukwa cha chisangalatso [“chilimbikitso,” NW] chake’ ndipo ‘unalimbikitsidwa.’​—Machitidwe 15:1, 2, 4, 25-32.

“Kupsetsana Mtima”

Titaŵerenga nkhani zambiri zolimbikitsa ponena za iye, tingadzimve kuti sitingakwanitse kutsata chitsanzo cha Barnaba. Komabe, “Mwana wa Chitonthozo” anali wopanda ungwiro monga momwe tonsefe tilili. Pamene iyeyo ndi Paulo anali kulinganiza ulendo wachiŵiri waumishonale wokachezera mipingo, panabuka mkangano. Barnaba anali wotsimikiza mtima zotenga msuwani wake Yohane Marko, koma Paulo sizinamkomere zimenezo, chifukwa chakuti paulendo woyamba waumishonale, Yohane Marko anawasiya nabwerera. Panali “kupsetsana mtima, kotero kuti analekana wina ndi mnzake; ndipo Barnaba anatenga Marko, naloŵa m’ngalawa, namka ku Kupro” pamene “Paulo anasankha Sila, namuka” kwina.​—Machitidwe 15:36-40.

Zochititsa chisoni chotani nanga! Ngakhale zili choncho, chochitikachi chikutiuza kenakakenso ponena za umunthu wa Barnaba. “Monga mwa mkhalidwe wanthaŵi zonse wa Barnaba, iye anali wokonzekera kuyesa kukhulupiriranso Marko kachiŵiri,” akutero katswiri wina wamaphunziro. Monga momwe wolembayo akunenera, mwina “poti Barnaba anamdaliranso, zimenezo zinamthandiza kudzidalira ndipo chidaliro chakecho chinamsonkhezera kugwiranso ntchito modzipereka.” Monga momwe zinthu zinadzakhalira, chidaliro cha Barnaba chimenecho chinapinduladi, popeza nthaŵi inafika pamene ngakhale Paulo anavomereza kuti Marko anali wothandiza kwambiri mu utumiki wachikristu.​—2 Timoteo 4:11; yerekezerani ndi Akolose 4:10.

Chitsanzo cha Barnaba chingatisonkhezere kumakhala ndi nthaŵi yomvetsera, kumvetsa, ndi kulimbikitsa osweka mtima ndi kupereka thandizo logwira ntchito nthaŵi iliyonse pamene taona kuti likufunikira. Mbiri ya kufunitsitsa kwake kutumikira abale ake mofatsa ndiponso molimba mtima, limodzinso ndi zotsatirapo zake zabwino kwambiri, ili yolimbikitsa mwa iyo yokha. Ndi dalitso lalikulu chotani nanga kukhala ndi anthu monga Barnaba m’mipingo yathu lerolino!

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 23]

Barnaba “anali munthu wabwino, ndi wodzala ndi Mzimu Woyera ndi chikhulupiriro”