Vakaita Kuda kwaJehovha
Pauro Anokunda Matambudziko
PAURO agumirwa. Iye nevamwe 275 vari muchikepe chasangana nedambudziko reYurakuro—mhepo yakaipisisa yepaMediterranean. Dutu racho rakaipa zvikuru zvokuti zuva harigoni kuoneka masikati, kana nyeredzi usiku. Zvinonzwisisika kuti, vakatakurwa vakabatira ura mumaoko. Asi, Pauro anovanyaradza nokuvataurira zvaakanga aziviswa naMwari muchiroto: “Hakuna ungarashikirwa noupenyu hwake pakati penyu, asi chikepe bedzi.”—Mabasa 27:14, 20-22.
Pausiku hwechi14 hwedutu racho, vafambisi vechikepe vacho vanoshamisika kuziva chimwe chinhu—mvura yakangodzika mafadhomi 20 chete.a Vafamba chinhambwe, vanoyerazve. Panguva ino, mvura yakadzika mafadhomi 15. Vava pedyo nenyika! Asi mashoko akanaka aya anoita kuti vanhu vatye. Zvachiri kutorwa-torwa mumvura isina kudzika usiku, chikepe chingarovera pamabwe chobva chaparara. Nokuchenjera, vafambisi vechikepe vacho vanokanda zvimiso. Vamwe vavo vanoda kudzikisa kagwa ndokukakwira, vachiedza kupukunyuka pagungwa.b Asi Pauro anovamisa. Anoudza mukuru weuto nevarwi kuti: “Hamungararami kana ava vasingagari muchikepe.” Mukuru wacho anoteerera Pauro, uye zvino vose 276 vakatakurwa vanomirira mambakwedza vachidisa.—Mabasa 27:27-32.
Vakaputsikirwa Nechikepe
Mangwanani akatevera acho, vakatakurwa nechikepe vanoona imwe nzvimbo ine jecha. Vava netariro itsva, vafambisi vechikepe vanocheka zvinomisa ndokusimudza seiri repamberi kuti ritarise kumhepo. Chikepe chinotanga kufamba chakananga kumhenderekedzo—pasina mubvunzo pane kudanidzira kwomufaro.—Mabasa 27:39, 40.
Zvisinei, pakarepo, chikepe chabatwa pamurwi wejecha uri mugungwa. Zvakatoipisisa, mafungu akaipa anorova kumashure kwechikepe chacho, achikutyora-tyora. Vose vakatakurwa vanofanira kubuda muchikepe! (Mabasa 27:41) Asi izvi zvinoparira dambudziko. Vakawanda vari muchikepe—kubatanidza Pauro—vasungwa. Pamutemo weRoma, murindi anobvumira musungwa wake kutiza anofanira kupiwa chirango chaida kupiwa musungwa wake. Somuenzaniso, kana mhondi ikatiza, murindiri anoregeredza aifanira kuripa noupenyu hwake.
Vachitya izvozvo, varwi vanotsunga kuti vasungwa vose vaurayiwe. Zvisinei, mukuru weuto, ane ushamwari naPauro, anopindira. Anorayira kuti vose vanogona vasvetukire mumvura voshambira vachienda kunyika. Avo vasingagoni kushambira vanofanira kubatirira pamapango kana zvimwe zvinhu zvabva pachikepe. Vanga vakatakurwa nechikepe chaparara vanoshambira mumwe mumwe zvishoma nezvishoma vachienda kumhenderekedzo. Maererano nemashoko aPauro, hapana munhu mumwe afa!—Mabasa 27:42-44.
Chishamiso paMerita
Boka raneta rawana pokupotera pachitsuwa chinonzi Merita. Vagari vepo ‘vanhu vanotaura mutauro usiri wavo,’ chaizvoizvo “vaitaura mutauro wokumwe” (chiGiriki, barʹba·ros).c Asi vanhu veMerita havana utsinye. Zvakapesana neizvozvo, Ruka, aifamba naPauro, anoshuma kuti “vakatiitira unyoro kwazvo; nokuti vakabatidza moto, vakatigamuchira tose, nokuda kwemvura yakanga ichinaya, uye nokuda kwechando.” Pauro pachake anokumbanira vagari vepaMerita pakuunganidza nokuisa tsotso pamoto.—Mabasa 28:1-3, mashoko omuzasi.
Pakarepo, nyoka inozvimonera paruoko rwaPauro! Vagari vepachitsuwa vanofungidzira kuti Pauro anofanira kuva mhondi. Zvimwe vanofunga kuti Mwari anoranga vatadzi nokurova nhengo yomuviri wavo yaishandiswa kuita chivi. Asi tarira! Zvinotoita kuti vagari vepo vacho vashamiswe, Pauro anozunzira nyoka yacho mumoto. Nhoroondo yaRuka yezvaakaona inoti, “ivo vakati uchazvimba, kana kuwira pasi pakarepo, akafa.” Vagari vepachitsuwa vanochinja mafungiro avo votanga kuti Pauro anofanira kuva mwari.—Mabasa 28:3-6.
Pauro anopedza mwedzi mitatu inotevera ari kuMerita, panguva yaanorapa baba vaPubrio, mukuru wechitsuwa chacho, akagamuchira Pauro nomutsa, nevamwe vanorwara. Uyezve, Pauro anodyara mbeu dzechokwadi, zvichiguma nezvikomborero zvakawanda kune vagari vokuMerita vane mutsa.—Mabasa 28:7-11.
Zvatinodzidza
Paaiita ushumiri hwake, Pauro akatarisana nematambudziko akawanda. (2 VaKorinte 11:23-27) Munhoroondo iri pamusoro apa, akanga akasungirwa mashoko akanaka. Saka, aifanira kutarisana nemiedzo yakanga isingatarisirwi: dutu rinotyisa nokuzoputsika kwechikepe kwakazoitika. Muzvose izvozvi, Pauro haana kumbotsuguduka pakutsunga kwake kuti ave muparidzi wemashoko akanaka anoshingaira. Kubva pane zvaaiziva, akanyora kuti: “Pazvinhu zvose ndakadzidziswa kuti ndizive kuguta nokunzwa nzara, kuva nezvizhinji nokushayiwa. Ndingaita zvose naiye unondipa simba.”—VaFiripi 4:12, 13.
Matambudziko oupenyu ngaasambonetese kutsunga kwedu kuti tive vashumiri vaMwari wechokwadi vanoshingaira! Muedzo usingatarisirwi paunomuka, tinokandira mutoro wedu pana Jehovha. (Pisarema 55:22) Ipapo, tinomirira nokushivirira kuti tione kuti anoita sei kuti tikwanise kutsungirira muedzo wacho. Panguva ino, tinoramba tichimunamata takatendeka, tichivimba kuti ane hanya nesu. (1 VaKorinte 10:13; 1 Petro 5:7) Nokuramba takasimba, chauya chauya, isu—kufanana naPauro—tinogona kukunda matambudziko.
[Mashoko Omuzasi]
a Fadhomi rinowanzooneka semakubiti mana, kana kuti mamita anenge 1,8.
b Kagwa kachikepe kaduku kaishandiswa kuenda kumhenderekedzo chikepe pachainge chakamiswa pedyo nemahombekombe. Zviri pachena kuti vafambisi vechikepe vakanga vachiedza kuponesa upenyu hwavo pachavo nepo vasina basa noupenyu hwevaizosara, vakanga vasina unyanzvi hwokufambisa chikepe.
c Word Origins raWilfred Funk rinoti: “VaGiriki vaiseka mitauro yakanga isiri yavo, uye vaiti yainzwika se‘bar-bar’ uye vakadana ani nani aiitaura kuti barbaros.”