Qhubeka Ngokoxunele Umvuzo!
Iimbalasane ZeyabaseFilipi
UMPOSTILE uPawulos wayefuna ukuba amaKristu aseFilipi ahlale eqhubeka ngokwabaxunele umvuzo wobomi obungunaphakade. Ngenxa yoko wawabhalela malunga nowama-60 okanye owama-61 C.E., ebudeni bokuvalelwa kwakhe entolongweni okokuqala eRoma. Incwadi yakhe yathunyelwa kwibandla awayelimisele kwiminyaka enokuba lishumi ngaphambilana kwelaseFilipi, isixeko esasekwa nguPhilip waseMakedoni (uyise ka-Alesandire Omkhulu). Ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ‘yayisisixeko esiyintloko kummandla waseMakedoni,’ ngoku oyinxalenye yomntla Grisi nomzantsi Yugoslavia.—IZenzo 16:11, 12, NW.
Amakholwa aseFilipi ayengamahlwempu kodwa enobubele. Ngaphezu kwesihlandlo esinye, ayethumele okuthile ukuze ahlangabezane neentswelo zikaPawulos. (Filipi 4:14-17) Kodwa incwadi yakhe yayingeyoncwadi nje yombulelo. Yakwanikela nokhuthazo, yavakalisa uthando, yanikela nesiluleko.
Iimpawu ZamaKristu Ziyabonakala
Incwadi kaPawulos iqalisa ngobungqina bothando lwakhe ngamakholwa aseFilipi. (1:1-30) Wambulela uYehova ngegalelo lawo ekuhanjiselweni phambili kweendaba ezilungileyo waza wathandazela ukuba uthando lwawo lwande. UPawulos wayevuya kuba ukubanjwa kwakhe kwawabangela ukuba abonakalise ‘ubuganga bokulithetha ilizwi, engenakoyika.’ Wayenqwenela ukuba noKristu kodwa wayevakalelwa kukuba wayesenokuqhubeka ewalungiselela. UPawulos wayekwafuna ukuba aqhubeke ‘esilwela inkolo yeendaba ezilungileyo.’
Ngokulandelayo wanikela isiluleko esingesimo sengqondo nehambo. (2:1-30) AbaseFilipi bakhuthazwa ukuba babonakalise umdla wobuqu kwabanye nokuba babonakalise ukululama okufana nokukaKristu. ‘Babebonakala benjengezikhanyiso ehlabathini’ yaye babongozwa ukuba baqhubeke ‘bebambelele elizwini lobomi.’ UPawulos wayenethemba lokubathumelela uTimoti yaye wayeqinisekile ukuba naye ngokwakhe wayeya kuza kwakamsinya. Ukuze abaqinisekise ngoEpafrodito, owayegule kakhulu, uPawulos wayebathumelela lo mkhonzi unyanisekileyo.
Qhubeka Uxunele Umvuzo
Ngokulandelayo lo mpostile wababonisa abaseFilipi lowo babemele bathembele kuye njengoko bexunele emvuzweni. (3:1-21) Babefanele bathembele kuYesu Kristu, kungekhona enyameni okanye kulwaluko njengoko abathile babesenza. UPawulos wazigqala iziqinisekiso zakhe zokwenyama njengeziyinkunkuma ngenxa “yokongama kokumazi uKristu.” Umpostile ‘wayephuthuma ngokoxunele umvuzo wobizo lwaphezulu lukaThixo ngoKristu Yesu’ waza wabakhuthaza abaseFilipi ukuba babe nesimo sengqondo esifanayo.
Ukusebenzisa isiluleko sokugqibela sikaPawulos kwakuya kubanceda abaseFilipi ukuba bahlale benombono womvuzo. (4:1-23) Wababongoza ukuba balahlele amaxhala abo kuThixo ngomthandazo baze bazalise iingqondo zabo ngeengcinga ezakhayo. Kwakhona uPawulos wabancoma ngobubele babo waza waqukumbela ngemibuliso nomnqweno wokuba ubabalo lweNkosi uYesu Kristu lube nomoya ababewubonakalisa.
Incwadi kaPawulos eya kwabaseFilipi ikhuthaza ububele, uthando nokululama. Ikhuthaza ukuba nentembelo kuKristu nomthandazo osuka entliziyweni kuThixo. Yaye amazwi kaPawulos ngokuqinisekileyo ayawanceda amaNgqina kaYehova ukuba aqhubeke exunele emvuzweni wobomi obungunaphakade.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
Ukuxunela Umvuzo: UPawulos wabhala oku: “Ndizilibala izinto ezisemva, ndisolulela kweziphambili, ndiphuthume ngokoxunele umvuzo wobizo lwaphezulu lukaThixo kuKristu Yesu.” (Filipi 3:13, 14) Lo mpostile wayezibhokoxa ngokothile oselugqatsweni. Wayengachithi xesha namgudu ekhangela emva kodwa wayexunele emvuzweni wakhe—njengembaleki ezabalazela ukugqiba ugqatso. KuPawulos nakwamanye amaKristu athanjisiweyo, umvuzo wawububomi basezulwini ngovuko emva kokugqiba ikhondo lasemhlabeni lokuthembeka kuThixo. Enoba amathemba ethu ngawasezulwini okanye emhlabeni, masigcine ingqibelelo kuYehova size sixunele emvuzweni njengamaNgqina akhe.—2 Timoti 4:7.