“Bagqaleni Abantu Abalolo Hlobo”

IZINTO zazingahambi kakuhle kwibandla laseKorinte. Kwakuye kwakho isiganeko esothusayo sokuziphatha okubi, yaye kwakukho ukwahlulelana phakathi kwabazalwana. Bambi babeneengxaki ezinzulu zobuqu okanye benemibuzo ekwakufuneka iphendulwe. Bambi kubazalwana babemangalelana ezinkundleni; abanye babekhanyela nobukho bovuko.

Kwaphakama nemibuzo enzulu. Ngaba abo babekwiintsapho ezahlulelene ngonqulo babefanele bahlale namaqabane abo angakholwayo, okanye ngaba babefanele bahlukane nawo? Oodade babephumeza yiphi indima ebandleni? Ngaba kwakufanelekile ukudla inyama ebingelelwe kwizithixo? Iintlanganiso—kuquka iSidlo Sangokuhlwa SeNkosi—zazimele ziqhutywe njani?—1 Korinte 1:12; 5:1; 6:1; 7:1-3, 12, 13; 8:1; 11:18, 23-26; 14:26-35.

UAkhayiko, uFortunato noStefana bahamba besiya kutyelela umpostile uPawulos e-Efese, ngokuqinisekileyo bexhalabele impilo-ntle yabazalwana babo ababekuloo meko ingentle ngokomoya. Ukongezelela kwezo ndaba ziphazamisayo, kunokwenzeka ukuba uPawulos babemphathele incwadi eyayivela kwelo bandla iqulethe imibuzo ephathelele le mibandela. (1 Korinte 7:1; 16:17) Kuyacaca ukuba aba bazalwana bathathu yayingengabo bodwa ababexhalabile ngenxa yale meko. Enyanisweni, uPawulos wayesele ezivile iindaba “ngabo bendlu kaKlowe” zokuba kwakukho ukungavisisani phakathi kwamalungu ebandla. (1 Korinte 1:11) Alithandabuzeki elokuba ingxelo yabathunywa yamnceda uPawulos ukuze ayiqonde kakuhle imeko, acinge ngesiluleko aya kusinikela, nendlela yokuphendula imibuzo eyayibuzwa. Kubonakala ngathi incwadi ngoku esiyibiza ngokuthi yeyokuQala kwabaseKorinte yimpendulo kaPawulos, eyayiphefumlelwe ngumoya oyingcwele kaThixo. Isenokuba yayinguAkhayiko, uFortunato noStefana abayihambisayo le ncwadi.

Yayingubani uAkhayiko, uFortunato noStefana? Sinokufunda ntoni ngokufundisisa oko iZibhalo zikutshoyo ngabo?

Indlu KaStefana

Indlu kaStefana ‘yayiyintlahlela’ yobulungiseleli bukaPawulos kwiphondo laseRoma iAkhaya, elikuMzantsi weGrisi, malunga nomnyaka wama-50 C.E., ibe yabhaptizwa nguPawulos ngokwakhe. Kuyabonakala ukuba uPawulos wayeyigqala njengomzekelo, impembelelo eqolileyo yokomeleza abaseKorinte. Wayincoma ngokufudumeleyo ngenxa yomsebenzi eyayiwenzela ibandla: “Ke kaloku ndiyanibongoza, bazalwana: Niyazi ukuba indlu kaStefana yintlahlela kwelaseAkhaya nokuba bazibeka ukuba balungiselele abo bangcwele. Ngamana nani ningahlala nizithoba kubantu abalolo hlobo nakuye wonk’ ubani osebenzisanayo nobulalekayo.” (1 Korinte 1:16; 16:15, 16) Akuchazwanga ukuba kanye kanye yayingoobani ababeyila “indlu” kaStefana. Eli binzana linokubhekisela kumalungu entsapho kodwa kwakhona linokuquka amakhoboka okanye abasebenzi. Ekubeni uAkhayiko iligama lesiLatini elithetha ikhoboka eliqhelekileyo, yaye uFortunato ethetha indoda ekhululekileyo, bambi abaphengululi bacingela ukuba la madoda mabini mhlawumbi ayekwangamalungu ale ndlu.

Enoba kwakunjani na, uPawulos wayeyigqala indlu kaStefana njengengumzekelo. Amalungu ayo ‘azibeka ukuba alungiselele abo bangcwele.’ Intsapho kaStefana isenokuba yayisazi ukuba kwakukho umsebenzi owawumele wenzelwe ibandla yaza ngokuzithandela yayamkela le nkonzo njengembopheleleko yobuqu. Umnqweno wayo wokunikela inkonzo enjalo kwabangcwele ngokuqinisekileyo wawufanele uxhaswe yaye ugqalwe.

“Bawuhlaziyile Umoya Wam Nowenu”

Nangona uPawulos wayexhalabile ngenxa yemeko yaseKorinte, ukufika kwaba bathunywa bathathu kwamkhuthaza. UPawulos uthi: “Ndinemihlali ngenxa yobukho bukaStefana noFortunato noAkhayiko, ngenxa yokuba baye bakwenzelelela ukungabikho kwenu apha. Kuba bawuhlaziyile umoya wam nowenu.” (1 Korinte 16:17, 18) Xa siqwalasela iimeko, ukungabikho kukaPawulos phakathi kwabaseKorinte ngokuqinisekileyo kwakumxhalabisa, kodwa ngoku ubukho babameli balo kwakwenzelela ukungabikho kwebandla lonke. Ingxelo yabo ngokunokwenzeka yanika uPawulos inkcazelo epheleleyo yemeko yaza yaphelisa inxalenye yoloyiko lwakhe. Mhlawumbi izinto zazingekho mbi ngendlela awayecinga ngayo.

Ngokutsho kukaPawulos, uthumo lwala madoda mathathu aluzange luhlaziye umoya wakhe kuphela kodwa lwakhuthaza nomoya webandla laseKorinte. Ngokuqinisekileyo kwezisa isiqabu kulo ukwazi ukuba abameli balo babezicacise kakuhle zonke iinkcukacha zaloo meko kuPawulos yaye babeza kubuya namacebiso akhe.

Ngoko ke uStefana namaqabane akhe amabini banconywa ngokufudumeleyo ngokubulaleka kwabo ngenxa yabaseKorinte. Uxabiso lukaPawulos ngaloo madoda lwalulukhulu kangangokuba xa ayephindela emva ayefanele athabathe ukhokelo kwibandla laseKorinte elalahlulelene. Lo mpostile wabongoza abazalwana esithi: ‘Nihlale nizithoba kubantu abalolo hlobo nakuye wonk’ ubani osebenzisanayo nobulalekayo. . . . Ngoko ke bagqaleni abantu abalolo hlobo.’ (1 Korinte 16:16, 18) Ukunconywa okukhulu ngolo hlobo ngokucacileyo kubonisa ukunyaniseka ngokupheleleyo kwala madoda phezu kwazo nje iingxabano ezazikho ebandleni. Amadoda anjalo ayefanele axatyiswe.—Filipi 2:29.

Ukusebenzisana Ngokuthembeka Kuba Nemiphumo Emihle

Alithandabuzeki elokuba ukusebenzisana ngokusondeleyo nentlangano kaYehova nabameli bayo kuvelisa imiphumo emihle. Xa uPawulos wabhala incwadi, ngoku esiyibiza ngokuthi yeyesiBini kwabaseKorinte, emva nje kwencwadi yokuqala, imeko yayisele iphucuka kwelo bandla. Umsebenzi owawuqhubeka ngomonde wabazalwana abanjengoAkhayiko, uFortunato noStefana, kunye notyelelo lukaTito, wavelisa iziqhamo ezihle.—2 Korinte 7:8-15; thelekisa IZenzo 16:4, 5.

Amalungu amabandla ale mihla abantu bakaYehova anokungenelwa ngokucamngca ngokukhankanywa kwala madoda athembekileyo eZibhalweni. Ngokomzekelo, masithi kukho imeko eqhubeka kwibandla lasekuhlaleni engacombululeki ngokukhawuleza ngenxa yesizathu esithile yaye iyabaxhalabisa abazalwana. Yintoni efanele yenziwe? Xelisani uStefana, uFortunato noAkhayiko, abangazange bayibaleke imbopheleleko yabo yokuchazela uPawulos ngaloo meko nandule ke niwushiyele ezandleni zikaYehova ngentembelo loo mbandela. Ayizange nakancinane inzondelelo yabo ngobulungisa ibenze bawuthabathele ezandleni zabo umbandela okanye ‘bajalele uYehova.’—IMizekeliso 19:3.

Amabandla ngakaYesu Kristu, yaye ngexesha lakhe elifanelekileyo, njengaseKorinte, uya kuthabatha amanyathelo okucombulula naziphi na iingxaki ezinokusongela impilo-ntle yawo yokomoya noxolo. (Efese 1:22; ISityhilelo 1:12, 13, 20; 2:1-4) Okwangoku, ukuba silandela umzekelo omhle owamiselwa nguStefana, uFortunato noAkhayiko size siqhubeke sibulaleka ekukhonzeni abazalwana bethu, nathi siya kuba silixhasa ngokunyaniseka ilungiselelo lebandla, sisakha abazalwana bethu, yaye ‘sibavuselela eluthandweni nasemisebenzini emihle.’—Hebhere 10:24, 25.