UEpafrodito—Umthunywa WabaseFilipi

UPAWULOS wababhalela oku abaseFilipi: “Mamkeleni ngokwesiko laseNkosini ngovuyo lonke; yaye hlalani nibaphatha ngembeko abantu abalolo hlobo.” Alithandabuzeki elokuba besiya kuvuya ukuba umveleli ongumKristu ebenokuthetha amazwi amnandi ngolo hlobo ngathi. (Filipi 2:29) Kodwa wayethetha ngabani uPawulos? Yaye yintoni le yayenziwe ngulo mntu eyayimenza afanelekele ukunconywa ngokufudumele ngolo hlobo?

Impendulo kumbuzo wokuqala ithi yayinguEpafrodito. Ukuze siphendule umbuzo wesibini, makhe siqwalasele ezinye zezinto ezashukumisela uPawulos ukuba abhale la mazwi.

Malunga nowama-58 C.E., abaseFilipi beva ukuba uPawulos warhuqelwa ngaphandle kwetempile waza wabethwa lihlokondiba elikhohlakeleyo eYerusalem, wabanjwa ngabasemagunyeni, yaye, emva kokuba bengakwazanga kufikelela kwisigqibo esithile ngaye, wasiwa eRoma ekhonkxiwe. (IZenzo 21:27-33; 24:27; 27:1) Benexhala ngempilo-ntle yakhe, bamele ukuba babezibuza ukuba babenokumenzela ntoni na. Babengamahlwempu yaye uPawulos ekude kubo, ngoko uncedo ababenokulunikela lwaluluncinane. Sekunjalo, uthando olwashukumisela abaseFilipi ukuba bamxhase kubulungiseleli bakhe kwixesha elidlulileyo lwalusabashukumisa; lwalude lwangaphezulu, ekubeni wayejamelene nemeko enzima ngakumbi.—2 Korinte 8:1-4; Filipi 4:16.

AbaseFilipi basenokuba bacinga ngokuthumela omnye wabo ukuba atyelele uPawulos amphathele isipho aze amncede kuyo nantoni na ayifunayo. Kodwa yayiluhambo olude nolunzima, ibe ukumnceda kwakusenokuba yingozi! UJoachim Gnilka uthi: “Kwakufuneka inkalipho ukuze utyelele ibanjwa, ngokukodwa, elalenze ‘isenzo solwaphulo-mthetho’ esasingaqondakali.” Umbhali uBrian Rapske uthi: “Kwakuyingozi ukusuka unxulumane ngokusondeleyo okanye ube novelwano ngebanjwa okanye iimbono zalo. . . . Ukuphazama nje uthethe okanye wenze into ethile kwakunokubangela ukuba kubulawe ibanjwa kunye nomncedi walo.” Babenokuthuma bani abaseFilipi?

Sinokukuthelekelela ukuba uhambo olunjalo lwalunokubangela ixhala nokungaqiniseki, kodwa uEpafrodito (kungekhona Epafra waseKolose) wayekulungele ukuphumeza olo thumo lunzima. Ngokusuka kwigama lakhe, elinegama lika-Afrodite, kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayengoweeNtlanga owaguqukela kubuKristu—unyana wabazali ababenqula uthixokazi wothando nenzala wamaGrike. Xa uPawulos wabhalela abaseFilipi ebabulela ngezipho zabo, wamchaza kakuhle uEpafrodito ngokuthi “ngumthunywa wenu nesicaka seemfuno zam zobuqu.”—Filipi 2:25.

Ngokusuka koko iBhayibhile ikutshoyo ngoEpafrodito, siyaqonda ukuba phezu kwako nje ukuzincama kwakhe okuncomekayo ukuze ancede uPawulos nebandla lakowabo, uEpafrodito wayeneengxaki ezifanayo nezo sisenokuba nazo. Makhe sihlolisise umzekelo wakhe.

‘Isicaka Seemfuno Zam Zobuqu’

Asizazi iinkcukacha, kodwa sinokuqiniseka ukuba uEpafrodito wafika eRoma ediniwe emva kohambo lwakhe. Mhlawumbi wayehambe ngeVia Egnatia, indlela yamaRoma eyayinqumla eMakedoniya. Usenokuba wawela iAdriatic waza waya kutsho kwincam emile ‘okwesithende’ yeItali waza wenyuka ngeAppian Way ukuya eRoma. Yayiluhambo olunzima (oluziikhilomitha ezili-1 200 ukuya kuphela) olusenokuba lwathabatha ixesha elingaphezu kwenyanga.—Bona ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29.

Wayenasiphi isimo sengqondo uEpafrodito xa wayeqalisa eli phulo? Wayethunywe ukuba abe ‘sisicaka sobuqu,’ okanye ilei·tour·giʹa, kaPawulos. (Filipi 2:30) Kuqala eli gama lesiGrike lalibhekiswa kumsebenzi owawusenzelwa uRhulumente ngokuzithandela ngummi othile. Kamva, lathetha uhlobo oluthile lwenkonzo enyanzelwayo eyayifunwa nguRhulumente kubemi ababeyifanelekela ngokukhethekileyo. Ethetha ngokusetyenziswa kwelo gama kwiZibhalo zesiGrike, omnye umphengululi wathi: “UmKristu ngumntu osebenzela uThixo nabantu, okokuqala, ngenxa yokuba efuna, ngentliziyo yakhe iphela, yaye okwesibini, ngenxa yokuba eshukunyiselwa ukuba enjenjalo, kuba uthando lukaKristu lumnyanzela ukuba akwenze oko.” Ewe, esinjani ukuba sihle isimo sengqondo esabonakaliswa nguEpafrodito!

‘Wawuchanaba Engozini Umphefumlo Wakhe’

Esebenzisa igama elibolekwe kulwimi lwabangcakazi, uPawulos uthi uEpafrodito ‘wawuchanaba [pa·ra·bo·leu·saʹme·nos] engozini umphefumlo wakhe,’ okanye ngokoqobo, “wangcakaza” ngobomi bakhe ngenxa yenkonzo kaKristu. (Filipi 2:30) Asimele sicinge ukuba uEpafrodito wenza ubudenge obuthile; kunoko, ukuze azalisekise inkonzo yakhe engcwele kwafuneka ajamelane nengozi ethile. Ngaba mhlawumbi wazama ukuphumeza uthumo lwakhe lokunikela uncedo ngexesha elibi lonyaka? Ngaba wazingisa ezama ukulugqibezela nangona wafikelwa kukugula ebudeni bolo hambo? Enoba kuyintoni na, uEpafrodito “wagula phantse ukusa kwinqanaba lokufa.” Mhlawumbi wayefanele ahlale noPawulos ukuze amkhonze, ngoko kubonakala ukuba lo mpostile wayefuna ukungxengxeza ngokubuya kwakhe ngaphambi kwexesha.—Filipi 2:27.

Sekunjalo, uEpafrodito wayengumntu okhaliphileyo owayekulungele ukuzibeka engozini ngokungazingciyo ukuze ancede abo basweleyo.

Sisenokuzibuza, ‘Ndinokuzibhokoxa ukusa kuwuphi umlinganiselo ekuncedeni abazalwana bam bokomoya abakwiimeko ezinzima?’ AmaKristu amele awubonakalise loo moya wokuzincama. UYesu wathi: “Ndininika umyalelo omtsha, wokuba nithandane; kanye njengoko ndinithandileyo mna, ukuba kwanani nithandane.” (Yohane 13:34) UEpafrodito wayiphumeza inkonzo yakhe “phantse ukusa kwinqanaba lokufa.” Ngoko ke, uEpafrodito wayengumzekelo womntu ‘owayenesimo sengqondo’ esakhuthazwa nguPawulos kwabaseFilipi. (Filipi 2:5, 8, 30) Ngaba sikulungele ukukwenza oko?

Sekunjalo, uEpafrodito wadandatheka. Kwakutheni?

Ukudandatheka Kwakhe

Khawuzibeke kwimeko kaEpafrodito. UPawulos wabhala: ‘Ulangazelela ukunibona nonke kwaye udandathekile ngenxa yokuba nevayo ukuba wayegula.’ (Filipi 2:26) UEpafrodito wayesazi ukuba abazalwana bebandla lakhe babesazi ukuba wayegula nokuba akazange akwazi ukumnceda uPawulos ngendlela ababefuna ngayo. Enyanisweni, kwakusenokubonakala ngathi uEpafrodito wayemxhalabisa ngakumbi uPawulos. Ngaba mhlawumbi kwafuneka ugqirha uLuka, owayesebenza noPawulos, ayeke eminye imicimbi ukuze anyamekele uEpafrodito?—Filipi 2:27, 28; Kolose 4:14.

Kunokwenzeka ukuba ngenxa yale meko, uEpafrodito wadandatheka. Mhlawumbi wayecinga ukuba abazalwana bebandla lakhe babemgqala njengongafanelekiyo. Mhlawumbi wayeziva enetyala ibe ‘elangazelela’ ukubabona ukuze abaqinisekise ngokuthembeka kwakhe. UPawulos wasebenzisa igama elinamandla kakhulu lesiGrike elithi a·de·mo·neʹo, elithetha “ukudandatheka,” xa wayechaza imeko kaEpafrodito. Ngokutsho komphengululi uJ. B. Lightfoot, eli gama linokubonisa “imo yokudideka, ukungonwabi, nokuphazamiseka, okubangelwa kukungaziva mnandi, okanye ukuxinezeleka ngokwasengqondweni, okunjengentlungu, usizi, ukuphoxeka, njl.” Ekuphela kwendawo eyenye elisetyenziswa kuyo eli gama kwiZibhalo zesiGrike kuxa kuthethwa ngokubandezeleka kukaYesu kumyezo waseGetsemane.—Mateyu 26:37.

UPawulos wagqiba kwelokuba eyona nto ibhetele yayikukuthumela uEpafrodito kwabaseFilipi enencwadi ecacisa ukubuya komthunywa wabo engalindelwanga. Xa wayesithi, “ndikugqala kuyimfuneko ukunithumelela uEpafrodito,” uPawulos wayebonisa ukuba nguye owayebangele ukuba abuye, ngaloo ndlela ephelisa nawaphi na amathandabuzo okuba uEpafrodito wayesilele. (Filipi 2:25) Ngokuchaseneyo noko, uEpafrodito wayephantse waphulukana nobomi bakhe ephumeza uthumo lwakhe! UPawulos ubakhuthaza ngokufudumeleyo ukuba ‘bamamkele ngokwesiko laseNkosini ngovuyo lonke; yaye bahlale bebaphatha ngembeko abantu abalolo hlobo, kuba ngenxa yomsebenzi weNkosi wasondela gqitha ekufeni, ewuchanaba engozini umphefumlo wakhe, khon’ ukuze akwenzelele ngokuzeleyo ukungabikho kwabo apho ukuze banikele inkonzo yobuqu kuye.’—Filipi 2:29, 30.

“Hlalani Nibaphatha Ngembeko Abantu Abalolo Hlobo”

Amadoda nabafazi abanesimo sengqondo esifanayo nesikaEpafrodito bamele baxatyiswe ngokwenene. Bayazincama ukuze bakhonze. Khawucinge ngabo baye bazinikela ukuze bakhonze kude nekhaya njengabavangeli basemazweni, abaveleli abahambahambayo, okanye kwenye yeeofisi zamasebe eWatch Tower Society. Ukuba ngoku ukwaluphala okanye impilo enkenenkene ziyabathintela abanye ekwenzeni oko babekhe bakwenza, bafanelwe yintlonelo nokuxatyiswa ngenxa yeminyaka abayichithe bekhonza ngokuthembeka.

Noko ke, isifo esenza ubani abe ngumlwelwe sinokubangela ukudandatheka okanye azive enetyala. Ubani unokufuna ukwenza okungakumbi. Hayi indlela okucaphukisa ngayo! Nabani na ozifumana ekuloo meko unokufunda okuthile kuEpafrodito. Ngapha koko, ngaba yayilityala lakhe ukuba agule? Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo! (Genesis 3:17-19; Roma 5:12) UEpafrodito wayefuna ukukhonza uThixo nabazalwana bakhe, kodwa ukugula kwamenza akakwazi ukukwenza ngokuzeleyo oko.

UPawulos akazange amluleke uEpafrodito ngenxa yokunxunguphala kwakhe kodwa waxelela abaseFilipi basondele kuye. Ngokufanayo, nathi sifanele sibathuthuzele abazalwana bethu xa bedakumbile. Ngokuqhelekileyo sinokubancoma ngenkonzo yabo engumzekelo wokuthembeka. Isibakala sokuba uPawulos wamxabisa uEpafrodito, emncoma, simele ukuba samthuthuzela, sathomalalisa ukudandatheka kwakhe. Nathi sinokuqiniseka ukuba ‘uThixo akanantswela-bulungisa ukuba awulibale umsebenzi wethu nothando esilubonisayo ngegama lakhe, ngokuthi sibalungiselele abangcwele size siqhubeke sibalungiselela.’—Hebhere 6:10.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Ubunzima Bolo Hambo

Kule mihla uhambo oluphakathi kwezixeko ezimbini ezibalulekileyo zaseYurophu, olufanayo nolo lwaluthatyathwe nguEpafrodito, lusenokungabi nzima. Olu hambo lunokuba mnandi luze luthabathe iyure enye okanye ezimbini. Kwakuyinto eyahluke ngokupheleleyo ukuthabatha uhambo olunjalo ngenkulungwane yokuqala. Ngelo xesha, ukusuka kwenye indawo ukuya kwenye kwakunzima. Umntu ohamba ngeenyawo wayenokuhamba umgama ophakathi kweekhilomitha ezingama-30 nezingama-35 ngosuku, ngoxa ezibeka esichengeni kwimozulu engentle neengozi ezahlukahlukeneyo, ezaziquka ‘izihange.’—2 Korinte 11:26.

Kuthekani ngeendawo zokulalisa namanye amalungiselelo?

Umbhali-mbali uMichelangelo Cagiano de Azevedo uthi kwiindlela zaseRoma, “kwakukho iimansiones, iihotele ezinento yonke, zinoovimba, izitali nezindlu zokuhlala abasebenzi; phakathi kweemansiones ezimbini ezilandelelanayo, kwakukho iimutationes eziliqela, okanye iindawo zokuphumla, apho ubani wayenokutshintsha amahashe okanye iinqwelo aze afumane nezinye izinto zokuzixhasa.” Ezi ndawo zokonwabisa abahambi zazidume kakubi ekubeni ngokufuthi kwakusiya abantu abakumgangatho ophantsi ekuhlaleni. Ngaphandle kokukhuthuza abahambi, abanini zihotele ngokufuthi babesongezelela kwingeniso yabo ngenzuzo ababeyifumana ngokuqeshisa ngoonongogo. Imbongi ethile egxekayo yolwimi lwesiLatini uJuvenal yagqabaza ngelithi nabani na owayezifumana enyanzelekile ukuba ahlale kwindawo yokonwabisa abahambi enjalo wayesenokuzifumana “engqengqe ecaleni kwesigebenga, kukho abaqhubi bamaphenyane, amasela, nabaqhweshe ebukhobokeni, ecaleni kwabaxhomi nabenzi beebhokisi zomngcwabo . . . Kusetyenziswa indebe enye ngumntu wonke; akakho onebhedi yakhe yedwa, netafile eyahluliweyo kwezabanye.” Abanye ababhali bamandulo babekhalazela amanzi namagumbi amdaka, awayezala eme ngeembambo, engcolile, efumile yaye eneentakumba.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 27]

IRoma

[Umfanekiso]

Umhambi ngexesha lamaRoma

[Inkcazelo]

Map: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1995 Digital Wisdom, Inc.; Traveler: Da originale del Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma