UApolo—Umvakalisi Oliciko Wenyaniso YobuKristu
ENOBA bebengamalungu ebandla lobuKristu iminyaka emininzi okanye nje embalwa, bonke abavakalisi boBukumkani bafanele babe nomdla wokwenza inkqubela njengabashumayeli beendaba ezilungileyo. Oku kuquka ukwandisa ulwazi lwethu ngeLizwi likaThixo nobuchule bokulifundisa abanye. Kwabanye, kusenokuthetha ukujamelana nocelomngeni, ukoyisa ubunzima okanye ukuzenza bafumanekele umsebenzi owandisiweyo.
IBhayibhile inemizekelo eliqela yamadoda namabhinqa azinikeleyo amaxesha amandulo athi, ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo, aphumelela ukwenza inkqubela ephawulekayo yokomoya aza avuzwa ngemigudu yawo. Omnye wawo yayinguApolo. Xa iZibhalo zisichazela ngaye, zithi wayengumntu ongaziqondi ngokupheleleyo iimfundiso zobuKristu; noko ke, kwiminyaka nje embalwa kamva, usebenza njengommeli ohambahambayo webandla lenkulungwane yokuqala. Yintoni eyambangela ukuba enze inkqubela elolo hlobo? Wayeneempawu esiya kuba sonke ngabanye senza kakuhle ukuzixelisa.
“Wayezazi Kakuhle IZibhalo”
Malunga nonyaka wama-52 C.E., ngokutsho kombhali weBhayibhile uLuka, ‘wayengumYuda othile ogama linguApolo, inzalelwane yaseAleksandriya, indoda eliciko, owafika e-Efese; yaye wayezazi kakuhle iZibhalo. Lo mntu wayeyalelwe ngomlomo indlela kaYehova yaye, njengoko wayevutha ngumoya, wayehamba ethetha kwaye efundisa ngokuchanileyo izinto ezingoYesu, kodwa esazana nobhaptizo lukaYohane kuphela. Yaye lo mntu waqala ukuthetha ngokukhaliphileyo kwindlu yesikhungu.’—IZenzo 18:24-26.
IAleksandriya eseYiputa, yayisisixeko sesibini esikhulu ehlabathini emva kweRoma yaye yayiyenye yezona ndawo zazibalulekile zokuzonwabisa ngelo xesha kumaYuda nakumaGrike. Kunokwenzeka ukuba uApolo wazuza ulwazi oluchanileyo ngeZibhalo zesiHebhere yaye waba liciko ngenxa yemfundo awayifumana kwibutho elikhulu lamaYuda eso sixeko. Kunzima ukwazi eyona ndawo uApolo awathi wafunda kuyo ngoYesu. Umphengululi uF. F. Bruce uthi: “Kuyabonakala ukuba wayengumhambi—mhlawumbi umrhwebi ohambahambayo, yaye usenokuba wadibana nabashumayeli abangamaKristu kwenye yezo ndawo ziliqela wayetyelela kuzo.” Phofu ke, nangona wayethetha efundisa ngokuchanileyo ngoYesu, kubonakala ukuba kwanikelwa ubungqina kuye ngaphambi kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., ekubeni “wayesazana nobhaptizo lukaYohane kuphela.”
Njengomanduleli kaYesu, uYohane umBhaptizi wanikela ubungqina obunamandla kulo lonke uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli yaye wabhaptiza abaninzi ababebonakalisa inguquko. (Marko 1:5; Luka 3:15, 16) Ngokutsho kwababhali-mbali abaliqela, phakathi kwebutho lamaYuda elaliphantsi koBukhosi bamaRoma, ulwazi lwabantu abaninzi ngoYesu lwalusikelw’ umda koko kwakushunyayelwe elunxwemeni lweYordan. UW. J. Conybeare noJ. S. Howson bathi: “UbuKristu babusekwindawo obabukuyo ngasekuqaleni kobulungiseleli beNkosi yethu. Babengenalwazi ngentsingiselo ezeleyo yokufa kukaKristu; kunokwenzeka ukuba babengazi nto nangovuko Lwakhe.” Kubonakala ukuba uApolo wayengenalwazi ngokuthululwa komoya oyingcwele ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. Sekunjalo, wayefumene inkcazelo engephi echanileyo ngoYesu yaye akazange ayigcine kuye. Eneneni, ngenkalipho wafuna amathuba okuthetha oko wayekwazi. Noko ke, inzondelelo nehlombe awayenalo lalingekasekelwa kulwazi oluchanileyo.
Wayenenzondelelo Kodwa Ethobekile
Ingxelo kaLuka ihlabela mgama isithi: “Xa uPrisila noAkwila bamvayo, bamthabathela kubo baza bacokisa ukumcacisela ngokuchane ngakumbi indlela kaThixo.” (IZenzo 18:26) UAkwila noPrisila kumele ukuba baqonda ukuba ukholo luka-Apolo lwalufana gqitha nolwabo, kodwa ngobulumko abazange bazame ukulungisa ulwazi lwakhe olungaphelelanga ekuhleni. Sinokuthelekelela ukuba mhlawumbi bancokola izihlandlo eziliqela noApolo, ngenjongo yokumnceda. Wasabela njani uApolo, indoda ‘eyayilichule eZibhalweni’? (IZenzo 18:24, Kingdom Interlinear) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uApolo kangangexesha elithile wayesishumayela esidlangalaleni isigidimi sakhe esingaphelelanga ngaphambi kokudibana noAkwila noPrisila. Umntu onekratshi ngewayekukhabe ngawo omane ukulungiswa, kodwa uApolo wayethobekile ibe wakuvuyela ukufumana ulwazi olupheleleyo.
Kwakhona isimo sengqondo sokungahanahanisi esifanayo sika-Apolo sibonakala ngokuvuma kwakhe ukwamkela ileta yoncomelo eyayisuka kubazalwana base-Efese isiya kwibandla laseKorinte. Le ngxelo ihlabela mgama isithi: “Ngokubhekele phaya, ngenxa yokuba wayenqwenela ukuya ngaphesheya eAkhaya, abazalwana babhalela abafundi, bebabongoza ukuba bamamkele ngobubele.” (IZenzo 18:27; 19:1) UApolo akazange afune ukwamkelwa ngendlela yokuzukiswa kodwa ngokuthozama walandela ilungiselelo lebandla lobuKristu.
EKorinte
Imiphumo yokuqala yobulungiseleli buka-Apolo eKorinte yayisemagqabini. Incwadi yeZenzo inikela le ngxelo: “Ngoko xa wafika apho, wabanceda kakhulu abo babekholiwe ngenxa yobubele obungasifanelanga bukaThixo; kuba ngokucokiseke kakhulu wawangqina esidlangalaleni amaYuda ukuba aphosisile, ngoxa wayebonakalisa ngeZibhalo ukuba uYesu wayenguKristu.”—IZenzo 18:27, 28.
UApolo walikhonza elo bandla, ebakhuthaza abazalwana ngokulungiselela nangenzondelelo awayenayo. Yintoni eyayimbangela aphumelele? Ngokuqinisekileyo uApolo wayenobuchule bokwemvelo yaye wayenenkalipho yokuxoxa namaYuda esidlangalaleni. Kodwa okwakubaluleke ngakumbi kukuba, waqiqa esebenzisa iZibhalo.
Nangona uApolo wayenempembelelo enamandla kwabaseKorinte, ngelishwa intshumayelo yakhe yavelisa imiphumo emibi eyayingalindelekanga. Njani? UPawulos noApolo bawenza kakuhle umsebenzi wokutyala nokunkcenkceshela imbewu yenyaniso yoBukumkani eKorinte. UPawulos washumayela apho malunga nowama-50 C.E., kwiminyaka emibini ngaphambi kokufika kuka-Apolo. Ngexesha uPawulos abhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eya kwabaseKorinte, malunga nowama-55 C.E., kwakusele kuqalise iyantlukwano. Bambi babemgqala uApolo njengenkokeli yabo, ngoxa abanye babethanda uPawulos abanye uPetros abanye bebambelele kuKristu kuphela. (1 Korinte 1:10-12) Abanye babesithi: ‘Mna ndingoka-Apolo.’ Ngoba?
Isigidimi esasishunyayelwa nguPawulos noApolo sasifana, kodwa babeneempawu zobuntu ezahlukeneyo. UPawulos wavuma ukuba ‘wayengenabuchule ngentetho’; kwelinye icala, uApolo ‘wayeliciko.’ (2 Korinte 10:10; 11:6) Wayenobuchule obabumenza afikelele iintliziyo zamaYuda athile aseKorinte. Waphumelela ‘ekuboniseni amaYuda ngokucacileyo ukuba ayephosisile,’ ngoxa uPawulos, kungekudala nje ngaphambi koko, wayishiya indlu yesikhungo.—IZenzo 18:1, 4-6.
Ngaba esi yayisisizathu sokuba bambi balandele uApolo? Uninzi lwabahlalutyi lunengcamango yokuba wayekuthanda ngokwemvelo ukuxoxa ngentanda-bulumko namaGrike nto leyo esenokuba yabangela abathile bathanda isimo sengqondo esihle sika-Apolo. UGiuseppe Ricciotti ubonisa ukuba “ulwimi [luka-Apolo] olunezangotshe nobuciko bakhe bamenza wathandwa ngabaninzi ababekhetha yena kunoPawulos, umntu owayengenaluhanahaniso nesithethi esinobuchule.” Ukuba ngokwenene, abathile ngokungafanelekanga babevumela ukhetho lobuqu olunjalo lubangele iiyantlukwano phakathi kwabazalwana, kulula ukusiqonda isizathu sokuba uPawulos abe wakuhlaba amadlala ukuphakanyiswa ‘kobulumko babantu abazizilumko.’—1 Korinte 1:17-25.
Noko ke, oko kuhlab’ amadlala akuzange kubangele ukungavisisani phakathi kukaPawulos noApolo. Nangona bambi babecinga ukuba aba bashumayeli babini babeyinyoka nesele befuna ukuthandwa ngabaseKorinte, iZibhalo azithethi nto injalo. Kunokuba azame ukuzenza inkokeli yeqela elilwayo, uApolo wayishiya iKorinte, waza wabuyela e-Efese yaye wayenoPawulos xa wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eyayisiya kwelo bandla lahluleleneyo.
Babemanyene okanye kungekho kruthakruthawno phakathi kwabo; kunoko, kubonakala ukuba bobabini babesebenzisana ukucombulula iingxaki zaseKorinte benentembelo omnye komnye. Mhlawumbi uPawulos wayenamathandabuzo ngabanye eKorinte kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo kwakungenjalo ngoApolo. Umsebenzi waloo madoda omabini wawuvisisana ngokupheleleyo; iimfundiso zawo zazisekelana. Xa sicaphula amazwi kaPawulos, wathi: “Mna ndatyala, uApolo wankcenkceshela,” kuba bobabini “ngabasebenzi abangamadlelane kaThixo.”—1 Korinte 3:6, 9, 21-23.
NjengoPawulos, abaseKorinte babemhlonela uApolo, benqwenela abatyelele kwakhona. Kodwa xa uPawulos wamema uApolo ukuba abuyele eKorinte, loo mmi waseAleksandriya wala. UPawulos uthi: “Ke kaloku ngokuphathelele uApolo umzalwana wethu, ndambongoza kakhulu ukuba eze kuni kunye nabazalwana . . . , ukanti yayingekokuthanda kwakhe konke konke ukuba eze ngoku; kodwa uya kuza xa enethuba.” (1 Korinte 16:12) Kusenokuba uApolo waba mathidala ukubuyela ngenxa yokoyika ukuphembelela iyantlukwano engakumbi okanye nje kuba wayexakeke kwenye indawo.
Ixesha lokugqibela uApolo ekhankanywa eZibhalweni, wayekuhambo olusinga eKrete mhlawumbi nangaphaya kwayo. Kwakhona uPawulos ubonisa ukumkhathalela ngokukhethekileyo umhlobo nedlelane lakhe, wacela uTito ukuba alungiselele uApolo neqabane lakhe awayehamba nalo, uZenas, yonke into ababesenokuyifuna kuhambo lwabo. (Tito 3:13) Ngeli xesha, emva kweminyaka elishumi yoqeqesho lobuKristu, uApolo wayenze inkqubela eyaneleyo njengommeli ohambahambayo webandla.
Iimpawu Zobuthixo Ezenza Kube Lula Ukukhula Ngokomoya
Eneneni, loo mshumayeli waseAleksandriya wamisela umzekelo obalaseleyo kubo bonke abavakalisi beendaba ezilungileyo banamhlanje abanqwenela ukwenza inkqubela ngokomoya. Sisenokungabi ngamaciko njengaye, kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo sinokuzama ukuxelisa ulwazi nobuchule bokusebenzisa iZibhalo awayenabo, ngaloo ndlela sinceda abo bafuna inyaniso ngokunyanisekileyo. Ngomzekelo wakhe wokusebenza ngenzondelelo, uApolo “wabanceda kakhulu abo babekholiwe.” (IZenzo 18:27) UApolo wayethobekile, ezinikele, yaye ekulungele ukukhonza abanye. Wayekuqonda kakuhle ukuba kwakungekho sizathu sakukhuphisana okanye sokuba namabhongo ebandleni lamaKristu, kuba sonke “singabasebenzi abangamadlelane kaThixo.”—1 Korinte 3:4-9; Luka 17:10.
Nathi njengoApolo, singayenza inkqubela yokomoya. Ngaba sikulungele ukuphucula okanye ukwandisa inkonzo yethu engcwele, sizenza sifumaneke khon’ ukuze sisetyenziswe ngokuzele ngakumbi nguYehova nentlangano yakhe? Ukuba sinjalo siya kuba ngabafundi abanenzondelelo nabavakalisi benyaniso yobuKristu.