UAkwila NoPrisila—Isibini Esingumzekelo
“DLULISELANI imibuliso yam kuPriska noAkwila abasebenzi abangamadlelane kunye nam kuKristu Yesu, ababeke esichengeni iintamo zabo ngenxa yomphefumlo wam, ingendim kuphela owenza imibulelo kubo kodwa kwanawo onke amabandla eentlanga.”—Roma 16:3, 4.
La mazwi ompostile uPawulos aya kwibandla lamaKristu eRoma abonisa intlonelo enzulu noxabiso awayenalo ngesi sibini sitshatileyo. Wayeqiniseka ukuba akabalibali xa ebhalela ebandleni labo. Kodwa ayengoobani la “madlelane” kaPawulos, yaye kwakutheni ukuze athandeke kangaka kuye nasebandleni?—2 Timoti 4:19.
UAkwila wayengomnye waloo maYuda ayesasazekile yaye eyinzalelwane yasePonto, ummandla okumantla eAsia Minor. Yena nomfazi wakhe uPrisila (Priska) babehlala eRoma. Kwakukho iqela lamaYuda kweso sixeko ubuncinane ukususela kwixesha lokuthinjwa kweYerusalem nguPompey ngowama-63 B.C.E., xa iqela elikhulu lamabanjwa lathunyelwa eRoma njengamakhoboka. Enyanisweni, imibhalo yamaRoma ityhila ukuba kwakukho izindlu zesikhungu eziliqela kweso sixeko samandulo. Iqela lamaYuda elalivela eRoma laliseYerusalem ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., xa leva iindaba ezilungileyo. Mhlawumbi lilo elabangela ukuba isigidimi samaKristu sifikelele ikomkhulu loBukhosi bamaRoma okwesihlandlo sokuqala.—IZenzo 2:10.
Noko ke, amaYuda ayegxothiwe eRoma ngonyaka wama-49 okanye ekuqaleni kowama-50 C.E. ngomyalelo woMlawuli uKlawudiyo. Ngenxa yoko, kwakukwisixeko saseKorinte eGrisi apho umpostile uPawulos wadibana noAkwila noPrisila. Xa uPawulos wafikayo eKorinte, ngobubele uAkwila noPrisila babonakalisa umoya wokubuk’ iindwendwe bamnika nomsebenzi, kuba babenomsebenzi ofanayo—ukwenza iintente.—IZenzo 18:2, 3.
Abenzi Beentente
Lo yayingumsebenzi ongelula. Ukwenza iintente kwakuquka ukusika nokuthunga iziqwenga zamalaphu agadalala, narhabaxa okanye uthwathwa. Ngokutsho kombhali-mbali uFernando Bea, lo “yayingumsebenzi ofuna ubuchule nenyameko” kubenzi beentente ababesebenza ngamalaphu “arhabaxa, aqinileyo, awayesetyenziswa ekwenzeni iintente ekulalwa kuzo xa kukhenkethiwe, ekwenzeni iindawo zokuzikhusela elangeni nasemvuleni, okanye iindawo ekubekwa kuzo imithwalo ngaphakathi enqanaweni.”
Oku kuphakamisa umbuzo. Ngaba uPawulos akazange atsho ukuba ‘wafundiswa ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli,’ ngaloo ndlela oko kumvulela ithuba lokuba afumane umsebenzi osemgangathweni kwiminyaka eyayiza kulandela? (IZenzo 22:3) Ngoxa oku kuyinyaniso, amaYuda enkulungwane yokuqala ayekugqala njengokubalulekileyo ukufundisa umfana umsebenzi othile enoba wayeza kuphinda afumane imfundo eyongezelelekileyo. Ngoko ke kusenokwenzeka ukuba bobabini uAkwila noPawulos bafumana ubuchule bokwenza iintente ngoxa babeselula. Loo mava ekugqibeleni angqineka eluncedo. Kodwa njengamaKristu, abazange bawugqale lo msebenzi njengosukelo lwabo. UPawulos wacacisa ukuba umsebenzi awawenza eKorinte ekunye noAkwila noPrisila wayewenza nje ukuze azixhase kowona msebenzi uyintloko, lowo wokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo ngaphandle ‘kokuzisa uxanduva oluziindleko kuye nawuphi na wabo.’—2 Tesalonika 3:8; 1 Korinte 9:18; 2 Korinte 11:7.
Kuyabonakala ukuba, uAkwila noPrisila babevuyiswa kukwenza konke ababenako ukuze inkonzo kaPawulos yobuvangeli ibe lula. Ngubani owaziyo ukuba kukangaphi aba bahlobo bathathu bewuyeka umsebenzi wabo ukuze banikele ubungqina obungacwangciswanga kubantu ababethenga okanye kwabadlula ngendlela! Yaye nangona umsebenzi wabo wokwenza iintente wawuphantsi yaye uyindinisa, babekuvuyela ukuwenza, besebenza “ubusuku nemini” ukuze bahambisele phambili izilangazalelo zikaThixo—kanye njengokuba amaKristu amaninzi namhlanje ezixhasa ngomsebenzi wesingxungxo okanye umsebenzi wamathuba athile ukuze lonke ixesha eliseleyo balinikele ekuncedeni abantu ukuze bazive iindaba ezilungileyo.—1 Tesalonika 2:9; Mateyu 24:14; 1 Timoti 6:6.
Imizekelo Yokubuk’ Iindwendwe
Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPawulos wayehlala kwindlu ka-Akwila xa wayesenza umsebenzi wakhe wobuvangeli ebudeni beenyanga ezili-18 awayezihleli eKorinte. (IZenzo 18:3, 11) Ngoko, kulindelekile ukuba uAkwila noPrisila bakuvuyela nokwamkela uSilas (Silvano) noTimoti njengeendwendwe ekufikeni kwabo bevela eMakedoniya. (IZenzo 18:5) Iincwadi ezimbini zikaPawulos eziya kwabaseTesalonika, ezathi kamva zaba yinxalenye yeencwadi ezivunyiweyo zeBhayibhile, kumele ukuba zabhalwa ngoxa lo mpostile wayehlala noAkwila noPrisila.
Kulula ukucinga ukuba ngeli xesha ikhaya likaPrisila noAkwila ngokwenene lalisisazulu semisebenzi engokobuthixo. Kubonakala ukuba kwakusiya abahlobo abaninzi—uStefano nentsapho yakhe, amaKristu okuqala akwiphondo laseAkhaya, abhaptizwa nguPawulos ngokwakhe; uTitiyo Yusto, awavumela uPawulos ukuba asebenzise indlu yakhe ngoxa wayenikela iintetho apho; yaye uKrispi igosa elongamelayo kwindlu yesikhungu, awayamkelayo inyaniso ngokunjalo nabo bonke abendlu yakhe. (IZenzo 18:7, 8; 1 Korinte 1:16) Kwakhona kwakukho uFortunato noAkhayiko; uGayo, apho iintlanganiso zebandla zazisenokuba zaziqhutyelwa ekhayeni lakhe; uErasto, igosa lesixeko; uTertiyo, unobhala kaPawulos lowo wasetyenziswayo ukubhala ileta eyayisiya kumaRoma; noFibhi, udade othembekileyo webandla elikufutshane laseKenkreya, nokusenokwenzeka ukuba wathabatha ileta eyayisuka eKorinte isiya eRoma.—Roma 16:1, 22, 23; 1 Korinte 16:17.
Abakhonzi bakaYehova banamhlanje abaye banethuba lokubonakalisa umoya wokubuk’ iindwendwe kumlungiseleli ohambahambayo bayayazi indlela ekunokuba lukhuthazo ngayo nokungalibaleki koko. Amava awakhayo abaliswe ngezihlandlo ezinjalo avuselela ngokwenene ngokomoya kubantu bonke. (Roma 1:11, 12) Yaye, njengokuba uAkwila noPrisila benzayo, abo bavula amakhaya abo ukulungiselela iintlanganiso, mhlawumbi iSifundo Sencwadi Sebandla, banovuyo nolwaneliseko lokukwazi ukunikela ngale ndlela ukuhambisela phambili unqulo lokwenyaniso.
Ubuhlobo awayenabo uPawulos noAkwila noPrisila babusenyongweni kangangokuba bagqiba kwelokuba bampheleke xa wayesimka eKorinte ngentlakohlaza yowe-52 C.E., baya kumfikisa e-Efese. (IZenzo 18:18-21) Bahlala kweso sixeko belungiselela utyelelo lompostile oluzayo. Kwakulapha apho aba bashumayeli beendaba ezilungileyo abanenzondelelo babona indoda eliciko egama linguApolo ‘bayithabathela kubo’ yaye bafumana uvuyo lokumnceda ukuze aqonde “indlela kaThixo ngokuchane ngakumbi.” (IZenzo 18:24-26) Xa uPawulos waphinda watyelela kwakhona e-Efese ebudeni bohambo lwakhe lwesithathu lobuvangeli basemazweni, mhlawumbi malunga nobusika bowama-52 ukusa kowama-53 C.E., intsimi eyayihlakulelwe sesi sibini sikhutheleyo yayisele ivuthiwe ilungele ukuvunwa. Kangangeminyaka emithathu, uPawulos washumayela waza wabafundisa “Indlela,” ngoxa ibandla lase-Efese laliqhubela iintlanganiso ekhayeni lika-Akwila.—IZenzo 19:1-20, 26; 20:31; 1 Korinte 16:8, 19.
Kamva, xa babuyela eRoma, aba bahlobo bakaPawulos babini baqhubeka “belandela ikhondo lokubuk’ iindwendwe,” ikhaya labo belivulela iintlanganiso zamaKristu.—Roma 12:13; 16:3-5.
Babeka ‘Esichengeni Iintamo Zabo’ Ngenxa KaPawulos
Mhlawumbi uPawulos wayehlala noAkwila noPrisila ngoxa wayese-Efese. Ngaba wayehlala nabo xa kwabakho imbambano phakathi kwabakhandi besilivere? Ngokutsho kwengxelo ekwiZenzo 19:23-31, xa iingcibi ezenza iitempile zavukela ngenxa yokushunyayelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo, abazalwana bamthintela uPawulos ukuze angazibeki esichengeni ngokuya kwindimbane engalawulekiyo. Bambi abaphengululi beBhayibhile baye baqiqa ngelithi kwakungeso sihlandlo sokuba sengozini kuphela esabangela ukuba uPawulos azive ‘engaqinisekanga kakhulu kwanangobomi bakhe’ yaye uAkwila noPrisila bangenelela ngandlel’ ithile, ‘bebeka esichengeni iintamo zabo’ ngenxa yakhe.—2 Korinte 1:8; Roma 16:3, 4.
“Emva kokudamba kwesaqunge eso,” ngobulumko uPawulos wanduluka kweso sixeko. (IZenzo 20:1) Akuthandabuzeki ukuba uAkwila noPrisila nabo bajamelana nenkcaso nokugculelwa. Ngaba oko kwabenza bathi khunubembe? Ngokwahlukileyo koko, uAkwila noPrisila ngenkuthalo baqhubeka kwimizamo yabo yobuKristu.
Isibini Esisondeleleneyo
Emva kokuba ulawulo lukaKlawudiyo luphelile, uAkwila noPrisila babuyela eRoma. (Roma 16:3-15) Noko ke, isihlandlo sokugqibela kuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni, sibafumana bese-Efese. (2 Timoti 4:19) Kwakhona, njengakuzo zonke ezinye iimbekiselo zeZibhalo, lo myeni nomfazi kuthethwa ngabo bobabini. Okunjani ukusondelelana nokumanyana kwesi sibini! Xa uPawulos ecinga ngalo mzalwana uthandekayo, uAkwila, umele ukuba wayekhumbula intsebenziswano yokuthembeka yomfazi wakhe. Yaye onjani umzekelo ukuba mhle kwizibini ezingamaKristu namhlanje, kuba uncedo olunyanisekileyo lweqabane elizahluleleyo lunceda ubani akwazi ukwenza okungakumbi “emsebenzini weNkosi” yaye, ngamanye amaxesha, ngaphezu koko ebenokukwenza njengomntu ongatshatanga.—1 Korinte 15:58.
UAkwila noPrisila bakhonza kumabandla awahlukeneyo. Njengabo, amaKristu anamhlanje amaninzi nanenzondelelo aye azenza afumaneka ukuya apho kukho imfuneko enkulu. Kwakhona baye bafumana uvuyo nolwaneliseko oluvela ekuboneni izilangazelelo zoBukumkani zikhula yaye nasekubeni bakwazi ukuhlakulela ubuhlobo obufudumeleyo nobuxabisekileyo bobuKristu.
Ngomzekelo wabo obalaseleyo wothando lobuKristu, uAkwila noPrisila bazenza baxatyiswa nguPawulos nangabanye. Kodwa okona kubaluleke ngakumbi, bazakhela udumo oluhle noYehova. IZibhalo ziyasiqinisekisa: “Kuba uThixo akanantswela-bulungisa ukuba angawulibala umsebenzi wenu, nothando enalubonisayo ngegama lakhe, ngokuthi nibalungiselele abangcwele nize niqhubeke nibalungiselela.”—Hebhere 6:10.
Sisenokungabi nalo ithuba lokuzibhokoxa ngeendlela ezifana nezo zenziwa nguAkwila noPrisila, sekunjalo sinokuxelisa umzekelo wabo obalaseleyo. Siya kuba nolwaneliseko olunzulu njengoko sinikela ngamandla ethu onke nobomi bethu enkonzweni engcwele, singaze silibale “ukwenza okulungileyo nokwabelana ngezinto nabanye, kuba uThixo ukholiswa kakuhle yimibingelelo enjalo.”—Hebhere 13:15, 16.