USilas Umthombo Wokhuthazo

KWASEKUQALENI kwimbali yamaKristu, umsebenzi wabaveleli abahambahambayo nabathembekileyo wawubalulekile ekomelezeni amabandla abantu bakaThixo nasekushumayeleni iindaba ezilungileyo kwiindawo ezikude zomhlaba. USilas waba phakathi kwabaveleli bokuqala ukumiselwa, umprofeti nelungu eliphambili lebandla laseYerusalem. Waba nendima ebalulekileyo kwinkqubela yomsebenzi wokushumayela yaye wayengomnye wabavangeli basemazweni bokuqala abashumayela kwintsimi yaseYurophu. Yintoni ekhethekileyo eyenza uSilas wakufanelekela ukwenza konke oku? Yaye ziziphi iimpawu zakhe esiya kuba senza kakuhle ukuzixelisa?

Imbambano Yolwaluko

Xa kwavela imbambano eyayinokubangela iyantlukwano engolwaluko malunga nowama-49 C.E., iqumrhu elilawulayo eYerusalem kwakufuneka lidlulisele ulwalathiso olucacileyo phakathi kwamaKristu ukuze kuzinziswe le mbambano. Kwezi meko, uSilas, okwabizwa ngokuba nguSilvano, uyavela kwingxelo yeBhayibhile. Usenokuba wayengomnye wabo benza isigqibo nowanyulwa njengomhambisi wesigidimi ‘sabapostile namadoda amakhulu,’ ukudlulisela isigqibo sabo “kwabo bazalwana bakwa-Antiyokwe naseSiriya naseKilikiya.” Kwa-Antiyokwe, uSilas noYudas (uBharsabhas), behamba noBharnabhas noPawulos, babese udaba, ekubonakala ukuba babebalisa ngomlomo iziganeko zentlanganiso yaseYerusalem, izigqibo ekwafikelelwa kuzo, nomongo waloo leta. Kwakhona “babakhuthaza abazalwana ngokuthetha okuninzi baza babomeleza.” Umphumo ovuyisayo waba kukuba amaKristu akwa-Antiyokwe aba “nemihlali.”​—⁠IZenzo 15:​1-⁠32.

Ngaloo ndlela uSilas waba nendima ephawulekayo ekuzinziseni lo mbandela ubalulekileyo. Kodwa isabelo sakhe sasingeyondlwan’ iyanetha. Yayingaziwa indlela elaliza kusabela ngayo ibandla lakwa-Antiyokwe kweso sigqibo. Ngenxa yoko, omnye umhlalutyi uthi, “kwakufuneka umntu onobulumko obuninzi nobuchule bokucacisa oko kwakubhalwe ngabapostile kwileta yabo.” Ukukhethwa kukaSilas kwesi sabelo sokuthunywa kusixelela okuthile ngohlobo lomntu aweyelulo. Umele ukuba wayethenjwe ngokupheleleyo ekumeleni ulwalathiso lwequmrhu elilawulayo ngokunyaniseka. Umele ukuba wayengumveleli olumkileyo owayenokukwazi ukuxolelanisa xa ibandla lisongelwa ziimpikiswano.

Ukujikeleza NoPawulos

Enoba uSilas wabuyela eYerusalem emva kolo thumo okanye akunjalo akuqinisekwanga. Sekunjalo, emva kweyantlukwano eyayiphakathi kukaBharnabhas noPawulos ngoYohane Marko, uPawulos wakhetha uSilas, owayekwa-Antiyokwe ngelo xesha, kuhambo olutsha ekuqaleni olwalucetyelwe ukutyelela kwakhona izixeko apho uPawulos wayeshumayele khona ngexesha awaqala ngalo ukuba ngumvangeli wasemazweni.​—⁠IZenzo 15:​36-⁠41.

Ukukhethwa kukaSilas kusenokuba kwabangelwa sisimo sengqondo sakhe esihle ngoxa wayethunywe kwabeeNtlanga naligunya lokuba njengomprofeti nesithethi sequmrhu elilawulayo wayeya kuzidlulisela kakuhle izigqibo zabo kumakholwa aseSiriya naseKilikiya. Imiphumo yaba mihle ngeyona ndlela. Incwadi yeZenzo ichaza isithi: “Ke kaloku njengoko babehamba betyhutyha izixeko babeye banikele kwabo balapho imimiselo ukuba bayigcine leyo kwakugqitywe kuyo ngabapostile namadoda amakhulu awayeseYerusalem. Ngoko ke, eneneni, amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa elukholweni yaye esanda ngenani imihla ngemihla.”​—⁠IZenzo 16:​4, 5.

Njengoko abavangeli basemazweni babehamba, izihlandlo ezibini umoya oyingcwele wabaphambukisa kwindlela ababezimisele ukuhamba ngayo. (IZenzo 16:​6, 7) UTimoti naye wangenelela kolo hambo, eListra, emva kokuthile ‘okwakuxelwe kwangaphambili’ okungachazwanga ngaye. (1 Timoti 1:​18; 4:​14) Ngombono kaPawulos, naye owayenesiphiwo sobuprofeti, la maqabane ahambahambayo alathiselwa ukuba ahambe ngolwandle ukuya eMakedoniya, eYurophu.​—⁠IZenzo 16:​9, 10.

Ukubethwa Uze Uvalelwe Entolongweni

EFilipi, ‘isixeko esiyintloko sesithili,’ uSilas wangena engxakini engenakulibaleka. Emva kokuba uPawulos egxothe umoya wokuvumisa kwisicakazana esithile, iinkosi zaso zibona ukuba zihluthwe umthombo wenzuzo yazo, zamrhuqela uSilas noPawulos koomantyi besixeko. Ngenxa yoku, aba babini bahlaziswa ngokumiswa phambi kwesidlangalala njengabenzi bobubi, nezambatho zabo zangaphandle zihlutyiwe, yaye bebethwa ngeentonga kwindawo yemarike.​—⁠IZenzo 16:​12, 16-⁠22.

Ukubethwa ngaloo ndlela yayingesiso isohlwayo esibi nje kuphela, nto leyo eyayibangela abantu bangakwazi ukunyamezela, kodwa kwimeko kaPawulos noSilas, kwakungekho mthethweni. Kutheni kunjalo? Imithetho yaseRoma yamisela ukuba kungabikho mmi waseRoma ubethwayo. UPawulos wayengummi waseRoma, yaye kusenokuba kwakunjalo nangoSilas. Emva kokubethwa ‘ngezithonga ezininzi,’ uPawulos noSilas baphoswa entolongweni apho babotshwa iinyawo esitokisini. UGustav Stählin ucacisa esithi: “Ezi yayizizixhobo ezibi, apho imilenze yamabanjwa yayingxatyalaziswa kangangoko ubani efuna, kangangokuba angakwazi ukulala.” Sekunjalo, ezinzulwini zobusuku, ngokungathandabuzekiyo imiqolo yabo izele ngamanxeba aqaqambayo, “uPawulos noSilas babethandaza yaye bedumisa uThixo ngengoma.”​—⁠IZenzo 16:​23-⁠25.

Oku kusixelela okunye okuthile ngobuntu bukaSilas. Wayevuya kuba babebandezeleka ngenxa yegama likaKristu. (Mateyu 5:​11, 12; 24:⁠9) Kuyabonakala ukuba kwaloo moya mnye kwixesha elingaphambili lokuthunywa kwabo kwa-Antiyokwe wenza uSilas namaqabane akhe bakwazi ukukhuthaza yaye bomeleza elo bandla, wabangela amanye amaKristu aba nemihlali. Kumele ukuba uPawulos noSilas bavuya ngokungathethekiyo xa ngokungummangaliso bakhululwa ngenyikima entolongweni yaye banceda umgcini-ntolongo owayeza kuzibulala kunye nentsapho yakhe bakholwa kuThixo.​—⁠IZenzo 16:​26-⁠34.

UPawulos noSilas abazange boyikiswe kukutywatyushwa nokuvalelwa entolongweni. Xa kwathunyelwa ilizwi lokuba bakhululwe, bala ukuphuma ngokunyebeleza beneentloni eFilipi, njengokuba oomantyi babelindele. Bakhaba ngawo omane isikhuni besibuyisela kuloo magosa anekratshi nangoozwilakhe. UPawulos wabuza: “Basikatse esidlangalaleni singagwetyelwanga sohlwayo, singabantu abangamaRoma, baza basiphosa entolongweni; yaye ngoku basiphosa ngaphandle ngokufihlakeleyo na? Eneneni, akunjalo! kodwa mabeze bona ngokwabo baze basikhuphe.” Besoyikela imiphumo, oomantyi baziva benyanzelekile ukuba babongoze aba babini bemke kweso sixeko.​—⁠IZenzo 16:​35-⁠39.

Emva kokugxininisa amalungelo abo njengamaRoma ezingqondweni zabasemagunyeni, uPawulos noSilas basithobela isicelo soomantyi​—⁠kodwa emva kokuba bethe ndlela-ntle kubahlobo babo. Ngokuvumelana noko kwakusele kubonakala kuyimbalasane yotyelelo lokushumayela, uSilas neqabane lakhe baphinda kwakhona “bakhuthaza” abazalwana, bandula ke bahamba.​—⁠IZenzo 16:⁠40.

Ukusuka EMakedoniya Ukuya EBhabhiloni

Bengatyhafiswanga koko kwakusenokuba ngamava abuhlungu, uPawulos, uSilas namaqabane abo batyhalela phambili ekushumayeleni kwimimandla emitsha. ETesalonika bajamelana nobunzima kwakhona. Ngenxa yempumelelo kaPawulos kubulungiseleli bakhe kangangeeSabatha ezintathu, abachasi abanomona baphembelela ihlokondiba, okwenza kwabubulumko ngaba bavangeli basemazweni ukuba basishiye eso sixeko ngobusuku. Banduluka besing’ eBhereya. Emva kokuba bevile ngoko kwakwenziwe nguPawulos namaqabane akhe kweso sixeko, abachasi beza bevela eTesalonika. UPawulos wanduluka yedwa, ngoxa uSilas noTimoti babesele eBhereya ukuze banyamekele iqela elitsha lababenomdla. (IZenzo 17:​1-15) USilas noTimoti baphinda badibana noPawulos eKorinte, beze neendaba ezimnandi yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakukho nesipho esasivela kubahlobo abathembekileyo baseMakedoniya. Oku kumele ukuba kwamenza lo mpostile wayeswele wawuyeka umsebenzi wokuzixhasa, awayesangxungxe kuwo okwexeshana waza wabuyela ngamandla ekushumayeleni ixesha elizeleyo. (IZenzo 18:​1-⁠5; 2 Korinte 11:⁠9) EKorinte, uSilas noTimoti bachazwa njengabashumayeli nanjengamaqabane kaPawulos. Ngoko ke kuyabonakala ukuba basebenza gqitha nakweso sixeko.​—⁠2 Korinte 1:⁠19.

Ukusetyenziswa kwesimelabizo esithi “si” kwiileta eziya kwabaseTesalonika​—⁠zombini ezabhalelwa eKorinte ngelo xesha​—⁠kucingelwa ukuba kuthetha ukuba uSilas noTimoti baba negalelo ekuzibhaleni. Noko ke, ingcamango yokuba uSilas wayebandakanyekile kumsebenzi wokubhala isekelwe ngokuyintloko koko uPetros akutshoyo kwenye yeeleta zakhe. UPetros uthi wayibhala ileta yakhe eseBhabhiloni “ngoSilvano, umzalwana othembekileyo.” (1 Petros 5:​12, 13) Ngoxa oku kusenokuthetha ukuba uSilvano wayengunoposi, ukwahluka kwesimbo sokubhala phakathi kweencwadi ezimbini zikaPetros kusenokuthetha ukuba wasebenzisa uSilas ekubhaleni incwadi yokuqala kodwa kungekhona eyesibini. Ngaloo ndlela, esinye kwiziphiwo zikaSilas ezahlukeneyo namalungelo obuthixo kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayikukuba ngunobhala.

Umzekelo Wokuxeliswa

Xa siphonononga izinto esizaziyo ukuba uSilas wazenza, ingxelo yakhe iyachukumisa. Ungumzekelo obalaseleyo kubavangeli basemazweni banamhlanje nakubaveleli abahambahambayo. Ngokuzinikela wagubungela imimandla emikhulu nto leyo eyayifuna ukuzincama, kungekhona ukuze azuze izinto eziphathekayo okanye uzuko, kodwa ukuze ancede abanye. Injongo yakhe yayikukubakhuthaza ngesiluleko sobulumko nesobuchule, ngeentetho ezilungiselelwe kakuhle ezakhayo kwanangenzondelelo yakhe kubulungiseleli basentsimini. Nokuba yiyiphi na indima onayo kubantu bakaYehova, ukuba ngokufanayo uzabalazela ukubakha​—⁠naxa ujamelene nembandezelo​—⁠nawe uya kuba lukhuthazo kwamanye amakholwa.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 29]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Uhambo Lwesibini LukaPawulos Lokuya Kushumayela

ULwandle Olukhulu

Kwa-Antiyokwe

IDerbhe

IListra

I-Ikoniyo

ITrowa

IFilipi

IAmfipoli

ITesalonika

IBhereya

IAthene

IKorinte

IEfese

IYerusalem

IKesareya

[Inkcazelo]

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