USawule Isitya Esinyulelwe INkosi

USAWULE waseTarso wayelutshaba olwabulala abalandeli bakaKristu. Kodwa iNkosi yayineenjongo ezahlukileyo ngaye kwixesha elizayo. USawule wayeza kuba ngummeli obalaseleyo wayo kanye laa nto wayexhaph’ amagwebu eyilwa. UYesu wathi: “Lo mntu [uSawule] usisitya esinyuliweyo kum sokuthwala igama lam ezintlangeni kwakunye nakookumkani noonyana bakaSirayeli.”​—⁠IZenzo 9:⁠15.

Ubomi awayebuphila uSawule ‘njengomntu osileyo’ batshintsha ngokupheleleyo xa wenzelwa inceba waza waba “sisitya esinyuliweyo” seNkosi uYesu Kristu. (1 Timoti 1:​12, 13) Amandla awayemqhubele ekufakeni isandla xa kwakuxulutywa uStefano naxa kwakuhlaselwa abanye abafundi bakaYesu aguqulwa aza asetyenziselwa iinjongo ezahluke ngokupheleleyo xa uSawule waba ngumpostile uPawulos owayengumKristu. Kucacile ukuba uYesu wabona iimpawu ezinqwenelekayo kuSawule. Ziziphi ezo mpawu? Wayengubani yena lo Sawule? Imvelaphi yakhe yamenza njani wakufanelekela ukuhambisela phambili unqulo lokwenyaniso? Ngaba ikho into esinokuyifunda kumava akhe?

Imvelaphi KaSawule

Xa kwakubulawa uStefano kamsinya nje emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uSawule ‘wayengumfana.’ Xa wayebhalela uFilemon malunga nowama-60 ukuya kowama-61 C.E., ‘wayeyindoda eyalupheleyo.’ (IZenzo 7:​58; Filemon 9) Abaphengululi bathi, ngokwendlela yamandulo yokuchaza ubudala, xa kuthethwa ‘ngomfana’ kwakubhekiselwa kubudala beminyaka ephakathi kwama-24 nama-40, ngoxa “indoda eyalupheleyo” yayisusela kwiminyaka engama-50 kuse kwengama-56 ubudala. Ngoko mhlawumbi uSawule wazalwa kwiminyaka embalwa nje emva kokuba uYesu ezelwe.

Ngaloo mihla amaYuda ayethe saa kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini. Ezinye zezinto ezazibangele ukuthi saa kwawo esuka kwelakwaYuda yayikukoyiswa kwawo, ubukhoboka, ukugxothelwa kwamanye amazwe, urhwebo, kunye nokufuduka ngokuzithandela. Nangona intsapho yakhe yayingamaYuda afudukileyo, uSawule ubethelela into yokuba yayinamathele eMthethweni, esithi ‘waluka ngomhla wesibhozo, uphuma kumnombo wentsapho yakwaSirayeli, kwisizwe sakwaBhenjamin, ungumHebhere ozelwe kumaHebhere; ngokuphathelele umthetho, ungumFarisi.’ USawule wanikwa igama lesiHebhere ethiywa ngexhanti lesizwe sakowabo​—⁠ukumkani wokuqala wakwaSirayeli. Ekubeni wayezelwe engumRoma, uSawule waseTarso wayenalo negama lesiLatini, uPawulos.​—⁠Filipi 3:⁠5; IZenzo 13:​21; 22:​25-⁠29.

Isibakala sokuba uSawule wayezelwe engumRoma sithetha ukuba omnye wookhokho bakhe wayefumene ilungelo lokuba ngummi welo lizwe. Njani? Zininzi iindlela eyayinokwenzeka ngazo loo nto. Ngaphandle kokubuzuza njengelifa ubumi, abantu okanye amaqela ayebufumana ngenxa yeemfaneleko ezithile, ngenxa yezizathu zobupolitika, okanye xa bevuzwa ngenxa yenkonzo ekhethekileyo abaye bayenzela uRhulumente. Ikhoboka elalikwazi ukuhlawulela inkululeko yalo kumRoma, okanye elalikhululwa ngummi waseRoma, nalo lalisiba ngumRoma. Kwakusiba njalo ke nakumajoni angamagqala emva kokuba ekhululwe kwimikhosi yaseRoma. Abemi bomthonyama ababehlala kumathanga aseRoma babenokuba ngabemi bayo ekuhambeni kwexesha. Ikho nento yokuba ngamaxesha athile ubumi babuthengwa ngesityhwentywe semali. Akwaziwa ke ukuba intsapho yakuloSawule yabufumana njani na ubumi.

Esikwaziyo nje kukuba uSawule wayevela eTarso, isixeko esikhulu nesilikomkhulu lephondo laseRoma eliyiKilikiya (namhlanje elikumzantsi weTurkey). Nangona ayemaninzana noko amaYuda awayehlala kuloo mmandla, ubomi balapho bumele ukuba bamenza uSawule wachanabeka kwizithethe zabeeNtlanga. ITarso yayisisixeko esikhulu nesityebileyo esasidume ngokuba sisazulu semfundo yamaGrike. Kuqikelelwa ukuba ngenkulungwane yokuqala abemi baso babephakathi kwama-300 000 nama-500 000. Yayisisazulu sorhwebo esikuhola omkhulu owawuphakathi kweAsia Minor, iSiriya neMesopotamiya. Indyebo yaseTarso yayibangelwa luqoqosho nokuchuma kwamathafa ayingqongileyo, ngokuyintloko awayevelisa ukutya okuziinkozo, iwayini nelinen. Kwimveliso yayo yempahla eyolukiweyo kwakukho nelaphu elenziwe ngoboya bebhokhwe ekwakusenziwa ngalo iintente.

USawule Nesikolo

USawule, okanye uPawulos, wayezondla yaye exhasa umsebenzi wakhe wobuvangeli ngendlela enyanisekileyo esenza iintente. (IZenzo 18:​2, 3; 20:​34) Ishishini lokwenza iintente laliyinto eqhelekileyo kwisixeko sakowabo, iTarso. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uSawule walifunda kuyise eselula ishishini lokwenza iintente.

Ukwazi kukaSawule iilwimi​—⁠ngokukodwa isiGrike awayesazi kunene, nesasilulwimi olwalusetyenziswa kuBukhosi baseRoma​—⁠nako kwangqineka kuluncedo gqitha kumsebenzi wakhe wobuvangeli. (IZenzo 21:​37–22:⁠2) Abahlalutyi beencwadi zakhe bathi isiGrike awasisebenzisayo sisemagqabini. Isigama asisebenzisayo asisosakudala okanye sasezincwadini, kunoko siyelele kweseSeptuagint, inguqulelo yesiGrike yeZibhalo zesiHebhere awayedla ngokuyicaphula okanye ayishwankathele. Ngenxa yoko, abaphengululi abahlukeneyo bacingela ukuba uSawule lo noko umele ukuba wafumana imfundiso evuthiweyo yesiGrike kumabanga aphantsi, mhlawumbi kwisikolo samaYuda. Umphengululi uMartin Hengel uthi: “Mandulo phayaa imfundo ephakamileyo​—⁠nalapha ezimfundweni eyamaGrike​—⁠wawungenakuyifumana nje okwenduk’ omnquma; ngokuqhelekileyo yayiyeyabafumileyo.” Ngaloo ndlela imfundo kaSawule ibonisa ukuba wayezalwa zizinhanha.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba xa wayekadluli kwiminyaka eli-13 ubudala, uSawule waqhubeka nemfundo yakhe eYerusalem, kwiikhilomitha ezimalunga nama-840 kude nekhaya. Wafundiswa ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli, isihandiba sodumo esasingumhlohli wezithethe zabaFarisi. (IZenzo 22:⁠3; 23:⁠6) Ezo zifundo, namhlanje ezilingana nemfundo yaseyunivesithi, zamvulela ithuba lokuba nguthile kunqulo lobuYuda.a

Ubuchule Awabusebenzisa Kakuhle

Ekubeni wayezalwa yintsapho yamaYuda kwisixeko esasiyingxubevange yamaGrike namaRoma, uSawule wayesuka kumaqela amathathu abantu. Ngokuqinisekileyo ukukwazi kwakhe ukuthetha iilwimi ezininzi kwamnceda waba “zizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke iintlobo.” (1 Korinte 9:​19-23) Kamva ubumi bakhe baseRoma bamenza wakwazi ukubuthethelela ezinkundleni ubulungiseleli bakhe waza wasa iindaba ezilungileyo koyena mlawuli uphambili kuBukhosi baseRoma. (IZenzo 16:​37-40; 25:​11, 12) Kakade ke, imvelaphi, imfundo nobuntu bukaSawule babusaziwa nguYesu ovusiweyo, owathi kuAnaniyas: “Bekeka endleleni, ngenxa yokuba lo mntu usisitya esinyuliweyo kum sokuthwala igama lam ezintlangeni kwakunye nakookumkani noonyana bakaSirayeli. Kuba ndiya kumbonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba zininzi kwazo izinto amele abandezeleke zizo ngenxa yegama lam.” (IZenzo 9:​13-16) Yathi yakujoliswa kwicala elilungileyo, inzondelelo kaSawule yaba luncedo ekusasazeni isigidimi soBukumkani kwimihlaba ekude.

Ukunyula kukaYesu ukuba uSawule aye kuphumeza uthumo olukhethekileyo kwakusisiganeko esingumnqa kwimbali yamaKristu. Ukanti, onke amaKristu anamhlanje anobuchule neempawu ezinokusetyenziswa ngokunempumelelo ekusasazeni iindaba ezilungileyo. Xa uSawule wakuqondayo oko uYesu wayekufuna kuye, akazange arhoxobise. Wenza konke okusemandleni akhe ukuze ahambisele phambili izilangazelelo zoBukumkani. Ngaba wenjenjalo nawe?

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

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Ubhaliso Neziqinisekiso Zokuba Ngummi WaseRoma

Ukubhaliswa kwabantwana babemi baseRoma abazelwe ngomtshato kwaqaliswa nguAgasto ngemimiselo emibini eyamiselwa ngowe-⁠4 nangowe-⁠9 C.E. Umntwana kwakufuneka abhaliswe kwisithuba seentsuku ezingama-30 ezelwe. Iintsapho ezazihlala kumaphondo, kwakufuneka zenze isivumo phambi kukamantyi kwiofisi efanelekileyo yakwandaba-zabantu, ichaze ukuba ungumntwana womtshato yaye ungummi waseRoma. Kwakubhalwa amagama abazali, isini negama lomntwana, kunye nomhla wokuzalwa. Kwanangaphambi kokuba isebenze le mithetho, ubhaliso lwabemi lwalusenziwa kubo bonke oomasipala, amathanga nezithili zamaRoma rhoqo xa kubalwa abantu ekupheleni kweminyaka emihlanu.

Ngaloo ndlela ubani wayenokubonisa isikhundla sakhe ngokubhekisela kwingqokelela yamaxwebhu agcinwe kakuhle. Imibhalo esemthethweni yezo ngxelo yayinokufunyanwa ikumacwecwe asongwayo awenziwe ngeplanga nanokuphathwa ngesandla. Ngokwembono yabanye abaphengululi, xa uPawulos wayesithi ungummi waseRoma, usenokuba wayenaso isiqinisekiso esingqinela oko. (IZenzo 16:​37; 22:​25-29; 25:​11) Ekubeni ukuba ngummi waseRoma kwakugqalwa njengento ephantse ibe “ngcwele” yaye kunika ubani amalungelo amaninzi, ukuzenzela amaxwebhu omgunyathi kwakusisenzo esinzulu solwaphulo-mthetho. Umntu oxokayo ngesikhundla sakhe wayesohlwaywa ngokufa.

[Inkcazelo]

Historic Costume in Pictures/Dover Publications, Inc., New York

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Igama LikaSawule LaseRoma

Bonke abemi abangamadoda baseRoma babesiba namagama ubuncinane amathathu. Indoda yayisiba negama, ibe nesiduko (esiyinxibelelanisa nesizwe sakokwayo, okanye igens), kunye nefani. Omnye umzekelo owaziwayo nguGaius Julius Caesar. IBhayibhile ayiwachazi ngokupheleleyo amagama esiRoma, kodwa iincwadi zehlabathi zisixelela ukuba uAgripa wayenguMarcus Julius Agrippa. UGaliyo wayenguLucius Junius Gallio. (IZenzo 18:​12; 25:​13) Imizekelo evela kwiZibhalo yamagama amabini okugqibela ngokaPontiyo Pilato (kumbhalo ongaphantsi), uSergiyo Pawulos, uKlawudiyo Lisiya noPorkiyo Festo.​—⁠IZenzo 4:​27; 13:⁠7; 23:​26; 24:⁠27.

Asikwazi ukutsho ngokuqinisekileyo enoba uPawulos yayiligama okanye iyifani kaSawule. Kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo ukuba umntu azifakele elinye igama awayenokubizwa ngalo yintsapho nezihlobo. Okanye ke, kwakunokusetyenziswa igama elingelolaseRoma elinjengelithi Sawule endaweni yalo. Omnye umphengululi uthi: “[Igama elithi Sawule] lalingenakuba lelomRoma, kodwa lalinokuvakala kamnandi xa libizwa njengesignum yommi waseRoma.” Kwiindawo ekuthethwa kuzo iilwimi ezininzi, isenokuba yimeko eyayisenza indoda ikhethe ukuba isebenzisa liphi igama.

[Inkcazelo]

Photograph by Israel Museum, ©Israel Antiquities Authority