UPawulos Ulungiselela Iminikelo Yokunceda Abangcwele
IZILANGAZELELO zokomoya zibalulekile kumaKristu okwenyaniso. Sekunjalo, ukuxhalabela intlalo-ntle yabanye nako kubalulekile kuwo. Ngokufuthi aye abalungiselela abo batyhubela ebunzimeni. Uthando lobuzalwana lushukumisela amaKristu ukuba ancede amanye amakholwa asweleyo.—Yohane 13:34, 35.
Ukuthanda abazalwana bokomoya kwashukumisela umpostile uPawulos ukuba alungiselele ukuba kuqokelelwe iminikelo kwibandla laseAkhaya, eGalati, eMakedoni nakwisithili saseAsiya. Yintoni eyabangela ukuba kufuneke oku? Lwalungiselelwa njani olu cwangciso lokunceda? Yaba njani intsabelo? Yaye kutheni sifanele sibe nomdla koko kwenzekayo?
Imeko Yebandla LaseYerusalem
Emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., amaYuda namaguquka awayevela kwenye indawo aza aba ngabafundi ngePentekoste asala eYerusalem kangangexesha elithile ukuze afunde okungakumbi ngokholo lokwenyaniso. Apho kwakuyimfuneko, abanye abanquli banceda ukuze kunyanyekelwe umthwalo owabangelwa kukuhlala kwawo ixesha elongezelelekileyo. (IZenzo 2:7-11, 41-44; 4:32-37) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba imilo yamakhaya yabangela intswelo engakumbi njengoko amaYuda athand’ isizwe axhokonxa imvukelo nogonyamelo lwehlokondiba. Noko ke, ukuze kungabikho mlandeli kaKristu ulambayo, suku ngalunye kwakusabelwa abahlolokazi abasweleyo ukutya. (IZenzo 6:1-6) UHerode walitshutshisa ngokukrakra ibandla, yaye phakathi kowama-40 C.E., indlala yahlasela elakwaYuda. Ngokubhekisele kubalandeli bakaYesu, kusenokwenzeka ukuba konke oku kwakubangelwa koko uPawulos wakubiza ngokuthi ‘ziimbandezelo,’ ‘nokuphangwa kwempahla yabo.’—Hebhere 10:32-34; IZenzo 11:27–12:1.
Malunga nowama-49 C.E., imeko yayisemaxongo. Ngaloo ndlela, emva kokuvumelana ukuba uPawulos wayeza kunikela ingqalelo ekushumayeleni kwabeeNtlanga, uPetros, uYakobi noYohane bambongoza ukuba ‘akhumbule amahlwempu.’ Yiloo nto kanye uPawulos awazabalazela ukuyenza.—Galati 2:7-10.
Ukulungiselela Umnikelo
UPawulos wayenyamekela imali yamaKristu angamahlwempu kwelakwaYuda. Malunga nowama-55 C.E., wathi kwabaseKorinte: ‘Ngokuphathelele ukuqokelelela abo bangcwele, kanye njengoko ndawayalelayo amabandla aseGalati, yenzani ngaloo ndlela nani. Ngolokuqala usuku evekini ngamnye wenu endlwini yakhe makabekele bucala okuthile kuvimba ngokwengeniso ayizuzileyo. . . [Bandule ke] nabaphi na abantu enibancomeleyo ngeencwadi, bathwale isipho senu sobubele basise eYerusalem.’ (1 Korinte 16:1-3) Emva konyaka uPawulos wathi abaseMakedoni nabaseAkhaya babenenxaxheba koku. Yaye, ubukho beendwendwe ezivela kwisithili saseAsiya xa kwakuthunyelwa loo mali eYerusalem bubonisa ukuba amabandla aloo mmandla nawo anikela.—IZenzo 20:4; 2 Korinte 8:1-4; 9:1, 2.
Akakho umntu owabongozwa ukuba anikele ngaphezu kwamandla akhe. Kunoko, kwakufuneka kulinganwe ukuze nayiphi na intsalela ibangele ukulingana phakathi kwabangcwele eYerusalem nakwelakwaYuda. (2 Korinte 8:13-15) UPawulos wathi: “Ngamnye makenze kanye njengoko egqibile entliziyweni yakhe, kungekhona ngokukrokra okanye ngokunyanzelwa, kuba uThixo uthanda umphi ochwayitileyo.”—2 Korinte 9:7.
Lo mpostile waxelela aba baseKorinte isizathu sokuba babonise isisa. UYesu ‘waba lihlwempu ngenxa yabo, ukuze babe zizityebi’ ngokomoya. (2 Korinte 8:9) Ngokuqinisekileyo babeya kufuna ukuxelisa umoya wakhe wokupha. Ngaphezu koko, ekubeni uThixo wayebatyebisa ukuze babe ‘nesisa ngandlela zonke,’ kwakufanelekile ukuba bancede abangcwele kwiintswelo zabo.—2 Korinte 9:10-12.
Isimo Sengqondo Sabo Banikelayo
Sinokufunda lukhulu ekunikeleni ngesisa ngokuqwalasela isimo sengqondo sabo babenikela ngenkulungwane yokuqala ukuze kuncedwe abangcwele. Loo minikelo ayizange ibonise nje ukuba nenkxalabo ngenxa yabanquli bakaYehova abangamahlwempu. Yabonisa ukuba kwakukho iqhina lobuzalwana phakathi kwamaKristu angamaYuda naweeNtlanga. Ukunikela nokwamkela iminikelo kwabonisa umanyano nobuhlobo phakathi kwabeeNtlanga namaYuda. Babesabelana ngezinto eziphathekayo nezokomoya.—Roma 15:26, 27.
Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ekuqaleni uPawulos wayengawamemanga amaKristu aseMakedoni ukuba abe nenxaxheba ekunikeleni—nawo ayengamahlwempu kakhulu. Noko ke, ‘abongoza ukuba anikwe ilungelo lokunikela.’ Kaloku, nangona ‘ayephantsi kovavanyo olukhulu exhwalekile,’ anikela ngovuyo ‘nangaphezu kwamandla awo’! (2 Korinte 8:1-4) Kubonakala ukuba uvavanyo lwawo olukhulu lwaluquka izityholo zokuba ayekunqulo olungavumelekanga ngokomthetho wamaRoma. Ngoko siyaqondakala isizathu sokuba abe ayeya kuba novelwano ngabazalwana bawo abangamaYuda, ababebandezelekile ngenxa yobunzima obufanayo.—IZenzo 16:20, 21; 17:5-9; 1 Tesalonika 2:14.
Nangona uPawulos wenza umzekelo ngenzondelelo eyaboniswa ngabaseKorinte ekuqaleni xa babenikela ukuze akhuthaze abaseMakedoni, elo hlombe babenalo abaseKorinte lalihlile. Ngoku lo mpostile wathetha ngobubele babantu baseMakedoni ukuze akhuthaze abaseKorinte. Wabona kufanelekile ukuba abakhuthaze ukuba babemele bagqibezele oko babekuqale kunyaka ongaphambili. Kwakwenzeke ntoni?—2 Korinte 8:10, 11; 9:1-5.
UTito wayeqalise iphulo lokuqokelela iminikelo eKorinte, kodwa kwavela iingxaki, ekubonakala ukuba zayikatyisa imigudu yakhe. Emva kokuthetha noPawulos eMakedoni ngalo mba, uTito wabuya nabanye ababini ukuze akhuthaze ibandla laseKorinte aze agqibezele ukuqokelela iminikelo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba abanye babesithi uPawulos wayezama ukuxhaphaza abaseKorinte. Kungenxa yoko le nto mhlawumbi wathumela amadoda amathathu ukuba aye kugqibezela ukuqokelela iminikelo waza wawanika amacebiso. UPawulos wathi: “Sizamela ukuba kungabikho nabani na osihlaba amadlala ngalo mnikelo wokungagogotyi lutho siwunyamekelayo. Kuba ‘senza ilungiselelo lokunyaniseka, kungekuphela nje emehlweni kaYehova, kodwa kwanasemehlweni abantu.’”—2 Korinte 8:6, 18-23; 12:18.
Ukuhanjiswa Kweminikelo
Ngentwasahlobo yowama-56 C.E., umnikelo wemali wawusele ulungile ukuba usiwe eYerusalem. UPawulos wayeza kuhamba nabo babekhethwe ngabantu ababenze loo mnikelo. IZenzo 20:4 zithi: “Wayephelekwa nguSopatro unyana kaPayiro waseBhereya, uAristarko noSekundo abangabaseTesalonika, noGayo waseDerbhe, noTimoti, yaye abesithili saseAsiya yayinguTikiko noTrofimo.” Kuyabonakala ukuba, phakathi kwabo kwakukho noLuka, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba wayemele amaKristu aseFilipi. Ngenxa yoko, ubuncinane kwahamba amadoda asithoba.
Umbhali-mbali uDieter Georgi uthi: “Kuyabonakala ukuba kwaqokelelwa isimbuku semali ebonakalayo kuba, ukuba kwakungenjalo kwakungayi kuba yimfuneko ukuba kwenziwe umgudu neendleko ezingako zokuba kuhambe uPawulos nabanye abaninzi.” Elo qela alizange lihambe ngenjongo yokuqinisekisa ukhuseleko kuphela kodwa lahamba nangenjongo yokukhusela uPawulos kwizityholo zokunganyaniseki. Abo babethunyiwe babemele amabandla abeeNtlanga phambi kwabangcwele eYerusalem.
Ukuba elo qela lalihambe ngesikhephe ukusuka eKorinte lisiya eSiriya, laliza kufika eYerusalem ngePasika. Noko ke, emva kokuvakala ukuba kukho iyelenqe lokubulala uPawulos kwabakho utshintsho. (IZenzo 20:3) Mhlawumbi iintshaba zakhe zazifuna ukumbulalela elwandle.
Zikho ezinye izinto awayezixhalabele uPawulos. Ngaphambi kokuba ahambe, wabhalela amaKristu aseRoma ukuba amthandazele ukuze ‘ahlangulwe kwabangakholwayo kwelakwaYuda nokuze ubulungiseleli bakhe baseYerusalem bungqineke bamkelekile kwabo bangcwele.’ (Roma 15:30, 31) Nangona ngokungathandabuzekiyo abangcwele babeza kuyamkela ngoxabiso olukhulu loo minikelo, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPawulos wayenexhala ngengxaki eyayinokubangelwa kukufika kwakhe phakathi kwamaYuda ngokubanzi.
Ngokuqinisekileyo lo mpostile wayehlala ewakhumbula amahlwempu. Ngoxa iZibhalo zingatsho ukuba yadluliselwa nini iminikelo, ukudluliselwa kwayo kwakhulisa umanyano kwaza kwavulela amaKristu eeNtlanga ithuba lokubonakalisa umbulelo kumakholwa angamaYuda ngenxa yobutyebi bokomoya awabufumanayo kuwo. Ukubonakala kukaPawulos etempileni emva nje kokufika kwakhe eYerusalem kwavusa isidubedube kwaza kwabangela ukuba abanjwe. Kodwa ekugqibeleni oku kwamvulela ithuba lokunikela ubungqina kwiirhuluneli nookumkani.—IZenzo 9:15; 21:17-36; 23:11; 24:1–26:32.
Iminikelo Yethu Namhlanje
Zininzi izinto eziye zaguquka ukususela kwinkulungwane yokuqala—kodwa imigaqo esisiseko ayikaguquki. Ngokufanelekileyo amaKristu ayaxelelwa ngeentswelo zemali. Nayiphi na iminikelo ayenzayo ngenxa yabo basweleyo imele ibe yeyokuzithandela, ashukunyiswe kukuthanda uThixo nabanye abantu.—Marko 12:28-31.
Uncedo olwalunikelwa kwabangcwele ngenkulungwane yokuqala lubonisa ukuba loo minikelo imele inyanyekelwe ngendlela elungeleleneyo nebonisa ukunyaniseka. Kakade ke, uYehova uThixo uyazazi iintswelo zethu, yaye uyabalungiselela abakhonzi bakhe ukuze baqhubeke besabelana nabanye ngeendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani enoba ahlangabezana nobunzima. (Mateyu 6:25-34) Ukanti, sonke sinokwenza indima yethu, kungakhathaliseki ukuba imeko yethu yezoqoqosho injani na. Ngaloo ndlela, ‘umntu onokuninzi akayi kuba nokuninzi gqitha, nomntu onokuncinane akayi kuba nokuncinane gqitha.’—2 Korinte 8:15.