Ukushumayela KukaSawule Kubangela Intiyo

AMAYUDA aseDamasko ayengakuqondi oku. Kunokwenzeka njani ukuba umntu owayezimele ngokungqongqo kangaka iinkolelo zesithethe abe ngumwexuki? USawule wayesaziwa ngokuhlasela abo babiza egameni likaYesu eYerusalem. Wayeze eDamasko ukuze atshutshise abafundi apho. Kodwa ngoku naye wayeshumayela kwangalo mntu owayecekiswa waza wabethelelwa emthini ngenxa yokunyelisa esithi unguMesiya! Ngaba uSawule wayeshiywa ziingqondo?—IZenzo 9:1, 2, 20-22.

Mhlawumbi ikho into eyenzekayo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba abanye ababehamba kunye noSawule besuka eYerusalem bathetha ngoko kwenzeka endleleni. Njengoko babesondele eDamasko, ngequbuliso babanekelwa kukukhanya, yaye bonke bawela emhlabeni. Kwavakala nelizwi. Akakho namnye owenzakalayo ngaphandle kukaSawule. Wayeleli endleleni. Xa ekugqibeleni waphakama, abanye ababehamba naye kwafuneka bamse eDamasko, kuba wayengaboni.—IZenzo 9:3-8; 26:13, 14.

Umchasi Uba Ngumxhasi

Yintoni eyenzeka kuSawule endleleni esinge eDamasko? Ngaba indlela ende okanye ukutshisa kwelanga emini maqanda kwamenza wamfameka? Kuba befuna inkcazelo, abanye abantu bezi mini nabakuthandabuzayo oku bathi kusenokwenzeka ukuba waphambana, waba nemibono, kwabakho into eyenzeka engqondweni kaSawule eyamenza watyiwa sisazela, washiywa ziingqondo okanye waba nesathuthwane.

Okwenzekayo kukuba uSawule wabona uYesu Kristu ekubuqaqawuli bokukhanya okwamenza wamfameka, emeyisela ekubeni unguMesiya. Abanye abantu bamzoba uSawule kwesi sihlandlo esiwa ehasheni. Nangona oku kwakunokwenzeka, iBhayibhile ithi ‘wawela emhlabeni’ nje kuphela. (IZenzo 22:6-11) Enoba wawa njani na uSawule, oko kwakungabalulekanga kangako xa kuthelekiswa nokuwa kwakhe kwisikhundla sakhe sangaphambili. Ngoku kwafuneka aqonde ukuba oko kwakushunyayelwa ngabalandeli bakaYesu kwakuyinyaniso. Kwakufuneka nje ukuba uSawule abalandele. Emva kokuba wayengumchasi oqaqadekileyo wesigidimi sikaYesu, uSawule waba ngomnye wabona baxhasi banenzondelelo. Emva kokuba ekwazi ukubona kwakhona waza wabhaptizwa, “uSawule wahlala ezuza amandla ngokungakumbi yaye wayewaqungaqunga amaYuda awayehlala eDamasko njengoko wayengqina ngokusengqiqweni ukuba lo nguKristu.”—IZenzo 9:22.

Iyelenqe Lokumbulala Liwa Phantsi

USawule, kamva owaziwa ngokuba nguPawulos, waya phi emva kokuba eguqukile? Xa wayebhalela abaseGalati, wathi: “Ndaya kwelaseArabhiya, ndaza ndabuyela kwakhona eDamasko.” (Galati 1:17) I-“Arabhiya” iquka nayiphi na indawo ekuSingasiqithi waseArabhiya. Abanye abaphengululi bathi kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPawulos waya kwiNtlango yaseSiriya okanye naphi na eNabataea apho kulawula uAreta IV. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba, uSawule waya kwindawo ezolileyo ukuze acamngce emva kokuba ebhaptiziwe, kanye njengokuba noYesu waya entlango emva kokuntywiliselwa kwakhe emanzini.—Luka 4:1.

Xa uSawule wabuyela eDamasko, “amaYuda aceba ukumbulala.” (IZenzo 9:23) Irhuluneli eyayiphantsi kukaKumkani uAreta eDamasko yayisilinda isixeko ukuze ibambe uSawule. (2 Korinte 11:32) Ngoxa iintshaba zikaSawule zisenza iyelenqe lokumbulala, abalandeli bakaYesu baceba ukuba asabe.

Phakathi kwabo banceda uSawule ukuba asabe yayinguAnaniyas nabafundi ababekunye noSawule xa esandul’ ukubhaptizwa.a (IZenzo 9:17-19) Abanye ababengamakholwa ngenxa yokushumayela kukaSawule eDamasko kusenokwenzeka ukuba nabo bancedisa, kuba IZenzo 9:25 zithi: “Abafundi bakhe bamthabatha baza bamthoba ngobusuku ngembobo eseludongeni, bemhlisa ngengobozi.” Ibinzana elithi “abafundi bakhe” linokuthetha abo babefundiswa nguSawule. Enoba oko kwakuthetha ntoni na, ukushumayela kwakhe kubantu abaninzi kumele ukuba kwabangela intiyo engakumbi.

Oko Sinokukufunda

Xa sihlolisisa iziganeko ezenzeka emva kokuguquka kukaSawule nokubhaptizwa kwakhe sikubona ngokucacileyo ukuba wayengayixhalabelanga ngokugqithiseleyo indlela abanye abaza kumjonga ngayo; yaye akazange anikezele ngenxa yenkcaso eqatha. Eyona nto yayibaluleke nakakhulu kuSawule ngumsebenzi awayewuthunyiwe wokushumayela.—IZenzo 22:14, 15.

Ngaba usandul’ ukweyiseka ngokubaluleka kokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo? Ukuba kunjalo, uyazi ukuba onke amaKristu okwenyaniso afanele ukuba ngabashumayeli boBukumkani. Ufanele ungamangaliswa xa maxa wambi ukushumayela kwakho kubangela abanye bakuthiye. (Mateyu 24:9; Luka 21:12; 1 Petros 2:20) Indlela uSawule awasabela ngayo kwinkcaso ingumzekelo. UThixo uyakholiswa ngamaKristu anyamezela phantsi kweengcinezelo ngaphandle kokunikezela. UYesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Niya kuthiywa ngabantu bonke ngenxa yegama lam.” Sekunjalo, wabaqinisekisa esithi: “Ngokunyamezela kwenu niya kuyizuza imiphefumlo yenu.”—Luka 21:17-19.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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USawule ‘wawela emhlabeni’ xa wabona uYesu

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USawule wasaba xa wenzelwa iyelenqe lokubulawa eDamasko