UBharnabhas—“Unyana Wentuthuzelo”

UGQIBELE nini ukuthuthuzelwa ngumhlobo? Ngaba usakhumbula ukuba ugqibele nini ukuthuthuzela omnye umntu? Ngamathuba athile, sonke siye sifune ukhuthazo, ibe hayi indlela esibaxabisa ngayo abo balunikela ngothando! Ukuthuthuzela kuthetha ukuzinika ixesha lokuphulaphula, ukuqonda nokunceda. Ngaba ukulungele ukwenjenjalo?

Omnye umntu owabonakalisa ukukulungela ngendlela engumzekelo yayinguBharnabhas, ‘owayeyindoda elungileyo neyayizele umoya oyingcwele nokholo.’ (IZenzo 11:24) Kutheni kunokuthethwa oko ngoBharnabhas? Yintoni awayenzayo emenza achazwe ngolu hlobo?

Umntu Onceda Ngesisa

Elona gama lakhe yayinguYosefu, kodwa abapostile bampha le fani inentsingiselo neyayivisisana nobuntu bakhe—uBharnabhas, othetha “uNyana weNtuthuzelo.”a (IZenzo 4:36) Ibandla lamaKristu laliselitsha. Bambi bathi uBharnabhas umele ukuba wayekhe wangomnye wabafundi bakaYesu ngaphambili. (Luka 10:1, 2) Enoba kuyinyaniso oko okanye akunjalo, le ndoda yazenzela igama elihle.

Kungekudala emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uBharnabhas, owayengumLevi waseSipro, ngokuzithandela wathengisa umhlaba othile waza loo mali wayinika abapostile. Kwakutheni ukuze enze loo nto? Ingxelo ekwiZenzo isixelela ukuba phakathi kwamaKristu awayeseYerusalem ngelo xesha, “kwakuye kwabelwe ngamnye, kanye ngokokuswela kwakhe.” Kuyabonakala ukuba uBharnabhas wabona ukuba kwakukho intswelo ethile, ibe ngobubele wenza into ngaloo nto. (IZenzo 4:34-37) Usenokuba wayeyindoda efumileyo, kodwa akazange aphozise maseko ekunikeleni ngezinto eziphathekayo zakhe nangesiqu sakhe ukuze kuhanjiselwe phambili izilangazelelo zoBukumkani.b Umphengululi uF. F. Bruce uthi: “Naphi na apho uBharnabhas wayefumana abantu okanye kukho iimeko ezifuna ubani anikele ukhuthazo, wayenikela ukhuthazo kangangoko anako.” Oku kunokubonakala kwisihlandlo sesibini ekuthethwa ngaye kuso.

Malunga nowama-36 C.E., uSawule waseTarso (owayeza kuba ngumpostile uPawulos), ngoku owayesele engumKristu, wayezama ukunxulumana nebandla laseYerusalem, “kodwa bonke babemoyika, ngenxa yokuba babengakholelwa ukuba ungumfundi.” Wayenokuleyisela njani ibandla ukuba likholelwe ukuba wayeguquke ngokwenene yaye engenzi iyelenqe nje lokulitshayela liphele? “Ngoko uBharnabhas weza kumnceda waza wamsa kubapostile.”—IZenzo 9:26, 27; Galati 1:13, 18, 19.

Isizathu sokuba uBharnabhas amthembe uSawule asichazwanga. Phofu ke, “uNyana weNtuthuzelo” wayilandela ifani yakhe ngokumphulaphula uSawule nangokumnceda aphume kobo bugxwayiba babunganiki themba. Nangona uSawule wabuyela kwelakowabo eTarso, la madoda mabini ayeyile iqhina lobuhlobo. Elo qhina laliza kuba nemiphumo emihle kwiminyaka eyayiza kulandela.—IZenzo 9:30.

Kwa-Antiyokwe

Malunga nowama-45 C.E., zagaleleka eYerusalem iindaba zeziganeko ezingaqhelekanga ezaziqhubeka kwa-Antiyokwe yaseSiriya—inyambalala yamaGrike eso sixeko yayisiba ngamakholwa. Ibandla lathumela uBharnabhas ukuba aye kuhlola yaye alungelelanise umsebenzi apho. Kwathi kanti lithumele oyena mntu ufanelekayo. ULuka uthi: “Xa wafikayo waza wabubona ububele obungasifanelanga bukaThixo, waba nemihlali waza waqalisa ukubakhuthaza bonke ukuba baqhubeke eNkosini ngenjongo esuk’ entliziyweni; kuba wayeyindoda elungileyo yaye ezele ngumoya oyingcwele nokholo. Kwaye isihlwele esikhulu songezelelwa eNkosini.”—IZenzo 11:22-24.

Akazange aphelele apho. Ngokutsho komphengululi uGiuseppe Ricciotti, “uBharnabhas wayeyindoda ekholwa kukwenza, ibe ngoko nangoko wayiqonda imfuneko yokuqukeza ukuze aqiniseke ukuba loo ntsimi ichumayo yayiza kuxakatha intabalala yesivuno. Noko ke, eyona nto yayifuneka kakhulu yayingabavuni.” Ekubeni wayevela eSipro, mhlawumbi uBharnabhas wayeqhelene nokuqhubana nabeeNtlanga. Usenokuba wayeziva ekufanelekele ngokukhethekileyo ukushumayela kubahedeni. Kodwa wayekulungele ukubandakanya nabanye kulo msebenzi ubangel’ imincili nolukhuthazo.

UBharnabhas wacinga ngoSawule. Ngokuqinisekileyo, uBharnabhas wayesazi isiprofeto esatyhilelwa uAnaniyas ngexesha lokuguquka kukaSawule, esasisithi lo wayesakuba ngumtshutshisi ‘wayesisitya esinyuliweyo, sokuthwala igama likaYesu ezintlangeni.’ (IZenzo 9:15) Ngoko uBharnabhas wanduluka esinge eTarso—uhambo lomgama oziikhilomitha ezinokuba ngama-200 ukuya kuphela—eye kufuna uSawule. La madoda mabini asebenza njengamaphuthi ahlath’ inye unyaka wonke, ibe ngeli xesha “kwaqala kwa-Antiyokwe ukuba abafundi ngolwalathiso olungokobuthixo babizwe ngokuba ngamaKristu.”—IZenzo 11:25, 26.

Ebudeni bolawulo lukaKlawudiyo, kwahlasela ebomvu yona indlala kwimimandla ethile yoBukhosi bamaRoma. Ngokutsho kombhali-mbali ongumYuda uJosephus, eYerusalem “baninzi abantu ababulawa linxele likaKhetsekile.” Ngaloo ndlela, abafundi bakwa-Antiyokwe “bazimisela, ngamnye kubo ngokokoko nabani na wayenako, ukuthumela ulungiselelo lwamancedo kubazalwana ababehlala kwelakwaYuda; yaye oku bakwenza, bethumela kumadoda amakhulu ngesandla sikaBharnabhas noSawule.” Emva kokuluqabelisa olo thumo, la madoda mabini abuyela noYohane Marko kwa-Antiyokwe, apho ayebalwa phakathi kwabaprofeti nabafundisi bebandla.—IZenzo 11:29, 30; 12:25; 13:1.

Isabelo Esikhethekileyo Sobuvangeli Basemazweni

Emva koko kwenzeka into engaqhelekanga. “Njengoko babelungiselela esidlangalaleni kuYehova yaye bezila ukutya, umoya oyingcwele wathi: ‘Kubo bonke abantu ndibekeleni uBharnabhas noSawule bucala ngenxa yomsebenzi endibabizele wona.’” Khawufan’ ucinge! Umoya kaYehova wawuyalela la madoda mabini ukuba anikwe isabelo esikhethekileyo. “Ngako oko la madoda, ethunyelwe ngumoya oyingcwele, ehla aya eSelukiya, yaye ukusuka apho anduluka ngesikhephe aya eSipro.” Kwakunokufaneleka ukuba noBharnabhas kuthiwe ngumpostile, okanye lowo uthunyiweyo.—IZenzo 13:2, 4; 14:14.

Emva kokutyhutyha iSipro nokuguqula uSergiyo Pawulos, umlawuli wesiqithi ongumRoma, basinga ePerga, kunxweme olusemazantsi eAsiya Mayina, apho uYohane Marko wajika khona waza wabuyela eYerusalem. (IZenzo 13:13) Kubonakala ukuba ukuza kuthi ga ngelo xesha nguBharnabhas owayekhokela, mhlawumbi ngenxa yokuba wayengoyena unamava. Ukususela apha, nguSawule (ngoku obizwa ngokuba nguPawulos) okhokelayo. (Thelekisa IZenzo 13:7, 13, 16; 15:2.) Ngaba uBharnabhas akazange aphatheke kakuhle yile nguqu? Akunjalo, kaloku wayengumKristu oqolileyo owathi ngokuthobeka waqonda ukuba uYehova wayekwasebenzisa ugxa wakhe ngendlela enamandla. UYehova wayefuna neminye imimandla engakumbi ive iindaba ezilungileyo ngabo.

Eneneni, ngaphambi kokuba la madoda mabini agxothwe okomshologu kwa-Antiyokwe yasePisidiya, wonke loo mmandla waliva ngoPawulos noBharnabhas ilizwi likaThixo, ibe iqela labantu lasamkela isigidimi. (IZenzo 13:43, 48-52) EIkoniyo, ‘inkitha enkulu kokubini eyamaYuda neyamaGrike yaba ngamakholwa.’ Oku kwashukumisela uPawulos noBharnabhas ukuba bachithe ixesha elingakumbi apho, ‘bethetha ngenkalipho ngegunya likaYehova, owanikela imiqondiso nemihlola ukuba yenzeke ngezandla zabo.’ Athi akuva ngeyelenqe lokuwaxuluba ngamatye, ngobulumko la madoda mabini asaba aza aqhubeka nomsebenzi wawo eLikawoniya, eListra naseDerbhe. Nangona baphantse bacinyw’ igama eListra, uBharnabhas noPawulos baqhubeka “besomeleza imiphefumlo yabafundi, bebakhuthaza ukuhlala elukholweni kwaye besithi: ‘Simele singene ebukumkanini bukaThixo ngokuphumela kwiimbandezelo ezininzi.’”—IZenzo 14:1-7, 19-22.

Aba bashumayeli babini bakhutheleyo babengakuvumeli ukugrogriswa. Kunoko, baphindela kwiindawo ababetshutshiswe ngokukrakra kuzo ukuze bakhe amaKristu asematsha, yaye ngokunokwenzeka benceda amadoda afanelekayo ukuba anikele ukhokelo kumabandla amatsha.

Imbambano Yolwaluko

Kwiminyaka enokuba li-16 emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uBharnabhas wayebandakanyeke kwisiganeko esibalulekileyo embalini esasiphathelele imbambano yolwaluko. “Kwehla abantu abathile [ababesinge kwa-Antiyokwe yaseSiriya] bevela kwelakwaYuda baza baqalisa ukufundisa abazalwana besithi: ‘Ngaphandle kokuba naluke ngokwesiko likaMoses, aninakusindiswa.’” Ngokusuka kumava abo, uPawulos noBharnabhas baqonda ukuba lulwimi etywaleni loo nto, ibe bayikhaba ngawo omane loo ngcamango. Kunokuba basebenzise igunya labo, baqonda ukuba le mbambano kwakufuneka izinziswe ukuze kungenelwe lonke umanyano lwabazalwana. Le mbambano bayisa kwiqumrhu elilawulayo eYerusalem, apho iingxelo zabo zaba negalelo ekuyizinziseni. Emva koko, uPawulos noBharnabhas, abachazwa ngokuthi “ziintandane . . . abayinikeleyo imiphefumlo yabo ngenxa yegama leNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu,” baba phakathi kwabo babeza kudlulisela isigqibo kubazalwana bakwa-Antiyokwe. Emva kokufundwa kwencwadi eyayivela kwiqumrhu elilawulayo kwaza kwanikelwa neentetho, ibandla ‘laba nemihlali ngenxa yokhuthazo olo’ yaye ‘lomelezeka.’—IZenzo 15:1, 2, 4, 25-32.

“Ukudubuleka Kabukhali Komsindo”

Emva kokuba sive iingxelo ezintle ezininzi kangaka ngoBharnabhas, sisenokuvakalelwa kukuba asinakuze siwuxelise kakuhle umzekelo wakhe. Ukanti, “uNyana weNtuthuzelo” wayengafezekanga njengathi aba. Xa yena noPawulos babeceba uhambo lwesibini lobuvangeli basemazweni lokuya kutyelela amabandla, kwaqhambuka imbambano. UBharnabhas wayefuna bahambe nomza wakhe uYohane Marko, ukanti uPawulos wazalela endle esithi ukubona kungafanelekanga oko, ekubeni uYohane Marko wayebashiye enyanyeni ebudeni bohambo lokuqala lobuvangeli basemazweni. Kwabakho “ukudubuleka kabukhali komsindo, kangangokuba bahlukana; waza uBharnabhas wathabatha uMarko yaye wanduluka ngesikhephe esiya eSipro,” ngoxa “uPawulos wakhetha uSilas waza wemka” esinge kwelinye icala.—IZenzo 15:36-40.

Yambi ke loo nto! Nangona kunjalo, esi siganeko sisibonisa enye into ngobuntu bukaBharnabhas. Omnye umphengululi uthi: “UBharnabhas umele othulelw’ umnqwazi ngokukulungela ukuzibeka engozini nangokumthemba okwesihlandlo sesibini uMarko.” Ngokutsho kwalo mbhali, kusenokwenzeka ukuba “intembelo awayenayo uBharnabhas kuye yamnceda waphinda wakwazi ukuzithemba nto leyo eyamshukumisela ekuzinikeleni ngokutsha.” Ethubeni, loo ntembelo yaphumelela ngokupheleleyo, kuba ekuhambeni kwexesha kwanoPawulos wavuma ukuba uMarko wayelulutho kwinkonzo yamaKristu.—2 Timoti 4:11; thelekisa eyabaseKolose 4:10.

Umzekelo kaBharnabhas unokusishukumisela ukuba siziphe ixesha lokuphulaphula, lokuqonda nelokukhuthaza abantliziyo zidakumbileyo yaye sinikele uncedo olusebenzisekayo xa kukho imfuneko. Ingxelo yokukulungela kwakhe ukukhonza abazalwana bakhe ngobulali nangenkalipho, kwanemiphumo emihle okwayidalayo, ilukhuthazo. Hayi indlela esisikeleleke ngayo ngokuba namadoda anjengoBharnabhas emabandleni ethu namhlanje!

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

UBharnabhas “wayeyindoda elungileyo yaye ezele ngumoya oyingcwele nokholo”