Ifilipi—Indawo Yemithombo
SASIKADE sintweza ngaphezu kwamagagasi aseAegean lapho sisondela eThesalonika. Ngokushesha, umgwaqo wezindiza wasesikhumulweni wabonakala emaphethelweni amanzi futhi wasithela ngokushesha ngaphansi kwethu—eduze kwendiza kangangokuthi umkami wacabanga ukuthi sase siphansi kakade. Wathi: “Lokhu kube ukuhlala phansi okumnandi esingakaze sibe nakho!” Khona-ke, amasondo athinta phansi ngokukhahlazeka.
IMakedoniya, iGrisi! Ngacabanga ngezwe lika-Alexander Omkhulu nempi yamuva eThafeni laseFilipi eyanquma ikusasa leRoma. Futhi ngazibuza ukuthi lalingakanani ithonya lezindawo ezaba nalo ekuphileni nasenkonzweni yomphostoli ongumKristu uPawulu. ‘Njengomphostoli wabezizwe,’ uPawulu waqalisa ubuKristu eYurophu eFilipi. (Roma 11:13) Ingabe kukhona esasingakubona khona okwakuzosikhanyisela? Noma ingabe umlando wawukhukhule kulo lonke ithafa ngaphandle kokushiya umkhondo?
Amahora amabili enyakatho yeThesalonika, ibhasi lethu lazungeza emgwaqweni wentaba ngenhla kwetheku laseKaválla. Nakuba iKaválla yaziwa ngokuyinhloko ngokuthumela ugwayi kwamanye amazwe, abadobi abalungisa amanetha esikhumulweni semikhumbi basinikeza umbono walokho esacabanga ukuthi uPawulu wakubona lapho iKaválla isabizwa ngokuthi iNeyapholi.—IzEnzo 16:11.
Nakuba uPawulu engazange ahlale eNeyapholi, endaweni engamamitha ambalwa ngezansi kwethu sabona umgwaqo owehlelayo owenziwe ngamatshe ayehamba kuwo. Khona-ke sase siphakathi kwentuba encane, enezihlahla, futhi sabona ngokokuqala lokho okwakuyidolobha laseFilipi. Salibona idwala elikhulukazi eliphawula leyondawo, elicishe ligamanxe esihosheni.
Sasibuka phansi emasimini kagwayi owawusuvuthwa. UPawulu wayebona amaxhaphozi, nabafuduki bakuqala emahlathini aminyene. Kungase kwenzeke ukuthi umphostoli wayema ukuze aphumule njalo phakathi nokwehla kwakhe. Nokho, kumelwe ukuba wayejaha, mhlawumbe ejabule njengathi.
Imithombo Yamanzi
IFilipi yayikhona ngaphambi kokufika kukaFilipi II owafika ngo-356 B.C.E. ukuzosusa amahlathi, ukunweba idolobha, nokuliqamba ngaye. Eminyakeni eyisihlanu ngaphambili, abafuduki ababevela eThásos babeze ukuzosebenza ezimayini ezinothile zaseAsyla nezaseMount Pangaeus. Babiza idolobhana labo ngokuthi iCrenides, ‘indawo yemithombo emincane.’ Ngani? Ngoba imithombo yamanzi yayiphethuka yonke indawo, yenza lesigodi sibe indawo yamaxhaphozi kakhulu.
Kukamuva nje lapho indawo iye yomiswa ngokuphumelelayo. Kodwa imithombo isekhona, futhi imifudlana isageleza. Kwenye indawo, umgwaqo omdala waseRoma unqamula eMfuleni iGangites. Lomfula wawukhethekile kuPawulu, futhi sasifuna ukuwubona.
Imithombo Yezinsimbi Eziyigugu
UFilipi waqinisa iCrenides ukuze asindise abavukuzi baseThásos kwabaseThrace. Wayefuna iCrenides ibe isizinda sezempi. Kodwa ngaphezu kwakho konke, wayedinga igolide ukuze akhokhele amacebo akhe empi ayeyilangazelela. Izimayini zegolide zamcebisa uFilipi noAlexander Omkhulu ngamathalenta ayinkulungwane ngonyaka. Lapho igolide selingasekho, uFilipi walahlekelwa idumela lakhe.
Imithombo Yegazi
Kwadlula iminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu. IGrisi yathathelwa isikhundla umbuso waseRoma. UMbuso waseRoma wafuna imigwaqo ngenkani, futhi kwakhiwa iVia Egnatia enqamula eMakedoniya. Amakhilomitha ayishumi nane ukusuka ogwini lolwandle, wawunqamula maphakathi neFilipi, uliphaphamisa ngokuhweba ngezentengiselwano nangezempi.
IFilipi yayisinamacebo ezempi. Ngo-42 B.C.E., kwachitheka igazi eliningi lapho ezimpini ezimbili ezisabekayo phakathi kweRoma nabagabadeli ababefuna ukuphatha umbuso. Kodwa uzungu lweRepublican lwahluleka futhi uMbuso waseKesariya wasinda. Njengesikhumbuzo uOctavian onqobile wenza iFilipi yaba indawo yaseRoma.—IzEnzo 16:12.
Imithombo Yokuphila
Akukho muntu ohlala eFilipi namuhla. Iyindawo yezinsalela zasendulo kuphela. Njengoba sasizulazula ngomgwaqo iVia Egnatia, sahlola amazenga amasondo eceleni komgwaqo. Sagcwala endaweni yokuthengisa futhi sabuka indlu yangasese kawonk’ uwonke enezihlalo ezingu-50. Endlini yomtapo wezincwadi, kwakungekho zincwadi, njengoba nje babengekho osozinyama endaweni yokuvivinya umzimba (empeleni ipalaestra, noma isikole sosozinyama). Sabona izinsalela zamathempeli aseRoma, izingosi zamaGreki, ngisho nendawo engcwele yaseGibithe phakathi nendawo ukuya emzini obiyelweyo. Njengoba sasihleli enkundleni engaphandle, samangaliswa ukuzwakala kahle komsindo. Sama enkundleni futhi sacabanga ngezimantshi eziziqhenyayo ziphuma emakamelweni azo, zandulelwa amaphoyisa athwele izinyanda zezinduku eziboshelwe ezimbazweni—uphawu lwegunya lawo. Ngeso lengqondo, sazama ukwakha kabusha iFilipi yango-50 C.E. eyase iyiRoma.
NgokweBhayibheli, uPawulu nayekanye nabo ‘kulowomuzi bahlala izinsuku ezimbalwa.’ (IzEnzo 16:12) Akukho kuhlangana okuvusa amadlingozi okubikwayo. Khona-ke ngolunye usuku uPawulu wezwa ngeqembu elincane elalingalandeli izithixo ezindala nezintsha nokho okwakuthiwa lishisekela uNkulunkulu. Lalihlangana ngaphambi kwekhothamo laleyondawo ngaphandle kwedolobha eduze kwendawo lapho umgwaqo wawunqamula khona emfudlaneni.
ULuka wabhala: “Ngosuku lwesabatha saphumela ngaphandle kwesango ngasemfuleni, lapho sathi babevama ukukhuleka khona; sahlala phansi, sakhuluma kubo abesifazane ababebuthene.” Ingxoxo yayiphathelene nethemba lensindiso nelokuphila okuphakade ngoJesu Kristu. Ikakhulukazi “owesifazane othile ogama lakhe linguLidiya, engumthengisi wezibubende, . . . walalela, iNkosi yayivula inhliziyo yakhe ukuba aqaphele okwakhulunywa nguPawulu.”—IzEnzo 16:13, 14; qhathanisa neyabaseFilipi 2:12, 16; 3:14.
Ngemva kwezinsuku ezithile, ukungenisa kukaPawulu eFilipi kwafika esiphethweni esimangalisayo. Lapho ehamba indawo engaba ikhilomitha eya endaweni yokukhuleka, wahlangana nentombazane ekhathazayo eyayinomoya omubi. Lapho uPawulu ekhipha idemoni, abanikazi bentombazane bathukuthela ngokuchithwa kwebhizinisi labo lobungoma. Kwaba namuphi umphumela?
“Bababamba oPawulu noSila, babahudulela esigcawini phambi kwababusi.” Bamangala: ‘BangamaJuda.’ (Bonke babazi ukuthi uKlawudiyu wayesanda kudingisa wonke amaJuda eRoma.) Banezela: ‘Banyakazisa umuzi wakithi ngokufundisa imikhuba esingavunyelwe ukuba siyamukele, siyenze thina esingamaRoma.’ Izixuku zahlokoma; izimantshi zakhipha isigwebo. Kulokho amaphoyisa aqaqa izinduku zawo ‘ayesebashaya imivimbo eminingi’ oPawulu noSila. Khona-ke ayesebaphonsa etilongweni, bopha futhi baquleka, babophela izinyawo zabo ogongolweni. Ngabo lobobusuku ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu kwaholela ekukhululweni kukaPawulu noSila nokwamukelwa kobuKristu umgcini-ziboshwa nomkhaya wakhe.—IzEnzo 16:16-34.
Ekuseni ngakusasa, ababusi, babedabukile ngenxa yokungaqondi, kodwa ingabe izihambi zazizohamba edolobheni? Okokuqala uPawulu noSila baya emzini kaLidiya ukuze bakhuthaze abakholwa nabo ngaphambi kokuba baye eThesalonika. ULuka wasala ukuze anakekele lelobandla elaliselisha.—IzEnzo 16:35-40.
Imithombo Yokuphana
ULuka wabhala ngoLidiya: ‘Wasicindezela ukuba singene endlini yakhe.’ Ngisho nomgcini-ziboshwa kaPawulu wabamukela kahle ngokushesha nje ngemva kokuba esesiqonda kahle isimo. (IzEnzo 16:15, 33, 34) Ngesikhathi uPawulu ehleli eThesalonika, abangane baseFilipi bamthumelela kabili izinto ayezidinga.
Kamuva, lapho ekhonza uNkulunkulu ngesibindi eKorinte, abaseFilipi futhi bamthungatha. Ngisho naseminyakeni ethile kamuva, lapho uPawulu eboshiwe eRoma, isithunywa esivela eFilipi safika nezipho futhi sanikela ngenkonzo yaso siqu ukuze sisize lomphostoli. UPawulu wathinteka. Wayazi ukuthi abaseFilipi babengenazo izinto ezibonakalayo eziningi. Ngakho-ke wabhala: “Nobumpofu bawo obukhulu kwenza ukuba avame kakhulu ekuphaneni okupheleleyo.”—2 Korinte 8:1, 2; 11:8, 9; Filipi 2:25; 4:16-18.
Ukuhamba Kwethu
Salibala eGangites, futhi nganyakazisa isandla sami emanzini. Ayebanda ngokumangalisayo. Sabheka nxazonke. Endaweni ethile eseduze ‘kwakunendawo yokukhuleka’ lapho uPawulu nabanye babehlangana khona ukuze bakhuleke.
Kodwa ngase ngizibuza, Yini eyenza iFilipi ibe ekhetheke kangaka kimi? Ingabe ilendawo engasemfuleni? Ingabe indawo yokuthengisa kanye nendlu yayo yomtapo wezincwadi engenalutho, indawo yokuvivinya umzimba engenalutho, amathempeli angenazithixo, kanye nezitolo ezingenayo impahla?
Ingabe imithombo? Ngempela, iFilipi “iyindawo yemithombo” ngokoqobo. Isageleza amanzi. Yake yageleza igolide, futhi esikhathini esibi, igazi. Kodwa futhi kwakunezikhathi ezinhle lapho imithombo yokuphila, uthando, kanye nokuphana yayigeleza ivela kubantu abathile abakhethekile abanjengoPawulu, uLidiya, umgcini-ziboshwa, nabanye. Abantu, akunjalo? Labobantu abakhethekile benza iFilipi ikhetheke kimi. Bangenza ngibe lusizi. Bangenza ngicabange. Ngifisa—umkami wathinta ingalo yami. “Woza,” esho ngezwi elipholile. “Sekuyisikhathi sokuhamba.”—Inikelwe.
[Ibalazwe/Izithombe ekhasini 25]
Ngenhla kwesokhohlo: i“bema” (isihlalo sokwahlulela) saseFilipi yasendulo; ngenhla kwesokunene: lapho i“Via Egnatia” inqamula khona eGangites; ngezansi: inkundla
[Ibalazwe laseGrisi/Filiphi]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)