Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-50—KwabaseFilipi
Umlobi: UPawulu
Yalotshelwa: ERoma
Ukuloba Kwaphela: Cishe ngo-60–61 C.E.
1. (a) AbaseFilipi bazizwa kanjani izindaba ezinhle? (b) Isiphi isizinda esingokomlando esithakazelisayo ngomuzi waseFilipi?
LAPHO umphostoli uPawulu ebizwa embonweni ukuba ayise izindaba ezinhle eMakedoniya, yena nabangane bakhe, uLuka, uSila, noThimothewu osemusha, balalela ngokushesha. Besuka eTrowa eAsia Minor, bahamba ngomkhumbi baya eNeyapholi futhi basuka ngokushesha baya eFilipi, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-15 ukuya phakathi nezwe unqamula esikhaleni sentaba. ULuka uchaza lomuzi ngokuthi “umuzi oyikhanda lesifunda saseMakedoniya.” (IzE. 16:12) Waqanjwa ngokuthi iFilipi ngegama lenkosi yaseMakedoniya uFilipi II (uyise ka-Alexander Omkhulu), owathumba lomuzi ngo-356 B.C.E. Kamuva wathathwa amaRoma. Wawuyindawo yokulwela izimpi eziwujuqu ngo-42 B.C.E. ezasiza ekuqiniseni isikhundla sikaOctavian, kamuva owaba uKesari Awugustu. Ekwenzeni isikhumbuziso salokhu kunqoba, wenza iFilipi yaba ikoloni laseRoma.
2. Iyiphi intuthuko uPawulu ayenza ekushumayeleni kwakhe eFilipi, futhi iziphi izenzakalo ezizungeze ukuzalwa kwebandla lapho?
2 Kwakuyisiko likaPawulu ukuthi uma efika emzini omusha ashumayele kumaJuda kuqala. Nokho, lapho efika okokuqala eFilipi cishe ngo-50 C.E., wawathola embalwa ngenani futhi ngokusobala engenalo isinagoge, ngoba ayevame ukuhlangana osebeni lomfula ngaphandle kwedolobha ukuze akhuleke. Ngokushesha ukushumayela kukaPawulu kwaba nezithelo, omunye wabokuqala abaphenduka kunguLidiya, owesifazane ongusomabhizinisi futhi owayephendukele ebuJudeni, owalamukela ngokushesha iqiniso ngoKristu futhi waphikelela ukuba lezihambi zihlale ekhaya lakhe. “Wasicindezela,” kuloba uLuka. Nokho, ngokushesha babhekana nokuphikiswa, futhi uPawulu noSila bashaywa ngezinduku base beboshwa. Ngesikhathi besetilongweni, kwaba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba, futhi umgciniziboshwa nomkhaya wakhe, ngokulalela uPawulu noSila, baba amakholwa. Ngosuku olulandelayo uPawulu noSila bakhululwa etilongweni, futhi bavakashela abazalwane ekhaya likaLidiya babakhuthaza ngaphambi kokuba bahambe kulomuzi. UPawulu wahamba nezinkumbulo ezicacile zosizi lwangesikhathi sokuzalwa kwebandla laseFilipi.—IzE. 16:9-40.
3. Ikuphi okunye ukuthintana uPawulu abuye waba nakho kamuva nebandla laseFilipi?
3 Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva, phakathi nohambo lwakhe lwesithathu lobuthunywa bevangeli, uPawulu wakwazi ukuphinde avakashele ibandla laseFilipi. Khona-ke, cishe ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi lisunguliwe lelibandla, isenzo sothando esithinta inhliziyo sabazalwane baseFilipi sashukumisela uPawulu ukuba ababhalele incwadi ephefumlelwe eye yalondolozwa emiBhalweni Engcwele ibizwa ngegama lalelobandla elithandekayo.
4. Yini eveza umlobi wencwadi yabaseFilipi, futhi yini efakazela ubuqiniso balencwadi?
4 Ukuthi uPawulu wayiloba lencwadi, njengoba kushiwo evesini layo lokuqala, kwamukelwa ngokuvamile abahlaziyi beBhayibheli, futhi befanele. UPolycarp (69?-155? C.E.) encwadini yakhe siqu eya kwabaseFilipi uphawula ukuthi uPawulu wayebabhalele. Abahlaziyi beBhayibheli bakuqala njengoIgnatius, uIrenaeus, uTertullian, noClement waseAlexandria bacaphuna lencwadi njengevela kuPawulu. Icashunwe oCezwini LukaMuratori lwekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E. nakuzo zonke ezinye izincwadi zeBhayibheli zakudala, futhi ivela kanye nezinye izincwadi zikaPawulu eziyisishiyagalombili kuyiChester Beatty Papyrus No. 2 (P46), okukholelwa ukuthi ingeka-200 C.E.
5. Yini ebonisa iRoma njengendawo eyalotshelwa kuyo?
5 Indawo nesikhathi sokuloba kungatholakala ngokuqiniseka. Ngesikhathi eloba, uPawulu wayeyisiboshwa esigcinwe umqaphi wombusi waseRoma, futhi mningi umsebenzi wobuKristu owawuqhubeka. Waphetha incwadi yakhe ngemikhonzo evela kwabathembekile basendlini kaKesari. Lamaqiniso ahlangana akhombe eRoma njengendawo lencwadi eyayisuka kuyo.—Fil. 1:7, 13, 14; 4:22; IzE. 28:30, 31.
6. Kunabuphi ubufakazi ngokuqondene nesikhathi sokulotshwa kwencwadi yabaseFilipi?
6 Kodwa yalotshwa nini lencwadi? Kubonakala sengathi uPawulu wayeseseRoma isikhathi eside ngokwanele ukuba izindaba nezizathu zokuboshwa kwakhe njengomKristu zibe sezenabele kubo bonke abasenqabeni yombusi nakwabaningi abanye. Futhi, kwakube nesikhathi ngoEphafrodithu ukuba afike evela eFilipi (eqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-1 000) nesipho sikaPawulu, ukuba izindaba zokugula kukaEphafrodithu eRoma zifike eFilipi, nokuba kufike eRoma amazwi okudabuka ngalokhu evela eFilipi. (Fil. 2:25-30; 4:18) Njengoba ukuboshwa kukaPawulu kokuqala eRoma kwenzeka cishe ngo-59-61 C.E., ngokunokwenzeka kakhulu lencwadi wayiloba ngo-60 noma ngo-61 C.E., ngemva konyaka noma ngaphezulu efike eRoma okokuqala.
7. (a) Isiphi isibopho esasikhona phakathi kukaPawulu nabaseFilipi, futhi yini eyamshukumisela ukuba abhale? (b) Iluhlobo luni lwencwadi incwadi yabaseFilipi?
7 Imihelo eyazwakala ekubeletheni labantwana eFilipi ngezwi leqiniso, uthando lwabaseFilipi nokuphana kwabo ngezipho zezinto ezidingekayo ezalandela uPawulu kweziningi zezinkambo zakhe nobunzima, nezibusiso zikaJehova eziwuphawu emsebenzini wokuqala wobuthunywa bevangeli eMakedoniya konke kwahlangana kwakha isibopho esiqinile sothando phakathi kukaPawulu nabazalwane baseFilipi. Manje isipho sabo somusa, esilandelwa ukufuna kwabo ngokulangazela ukwazi ngoEphafrodithu nenqubekela phambili yezindaba ezinhle eRoma, kwabangela uPawulu ukuba ababhalele incwadi efudumele neyothando eyisikhuthazo esakhayo.
OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI YABASEFILIPI
8. (a) UPawulu ukuzwakalisa kanjani ukuqiniseka nothando lwakhe ngabazalwane baseFilipi? (b) Uthini uPawulu ngezibopho zakhe zasetilongweni, futhi unikeza siphi iseluleko?
8 Ukuvikela izindaba ezinhle nokuqhubeka kwazo (1:1-30). UPawulu noThimothewu bathumela imikhonzo, futhi uPawulu ubonga uNkulunkulu ngengxenye abaseFilipi abaye baba nayo ezindabeni ezinhle “kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube-manje.” Uyaqiniseka ukuthi bazoqhubeka nomsebenzi wabo omuhle uze uphele, ngoba bangabahlanganyeli kanye naye emseni ongabafanele, ‘nasekuvikeleni nasekwenzeni izindaba ezinhle ziqashelwe ngokomthetho.’ Ubalangazelela bonke ngothando futhi uthi: “Ngikhulekela lokhu ukuba uthando lwenu luvame kakhulu . . . ukuze nikwazi ukwahlukanisa.” (1:5, 7, 9, 10, qhathanisa neNW.) UPawulu ufuna ukuba bazi ukuthi ‘okwamehlelayo kugciné kuvezé ukuqhubeka kwevangeli,’ ngokuthi izibopho zakhe zasetilongweni ziye zaziwa abantu bonke futhi abazalwane baye bakhuthazeka ukuba bakhulume izwi likaNkulunkulu ngesibindi. Nakuba kunenzuzo ukuba uPawulu afe manje, nokho uyazi ukuthi ukuze bathuthuke futhi bajabule, kudingeke ngokwengeziwe ukuba aphile. Ubaluleka ukuba baziphathe ngendlela efanele izindaba ezinhle, ngoba kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyeza kubo noma cha, ufuna ukuzwa ukuthi baqhubeka belwa ngobunye futhi ‘abethuswa ngalutho ngabamelene nabo.’—1:12, 28.
9. AbaseFilipi bangasilondoloza kanjani isimo sengqondo sikaKristu?
9 Ukugcina isimo sengqondo esifana nesikaKristu (2:1-30). UPawulu ukhuthaza abaseFilipi ukuba bathobeke, ‘bangabheki okwabo, kepha babheke nokwabanye.’ Kufanele babe nesimo sengqondo esinjengesikaKristu Jesu, owathi nakuba enesimo sikaNkulunkulu, wazithulula waba umuntu futhi wazithoba ngokulalela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, kangangokuthi uNkulunkulu uye wamphakamisa futhi wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo wonke amagama. UPawulu uyabayala: “Fezani ukusindiswa kwenu ngokwesaba nangokuthuthumela.” “Yenzani konke ngokungakhononi nokungangabazi,” futhi “nibambelele ezwini lokuphila.” (2:4, 12, 14, 16) Uthemba ukuthumela uThimothewu kubo futhi uyaqiniseka ngokuthi naye ngokwakhe uzokuza ngokushesha. Okwamanje, ukuze baphinde bathokoze futhi, ubathumelela uEphafrodithu, oseluleme ekuguleni kwakhe.
10. UPawulu uye wawuphishekela kanjani umgomo, futhi yini abayala ngayo abanye?
10 ‘Ukujonga emgomeni’ (3:1–4:23). UPawulu uthi, ‘thina bokusoka kumelwe sixwaye izinja, sixwaye abokusika.’ Uma ekhona onezizathu zokuthemba inyama, uPawulu unezengeziwe, futhi umlando wakhe njengomJuda osokiwe nanjengomFarisi uyakufakazela lokho. Nokho konke lokhu ukubheka njengokungelutho ‘ngenxa yobukhulu bokumazi uKristu Jesu iNkosi yakhe.’ Ngokulunga okutholakala ngokholo, uthemba ‘ukufinyelela uvuko [lokuqala, NW] lwabafileyo.’ (3:2, 3, 8, 11) Ngakho, kusho uPawulu, “ngikhohlwa okungasemuva, ngizelulela kokungaphambili, ngijonge emgomeni, emklomelweni wokubizwa okukhulu kwaphezulu nguNkulunkulu kuJesu Kristu.” Bonke abavuthiwe mababe nesimo sengqondo esifanayo. Kunalabo futhi abankulunkulu wabo isisu, ababeke izingqondo zabo ezintweni ezisemhlabeni, futhi abasiphetho sabo singukubhujiswa, kodwa “thina,” kuqinisekisa uPawulu, “singabombuso wasezulwini.”—3:13, 14, 20.
11. (a) Yiziphi izinto okumelwe kuzindlwe ngazo futhi zenziwe? (b) Imaphi amazwi uPawulu awashoyo ngokuqondene nokuphana kwabaseFilipi?
11 “Thokozani eNkosini,” kuyala uPawulu, ‘ukubekezela kwenu makwaziwe abantu bonke. Zindlani ngezinto eziyiqiniso, nezihloniphekayo, izinto ezilungileyo, ezimhlophe, ezithandekayo, ezitusekayo, ezinhle nezibongekayo. Yenzani enakufunda, nakwamukela, nakuzwa, nakubona kimi, khona uNkulunkulu wokuthula uyoba nani.’ (4:4-9) UPawulu uthokoza kakhulu ngokucatshangelwa kwakhe kahle abaseFilipi, nakuba amandla akhe ezinto zonke evela ‘kuye omqinisayo.’ Ubabonga ngemfudumalo ngesipho sabo. Kusukela ekuqaleni kokumemezela kwakhe izindaba ezinhle eMakedoniya, baye benza kahle kakhulu ekupheni. Ngenxa yalokho, uNkulunkulu uyokugcwalisa konke ‘ukuswela kwabo njengokwengcebo yakhe ekukhazimuleni ngoKristu Jesu.’ (4:13, 19) Uthumela imikhonzo evela kubo bonke abangcwele, kuhlanganise nabendlu kaKesari.
ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO
12. Thina namuhla, njengabazalwane baseFilipi, singakuthola kanjani ukuvunyelwa uNkulunkulu futhi sibe umthombo wenjabulo kubazalwane bethu?
12 Yeka ukuthi incwadi yabaseFilipi isizuzisa kanjani! Ngokuqinisekile siyakufisa ukuvunyelwa uJehova nokunconywa okuvela kubabonisi bethu abangamaKristu okufana nalokho ibandla laseFilipi elakuthola kuPawulu. Nathi singakuthola uma silandela isibonelo esihle sabaseFilipi neseluleko sikaPawulu sothando. NjengabaseFilipi, kufanele sibonise ukuphana, sikhathalele ukusiza abafowethu lapho besebunzimeni, futhi sihlanganyele ekuvikeleni nasekwenzeni izindaba ezinhle ziqashelwe ngokomthetho. (1:3-7) Kufanele siqhubeke ‘simi siqinile emoyeni munye, futhi silwela inkolo yevangeli ngomphefumulo munye,’ sikhanya “njengezinkanyiso” phakathi kwesizukulwane esiyisigwegwe nesiphambeneyo. Njengoba senza lezinto futhi siqhubeka sicabangela izinto ezihloniphekayo, singaba umthombo wenjabulo kubazalwane bethu ngendlela efanayo naleyo abaseFilipi ababa ngayo umthombo wenjabulo enkulu kumphostoli uPawulu.—1:27; 2:15; 4:1, 8.
13. Singamlingisa ngaziphi izindlela ngobunye uPawulu?
13 UPawulu uthi, “ngilingiseni.” Bamlingise ngayiphi indlela? Enye indlela ukwaneliswa kuzo zonke izimo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uPawulu wayenenala noma wayeswele, wafunda ukuzivumelanisa nezimo ngokungakhononi, ukuze aqhubeke ngentshiseko nangokuthokoza enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu. Futhi, bonke kufanele babe njengoPawulu ekuboniseni uthando olufudumele ngabazalwane abathembekile. Yeka injabulo evela othandweni akhuluma ngayo ngenkonzo kaThimothewu noEphafrodithu! Futhi yeka ukuthi wazizwa esondelene kangakanani nabafowabo baseFilipi, ababiza ngokuthi ‘abathandekayo nabalangazelelwayo, ntokozo yami nomqhele wami.’—3:17; 4:1, 11, 12; 2:19-30.
14. Incwadi yabaseFilipi inikeza siphi iseluleko esihle ngokuqondene nomgomo wokuphila noMbuso, futhi lencwadi ilotshelwe obani ngokukhethekile?
14 UPawulu angalingiswa ngayiphi enye indlela? ‘Ngokujonga emgomweni’! Bonke abaye bagxilisa izingqondo zabo ‘ezintweni ezihloniphekayo’ banesithakazelo esikhulu elungiselelweni likaJehova elimangalisayo ezulwini nasemhlabeni, lapho ‘izilimi zonke ziyovuma khona ukuthi uJesu Kristu uyiNkosi, kube inkazimulo kuNkulunkulu uYise.’ Iseluleko esihle esisencwadini yabaseFilipi sikhuthaza bonke abanethemba lokuphila okuphakade ngokuqondene noMbuso kaNkulunkulu ukuba baphishekele lowomgomo. Nokho, incwadi eya kwabaseFilipi ilotshelwe ngokuyinhloko labo ‘abangabombuso wasezulwini’ futhi abalindele ngokulangazela ukuba ‘baguqulwe isimo somzimba sifane [nesikaKristu] esingesenkazimulo.’ ‘Bekhohlwa okungemuva, bezelulela kokungaphambili,’ bonke laba mabalingise umphostoli uPawulu ‘ekujongeni emgomeni, emklomelweni wokubizwa okukhulu kwaphezulu,’ ifa labo elikhazimulayo eMbusweni wamazulu!—4:8; 2:10, 11; 3:13, 14, 20, 21.