Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-54—1 Thimothewu
Umlobi: UPawulu
Yalotshelwa: EMakedoniya
Ukuloba Kwaphela: Cishe ngo-61–64 C.E.
1, 2. (a) Yimuphi umehluko obonakalayo phakathi kwencazelo yokuboshwa kukaPawulu esencwadini yezEnzo neyesiBili KuThimothewu? (b) Kubonakala sengathi incwadi yokuQala KuThimothewu yalotshwa nini, futhi ngasizathu sini?
UKULANDISA kukaLuka ngokuphila kukaPawulu encwadini yezEnzo kuphetha ngoPawulu eseRoma elindele umphumela wecala lakhe alidlulisele kuKesari. UPawulu uvezwa ehlala endlini yakhe ayiqashile, eshumayela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu kubo bonke ababeza kuye, futhi enza kanjalo “ngaso sonke isibindi . . . enganqatshelwa-muntu.” (IzE. 28:30, 31) Kodwa encwadini yakhe yesibili eya kuThimothewu, uPawulu uyabhala: ‘Ngihlupheka kuze kube-sekuboshweni njengeselelesi,’ futhi ukhuluma ngokufa kwakhe njengokuseduze. (2 Thim. 2:9; 4:6-8) Yeka ushintsho! Okokuqala, waphathwa njengesiboshwa esihloniphekile, okwesibili, njengenswelaboya. Yini eyayenzekile phakathi nesikhathi samazwi kaLuka ngesimo sikaPawulu ngo-61 C.E., ekupheleni kweminyaka emibili eseRoma, nencwadi kaPawulu ngokwakhe eyayiya kuThimothewu ekhuluma ngesimo sakhe, okubonakala ukuthi yalotshwa ngokushesha ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe?
2 Ubunzima bokuvuma ukuthi ukulotshwa kwezincwadi zikaPawulu eziya kuThimothewu noThithu kwaba senkathini ehlanganiswa incwadi yezEnzo buye baholela abanye abahlaziyi beBhayibheli esiphethweni sokuthi uPawulu waphumelela ecaleni lakhe ayelidlulisele kuKesari futhi wakhululwa cishe ngo-61 C.E. INew Westminster Dictionary of the Bible ithi: “Ivesi lokuphetha lezEnzo livumelana kangcono nalombono [wokuthi uPawulu wakhululwa ngemva kokuboshwa iminyaka emibili] kunokusikisela okuthi ukuboshwa okuchaziwe kwaphetha ngokulahlwa komphostoli ngecala nokufa. ULuka ugcizelela iqiniso lokuthi akukho-muntu owenqabela umsebenzi wakhe, ngaleyondlela ngokuqinisekile enikeza umbono wokuthi ukuphela komsebenzi wakhe kwakungasondele.”a Khona-ke, ukulotshwa kwencwadi yokuQala KuThimothewu kwenziwa enkathini ephakathi nokukhululwa kwakhe ekuboshweni kwakhe kokuqala eRoma nokuboshwa kwakhe kokugcina lapho, noma cishe ngo-61-64 C.E.
3, 4. (a) Ekukhululweni kwakhe etilongweni, ngokusobala yini uPawulu ayenza? (b) Wayiloba ekuphi incwadi yokuQala KuThimothewu?
3 Ekukhululweni kwakhe etilongweni, ngokusobala uPawulu wawuqalisa kabusha umsebenzi wakhe wobuthunywa bevangeli ekanye noThimothewu noThithu. Ukuthi uPawulu wafinyelela eSpaniya, njengoba abanye besikisela, akuqinisekwa ngakho. UClement waseRoma wabhala (cishe ngo-95 C.E.) ukuthi uPawulu wafika “emaphethelweni asemajukujukwini eN[tshonalanga],” okwakungayihlanganisa iSpaniya.b
4 UPawulu wayilobelaphi incwadi yakhe yokuqala eyayiya kuThimothewu? UThimothewu wokuQala 1:3 ubonisa ukuthi uPawulu wahlela ukuba uThimothewu anakekele izindaba ezithile zebandla lase-Efesu lapho yena ngokwakhe eya eMakedoniya. Kubonakala sengathi, elapha, wabhalela uThimothewu lencwadi e-Efesu.
5. Yibuphi ubufakazi obukhona bobuqiniso bezincwadi eziya kuThimothewu?
5 Kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo izincwadi ezimbili eziya kuThimothewu ziye zamukelwa njengezalotshwa uPawulu neziyingxenye yemiBhalo ephefumlelwe. Abalobi bokuqala abangamaKristu, kuhlanganise noPolycarp, uIgnatius, noClement waseRoma, bonke bayavumelana ngalokhu, futhi lezincwadi zifakwe ezinhlwini zamakhulu okuqala eminyaka ambalwa njengezincwadi zikaPawulu. Esinye isazi siyabhala: “Zimbalwa izincwadi zeT[estamente] E[lisha] ezifakazelwa ngokunamandla ukwedlula lezi . . . Ngakho-ke ukuphikisa ubuqiniso bazo kumelwe kubhekwe njengemiqondo yanamuhla ephambene nobufakazi obunamandla bebandla lokuqala.”c
6. (a) Kungaziphi izizathu eziningana uPawulu abhala incwadi yokuQala KuThimothewu? (b) Sasiyini isizinda sikaThimothewu, futhi yini ebonisa ukuthi wayeyisisebenzi esivuthiwe?
6 UPawulu wabhala lencwadi yokuqala eya kuThimothewu ukuze acacise kahle izinqubo ezithile ezingokwenhlangano ebandleni. Kwakunesidingo futhi ngaye sokuxwayisa uThimothewu ukuba aqaphele izimfundiso zamanga nokuba aqinise abazalwane ukuba bamelane ‘nalololwazi okungesilo.’ (1 Thim. 6:20) Umuzi wezohwebo wase-Efesu wawuyoletha futhi izilingo zokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo ‘nokuthanda imali,’ ngalokho kwakuyoba okufike ngesikhathi ukunikeza iseluleko esithile nakulokhu. (6:10) Ngokuqinisekile uThimothewu wayenesizinda esihle sokuhlangenwe nakho nokuqeqeshwa okwakungasetshenziselwa lomsebenzi. Wayezalwe ubaba ongumGreki nomama ongumJuda owayesaba uNkulunkulu. Akwaziwa ngokuthé ngqo ukuthi uThimothewu wahlangana nini okokuqala nobuKristu. Ngesikhathi uPawulu evakashela eListra ohambweni lwakhe lwesibili lobuthunywa bevangeli, ngokunokwenzeka ekupheleni kuka-49 C.E. noma ekuqaleni kuka-50 C.E., uThimothewu (mhlawumbe esezohlanganisa amashumi amabili noma esanda kweva kuwo) kakade “wayefakazelwa kahle ngabazalwane baseListra nabaseIkoniyu.” Ngakho uPawulu wahlela ukuba uThimothewu ahambe naye kanye noSila. (IzE. 16:1-3) UThimothewu kukhulunywa ngaye ngegama ezincwadini zikaPawulu ezingu-11 kwezingu-14 kanye nasencwadini yezEnzo. Ngaso sonke isikhathi uPawulu wayenesithakazelo esinjengesikababa kuye futhi ezikhathini eziningana wamabela ukuba ahambele futhi akhonze amabandla ahlukahlukene—okuwubufakazi bokuthi uThimothewu wayenze umsebenzi omuhle ensimini yezithunywa zevangeli futhi wayekufanelekela ukuthwala imithwalo yemfanelo esindayo.—1 Thim. 1:2; 5:23; 1 Thes. 3:2; Fil. 2:19.
OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI YOKUQALA KUTHIMOTHEWU
7. Kungani uPawulu ekhuthaza uThimothewu ukuba ahlale e-Efesu?
7 Ukukhuthazwa okholweni nonembeza omuhle (1:1-20). Ngemva kokubingelela uThimothewu ngokuthi “umntanami ngesiminya ekukholweni,” uPawulu umkhuthaza ukuba ahlale e-Efesu. Kumelwe aqondise labo abafundisa ‘isifundiso esahlukileyo,’ esiholela emibuzweni eyize kunasekuqhutshweni kokholo. UPawulu uthi umgomo walomyalo “uluthando oluvela enhliziyweni emhlophe, nakunembeza omuhle, nasekukholweni okungazenzisiyo.” Uyanezela: “Abathé abanye bephaphalazile kulokho, baphambukela ekukhulumeni okuyize.”—1:2, 3, 5, 6.
8. Ukuhawukelwa kukaPawulu kwagcizelelani, futhi yikuphi ukulwa okuhle akhuthaza uThimothewu ukuba akulwe?
8 Nakuba uPawulu ayekade engohlambalazayo nozingelayo, nokho, umusa weNkosi ongafanele “wavama kakhulu kanye nokukholwa nothando olukuKristu Jesu,” ngalokho wahawukelwa. Wayeyisoni esikhulu phakathi kwezoni; ngalokho waba yisibonelo sokubekezela kukaKristu Jesu, “[o]weza ezweni ukusindisa izoni.” Yeka ukuthi ikufanelekela kangakanani iNkosi yaphakade ukwamukela udumo nenkazimulo kuze kube-phakade! UPawulu uyala uThimothewu ukuba alwe ukulwa okuhle, “[e]nokukholwa nonembeza omuhle.” Akumelwe abe njengalabo “[a]bafelwa umkhumbi wokukholwa,” njengoHimenewu noAleksandru, uPawulu abayala ngendaba yokuhlambalaza.—1:14, 15, 19.
9. (a) Yimiphi imithandazo okumelwe yenziwe, futhi ngani? (b) Kuthiwani ngabesifazane ebandleni?
9 Iziyalezo eziphathelene nokukhulekela nokuhleleka ebandleni (2:1–6:2). Kumelwe kuthandazelwe bonke abantu, kuhlanganise nabakhulu, ukuze amaKristu ahlale ngokuthula ekuzinikeleni kuNkulunkulu. Kuyintando kaNkulunkulu, uMsindisi, ukuba “abantu bonke basindiswe, bafinyelele ekulazini iqiniso. Ngokuba munye uNkulunkulu, munye nomlamuleli phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu, umuntu uKristu Jesu, owazinikela abe-yinhlawulo yabo bonke.” (2:4-6) UPawulu wamiswa ukuba abe umphostoli nomfundisi walezinto. Ngakho uyala amadoda ukuba akhuleke ngokwethembeka nokuba abesifazane bagqoke ngokufaneleyo nangokuqonda, njengoba kufanele abesaba uNkulunkulu. Owesifazane kumelwe afunde ethulile futhi angabusi phezu kwendoda, “ngokuba uAdamu wabunjwa kuqala, emva kwalokho uEva.”—2:13.
10. Ziyini izimfanelo zababonisi nezinceku ezikhonzayo, futhi kungani uPawulu eloba lezinto?
10 Umuntu ofisa ukuba umbonisi unxanela umsebenzi omuhle. Khona-ke uPawulu uloba izimfanelo zababonisi nezinceku ezikhonzayo. Umbonisi kumelwe abe “ongasolekiyo, indoda emfazi munye, abe-ngozikhuzayo, oqondileyo, oziphatha ngokufaneleyo, ongenisa izihambi, onesu lokufundisa, ongesilo ixhwele lewayini, ongesiso isilwi, kepha omnene, ongaxabaniyo, onganxaneli imali, ophatha kahle indlu yakhe, abantwana bakhe bemthobela ngenhlonipho yonke . . . , angabi-ngosand’ ukukholwa . . . Kumelwe futhi ukuba abe-nobufakazi obuhle kwabangaphandle.” (3:2-7) Kunezimfuneko ezifanayo ngezinceku ezikhonzayo, futhi kumelwe zihlolwe ngaphambi kokuba zikhonze. UPawulu ubhala lezinto ukuze uThimothewu azi ukuthi kumelwe ahambe kanjani ebandleni likaNkulunkulu, “insika nesisekelo seqiniso.”—3:15.
11. (a) Yiziphi izinkinga ezizovela kamuva? (b) Yini uThimothewu okumelwe ayinakekele, futhi ngani?
11 Ezikhathini zokugcina abanye bayokhubeka ekukholweni ngenxa yezifundiso zamademoni. Amadoda angabazenzisi akhuluma amanga ayokwenqabela ukuganana futhi athi makuzilwe ukudla akudalayo uNkulunkulu ukuba kudliwe ngokubonga. Njengesikhonzi esihle, uThimothewu kumelwe ale izinganekwane ‘nezindaba zezalukazi.’ Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kumelwe aziqeqeshele ekuzinikeleni kuNkulunkulu njengomgomo wakhe. “Sikhandlekela lokho, siyashikashikeka,” kusho uPawulu, “ngokuba sithembele kuNkulunkulu ophilayo onguMsindisi wabantu bonke, ikakhulu wabakholwayo.” Ngakho-ke uThimothewu kumelwe aqhubeke eyala ngalezozinto futhi efundisa ngazo. Kumelwe angavumeli-muntu adelele ubusha bakhe, kodwa ngokuphambene, abe yisibonelo ngenkambo nangenkonzo yokwesaba uNkulunkulu. Kumelwe ame kulezizinto futhi aziqaphele yena kanye nesifundiso sakhe, ngoba ngokwenza lokho, ‘uyozisindisa yena nabamuzwayo.’—4:7, 10, 16.
12. Yisiphi iseluleko esinikezwayo mayelana nokusebenzelana nabafelokazi nabanye ebandleni?
12 UPawulu ululeka uThimothewu ngendlela yokusebenzelana nabantu ngabanye: amadoda amadala njengawoyise, amadoda amasha njengabafowabo, abesifazane abadala njengawonina, abesifazane abasha njengawodadewabo. Kumelwe kwenziwe ilungiselelo elifanelekayo ngalabo abangabafelokazi bangempela. Nokho, umkhaya womfelokazi kumelwe kube yiwo omnakekelayo uma kungenzeka. Ukwehluleka kulokhu kuyobe kuwukulahla ukukholwa. Uma okungenani eseneminyaka engu-60 ubudala, umfelokazi angafakwa esibalweni uma “ebongwa ngemisebenzi emihle.” (5:10) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abafelokazi abasha, abavumela izinkanuko zabo zobulili zibalawule, kumelwe benqatshwe. Kunokuba bazule futhi bahlebe, mabagane bazale abantwana, ukuze bangasiniki isitha ithuba.
13. Yikuphi ukucabangela okumelwe kuboniswe amalunga, kumelwe baphathwe kanjani abantu abonayo, futhi izigqila zinamuphi umthwalo wemfanelo?
13 Amalunga aphatha kahle kumelwe kuthiwe afanele ukutuswa ngokuphindiwe, “ikakhulu lawo akhuthalela izwi nokufundisa.” (5:17) Akumelwe lamukelwe icala eliqondene nelunga kungengawofakazi ababili noma abathathu. Abonayo kumelwe basolwe phambi kwabo bonke, kodwa akumelwe kube nokuzinqumela noma ukukhetha kulezizinto. Abayizigqila kumelwe bahloniphe abanumzane babo, benze inkonzo enhle, ikakhulukazi kubazalwane, “abakholwayo nabathandekayo.”—6:2.
14. UPawulu uthini ngokukhukhumala nokuthanda imali ngokuphathelene “nokuzinikela kuNkulunkulu kanye nokwaneliswa”?
14 Iseluleko ‘ngokuzinikela kokwesaba uNkulunkulu nokwaneliswa’ (6:3-21). Umuntu ongawalandeli amazwi aphilileyo ukhukhumele futhi kumphethe ukubuzana, okuholela ekuxabaneni. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, “ukuzinikela kokwesaba uNkulunkulu kanye nokwaneliswa” kuyinzuzo enkulu. Umuntu kumelwe aneliswe ukudla nezambatho. Ukufuna ukuceba kuyisihibe esiholela ekubhujisweni, futhi ukuthanda imali “kuyimpande yakho konke okubi.” UPawulu unxusa uThimothewu, njengomuntu kaNkulunkulu, ukuba abalekele lezozinto, ukuba ajonge izimfanelo zobuKristu, ukuba alwe ukulwa okuhle kokukholwa, nokuba “[a]bambelele ekuphileni okuphakade.” (6:6, 10, 12, qhathanisa neNW.) Kumelwe agcine umyalo ‘engenabala futhi engenakusoleka’ kuze kube ukubonakaliswa kweNkosi uJesu Kristu. Labo abacebileyo “bangathembeli engcebweni engemiyo, kepha mabathembele kuNkulunkulu,” ukuze babambe ukuphila okuyikho. Ekuphetheni, uPawulu ukhuthaza uThimothewu ukuba alonde imfundiso ayiphathisiwe futhi agweme ukukhuluma okungcolisayo “nokuphikisana kwalokho okuthiwa ukwazi kungesikho.”—6:14, 17, 20.
ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO
15. Yisiphi isixwayiso esinikezwayo ngokuqagela nokuphikisana?
15 Lencwadi inikeza isixwayiso esiqinile kulabo abazikhathaza ngokuqagela okuyize nezimpikiswano zefilosofi. “Ukuphikisana ngamazwi” kuhlanganiswa nokuzikhukhumeza futhi kumelwe kugwenywe, ngoba uPawulu usitshela ukuthi kuphazamisa ukukhula kobuKristu, kubanga kuphela ‘ukuphikisana kunokuba kuqhube isimiso sikaNkulunkulu esisekukholweni.’ (6:3-6; 1:4) Kanye nemisebenzi yenyama, lokhu kuphikisana “kuphambene nesifundiso esiphilileyo, ngokwevangeli lenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu obongekayo.”—1:10, 11.
16. Yisiphi iseluleko uPawulu asinikeza ngokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo?
16 Kubonakala sengathi amaKristu ase-Efesu ayehahela imali ayedinga iseluleko ngokulwa nokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo nezihibe zakho. UPawulu wasinikeza lesoseluleko. Izwe liye lamcaphuna ngokukhululekile ngokuthi, ‘Ukuthanda imali kuyimpande yesono,’ kodwa yeka ukuthi bambalwa kangakanani abawalalelayo amazwi akhe! Ngokuphambene, amaKristu eqiniso kudingeka alalele leseluleko ngaso sonke isikhathi. Kusho ukuphila kuwo. Adinga ukusibalekela isihibe esilimazayo sokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo, angathembeli “engcebeni engemiyo, kepha [a]thembele kuNkulunkulu osicebisa ngakho konke, sithokoze ngakho.”—6:6-12, 17-19.
17. Yisiphi iseluleko esiya kuThimothewu esifike ngesikhathi kuzo zonke izikhonzi ezisencane ezishisekayo namuhla?
17 Incwadi kaPawulu ibonisa ukuthi uThimothewu ngokwakhe wayeyisibonelo esihle salokho umKristu osemusha okumelwe abe yikho. Nakuba ngokulinganiswa ayemncane ngeminyaka, wayevuthiwe ngokukhula okungokomoya. Wayekhandlekele ukufaneleka njengombonisi futhi wabusiswa ngokucebile ngamalungelo awajabulela. Kodwa njengazo zonke izikhonzi ezisencane ezishisekayo namuhla, wayedinga ukuqhubeka enakekela lezozinto futhi ame kuzo ukuze aqhubeke ethuthuka. Sifike ngesikhathi iseluleko somphostoli uPawulu kubo bonke abafuna injabulo eqhubekayo ekwenzeni intuthuko yobuKristu: “Ziqaphele wena kanye nesifundiso, ume kulezozinto; ngokuba ngokwenza lokho uyakuzisindisa wena nabakuzwayo.”—4:15, 16.
18. Yimaphi amalungiselelo ahlelekile ebandleni achazwa ngokukhanyayo, futhi uPawulu uyisebenzisa kanjani imiBhalo yesiHeberu njengegunya?
18 Lencwadi ephefumlelwe ifaka ukwazisa ngamalungiselelo kaNkulunkulu ahlelekile. Ibonisa indlela kokubili amadoda nabesifazane abangenza ngayo ingxenye yabo ekulondolozeni ubunye obungokwasezulwini ebandleni. (2:8-15) Khona-ke iqhubeka ichaza ngezimfanelo zababonisi nezinceku ezikhonzayo. Ngaleyondlela umoya ongcwele ubonisa izimfuneko okumelwe bahlangabezane nazo labo abakhonza ezikhundleni ezikhethekile. Lencwadi futhi ikhuthaza zonke izikhonzi ezizinikezele ukuba zihlangabezane nalezindinganiso, ithi: “Uma umuntu efisa isikhundla sombonisi, unxanela umsebenzi omuhle.” (3:1-13) Isimo sengqondo esifanele sombonisi kwabobudala nabobulili obuhlukahlukene ebandleni sichazwe ngokufanelekile njengoba nje kunjalo ngokusingathwa kwamacala phambi kofakazi. Ekugcizeleleni ukuthi amalunga asebenza kanzima ekukhulumeni nasekufundiseni afanele ukutuswa okuphindiwe, uPawulu ubhekisela kabili emiBhalweni yesiHeberu njengegunya: “Ngokuba umbhalo uthi: Ungayifaki isifonyo inkabi ebhulayo, futhi: Isisebenzi siyifanele inkokhelo yaso.”—1 Thim. 5:1-3, 9, 10, 19-21, 17, 18; Dut. 25:4; Lev. 19:13.
19. Ithemba loMbuso liqokonyiswa kanjani, futhi yimuphi umyalo onikezwayo ngalesisekelo?
19 Ngemva kokunikeza sonke leseluleko esihle, uPawulu unezela ukuthi umyalo kumelwe ugcinwe ngendlela engenabala nengasoleki ‘kuze kube-sekubonakaleni kweNkosi uJesu Kristu njengeNkosi yalabo ababusa njengamakhosi noMbusi walabo ababusa njengababusi.’ Ngesisekelo salelithemba loMbuso, lencwadi iphetha ngesiyalo esinamandla sokuba abangamaKristu “benze okuhle, bacebe ngemisebenzi emihle, baphane, babelane, bezibekelela isisekelo esihle sesikhathi esizayo, ukuze babambe ukuphila okuyikho.” (1 Thim. 6:14, 15, 18, 19) Sinenzuzo ngempela sonke isiyalo esihle sencwadi yokuQala KuThimothewu!
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a 1970, eyahlelwa uH. S. Gehman, ikhasi 721.
b The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Umq. I, ikhasi 6, “The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians,” isahl. V.
c New Bible Dictionary, uhlelo lwesibili, 1986, eyahlelwa uJ. D. Douglas, ikhasi 1203.