Incwadi KaPawulu KwabaseGalathiya—Isigijimi Sezindaba Ezinhle
NGEMVA kwesibingelelo, umphostoli uPawulu walobela abaseGalathiya: “Ngiyamangala ngokuba nimhlubuka masinya kangaka yena owanibizela emuseni kaKristu, niye kwelinye ivangeli.” Futhi kamuva kancane wathi: “O nina-maGalathiya angaqondiyo! Ngubani oniloyileyo?”—Galathiya 1:6; 3:1.
Kungani uPawulu ayedumazeke kangaka ngabaseGalathiya? Babengobani labantu, futhi uPawulu wahlangana kanjani nabo? Siyini isigijimi sezindaba ezinhle asihlanganyela nabo? Futhi siwusizo kanjani kithi namuhla?
Abantu Nenkinga Yabo
AbaseGalathiya kwakungabantu ikakhulu baseIndo-Europe, bendabuko yaseCeltic eGaul. Kodwa babehlanganisa nabantu bezinye izizwe. Isifundazwe saseGalathiya iRoma, sasakhiwe okungenani imizi emine yomlando weBhayibheli: I-Ikoniyu, iListra, iDerbe neAntiyokiya yasePhisidiya. Lemizi yavakashelwa uPawulu ohambweni lwakhe lokuqala lokushumayela, futhi kwamiswa amabandla kulezindawo. (IzEnzo 13:14–14:23) UThimothewu osemusha wayengomunye wamaKristu okuqala aseGalathiya.—IzEnzo 16:1, 2.
Ngemva kohambo lokuqala lukaPawulu lokushumayela eGalathiya, indikimba ebusayo yabaphostoli namadoda amadala yahlangana eJerusalema ngo-49 C.E. futhi yenza isinqumo sokuthi ukusoka akudingekile kumaKristu. (IzEnzo 15:1-29) Ngemva kwalomhlangano uPawulu noSila badlulisela lesisici sezindaba ezinhle emabandleni aseGalathiya.—IzEnzo 16:1-6.
Nokho, ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, uPawulu wadumazeka lapho ezwa ukuthi abathile eGalathiya babephikelela ngokuthi amaKristu kumelwe asokwe. Labantu kwakungabenkolo yobuJuda ababezama ukwenza abeZizwe abangamaKristu ukuba balandele izici zomthetho kaMose. Futhi babelibukela phansi igunya likaPawulu njengomphostoli.
Khona-ke kwakungesizathu sokulungisa lesisimo esithunazayo okwenza ukuba uPawulu alobele abaseGalathiya, ngalokho ebanxusa ukuba baqondise umbono wabo. Kunokwenzeka incwadi yakhe wayiloba esesohambweni lwakhe lwesibili lokushumayela, mhlawumbe eKorinte, noma masinyane ngemva kokufika eSiriya laseAntiyokiya. Ngakho-ke, lencwadi kumelwe ukuba yalotshwa ngasekuqaleni kwekwindla ka-50 C.E. noma kamuva kangango-52 C.E.
UPawulu utshela abaseGalathiya ukuthi laba benkolo yobuJuda bazama ukuguqula izindaba ezinhle. Futhi, njengoba uPawulu esho, lezindaba ezinhle ziphathelene noKristu Jesu. Yebo, izindaba ezinhle ngenkululeko uKristu ayilethayo—inkululeko ebugqilini besono esizuzwe ngefa nenkululeko ebugqilini bomthetho kaMose. Ngakho-ke uPawulu usiphinda kabili isixwayiso sokuthi uma umuntu, ngisho nengelosi evela ezulwini, eshumayela njengezindaba ezinhle okuthile okuphambene nalokho ayekushumayela njengezindaba ezinhle, “makabe-ngoqalekisiweyo.”—Galathiya 1:7-9.
Khona-ke, incwadi kaPawulu ifezani? Okokuqala, imisa ngokukhanyayo igunya lakhe njengomphostoli. Okwesibili, isekela ngamandla isinqumo sendikimba ebusayo endabeni yokusoka. Futhi iqhathanisa imisebenzi yenyama nezithelo zomoya, ukubhekisela emisebenzini ejabulisa uNkulunkulu.
UPawulu Ulwela Ubuphostoli Bakhe
Zisuka nje uPawulu udonsela ukunakekela egunyeni lakhe, ethi: “UPawulu, umphostoli ongaveli kubantu noma ngomuntu, kodwa ngoJesu Kristu noNkulunkulu uYise . . . Ivangeli elishunyayelwa yimina alisilo elingokwabantu. Ngokuba nami angilamukeliswanga ngumuntu, futhi angilifundiswanga, kepha ngilitholile ngokwambulelwa nguJesu Kristu.”—Galathiya 1:1, 11, 12; IzEnzo 22:6-16.
UPawulu ulandisa kafushane indlela ayevelele ngayo ebuJudeni, kodwa ngemva kokuphendulwa kwakhe okumangalisayo nguKristu, washumayela izindaba ezinhle eArabiya naseDamaseku. Khona-ke uPawulu ukhuluma ngokuhambela kwakhe noPetru eJerusalema izinsuku eziyishumi nanhlanu (ngo-36 C.E.). Kwaze kwaba seminyakeni eyishumi nane kamuva, ngo-49 C.E., lapho uPawulu aphindela eJerusalema emhlanganweni ngendaba yokusoka. (Galathiya 1:13-24) Abenkolo yobuJuda ababephakamisa ukusoka ubabiza ngokuthi “abazalwane bamanga” ababezama ‘ukugqilaza’ amaKristu athembekile. Kodwa wathi: “Esingabahlehlelanga nasikhashana ngokubathobela, ukuze iqiniso levangeli lime njalo kinina.”—Galathiya 2:1-5.
Uma sicabanga ngakho, ngokuqinisekile uPawulu usibekela isibonelo esihle sokuthobeka. Nakuba ayengumphostoli owayekhethwe uJesu Kristu ngokwakhe, izindaba ezinhle ayezishumayela wazidlulisela endikimbeni ebusayo, eqaphela igunya layo. Ingabe namuhla sibonisa inhlonipho efanele ngamadoda amiswe indikimba ebusayo futhi sibambisane nawo ekushumayeleni izindaba ezinhle?
Kamuva uPawulu wagcizelela igunya lakhe lobuphostoli ngokumelana nomphostoli uPetru ubuso nobuso. Wenza kanjalo ngoba uPetru wayeyeke ukudla nabeZizwe abangamaKristu ngenxa yokwesaba abantu. Edalula iphutha likaPetru, uPawulu wabuza: “Uma wena ongumJuda uhamba ngokwabezizwe, ungahambi ngokwabaJuda, ubaphoqa kanjani abezizwe ukuba bahambe ngokwabaJuda na?”—Galathiya 2:11-14.
Ukholo Luphakeme Kunemisebenzi Yomthetho
Enxusa abaseGalathiya ukuba babe nombono oqondile, uPawulu uyabuza: “Namukeliswa uMoya ngemisebenzi yomthetho noma ngezwi lokukholwa na?” Njengoba impendulo isobala, uyabuza: “Niqalile kuMoya seniyakugcina enyameni na?” Ubakhumbuza ngoAbrahama, nakuba ayengekho phansi komthetho, “wakholwa nguNkulunkulu, kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi ngukulunga.” Umthetho wanezelwa kamuva ukuze kubonakaliswe iziphambeko. Ngempela wawubagwebela ukufa labo ababezama ukuwugcina. Kodwa, njengoba uPawulu echaza, uKristu wafa njengomuntu oqalekisiwe ukuze abalandeli bakhe bakhululwe emthethweni futhi baphile ngokholo. Nokho, umthetho wasebenza ngenjongo yokuba ‘umlayi wokubayisa kuKristu.’—Galathiya 3:1-29.
Njengoba abaseGalathiya baye bathola ukuba amadodana angokomoya nenkululeko kuKristu, uPawulu ubuza ukuthi kungani befuna ukubuyela ebugqilini bomthetho, begcina izinsuku, nezinyanga, nezikhathi neminyaka. Uthi, abenkolo yobuJuda “banishisekela ngokungekuhle, yebo, bafuna ukunivalela ngaphandle.” Nokho, uPawulu ubonisa ukukhathalela kwakhe kothando, ethi: “Nginemihelo futhi ngani, uKristu aze abunjwe phakathi kini.”—Galathiya 4:1-20.
Khona-ke uPawulu usebenzisa umfanekiso ukuqhathanisa ubugqili bemisebenzi yomthetho nenkululeko yobuKristu yeqiniso. Isigqilakazi sika-Abrahama, uHagari, umelele isivumelwano somthetho futhi “uqondene neJerusalema lakalokhu, ngokuba lisebugqileni nabantwana balo.” USara, ngakolunye uhlangothi, umelele isivumelwano sobuAbrahama, futhi uqondene ne‘Jerusalema eliphezulu elikhululekile, lona lingumame wethu.’ Njengoba nje uIshmayeli ahlupha uIsaka, khona-ke amaJuda ayephikisa amaKristu eqiniso, abantwana bowesifazane okhululekile.—Galathiya 4:21-31.
Yimani Niqine Enkululekweni YobuKristu
Ngesisekelo somfanekiso ongenhla, uPawulu uyanxusa: “UKristu wasikhulula ukuba sibe-nenkululeko; ngakho-ke yimani niqine, ningabe nisaboshelwa ejokeni lobugqila.” Uma umuntu esokwa, uPawulu uyagcizelela, akuyikusiza ngalutho. Umuntu okwenzayo uyobopheka ukuba agcine wonke umthetho futhi ahluleke ukuzuza ukulunga ngokholo. Khona-ke ngentukuthelo uPawulu uthi: “Sengathi bangazihuna abaninyakazisayo.”—Galathiya 5:1-12.
Nakuba amaKristu eye azuza inkululeko, kunengozi yokuthi lenkululeko ingonakaliswa ukuze kwaneliswe izinkanuko zenyama yawo engaphelele. Ngakho-ke uPawulu uyaxwayisa: “Ngokuba nina-bazalwane nabizelwa ekukhululekeni. Kuphela ningakwenzi ukukhululeka kube-yithuba enyameni, kepha khonzanani ngothando. Ngokuba umthetho wonke ugcwalisiwe ezwini linye lokuthi: Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengokuba uzithanda wena.”—Galathiya 5:13, 14.
Nokho uPawulu ubonisa ukuthi sinempi emiyo phakathi kokulandela izifiso zenyama nokuhamba ngomoya. Uqhathanisa imisebenzi yenyama nezithelo zomoya. Imisebenzi yenyama “ubufebe, namanyala . . . nokunjalo. . . . Kepha izithelo zikaMoya ziluthando, nokujabula, nokuthula, nokubekezela, nobubele, nobuvi, nokukholeka, nobumnene, nokuzithiba.” UPawulu ubonisa ukuthi amaKristu ahamba ngomoya kumelwe futhi agweme ‘udumo oluze, ukuqalana, nokufelana umhawu.’—Galathiya 5:15-26.
Imisebenzi Ezuzisayo
Esahlukweni sokugcina uPawulu uhlela imisebenzi ezuzisayo umKristu angayenza, njengokusiza ekubuyiseni ophambukayo nokuthwalisana imithwalo. UPawulu uyachaza, uma umuntu ehlwanyelela inyama, uyakuvuna ukubhubha kuyo inyama. Kepha uma ehlwanyelela umoya uyakuvuna ukuphila okuphakade. Ngakho-ke abaseGalathiya bayanxuswa: “Asenze okuhle kubo bonke, kepha ikakhulu kwabendlu yokukholwa.” Ngakho-ke, ekuphetheni kwakhe, uPawulu ubhekisela ezisuseni zabenkolo yobuJuda abafuna ukuba basokwe. Kungenxa yokuba befuna ukuba “bazibonge ngenyama yenu.” Nokho uPawulu uthi uyozibonga “kuphela ngesigxobo sokuhlushwa seNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.”—Galathiya 6:1-14.
Ngokuqinisekile, incwadi kaPawulu kwabaseGalathiya ingevelele ekubhekaneni ngokuqondile nezimpikiswano zesikhathi sakhe. Ukuthi iyobonakala izuzisa kanjani kithi namuhla, kuxhomeke ekutheni sisilandela kahle kangakanani iseluleko esiqukethe.
[Ibalazwe elisekhasini 30]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi kumi kanjani, bheka encwadini)
IKorinte
IAntiyokiya
IGALATHIYA
I-Ikoniyu
IListra
IDerbe
IAntiyokiya
ISIRIYA
ULwandle OluKhulu