Phikelela Emgomweni!
Amaphuzu Avelele Avela KweyabaseFilipi
UMPHOSTOLI uPawulu wayefuna ukuba amaKristu aseFilipi aqhubeke ephikelela emgomweni ukuze athole umklomelo wokuphila okuphakade. Ngakho, wawabhalela cishe ngo-60 noma ngo-61 C.E., phakathi nokuboshwa kwakhe kokuqala eRoma. Incwadi yakhe yathunyelwa ebandleni ayelimise eminyakeni ecishe ibe yishumi ngaphambili eFilipi, umuzi owasungulwa uPhilip waseMacedon (uyise ka-Alexander Omkhulu). Ngekhulu leminyaka lokuqala C.E., wawube “umuzi oyinhloko wesifunda saseMakedoniya,” manje esiyingxenye yenyakatho yeGreece neningizimu yeYugoslavia.—IzEnzo 16:11, 12.
Amakholwa aseFilipi ayempofu kodwa ephana. Ngaphezu kwesikhathi esisodwa, ayethumele okuthile okwakuzohlangabezana nezidingo zikaPawulu. (Filipi 4:14-17) Kodwa incwadi yakhe yayingaphezu kokuba nje incwadi yokubonga. Yanikeza nesikhuthazo, yabonisa uthando, futhi yanikeza iseluleko.
Izimfanelo ZobuKristu Ziyabonakala
Incwadi kaPawulu yaqala ngobufakazi bothando lwakhe ngamakholwa aseFilipi. (1:1-30) Wabonga uJehova ngomnikelo abawenza ekuqhubekiseleni phambili izindaba ezinhle futhi wathandazela ukuba uthando lwabo lukhuliswe. UPawulu wajabula ngokuthi ukuboshwa kwakhe kwababangela ukuba babonise ‘isibindi esengeziwe sokukhuluma izwi likaNkulunkulu ngokungesabi.’ Wayefisa ukuba noKristu kodwa waba nomuzwa wokuthi usengakwazi ukubakhonza. Futhi uPawulu wayefuna ukuba baqhubeke ‘ngomphefumulo munye balwele inkolo yevangeli.’
Kwabe sekulandela iseluleko ngesimo sengqondo nangokuziphatha. (2:1-30) AbaseFilipi bakhuthazwa ukuba babonise isithakazelo somuntu siqu kwabanye futhi babonise ukuzithoba okunjengokukaKristu. ‘Babekhanya njengezinkanyiso ezweni’ futhi banxuswa ukuba baqhubeke ‘bebambelela ezwini lokuphila.’ UPawulu wayethemba ukuthi uzothumela uThimothewu kubo futhi wayeqiniseka ngokuthi naye ngokwakhe wayezofika ngokushesha. Ukuze aphinde abaqinisekise ngoEphafrodithu, owayegula kakhulu, uPawulu wayebathumelela leyonceku ethembekile.
Qhubeka Uphikelela Emgomweni
Ngokulandelayo umphostoli wabonisa abaseFilipi ukuthi kwakumelwe balibeke kuphi ithemba labo njengoba bephikelela emgomweni. (3:1-21) Kufanele libekwe kuJesu Kristu, hhayi enyameni noma ekusokeni njengoba abanye babenza. UPawulu wabheka izimfanelo zakhe ezingokwenyama njengezibi ngenxa ‘yobukhulu bokumazi uKristu.’ Lomphostoli ‘wayejonge emgomeni, emklomelweni wokubizwa okukhulu kwaphezulu nguNkulunkulu kuJesu Kristu,’ futhi wakhuthaza abaseFilipi ukuba babe nesimo sengqondo esifanayo.
Ukusebenzisa iseluleko sikaPawulu sokuphetha kwakuyosiza abaseFilipi ukuba bahlale benombono womgomo nomklomelo. (4:1-23) Wabanxusa ukuba bayise ukukhathazeka kwabo kuNkulunkulu ngomthandazo futhi bagcwalise izingqondo zabo ngemicabango enempilo. UPawulu waphinda futhi wabatusa ngokuphana kwabo wabe esephetha ngemikhonzo nangokubafisela ukuba umusa ongabafanele weNkosi uJesu Kristu ube nomoya ababewubonisa.
Incwadi kaPawulu eya kwabaseFilipi ishukumisa ukuphana, uthando nokuzithoba. Ikhuthaza ukuthembela kuKristu nomthandazo osuka enhliziyweni oya kuNkulunkulu. Futhi amazwi kaPawulu ngokuqinisekile asiza oFakazi BakaJehova ukuba baqhubeke bephikelela emgomweni ukuze bathole umklomelo wokuphila okuphakade.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 25]
Emgomweni: “Ngikhohlwa okungasemuva, ngizelulela kokungaphambili,” kubhala uPawulu, “ngijonge emgomweni, emklomelweni wokubizwa okukhulu kwaphezulu nguNkulunkulu kuJesu Kristu.” (Filipi 3:13, 14) Lomphostoli wayezikhandla njengomuntu osemjahweni. Akazange achithe isikhathi namandla ebheka emuva kodwa waphikelela emgomweni wakhe—njengomgijimi olwela ukufinyelela ekugcineni. NgoPawulu nangamanye amaKristu agcotshiwe, umklomelo wawungukuphila kwasezulwini ngokuvuswa ngemva kokuqeda inkambo yasemhlabeni yokwethembeka kuNkulunkulu. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi amathemba ethu angawasezulwini noma emhlabeni, masigcine ubuqotho kuJehova futhi siphikelele emgomweni njengoFakazi bakhe.—2 Thimothewu 4:7.