UGamaliyeli—Wafundisa USawulu WaseTarsu

ISIXUKU sathula sathi cwaká. Emizuzwaneni engemingaki ngaphambili, sasicishe sambulala umphostoli uPawulu. Njengoba ayaziwa nangokuthi uSawulu waseTarsu, wayelanyulelwe amabutho angamaRoma futhi manje wayesebheke ngakubantu esezitebhisini ngasethempelini eJerusalema.

Ebathulisa ngesandla, uPawulu waqala ukukhuluma ngesiHeberu, ethi: “Madoda, bafowethu nawobaba, yizwani ukuzivikela kwami kini manje. . . . Mina ngingumJuda, owazalelwa eTarsu laseKhilikhiya, kodwa owafundiswa kulomuzi ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli, owafundiswa ngokokuqina koMthetho wokhokho, ngishisekela uNkulunkulu njengoba nje nina nonke ninjalo namuhla.”—IzEnzo 22:1-3.

Njengoba ukuphila kwakhe kwakusengozini, kungani uPawulu azivikela ngokuqale athi wayefundiswe uGamaliyeli? Wayengubani uGamaliyeli, futhi kwakuhilelani ukufundiswa nguye? Ingabe lokhu kuqeqeshwa kwamthonya uSawulu ngisho nangemva kokuba umphostoli uPawulu ongumKristu?

Wayengubani UGamaliyeli?

UGamaliyeli wayengumFarisi odumile. Wayengumzukulu kaMdala uHillel, owayesungule elinye lamaqembu amabili ezazi ayinhloko eNkolweni YobuJuda yabaFarisi.a Indlela yokufundisa kaHillel yayibhekwa njengenokubekezelela abanye kuneyembangi yakhe, uShammai. Ngemva kokubhujiswa kwethempeli laseJerusalema ngo-70 C.E., iBet Hillel (iNdlu KaHillel) yayithandwa kuneBet Shammai (iNdlu KaShammai). Elithi iNdlu KaHillel laba igama elisemthethweni eNkolweni YobuJuda, njengoba onke amanye amahlelo anyamalala lapho ithempeli libhujiswa. Izinqumo zeBet Hillel zivame ukuba isisekelo somthetho wamaJuda kuyiMishnah, iTalmud eyasekelwa kuyo, futhi kubonakala sengathi ithonya likaGamaliyeli laliyimbangela enkulu yokubusa kwayo.

UGamaliyeli wayehlonishwa kakhulu kangangokuthi waba ngowokuqala ukubizwa ngokuthi rabban, isiqu esiphakeme kunesithi rabi. Eqinisweni, uGamaliyeli waba umuntu ohlonishwa kakhulu kangangokuba iMishnah ithi ngaye: “Lapho umdala uRabban Gamaliyeli efa inkazimulo yeTorah yaphela, futhi ubumsulwa nobusanta [ngokwezwi nezwi “ukuhlukaniswa”] kwashabalala.”—Sotah 9:15.

Wafundiswa UGamaliyeli—Kanjani?

Lapho umphostoli uPawulu etshela isixuku eJerusalema ukuthi ‘wafundiswa ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli,’ wayesho ukuthini? Kwakuhilelani ukuba umfundi womfundisi onjengoGamaliyeli?

Ngokuqondene nokuqeqeshwa okunjalo, uProfesa uDov Zlotnick we-Jewish Theological Seminary of America uyabhala: “Ukunemba komthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo, okwenza ube nokwethenjelwa, kuxhomeke cishe ngokuphelele ebuhlotsheni bomfundisi nomfundi: ukucophelela komfundisi lapho efundisa umthetho kanye nokuzimisela komfundi lapho ewufunda. . . . Ngakho-ke, abafundi babenxuswa ukuba bahlale ezinyaweni zezazi . . . ‘futhi baphuze amazwi abo ngokuwomela.’”—Avot 1:4, iMishnah.

Encwadini yakhe ethi A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, u-Emil Schürer ucacisa izindlela abafundisi abangorabi bekhulu lokuqala ababeqhuba ngazo. Uyabhala: “ORabi abadume kakhudlwana babevame ukuqoqela kubo intsha eningi, eyayifuna ukufunda, bayenze ijwayelane kahle ‘nemithetho edluliselwa ngomlomo’ ehlukahlukene nenemininingwane eminingi kakhulu. . . . Imfundo yayihlanganisa ukuvivinywa kwenkumbulo okungakhandli nokwasikhathi sonke. . . . Umfundisi wayebuza abafundi bakhe imibuzo eminingana ephathelene nomthetho ukuze benze isinqumo kuyo bese beyiphendula noma ayiphendule yena ngokwakhe. Abafundi nabo babevunyelwa ukuba babuze umfundisi imibuzo.”

Ngokombono worabi, ziningi kakhulu izingozi abafundi ababelengela kuzo kunokumane bathole amamaki okuphumelela. Labo ababetadisha ngaphansi kwalabo bafundisi babexwayiswa: “Noma ubani okhohlwa into eyodwa kulokho akufundile—ngokomBhalo uyothwala icala ngokuphila kwakhe.” (Avot 3:8) Umfundi ‘owayenjengomthombo wamanzi ophahlekiwe, ongalahlekelwa nayiconsi lamanzi’ wayenconywa kakhulu. (Avot 2:8) Yilolo hlobo lokuqeqeshwa uPawulu, ngaleso sikhathi owayaziwa ngegama lakhe lesiHeberu elithi uSawulu waseTarsu, aluthola kuGamaliyeli.

Okwakushiwo Izimfundiso ZikaGamaliyeli

Ngokuvumelana nemfundiso yabaFarisi, uGamaliyeli wathuthukisa ukukholelwa emthethweni odluliselwa ngomlomo. Ngaleyo ndlela wagcizelela kakhulu amasiko orabi kunomBhalo ophefumulelwe. (Mathewu 15:3-9) IMishnah icaphuna uGamaliyeli ethi: “Thola umfundisi [urabi] uqede ukungabaza, ngoba akumelwe unikele okweshumi okweqile ngokuqagela.” (Avot 1:16) Lokhu kwakusho ukuthi lapho imiBhalo YesiHeberu ingasho ngokuqondile ukuthi yini okufanele yenziwe, umuntu kwakungamelwe asebenzise ukucabanga kwakhe siqu noma alandele unembeza wakhe ukuze enze isinqumo. Kunalokho, kwakumelwe athole urabi ofanelekayo owayezomenzela isinqumo. NgokukaGamaliyeli, umuntu wayengagwema ukona ngalendlela kuphela.—Qhathanisa neyabaseRoma 14:1-12.

Nokho, uGamaliyeli ngokuvamile wayephawuleka ngesimo sengqondo sokubekezelela abanye nangokuba nomqondo obanzi ezinqumweni zakhe ezingokwenkolo ezisemthethweni. Ngokwesibonelo, wabonisa ukucabangela abesifazane lapho enquma ukuthi ‘wayezovumela umfazi ukuba aphinde ashade uma kunofakazi oyedwa ofakazayo [ukuthi umyeni wakhe ushonile].’ (Yevamot 16:7, iMishnah) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuze avikele owesifazane olahliwe, uGamaliyeli wamisa imingcele eminingana yokukhishwa kwencwadi yesehlukaniso.

Lesi simo sengqondo siyabonakala nasendleleni uGamaliyeli ayesebenzelana ngayo nabalandeli bakaJesu Kristu bokuqala. Incwadi yezEnzo ilandisa ukuthi lapho abanye abaholi abangamaJuda befuna ukubulala abaphostoli bakaJesu ababebabophele ukushumayela, “kwasukuma umuntu othile kuyiSanhedrini, umFarisi ogama lakhe linguGamaliyeli, umfundisi woMthetho ohlonishwa kakhulu yibo bonke abantu, wanikeza umyalo wokuba lababantu bakhishelwe ngaphandle isikhathi esincane. Futhi wathi kubo: ‘Madoda akwa-Israyeli, zinakeni ngokuqondene nalokho enihlose ukukwenza ngokuqondene nalababantu. . . . Ngithi kini, Ningabaphazamisi lababantu, kodwa bayekeni; . . . uma kungenjalo, mhlawumbe, ningatholakala empeleni ningabantu abalwa noNkulunkulu.’” Iseluleko sikaGamaliyeli salalelwa, futhi abaphostoli bakhululwa.—IzEnzo 5:34-40.

Kwakusho Ukuthini NgoPawulu?

UPawulu wayeqeqeshwe futhi wafundiswa omunye wabafundisi abangorabi abakhulu ekhulwini lokuqala C.E. Akungabazeki ukuthi ukukhuluma kwalomphostoli ngoGamaliyeli kwabangela isixuku saseJerusalema ukuba siyinake ngokukhethekile inkulumo yakhe. Kodwa wakhuluma nabo ngoMfundisi ophakame kakhulu kunoGamaliyeli—uJesu, uMesiya. UPawulu wakhuluma nalesi sixuku esengumfundi kaJesu, hhayi kaGamaliyeli.—IzEnzo 22:4-21.

Ingabe ukuqeqeshwa uGamaliyeli kwayithonya imfundiso kaPawulu lapho esengumKristu? Kungenzeka ukuthi ukufundiswa ngomBhalo nomthetho wamaJuda okwakuqinile kwaba usizo kuPawulu lapho esengumfundisi ongumKristu. Nokho, izincwadi zikaPawulu eziphefumulelwe ngokwaphezulu ezitholakala eBhayibhelini zibonisa ngokucacile ukuthi wasenqaba isisekelo senkolelo kaGamaliyeli yobuFarisi. UPawulu akazange aqondise amaJuda akubo kanye nabo bonke abanye korabi beNkolo YobuJuda noma emasikweni enziwe abantu, kodwa wabaqondisa kuJesu Kristu.—Roma 10:1-4.

Ukube uPawulu waqhubeka engumfundi kaGamaliyeli, wayeyojabulela udumo olukhulu. Abanye ababeseqenjini likaGamaliyeli baba neqhaza ekunqumeni ikusasa leNkolo YobuJuda. Ngokwesibonelo, indodana kaGamaliyeli uSimeyoni, okungenzeka yayifunda noPawulu, yafeza ingxenye enkulu ekuvukeleni kwamaJuda iRoma. Ngemva kokubhujiswa kwethempeli, umzukulu kaGamaliyeli uGamaliyeli II wabuyisela igunya leSanhedrini, eyithuthela eYavneh. Umzukulu kaGamaliyeli II uJudah Ha-Nasi wahlanganisa iMishnah, eye yaba itshe eliyisisekelo lenkolelo yamaJuda kuze kube usuku lwethu.

Njengomfundi kaGamaliyeli, uSawulu waseTarsu wayengase avelele kakhulu eNkolweni YobuJuda. Nokho, ngokuqondene nalowo msebenzi ayewufundele, uPawulu wabhala: “Noma iziphi izinto ezaziyinzuzo kimi, lezi ngizishaye indiva ngenxa kaKristu. Phela, ngalokho, ngempela zonke izinto ngizishaya indiva futhi ngenxa yenzuzo edlula zonke izinto yolwazi ngoKristu Jesu iNkosi yami. Ngenxa yakhe ngiye ngamukela ukulahlekelwa izinto zonke futhi ngizibheka njengenqwaba yezibi, ukuze ngizuze uKristu.”—Filipi 3:7, 8.

Ngokuchilizela eceleni umsebenzi wakhe njengomFarisi futhi abe umlandeli kaJesu Kristu, uPawulu wayesisebenzisa ngokoqobo iseluleko somfundisi wakhe wangaphambili sokuxwaya ‘ukutholakala singabantu abalwa noNkulunkulu.’ Ngokupheza ukushushisa abafundi bakaJesu, uPawulu wayeka ukulwa noNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, ngokuba umlandeli kaKristu, waba esinye ‘sezisebenzi ezikanye noNkulunkulu.’—1 Korinte 3:9.

Osukwini lwethu oFakazi BakaJehova abashisekayo bayaqhubeka bememezela isigijimi sobuKristu beqiniso. NjengoPawulu, abaningi balaba baye benza izinguquko eziphawulekayo ekuphileni kwabo. Abanye baye badela ngisho nemisebenzi emihle ukuze babe nengxenye enkudlwana emsebenzini wokushumayela ngoMbuso, okuwumsebenzi ‘ovela kuNkulunkulu’ ngempela. (IzEnzo 5:39) Yeka indlela abajabula ngayo ngokuthi baye balandela isibonelo sikaPawulu kunesomfundisi wakhe wangaphambili, uGamaliyeli!

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Lapho esengumphostoli uPawulu, uSawulu waseTarsu wamemezela izindaba ezinhle kubantu bazo zonke izizwe