Ukushumayela KukaSawulu Kuvusa Inzondo

AMANE axakeka nje amaJuda eDamaseku. Umvikeli oshisekayo wamasiko wayengaba kanjani isihlubuki? USawulu lo wayeshushise abantu ababiza egameni likaJesu eJerusalema. Wayezele ukuzoshushisa abafundi eDamaseku. Kodwa manje, naye ngokwakhe wayeseshumayela ukuthi singuMesiya lesiya sigelekeqe esasizondwa esabethelelwa ukuhlambalaza! Wayephambene ingqondo yini uSawulu?—IzEnzo 9:1, 2, 20-22.

Mhlawumbe yayingachazeka yonke le nto. Abanye abahamba besuka eJerusalema kanye neqembu uSawulu ayekulo cishe bakhuluma ngalokho okwenzeka endleleni. Njengoba base bezofika eDamaseku, ngokungazelelwe kwabaneka ukukhanya okukhulu, futhi bonke bawela phansi. Kwezwakala nezwi. Ukuphela komuntu owalimala uSawulu. Wayebhazalele emgwaqweni. Lapho evuka ekugcineni, kwadingeka ukuba abanye ayehamba nabo bamhole bamyise eDamaseku, ngoba wayengasaboni ngisho.—IzEnzo 9:3-8; 26:13, 14.

Umphikisi Uba Umsekeli

Kwakwenzekeni kuSawulu endleleni eya eDamaseku? Ingabe mhlawumbe uhambo olude noma ukushisa kwelanga lasemini kwakumqede amandla? Bezimisele ukuthola imbangela eyinto ejwayelekile, abagxeki banamuhla bathi ziningana izinto okungenzeka zenzeka. Bathi kungenzeka waphazamiseka ingqondo, walutheka ingqondo, waba nokuphazamiseka okukhulu kwengqondo okubangelwa ubuhlungu bokulahlwa unembeza, ukuphazamiseka kwemizwa, noma kungenzeka ukuthi wayenesithuthwane.

Okwenzeka empeleni ukuthi uJesu Kristu wabonakala kuSawulu kulokho kukhanya okuphandlayo, emkholisa ukuthi Yena unguMesiya. Eminye imifanekiso edwetshiwe yalesi senzakalo ibonisa uSawulu ewa ehhashini. Nakuba kungenzeka kwenzeka lokho, iBhayibheli limane lithi ‘wawela phansi.’ (IzEnzo 22:6-11) Ukuwela kukaSawulu phansi kwakungelutho uma kuqhathaniswa nokuwa okukhulu esikhundleni. Manje kwase kufanele avume ukuthi lokho abalandeli bakaJesu ababekushumayela kwakuyiqiniso. Kwakusele nje ukuba uSawulu abajoyine. USawulu wayeka ukumelana ngonya nesigijimi sikaJesu, waba umsekeli waso oshisekayo. Ngemva kokuvulwa amehlo nokubhapathizwa, “uSawulu waqhubeka ezuza amandla nangokwengeziwe futhi wayekhungathekisa amaJuda ahlala eDamaseku njengoba ayebonisa ngokunengqondo ukuthi lo nguKristu.”—IzEnzo 9:22.

Ugobe Lokumbulala Aluphumeleli

Ngemva kokuba eguqukile, uSawulu, owaziwa kamuva ngokuthi uPawulu, walibangisaphi? Lapho ebhalela abaseGalathiya, wathi: “Ngaya e-Arabhiya, ngase ngiphinde ngibuyela eDamaseku.” (Galathiya 1:17) Igama elithi “Arabhiya” lingasho noma iyiphi indawo yaseNhlonhlweni Yase-Arabhiya okungenzeka waya kuyo. Ezinye izazi zisikisela ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi uPawulu waya oGwadule LwaseSiriya noma kwenye indawo embusweni ka-Aretha IV, eNabataea. Kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi ngemva kokuba ebhapathiziwe, uSawulu waya endaweni ethulile ukuze azindle njengoba noJesu aya ehlane ngemva kokucwiliswa kwakhe.—Luka 4:1.

Lapho uSawulu ephindela eDamaseku, “amaJuda acebisana ukuba ambulale.” (IzEnzo 9:23) Umbusi owayekhonza njengommeleli weNkosi u-Aretha eDamaseku wayeqaphe umuzi ukuze abambe uSawulu. (2 Korinte 11:32) Kodwa lapho izitha zikaSawulu zenza ugobe lokumbulala, abafundi bakaJesu bahlela indlela yokuba uSawulu aphunyule.

Phakathi kwalabo abasiza uSawulu aphunyule kwakuno-Ananiya nabafundi abajabulela ukuba nalo mphostoli ngemva kokuba eguqukile.a (IzEnzo 9:17-19) Kungenzeka ukuthi namanye amakholwa ayeshunyayezwe uSawulu eDamaseku ásiza, ngoba izEnzo 9:25 zithi: “Abafundi bakhe bamthatha futhi bamehlisa ebusuku ngembobo esodongeni, bemehlisa ngobhasikidi.” Inkulumo ethi “abafundi bakhe” kungenzeka ukuthi isho labo abafundiswa uSawulu. Kunoma ikuphi, cishe ukuphumelela kwenkonzo yakhe kwenza wazondwa nakakhulu.

Isifundo Okufanele Sifundwe

Lapho sihlola ezinye zezenzakalo ezenzeka ngesikhathi uSawulu eguquka futhi ebhapathizwa, sibona ngokucacile ukuthi wayengakhathazekile ngokweqile ngokuthi abanye babemahlulela kanjani; futhi akayekanga ukushumayela ngenxa yokushushiswa kanzima. Okwakusemqoka kakhulu kuSawulu kwakuwumsebenzi wokushumayela ayewunikiwe.—IzEnzo 22:14, 15.

Ingabe usanda kubona ukuthi kubalulekile ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle? Uma kunjalo, uyazi ukuthi wonke amaKristu eqiniso kumelwe abe abashumayeli boMbuso. Akufanele umangale uma ngezinye izikhathi ukushumayela kwakho kwenza abantu bakuphathe kabi. (Mathewu 24:9; Luka 21:12; 1 Petru 2:20) Indlela uSawulu asabela ngayo lapho ephikiswa iyisibonelo. AmaKristu akhuthazelela ukuhlushwa kodwa angayeki ayothola umusa kaNkulunkulu. UJesu watshela abafundi bakhe: “Niyoba yizinto zokuzondwa abantu bonke ngenxa yegama lami.” Kodwa wabaqinisekisa: “Ngokukhuthazela kwenu niyozuza imiphefumulo yenu.”—Luka 21:17-19.

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USawulu ‘wawela phansi’ lapho uJesu ebonakala kuye

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USawulu waphunyula ogobeni lokumbulala eDamaseku