Ukuphila KwamaKristu Ekhulu Lokuqala
Aya Ezindaweni Ezikude Kakhulu Zomhlaba
“Ngosuku olulandelayo wahamba noBarnaba baya eDerbe. Ngemva kokumemezela izindaba ezinhle kulowo muzi nokwenza abafundi abaningana, babuyela eListra nase-Ikoniyu nase-Antiyokiya.”—IZENZO 14:20, 21.
UMOYA wasekuseni ushaya isithunywa sevangeli kamnandi. Sigqoka izimbadada zaso ezigugile futhi sizochitha usuku lonke sihamba.
Sihamba endleleni ewubhuqu elangeni lasekuseni, sidlule imivini, sinqamule phakathi kwensimu yeminqumo size siyoshona ngalé kwegquma. Njengoba sihamba sihlangana nabanye abantu—abalimi abaya emasimini, abathengisi abahamba nezilwane ezithwele imithwalo kanye nabantu abalibhekise eJerusalema. Lesi sithunywa sevangeli nabantu abahamba naso bakhuluma nabo bonke abantu abahlangana nabo. Uyini umgomo wabo? Ukufeza umyalo kaJesu wokuba babe ofakazi bakhe “nasezingxenyeni ezikude kakhulu zomhlaba.”—IzEnzo 1:8.
Kungenzeka ukuthi lesi sithunywa sevangeli kwakungumphostoli uPawulu noma uBarnaba noma esinye isithunywa sevangeli sangekhulu lokuqala esikhuthele. (IzEnzo 14:19-26; 15:22) Lezi zithunywa zevangeli zazinamandla futhi zizimisela. Ukuhamba kwakunzima. Echaza ubunzima bokuhamba ngomkhumbi, umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Ngaphukelwa umkhumbi kathathu, ubusuku obubodwa nemini eyodwa ngiye ngakuchitha ekujuleni kolwandle.” Ukuhamba ngezinyawo nakho kwakungelula. UPawulu wathi wayevame ukubhekana ‘nezingozi emifuleni nezingozi ezinswelaboyeni.’—2 Korinte 11:25-27.
Ukube wawukhona, kwakuyoba njani ukuhamba nalezo zithunywa zevangeli? Naniyohlwelwa nikuphi nohambo? Yiziphi izinto okwakungadingeka niziphathe, futhi naniyolala kuphi?
Ukuhamba Ngezinyawo Ngekhulu lokuqala, amaRoma akha imigwaqo eyayifinyelela ezindaweni eziningi zombuso. Leyo migwaqo yayakhiwe kahle kakhulu futhi iqinile. Eminingi yayo yayingamamitha angu-4,5 ububanzi, igandaywe ngamatshe, ezinhlangothini zayo kunonqenqema futhi kunezinsika ezibonisa amabanga. Emgwaqweni ofana nalo, isithunywa sevangeli esinjengoPawulu sasingahamba amakhilomitha angaba ngu-32 ngosuku.
Nokho, imigwaqo eminingi ePalestina yayiwubhuqu, iyingozi futhi ingenayo imigoqo ehlukanisa umgwaqo neziganga nemihosha. Isithunywa sevangeli sasingase sihlaselwe izilwane zasendle noma izinswelaboya; noma sasingase sithole imigwaqo ivaliwe.
Isithunywa sevangeli sasingase siphathe ini? Ezinye zezinto ezibalulekile kwakuyinduku yokuzivikela (1), isipontshi sokulala (2), isikhwama semali (3), ezinye izimbadada (4), isikhwama sokudla (5), izingubo zokushintsha (6), ibhakede lesikhumba lokukha amanzi endleleni (7), igabha lamanzi (8) nesikhwama sesikhumba esikhulu esikwazi ukuphatha ezinye izinto (9).
Izithunywa zevangeli zazihlangana nabathengisi abahambisa izinto ezimakethe zendawo. Labo bathengisi babethembela ezimbongolweni ezinamandla. Asikho esinye isilwane esasinekhono lokwenyuka ummango nokuhamba emigwaqweni ewubhuqu njengembongolo. Kuthiwa uma ithwele umthwalo omningi, imbongolo enamandla ingakwazi ukuhamba amakhilomitha angu-80 ngosuku. Amakalishi nezinqola kwakuhamba kancane, cishe amakhilomitha angu-8 kuya kwangu-20. Nokho, izinkabi zaziyithwala imithwalo esindayo kodwa zazikahle kakhulu uma zizohamba ibanga elifushane. Isithunywa sevangeli sasingase sihlangane nehele lamakamela noma lezimbongolo—izilwane eziningana ezithwele izinto ezivela emhlabeni jikelele. Sasingase sidlulwe ngesivinini isithunywa esigibele ihhashi; mhlawumbe esasihambisa izincwadi nezimemezelo ezivela ebukhosini siziyisa ezindaweni zombuso ezikude.
Lapho beficwa ukuhlwa, abahambi babelala eceleni komgwaqo. Abanye babehlala ezindaweni ezibiyelwe futhi ezinamagumbi akhelwe le njongo. Lezi zindawo zazingcolile futhi zingezinhle, kodwa zazinikeza isivikelo esilinganiselwe esimwemi esibi sezulu nasezinswelaboyeni. Lapho ithuba livela, izithunywa zevangeli zazingase zihlale nezihlobo noma namanye amakholwa.—IzEnzo 17:7; Roma 12:13.
Ukuhamba Ngomkhumbi Izikebhe zazihambisa izimpahla nabantu abahlala ngasogwini nangaphesheya koLwandle LwaseGalile. (Johane 6:1, 2, 16, 17, 22-24) Imikhumbi eminingi yayidabula iMedithera, ihambise izimpahla emachwebeni akude noma izilande kuwo. Le mikhumbi yayihambisa ukudla eRoma, ibuye ithwale izikhulu zikahulumeni. Yayithutha nezincwadi ezisuka kwamanye amachweba ziya kwamanye.
Emini amatilosi ayeqondiswa izimpawu zezwe, ebusuku ayeqondiswa izinkanyezi. Ngakho, ukuhamba olwandle kwakuphephile ngandlela-thile kuphela kusukela ngo-May kuya maphakathi no-September lapho isimo sezulu sasithé ukuzola. Imikhumbi yayivame ukuphuka.—IzEnzo 27:39-44; 2 Korinte 11:25.
Akukhona ukuthi abantu babekhetha ukuhamba ngomkhumbi ngoba kumnandi kunokuhamba ngezinyawo. Imikhumbi ethwala impahla kwakuyiyona kuphela ehamba olwandle futhi abagibeli babengahlali ngokunethezeka. Babehlala futhi balale ngaphandle komkhumbi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isimo sezulu sinjani. Ukuphela kwendawo evikelekile kwakungamagumbi okwakubekwa kuwo izimpahla eziyigugu. Abagibeli babedla umphako ababeziphathela wona. Ukuphela kwento eyayitholakala emkhunjini kwakungamanzi okuphuza. Ngezinye izikhathi, isimo sezulu sasiba sibi kakhulu. Izivunguvungu ezingapheli nolwandle oluthukuthele kwakubangela isicanucanu esasithatha izinsuku ukuphela.
Ngaphandle kwezingqinamba zokuhamba ngezinyawo nangomkhumbi, izithunywa zevangeli ezinjengoPawulu zazisakaza kabanzi “izindaba ezinhle zombuso” engxenyeni yomhlaba ababeyazi ngaleso sikhathi. (Mathewu 24:14) Ngemva nje kweminyaka engu-30 uJesu atshela abafundi bakhe ukuba bafakaze ngaye, uPawulu wakwazi ukuthi izindaba ezinhle zazishunyayelwa “kuyo yonke indalo engaphansi kwezulu.”—Kolose 1:23.