‘Uze Nemiqulu, Ikakhulukazi Eyesikhumba’

NGALA mazwi angenhla, umphostoli uPawulu wanxusa uThimothewu, isithunywa sevangeli esikanye naye, ukuba amphathele izincwadi ezithile. Hlobo luni lwemiqulu ehlanganisa neyesikhumba uPawulu ayebhekisele kuyo? Yini eyamenza washo la mazwi? Singafundani esicelweni sakhe?

Maphakathi nekhulu lokuqala C.E. lapho uPawulu ebhala la mazwi, izincwadi zemiBhalo YesiHebheru ezingu-39 zazisahlukaniswe zaba izincwadi ezingu-22 noma ezingu-24, eziningi zazo ziyimiqulu engayodwa. UProfesa Alan Millard waphawula ukuthi nakuba le miqulu yayibiza, “abantu ababemi kahle ngokusesilinganisweni babekwazi ukuyithola.” Abanye babekwazi ukuthola okungenani owodwa. Ngokwesibonelo, umthenwa ongumTopiya wayephethe umqulu enqoleni yakhe futhi “efunda ngokuzwakalayo umprofethi u-Isaya.” ‘Wayesesikhundleni sokuphatha ngaphansi kukaKhandakhe indlovukazi yamaTopiya, futhi ephezu kwayo yonke ingcebo yale ndlovukazi.’ Kumelwe ukuba wayecebe ngokwanele ukuba angaba neyakhe imiqulu yemiBhalo.—IzE. 8:27, 28.

Lapho ecela uThimothewu, uPawulu wabhala: “Lapho uza, uze nesambatho engasishiya eTrowa kuKarpu, nemiqulu, ikakhulukazi eyesikhumba.” (2 Thim. 4:13) Lokhu kusikisela ukuthi uPawulu wayenezincwadi eziningana. Kukhona yini obekungaba semqoka emtatsheni wakhe ngaphandle kweZwi likaNkulunkulu? Ngokuphathelene nelithi “eyesikhumba” elivela kuleli vesi, isazi seBhayibheli u-A. T. Robertson saphawula: “Cishe lena kwakungamakhophi ezincwadi zeTestamente Elidala, njengoba isikhumba sasibiza kakhulu kunephepha le-papyrus.” Kusukela esemncane, uPawulu “wafundiswa . . . ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli,” owayefundisa uMthetho KaMose futhi ehlonishwa yibo bonke abantu. Ngakho, kuyaqondakala ukuthi uPawulu wayengaba namakhophi akhe siqu emiqulu yeZwi likaNkulunkulu.—IzE. 5:34; 22:3.

Ukusebenzisa KwamaKristu Imiqulu

Noma kunjalo, akubona bonke ababenalelo lungelo lokuba nemiqulu yemiBhalo Engcwele. Pho-ke, iningi lamaKristu ngalezo zinsuku lalilifunda kanjani iZwi likaNkulunkulu? Incwadi yokuqala uPawulu ayibhalela uThimothewu isinika impendulo. Wabhala: “Lapho ngiseza, qhubeka uzimisela ekufundeleni iningi.” (1 Thim. 4:13) Ukufundela iningi kwakuyingxenye yesimiso semihlangano emabandleni amaKristu, kuwumkhuba owawuvamile phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu kusukela esikhathini sikaMose.—IzE. 13:15; 15:21; 2 Kor. 3:15.

Njengomdala, uThimothewu kwakudingeka ‘azimisele’ ekufundeni ngokuzwakalayo, okwakuyozuzisa labo ababengenawo amakhophi emiBhalo. Ngokuqinisekile, lapho kufundwa iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngokuzwakalayo, bonke abantu babelalelisisa ukuze bangaphuthelwa nayigama elilodwa, futhi kumelwe ukuba abazali nabantababo babexoxa emakhaya ngalokho ababekufunde emihlanganweni.

UMqulu Ka-Isaya WasoLwandle Olufile cishe ungamamitha angu-7.3 ubude. Njengoba umqulu ngamunye wawuba nezinti eziwubambile emachosheni womabili nesembozo sokuwuvikela, kumelwe ukuba wawusinda. Cishe amaKristu amaningi ayengeke akwazi ukuphatha eminingi lapho eyoshumayela. Ngisho noma uPawulu ayenemiqulu ethile yemiBhalo yakhe siqu, cishe wayengenakuyithatha yonke lapho ehamba. Kusobala ukuthi washiya eminye kumngane wakhe uKarpu eTrowa.

Yini Esingayifunda Esibonelweni SikaPawulu?

Ngaphambi nje kokucela ukuba aphathelwe leyo miqulu, uPawulu, owayeboshwe okwesibili eRoma, wabhala: “Ngikulwile ukulwa okuhle, ngiligijimile ibanga ngaze ngayoqeda . . . Kusukela manje kuqhubeke ngigcinelwe umqhele wokulunga.” (2 Thim. 4:7, 8) Cishe la mazwi wawabhala ngo-65 C.E. phakathi noshushiso olwagqugquzelwa uNero. Ngalesi sikhathi isimo sakhe njengesiboshwa sasishubile. Eqinisweni, wezwa egazini ukuthi kwase kuseduze ukuba abulawe. (2 Thim. 1:16; 4:6) Kuyaqondakala ukuthi uPawulu wazwakalisa isifiso sakhe esisuka enhliziyweni sokuthola le miqulu. Nakuba ayeqiniseka ukuthi wayelwe ukulwa okuhle kwaze kwaba sekugcineni, wayelangazelela ukuqhubeka eziqinisa ngokutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uThimothewu wayesese-Efesu lapho ethola isicelo sikaPawulu. (1 Thim. 1:3) Ukusuka e-Efesu uye eRoma ngendlela edlula eTrowa kungacishe kube amakhilomitha angu-1 600. Encwadini efanayo, uPawulu wanxusa uThimothewu: “Yenza konke okusemandleni ukuba ufike ngaphambi kobusika.” (2 Thim. 4:21) IBhayibheli alisitsheli ukuthi uThimothewu wathola umkhumbi yini ukuze afike eRoma ngesikhathi uPawulu ayesifisa.

Yini esingayifunda esicelweni sikaPawulu sokuphathelwa ‘imiqulu, ikakhulukazi eyesikhumba’? Wakulondoloza ukulangazelela kwakhe iZwi likaNkulunkulu phakathi nalesi sikhathi esasicindezela kakhulu ekuphileni kwakhe. Uyabona yini ukuthi lokhu kuyimfihlo eyamsiza ukuba ahlale ephila ngokomoya futhi ekhuthele nokuba abe umthombo wesikhuthazo kwabaningi?

Yeka indlela esibusiseke ngayo namuhla uma sineBhayibheli eliphelele lomuntu siqu! Abanye kithi baze banamakhophi nezinguqulo eziningana zeBhayibheli. NjengoPawulu, kudingeka sihlakulele ukulangazela ukuyiqonda ngokujulile imiBhalo. Ezincwadini ezingu-14 eziphefumulelwe aba nelungelo lokuzibhala, incwadi yesibili ayibhalela uThimothewu yayingeyokugcina. Isicelo sakhe singasekugcineni kwaleyo ncwadi. Eqinisweni, isicelo sikaPawulu kuThimothewu sokuba ‘eze nemiqulu, ikakhulukazi eyesikhumba,’ siphakathi kwezifiso zakhe zokugcina ezabhalwa.

Ingabe nawe unesifiso esiqotho sokulwa ukulwa okuhle kokholo kuze kube sekugcineni, njengoba kwenza uPawulu? Ingabe ufuna ukuzigcina ushiseka ngokomoya futhi ukulungele ukuhlanganyela emsebenzini wokufakaza uma nje iNkosi isafuna ukuba siqhubeke? Uma kunjalo, kungani ungenzi lokho uPawulu akhuthaza amaKristu ukuba akwenze? “Ziqaphele njalo wena nokufundisa kwakho” ngokutadisha iBhayibheli njalo nangomdlandla, manje eselitholakala kubantu abaningi kunanini ngaphambili futhi lisesimweni esisebenziseka kangconywana kunemiqulu.—1 Thim. 4:16.

[Ibalazwe/Izithombe emakhasini 18, 19]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

I-Efesu

ITrowa

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