Ukufa Kwefela-nkolo

Oku kwabenza bafutheka ngumsindiso ababingeleli nabaphathi. Babangathi bazizilwanyana zasendle kunokuba babe ngabantu. Bafunzela kuStefano betshixiza amazinyo. Kodwa akazange othuswe; waye kulindele oku. Ubuso bakhe babuzolile, bubengezela kukukhanya okufana nobesithunywa sezulu. Ababingeleli abafuthekileyo ngumsindo nesihlwele esithe patsha asimoyikisanga. “Ke yena, ezele nguMoya oyiNgcwele, waqwalasela ezulwini, wabona ubuqaqauli bukaThixo, noYesu emi ngasekunene kukaThixo; Wathi, Yabonani, ndiwabona amazulu evulekile, ndimbona uNyana womntu emi ngasekunene kukaThixo.” Umbono owawumjikelezile waphela emehlweni akhe; amasango ezulu ayevuliwe, waza uStefano, ekhangele ngaphakathi wabubona ubuqaqauli beenkundla zezulu, noKristu, engathi usandula ukusuka etroneni yakhe, emele ukumxhasa umkhonzi wakhe, owayesel’ eza kuva ukufa ngenxa yokukholwa kwakhe egameni lakhe. Akuba uStefano ewuxelile lombono wobuqaqauli utyhileke phambhi kwakhe, oku kwaba ngaphezu kokuba abatshutshisi bakhe babe nokukuthwala. Bazivingca iindlebe zabo, ukuze bangaweva amazwi akhe, bathi, benkqangaza kakhulu, besuka indulumbhane phezu kwakhe ngamxhelo mnye. “Ayemgibisela ngamatye uStefano, ebiza kuyo iNkosi, esithi nokuthi: Nkosi, Yesu! yamkela umoya wam. Waza waguqa ngamadolo, wadanduluka ngelizwi elikhulu, esithi: Nkosi! ungabamiseli esisoono. Akutsho, walala ubuthongo.”IL 240.1

Phakathi kweentlungu zokona kufa kukhohlakeleyo ifela-nkolo elithembhekileyo, njengeNkosi yalo yasezulwini, labathandazela ababulali balo. Amanqhina lawo ayemtyholile uStefano kwafuneka ukuba kuqale wona ukugibisela. Aaba bantu bazibeka phantsi iingubo zabo ezinyaweni zikaSaule, owaye thabathe inxaxheba engxoxweni wavumelana nokubulawa kombanjwa.IL 241.1

Ukufela inkolo kukaStefano kwenza umbhalo onzulu kubo bonke abakubonayo. Kwa kukukulingwa okubuhlungu oku ebandleni, kodwa kwazala ukuguquka kukaSaule. Ukholo, nokuqiniseka, nokuzukiseka kwelifela-nkolo akubanga nakucinywa engqondweni yakhe. Isincamathiselo sikaThixo ebusweni bakhe, namazwi akhe, afikelela kanye emphefulweni wabo bonke aabamvayo, ngaphandle kwaabo babenziwe lukhuni kukukuchasa ukukhanya, zahlala ezo zinto enkumbhulweni yababoneli, zanqhina ngenyaniso leyo waye yivakalisile.IL 241.2

Kwa kungabanga kho sigwebo sisemthethweni sawiswayo phezu koStefano, kodwa amagunya aseRoma athengwa ngeemali ezinkulu ukuba angawuphandi lomcimbhi. USaule wabangathi uzaliswe bubushushu bokuphambhana ngulombono wokumiswa ematyaleni nokufa kukaStefano. Wabangathi unomsindo zizimvo zakhe ezifihlakeleyo zokuba uStefano unikwe imbheko nguThixo kanye ngeloxesha wayehlaziswa ngabantu.IL 241.3

Wazingisa ukulitshutshisa ibandla likaThixo, ebabambha kwiizindlu ngezindlu, ebanikela kubabingeleli nakubaphathi ukuba bafakwe entolongweni babulawe. Uzondelelo lwakhe lokuyiqhubela phambhili lentshutshiso lwaba sisoyikiso kumaKristu aseJerusalem. Amagunya amaRoma awenzanga mzamo uwodwa wakuwuthintela lomsebenzi ukhohlakeleyo, aza awancedisa amaJuda ngasese ezamela ukuwakholisa nokuzithandekisa kuwo.IL 241.4

USaule oyimfundi waye sisixhobo esinamandla ezandleni zikaSatana sokuphumeza uvukelo lwakhe ngakuNyana kaThixo; kodwa lowo unamandla ngaphezu kukaSatana wamnyula uSaule ukuba athabathe indawo kaStefano owaba lifela-nkolo, asebenze abandezeleke ngenxa yegama lakhe. USaule waye yindoda exatyiswe kakhulu phakathi kwamaJuda, ngenxa yemfundo yakhe kwakunye nozondelelo lwakhe ekutshutshiseni amakholwa. Waye ngelilo ilungu lentlanganiso yamaJuda kwada kwasemva kokufa kukaStefano, awanyulelwa ke kweloqumru ngenxa yenxaxheba ayithabathayo kwesosiganeko.IL 241.5