39—Ukuthethwa Kwetyala Ekesareya

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kwiZenzo 24]

Kwiintsuku ezintlanu emva kokufika kukaPawulos eKesareya, abamangaleli bakhe bafika bevela eYerusalem, bephelekwa nguTertulo, imbongi abayicela njengomcebisi wabo. Ityala lakhawuleza ukumanyelwa. UPawulos waziswa phambi kwentlanganiso, waza uTertulo “waqala ukummangalela.” Ngokubona ukuba ukuyinyhwalaza okukhulu irhuluneli yaseRoma kunganempembelelo kuneentetho ezilula zenyaniso nobulungisa, imbongi enamaqhinga, ngentetho yayo yokubonga uFelikis, yahambisa yenjenje: “Sisiva uxolo olukhulu ngawe nje, zikho nje nezenzo eziluncedo ezenzelwe olu hlanga ngokwazelela kwakho, sikwamkela oko sibulela ngako konke, amaxesha onke, nasezindaweni zonke, Felikis odume kunene.”IZ 419.1

Apha, uTertulo wehlela kubuxoki obuphandle nje; kuba isimilo sikaFelikis sasiphantsi singathandeki. Kuthiwa ngaye, “ekwenzeni konkeiintlobo zenkanuko nenkohlakalo, wayesebenzisaamandlaokumkani ngengqondo yekhoboka.”—Tacitus, History, ch. 5, par. 9. Abo babemphulaphule uTertulo babesazi ukuba amazwi akhe ayengeyiyo inyaniso, kodwa ulangazelelo lwawo lokukuzuza ukugwetywa kukaPawulos kwakungaphezu kokuthanda inyaniso.IZ 419.2

Kwintetho yakhe uTertulo wamtyhola uPawulos ngokwaphula umthetho awayenokuthi, ukuba kufunyenwe kunjalo, enze ukuba agwetyelwe ukungcatsha umbuso. “Siyifumene le ndoda isisifo.” Yatsho imbongi, “umphambanisi kuwo wonke umda kwelimiweyo, ingumkhokeli walo ihlelo lamaNazarete; eyathi lalinga ukuyihlambela itempile.” Wachaza uTertulo ukuba, uLisiya umphathi webutho laseYerusalem, wamhlutha kakubi uPawulos kumaYuda awayesele eza kumgweba ngemithetho yawo yenkolo, waba ngolo hlobo unyanzelisa ukuba lo mcimbi uziswe phambi kukaFelikis. Ezi ntetho zazisenziwa ngenjongo zokuba umthetheli-khulu amnikele uPawulos kwinkundla yamaYuda. Izityhilo zonke zaya zaxhaswa ngamandla ngamaYuda awayekho, angazangeenze nemigudu ukuyifihla intiyo yawo ngakumbanjwa.IZ 420.1

UFelikis wayeneliso elinzulu ukuba ayifunde ingqondo nesimilo sabamangaleli bakaPawulos. Wayazi injongo eyenza ukuba bamnyhwalaze njengoko babesenza, wabona nokuba asilele ukubeka into ebambekayo kwizityholo abazibekayo ngakuPawulos. Eguqukela kumbanjwa, wamkhweba ukuba aziphendulele. UPawulos akazange achithe mazwi ngokuncoma, kodwa wasuka waxela ukuba angazikhusela ngovuyo phambi kukaFelikis njengoko enethuba engumthetheli-khulu eyiqonda imithetho namasiko amaYuda. Ebhekisa kwizityholo abekwa zona, wabonisa ngokuphandle ukuba akukho nasinye esiyinyaniso. Waxela ukuba akazange enze siphithiphithi nakweyiphi indawo eYerusalem, engazange wayihlambela itempile. “Abandifumananga ndixoxa namntu,” watsho, “ndisenza nasiphendu, nasendlwini yesikhungu, naphakathi komzi. Kananjalo abanako ukuzimisa izinto abandimangalela ngazo ngoku.”IZ 420.2

Ngexesha evuma ukuba “ngeNdlela abathi bona sisiphambusa,” wayekhonza uThixo woyise, wavuma ukuba wahlala “[e]kholwa zizinto zonke ezibhaliweyo emthethweni nasebaprofetini;” nokuba, ngokuvumelana nemfundiso ecacileyo yeziBhalo, wayeyibambile inkolelo kuvuko labafileyo. Waxela nokuba eyona njongo elilawulayo ebomini bakhe yayikukuba “ngamaxesha onke ndingabi nasazela sikhubekisa nganto ngakuThixo nangakubantu.”IZ 421.1

Ngendlela ephandle nethe ngqo, wawubeka umba wokutyelela kwakhe eYerusalem kwaneemeko zokubanjwa nokuvavanywa kwakhe: “Emva kweminyaka emininzi, ndafika ndizisa amalizo neminikelo kuhlanga lwakowethu. Kwezo nto andifumana etempileni ndenziwe nyulu, ndingenzi siphendu, ndingenzi nasiphithiphithi, amaYuda athile elase-Asiya; abemelwe kukubakho apha phambi kwakho, andimangalele, ukuba angaba anendawo ngakum; okanye mabathi bona aba, ukuba kukho nto yokungalungisi bayifumeneyo kum, bayixele, ndakubon’ ukuba ndimi apha entlanganisweni yamatyala; ingelilo elo lizwi linye, ndadandulukayo ngalo ndimi phakathi kwabo, lokuthi, Kungalo uvuko lwabafileyo endimangalelwayo mna nini namhla.”IZ 421.2

Umpostile wathetha ngokusulungekileyo nangokunyaniseka okuphandle, amazwi akhe enobunzima oboyisayo. UKlawudiyo Lisiya, kwiletayakhe awayeyibhalele uFelikis, wayenike ubungqina obunjalo ngokuziphatha kukaPawulos. Ngaphezu koko, uFelikis ngokwakhe wayeyazi kakuhle inkolo yamaYuda kunokuba abaninzi babecinga. Ukuzibeka ngokucacileyo kukaPawulos iingongoma zetyala kwamenza uFelikis ukuba awuqonde ngokucace ngakumbi umoya owawulawula ekuzameni ukuba umbanjwa agwetyelwe ityala lokulahlekisa nokungcatsha umbuso. Irhuluneli yayingazi kubavuyisa ngokugweba ummi waseRoma ngokungekho mthethweni, kwaye ingayi kumnikela kubo ukuba abulawe lingavavanywanga kakuhle ityala. Sekunjalo, uFelikis wayengenayo injongo ayazi kakhulu ukudlula umdla kwisiqu sakhe, nto eyamenza ukuba alawulwe kukuthanda ukunconywa nokufuna ukunyuselwa. Ukoyika ukukhubekisa amaYuda kwamenza ukuba angenzi ngobulungisa obupheleleyo kumntu awayesazi ukuba umsulwa. Wagqiba ukuba alimise ityala ade uLisiya abekhona, esithi, “Xa athe wehla uLisiya, ndoziqiqa kakuhle iindawo zenu.”IZ 421.3

Wahlala elibanjwa umpostile, kodwa uFelikis wayalela umthetheli-khulu owayenyulelwe ukuba amgcine uPawulos ukuba “abe nokuyekelelwa, kungalelwa nabani wakowabo ukumnceda, nokuba eze kuye.”IZ 422.1

Akuzange kubelithuba elide emva koku xa uFelikis nenkosikazi yakhe uDrusilla babiza uPawulos ukuba badlane indlebe ngasese ngemicimbi “ethetha ngako ukukholwa kuKristu.” Babenentumekelelo bekwafuna ukuziva ezi nyaniso zintsha—iinyaniso ababese nokuba bangabuye bazive kwakhona, neziya kungqina ngokuchasene nabo ngemini kaThixo ukuba baye bazala.IZ 422.2

UPawuloswalithabathanjengethubaalinikwenguThixoeli, ngokuthembeka walisebenzisa kangangoko anako. Wayesazi ukuba wayemi phambi kwalowo unegunya lokumbulala okanye ukumkhulula; ukanti akazange athethe naye uFelikis noDrusilla ngokuncoma okanye ukumkhohlisa. Wayesazi ukuba amazwi akhe kubo ayeya kuba sisongo sobomi okanye esokufa, wathi ekulibala konke okungaye, wafuna ukuvusa kubo ingqondo yengozi abakuyo.IZ 423.1

Umpostile waqonda ukuba iindaba ezilungileyo zinebango nakubani ophulaphule amazwi akhe; nokuba ngenye imini baya kuma, mhlawumbi, phakathi kwabanyulu nabangcwele bengqonge itrone enkulu emhlophe, okanye phakathi kwabo uKristu aya kuthi kubo, “Mkani kum, nina nenza okuchasene nomthetho.” Mateyu 7:23. Wayesazi ukuba uya kuhlangana nomphulaphuli ngamnye phambi kwenkundla yezulu, kuze kufuneke anike ingxelo, kungabi kuphela ngako konke akuthethileyo, kodwa nangeenjongo nomoya wamazwi nezenzo zakhe.IZ 423.2

Yayinobungozi ikhohlakele indlela kaFelikis kangangokuba babembalwa abaka bazama ukuyilandela ngaphambili, ezathi izimilo nokuziphatha kwabo akwabi nasiphako. Sekunjalo, uPawulos wayengoyiki mntu. Wayivakalisa ngokucacileyo ngokuphandle inkolo yakhe kuKristu, nezizathu zolo kholo, kwenzeka ukuba athethe ngokukodwa ngezinto ezibalulekileyo ezifunekayo kwisimilo somKristu, esasingenazo ngokupheleleyo isibini esinekratshi esasimi phambi kwakhe.IZ 423.3

Waphakamisa phambi kukaFelikis noDrasilla isimilo sikaThixo—ubulungisa baKhe, ubulungisa (basemthethweni), nokungacaluli—ukubathabatha ngokulinganayo abantu, nemveli yomthetho waKhe. Wabonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba luxanduva lomntu ukuphila ngokusezingqondweni, nokubangcathu, ukugcina phantsi kolawulo imizwa, ukwenza okuvumelana nomthetho kaThixo, nokugcina amandla omzimbanengqondoesempilweni entle. Wavakalisa ukuba ngokuqinisekileyo iya kuza imini yomgwebo, xa bonke beya kuvuzwa ngokwezenzo ezenziwe ngomzimba, naxa kuya kutyhilwa ngokuphandle ukuba ubutyebi, isikhundla, okanye ubukhulu izizinto ezingayi kuba nagunya lokumzuzela ukuthandwa nguThixo okanye ukumsindisa kwiziphumo zesono umntu. Wabonisa ukuba, obu bomi lixesha lomntu ukuba alungiselele ubomi obuzayo. Ukuba uyawatyeshela amalungelo namathuba angoku, uya kuba nelahleko engunaphakade; alikho elinye ithuba lenceba aya kube alinikwe.IZ 423.4

UPawulos wahlala ngokukodwa kumabango aphezulu omthetho kaThixo. Wabonisa indlela ofikelela ngayo kwiimfihlelo ezinzulu zendlela zokuziphatha komntu, nokukhanya okuninzi okuwuzisayo kwizinto ezibe zifihliwe uzibhengeze ekuhleni nasekwaziweni ngabantu. Okunokwenziwa ngezandla okanye kuthethwe ngolwimi—okutyhilwa bubomi bangaphandle—kona abusibonisi ngokugqibeleleyo isimilo sokuziphatha komntu. Umthetho ukhangela iingcinga zakhe, izimvo, neenjongo. Iminqweno emnyama efihlakeleyo emehlweni abantu, umona, intiyo, inkanuko, ukuthanda udumo, izenzo ezibi ezicamngcwa kwiingontsi ezimnyama zomphefumlo, kodwa zingaze zenziwa ngenxa yokuswela ithuba—konke oku kuyagwetywa ngumthetho.IZ 424.1

UPawulos wazama ukuzikhokelela iingqondo zabaphulaphuleyo kumBingelelo omkhulu wesono ekuphela kwawo. Walatha kwimibingelelo eyayizizithunzi zezinto ezilungileyo eziza kuza, wathetha ngoKristu, ezazimi endaweni yaKhe zonke iinkonzo zamadini—into ezazisalatha kuyo njengethende ekuphela kwalo lobomi nethemba kuluntu oluwileyo. Amadodaangcweleakudalaasindiswa ngokholo egazini likaKristu. Athi xa ebona iintlungu zokufa zexhoba lombingelelo, akhangela ngaphesheya komwewe wezizukulwana kwiMvana kaThixo eyayiza kuthwala isuse isono sehlabathi.IZ 424.2

UThixo ukubanga ngokufanelekileyo ukuthanda nokuthotyelwa zizo zonke izidalwa zaKhe. Uzinike emthethweni waKhe umgangatho ofezekileyo wokulungileyo. Abaninzi bayamlibala uMenzi, bakhethe ukulandela eyabo indlela ngokuchaseneyo nentando yaKhe. Babuyisa ubutshaba endaweni yothando oluphakame ngaphezu kwezulu nolubanzi njengeyunivesi. UThixo akasokuze azithobe iimfuno zomthetho waKhe ukuba zihlangane nomgangatho wabantu abakhohlakeleyo; kwaye nomntu ngawakhe amandla akanako ukufikelela kokufunwa ngumthetho. Kungokholo kuKristu kuphela apho anokuthi umoni ahlanjwe kubutyala, enziwe akwazi ukuthobela umthetho woMenzi wakhe.IZ 425.1

Ngoko ke, uPawulos wawagxininisa amabango omthetho ongcwele kumaYusa nabeeNtlanga, wambeka uYesu, engumNazarete, uNyana kaThixo, uMhalnguli wehlabathi.IZ 425.2

Indlovukazi yomYuda yakuqonda kakuhle ukuba ngcwele kwesimilo somthetho eyayiwaphule kakhulu, kodwa intiyoyayo ngakwiNdoda yaseKalvari yayenza yabalukhuni intliziyoyayo ngaselizwini lobomi. UFelikis akazange ngaphambili wayiphulaphula ngolo hlobo inyaniso, wathi xa uMoya kaThixo uwoyisela umphefumlo wakhe, wakhathazeka kakhulu. Sathi isazela sivukile ngoku, salivakalisa ilizwi laso, waza uFelikis waweva ukuba amazwi kaPawulos ayinyaniso. Inkumbulo yabuyela kwixesha elidlulileyo. Ngokucace ngendlela eyoyikekayo, kwanyuka phambi kwakhe iimfihlelo zokuthsafaza kwakhe nokuphalaza igazi, nengxelo emnyama yeminyaka yamva. Wazibona ephila ubomibokuzibhodloza, nenkohlakalo, nokurheletya. Ayizange yaka yafika ngolo[425] hlobo inyaniso entliziyweni yakhe. Awuzange wazaliswa umphefumlo wakhe ngolo hlobo luloyiko ngaphambili. Ingcamango yokuba zonke iimfihlelo zakhe zolwaphulo-mthetho kwezenzo zakhe, zazivulekile emehlweni kaThixo, nokuba kuya kufuneka agwetywe ngokwezenzo zakhe, kwamenza wangcangcazela luloyiko.IZ 425.3

Noko kunjalo, endaweni yokuba azivumele izimvo zakhe ukuba zimkhokelele enguqukweni, wasuka wazigxotha ezi ngcamango zingamkelekanga. Umhlangano noPawulos wanqanyulelwa. “Hamba okwakalokunje,” watsho, “ke ndakuzusa ithuba, ndokubiza uze.”IZ 426.1

Hayi ukuba banzi umahluko phakathi kwendlela kaFelikis nomphathi wentolongo eFilipi! Abakhonzi beNkosi baziswa bekhonkxiwe kumphathi wentolongo, njengoko wayenjalo uPawulos kuFelikis. Ubungqina ababunikayo bokuxhaswa ngamandla ezulu, ukuvuya phantsi kokuphatheka kokubulaleka nokuhlaziswa, ukungoyiki kwabo xa umhlaba uzamazama ungcangcazeliswa kukothuswa yinyikima, nomoya wokuxolela wobuKristu, kwazisa ukoyiseka kwintliziyo yomphathi wentolongo, wathi engcangcazela, wazivuma izono zakhe, wafumana ukuxolelwa. UFelikis wangcangcazela kodwa akazange aguquke. Umphathi wentolongo wamamkela ngovuyo uMoya kaThixo entliziyweni yakhe nasekhayeni lakhe; uFelikis wamyalela ukuba ahambe umthunywa kaThixo. Omnye wakhetha ukuba ngumntwana kaThixo nendlalifa yezulu; omnye wakhetha ukuba kunye nabasebenzi bobugwenxa.IZ 426.2

Kwaba yiminyaka emibini kungekho nto yenziweyo kuPawulos, kanti wahlala elibanjwa. UFelikis wamtyelela amaxesha amaninzi ewaphulaphula ngenzondelelo amazwi akhe. Kanti ke eyona nto yayimqhuba kobu buhlobo bungacacanga, yayikukufuna inzuzo, kangangokubawayirhesha into ethi, ukuba uPawuloswayengamnika isixa esikhulu semali, wayeya kumkhulula. Isidima sikampostile sasihlonipheke kakhulu ukuba angazikhulula ngokunyoba. Wayengenatyala lakwaphula mthetho, ngoko engenakuhla enze okungalungileyo ukuze azuze inkululeko. Ngapha koko, wayehlupheke kakhulu ukuba angenza intlawulo enjalo, nokuba wayefuna ukukwenza, kwaye wayengenako ngokwakhe, ukucela uvelwano nobubele kwabo wayebaguqule. Okunye, waziva ukuba usezandleni zikaThixo, nokuba akanakuphazamisana nenjongo yezulu ngesiqu sakhe.IZ 426.3

Ekugqibeleni uFelikis wabizelwa eRoma ngenxa yeziphoso ezibi awazenzayo ngakumaYuda. Phambi kokuba asuke eKesareya ukusabela koku kubizwa, wafuna “ukuzithandisa kumaYuda” ngokumyekela ukuba ahlale entolongweni uPawulos. Sekunjalo, uFelikis akazange aphumelele kumzamo wakhe wokuzuza ukuphinda athenjwe ngamaYuda. Wasuswa esihlalweni ehlazekile, kwanyulwa uPorkiyo Festo emva kwakhe, undlunkulu iyiKesareya.IZ 427.1

Umtha wokukhanya wawunikwe ithuba lokubengezela phezu kukaFelikis, ngexesha uPawulos ethetha ngobulungisa, ubungcathu, kunye nomgwebo ozayo. Yayilithuba lakhe elithunyelwe lizulu ukuba azibone azishiye izono zakhe. Noko kunjalo, wathi kumthunywa kaThixo, “Hamba okwakalokunje: ke ndakuzuza ithuba, ndokubiza uze.” Walidela ithuba lakhe lokugqibela lokwenzelwa inceba. Wayengasayi kuze abe aphinde afumane olunye ubizo kuThixo.IZ 427.2