41—“Phantse Ukundoyisela”

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kwiZenzo 25:13-27; 26]

UPawulos wabhenela kuKesare, waza uFesto akabi nakwenza ngakumbi ngaphandle kokuba amthumele eRoma. Kwadlula ithuba phambi kokuba kufumaneke inqanawa efanelekileyo; kwathi nanjengokuba kwakufuneka namanye amabanjwa athunyelwe noPawulos, nawawo amatyala anegalelo ekulibaziseni. Oku kwamnika ithuba uPawulos lokuba awubeke umcimbi wakhe phambi kwamadoda amakhulu aseKesareya, naphambi koKumkani Agrippa II, owokugqibela kooHerode.IZ 433.1

“Ke kaloku, kwakubon’ ukuba kudlule imihla ethile, uAgripa, ukumkani, noBhernike bafika eKesareya, besiza kubulisa uFesto. Bakulibala khona ke imihla emininzi, uFesto wazandlala phambi kokumkani lowo izinto ezingaye uPawulos, esithi, Kukho ndoda ithile ishiyiweyo nguFelikis, ikhonkxiwe, abathe ababingeleli abakhulu namadoda amakhulu amaYuda, oko ndibe ndiseYerusalem, bayimangalela, becela ukuba igwetywe.” Wazandlala iimeko ezenza ukuba umbanjwa abhenele kuKesare,exelangokuvela kukaPawulos enkundleni phambi kwakhe, esithi amaYuda awabekanga sityholo ngakuPawulos esifanelekileyo ukuba angasizisa, koko “baye beneembuzwano . . . ngokuhlonela kwabo izithixo, nangaYesu uthile ufileyo, abesithi yena uPawulos uhleli.”IZ 433.2

Wathi akulibalisa ibali lakhe uFesto, wanomdla uAgripa wathi, “Bendinga nam ndingakhe ndimve umntu lowo.” Kwathi ngokuhambelana nomnqweno wakhe, yalungiselelwa imini elandelayo intlanganiso. “Uthe ke akufika ngengomso uAgripa enoBhernike, benendili enkulu, bengene nasendaweni yokuphulaphula amatyala, benabathetheli-waka namadoda amakhulu omzi, waziswa uPawulos ngezwi likaFesto.”IZ 434.1

Ukunika imbeko iindwendwe zakhe, uFesto wenza ukuba esi siganeko sibe ngumboniso omkhulu. Iingubo zexabiso zezinxiba-mxhaka zaseburhulumenteni kunye namagosa azo, amakrele amasoldati, nezixhobo ezibengezelayo zabalawuli bomkhosi, zawenza wabubumenyemenye loo mbono.IZ 434.2

Wema uPawulos phambi kwelo qela lihlanganisene apho, yena esesemakhamandeleni. Umahluko ongako! UAgripa noBhernike babengabantu abanegunya nesikhundla, ngenxa yaloo nto behlonitshwa lihlabathi. Eyona nto babenayo intswelo yeempawu zesimilo asixabisileyo uThixo. Babengabaphuli bomthetho waKhe, benenkohlakalo entliziyweni nasekuphileni kwabo. Ukwenza kwabo konke kwakuthiyekile ezulwini.IZ 434.3

Ixhego lombanjwa, liqanyangelwe kwisoldati elimjongileyo, lalingenanto enokwenza ukuba ihlabathi lilihloniphe. Noko kunjalo, kulo mntu, okhangeleka engenabahlobo okanye ubutyebi okanye isikhundla, olibanjwa lokholo lwakhe kuNyana kaThixo, izulu lonke lalinomdla. Wayelungiselelwazizithunywa.Ukubaubuqaqawuli bomthunywa nje Nokuba mnye kwabo banokubengezela kwakunokuthi danya, ubuqheleqhele nekratshi lobukhosi konke kwakuya kufiphala; ukumkani namaphakathi babeya kubethwa balale phantsi emhlabeni, njengoko benza njalo abalindi bamaRoma engcwabeni likaKristu.IZ 434.4

UFesto wamnikezela ngokwakhe uPawulos kwintlanganiso ngamazwi athi: “Agripa kumkani, nani nonke madoda akhoyo nathi, niyambona lo mntu, ethe yonke inkitha yamaYuda yasingisa kum ngaye, naseYerusalem nalapha, ibhomboloza kakhulu isithi, akasafanele kudla ubomi; mna ke ndithe ndakuqonda ukuba akenzanga nto ilingene ukufa, akubon’ ukuba naye ngokwakhe ubhenele kuMhlekazi, ndagqiba kwelokuba ndimthumele kuye, endingenanto iyinyaniso endingayibhalayo ngaye enkosini yam. Ngako oko ndimzise phambi kwenu, ngokukodwa phambi kwakho, kumkani Agripa, ukuze, kwakubon’ ukuba kunciniwe, ndibe nento endingayibhalayo; kuba kum kubonakala ibubudenge, ukuba kuthunyelwe ikhonkxwa, lingaqondakaliswa netyala elinalo.”IZ 435.1

Kuthe ngeli xesha, uKumkani Agripa wamnika ithuba uPawulos ukuba azithethelele. Umpostile wayengazange waphazanyiswa bubumbetshembetshe okanye ukuba phezulu kodidi lwabakhoyo ukuba bamphulaphule; kuba wayesazi ukuba lincinane kwexabiso lobutyebi nezikhundla zasemhlabeni. Ubumbetshembetshe namagunya asemhlabeni asizozinto zazinokumothusa nakancinane kwisibindi anaso okanye zimhluthe ukuzilawula.IZ 435.2

“Ndiva kamnandi, kumkani Agripa,” watsho [uPawulos], “ndiza kuziphendulela nje phambi kwakho namhla, ngazo zonke izinto endimangalelwa ngazo ngamaYuda; ngokukodwa ekubeni usazana nawo onke amasiko neembuzwano zamaYuda. Kungoko ndiyakuthandaza ukuba undive undinyamezele.”IZ 435.3

UPawulos walibalisa ibali lokuguquka kwakhe ekungakholweni okunenkani esiya ekukholelweni kuYesu waseNazarete njengoMhlanguli wehlabathi. Wawuchaza umbono wezulu owaya wamzalisa ngoloyiko olukhulu ekuqaleni, kodwa kamva waba yintuthuzelo eyona yaka yankulu—isityhilelo sobuqaqawuli bezulu, ekwakuhleli esazulwini salo itrone ekwakuhleli kuyo Lowo wayemdelile [yena Pawulos] ekwamthiyile nokumthiya, awayekwafuna nokutshabalalisa abalandeli baKhe. Ukususela kwelo xesha uPawulos waba ngumntu omtsha, onyanisekileyo nekholwa elivuthayo kuYesu, enziwe njalo yinceba eguqulayo.IZ 436.1

UPawulos wazandlala ngokucacileyo nangamandla phambi kuka-Agripa iziganeko ezihlangene nobomi bukaKristu emhlabeni. Wangqina ukuba uMesiya wesiprofeto wayesele ebonakele kwisiqu sikaYesu waseNazarete. Wabonisa indlela iziBhalo zeTestamente eNdala ezavakalisa ngayo ukuba uMesiya wayeza kuvela engumntu phakathi kwabantu, nokuba oko kwazaliseka njani ebomini bukaMoses nabaprofeti. Ngenjongo yokuhlangula ihlabathi elilahlekileyo, kwafuneka ukuba uNyana kaThixo ongcwele anyamezele umnqamlezo, adele ihlazo, aze anyukele ezulwini ekoyisile ukufa nengcwaba.IZ 436.2

Wazathuza uPawulos ngelibuza ukuba, kungani ukuba kungakholeleki ukuba uKristu wavuka kwabafileyo? Waka wanayo naye loo nto, kodwa angathini ukungayikholelwa into athe yena ngokwakhe wayibona wayiva? Emasangweni aseDamasko, ngokwenene wakhangelana noKristu owayefile wabuya wavuka, Yena Lowo wayehamba kwizitrato zaseYerusalem, wafa eKhalvari, waqhawula iimbophelelo zokufa, wanyukela ezulwini. Oku kuyinene kanye njengoko kwakunjalo kuKhefas [Petros], kuYakobi,noYohane,okanye kwabanye abafundi, naye wambona wathetha naYe. ILizwi lamyalela ukuba avakalise iindaba ezilungileyo zoMsindisi ovukileyo, ke wayenokuthini ukungathobeli? EDamasko, eYerusalem, nakulo lonke elaseJudeya, nakwimimandla ekude, wabusa ubungqina bukaYesu owaBethelelwayo, ebonisa zonke iindidi zabantu ukuba “baguquke babuyele kuThixo, benze imisebenzi efanele inguquko.”IZ 436.3

Waqhubeka wathi, “Ngenxa yezi zinto amaYuda andibamba etempileni, azamela ukundibulala. Ngoko ndizuze uncedo kuThixo nje, ndimisile kude kube yile mini, ndingqina komncinane nakomkhulu, ndingathethi nanye into ngaphandle kwezo, bathi abaprofeti noMoses ziza kubakho; zokuba uKristu ubeza kuva iintlungu, nokuba ubeza kuthi, engowokuqala eluvukweni lwabafileyo, azise ukukhanya ebantwini nasezintlangeni.”IZ 437.1

Iqela lonke layiphulaphula ingxelo yamava amangalisayo kaPawulos lingasakwazi nokuqhwanyaza. UPawulos wayehleli kwingongoma ayithanda kakhulu. Owayemphulaphule wayengakuthandabuzi ukunyaniseka kwakhe. Uthe ekuloo msinga wokucikoza kwakhe, waphazanyiswa nguFesto owakhwaza wathi, “Uyageza, Pawulos; imfundo eninzi iyakugezisa.”IZ 437.2

Umpostile waphendula wathi, “Andigezi, Festo odume kunene; ndiphimisela amazwi enyaniso nawengqondo ephilileyo. Kuba ezo ndawo uyazazi kakuhle ukumkani, endithetha kuye ngokungafihlisiyo; kuba ndikholosekile kukuba akukho nanye yezi zinto ifihlakeleyo kuye; kuba le nto ibingenzelwanga egumbini.” Abe sebhekisa kuAgripa, esithi, “Uyakholwa na kumkani Agripa, ngabaprofeti? Ndiyazi ukuba uyakholwa.”IZ 437.3

Wathi echukumiseke kakhulu, uAgripa wakha walahlekwa kuko konke okumngqongileyo kwanokuhlonipheka kwesikhundla eso sakhe. Kwakunkenteza engqondweni yakhe kuphela iinyaniso awayezivile, ebona kuphela ibanjwa elithobekileyo limi phambi kwakhe njengommeli kaThixo, waphendula engaziqondanga, “Ngokuncinane undeyisela ukuba ndibe ngumKristu.”IZ 438.1

Umpostile wamphendula enyanisekile ngelithi, “ndithandaza kuThixo, ukuba ingabi nguwe wedwa, ibe ngabo bonke abandivayo namhlanje, abaya kuthi nangokuncinane nangokukhulu, babe njengam nje,” ongeze athi, “ngaphandle kwezi ntambo.”IZ 438.2

UFesto, uAgripa, noBhernike, ngokwasebulungiseni, ngabo ababefanele ukuba basematyathangeni awayeqamangele umpostile. Babenobutyala bolwaphulo-mthetho olukhulu. Ngaloo mini aba boni beva ngesipho sosindiso egameni likaKristu. Noko ke, omnye wabo waphantsa woyiseka ukuba amkele ubabalo nokuxolelwa okwakubeke phambi kwabo. Sekunjalo, uAgripa wawubekela bucala umnikelo wenceba, esala ukwamkela umnqamlezo woMhlawuleli owabethelelwayo.IZ 438.3

Ukuthanda ukwazi kukakumkani kwaneliswa, wathi ephakama esihlalweni sakhe, wabonisa ukuba udliwano ndlebe lufikelele esiphelweni. Bathi xa behamba abentlanganiso, bathethana phakathi kwabo besithi, : “Lo mntu akenze nanye into elingene ukufa neentambo.”IZ 438.4

Nangona u-Agripa wayengumYuda, wayengenayo inzondelelo eneenkani nekratshi elingaboniyo njengabaFarisi. Wathi xa ethetha noFesto, “Lo mntu ange enokukhululwa, ukuba ubengabhenele kuKesare.” Ngenxa yokuba ityala lalibhekiswe kwinkundla engasentla, lalingaphaya kwegunya likaFesto okanye uAgripa.IZ 438.5