47—Ukubanjwa Kokugqibela
Umsebenzi kaPawulos emabandleni emva kokukhululwa kwakhe eRoma, wawungenako ukungaqwalaselwa ziintshaba zakhe. Ukususela ekuqalekeni kwentshutshiso phantsi kukaNero, amaKristu kuyo yonke indawo ayeyinkolo yokutolwa. Emva kwexesha amaYuda angakholwayo eza nengcamango yokuba aluqamangele kuPawulos ulwaphulo-mthetho lokuvusa uqhushululu lokuba kutshiswe iRoma. Akukho namnye owaka wacinga okomzuzwana ukuba unetyala [uPawulos]; kodwa babesazi ukuba isityholo esinjalo, xa sithiwe chatha nje intwana engathi ingaqondakala, singaba simgqibile. Ngamalungu abo, waphinda wabanjwa uPawulos, wakhawuleziselwa ekuvalelweni kwakhe kokugqibela.IZ 489.1
Kuhambo lwakhe lwesibini ukuya eRoma, uPawulos wakhatshwa liqela lamaqabane akhe angaphambili; abanye befuna ukwabelana naye ngentlungu ngokwenene, kodwa akazange avume ukuba babeke ubomi babo esichengeni. Amathuba awayephambi kwakhe ayenganiki themba konke konke kunexesha lokuvalelwa kwakhe okokuqala. Intshutshisophantsi kukaNero yayilicuthe kakhulu inani lamaKristu eRoma. Amawaka abulawelwa inkolo yawo, abaninzi basishiya isixeko, abasalayo babenoxinzelelo olukhulu bezaliswe luloyiko.IZ 489.2
Ekufikeni kwakhe eRoma, uPawulos wafakwa kwesimnyama isisele, ukuba ahlale khona kude kuphele ugqatso lwakhe. Wathi kuba wayetyholwa ngokuphembelela ulwaphulo-mthetho olona lwaka lwaphantsi nolona lubi esixekweni nasesizweni, wangoyena uthiyeke kakhulu kwizwe lonke.IZ 490.1
Iqaqobana labahlobo elalisabelana ngemithwalo naye umpostile, laqala ukumka kuye, abanye ngokumshiya, abanye ngokuya kuvangelo kwamanye amabandla. UFigelo noHermogene baba ngabokuqala ukuhamba. Emva koko, uDemas, esoyikiswa kukusangana kwamafu obunzima nengozi, wamshiya umpostile otshutshiswayo. UKreske wathunyela nguPawulos kumabandla aseGalatiya, uTimoti eDalmati; uTiko e-Efese. Wathi xa ebhalela uTimoti ngala mava, “NguLuka yedwa onam,” 2 Timoti 4:11. Umpostile akazange ngaphambili akudinge ngolo hlobo ukulungiselelwa ngabazalwana bakhe njengangoku, ebuthakathaka ngenxa yobudala, nomsebenzi, nokukhobokeka, evalelwe eziseleni ezifumileyo nezimnyama zangaphantsi komhlaba zentolongo yaseRoma. Ukuncedwa nguLuka, umfundi othandekayo nomhlobo othembekileyo, kwaba yintuthuzelo enkulu eyamenza nokuba akwazi ukunxibelelana nabazalwana bakhe kunye nehlabathi ngaphandle.IZ 490.2
Ngeli xesha lobunzima, intliziyo kampostile yayivuyiswa kukutyelelwa rhoqo ngu-Onesiforo. Le ndoda inobubele yase-Efese yenza konke okusemandleni ayo ukuba iwenze khaphukhaphu umthwalo wokuvalelwa kukampostile entolongweni. Ititshala yakhe awayeyithanda yayisemakhamandeleni ngenxa yenyaniso, ngexesha yena wayekhululekile, waza akachitha xesha ekuzameni ukuba uPawulos akwazi ukunyamezela.IZ 490.3
Kweyona leta yokugqibela awayibhalayo umpostile, uthetha ngomfundi othembekileyo athi, “Yanga iNkosi ingayenzela inceba indlu kaOnesiforo; ngokuba kwaba futhi endiphumza, akaba nazintloni nguwo umxokelelwane wam. Wathi akuba eseRoma, wandifuna ngokukhuthala okukhulu, wandifumana. Yanga iNkosi ingamfumanisa inceba eNkosini ngaloo mini.” 2 Timoti 1:16-18.IZ 491.1
Ukulangazelela uthando novelwano kutyalwe nguThixo ngokwaKhe entliziyweni. UKristu, ngelixa lentlungu eGetsemane, wanga anganovelwano olusuka kubafundi baKhe. UPawulos, nangona wayengathi akabukhathalele ubunzima nokubulaleka, wayelufuna uvelwano nobuqabane. Utyelelo lukaOnesiforo, olwalungqina ukholo lwakhe ngexesha lokuba nesithukuthezi nokulahlwa, lwaluzisa uvuyo nolonwabo kulowo wachitha ubomi bakhe ekusebenzeleni abanye.IZ 491.2