48—Upawulos Phambi Kukanero

Ukubizelwa kukaPawulos ematyaleni phambi kukakumkani uNero, kwakubonakala sekungathi kuqinisekile ukufa kuye. Ubunzima bolwaphulo-mthetho awayebekwa lona, nobutshaba obabukho ngakumaKristu, konke kwenza ukuba libe lincinane ithemba lokusinda.IZ 492.1

KumaGrike namaRoma yayisisithethe into yokumvumela otyholwayo ukuba afune ummeli wokumthethelela kwiinkundla zobulungisa. Ngamandla engxoxo, ngobushushu bobuciko, okanye ngezingxengxezo, imithandazo neenyembezi, ummeli lowo wayekholisa ukusifumana isigqibo esayame kumbanjwa okanye, xa esilele koku, aphumelele ukuthethela ukuthotywa kwesigwebo. Wathi yena uPawulos akubizelwa phambi kukaNero, akwabikho mntu uvelayo ukuba abe ngumcebisi okanye ummeli wakhe; kwakungekho sihlobo sinokugcina ingxelo yezityholo abekwa zona, okanye iingxoxo awayezibeka ekuzikhuseleni. Phakathi kwamaKristu aseRoma, akukho noyedwa oweza ngaphambili ukuba eme ecaleni kwakhe ngeyure yokulingwa.IZ 492.2

Ingxelo ekuphela kwayo ethembekileyo yesiganeko inikwa nguPawulos ngokwakhe, kwileta yakhe yesibini eya kuTimoti. Ubhala athi, “Kokokuqala ukuziphendulela kwam, akubangakho namnye unam, basuka bonke bandishiya; kwanga akubalelwe kubo oko. Noko ke iNkosi yandinceda, yandomeleza, ukuze ngam uvakaliso lweendaba ezilungileyo luzaliseke, ndaza ndahlangulwa emlonyeni wengonyama.” 2 Timoti 4:16, 17.IZ 493.1

UPawulos phambi kukaNero — umahluko ongako! Ikumkani eziphakamisileyo, ekumi phambi kwayo umntu owayeza kuziphendulela ngenkolo yakhe, yayifikelele kwiqondo eliphezulu kumandla ehlabathi, egunyeni, nasebutyebini, kanti nakwezona nzulu zenkohlakalo nobugwenxa. Emandleni nasebukhulwini wayengenantanga. Wayengekho onokulithandabuza igunya lakhe, engekho onokumelana nentando yakhe. Ookumkani bazibeka ezinyaweni zakhe izithsaba zabo. Imikhosi enamandla yayihamba nomyalelo wakhe, iibhanile zeenqanawa zakhe zokulwa zibonisa uloyiso. Umfanekiso oqingqiweyo wakhe wawubekwe kwiiholo zobulungisa, imithetho yeengwevu nezigqibo zabagwebi zazikukuvakalisa nje intando yakhe. Izigidi zazigoba ngentobeko kwigunya lakhe. Igama likaNero lalilingcangcazelisa ihlabathi. Ukungqubana naye yayikukulahlekwa zizinto umntu anazo, inkululeko, ubomi; ukufinga kwakhe iintshiyi kwakusoyikeka kunesifo esingubhubhani.IZ 493.2

Ngaphandle kwemali, ngaphandle kwabahlobo, ngaphandle komcebisi, ibanjwa eligugileyo lema phambi kukaNero — imbonakalo kakumkani izele ingxelo eziintloni yezimvo ezazigquba ngaphakathi kwakhe; baye ubusobommangalelwa buxela intliziyo eseluxolweni noThixo. Amava kaPawulos yayingawobuhlwempu, ukuzilandula, nokutsala nzima. Nangona kwakuzinge ukumthabatha gwenxa, ukugculelwa, nokuphathwa kakubi, izinto ezazizama ukumoyikisa ngazo iintshaba zakhe, yena ngesibindi, wayiphakamisa ibhanile yomnqamlezo. NjengeNkosi yakhe, wayejikeleza engenakhaya, njengaYo, wayephilela ukusikelela uluntu. Wayengathini uNero, ongqondo ingazinzanga, ingonyama ethanda ukwanelisa inyama [imizwa], ukusiqonda okanye ukusixabisa isimilo neenjongo zalo nyana kaThixo?IZ 493.3

Iholo enkulu yaxinaniswa sisihlwele esasixhinile, singonwabanga esaya satyhudisa sityhalela ukubaphambili ukuze sibone konke okwakuza kwenzeka. Abaphezulu nabaphantsi, izityebi namahlwempu, abafundileyo nabangazinto, abazigwagwisayo nabathobekileyo, bonke ngokufanayo beswele ulwazi oluyinene lwendlela yobomi nosindiso.IZ 494.1

AmaYuda eza nezimangalo ezidala zolahlekiso nokreqo, aye amaYuda kunye namaRoma behlangene bemtyhola ngokuphembelela ukuba kutshiswe isixeko. Ngexesha kunyanzeliswa kuye ezi zityholo, wathi cwaka wahlala uPawulos egcine isidima engaphazami. Abantu nabagwebi bamjonga bamangala. Babekholisa ngokubakho kuninzi lwamatyala, bajongane nabaphuli-mthetho abaninzi, kodwa abazange bambona umntu onenkangeleko enokuzola okungcwele njengombanjwa owayemi phambi kwabo. Amehlo abagwebi azikisayo ukujonga, aqhelene nokufunda imbonakalo yamabanjwa, aphanda ebusweni bukaPawulos ukuba angabona zimpawu na zobutyala, kodwa abuya ze. Wathi akunikwa ithuba lokuba azithethele ngokwakhe, bonke baphulapula ngomdla omkhulu.IZ 494.2

Kwakhona, uPawulos unethuba lokuphakamisaphambi kwesihlwele esimangalisiweyo ibhanile yomnqamlezo. Wathi akusiqwalasela isihlwele esasiphambi kwakhe - amaYuda, amaGrike, amaRoma nabasemzini ababephuma kweminye imimandla - waphazamiseka umphefumlo wakhe lulangazelelo olukhulu lokuba [aba bantu] basindiswe. Walahlekwa ngumbono wesiganeko: iingozi ezazimngqongile, isiphelo esibi esasibonakala sikufuphi. Ubona kuphela uYesu, uMmeli, ecengela abantu abangaboni phambi kukaThixo. Wathi, ngaphezu kobuciko kunye namandla omntu, wasuka uPawulos wathetha iinyaniso zeendaba ezilungileyo. Wavakalisa ukuba ixabiso elingenamlinganiso lihlawulelwe ukuhlangulwa komntu. Umsindleko uwenzelwe ukuze abe nesabelo etroneni kaThixo. Ngabathunywa abaziingelosi, umhlaba uhlanganisiwe nezulu, zaye zonke izidingo zomntu, nokuba zihle okanye zibi, zityhilekile kwiliso loBulungisa obunguNaphakade.IZ 495.1

Wazithethelela njalo ummeli wenyaniso. Ethembekile phakathi kwabantu abangathembekanga, enyanisekile phakathi kwabantu abanganyanisekanga, uma njengomele uThixo, laye ilizwi lakhe linjengelizwi eliphuma ezulwini. Akukho koyika, lusizi, kutyhafa elizwini okanye kwinkangeleko [yakhe]. Omelele kwisazela esimsulwa, ambhethe ubuqaqawuli benyaniso, uvuyiswa kuba engunyana kaThixo. Amazwi akhe anjengokunkqangaza uloyiso ngaphezu kwengxokolo yedabi. Ubabaza umsebenzi anikele ubomi bakhe kuwo njengomsebenzi ekuphela kwawo ongasayi kuze usilele. Nokuba yena angatshabalala, ivangeli ayisayi kutshabalala. UThixo uyaphila, kwaye inyaniso yaKhe iya koyisa. Abaninzi ababemkhangele ngaloo mini “babubona ubuso bakhe, ngathi bubuso besithunywa sezulu.” Zenzo 6:15.IZ 495.2

Alizange ngaphambili elo qela liphulaphule amazwi alolo hlobo. Achukumisa umsonto owashukumisa nezona ntliziyo zilukhuni kakhulu. Inyaniso, ecacileyo neyoyisayo, yayibhukuqa imposiso. Ukukhanya kwabengezela ezingqondweni zabantu abaninzi, emva koko bayilandela imitha yako. Iinyaniso ezathethwa ngaloo mini zazimiselwe ukushukumisa izizwe kulo lonke ixesha, ziphembelele iintliziyo zabantu naxa imilebe eyayizithetha seyithule engcwabeni lefela-nkolo.IZ 496.1

Akazange ngaphambili wayiva uNero inyaniso njengoko wayiva kwesi siganeko. Akuzange ngaphambili ubutyala obukhulu bobomi bakhe butyhilwe ngolu hlobo kuye. Ukukhanya kwezulu kwahlaba amagumbi omphefumlo wakhe angcoliswe sisono, wangcangcazela kukoyika akucinga ngenkundla aya kuthi ame phambi kwayo, yena mlawuli wehlabathi, ekugqibeleni, ukuze izenzo zakhe zifumane umvuzo ofanelekileyo. Wamoyika uThixo kampostile, akakwazi ukumgweba uPawulos, ekungazange kubekho sityholo simayo ngakuye. Ukuziva enentlonipho kwawubamba okwexeshana umoya wakhe onxanelwe igazi.IZ 496.2

Okomzuzwana izulu lalivulekile kuNero onobutyala noqaqadekileyo, lwaye uxolo lwalo nobunyulu balo bukhangeleka bunqweneleka. Ngaloo mzuzwana isimemo senceba sasolulelwe nakuye. Ukwamkela ingcamango yokuxolelwa kwaba kokomzuzwana. Waya waphuma umyalelo othi uPawulos makabuyiselwe esiseleni sakhe; lwaza lwathi xa ucango luvalela umthunywa kaThixo, ucango lwenguquko lwavaleka ngonaphakade ngakukumkani waseRoma. Akuzange kubuye kubekho ukukhanya kwasezulwini okwagqobhoza kubumnyama obabumgubungele. Kungekudala wayeza kwamkela isohlwayo semigwebo kaThixo.IZ 496.3

Kwathi kungekudala emva koku, uNero wahamba uhambo lwenqanawaolungahloniphekanga oluya kuhlasela amaGrike, apho wazinyelisa khona yena nobukumkani bakhe, ngokuhlazisa nokuzithoba ngokuziyolisa. Wabuyela eRoma ngemigcobo emikhulu, wazirhangqa ngamaphakathi wenza izenzo ezinezothe zorheletyo. Kwathi ephakathi kwesi siyunguma, kwavakala izwi lengxolo ezitratweni. Umthunywa ekwathiwa makakhangele ukuba yayiyingxolo yanina, wabuya neendaba ezothusayo zokuba uGalba oyintloko yomkhosi, wayeyingenela iRoma, nokuba uvukelo luqalile esixekweni, kwaye izitrato zazizaliswe sisihlwele sabantu abanomsindo ababesongela ngokubulala ukumkani nabo bonke abamxhasayo, saye esi sihlwele sisiza ebhotwe ngokungxama.IZ 496.4

Ngeli xesha lentlekele, uNero wayengenaye uThixo onamandla nonemfesane, anokuxhomekeka kuYe, njengoPawulos. Esoyika ukuphathwa kabuhlungu nokungcungcuthekiswa okwakunokumehlela ukuba uwele ezandleni zezihlwele, wathi njengodwayi lwesigebenga, wacinga ukuba kulunge kanye ukuba azibulale, kodwa kwathi kanye ngexesha elibalulekileyo, wangenelwa kukoyika. Wathi eyedwa, wabaleka engaziwa mntu waya kuzifihla kwindawo esemaphandleni ezimayile ezimbalwa ukuba kude, kodwa noko akuzange kuncede nto. Yafunyanwa indawo azimele kuyo, amsukela khona amadoda ehamba ngamahashe, athi xa esondela, wayalela isicaka sakhe ukuba simncedise ekuzenzakaliseni, apho wazingxwelerha waba uyafa. Yaba iphela ngolo hlobo indoda eyayiyingonyama, ineminyaka engamashumi amathathu anesibini ubudala.IZ 497.1