50—Ukugwetyelwa Ukufa
Ngemihla yokugqibela yokuthethwa kwetyala likaPawulos phambi kukaNero, ukumkani wachukumiseka kakhulu ligunya lamazwi kampostile, kangangokuba wasilibazisa isigqibo setyala, engamkhululi, engamgwebi umkhonzi otyholiweyo kaThixo. Noko kunjalo, inkohlakalo kakumkani ngakuPawulos yakhawuleza yabuya. Wathi ngokucatshukiswa kukungakwazi kwakhe ukuthintela ukusasazeka kwenkolo yobuKristu, nakweyakhe indlu yobukumkani, wazimisela ukuba, ngako nje ukuba kufumaneke isizathu esiqondakalayo, umpostile kuya kufuneka abulawe. Kwathi kungekudala, uNero wavakalisa isigwebo esenza ukuba uPawulos afe ukufa kwefela-nkolo. Kwathi kuba ummi waseRoma kungafuneki ukuba angcungcuthekiswe, [uPawulos] wagwetyelwa ukunqunyulwa intloko.IZ 509.1
UPawulos wathatyathwa ngendlela efihlakeleyo ukusiwa kwindawo yokubulawa. Kwavunyelwa ababukeli abambalwa ukuba babekhona; kuba abatshutshisi bakhe, bemangalisiwe yimpembelelo yakhe, boyika hlezeabobaguqukileyo kuye bangazuzelwaebuKristwiniyimiboniso yokufa kwakhe. Kanti ke nawona masoldati azingqola awayemjongile, awaphulaphula amazwi akhe, amangaliswa kukumbona echulumancile ede wanovuyo yinto yokuba eza kufa. Kwabo babubonayo ubufela-nkolo bakhe, nomoya wokuxolela kwakhe abo babembulala, kunye nokungagungqi kwakhe kuKristu kwada kwasekugqibeleni, oko kwaba kukusindiswa kobomi kuse ebomini. Baba liqela abamamkelayo uMsindisi owayeshunyayelwa nguPawulos, baza bathi nabo, kungekudala, balutywina ukholo lwabo ngelabo igazi.IZ 509.2
Kwada kwayiyure yokugqibela ebomini bukaPawulos eyingqinela inyaniso ngamazwi akhe kumaKorinte: “Ngokuba nguThixo, yena wathi ukhanyiso malukhanye ebumnyameni, okhanyisele iintliziyo zethu, ukuze kukhanye ukwaziwa kobuqaqawuli bukaThixo ebusweni bukaYesu Kristu. Ke kaloku obu butyebi sibuphethe ngezitya zodongwe, ukuze incamisa yamandla ibe yekaThixo, ingaphumi kuthi. Siyabandezelwa ngeenxa zonke, singaxineki; siyathingaza, singancami; sitshuthiswa, asiyekelwa; sikhahlelwa phantsi, asitshatyalaliswa; sihlala sikuthwele ngomzimba ukufa kweNkosi uYesu ukuze nobomi bukaYesu bubonakalaliselwe emzimbeni wethu.” 2 Korinte 4:6-10. Ukwanela kwakungekuko okwakhe, kodwa kubukho besenzeleli sikaMoya wezulu owazalisa umphefumlo wakhe wazisa zonke iingcamango phantsi kolawulo lwentando kaKristu. Uthi umprofeti uIsaya, “Intliziyo ezimasekileyo uyayilondoloza, ixole ixolile; ngokuba ikholose ngawe.” Isaya 26:3. Uxolo oluphuma ezulwini olwabonakala kwinkangeleko kaPawulos loyisela imiphefumlo emininzi kwiindaba ezilungileyo.IZ 510.1
UPawulos wayethwele kuye umoya wezulu. Bonke ababe nolwalamano nayebabeyiva impembeleloyomanyanolwakhe noKristu.Le nto yokuba ubomi bakhe bube ngumzekelo wenyaniso awayeyivakalisa, yanika igunya ekushumayeleni kwakhe. Alele apha ke amandla enyaniso. Impembelelo yesimilo kunye nobomi, obuzizinto ezingazenzisiyo, yeyona ntshumayelo enokunikwa ekuxhaseni ubuKristu. Ingxoxo, nokuba inamandla angakanani, inako ukuxhokonxa nje inkcaso; kodwa umzekelo wobungcwele unamandla ekunzima ukumelana nawo ngokupheleleyo.IZ 511.1
Umpostile akazange akhangele kokwakhe ukuphatheka kakubi okwakuphambi kwakhe eyedwa kodwa wabona oko kwakuzela abo wayeza kubashiya bejongene nokugwetywa bengabuzwanga nto, intiyo, kunye nokutshutshiwa. AmaKristu amatsha awayemkhaphile ukuya apho wayeza kubulawa khona wazama ukuwomeleza nokuwakhuthaza ngokuphinda amadinga awanikwa abo babetshutshiswa ngenxa yobulungisa. Wawaqinisekisa ukuba akusayi kusilela nanye kuko konke oko iNkosi yayikuthethile ngabo bantwana baYo balingwayo nabanyanisekileyo. Okomzuzwana babeya kuva ubunzima ngezihendo ezininzi; balahlekwe kukonwaba kwasemhlabeni; kodwa banokuzikhuthaza iintliziyo zabo ngengqiniseko yokunyaniseka kukaThixo, esitsho esithi, “Ndiyamazi endikholiweyo nguye; kanjalo ndithi, ndeyisekile ukuba unako ukuyigcina into endimphathisileyo.” 2 Timoti 1:12. Kungekudala, buza kuphela ubusuku bembandezelo nokubulaleka, kuze kufike ukukhanya kwentsasa enovuyo yoxolo nemini egqibeleleyo.IZ 511.2
Umpostile wayekhangele phambili ekugqibeleni, engenguye ongaqinisekenga okanye onoloyiko, kodwa njengozaliswe luvuyo lwethemba nolangazelelo lokulindela [okuhle]. Uthi emi kwindawo yokufela inkolo, angaliboni ikrelelombulali okanye umhlaba oza kuthi kungekudala wamkele igazi lakhe; asuke akhangele ngaphaya kwesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza saloo mini yehlobo kwitrone yaLowo umi ngonaphakade.IZ 511.3
Le ndoda yokholo ibona ileli yombono kaYakobi, emele uKristu, ohlanganise umhlaba nezulu, umntu onokufa noThixo ongenasiphelo. Ukholo lwakhe luyomelezwa akukhumbula indlela amanyange nabaprofeti abaxhomekeka ngayo kuLowo ongumxhasi nomthuthuzeli wakhe, naLowo anikela ubomi bakhe ngenxa yaKhe. Kula madoda angcwele awayethwele ubungqina ngokholo lwawo iinkulungwane ngeenkulungwane, uva ingqinisekiso yokuba uThixo uyinyaniso. Abapostile kunye naye, abashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zikaKristu, bahambela phambili ukuba bahlangane neenkani ngasenkolweni, nenkolo yabahedeni, intshutshiso, nokujongelwa phantsi, ababubalela kubo ubomi babo ukuze baphakamise ukukhanya komnqamlezo phakathi kobumnyama bokungakholwa — wabeva aba bengqina ngoYesu njengoNyana kaThixo, uMsindisi wehlabathi. Kwavakala ezindlebeni zeli fela-nkolo imikhwazo yoloyiso iphuma emanqwanqweni, emithini yokutshiswa kwamakholwa ehleli, eziseleni, emihadini nasemiqolombeni yomhlaba. Wabuva ubungqina bemiphefumlo eme nkqi, eyathi naxa izindwayi, ibandezelekile, ingcungcuthekiswa, yathwala ingenaloyiko, ubungqina obundilisekileyo bokholo, isithi, “Ndiyamazi endikholiweyo nguye.” Aba bathi bebunikela ubomi babo ngenxa yenkolo, bavakalisa ehlabathini ukuba, Lowo bathembele kuYe, unako ukusindisa kube sekugqibeleni.IZ 512.1
UPawulos wayenobungqina bokuba umphefumlo wakhe unexabiso emehlweni oMhlawuleli wakhe, njengoko wayehlawulelwe ngombingelelo kaKristu, wahlanjwa esonweni ngegazi laKhe, wambathiswa ngobulungisabaKhe.Ubomibakhebufihlwe noKristu kuThixo, kwaye weyisakele ukuba, Lowo ukoyisileyo ukufa unako ukukugcina oko amphathise kona ukuba akugcine. Ingqondo yakhe yayibambe idinga loMsindisi, elithi, “Ndandiya ku[m]vusa mna ngomhla wokugqibela.” Yohane 6:40. Iingcinga zakhe namathemba akhe ayemile ekubuyeni kwesibini kweNkosi yakhe. Lathi xa lisihla ikrele lomgwebi kufika amathunzi okufa kwifela-nkolo, ingcinga yakhe yokugqibela yabalekela phambili, njengoko iya kwenza njalo eyona ngcinga yakhe yokuqala ngemini yovuko olukhulu, ukuhlangabeza uMniki-bomi, oya kumamkelela eluvuyweni lwabasikelelweyo.IZ 512.2
Kufutshane kakhulu kumashumi amabini eenkulungwane ezadlulayo emva kokuba uPawulos, ingwevu, yaliphalazayo igazi layo njengobungqina ngelizwi likaThixo kunye nobungqina bukaYesu Kristu. Akuzange kubekho sandla sinyanisekileyo sokugcinela izizukulwana ezizayo imiboniso yokugqibela yobomi bale ndoda ingcwele, kodwa iMpefumlelo isigcinele ubungqina bokufa kwakhe. Njengesandi sokukhala kwexilongo, ilizwi lakhe livakele kwizizukulwana ukususela ngoko; ngesibindi sakhe komelezwa amawaka amangqina kaKristu; uvuyo lwakhe loloyiso luvuselela amawaka antliziyo-zizaliswe lusizi yakuvakala intlokoma ethi: “Kuba mna sendithululwa ngokomnikelo; nalo ixesha lokunduluka kwam likufuphi. Umzamo omhle ndiwuzamile, ugqatsho ndilufezile, ukholo ndilugcinile. Okokugqibela ndibekelwe isithsaba sobulungisa, eya kundibuyisela ngaso ngaloo mini iNkosi, umgwebi olilungisa; ingabi ndim ndedwa ke, ibe ngabo bonke abakuthandayo ukubonakala kwayo.” 2 Timoti 4:6-8.IZ 513.1