10—umkristu Owaba Lifelukholo Lokuqala

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kwiZenzo 6:5-15; 7]

UStefano, ongoyena wayephambili kubadikoni abasixhenxe, wayeyindoda enzulu ngobungcwele nenokholo olubanzi. Nangona wayengumYuda ngokuzalwa, wayeluthetha ulwimi lwesiGrike ekwaqhelene namasiko nezithethe zamaGrike. Wathi ke wafumana ithuba lokuba ashumayele kwizindlu zesikhungu zamaYuda angamaGrike. Wayewusebenza kakhulu umsebenzi kaKristu, eyivakalisa inkolo ngesibindi. Izifundiswa zabafundisi noogqirha bomthetho babekuthanda ukubamba iingxoxo naye esidlangalaleni, baye bezithembile ukuba baya kuchebeleza ukumoyisa, kodwa “ababa namandla akumelana nabo ubulumko noMoya, awayethetha ngaye.” Akazange anele ukuthetha kuphela kuba eqhutywa ngamandla kaMoya Oyingcwele, kodwa kwakucacile ukuba wayengumfundi weziprofeto ekwayifundile yonke imicimbi yomthetho. Wakwazi ukuzikhusela iinyaniso awayezibekile, waboyisa ngokupheleleyo abo babemchasa. Lazalisekiswa kuye idinga elithi, “Kumiseni ngoko ezintliziyweni zenu, ukuba ningakucingi ngaphambili ukuziphendulela. Kuba mna ndiya kuninika umlomo nobulumko, abangayi kuba nako ukubuphikisa nokumelana nabo, bonke abanichasayo.” Luka 21:14, 15.IZ 97.1

Ngexesha ababingeleli nabaphathi bebona amandla afikele uStefano, baya bezaliswa yintiyo ekrakra. Endaweni yokubamkela ubungqina awayebubeka, baya bazimisela ukuba balithulise ilizwi lakhe ngokuthi bambulale. Amaxesha amaninzi, babezame ukunyoba amagunya amaRoma ukuba enze ngathi awaboni, ngokuthi angathethi xa amaYuda ewuthabathele kwezawo izandla umthetho ngokuvavanya amatyala, agwebe, ade abulale amabanjwa ngokwesawo isithethe. Iintshaba zikaStefano azizange ziyithandabuze into yokuba zazisenokulilandela elo khondo zingangenanga zona engozini. Zazimisela ukuba zithabathe ithuba, zixolele naziphina iziphumo, zaza zambamba uStefano zamzisa phambi kweSanhedrin (iQumrhu elilawulayo) enkundleni yamatyala.IZ 98.1

Izifundiswa zamaYuda ezaziphuma kumazwe ajikelezileyo zazimenyiwe ngenjongo yokuba zize kubonisa ukungabi yonyaniso kweengxoxo zebanjwa. USawule waseTarso wayekho ethabatha indawo ephambili ukuchasana noStefano. Weza ngegunya lobuciko nobuchule babafundisi ekuthetheni ityala, ngenjongo yokuboyisela abantu ukuba uStefano wayeshumayela ulahlekiso neemfundiso eziyingozi; kodwa, kuStefano waqubisana nendoda eyayizele lulwazi lwenjongo kaThixo mayela nokusasazelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo kwezinye iintlanga.IZ 98.2

Ngenxa yokuba ababingeleli nabaphathi babengenako ukumelana nobulumko obucacileyo nobupholileyo bukaStefano, bagqiba kwelokuba benze umzekelo ngaye; baze bathi ngokwanelisa intiyo yabo enempindezelo, bakwazi ukuthintela nabanye, ngokoyika, ukuba bangayamkeli inkolo yakhe. Kwaqeshwa amangqina ukuba angqine ngobuxoki ukuba amva ethetha amazwi okunyelisa ngetempile kunye nomthetho. La mangqina athi, “Simve esithi, uYesu waseNazarete lo uya kuyichitha le ndawo, awenze wambi amasiko awawanikela kuthi uMoses.”IZ 98.3

Ngexesha uStefano wayemi ejongene nabagwebi bakhe ubuso ngobuso ukuba aphendule isimangalo sokuba wanyelisa, kwabakho ukukhanya okwakubengezela ebusweni bakhe, baza “bonke ababehleli entlanganisweni yamatyala, beqwalasele kuye, babubona ubuso bakhe, ngathi bubuso besithunywa sezulu.” Abaninzi ababubonayo oku kukhanya bangcangcazela bazigquma ubuso, kodwa iinkani nokungakholwa kunye nekratshi labaphathi alizange lishukunyiswe.IZ 99.1

Wathi akubuzwa uStefano ngobunyaniso bezityholo abekwa zona, waqala ukuziphendulela ngelizwi elicacileyo neli phezulu, elavakala ngokucacileyo kubo bonke egumbini lequmrhu. Ethetha ngamazwi awabetha bathi ‘xhungu’ bema bonke bemamele, wayichuba ingcombolo yembali yabantu abanyuliweyo bakaThixo. Wabonakalisa ulwazi olupheleleyo lwentlalo yobuYuda kunye nokuguqulelwa kwayo kwasemoyeni okwenze yabonakala kakuhle ngoKristu. Wawaphinda amazwi athethwa nguMoses exela ngenx’ engaphambili ngoMesiya esithi: “INkosi, uThixo wenu iya kunivelisela umprofeti onjengam nje; nize nimve yena.” Wakubeka kwacaca okwakhe ukunyaniseka kuThixo nakwinkolo yobuYuda, ekwabonisa ukuba umthetho awayewuthembile amaYuda ukuba uya kuwazisela usindiso, awuzange ukwazi ukuwahlangula amaIsrayeli ekunquleni izithixo. Wamhlanganisa uYesu Kristu nayo yonke imbali yobuYuda. Wathetha ngokwakhiwa kwetempile nguSolomon, watsho namazwi kaSolomon no-Isaya athi: “Noko ke Osenyangweni yenaakemizitempileni zenziwe ngezandla; njengokuba esitsho umprofeti ukuthi, Izulu liyitrone yam, ke ihlabathi sisihlalo seenyawo zam; yindlu enjani na eniya kuyakhela mna? Itsho iNkosi; yiyiphina indawo yokuphumla kwam? Asisisandla sam na, esenza zonke ezo zinto?”IZ 99.2

Wathi akufika kuloo ngongoma uStefano, kwabakho isidubedube phakathi kwabantu. Wathi akuhlanganisa uKristu neziprofeto, wathetha nangetempile ngohlobo awathetha ngalo, umbingeleli, esenza ngokungathi wothuke kakhulu, wayikrazula ingubo yakhe. Esi senzo, samxelela kakuhle uStefano ukuba uza kuthuliswa ngonaphakade kungekudala. Wakhawuleza wayishunqula intshumayelo yakhe nangona wayephakathi kuyo.IZ 100.1

Wakhawuleza wayiyeka imbali awayeyilanda, wabuyela kubagwebi ababevutha ngumsindo, wakhwaza wathi: “Nina bantamo zilukhuni, bangalukileyo ngentliziyo, nangendlebe, nihleli nibambene noMoya Oyingcwele; njengabo ooyihlo, nani ninjalo. Kubo abaprofeti nguwuphi na ongatshutshiswanga ngooyihlo? Bababulala ababexela ngenxa engaphambili ukuza koliLungisa; enithe kalokunje naba ngabanikeli nababulali bakhe; nina nawamkelayo umthetho, nawumiselwa zizithunywa zezulu, anawugcina.”IZ 100.2

Wathi akutsho, ababingeleli nabaphathi “baqhawukelwa yibhobhili” abaziva ngumsindo. Bayeka ukufana nabantu koko bafana nezilwanyana eziqwengayo, basuka bamtshixizela amazinyo. Lo mbanjwa, uStefano, wasibona apha ebusweni babo isiphelo sakhe; kodwa akagungqa. Kwakuse kumkile kuye ukoyika ukufa. Akazange abe nokuboyika ababingeleli ababezele ngumsindo kunye nesihlwele esasivuselelwe yingqumbo. Le nto wayeyibona, yasuka yamfiliba engqondweni yakhe. Kuye kwakuvuleke amasango ezulu, wathi akukhangela ngaphakathi, wabona uzuko lweenkundla zikaThixo, noKristu engathiusuke wema wema etroneni yaKhe, esima ukuze amxhase umkhonzi waKhe. Ngamazwi oloyiso, uStefano wadanduluka wathi, “Yabonani, ndiwabona amazulu evulekile, ndimbona uNyana woMntu emi ngasekunene kukaThixo.”IZ 100.3

Eyokuchaza kwakhe umbono wozuko awayethe ntsho amehlo akhe kuwo, yaba ngaphaya kokuba inganyamezeleka kwabo bamtshutshisayo. Bazivala iindlebe zabo ukuze bangabi saweva amazwi akhe, baza bathi bekhwaza kakhulu, bamwela benomsindo bebonke kunye, “bamkhuphela ngaphandle komzi.” “[Ba]mgibisela ngamatye uStefano, yena ebiza esithi, Nkosi Yesu, wamkele umoya wam. Uguqile ke ngamadolo, wadanduluka ngezwi elikhulu, wathi, Nkosi ungabamiseli esi sono. Akutsho, walala ubuthongo.”IZ 101.1

UStefano akazange agwetywe ngokusemthethweni, kodwa amagunya obuRoma anyotywa ngemali ezinkulu ukuba angenzi luphando ngesi siganeko.IZ 101.2

Ukufela ukholo kukaStefano kwaba negalelo elikhulu kubo bonke abakubonayo. Inkumbulo yetywina likaThixo ebusweni bakhe; amazwi akhe, awachukumisa wonke owawevayo, zizinto ezahlala ezingqondweni zabo babebukele, zabubungqina bobunyaniso baloo nto wayeyivakalisa. Ukufa kwakhe kwaba luvavanyo olubuhlungu kakhulu ebandleni, kodwa isiphumo yaba kukuthimbeka kukaSawule, owayengazange akwazi ukuwucima engqondweni yakhe umbono wokholo nokunyameka kwefela-nkolo (uStefano), nobuqaqawuli obabonakala ebusweni balo.IZ 101.3

Kumbono wokugwetywa nokufa kukaStefano, uSawule wayengathi ungenwe yimpambano. Emva koko, yamenzaumsindo into yokufikelwa kwakhe ngaphakathi kuye yingqiniseko yokuba,uStefanowazukiswa nguThixo kanye ngeli xesha wayengahlonitshwa ngabantu.USawule waqhubeka nokulitshutshisa ibandla likaThixo, abantu ebazingela, ebabamba ezindlwini zabo, ebazisa kubabingeleli nabaphathi ukubababanjwe babulawe. Umfutho wakhe wokuwenza lo msebenzi wokutshutshisa wazisa uloyiko okukhulu kumaKristu eYerusalem. Amagunya obuRoma awazange abe namigudu ikhethekileyo ayenzayo ukunqanda le nkohlakalo, koko asuka athi, emfihlakalweni, ancedisana namaYuda esenzela ukuba axolelanisane nawo ukuze afumane ukuxatyiswa okanye ukuthandwa ngawo (amaYuda).IZ 101.4

Emva kokufa kukaStefano, uSawule wanyulwa walilungu lequmrhu iSanhedrin, ewongwa ngenxaxheba awayithabathayo kweso siganeko. Okwethuba elithile, waba sisixhobo esinamandla esandleni sikaSathana sokuqhuba uvukelo lwakhe ngakuNyana kaThixo. Kwakuza kuthi kungekudala, lo mtshutshisi ungenakuzisola, wayeza kuxakeka kukwakha ibandla awayelisingela phantsi ngeli xesha. Onamandla kunoSathana wanyula uSawule ukuba athabathe indawo yalowo wayebulewe njengefela-nkolo, uStefano, ukuba ashumayele aphatheke kakubi ngenxa yegama laKhe, asasaze kuyo yonke indawo iindaba zosindiso ngegazi laKhe.IZ 102.1