17—Abavakalisi Beendaba Ezilungileyo

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kwiZenzo 13:4-52]

“Bakuthunywa nguMoya Oyingcwele,” uPawulos noBharnabhas emva kokuthanjiswa kwabo ngabazalwana kwa-Antiyokwe, behla baya eSeluki; kanjalo besuka apho ngomkhombe, baya eSipro.” Ngolo hlobo, baba baqala uhambo lwabo lokuqala lokuvangela.IZ 166.1

ISipro yenye yeendawo awayebalekele kuyo amaKristu ukusuka eYerusalem ngenxa yentshutshiso eyalandela ukufa kukaStefano. KwakuseSipro apho amadoda athile ahamba aya kwa-Antiyokwe, “[e]shumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zeNkosi uYesu.” Zenzo 11:20. UBharnabhas yena wayengo”waseSipro” (Zenzo 4:36); ngoku yena noPawulos, bekhatshwa nguYohane Marko, ozalana noBharnabhas, batyelela le ntsimi isisiqithi.IZ 166.2

Umama kaMarko wayengumntu oguqukele kwinkolo yobuKristu, ikhaya lakhe eYerusalem laliyindawo yokuphephela kwabafundi. Babesoloko beqinisekile ngokwamkeleka nokufumana ithuba lokuphumla. Kwakungethubalolunyeloku kutyelela kwabapostile ekhayeni likamama wakhe, apho uMarko wacela kuPawulos noBharnabhas ukuba abakhaphe kuhambo lwabo lokuvangela. Wakuva ukuthandwa nguThixo entliziyweni yakhe waza walangazelela ukuzinikela ngokupheleleyo emsebenzini weendaba ezilungileyo.IZ 166.3

Bathe bakufika eSalamis, abapostile, “balishumayela ilizwi likaThixo ezindlwini zesikhungu zamaYuda. . . . besigqibile ke isiqithi ngokuhamba, bada bafika ePafo; bafumana siyazi uthile, ungumprofeti wobuxoki, umYuda ogama linguSergiyo Pawulos, indoda enokuqonda; eyababizela kuyo ooBharnabhas noSawule, yangxamela ukuliva ilizwi likaThixo. Wamelana nabo ke u-Elima, usiyazi lowo (kuba litsho igama lakhe lakuthethwa ngentetho evakalayo), efuna ukulijika ibamba elo elukholweni.”IZ 167.1

USathana akakuvumeli ngaphandle kwemigudu [yokwala] ukwakhiwa kobukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni. Imikhoosi yongendawo isedabini elingapheliyo ukulwa nezisebenzi ezinyulelwe ukusasaza iindaba ezilungileyo, kwaye la magunya obumnyama asebenza kakhulu xa inyaniso ivakaliswa phambi kwamadoda ahloniphekileyo nanamagama amahle kakhulu. Kwakunjalo xa uSergiyo Pawulos, ibamba laseSipro, wayemamele isigidimi seendaba ezilungileyo. Ibamba lalithumele ukuba kubizwe abapostile, ukuze lifundiswe isigidimi ababesiphethe, ngoku imikhosi yobubi, isebenza ngosiyazi u-Elima, yafuna ukuba, ngeengcebiso zayo ezikhohlakeleyo, imjike elukholweni, ngokwenza njalo ibe iphanzisa injongo kaThixo.IZ 167.2

Lunjalo utshaba oluwileyo ukuhlala lusebenzela ukugcina kuluhlu lwalo amadoda empembelelo anokuthi, ukuba athe aguquka, amnikeuThixo inkonzo enempumelelo emsebenzini waKhe.Ke yenaumsebenzi onyanisekileyo akadingi koyika esandleni sotshaba; kuba lilungelo lakhe ukuzaliswa ngamandla angasentla ukuze amelane nempembelelo kaSathana.IZ 167.3

Nangona waphazanyiswa kakubi nguSathana, uPawulos waba naso isibindi sokumkhalimela lowo utshaba lwalusebenza ngaye. Umpostile, “ezele nguMoya Oyingcwele, wamjonga, wathi, Wena uzeleyo yiyo inkohliso, nabubo ubutshijolo, nyanandini woMtyholi, lutshabandini lobulungisa bonke, akuyi kupheza na ukuzijika iindlela ezithe tye zeNkosi? Uyabona, nangoku isandla seNkosi siphezu kwakho; uya kuba yimfama, kube mzuzu ungaliboni ilanga. Kwalapho ke wawelwa lurhatyazo nobumnyama; wayephamzela, efuna abangamarhola ngesandla. Lithe ke ibamba, lakukubona oko kwenzekileyo, lakholwa, likhwankqisiwe yiyo imfundiso yeNkosi.”IZ 168.1

Usiyazi wayewavalile amehlo akhe kwizinto ezibonakalayo zenyaniso yeendaba ezilungileyo, yaza iNkosi, ngomsindo wobulungisa, yenza ukuba amehlo akhe endalo avaleke, emgcina kude nokukhanya kwemini. Obu bumfama babungesosimakade, kodwa babubobexeshana, ukuze alunyukiswe aguquke acele uxolelo lukaThixo Lowo wayemone kakhulu. Isiphithiphithi awangena kuso sabenza bayinkunkuma ubuqhophololo bobuchule bakhe xa buthelekiswa nemfundiso kaKristu. Kwale nto yokuba wanyanzeleka ukuba aphuthaphuthe ebumfameni yabonisa ukuba imimangaliso eyayisenziwa ngabapostile, awayithabatha yena Elima njengendlalo yokuthiwa “chwakra” nje esandleni, yayisenziwa ngamadla kaThixo. Ibamba, loyisakele yinyaniso yemfundiso eyayifundiswa ngabapostile, yazamkela iindaba ezilungileyo.IZ 168.2

UElima wayengeyiyo indoda efundileyo, ukanti wayekufanele ngendlela eyodwa ukwenza umsebenzi kaSathana. Abo bashumayela inyaniso kaThixo baya kuhlangana notshaba olunamaqhinga lukwiimo ezahlukeneyo. Maxa wambi iya kuba ngumntu ofundileyo, kodwa amaxesha amaninzi iba ngabantu abangazi nto, athi uSathana abaqeqeshe ukuba babe nempumelelo ekulahlekiseni imiphefumlo. Luxanduva lomfundisi kaKristu ukuma anyaniseke kwindawo yakhe, ekoyikeni uThixo nasemandleni obugorha baKhe. Ngokwenza njalo uya kuyiphambanisa imikhosi kaSathana aze oyise egameni leNkosi.IZ 169.1

UPawulos neqela lakhe baqhubeka nohambo lwabo, besiya ePerga, esePamfili. Indlela yabo yayinzima; bahlangana nobunzima namagingxigingxi, bephazanyiswa ziingozi macala onke. Kwiidolophu nezixeko ababedlula kuzo, nakwiindlela ezingena nto, baberhangqwe ziingozi ezibonakalayo nezingabonwayo. UPawulos noBharnabhas babefunde ukuthembela kumandla kaThixo ahlangulayo. Iintliziyo zabo zazizaliswe luthando oluvuthayo lwemiphefumlo etshabalalayo. Njengabalusi abanyanisekileyo ekufuneni izimvu ezilahlekileyo, abazange bacinge ngolwabo ulonwabo nokulungelwa kwabo. Bemlibele umna, abazange baphazame bakuba bediniwe, belambile, begodola. Phambi kwabo babebona into enye — ukusindiswa kwabo babebhadule kude bemka emhlambini.IZ 169.2

“Kulapha apho uMarko, ezele luloyiko nokutyhafiswa, waba nokuthingaza okwethutyana kwinjongo yakhe yokuzinikela ngentliziyo yakhe yonke emsebenzini weNkosi. Ngokungaqhelani nobunzima, watyhafiswaziingozinokuphathekakakubiendleleni.Wayesebenza nzima ngempumelelo phantsi kweemeko ezivumayo; kodwangoku, phakathi kwenkcaso neengozi ezazisoloko ziwuphazamisa lo msebenzi unguvul’ indlela, woyiswa kukunyamezela ubunzima njengesoldati elifanelekileyo lomnqamlezo. Kwakusafuneka afunde ukubhekana nengozi, intshutshiso nenkcaso ngentliziyo enesibindi. Ngokuya behambela phambili abapostile, kwaba kukhona bahlangana neengxaki ezinkulu kakhulu, wothuka ngakumbi uMarko, waphelelwa sisibindi, wala ukubheka phambili, wabuyela eYerusalem.IZ 169.3

Oku kushiya [umsebenzi] kwambangela uPawulos ukuba amgwebe kakubi, maxa wambi kalukhuni, okwexesha elithile. UBharnabhas, kwelinye icala, yena waba nokumxolela kuba esithi akanawo amava. Wahlupheka kakhulu esithi uMarko makangawushiyi umsebenzi, kuba wayebona apha kuye iimpawu ezazinokumenza ukuba abe ngumsebenzi ofanelekileyo kaKristu. Kwiminyaka emva kokucengela kwakhe uMarko, waba nomvuzo omkhulu, kuba indodana yazinikela ngokupheleleyo eNkosini nasemsebenzini wokuvakalisa kwiintsimi ezinzima isigidimi seendaba ezilungileyo. Phantsi kokusikelelwa nguThixo, nokuqeqeshwa ngobulumko nguBharnabhas, wakhula wangumsebenzi onexabiso.IZ 170.1

Emva koko uPawulos wabuya waxolelana noMarko waza wamamkela ukuba asebenze naye. Waya wamncoma kumaKolose njengesisebenzi kunye naye “ebukumkanini bukaThixo” “nosisonwabiso” kuye (Kolose 4:11. Kwakhona phambi kokwakhe ukufa [uPawulos] wathetha ngoMarko njengoyinzuzo kuye emsebenzini (2 Timoti 4:11).IZ 170.2

Emva kokuhamba kukaMarko, uPawulos noBharnabhas bahambela kwa-Antiyokwe ePisidiya baza, ngemini yeSabatha, baya endlwini yesikhungu bahlala phantsi. “Emva kokuleswa komthetho nabaprofeti, abaphathi bendlu yesikhungu bathumela kubo besithi, Madoda, bazalwana, ukuba ninelizwi lokuvuselela abantu, thethani.” Bakuba becelwe ngolo hlobo ukuba bathethe, “usukile uPawulos, wawangawangisa ngesandla, wathi: Madoda, maIsrayeli, nani nimoyikayo uThixo, phulaphulani.” Emva koko yalandela intetho yakhe emangalisayo. Waqhubeka ngokunika imbali ngendlela eyathi iNkosi yawaphatha ngayo amaYuda ukususela ekuwahlanguleni kubukhoboka baseYiphutha nendlela ekwathenjiswa ngayo ngoMsindisi, ngembewu kaDavide, waza ngesibindi wathi, “Embewini yalowo, uthe uThixo ngokwedinga wavelisa uYesu, ukuba abe nguMsindisi kuIsrayeli; kwakubon’ ukuba uYohane uvakalise tanci, phambi kokungena kwakhe, ubhaptizo loguquko kubo bonke abantu bakwaIsrayeli. Xa ke uYohane ebesekulufezeni uhambo lwakhe, ubesithi, Nithi nina ndingubani na? Andinguye. Yabonani, kuza emva kwam endingafanelekileyo ukuba ndizithukulule iimbadada ezinyaweni zakhe.” Ngoko ke, wathi ngamandla, washumayela uYesu njengoMsindisi wabantu, uMesiya wesiprofeto.IZ 170.3

Akuba uPawulos evakalise wenjenjalo, waqhubeka wathi, “Madoda, bazalwana, nyana bomlibo wakwa-Abraham, nabo phakathi kwenu bamoyikayo uThixo, ilizwi lolu lusindiso lathunyelwa kuni. Kuba abo bemiyo eYerusalem, nabaphathi babo, bengamazanga lowo, kwanamazwi abaprofeti aleswayo iisabatha ngeesabatha zonke, bawazalisa ngokumgweba.”IZ 171.1

UPawulos akazange alibazise ukuthetha inyaniso eselubala ngokwaliwa koMsindisi ziinkokeli zamaYuda. “Bathi bengafumananga nalinye ityala lokufa [kuYe],“wavakalisa watsho umpostile, “bacela kuPilato ukuba asikwe. Xa ke babezifezile zonke izinto ezibhaliweyo ngaye, bamthula emthini, bambeka engcwabeni. Uthe ke uThixo wamvusa kwabafileyo, Yena lowo wabonwa imihla emininzi ngabo babenyuke naYe, bevela kwelaseGalili besiya eYerusalem; ngabo ke abangamangqina aKhe ebantwini.IZ 171.2

“Nathi sinishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo zedinga elo labakho koobawo bethu, zokokuba uThixo ulizalisile lona kuthi, bantwana babo, ngokumvusa uYesu; njengokuba nakwiNdumiso yesibini kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Wena unguNyana wam, ndikuzele mna namhla. Malunga ke nokumvusa kwakhe kwabafileyo, angabi sabuyela ekuboleni, uselethe ukuthetha, Ndiya kuninika iinceba eziqinisekileyo zikaDavide. Kungoko athi nakwenye iNdumiso, Akuyi kumyekela Oyingcwele wakho ukuba abone ukubola. Kuba uDavide okunene, akuba elisebenzele kwesakhe isizukulwana icebo likaThixo, walala ubuthongo, wabekwa kooyise, wakubona ukubola; ke yena owavuswayo nguThixo akabonanga kubola.”IZ 172.1

Uthi ke ngoku uPawulos akuba ethethile ngokuphandle ngokuzaliseka kweziprofeto eziqhelekileyo ezingoMesiya, abashumayeze ngenguquko nokuxolelwa kwezono ngokulunga kukaYesu uMsindisi wabo. “Makwazeke ngoko kuni,” utsho, “ukuba ngaye lowo kuxelwa kuni uxolelo lwezono; nakuzo zonke izinto ebeningenako ukugwetyelwa nikhululeke kuzo ngokomthetho kaMoses.”IZ 172.2

UMoya kaThixo wawakhapha amazwi awayethethwa, zaza zachukumiseka iintliziyo. Ukubhenela kukampostile kwiziprofeto zeTestamente eNdala, nokuwazisa kwakhe ukuba ezi zazaliseka kulungiselelo lukaYesu waseNazarete, kwazisa ukoyiseka kwimiphefumlo emininzi eyayilangazelela ukufika kukaMesiya owayethenjisiwe. Amazwi owayethetha engqinisekiso yokuba “iindaba zovuyo” zosindiso yayizezamaYuda nabeeNtlanga ngokufanayo, yazisa ithemba novuyo kwabo babefudula bengabalwa njengenzala baka-Abraham enyameni.IZ 172.3

“Ke kaloku akubon’ ukuba ayaphuma amaYuda endlwini yesikhungu, babongoza abeentlanga ukuba la mazwi athethwe kubo ngesabatha ezayo.” Sakuba sichithakele isikhungu,” into eninzi yamaYuda neyabangene ebuYudeni, abamhlonelayo uThixo, yabalandela ooPawulos noBharnabhas; abathi bona, bethetha kubo, babeyisela ekuthini, mabahlale behleli elubabalweni lukaThixo.”IZ 173.1

Umdla owakhulisayo kwi-Antiyokwe yasePisida yintetho kaPawulos, yahlanganisa ngeSabatha elandelayo phantse “umzi wonke, ukuba ulive ilizwi likaThixo. Ke kaloku amaYuda, akuzibona izihlwele, azala ngumona, aziphika izinto ezibe zithethwa nguPawulos, aphika enyelisa.IZ 173.2

“Bathetha ke ngokungafihlisiyo uPawulos noBharnabhas, bathi, Bekufuneka ukuba lithethwe kuni kuqala ilizwi likaThixo; ekubeni ke niligibile, nazigweba ukuba anibufanele ubomi obungunaphakade, niyabona, sibheka kuzo iintlanga. Kuba isiwisele umthetho ngokunjalo iNkosi, yathi, Ndikubekile ukuba ube lukhanyiselo lweentlanga, ukuze ube ngowosindiso, kude kuse ekupheleni kwehlabathi.”IZ 173.3

“Bakuva ke oko abeeNtlanga, bavuya, balizukisa ilizwi leNKosi, bakholwa bonke ababemiselwe ubomi obungunaphakade.” Baba novuyo olukhulu kakhulu kuba uKristu ebamkele njengabantwana bakaThixo, bathi, ngeentliziyo ezinombulelo, baliphulaphula ilizwi lishunyayelwa. Abo bakholwayo babe nolangazelelo lokusidlulisela isigidimi seendaba ezilungileyo kwabanye, ngaloo ndlela laba “ilizwi leNkosi lihanjiswa kulo lonke ilizwe elo.”IZ 173.4

Kwiinkulungwane ezingaphambili, usiba lwempefumlelo lwayilanda le ntlanganiso yabeeNtlanga; kodwa ezo ntetho zesiprofeto zaba nokuqondwa kaluzizi. UHoseya wathi: “Ke inani loonyana bakaIsrayeli liya kuba ngangentlabathi yaselwandle, engalinganiswayo, engabalwayo; kuthi endaweni yokuba kuthiwe kubo, Aningabantu bam, kusuke kuthiwe kubo, Ningoonyana bakaThixo ophilileyo.” Wabuya wathi: “Ndozihlwayelela yena elizweni, ndimenzele imfesane uAkenzelwanga-mfesane; ndithi ku-Asibantu bam, Ungabantu bam; aze athi kum, UnguThixo wam.” Hoseya 1:10; 21:23.IZ 174.1

UMsindisi ngokwaKhe, ngexesha lomsebenzi waKhe emhlabeni wakuxela kwangaphambili ukuya kweendaba ezilungileyo kwabeeNtlanga. Kumzekeliso womdiliya wathi kumaYuda angakholwayo, “Ubukumkani bukaThixo buya kususwa kuni, bunikwe uhlanga oluzivelisayo iziqhamo zabo.” Mateyu 21:43. Emva kokuvuka kwaKhe, wabayalela abafundi baKhe ukuba baye “kulo lonke elimiweyo” bazifundise “zonke iintlanga.” Kwakungafuneki bashiye namnye engalunyukiswanga, koko bazi“vakalise iindaba ezilungileyo kuyo yonke indalo.” Mateyu 28:19; Marko 16:15.IZ 174.2

Ngokuguqukela kwabeeNtlanga kwa-Antiyokwe yasePisidiya, uPawulos noBharnabhas babengakuyekanga ukusebenzela amaYuda kwezinye iindawo, ngalo lonke ixesha kukho ithuba elikholekileyo lokuba banikwe indlebe. Kamva, eTesalonika, eKorinte, e-Efese nakwezinye iindawo ezibalulekileyo, uPawulos namaqabane akhe emsebenzini bazishumayela indaba ezilungileyo kumaYuda nakwabeentlanga. Awona mandla abo abhekiswa ekwakheni ubukumkani bukaThixo kwimihlaba yabahedeni, phakathi kwabantu ababenolwazi oluncinane okanye bengenalo ngoThixo oyinyaniso kunye noNyana waKhe.IZ 174.3

Iintliziyo zikaPawulos nasebenza kunye naye zatsalwa kakhulu ngabo, [xa kuthethwa ngabo], kwakusithiwa, “nibe ningenaKristu, ningazani nawo umzi wakwaIsrayeli, ningabasemzini kuyo imiqondiso yalo idinga, ningenathemba, ningenaThixo ehlabathini.” Ngokusebenzela iintlanga ngokungenakudinwa kwabapostile, ngoku “ningabasemzini nabaphambukeli,” “ningamakhaya kubo abangcwele, ningabendlu kaThixo.” Efese 2:12, 13, 19.IZ 175.1

Wathi ehambela phambili elukholweni, uPawulos wasebenza engayeki esakha ubukumkani bukaThixo phakathi kwabo babetyeshelwe ziititshala zakwaIsrayeli. Wathi rhoqo ephakamisa uKristu Yesu njengo“Kumkani kakumkani, uNkosi kankosi” (1 Timoti 6:15), ewavuselela amakholwa ngelithi [kufuneka] “nakhelwe kuye, naqiniswa ngokholo” Kolose 2:7.IZ 175.2

Kwabo bakholwayo, uKristu usisiseko esiqinileyo. Phezu kweli litye liphilayo, amaYuda namaGrike ngokufanayo anokwakha. Sibanzi ngokwaneleyo ukuthabatha bonke saye somelele ngokwaneleyo ukuba singathwala bonke ubunzima nemithwalo yehlabathi lonke. Le yinyaniso eyaziwa ngokuphandle nguPawulos ngokwakhe. Kwiintsuku zokugqibela zomsebenzi wakhe, ethetha neqela lamakholwa abeentlanga elalisele limi liqinile eluthandweni lwalo lwenyaniso yeendaba ezilungileyo, umpostile wabhala wathi, “Nakhelwe phezu kwelitye lesiseko sabapostile nabaprofeti, inguYesu Kristu ngokwakhe ilitye lembombo.” Efese 2:20IZ 175.3

Ngexesha isigidimi seendaba ezilungileyo sisasazeka ePisidiya, abangakholwayo bamaYuda akwa-Antiyokwe, emfamekiswe kukugweba engaqondanga, “abaxhokonxa abafazi ababehlonela uThixo, ababekekileyo, nabaninimzi; abaxhoxhela intshutshiso ooPawulos noBharnabhas, abakhupha emideni yawo” kuloo mimango.IZ 176.1

Le mpatho ayizange ibatyhafise abapostile; bakhumbula amazwi eNkosi yabo: “Ninoyolo nina, xa bathe abantu baningcikiva, banitshutshisa, bathetha zonke izinto ezikhohlakeleyo ngani bexoka, ngenxa yam. Vuyani nigcobe kunene; ngokuba umvuzo wenu mkhulu emazulwini; kuba benjenjalo ukubatshutshisa abaprofeti ababekho phambi kwenu.” Mateyu 5:11, 12.IZ 176.2

Isigidimi seendaba ezilungileyo sasihambela phambili, kwaza oko kwasesona sizathu esabakhuthazayo abapostile. Ukusebenza kwabo kwakusikelelwe kakhulu phakathi kwamaPisidiya akwa-Antiyokwe, kanti namakholwa ababewashiyile ukuba aqhubele umsebenzi phambili ewodwa okwexesha, aye“zaliswe luvuyo nanguMoya Oyingcwele.”IZ 176.3