UThimothi​—Umncedisi kaPhawuli Omutsha

IJAHA olibona lapha lilomphostoli uPhawuli nguThimothi. UThimothi uhlala labangakibo eListra. Umama wakhe kuthiwa nguYunisi njalo ugogo wakhe nguLoyisi.

Sekungokwesithathu uPhawuli evakatshela eListra. Kungaba sekudlule umnyaka owodwa uPhawuli loBhanaba bebuye ukuzotshumayela lapha. Kwakungokokuqala ukuthi babuye lapha. Khathesi uPhawuli usephendukile lomngane wakhe uSila.

Uyakwazi yini ukuthi uPhawuli uthini kuThimothi? Uyambuza: ‘Uyafuna yini ukuhamba lami loSila? Ungasincedisa ukuthi sitshumayele ebantwini abasezindaweni ezikhatshana kakhulu.’

UThimothi uyaphendula: ‘Ye, ngiyafuna ukuhamba.’ Ngakho masinyane ngemva kokuthi sebekhulumile uThimothi utshiya abangakibo ahambe loPhawuli loSila. Kodwa singakafundi ngohambo lwabo, ake sibone ukuthi kuyini okwakusenzakala kuPhawuli. Sekudlule iminyaka engu-17 uJesu ebonakale kuye endleleni eya eDamaseko.

Khumbula ukuthi uPhawuli wayeze eDamaseko ukuzolimaza abafundi bakaJesu kodwa khathesi laye usengumfundi! Ngemva kwesikhathi, abanye abazonda uPhawuli bafuna ukumbulala ngoba kabayithandi imfundiso yakhe ngoJesu. Kodwa abafundi bamncedisa ukuthi abaleke. Bamfaka ebhasikitini, besebemehlisela phandle komduli wedolobho.

Ngemva kwalokho, uPhawuli uyatshumayela e-Antiyokhi. Abalandeli bakaJesu baqalisa ukubizwa ngokuthi bangamaKhristu e-Antiyokhi. UPhawuli loBhanaba bathunywa besuka e-Antiyokhi besiyatshumayela emazweni akhatshana kakhulu. Elinye idolobho abayakilo yiListra, kibo kaThimothi.

Khathesi sekudlule umnyaka, uPhawuli usephendukile eListra futhi. Luhambo lwakhe lwesibili lolu. Uyakwazi ukuthi uThimothi loPhawuli loSila basuka baye ngaphi? Khangela imephu, besesifunda ngezinye indawo zakhona.

Okwakuqala, baya e-Ikhoniyami, besebesiya edolobheni lesibili okuthiwa yi-Antiyokhi. Ngemva kwalokho, baya eThrowa. Besuka lapho baya eFiliphi, eThesalonika laseBheriya. Uyayibona yini i-Athene emephini? UPhawuli utshumayela khona. Ngemva kwalokho batshumayela eKhorinte okomnyaka lengxenye. Ekucineni bahlala kancane e-Efesu. Besuka lapho babuyela eKhesariya ngomkhumbi njalo baye e-Antiyokhi lapho okuhlala khona uPhawuli.

Ngakho uThimothi uhamba amakhilomitha angamakhulu amanengi encedisa uPhawuli ukutshumayela “izindaba ezinhle” lokuqalisa amabandla amanengi obuKhristu. Nxa ungakhula uzakuba yinceku kaNkulunkulu ethembekileyo njengoThimothi yini?