Saulo​—Chotengera Chosankhika cha Ambuye

SAULO wa ku Tariso anali mdani komanso wakupha wa otsatira a Kristu. Koma tsogolo limene Ambuye anam’sungira linali losiyana ndi zimenezo. Saulo anali kudzakhala woimira wapadera wa gulu limene analimbana nalo mwaukalilo. Yesu anati: “Iye [Saulo] ndiye chotengera changa chosankhika, chakunyamula dzina langa pamaso pa amitundu ndi mafumu ndi ana a Israyeli.”​—Machitidwe 9:15.

Moyo wa Saulo monga munthu “wachipongwe” unasinthiratu pamene anasonyezedwa chifundo nakhala ‘chotengera chosankhika’ cha Ambuye Yesu Kristu. (1 Timoteo 1:12, 13) Pamene Saulo anakhala mtumwi Paulo wachikristu, mphamvu zonse zimene zinam’sonkhezera kuponya nawo miyala Stefano ndi kuchita nawo nkhanza zina ndi zina pa ophunzira a Yesu zinalunjikitsidwa pa zolinga zosiyana kotheratu. Mwachionekere, Yesu anaona mikhalidwe yabwino mwa Saulo. Mikhalidwe yotani? Kodi Saulo anali yani? N’chifukwa chiyani moyo wake unam’yeneretsa kuti agwiritsidwe ntchito kutukula kulambira koona? Kodi zimene zinam’chitikira zingatiphunzitse kanthu kena?

Mbiri ya Banja la Saulo

Pamene Stefano anali kuphedwa atangodutsa Pentekoste wa 33 C.E., Saulo anali “mnyamata.” Polembera Filimoni kalata cha m’ma 60-61 C.E., anali “nkhalamba.” (Machitidwe 7:58; Filemoni 9) Akatswiri a maphunziro amanena kuti, malinga ndi mmene ankaŵerengera zaka kalelo, “mnyamata” ayenera kuti anali munthu wazaka zoyambira 24 mpaka 40, pamene “nkhalamba” anali munthu wazaka zoyambira 50 mpaka 56. Chotero Saulo angakhale atabadwa patapita zaka zoŵerengeka chabe kuchokera pamene Yesu anabadwa.

Panthaŵiyo Ayuda ankakhala kumadera osiyanasiyana padziko. Kubalalika kumeneku kuchokera m’Yudeya kunali chifukwa chogonjetsedwa ndi adani awo, ukapolo, kupitikitsidwa, malonda, ndi kusamuka kodzifunira. Ngakhale kuti banja lake linali lina mwa Ayuda obalalikana, Saulo anagogomeza kuti iwo ankatsata Chilamulo, nanena kuti iye ‘anadulidwa tsiku lachisanu ndi chitatu, wa mbadwo wa Israyeli, wa fuko la Benjamini, Mhebri wa mwa Ahebri; monga mwa lamulo, Mfarisi.’ Dzina la Saulo ndi dzina lachihebri lomwe lija limene munthu wotchuka m’fuko lawo anali nalo​—mfumu yoyamba ya Israyeli. Pokhala Mroma chibadwire, Saulo wa ku Tariso analinso ndi dzina lachilatini lakuti Paullus.​—Afilipi 3:5; Machitidwe 13:21; 22:25-29.

Kubadwa Mroma kwa Saulo kunatanthauza kuti mmodzi mwa makolo ake aamuna anapeza unzikawo. Motani? Pali njira zingapo zimene akanachitira zimenezo. Kuwonjezera polandira unzika monga choloŵa, unkatheka kupatsidwa kwa munthu kapena ku magulu pazifukwa zinazake, pofuna kungoti ndale ziwayendere, kapena monga mfupo kaamba ka utumiki wapadera umene munthu anachita ku Boma. Kapolo wokhoza kugula ufulu wake kwa Mroma, kapena womasulidwa ndi nzika ya Roma, ankakhala Mroma. Ngakhalenso munthu amene kale anali msilikali ankakhala nzika atamasuka pa usilikali wakewo m’gulu la nkhondo la Roma. Mbadwa za m’madera olamulidwa ndi Roma zinkakhala nzika za Roma m’kupita kwa nthaŵi. Akutinso nthaŵi zina anthu ankagula unzika ndi ndalama zambirimbiri. Sitikudziŵa mmene unzikawo unaloŵera m’banja la Saulo.

Tikudziŵa kuti Saulo anali wa ku Tariso, mzinda waukulu komanso likulu la chigawo cha Roma cha Kilikiya (amene panopo ali kumwera kwa Turkey). Ngakhale kuti m’deralo munali Ayuda ambiri ndithu, moyo wakumeneko ungakhale utaphunzitsa Saulo chikhalidwe cha Akunja. Tariso unali mzinda waukulu komanso wotukuka wodziŵikanso monga likulu la maphunziro achihelene, kapena kuti achigiriki. Mongoyerekezera akuti chiŵerengero cha anthu kumeneko m’zaka za zana loyamba chinali pakati pa 300,000 ndi 500,000. Anali likulu la malonda pamsewu waukulu wapakati pa Asia Minor, Suriya, ndi Mesopotamiya. Tariso anali wotukuka chifukwa cha malonda ndi zidikha zake zachonde, zimene makamaka munkatuluka dzinthu, vinyo, ndi bafuta. Chifukwa cha amisiri ake oomba nsalu, kunkapezeka nsalu zaubweya wa mbuzi zimene ankasokera mahema.

Maphunziro a Saulo

Saulo, kapena kuti Paulo, anadzipezera yekha zinthu moona mtima komanso anachirikiza ntchito yake yaumishonale mwa kusoka mahema. (Machitidwe 18:2, 3; 20:34) Ntchito yosoka mahema inali yofala mumzinda wakwawo wa Tariso. N’zotheka kuti Saulo anaphunzira ntchito yosoka mahema kwa atate wake ali mnyamata.

Kudziŵa zinenero kwa Saulo​—makamaka ukatswiri wake pa Chigiriki, chinenero cholankhulidwa ndi ambiri mu Ufumu wa Roma​—kunam’thandizanso kwambiri pantchito yake yaumishonale. (Machitidwe 21:37–22:2) Ofufuza za makalata ake amanena kuti Chigiriki chake n’chabwino kwambiri. Mawu amene anagwiritsa ntchito sanali a Chigiriki chakale kapena a anthu ophunzira, m’malo mwake, n’ngofanana ndi opezeka mu Septuagint, matembenuzidwe achigiriki a Malemba Achihebri omwe ankagwira mawu kapenanso kuwafotokoza m’mawu akeake. Chifukwa cha umboni umenewu, akatswiri osiyanasiyana a maphunziro amaganiza kuti Saulo anapeza maphunziro abwino oyambirira m’Chigiriki, mwinamwake pasukulu ya Ayuda. “Kalelo, maphunziro apamwamba​—makamaka maphunziro a Chigiriki​—sanali aulere; ankaonetsa kuti munthuyo analiko ndi pogwira ndithu,” anatero katswiri Martin Hengel. Choncho maphunziro a Saulo akuonetsa kuti anachokera m’banja lapamwamba.

Pamene Saulo anali ndi zaka zosapyola 13, angakhale atapitiriza sukulu ku Yerusalemu, mtunda wa makilomita pafupifupi 840 kuchokera kwawo. Anaphunzitsidwa pamapazi a Gamaliyeli, mphunzitsi wotchuka komanso wolemekezeka wa mwambo wa Afarisi. (Machitidwe 22:3; 23:6) Maphunziro amenewo, ofanana ndi maphunziro akuyunivesite lerolino, anam’tsegulira mwayi wotchuka m’Chiyuda.a

Maluso Ake Anagwira Bwino Ntchito

Pobadwira m’banja lachiyuda komanso mumzinda wachihelene ndinso wachiroma, Saulo anali munthu wa m’magulu atatu. Kudziŵa kwake zinenero zambiri za mumzinda mosakayika kunam’thandiza kukhala “zonse kwa anthu onse.” (1 Akorinto 9:19-23) Kukhala kwake nzika ya Roma kunam’lola pambuyo pake kuteteza utumiki wake mwalamulo ndi kulalikira uthenga wabwino kwa audindo apamwamba koposa mu Ufumu wa Roma. (Machitidwe 16:37-40; 25:11, 12) Inde, mbiri ya Saulo, maphunziro ake, ndi umunthu wake zinali kudziŵika kwa Yesu woukitsidwayo, yemwe anauza Hananiya kuti: “Pita; pakuti iye ndiye chotengera changa chosankhika, chakunyamula dzina langa pamaso pa amitundu ndi mafumu ndi ana a Israyeli; pakuti Ine ndidzamuonetsa iye zinthu zambiri ayenera iye kuzimva kuŵaŵa chifukwa cha dzina langa.” (Machitidwe 9:13-16) Chitalunjikitsidwa pa zinthu zabwino, changu cha Saulo chinathandiza kwambiri kufalitsa uthenga wa Ufumu kumagawo akutali.

Pamene Yesu anasankha Saulo kaamba ka ntchito yapadera, inali nkhani imene sinachitikepo m’mbiri yachikristu. Komabe, Akristu onse amakono ali ndi maluso awoawo ndi mikhalidwe imene angagwiritse ntchito bwino lomwe polalikira uthenga wabwino. Saulo atamvetsa zimene Yesu anafuna kwa iye, sanazengereze. Anachita zonse zotheka kuchirikiza zinthu za Ufumu. Kodi inunso mukutero?

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi/​Chithunzi patsamba 30]

Kulembetsa Unzika wa Roma ndi Umboni Wake

Amene anayambitsa zolembetsa m’kaundula ana am’nyumba a nzika za Roma anali Augustus. Anachita zimenezo mwa kupanga malamulo aŵiri, lina mu 4 ndi linanso mu 9 C.E. Kulembetsako kunkachitika patapita masiku 30 kuchokera pa tsiku lobadwa mwana. M’maderamadera, banja linayenera kulumbira pamaso pa majisitiriti mu ofesi yake yosungiramo kaundula, kutchula kuti mwanayo ali wam’nyumba ndi kutinso anali nzika ya Roma. Ankalembetsanso mayina a makolo, dzina la mwana komanso kuti ndi wamwamuna kapena wamkazi, ndi tsiku lake lobadwa. Ngakhale asanapange malamulo amenewa, nzika zinkalembetsa m’kaundula patapita zaka zisanu zilizonse m’mizinda, madera, ndi zigawo zonse za Roma panthaŵi yoŵerengera anthu.

Zinkatheka kusonyeza malo munthu mwa kupita m’kaundula wosungidwa bwino. Munthu akanatha kugula makope ochitiridwa umboni a kaundula ameneyo mumpangidwe wa matabwa onyamulika otchedwa diptychs (mapale amatabwa opindika). Malinga ndi kunena kwa akatswiri ena, pamene Paulo ananena kuti anali nzika ya Roma, angakhale atatulutsa setifiketi monga umboni. (Machitidwe 16:37; 22:25-29; 25:11) Popeza kuti anthu ankaona unzika wa Roma ngati “chinthu chopatulika” ndipo munthu ankakhala ndi mwayi wochita zinthu zambiri, kupeka zikalata zimenezo unali mlandu waukulu. Munthu atanama ponena za amene iye anali, ankapatsidwa chilango cha imfa.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Historic Costume in Pictures/​Dover Publications, Inc., New York

[Bokosi/​Chithunzi patsamba 31]

Dzina Lachiroma la Saulo

Mwamuna aliyense amene anali nzika ya Roma ankakhala ndi mayina osachepera atatu. Anali ndi dzina loyamba, dzina la banja, ndi dzina lotolera. Chitsanzo chodziŵika ndi cha Gaius Julius Caesar. Baibulo silitchula mayina onse achiroma, koma mabuku a mbiri yakale amatiuza kuti Agripa anali Marcus Julius Agrippa. Galiyo anali Lucius Junius Gallio. (Machitidwe 18:12; 25:13) Zitsanzo za m’Malemba za mayina aŵiri omalizira mwa mayina atatu a munthu ndizo Pontiyo Pilato (onani zilembo m’munsimu), Sergio Paulo, Klaudiyo Lusiya, ndi Porkiyo Festo.​—Machitidwe 4:27; 13:7; 23:26; 24:27.

N’zosatheka kudziŵa kwenikweni ngati Paullus linali dzina lake loyamba kapena lotolera. Sizinali zachilendo pocheza kum’tchula munthu ndi dzina lina lowonjezera limene apabanja ndi achinansi ankamutchulira munthu. Kapenanso, dzina losakhala lachiroma longa Saulo likanagwiritsidwa ntchito m’malo mwake. “[Saulo] silinali dzina lachiroma,” anatero katswiri wina, “koma pokhala dzina lakwawo lopatsidwa kwa nzika ya Roma monga dzina lotolera lotchedwa signum, linali bwino kwambiri.” M’madera okhala ndi zinenero zambiri, mikhalidwe ingakhale itathandiza munthu kusankha dzina loti agwiritse ntchito.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Chithunzi cha a Israel Museum, ©Israel Antiquities Authority