Lisotja LeMbuso WaseRoma Litfola Bufakazi

Umnyaka ngu-59 C.E. Tiboshwa letigadvwe ngemasotja lasadzinwe yindlela, tingena eRoma tendlula ngasesangweni lePorta Capena. KuleNtsatjana yasePalatine kunesigodlo seMbusi Nero, logadvwe ngemasotja aseRoma lanetikhali letifihlwa ngephansi kwetimphahla tawo.a Lesikhulu lesinguJulius sihola letiboshwa njengobe tendlula eNkhundleni yemaRoma futsi tikhuphukela kuleNtsatjana yaseViminal. Bendlula ngasensimini lenemalati lamanyenti abonkulunkulu baseRoma futsi bendlula naseceleni kwenkhundla lapho kuceceshelwa khona emasotja emphi.

Kuletiboshwa, kunemphostoli Pawula. Etinyangeni letimbalwa ngembikwaloko abesemkhunjini lowapheshulwa siphepho, futsi ingilosi yaNkulunkulu yatsi kuPawula: “Ufanele ume embikwaKhesari.” (Imis. 27:24) Kungenteka yini kutsi Pawula utawuma embikwaKhesari? Njengobe agucuka kute abuke inhlokodolobha yeMbuso waseRoma, asingabati kutsi wawakhumbula emavi lakhulunywa yiNkhosi Jesu ngesikhatsi aseJerusalema kuloMbhoshongo wase-Antonia. Jesu watsi: “Mani sibindzi, njengobe ungifakazele nje la eJerusalema, kufanele wente njalo futsi naseRoma.”—Imis. 23:10, 11.

Kungenteka kutsi Pawula uma kancane kute abuke iNkantolo yaseCastra yemasotja aseRoma—sigodlo lesikhulu lesinetibondza letakhiwe ngetitini letibovu futsi letinemibhoshongo etulu. Kulesigodlo kuhlala emalunga emasotja eMbuso waseRoma, lasebenta njengabogadzi bembusi futsi aphindze abe ngemaphoyisa elidolobha. Njengobe bekuba nemasekela langu-12b eMbuso waseRoma nalamanye lamanyenti lavela emadolobheni, lesigodlo besingagcina tinkhulungwane temasotja kuhlanganise nalawo lahlomile. LeNkantolo yaseCastra yemasotja aseRoma isikhumbuto sekutsi asekelwe kuphi emandla embuso. Njengobe lelisotja leMbuso wemaRoma linemsebenti wekugadza tiboshwa takulamanye emadolobha, Julius uhola lelicembu letiboshwa njengobe lendlula kulelinye lisango kulamane. Ngemuva kweluhambo lwetinyanga letimbalwa loluyingoti, ekugcineni uyefika lapho aya khona naletiboshwa.—Imis. 27:1-3, 43, 44.

Ngesikhatsi bahamba ngemkhumbi, Pawula abetfole umbono lovela kuNkulunkulu wekutsi bonkhe labebasemkhunjini bebatawusindza nawephuka. Akazange alimale ngesikhatsi alunywa yinyoka. Welapha bantfu labagulako esichingini saseMaltha, futsi bantfu bakhona bacala kumbita ngekutsi ungunkulunkulu. Kungenteka kutsi tindzaba letimayelana naleto tentakalo tefika etindlebeni taleliSotja leMbuso wemaRoma lebelikholelwa etintfweni temilingo.

Pawula abesababonile bazalwane baseRoma ‘labamhlangabeta eMakethe yaka-Aphiyusi neMahhotela Lamatsatfu.’ (Imis. 28:15) Nobe kunjalo, njengobe abesiboshwa abetawukhona njani kwenetisa sifiso sakhe sekumemetela tindzaba letimnandzi eRoma? (Rom. 1:14, 15) Labanye bebacabanga kutsi letiboshwa titawunikelwa kukaputeni wemasotja. Nangabe kwenteka loko, kungenteka kutsi Pawula wamikiswa ku-Afranius Burrus, lobekaSikhulu semaSotja eMbuso waseRoma, futsi lokungenteka kutsi abewesibili kusuka kumbusi.c Kunobe ngusiphi simo, kunekutsi Pawula agadvwe licembu letikhulu, kuba nalinye nje lisotja lembuso waseRoma lelisesikhundleni lesiphakeme lelimgadzako. Pawula uyavunyelwa kutsi atilungisele indzawo yakhe yekuhlala futsi uyakhona kwemukela tivakashi aphindze ashumayele kuto ‘ngekukhululeka lokukhulu.’—Imis. 28:16, 30, 31.

Njengobe achubeka nemisebenti yakhe yekwehlulela, kungenteka kutsi Burrus wakhuluma nemphostoli Pawula, kungaba sesigodlweni nobe enkambu yembuso waseRoma, ngembikwekutsi endlulisele lelicala kuNero. Pawula akazange aliyekele lelitfuba ‘lekufakaza kubo bonkhe bantfu, labancane nalabakhulu.’ (Imis. 26:19-23) Kunobe yini Burrus lakayicabanga, ekugcineni Pawula akamikiswa ejele lelisenkambu yembuso waseRoma.d

Tindlu Pawula lacashelwe kutsi ahlale kuto tinendzawo leyenele kutsi emukele ‘baholi bemaJuda’ futsi afakaze kubo ‘nakubantfu labanyenti labeta lapho bekahlala khona.’ Emasotja eMbuso waseRoma nawo ayamlalela njengobe “afakaza” kumaJuda mayelana naJesu neMbuso, “kusukela ekuseni laze layawumbamba unina.”—Imis. 28:17, 23.

Lisekela leMbuso waseRoma lelisebenta esigodlweni lishintjwa onkhe malanga ngensimbi yesiphohlongo. Lisotja leligadze Pawula nalo liyashintjwa. Kuleminyaka lemibili yekuboshwa kwalomphostoli, emasotja ayamuva akhuluma nakubhalwa tincwadzi letiya e-Efesu, eFiliphi, eKholose nakumaKhristu emaHebheru futsi ayambona abhalela lomunye umKhristu lobitwa ngekutsi nguFilemoni. Njengobe aboshiwe, Pawula uyasinaka lesinye sigcili lesabaleka, lesingu-Onesimuse, ‘lowaba yindvodzana yakhe, layitfola ngesikhatsi asejele’ futsi ekugcineni usibuyisela kumphatsi waso. (Flm. 10) Asingabati kutsi Pawula wakhombisa kubanaka nalabo labebamgadzile. (1 Khor. 9:22) Singamcabanga nje abuta lisotja ngenjongo yetikhali talo letehlukehlukene, ngemuva kwaloko asebentise loko kwatiswa kute ente umfanekiso lomuhle.—Ef. 6:13-17.

Kuboshwa kwaPawula kwenta kutsi ‘kuchubeke liVangeli’ kulamasotja eMbuso waseRoma nakulabanye. (Fil. 1:12, 13) Labo labebahlala eNkantolo yaseCastra yemasotja aseRoma bebanebuhlobo lobutsite neMbuso waseRoma, lokuhlanganisa nembusi nemndeni wakhe lomkhulu. Lowo mndeni ufaka ekhatsi emalunga emndeni wakhe, tisebenti netigcili, letinye tato letagcine tingemaKhristu. (Fil. 4:22) Ngekufakaza kwaPawula ngesibindzi, bazalwane baseRoma batfola sibindzi “sekukhuluma livi laNkulunkulu ngekungesabi.”—Fil. 1:14.

Kufakaza kwaPawula eRoma kuphindze kube sikhutsato kitsi kutsi ‘sishumayele livi, silimele nome tikhatsi tivuma nome tingavumi.’ (2 Thim. 4:2) Labanye betfu bavaleleke etindlini, bahlala emakhaya lanakekela lasebakhulile nobe baboshelwe kukholwa kwabo. Kunobe ngusiphi simo lesikuso, singatfola kutsi bantfu labeta kitsi, mhlawumbe labete kutesihlola nobe labatawenta imisebenti letsite, bangasilalela. Nangabe sifakaza ngesibindzi ngato tonkhe tikhatsi, sitawutibonela kutsi “livi laNkulunkulu alikaboshwa.”—2 Thim. 2:8, 9.