Incwadi YeBhayibhile 48—Galati
Umbhali: NguPawulos
Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: EKorinte okanye kwa-Antiyokwe yaseSiriya
Ukugqitywa Kokubhalwa Kwayo: Malunga nowama-50–52 C.E.
1. Ngawaphi amabandla abhalelwayo kweyabaseGalati, yaye ayelungelelaniswe njani kwaye nini?
AMABANDLA akwelaseGalati uPawulos awabhalelayo kumaGalati 1:2 kubonakala ukuba ayequka elakwa-Antiyokwe kwelasePisidi, eIkoniyo, eListra naseDerbhe—iindawo ezikwizithili ezahlukahlukeneyo kodwa zonke zikweli phondo laseRoma. IZenzo isahluko 13 nese-14 zibalisa ngohambo lokuqala lukaPawulos noBharnabhas lobuvangeli basemazweni ukutyhubela lo mmandla, olwathi lwakhokelela ekulungelelanisweni kwamabandla akwelaseGalati. La ayebunjwe ngabantu abaxubeneyo amaYuda nabangemaYuda, ngokungathandabuzekiyo kuquka amaCelts, okanye amaGauls. Oku kwenzeka nje emva kokuba uPawulos etyelele eYerusalem malunga nowama-46 C.E.—IZe. 12:25.
2. (a) Yintoni eyaba ngumphumo wokhenketho lwesibini lukaPawulos kwelaseGalati, kodwa yintoni eyalandelayo kamva? (b) Ngelo xesha, uPawulos wayephi kukhenketho lwakhe?
2 Ngonyaka wama-49 C.E., uPawulos noSilas baqalisa ukhenketho lwesibini lokushumayela lukaPawulos kulo mmandla welaseGalati, olwabangela ukuba ‘amabandla azimaseke elukholweni yaye ande ngenani imihla ngemihla.’ (IZe. 16:5; 15:40, 41; 16:1, 2) Noko ke, ezinyaweni nje zabo kwafika abafundisi bobuxoki, abangeni ebuYudeni, abeyisela abathile kumabandla akwelaseGalati ukuba bakholelwe kwelokuba ulwaluko nokugcinwa koMthetho kaMoses kwakuzezinye zezinto eziyimfuneko zobuKristu bokwenyaniso. Ngelo xesha uPawulos wayesandul’ ukugqitha elaseMisi esiya kwelaseMakedoni naseGrisi, ekugqibeleni eza kufika eKorinte, apho wachitha iinyanga ezingaphezu kwe-18 ekunye nabazalwana. Ngelo xesha ngowama-52 C.E., wanduluka ngendlela enqumla e-Efese esinge kwa-Antiyokwe yaseSiriya, indawo eyayisisazulu sakhe, efika apho kwangaloo mnyaka.—IZe. 16:8, 11, 12; 17:15; 18:1, 11, 18-22.
3. EyamaGalati isenokuba yabhalelwa phi yaye nini?
3 UPawulos wayibhalela phi yaye nini incwadi eya kumaGalati? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo wayibhala kungekudala akuba evile ngoko kwenziwa ngabangeni ebuYudeni. Kusenokuba kwakuseKorinte, e-Efese okanye kwa-Antiyokwe yaseSiriya. Kusekwanokwenzeka ukuba kwakusebudeni bethuba leenyanga ezili-18 awayezihleli eKorinte, ngowama-50-52 C.E., ekubeni le nkcazelo evela kwelaseGalati yayisenokufikelela ngelo xesha apho. Akunakwenzeka ukuba kube kwakuse-Efese, ekubeni wahlala apho ithutyana nje elingephi ekubuyeni kwakhe. Noko ke, wandula ‘wenza ixesha elithile’ kwindawo eyayisisazulu sakhe kwa-Antiyokwe yaseSiriya, ekubonakala ukuba kwakusehlotyeni lowama-52 C.E., yaye ekubeni kwesi sixeko kwakulula ukunxibelelana neAsiya Mayina, kunokwenzeka ukuba wayifumana elapha ingxelo yoko kwenziwa ngabangeni ebuYudeni waza ngesi sihlandlo wabhala incwadi yakhe eya kumaGalati ekwa-Antiyokwe yaseSiriya.—IZe. 18:23.
4. EyamaGalati ityhila ntoni ngobupostile bukaPawulos?
4 Le ncwadi imchaza uPawulos ‘njengompostile, ongavele bantwini, kanjalo kungengamntu, kungaye uYesu Kristu, noThixo uyise.’ Kwakhona ityhila iinyaniso ezininzi ngobomi nobupostile bukaPawulos, ingqina ukuba, njengompostile, wayesebenza ngokuvisisana nabapostile abaseYerusalem nokuba wade wasebenzisa igunya lakhe ukuze aluleke omnye umpostile, uPetros.—Gal. 1:1, 13-24; 2:1-14.
5. Ziziphi izibakala ezingqinela ubunyaniso nokuba yinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele kweyamaGalati?
5 Ziziphi izibakala ezingqinela ubunyaniso nokuba yinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele kwamaGalati? Kubhekiselwa kuyo ngegama kwiincwadi zikaIrenaeus, uClement wakwa-Alesandire, uTertullian no-Origen. Ngaphezu koko, iqukiwe kwimibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile ebalulekileyo elandelayo ngokoluhlu: eyaseSinayi, eyakwa-Alesandire, iVatican No. 1209, amaxwebhu aphinde abhalwa eCodex Ephraemi Syri, iCodex Bezae, neChester Beatty Papyrus No. 2 (P46). Ngaphezu koko, ivisisana ngokupheleleyo neminye imibhalo yeZibhalo zesiGrike kwaneZibhalo zesiHebhere, ebhekisela kuzo ngokufuthi.
6. (a) Ziziphi iingongoma ezimbini incwadi eya kwabaseGalati eziphuhlisayo? (b) Yintoni eyayingaqhelekanga ngokubhalwa kwale ncwadi, yaye oku kubethelela ntoni?
6 Kule ncwadi kaPawulos ichukumisayo nenesiluleko esibukhali ‘kumabandla akwelaseGalati,’ ungqina (1) ukuba ungumpostile wokwenyaniso (sibakala eso abangeni ebuYudeni babefuna ukusisingela phantsi) (2) nokuba umntu ugwetyelwa ngokukholwa kuKristu Yesu, kungengamisebenzi yoMthetho, nokuba ngoko ke ulwaluko aluyomfuneko kumaKristu. Nangona yayilisiko likaPawulos ukusebenzisa unobhala ekubhaleni iincwadi zakhe, amaGalati wawabhalela ngokwakhe ‘ngokubhala okukhulu ngesakhe isandla.’ (6:11) Okuqulethwe yile ncwadi kwakubaluleke gqitha, kuPawulos nakumaGalati. Le ncwadi ibethelela ukuba noxabiso ngenkululeko amaKristu okwenyaniso anayo ngoYesu Kristu.
OKUQULETHWE YEYAMAGALATI
7, 8. (a) UPawulos uthetha athini ngeendaba ezilungileyo? (b) UPawulos wangqinwa njani njengompostile kwabangalukileyo, kwaye walibonakalisa njani igunya lakhe ngokuphathelele uKefas?
7 UPawulos umela ubupostile bakhe (1:1–2:14). Emva kokubulisa amabandla akwelaseGalati, uPawulos uvakalisa ukumangaliswa kwakhe kukuba eye kamsinya gqitha enziwa aphambukela kolunye uhlobo lweendaba ezilungileyo, yaye egxininisa uvakalisa oku: “Nokokuba sisuke thina aba, nokokuba sisuke isithunywa sasezulwini sanishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo ezinxamnye nezo sanishumayezayo, masisingelwe phantsi.” Iindaba ezilungileyo ebezishumayela aziveli mntwini, yaye ubengazifundiswanga ngumntu, ‘wazamkela ngokuzityhilelwa nguYesu Kristu.’ Ngaphambilana, njengomxhasi onenzondelelo wobuYuda, uPawulos wayelitshutshisa ibandla likaThixo, kodwa ke uThixo wambiza ngokobabalo Lwakhe ukuba avakalise iindaba ezilungileyo ezingoNyana wakhe kuzo iintlanga. Akazange anyuke ukuya eYerusalem de kwaba yiminyaka emithathu emva kokuguquka kwakhe, kwaye ngelo xesha, kubapostile, wabona uPetros, kwanoYakobi umzalwana weNkosi kuphela. Kumabandla akwaYuda wayengazange abonwe, nangona abalapho babedla ngokuva ngaye baza ‘bamzukisa uThixo’ ngenxa yakhe.—1:8, 12, 24.
8 Emva kweminyaka eli-14 uPawulos wenyuka ukuya eYerusalem kwakhona waza wazicacisa ngasese iindaba ezilungileyo awayezishumayela. Iqabane lakhe elinguTito, nangona lingumGrike, akuzange kufuneke nokuba laluke. Xa uYakobi, uKefas noYohane babona ukuba uPawulos wayephathiswe iindaba ezilungileyo zabo bangalukanga, kanye njengokuba uPetros wayephathiswe iindaba ezilungileyo zabalukileyo, banika uPawulos noBharnabhas izandla zokunene zobudlelane ukuze baye kuzo iintlanga, ngoxa bona babesiya kwabolwaluko. Xa uKefas wafika kwa-Antiyokwe waza wasilela ukuhamba ngokuthe ngqo “enyanisweni yeendaba ezilungileyo” ngenxa yokoyika abo bolwaluko, uPawulos wamkhalimela phambi kwabo bonke.—2:14.
9. UmKristu ugwetyelwa ngokwasiphi isizinzi?
9 Ukugwetyelwa ngokholo, kungekhona ngomthetho (2:15–3:29). UPawulos umi ngelithi, thina maYuda siyazi “ukuba akagwetyelwa umntu ngokwasemisebenzini yomthetho, kuphela kungokukholwa kuYesu Kristu.” Ngoku uphila ekuKristu yaye uphila ngokholo ukuba enze ukuthanda kukaThixo. “Ukuba bungomthetho ubulungisa, oko uKristu angaba wafumana wafa.”—2:16, 21.
10. Yintoni ebalayo ukuze kufunyanwe intsikelelo kaThixo, yaye ngoko yayiyintoni injongo yoMthetho?
10 Ngaba amaGalati aswele ukuqonda kangangokuba angakholelwa kwelokuba ekubeni ayeqale ngokwamkela umoya ngenxa yokholo, anokukuphelelisa ukumkhonza kwawo uThixo ngemisebenzi yoMthetho? Kukuva okungokokholo okubalayo, njengoko kwakunjalo ngoAbraham, ‘owakholwayo nguThixo, kwaza oko kwabalelwa ebulungiseni kuye.’ Ngoku, ngokwedinga likaThixo, “abaselukholweni bayasikelelwa ndawonye noAbraham okholwayo.” Bakhululwe kwisiqalekiso soMthetho ngokufa kukaKristu emthini. UKristu uyiMbewu ka-Abraham, kwaye uMthetho owamiselwa kwiminyaka engama-430 kamva awulitshitshisi idinga elingaloo Mbewu. Yayiyintoni ke ngoko injongo yoMthetho? Waba “ngosikhaphela kuKristu, ukuze sigwetyelwe ngokwaselukholweni.” Ngoku asisekho phantsi komkhapheli, kwaye ngoku akusekho mahluko phakathi komYuda nomGrike, kuba bonke bamntu mnye kuKristu Yesu yaye ‘ngenene bayimbewu ka-Abraham, iindlalifa ngokwedinga.’—3:6, 9, 24, 29.
11. (a) Kukuphi ukukhululwa amaGalati akutyeshelayo? (b) UPawulos uyizekelisa njani inkululeko yamaKristu?
11 Yimani enkululekweni yobuKristu (4:1–6:18). UThixo wathumela uNyana wakhe ukuza kukhulula abo babephantsi koMthetho, ukuze babe ‘nokuzuza ukwenziwa oonyana.’ (4:5) Ngoko kutheni kubuyelwa kubukhoboka beziqalelo ezingenamandla nezingenaluncedo? Ekubeni ngoku amaGalati egcina imihla neenyanga namaxesha neminyaka, uPawulos unoloyiko lokuba hleze abe ufumane wabulaleka ngenxa yawo. Ekubatyeleleni kwakhe okokuqala, bamamkela uPawulos njengesithunywa sezulu sikaThixo. Ngaba ngoku uye waguquka waba lutshaba lwabo kuba ebaxelela inyaniso? Abo bafuna ukuba phantsi koMthetho mabeve oko ukutshoyo uMthetho: UAbraham waba noonyana ababini ngabafazi ababini. Omnye umfazi, ikhobokazana, uHagare, ufuzisela isizwe soSirayeli wokwenyama, onolwalamano noYehova ngomnqophiso woMthetho kaMoses, mnqophiso lowo ozala abantwana abangamakhoboka. Noko ke, umfazi okhululekileyo, uSara, ufuzisela iYerusalem ephezulu, leyo, uPawulos athi, “ikhululekile, enguma wethu leyo.” UPawulos uyabuza, “sithini na ke sona isibhalo?” Sithi: “Unyana wekhobokazana akasayi kuba ndlalifa kunye nonyana wokhululekileyo.” Ibe thina singabantwana, kungekhona abekhobokazana, “singabowokhululekileyo.”—4:30, 31.
12. (a) Ngoku amaGalati amele ahambe ngokwantoni? (b) Nguwuphi umahluko obalulekileyo uPawulos awenzayo?
12 UPawulos ucacisa ukuba, ukwaluka okanye ukungaluki akuthethi nto, kodwa lukholo oluphuma eluthandweni olubalayo. UMthetho wonke uzaliseke kwintetho ethi: “Uze umthande ummelwane wakho ngoko uzithanda ngako.” Qhubekani nihamba ngokomoya, kuba “ukuba ke nikhokelwa nguMoya, aningaphantsi komthetho.” Ngokubhekisele kwimisebenzi yenyama, uPawulos ulumkisa kusengaphambili esithi “abazenzayo izinto ezinjalo abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.” Ngomahluko ophawulekayo, uchaza isiqhamo somoya, ekungekho mthetho umelene naso, aze alek’ umsundulo ngokuthi: “Ukuba sidla ubomi ngokoMoya, masihambe nokuhamba kwangokoMoya” size silahle uzuko olulambathayo nomona.—5:14, 18, 21, 25.
13. Umthetho kaKristu uzalisekiswa njani, ibe yintoni ebaluleke gqitha?
13 Ukuba umntu uthe waqutyulwa sisiphoso esithile, abo bafanelekayo ngokomoya bamele bazame ukumluleka ‘ngomoya wobulali.’ AmaKristu azalisa umthetho kaKristu ngokuthwalisana ubunzima, kodwa ngamnye ufanele awuthwale owakhe umthwalo ukuze abonise oko ukuko owakhe umsebenzi. Umntu uya kuvuna oko akuhlwayelayo, enoba kukonakala ngokwasenyameni okanye bubomi obungunaphakade ngokwasemoyeni. Abo bafuna ukuba amaGalati aluswe baphumele nje ukukholisa abantu nokuphepha intshutshiso. Into ebalulekileyo, asikokwaluka okanye ukungaluki, koko sisidalwa esitsha. Uxolo nenceba luya kuba phezu kwabo bahamba ngalo mthetho ‘kwanabangamaSirayeli kaThixo.’—6:1, 16.
ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO
14. Nguwuphi umzekelo uPawulos awumisela abaveleli?
14 Incwadi eya kumaGalati ityhila uPawulos njengomtshutshisi obukhali owathi waba ngumpostile ophaphileyo weentlanga, owayesoloko ekulungele ukulwela izilangazelelo zabazalwana bakhe. (1:13-16, 23; 5:7-12) UPawulos wakubonisa ngomzekelo wakhe ukuba umveleli ufanele asuke ngokukhawuleza ukusingatha iingxaki, echitha iingqiqo eziphosakeleyo ngokusebenzisa ingqiqo neZibhalo.—1:6-9; 3:1-6.
15. Le ncwadi yaba yingenelo njani kumabandla akwelaseGalati, ibe luluphi ukhokelo elunikelayo kumaKristu namhlanje?
15 Le ncwadi yaba luncedo kumabandla akwelaseGalati ekuyichazeni ngokucacileyo inkululeko yawo kuKristu nasekubhenceni abantu ababegqwetha iindaba ezilungileyo. Yalenza lacaca elokuba umntu ugwetyelwa ngokholo nelokuba ulwaluko aluseyomfuneko ukuze umntu asindiswe. (2:16; 3:8; 5:6) Ngokulubeka ecaleni ucalucalulo olunjalo lwenyama, yasebenza ukuze imanyanise umYuda noweeNtlanga kwibandla elinye. Ukukhululeka eMthethweni kwakungazi kuvulela iinkanuko zenyama, kuba wawusaphakanyiswa umgaqo othi: “Uze umthande ummelwane wakho ngoko uzithanda ngako.” Usaqhubeka uphakanyiswa njengomgaqo wokukhokela amaKristu namhlanje.—5:14.
16. Yiyiphi inkcazelo yeZibhalo zesiHebhere efumaneka kweya kumaGalati eyakha ukholo?
16 Incwadi kaPawulos yawanceda amaGalati kwiingongoma ezininzi zemfundiso, icaphula iZibhalo zesiHebhere ukuze isebenzise imizekelo enamandla. Yanikela inkcazelo ephefumlelweyo kaIsaya 54:1-6, ifanisa umfazi kaYehova ‘njengeYerusalem ephezulu.’ Icacisa ‘izinto eziyintsonkotha’ ngoHagare noSara, ibonisa ukuba iindlalifa zamadinga kaThixo ngabo bakhululwe ngoKristu yaye kungengabo abo bahlala kubukhoboka boMthetho. (Gal. 4:21-26; Gen. 16:1-4, 15; 21:1-3, 8-13) Ilenza licace elokuba umnqophiso woMthetho awuzange uwubhangise umnqophiso ka-Abraham kodwa wongezelelwa kuwo. Kwakhona yabonisa ukuba ixesha eliphakathi kokwenziwa kwale minqophiso mibini laliyiminyaka engama-430, nto leyo ebalulekileyo kubalo-maxesha lweBhayibhile. (Gal. 3:17, 18, 23, 24) Ingxelo yezi zinto iye yalondolozwa ukuze kwakhiwe ukholo lwamaKristu namhlanje.
17. (a) Yintoni le ibalulekileyo ifaniswa kweya kumaGalati? (b) Sisiphi isiluleko esihle esinikelwa kwiindlalifa zoBukumkani nabo basebenza nazo?
17 Okona kubalulekileyo kukuba, eyamaGalati iyichaza ngokucacileyo iMbewu yoBukumkani, leyo bonke abaprofeti babekhangele phambili kuyo. “Enziwa ke kuye uAbraham amadinga, nakuyo imbewu yakhe . . . nguKristu ke lowo.” Abo baba ngoonyana bakaThixo ngokukholwa kuKristu Yesu baboniswa ukuba bamkelelwa kule mbewu. “Ukuba ke nina ningabakaKristu, niyimbewu ka-Abraham ngoko, neendlalifa ngokwedinga.” (3:16, 29) Isiluleko esihle esinikelwe kumaGalati sifanele sithotyelwe zezi ndlalifa zoBukumkani nangabo basebenza nazo: ‘Yimani enkululekweni athe uKristu wanikhululela kuyo!’ ‘Ekwenzeni okulungileyo masingethi amandla; kuba sovuna ngexesha elililo ukuba asityhafi.’ ‘Masisebenze okulungileyo, ngokukodwa kwabendlu yokholo.’—5:1; 6:9, 10.
18. Sisiphi isilumkiso nesiluleko sokugqibela esinamandla esinikelwa kweya kumaGalati?
18 Elokuqukumbela, kukho isilumkiso esinamandla sokuba abo benza imisebenzi yenyama “abayi kubudla ilifa uBukumkani bukaThixo.” Ngoko, bonke mabakushiye ngokupheleleyo ukungcola neembambano ezingokwehlabathi baze ngokupheleleyo bamilisele iintliziyo zabo ekuveliseni isiqhamo somoya, esisesi “uthando, uvuyo, uxolo, ukuzeka kade umsindo, ububele, ukulunga, intembeko, ubulali, ukuzeyisa.”—5:19-23.