Baba Nenkalipho Ngoxa Babejamelene Nenkcaso
IHLOKONDIBA labantu elingalawulekiyo lanyanzela uGayo noAristarko, amaqabane amabini kampostile uPawulos, ukuba bangene kwindawo yemiboniso yase-Efese. Apho, eso sihlwele sivutha ngumsindo sakhwaza iiyure ezimbini sisithi: “Mkhulu uArtemis wamaEfese!” (IZenzo 19:28, 29, 34) Ngaba la maqabane kaPawulos ahlala eqinile ngoxa ayejamelene nale nkcaso? Yaye yintoni eyakhokelela kuloo meko?
UPawulos wayeshumayele ngempumelelo kwisixeko sase-Efese malunga neminyaka emithathu. Ngenxa yoko, amaEfese amaninzi ayeka ukunqula izithixo. (IZenzo 19:26; 20:31) Isithixo sase-Efese esiqhelekileyo yayisisakhiwo esincinane esenziwe ngesilivere sika-Artemis, uthixokazi wenzala, yaye itempile yakhe ebalaseleyo yayikwindawo ephakamileyo kweso sixeko. Ezi zithixo zincinane zetempile zazinxitywa njengamakhubalo okanye kuhonjiswe ngazo ezindlwini. Kakade ke, amaKristu ayengazithengi ezi zithixo.—1 Yohane 5:21.
UDemetriyo, umkhandi wesilivere, wayekholelwa ukuba ubulungiseleli bukaPawulos babubeka engozini ishishini labo elinengeniso. Engathethi nyaniso ngokupheleleyo yaye ezibaxa izinto, weyisela abanye abakhandi kwelokuba abantu kulo lonke elaseAsia Minor babeza kuyeka ukunqula uArtemis. Xa abakhandi besilivere abanomsindo baqalisa ukukhwaza bedumisa uArtemis, kwabakho uqhushululu yaye sonke isixeko sazaliswa sisiphithiphithi.—IZenzo 19:24-29.
Abantu abangamawaka bahlanganisana kwindawo yemiboniso, enokuhlala ababukeli abangama-25 000. UPawulos wafuna ukuthetha nesi sihlwele singalawulekiyo, kodwa amagosa anobubele amcebisa ukuba angakwenzi oko. Ekugqibeleni, unongxelo wesixeko wakwazi ukusizolisa esi sihlwele, yaye uGayo noAristarko basinda bengenawo nomkrwelo.—IZenzo 19:35-41.
Nabo abantu bakaThixo namhlanje, basenokujamelana nabachasi kunye neziphithiphithi njengoko beqhubeka nobulungiseleli babo. Badla ngokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo kwizixeko apho kugquba unqulo-zithixo, ukuziphatha okubi nobunjubaqa. Sekunjalo, ngenkalipho baxelisa umpostile uPawulos, ‘ongazange afihle nto efundisa esidlangalaleni nakwizindlu ngezindlu’ kwisixeko sase-Efese. (IZenzo 20:20) Yaye ngokufanayo nabo bayavuya xa bebona ukuba ‘ilizwi likaYehova lihlala likhula yaye lisoyisa.’—IZenzo 19:20.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 30]
Amabhodlo endawo yemiboniso e-Efese