“Ndibhenela kuKesare!”

IHLOKONDIBA lixhakamfula indoda engazilweliyo lize liqalise ukuyibetha. Licinga ukuba ifanelwe kukufa. Xa kanye elo hlokondiba liqinisekile ukuba liza kuyibulala le ndoda, kuthi gqi amajoni aze azame ukulixhiphula elo xhoba kweso sihlwele sizele lugonyamelo. Le ndoda ngumpostile uPawulos. Uhlaselwa ngamaYuda akuchasa ngomsindo ukushumayela kukaPawulos yaye amtyhola ngokungcolisa itempile. Uhlangulwa ngamaRoma, akhokelwa ngumphathi-mkhosi wawo, uKlawudiyo Lisiya. Kweso siphithiphithi, uPawulos uyabanjwa erhanelwa njengesaphuli-mthetho.

Izahluko zokugqibela ezisixhenxe zencwadi yeZenzo zisithela gqabagqaba ngeli tyala eliqalisa ngokubanjwa kwakhe. Xa sikhumbula ulwazi analo uPawulos ngomthetho, izityholo awatyatyekwa zona, ukuzithethelela kwakhe nenkqubo yamaRoma yokohlwaya, siziqonda ngakumbi ezi zahluko.

Ukuvalelwa Ngexesha LikaKlawudiyo Lisiya

Umsebenzi kaKlawudiyo Lisiya wawuquka ukugcina ucwangco eYerusalem. Irhuluneli engumRoma yelakwaYuda, eyayingumphathi wakhe yayihlala eKesareya. Inyathelo elathatyathwa nguLisiya ngokuphathelele ityala likaPawulos linokugqalwa njengelakhusela umntu kugonyamelo nelabangela ukuba kubanjwe umntu owayephazamisa uxolo. Indlela asabela ngayo amaYuda yabangela uLisiya ukuba alithabathe elo banjwa alise kwindawo yokuhlala amajoni kwiNqaba yaseAntoniya.—IZenzo 21:27–22:24.

Kwakusafuneka uLisiya azi ngetyala uPawulos abekwa lona. Akazange eve nto kweso siphithiphithi. Engaphozisanga maseko, wayalela ukuba uPawulos “ancinwe ngokutyakatywa, ukuze asazi ngokupheleleyo isizathu sokukhwaza kwabo ngokunxamnye naye ngale ndlela.” (IZenzo 22:24) Le yindlela eqhelekileyo eyayisetyenziswa ukuze kufunyanwe ubungqina kwizaphuli-mthetho, amakhoboka nabanye abantu abakumgangatho ophantsi. Mhlawumbi ukutyakatywa kwabantu ngesabhokhwe esifutshane (flagrum) kwakuyifeza injongo yako, kodwa esi yayisisixhobo esoyikekayo. Kwezinye zezi zabhokhwe kwakubotshelelwa iintsimbi ezincinane ezijinga kwimixokelelwane. Ezinye zazenziwe ngeentambo eziliqela ezalukiweyo ezifakwe iingceba ezibukhali zamathambo neentsimbi ezincinane. Zazivula amanxeba amakhulu zikrazule inyama ibe yimicu.

Kanye ngelo xesha uPawulos wazichaza ukuba ungummi waseRoma. Ummi waseRoma ongekagwetywa wayengenakutyakatywa, ngenxa yoko, ukuchaza kukaPawulos amalungelo akhe kwamsindisa ngoko nangoko. Ukuxhaphaza okanye ukohlwaya ummi waseRoma kwakunokubangela ukuba ijoni laseRoma liphulukane nomsebenzi walo. Siyaqondakala isizathu sokuba, ukususela ngelo xesha uPawulos aphathwe ngokwahlukileyo kwamanye amabanjwa, kuba yena wayenokutyelelwa ngabantu.—IZenzo 22:25-29; 23:16, 17.

Engaqinisekanga ngezi zityholo, uLisiya wasa uPawulos phambi kweSanhedrin ukuze afumane inkcazelo ngeso siphithiphithi sasisenzeka apho. Kodwa uPawulos wavusa imbambano xa wathetha ngovuko njengesizathu sokugwetywa kwakhe. Yaba nkulu loo mbambano kangangokuba uLisiya woyikela ukuba uPawulos aqwengwe, yaye uLisiya wanyanzeleka kwakhona ukuba amrhiwule kuloo maYuda ayenomsindo.—IZenzo 22:30–23:10.

ULisiya wayengafuni ukuba kubulawe ummi waseRoma phambi kwakhe. Akuva ukuba baceba ukumbulala, ngokukhawuleza wayalela ukuba elo banjwa lisiwe eKesareya. Ngokwenkqubo yasemthethweni kwakufuneka ukuba xa amabanjwa esisiwa kumagosa enkundla ephakamileyo eze nengxelo echaza ngetyala elo. Loo ngxelo yayiquka izigqibo ekufikelelwe kuzo xa bekuchotshelwe ityala okokuqala, isizathu sokuthatyathwa kwamanyathelo athile, noluvo lwalowo ubephanda ngelo tyala. ULisiya wanikela ingxelo yokuba uPawulos ‘umangalelwa ngemibandela yoMthetho wamaYuda, akamangalelwa nangenye into efanela ukufa okanye imixokelelwane,’ yaye wayalela ukuba abo babemangalela uPawulos base izikhalazo zabo kuFeliks, ibamba.—IZenzo 23:29, 30.

UFeliks Irhuluneli Akakwazi Ukuwisa Isigwebo

Elo phondo laliphantsi kolawulo negunya likaFeliks. Xa ethanda, wayenokusebenzisa isiko lasekuhlaleni okanye asebenzise umthetho welizwe osebenza kwizaphuli-mthetho—osetyenziswa kubantu abadumileyo nakumagosa karhulumente. Loo mthetho wawusaziwa ngokuba yiordo okanye uludwe. Wayenokusebenzisa nenkqubo yokohlwaya exhomekeke kwijaji (extra ordinem) eyayinokusetyenziswa kuso nasiphi na isenzo solwaphulo-mthetho. Kwakulindeleke ukuba irhuluneli yephondo elo ‘ingaqwalaseli oko kwakusenziwa eRoma, kodwa oko kufanele kwenziwe kwiindawo ngendawo.’ Ngaloo ndlela, izinto ezininzi zaziyekelwa kuyo.

Azaziwa zonke iinkcukacha zomthetho weRoma yamandulo, kodwa ityala likaPawulos ligqalwa “njengengxelo engumzekelo wenkqubo yokohlwaya exhomekeke kwijaji.” Irhuluneli, incediswa ngabacebisi bayo, yayiphulaphula izityholo ezivela kubantu ngabanye. Ummangalelwa wayebizwa aze kuma phambi kommangali, yaye wayenokuzithethelela, kodwa ubungqina babuxhomekeke kummangali. Umantyi wayesebenzisa nasiphi na isohlwayo awayebona sifanelekile. Wayenokwenza isigqibo ngoko nangoko okanye asenze kwixa elizayo elingachazwanga, yaye kuloo meko ummangalelwa wayevalelwa. UHenry Cadbury ongumphengululi uthi: “Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, ngenxa yokusebenzisa elo gunya lokuzikhethela, ibamba lalifumana ‘impembelelo engafanelekanga’ linyotywe—ukuze likhulule ummangalelwa, limgwebe okanye ityala limiselwe elinye ixesha.”

Umbingeleli Omkhulu uAnaniyas, amadoda amakhulu angamaYuda noTertulo bamangalela uPawulos phambi koFeliks ukuba ‘ulizothe elixhokonxa iziphendu phakathi kwamaYuda.’ Babesithi uyinkokeli “yehlelo lamaNazarete” nokuba wayezama ukuhlambela itempile.—IZenzo 24:1-6.

Abo babehlasela uPawulos ekuqaleni babecinga ukuba nguye owakhokelela umfo weeNtlanga ogama linguTrofimo entendelezweni eyayiyeyamaYuda kuphela.a (IZenzo 21:28, 29) Enyanisweni, nguTrofimo umntu owayengene etempileni ngaphandle kwemvume. Kodwa ukuba amaYuda ayecinga ukuba uPawulos uye wancedisa kweso senzo solwaphulo-mthetho, nelo tyala laliza kubangela ukuba agwetyelwe ukufa. Yaye kubonakala ngathi iRoma yavumelana nesigwebo sokufa xa ubani enze olu hlobo lolwaphulo-mthetho. Ngoko ukuba uPawulos wayebanjwe ngamapolisa etempile yamaYuda, engabanjwanga nguLisiya, iSanhedrin yayingayi kuba nangxaki yokulichophela elo tyala ize imgwebe.

AmaYuda ayesithi uPawulos ufundisa iimfundiso ezichasene namaYuda, okanye unqulo olungekho mthethweni (religio licita). Lwalugqalwa njengoluchasene nomthetho, nolwemvukelo.

Kanjalo babesithi uPawulos ‘uxhokonxa iziphendu phakathi kwawo onke amaYuda kuwo wonke umhlaba omiweyo.’ (IZenzo 24:5) UMlawuli uKlawudiyo wayesandul’ ukugxeka amaYuda aseAleksandriya “ngokuxhokonxa imvukelo ehlabathini lonke.” Oku kufana ngendlela emangalisayo. Umbhali-mbali uA. N. Sherwin-White uthi: “Yiloo nto kanye awayemangalelwa ngayo amaYuda ebudeni bexesha loMlawuli uKlawudiyo okanye kwiminyaka yokuqala kaNero. AmaYuda ayezama ukuphembelela umlawuli ukuba athi ukushumayela kukaPawulos kwakufana nokuxhokonxa iziphendu kuwo onke amaYuda obu Bukhosi. Ayesazi ukuba abalawuli babengafuni ukubamba umntu ngenxa nje yezityholo eziphathelele unqulo, ngaloo ndlela azama ukuguqula eso sityholo sonqulo sibe sesobupolitika.”

UPawulos wazithethelela kuzo zonke ezo zityholo. ‘Andibangelanga siphendu. Eneneni, ndilandela indlela abayibiza ngokuba “lihlelo,” kodwa oku kuquka ukuthobela imithetho yamaYuda. AmaYuda athile aseAsiya avusa uqhushululu. Ukuba anesikhalazo, ebefanele ukuba aze kukhalaza apha.’ Ngokusisiseko, uPawulos wenza lacaca elokuba ezo zityholo zazibangelwa nje yingxwaba-ngxwaba yonqulo eyayiphakathi kwamaYuda, nto leyo iRoma yayingenabuchule kangako kuyo. Elumkele ukucaphukisa amaYuda awayesele engalawuleki, uFeliks walimisa elo tyala, phantse ukusa kwinqanaba lokuba kungabikho manyathelo asemthethweni angakumbi anokuthatyathwa. UPawulos akazange anikelwe kumaYuda, awayezibanga enolwazi ngale nyewe, engazange agwetywe ngumthetho waseRoma yaye kananjalo akazange akhululwe. UFeliks wayengenakunyanzelwa ukuba awise isigwebo, yaye ngaphezu kokuba wayefuna ukuzicengezela kumaYuda wayenaso nesinye isizathu sokulimisa elo tyala—wayenethemba lokuba uPawulos wayeza kumnyoba.—IZenzo 24:10-19, 26.b

Izinto Ziyaguquka Phantsi KukaPorkiyo Festo

Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, amaYuda aziqala phantsi izityholo zawo eYerusalem ekufikeni kukaPorkiyo Festo, irhuluneli entsha, ecela ukuba uPawulos anikelwe kuwo. Kodwa uFesto wakhaba ngaw’ omane wathi: “Asiyonkqubo yamaRoma ukunikela njengesibabalo nawuphi na umntu ngaphambi kokuba umntu omangalelweyo ahlangane ubuso ngobuso nabo babemmangalele aze afumane ithuba lokuzithethelela ngokuphathelele isimangalo eso.” Umbhali-mbali uHarry W. Tajra uthi: “Ngoko nangoko uFesto waphawula ukuba babecebe ukubulala ummi waseRoma ngokungekho mthethweni.” Ngoko amaYuda axelelwa ukuba mawadlulisele ityala lawo eKesareya.—IZenzo 25:1-6, 16.

Akufika apho amaYuda ema ngelithi uPawulos “akasafanele kuphila,” ukanti akazange anikele bungqina, yaye uFesto waqonda ukuba uPawulos akenzanga nto ifanele ukufa. UFesto wathi kwelinye igosa: “Basuka nje baphikisana nayo ngokuphathelele unqulo lwabo lwesithixo nangokuphathelele uYesu othile owayefile kodwa lowo uPawulos ami ngelithi uyaphila.”—IZenzo 25:7, 18, 19, 24, 25.

Ngokucacileyo, uPawulos wayemsulwa kwizityholo zezobupolitika, kodwa ekubeni le yayiyimpikiswano ephathelele unqulo, mhlawumbi amaYuda ayesithi inkundla yawo yayiyeyona ifanelekele ukusingatha le nyewe. Ngaba uPawulos wayeza kuya eYerusalem ukuze kwenziwe isigqibo ngale mibandela? UFesto wabuza uPawulos enoba wayeza kwenza oko kusini na, kodwa eneneni elo cebiso lalingafanelekanga. Xa ethunyelwa eYerusalem, abo babemmangalela babeza kuba ngabagwebi yaye oko kwakuya kuthetha ukuba uPawulos unikelwa kumaYuda. UPawulos wathi: “Ndimi phambi kwesihlalo sokugweba sikaKesare, apho ndifanele ukugwetywa khona. Andenzanga bubi kumaYuda . . . Akukho mntu unokundinikela kubo njengesibabalo. Ndibhenela kuKesare!”—IZenzo 25:10, 11, 20.

Akuthetha la mazwi lo mmi waseRoma wabaval’ umlomo bonke abagwebi beli phondo. Ilungelo lakhe lokubhena (provocatio) “lalifanelekile, laliquka okuninzi yaye laba luncedo.” Ngoko emva kokudlan’ iindlebe nabacebisi bakhe, uFesto wathi: “Ubhenele kuKesare; uya kuya kuKesare.”—IZenzo 25:12.

Zatsho zehla izibilini kuFesto emva kokuba ahlukene noPawulos. Njengoko wavumayo kuHerode Agripa II kwiintsuku ezithile kamva, elo tyala lalimdida. Ngoko uFesto kwafuneka anikele ingxelo kumlawuli ngokuphathelele elo tyala, kodwa uFesto wabona ukuba ezo zityholo zaziquka umthetho wamaYuda ontsonkothileyo awayengawuqondi kakuhle. Noko ke, uAgripa wayeyingcaphephe kwimibandela enjalo, ngoko wathi akubonakalisa umdla wacelwa ngoko nangoko ukuba ancedise ekubhaleni loo leta. Engayiqondi intsingiselo yoko kwakuthethwa nguPawulos phambi kuka-Agripa, uFesto wadanduluka wathi: “Uyaphambana, Pawulos! Ukufunda kakhulu kuyakuphambanisa!” Kodwa uAgripa wayekuqonda kakuhle oko wayekuthetha. Wathi: “Ngexesha elifutshane ubuya kundeyisela ekubeni ndibe ngumKristu.” Enoba babevakalelwa njani na ngezinto ezazithethwa nguPawulos, uFesto noAgripa bavumelana ukuba uPawulos wayengenatyala yaye babeza kumkhulula ukuba wayengabhenelanga kuKesare.—IZenzo 25:13-27; 26:24-32.

Ukuphela Kwetyala

Akufika eRoma, uPawulos wabiza amadoda aziintloko angamaYuda kungekhona ukuze nje ashumayele kuwo kodwa nokuze afumanise oko akwaziyo ngaye. Ngale ndlela wayenokukufumanisa oko kwakusezingqondweni zabatshutshisi bakhe. Kwakungeyonto ingaqhelekanga ukuba abasemagunyeni baseYerusalem bafune uncedo kumaYuda aseRoma xa kuthethwa ityala, kodwa uPawulos wafumanisa ukuba ayenganikwanga miyalelo ngokuphathelele yena. Ngoxa wayelindele ukuba kuthethwe ityala, uPawulos wavunyelwa ukuba aqeshe indlu yaye ashumayele ngokukhululekileyo. Ukuphathwa kakuhle ngolo hlobo kwakusenokubonakalisa ukuba ngokwendlela ayebona ngayo amaRoma, uPawulos wayengenatyala.—IZenzo 28:17-31.

UPawulos wahlala eluvalelweni eminye iminyaka emibini. Kwakutheni? IBhayibhile ayinikeli zinkcukacha. Ngokuqhelekileyo, ummangalelwa wayeza kuvalelwa de abamangali bathabathe amanyathelo ngokuphathelele izimangalo, kodwa mhlawumbi amaYuda aseYerusalem akazange aye apho akuphawula ukuba izimangalo zawo azivakali. Mhlawumbi eyona ndlela awayenokuyisebenzisa ukuze amval’ umlomo uPawulos ixesha elide kangangoko kunokwenzeka yayikukuba angayi apho. Enoba siyintoni na isizathu, kubonakala ukuba ityala likaPawulos lathethwa phambi kukaNero, wavakaliswa engenatyala, yaye ekugqibeleni wakhululwa ukuba aqhubeke nomsebenzi wakhe wobuvangeli basemazweni—kwiminyaka emihlanu emva kokubanjwa kwakhe.—IZenzo 27:24.

Abachasi benyaniso kudala ‘bequlunqa intlondi ngomthetho’ ukuze bathintele umsebenzi wamaKristu wokushumayela. Oku akufanele kusimangalise. UYesu wathi: “Ukuba banditshutshisile mna, baya kunitshutshisa nani.” (INdumiso 94:20, King James Version; Yohane 15:20) Ukanti, uYesu usiqinisekisa ngokuba sinenkululeko yokuxelela ihlabathi lonke ngeendaba ezilungileyo. (Mateyu 24:14) Ngaloo ndlela, kanye njengoko umpostile uPawulos waxhathisayo nxamnye nentshutshiso nenkcaso, amaNgqina kaYehova namhlanje ‘athethelela yaye amisela ngokusemthethweni iindaba ezilungileyo.’—Filipi 1:7.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]