Incwadi YeBhayibhile 55—2 Timoti
Umbhali: NguPawulos
Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: ERoma
Ukugqitywa Kokubhalwa Kwayo: Malunga nowama-65 C.E.
1. Yiyiphi intshutshiso eyaqhambuka eRoma malunga nowama-64 C.E., yaye ngasiphi isizathu?
KWAKHONA uPawulos wayelibanjwa eRoma. Noko ke, iimeko zoku kuvalelwa kwakhe okwesibini zaziqatha ngakumbi kunezo zokuqala. Kwakumalunga nowama-65 C.E. Umlilo omkhulu watshabalalisa kulo lonke elaseRoma ngoJulayi 64 C.E., ubangela umonakalo omkhulu kwimimandla eli-10 kweli-14 yeso sixeko. Ngokutsho kombhali-mbali ongumRoma uTacitus, uMlawuli uNero akazange akwazi “ukuyiphelisa inkolelo embi yokuba eli dangatye laliyinto yangabom. Ekugqibeleni, ukushenxisa le ngxelo, uNero walityabeka kwabanye eli tyala waza wabangela intshutshiso ekrakra kwabo bantu babecatshukelwa ngenxa yamasikizi ababewenzile, ababebizwa luluntu ngokubanzi ngokuba ngamaKristu. . . . Inkitha yawo yabanjwa, ubukhulu becala kungengenxa yolwaphulo-mthetho lokutshisa isixeko, kunoko ngenxa yentiyo enxamnye nabantu. Lonke uhlobo lokugculela longezwa ekubulaweni kwabo. Begqunywe ngezikhumba zamarhamncwa, badlavulwa zizinja bade bafa, okanye babethelelwa eminqamlezweni, okanye bafakwa kumadangatye baza batshiswa, benziwa izikhanyiso zasebusuku, xa ukukhanya kwemini kwakuphelile. UNero wavumela ukuba oku kwenziwe kwimiyezo yakhe ukuze kube nokubukelwa . . . Apho kwabakho iimvakalelo zovelwano; kuba akuzange kube kokokulungelwa koluntu, njengokuba kwakubonakala njalo, kodwa yayikukuzanelisa ngesenzo senkohlakalo yomnye umntu ukuba babe batshatyalaliswa.”a
2. UPawulos wayibhala phantsi kwaziphi iimeko incwadi yesiBini kuTimoti, yaye kutheni ethetha ngoxabiso ngo-Onesiforo?
2 Kwakusenokwenzeka ukuba malunga nexesha leli liza lentshutshiso enogonyamelo uPawulos wayephinde walibanjwa eRoma. Ngeli xesha wayefakwe amakhamandela. Wayengalindelanga ukukhululwa kodwa wayelindele kuphela umgwebo wokugqibela nokubulawa. Babembalwa abo babemtyelela. Kaloku, nabani na owayezibonakalisa ekuhleni njengomKristu wayezibeka engozini yokubanjwa nokubulawa ngokuthuthunjiswa. Ngenxa yoku uPawulos wayenokubhala ebonakalisa uxabiso ngondwendwe lwakhe olwaluvela e-Efese esithi: “Yanga iNkosi ingayenzela inceba indlu kaOnesiforo; ngokuba kwaba futhi endiphumza, akaba nazintloni nguwo umxokelelwano wam. Wathi akuba eseRoma, wandifuna ngokukhuthala okukhulu, wandifumana.” (2 Tim. 1:16, 17) Ebhala ephantsi kwethunzi lokufa, uPawulos uzibiza ‘njengompostile kaYesu Kristu ngokuthanda kukaThixo, ngokwedinga lobomi obukuKristu Yesu.’ (1:11) UPawulos wayesazi ukuba ulindelwe bubomi obukuKristu. Wayeshumayele kwizixeko ezikhulu ezininzi kwihlabathi langoko, ukususela eYerusalem ukuya eRoma yaye mhlawumbi wade waya kufikelela naseSpeyin. (Roma 15:24, 28) Wayelubaleke ngokuthembeka ugqatso de kwasekugqibeleni.—2 Tim. 4:6-8.
3. EyesiBini kuTimoti yabhalwa nini, yaye iye yayingenelo njani kumaKristu ukutyhubela iinkulungwane?
3 Kusenokwenzeka ukuba le ncwadi yabhalwa malunga nowama-65 C.E., ngaphambi nje kokuba uPawulos afele ukholo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uTimoti wayesese-Efese, kuba uPawulos wayemkhuthazele ukuba ahlale apho. (1 Tim. 1:3) Ngoku, kukabini uPawulos ebongoza uTimoti ukuba eze kuye kwakamsinya, yaye umcela ukuba eze noMarko, kwakunye nengubo nemisongo uPawulos awayishiya eTrowa. (2 Tim. 4:9, 11, 13, 21) Ekubeni yayibhalwe kwixesha lobunzima elinje ngeli, le ncwadi yayiqulethe ukhuthazo olunamandla olwalusiya kuTimoti, yaye iye yaqhubeka inikela ukhuthazo oluyingenelo kumaKristu okwenyaniso akubo bonke ubudala ukususela ngoko.
4. Yintoni engqina ubunyaniso beyesiBini kuTimoti nokuba yinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele kwayo?
4 Incwadi yesiBini kuTimoti iyinyaniso kwaye iyinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele ngenxa yezizathu esezixutyushwe kade kweyokuQala kuTimoti. Yamkelwa yaza yasetyenziswa ngababhali nangabahlalutyi bokuqala, kuquka uPolycarp kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.
OKUQULETHWE YEYESIBINI KUTIMOTI
5. Lukholo olunjani uTimoti analo, ukanti yintoni afanele ahlale eyenza?
5 “Umzekelo wamazwi aphilileyo wubambe” (1:1–3:17). UPawulos uxelela uTimoti ukuba akaze amlibale emithandazweni yakhe yaye ulangazelela ukumbona. Ukhumbula “ukholo olungenakuhanahanisa” olukuTimoti nolwahlala okokuqala kuninakhulu uLoyisi nonina uYunike. UTimoti ufanele asikhwezele isiphiwo esikuye, ‘kuba uThixo akazange amnike umoya wobugwala; wamnika umoya wamandla, nowothando, nowesidima.’ Ngoko ke makangabi nazintloni ngokunikela ubungqina nokunyamezela ububi ngenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo kuba ubabalo lukaThixo lwenziwa lwacaca ngokubonakala koMsindisi, uKristu Yesu. UTimoti ufanele ‘awubambe umzekelo wamazwi aphilileyo’ awaweva kuPawulos, awalondoloze njengento entle ayiphathisiweyo.—1:5, 7, 13.
6. Sisiphi isiluleko uPawulos asinikela ngokufundisa, yaye uTimoti unokuba ngumsébenzi owamkelekileyo nesitya sembeko njani?
6 UTimoti umele azibeke izinto awaziva kuPawulos phambi “kwabantu abathembekileyo, bona baya kukulingana ukufundisa nabanye.” UTimoti ufanele azingqine engumphumi-mkhosi ofanelekileyo kaKristu Yesu. Umphumi-mkhosi akazibhijeli ngemicimbi yezoshishino. Ngaphezu koko, lowo uthweswa isithsaba emdlalweni ungenelela ukhuphiswano elandela imithetho yolo khuphiswano. Ukuze azuze ingqiqo, uTimoti ufanele asoloko ecinga ngamazwi kaPawulos. Izinto ezibalulekileyo amele azikhumbule aze akhumbuze nabanye ngazo kukuba ‘uYesu Kristu ungovukileyo kwabafileyo, engowembewu kaDavide’ yaye usindiso nozuko olungunaphakade kuKristu, belawula njengookumkani kunye naye, kungumvuzo wabanyuliweyo abanyamezelayo. UTimoti umele enze konke okusemandleni akhe ukuze azimise engumsébenzi okholekileyo kuThixo, ezinxwema kwiintetho ezingento ezikuhlambelayo okungcwele, ezanda njengesilonda esiqhenqethayo. Kanye njengokuba kwindlu enkulu isitya sembeko sigcinwa sahlukile kweso singesiso esembeko, ngoko uPawulos ululeka uTimoti ukuba ‘azibaleke iinkanuko zobutsha; kodwa aphuthume ubulungisa, ukholo, uthando, uxolo nabo bayinqulayo iNkosi ngokwasentliziyweni ehlambulukileyo.’ Umkhonzi weNkosi umele abe nokuthantamisa kubo bonke, enokufundisa, eqeqesha ngobulali.—2:2, 8, 22.
7. Kutheni iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo ziya kuba yingenelo ngakumbi nje “ngemihla yokugqibela”?
7 “Ngemihla yokugqibela,” kuya kubakho amaxesha anomngcipheko nabantu abangqineka bekhohlisa kwimbonakaliso yabo yokuhlonela uThixo, “behlala befunda, bangaze phofu babe nako ukufika ekuyazini inyaniso.” Kodwa uTimoti uye wayilandela ngokusondeleyo imfundiso kaPawulos, ikhondo lakhe lobomi nokutshutshiswa kwakhe, ethe iNkosi yamsindisa kuyo. Wongezelela ngokuthi, “nabo bonke ke abathanda ukuhlala ngokuhlonela uThixo kuKristu Yesu baya kutshutshiswa.” Noko ke, uTimoti ufanele ahlale kwizinto awazifundayo kwasebuntwaneni, ezinokumlumkisela elusindisweni, kuba “sonke iSibhalo, siphefumlelwe nguThixo kwaye siyingenelo.”—3:1, 7, 12, 16.
8. Yintoni uPawulos abongoza uTimoti ukuba ayenze, yaye kulo mba uPawulos uqhayisa ngantoni?
8 Ukubuzalisa ubulungiseleli (4:1-22). UPawulos uyalela uTimoti ukuba ‘alivakalise ilizwi’ ngokungxamisekileyo. (4:2) Kuya kufika ixesha laxa abantu bengayi kuyiphulaphula imfundiso ephilileyo yaye baya kuguqukela kubefundisi bobuxoki, kodwa yena uTimoti makahlale ephaphile, ‘ewenza umsebenzi womshumayeli weendaba ezilungileyo, ebuzalisa ubulungiseleli bakhe.’ Eqonda ukuba sekukufutshane ukuba afe, uPawulos uqhayisa ngelithi uwulwile umlo omhle, ulufezile ugqatso yaye ulubambile ukholo. Ngoku ukhangele phambili ngentembelo emvuzweni, “isithsaba sobulungisa.”—4:5, 8.
9. Yiyiphi intembelo uPawulos ayibonakalisayo kumandla eNkosi?
9 UPawulos ubongoza uTimoti ukuba eze kuye kamsinya yaye umnika imiyalelo ngokuphathelele uhambo. Xa uPawulos wayeziphendulela okokuqala bonke bamshiya, kodwa iNkosi yamnika amandla ukuze ufezwe ngokuzeleyo umsebenzi wokushumayela phakathi kweentlanga. Ewe, uqinisekile ukuba iNkosi iya kumsindisa kuyo yonke imisebenzi engendawo ize imsindisele kuBukumkani Bayo basezulwini.
ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO
10. (a) Yiyiphi ingenelo ekhethekileyo yaso “sonke iSibhalo” egxininiswa kweyesiBini kuTimoti, yaye amaKristu afanele azabalazele ukuba abe njani? (b) Yiyiphi impembelelo emele iphetshwe, yaye kunokwenziwa njani oku? (c) Yiyiphi imfuneko engxamisekileyo esoloko ikho?
10 “Sonke isibhalo siphefumlelwe nguThixo kwaye siyingenelo.” Siyingenelo entwenini? UPawulos usixelela oku kwincwadi yakhe yesibini eya kuTimoti: “Ekufundiseni, ekohlwayeni, ekulungiseni izinto, ekuqeqesheni okusebulungiseni, ukuze umntu kaThixo afaneleke ngokuzeleyo, ewuxhobele ngokupheleleyo wonke umsebenzi olungileyo.” (3:16, 17) Ngaloo ndlela ingenelo ‘yokufundisa’ igxininisiwe kule ncwadi. Bonke abathandi bokulungileyo namhlanje baya kufuna ukusithobela isiluleko sobulumko esikule ncwadi ekuzabalazeleni ukuba ngabafundisi beLizwi nasekwenzeni konke okusemandleni abo ukuba ngabasebenzi abamkelekileyo kuThixo, ‘belungisa ukulahlula ilizwi lenyaniso.’ NjengakwiEfese yomhla kaTimoti, ngokukwanjalo kweli xesha lanamhlanje, kukho abo bazixakekise ngokungeyomfuneko ‘ngembuzwano yobudenge engenangqeqesho,’ abo ‘bahlala befunda, bangaze phofu babenako ukufikelela ekuyazini inyaniso,’ nabangafuniyo ukuyiphulaphula “imfundiso ephilileyo” bekhetha ukuphulaphula abefundisi ababonwaya iindlebe ngendlela abafuna ngayo ngokuzingca. (2:15, 23; 3:7; 4:3, 4) Ukuze siphephe le mpembelelo yehlabathi yonakalisayo, kuyimfuneko ukuba ‘siwubambe umzekelo wamazwi aphilileyo’ elukholweni naseluthandweni. Ngaphezu koko, kukho imfuneko engxamisekileyo yabantu abangakumbi ukuba babe ‘ngabakulungeleyo ukufundisa nabanye’ phakathi nangaphandle ebandleni, njengoTimoti, ‘umntu kaThixo.’ Banoyolo bonke abo bathwele le mbopheleleko, besiba ‘ngabafanelekele ukufundisa, benobulali,’ nabashumayela ilizwi ‘benokufundisa, benyamezela ububi’!—1:13; 2:2, 24, 25; 4:2.
11. Liliphi icebiso elinikelwayo mayela nolutsha?
11 Njengoko uPawulos watshoyo, uTimoti wayezazi “kwasebuntwaneni” izibhalo ezingcwele ngenxa yemfundiso enothando kaLoyisi noYunike. Ngokuthi “kwasebuntwaneni” kukwabonisa ixesha lokuqalisa ukufundisa abantwana iBhayibhile namhlanje. Kodwa kuthekani ukuba, kwiminyaka yamva, umoya wenzondelelo uqalisa ukuthotha? Icebiso likaPawulos lelokuwuvuselela loo moya kwakhona ngomoya “wamandla, nowothando, nowesidima,” silubambile ukholo ngokungenaluhanahaniso. Wathi, “ngemihla yokugqibela,” kuya kubakho amaxesha anomngcipheko, kukho iingxaki zobunjubaqa neemfundiso zobuxoki. Kungoko kuyimfuneko ngokukhethekileyo kubantu abaselula, nabo bonke abanye ukuba, ‘babe ziingcathu ezintweni zonke, babuzalise ubulungiseleli babo.’—3:15; 1:5-7; 3:1-5; 4:5.
12. (a) UPawulos wayinikela njani ingqalelo kwiMbewu yoBukumkani, yaye liliphi ithemba awalibonakalisayo? (b) Abakhonzi bakaThixo namhlanje banokuba naso njani isimo sengqondo esinjengeso uPawulos wayenaso?
12 Asikokuchitha xesha ukuzabalazela ukufumana lo mvuzo. (2:3-7) Ngokuphathelele oku, uPawulos utsalel’ ingqalelo kwiMbewu yoBukumkani, ngokuthi: “Mkhumbuleni uYesu Kristu, engovukileyo kwabafileyo, engowembewu kaDavide, ngokweendaba zam ezilungileyo.” Ithemba likaPawulos lalikukuba kunye naloo Mbewu. Uhlabela mgama ethetha ngamazwi oloyiso ngokubulawa kwakhe okwakusondela esithi: “Okokugqibela ndibekelwe isithsaba sobulungisa, eya kundibuyisela ngaso ngaloo mini iNkosi, umgwebi olilungisa; ingabi ndim ndedwa ke, ibe ngabo bonke abakuthandayo ukubonakala kwayo.” (2:8; 4:8) Hayi indlela abavuya ngayo bonke abathi xa bekhangela emva kwiminyaka emininzi yenkonzo yokuthembeka baze bathethe okufanayo! Noko ke, oku kuthetha ukukhonza ngoku ngokuthembeka, sibonisa uthando ngenxa yokubonakala kukaYesu Kristu, yaye sibonakalisa intembelo efana naleyo uPawulos wayenayo xa wabhala esithi: “Isaya kundihlangula yona iNkosi kuwo wonke umsebenzi ongendawo, indisindisele ebukumkanini bayo obusemazulwini; kuyo makubekho uzuko, kuse emaphakadeni asemaphakadeni. Amen.”—4:18.
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a IThe Complete Works of Tacitus, yowe-1942, ehlelwe nguMoses Hadas, iphepha 380-1.