Incwadi YeBhayibhile 56—Tito

Umbhali: NguPawulos

Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: EMakedoni (?)

Ukugqitywa Kokubhalwa Kwayo: Malunga nowama-61–64 C.E.

 1. (a) Nguwuphi umsebenzi owawunikwe uTito? (b) Amabandla aseKrete ayevela kwimekobume enjani, yaye yintoni ekwakufuneka eyenzile amaKristu aseKrete?

“UPAWULOS, umkhonzi kaThixo, umpostile ke kaYesu Kristu, . . . kuTito, umntwana wam wenene ngokwaselukholweni, esinobudlelane ngalo.” (Tito 1:1, 4) Iqalisa ngolo hlobo incwadi kaPawulos eya kulowo wayesebenza naye nowayesisinxulumani sakhe kangangethuba elide uTito, awamshiya kwisiqithi saseKrete ukuze alungelelanise amabandla ngokufanelekileyo. UTito wayenomsebenzi omkhulu awayefanele awenze. Esi siqithi, ekwakusithiwa sasiyindawo yamandulo ekwakuhlala kuyo “ooyise boothixo nabantu,” kulapho yavela khona intetho ethi, “ukuba ungowaseKrete uya kuhlala ungumKrete,” ekuthetha ukuthi “themba ilitye kunokuthemba abo bantu.”a Ukunganyaniseki kwabantu balapho kwakuyinto eyaziwayo, kangangokuba uPawulos wada wacaphula amazwi omnye umprofeti walapho njengothi: “AmaKrete ahlala engamaxoki, amarhamncwa amabi, amadlakudla angasebenziyo.” (1:12) Abemi baseKrete bomhla kaPawulos kwakhona bachazwa ngokulandelayo: “Aba yayiluhlobo lwabantu abangazinzanga, abanganyanisekanga, nabathanda ukuxambulisana; babenyolukile, bezinikele eburheletyweni, bengamaxoki namanxila, ngomlinganiselo ophakamileyo; yaye amaYuda awayehlala phakathi kwawo abonakala ukuba aziphethe kakubi ngokwesini ngokugqithiseleyo kunabemi balapho.”b Amabandla aseKrete ayevele kwimekobume enjalo; yaye ngenxa yoko kwakuyimfuneko ngokukhethekileyo ngamakholwa ukuba ‘akuncame ukungahloneli Thixo nokukhanuka okukokwehlabathi, ahlale ngokunesidima, nangobulungisa, nangokuhlonela uThixo,’ njengoko uPawulos walulekayo.—2:12.

 2, 3. (a) Luluphi unxulumano uTito awaba nalo noPawulos? (b) Kusenokuba uPawulos wambhalela ephi uTito, yaye ngayiphi injongo?

² Incwadi kaTito yona ngokwayo inikela inkcazelo encinane gqitha ngonxulumano lukaPawulos noTito. Noko ke, ngokusuka kwiimbekiselo ezingoTito kwezinye iincwadi zikaPawulos, kunokufunyanwa inkcazelo engakumbi. UTito, owayengumGrike, ngokufuthi wayehamba noPawulos yaye ubuncinane isihlandlo esinye wahamba naye ukuya eYerusalem. (Gal. 2:1-5) UPawulos ubhekisela kuye ‘njengedlelane nam, nomsebenzisi wam.’ YayinguTito uPawulos awamthumela eKorinte emva kokuba ebhale incwadi yokuqala eya kwabaseKorinte ese-Efese. Ngoxa wayeseKorinte, uTito wayenento yokwenza nokuqokelelwa komnikelo owawusenzelwa abazalwana baseYerusalem, yaye kamva wabuyela ngokomyalelo kaPawulos ukuze agqibezele ukuqokelela loo mnikelo. Wayesendleleni ebuyela eKorinte emva kokudibana kwakhe noPawulos eMakedoni awathi uTito wasetyenziswa ukudlulisa incwadi yesibini esuka kuPawulos eya kwabaseKorinte.—2 Kor. 8:16-24; 2:13; 7:5-7.

³ Emva kokukhululwa kwakhe entolongweni eRoma, uPawulos waphinda wanxulumana noTimoti noTito ebudeni beminyaka yokugqibela yobulungiseleli bakhe. Kubonakala ukuba oku kwakuquka inkonzo yakhe eKrete, eGrisi naseMakedoni. Ekugqibeleni, kuthethwa ngoPawulos njengoya eNikopolis, kumntla-ntshona weGrisi, ekubonakala ukuba kulapho wabanjwa khona okokugqibela waza waya kuvalelwa eRoma waza wabulawa. Kwakusebudeni bolu tyelelo lwaseKrete awathi uPawulos washiya khona uTito ukuze ‘ahambise ukuzilungisa izinto eziseleyo, amise amadoda amakhulu kwimizi ngemizi,’ ngokuvisisana nemiyalelo awayeyinike uTito. Kubonakala ukuba incwadi kaPawulos yayibhalwe kungekudala emva kokuba eshiye uTito eKrete, ekunokwenzeka ukuba wayibhala eseMakedoni. (Tito 1:5; 3:12; 1 Tim. 1:3; 2 Tim. 4:13, 20) Kubonakala ukuba yaphumeza injongo enjengaleyo yaphunyezwa yeyokuQala kuTimoti, eyile, ukukhuthaza lowo wayebulaleka kunye noPawulos nokumnika igunya lokumxhasa ekwenzeni imisebenzi yakhe.

 4. Kumele ukuba incwadi eya kuTito yabhalwa nini, yaye bubuphi ubungqina bobunyaniso bayo?

⁴ Kusenokuba uPawulos wayibhala le ncwadi ngaxa lithile phakathi kokuvalelwa kwakhe entolongweni okokuqala nokwesibini eRoma, okanye malunga nowama-61 ukuya kowama-64 C.E. Ubungqina obunamandla bobunyaniso bencwadi kaTito buyafana nobo beencwadi ezabhalwa ngelo xesha ezazisiya kuTimoti, ezi ncwadi zintathu zeBhayibhile ngokufuthi zibizwa ngokuba “ziincwadi zokwalusa” zikaPawulos. Zibhalwe ngohlobo olufanayo. UIrenaeus no-Origen bobabini bayacaphula kuTito, yaye nezinye iincwadi ezininzi zamandulo ziyakungqina ukuba le ncwadi iyinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele. Iyafumaneka kwiMibhalo-ngqangi yaseSinayi neyakwa-Alesandire. KuMzi Wokugcina iiNcwadi iJohn Rylands kukho isiqwenga sombhalo-ngqangi, iP³², eliphepha lecodex enokuba yeyenkulungwane yesithathu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo equlethe uTito 1:11-15 nesesi-2:3-8.c Akukho mathandabuzo ukuba le ncwadi iyinxalenye yokwenyaniso yeZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo.

OKUQULETHWE YEKATITO

 5. (a) Ziziphi iimfaneleko zabaveleli uPawulos azigxininisayo, yaye kutheni oku kuyimfuneko nje? (b) Kutheni uTito emele aluleke kabukhali, yaye kuthiwani ngabantu abangahlambulukanga?

⁵ Abaveleli mabavuselele ngayo imfundiso ephilileyo (1:1-16). Emva kombuliso wothando, uPawulos wandlala iimfaneleko zabaveleli. Kuye kwagxininiswa kwelokuba umveleli umele abe “ngongenakumangaleleka,” umthandi wokulungileyo, elilungisa, enyanisekile, “ebambelele ezwini elithembekileyo ngokwemfundiso, ukuze abe nako ukuvuselela ngayo imfundiso ephilileyo, nokubohlwaya badane abaphikayo.” Oku kuyimfuneko ngenxa yabo ‘bangabakhohlisi’ abathi izindlu ziphela bazibhukuqe ngenxa yenzuzo embi. Ngoko uTito umele ‘abohlwaye kabukhali, badane, ukuze baphile elukholweni; banganyamekeli zintsomi zabuYuda.’ Abantu abangahlambulukanga basenokukuvakalisa ekuhleni ukuba bayamazi uThixo, kodwa bemkhanyela ngemisebenzi yabo yokungathobeli.—1:6-10, 13, 14.

 6. Liliphi icebiso elinikelwayo ngehambo yamaKristu?

⁶ Ukuhlala uphaphile engqondweni, unobulungisa nokuhlonela uThixo (2:1–3:15). Amadoda nabafazi abakhulu bafanele bandileke baze babe nesidima. Abafazana bafanele bawathande awabo amadoda nabantwana babo baze bawathobele awabo amadoda “ukuze ilizwi likaThixo linganyeliswa.” Amadoda asematsha afanele abe yimizekelo yemisebenzi emihle nentetho ephilileyo. Ngokuthobela amakhoboka afanele abonakalise ukuba ‘angakholekileyo kakuhle ezintweni zonke.’ Ubabalo lukaThixo, olukhokelela elusindisweni, luye lwabonakaliswa, lukhuthaza ukuba sihlale ngokunesidima, ngobulungisa nangokuhlonela uThixo kwabo uThixo aye wabahlambulula ngoKristu Yesu ukuba babe ‘ngabantu abangabakhe, abazondelela imisebenzi emihle.’—2:5, 10, 14.

 7. Yintoni uPawulos awayigxininisayo ngokunxulumene nokuthobela, usindiso nemisebenzi emihle?

⁷ UPawulos ugxininisa imfuneko yokuzithoba nokuthobela oorhulumente ‘nokubonakalisa ubulali kubantu bonke.’ UPawulos namaKristu angoowabo babekhe bangabantu ababi njengabanye abantu. Kungengamisebenzi yabo, kodwa ngenxa yobubele, uthando nenceba kaThixo, baye basindiswa ngomoya oyingcwele baze baziindlalifa zethemba lobomi obungunaphakade. Ngoko abo bakholwayo kuThixo bafanele “banyameke, benze imisebenzi emihle.” Bafanele bazinxweme kwimibuzo ebubudenge neempikiswano ezingoMthetho, yaye bafanele bammangale umntu okhuthaza ihlelo, emva kokumluleka kanye nakabini. UPawulos ucela uTito ukuba eze kuye eNikopolis yaye, emva kokumnika eminye imiyalelo engobuvangeli basemazweni, kwakhona ugxininisa imfuneko yemisebenzi emihle, ukuze bangabi ngabangenasiqhamo.—3:2, 7, 8.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO

 8. Yintoni ‘entle neyingenelo’ kuthi namhlanje ngesiluleko sikaPawulos esikwincwadi eya kuTito, yaye ngoba?

⁸ AmaKristu aseKrete ayephila kwimekobume yokuxoka, yokonakala neyokubawa. Ngaba ayefanele alandele umndilili? Okanye ngaba kwakufuneka ethabathe amanyathelo angqalileyo okuzahlula ngokupheleleyo ukuze akhonze njengabantu abamkelekileyo kuYehova uThixo? Ngokwazisa ngoTito ukuba amaKrete afanele “anyameke, enze imisebenzi emihle,” uPawulos wathi: “Ezo zinto zintle, zinokubanceda abantu.” Nanamhlanje ‘zintle yaye ziluncedo’ kwihlabathi elizike kumgxobhozo wokunganyaniseki noqheliselo lokungathembeki, kangangokuba amaKristu okwenyaniso ‘afunda ukwenza imisebenzi emihle,’ aze abe nganesiqhamo enkonzweni kaThixo. (3:8, 14) Konke ukukugatya kukaPawulos ukuziphatha okubi ngokwesini nobungendawo okwakusongela amabandla aseKrete kusisilumkiso kuthi ngoku xa ‘ubabalo lukaThixo lusiqeqesha ukuze sikuncame ukungahloneli Thixo nokukhanuka okukokwehlabathi size sihlale ngokunesidima nangobulungisa nangokuhlonel’ uThixo kule nkqubo yezinto.’ Kwakhona amaKristu afanele “awulungele wonke umsebenzi olungileyo” ngokubonakalisa ukubathobela oorhulumente, elondoloza isazela esilungileyo.—2:11, 12; 3:1.

 9. Ukubaluleka kwemfundiso elungileyo kugxininiswa njani, ingakumbi njengembopheleleko yomveleli?

⁹ UTito 1:5-9 uxhasa eyoku-1 kuTimoti 3:2-7 ngokubonisa oko umoya oyingcwele ukufunayo kubaveleli. Oku kugxininisa elokuba abaveleli ‘babambelele elizwini elithembekileyo’ baze bafundise ebandleni. Enjani yona indlela ekuyimfuneko ngayo oku ukuze bonke bafikelele kwelokukhula! Enyanisweni, le mfuneko yemfundiso ephilileyo igxininiswa izihlandlo eziliqela kwincwadi eya kuTito. UPawulos uyala uTito ukuba ‘athethe izinto eziyifaneleyo imfundiso ephilileyo.’ Abafazi abakhulu bafanele “bafundise okuhle,” yaye amakhoboka afanele ‘ayivathise imfundiso yomsindisi wawo, uThixo ezintweni zonke.’ (Tito 1:9; 2:1, 3, 10) Egxininisa imfuneko yokuba uTito njengomveleli aqine aze angabi naloyiko ekufundiseni kwakhe, uPawulos uthi: “Ezi zinto zithethe, uvuselele, wohlwaye ngawo wonke ummiselo.” Yaye kwimeko yabo bangathobeliyo uthi: “Bohlwaye kabukhali, badane, ukuze baphile elukholweni.” Ngaloo ndlela, incwadi kaPawulos eya kuTito ngokukhethekileyo ‘incedela ukufundisa, ukohlwaya, ukululeka, ukuqeqesha okusebulungiseni.’—Tito 2:15; 1:13; 2 Tim. 3:16.

10. Incwadi eya kuTito isikhuthazela entwenini, yaye ivuselela liphi ithemba elivuyisayo?

¹⁰ Incwadi eya kuTito ikhulisa uxabiso lwethu ngobabalo lukaThixo ize isikhuthaze ukuba sikuphephe ukungahloneli Thixo kwehlabathi ‘ngoxa silinde ithemba elinoyolo, nembonakalo yobuqaqawuli boThixo omkhulu, uMsindisi wethu uYesu Kristu.’ Ngokwenjenjalo, abo baye bavakaliswa bengamalungisa ngoKristu Yesu basenokuba “ziindlalifa zobomi obungunaphakade ngokwethemba” eBukumkanini bukaThixo.—Tito 2:13; 3:7.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]