USila—Umthombo Wesikhuthazo

KUSUKELA ekuqaleni komlando wobuKristu, umsebenzi wababonisi abajikelezayo abathembekile wawubalulekile kokubili ekukhuthazeni amabandla abantu bakaNkulunkulu nasekusakazeni izindaba ezinhle ezingxenyeni eziqhele kakhulu zomhlaba. Phakathi kwababonisi bokuqala abamiswa kwakunoSila, umprofethi nelungu eliholayo ebandleni laseJerusalema. Wayenendima eyinhloko ezenzakalweni ezibalulekile emsebenzini wokushumayela futhi wayengesinye sezithunywa zevangeli ezaqala ukushumayela ivangeli ensimini yaseYurophu. Yini eyenza uSila ngokukhethekile ukuba akufanelekele kahle ukwenza konke lokhu? Futhi iziphi izici zobuntu bakhe esingenza kahle ukuzilingisa?

Udaba Lokusoka

Lapho kuphakama udaba lokusoka olwalungase lubangele ukuhlukana ngo-49 C.E., indikimba ebusayo eJerusalema yayidinga ukuyisa isiqondiso esicacile kuwo wonke amaKristu ukuze kuxazululwe lolu daba. Kulezi zimo, uSila, owayebizwa nangokuthi uSilvanu, uyavela embhalweni weBhayibheli. Kungenzeka ukuthi wayengomunye wababenza izinqumo owabe esekhethwa ukuba abe isithunywa ‘sabaphostoli namadoda amadala’ ukuze adlulisele isinqumo sabo ‘kubazalwane e-Antiyokiya naseSiriya naseKhilikhiya.’ E-Antiyokiya, uSila noJuda (uBarsaba), behamba noBarnaba noPawulu, bethula umyalezo ababewuphethe, ngokusobala owawuchaza ngomlomo lokho okwakwenzeke emhlanganweni waseJerusalema, iziphetho ezazifinyelelwe nalokho okwakuqukethwe incwadi. Babuye ‘bakhuthaza abazalwane ngezinkulumo eziningi futhi babaqinisa.’ Umphumela ojabulisayo waba ukuthi amaKristu ase-Antiyokiya “ajabula.”—IzEnzo 15:1-32.

Ngakho, uSila waba nengxenye ebalulekile ekuxazululeni lolu daba olusemqoka. Kodwa isabelo sakhe sasingelula. Yayingekho indlela yokwazi ukuthi ibandla lase-Antiyokiya lalizosabela kanjani kulokho okwase kunqunyiwe. Ngakho, omunye umhlaziyi uthi: “Sasidinga othile onokuhlakanipha okukhulu nekhono ukuze achaze lokho okwakubhalwe abaphostoli encwadini yabo.” Ukukhethwa kukaSila ukuba asingathe lesi sabelo esibucayi kusitshela okuthile ngohlobo lomuntu okumelwe ukuba wayeyilo. Kwakungathenjelwa kuye ekwethuleni iziqondiso zendikimba ebusayo ngokwethembeka. Kumelwe futhi ukuba wayengumbonisi ohlakaniphile ongaba nethonya lokubuyisana lapho ibandla lisongelwa izimpikiswano.

Ukuhamba NoPawulu

Ukuthi uSila wabuyela eJerusalema ngemva kwaleso sabelo noma cha akwaziwa. Kunoma ikuphi, ngemva kokuxabana kukaBarnaba noPawulu ngokuphathelene noJohane Marku, uPawulu wakhetha uSila, owayese-Antiyokiya ngaleso sikhathi, ukuze bathathe uhambo olusha ekuqaleni olwaluhloselwe ukubuyela emizini uPawulu ayeshumayele kuyo phakathi nohambo lwakhe lokuqala lwezithunywa zevangeli.—IzEnzo 15:36-41.

Kungenzeka ukuthi ukukhethwa kukaSila kwakuthonywe isimo sakhe sengqondo esihle ngokusebenza kwabeZizwe nangegunya yena njengomprofethi nomkhulumeli wendikimba ebusayo ayengaba nalo ekudluliseleni izinqumo kwabakholwayo eSiriya naseKhilikhiya. Kwaba nemiphumela emihle kakhulu. Incwadi yezEnzo iyalandisa: “Manje njengoba babehamba bedabula imizi babenikeza labo abalapho izinqumo ezazinqunywe abaphostoli namadoda amadala ababeseJerusalema ukuba bazigcine. Ngakho-ke, ngempela, amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa okholweni futhi anda ngesibalo usuku nosuku.”—IzEnzo 16:4, 5.

Njengoba lezi zithunywa zevangeli ziqhubeka nohambo lwazo, umoya ongcwele wazichezukisa kabili endleleni ezazihlele ukuhamba kuyo. (IzEnzo 16:6, 7) Endleleni kwanezelwa uThimothewu, eListra, ngemva ‘kwezibikezelo’ ezingachaziwe ezaziphathelene naye. (1 Thimothewu 1:18; 4:14) Ngombono owabonwa uPawulu, naye owayenesipho sokuprofetha, laba bantu ababehamba ndawonye baqondiswa ukuba bahambe ngomkhumbi baye eMakedoniya, eYurophu.—IzEnzo 16:9, 10.

Washaywa Waboshwa

EFilipi, ‘eyayiwumuzi oyinhloko wesifunda,’ uSila wabhekana nosizi olungenakulitshalwa. Ngemva kokuba uPawulu exoshe umoya wokubhula entombazaneni eyisigqila, lapho abaniniyo bebona ukuthi babelahlekiselwe umthombo wenzuzo yabo, bahudulela uSila noPawulu phambi kwezimantshi zakulowo muzi. Ngenxa yalokho, babhekana nehlazo lokwethulwa emphakathini njengabenzi bokubi, badatshulelwa izingubo zabo zangaphandle futhi bashaywa ngezinduku esigcawini.—IzEnzo 16:12, 16-22.

Akukhona nje ukuthi ukubhambabulwa okunjalo kwakuyisijeziso esesabekayo, esikuvivinya kakhulu ukukhuthazela kobuntu, kodwa endabeni kaPawulu noSila, kwakungekho ngokomthetho. Ngani? Imithetho yaseRoma yayimise ukuthi asikho isakhamuzi saseRoma esasingashaywa. UPawulu wayeyisakhamuzi saseRoma, futhi cishe kwakunjalo nangoSila. Ngemva kokuba sebebashaye “amagalelo amaningi,” uPawulu noSila baphonswa etilongweni lapho izinyawo zabo zaboshelwa ezingongolweni. Lena “kwakuyinto eyesabekayo,” kuchaza uGustav Stählin, “lapho izinyawo zeziboshwa zazigxamalaziswa kakhulu ngendlela ababefuna ngayo, ngendlela yokuzivimbela ukuba zingalali.” Nokho, phakathi nobusuku, ngokungangabazeki imihlane yabo igcwele amanxeba abuhlungu, “oPawulu noSila babethandaza futhi bedumisa uNkulunkulu ngengoma.”—IzEnzo 16:23-25.

Lokhu kusitshela okunye ngobuntu bukaSila. Wayejabula ngoba babehlupheka ngenxa yegama likaKristu. (Mathewu 5:11, 12; 24:9) Ngokusobala wumoya ofanayo owawenze uSila nalabo ayehamba nabo ohambweni lwangaphambili lwase-Antiyokiya baphumelela ekukhuthazeni nasekuqiniseni ibandla, benza amaKristu akanye nabo ajabula. Kumelwe ukuba injabulo kaPawulu noSila yanda lapho bekhululwa ngokuyisimangaliso etilongweni ngokuzamazama komhlaba futhi bakwazi ukusiza umgcini wejele owayefuna ukuzibulala nomkhaya wakhe ukuba babe nokholo kuNkulunkulu.—IzEnzo 16:26-34.

Akekho phakathi kukaPawulu noSila owesatshiswa ukubhambabulwa nokuboshwa. Lapho kuthunyelwa izwi lokuba bakhululwe, benqaba ukuphuma ngesinyelela behlazekile eFilipi, njengoba izimantshi zazilindele. Baqina baphendukela lezo zikhulu ezizidlayo nezingomashiqela. “Basibhambabule obala singalahlwanga icala, singabantu abangamaRoma, basiphonsa etilongweni; futhi manje basikhiphela ngaphandle ngasese?” kubuza uPawulu. “Ngeke, impela! kodwa mabeze bona bazosikhipha.” Zisaba imiphumela yalokhu, izimantshi zazithola ziphoqelekile ukuncenga laba ababili ukuba bamuke kulowo muzi.—IzEnzo 16:35-39.

Ngemva kokugcizelela ngaleyo ndlela amalungelo abo njengamaRoma ezingqondweni zeziphathi-mandla, uPawulu noSila benza ngokuvumelana nesicelo sezimantshi—kodwa ngemva kokuvalelisa abangane babo. Ngokuvumelana nalokho okwase kuyisici salo lonke uhambo lokushumayela, uSila noPawulu baphinde “bakhuthaza” abazalwane babe sebehamba.—IzEnzo 16:40.

Ukusuka EMakedoniya Ukuya EBabiloni

Bengadikibalisiwe yilokho okwakungase kube okuhlangenwe nakho okubi, uPawulu, uSila nabanye ababehamba nabo baqhubekela emasimini amasha ezithunywa zevangeli. EThesalonika babuye babhekana nobunzima. Ngenxa yokuphumelela kukaPawulu enkonzweni yakhe ngesikhathi esingamaSabatha amathathu, abaphikisi abanomona benza isixuku savuka indlobane, kwaze kwabonakala kuwukuhlakanipha ngezithunywa zevangeli ukuba ziphume ebusuku kulowo muzi. Zahlabela phambili zaya eBereya. Lapho abaphikisi bezwa ngalokho okwakufezwa uPawulu nalabo ayehamba nabo kulowo muzi, beza bevela eThesalonika. UPawulu waqhubeka nohambo eyedwa, kuyilapho uSila noThimothewu basala eBereya ukuze banakekele iqembu labantu ababesanda kuthakazela. (IzEnzo 17:1-15) USila noThimothewu babuye balandela uPawulu eKorinte, bephethe izindaba ezinhle cishe nesipho esivela kubangane abathembekile baseMakedoniya. Kumelwe ukuba lokhu kwenza lo mphostoli oswele wakwazi ukuyeka umsebenzi wokuziphilisa ayesewenza okwesikhashana, futhi wabuyela ekushumayeleni ngentshiseko isikhathi esigcwele. (IzEnzo 18:1-5; 2 Korinte 11:9) EKorinte, uSila noThimothewu kubhekiselwa nakubo njengabashumayeli bevangeli nabantu abahambisana noPawulu. Ngakho kusobala ukuthi abazange bayekethise emsebenzini wabo nakulowo muzi.—2 Korinte 1:19.

Ukusetshenziswa kwamazwi asebuningini ezincwadini ezaziya kwabaseThesalonika—zombili ezabhalelwa eKorinte ngaleso sikhathi—kuye kwathathwa njengokusho ukuthi uSila noThimothewu baba nengxenye ekubhalweni kwazo. Nokho, umqondo wokuthi uSila wahlanganyela emsebenzini wokubhala usekelwe ngokuyinhloko kulokho uPetru akushoyo ngenye yezincwadi zakhe. UPetru uthi wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eseBabiloni “ngoSilvanu, umfowethu okholekile.” (1 Petru 5:12, 13) Nakuba lokhu kungase kusho nje ukuthi uSilvanu wayephathiswe leyo ncwadi, ukungafani kwendlela yokubhala ezincwadini ezimbili zikaPetru kungase kubonise ukuthi wasebenzisa uSila njengonobhala ekubhaleni incwadi yokuqala kodwa hhayi eyesibili. Ngakho, elinye lamakhono kaSila amaningi namalungelo angokwasezulwini mhlawumbe kwakungelokuba unobhala.

Isibonelo Sokulingiswa

Lapho sihlola izinto esaziyo ukuthi uSila wazenza, umlando wakhe uhlaba umxhwele. Uyisibonelo esihle kakhulu ezithunyweni zevangeli nakubabonisi abajikelezayo bosuku lwanamuhla. Wahlanganisa ngokungenabugovu amabanga amade ayehilela ukuzidela okuphawulekayo kuye, engakwenzeli ukuzuza izinto ezibonakalayo noma ukuhlonishwa, kodwa ukuze asize abanye. Inhloso yakhe yayiwukubakhuthaza ngeseluleko esihlakaniphile nesinikezwa ngekhono, ngezinkulumo ezilungiselelwe kahle nezifudumele, nangentshiseko yakhe enkonzweni yasensimini. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi unayiphi indima phakathi kwabantu bakaJehova abahlelekile, uma ngokufanayo usebenzela ukuba nesimo esihle—ngisho nalapho usekuhluphekeni—nawe uyoba umthombo wesikhuthazo kokholwa nabo.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 29]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Uhambo Lwesibili LukaPawulu Lwezithunywa Zevangeli

ULwandle Olukhulu

I-Antiyokiya

IDerbe

IListra

I-Ikoniyu

ITrowa

IFilipi

I-Amfipholi

IThesalonika

IBereya

I-Athene

IKorinte

I-Efesu

IJerusalema

IKesariya

[Umthombo]

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