Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-52—1 Thesalonika

Umlobi: UPawulu

Yalotshelwa: EKorinte

Ukuloba Kwaphela: Cishe ngo-50 C.E.

 1. (a) Incwadi yokuQala KwabaseThesalonika yalotshwa kanjani? (b) Lokhu kwakunini, futhi ngaleyondlela yikuphi ukuqhama lencwadi enakho?

CISHE kwakungonyaka ka-50 C.E. lapho umphostoli uPawulu, phakathi nohambo lwakhe lwesibili lokushumayela, evakashela khona umuzi waseMakedoniya eThesalonika futhi wamisa khona ibandla lobuKristu. Phakathi nesikhathi esingangonyaka, eseKorinte ehamba noSilvanu (uSila encwadini yezEnzo) noThimothewu, uPawulu washukunyiselwa ukuba abhale incwadi yakhe yokuqala eya kwabaseThesalonika ukuze abaduduze futhi abakhe okholweni. Ngokunokwenzeka kwakusekupheleni kuka-50 C.E. Ngokusobala lencwadi ivelele ngokuba eyokuqala ezincwadini zikaPawulu ukuba ibe sohlwini lwezincwadi zeBhayibheli, futhi mhlawumbe ngaphandle kweVangeli likaMathewu, iyincwadi yokuqala yemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ukuba ilotshwe.

 2. Yibuphi ubufakazi obukhona ngomlobi nobuqiniso bencwadi yokuQala KwabaseThesalonika?

² Ubufakazi obusekela ubuqiniso nobuqotho balencwadi buningi kakhulu. UPawulu uzibiza ngokwakhe ngegama njengomlobi wayo, futhi ngaphakathi lencwadi ivumelana nalo lonke iZwi eliphefumlelwe. (1 Thes. 1:⁠1; 2:​18) Lencwadi ibizwa ngegama ezinhlwini eziningi zokuqala zemiBhalo ephefumlelwe, kuhlanganise noCezu LukaMuratori.a Incwadi yabaseThesalonika bokuQala iyacashunwa noma kubhekiselwe kuyo ngabaningi babalobi bezenkolo bokuqala, kuhlanganise noIrenaeus (wekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E.), ogagula ngegama. IChester Beatty Papyrus No. 2 (P⁴⁶), cishe yango-200 C.E., iqukethe incwadi yokuQala KwabaseThesalonika, futhi enye ipapyrus yekhulu lesithathu leminyaka (P³⁰), manje eseGhent, eBelgium, iqukethe izingxenye zencwadi yokuQala neyesiBili KwabaseThesalonika.b

 3, 4. Waba yini umphumela wokuphumelela kokuqala kwenkonzo kaPawulu eThesalonika?

³ Ukubheka umlando omfushane webandla laseThesalonika, ngaphambi kokulotshwa kwalencwadi, kuveza isizathu sokukhathalela kukaPawulu okujulile abazalwane kulowomuzi. Kusukela khona kanye ekuqaleni, ibandla labhekana nokushushiswa nokuphikiswa okunzima. KuzEnzo isahluko 17, uLuka ubika ngokufika kukaPawulu noSila eThesalonika, “lapho kwakukhona isinagoge labaJuda.” AmaSabatha amathathu, uPawulu wabashumayeza, ebonisana nabo ngemiBhalo, futhi kunezinkomba zokuthi wahlala lapho isikhathi eside kunalesi, ngoba waba nesikhathi sokwenza umsebenzi wakhe wokuziphilisa, futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke, sokuba amise futhi ahlele ibandla.​—⁠IzE. 17:⁠1; 1 Thes. 2:⁠9; 1:​6, 7.

⁴ Umbhalo okuzEnzo 17:​4-⁠7 ulandisa ngokukhanyayo ngomphumela wokushumayela komphostoli eThesalonika. Enomhawu ngokuphumelela kwenkonzo kaPawulu yobuKristu, amaJuda asusa isiyaluyalu phakathi kwabantu futhi axokozelisa umuzi. Ahlasela indlu kaJasoni futhi amhudulela yena kanye nabanye abazalwane kubaphathimuzi, ememeza: “Laba abayaluzisa izwe lonke sebefikile nalapha, uJasoni ubamukele; bonke laba benza okuphambene nezimiso zikaKesari, bethi kukhona enye inkosi, nguJesu.” UJasoni nabanye baphoqelelwa ukuba bakhiphe isibambiso ngaphambi kokuba bakhululwe. Ngenxa yabazalwane ebandleni, nangenxa yokulondeka kwabo siqu, uPawulu noSila bayiswa eBereya ebusuku. Kodwa ibandla laseThesalonika manje lase limisiwe.

 5. UPawulu wakubonisa kanjani ukukhathalela kwakhe nesithakazelo sothando ngebandla laseThesalonika?

⁵ Ukuphikisa okunzima okuvela kumaJuda kwamlandela uPawulu eBereya futhi kwasongela ukuvimbela ukushumayela kwakhe lapho. Khona-ke wabe esedlulela eAthene, eGrisi. Nalapha wayesakulangazelela ukwazi ukuthi abazalwane bakhe baseThesalonika babeqhubeka kanjani ngaphansi kokuhlupheka. Wazama kabili ukubuyela kubo, kodwa isikhathi ngasinye ‘uSathane wamvimbela.’ (1 Thes. 2:​17, 18) Ekhathazekile ngebandla eliselisha futhi ekuqaphela kabuhlungu ukuhlupheka elalibhekene nakho, uPawulu wathumela uThimothewu ukuba abuyele eThesalonika ayoduduza abazalwane futhi abaqinise ngokwengeziwe okholweni. Lapho uThimothewu ebuya nombiko wakhe othokozisayo, uPawulu wajabula kakhulu ngezindaba zobuqotho babo obungantengantengi naphezu koshushiso lobudlova. Umlando wabo manje wawusuyisibonelo kwabakholwayo kulo lonke elaseMakedoniya naseAkhaya. (1:​6-⁠8; 3:​1-⁠7) UPawulu wabonga uJehova uNkulunkulu ngokukhuthazela kwabo kokwethembeka, kodwa futhi waqaphela ukuthi njengoba babeqhubeka bekhulela ekuvuthweni, babeyodinga isiqondiso esiqhubekayo neseluleko. Ngakho-ke, lapho eseKorinte kanye noThimothewu noSilvanu, uPawulu wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eyayiya kwabaseThesalonika.

OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI YOKUQALA KWABASETHESALONIKA

 6. Yikuphi uPawulu abatusa kukho abaseThesalonika?

⁶ AbaseThesalonika bayisibonelo kwabanye abakholwayo (1:​1-10). UPawulu uqalisa incwadi yakhe eya kwabaseThesalonika ngokubatusa ngokufudumele ngomsebenzi wabo wokuthembeka, umsebenzi wothando, nokukhuthazela ethembeni. Ivangeli elashunyayelwa kubo alizange libe ngezwi kuphela kodwa ‘nangamandla nangokwethemba.’ Belingisa isibonelo abanikezwa sona, abaseThesalonika babamukele izwi “ngokuthokoza kukaMoya oNgcwele” futhi bona ngokwabo babebe isibonelo kubo bonke abakholwayo eMakedoniya, eAkhaya, ngisho nakude. Babezishiye ngokuphelele izithombe zabo, ‘ukuba bakhonze uNkulunkulu ophilayo weqiniso, balindele iNdodana yakhe ivela ezulwini.’​—⁠1:​5, 6, 9, 10.

 7. Yisiphi isimo sengqondo uPawulu nabangane bakhe ababesibonisile ngenkathi besenabaseThesalonika, futhi babebayale ukuba benzeni?

⁷ Ukukhathalela kukaPawulu kothando ngabaseThesalonika (2:​1–3:​13). Ngemva kokuphathwa kabi eFilipi, uPawulu nabangane bakhe baba nesibindi sokushumayela kwabaseThesalonika. Lokhu abakwenzanga njengabathokozisa abantu noma njengabathophayo noma njengabafuna ukutuswa abantu. Ngokuphambene, kusho uPawulu, “saba-mnene phakathi kwenu njengokuba umdlezane ondla abantwana bakhe. Ngokunjalo lokhu besinilangazelele, sasifuna ukuninika kungesilo ivangeli likaNkulunkulu kuphela kepha nokuphila kwethu uqobo, ngokuba nase ningabathandekayo kithina.” (2:​7, 8) Baqhubeka benxusa abaseThesalonika, njengoba kwenza uyise kubantwana bakhe, ukuba baqhubeke behamba ngokufaneleyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu, owayebabizela eMbusweni nasenkazimulweni yakhe.

 8. AbaseThesalonika babebe kanjani injabulo kuPawulu, futhi yini ayithandazeleyo ngabo?

⁸ UPawulu uyabatusa ngokwamukela kwabo ngokushesha izindaba ezinhle ngalokho eziyikho, ‘izwi likaNkulunkulu.’ Ababodwa ekushushisweni abesizwe sakubo, ngoba abokuqala abakholwayo eJudiya bashushiswa ngokufanayo amaJuda. Ekhathalela inhlala-kahle yabo, uPawulu, izikhathi ezimbili, wafuna ukuza kubo ngokwakhe kodwa wathiywa uSathane. KuPawulu nezisebenzi ezikanye naye, abazalwane baseThesalonika bawumqhele wokujabula, ‘udumo lwabo nokuthokoza kwabo.’ (2:​13, 20, qhathanisa neNW.) Engasenakukubekezelela ukungezwa lutho ngokuphathelene nabo, uPawulu wathumela uThimothewu eThesalonika ukuba aqinise ukholo lwabo futhi abaduduze. Manje uThimothewu usanda kubuya nezindaba ezinhle zokuchuma kwabo ngokomoya nothando, futhi lokhu kuye kwalethela umphostoli induduzo nokuthokoza. UPawulu ubonga uNkulunkulu futhi uthandazela ukuba iNkosi ibanike ukwanda, ukuba bachichime othandweni omunye komunye, nokuba izinhliziyo zabo “zingabi-nakusoleka ebungcweleni” phambi kukaNkulunkulu uBaba ekufikeni kweNkosi uJesu.​—⁠3:⁠13.

 9. Yini uPawulu ayala ngayo ngokuphathelene nobungcwele nothando omunye komunye?

⁹ Ukukhonza ngobungcwele nangokuhlonipha (4:​1-12). UPawulu utusa abaseThesalonika ngokuhamba ngendlela ethokozisa uNkulunkulu, futhi ubayala ukuba bavame kakhulu kulokho. Ngamunye “[kufanele] akwazi ukuhlala nomkakhe ngobungcwele nangokuhlonipha, kungabi-ngokushisa kwenkanuko.” Kulokhu, akukho muntu okumelwe aphambe umfowabo. Ngoba uNkulunkulu akababizelanga “amanyala, kepha wa[ba]bizela ebungcweleni. Ngakho-ke owalayo akali umuntu, kepha wala uNkulunkulu.” (4:​4, 5, 7, 8) UPawulu utusa abaseThesalonika ngoba babonisana uthando omunye nomunye, futhi ubayala ukuba bavame nokuvama kulokho, bakhuthalele ukuhlala ngokuthula futhi banake okwabo futhi basebenze ngezandla zabo. Ngoba kumelwe bahambe ngokufaneleyo “kwabangaphandle.”​—⁠4:⁠12.

10. Yisiphi isimo sengqondo abazalwane okumelwe babe naso ngalabo abalele ekufeni?

¹⁰ Ithemba lovuko (4:​13-18). Ngokuphathelene nalabo abalele ekufeni, abazalwane kumelwe bangadabuki njengabangenalo ithemba. Uma bekholwa ukuthi uJesu wafa wabuye wavuka, ngokufanayo, uNkulunkulu ngoJesu uyovusa abanye abalele ekufeni. Ekufikeni kweNkosi, iyokwehla ezulwini ngezwi lenhlokomo, “nabafileyo kuKristu bayakuvuka kuqala.” Ngemva kwalokho, abasasele ‘bayakuhlwithwa emafwini, bahlangabeze iNkosi emoyeni,’ ukuba babe nayo iNkosi njalo.​—⁠4:​16, 17.

11. Kungani abaseThesalonika kumelwe baqwashe, futhi yini okumelwe baqhubeke beyenza?

¹¹ Ukuqwasha njengoba usuku lukaJehova lusondela (5:​1-28). “Usuku lweNkosi [“lukaJehova,” NW] luza njengesela ebusuku.” Abantu bayobe bethi “Ukuthula nokuhlala kahle!” lapho ukubhujiswa okuzumayo kubafikela ngokushesha. Ngakho-ke, abaseThesalonika mabaqwashe ‘njengabantwana bokukhanya nabantwana bemini,’ baqonde futhi “[ba]fake isivikelo sesifuba sokukholwa nesothando, isigqoko sibe-yithemba lokusindiswa.” (5:​2, 3, 5, 8) Lesi isikhathi sokuba baqhubeke bevuselelana futhi bakhana. Bonke “[maba]bazisise kakhulu othandweni” labo abasebenza kanzima nabengamelayo phakathi kwabo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abangahambi ngomthetho kumelwe balulekwe, ababuthakathaka bakhiwe, futhi bonke kumelwe baboniswe ukubekezela. Yebo, kubhala uPawulu, “jongani njalo ukwenza okuhle, omunye komunye nakubo bonke.”​—⁠5:​13, 15.

12. Yiziphi izindaba ezibalulekile uPawulu ekugcineni aluleka ngazo, futhi uyiphetha kanjani incwadi yakhe eya kwabaseThesalonika?

¹² Ekugcineni, uPawulu ululeka ngezinto eziningana ezibalulekile: ‘Thokozani njalo. Khulekani ningaphezi, nibonga ngakho konke. Londolozani umlilo womoya. Kuhlonipheni ukuprofetha. Vivinyani konke, nibambisise okuhle. Dedani kukho konke okubonakala kukubi.’ (5:​16-22) Khona-ke uthandazela ukuba yena kanye uNkulunkulu wokuthula abangcwelise ngokuphelele nokuba bahlale bengenacala emoyeni, emphefumlweni, nasemzimbeni ekufikeni kweNkosi uJesu Kristu. Uphetha incwadi ngamazwi afudumele esikhuthazo nesiyalezo esifungelwe sokuba incwadi ifundwe kubo bonke abazalwane.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO

13. UPawulu nabangane bakhe babeyisibonelo esihle kukuphi, futhi yimuphi umphumela ukubonakaliswa ngokuzithandela kothando okunawo ebandleni?

¹³ Kulencwadi uPawulu wabonakalisa umoya wokukhathalela kothando ngabazalwane bakhe. Yena nezikhonzi ezikanye naye babebeke isibonelo esihle sothando lomzwelo, bengadluliseli nje kuphela izindaba ezinhle zikaNkulunkulu kodwa benikela ngisho nangemiphefumulo yabo siqu ngenxa yabazalwane babo abathandekayo baseThesalonika. Bonke ababonisi mabazame ukwakha izibopho ezinjalo zothando emabandleni abo! Ukubonakaliswa okunjalo kothando kuyoshukumisela bonke ukuba babonise uthando komunye nomunye, njengoba ngisho noPawulu asho: “iNkosi ininike ukwanda nokuchichima othandweni, omunye komunye nakubo bonke, njengokuba sinjalo kinina.” Loluthando olubonakaliswa ngokuzithandela phakathi kwabo bonke abantu bakaNkulunkulu luyakha kakhulu. Lwenza ukuba izinhliziyo “[ziqine], zingabi-nakusoleka ebungcweleni phambi kukaNkulunkulu noBaba wethu ekufikeni [“ekubeni khona,” NW] kweNkosi yethu uJesu kanye nabangcwele bakhe bonke.” Lwenza amaKristu ahluke ezweni elonakele neliziphethe kabi ukuze ahambe ngobungcwele futhi kanjalo athokozise uNkulunkulu.​—⁠3:​12, 13; 2:⁠8; 4:​1-⁠8.

14. Kungayiphi indlela incwadi yokuQala KwabaseThesalonika iyisibonelo esihle kakhulu seseluleko sobuhlakani, sothando?

¹⁴ Lencwadi inikeza isibonelo esihle kakhulu seseluleko sobuhlakani, sothando ebandleni lobuKristu. Nakuba abazalwane baseThesalonika babeshiseka futhi bethembekile, kwakunezindawo okwakumelwe zilungiswe. Nokho, esimweni ngasinye uPawulu utusa abazalwane ngezimfanelo zabo ezinhle. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho exwayisa ngokungcola kokuziphatha, uqala ngokubatusa ngokuhamba ngendlela ethokozisa uNkulunkulu bese ebakhuthaza ukuba bavame “kakhulu kulokho,” ngamunye egcina isitsha sakhe ngobungcwele nangenhlonipho. Khona-ke, ngemva kokubatusa ngothando lwabo lobuzalwane, ubayala ukuba baqhubeke ngalendlela ‘bavame nokuvama,’ banake okwabo futhi baphile ukuphila okufaneleyo phambi kwalabo abangaphandle. Ngobuhlakani uPawulu uqondisa abazalwane bakhe ukuba ‘bajonge njalo ukwenza okuhle, omunye komunye nakubo bonke.’​—⁠4:​1-7, 9-12; 5:⁠15.

15. Yini ebonisa ukuthi uPawulu washumayela ithemba loMbuso ngentshiseko ngesikhathi eseThesalonika, futhi yisiphi iseluleko esihle asinikeza kulokhu?

¹⁵ Izikhathi ezine uPawulu ukhuluma ‘ngokufika’ kukaJesu Kristu. Ngokusobala amaKristu ayesand’ ukuphenduka aseThesalonika ayenesithakazelo esikhulu kulemfundiso. Esesemzini wawo, ngokungangabazeki uPawulu washumayela ngesibindi ngokuphathelene noMbuso kaNkulunkulu ezandleni zikaKristu, njengoba kuboniswa icala abekwa lona yena nabangane bakhe: “Bonke laba benza okuphambene nezimiso zikaKesari, bethi kukhona enye inkosi, nguJesu.” (IzE. 17:⁠7; 1 Thes. 2:​19; 3:​13; 4:​15; 5:​23) Abazalwane baseThesalonika babebeke ithemba labo eMbusweni, futhi benokholo kuNkulunkulu, babelindele “iNdodana yakhe ivela ezulwini, ayivusa kwabafileyo, uJesu,” ukuba abahlangulise olakeni oluzayo. Ngokufanayo, bonke abathembela eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu namuhla kumelwe balalele iseluleko esihle seyokuQala KwabaseThesalonika sokuba bavame othandweni, izinhliziyo zabo ziqinile futhi zingenacala, ukuze ‘bahambe ngokufaneleyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu obabizela embusweni nasebukhosini bakhe.’​—⁠1 Thes. 1:​8, 10; 3:​12, 13; 2:⁠12.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]