Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-48—KwabaseGalathiya
Umlobi: UPawulu
Yalotshelwa: EKorinte noma eAntiyokiya yaseSiriya
Ukuloba Kwaphela: Cishe ngo-50–52 C.E.
1. Imaphi amabandla okukhulunywa nawo encwadini yabaseGalathiya, futhi ahlelwa kanjani futhi nini?
AMABANDLA aseGalathiya uPawulu akhuluma nawo kwabaseGalathiya 1:2 ngokusobala ayehlanganisa iPhisidiya yaseAntiyokiya, i-Ikoniyu, iListra, neDerbe—izindawo ezisezifundeni ezihlukahlukene kodwa zonke ezikulesifundazwe saseRoma. IzEnzo izahluko 13 no-14 zikhuluma ngohambo lokuqala lukaPawulu noBarnaba lobuthunywa bevangeli bedabula lendawo, olwaholela ekuhlelweni kwamabandla aseGalathiya. Lamabandla ayakhiwa ingxubevange yamaJuda nabangewona amaJuda, ngokungangabazeki ababehlanganisa namaCelt noma amaGaul. Lokhu kwakungokushesha ngemva kokuvakashela kukaPawulu eJerusalema cishe ngo-46 C.E.—IzE. 12:25.
2. (a) Waba yini umphumela wohambo lwesibili lukaPawulu eGalathiya, kodwa yini eyalandela ngemva kwalokho? (b) Phakathi nalesikhathi, uPawulu waqhubeka kanjani nohambo lwakhe?
2 Ngonyaka ka-49 C.E., uPawulu noSila baqalisa uhambo lwesibili lukaPawulu lobuthunywa bevangeli ensimini yaseGalathiya, olwaphumela ‘ekuqinisweni kwamabandla okholweni nasekwandeni kwawo imihla ngemihla.’ (IzE. 16:5; 15:40, 41; 16:1, 2) Nokho, babelandelwa eduze abafundisi bamanga, ababeguqulela abanye ebuJudeni, abashukumisela abanye emabandleni aseGalathiya ukuba bakholelwe ukuthi ukusoka nokugcina uMthetho kaMose kwakuyizingxenye ezibalulekile zobuKristu beqiniso. Phakathi nalesikhathi uPawulu wayeqhubekile nohambo wadlula eMisiya waya eMakedoniya naseGrisi, ekugcineni wafika eKorinte, lapho achitha khona izinyanga ezingaphezu kwezingu-18 enabazalwane. Khona-ke, ngo-52 C.E., wahamba ngendlela yese-Efesu elibangise eAntiyokiya yaseSiriya, okwakuyilapho ayehlala khona, efika lapho ngawo lowonyaka.—IzE. 16:8, 11, 12; 17:15; 18:1, 11, 18-22.
3. Incwadi yabaseGalathiya kungenzeka ukuthi yalotshwa nini futhi kuphi?
3 UPawulu wayiloba ekuphi futhi nini incwadi eya kwabaseGalathiya? Ngokungangabazeki wayiloba ngokushesha lapho ezwa umbiko ophathelene nomsebenzi wabaguqulela abanye ebuJudeni. Lokhu kwakungaba seKorinte, e-Efesu, noma eAntiyokiya yaseSiriya. Kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi kwakungesikhathi sokuhlala kwakhe izinyanga ezingu-18 eKorinte, ngo-50-52 C.E., njengoba lokho kwaziswa kwakuyoba nesikhathi esanele sokumfica elapho kuvela eGalathiya. Akunakwenzeka ukuthi kwakuse-Efesu, njengoba ahlala khona isikhathi esifushane kuphela ekubuyeni kwakhe. Nokho, wabe ‘esehlala isikhathi esithile’ lapho ayehlala khona eAntiyokiya yaseSiriya, ngokusobala ehlobo lika-52 C.E., futhi njengoba kwakulula ukuxhumana phakathi kwalomuzi neAsia Minor, kungenzeka ukuthi wathola lombiko ophathelene nabaguqulela abanye abuJudeni futhi waloba incwadi yakhe eya kwabaseGalathiya eseAntiyokiya yaseSiriya ngalesikhathi.—IzE. 18:23.
4. Incwadi yabaseGalathiya yembulani ngokuqondene nobuphostoli bukaPawulu?
4 Lencwadi ichaza uPawulu ngokuthi “umphostoli ongaveli kubantu noma ngomuntu, kodwa ngoJesu Kristu noNkulunkulu uYise.” Futhi yembula amaqiniso amaningi ngokuphila kukaPawulu nobuphostoli bakhe, inikeza ubufakazi bokuthi, njengomphostoli, wasebenza ngokubambisana nabaphostoli eJerusalema nokuthi waze wasebenzisa ngisho negunya lakhe ekulungiseni omunye umphostoli, uPetru.—Gal. 1:1, 13-24; 2:1-14.
5. Imaphi amaqiniso afakazela ubuqiniso bencwadi yabaseGalathiya nokuba kwayo ingxenye yohlu lwezincwadi zeBhayibheli?
5 Imaphi amaqiniso afakazela ubuqiniso bencwadi yabaseGalathiya nokuba kwayo ingxenye yohlu lwezincwadi zeBhayibheli? Kubhekiselwa kuyo ngegama ezincwadini zikaIrenaeus, uClement waseAlexandria, uTertullian, nezikaOrigen. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ifakiwe emibhalweni yesandla yeBhayibheli ebalulekile elandelayo yezinga eliphezulu: iSinaitic, iAlexandrine, iVatican No. 1209, impinda yeCodex Ephraemi Syri, iCodex Bezae, neChester Beatty Papyrus No. 2 (P46). Ngaphezu kwalokho, ivumelana ngokuphelele nezinye izincwadi zemiBhalo YesiGreki kanye nemiBhalo YesiHeberu, ebhekisela kuyo kaningi.
6. (a) Imaphi amaphuzu amabili incwadi yabaseGalathiya ewavezayo? (b) Yini eyayingavamile ngokulotshwa kwalencwadi, futhi igcizelelani?
6 Encwadini yakhe enamandla eya “kuwo amabandla aseGalathiya,” uPawulu uveza ubufakazi bokuthi (1) ungumphostoli weqiniso (iqiniso ababefuna ukuliphikisa labo ababeguqulela abanye ebuJudeni) nokuthi (2) ukufaneleka kutholakala ngokholo kuKristu Jesu, hhayi ngemisebenzi yoMthetho, nokuthi ngalesosizathu ukusoka akudingekile kumaKristu. Nakuba kwakuyisiko likaPawulu ukuba nonobhala omlobela izincwadi zakhe, wayiloba yena ngokwakhe eyabaseGalathiya ‘ngezinhlamvu ezinkulu ngesakhe isandla.’ (6:11, qhathanisa neNW.) Okuqukethwe yilencwadi kwakubaluleke kakhulu, kokubili kuPawulu nakwabaseGalathiya. Lencwadi igcizelela ukwazisa ngenkululeko amaKristu eqiniso anayo ngoJesu Kristu.
OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI YABASEGALATHIYA
7, 8. (a) Iliphi iphuzu uPawulu alivezayo ngokuqondene nezindaba ezinhle? (b) UPawulu waqinisekiswa kanjani njengomphostoli kwabangasokile, futhi walibonisa kanjani igunya lakhe ngokuqondene noKhefase?
7 UPawulu uvikela ubuphostoli bakhe (1:1–2:14). Ngemva kokubingelela amabandla aseGalathiya, uPawulu uyamangala ngokuthi ashesha kangaka ukugudluzelwa kolunye uhlobo lwezindaba ezihle, futhi usho lokhu ngokuqinile: “Noma kungaba-yithina noma ingelosi evela ezulwini enishumayeza ivangeli eliphambene nalelo esanishumayeza lona, makabe-ngoqalekisiweyo.” Izindaba ezinhle aye wazishumayela aziyona into yabantu, futhi naye akazifundiswanga, ‘kepha uzitholé ngokwambulelwa uJesu Kristu.’ Ngaphambili, njengomlweli oshisekayo wobuJuda, uPawulu wayeshushise ibandla likaNkulunkulu, kodwa uNkulunkulu wambiza ngomusa waKhe ongamfanele ukuba amemezele izindaba ezinhle ngeNdodana kwabezizwe. Kwaze kwaba ngemva kweminyaka emithathu ephendukile lapho akhuphukela khona eJerusalema, futhi kubaphostoli, wabona uPetru kuphela kanye noJakobe umfowabo weNkosi. Amabandla aseJudiya ayengamazi ngokumbona, nakuba ayevame ukuzwa ngaye futhi “ayesedumisa uNkulunkulu” ngenxa yakhe.—1:8, 12, 24.
8 Ngemva kweminyaka engu-14 uPawulu waphinda wakhuphukela eJerusalema futhi wachaza ngasese izindaba ezinhle ayezishumayela. Lowo ayehambisana naye, uThithu, nakuba ayengumGreki, akuzange kudingeke nokuba asokwe. Lapho uJakobe noKhefase noJohane bebona ukuthi uPawulu wayephathise uThithu izindaba ezinhle ukuba aziyise kwabangasokiwe, njengoba noPetru ayeziphathele abasokiwe, bamukela uPawulu noBarnaba njengabanye babo ababezoya kwabezizwe, kuyilapho bona beya kwabasokiwe. Lapho uKhefase efika eAntiyokiya futhi ehluleka ukuhamba aqonde “ngokweqiniso levangeli” ngenxa yokwesaba isigaba sabasokiwe, uPawulu wamsola phambi kwabo bonke.—2:14.
9. Kushiwo ngasiphi isisekelo ukuthi umKristu ulungile?
9 Kuthiwa balungile ngokukholwa, hhayi ngomthetho (2:15–3:29). UPawulu uthi, thina maJuda siyazi “ukuthi umuntu [akuthiwa ulungile, NW] ngemisebenzi yomthetho, kuphela ngokukholwa nguKristu Jesu.” Manje uphila ebunyeni noKristu futhi ngokholo uphilela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu. “Uma ukulunga kuya ngomthetho, khona uKristu wafela ize.”—2:16, 21.
10. Yini ebalulekile ukuze umuntu athole isibusiso sikaNkulunkulu, ngakho yayiyini injongo yoMthetho?
10 Ingabe abaseGalathiya abanangqondo kangangokuthi bakholelwa ukuthi bangathi beqalé ngokwamukela umoya ngenxa yokholo, baqede ukukhonza uNkulunkulu ngemisebenzi yoMthetho? Okubalulekile ukuzwa ngokholo, njengoAbrahama, “[o]wakholwa nguNkulunkulu, kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi ngukulunga.” Manje, ngokwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu, “abokukholwa bayabusiswa kanye noAbrahama okholwayo.” Bakhululiwe esiqalekisweni soMthetho ngokufa kukaKristu esigxotsheni. UKristu uyiMbewu ka-Abrahama, futhi uMthetho owenziwa eminyakeni engu-430 kamuva awusiqedi isithembiso esiphathelene naleyoMbewu. Yayiyini-ke injongo yoMthetho? ‘Wawungumlayi wethu wokusiyisa kuKristu, ukuze kuthiwe silungile ngokukholwa.’ Manje asisekho ngaphansi komlayi, futhi manje awusekho umahluko phakathi komJuda nomGreki, ngoba bonke bamunye noKristu Jesu futhi ‘sebeyinzalo ka-Abrahama, bayizindlalifa ngokwesithembiso.’—3:6, 9, 24, 29.
11. (a) Ikuphi ukukhululwa abaseGalathiya abangakunaki? (b) UPawulu uyifanekisa kanjani inkululeko yomKristu?
11 Yimani niqinile enkululekweni yobuKristu (4:1–6:18). UNkulunkulu wathumela iNdodana yakhe ukuba izokhulula abangaphansi koMthetho, ‘ukuze bamukele ukuma kwamadodana.’ (4:5) Pho, kungani bebuyela ebugqilini bezinto eziphansi ezilulana nezingelutho? Njengoba manje abaseGalathiya sebegcina izinsuku nezinyanga nezikhathi neminyaka, uPawulu unovalo lokuthi umsebenzi wakhe abenzele wona ubé yize. Lapho ebavakashela okokuqala, bamukela uPawulu njengengelosi kaNkulunkulu. Ingabe manje usephenduke isitha sabo ngoba ebatshela iqiniso? Labo abathanda ukuba ngaphansi koMthetho mabezwe lokho uMthetho okushoyo: UAbrahama wathola amadodana amabili kwabesifazane ababili. Owesifazane wokuqala, incekukazi, uHagari, ufana nesizwe sakwaIsrayeli wenyama, esiboshelwe kuJehova ngesivumelwano soMthetho kaMose, okuyisivumelwano esizala abantwana bobugqila. Nokho, owesifazane okhululekile, uSara, ufana neJerusalema eliphezulu, uPawulu athi, ‘likhululekile, lona lingumame wethu.’ “Umbhalo uthini na?” kubuza uPawulu. Uthi: “Indodana yesigqilakazi ayisoze yalidla ifa kanye nendodana yokhululekileyo.” Thina-ke asisibo abantwana besigqilakazi, kodwa “singabokhululekileyo.”—4:30, 31.
12. (a) Yini manje abaseGalathiya okumelwe bahambe ngayo? (b) Imuphi umahluko obalulekile uPawulu awuvezayo?
12 Ukusoka noma ukungasoki akusho lutho, kuchaza uPawulu, kodwa okubalulekile ukholo olusebenza ngothando. Wonke uMthetho ugcwalisiwe kulesisho: “Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengokuba uzithanda wena.” Qhubekani nihamba ngomoya, ngoba “uma niholwa nguMoya, aniphansi komthetho.” Ngokuqondene nemisebenzi yenyama, uPawulu uxwayisa kusengaphambili “ukuthi abenza oku[njalo] abayikulidla ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu.” Ngokuphambene kakhulu, uchaza izithelo zomoya, okungekho mthetho omelene nazo, abese enezela: “Uma siphila ngoMoya, masihambe futhi ngoMoya” silahle ukuzazisa nomhawu.—5:14, 18, 21, 25.
13. Ugcwaliswa kanjani umthetho kaKristu, futhi yini okumelwe ikhathalelwe kakhulu?
13 Uma umuntu ethatha isinyathelo sokuphambuka engaqaphele, labo abafanelekayo ngokomoya kumelwe bazame ukumbuyisa “ngomoya wobumnene.” AmaKristu agcwalisa umthetho kaKristu ngokuthwalisana imithwalo, kodwa ngamunye kufanele azithwalele umthwalo wakhe ekubonakaliseni umsebenzi wakhe. Umuntu uyovuna lokho akutshalayo, ukonakala okuvela enyameni noma ukuphila okuphakade okuvela emoyeni. Labo abafuna ukuba abaseGalathiya basokwe bamane nje bafuna ukujabulisa abantu nokugwema ukushushiswa. Into yokukhathalelwa kakhulu ayikhona ukusoka noma ukungasoki, kodwa indalo entsha. Ukuthula nobubele kuyoba phezu kwabahamba ngokwalomthetho wokuziphatha, naphezu ‘kukaIsrayeli kaNkulunkulu.’—6:1, 16.
ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO
14. UPawulu ubabekela siphi isibonelo ababonisi?
14 Incwadi eya kwabaseGalathiya iveza uPawulu njengomshushisi obhubhisayo owaba umphostoli ophapheme wabezizwe, owayekulungele njalo ukulwela izithakazelo zabafowabo. (1:13-16, 23; 5:7-12) UPawulu wabonisa ngezenzo ukuthi umbonisi kufanele asheshe ukusingatha izinkinga, echitha imibono engamanga ngokubonisana okunengqondo nangemiBhalo.—1:6-9; 3:1-6.
15. Lencwadi yayinenzuzo kanjani emabandleni aseGalathiya, futhi inikeza siphi isiqondiso kumaKristu namuhla?
15 Lencwadi yayinenzuzo emabandleni aseGalathiya ekucaciseni inkululeko yawo kuKristu nasekuvezeni amanga abahlanekezeli bezindaba ezinhle. Yakwenza kwacaca ukuthi umuntu kuthiwa ulungile ngokholo nokuthi ukusoka akusadingeki ukuze umuntu athole ukusindiswa. (2:16; 3:8; 5:6) Ngokubeka eceleni umahluko onjalo ongokwenyama, yakwazi ukuhlanganisela amaJuda nabeZizwe ebandleni elilodwa. Ukukhululeka eMthethweni kwakungamelwe kusebenze njengesikhuthazo sezifiso zenyama, ngoba lesimiso sasisasebenza: “Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengokuba uzithanda wena.” Siyaqhubeka sisebenza njengesiqondiso kumaKrsitu namuhla.—5:14.
16. Iziphi izincazelo zemiBhalo YesiHeberu ezakha ukholo ezitholakala encwadini yabaseGalathiya?
16 Incwadi kaPawulu yasiza abaseGalathiya emaphuzwini amaningi emfundiso, icaphuna emiBhalweni YesiHeberu ukuze yenze imifanekiso enamandla. Yanikeza incazelo ephefumlelwe kaIsaya 54:1-6, iveza owesifazane kaJehova ‘njengoyiJerusalema eliphezulu.’ Yachaza “umfanekiso” kaHagari noSara, ibonisa ukuthi izindlalifa zezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu yilabo abakhululwe uKristu hhayi labo abasaboshwe uMthetho. (Gal. 4:21-26; Gen. 16:1-4, 15; 21:1-3, 8-13) Yachaza ngokucacile ukuthi isivumelwano soMthetho asisiqedanga isivumelwano sika-Abrahama kodwa sanezelwa kuso. Yaveza futhi ukuthi isikhawu esiphakathi kokwenziwa kwalezivumelwano ezimbili sasiyiminyaka engu-430, okubalulekile ekubalweni kwezikhathi zeBhayibheli. (Gal. 3:17, 18, 23, 24) Umlando walezinto uye walondolozelwa ukwakhiwa kokholo lwamaKristu namuhla.
17. (a) Iyiphi into ebalulekile evezwa incwadi yabaseGalathiya? (b) Isiphi isiyalo esihle esinikezwa izindlalifa zoMbuso nalabo abakhandleka kanye nazo?
17 Okubaluleke kakhulu, incwadi yabaseGalathiya iyiveza ngokunembile iMbewu yoMbuso, leyo bonke abaprofethi ababheka phambili kuyo. “Manje-ke izithembiso zanikwa uAbrahama nenzalo yakhe . . . enguKristu.” Labo ababa amadodana kaNkulunkulu ngokukholwa uKristu Jesu kuboniswa ukuthi bamukelwa bese befakwa kulembewu. “Uma ningabakaKristu, seniyinzalo ka-Abrahama, niyizindlalifa ngokwesithembiso.” (3:16, 29) Isiyalo esihle esinikezwe encwadini yabaseGalathiya kufanele silalelwe yilezindlalifa zoMbuso nayilabo abakhandleka nazo: ‘Yimani niqine enkululekweni uKristu aninike yona!’ ‘Ningakhathali ekwenzeni okuhle, ngoba siyovuna ngesikhathi esifaneleyo uma singadangali.’ ‘Yenzani okuhle, ikakhulukazi kwabendlu yokukholwa.’—5:1; 6:9, 10.
18. Isiphi isixwayiso nesiyalo sokugcina nesinamandla esinikezwa encwadini yabaseGalathiya?
18 Ekugcineni, kunesixwayiso esinamandla sokuthi labo abenza imisebenzi yenyama “abayikulidla ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu.” Khona-ke, bonke mabakufulathele ngokuphelele ukungcola nombango wezwe futhi bagxilise izinhliziyo zabo ekutheleni izithelo zomoya, ‘eziwuthando, ukujabula, ukuthula, ukubekezela, ubuvi, ukholo, ubumnene, nokuzithiba.’—5:19-23.