U-Akwila NoPrisila—Umbhangqwana Oyisibonelo
“NGIKHONZELENI koPriska no-Akwila izisebenzi ezikanye nami kuKristu Jesu, abaye bafaka engozini izintamo zabo siqu ngenxa yomphefumulo wami, enginikela ukubonga kubo kungemina kuphela kodwa nawo wonke amabandla ezizwe.”—Roma 16:3, 4.
Lamazwi omphostoli uPawulu ayewabhekise ebandleni lamaKristu aseRoma abonisa ukwazisa okukhulu nokukhathalela kothando ayenakho ngalombhangqwana oshadile. Waqiniseka ukuthi akawushayi indiva lapho ebhalela ibandla owawukulo. Kodwa zazingobani lezi ‘zisebenzi ezazikanye’ noPawulu, futhi kungani zaziyigugu kangaka kuye nasemabandleni?—2 Thimothewu 4:19.
U-Akwila wayengomunye wamaJuda ayehlala ngaphandle kwePalestina (amaJuda ahlakazekile) futhi engowokuzalwa ePontu, isifunda esisenyakatho ye-Asia Minor. Yena nomkakhe uPrisila (Priska) babezinze eRoma. Kwakuhlala umphakathi olingene wamaJuda kulowo muzi cishe kusukela ekuthunjweni kweJerusalema uPompey ngo-63 B.C.E., lapho inani elikhulu leziboshwa layiswa eRoma njengezigqila. Empeleni, umbhalo oqoshiwe waseRoma wembula ukuthi kwakukhona amasinagoge angu-12 noma ngaphezulu kulowo muzi wasendulo. AmaJuda amaningana ayevela eRoma ayekhona eJerusalema ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., lapho ezwa izindaba ezinhle. Mhlawumbe yiwo enza ukuba isigijimi samaKristu sifinyelele enhloko-dolobha yoMbuso WaseRoma okokuqala.—IzEnzo 2:10.
Nokho, amaJuda axoshwa eRoma ngonyaka ka-49 noma ekuqaleni kuka-50 C.E. ngomyalo woMbusi uKlawudiyu. Ngenxa yalokho, umphostoli uPawulu wahlangana no-Akwila noPrisila emzini wamaGreki iKorinte. Lapho uPawulu efika eKorinte, u-Akwila noPrisila bambonisa umoya wokungenisa izihambi futhi bamnika umsebenzi, ngoba babenza umsebenzi ofanayo—wokwenza amatende.—IzEnzo 18:2, 3.
Abenzi Bamatende
Lona kwakungewona umsebenzi olula. Ukwenza amatende kwakuhilela ukusika nokuthunga uhlanganise iziqephu zendwangu elukhuni nemaholo noma isikhumba. Ngokwesazi-mlando uFernando Bea, ‘kwakuwumsebenzi odinga ikhono nokucophelela’ kubenzi bamatende ababesebenza ‘ngezindwangu ezimaholo nezilukhuni, ezazisetshenziselwa ukukanisa ohambweni, zibe isivikelo elangeni nasemvuleni, noma zisetshenziselwe ukupakisha izimpahla endaweni yazo emikhunjini.’
Lokhu kuphakamisa umbuzo. UPawulu akazange yini athi ‘wayefundiswe ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli,’ okwakungamenza akwazi ukwenza umsebenzi ohloniphekayo eminyakeni ezayo? (IzEnzo 22:3) Nakuba lokhu kuyiqiniso, amaJuda ekhulu lokuqala ayekubheka njengento enhle ukufundisa umfana ikhono lomsebenzi ngisho noma ayezothola imfundo ephakeme. Ngakho-ke kungenzeka ukuthi bobabili u-Akwila no-Pawulu babezuze ikhono labo lokwenza amatende lapho besebancane. Lelo khono labonakala liwusizo kakhulu kamuva. Kodwa njengamaKristu, abazange babheke umsebenzi onjalo wokuziphilisa njengomgomo wabo oyinhloko. UPawulu wachaza ukuthi umsebenzi ayewenza no-Akwila noPrisila eKorinte wawumane uyindlela yokusekela umsebenzi wakhe oyinhloko, wokumemezela izindaba ezinhle ngaphandle ‘kokuthwesa noma yimuphi umthwalo osindayo oyizindleko ezinkulu.’—2 Thesalonika 3:8; 1 Korinte 9:18; 2 Korinte 11:7.
Ngokusobala, u-Akwila noPrisila babekujabulela ukwenza konke okusemandleni ukuze benze inkonzo kaPawulu yezithunywa zevangeli ibe lula. Kwazi bani ukuthi laba bangane abathathu babewuyeka kangaki umsebenzi wabo ukuze bafakaze ngokwethukela kumakhasimende noma kwabadlula ngendlela! Nakuba umsebenzi wabo wokwenza amatende wawuphansi futhi ukhathaza, babekujabulela ukuwenza, beze besebenza “ubusuku nemini” ukuze bathuthukise izithakazelo zikaNkulunkulu—njengoba nje amaKristu amaningi osuku lwanamuhla ezondla ngokubamba itoho noma ngokusebenza ngezikhathi ezithile zonyaka ukuze anikele ingxenye enkulu yesikhathi esisele ekusizeni abantu ukuba bezwe izindaba ezinhle.—1 Thesalonika 2:9; Mathewu 24:14; 1 Thimothewu 6:6.
Izibonelo Zokungenisa Izihambi
Cishe uPawulu wasebenzisa indlu ka-Akwila njengesikhungo semisebenzi yakhe yezithunywa zevangeli phakathi nezinyanga ezingu-18 eseKorinte. (IzEnzo 18:3, 11) Khona-ke, kungenzeka ukuthi u-Akwila noPrisila bajabulela nokwamukela uSila (Silvanu) noThimothewu njengezivakashi lapho befika bevela eMakedoniya. (IzEnzo 18:5) Izincwadi ezimbili zikaPawulu ezaziya kwabaseThesalonika, kamuva ezaba ingxenye yeqoqo leBhayibheli, kungenzeka zabhalwa lapho umphostoli ehlala no-Akwila noPrisila.
Kubonakala sengathi ngalesi sikhathi umuzi kaPrisila no-Akwila wawuyisikhungo sangempela somsebenzi ongokwasezulwini. Cishe babevame ukuvakashelwa abangane abaningi abathandekayo—uStefana nomkhaya wakhe, amaKristu okuqala esifundazweni sase-Akhaya, abhapathizwa uPawulu ngokwakhe; uThithiyu Justu, owavuma ukuba uPawulu asebenzise indlu yakhe ukuze anikeze izinkulumo; noKrispu, isikhulu esengamele sesinagoge, esamukela iqiniso kanye nabo bonke abendlu yaso. (IzEnzo 18:7, 8; 1 Korinte 1:16) Kwakukhona noFortunatu no-Akhayiku; uGayu, okungenzeka ukuthi imihlangano yebandla yayiqhutshelwa kwakhe; u-Erastu, umphathi womuzi; uTertiyu, unobhala uPawulu amsebenzisa ekulobeni incwadi yakhe eyayiya kwabaseRoma; noFebe, udade othembekile webandla laseKenikreya elaliseduze, okungenzeka wahamba nalencwadi esuka eKorinte eya eRoma.—Roma 16:1, 22, 23; 1 Korinte 16:17.
Izinceku zikaJehova zosuku lwanamuhla eziye zaba nethuba lokubonisa isikhonzi esijikelezayo umoya wokungenisa izihambi ziyazi ukuthi kungakhuthaza futhi kukhumbuleke kanjani. Okuhlangenwe nakho okwakhayo okuxoxwa ngakho ngezikhathi ezinjalo kungaba umthombo wangempela wokuqabuleka ngokomoya kubo bonke. (Roma 1:11, 12) Futhi, njengoba kwenza u-Akwila noPrisila, labo abavula amakhaya abo ukuze asetshenziselwe imihlangano, mhlawumbe iSifundo Sencwadi Sebandla, banenjabulo nokwaneliseka kokukwazi ukunikela ngalendlela ekuthuthukiseni ukukhulekela kweqiniso.
U-Akwila noPrisila babenobuhlobo obuseduze noPawulu kangangokuba bahamba naye lapho esuka eKorinte entwasahlobo ka-52 C.E., bamphelezela kwaze kwaba se-Efesu. (IzEnzo 18:18-21) Bahlala kulelo dolobha futhi babeka isisekelo sokuhambela komphostoli okulandelayo. Kulapha lapho laba bafundisi bezindaba ezinhle abanekhono bafaka khona u-Apholo oqephuzayo “phakathi kwabo” futhi bajabulela ukumsiza ukuba aqonde “indlela kaNkulunkulu ngokuqonde ngokwengeziwe.” (IzEnzo 18:24-26) Lapho uPawulu ephinda ehambela e-Efesu phakathi nohambo lwakhe lwesithathu lwezithunywa zevangeli, esikhathini esithile phakathi nehlobo lika-52/53 C.E., insimu eyayilinywe yilombhangqwana okhuthele yayisilungele ukuvunwa. Lapho, uPawulu washumayela futhi wafundisa “ngeNdlela” cishe iminyaka emithathu, kuyilapho ibandla lase-Efesu laliqhuba imihlangano emzini ka-Akwila.—IzEnzo 19:1-20, 26; 20:31; 1 Korinte 16:8, 19.
Kamuva, lapho bebuyela eRoma, laba bangane bakaPawulu ababili baqhubeka ‘belandela inkambo yokungenisa izihambi,’ bevula ikhaya labo ukuba lisetshenziselwe imihlangano yamaKristu.—Roma 12:13; 16:3-5.
‘Bafaka Engozini Izintamo Zabo’ Ngenxa KaPawulu
Mhlawumbe uPawulu wahlala no-Akwila noPrisila nangesikhathi ese-Efesu. Ingabe wayehlala nabo ngesikhathi sesiyaluyalu esabangelwa abakhandi besiliva? Ngokulandisa kwezEnzo 19:23-31, lapho izingcweti ezazenza izindawo zokukhulekela zimelana nokushunyayelwa kwezindaba ezinhle, abazalwane kwadingeka banqande uPawulu angazifaki engozini ngokuya phambi kwesixuku. Abanye abahlaziyi beBhayibheli baye bathi kungase kwenzeke ukuthi kwakungaso kanye leso senzakalo esiyingozi lapho uPawulu azizwa ‘engaqiniseki ngisho nangokuphila kwakhe’ futhi u-Akwila noPrisila bangenela ngandlela-thile, ‘befaka engozini izintamo zabo siqu’ ngenxa yakhe.—2 Korinte 1:8; Roma 16:3, 4.
Lapho “isiyaluyalu sesidambile,” ngokuhlakanipha uPawulu wahamba kulowo muzi. (IzEnzo 20:1) Akungabazeki ukuthi u-Akwila noPrisila nabo babhekana nokuphikiswa nokuhlekwa usulu. Ingabe lokho kwabenza badangala? Ngokuphambene, u-Akwila noPrisila baqhubeka ngesibindi bezikhandla emsebenzini wabo wobuKristu.
Umbhangqwana Osondelene
Ngemva kokuphela kokubusa kukaKlawudiyu, u-Akwila noPrisila babuyela eRoma. (Roma 16:3-15) Nokho, lapho kukhulunywa ngabo okokugcina eBhayibhelini, sibathola sebebuyele e-Efesu. (2 Thimothewu 4:19) Nalapha, njengakwezinye izindawo lapho kubhekiselwa kubo emiBhalweni, lendoda nomkayo kukhulunywa ngabo bendawonye. Yeka umbhangqwana osondelene nonobunye! UPawulu wayengenakucabanga ngalowo mzalwane othandekayo, u-Akwila, ngaphandle kokukhumbula ukusekela okuthembekile komkakhe. Futhi yeka isibonelo esihle abasibekela imibhangqwana engamaKristu namuhla, ngoba ukusekela komngane womshado ozinikezele kwenza ukuba umuntu enze okuningi “emsebenzini weNkosi,” futhi ngezinye izikhathi, ngisho nokungaphezu kwalokho abengase akwenze njengomuntu ongashadile.—1 Korinte 15:58.
U-Akwila noPrisila bakhonza emabandleni amaningana ahlukahlukene. Njengabo, amaKristu amaningi ashisekayo osuku lwanamuhla aye azenza atholakala ukuze athuthele lapho indingeko inkulu khona. Futhi athola injabulo nokwaneliseka okulethwa ukubona izithakazelo zoMbuso zikhula nokukwazi ukuhlakulela ubungane bobuKristu obufudumele nobuyigugu.
Ngesibonelo sabo esihle sothando lobuKristu, u-Akwila noPrisila bazuza ukwaziswa uPawulu kanye nabanye. Kodwa okubaluleke ngisho nakakhulu, bazakhela idumela elihle kuJehova ngokwakhe. ImiBhalo iyasiqinisekisa: “UNkulunkulu akayena ongalungile ukuba akhohlwe umsebenzi wenu nothando enalubonisa kulo igama lakhe, ngoba niye nakhonza abangcwele futhi niyaqhubeka nibakhonza.”—Heberu 6:10.
Singase singabi nalo ithuba lokuzinikela ngezindlela u-Akwila noPrisila abenza ngazo, nokho singasilingisa isibonelo sabo esihle. Siyokwaneliseka ngokujulile njengoba sinikela ngamandla nokuphila kwethu enkonzweni engcwele futhi singakhohlwa nakancane “ukwenza okuhle nokuhlanganyela izinto nabanye, ngoba uNkulunkulu ujatshuliswa kakhulu imihlatshelo enjalo.”—Heberu 13:15, 16.