Benza Intando KaJehova

UPawulu Uyanqoba Osizini

UPAWULU usesimweni esinganiki themba. Yena nabanye abangu-275 basemkhunjini obhekene neYuro-akhwilo—umoya onamandla kakhulu eMediterranean. Lesi siphepho sinamandla kangangokuthi sifiphaza ilanga emini nezinkanyezi ebusuku. Ngokuqondakalayo, abagibeli besaba ukuthi bazolahlekelwa ukuphila kwabo. Nokho, uPawulu ubaduduza ngokulandisa lokho ambulelwe kona ngokwaphezulu ephusheni: “Akukho mphefumulo kini ozolahleka, umkhumbi kuphela.”—IzEnzo 27:14, 20-22.

Ngobusuku be-14 isiphepho siqhubeka, amatilosi athola okuthile okumangalisayo—amanzi ayejule ngamafathomu angu-20 kuphela.a Ngemva kwebangana, ayaphinda alinganise. Kulokhu, amanzi asejule ngamafathomu angu-15. Izwe liseduze! Kodwa lezi zindaba ezinhle zisho okuthile okusangulukisayo. Njengoba umkhumbi uphonseka ngapha nangapha ebusuku emanzini angajulile, ungase ushayeke emadwaleni uphahlazeke. Ngokuhlakanipha, amatilosi ehlisa amahange. Amanye afuna ukwehlisa isikejana agibele kuso, azame ukuhamba ngaso olwandle.b Kodwa uPawulu uyawavimba. Utshela isikhulu sebutho namasosha: “Ngaphandle kokuba lamadoda ahlale emkhunjini, aninakusindiswa.” Lesi sikhulu siyamlalela uPawulu, futhi manje bonke abagibeli abangu-276 balinda ukusa bekhathazekile.—IzEnzo 27:27-32.

Ukuphahlazeka Komkhumbi

Ngakusasa ekuseni, abagibeli bomkhumbi babona itheku nogu. Enethemba elivuselelwe, amatilosi asika amahange ayesephakamisela emoyeni useyili wangaphambili. Umkhumbi uqala ukuya ngasogwini—ngokungangabazeki phakathi nomsindo wenjabulo.—IzEnzo 27:39, 40.

Nokho, kungazelelwe umkhumbi ubhajwa endundumeni. Okubi nakakhulu, amagagasi anamandla ashaya umkhumbi ngemuva, awuphule ube yizicucu. Kuzodingeka bonke abagibeli baphume emkhunjini! (IzEnzo 27:41) Kodwa lokhu kudala inkinga. Abaningi babagibeli—kuhlanganise noPawulu—bayiziboshwa. Ngaphansi komthetho wamaRoma, unogada ovumela isiboshwa asigadile sibaleke kumelwe abhekane nesijeziso ebesizotholwa yileso siboshwa. Ngokwesibonelo, uma kubaleké umbulali, unogada obudedengu kwakuyodingeka akhokhe ngokuphila kwakhe.

Esaba leyo miphumela, amasosha anquma ukuba zonke iziboshwa zibulawe. Nokho, isikhulu sebutho, esinomusa kuPawulu, siyangenela. Siyala ukuba bonke abangase bakwazi, baziphonse emanzini bahlambele ezweni. Labo abangenakukwazi ukuhlamba kumelwe babambelele emapulangweni noma kwezinye izinto ezisuka emkhunjini. Abagibeli ngabanye abaphuma emkhunjini ophahlazekile bafinyelela ogwini. Njengoba uPawulu ebeshilo, akukho mphefumulo owalahleka!—IzEnzo 27:42-44.

Isimangaliso EMelitha

Iqembu elikhathele likhosela esiqhingini okuthiwa iMelitha. Izakhamuzi zalapho ‘zingabantu abakhuluma ulimi lwezinye izizwe,’ ngokwezwi nezwi zingama-“barbarian” (ngesiGreki, barʹba·ros).c Kodwa abantu baseMelitha abanalo unya. Ngokuphambene, uLuka, owayehamba noPawulu, ubika ukuthi “basibonisa umusa wobuntu ongaphezu kovamile, ngoba babasa umlilo futhi basamukela sonke ngomoya wokusiza ngenxa yemvula eyayina nangenxa yamakhaza.” NoPawulu ngokwakhe uhlanganyela nabantu bomdabu baseMelitha ekuthezeni nasekukhwezeleni umlilo.—IzEnzo 28:1-3, umbhalo waphansi we-NW.

Kungazelelwe, inyoka enesihlungu inamathela esandleni sikaPawulu! Izakhamuzi zakulesi siqhingi zicabanga ukuthi kumelwe ukuba uPawulu ungumbulali. Kungenzeka ukuthi zicabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu ujezisa izoni ngokuhlasela izitho zemizimba yazo ezazisetshenzisiwe ekwenzeni isono. Kodwa bheka! Abomdabu balapho bayamangala lapho uPawulu ethintithela le nyoka emlilweni. Njengoba ukulandisa kukaLuka ongufakazi wokuzibonela kusho, “babelindele ukuba [uPawulu] avuvukaliswe isihlungu noma awe ngokushesha afe.” Izakhamuzi zakuleso siqhingi zashintsha kulokho ezazikucabanga futhi zaqala ukuthi kumelwe ukuba uPawulu ungunkulunkulu.—IzEnzo 28:3-6.

UPawulu uhlala eMelitha izinyanga ezintathu ezilandelayo, okuthi phakathi nazo aphulukise uyise kaPhubiliyu, indoda evelele yakuleso siqhingi, eyamukela uPawulu ngomoya wokungenisa izihambi, nabanye abagulayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPawulu utshala imbewu yeqiniso, kuphumele ezibusisweni eziningi ezakhamuzini zaseMelitha ezinomoya wokungenisa izihambi.—IzEnzo 28:7-11.

Esikufundayo

Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe, uPawulu wabhekana nezinselele eziningi. (2 Korinte 11:23-27) Kulokhu kulandisa okungenhla, wayeyisiboshwa ngenxa yezindaba ezinhle. Ngemva kwalokho, kwadingeka abhekane novivinyo olwalungalindelekile: isiphepho esinamandla nokuphuka komkhumbi okwalandela. Kukho konke lokhu, uPawulu akazange antengantenge ekuzimiseleni kwakhe ukuba umshumayeli oshisekayo wezindaba ezinhle. Ngenxa yalokho abhekana nakho, wabhala: “Kuzo zonke izimo ngiye ngayifunda imfihlo yakho kokubili ukuthi kunjani ukusutha nokuthi kunjani ukulamba kokubili ukuba nensada nokuswela. Nginamandla azo zonke izinto ngenxa yalowo odlulisela amandla kimi.”—Filipi 4:12, 13.

Akufanele nanini izinkinga zokuphila zintengantengise ukuzimisela kwethu ukuba izikhonzi ezishisekayo zikaNkulunkulu weqiniso! Lapho kuvela uvivinyo olungalindelekile, siphonsa umthwalo wethu kuJehova. (IHubo 55:22) Ngemva kwalokho, silindela ngesineke ukubona indlela enza ngayo ukuba sikwazi ukukhuthazelela lolo vivinyo. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, siyaqhubeka simkhonza ngokwethembeka, siqiniseka ukuthi uyasikhathalela. (1 Korinte 10:13; 1 Petru 5:7) Ngokuhlala siqinile, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenzekani—njengoPawulu—singanqoba osizini.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]