UPawulu Uhlelela Abangcwele Iminikelo Yokubasiza

IZITHAKAZELO ezingokomoya zibaluleke kakhulu kumaKristu eqiniso. Nokho, ukukhathalela inhlalakahle yabanye engokwenyama nakho kubalulekile kuwo. Aye abasiza kaningi labo ababhekene nokuhlupheka. Uthando lobuzalwane lushukumisela amaKristu ukuba asize akholwa nabo abaswele.—Johane 13:34, 35.

Uthando ngabafowabo nodadewabo abangokomoya lwashukumisela umphostoli uPawulu ukuba ahlele ukuqoqwa komnikelo emabandleni ase-Akhaya, eGalathiya, eMakedoniya nasesifundeni sase-Asiya. Yini eyenza kwadingeka lokhu? Sahlelwa kanjani isimiso sokusiza? Kwaba njani ukusabela? Futhi kungani kufanele sibe nesithakazelo kulokho okwenzeka?

Isimo Sebandla LaseJerusalema

Ngemva kwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., amaJuda namaproselithe avela kwezinye izindawo ayebe ngamaKristu ngePhentekoste ahlala isikhathi esithile eJerusalema ukuze afunde okwengeziwe ngenkolo yeqiniso. Lapho kudingeka, abakhulekeli ababekanye nawo basiza ngenjabulo ekusingatheni umthwalo walokho kuhlala isikhathi esijana. (IzEnzo 2:7-11, 41-44; 4:32-37) Kungenzeka ukuthi udweshu lomphakathi lwabangela ukuswela okwengeziwe njengoba amaJuda ashisekela isizwe aphemba ukuvukela nodlame. Nokho, ukuze kungabikho mlandeli kaKristu olambayo, kwenziwa iminikelo yansuku zonke yabafelokazi abaswele. (IzEnzo 6:1-6) UHerode walishushisa kakhulu ibandla, kwathi phakathi nawo-40 C.E., iJudiya lahlaselwa yindlala. Kubalandeli bakaJesu, konke lokhu cishe kwabangela lokho uPawulu akubiza ngokuthi ‘izinhlupheko,’ ‘izinsizi’ ‘nokuphangwa kokungokwabo.’—Heberu 10:32-34; IzEnzo 11:27–12:1.

Cishe ngo-49 C.E., isimo sasisesibi. Ngakho, ngemva kokuvuma ukuthi uPawulu wayezogxila kwabeZizwe lapho eshumayela, uPetru, uJakobe noJohane bamnxusa ukuba ‘agcine abampofu engqondweni.’ Yilokho uPawulu azama ukukwenza.—Galathiya 2:7-10.

Ukuhlela Ukuqoqwa Komnikelo

UPawulu wengamela isikhwama samaKristu ampofu eJudiya. Cishe ngo-55 C.E., watshela abaseKorinte: “Ngokuphathelene nokuqoqwa komnikelo ongowabangcwele, njengoba nje ngayala amabandla aseGalathiya, nani yenzani ngaleyondlela. Njalo ngosuku lokuqala lwesonto yilowo nalowo kini endlini yakhe siqu makabeke eceleni okuthile kugciniwe kuye ngokuchuma kwakhe . . . [Kuyothi-ke] noma yibaphi abantu enithi bayamukeleka ngezincwadi, labobantu ngiyobathumela ukuba bayise isipho senu somusa eJerusalema.” (1 Korinte 16:1-3) Ngemva konyaka uPawulu wathi abaseMakedoniya nabase-Akhaya babefaka isandla. Futhi lapho iminikelo eqoqiwe ithunyelwa eJerusalema, kubonakala sengathi ukuba khona kwamanxusa avela esifundeni sase-Asiya kwakubonisa ukuthi namabandla akuleyo ndawo ayenikelile.—IzEnzo 20:4; 2 Korinte 8:1-4; 9:1, 2.

Akekho owacindezelwa ukuba anikele ngaphezu kwamandla akhe. Kunalokho, kwakuyindaba yokwenza kube nokulingana ukuze noma iyiphi insalela iqede ukuntula kwabangcwele eJerusalema naseJudiya. (2 Korinte 8:13-15) UPawulu wathi: “Yilowo nalowo makenze njengoba nje enqumile enhliziyweni yakhe, kungabi ngokungathandi noma ngaphansi kokucindezelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uthanda umuphi onamileyo.”—2 Korinte 9:7.

Umphostoli wanika amaKristu isizathu esihle sokupha ngesandla esivulekile. UJesu ‘wayebe mpofu ngenxa yawo, ukuze wona acebe’ ngokomoya. (2 Korinte 8:9) Ngokuqinisekile ayeyofuna ukulingisa umoya wakhe wokupha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba uNkulunkulu ayewacebisela “yonke inhlobo yokuphana,” kwakufaneleka ukuba asize ekunakekeleni izidingo zabangcwele.—2 Korinte 9:10-12.

Isimo Sengqondo Sababenengxenye

Singafunda lukhulu mayelana nokupha ngokuzithandela ngokuhlola isimo sengqondo sababefaka isandla esimisweni sokusiza abangcwele ekhulwini lokuqala. Ukuqoqwa komnikelo kwabonisa okungaphezu kokukhathalela abanye abakhulekeli bakaJehova ababempofu. Kwasikisela ukuthi kwakunesibopho sobuzalwane phakathi kwamaKristu angamaJuda nawabeZizwe. Ukunikela nokwamukela iminikelo kwabonisa ubunye nobungane phakathi kwalaba beZizwe namaJuda. Babelana ngezinto ezingokwenyama nezingokomoya.—Roma 15:26, 27.

Kungenzeka ukuthi ekuqaleni uPawulu akawacelanga amaKristu aseMakedoniya ukuba afake isandla—nawo ayempofu kakhulu. Nokho, ‘babelokhu bencenga becela ilungelo lokupha.’ Yize babebhekene “nokuvivinywa okukhulu ngaphansi kokuhlupheka,” banikela ngenjabulo “ngaphezu kwamandla [abo] angokoqobo”! (2 Korinte 8:1-4) Ukuvivinywa kwabo okukhulu kubonakala sengathi kwakuhilela ukumangalelwa ngokuthi babeqhuba inkolo engekho emthethweni kumaRoma. Ngakho kuyaqondakala ukuthi babeyozwelana nabafowabo baseJudiya, ababebhekene nezinhlupheko ezithi azifane.—IzEnzo 16:20, 21; 17:5-9; 1 Thesalonika 2:14.

Nakuba uPawulu ayesebenzise intshiseko yokuqala yabaseKorinte yokuqoqa umnikelo lapho ekhuthaza abaseMakedoniya, yayisinciphile eKorinte intshiseko. Manje umphostoli wakhuluma ngokupha kwabaseMakedoniya ukuze akhuthaze abaseKorinte. Wakuthola kudingekile ukubakhumbuza ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokuba baqede lokho ababekuqale esikhathini esingangonyaka ngaphambili. Kwakwenzekeni?—2 Korinte 8:10, 11; 9:1-5.

UThithu wayeqale ukuqoqa umnikelo eKorinte, kodwa kwaphakama izinkinga cishe ezayibhuntshisa imizamo yakhe. Ngemva kokuyoxoxa noPawulu eMakedoniya, uThithu wabuya nabanye ababili ukuze azoqinisa ibandla laseKorinte futhi aqedele ukuqoqwa komnikelo. Kungenzeka abanye babegigiyele ukuthi uPawulu wayezame ukubaxhaphaza abaseKorinte. Cishe yilokhu okwenza wathumela abantu abathathu ukuba baqedele ukuqoqwa komnikelo futhi watusa omunye nomunye wabo. UPawulu wathi: “Sigwema ukuba noma ubani athole iphutha kithi mayelana nalomnikelo owenziwe ngesandla esivulekile ozosingathwa yithi. Ngoba ‘senza ilungiselelo elithembekile, hhayi emehlweni kaJehova kuphela, kodwa nasemehlweni abantu.’”—2 Korinte 8:6, 18-23; 12:18.

Ukuhambisa Umnikelo

Ngentwasahlobo ka-56 C.E., imali enikelwe yayisikulungele ukuyiswa eJerusalema. UPawulu wayezohamba nalabo ababekhethwe yilabo ababenikele. IzEnzo 20:4 zithi: “Wayehambisana noSophatru indodana kaPhiru waseBereya, u-Aristarku noSekhundu kwabaseThesalonika, noGayu waseDerbe, noThimothewu, nabavela esifundeni sase-Asiya uThikhiku noTrofimu.” Kunezinkomba zokuthi kwakukhona noLuka phakathi kwabo, okungenzeka wayemelele amaKristu aseFilipi. Ngakho, kwahamba amadoda okungenani angu-9 kulolu hambo.

“Isamba esatholakala kulokhu kuqoqwa komnikelo kumelwe ukuba sasisikhulu,” kusho isazi uDieter Georgi, “ngoba ukube kwakungenjalo imizamo yokugcina, eyayihilela uPawulu namanxusa amaningi kangaka yayizoba umsebenzi nezindleko ezinkulu ngokweqile.” Leli alenzanga nje kwaba nokulondeka kodwa futhi lasiza ekuvikeleni uPawulu ekumangalelweni ngokuthi wayengathembekile. Labo abathunyelwa bámelela amabandla abeZizwe phambi kwabangcwele eJerusalema.

Njengoba ayehamba ngomkhumbi esuka eKorinte eya eSiriya, la manxusa ayeyofika eJerusalema ngePhasika. Nokho, ngenxa yezinkulumo zozungu lokubulala uPawulu, kwashintshwa okwakuhleliwe. (IzEnzo 20:3) Mhlawumbe izitha zakhe zazihlose ukumbulalela olwandle.

UPawulu wayenezinye izinto ayekhathazeke ngazo. Ngaphambi kokuba ahambe, wabhalela amaKristu aseRoma ukuba amthandazele ukuze ‘akhululwe kwabangewona amakholwa eJudiya nokuba inkonzo yakhe ayeyenzela iJerusalema ibe eyamukelekayo kwabangcwele.’ (Roma 15:30, 31) Nakuba ngokungangabazeki abangcwele babeyoyamukela ngokwazisa okujulile iminikelo, kungenzeka uPawulu wayekhathazeke ngenkinga eyayingase idalwe ukufika kwakhe phakathi kwamaJuda avamile.

Ngokuqinisekile, lo mphostoli wayebagcinile engqondweni abampofu. Nakuba imiBhalo ingasho ukuthi iminikelo yadluliselwa nini, ukuhanjiswa kwayo kwathuthukisa ubunye futhi kwenza amaKristu abeZizwe akwazi ukubonga amakholwa aseJudiya akanye nawo ngengcebo engokomoya ayeyithole kuwo. Ukubonakala kukaPawulu ethempelini ngemva nje kokufika kwakhe eJerusalema kwasusa izibhelu futhi kwabangela ukuba aboshwe. Kodwa lokhu kwagcina kumnike amathuba okufakaza kubabusi namakhosi.—IzEnzo 9:15; 21:17-36; 23:11; 24:1–26:32.

Iminikelo Yethu Namuhla

Kusukela ngekhulu lokuqala, kuningi osekushintshile—kodwa hhayi izimiso eziyisisekelo. Kuyafaneleka ukuba amaKristu aziswe ngokuswela okungokwezimali. Noma yimiphi iminikelo ayenzela abaswele kufanele ibe ngeyokuzithandela, ishukunyiswe uthando ngoNkulunkulu nabanye abantu.—Marku 12:28-31.

Izinyathelo ezathathwa ukuze kusizwe abangcwele ekhulwini lokuqala zibonisa ukuthi ukwenganyelwa kweminikelo enjalo kumelwe kuhlelwe kahle futhi kusingathwe ngendlela enokwethembeka nengasoleki. Yebo, uJehova uyakuqaphela ukuswela, futhi wenza amalungiselelo okuba izinceku zakhe zikwazi ukuqhubeka zihlanganyela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso nabanye naphezu kwezinkinga. (Mathewu 6:25-34) Nokho, sonke singafeza ingxenye yethu, kungakhathaliseki isimo sethu sezomnotho. Ngaleyo ndlela, ‘umuntu onokuningi ngeke abe nokuningi kakhulu, nomuntu onokuncane ngeke abe nokuncane kakhulu.’—2 Korinte 8:15.