Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-56—KuThithu

Umlobi: UPawulu

Yalotshelwa: EMakedoniya (?)

Ukuloba Kwaphela: Cishe ngo 61–64 C.E.

 1. (a) Yimuphi umsebenzi owaphathiswa uThithu? (b) Ayevele phakathi kwasiphi isimo amabandla aseKrethe, futhi yini amaKristu aseKrethe ayedinga ukuyenza?

“UPAWULU, inceku kaNkulunkulu nomphostoli kaJesu Kristu . . . kuThithu, umntanami ngempela ngokokukholwa esikuhlanganyele sonke.” (Thithu 1:​1, 4) Iqala kanjalo incwadi kaPawulu eya esisebenzini esikanye naye nomngane wesikhathi eside uThithu, ayemshiye esiqhingini saseKrethe ukuba ahlele kangcono amabandla. UThithu wayebhekene nomsebenzi omkhulu. Lesiqhingi, okwakuthiwa sasiyikhaya lasendulo ‘likababa wonkulunkulu nabantu,’ sasiwumnyombo wesisho sesiNgisi esithi, “to Crete a Cretan,” esichaza ukuthi “ukuqilizela iqili.”a Ukungethembeki kwabantu bakhona kwase kuyisaga, kangangokuthi uPawulu waze wacaphuna ngisho nomprofethi wabo siqu ethi: “AbaseKrethe bangabaqambimanga njalo, izilwane ezimbi, iziminzi ezivilaphayo.” (1:​12) AbaseKrethe bosuku lukaPawulu baye bachazwa futhi ngalendlela: “Isimilo sabantu sasishintshashintsha, bengenaqiniso, futhi behlala bexabana; babezinikele ekuhaheni, ekuziphatheni okuxekethile, emangeni, nasekudakweni, ngezinga elingavamile; futhi kubonakala sengathi amaJuda ayakhe phakathi kwabo ayebadlula abantu bendawo ngokuziphatha okubi.”b Ibandla laseKrethe lalivele phakathi kwesimo esinjalo; kungakho kwakudingeka ngokukhethekile ukuba abakholwayo “[ba]dele ukungakholwa nezinkanuko zezwe, [ba]hambe ngokuqonda, nangokulunga, nangokumesaba uNkulunkulu,” njengoba uPawulu ayala.​—⁠2:⁠12.

 2, 3. (a) Yikuphi ukuhlangana uThithu aba nakho noPawulu? (b) Ngokunokwenzeka uPawulu wayekuphi lapho elobela uThithu, futhi ngayiphi injongo?

² Incwadi kaThithu ngokwayo inikeza ukwaziswa okuncane kakhulu ngokuhlangana kukaPawulu noThithu. Nokho, kungakhothozwa ukwaziswa okuningi emazwini abhekisela kuThithu kwezinye izincwadi zikaPawulu. UThithu, owayengumGreki, wayevame ukuhamba noPawulu futhi okungenani kanye wakhuphukela naye eJerusalema. (Gal. 2:​1-⁠5) UPawulu ubhekisela kuye ngokuthi “umhlanganyeli nesisebenzi kanye nami.” KwakunguThithu uPawulu amthumela eKorinte ngemva kokubhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eyayiya kwabaseKorinte ese-Efesu. EseKorinte, uThithu wahileleka ekuqoqweni kweminikelo eyayenzelwa abazalwane baseJerusalema, futhi kamuva waphindela ngokuqondisa kukaPawulu ukuba aqedele ukuqoqa iminikelo. Kwakusohambweni lokubuyela eKorinte esuka ekuhlanganeni kwakhe noPawulu eMakedoniya lapho uThithu aphathiswa khona incwadi yesibili evela kuPawulu eyayiya kwabaseKorinte.​—⁠2 Kor. 8:​16-24; 2:​13; 7:​5-⁠7.

³ Ngemva kokukhululwa ekuboshweni kwakhe kokuqala eRoma, uPawulu waphinde wahlangana noThimothewu noThithu phakathi neminyaka yokugcina yenkonzo yakhe. Lokhu kubonakala sengathi kwahlanganisa nenkonzo eKrethe, eGrisi, naseMakedoniya. Ekugcineni, kukhulunywa ngoPawulu njengoya eNikopholi, eGrisi esenyakatho-ntshonalanga, lapho ngokusobala aboshwa khona futhi wayiswa eRoma ukuba ayovalelwa okokugcina futhi abulawe. Kwakuphakathi nalokhu kuhambela eKrethe lapho uPawulu ashiya khona uThithu ukuba ‘ahlele okusaseleyo, amise amalunga emizini yonke,’ ngokuvumelana neziyalezo ayezinikeze uThithu. Kubonakala sengathi incwadi kaPawulu yalotshwa ngokushesha ngemva kokuba eshiyé uThithu eKrethe, ngokunokwenzeka kakhulu yalotshelwa eMakedoniya. (Thithu 1:⁠5; 3:​12; 1 Thim. 1:⁠3; 2 Thim. 4:​13, 20) Kubonakala sengathi yafeza injongo efanayo naleyo yokuQala KuThimothewu, okungukuthi, ukukhuthaza isisebenzi esikanye noPawulu nokusinikeza ukusekela okuvela egunyeni emisebenzini yaso.

 4. Kumelwe ukuba yalotshwa nini incwadi eyayiya kuThithu, futhi buyini ubufakazi bobuqiniso bayo?

⁴ Kumelwe ukuba uPawulu waloba lencwadi esikhathini esithile phakathi kokuboshwa kwakhe kokuqala nokwesibili eRoma, noma cishe ngo-61 kuya ku-64 C.E. Isisindo sobufakazi bobuqiniso balencwadi eya kuThithu siyefana nesezincwadi zangenkathi efanayo ezaziya kuThimothewu, njengoba lezincwadi ezintathu zeBhayibheli ngokuvamile zibizwa ngokuthi “izincwadi zokwalusa” zikaPawulu. Indlela yokuloba iyefana. Bobabili UIrenaeus no-Origen bayayicaphuna incwadi kaThithu, futhi ezinye izazi eziningi zasendulo nazo ziyakufakazela ukuba kwalencwadi enye yezincwadi zeBhayibheli. Iyatholakala emiBhalweni Yesandla iSinaitic neAlexandrine. EMtatsheni Wezincwadi kaJohn Rylands kunocezu lwepapyrus, iP³², oluyikhasi lecodex cishe yekhulu lesithathu leminyaka C.E. olunoThithu 1:​11-15 no-2:​3-⁠8.c Akukho kungabaza ngokuthi lencwadi iyingxenye eyiqiniso yemiBhalo ephefumlelwe.

OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI KATHITHU

 5. (a) Yiziphi izimfanelo zababonisi uPawulu azigcizelelayo, futhi kungani lokhu kudingekile? (b) Kungani uThithu kumelwe ayalisise, futhi kuthiwani ngabantu abangcolile?

⁵ Ababonisi kumelwe bayale ngesifundiso esiphilileyo (1:​1-16). Ngemva kokubingelela kothando, uPawulu uchaza izimfanelo zababonisi. Kuyagcizelelwa ukuthi umbonisi kumelwe abe “ngongasolekiyo,” othanda okuhle, olungileyo, ongcwele, umuntu “obambelele ezwini elithembekileyo ngokwesifundiso, aze abe-nakho nokuyala ngesifundiso esiphilileyo nokwahlula abaphikayo.” Lokhu kuyadingeka ngenxa ‘yabakhohlisayo’ abachitha ngisho nendlu iphela ngenxa yenzuzo embi. Ngakho uThithu kumelwe “[a]bayalisise, ukuze baphile ekukholweni, benganaki izinganekwane zabaJuda.” Abantu abangcolile bangase bavume obala ukuthi bayamazi uNkulunkulu, kodwa bayamphika ngemisebenzi yabo yokungalaleli.​—⁠1:​6-10, 13, 14.

 6. Yisiphi iseluleko esinikezwayo ngokuziphatha kobuKristu?

⁶ Ukuphila ngokuqonda, ukulunga, nokuzinikela kuNkulunkulu (2:⁠1–3:​15). Amadoda amadala nabesifazane abadala kumelwe babe abazothileyo nabaziphatha ngokufanele abangcwele. Abesifazane abasha kumelwe bathande amadoda abo nabantwana babo futhi bathobele amadoda abo “ukuba izwi likaNkulunkulu lingahlanjalazwa.” Abesilisa abasha kumelwe babe yisibonelo semisebenzi emihle nokukhuluma okuqondileyo. Izinceku ezingaphansi kumelwe zibonakalise “konke ukwethemba okuhle.” Umusa kaNkulunkulu ongasifanele, oholela ekusindisweni, uye wabonakaliswa, ukhuthaza ukuqonda, ukulunga, nokuzinikela kuNkulunkulu kulabo uNkulunkulu abahlanzile ngoKristu Jesu ukuba babe “isizwe esingesakhe, sishisekele imisebenzi emihle.”​—⁠2:​5, 10, 14.

 7. Yini uPawulu ayigcizelelayo ngokuphathelene nokuzithoba, ukusindiswa, nemisebenzi emihle?

⁷ UPawulu ugcizelela isidingo sokuthobela nokulalela ababusi ‘nesokubonakalisa ubumnene obukhulu kubantu bonke.’ UPawulu namaKristu akanye nawo bake baba ababi njengabo bonke abanye abantu. Baye basindiswa ngomoya ongcwele futhi baye baba izindlalifa ethembeni lokuphila okuphakade, kungengenxa yemisebenzi yabo siqu, kodwa ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu, uthando, nesihawu. Ngakho labo abakholwayo kuNkulunkulu kumelwe “bakhuthalele ukwenza imisebenzi emihle.” Kumelwe bagweme imibuzo yobuwula nokubanga ngoMthetho, futhi umuntu onezifundiso ezidukisayo kumelwe bamale ngemva kokululekwa kanye nakabili. UPawulu ucela uThithu ukuba eze kuye eNikopholi, futhi ngemva kokunikeza ezinye izithunywa zevangeli iziyalezo, ugcizelela isidingo semisebenzi emihle, ukuze bangabi abangenazithelo.​—⁠3:​2, 7, 8.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO

 8. Yikuphi eselulekweni sikaPawulu esisencwadini eya kuThithu ‘okuhle nokunosizo’ kithi namuhla, futhi ngani?

⁸ AmaKristu aseKrethe ayephila phakathi kwabantu ababeqamba amanga, abonakele, nabahahayo. Ingabe kumelwe bamane bangene emshungwini? Noma ingabe kumelwe bathathe izinyathelo eziqondile zokuzihlukanisa ngokuphelele ukuze bakhonze njengesizwe esingcweliselwe uJehova uNkulunkulu? Lapho ekwenza kwaziwe ngoThithu ukuthi abaseKrethe kumelwe “bakhuthalele ukwenza imisebenzi emihle,” uPawulu wathi: “Lezozinto zinhle, zinosizo kubantu.” ‘Kuhle futhi kunosizo’ nanamuhla, ezweni elicwile obishini lwemikhuba yokungabi naqiniso neyokungethembeki, ukuba amaKristu angempela “afunde ukukhuthalela imisebenzi emihle,” abe nezithelo enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu. (3:​8, 14) Konke ukulahla kukaPawulu ukuziphatha okubi nobubi okwakusongela amabandla aseKrethe kuyisixwayiso kithi manje lapho ‘umusa kaNkulunkulu ongasifanele usifundisa ukuba sidele ukungakholwa nezinkanuko zezwe, sihambe ngokuqonda, nangokulunga, nangokumesaba uNkulunkulu kulesisikhathi samanje.’ AmaKristu futhi kumelwe “alungele imisebenzi yonke emihle” ekuboniseni ukulalela ababusi, nasekulondolozeni unembeza omuhle.​—⁠2:​11, 12; 3:⁠1.

 9. Ukubaluleka kwemfundiso eqondile kugcizelelwe kanjani, ikakhulukazi njengomthwalo wemfanelo wombonisi?

⁹ UThithu 1:​5-⁠9 uthasisela kweyoku-⁠1 Thimothewu 3:​2-⁠7 ekuboniseni lokho umoya ongcwele okufunayo kubabonisi. Lokhu kugcizelela ‘ukubambelela kombonisi ezwini elithembekileyo’ nasekubeni umfundisi ebandleni. Yeka indlela lokhu okudingeke ngayo ekuletheni bonke ekuvuthweni! Eqinisweni, lesidingo semfundiso eqondile sigcizelelwe izikhathi eziningana encwadini eya kuThithu. UPawulu uyala uThithu ukuba ‘aqhubeke ekhuluma lokho okufanele isifundiso esiphilileyo.’ Abesifazane abadala kumelwe babe “abafundisi bokuhle,” futhi izinceku kumelwe ‘zihlobise isifundiso sikaNkulunkulu uMsindisi wazo ezintweni zonke.’ (Thithu 1:⁠9; 2:​1, 3, 10) Egcizelela isidingo sokuba uThithu njengombonisi aqine futhi abe nesibindi ekufundiseni kwakhe, uPawulu uthi: “Khuluma lokho, uyale, ukhuze ngamandla onke.” Futhi ngokuqondene nalabo abangalaleli, uthi: “Ubayalisise, ukuze baphile ekukholweni.” Ngalokho, incwadi kaPawulu eya kuThithu ngokukhethekile “inenzuzo yokufundisa, yokusola, yokuqondisa izinto, yokuyala ekulungeni.”​—⁠Thithu 2:​15; 1:​13; 2 Thim. 3:​16, NW.

10. Yini incwadi eya kuThithu esikhuthazela yona, futhi yiliphi ithemba elijabulisayo elishukumisayo?

¹⁰ Incwadi eya kuThithu ishukumisa ukwazisa kwethu ngomusa kaNkulunkulu ongasifanele futhi isikhuthaza ukuba sifulathele ukungamesabi uNkulunkulu kwezwe kuyilapho “sibheke ithemba elibusisiweyo nokuvela kwenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu omkhulu noMsindisi wethu uJesu Kristu.” Ngokwenza kanjalo, labo abaye balungisiswa ngoKristu Jesu bangase babe “yizindlalifa zokuphila okuphakade ngokwethemba” eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu.​—⁠Thithu 2:​13; 3:⁠7.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]