UFilemoni No-Onesimu—Bahlanganiswa Ebuzalwaneni BobuKristu

ENYE yezincwadi zomphostoli uPawulu eziphefumulelwe ngokwaphezulu ikhuluma ngenkinga ebucayi phakathi kwamadoda amabili. Enye kwakunguFilemoni, kanti enye kwakungu-Onesimu. Ayengobani lamadoda? Yini eyenza uPawulu abe nesithakazelo endabeni yawo?

UFilemoni, owabhalelwa incwadi, wayehlala eKolose e-Asia Minor. Ngokungafani namaKristu amaningi kuleyo ndawo, uFilemoni wayejwayelene noPawulu, njengoba ayamukele izindaba ezinhle ngenxa yomsebenzi walomphostoli wokushumayela. (Kolose 1:1; 2:1) UPawulu wayemazi ‘njengesisebenzi akanye naso esithandekayo.’ UFilemoni wayeyisibonelo sokholo nothando. Wayenomoya wokungenisa izihambi futhi engumthombo wokuqabuleka kwamanye amaKristu. Ngokusobala uFilemoni wayeyindoda ezimele kahle, njengoba umuzi wakhe wawumkhulu ngokwanele ukuba kuqhutshelwe kuwo imihlangano yebandla lasendaweni. Kuye kwasikiselwa ukuthi u-Apifiya no-Arkiphu, abanye abantu ababili okukhulunywe ngabo encwadini kaPawulu, kungenzeka kwakungumkakhe nendodana yakhe. Okungenani uFilemoni wayenesigqila esisodwa, u-Onesimu.—Filemoni 1, 2, 5, 7, 19b, 22.

Umbaleki ERoma

ImiBhalo ayisitsheli ukuthi kungani u-Onesimu ayekude ngamakhilomitha angu-1 400 nekhaya enoPawulu eRoma, lapho incwadi eya kuFilemoni yabhalelwa khona ngo-61 C.E. Kodwa uPawulu watshela uFilemoni: “Uma [u-Onesimu] ekonile nganoma iyiphi indlela noma ekukweleta noma yini, kugcine lokhu kubalelwa esikweletwini sami.” (Filemoni 18) Lawa mazwi akwenza kucace ukuthi u-Onesimu wayexabene nenkosi yakhe, uFilemoni. Incwadi kaPawulu yabhalwa ngenhloso yokwenza ukubuyisana phakathi kwalamadoda amabili.

Kuye kwasikiselwa ukuthi u-Onesimu waba umbaleki ngemva kokuphanga uFilemoni ukuze akwazi ukubhekana nezindleko zokubalekela kwakhe eRoma. Lapho, wayehlose ukuzifihla kubantu abaningi.a Ezweni laseGraeco-Roman, abeqile babengeyona nje inkinga enkulu kubanikazi bezigqila kuphela kodwa futhi nasembusweni. IRoma ngokwayo kuthiwa ‘yayidume kabi njengevame ukuba isiphephelo’ sezigqila ezeqile.

UPawulu wahlangana kanjani no-Onesimu? IBhayibheli alisitsheli. Nokho, lapho isasasa lenkululeko liphela, cishe u-Onesimu waqaphela ukuthi wayezibeke esimweni esiyingozi kakhulu. Edolobheni laseRoma, iqembu elikhethekile lamaphoyisa lalithungatha izigqila ezingababaleki, icala lazo elalibhekwa njengelibi kakhulu emthethweni wasendulo. NgokukaGerhard Friedrich, “izigqila ezeqile ezazitholakala zaziphawulwa ngensimbi eshisayo esiphongweni. Zazivame ukuhlushwa . . . , ziphonswe ezilweni esekisini, noma zibethelwe ukuze ezinye izigqila zitheneke amandla ekulingiseni isibonelo sazo.” UFriedrich usikisela ukuthi, kungenzeka ukuthi ngemva kokuba u-Onesimu eseyiqedile imali ayeyebile futhi wahluleka ukuthola indawo yokucasha noma umsebenzi, wacela ukuvikelwa nokulanyulelwa uPawulu, ayezwe ngaye ekwaFilemoni.

Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi u-Onesimu wabalekela komunye wabangane benkosi yakhe ngamabomu, enethemba lokuthi ngethonya lakhe, angabuyiselwa ebuhlotsheni obuhle nenkosi yakhe eyayimthukuthelele kufanele ngenxa yesizathu esithile. Imithombo yezomlando ibonisa ukuthi lokho “kwakuyicebo elivamile nelalandile ngezigqila ezisenkingeni.” Uma kunjalo, ukweba kuka-Onesimu “kungenzeka ukuthi kwakungenjongo yokuba aphumelele ukufika kuPawulu umlamuleli, kunokuba kube yingxenye yecebo lokweqa,” kusho isazi uBrian Rapske.

UPawulu Uyasiza

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sasiyini isizathu sokubaleka, u-Onesimu ngokusobala wafuna usizo lukaPawulu ukuze abuyisane nenkosi yakhe eyayithukuthele. Lokho kwaba inkinga kuPawulu. Nasi isigqila esasingakholwa esasingumbaleki oyisigebengu. Ingabe umphostoli kwakumelwe asisize ngokunxenxa umngane wakhe ongumKristu ukuba angasebenzisi ilungelo lakhe elingokomthetho akhiphe isijeziso esinzima? Wayezokwenzenjani uPawulu?

Ngesikhathi uPawulu ebhalela uFilemoni, lombaleki ngokusobala wayesehlale noPawulu isikhashana. Kwase kuyisikhathi eside ngokwanele ukuba uPawulu athi u-Onesimu ‘wayesengumfowethu othandekayo.’ (Kolose 4:9) “Ngikunxusa ngokuphathelene nomntanami engibe uyise kuye ngesikhathi ngisezibophweni zami zasetilongweni,” kusho uPawulu ngobudlelwane bakhe obungokomoya no-Onesimu. Kuyo yonke imiphumela eyayingaba khona, lona kumelwe ukuba uFilemoni wayengawulindele neze. Umphostoli wathi isigqila ‘esasingenalusizo’ ngaphambili sase sibuya njengomfowabo ongumKristu. U-Onesimu manje wayesezoba “yinzuzo,” noma ‘usizo,’ ngaleyo ndlela aphile ngokuvumelana negama lakhe.—Filemoni 1, 10-12.

U-Onesimu wayebe usizo kakhulu kumphostoli owayeboshiwe. Eqinisweni, uPawulu ngabe wamgcina lapho, kodwa ngalé kokuba okuphambene nomthetho, lokhu kwakungaba ukwaphulwa kwamalungelo kaFilemoni. (Filemoni 13, 14) Kwenye incwadi eyabhalwa cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo ibhalelwa ibandla elalihlangana kwaFilemoni, uPawulu wabhekisela ku-Onesimu ‘njengomfowethu okholekile nothandekayo, ovela phakathi kwenu.’ Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi u-Onesimu wayesebubonakalisile kakade ubufakazi bokwethembeka kwakhe.—Kolose 4:7-9.b

UPawulu wakhuthaza uFilemoni ukuba amukele u-Onesimu ngomusa kodwa akazange asebenzise igunya njengomphostoli ukuba amphoqe ekwenzeni kanjalo noma ekukhululeni isigqila sakhe. Ngenxa yobungane babo nokuthandana kwabo, uPawulu wayeqiniseka ukuthi uFilemoni ‘wayezokwenza ngisho nangaphezu’ kwalokho ayekuceliwe. (Filemoni 21) Ukuthi amazwi athi “ngisho nangaphezu” ayesho ukuthini akucacile ngoba uFilemoni kuphela owayenelungelo lokunquma ukuthi uzokwenzani ngo-Onesimu. Abanye baye bahumusha amazwi kaPawulu njengawukucela buthule ukuba umbaleki ‘abuyiswe ukuze aqhubeke esiza uPawulu njengoba ayeseqalile.’

Ingabe uFilemoni wakwamukela ukunxusela kukaPawulu u-Onesimu? Akungabazeki ukuthi wakwamukela, nakuba lokhu kwakungabacasula abanye abanikazi bezigqila baseKolose ababengakhetha ukubona u-Onesimu ethola isijeziso esiyisibonelo ukuze izigqila zabo zitheneke amandla ekulingiseni isibonelo sakhe.

U-Onesimu—Indoda Eshintshile

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikuphi, u-Onesimu waphindela eKolose enobuntu obusha. Njengoba ukucabanga kwakhe kwase kushintshwe amandla ezindaba ezinhle, ngokungangabazeki waba ilungu elikholekile lebandla lobuKristu kulelo dolobha. Ukuthi uFilemoni wagcina emkhululile yini u-Onesimu ebugqilini akuveziwe emiBhalweni. Nokho, ngomqondo ongokomoya, owayengumbaleki ngaphambili wayesengokhululekile. (Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Korinte 7:22.) Izinguquko ezifanayo ziyenzeka namuhla. Lapho abantu besebenzisa izimiso zeBhayibheli ekuphileni kwabo, izimo nobuntu kuyashintsha. Labo kuqala ababebhekwa njengabangenalusizo emphakathini bayasizwa ukuba babe izakhamuzi eziyisibonelo esihle.c

Yeka umehluko owenziwa ukuguqukela okholweni lweqiniso! Nakuba u-Onesimu wakuqala kungenzeka ‘wayengenalusizo’ kuFilemoni, ngokungangabazeki u-Onesimu omusha waphila ngokuvumelana negama lakhe njengomuntu “oyinzuzo.” Futhi ngokuqinisekile kwakuyisibusiso ukuthi uFilemoni no-Onesimu bahlanganiswa ebuzalwaneni bobuKristu.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 30]

Izigqila Ngaphansi Komthetho WamaRoma

Ngaphansi komthetho wamaRoma owawusebenza ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., isigqila sasincike ngokuphelele emuseni wemicabango, izifiso nenhliziyo yenkosi yaso. Ngokomhlaziyi uGerhard Friedrich, “ngokuyinhloko nangokomthetho, isigqila sasingeyena umuntu, kodwa into umnikazi wayo ayengayisebenzisa ngokuthanda. . . . Sasibekwa ezingeni elifanayo nezilwane ezifuyiwe namathuluzi okusebenza futhi umthetho wesizwe wawungasiboneleli.” Isigqila sasingeke siyofuna isinxephezelo ngokuphathwa kabi. Ngokuyinhloko, kwakumelwe senze lokho esikutshelwa inkosi yaso. Sasingekho isilinganiso esijezisweni esasingase sikhishwe inkosi ethukuthele. Ngisho nangecala elincane nje, yayisijezisela ukufa nokuphila.*

Nakuba abacebile babengaba namakhulu amaningi ezigqila, ngisho nemikhaya ephansi yayingase ibe nazo ezimbili noma ezintathu. “Imisebenzi eyayenziwa izigqila yayihlukahluka kakhulu,” kusho isazi uJohn Barclay. “Sithola izigqila zinjengabahlanzi bezakhiwo, abapheki, oweta, abahlanzi bezindawo zokuhlala, izithunywa, abanakekeli bezingane, nabazanyana, nezinceku ezenza noma yini, ingasaphathwa eyemisebenzi yobuchwepheshe eyayingase itholakale emizini emikhulu neyezicebi. . . . Ukulibeka ngembaba nje, uhlobo lwempilo yesigqila sasekhaya lwaluxhomeke kakhulu ebuntwini benkosi yaso futhi lokho kwakungasho ukuthi yinhle noma yimbi: ukuba isigqila senkosi enonya kwakungaphumela ezinhluphekweni ezingapheli, kodwa inkosi enomusa nephanayo yayingenza ukuphila kube nethemba futhi kubekezeleleke. Kunezibonelo ezidumile zempatho yonya ezisezincwadini, kodwa futhi kulotshwe okuningi okufakazela imfudumalo phakathi kwabanikazi nezigqila zabo.”

*Mayelana nobugqila phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu ezikhathini zasendulo, bheka i-Insight on the Scriptures, enyatheliswa i-Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., Umqulu 2, amakhasi 977-9.