1-4. UPhawuli uyakwenzani eJerusalema futhi kuyini azahlangana lakho khonale?

 KUKHALWA ezimathonsi ngesikhathi uLukha loPhawuli besuka eMilethu. UPhawuli loLukha bezwa ubuhlungu kakhulu ngesikhathi bevalelisa abadala be-Efesu ababathanda kakhulu. Lanxa inhliziyo zibuhlungu, bayangena esikepeni bethwele imitshaqana yabo elezinto abazazisebenzisa phakathi kohambo. Bathwele leminikelo yokuncedisa amaKhristu aswelayo aseJudiya futhi bazimisele ukuthi isipho lesi sifike lapho okumele siyekhona.

² Kulomoya ophephethayo ofuqa amaseyili njengoba isikepe sisuka okhunjini olulabantu abaphithizelayo. Amadoda la amabili lamanye ayisikhombisa ahamba lawo akhangele abafowabo abadanileyo, abami okhunjini. (Imiseb. 20:4, 14, 15) Baqhubeka bebavalelisa baze bacine bengasababoni.

³ Okweminyaka engaba mithathu, uPhawuli ubencedisana labadala be-Efesu kodwa khathesi umoya ongcwele umkhokhela ukuthi aye eJerusalema. Kakwazi konke okuzamehlela khonale kodwa akwaziyo yikuthi uzahlangana lobunzima. Wayeke watshela abadala labo wathi: “Khathesi ngiya eJerusalema ngiqhutshwa ngumoya ongcwele lanxa ngingakwazi okuzangehlela khonale, ngaphandle kokuthi umoya ongcwele uqhubeka ufakaza kimi idolobho ngedolobho, usithi ngizabotshwa futhi ngehlelwe zinhlupho.” (Imiseb. 20:22, 23) Lanxa ekwazi ukuthi uzathwala nzima, uPhawuli ‘uqhutshwa ngumoya ongcwele.’ Yikho uzimisele ukuwuvumela ukuthi umkhokhele eJerusalema. Uyayiqakathekisa impilo yakhe kodwa akuqakathekisa kakhulu yikwenza intando kaNkulunkulu.

⁴ Lawe uzimisele yini ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu njengoPhawuli? Nxa sizinikela kuJehova siyabe sithembisa ukuthi sizaqakathekisa ukwenza intando yakhe ukwedlula loba yini empilweni. Ukuhlola isibonelo sikamphostoli uPhawuli kuzasinceda endabeni le.

5. UPhawuli labanye bakhe badlula ngaphi besiya eThire?

⁵ Isikepe esasigadwe nguPhawuli labanye bakhe “saqonda eKhosi” futhi umoya wasiqhuba kuhle okwenza ukuthi sifike eKhosi ngalelolanga.  (Imiseb. 21:1) Kukhanya isikepe sama khonapho ubusuku bonke sasesisuka ngelanga elilandelayo sisiya eRodi lasePhathara. EPhathara esekhunjini oluseningizimu ye-Asiya abazalwane bagada umkhumbi omkhulu othwala impahla owabasa eThire eseFenikhiya. Besendleleni badlula ‘isihlenge seKhuphro esingakwesenxele.’ (Imiseb. 21:3) Yindaba uLukha owabhala ibhuku lemiSebenzi esitshela ukuthi badlula eKhuphro?

6. (a) Yindaba singathi kwamkhuthaza uPhawuli ukubona isihlenge seKhuphro? (b) Uzwa njani nxa ucabangisisa ngalokho uJehova akwenzele khona?

⁶ Kungenzakala ukuthi uPhawuli nguye owabatshengisa isihlenge lesi wasebatshela okwakwenzakale kuye ekhonale. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-9 eyadlulayo, uPhawuli wayeke wafika esihlengeni lesi kuhambo lwakhe lokuqala engumnali ehamba loBhanabha kanye loJohane owayebizwa langokuthi nguMakho. Endaweni le bahlangana lenyanga okwakuthiwa ngu-Elima eyabaphikisayo betshumayela. (Imiseb. 13:4-12) Kumele ukuthi ukubona isihlenge lesi lokukhumbula okwakwenzakele kwamkhuthaza uPhawuli, kwamqinisa ukuthi alungele ayezahlangana lakho. Lathi kungasinceda kakhulu ukucabangisisa ngendlela uJehova asibusise ngayo lasincedise ngayo ukuthi siqinisele ebunzimeni. Ukwenza njalo kuzasinceda ukuthi sitsho amazwi akhulunywa nguDavida owathi: “Zinengi inhlupho  ezingehlela umuntu olungileyo, kodwa uJehova uyamkhulula kuzo zonke.”—Hubo. 34:19.

7. UPhawuli lalabo ayehamba labo benzani befika eThire?

⁷ UPhawuli wayekuqakathekisa ukuba lamanye amaKhristu. ULukha usitshela ukuthi bathi befika eThire ‘badinga abafundi babathola.’ (Imiseb. 21:4) UPhawuli layehamba labo babekwazi ukuthi kulamaKhristu eThire yikho bawadinga futhi kungenzakala ukuthi bahlala lawo. Ukukhonza uJehova kumnandi sibili ngoba loba ngaphi lapho oyakhona awusweli amanye amaKhristu azakwamukela. Labo abathanda uNkulunkulu njalo abamkhonza ngeqiniso balabangane emhlabeni wonke.

8. Singakuchasisa njani okutshiwo kumiSebenzi 21:4?

⁸ ULukha wathi echasisa okwenzakala phakathi kwensuku ezingu-7 beseThire, wabhala okunye okungasimangalisa. Wathi: “Ngenxa yalokho ababekutshengiswe ngumoya ongcwele, [abazalwane baseThire] babelokhu betshela uPhawuli ukuthi angalugxobi eJerusalema.” (Imiseb. 21:4) Kambe uJehova wayesetshintshe ingqondo engasafuni ukuthi uPhawuli aye eJerusalema? Hatshi. Umoya ongcwele wawuveze ukuthi uPhawuli wayezaphathwa kubi eJerusalema kodwa awuzange uthi akumelanga ayekhona. Kukhanya umoya ongcwele wawubatshengisile sibili abazalwane beThire ukuthi uPhawuli wayezahlupheka eJerusalema yikho bamncenga ukuthi angayikhona ngoba babemzwela. Lokho abakwenzayo kuyazwisiseka sibili ngoba babezama ukumvikela kodwa uPhawuli wakubona kufanele ukuthi aye eJerusalema ngoba wayezimisele ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu.—Imiseb. 21:12.

9, 10. (a) Okwakhulunywa ngabazalwane beThire kungabe kwamkhumbuzani uPhawuli? (b) Kuyini okuthandwa ngabantu abanengi lamuhla njalo kutshiyene njani lalokho okwakhulunywa nguJesu?

⁹ Kungenzakala ukuthi okwatshiwo ngabazalwane beThire kwakhumbuza uPhawuli lokho okwakwenzakale kuJesu aze atshele abafundi bakhe ukuthi kwakumele aye eJerusalema, ahlukuluzwe kakhulu abesebulawa. UPhetro kwamzwisa ubuhlungu kakhulu lokhu wasesithi kuJesu: “Zizwele isihawu Nkosi. Lokhu ngeke kwenzakale kuwe loba sekutheni.” UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Yana emva kwami Sathane! Uyisikhubekiso kimi ngoba awucabangi imicabango kaNkulunkulu kodwa ucabanga eyabantu.” (Mat. 16:21-23) UJesu wayezimisele ukwenza lokho uNkulunkulu ayemthume ukuthi akwenze lanxa kwakukhanya kunzima. UPhawuli laye wayezimisele ukwenza njengoJesu. Abazalwane beThire babemzwela sibili umphostoli uPhawuli ngendlela uPhetro ayezwela ngayo uJesu. Kodwa babengananzeleli ukuthi lokho okwakumele kwenzakale kwakuyintando kaNkulunkulu.

¹⁰ Abantu abanengi lamuhla bathanda ukwenza okulula kubo lanxa kungayisikho okungabanceda. Abanengi bathanda amasonto angelandaba kangako lokuthi amalunga awo aziphatha njani. Kodwa lokho uJesu akhuthaza abafundi bakhe ukuthi bakwenze, kutshiyene kakhulu lalokho okuthandwa ngabantu lamuhla.  Wathi: “Loba ngubani ofuna ukungilandela kazidele athwale isigodo sakhe sokuhlutshwa aqhubeke engilandela.” (Mat. 16:24) Lanxa kungalula kumele silandele uJesu ngoba yikho okuzasinceda.

11. Abafundi beThire batshengisa njani ukuthi bayamthanda uPhawuli lokuthi bayayisekela inkonzo yakhe?

¹¹ Kungakayi ngaphi, kwasekumele uPhawuli loLukha labanye babo bangene indlela baqhubeke ngohambo lwabo. Indlela iBhayibhili elichasisa ngayo okwenzakala sebevalelisana itshengisa ukuthi abazalwane beThire babemthanda kakhulu uPhawuli futhi babeyiqakathekisa inkonzo yakhe. Obaba labomama labantwababo, baphelekezela uPhawuli lalabo ayehamba labo baze bayafika ekhunjini. Bafika baguqa, bathandaza basebevalelisana. Ngemva kwalokho, uPhawuli loLukha lababehamba labo bangena emkhunjini baqonda ePhetholemayi lapho abafika bahlangana labanye abazalwane basebehlala labo okwelanga elilodwa.—Imiseb. 21:5-7.

12, 13. (a) Kuyini okutshengisa ukuthi uFiliphu wayengumKhristu othembekileyo? (b) Kungani singathi uFiliphu uyisibonelo esihle kubobaba abangamaKhristu lamuhla?

¹² ULukha usitshela ukuthi uPhawuli lalabo ayehamba labo bathi besuka lapho baqonda eKhesariya. Bafika ‘bangena endlini kaFiliphu umvangeli.’ a (Imiseb. 21:8) Kumele ukuthi bathokoza kakhulu bembona uFiliphu. Emnyakeni engaba ngu-20 eyayidlulile, uFiliphu wayebekwe ngabaphostoli ukuthi ancedise ekwabiweni kokudla ebandleni lamaKhristu elalisanda kubunjwa eJerusalema. UFiliphu wayeselesikhathi eside ekhuthele emsebenzini wokutshumayela. Ngesikhathi amaKhristu ebaleka eJerusalema ngenxa yokuhlukuluzwa, uFiliphu yena waya eSamariya wayatshumayela khona. Ngemva kwesikhathi watshumayeza indoda engumTopiya wayibhabhathiza. (Imiseb. 6:2-6; 8:4-13, 26-38) UFiliphu wayengumKhristu othembekileyo sibili.

¹³ UFiliphu wayevutha enkonzweni. Lalapho esehlala eKhesariya wayelokhe ekhuthele ngoba uLukha umbiza ngokuthi ‘ngumvangeli.’ Sitshelwa ukuthi wayeselamadodakazi amane ayephrofetha okutshengisa ukuthi lawo ayehamba ngonyawo lukayise. b (Imiseb. 21:9) Kumele ukuthi uFiliphu wayesenza konke okusemandleni  akhe ukuze ancedise imuli yakhe ukuthi ibe lobungane obuqinileyo loJehova. Obaba abangamaKhristu bangamlingisela uFiliphu ngokukhuthala emsebenzini wokutshumayela langokuncedisa abantwababo ukuthi labo bawuthande umsebenzi lo.

14. Kuyini okumele ukuthi kwakusenzakala nxa uPhawuli engavakatshela amabandla njalo kuyini lathi esingakwenza lamuhla?

¹⁴ Loba ngaphi lapho uPhawuli ayesiyakhona wayefika adinge abazalwane, azinike isikhathi sokuba labo. Kumele ukuthi kwakubathokozisa abazalwane ukuba loPhawuli labanye bakhe emizini yabo. Kumele ukuthi izikhathi ezinjalo zazibanika isikhathi sokuthi ‘bakhuthazane.’ (Rom. 1:11, 12) Lalamuhla, kuyanceda kakhulu ukwamukela umbonisi wesiqinti lomkakhe emizini yethu lanxa siyabe singelazinto ezimangalisayo.—Rom. 12:13.

15, 16. U-Agabhu wafika wathini futhi akutshoyo kwabaphatha njani ababelapho?

¹⁵ Ngesikhathi uPhawuli esanda kufika emzini kaFiliphu, kwafika eyinye indoda eyayihlonitshwa okuthiwa ngu-Agabhu. Ababebuthene emzini kaFiliphu babekwazi ukuthi u-Agabhu ngumphrofethi ngoba wayeke waphrofetha ngendlala enkulu eyabakhona ngesikhathi kubusa umbusi weRoma okuthiwa nguKlawudiyu. (Imiseb. 11:27, 28) Mhlawumbe babezibuza ukuthi: ‘U-Agabhu ulandeni? Ubaphathele mlayezo bani?’ U-Agabhu wathatha ibhanti likaPhawuli wazibopha ngalo izandla lenyawo. Ibhanti lelo lalenziwe ngelembu futhi umuntu wayengathwala ngalo imali kumbe ezinye izinto njalo lalithandelwa ekhalweni. Wathi esezibophe ngalo wakhuluma amazwi asindayo wathi: “Umoya ongcwele uthi, ‘AmaJuda azambopha kanje umnikazi webhanti leli eJerusalema njalo azamnikela ebantwini bezinye izizwe.’”—Imiseb. 21:11.

¹⁶ Isiphrofetho leso sacacisa sibili ukuthi uPhawuli wayezakuya eJerusalema. Saphinda satshengisa lokuthi ayezakwenza khonale kwakuzakwenza ukuthi anikelwe “ebantwini bezinye izizwe.” Amazwi esiphrofetho leso ahlaba ephukela enhliziyweni zabo  bonke ababelapho. ULukha uthi: “Thina labanye ababelapho sathi sikuzwa lokhu, saqalisa ukuncenga uPhawuli ukuthi angayi eJerusalema. Yena waphendula wathi: ‘Kanti likhalelani lingiqeda amandla? Yazini ukuthi angizimiselanga ukuyabotshwa kuphela kodwa ngizimisele lokufa eJerusalema ngenxa yebizo leNkosi uJesu.’”—Imiseb. 21:12, 13.

17, 18. UPhawuli watshengisa njani ukuthi uzimisele njalo abazalwane benzani?

¹⁷ Akukubone ngelihlo lengqondo okwakusenzakala. Nampayana abazalwane, loLukha laye ukhona, bancenga uPhawuli ukuthi angayi eJerusalema. Kwabanye sezisehla zodwa inyembezi. UPhawuli uyathinteka kakhulu ebona indlela abamzwela ngayo abesebonisana labo ngelipholileyo ukuthi nxa besenza njalo ‘bamqeda amandla.’ Amanye amaBhayibhili nxa ehumutsha amazwi la athi ‘bamephula inhliziyo.’ Lanxa kunjalo, uPhawuli uzimisele njengalapho ekhuluma labazalwane beThire. Kavumi ukuthi ukuncenga kanye lezinyembezi zabazalwane kumenze atshintshe ingqondo. Kodwa ubachasisela kuhle ukuthi kungani kumele aye eJerusalema. Kusegcekeni ukuthi uPhawuli wayelesibindi njalo ezimisele. Wenza njengoJesu, wazimisela ukuya eJerusalema. (Heb. 12:2) Ayisikho ukuthi uPhawuli wayevele efuna ukuyakufa eJerusalema, kodwa nxa kwakungenzakala, wayekubona kuyisibusiso ukufela ukuba ngumlandeli kaJesu Khristu.

¹⁸ Manje abazalwane benzani? Ngamafitshane nje singathi bakuhlonipha lokho ayesekukhethile. IBhayibhili lisitshela ngakho, lithi: “Sithe sibona ukuthi kancengeki sayekela ukumphikisa sathi: ‘Intando kaJehova kayenziwe.’” (Imiseb. 21:14) Labo ababezama ukuncenga uPhawuli ukuthi angayi eJerusalema abazange bambambe ngamandla ukuthi enze njalo. Bamlalela njalo bananzelela ukuthi ayekutsho kwakuyintando kaNkulunkulu futhi bakwamukela lanxa kwakungalula. Lokho uPhawuli ayekukhethile kwakungaphetha ngokufa kwakhe. Yikho okwakuzamnika isibindi yikuthi labo abamthandayo bangabi belokhe bezama ukumtshintsha ingqondo.

19. Okwenzakala kuPhawuli kusifundisani?

¹⁹ Okwenzakala kuPhawuli kusifundisa into eqakathekileyo. Sifunda ukuthi akumelanga sivimbe abanye nxa befuna ukuzinikela ukuthi benze okunengi ekukhonzeni. Lokhu akusebenzi kuphela ezimeni ezibeka ukuphila kwethu engozini kodwa singakusebenzisa lakwezinye izimo ezitshiyeneyo. Ngokwesibonelo, lanxa kungalula ebazalini ukubona abantwababo besiyakhonza uJehova endaweni ezikhatshana, ababavimbi ukuthi benze njalo. Omunye udadewethu okuthiwa nguPhyllis ohlala e-England usitshela indlela ezwa ngayo ngesikhathi indodakazi yakhe eyiyo yodwa isiyakuba ngumnali e-Africa. Uthi: “Kwababuhlungu sibili. Kwakunzima khona ukukucabanga ukuthi umntanami uzabe esehlala khonale khatshana. Ngangiziqhenya ngaye sibili kodwa ngesikhathi esifananayo kwakungidanisa. Ngathandaza kakhulu ngakho kodwa lokhu yikho ayesekukhethile yikho angizange ngizame ukumtshintsha ingqondo. Phela yimi engangihlala ngimkhuthaza ukuthi abeke uMbuso kuqala. Useleminyaka engu-30 ekhonza esemazweni akhatshana futhi ngihlala ngimbonga uJehova ngokumncedisa ukuthi ahlale ethembekile.” Kuhle kakhulu ukukhuthaza labo asebekhethe ukwenza okunengi enkonzweni!

20, 21. Kuyini okutshengisa ukuthi uPhawuli wayekuqakathekisa ukuba labazalwane njalo kungani wayekuthanda ukuba labo?

²⁰ Kwenziwa amalungiselelo, uPhawuli waseqhubeka ngohambo lwakhe lokuya eJerusalema ephelekezelwa ngabazalwane futhi lokhu kwatshengisa ukuthi babemsekela sibili. Kulo lonke uhambo lokuya eJerusalema, uPhawuli layehamba labo babesithi bangafika endaweni ethile, babedinga abafowabo labodadewabo. EThire bathola abafundi bahlala labo okwensuku ezintathu. EPhetholemayi bafika babingelela abazalwane bahlala labo okwelanga elilodwa. EKhesariya lakho bafika bahlala okwamalanga ambalwa emzini kaFiliphu. Bathi besuka eKhesariya, uPhawuli lalabo ayehamba labo baphelekezelwa ngabanye abafundi. Bafika eJerusalema bemukelwa ngomunye wabafundi bokuqala okwakuthiwa nguMnasoni. ULukha usitshela ukuthi bathi befika eJerusalema ‘abafowethu babamukela ngentokozo.’—Imiseb. 21:17.

²¹ Kusegcekeni ukuthi uPhawuli wayekuqakathekisa kakhulu ukuba labazalwane. Kwamkhuthaza kakhulu ukuba labo njengoba nje lathi kusikhuthaza ukuba labafowethu labodadewethu. Kumele ukuthi kwamqinisa uPhawuli, kwamnceda ukuthi amelane lezitha ezazifuna ukumbulala eJerusalema.