Umphostoli uPhawuli wabhalela uThimothi owayesengumdala ngalesosikhathi wathi: “Ngiyakuqonqosela phambi kukaNkulunkulu loKhristu uJesu kanye lezingilosi ezikhethiweyo ukuthi ulalele imilayo le kungela kubandlulula loba ukukhetha.”—1 Thim. 5:21.

Ake siqale sixoxe ngokuthi ngobani abangeke babe zingilosi lezo ezikhethiweyo. Kusegcekeni ukuthi ayisibo abangu-144 000. Ngesikhathi uPhawuli ebhalela uThimothi, amaKhristu agcotshiweyo ayengakaqalisi ukuvuswa ukuthi aye ezulwini. Yikho abaphostoli lamanye amaKhristu agcotshiweyo ayisibo ‘izingilosi ezikhethiweyo’ uPhawuli ayekhuluma ngazo.—1 Khor. 15:​50-54; 1 Thes. 4:​13-17; 1 Joh. 3:2.

‘Izingilosi ezikhethiweyo’ kwakungeke kube zingilosi ezahlamukayo ngesikhathi sikaZamcolo ngoba ingilosi lezo zalandela uSathane zaba ngamadimoni njalo zaba yizitha zikaJesu. (Gen. 6:2; Luk. 8:​30, 31; 2 Phet. 2:4) Esikhathini esizayo zizaphoselwa emgodini ongelamkhawulo zihlale khona okweminyaka eyinkulungwane njalo zizabhujiswa ndawonye loSathane.—Jud. 6; Isam. 20:​1-3, 10.

Kumele ukuthi ‘izingilosi ezikhethiweyo’ uPhawuli ayekhuluma ngazo yilezo ezazisezulwini futhi ezazisekela ‘uNkulunkulu loKhristu uJesu’ abaqanjwa evesini leyo.

Kulezinkulungwane lezinkulungwane zezingilosi ezithembekileyo. (Heb. 12:​22, 23) Akumelanga sicabange ukuthi zonke izingilosi zilomsebenzi munye. (Isam. 14:​17, 18) Khumbula ukuthi kulengilosi eyodwa eyake yathunywa ukuthi ibulale amasotsha ama-Asiriya angu-185 000. (2 Amakho. 19:35) Kungenzakala ukuthi kulezinye izingilosi eziphiwe umsebenzi wokuthi “zibuthe zonke izinto ezenza abanye bakhubeke, zizisuse eMbusweni [kaJesu], zisuse labantu abenza okungekho emthethweni.” (Mat. 13:​39-41) Mhlawumbe ezinye ‘ziqoqa abakhethiweyo’ ukuthi baye ezulwini. (Mat. 24:31) Kanti njalo ezinye zilomsebenzi ‘wokusilinda loba ngaphi lapho esiya khona.’—Hubo. 91:11; Mat. 18:10; khangela loMathewu 4:11; Luk. 22:43.

Kumele ukuthi ‘izingilosi ezikhethiweyo’ okukhulunywa ngazo ku-1 Thimothi 5:21 zaziphiwe umsebenzi wokuncedisa amabandla. Esahlukweni leso uPhawuli wanika abadala iseluleko sokuthi kumele bayenze njani imisebenzi yabo, watsho lokuthi ibandla kumele libahloniphe. Wathi nxa abadala besenza imisebenzi yabo akumelanga ‘babandlulule loba bakhethe’ njalo kumele baqale bacabangisise bengakenzi isinqumo. Isizatho esiqakathekileyo esenza abadala balalele okwatshiwo nguPhawuli yikuthi umsebenzi wabo bawenza “phambi kukaNkulunkulu loKhristu uJesu kanye lezingilosi ezikhethiweyo.” Kucacile ukuthi ezinye izingilosi ziphiwa imisebenzi yokuncedisa amabandla ngokwesibonelo ukuvikela abantu bakaNkulunkulu, ukukhangela umsebenzi wokutshumayela lokubika kuJehova lokho eziyabe zikubonile.—Mat. 18:10; Isam. 14:6.