Ku-1 Khorinte 15:8, uPhawuli wathi: “Ekucineni wabonakala lakimi futhi ngenxa yalokho nginjengomntwana ozelwe isikhathi singakafiki.” Lapha uPhawuli wayekhuluma ngalokho okwenzakala kuye ngesikhathi ephiwa umbono kaJesu okhazimulayo esezulwini. Kodwa wayesitshoni lapho esithi ‘uzelwe isikhathi singakafiki’? Kuqala sasisithi kwakungathi uPhawuli wayenikwe isibusiso sokuthi azalwe loba avuselwe ukuyaphila ezulwini isikhathi sokuvuswa lokho singakafiki, kusasele amakhulu eminyaka ukuthi kwenzakale. Kodwa ukuhlolisiswa kwevesi le kutshengisa ukuthi kumele silungisise indlela ebesiyizwisisa ngayo.

Kodwa wayesitshoni nxa wayesithi ‘uzelwe isikhathi singakafiki?’ Kunengi ayengabe ekutsho.

Ukutshintsha kukaPhawuli esiba ngumKhristu kwenzakala engakulindelanga futhi kwamethusa. Ukuzalwa komntwana isikhathi singakafiki kujayele ukwenzakala abantu belibele. USawuli (ngokuhamba kwesikhathi owabizwa ngokuthi nguPhawuli) wathi esiya eDamaseku ukuze ayehlukuluza amaKhristu akhonale wayengalindelanga ukuthi uzabona umbono kaJesu esevusiwe. Ukutshintshwa kukaPhawuli kakuzange kumangalise yena yedwa kodwa kwamangalisa lamaKhristu ayefuna ukuwahlukuluza edolobheni lelo. Akubonayo kwamethusa kakhulu futhi wahlala isikhathi engaboni.—Imiseb. 9:1-9, 17-19.

Watshintshwa “ngesikhathi esingayisiso.” Ibala lesiGrikhi elihunyutshwe ngokuthi “ozelwe isikhathi singakafiki” lingahunyutshwa langokuthi “ozelwe ngesikhathi esingayisiso.” I-Jerusalem Bible yona ithi: “Kwakungathi ngizelwe ngesikhathi kungelamuntu okulindeleyo.” UJesu wayesebuyelile ezulwini ngesikhathi uPhawuli etshintsha. UPhawuli wayengambonanga uJesu engakayi ezulwini, ababembonile yilabo akhuluma ngabo ekuqaliseni kwesahluko lesi. (1 Khor. 15:4-8) Ukubonakala kukaJesu engakulindelanga kwanika uPhawuli ithuba lokumbona esevusiwe lanxa kwakukhanya angani ‘yisikhathi esingayisiso.’

Amazwi akhe atshengisa ukuthi wayethobekile. Ezinye izikhwicamfundo zithi amazwi uPhawuli awasebenzisa lapha atshengisa ukuthi wayezeyisa. Nxa kunjalo kutsho ukuthi uPhawuli wayezibona engafanelanga ukuthi anikwe umsebenzi wokuba ngumphostoli. Yikho waqhubeka wathi: “Mina ngingomncinyane kubaphostoli njalo akungifanelanga ukubizwa ngokuthi ngingumphostoli ngoba ngangihlukuluza ibandla likaNkulunkulu. Kodwa ngiyilokho engiyikho khona ngenxa yomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu.”—1 Khor. 15:9, 10.

Yikho kungenzeka uPhawuli wayekhuluma ngendlela uJesu abonakala kuye engakulindelanga loba ukutshintshwa kwakhe engalindelanga, loba ukuthi wayezibona engafanelanga ukutshengiswa umbono omangalisa kangaka. Lanxa kunjalo uPhawuli wayesiqakathekisa kakhulu isenzakalo lesi. Samenza wangathandabuzi lakancane ukuthi uJesu wayevusiwe. Yikho wayehlala etshela abanye ngesenzakalo lesi esingalindelekanga nxa wayetshumayela kubo ngokuvuswa kukaJesu.—Imiseb. 22:6-11; 26:13-18.