“UNkulunkulu onika ithemba kaliphe intokozo enkulu lokuthula ngoba liyamthemba, ukuze ngamandla omoya ongcwele libe lethemba elikhulu.”—KwabaseRoma 15:13, INguqulo Yomhlaba Omutsha.

 “Sengathi uNkulunkulu wethemba angaligcwalisa ngentokozo enkulu langokuthula ekumethembeni kwenu, ukuze libe lethemba elikhaphakayo ngamandla kaMoya oNgcwele.”—KwabaseRoma 15:13, Holy Bible in Ndebele.

 Ngokutsho amazwi la umphostoli uPhawuli wayeveza isifiso ayelaso sokuthi uNkulunkulu anike bonke abamkhonzayo ‘intokozo lokuthula.’ Intokozo lokuthula kuhamba ndawonye lethemba esilinikwa nguNkulunkulu futhi konke lokhu umuntu ukuthola nxa elomoya ongcwele.

 Sifunda ngethemba esilinikwa nguNkulunkulu eLizwini lakhe iBhayibhili. URoma 15:4 uthi: “Zonke izinto ezabhalwa kudala [eBhayibhilini] zabhalelwa ukuthi kufundiswe thina. Lokho kwenza sibe lethemba ngoba iMibhalo le isinceda ukuthi siqinisele njalo iyasiduduza.” IBhayibhili lithi uNkulunkulu uthembisa ukuqeda konke okwenza abantu bahlupheke okunjengobuyanga, ukuphathwa kubi, ukugula lokufa. (ISambulo 21:4) UNkulunkulu uzasebenzisa uJesu Khristu ukuthi akwenze lokhu. Yikho silethemba lokuthi sizakuba lekusasa elihle.—KwabaseRoma 15:12.

 Singaba lethemba “elikhulu” kumbe “elikhaphakayo” nxa singamthemba uNkulunkulu. Nxa singaqhubeka sifunda ngaye sizabona ukuthi unguNkulunkulu esingamthemba sibili. (U-Isaya 46:10; KuThithusi 1:2) Umuntu angaba lentokozo lokuthula lanxa esebunzimeni ngenxa yethemba uNkulunkulu asinika lona.—KwabaseRoma 12:12.

 Siyenelisa ukuba lokuthula, lentokozo lethemba ngoba uNkulunkulu usinika “umoya ongcwele,” ongamandla akhe awasebenzisayo ukuze afeze intando yakhe. a UNkulunkulu usebenzisa umoya ongcwele ukuze agcwalise izithembiso zakhe futhi ukubona izithembiso zakhe zigcwaliseka kwenza sibe lethemba. Umoya lo wenza sibe lentokozo lokuthula.—KwabaseGalathiya 5:22.

 Ibhuku lamaRoma yincwadi eyabhalelwa amaKhristu ayehlala edolobheni leRoma. Amanye amaKhristu la ayengamaJuda ikanti amanye ayengayisiwo maJuda. UPhawuli wawakhuthaza wonke ukuthi ahlale emanyene emcabangweni lasezenzweni kungelani lendlela ayekhuliswe ngayo kanye lamasiko awo.—KwabaseRoma 15:6.

 UPhawuli wakhumbuza amaKhristu eRoma ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayevele etshilo ukuthi kuzakuba lesikhathi lapho abantu bezizwe zonke abazamkhonza khona bemanyane. Ukuze asekele lokho ayekutsho wacupha ka-4 amazwi aseMibhalweni yesiHebheru. b (KwabaseRoma 15:9-12) Umcijo ayefuna ukuwuveza yilo: Abantu bonke bangancedakala ngalokho okwenziwa nguKhristu kungelani lokuthi bangamaJuda kumbe bangabezinye izizwe. Amaqembu la womabili ayelethemba elifananayo. Yikho bonke ababesebandleni leRoma kungelani lokuthi babekhuliswe njani kwakumele ‘bamukelane’ okutsho ukuthi baphathane ngomusa.—KwabaseRoma 15:7.