Akakho umuntu namhlanjesi ongathi yena uyazi ukuthi mbalambala uPowula bekanjani ngokuqaleka. Iinthombe nemigwalo kaPowula eseencwadini zethu sekumane kuziinthombe ezitjengisa ukuthi kungenzeka bekanjani. Akunanto ephathekako mhlamunye njengamathambwakhe, iinthombe namkha okhunye esikufumeneko okutjengisa ukuthi bekanjengombana simveza.

Kodwana kunalapho sibone khona ukuthi kungenzeka uPowula bekabumbeke njani. Sinesibonelo ku-Zion’s Watch Tower kaMatjhi 1 1902. Yona-ke ithi: “Nasiphatha yokuthi uPowula bekabumbeke njani : . . . ‘ku-Acts of Paul and Thecla,’ . . . Eyatlolwa ngo-A. D. 150, kunala bayihlathulula kamnandi khona indlela uPowula ebekabumbeke ngayo begodu indlela abamhlathulule ngayo beyikhambisana nesiko langesikhathi sakhe. Lapho bamhlathulula ayindoda ‘enomzimba omncani, anepandla, anamagwegwe, ayindoda enejamo, anamatjhiya ahlangana phakathi, kungenzeka bekanepumulo ejamileko.’”

I-Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (ka-1997) nayikhuluma ngemitlolo yakade ithi: “Kungenzeka ‘i-Acts’ kunala ikhamba ibeneqiniso khona.” I-Acts of Paul and Thecla beyithenjwa khulu kade, kwaqinisekiswa bona ngesikhatheso bekunama-manuscript wesiGirigi ama-80 newamanye amalimi. Ngikho sithi iinthombe zethu zakaPowula zikhambisana nelwazi lakade eliveza ukuthi bekanjani.

Okufuze sikutjheje kukuthi ezinye izinto ziqakatheke ukudlula indlela uPowula ebekabumbeke ngayo. Ngitjho nangesikhathi uPowula akhambela amabandla, abantu abatjheja khulu indlela umuntu abumbeke ngayo bathi: “Nakalapha ngenyama akanasithunzi nekulumakhe ayazisi.” (2 Kor. 10:10) Ekufuze singakulibali kukuthi wabamfundi ngokusimangaliso esenziwa nguJesu. Okhunye ekufuze sikukhumbule yindlela aphetha ngayo isabelo sakhe njengombana ‘aba sisitja esikhethiweko [kuKrestu] bona aphathe ibizo [lakaJesu] eentjhabeni.’ (IzE. 9:3-5, 15; 22:6-8) Cabanga nangokuthi sizuza kangangani ngokufunda iincwadi zeBhayibheli uJehova azitlola ngokusebenzisa yena uPowula.

UPowula akhange azikhukhumeze ngezinto azenzako ngaphambi kobana abemKrestu, akhange ngitjho ahlathulule nendlela abumbeke ngayo. (IzE. 26:4, 5; Flp. 3:4-6) Uyavuma uthi: “Ngingomncani ebapostolini, begodu akukangifaneli ukubizwa ngokuthi ngimpostoli.” (1 Kor. 15:9) Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi wabuye watlola wathi: “Kimi, umuntu omncani ngitjho nakomncani kinabo boke abacwengileko, nganikelwa umusa omkhulu lo, ukuze ngimemezele eentjhabeni iindaba ezimnandi ezimalungana nokunotha kwakaKrestu okungaphenyekiko.” (Efe. 3:8) Lokho kuqakatheke ukudlula ukutshwenyeka ngokuthi mbalambala uPowula bekabumbuke njani.