Napu obunye ubujamo: Umma labantwana ababili umenywe mndeni othileko ahlanganyela nawo bona bazokudla boke idina ntambama. Abantazinyanaba bakwakhe bathaba kangangani nabezwa lokho. Kubekwe zoke izinto emnananeni, lilindwe ngabovu ilangelo. Kuthi ngalo ilangelo, umndeni loya udose umtato, utjele umma lo bona kuvele ubujamo obungakalindeleki, yeke idina kuzokufuze itshwiliswe. Ngemva kwesikhathi umma lo athole ukuthi, umndeni loyo uthe newummemako, nawo wamenywa bangani bawo ngalo ilangelo, okutjho ukuthi umma lo bekalinde ipera efileko.

Njengombana simaKrestu sinje, kufuze siphethe iinthembiso esizenzileko. Akukafaneli sizifumane sele sithi “iye”, jikithi sithi “awa.” (2 Kor. 1:18) Nanyana kunjalo, iimbonelo esicoce ngazwezi ziveza ukuthi ubujamo esingazithola sikibo abufani. Kuneenkhathi la singabona khona nathi ukuthi le yona, indaba yokufa nokuphila, ihlelo esibekelene lona nakanjani kufuze litshwiliswe. Umpostoli uPowula wazifumana asebujamweni obufana nalobo.

Ngomnyaka ka-55 ngeenkhathi zabapostoli, uPowula wathi nakase-Efesu wahlela bona uzokukhamba eLwandle le-Agean aye eKorinte, ngemva kwalokho adlulele eMasedoniya. Endlelenakhe yokubuyela eJerusalema, wahlela bona uzolikweriyela kwesibili ibandla leKorinte, ngebanga lokuthi kufuze azokuthatha isipho esiya kubazalwana eJerusalema. (1 Kor. 16:3) Lokho kuvezwe kuhle kweyesi-2 Korinte 1:15, 16, ethi: “Njengombana benginesiqinisekiso ngalokhu, bengifuna ukuza kini qangi ukuze nikwazi ukuba nomusa obuyelelweko. Bengifuna ukudlula kinapho ngizonibona lokha nangiya eMasedoniya godu ngidlule lapho nasele ngibuya khona ukuze ningisize endlelenami yokuya eJudiya.”

Kubonakala kwanga uPowula besele abatlolele incwadi wabatjela bona uzokufika. (1 Kor. 5:9) Kuthe ngemva kokutlola incwadi leyo,  kwafika eendlebeni zakaPowula bona ibibhile ebandleni leKorinte, kuyanghwaranwa, lezo-ke uzitjelwa ngebomndeni kaRhilowesi nabanye abazalwana. (1 Kor. 1:10, 11) Wayifunda ivaliwe uPowula indaba le, yeke, watjhentjha ihlelo lakhe, bewatlola nencwadi esiyazi ngeyokuthoma kwebeKorinte. Kiyo incwadi leyo, uPowula wakhalima akhalimile, kodwana ngomoya ophasi. Bewatjho nokuthi vele uyitjhentjhile indlelakhe, uzokuthoma ngokuyokujika eMasedoniya qangi bese adlulele eKorinte.—1 Kor. 16:5, 6. *

Manje abazalwana beKorinte bathi nabathola incwadakhe leyo, abanye balabo ababizwa ngokuthi ‘bapostoli abadumileko’ ebebasebandleni lelo bamangalela uPowula, bathi akakahleleki nokuthi akanabubhadekelo. Nakazivikelako uPowula wathi: “Kghani nidlumbana bona bengizaza nangihlela lokhu na? Ngenza amahlelo wami ngokwamazinga wabantu, ngilungele ukuthi ‘Iye, iye’, khonapho ngithi, ‘Awa, awa’ na?”—2 Kor. 1:17; 11:5.

Nekunjalo-ke, singazibuza ukuthi kghani ebujamwenobu uPowula bekayithatha lula na indaba yokukweriyela beKorinte? Awa, akusinjalo! Phela amezwi athi “ukuthatha izinto lula” anomqondo wokungahleleki begodu aveza nokuthi kungcono ukuthemba ilitje kunokuthemba umuntu onjalo, ongaziphethi iinthembiso zakhe. Umbuzo kaPowula ongafuni pendulo, othi ‘ngenza amahlelwami ngokwamazinga wabantu na’ bekufuze ulikhanyise iphuzu kumaKrestu weKorinte bona isiqunto sokutjhentjha amahlelwakhe asimvezi njengomuntu ongakathembeki.

UPowula wathi nakazivikela ekumangalelwenokho, watlola wathi: “Ngokuthembeka kwakaZimu, umyalezwethu kini awusi ngu: ‘Iye; awa.’” (2 Kor. 1:18) Kusemtarini bona uPowula nakazokutjhentjha amahlelwakhe la bekacabangela abazalwana nabodade beKorinte. Yoku-1 Korinte 1:23, isifundisa ukuthi ‘bekungebanga lokubaphephisa’ okwenza watjhentjha ikhambo lakhe lokukweriyela eKorinte. Kuhlekuhle bekabanikela ithuba lokulungisa ukunghwaranokho ngaphambi kobana afike yena mathupha. Kwaba njalo vele, ngombana uthe nakaseMasedoniya, uPowula wezwa ngoTitosi bona incwadakhe leya ayitlola yokubakhalima, ihlabe yaphukela eenhlizyweni zabo bebaphenduka balungisa. Lokho kwamlethela ithabo elingangethabo.—2 Kor. 6:11; 7:5-7.

Nange ukumangalelwa kwakaPowula ngokungathembeki bekuveza bona akasimumuntu okungathenjelwa kuye, lokho bekuzabe kutjho ukuthi nezinto azitjhumayelako ziyasolisa. Ngikho uPowula akhumbuza beKorinte bona watjhumayela ngoJesu Krestu kibo. “INdodana kaZimu uJesu Krestu eyatjhunyayelwa phakathi kwenu ngimi noSilasi kanye noThimothi beyingasi ngu ‘Iye; awa’, kodwana kiyo kuhlala kungu ‘Iye’ kwaphela.” (2 Kor. 1:19) Kghani uJesu Krestu osibonelo sakaPowula, bekangakathembeki na? Awa! Epilwenakhe nemsebenzinakhe wokutjhumayela uJesu bekahlala akhuluma iqiniso. (Jwa. 14:6; 18:37) Nangabe lokho uJesu akutjhumayelako bekuthembekile, kungasolisi, begodu noPowula atjhumayela lona ivangelelo leqiniso, kutjho khona bona uPowula naye uthembekile.

Siyazi bona uJehova ‘unguZimu othembekileko.’ (Rhu. 31:6, [31:5, NW]) Nakhu okhunye uPowula akutlolako: “Kiyo [iKosi uJesu] esinye nesinye isithembiso sakaZimu singu ‘Iye’”. Indlela uJesu ebekathembeke ngayo nekasephasini beyisusa nanyana ngikuphi ukungatjazwa kweenthembiso zakaJehova. Uthi uPowula nakaragako: “Yeke ngalokho ngayo sithi ‘Amen’ kilo idumo lakaZimu.” (2 Kor. 1:20) UJesu ungufakazi ophilako, namkha u-“Amen,” ofakazela ukuthi intando kaZimu izokwenzeka nakanjani!

Njengombana uJehova noJesu bahlala bakhuluma iqiniso, noPawulu bekaqinisile  kilokho akutjhoko. (2 Kor. 1:19) Bekahlelekile, angenzi isithembiso ‘ngokwezinga labantu’. (2 Kor. 1:17) Kunalokho ‘bekakhamba ngomoya.’ (Gal. 5:16) Nekasebenzelana nabanye, bekabacabangela, abafunela okungcono khulu. Ngikho u-Iye wakhe angu-Iye!

Namhlanjesi, sekujayelekile bona abantu abangaphili ngekambiso yeBhayibheli bathembise into kamnandi, kuthi nekuvela imirarwana engatjho litho, namkha kuvela okuthileko okungcono, batjhaphulule isithembisweso. Nabosomabubulo bangakutjela bona u-iye akasingu-iye ngasosoke isikhathi, ngitjho nanyana kutlikitlwe phasi emaphepheni. Asisayiphathi nokuyiphatha-ke yemitjhado, engasesesibopho sokuhlukaniswa kukufa. Amanani aphezulu wokutlhalana aveza bona umtjhado sekuyinto nje ongatjhaphuluka kiyo nawuthanda.—2 Thim. 3:1, 2.

Kuthiwani ngawe? U-iye wakho utjho u-iye na? Kuyazwisiseka bona kesinye isikhathi ungatshwilisa ihlelo enibekelene lona nomuntu othileko, ingasi ukuthi awukahleleki, kodwana ngebanga lokuthi uqalene nobujamo obungaphezu kwamandlakho. Kodwana nange wenze isifungo njengomKrestu, kufuze wenze koke ongakwenza bona uphethe isifungo sakhweso. (Rhu. 15:4; Mat. 5:37) Newenza njalo abantu bazokuthemba, bathembe wena kunokuthi bathembe ilitje, bakuqale njengomuntu oneqiniso. (Efe. 4:15, 25; Jak. 5:12) Nange abantu bakulemuka bona uthembekile, bazokunikela indlebe nesikhathi sabo newubatjhumayeza ngomBuso kaZimu. Asenze koke okusemandlenethu ukuthi u-Iye wethu abe ngu-Iye!