Kulimba Mtima Povutitsidwa

GULU la anthu olusa linagwira anthu awiri n’kuwakokera kubwalo la zamasewero ku Efeso. Anthu awiriwo anali Gayo ndi Aristarko, anzake a mtumwi Paulo. Atafika ku bwalolo, anthu olusawo anafuula kwa maola awiri kuti: “Wamkulu ndi Artemi wa ku Efeso.” (Machitidwe 19:28, 29, 34) Kodi anzake a Paulowa analimbabe mtima pamene anthu anawaukira chonchi? N’chifukwa chiyani anthuwo anachita chipolowe?

Paulo anali atalalikira mu mzinda wa Efeso kwa zaka pafupifupi zitatu ndipo ntchito yakeyi inayenda bwino. Zotsatira zake zinali zakuti Aefeso ambiri analeka kupembedza mafano. (Machitidwe 19:26; 20:31) Fano lotchuka kwambiri ku Efeso linali kachifaniziro ka siliva ka kachisi wa Artemi. Artemi anali mulungu wamkazi wa mphamvu za kubereka ndipo kachisi wake wokongola kwambiri anali paphiri mu mzindawo. Timafano ta kachisi ameneyu anali kutivala ngati zithumwa kapena kutipachika m’nyumba. N’zoonekeratu kuti Akristu sakanagula nawo mafano amenewo.​—1 Yohane 5:21.

Munthu wina wosula siliva dzina lake Demetriyo, anaona kuti ntchito ya Paulo imusokonezera malonda ake omwe anali aphindu kwambiri. Mwa kupotoza mfundo zoona ndiponso kukokomeza zinthu, iye anachititsa amisiri anzake kukhulupirira kuti anthu onse a mu Asiyamina adzaleka kupembedza Artemi. Choncho, osula silivawo analusa n’kuyamba kutamanda Artemi mofuula ndipo izi zinayambitsa chipolowe chachikulu moti mzinda wonse unali chipwirikiti chokhachokha.​—Machitidwe 19:24-29.

Anthu ambiri anasonkhana pabwalo la zamasewero lokwanira anthu 25,000. Paulo anadzipereka kuti alankhule kwa anthu achipolowewo, koma akuluakulu ena omufunira zabwino anamuletsa. Kenako mkulu wa mzindawo anakhazikitsa anthuwo bata ndipo Gayo ndi Aristarko anapulumuka osavulazidwa.​—Machitidwe 19:35-41.

Masiku ano, anthu a Mulungu angavutitsidwe ngakhale kuchitidwa ziwawa pochita utumiki wawo. Nthawi zambiri amalalikira uthenga wabwino m’mizinda imene kupembedza mafano, chiwerewere ndi kuphwanya malamulo kuli ponseponse. Ngakhale zili choncho, molimba mtima atumiki a Mulunguwa amatsatira chitsanzo cha mtumwi Paulo amene ‘sanabisire anthu zinthu zopindulitsa osazilalikira kwa iwo, ndi kuwaphunzitsa pabwalo ndi kunyumba ndi nyumba’ mu mzinda wa Efeso. (Machitidwe 20:20) Nawonso amasangalala akamaona kuti ‘mawu a Ambuye akuchuluka mwamphamvu nalakika.’​—Machitidwe 19:20.

[Chithunzi patsamba 30]

Bwinja la bwalo la zamasewero ku Efeso