Kodi Mukudziwa?

Kodi matenda a khate omwe amafotokozedwa m’Baibulo ndi ofanana ndi khate la masiku ano?

Masiku ano, mawu akuti “khate” amanena za matenda omwe amayamba chifukwa cha mabakiteriya. Dokotala wina dzina lake G.A. Hansen ndi amene anatulukira mabakiteriya a mtundu umenewu (Mycobacterium leprae) mu 1873. Ofufuza apeza kuti munthu amene ali ndi mabakiteriya amenewa akamina, mabakiteriyawa akhoza kukhalabe ndi moyo m’maminawo mpaka masiku 9. Iwo apezanso kuti anthu angatenge mosavuta matendawa ngati amayandikana kwambiri ndi anthu odwala matenda amenewa. Ndipo zovala zimene zili ndi tizilomboti zingayambitsenso matendawa. Malinga ndi zimene Bungwe Loona za Umoyo pa Dziko Lonse linanena, anthu enanso oposa 220,000 anadwala matendawa m’chaka cha 2007.

N’zodziwikiratu kuti anthu a ku Middle East m’nthawi za m’Baibulo ankadwala matendawa. Ndipo Chilamulo cha Mose chinkanena kuti odwala matendawa azibindikiritsidwa. (Levitiko 13:4, 5) Komabe, mawu achiheberi otanthauza “khate” amasonyeza kuti matendawa samagwira anthu okha, amagwiranso nyumba ndi zovala. Khate la mtundu umenewu linkapezeka m’zovala zaubweya, zathonje kapena m’zinthu zachikopa. Nthawi zina khate limeneli linkatha akachapa zovalazo, komabe ngati “nthenda yobiriwira, kapena yofiira pachovala” sikutha, chovala kapena chikopacho ankachiwotcha. (Levitiko 13:47-52) Ngati nyumba yagwidwa ndi matendawa, khoma linkaoneka ‘lobiriwira kapena lofiira, ndipo linkakumba’ khomalo. Miyala ndiponso dothi lomwe linali ndi matendawa ankalichotsa n’kukalitaya kutali ndi malo awo okhala. Ngati matendawa ayambiranso, ankagwetsa nyumba yonseyo n’kukataya zinthu zonsezo. (Levitiko 14:33-45) Anthu ena amanena kuti khate lopezeka m’zovala kapena m’nyumba liyenera kuti ndi zimene masiku ano timati nguwi kapena nkhungu. Komabe, palibe umboni wokwanira wotsimikizira zimenezi.

N’chifukwa chiyani anthu osula siliva anaukira mtumwi Paulo pamene amalalikira ku Efeso?

Anthu osula siliva ku Efeso ankapeza ndalama zambiri mwa kupanga “tiakachisi ta siliva ta Atemi,” yemwe anali mulungu wothandiza posaka nyama, wamphamvu zobereketsa ndiponso ankakhulupirira kuti amateteza anthu amene amamulambira. (Machitidwe 19:24) Anthu amene ankamulambira ankanena kuti fano lake linachita kugwa ‘kuchokera kumwamba’ ndipo ankalisunga m’kachisi wa Atemi ku Efeso. (Machitidwe 19:35) Anthu ankanena kuti kachisi ameneyu anali m’gulu la zinthu zisanu ndi ziwiri zochititsa chidwi kwambiri za m’nthawi yakale. Chaka chilichonse, m’mwezi wa March ndi April, anthu ambiri ankabwera ku Efeso kudzachita mwambo wolemekeza Atemi. Zimenezi zinkachititsa kuti zosema ziziyenda malonda kwambiri. Zosemazi ankazigwiritsa ntchito monga zikumbutso ndi zithumwa. Ankazigwiritsanso ntchito monga zopereka kwa Atemi kapena kukazigwiritsa ntchito polambira ndi mabanja awo akabwerera kwawo. Zolemba zakale za ku Efeso zimafotokoza kuti ankapanga timafano ta Atemi ta golide ndi ta siliva. Ndipo zolemba zinanso zimafotokoza kuti kunali bungwe la osula siliva.

Paulo ankaphunzitsa kuti mafano ‘opangidwa ndi manja si milungu ayi.’ (Machitidwe 19:26) Chifukwa cha zimenezi, osula siliva anaona kuti bizinesi yomwe imawathandiza pamoyo wawo ingalowe pansi, choncho anamuukira Paulo. Wosula siliva wina, dzina lake Demetiriyo, anafotokoza chimene chinkawadetsa nkhawa pamene anati: “Choopsa si kunyozeka kwa ntchito yathu kokha ayi. Komanso kachisi wa mulungu wamkulu wamkazi Atemi adzayesedwa wopanda pake. Ngakhalenso ulemerero wake, umene umalambiridwa m’chigawo chonse cha Asiya ndi m’dziko lapansi kumene kuli anthu, uli pafupi kutha.”​—Machitidwe 19:27.