UNGEZWA njani nxa umngane wakho engakubhalela incwadi ekukhuthaza? Umfundi okuthiwa nguThimothi wabhalelwa incwadi ngumngane wakhe umphostoli uPhawuli emkhuthaza, khathesi eBhayibhilini incwadi leyo ibizwa kuthiwa ngeyesibili eya kuThimothi. Asithandabuzi ukuthi uThimothi wadinga indawo ethuleyo ukuze abale incwadi le ayeyibhalelwe ngumngane wakhe amthandayo. Mhlawumbe uThimothi wayezibuza: ‘Kambe unjani uPhawuli? Ukuthi kukhona angibhalele khona okunganginceda emsebenzini engiwuphathisiweyo? Amacebo asencwadini le azanginceda yini ukuthi ngithuthukise indlela engitshumayela lengifundisa ngayo lokuthi ngincedise abanye?’ Njengoba siqhubeka ngendaba sizabona ukuthi uThimothi wazithola izimpendulo zemibuzo le kanye lokunye ngesikhathi ebala incwadi leyi eligugu. Asixoxeni ngemicijo emilutshwana eqakathekileyo etholakala encwadini le.

UThimothi wathi eqalisa nje ukubala incwadi ayeyibhalelwe, wahle wabona ukuthi uPhawuli uyamthanda kakhulu ngoba wambiza ngokuthi ‘mntanami engimthandayo.’ (2 Tim. 1:2) UThimothi wemukela incwadi le phose ngomnyaka ka-65 C.E. Kungenzakala ngalesosikhathi wayesekubo-30 futhi eselesikhathi engumdala webandla. Wayesebenze loPhawuli okweminyaka edlula elitshumi njalo kunengi ayekufunde kuye.

Kumele ukuthi uThimothi kwamkhuthaza kakhulu ukuzwa ukuthi uPhawuli wayeqhubeka eqinisela ebunzimeni ayekubo. Wayelokhu ethembekile lanxa wayesejele eRoma ebotshwe ngamaketane futhi esezabulawa. (2 Tim. 1:15, 16; 4:6-8) UThimothi wananzelela ukuthi uPhawuli ulesibindi ngoba wayebhale wathi: “Ngiqhubeka ngiqinisela ezintweni zonke.” (2 Tim. 2:8-13) UThimothi wakhuthazwa yikuqinisela kukaPhawuli futhi lathi kungasikhuthaza.

UPhawuli wakhuthaza uThimothi ukuthi awuqakathekise kakhulu umsebenzi ayewuphathisiwe enkonzweni ayeyenzela uNkulunkulu. Wayefuna uThimothi ‘asikhwezele njengomlilo isipho sikaNkulunkulu’ esasikuye. (2 Tim. 1:6) Ibala elithi “isipho” uPhawuli alisebenzisayo ngesiGrikhi lithi khaʹri·sma. Ibala leli litsho into umuntu ayiphiwa mahala futhi engenzanga lutho olumenza afanele ukuthi ayiphiwe. UThimothi wemukela isipho lesi  ngesikhathi ephathiswa umsebenzi wenkonzo oqakathekileyo.—1 Tim. 4:14.

UThimothi kwakumele enzeni ngesipho lesi? Ngesikhathi ebala amazwi athi “usikhwezele njengomlilo” kungenzakala wacabanga ngomlilo obhebhayo ocina usungamalahle avuthayo nje kuphela. Amalahle lawo kuyabe kumele ahlokozwe ukuze abe lelangabi njalo avuthe kakhulu. Esinye isichazamazwi sithi ibala lesiGrikhi eliyisenzo elithi a·na·zo·py·reʹo elasetshenziswa nguPhawuli litsho “ukuvuselela, ukukhwezela.” Ngamanye amazwi litsho ukuthokoza ngomsebenzi othile lokuwutshisekela. UPhawuli wayekhuthaza uThimothi esithi: ‘Wenze ngenhliziyo yonke umsebenzi owuphathisiweyo.’ Lathi kumele sitshiseke enkonzweni yethu.

Ngesikhathi uThimothi eqhubeka ngokubala incwadi ayeyibhalelwe ngumngane wakhe amthandayo wabona omunye umutsho owawuzamnceda ukuthi aphumelele enkonzweni yakhe. UPhawuli wayebhale wathi: “Igugu leli oliphathisiweyo lilondoloze ngomoya ongcwele ohlala phakathi kwethu.” (2 Tim. 1:14) Yiliphi lelo gugu? Kuyini uThimothi ayekuphathisiwe? Kuvesi 13 uPhawuli wakhuluma ‘ngamazwi aqondileyo’ okutsho iqiniso eliseMibhalweni. (2 Tim. 1:13) Njengoba uThimothi wayengumKhristu kwakumele afundise iqiniso ebandleni lasebantwini ayebatshumayeza. (2 Tim. 4:1-5) Kanti njalo wayengumdala ebandleni yikho kwakumele eluse umhlambi kaNkulunkulu. (1 Phet. 5:2) UThimothi kwakumele alondoloze igugu ayeliphathisiwe okutsho iqiniso okwakumele alifundise ngokusebenzisa iLizwi likaNkulunkulu langokuhlala ecela umoya ongcwele ukuthi umncedise.—2 Tim. 3:14-17.

Lathi lamuhla siphathiswe iqiniso okumele silifundise abanye. (Mat. 28:19, 20) Okuzasinceda ukuthi siliqakathekise iqiniso leli yikuhlala sithandaza futhi sitaditsha iLizwi likaNkulunkulu ngaso sonke isikhathi. (Rom. 12:11, 12; 1 Tim. 4:13, 15, 16) Singabe sileminye imisebenzi esiyiphathisiweyo, njengokuba ngumdala ebandleni kumbe ukuba senkonzweni yesikhathi sonke. Ukuphathiswa igugu elinjalo kumele kusenze sithobeke futhi sithembele kuNkulunkulu ukuthi asincedise. Ngakho singalondoloza kumbe sivikele igugu esiliphathisiweyo ngokuliqakathekisa langokuthembela kuJehova ukuthi asincedise.

Omunye umsebenzi uThimothi ayewuphathisiwe wawungowokuqeqetsha abanye. Yikho okwenza uPhawuli wamkhuthaza esithi: ‘Izinto owazizwa ngami ziphathise amadoda athembekileyo. Lokhu kuzakwenza ukuthi lawo afanele ukufundisa abanye.’ (2 Tim. 2:2) UThimothi kwakumele afundise abafowabo ebandleni zonke izinto ayezifundile. Lalamuhla kuqakathekile ukuthi bonke ababonisi ebandleni balingisele uThimothi. Umbonisi omuhle kagodli ulwazi alalo ngomsebenzi othile. Kodwa uyafundisa abanye ukuze labo benelise ukuwenza. Kesabi ukuthi bangacina besazi okunengi kulaye kumbe sebewenza ngcono lowo msebenzi. Yikho umbonisi kaphonguthi yangayanga nxa efundisa omunye ukuthi umsebenzi othile wenziwa njani. Ufuna ukuncedisa labo abaqeqetshayo ukuthi bawenze kuhle umsebenzi futhi babe lokuqedisisa. Lokhu kuzabenza ukuthi bathuthuke ekukhonzeni. Nxa umbonisi angenza njalo, “amadoda athembekileyo” ayabe ewafundisile azalinceda kakhulu ibandla.

Asithandabuzi ukuthi uThimothi wayengayithontisi incwadi ayeyibhalelwe nguPhawuli. Kumele ukuthi wayibala kanenginengi futhi wacabangisisa ngokuthi angawasebenzisa njani amacebo ayekuyo emsebenzini ayewuphathisiwe.

Lathi sifuna ukuwasebenzisa amacebo asencwadini uPhawuli ayibhalela uThimothi. Singawasebenzisa njani? Singakwenza ngokusebenza nzima sikhwezela njengomlilo isipho esisiphathisiweyo, silondoloza igugu esiliphathisiweyo njalo sifundisa abanye konke esikwaziyo. Nxa singenza njalo, ‘sizayenza ngokupheleleyo inkonzo yethu’ njengoba uPhawuli watshela uThimothi.—2 Tim. 4:5.