UZIZWA njani nawufumana incwadi ekhuthazako evela kumnganakho omthandako? Umfundi omKrestu uThimothi wayifumana incwadi enjalo, evela kuPowula. Incwadi le namhlanjesi iseBhayibhelini begodu yaziwa ngokuthi, ngeyesi-2 kaThimothi. Siyaqiniseka ukuthi nakayifumanako uThimothi wafuna indawo enganatjhada epholileko bona ayifunde, ezwe okutjhiwo mnganakhe. Kungenzeka bekazibuza ukuthi, ‘Unjani umnganakhe uPowula? Kghani kuneseluleko anganginikela sona esizongisiza nangenza isabelo sami? Incwadi le, izongisiza na emsebenzinami wokutjhumayela njengombana ngimKrestu begodu ngisize abanye?’ Njengombana sizokubona uThimothi wazifumana iimpendulo zemibuzo ebekanayo, wafumana nokhunye okuqakathekileko encwadini le. Okwanje akhesifunde ngamaphuzu aqakathekileko asencwadini le.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uThimothi nakathoma ukufunda amezwi asencwadini kaPowula wazwisisa ukuthi bekamthanda kangangani. Wabiza uThimothi ngokuthi “umntwana othandekako.” (2 Thim. 1:2) UThimothi besele aneminyaka engaba ma-30 ukuya phezulu ngo-65 C.E., ngesikhathi sabapostoli. Begodu besele amKrestu ongumdala, wasebenza noPowula iminyaka engaphezu kweli-10 begodu kunengi akufunda kuye.

Kwamkhuthaza uThimothi ukuzwa ukuthi uPowula ukghodlhelelela iintjhijilo ngokuthembeka. UPowula bekabotjhwe ngamaketangi eRoma alindele ukubulawa. (2 Thim. 1:15, 16; 4:6-8) UThimothi wabona ukuthi uPowula bakanesibindi begodu wathi, ‘ngiragela phambili ngikghodlhelelela.’ (2 Thim. 2:8-13) Nathi singalingisa uThimothi sifunde endleleni uPowula atjengisa ngayo isibindi nokukghodlhelela.

UPowula wathi uThimothi kufuze aqale isabelo sakhe njengento eqakathekileko ekonzwenakhe ayenzela uZimu. Bekafuna ‘abasele njengomlilo’ isipho sakaZimu. (2 Thim. 1:6) UPowula wasebenzisa ibizo lesiGirigi elithi, khaʹri·sma elitjho “isipho” ngesiNdebele. Ibizweli lesiGirigi liqalisele esiphweni osifumana simahla, into ongayisebenzeli namkha okunganalitho olenzako bona unikelwe yona. UThimothi wafumana isiphwesi nakakhethwako bona enze isabelo esiqakathekileko esimalungana nebandla.—1 Thim. 4:14.

 Khuyini uThimothi ebekazoyenza ngesiphwesi? Njengombana afunda amezwi athi, “usibasele njengomlilo,” kungenzeka ukuthi wacabanga kanengi ngokuthi umlilo uyakhuphole, amalahle lawo kufuze aphenjwe bekube malangabi womlilo begodu afuthumeze. Isihlathululi mezwi i-lexicon nasihlathulula ibizo lesiGirigi lithi (a·na·zo·py·reʹo) elisetjenziswe nguPowula elihlathululwa ngokuthi “kuvuselela namkha kuvuthela ilangabi.” Yeke singatjho sithi, “kuthoma ngobutjha umsebenzi.” UPowula bekakhuthaza uThimothi bona, ‘awuthande umsebenzakhe.’ Nathi singatjho nanamhlanjesi bona kufuze senze okufanako, sisebenze budisi ekonzwenethu esiyenzela uZimu.

Ukuragela phambili kwakaThimothi ukufunda incwadi ebuya kumnganakhe othandekako kwamsiza wabona izinto ezizomenza aphumelele ekonzwenakhe. UPowula wathi, “Vikela igugweli oliphathiswe ngommoya ocwengileko, onzinze kithi.” (2 Thim. 1:14) UThimothi bekaphathiswe ini? Evesini elidlulileko uPowula ukhuluma, ‘ngesisekelo samezwi.’ Iqiniso elifunyanwa emiTlolweni. (2 Thim. 1:13) Njengombana uThimothi amfundi omKrestu nje, bekufuze atjhumayele iqiniso phakathi nangaphandle kwebandla. (2 Thim. 4:1-5) UThimothi bekamdala begodu akhethwe bona aluse umhlambi kaZimu. (1 Pit. 5:2) Bekufuze avikele iqiniso ebekalifundisa, lokho bekangakwenza ngokuthi athembele emmoyeni naseliZwini lakaZimu.—2 Thim. 3:14-17.

Nathi namhlanjesi, siphathiswe iqiniso esilitjhumayela esimini. (Mat. 28:19, 20) Singahlala njani silibasela ithando esinalo ngeqinisweli? Lokho singakwenza ngokuthi sihlale sithandaza begodu sifunda iliZwi lakaZimu. (Rom. 12:11, 12; 1 Thim. 4:13, 15, 16) Singaba nezabelo ezikhethekileko, njengokuthi sibe badala namkha sibe sekonzweni yesikhathi esizeleko. Ukuthenjwa ngendlela leyo kufuze kusenze sithobeke begodu sifune ukuthembela kuJehova. Yeke singakuvikela esithenjwe ngakho, ngokuthi sikuthande nokuthi sithembele kuZimu bona asisize sikutlhogomele.

Isabelo uThimothi anikelwa sona bekungasi ngesakhe ayedwa, kungebangelo uPowula athi kuye, ‘izinto owazizwa kimi.  . . ezasekelwa bofakazi abanengi, izintwezi ziphathise amadoda athembekileko azokufanelekela ngokwaneleko ukufundisa abanye.’ (2 Thim. 2:2) UThimothi bekufuze afunde nakubafowabo abamaKrestu begodu abelane nabo, yeke kuqakathekile ukuthi abadosa phambili namhlanjesi ebandleni lobuKrestu balingise uThimothi. Umuntu ophathiswe amalungelo akukafuzi abe nomona afihle ilwazi elithileko, kunalokho ufundisa abanye bona nabo bakwazi ukwenza umsebenzi. Akathuswa kukuthi abantu abafundisako bazokwazi ukudlula yena begodu bathandwe. Ngikho angekhe abafundisa izinto ezimbalwa kwaphela. Kufuze afundise abantu abangaphasi kwakhe ukwenza umsebenzi nokwahlulela kuhle begodu bakhule ethandweni labo ngoZimu. Yeke, ‘indoda ethembekileko’ ebanduliweko izokuzuzisa ibandla.

Siyaqiniseka bona yamkhuthaza incwadi uThimothi ayifumana kuPowula. Singamcabanga ayifunda ngokuphindaphindiweko afuna ukubona ukuthi ngisiphi eseluleko angasisebenzisa esabelweni sakhe. Nathi sifuna ukusisebenzisa iselulekwesi. Singakwenza njani lokho?

Nathi kufuze sisebenze budisi sibasele isipho sethu ngokuthi sivikele esiphathiswe khona begodu sibandule abanye. Nasenza njalo, njengombana uPowula atjela uThimothi, nathi ‘singawenza ngokupheleleko umsebenzethu.’—2 Thim. 4:5.