UZIZWA kanjani lapho uthola incwadi ekhuthazayo evela kumngane wakho omthandayo? Umfundi ongumKristu uThimothewu wathola incwadi enjalo evela kumphostoli uPawulu, incwadi ebizwa ngeyesi-2 Thimothewu eBhayibhelini. Akungabazeki ukuthi uThimothewu wayelangazelela ukuthola indawo ethule ukuze afunde lokho okwakubhalwe umngane wakhe omkhulu. Mhlawumbe uThimothewu wayecabanga: ‘Uqhuba kanjani uPawulu? Kukhona yini afuna ukukusho okuzongisiza esabelweni sami? Le ncwadi izongisiza yini ngiphumelele enkonzweni yami futhi ngisize abanye?’ Njengoba sizobona, uThimothewu wazithola izimpendulo zaleyo mibuzo nokunye okuningi kule ncwadi eyigugu. Kodwa okwamanje, ake sigxile eselulekweni esiwusizo esisithola kule ncwadi.

Lapho uThimothewu eqala ukufunda amazwi okuvula ale ncwadi, washeshe wazibonela ukuthi babesondelene ngempela benoPawulu. Ngemfudumalo, uPawulu umbiza ngokuthi “umntwana othandekayo.” (2 Thim. 1:2) Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi uThimothewu wayeneminyaka engaba ngu-30 ngesikhathi ethola le ncwadi, ngabo-65 C.E., wayesengumdala ongumKristu ongumakad’ ebona. Wayesesebenze noPawulu iminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi futhi efunde okuningi kuye.

Kumelwe ukuba kwamkhuthaza kakhulu uThimothewu ukuthola ukuthi uPawulu wayekhuthazelela ubunzima ngokwethembeka. UPawulu wayeboshiwe eRoma, futhi maduze wayezobulawa. (2 Thim. 1:15, 16; 4:6-8) UThimothewu wabona ukuthi uPawulu wayenesibindi lapho ethi: “Ngiyaqhubeka ngikhuthazelela zonke izinto.” (2 Thim. 2:8-13) Isibonelo esihle sikaPawulu sokukhuthazela nathi singasiqinisa, njengoba kwenzeka kuThimothewu.

UPawulu wanxusa uThimothewu ukuba asibheke njengesiyigugu isabelo sakhe enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu. UPawulu wayefuna uThimothewu ‘asivuthele njengomlilo isipho sikaNkulunkulu’ esasikuye. (2 Thim. 1:6) UPawulu wasebenzisa igama lesiGreki elithi khaʹri·sma lapho ekhuluma ‘ngesipho.’ Leli gama limane lisho isipho samahhala nesingasifanele, into esingayisebenzelanga noma okungafanele siyithole. UThimothewu wathola lesi sipho ngesikhathi ekhethwa ukuba akhonze ibandla ngendlela ekhethekile.—1 Thim. 4:14.

 Kwakufanele enzeni uThimothewu ngalesi sipho? Njengoba ayefunda inkulumo ethi ‘asivuthele njengomlilo,’ kungenzeka wacabanga ngemililo ebaswa emakhaya, ngezinye izikhathi eba amalahle nje abomvu. Lawo malahle kudingeka avuthelwe ukuze abe nelangabi futhi ashise kakhulu. Esinye isichazamazwi sithi isenzo sesiGreki uPawulu asisebenzisa sisho “ukubasa kabusha, ukuvuselela, ukuvuthela amalangabi,” ngakho sasisho “ukujabulela nokuba nentshiseko emsebenzini owenzayo.” Empeleni, uPawulu wayetshela uThimothewu: ‘Zikhandle esabelweni sakho!’ Nathi namuhla kudingeka senze okufanayo—kudingeke sibe nentshiseko enkonzweni yethu.

Njengoba ayeqhubeka efunda incwadi evela kumngane wakhe amthandayo, uThimothewu waphinde wahlangana nenye inkulumo eyayizomsiza aphumelele enkonzweni yakhe. UPawulu wabhala: “Lokhu okuhle okuphathisiwe, kuqaphe ngomoya ongcwele ohlezi kithi.” (2 Thim. 1:14) Yini le ayephathiswe yona? Iyiphi lento eyigugu uThimothewu ayephathiswe yona? Evesini elingaphambi kwaleli, uPawulu ukhuluma ‘ngamazwini anempilo,’ iqiniso elitholakala emiBhalweni. (2 Thim. 1:13) Njengomshumayeli ongumKristu, uThimothewu kwakumelwe afundise iqiniso kokubili ebandleni nasenkonzweni. (2 Thim. 4:1-5) UThimothewu wayemiswe nanjengomdala ukuze aluse umhlambi kaNkulunkulu. (1 Pet. 5:2) Ngakho, wayengakuqapha lokhu ayekuphathisiwe—iqiniso okwakufanele alifundise—ngokuthi ancike emoyeni ongcwele kaJehova naseZwini laKhe.—2 Thim. 3:14-17.

Nathi namuhla siphathiswe iqiniso esilifundisa enkonzweni. (Math. 28:19, 20) Akumelwe sikhohlwe ukuthi liyigugu kangakanani leli qiniso esilifundisayo, ngakho kudingeka siqhubeke sithandaza futhi sitadishe iZwi likaNkulunkulu njalo. (Roma 12:11, 12; 1 Thim. 4:13, 15, 16) Kungenzeka nokuthi sinesabelo esengeziwe sokukhonza njengomdala noma sisenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele. Lokhu esiphathiswe kona kufanele kusenze sithobeke, sincike kuNkulunkulu ukuze asisize. Ngakho singakuqapha, noma sikuvikele, lokhu esikuphathisiwe ngokuthi sikubheke njengokuyigugu futhi sincike kuJehova ukuze sikunakekele.

Izabelo uThimothewu ayezitholile zazingathinti yena nje kuphela, kwakudingeka aqeqeshe nabanye ukuze benze umsebenzi ayewenza. Yingakho uPawulu amxusa: “Izinto owazizwa ngami . . . ziphathise amadoda athembekile, ayokufanelekela ngokwanele ukuba nawo afundise abanye.” (2 Thim. 2:2) UThimothewu kwakufanele afundise abanye abazalwane zonke izinto ayezifundile. Namuhla, ave kubalulekile ukuba umdala ngamunye ebandleni lobuKristu azimisele ukwenza okufanayo. Umdala okahle akabi nomona bese efihla ulwazi analo ngesabelo noma ngomsebenzi othile. Kunalokho, ufundisa abanye ukuze nabo bakwazi ukwenza lowo msebenzi. Akasabi ukuthi labo abafundisayo bangase bamdlule, bazi okuningi kunaye noma bawenze kangcono kunaye lowo msebenzi. Yingakho umdala engavele nje ashwampuluze lapho efundisa abanye. Ufuna ukusiza labo abaqeqeshayo babe nokuqonda futhi bakwazi ukwahlulela kahle—babe amaKristu avuthiwe. Ngaleyo ndlela, “amadoda athembekile” aye awaqeqesha ayokwazi ukuba usizo nakakhulu ebandleni.

Akungabazeki ukuthi uThimothewu wayithanda kakhulu incwadi uPawulu ambhalela yona. Singambona ngeso lengqondo esifunda kaningi lesi seluleko esiwusizo, ecabanga nangokuthi angasisebenzisa kanjani ngendlela encono ezabelweni zakhe.

Nathi sifuna ukusisebenzisa lesi seluleko. Kanjani? Ngokuthi sizimisele ukuvuthela isipho sethu njengomlilo, siqaphe esikuphathisiwe, futhi sifundise abanye konke esikwaziyo. Ngaleyo ndlela, njengoba uPawulu asho kuThimothewu, ‘singayifeza ngokugcwele inkonzo yethu.’—2 Thim. 4:5.