UPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Ngokulandela umthetho ngafa emthethweni ukuze ngiphile kuNkulunkulu.”—Gal. 2:19.

Amanye amaKhristu esabelweni seGalathiya ayesephanjaniswa ngabantu ababefundisa amanga. Abantu labo babefundisa ukuthi ukuze umuntu asindiswe kwakumele alandele okwakuseMthethweni kaMosi, ikakhulu endabeni yokusoka. Kodwa uPhawuli wayekwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengasakuqakathekisi ukusoka. Wabonisana lamaKhristu ngendlela elamandla eveza ukuthi imfundiso lezo ngezamanga njalo wawanceda ukuthi aqinise ukholo lwawo emhlatshelweni kaJesu Khristu. (Gal. 2:4; 5:2) Ngesikhathi egcizelela ukuthi akulasidingo sokulandela uMthetho kaMosi, watsho amazwi akuGalathiya 2:19.

IBhayibhili likubeka ngendlela ecacileyo ukuthi nxa umuntu angafa uyabe engasazi lutho futhi engasaboni lutho olwenzakalayo. (UmTshu. 9:5) Lapho uPhawuli esithi: “Ngafa emthethweni,” wayesitsho ukuthi uMthetho kaMosi wawungaselamandla phezu kwakhe. Wayekwazi ukuthi ukuba lokholo emhlatshelweni kaJesu yikho okwenza ‘waphila kuNkulunkulu.’

Utshintsho lolu lwaba khona ngenxa yomthetho. Njani? UPhawuli wayesanda kuchasisa ukuthi “umuntu kuzathiwa ulungile ngokholo kuJesu Khristu kuphela hatshi ngokwenza imisebenzi yomthetho.” (Gal. 2:16) UMthetho wawuncedile sibili. UPhawuli wachasisela amaKhristu aseGalathiya wathi: “Wengezelelwa ukuze uveze iziphambeko kuze kufike inzalo okwakwenziwe kuyo isithembiso.” (Gal. 3:19) UMthetho waveza egcekeni ukuthi abantu abalesono ngeke bawulandele ngendlela epheleleyo lokuthi badinga umhlatshelo opheleleyo. Yikho uMthetho wakhokhela abantu ubasa kuKhristu “inzalo.” UNkulunkulu wayengathi umuntu ulungile nxa wayetshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kuJesu Khristu. (Gal. 3:24) UPhawuli kwathiwa ulungile ngoba ngawo uMthetho wayeseyamukele uJesu futhi waba lokholo kuye. Yikho ‘wafa emthethweni wasephila kuNkulunkulu.’ UNkulunkulu nguye owayeselamandla phezu kwakhe, hatshi uMthetho.

UPhawuli wakhuluma ngendaba ehambelanayo encwadini ayibhalela abaseRoma. Wathi: ‘Bafowethu, lani lafa eMthethweni kusetshenziswa umzimba kaKhristu. Sesikhululiwe eMthethweni ngenxa yokuthi sesafa kulokho okwakusibophile.’ (Rom. 7:4, 6) Emavesini lawa lakuGalathiya 2:19, uPhawuli wayengakhulumi ngokufa eyisoni ngaphansi koMthetho kodwa wayekhuluma ngokukhululwa. UMthetho wawungaselamandla phezu kwakhe kanye lakwamanye amaKhristu ayekhululwe ngokuba lokholo enhlawulweni kaKhristu.