Ngokweyoku-1 kwebeKorinte 15:8, UPowula wathi: “Kodwana ekugcineni wabonakala nakimi njengokungathi nginguloyo obelethwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi.” Esikhathini sangaphambili sahlathulula sathi kubonakala kwanga uPowula bekakhuluma ngobujamo bakhe ngesikhathi afumana umbono kaJesu asephazimulweni yezulwini. Bekungasuthi wanikelwa ilungelo lokubelethwa kabutjha namkha lokuvuselwa ekuphileni kommoya ngaphambi kwesikhathi sakhe, emakhulwini weminyaka ngaphambi kobana kube nevuko elinjalo. Ngemva kokurhubhulula ngeveseli, kubonakala kunetlhogeko yokulungisa ihlathululwalo.

Kuliqiniso ukuthi la, uPowula uqalisele kilokho okwenzekako nakazakuphenduka. Kodwana bekatjho ukuthini nakathi ‘wabelethwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi?’ Kunezinto ezimbalwa ezibandakanyekileko endabeni le.

Ukuphenduka kwakhe kwenzeka msinyana angakakulindeli begodu bekuthusa. Ukubelethwa komntwana ngaphambi kwesikhathi kanengi kuba yinto engakalindelwa. Njengombana uSawula (ngokukhamba kwesikhathi owaziwa ngokuthi nguPowula) bekasendleleni etjhinga eDamaseku bona ayokuhlunguphaza amaKrestu walapho, bekangakalindeli ukubona umbono kaJesu ovusiweko. Ukuphenduka kwakaPowula kwaba yinto erarako, ingasi kuye kwaphela, kodwana nakumaKrestu ebekahlele ukuwahlunguphaza edorobhenelo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isenzakalwesi besithusa khulu kangangobana waphophala isakhathi esithileko.—IzE. 9:1-9, 17-19.

Watjhuguluka ‘ngesikhathi ebesingakalindelwa.’ Igama lesiGirigi elitjhugulula elithi, “ngaphambi kwesikhathi” godu lingabuye lithi, ‘wabelethwa ngesikhathi ebesingakalindelwa.’ I-Jerusalem Bible nayihlathulula umutjho lo ithi: ‘Bekungasuthi ngabelethwa lokha kunganamuntu obekalindele.’ Ngesikhathi sokutjhuguluka kwakaPowula, uJesu besele abuyele ezulwini. Ngokungafaniko nalabo uPowula ebekaqalisele kibo emavesini angaphambili, akhenge ambone uJesu ovusiweko ngaphambi kobana akhuphukele ezulwini. (1 Kor. 15:4-8) Ukuvela kwakaJesu kuPowula angakalindeli, kwamnikela ithuba lokumbona, ngitjho nanyana kwabonakala ngasuthi ‘bekangakakulindeli.’

Bekakhuluma ngaye, kodwana bekangazikhukhumezi. Ngokwezinye izazi zeBhayibheli, amezwi kaPowula bewazwakala anobungozi. Ngathana ngilokho uPowula ebekakunqophile, kutjho bona bekakuvuma ukuthi bekangakufanelekeli ukubampostoli. Ekhabolakhona, wangezelela wathi: “Ngingomncani ebapostolini, begodu akukangifaneli ukubizwa ngokuthi ngimpostoli, ngombana ngahlunguphaza ibandla lakaZimu. Kodwana ngomusa omkhulu kaZimu ngingilokhu engingikho.”—1 Kor. 15:9, 10.

Yeke, kubonakala ngasuthi uPowula kungenzeka bekaqalisele endleleni ebekangakayilindeli, eyenzeka msinya nethusako uJesu avela ngayo kuye, ukuphenduka kwakhe ebekungakalindelwa, namkha ukuthi bekangakafaneli ukufumana ukwambulelwokhu. Kunanyana ngikuphi kilokhu, uPowula, wakuqala njengokuqakatheke khulu okwenzeka kuye. Kwamtjengisa ngaphandle kokuzaza ukuthi mbala uJesu wavuswa kwabafileko. Yeke, akusimangazi ukuthi kanengi, bekaqalisela esenzakalwenesi nakatjhumayeza abanye ngokuvuswa kwakaJesu.—IzE. 22:6-11; 26:13-18.