Kweyoku-1 Korinte 15:8, uPawulu wathi: “Ekugcineni kwabo bonke wabonakala nakimi njengokungathi kozelwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi.” Esikhathini esingaphambili, siye sathi kubonakala sengathi uPawulu wayebhekisela kulokho okwenzeka kuye lapho ebona umbono kaJesu esenkazimulweni yasezulwini. Kwakunjengokungathi wayenikezwe ilungelo lokuzalelwa, noma lokuvuselwa, ekuphileni komoya kungakabi isikhathi, kusasele amakhulu eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba lolo hlobo lovuko luqale ukwenzeka. Nokho, ukuhlolisisa leli vesi kwenza kube nesidingo sokulungisa indlela esilichaza ngayo.

Yiqiniso ukuthi lapha uPawulu ubhekisele kulokho okwenzeka kuye ngesikhathi eguqulelwa ebuKristwini. Kodwa wayesho ukuthini lapho ethi ‘wazalwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi’? Ziningana izinto okungenzeka wayezisho.

Ukuguqulelwa kwakhe ebuKristwini kwaba okuzumayo nokushaqisayo. Ukuzalwa komntwana ngaphambi kwesikhathi kuvame ukuba okuzumayo. Njengoba uSawulu (kamuva owaziwa ngokuthi uPawulu) ayeya eDamaseku eyoshushisa amaKristu, wayengalindele ukubona umbono kaJesu ovusiwe. Ukuguqulelwa kukaPawulu ebuKristwini akuzumanga nje yena yedwa kodwa namaKristu ayefuna ukuwashushisa kulelo dolobha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lokho okwenzeka kuye kwamenza washaqeka kangangokuba waba impumputhe okwesikhashana.​—IzE. 9:1-9, 17-19.

Waguqulelwa ebuKristwini “ngesikhathi esingafanele.” Igama lokuqala lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “ozelwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi” lingahunyushwa nangokuthi “ozelwe ngesikhathi esingafanele.” Inguqulo ethi The Jerusalem Bible ikubeka kanje: “Kwakunjengokungathi ngazalwa kungekho muntu owayelindele.” Ngesikhathi uPawulu eguqulelwa ebuKristwini, uJesu wayesebuyele ezulwini. Ngokungafani nalabo uPawulu ayebhekisele kubo emavesini angaphambili, yena wayengazange ambone uJesu ovusiwe ngaphambi kokuba anyukele ezulwini. (1 Kor. 15:4-8) Ukubonakala kukaJesu kuPawulu kungalindelekile kwamnikeza lelo thuba, nakuba kwakubonakala sengathi “kwakuyisikhathi esingafanele.”

Wayekhuluma ngaye ngendlela ebonisa ukuthi uthobekile. Ezinye izazi zithi igama elisetshenziswa uPawulu lapha lingaba nencazelo eyehlisa isithunzi. Uma uPawulu ayecabanga ngaleyo ncazelo, kusho ukuthi wayevuma ukuthi lalingamfanele ilungelo ayelinikiwe. Empeleni waze wathi: “Ngingomncane kunabo bonke abaphostoli, angifaneleki ukubizwa ngomphostoli, ngenxa yokuthi ngashushisa ibandla likaNkulunkulu. Kodwa ngomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu ngiyilokhu engiyikho.”​—1 Kor. 15:9, 10.

Ngakho, kubonakala sengathi uPawulu wayebhekisela endleleni engalindelekile nezumayo uJesu abonakala ngayo kuye, ekuguqulelweni kwakhe ebuKristwini ngesikhathi esingafanele noma wayebhekisela ekutheni wayengakufanelekeli ngokomoya ukubona umbono omangalisa kangaka. Kunoma yikuphi, uPawulu wakwazisa ngempela lokho okwenzeka kuye. Kuye, kwaba ubufakazi obungenakuphikwa bokuthi uJesu wavuswa ekufeni. Yingakho nje ayevame ukukhuluma ngalesi senzakalo esasingalindelekile lapho eshumayeza abanye ngokuvuka kukaJesu.​—IzE. 22:6-11; 26:13-18.