Umurimo wo kubwiriza wa Sawuli watumye arwanywa

ABAYAHUDI b’i Damasiko ntibabyumvaga rwose. Bishoboka bite ko umuntu wari waramaramaje kurwanira ishyaka imigenzo y’idini rya kiyahudi yahinduka umuhakanyi? Sawuli yari yarabujije amahwemo abambazaga izina rya Yesu i Yerusalemu. Yari agiye i Damasiko ajyanywe no gutoteza Abakristo. Ariko noneho, dore arabwiriza ko umuntu wasuzugurwaga wamanitswe ku giti ashinjwa ko yatutse Imana, ari we Mesiya! Mbese Sawuli yari yataye umutwe?—Ibyakozwe 9:1, 2, 20-22.

Birashoboka ko hari impamvu yari yabiteye. Abandi bantu bari kumwe na Sawuli bava i Yerusalemu, bashobora kuba baravuze uko byari byagenze bari mu nzira. Igihe bari hafi kugera i Damasiko, umucyo utunguranye wavuye mu ijuru urabagota, bose bagwa hasi. Nanone kandi bumvise ijwi. Nta wundi wagize icyo aba keretse Sawuli. Yari aryamye mu muhanda. Amaherezo yarabyutse, abo bari kumwe baramurandata bamujyana i Damasiko kuko atashoboraga kureba.—Ibyakozwe 9:3-8; 26:13, 14.

Uwarwanyaga Yesu atangira kubwiriza ibya Yesu

Sawuli byamugendekeye bite igihe yari mu nzira agana i Damasiko? Mbese urugendo rurerure cyangwa ubushyuhe bw’izuba rya saa sita byari byatumye mu mutwe hazamo muzunga? Abemeragato bo muri iki gihe biyemeje gushakisha uko basobanura uko byagenze, bakavuga ko yaba yarahise isereri, akabona ibikezikezi, ko yaba yaragize ikibazo gikomeye cyo mu byiyumvo gitewe n’indishyi yari afite ku mutima, akagira ikibazo mu bwonko cyangwa se akaba yari arwaye igicuri.

Mu by’ukuri ni Yesu Kristo wari wabonekeye Sawuli muri uwo mucyo uhuma amaso amwemeza ko ari Mesiya. Hari abanyabugeni bashushanya uko byagenze bagaragaza Sawuli ahanuka ku ifarashi. N’ubwo ibyo bishoboka, Bibiliya ivuga gusa ko ‘yikubise hasi’ (Ibyakozwe 22:6-11). Uko Sawuli yaba yaraguye kose, ibyo ntibyari biteye isoni nko gutakaza ishema yari afite mbere. Noneho yagombaga kumenya ko ibyo abigishwa ba Yesu babwirizaga byari ukuri. Nta kundi Sawuli yagombaga kubigenza uretse kwifatanya na bo. Sawuli yaretse kurwanya ashimitse ubutumwa bwa Yesu, ahinduka umwe mu baburwaniraga ishyaka bizerwa kurusha abandi. Amaze kongera kureba no kubatizwa, ‘Sawuli yarushijeho kugwiza imbaraga, atsinda Abayuda bari batuye i Damasiko arabamwaza, abahamiriza yuko Yesu ari we Kristo.’—Ibyakozwe 9:22.

Umugambi wo kumwica upfuba

Sawuli waje kwitwa Pawulo nyuma, amaze guhindukirira Ubukristo yagiye he? Yandikiye Abagalatiya ati “nagiye muri Arabiya kandi mvuyeyo nsubira i Damasiko” (Abagalatiya 1:17). Ijambo “Arabiya” ryumvikanisha ko ashobora kuba yaragiye muri kamwe mu turere two mu Mwigimbakirwa wa Arabiya. Intiti zimwe na zimwe zivuga ko Pawulo ashobora kuba yaragiye mu butayu bwa Siriya cyangwa mu bwami  bw’abitwa Nabatéens bwategekwaga na Areta wa IV. Birashoboka cyane ko Sawuli amaze kubatizwa yagiye ahantu hatuje gutekererezayo nk’uko na Yesu yagiye mu butayu nyuma yo kubatizwa.—Luka 4:1.

Igihe Sawuli yari agarutse i Damasiko ‘Abayuda bagiye inama yo kumwica’ (Ibyakozwe 9:23). Umutware wari uhagarariye Umwami Areta i Damasiko, yarindishije umudugudu kugira ngo bafate Sawuli (2 Abakorinto 11:32). Icyakora mu gihe abanzi ba Sawuli bacuraga umugambi wo kumwica, abigishwa ba Yesu baramuhungishije.

Umwe mu bafashije Sawuli guhunga ni Ananiya hamwe n’abigishwa babanye na we akimara guhindukirira Ubukristo (Ibyakozwe 9:17-19). * Bamwe mu bizeye babwirijwe na Sawuli i Damasiko, na bo bashobora kuba barabimufashijemo kuko mu Byakozwe 9:25 hagira hati “abigishwa be ni ko kumujyana nijoro, bamucisha mu nkike z’amabuye, bamumanurira mu gitebo.” Amagambo ngo “abigishwa be” ashobora kuba yerekeza ku bantu Sawuli yigishije. Uko yaba yarahunze kose, ingaruka nziza z’umurimo we zishobora kuba zarakajije urwango abanzi be bari basanzwe bamufitiye.

Isomo twavanamo

Iyo dusuzumye ibyabaye kuri Sawuli mbere na nyuma yo guhinduka no kubatizwa, tubona neza ko atibandaga cyane ku kuntu abandi bamubonaga, cyangwa ngo areke kubwiriza bitewe no kurwanywa mu buryo bukaze. Icyo Sawuli yimirizaga imbere kurusha ibindi kwari ugusohoza inshingano yo kubwiriza yari yarahawe.—Ibyakozwe 22:14, 15.

Mbese waba umaze igihe gito wemeye udashidikanya ko kubwiriza ubutumwa bwiza ari iby’ingenzi? Niba ari uko bimeze, uzi ko Abakristo b’ukuri bose bagomba kuba ababwiriza b’Ubwami. Rimwe na rimwe, umurimo ukora uzatuma bakurwanya. Ibyo nibikubaho ntibizagutangaze (Matayo 24:9; Luka 21:12; 1 Petero 2:20). Imyifatire Sawuli yagize igihe bamurwanyaga ni intangarugero. Abakristo bihanganira ibigeragezo nta gucogora bazemerwa n’Imana. Yesu yabwiye abigishwa be ati “muzangwa na bose babahora izina ryanjye.” Ariko kandi yarabijeje ati “nimwihangana muzakiza ubugingo bwanyu.”—Luka 21:17-19.

[Ibisobanuro ahagana hasi ku ipaji]

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 28]

Sawuli “yikubise hasi” Yesu amaze kumubonekera

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 29]

Sawuli yacitse abari bacuze umugambi wo kumwicira i Damasiko