UPawulos wathi: “Ngenxa yomthetho, ndiye ndafa ndaza ndakhululeka emthethweni, ukuze ndiphilele uThixo.”—Gal. 2:19.

Le nto yayithethwa nguPawulos yayihambisana nento ebalulekileyo awayeyixelela amaKristu akwiphondo laseRoma, iGalati. Amanye ala maKristu ayekholelwa izinto awayeziva kubefundisi bobuxoki. La madoda ayefundisa ukuba ukuze umntu asinde kufuneka enze izinto ezifunwa nguMthetho kaMoses. Ayesithi eyona nto yayibalulekile kukwaluka. Yena uPawulos wayesazi ukuba uThixo akasafuni abakhonzi bakhe boluke. Wabenza bayiqonda eyona nto yayifunwa nguThixo, ebabonisa ukuba izinto ezazifundiswa ngaba bantu aziyonyani. Wenza abazalwana banokholo kwigazi likaYesu Kristu.—Gal. 2:4; 5:2.

IBhayibhile itsho phandle ukuba xa umntu efile akukho nto ayaziyo okanye ayifumanayo. (INtshu. 9:5) Xa uPawulos wayesithi: “Ndiye ndafa ndaza ndakhululeka emthethweni,” wayethetha ukuba uMthetho kaMoses awusasebenzi kuye. Wayeqinisekile ukuba, ukuba nokholo kwakhe kwigazi likaYesu kumenze ‘waphilela uThixo.’

Imeko awayekuyo yatshintsha “ngenxa yomthetho.” Yatshintsha njani? Uthi: “Umntu akuthiwa lilungisa kuba esenza izinto ezifunwa ngumthetho, kodwa uba lilungisa kuphela ngenxa yokuba nokholo kuYesu Kristu.” (Gal. 2:16) Inyaniso kukuba ibalulekile into eyenziwa nguMthetho. UPawulos wathi kumaKristu aseGalati: “Wongezwa ukuze zibonakale izinto eziphosakeleyo ezenziwa ngabantu, ide ifike inzala ekwenziwa kuyo isithembiso.” (Gal. 3:19) Wayenza yacaca into yokuba abantu abanesono soze bakwazi ukuwuthobela wonke uMthetho kanye ngendlela efunekayo, ngoko kwakufuneka bahlawulelwe kube kanye ngegazi lomntu ongenasono elaliza kuhlala libathethelela. Ngoko uMthetho wanceda abantu baqonda ukuba le ‘nzala’ kuthethwa ngayo nguKristu. Xa umntu enokholo kuYesu Kristu, uThixo uza kuthi lilungisa. (Gal. 3:24) UPawulos waba ngomnye wabantu uThixo awathi ngamalungisa kuba ngenxa yoMthetho waba nokholo kuYesu. Ngoko ‘wafa waza wakhululeka emthethweni, waphilela uThixo.’ UMthetho wawungasasebenzi kuye, wayephilela uThixo.

Wathetha into efana nale kwileta awayibhalela amaKristu aseRoma. Wathi: “Bazalwana bam, nani niye nenziwa abafileyo kuMthetho ngomzimba kaKristu . . . Siye sakhululwa kuMthetho, kuba siye safa kula nto ibisibambile.” (Roma 7:4, 6) Kwesi sibhalo nakumaGalati 2:19, eyona nto wayethetha ngayo uPawulos yayingekokufa ngenxa yoMthetho, wayethetha ngokukhululwa kuwo. Yena namanye amaKristu babekhululekile ngenxa yokuba baba nokholo kwigazi likaKristu.