Kuma-1 Korinte 15:8 uPawulos wathi: “Ekugqibeleni wabonakala nakum, ndatsho ndangathi ndingumntwana ozelwe phambi kwexesha.” Xa sicacisa le vesi besikade sisithi mhlawumbi uPawulos wayethetha ngento eyenzekayo kuye xa wabona umbono kaYesu esezulwini. Yayingathi ufumene inyhweba yokuzalwa okanye yokuvuselwa ezulwini kwiminyaka emininzi ngaphambi kokuba olo vuko lwenzeke. Kodwa emva kokuba siyifundisise kakuhle le vesi, kuye kwabonakala ukuba kufuneka siyitshintshe indlela ebicaciswa ngayo.

Yinyaniso kona ukuba apha uPawulos uthetha ngento eyenzeka xa wayeguquka. Kodwa wayethetha ukuthini xa wayesithi ‘uzelwe phambi kwexesha’? Zininzi izinto ekusenokwenzeka ukuba wayethetha ngazo.

Indlela awaguquka ngayo yayingalindelekanga futhi yayisoyikeka. Idla ngokwenzeka ingalindelwanga into yokuzalwa komntwana ngaphambi kwexesha. Xa uSawule (ekuhambeni kwexesha owabizwa ngokuba nguPawulos) wayeye kutshutshisa amaKristu eDamasko, wayengalindelanga ukubona umbono kaYesu ovusiweyo. Indlela awaguquka ngayo ayizange yothuse yena qha, kodwa yothusa namaKristu awayeye kuwatshutshisa kweso sixeko. Le ndlela waguquka ngayo yayisoyikeka nokoyikeka kuba yamenza wayimfama.​—IZe. 9:1-9, 17-19.

Waguquka “ngexesha elirongo.” Amagama esiGrike aguqulelwe ngokuthi “umntu ozelwe phambi kwexesha” anokuguqulelwa nangokuthi “umntu ozelwe ngexesha elirongo.” Kwi-The Jerusalem Bible ibekwe ngolu hlobo le vesi: “Yaba ngathi ndingumntwana ozelwe engalindelwanga.” UPawulos waguquka uYesu sele ebuyele ezulwini. Yena akafani nabantu athethe ngabo kwiivesi ezingaphambili kuba zange ambone uYesu ngaphambi kokuba anyukele ezulwini. (1 Kor. 15:4-8) Ukubonakala kukaYesu engalindelanga kwamnika ithuba lokuba ambone emva kokuba evusiwe, ngoxa kwakubonakala ngathi “yayilixesha elirongo.”

Wayethetha njengomntu othobekileyo. Abanye abaphandi bathi le ndlela uPawulos wayethetha ngayo isenokuvakala ngathi wayegxeka. Ukuba wayecinga ngolo hlobo, wayevuma ukuba akumfanelanga ukuba ngumpostile. Naye wathi: “Ndingoyena uphantsi kubapostile, yaye andikufanelekelanga ukubizwa ngokuba ndingumpostile, kuba ndalitshutshisa ibandla likaThixo. Kodwa ngenxa yokuba uThixo endenzele ububele, ndiyile nto ndiyiyo.”​—1 Kor. 15:9, 10.

Ngoko kuyabonakala ukuba uPawulos wayethetha ngendlela engalindelekanga uYesu awabonakala ngayo kuye nangexesha awayengalilindelanga awaguquka ngalo, okanye ngokuba wayengakufanelekeli ukufumana lo mbono umangalisayo. Nokuba wayethetha ngantoni na, le nto yenzekayo yayibaluleke kakhulu kuye. Yamenza waqiniseka ukuba uYesu uvusiwe. Yiloo nto wayesoloko ethetha ngale nto yenzeka kuye xa wayeshumayela ngokuvuswa kukaYesu.​—IZe. 22:6-11; 26:13-18.