USawule Udibana Nabo Babesakuba Ngabahlobo Kunye Nabo Babeziintshaba Zakhe

USAWULE, owaba ngumpostile uPawulos kamva, umele ukuba wayexhalabile xa wayebuyela eYerusalem okokuqala emva kokuba engumKristu. * Kwiminyaka emithathu ngaphambi koko wayeshiye eso sixeko, esongela abafundi bakaYesu ngokubabulala. Wayenikwe igunya lokubamba avalele nawuphi na umKristu amfumana eDamasko.—IZenzo 9:1, 2; Galati 1:18.

USawule wathi esakuba ngumKristu, waluvakalisa ngenkalipho ukholo lwakhe kuMesiya ovusiweyo. Ngenxa yoko, amaYuda aseDamasko afuna ukumbulala. (IZenzo 9:19-25) Ngaba wayenokulindela ukwamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu ngabo babesakuba ngabahlobo bakhe eYerusalem? Eyona nto yayifunwa ngamandla nguSawule, yayikukudibana nabalandeli bakaKristu abaseYerusalem. Nako oko kwakungayi kuba lula.

“Ekufikeni eYerusalem wenza imigudu yokuzibandakanya nabafundi; kodwa bonke babemoyika,  ngenxa yokuba babengakholelwa ukuba ungumfundi.” (IZenzo 9:26) Unokusiqonda nawe isizathu sokuba bamoyike. Ekuphela kwento ababeyazi ngaye kukuba wayengumtshutshisi ongenalusini. Ukuzibanga kwakhe engumKristu kwakusenokubonakala njengeqhinga lokungena ebandleni ukuze alingcatshe. Ngenxa yoko amaKristu aseYerusalem ayengafuni kuba nanto yakwenza naye.

Noko ke, ukho umKristu owamncedayo. IBhayibhile ithi uBharnabhas wahamba noSawule owayesakuba ngumtshutshisi “wamsa kubapostile,” ekucaca ukuba yayinguPetros noYakobi, umntakwab’ eNkosi, ebachazela ngokuguquka nokushumayela kwakhe eDamasko. (IZenzo 9:27; Galati 1:18, 19) Asichazelwa nto ngokuba kwenzeka njani ukuze uBharnabhas amthembe uSawule. Ngaba kukwazana kwabo ngaphambili, okwenza uBharnabhas wavavanya uSawule waza wabona ukuba wayenyanisekile? Ngaba uBharnabhas wayeqhelene namaKristu aseDamasko abe ke weva ngawo ngokuguquka kwakhe? Enoba kwenzeka njani, uBharnabhas wayengamthandabuzi tu uSawule. Ngenxa yoko, uSawule wahlala nompostile uPetros iintsuku ezili-15.

Iintsuku Ezili-15 Ehleli NoPetros

Uthumo lukaSawule lwaluvela kuYesu ngenkqu kungekhona emntwini, njengoko watshoyo kwabaseGalati. (Galati 1:11, 12) Kodwa akuthandabuzeki ukuba wayeyiqonda imfuneko  yokuchazelwa kakuhle ngobulungiseleli bukaYesu. Ukuhlala kwakhe noKefas (uPetros) kwakuza kumnika elo thuba. (Luka 24:12; 1 Korinte 15:3-8) USawule umele ukuba wayenezinto ezininzi awayefuna ukuzibuza kuPetros noYakobi, ngoxa nabo babenemibuzo ngokuphathelele loo mbono nokuthunywa kwakhe.

Wahlangulwa Njani Kubahlobo Bakhe Bangaphambili?

UStefano kuthiwa ngumfeli-nkolo wokuqala ongumKristu. Abo babephikisana noStefano “kwakusithiwa ngabeNdlu Yesikhungu yabaKhululwa, nabamaKirene nabama-Aleksandriya nabo baseKilikiya naseAsiya.” Ngoku uSawule ‘wayephikisana namaYuda athetha isiGrike,’ eshumayela kuwo ngenkalipho. Asabela njani wona? Afuna ukumbulala.—IZenzo 6:9; 9:28, 29.

USawule wayemele ukufuna ukubachazela ngotshintsho olwenzeka kuye aze afune nokubafundisa ngoMesiya abo babesakuba ngabahlobo bakhe. Kodwa lo maYuda athetha isiGrike aba lugcwabevu ngumsindo emgqala njengomngcatshi.

Ngaba uSawule wayeyiqonda kakuhle ingozi awayekuyo? Sifunda ukuba njengoko wayethandaza etempileni, wazungubala waza wabona uYesu, owathi kuye: “Khawuleza uphume eYerusalem ngenxa yokuba abayi kuvumelana nobungqina bakho ngokuphathelele mna.” USawule wathi: “Nkosi, bona ngokwabo bazi kakuhle ukuba ndandifudula ndibavalela entolongweni ndize ndibakatse kwizindlu zesikhungu abo bakholwayo kuwe; yaye ekuphalazweni kwegazi likaStefano ingqina lakho, nam ngokwam ndandimi khona apho ndikholiswa.”—IZenzo 22:17-20.

Bambi bathi impendulo kaSawule ibonisa ukuba wayeyiqonda ingozi akuyo. Kodwa abanye bacinga ukuba wayesithi: ‘Nam ndandingumtshutshisi njengabo, nabo bayakwazi oko. Ngoko bamele bangayithathi lula into yokuguquka kwam. Mhlawumbi ndinokubanceda.’ Noko ke, uYesu wayesazi ukuba lo maYuda ayengayi kumphulaphula ‘umwexuki.’ Wathi kuSawule: “Hamba, ngenxa yokuba ndiya kukuthumela ezintlangeni ezikude.”—IZenzo 22:21, 22.

AmaKristu athi akuyiqonda ingozi akuyo, amgxagxamisa amsa kwizibuko laseKesareya aza amthumela eTarso isixeko sakowabo esikumgama weekhilomitha ezingama-500. (IZenzo 9:30) Kwathatha iminyaka ngaphambi kokuba abuyele eYerusalem.

Ukuhamba kwakhe buphuthuphuthu apho kusenokuba kwalikhusela ibandla lamaKristu. Ukugcina kwalo umntu owayesakuba ngumtshutshisi kwakulibeka engozini. Emva kokumka kukaSawule, “ibandla kulo lonke elakwaYuda naseGalili naseSamariya laba noxolo, lisakheka; yaye njengoko lalihamba ekoyikeni uYehova nakwintuthuzelo yomoya oyingcwele laqhubeka lisanda.”—IZenzo 9:31.

Oko Sikufundayo Ngokuhlala Siphaphile

Nanamhlanje kusenokuvela iimeko ezifuna siphaphe njengakwinkulungwane yokuqala. Asinasizathu sakurhanela wonke umntu esimbonayo. Kodwa, maxa wambi kuye kwakho abathile abanganyanisekanga abaye bazama ukuxhaphaza abantu bakaYehova, kuba befuna inzuzo okanye ukonakalisa ibandla. Ngenxa yoko, kufuneka sisebenzise ukuqonda ukuze singabi ngamaxhoba abakhohlisi.—IMizekeliso 3:27; 2 Timoti 3:13.

Indlela awasabela ngayo uSawule ngokushumayela eYerusalem inceda amaKristu abone indlela anokusebenzisa ngayo ubulumko. Ukushumayela kwezinye iindawo okanye kubantu abathile, kuquka abo babesakuba ngabahlobo, kusenokuba yingozi—ngokoqobo, ngokomoya okanye nakwimilinganiselo yethu yokuziphatha. Kufuneka siphaphe ukuze sikwazi ukubona indawo nexesha elifanelekileyo lokushumayela.—IMizekeliso 22:3; Mateyu 10:16.

Into esiqiniseke ngayo kukuba iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo ziya kushunyayelwa ngaphambi kokuba le nkqubo ingendawo iphele. USawule wamisela umzekelo omhle gqitha kule nkalo, “ethetha ngokukhaliphileyo egameni leNkosi” kwanakwabo babesakuba ngabahlobo neentshaba zakhe!—IZenzo 9:28.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Ekufikeni kwakhe eYerusalem, uSawule washumayela ngenkalipho kumaYuda athetha isiGrike