“NGABA wena ukulungele?” Ngaba wakha wabuzwa lo mbuzo? Lo mntu wayekubuza wayefun’ ukwazi enoba wawukulungele kusini na? Ngokomzekelo, lo mntu usenokuba wayetheth’ ukuthi: ‘Ngaba sele zikho iincwadi zakho zokufunda? Ngaba usifundile isahluko esiza kusifunda?’ Njengokuba siza kubona uTimoti yena wayekulungele.

Kwakhona uTimoti wayekufuna ukukhonza. Ngaba uyakwazi ukuba kuthetha ukuthini oko? Xa uTimoti wayekhonza uThixo wayenesimo sengqondo somnye umkhonzi kaThixo, owathi: “Ndikho! Thuma mna.” (Isaya 6:8) Ngenxa yokuba wayekulungele yaye ekufuna ukukhonza, uTimoti waphila ubomi obuchwayitisayo. Ngaba ungathanda ukuva okungakumbi ngobomi bakhe?—

UTimoti wazalelwa eListra ekumakhulu eekhilomitha ukusuka eYerusalem. Umakhulu wakhe uLoyisi nonina uYunike babengabafundi abakhutheleyo beZibhalo. Naxa uTimoti wayelusana babemfundisa iLizwi likaThixo.—2 Timoti 1:5; 3:15.

Xa uTimoti wayesekwishumi elivisayo, umpostile uPawulos kunye noBharnabhas batyelela eListra okwesihlandlo sokuqala emva kohambo olude. Ngelo xesha unina kaTimoti nomakhulu wakhe babengamaKristu. Ngaba ungathand’ ukuva ngengxaki uPawulos noBharnabhas abagaxeleka kuyo?—Abantu ababengawathandi amaKristu bagibisela uPawulos ngamatye, bamhlasela baza bamrhuqela ngaphandle kwesixeko. Babecinga ukuba ufile.

Abo babekukholelwa oko kwakufundiswa nguPawulos bamngqonga baza bamphakamisa. Ngosuku olulandelayo uPawulos noBharnabhas bemka kodwa babuyela eListra ngokukhawuleza emva koko. Ekubuyeleni kwabo uPawulos wanikela intetho waza wathi kubafundi: “Simele singene ebukumkanini bukaThixo ngokuphumela kwiimbandezelo ezininzi.” (IZenzo 14:8-22) Ngaba uyayazi ukuba uPawulos wayetheth’ ukuthini?—Wayetheth’ ukuthi abanye abantu babengaza kuba thiy’ egazini abantu abakhonza uThixo. Kamva uPawulos wabhalela uTimoti esithi: “Bonke abo banqwenela ukuphila ngozinikelo lobuthixo baya kutshutshiswa.”—2 Timoti 3:12; Yohane 15:20.

 Emva kokuba uPawulos noBharnabhas beyishiyile iListra babuyela ekhaya. Emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, uPawulos wakhetha uSilas ukuze ahambe naye yaye bobabini babuyela emva ukuya kukhuthaza abafundi abatsha kwiindawo uPawulos awayezityelela. Xa bafika eListra, uTimoti wakuvuyela ukuphinda abone uPawulos, uTimoti wayechulumancile xa uPawulos noSilas bacela ukuhamba naye. UTimoti wasamkela eso simemo, wayekulungele yaye ekufuna ukuhamba.—IZenzo 15:40–16:5.

Bahamba bobathathu bebetha ngezikaTshiwo iikhilomitha ezininzi yaye bekhwela nesikhephe. Emva kokuba behambe elunxwemeni bahamba ngeenyawo baya eTesalonika eGrisi. Abantu abaninzi balapho baba ngamaKristu. Kodwa abanye babelugcwabevu ngumsindo. UPawulos, uSilas noTimoti ubomi babo babusesichengeni, ngenxa yoko baya eBhereya.—IZenzo 17:1-10.

UPawulos wayekhathazekile ngamakholwa amatsha awayewafumene eTesalonika kangangokuba wathumela uTimoti ukuba abuyele khona. Ngaba uyayazi ukuba kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos athumele uTimoti?—Kamva uPawulos uchazela amaKristu aseTesalonika esithi: ‘Ukuba aniqinise aze anithuthuzele ukuze ningadimazeki.’ Ngaba uyayazi ukuba kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos athumele uTimoti kwesi sabelo sinzima kangaka?—Isizathu kukuba, abachasi babengamazi kangako uTimoti yaye wayekufuna ukuya. Ukuya eTesalonika kwakufuna inkalipho. Waba yintoni umphumo? Xa uTimoti wabuyela kuPawulos wamchazela indlela awayethembeke ngayo amaKristu aseTesalonika. Ngoko ke, uPawulos wawabhalela esithi: “Sitsho sathuthuzeleka bazalwana.”—1 Tesalonika 3:2-7.

Kwaqengqeleka iminyaka elishumi uTimoti ehamba noPawulos. Emva koko uPawulos wavalelwa entolongweni eRoma yaye uTimoti naye ekwakungekudala ekhululwe entolongweni wayemana emtyelela. Ngoxa wayesentolongweni uPawulos esebenzisa uTimoti njengonobhala wabhala ileta eyayisiya eFilipi. UPawulos wathi: ‘Ndonithumela uTimoti, kuba andinamntu wumbi onokuninyamekela ngokwenene njengaye.’—Filipi 2:19-22; Hebhere 13:23.

Hayi indlela amele ukuba wavuya ngayo uTimoti akuva kuthethwa ngaye ngolo hlobo! UPawulos wayemthanda kakhulu uTimoti ngenxa yokuba wayekulungele yaye ekufuna ukukhonza. Sinethemba lokuba nawe unjalo.