IBANDLA lamaKristu elalisandul’ ukumiselwa laliza kuba nendima ebalulekileyo ekuzalisekisweni kwenjongo kaYehova. Kodwa kungekudala amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala atshutshiswa. Ngaba ayeza kukwazi ukugcina ingqibelelo yawo kuThixo xa etshutshiswa ngabantu abangengawo amalungu ebandla, nangabo bangaqondakaliyo baphakathi ebandleni? KwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike kukho iileta ezingama-21 eziqulethe isiluleko nokhuthazo.

Ezilishumi elinesine kwezo leta—ukuqala kwabaseRoma ukusa kumaHebhere—zabhalwa ngumpostile uPawulos. Ezi leta zithiywe ngamagama abo zazisiya kubo—enoba ngumntu othile okanye amalungu ebandla elithile. Qwalasela ezinye izinto ekwakuthethwa ngazo kwezi leta.

Zilumkisa ngemilinganiselo yokuziphatha. Abo baqhelisela uhenyuzo, ukukrexeza, nezinye izono ezinzulu “abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.” (Galati 5:19-21; 1 Korinte 6:9-11) Abanquli bakaThixo bamele bamanyane kungakhathaliseki ukuba ngabaluphi na uhlanga. (Roma 2:11; Efese 4:1-6) Bafanele bazinikele ekuncedeni abazalwana babo abasweleyo. (2 Korinte 9:7) UPawulos uthi: “Thandazani ngokungapheziyo.” Eneneni, amaKristu akhuthazwa ukuba aphalaze imbilini yawo kuYehova. (1 Tesalonika 5:17; 2 Tesalonika 3:1; Filipi 4:6, 7) Ukuze uThixo ayive imithandazo yawo, amele athandaze enokholo.—Hebhere 11:6.

Yintoni enokunceda iintsapho ziphumelele? Amadoda afanele athande abafazi bawo njengemizimba yawo. Abafazi bafanele bawahlonele ngokunzulu amadoda abo. Abantwana bafanele babathobele abazali babo, kuba oku kuyamkholisa uThixo. Abazali bafanele babakhokele baze babaqeqeshe ngothando abantwana babo, besebenzisa imigaqo yobuthixo.—Efese 5:22–6:4; Kolose 3:18-21.

Zinceda amaKristu aqonde injongo kaThixo. Iinkalo ezininzi zoMthetho kaMoses zazenzelwe ukulondoloza nokukhokela amaSirayeli de kufike uKristu. (Galati 3:24) Noko ke, akuyomfuneko ukuba amaKristu athobele loo Mthetho ukuze anqule uThixo. Xa wayebhalela amaHebhere—amaKristu awayenemvelaphi yobuYuda—uPawulos wawakhanyisela intsingiselo yoMthetho nangendlela ezalisekiswa ngayo injongo kaThixo ngoKristu. Wathi iinxalenye ezahlukahlukeneyo zalo Mthetho zazifuzisela iziprofeto.  Ngokomzekelo, idini lezilwanyana lalifuzisela ukufa kukaYesu okulidini, okwakuza kubangela ukuxolelwa kwezono. (Hebhere 10:1-4) Ngokufa kukaYesu, uThixo wawuphelisa loo mnqophiso woMthetho, kuba wawungaseyomfuneko.—Kolose 2:13-17; Hebhere 8:13.

Zinikela ulwalathiso ngokulungelelaniswa kwebandla. Amadoda afuna ukusingatha iimbopheleleko zebandla amele aziphathe ngendlela efanelekileyo aze abe neemfaneleko ezichazwe eBhayibhileni. (1 Timoti 3:1-10, 12, 13; Tito 1:5-9) Abanquli bakaYehova uThixo bafanele bahlanganisane rhoqo ukuze bakhuthazane. (Hebhere 10:24, 25) Iintlanganiso zimele zikhuthaze yaye zakhe.—1 Korinte 14:26, 31.

Ngoxa uPawulos wayebhalela uTimoti ileta yesibini, wayesele ebuyele eRoma; evalelwe yaye elinde isigwebo. Bambalwa ababa nesibindi sokubek’ ubomi babo esichengeni ngokumtyelela. UPawulos wayesazi ukuba ixesha analo lifutshane. Wathi: “Ndiwulwile umlo omhle, ugqatso ndilubaleke kwada kwasa ekugqibeleni, ukholo ndilugcinile.” (2 Timoti 4:7) Kuyacaca ukuba uPawulos wabulawelwa ukholo kungekudala emva koko. Kodwa iileta zalo mpostile zisabanceda abanquli bakaThixo nanamhlanje.

—Oku kusekelwe kwabaseRoma; kweyoku-1 neyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte; kwabaseGalati; kwabase-Efese; kwabaseFilipi; kwabaseKolose; kweyoku-1 neyesi-2 kwabaseTesalonika; kweyoku-1 neyesi-2 kuTimoti; kuTito; kuFilemon; kumaHebhere.