1, 2. Ngoobani abasendleleni esuka eFilipi besiya eTesalonika, ibe bamele ukuba bacinga ngantoni?

 INDLELA eneemoto ezihla zinyuka, eyakhiwa ngamagcisa aseRoma inqumla kwimixawuka yeentaba. Maxa wambi xa ugugutha loo ndlela uva ingxolo yokugxwala kweedonki, yamavili eenqwelo zamahashe nengxokozelo yemiqondiso yazo zonke iintlobo zabahambi, kuquka amajoni, abarhwebi namagcisa okukrola. Kukho amadoda amathathu​—uPawulos, uSilas noTimoti—​ahamba kule ndlela umgama ongaphezu kweekhilomitha eziyi-130 esuka eFilipi esinge eTesalonika. Olu hambo aluyondlwan’ iyanetha, ingakumbi kuPawulos noSilas. Basazikhotha amanxeba abawafumana eFilipi, apho batyatyulwa kanobom ngeentonga.​—IZe. 16:22, 23.

² Yintoni enceda la madoda anyamezele kolo hambo lude kangako? Incoko imele ibe negalelo nakanjani na. Eyona nto isankenteza ezingqondweni zabo koko kuye kwenzeka eFilipi xa umgcini-ntolongo nentsapho yakhe baba ngamaKristu. Oko kwenze aba bahambi bazimisela ngakumbi ukutyhalela phambili nokuvakalisa ilizwi likaThixo. Kodwa njengoko besondela kweso sixeko siselunxwemeni saseTesalonika, bamele ukuba bayazibuza indlela abaza kuphathwa ngayo ngamaYuda akweso sixeko. Ngaba aza kubahlasela, njengaseFilipi?

3. Umzekelo kaPawulos wokushumayela ngesibindi unokuba luncedo njani kuthi namhlanje?

³ Kamva uPawulos wachaza indlela awayevakalelwa ngayo kwincwadi awayibhalela amaKristu aseTesalonika wathi: “Kuba nangona ekuqaleni saye seva ubuhlungu saza saphathwa ngokusa eFilipi njengokuba nisazi, uThixo wethu wasinika isibindi sokuba sinixelele ngeendaba zakhe ezilungileyo nangona sasichaswa.” (1 Tes. 2:2) Ngoko kubonakala ukuba uPawulos wayenoloyiko lokungena eTesalonika, ngakumbi emva kwesiganeko saseFilipi. Ngaba uyayiqonda indlela awayevakalelwa ngayo uPawulos? Ngaba kukhe kube nzima ukuba uvakalise iindaba ezilungileyo? UPawulos wathembela kuYehova ukuze amomeleze, amncede abe nesibindi. Ukufunda ngomzekelo kaPawulos kungakunceda wenjenjalo nawe.​—1 Kor. 4:16.

4. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPawulos wachitha ixesha elingaphezu kweeveki ezintathu eTesalonika?

⁴ Le ngxelo isixelela ukuba ngoxa wayeseTesalonika, uPawulos washumayela kwindlu yesikhungu iiSabatha ezintathu. Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba watyelela kweso sixeko iiveki nje ezintathu? Asinakutsho. Asazi ukuba waya emva kwexesha elingakanani efikile apho kwindlu yesikhungu. Enye into, iincwadi zikaPawulos zibonisa ukuba ngoxa wayeseTesalonika, yena neqela lakhe basebenza nzima ukuze bazixhase. (1 Tes. 2:9; 2 Tes. 3:7, 8) Kwangelo xesha lokuhlala kwakhe apho, izihlandlo ezibini wafumana amalungiselelo kubazalwana baseFilipi. (Fil. 4:16) Ngoko ke, kuyacaca ukuba apho eTesalonika wahlala iiveki ezingaphezu kwezintathu.

5. UPawulos wazichukumisa njani iintliziyo zabantu?

⁵ Ngenxa yokuba nesibindi sokushumayela, uPawulos wakwazi ukuthetha nabo babekwindlu yesikhungu. Ngokwesiko lakhe, ‘wathetha nabo ngeZibhalo, ebacacisela yaye ecaphula eZibhalweni ukuze ababonise ukuba kwakunyanzelekile ukuba uKristu anyamezele iintlungu, afe aze avuswe, esithi: “Lo nguKristu, uYesu endishumayela ngaye kuni.”’ (IZe. 17:2, 3) Phawula ukuba uPawulos akazange azame ukubanyusa izibilini abo wayethetha nabo; kunoko waqiqa nabo. Wayesazi ukuba kwindlu yesikhungu babeqhelene neZibhalo yaye bezihlonela. Ekuphela kwengxaki kukuba babengaziqondi. Ngoko ke, uPawulos waqiqa nabo, ecacisa yaye engqina ngokusuka eZibhalweni ukuba uYesu waseNazarete wayenguMesiya okanye uKristu othenjisiweyo.

6. UYesu waqiqa njani ngeZibhalo ibe kwaba nayiphi imiphumo oko?

⁶ UPawulos wayehamba emanyathelweni kaYesu, owasebenzisa iZibhalo njengesiseko semfundiso. Kaloku, xa wayeshumayela esidlangalaleni, uYesu waxelela abalandeli bakhe ukuba ngokuvisisana neZibhalo, uNyana womntu wayemele afumane imbandezelo, abulawe aze avuswe. (Mat. 16:21) Emva kokuvuswa kwakhe uYesu wabonakala kubafundi bakhe. Kukodwa nje oko kwakubonisa ukuba wayenyanisile. Ukanti, waphinda wabachazela okungakumbi. Ngokuphathelele oko wakutshoyo kubafundi abathile, sifunda oku: “Wabacacisela zonke izinto ezibhaliweyo ngaye, ukususela kuMoses ukuya kutsho kubaProfeti.” Yaba yintoni ke imiphumo? Abafundi bathi: “Yiloo nto besinomdla kangaka ngokuya ebethetha nathi endleleni, esicacisela kakuhle iZibhalo.”​—Luka 24:13, 27, 32.

7. Kutheni kubalulekile nje ukusekela imfundiso yethu kwiZibhalo?

⁷ Isigidimi seLizwi likaThixo sinamandla. (Heb. 4:12) AmaKristu namhlanje asekela iimfundiso zawo kulo, kanye njengokuba uYesu, uPawulos nabanye abapostile benzayo. Nathi siyaqiqa nabantu, sicacise oko zikutshoyo iZibhalo, size sinikele ubungqina boko sikufundisayo ngokutyhila iBhayibhile ukuze umninimzi azibonele oko ikutshoyo. Kakade ke, isigidimi esisishumayelayo asisosethu. Ngokusoloko sisebenzisa iBhayibhile, sinceda  abantu baqonde ukuba asishumayeli iimbono zethu, kodwa iimfundiso zikaThixo. Ukongezelela koko, senza kakuhle ukuhlala sikhumbula ukuba isigidimi esisishumayelayo siphuma ngokupheleleyo kwiLizwi likaThixo. Sithembeke ngokupheleleyo. Ngaba ukwazi oko akukwenzi uqiniseke ngakumbi ekushumayeleni ngesibindi njengoPawulos?

8-10. (a) Abantu baseTesalonika basabela ngaziphi iindlela kwiindaba ezilungileyo? (b) Kwakutheni ukuze amanye amaYuda ammonele uPawulos? (c) Yintoni awayenzayo loo maYuda ayechasa?

⁸ UPawulos wayesele ekubonile ukuchana kwamazwi kaYesu athi: “Ikhoboka alikho likhulu kunenkosi yalo. Ukuba banditshutshisile mna, baza kunitshutshisa nani; ukuba baye bazenza izinto endizithethileyo, baza kuzenza nenizithethayo.” (Yoh. 15:20) ETesalonika, uPawulos wadibana nabantu abasabela ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo​—bambi babezimisele ukuthobela ilizwi, ngoxa abanye babengafuni nokuva ngalo. Ngokuphathelele abo balamkelayo, uLuka uthi: “Abanye babo [amaYuda] baba ngamakholwa [amaKristu] baza bathi nca kuPawulos noSilas, enza njalo namaGrike amaninzi awayekhonza uThixo nabanye abafazi ababalulekileyo.” (IZe. 17:4) Aba bafundi batsha bamele ukuba bavuya gqitha bakuncedwa ukuba baziqonde ngokuchanileyo iZibhalo.

⁹ Nakuba abanye babewaxabisa amazwi kaPawulos, abanye baba lugcwabevu ngumsindo. Amanye kumaYuda aseTesalonika ayenomona ngenxa yempumelelo kaPawulos ekutsaleni ‘amaGrike amaninzi.’ Ezimisele ukwenza abangeni ebuYudeni, loo maYuda ayefundise iiNtlanga ezingamaGrike ngeemfundiso zeZibhalo zesiHebhere, ngoko egqala loo maGrike njengabantu bawo. Kodwa kwabonakala ngathi uPawulos uwarhwebeshela kuye kanye apho kwindlu yesikhungu! Waba ngathi uwanyol’ esweni loo maYuda.

¹⁰ ULuka usixelela oko kwenzekayo emva koko athi: “AmaYuda aba nomona, aqokelela amadoda amaninzi anobubi nangenanto yakwenza, awayehleli kwindawo ekuthengiswa kuyo aza abangela isiphithiphithi esixekweni. Angena ngetshova endlini kaYason efuna ukuzisa uPawulos noSilas kuloo madoda. Athi akungabafumani arhuqa uYason nabanye abazalwana abasa kubalawuli besixeko, esithi: ‘Aba bantu babangele inkathazo emhlabeni wonke beze nalapha, yaye baziindwendwe zikaYason. Onke la madoda ayayidelela imithetho kaKesare, esithi kukho omnye ukumkani onguYesu.’” (IZe. 17:5-7) UPawulos neqela lakhe babeza kuthini kolu hlaselo?

11. Ziziphi izityholo awatyatyekwa zona uPawulos nabanye abavakalisi boBukumkani, ibe nguwuphi ummiselo abamele ukuba babecinga ngawo abo babemtyhola? (Funda umbhalo osemazantsi.)

¹¹ Yinto ebuhlungu gqitha ukuhlaselwa lihlokondiba labantu. Lisuka nje livuthe​—liqalise ukuba nogonyamelo olungenakuthintelwa. Esi sisixhobo esasetyenziswa ngamaYuda kwiinzame zokususa uPawulos noSilas  phambi kwawo. Emva kokuba amaYuda evuse “isiphithiphithi” kweso sixeko, azama ukweyisela abalawuli ukuba izityholo zawo zazinzulu. Isityholo sokuqala yaba sesokuba uPawulos nabanye abavakalisi boBukumkani “babangele inkathazo emhlabeni wonke,” nakuba yayingengabo ababebangele eso saqunge eTesalonika! Esesibini sasinzulu ngakumbi. AmaYuda ema ngelithi aba bathunywa bevangeli babevakalisa omnye uKumkani, uYesu, ngoko besaphula imimiselo yomlawuli. a

12. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba izityholo ezazityatyekwa amaKristu aseTesalonika zazinokuba nemiphumo eyingozi?

¹² Khumbula ukuba iinkokeli zonqulo zamtyabeka ngezityholo ezifanayo noYesu. KuPilato zathi: “Lo mntu simfumene efundisa uhlanga lwethu ukungathobeli urhulumente, . . . esitsho nokuba yena unguKristu ukumkani.” (Luka 23:2) Mhlawumbi ngenxa yokoyika ukuba umlawuli waseRoma usenokugqiba ngelithi uPilato ukhuthaza ukuvukelwa kukarhulumente, wamgwebela ukuba abulawe uYesu. Ngokufanayo, nezityholo ezazibekwa amaKristu aseTesalonika zazinokuba nemiphumo efanayo. Enye incwadi ithi: “Ayikho indlela esinokusichaza ngayo isichenge ababekwa kuso, kuba sisodwa nje ‘eso sityholo sokuvukela uMlawuli sasidla ngokubabulalisa abo babekwa sona.’” Ngaba olu hlaselo lwentiyo lwaluza kuphumelela?

13, 14. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze ihlokondiba lisilele kuhlaselo lwalo? (b) UPawulos wabonisa njani ukuba ulumke njengoKristu, ibe sinokuwuxelisa njani umzekelo wakhe?

¹³ Elo hlokondiba lasilela ukuthintela umsebenzi wokushumayela eTesalonika. Ngoba? Esinye isizathu kukuba alizange likwazi ukufumana uPawulos noSilas. Ukongezelela koko, kuyacaca ukuba abalawuli besixeko abazange bazikholelwe ezo zityholo. Emva ‘kokubahlawulisa,’ bamkhulula uYason nabanye abazalwana ababeziswe phambi kwabo. (IZe. 17:8, 9) Ethobela isiluleko sikaYesu sokuba ‘silumke njengeenyoka, kodwa sibe msulwa njengamahobe,’ ngobulumko uPawulos wahlala eziphaphele iingozi ukuze aqhubeke eshumayela kwezinye iindawo. (Mat. 10:16) Kuyacaca ukuba, ukuba nesibindi kukaPawulos akuzange kumenze angakhathali. AmaKristu namhlanje angawuxelisa njani umzekelo wakhe?

¹⁴ Namhlanje, abefundisi beNgqobhoko basoloko bephembelela amahlokondiba nxamnye namaNgqina kaYehova. Bewatyhola ngokungaxhasi imfazwe nokuvukela urhulumente, baye benza abalawuli bawaphatha kakubi amaNgqina. Njengabo batshutshisi benkulungwane yokuqala, nabo basichasayo namhlanje baqhutywa ngumona. Kuyo nayiphi na imeko, amaKristu okwenyaniso akazichanabi engozini. Siyakuphepha ukuxambulisana nabantu abanomsindo nabangenangqiqo ngolo hlobo, sikhethe ukuya  kushumayela kwezinye iindawo ezinoxolo, size ke sibuyele kamva xa umoya wabo wehlile.

15. Abantu baseBhereya basabela njani kwiindaba ezilungileyo?

¹⁵ Bebalekiswa engozini, uPawulos noSilas bathunyelwa eBhereya, ekumgama oziikhilomitha eziyi-65 ukusuka apho. Ukufika kwabo apho, uPawulos waya kwindlu yesikhungu waza wathetha nabo babelapho. Wavuya gqitha kuba bamphulaphula! ULuka ubhala athi amaYuda aseBhereya “ayeneengqondo ezivulekileyo kunawaseTesalonika, kuba alamkela ilizwi likaThixo ngomdla omkhulu, ezihlolisisa iZibhalo yonke imihla ukuze abone ukuba ziyinyani na ezi zinto.” (IZe. 17:10, 11) Ngaba loo mazwi avakala kakubi kwabo baseTesalonika ababeyamkele inyaniso? Nakanye. Kamva uPawulos wababhalela wathi: “Sisoloko simbulela uThixo, kuba xa nalamkelayo ilizwi likaThixo, enaliva kuthi, anizange nilamkele njengento ethethwa ngabantu, kodwa nalithatha njengelizwi likaThixo, njengokuba linjalo kakade, elinincedayo nina makholwa.” (1 Tes. 2:13) Yintoni le yayisenza loo maYuda aseBhereya achubeke ngaloo ndlela?

16. Yintoni ebangela ukuba abantu baseBhereya bakufanelekele ukuba kuthiwe ‘baneengqondo ezivulekileyo’?

¹⁶ Nakuba abantu balapho babesiva into entsha, abazange bakrokre okanye bangxame ngokugxeka; ibe babengakhohliseki msinya. Baqala bakuphulaphula ngenyameko oko kwakuthethwa nguPawulos. Emva koko baqinisekisa ukuchana koko wayekuthetha ngokukuthelekisa neZibhalo, awayebacacisela zona uPawulos. Ukongezelela koko, babekuzondelela ukufunda iLizwi likaThixo, kungekuphela  nje ngeSabatha, kodwa yonk’ imihla. Babesenjenjalo “ngomdla omkhulu,” bezibhokoxa ukuze bafumane oko kuthethwa ziZibhalo ngokuphathelele le mfundiso intsha babesandul’ ukuyiva. Emva koko bazingqina bethobekile kuba benza iinguqulelo, yaye “abaninzi kubo baba ngamakholwa.” (IZe. 17:12) Yiloo nto ke uLuka esithi ‘babeneengqondo ezivulekileyo’!

17. Kutheni uncomeka kangaka nje umzekelo wabantu baseBhereya, ibe sinokuqhubeka njani siwuxelisa nasemva kwexesha elide singamaKristu?

¹⁷ Abo bantu baseBhereya babengazi ukuba indlela abasabela ngayo kwiindaba ezilungileyo yayiza kugcinwa kwiLizwi likaThixo njengomzekelo omhle wabantu abachubekileyo ngokomoya. Benza kanye oko uPawulos wayenethemba lokuba babeza kukwenza, oko kwakufunwa nguYehova uThixo kubo. Ngokufanayo, koko kanye sikhuthaza abantu ukuba bakwenze​—ukuhlolisisa iBhayibhile ngenyameko ukuze ukholo lwabo lusekelwe ngokuqinileyo kwiLizwi likaThixo. Noko ke, emva kokuba singamaKristu, ngaba simele siyeke ukuchubeka? Kunokuyeka, kokukhona kubaluleke ngakumbi ukuba sizimisele ukufunda kuYehova size sizenze kwangoko izinto esizifundayo. Ngaloo ndlela, sivumela uYehova ukuba asibumbe aze asiqeqeshe. (Isa. 64:8) Xa sisenjenjalo utsho akwazi ukusisebenzisa yaye simkholise ngokupheleleyo uBawo wethu wasezulwini.

18, 19. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos emke eBhereya, ibe wayibonisa njani inzondelelo esimele siyixelise? (b) Ngoobani awayeza kushumayela kubo uPawulos ukumka kwakhe apho?

¹⁸ UPawulos akazange ahlale ixesha elide eBhereya. Sifunda oku: “Xa amaYuda aseTesalonika evayo ukuba uPawulos ushumayela ilizwi likaThixo naseBhereya, eza aza antyontyela abantu ukuba bamjikele. Emva koko abazalwana bambalekisa bamsa ngaselwandle, kodwa uSilas noTimoti bashiyeka. Noko ke, abazalwana ababekhaphe uPawulos bada bayokumfikisa eAthene, bajika emva kokuba uPawulos ebathume ukuba bakhawuleze babize uSilas noTimoti.” (IZe. 17:13-15) Zazinenzondelelo ngokwenene ezo ntshaba zeendaba ezilungileyo. Azizange zaneliswe kukukhupha uPawulos ngomva eTesalonika; zaya naseBhereya zaza zazama ukuphemba inkathazo efanayo​—kodwa zatsho phantsi. UPawulos wayesazi ukuba mkhulu ummandla amele ashumayele kuwo; ngoko wadlulela kwezinye iindawo. Ngamana nathi namhlanje singazimisela ngendlela efanayo ukuze batyhafe abo bafuna ukusithintela kumsebenzi wethu wokushumayela.

¹⁹ Ekubeni wanikela ubungqina obucokisekileyo kumaYuda aseTesalonika nawaseBhereya, uPawulos wayefunde lukhulu ngokubaluleka kokunikela ubungqina ngesibindi nokuqiqa ngeZibhalo. Kunjalo nakuthi. Noko ke, ngoku uPawulos wayemele ajamelane nabantu abahlukileyo​—abantu beeNtlanga baseAthene. Kwakuza kuba njani kweso sixeko? Masive okwenzekayo kwisahluko esilandelayo.