Umphostoli uPawulu wabhalela uThimothewu umdala ayekanye naye: “Ngiyakuyala nokukuyala phambi kukaNkulunkulu noKristu Jesu nezingelosi ezikhethiwe ukuba ugcine le miyalo ngaphandle kokubandlulula noma ukukhetha.”—1 Thim. 5:21.

Okokuqala, sizoxoxa ngokuthi yiliphi iqembu lezingelosi elingabaliwe. Ngokusobala, alibhekiseli kulabo abangu-144 000. Ngesikhathi uPawulu ebhalela uThimothewu, ukuvuselwa ezulwini kwamaKristu agcotshiwe kwakungakaqali. Abaphostoli nabagcotshiwe babengakabi izidalwa zomoya, ngakho ‘izingelosi ezikhethiwe’ azibhekiseli kubo.—1 Kor. 15:​50-54; 1 Thes. 4:​13-17; 1 Joh. 3:2.

‘Izingelosi ezikhethiwe’ azibhekiseli ezingelosini ezingalalelanga ngesikhathi sikaZamcolo. Lezo zingelosi zalandela uSathane zaba amadimoni futhi zaba yizitha zikaJesu. (Gen. 6:2; Luka 8:​30, 31; 2 Pet. 2:4) Esikhathini esizayo ziyophonswa kwalasha iminyaka engu-1 000 futhi ngemva kwalokho zibhujiswe noDeveli.—Jude 6; IsAm. 20:​1-3, 10.

‘Izingelosi ezikhethiwe’ uPawulu abhekisela kuzo kungenzeka yizingelosi ezisezulwini ezisekela ‘uNkulunkulu noKristu Jesu,’ bobabili okukhulunywe ngabo evesini elifanayo.

Kunezinkulungwane zezinkulungane zezingelosi eziqotho. (Heb. 12:​22, 23) Kubukeka sengathi uJehova akaniki ingelosi ngayinye umsebenzi ofanayo. (IsAm. 14:​17, 18) Ngokwesibonelo, uJehova wathuma ingelosi eyodwa ukuba ibulale amabutho ase-Asiriya ahlomile angu-185 000. (2 AmaKh. 19:35) Izingelosi eziningi zingabelwa ukuba “zikhiphe zonke izinto ezikhubekisayo eMbusweni [kaJesu] nabantu abenza okuphambene nomthetho.” (Math. 13:​39-41) Ezinye izingelosi zingase zabelwe ukuba “ziqoqele ndawonye abakhethiwe” ezulwini. (Math. 24:31) Kanti ezinye zinikwa umyalo ‘wokuba zisiqaphe kuzo zonke izindlela zethu.’—IHu. 91:11; Math. 18:10; qhathanisa noMathewu 4:11; Luka 22:43.

‘Izingelosi ezikhethiwe’ okukhulunywa ngazo kweyoku-1 Thimothewu 5:21 kungenzeka yizingelosi ezabelwa ukunakekela amabandla. Kule ndaba, uPawulu wanikeza abadala iseluleko esihlakaniphile mayelana nokuthi bangayifeza kanjani imisebenzi yabo, nokuthi labo abasebandleni kufanele babahloniphe abadala. Abadala kufanele bafeze umsebenzi wabo “ngaphandle kokubandlulula noma ukukhetha” futhi akufanele bathathe izinqumo noma bahlulele ngokuxhamazela. UPawulu wanikeza abadala isizathu esihle sokulalela iseluleko sakhe, wathi abadala bakhonza abafowabo “phambi kukaNkulunkulu noKristu Jesu nezingelosi ezikhethiwe” okusho ukuthi bayayibheka indlela abadala abanakekela ngayo ibandla. Ngakho kuyacaca ukuthi ezinye izingelosi zinikwa imisebenzi yokusiza ibandla, njengokuvikela izinceku zikaNkulunkulu, ukuqondisa umsebenzi wokushumayela nokubika lokho ezikubonile kuJehova.—Math. 18:10; IsAm. 14:6.