UPawulu wabhala: “Mina ngafa ngokuqondene nomthetho, ukuze ngiphile ngakuNkulunkulu.”​—Gal. 2:19.

Okwabhalwa uPawulu kwakuvumelana nephuzu eliyinhloko ayelidlulisela emabandleni asesifundazweni saseRoma, eGalathiya. Amanye amaKristu lapho ayesethonywe abantu abafundisa izimfundiso ezingamanga. Labo bantu babefundisa ukuthi ukuze umuntu asindiswe kudingeka agcine uMthetho KaMose, ikakhulukazi owokusoka. Kodwa uPawulu wayazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengasalindele ukuba izikhonzi zakhe zisokwe. Wasebenzisa ubufakazi obunamandla ukuze adalule ukuthi lezo zimfundiso zingamanga futhi aqinise ukholo lwabafowabo emhlatshelweni wesihlengo kaJesu Kristu.​—Gal. 2:4; 5:2.

IBhayibheli lisho ngokucacile ukuthi uma umuntu esefile akazi lutho noma akumthinti okwenzekayo. (UmSh. 9:5) Ngesikhathi uPawulu ethi: “Ngafa ngokuqondene nomthetho,” wayesho ukuthi uMthetho KaMose wawungasambambile. Kunalokho, uPawulu wayeqiniseka ngokuthi ukukholelwa kwakhe emhlatshelweni wesihlengo kumenze ‘waphila ngakuNkulunkulu.’

Lolo shintsho olwenzeka kuPawulu lwaba khona ‘ngomthetho.’ Kanjani? Wayesanda kuchaza ukuthi “umuntu kuthiwa ulungile, hhayi ngenxa yemisebenzi yomthetho, kodwa kuphela ngokholo kuJesu Kristu.” (Gal. 2:16) Kuyavunywa, uMthetho wawusukufezile okubalulekile. UPawulu wachazela abaseGalathiya: “Wanezelwa ukuze wenze izono zibonakale, kuze kufike inzalo okwakwenziwe kuyo isithembiso.” (Gal. 3:19) UMthetho wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi abantu abanesono abakwazi ukuwugcina ngokuphelele uMthetho futhi babedinga umhlatshelo wokugcina ophelele. Ngakho uMthetho waholela abantu ‘enzalweni,’ uKristu. Ukuze uNkulunkulu ambheke njengolungile umuntu, kufanele abonise ukholo kuJesu Kristu. (Gal. 3:24) UPawulu waphetha kanjalo ngoba uMthetho wamenza wamukela uJesu futhi waba nokholo kuye. Ngaleyo ndlela uPawulu ‘wafa ngokuqondene nomthetho’ futhi ‘waphila ngakuNkulunkulu.’ UMthetho wawungasambambile, kodwa wayeseqondiswa uNkulunkulu.

UPawulu waveza umongo ofanayo encwadini ayibhalela abaseRoma. “Bafowethu, nani, ngomzimba kaKristu nenziwa naba abafile ngokuqondene noMthetho . . . Sikhululiwe eMthethweni, ngoba siye safa kulokho okusivimbayo.” (Roma 7:4, 6) Lo mBhalo kanye neyakwabaseGalathiya 2:19, kubonisa ukuthi uPawulu wayengakhulumi ngokufa njengesoni esilahliwe ngaphansi koMthetho. Kunalokho, wayekhuluma ngokukhululwa. UMthetho wawungasambambile yena kanye nabanye abanjengaye. Babekhululwe ukholo esihlengweni sikaKristu.