Esiphethweni sencwadi yesithathu ezincwadini zakhe eziseBhayibhelini, umphostoli uJohane uthi: “Benginezinto eziningi engingakulobela zona, kodwa angithandi ukuqhubeka ngikulobela ngoyinki nangosiba.” Uma kuhunyushwa igama negama kula mazwi esiGreki sakuqala uJohane awasebenzisayo lapha, abonisa ukuthi wayengafuni ukuqhubeka nokubhala “[ngoyinki] omnyama nomhlanga.”—3 Johane 13, i-Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures.

Ipeni lababhali laliwumhlanga oqinile. Wawunqunywa phakathi nendawo kodwa utsheke ekugcineni futhi uklaywe kancane ukuze ucije. Umbhali wayekwazi ukuphinde awulole ngetshe lelula lapho ucije ngakhona. Umhlanga wawufana futhi usebenza njengepeni likayinki elinekhanda lensimbi.

Oyinki abaningi noma “abamnyama” babeyinhlanganisela yentshede noma umsizi nenhlaka. Lo yinki wawudayiswa uyimpuphu futhi wawulokhu uhlanganiswa nesilinganiso esithile samanzi ngaphambi kokuba usetshenziswe. Uma usetshenziswa, uyinki onjalo wawoma kalula phezu kwe-papyrus noma isikhumba futhi wawungangeni ugxile. Ngakho, obhalayo wayengalungisa amaphutha ngokuwucisha ngesiponji esimanzi, okuyinto eyayihlale isetshenziswa ababhali. Le mininingwane ephathelene noyinki wasendulo ichaza lokho okungenzeka abalobi beBhayibheli babekucabanga lapho bekhuluma ngamagama asulwayo, noma asuswayo encwadini kaNkulunkulu yenkumbulo.—Eksodusi 32:32, 33; IsAmbulo 3:5.

IzEnzo 18:3 zithi umsebenzi kamphostoli uPawulu kwakuwukwenza amatende. Ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli, abenzi bamatende babeluka uboya bekamela noma bembuzi babenze imichilo. Ngemva kwalokho, babehlanganisa le michilo ngokuyithunga ukuze benzele izihambi amatende. Nokho amatende amaningi angaleso sikhathi ayenziwa ngesikhumba esishukiwe. Amanye kwakungawelineni, elalenziwa emzini wakubo kaPawulu, iTarsu. Kungenzeka ukuthi uPawulu wasebenza ngenye noma ngazo zonke lezi zinhlobo zezindwangu. Nokho, ngenkathi esebenza no-Akhwila, kungenzeka ukuthi wayenza imipheme yelineni yokusitha ilanga, eyayisetshenziselwa ukumboza ovulanda emizini yabantu abathile.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uPawulu wafunda lo msebenzi esemncane. Ubufakazi bencwadi ye-papyrus yaseGibhithe bubonisa ukuthi phakathi nokubusa kwamaRoma, eGibhithe izimfunda zaziqala zineminyaka engaba ngu-13 ukufundela umsebenzi othile. Uma kuwukuthi uPawulu waqala umsebenzi wakhe ekuleyo minyaka, kumelwe ukuba lapho eseneminyaka engu-15 noma engu-16 wayesengumpetha ekusikeni indwangu eyanele neme ngendlela efanele bese eyithunga ngezinsungulo nangezindlela zokuthunga ezihlukahlukene. Incwadi ethi The Social Context of Paul’s Ministry ithi, “Lapho uPawulu eseqedile ukufundela ukwenza lo msebenzi kungenzeka wanikezwa awakhe amathuluzi.” Yona le ncwadi ithi, “Ngenxa yokuthi ukwenza amatende kwakudinga imimese nezinsungulo kuphela,” kuwumsebenzi ongenziwa nomaphi, yiwona msebenzi uPawulu ayengaziphilisa ngawo emsebenzini wakhe wezithunywa zevangeli.