By UPawuli. Leli igama lomuntu elidumile kuthina abalaziyo IBhayibheli, kodwa noma kunjalo, kwesinye isikhathi kuba yilokho nje, igama lomuntu eliba sekuqaleni uma ebingelela kwizincwadi azibhalile. Yayinjani impilo kaPawuli?
Wazalwa waqanjwa igama lesiHebheru okungu-“Sawuli”, uPawuli wayengowase Tarsus ngokwemvelaphi yakhe, okwakuyidolobha elalinedumela elihle kakhulukazi ngenxa yobuhlakani obusezingeni eliphezulu, nangenxa yengcebo ngakwezomnotho. Njengalokhu ukwakha amatende ngokusebenzisa uboya bezimbuzi kwakuwumsebenzi odumile eTarsus, maningi amathuba okuthi esawu-mfanyana osemncane wawufunda lomsebenzi owabe usumsiza ekuhambeni kwesikhathi ukuthi abhekelele izindleko zohambo lwakhe lwevangeli.
Kodwa ke, ukwakha amatende akubanga umsebenzi wakhe azinza kuwona. KwiZenzo 22 siyafunda ukuthi uPawuli waqeqeshwa eJerusalema ngaphansi ngokufundisa okuhambisa ngqo ngomthetho kukaGamaliyeli owayengu-Rabi ongusaziwayo. I-Talmud iqukethe umbono ohlakaniphile ngomunye wabafundi ba-Gamaliyeli abanye abacabanga ukuthi ungoSawuli. Uthi uGamaliyeli wafundisa umfundi owayekhombisa “ukudlulela uma kuziwa ekufundeni”. Ukuthi lokho kuyiqiniso noma cha ukuthi kukhulunywa ngoPawuli, kodwa akungabazeki ukuthi kuyiqiniso nangaye uSawuli. USawuli wayenguMfarisi wabaFarisi.
Lapho kukhulunywa ngaye okokuqala eMbhalweni uSawuli, kungasekupheleni kweZenzo 7 lapho ekhombisa ukuvumelana nalabo ababekhanda ngamatshe uStefani, ongowokuqala uMkrestu ukufela ivangeli. ngokweZenzo 8 ngasekuqaleni kwazo, uPawuli wayesethola umdlandla ekuzingeleni kwakhe Amakrestu. Kodwa, uJesu wazazisa Qobolwakhe kuSawuli, owayesezo kuba uPawuli maduzane. kwiZenzo 9 sifunda ngohambo lukaPawuli oluya eDamaseku kanye nokusindiswa kwakhe. Amavesi amabili amafushane ayasikhombisa impilo kaPawuli ekwenzeni umsebenzi weNkosi noMsindisi wakhe omusha uJesu Khristu, ngemuva kokuthi esephendukile.
Kepha iNkosi yathi kuye:… “…. lo uyisitsha sami esikhethiweyo sokuphatha igama lami phambi kwabezizwe, emakhosini, nakubantu bakwa-Israyeli. Ngokuba ngizakumbonisa ukuthi kumele ahlupheke kangakanani ngenxa yegama lami.
IZenzo 9:15-16 (IsiZulu 2020)
Ngemuva kokuphenduka kwakhe, wachitha iminyaka emithathu kugwadule lwase Arabi efundiswa nguKhristu futhi ebona nemibono ayengavumelekile ukukhuluma ngayo (2 Khorinte 12:1-4). Ngasemuva eJerusalema, efakezelwe nguBharnabha, wabe esuthunyelwa kumsebenzi wokuhambisa ivangeli kunye naye umzalwane owayemethemba uBharnabha (IZenzo 13:2)
Ngonyaka olandelayo uhambo lukaPawuli lwafuza lolo lomuntu onochoko ebheka abangaba abangani. Uyafika edolobheni, akhulume namaJudah, axoshwe kwiSinagoge, akhulume nabeZizwe, atshale ibandla, akhandwe ngamatshe, abalekele kwidolobha elilandelayo. Afike kwidolobha elilandelayo, akhulume namaJudah, axoshwe…into efanayo iyaziphindaphinda ngendlela efanayo izikhathi ezahlukene kunyaka wonke ophelele.
Wabe eseba omunye wabantu ababalulekile kuMkhandlu waseJerusalema okuZenzo 15, emveni kwalokho waphinda wahamba eminye iminyaka emithathu esohambeni lokushumayela ivangeli. Waluqeda loluhambo, waqala olunye uhambo lwevangeli lweminyaka emithathu etshala amabandla. Kukona konke lokhu, uPawuli owayeyikholwa elalifundile ngokusezingeni eliphezulu, akagcinanga ngokushumayela aphinde afundise nsuku zonke, kodwa wayezibhekelela ngokungokwakhe izindingo zakhe ngokusebenzela ababakha amatende kuleyondawo. Ngokuka 1 Khorinte 9, akazange azenze ukuthi abengumthwalo kwabanye futhi wayephila ngendlela esezingeni elikahle, nangaphansana kwamalungelo akhe, ukuze ezokhombisa ukucabangela onembeza balabo ayeshumayela kubona.
2 Khorinte 11:22-27 basinika uhlu lwezingqinamba zenyama nezikamoya uPawuli ayedlule kuzo. UPawuli wavuma ukuthi bonke lobubunzima bebuyothwaleka kangconywana ukube izinto zazihamba kahle emabandleni ayezibophezele ukusebenza kuwo, kodwa amaningi awo ayehlukene kabili, enye ingxenye yayoniwa abafundisi bamanga futhi abathanda ingcebo namandla, enye ingxenye yayibuyela kulona lonke uhlobo lokuphila okugcwele izono obese kudliliwe kukho. Ngakho wanezezela ngokuthi:
Ngaphandle kwalokhu, ngihlale ngiphansi kokucindezelwa imihla yonke ngenxa yokukhathazeka kwami ngamabandla wonke. Ngubani obuthakathaka, nami ngingabi buthakathaka na? Ngubani okhubekiswayo, ngingamzweli ubuhlungu na? Uma kufanele ngizincome, ngiyakuzincoma ngobuthakathaka bami. UNkulunkulu uYise weNkosi uJesu, obongekayo phakade naphakade, uyazi ukuthi angiqambi manga ngalokho
2 KwabaseKhorinte 11:28-31 (IsiZulu 2020)
Lena yimpilo yalowo ohamba izindawo eshumayela ivangeli lobukrestu. Ubizo lukaNkulunkulu empilweni yakho kungenzeka alunazo izigameko ezilingana nalezi, kodwa engathi izinhliziyo zethu zingananela uthando lwabazalwane nodumo lukaNkulunkulu okwakugobhoza enhlizweni kaPawuli.
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