Izenzo Zabapostile

46—Enkululekweni

Ngexesha ukusebenza kukaPawulos kwakusikeleleka eRoma ngokuguquka kwemiphefumlo emininzi nokomelela kunye nokukhuthazwa kwamakholwa, amafu ayefingiza engabeki engozini ukukhuseleka kwakhe kuphela, kodwa nempumelelo yebandla. Ekufikeni kwakhe eRoma, wanikelwa kumphathi webutho lokhuselo lukakumkani, indoda yobulungisa nenesidima, awathi, ngenxa yokubonelelwa yiyo, wakwazi ukukhululeka ukuba enze umsebenzi weendaba ezilungileyo kangangoko anako. Kwathi phambi kokuba kuphele iminyaka emibini evalelwe apha umpostile, kwafika enye indoda endaweni yale, awathi akuyijonga uPawulos waqonda ukuba akangeke afumane nceba kuyo. IZ 485.1

Ngeli xesha, amaYuda aye exakeke kakhulu kwimizamo yawo yokuchasana noPawulos, aza afumana uncedo kumfazi owayeziphethe kakubi owaba yinkosikazi kaNero, nowathi, njengongeniswe ebuYudeni, wayinika yonke inkxaso yakhe kumacebo anokubulala achasene neqhawe lobuKristu. IZ 485.2

IthembaelincinanelikaPawuloslalikuKhesareawayebhenele kuye. UNero wayeziphethe kakubi kakhulu, esidlakaza isimilo sakhe, ekwanaso nesibindi sokweza nazo naziphi izenzo zenkohlakalo, kunaye nawuphina umlawuli owaka wangaphambi kwakhe. Kuye, iintambo zokulawula zayekelwa emntwini onokulawula ngegqudu. Unyana wakhe wokuqala waphawulwa ngokutyisa kwakhe ityhefu umntakwabo, ekwakufaneleke ukuba ibe nguye indlalifa ethabatha isihlalo sobukhosi. UNero wehla ngokuhla kulwaphulo-mthetho, wada wabulala umama wakhe, walandela ngenkosikazi yakhe. Kumntu wonke onengqondo ephucukileyo impembelelo yayiyintiyo nendelo. IZ 486.1

Iinkcukacha zobugwenxa awayebenza kwinkundla yakhe zihlazisa kakhulu, zaye zimanyumnyezi ukuba zingachazwa. Inkohlakalo yakhe eyayinguvula zibhuqe, yadala ukucaphuka nentiyo kwabaninzi, kwabo babenenxaxheba kulwaphulo-mthetho lwakhe. Babesoloko bexhalabile bengazi ukuba ingaba sesiphi isenzo senkohlakalo aza kuthi masenziwe. Noko kunjalo, ulwaphulo-mthetho lukaNero aluzange luyivuthulule inkxaso yabo wayebalawula. Wayethatyathwa njengomlawuli ekuphela kwakhe walo lonke ilizwe lenkcubeko. Ngaphezu koku, wanikwa amalungelo embeko angcwele, enqulwa njengothixo. IZ 486.2

Ngokokubona komntu, ukugwetywa kukaPawulos kwakuyinto eqinisekileyo. Noko kunjalo, umpostile waziva engenanto ayoyikayo lonke ixesha esanyanisekile kuThixo. Lowo wayengumkhuseli wakhe kwixesha elidlulileyo, wayenako ukuba likhaka lakhe kwinkohlakalo yamaYuda nakwigunya likaKesare. IZ 486.3

Ngokwenene uThixo wamvikela umkhonzi wakhe. Ekuvavanyweni kukaPawulos, izityholo abekwa zona azizange zibe nakuma, kwathi, ngokuchasene nokokwakulindelwe, nangokuhlonelwakobulungisa, nto leyo eyayingahambelani ngokupheleleyo nesimilo sakhe, uNero wathi umbanjwa akanatyala. Asuswa amakhamandela kuPawulos; wangumntu okhululekileyo kwakhona. IZ 486.4

Ukuba ukuthethwa kwetyala lakhe kwakuye kwalibala okwexesha elidana, okanye abe uye wagcinwa esiseleni eRoma nangasiphina isizathu kwada kwangunyaka olandelayo, ngewayetshabalele kwintshutshiso eyathi yabakho. Ngexesha lokuvalelwa kukaPawulos, abaguqukela ebuKristwini baba baninzi bada batsala umdla, bavusa nobutshaba kwabasemagunyeni. Umsindo kakumkani waphenjelelwa ngakumbi kukuguquka kwamalungu osapho lwendlu yakhe, waza wafumana isizathu sokujolisa kumaKristu inkohlakalo yakhe engenanceba. IZ 487.1

Ngeli xesha, kwabakho umlilo ombi kakhulu eRoma owaphantsa watshisa isiqingatha sesixeko. Kusolwa ukuthi, uNero uyatyholeka njengonobangela wamalangatye, kodwa ukususa umnwe ukuba ungakhombi kuye, wazenza onobubele obukhulu bokunceda abantu abatshelwa ngamakhaya nabangenandawo. Noko kunjalo, wamangalelwa ngesityholo sokwaphula umthetho. Abantu bavuka indulumbane banomsindo, waza uNero, ukuzama ukulisula igama lakhe, nokucoca isixeko ngokususa udidi lwabantu angabathandiyo, wasijika isityholo wasibhekisa kumaKristu. Icebo lakhe labanempumelelo, aza amawaka abalandeli bakaKristu—amadoda, abafazi, nabantwana—babulawa ngendlela ekhohlakeleyo. IZ 487.2

Wasinda uPawulos kule ntshutshiso, kuba, ngako nje ukuba akhululwe, wayishiya iRoma. Eli khefu lokugqibela lenkululeko, walihlumisa ngenkuthalo ngokusebenza emabandleni. Wazama ukumisa umanyano oluqinileyophakathi kwamaGrike kunye namabandla aseMpuma nokuziqinisa iingqondo zamakholwa ngakwiimfundiso ezazirhubuluza zingena ukuba zonakalise inkolo. IZ 487.3

Izilingo nenkxalabo awazinyamezelayo uPawulos zawaqoba kakhulu amandla omzimba wakhe. Ubulwelwe bokuguga babuphezu kwakhe. Waziva ngathi ngoku wenza indima yokugqibela yomsebenzi wakhe, lathi kuba ixesha lomsebenzi lalisiya libalifutshane, yaya iqina imizamo yakhe. Kwabonakala ngathi akukho mda kwinzondelelo yakhe. Enenjongo eqinileyo, ekhawuleza ekwenzeni, omelele elukholweni, wahambela amabandla ngamabandla, kumazwe amaninzi, efuna ukuba ngako konke anokukwenza ngamandla akhe ukuqinisa izandla zamakholwa, ukuze awenze ngokunyaniseka umsebenzi wokuzuzela uYesu imiphefumlo, nokuba kuthi ngamaxesha anzima ababengena kuwo ngelo xesha, bahlale beqinile kwiindaba ezilungileyo, bekuthwele ngokunyaniseka ukungqina ngoKristu. IZ 488.1