UThimothi bekamzalwana osemutjha ebandleni leListra. Uyise bekamGirigi kuthi unina amJuda. Ummakhe uYunike nogogwakhe uLowisi bamfundisa ngoJehova asesemncani.

Ngesikhathi uPowula avakatjha eListra ekhambweni lakhe lokutjhumayela lesibili watjheja indlela uThimothi agade athanda abazalwana ngayo begodu athabela nokubasiza. UPowula wambawa bona akhambe naye. Ekhambwenelo uPowula wambandula bona abemtjhumayeli nomfundisi omuhle weendaba ezimnandi.

Ummoya ocwengileko bewulayela uPowula noThimothi lapho ­kufuze baye khona. Ngelinye ilanga ebusuku uPowula waba nombono wabona indoda yathi kuye akaye eMasedoniya ayokusiza khona. Yeke uPowula, uThimothi, uSilasi noLukasi baya eMasedoniyapho bafika batjhumayela bebathoma namabandla.

Amadoda nabafazi abanengi babamaKrestu emaSedoniya edorobheni leTheselonika. Kodwana amanye amaJuda abanomona ngomsebenzi ebewenziwa nguPowula nabakhambisani bakhe. ­Bahlangana basiqhema esinelaka, bathatha abazalwana babasa ebabusini bedorobheni barasa bathi: ‘Amadoda la amanaba ­wombuso wamaRoma!’ Ukuphila kwakaPowula nekwakaThimothi bekusengozini, yeke ebusuku bamhlokho babalekela eBheriya.

Abantu beBheriya bebafuna ukuzizwa iindaba ezimnandi, kokubili amaJuda nabaGirigi aba makholwa. Kwathi amanye amaJuda abuya eThesalonika nakafikako afuna ukubanga irawurawu uPowula wakhamba waya e-Athene. Kodwana uThimothi noSilasi bona basala bona bakhe abazalwana. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uPowula wathumela uThimothi eThesalonika bona ayokusiza abazalwana bakghone ukuqalana ngokuphumelelako nokugandelelwa. Ngemva kwalokho uPowula wathuma uThimothi bona ayokuvakatjhela amabandla awaqinise.

UPowula wathi kuThimothi: ‘Abantu abafuna ukulotjha uJehova bazokutlhoriswa.’ UThimothi watlhoriswa wabe wabotjhwa ngebanga lokukholwa kwakhe. Lamthabisa ithuba lokutjengisa ukuthi ­ufuna ukuthembeka kuJehova.

UPowula watjela abantu beFilipi ukuthi: ‘Ngithumele uThimothi kini. Uzonifundisa ukuthi kutjho ukuthini ukukhamba ngeqiniso anibandule nekonzwenenu.’ UPowula bekazi bona angamthemba uThimothi. Basebenza iminyaka eminengi bobabili begodu bebabangani.