‘LOMUNTFU usitja sami lengisikhetsile, kute ngimemetele ngaso libito lami kubetive nasemakhosini.’ (Imis. 9:15) INkhosi Jesu yasho lamavi mayelana nalenye indvodza leyagucukela enkholweni yebuKhristu. Lendvodza lengumJuda kamuva yatiwa ngekutsi ngumphostoli Pawula.

Lomunye ‘walamakhosi’ kwakunguNero uMbusi waseRoma. Bewungativa njani nangabe bekungadzingeka uvikele kukholwa kwakho kumbusi lofanana nalona? EmaKhristu akhutsatwa kutsi alingise Pawula. (1 Khor. 11:1) Lenye indlela lesingase sikwente ngayo loko ihlobana naloko lokwenteka kuPawula mayelana nemtsetfo wangesikhatsi sakhe.

UMtsetfo waMosi wawungumtsetfo lowawusebenta ka-Israyeli, futsi wawugcinwa ngiwo onkhe emaJuda latinikele. Ngemuva kweliPhentekhosti langa-33 C.E., tikhonti teliciniso betingakabopheki kutsi tigcine uMtsetfo waMosi. (Imis. 15:28, 29; Gal. 4:9-11) Nobe kunjalo, Pawula nalamanye emaKhristu abazange bawunyembenye loMtsetfo; bakhona kufakaza emimangweni leminyenti yemaJuda ngaphandle kwekuphikisana nawo. (1 Khor. 9:20) Ecinisweni, tikhatsi letinyenti Pawula abeya emasinagogeni, lapho bekafakaza kubantfu labebamati Nkulunkulu wa-Abrahama, futsi bekabonisana nabo ngaye asebentisa imiBhalo yesiHebheru.​—Imis. 9:19, 20; 13:5, 14-16; 14:1; 17:1, 2.

Baphostoli bakhetsa iJerusalema kutsi ibe yindzawo yekucala lebebatawushumayela kuyo. Bebafundzisa njalo ethempelini. (Imis. 1:4; 2:46; 5:20) Ngaletinye tikhatsi, Pawula bekaya eJerusalema futsi ekugcineni waboshwa khona. Loko kwaba sicalo sekutekwa kwemacala akhe lokwabese kumholela eRoma.

Tiphatsimandla taseRoma betitakutsatsa njani loko Pawula bekakushumayela? Kute siphendvule lombuto, kungasisita kunaka indlela emaRoma labekayitsatsa ngayo inkholo. Bebangawaphoceleli emacembu etive lehlukahlukene lasembusweni wawo kutsi ashiye tinkholo tawo, ngaphandle-ke nangabe letinkholo betingaba yingoti kuHulumende nobe ekutiphatseni kwebantfu.

 IRoma yaniketa emaJuda emalungelo lengetiwe embusweni wayo. Incwadzi letsi “Backgrounds of Early Christianity” itsi: “Inkholo yemaJuda yatfola sikhundla lesisetulu embusweni wemaRoma. . . . EmaJuda abenenkhululeko yekuchuba inkholo yawo futsi bekavumelekile kutsi angakhonti bonkulunkulu baseRoma. Bekangatilawula ngemitsetfo yawo emimangweni lebekahlala kuyo.” Bekangakaphoceleleki nekutsi aye emphini. * Pawula bekasebentisa sivikelo lebesiniketwa ngumtsetfo waseRoma kubantfu labangemaJuda, njengobe bekavikela buKhristu etiphatsimandleni taseRoma.

Bantfu labebaphikisa Pawula betama ngetindlela letehlukahlukene kutsi bente bantfu kanye netiphatsimandla timelane nalomphostoli. (Imis. 13:50; 14:2, 19; 18:12, 13) Cabanga nganasi sibonelo. Emadvodza lamadzala asebandleni laseJerusalema eva emahemuhemu labegcwele kumaJuda ekutsi Pawula abeshumayela ‘kuhlubuka eMtsetfweni waMosi.’ Emahemuhemu lanjalo abengenta kutsi emaJuda labesandza kugucukela enkholweni yebuKhristu acabange kutsi Pawula abengatihloniphi timiso taNkulunkulu. Ngaleyo ndlela, iNkantolo YemaJuda beyingasho kutsi buKhristu buhlubuke ebuJudeni. Kube loko kwenteka, emaJuda lebekatihlanganise nemaKhristu abengajeziswa. Bekatawutondvwa bantfu bendzawo futsi alelwe kutsi ashumayele ethempelini nobe emasinagogeni. Kungako lamadvodza lamadzala eluleka Pawula kutsi akhombise kutsi lamahemuhemu bekangemanga ngekutsi aye ethempelini afike ente lokutsite Nkulunkulu lebekangakamyali kutsi akwente kodvwa lobekungamkhubi Nkulunkulu.​—Imis. 21:18-27.

Pawula wakwenta loko futsi kwamvulela ematfuba ‘ekuvikela tindzaba letimnandzi nasekuticaliseni ngalokusemtsetfweni.’ (Fil. 1:7) Ethempelini, emaJuda asusa lutfutfuva futsi abefuna nekumbulala. Umphatsi welibutfo lemaRoma wavalela Pawula ejele. Ngesikhatsi balungiselela kumbhambabula, Pawula wabatjela kutsi ungumRoma. Loko kwaholela ekutseni amikiswe eKhesariya, lapho iRoma beyilawula khona iJudiya. Nakefika, wavulekelwa ngematfuba langakavami ekushumayela ngesibindzi embikwetiphatsimandla. Kungenteka loko kwenta bantfu lebebangati kahle ngebuKhristu, babati kahle.

Imisebenti sehluko 24 ichaza kutekwa kwelicala laPawula embikwaFeliksi, lobekanguMbusi waseJudiya longumRoma, futsi besekake weva lokuncane ngetinkholelo temaKhristu. EmaJuda abeka Pawula licala lekwephula umtsetfo wemaRoma ngetindlela letintsatfu. Atsi Pawula ukhutsata emaJuda kutsi avukele umbuso; atsi uhola licembu leliyingoti; nekutsi wedzelela lithempeli lebelingephansi kwesivikelo semaRoma ngaleso sikhatsi. (Imis. 24:5, 6) Lawo macala enta kutsi Pawula atfole sigwebo sekufa.

Kuyawazuzisa emaKhristu lamuhla kucabanga ngendlela Pawula lenta ngayo ngalesikhatsi abhekene nemacala labebekwe wona. Akazange avuke indlwabane futsi bekahlonipha. Ngesikhatsi kutekwa lamacala Pawula wakhuluma ngetintfo lebetishiwo nguMtsetfo nebaPhrofethi futsi wakhombisa kutsi bekulungile kukhonta ‘Nkulunkulu wabokhokho bakhe.’ Lelo bekulilungelo nalamanye emaJuda labekanalo ngaphansi kwemtsetfo wemaRoma. (Imis. 24:14) Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, Pawula wamelela kukholwa kwakhe futsi watjela nembusi lowalandzela ngalo, lokunguPhokhiyusi Festusi kanye neNkhosi Herodi Agripha.

Kute ehlulelwe kahle, Pawula watsi: “Ngendlulisela licala kuKhesari!”​—lobekangumbusi lonemandla kakhulu ngaleso sikhatsi.​—Imis. 25:11.

Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi ingilosi yatjela Pawula yatsi: “Kufanele ume embikwaKhesari.” (Imis. 27:24) Ekucaleni kwekubusa kwakhe, Nero uMbusi waseRoma watsi angeke kube nguye lowehlulela onkhe emacala. Eminyakeni yekucala lesiphohlongo yekubusa kwakhe, ngalokuvamile bekandlulisela lomsebenti kulabanye bantfu. Incwadzi letsi “The Life and Epistles of Saint Paul” itsi nakwenteka Nero avuma kwehlulela licala, abelilalela esigodlweni sakhe lapho bekasitwa khona licembu lebeluleki lebebanesikhatsi lesidze benta lomsebenti futsi banelitfonya.

 LiBhayibheli alisho kutsi nguNero lowalalela futsi wehlulela Pawula, nobe kutsi wacela lomunye umuntfu kutsi alalele sikhalo saPawula futsi asendlulisele kuye. Kunobe ngukuphi, kungenteka Pawula wachaza kutsi ukhonta Nkulunkulu wemaJuda nekutsi ukhutsata bonkhe bantfu kutsi banikete hulumende inhlonipho lemfanele. (Rom. 13:1-7; Thit. 3:1, 2) Kubonakala shengatsi Pawula waphumelela kuvikela tindzaba letimnandzi phambi kwetiphatsimandla—inkantolo yaKhesari yamkhulula Pawula.​—Fil. 2:24; Flm. 22.

Jesu watjela bafundzi bakhe watsi: “Niyawumiswa embikwebabusi nasembikwemakhosi ngenca yami, kuze kube bufakazi kubo nasetiveni.” (Mat. 10:18) Kulilungelo kumelela Jesu ngalendlela. Imetamo yetfu yekuvikela tindzaba letimnandzi ingase isente siphumelele emacaleni lesetfweswe wona. Kuliciniso kutsi loko lokukhetfwa bantfu labanesono ‘akuticalisi ngalokusemtsetfweni’ tindzaba letimnandzi ngemcondvo lophelele. NguMbuso waNkulunkulu kuphela lotawuletsa kukhululwa lokutawuhlala njalo ekucindzetelekeni nasekuphatfweni kabi.​—Shu. 8:9; Jer. 10:23.

Ngisho nalamuhla libito laJehova liyadvunyiswa nangabe emaKhristu avikela kukholwa kwawo. NjengaPawula, natsi kufanele setame kuba nemoya lophansi, setsembeke futsi sibe nelikhono lekukholisa. Jesu watjela balandzeli bakhe kutsi angeke kudzingeke ‘bacabange ngekutsi batativikela njani, ngobe utawubanika loko labatawukusho aphindze abanike nekuhlakanipha, futsi bonkhe lababaphikisako ngeke bakhone kumelana nabo nobe kubaphikisa.’​—Luk. 21:14, 15; 2 Thim. 3:12; 1 Phet. 3:15.

Nakwenteka emaKhristu avikela kukholwa kwawo embikwemakhosi, kubabusi nobe kuletinye tiphatsimandla, asuke ashumayela bantfu lobekungenteka kube matima kushumayela kubo. Letinye tincumo letivuna emaKhristu tenta kutsi kubuketwe imitsetfo, ngaleyo ndlela kuvikeleke inkhululeko yawo yekukhuluma neyekukhonta Nkulunkulu. Kunobe ngusiphi sincumo lesitsatfwako, sibindzi tinceku taNkulunkulu letiba naso nakutekwa emacala timenta ajabule.