IZenzo 13:1-52

Kwakukhona ebandleni lase-Antiyokhiya abaphrofethi nabafundi: uBharnabha, uSimeyoni okuthiwa uNigeri, uLukhiyu waseKhurene, uManayeni umnawabo kaHerode, umThethrarkhi noSawula. Kwathi bekhonza iNkosi, bezila ukudla, uMoya oNgcwele wathi: “Ngahlukaniseleni uBharnabha noSawula ukuba baye emsebenzini engibabizele wona.” Sebezilile ukudla, bakhuleka, bababeka izandla, babamukisa. Bethunyiwe nguMoya oNgcwele, behlela eSelukhiya, basuka lapho baya eKhuphro ngomkhumbi. Lapho befika eSalami, bashumayela izwi likaNkulunkulu emasinagogeni abaJuda; babehamba noJohane owayebasiza. Sebedabulile esiqhingini sonke, baze bayofika ePhafu, bafumana indoda thize lapho eyabe ingumlumbi nomphrofethi wamanga, umJuda, ogama lakhe kunguBharjesu, enombusi wezwe, uSergiyu Pawula, umuntu owayehlakaniphile; wabiza uBharnabha noSawula, wafuna ukuzwa izwi likaNkulunkulu. Kepha u-Elimasi, umlumbi, ngokuba yigama lakhe lelo uma lihunyushwa, wamelana nabo, efuna ukuphambukisa umbusi ekukholweni. Kepha uSawula, okuthiwa nguPawula, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele, wamgqolozela, wathi: “Maye, kuwe wena ogcwele inkohliso yonke nobubi bonke, ndodana kaSathane, sitha sokulunga konke, awuyukuyeka yini ukuphambukisa izindlela eziqondileyo zeNkosi na? Isandla seNkosi siphezu kwakho manje. Uzakuba yimpumputhe, ungaliboni ilanga okwesikhashana.” Ngokushesha wehlelwa yinkungu nobumnyama, wahamba efuna ongahle amhole. Kwathi ukuba umbusi abone okwenzekile, wakholwa, emangaliswa nayimfundiso yeNkosi. UPawula nababehambisana naye basuka ePhafu ngomkhumbi baze bayofika ePherge ePhamfiliya, kepha uJohane wehlukana nabo, wabuyela eJerusalema. Sebesukile ePherge baya e-Antiyokhiya ePhisidiya, kwathi sebengenile esinagogeni ngosuku lweSabatha, bahlala phansi. Kuthe usufundiwe umthetho nabaphrofethi, abaphathi besinagoge bathumela kubo, bathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, uma ninezwi lokugqugquzela abantu, likhulumeni.” UPawula wayesesukuma, waphakamisa isandla, wathi: “Madoda akwa-Israyeli, nani enesaba uNkulunkulu, lalelani: uNkulunkulu walesi sizwe sakwa-Israyeli waqoka okhokho bethu, wabenza abantu baba yisizwe esikhulu eGibhithe ababengabafokazi kulo, wabakhipha ngengalo ephakemeyo. Wababekezelela ehlane, kungathi iminyaka engama-40. Esezibhubhisile izizwe eziyisikhombisa eKhanani, wababela izwe lazo, laba yifa labo. Kwedlula iminyaka ebalelwa ema-450, emveni kwalokho wabanika abehluleli, kwaze kwaba nguSamuweli umphrofethi. Kusukela lapho, bacela inkosi. UNkulunkulu wabanika uSawule, indodana kaKhishi, umuntu wesizwe sakwaBhenjamini, iminyaka engama-40. Esemsusile esihlalweni, wabavusela uDavide abe yinkosi, afakaza ngaye ukuthi: ‘Ngimfumene uDavide indodana kaJesayi, umuntu ongowenhliziyo yami, oyakwenza yonke intando yami.’ “Olibeni lwakhe, uNkulunkulu walethela u-Israyeli uMsindisi uJesu, njengokwesithembiso. Engakafiki Yena, uJohane wayeseshumayele umbhabhadiso wokuphenduka kuso sonke isizwe sakwa-Israyeli. Ngasekupheleni kwempilo yakhe uJohane, wathi: ‘Nicabanga ukuthi ngingubani mina na? Mina angisiye, kodwa bhekani, uyeza emva kwami engingafanele ukukhumula ngisho isicathulo ezinyaweni zakhe.’ “Madoda, bazalwane, madodana olibo luka-Abhrahama, nalabo phakathi kwenu abesaba uNkulunkulu; izwi lale nsindiso lithunyelwe kithi. Ngokuba abakhileyo eJerusalema nababusi babo abamazanga Yena, namazwi abaphrofethi afundwa masabatha wonke, kodwa bawafeza ngokumlahla. Nakuba bengafumananga cala lokufa kuye, nokho bamnxenxa uPilatu ukuba abulawe. Kwathi sebekufeze konke okwakulotshiwe ngaye, bamehlisa emthini, bambeka ethuneni. Kepha uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo. Wabonwa izinsuku eziningi yilabo ayekhuphuke nabo eGalile, waya eJerusalema, asebengofakazi bakhe manje kubantu. “Nathi sinishumayeza ivangeli lesithembiso esenziwa kokhokho, ukuthi uNkulunkulu usigcwalisile sona kubantwana bethu ngokumvusa uJesu, njengokuba kulotshiwe futhi kulo ihubo lesibili, ukuthi: “ ‘Wena uyiNdodana yami, namuhla ngikuzele.’ “Maqondana nokuthi wamvusa kwabafileyo engasayukubuyela ekuboleni, wakhuluma kanje, wathi: “ ‘Ngizakuninika izimiso ezethembekileyo zikaDavide.’ “Ngakho-ke uthi nakwenye indawo: “ ‘Awuyukuvuma ukuba oNgcwele wakho abone ukubola.’ “Ngokuba uDavide esekhonzile icebo likaNkulunkulu esizukulwaneni sakhe, walala ubuthongo, wabekwa kokhokho bakhe, wabona ukubola. Kepha Yena uNkulunkulu amvusayo, akakubonanga ukubola. Ngakho-ke makwazeke kini madoda, bazalwane, ukuthi ngalowo kumenyezelwa kini ukuthethelelwa kwezono, nakukho konke ebeningenakulungisiswa kukho ngomthetho kaMose, ngaye lowo, yilowo nalowo okholwayo uyakulungisiswa. Ngakho-ke qaphelani, funa nehlelwe ngokwashiwo ngabaphrofethi abathi: “ ‘Bonani nina zideleli nimangale, nibhubhe, ngokuba mina ngisebenza umsebenzi emihleni yenu, umsebenzi eningayukuwukholwa ngisho noma kungakhona onilandisa ngawo.’ ” Sebephuma, babanxusa ukuba baphinde bawakhulume lawa mazwi kubo ngeSabatha elilandelayo. Kuthe sebehlakazekile ababesesinagogeni, iningi labaJuda nabaphroselithe akhonzayo balandela uPawula noBharnabha, abakhuluma nabo bebancenga ukuba bahlale emseni kaNkulunkulu. NgeSabatha elilandelayo, kwabuthana cishe bonke abavela emzini ukuba bazokuzwa izwi likaNkulunkulu. Kepha abaJuda, bebona izixuku, bagcwala umona baqala ukuphikisana nokwakushiwo nguPawula futhi behlambalaza. UPawula noBharnabha bakhuluma ngesibindi, bathi: “Bekuswelekile ukuba izwi likaNkulunkulu lishunyayelwe kini kuqala, kepha njengalokhu nilinqaba, nizisholo nina ngokwenu ukuthi anifanele ukuphila okuphakade, bhekani-ke, sesiphendukela kwabezizwe. INkosi isiyale kanjalo yathi: “ ‘Ngikubekile ube ngukukhanya kwabezizwe, ube yinsindiso kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba.’ ” Bekuzwa lokho abezizwe bathokoza, balidumisa izwi leNkosi, bakholwa bonke labo ababemiselwe ukuphila okuphakade. Izwi leNkosi lasabalala kulo lonke izwe. Kepha abaJuda bavukuza abesifazane bezizwe ababalulekile, ababekhonza nabo nezikhulu zomuzi, babavusela ukuba oPawula noBharnabha bahlushwe futhi babaxosha emikhawulweni yezwe labo. Sebethintithile uthuli lwezinyawo zabo, baqhubekela e-Ikhoniya. Abafundi bagcwala intokozo noMoya oNgcwele.