UPawula wahamba waze wafika eDerbe naseListra. Lapho kwakukhona umfundi othile, igama lakhe kunguThimothewu, indodana yowesifazane okholwayo wakwaJuda, kodwa uyise wayengumGriki, owayenconywa ngabazalwane baseListra nabase-Ikhoniyu. UPawula wathanda ukuba ahambe naye, wamthatha, wamsoka ngenxa yabaJuda ababekulezo zindawo, ngokuba bonke babazi ukuthi uyise ungumGriki. Lapho bedabula emizini, babedlulisela kubo izinqumo ezathathwa ngabaphostoli namalunga aseJerusalema, ukuba bazigcine. Ngakho-ke amabandla akhula ekukholweni, anda ngesibalo imihla ngemihla.
Badabula eFrigiya naseGalathiya, kodwa uMoya oNgcwele wabanqabela ukukhuluma izwi e-Asiya. Sebefikile eMisiya, bazama ukuya eBhithiniya, kodwa uMoya kaJesu awubavumelanga.
Badlula eMisiya, behlela eThrowa. UPawula wabona umbono ebusuku: indoda ethile yaseMakhedoniya yayimi imncenga, ithi: “Welela eMakhedoniya, usisize.”
Kuthe esewubonile lowo mbono; wafuna ukuya ngokushesha eMakhedoniya, ngokuba sasikholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu usibizile ukuba sishumayele ivangeli kubo.
Sasuka eThrowa ngomkhumbi, saqonda eSamothrake, kwathi ngakusasa safika eNeyapholi.
Sasuka lapho saya eFiliphi, elingumuzi ovelele esifundeni saseMakhedoniya, ikoloni. Sahlala kulo muzi izinsuku ezithile.
Ngosuku lweSabatha, saphumela ngaphandle kwesango ngasemfuleni, lapho esasifuna kube yindawo yokukhuleka. Sesihleli phansi, sakhuluma nabesifazane ababebuthene lapho. Owesifazane othile, ogama lakhe linguLidiya, wasemzini waseThiyathira, othengisa ezibukhwebezane, okhonza uNkulunkulu, walalela. INkosi yayivula inhliziyo yakhe ukuba alalelisise lokho okwakukhulunywa nguPawula. Kuthe esebhabhadisiwe nabendlu yakhe, wasincenga wathi: “Uma nithi ngethembekile eNkosini, ngenani endlini yami, nihlale khona.”
Wasehlula.
Kwathi lapho siya endaweni yokukhuleka, kweza intombazane enomoya wobungoma, eyayitholela abaniniyo inzuzo enkulu ngokubhula. Yalandela uPawula kanye nathi, imemeza ithi: “Laba bantu bayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, ezimemezela kini indlela yensindiso.”
Yakwenza lokhu izinsuku eziningi, kodwa uPawula esecasukile waphenduka, wathi kumoya: “Ngiyakuyala egameni likaJesu uKhristu ukuba uphume kuyo.”
Waphuma ngaso leso sikhathi.
Kwathi ukuba abaniniyo babone ukuthi ithemba labo lokuthola inzuzo seliphelile, babamba uPawula noSila, babahudulela esigcawini phambi kwababusi, babayisa ezinduneni, bathi: “Laba bantu banyakazisa umuzi wakithi, bebe bengabaJuda, bafundisa amasiko esingavunyelwe ukuba siwamukele noma siwenze thina esingamaRoma.”
Isixuku sabavukela, izinduna zayalela ukuba bakhunyulwe izingubo, bashaywe ngezinduku. Sebebashayile imivimbo eminingi, bagqunywa etilongweni. Izinduna zayala umgciniziboshwa ukuba abaqaphelisise impela. Kwathi eseyalwe kanjalo, qede wabafaka ejele elingaphakathi, wabophela izinyawo zabo ogongolweni.
Kepha phakathi nobusuku uPawula noSila bekhuleka bedumisa uNkulunkulu ngamahubo, iziboshwa zazibalalele. Ngokuphazima kweso kwaba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, kwaze kwanyakaza nezisekelo zejele; masinyane yonke iminyango yavuleka, namaketango ababeboshwe ngawo, athukululeka. Umgciniziboshwa esephapheme, wabona iminyango yejele ivulekile, wayesehosha inkemba efuna ukuzibulala, ngokuba wayecabanga ukuthi iziboshwa zeqile. Kepha uPawula wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Ungazilimazi, ngokuba sikhona sonke.”
Wayesethi akulethwe izibani, wagijima ethuthumela, wangena ngaphakathi, wafike wazilahla phambi kukaPawula noSila. Wabakhiphela ngaphandle, wathi: “Banumzane, ngimelwe ukwenzani ukuba ngisindiswe na?”
Bona bathi: “Kholwa yiNkosi uJesu, yikhona uzakusindiswa, wena nendlu yakho.”
Base bekhuluma ngezwi likaNkulunkulu kuye nakubo bonke ababesendlini yakhe. Wabathatha khona ebusuku, wabageza amanxeba, yena wabhabhadiswa nabo bonke abendlu yakhe, wabenyusela endlini, wababekela ukudla, wathokoza kanye nendlu yakhe yonke ngokukholwa nguNkulunkulu.
Kepha sekusile izinduna zathumela izikhonzi, zathi: “Bakhulule labo bantu!”
Umgciniziboshwa wabikela uPawula lawa mazwi, wathi: “Izinduna zithumele ukuba nikhululwe. Ngakho-ke phumani khona manje, nihambe ngokuthula.”
Kepha uPawula wathi kuzo: “Basishayile phambi kwabantu, singalahlwanga cala, thina singabantu abangamaRoma, basigquma ejele. Manje basikhipha ngasese na? Phinde, neze! Abeze bona, basikhiphe.”
Izikhonzi zazibikela izinduna lawo mazwi. Zesaba lapho zizwa ukuthi bangamaRoma. Sezifikile zabancenga, sezibakhiphile zabanxusa ukuba basuke kulowo muzi. Sebephumile ejele, bangena kwaLidiya, kwathi sebebabonile abazalwane, babakhuthaza, base behamba.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
