IZenzo 17:1-34

Kwathi sebedabulile e-Amfipholi nase-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonikha, lapho kwakukhona isinagoge labaJuda. UPawula, njengokwejwayelekile, wangena khona kwaze kwaba ngamasabatha amathathu, ephendulana nabo ngokusemibhalweni, ebachazela futhi ekhombisa ukuthi uKhristu kwakumele ukuba ahlupheke, avuke kwabafileyo, nokuthi: “UJesu lo engimshumayela kini unguKhristu.” Abanye kubo bakuvuma lokho, bazihlanganisa noPawula noSila, nesixuku esikhulu samaGriki akholwayo, nabesifazane abaningi abadumileyo. Kepha abaJuda benomhawu, baqoqa abantu ababi, baba yisixuku, base bedala isiyaluyalu emzini. Bahlasela indlu kaJasoni befuna ukubakhiphela ngaphandle kubantu. Kepha kuthe lapho bengabatholi base behudula uJasoni nabazalwane abathile, babayisa kumphathimuzi, bememeza bethi: “Laba abanyakazisa izwe lonke sebefikile nalapha, uJasoni ubemukele, bonke laba abenza okuphambene nezimiso zikaKhesari, bethi kukhona enye inkosi enguJesu.” Kepha basivukuza isixuku nabaphathimuzi abezwa lokho, bathatha isibambiso kuJasoni nakwabanye, base bebakhulula. Ngokushesha ngalobo busuku, abazalwane babaphelezela oPawula noSila ukuba baye eBhiriya. Kuthe sebefikile khona, bangena esinagogeni labaJuda. Laba babengcono kunabaseThesalonika, ngokuba balemukela izwi ngenhliziyo yonke, behlolisisa imibhalo imihla ngemihla ukuba zinjalo yini lezo zinto. Ngakho-ke iningi labo lakholwa, nabesifazane abaqavile bamaGriki namadoda amaningana. Kepha lapho abaJuda baseThesalonikha bezwa ukuthi uPawula ulishumayele izwi likaNkulunkulu naseBhiriya, banikela khona, bafike bazinyakazisa, bazivukuza izixuku. Masinyane, abazalwane bamhambisa uPawula waze wayofika olwandle, kepha uSila noThimothewu basala lapho. Labo abaphelezela uPawula, baze bamshiya e-Athene. Kwathi uSila noThimothewu sebethole umyalezo wokuthi mabaphuthume beze kuye, base bemuka. Kuthe uPawula esabalindile e-Athene, umoya wakhe wathinteka kakhulu lapho ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe. Ngakho-ke wayexoxa esinagogeni nabaJuda nakuwo amakholwa nasesigcawini, nsuku zonke kulaba ababelapho. Kepha abathile kubo, osonjulalwazi bama-Ephikhuru nabamaStoyikhu, baphikisana naye, abanye bathi: “Leli phoshophosho lithini na?” Abanye bathi: “Sengathi lishumayela ngonkulunkulu abangaziwa,” ngenxa yokuba wayeshumayela ivangeli ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileyo. Base bemthatha, bamyisa e-Areyophagu, bethi: “Ungasazisa ukuthi iyini le mfundiso entsha okhuluma ngayo na? Ngokuba usitshela ngezinto ezimangalisayo, ngakho siyafuna ukwazi ukuthi lokhu kusho ukuthini?” Ngokuba bonke abase-Athene nabafokazi ababakhe khona babengazilibazisi ngokunye, kuphela ngokukhuluma nokuzwa izindaba ezintsha. UPawula wema phakathi ne-Areyophagu, wathi: “Madoda ase-Athene, ngibona kahle ngakho konke enikwenzayo ukuthi ningabantu abakholwayo. Ngokuba ngithe ngihamba ngibuka izinto enizikhonzayo, ngafumana ngisho ne-althare okulotshwe kulo ukuthi: ELIKANKULUNKULU ONGAZIWA. Lokho-ke enikukhonza ningakwazi, yikho kanye lokhu engishumayela ngakho kini. “UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, Yena uyiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla, futhi akakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu, kube sengathi udinga utho oluthile. NguYena obapha ukuphila nokuphefumula nakho konke. Wazenza izizwe zonke ngagazi linye ukuba zakhe ebusweni bomhlaba, wamisa izinkathi ezinqunyiweyo nemingcele yokuhlala kwazo, ukuze zimfune uNkulunkulu, mhlawumbe zingase zimphumputhe, zimfumane; ingani akakude kulowo nalowo wethu. ‘Ngokuba siphila, sihamba, sikhona kuye,’ njengalokhu izimbongi ezithile zakini zishilo zathi: “ ‘Ngokuba futhi sibozalo lwakhe.’ “Ngakho-ke njengalokhu singabozalo lukaNkulunkulu, akufanele ukuba sithi ubuNkulunkulu bufana negolide noma isiliva noma itshe, izinto eziqoshwe ngekhono nangesu lomuntu. Ngalokho uNkulunkulu wazithalalisa izikhathi zokungazi, kodwa manje usememezela kubantu ukuba bonke ezindaweni zonke baphenduke, ngokuba umisile usuku azakwehlulela ngalo izwe ngokulunga, ngomuntu ammisele khona, lapho enika bonke ithemba ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.” Kwathi lapho bezwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu, kodwa abanye bathi: “Siyophinde sikulalele ngalolu daba.” UPawula wayesesuka phakathi kwabo. Kepha amadoda athile anamathela kuPawula, akholwa. Phakathi kwawo kwakunoDiyonisiyu wase-Areyophagu, nowesifazane okuthiwa nguDamari igama lakhe, nabanye ababe nabo.