Kwathi u-Apholo eseseKhorinte, kwafika uPawula e-Efesu, esenqamule ezifundeni ezingenhla; wafica abafundi abathile, wathi kubo: “Namamukela yini uMoya oNgcwele mhla nikholwa na?”
Kepha bathi kuye: “Qha, asikaze sizwe nakuzwa ukuthi kukhona uMoya oNgcwele.”
Wayesethi: “Kanti nabhabhadiswa kukuphi?”
Bathi: “Ngombhabhadiso kaJohane.”
UPawula wayesethi: “UJohane wabhabhadisa ngombhabhadiso wokuphenduka, ethi kubantu mabakholwe nguYena ozakufika emuva kwakhe; lowo nguJesu.”
Sebekuzwile lokho, babhabhadiswa egameni leNkosi uJesu. UPawula esebekile izandla phezu kwabo, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo, base bekhuluma ngezilimi, futhi baphrofetha. Babengamadoda abalelwa eshumini nambili sebebonke.
Wayesengena esinagogeni, wakhuluma ngesibindi izinyanga ezintathu, ephikisana nabo futhi ebanxenxa ngombuso kaNkulunkulu. Kepha lapho abanye sebeqinise amakhanda, bengalaleli futhi bejivaza leyo Ndlela phambi kwesixuku, wasuka kubo, wathatha abafundi, waba nezinkulumompikiswano imihla ngemihla esikoleni sikaTharanu. Lokho kwenzeka iminyaka emibili, kwaze kwathi bonke abakhile e-Asiya balizwa izwi leNkosi, abaJuda namaGriki.
UNkulunkulu wenza imisebenzi yamandla engavamile ngezandla zikaPawula, ngangokuthi baze bathatha amaduku nezindwangu emzimbeni wakhe, bakubeka phezu kwabagulayo; zase zisuswa kubo izifo zabo, baphuma nomoya ababi.
Kepha abathile abayizanusi kubaJuda, ababehla benyuka, nabo bazama ukubiza igama leNkosi uJesu phezu kwabanomoya ababi, bethi: “Ngiyaniyala ngoJesu amshumayelayo uPawula.”
Kwakukhona uSkeva othile, umJuda, ongumphristi omkhulu, owayenamadodana ayisikhombisa ayekwenza lokho. Kepha umoya omubi waphendula, wathi kuwo: “UJesu ngiyamazi, noPawula ngimejwayele, pho nina ningobani?”
Lowo muntu onomoya omubi wabadumela, esebahlulile bonke, wabanqoba; baze baphunyuka kuleyo ndlu babaleka behambaze, futhi belimele.
Lokho kwaziwa yibo bonke abaJuda namaGriki akhileyo e-Efesu, bonke behlelwa ngukwesaba; ladunyiswa igama leNkosi uJesu. Abaningi kulabo abakholwayo beza bavuma futhi badalula izenzo zabo. Kepha abanye balabo ababenza imilingo baqoqa izincwadi zabo, bazishisa phambi kwabo bonke. Lapho sekubalwa inani lazo, kwatholakala ukuthi liyizinhlamvu zesiliva eziyizi-50 000. Kanjalo izwi landa ngamandla eNkosi, lasabalala, laba namandla.
Kwathi sekwenzekile lokho, uPawula wanquma emoyeni wakhe ukuya eJerusalema, esenqamulile eMakhedoniya nase-Akhaya, wathi: “Uma sengifinyelele lapho kufanele ukuba ngiyobona neRoma.”
Wayesethumela eMakhedoniya ababili abamsizayo, uThimothewu no-Erastu; yena uqobo wahlala isikhathi e-Asiya.
Kepha ngaleso sikhathi kwasuka isiphithiphithi esikhulu maqondana neNdlela. Ngokuba umuntu othile ogama lakhe linguDemethriyu, umkhandi wesiliva owayenza amathempelana esiliva ka-Artemisi, wabalethela inzuzo enkulu abakhandi besiliva. Wabaqoqa laba kanye nezisebenzi ezenza lowo msebenzi, wayesethi: “Madoda, niyazi ukuthi umcebo wethu uvela kulo msebenzi. Kepha, niyabona futhi niyezwa ukuthi akusikho kuphela e-Efesu, kodwa cishe kulo lonke i-Asiya, uPawula lona usenxenxe waphendula abantu abaningi, ethi akusibo onkulunkulu laba abenziwe ngezandla. Ngakho akusikho nje lokhu kuphela ukuthi umsebenzi wethu usengozini yokwedelelwa, kodwa nethempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu, u-Artemisi, kuyakuthiwa aliyinto yalutho, nobukhulukazi bakhe buphele nya, yena elimkhonzayo lonke i-Asiya nezwe lonke.”
Sebekuzwile lokho, bathukuthela bathelwa ngamanzi, bamemeza bethi: “Mkhulu u-Artemisi wabase-Efesu.”
Umuzi wonke wagcwala isiphithiphithi, baphuthuma kanyekanye enkundleni okubukelwa kuyo, bamdumela uGayu no-Aristarku baseMakhedoniya, ababehamba noPawula. UPawula wayesefuna ukungena phakathi kwabantu, kodwa abafundi abamvumelanga. Abanye futhi bababusi base-Asiya, abangabahlobo bakhe, bathumela kuye, bamncenga ukuba angalokothi angene esigcawini.
Abanye babememeza besho lokhu, abanye besho lokhuya, ngokuba isixuku sasiyaluza nje, futhi abaningi bengazi nokuthi kungani bebuthene. Base bekhipha u-Aleksandru esixukwini, abaJuda bamqhuba phambili, kodwa u-Aleksandru waphakamisa isandla, efuna ukuziphendulela kubantu. Kwathi ukuba bazi ukuthi ungumJuda, base bememeza bonke ngazwi linye, cishe amahora amabili, bethi: “Mkhulu u-Artemisi wabase-Efesu.”
Kepha unobhala womuzi wabathulisa abantu, wathi: “Madoda ase-Efesu, ngubani lapha phakathi kwabantu ongazi ukuthi lo muzi wase-Efesu ungumuzi okugcinwe kuwo ithempeli lika-Artemisi omkhulu nesithombe esawa ezulwini na? Ngakho-ke njengoba lezo zinto zingephikwe, kufanele ukuba nizibambe, ningenzi lutho ngamawala. Ngokuba nilethe la madoda angesibo abaphangi bamathempeli noma ahlambalaza uNkulunkulu wethu. Ngakho-ke uma uDemethriyu nezingcweti zabakhandi besiliva benodaba nomuntu, zikhona izinsuku zokuthetha amacala, futhi bakhona nababusi; mabamangalelane. Kepha uma nifuna okungaphezu kwalokho, kuyakudingidwa ebandla ngokusemthethweni. Impela sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngenxa yesiphithiphithi sanamuhla, ngokuba akukho sizathu esingazilandulela ngaso ngalesi siyaluyalu.”
Kuthe esekukhulumile lokho wawuhlakaza umbuthano.
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