Isahluko 38—Ulungiselelo Lokuqala LukaPaulos

UPAULOS ke ngoku wabuyela eDamasko washumayela ngokukhalipha engameni likaYesu. AmaJuda awabanga nakumelana nobulumko beengxoxo zakhe, aza ke ngoko aceba kunye ukuba alithulise ngegunya izwi lakhe—ekuphela kwengxoxo ke leyo yomcimbhi owoyisakalayo. Aagqiba ukuba amhlasele ambulale. Umpostile waziswa ngenjongo zawo. Amasango esixeko ayelindiwe ngenyameko, imini nobusuku, ukuba athintele ukusaba kwakhe. Ukuxhalaba kwabafundi kwabasondeza kuThixo ngomthandazo ; ukulala kwaba kuncinane kubo, njengoko babexinekile kukuzama amacebo neendlela zokusaba kwalompostile unyuliweyo. Ekugqibeleni bagqiba ecebeni lokumkhupha ngefestile bamhlise ngodonga, bemthoba ngengobozi ebusuku. Ngalendela ithobekileyo uPaulos waba nokusaba emke eDamasko.IL 249.1

Wasinga ke eJerusalem, enqwenela ukwazana nabapostile khona apho, ngokungakumbhi noPetros. Wayelangazelela ukuhlangana nabaloobi baseGalili ababehlala, bethandaza, bethetha noYesu apha emhlabeni. Wakunqwenela ngentliziyo enolangazelelo ukudibana nophambhili kubapostile. Ekungeneni kwakhe eJerusalem uPaulos wasikhangela ngendlela eyahlukileyo isixeko kwa netempile. Wayesazi ngoku ukuba umgwebo wempindezelo uyajinga phezu kwazo.IL 249.2

Ukukhathazeka nomsindo wamaJuda ngenxa yokuguquka kukaPaulos akubanga namda. Kodwa womelela okweliwa, wazithuthuzela ngokuthi akuba ebaxelele abahlobo bakhe ngamava akhe angummangaliso, babeza kuyiguqula inkolo yabo njengokuba naye wayenzile, bakholwe kuYesu. Waye nomxhelo wenene ekumchaseni kwakhe uKristu nabalandeli bakhe, waza akuba efunyenwe wahlabeka ngenxa yesoono sakhe, wazishiya kwa oko iindlela zakhe ezikhohlakeleyo wavakalisa ukholo lukaYesu. Ngoku ke wayekholwa ngokuzeleyo ukuba xa izihlobo zakhe namadlelane akhe angaphambhili ezivile iimeko zokugu- quka kwakhe okungummangaliso, bakubona ukuguquka kwakhe ekubeni ngulaa mFarisi unekratshi owayebatshutshisa ebanikela ekufeni aabo bakholwa ukuba uYesu unguNyana kaThixo, babeza kuhlabeka nabo bayibone imposiso yabo bathelele kwizintlu zamakholwa.IL 249.3

Wazama ukuzimanya nabazalwana bakhe, abafundi; kodwa kwaba kukhulu ukukhathazeka kwakhe nokudana akufumanisa ukuba abavumi ukumamkela njengomnye wabo. Bakhumbhula iintshutshiso zakhe zangaphambhili, bamranela ukuba usazama iindlela zokubakhohlisa aze abatshabalalise. Okunene, babevile ngokuguquka okungummangaliso, kodwa ke wayethe kwangoko waya kwelaseArabi, baza abeva nto yimbhi ngaye icacileyo, abalwamkela udaba lokuguquka kwakhe okukhulu.IL 250.1