Ubungqina obunesibindi eIkoniyo

EListra indoda esisiqhwala iyaxhuma, saza isihlwele sagqiba kwelokuba uBharnabhas noPawulos nguZeyusi noHermes abehlileyo. Bakrazula iingubo zabo baze bakhombe uBawo ophilayo endaweni yoko. Emva kweentsuku eso sihlwele sinye sigibisela uPawulos ngamatye, simshiye efana nofileyo. Uyavuka aqhubeke.

Isahluko 14.

EIkoniyo bangena kunye endlwini yesikhungu yakwaYuda, bathetha ngendlela yokuba bakholwa abantu abaninzi, amaYuda kwanamaGrike. Kodwa amaYuda angakholwanga axhokonxa nokubukhwelelisa ubuntu bazo iintlanga ngakubazalwana. Bahlala ixesha elide, bethetha ngesibindi ngenxa yeNkosi, eyaliqinisekisayo ilizwi layo lobabalo, yenza imiqondiso nezimanga ngezandla zabo. Kodwa wahlukana phakathi umzi: abanye bema namaYuda, abanye bema nabapostile. Zithe iintlanga namaYuda, kunye nabalawuli bawo, befuna ukubabandezela nokubagibisela ngamatye, bekubonile oko, basaba baya kwimizi yaseLikawoniya iListra neDerbe, nakummandla oziningqongileyo, baza khona bahlala bevakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo.

UBawo wethu uyaphilisa eListra

Indoda yayihleli eListra, zikhubazekile iinyawo zayo, iyisiqhwala kwasekuzalweni, engazange ihambe. Yayimphulaphule uPawulos ethetha. UPawulos wayigqala wabona ukuba inokholo lokuba iphile, wathi ngezwi elikhulu: “Yima ngokuthe tye ngeenyawo zakho.” Yesuka yaxhuma loo ndoda, yahamba. Zithe izihlwele zibona oko wakwenzayo uPawulos, zadanduluka ngesiLikawoniya, zisithi: “Oothixo behlela kuthi benembonakalo yomntu!” UBharnabhas bamthiya igama lokuba nguZeyusi, uPawulos bamthiya igama lokuba nguHermes, ngokuba yena wayesithetheli esikhulu. Umbingeleli kaZeyusi, otempile yakhe yayiphambi komzi, wazisa iinkunzi zeenkomo nezithsaba zeentyatyambo emasangweni, efuna ukubingelela kunye nezihlwele.

Kodwa bakukuva oko, abapostile uBharnabhas noPawulos bazikrazula iingubo zabo, babaleka baya phakathi kwesihlwele, bedanduluka, besithi: “Madoda, yini na ukuba nenze oku? Nathi singabantu nje, sinemvelo enye nani. Sinishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo: phambukani kwezi zinto zingento, nibuyele kuBawo ophilileyo, owenza izulu, nomhlaba, nolwandle, nazo zonke izinto ezikuwo. Kwizizukulwana ezadlulayo wazivumela zonke iintlanga ukuba zihambe ngeendlela zazo, kanti akazishiyanga engenabungqina: esenza okulungileyo, eninika imvula evela ezulwini namaxesha anqwenelekayo, ezalisa iintliziyo zenu ngokudla nangovuyo.”

Kwangaloo mazwi babezithintela kanzima izihlwele ekubabingeleleni. Kodwa kwafika amaYuda avela eAntiyokwe naseIkoniyo, azitsala izihlwele, amgibisela ngamatye uPawulos, amrhuqela ngaphandle komzi, ecinga ukuba ufile. Bathe abafundi bakumngqonga, wesuka wema, wangena emzini. Ngengomso wemka waya eDerbe noBharnabhas.

Ukomeleza abafundi

Bakuba bezishumayele iindaba ezilungileyo kuloo mzi, bazuza abafundi abaninzi, babuyela eListra, naseIkoniyo, naseAntiyokwe, bezomeleza imiphefumlo yabafundi, bebabongoza ukuba bahlale elukholweni, besithi: simelwe kukungena ebukumkanini bukaBawo wethu ngeembandezelo ezininzi. Bakuba bebamisele amadoda amakhulu kwibandla ngalinye, bethandaza ngokuzila ukudla, babanikela eNkosini abakholwe kuyo.

Baza bacanda eePisidiya, bafika ePamfili. Bakuba belithethile ilizwi ePerga, behlela eAtaliya, besuka khona bawela baya eAntiyokwe, apho babenikelwe kobabalo lukaBawo wethu ngenxa yomsebenzi abebewugqibile. Bakufika, bahlanganisa ibandla, baxela konke uBawo wethu abekwenzile kunye nabo, nokuba wawuvula njani umnyango wokholo kweentlanga. Bahlala apho nabafundi ixesha elide.