UPawulos umi phambi kukaAgripa

Enikwe ithuba phambi kokumkani, uPawulos ubalisa kwakhona indlela yaseDamasko: ukukhanya, izwi, nomsebenzi wokuvula amehlo. UFestu udanduluka esithi imfundo imenze waphambana. UAgripa ubuza enoba uPawulos ulindele ukumenza umKrestu ngokukhawuleza kangaka, aze avume ukuba ngewayekhululekile.

Isahluko 26.

Wathi uAgripa kuPawulos: “Ungazithethelela.” Waza uPawulos wolula isandla sakhe, waqala ukuzithethelela.

Kumkani Agripa, ndibona ndinethamsanqa ukuba ndizithethelele phambi kwakho namhlanje ngazo zonke izityholo zakwaYuda, ngokukodwa kuba uwazi kakuhle onke amasiko neziphikiswano zakwaYuda; ngoko ndiyakucela ukuba undiphulaphule ngokunyamezela.

Onke amaYuda ayakwazi ukuphila kwam kwasebuncinaneni, endakuchitha kwasentloko phakathi kohlanga lwakowethu naseYerusalem. Bayandazi kudala, ukuba bavuma ukungqina, ukuba ngokwecandelo eliqineyo lenkolo yethu ndahlala ndingumFarisi. Ngoku ke ndimi apha ukuba ndigwetywe ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso awasenzayo uBawo wethu koobawo bethu. Izizwe zethu ezilishumi elinazibini zinethemba lokufikelela kwesi sithembiso, zikhonza yena ngenkuthalo ubusuku nemini. Ngenxa yethemba eli, kumkani, ndimangalelwa ngamaYuda. Yini na ukuba kugwetywe njengento engakholelekiyo kubani kuni ukuba uBawo wethu uyabavusa abafileyo?

Mna ngokwam ndandisithi ndimelwe kukwenza izinto ezininzi ngokuchasene negama likaYesu waseNazarete. Yiloo nto ndayenzayo eYerusalem: ndithe ndinegunya elivela kubabingeleli abakhulu, ndabavalela entolongweni abaninzi babangcwele, ndaza, xa babulawa, ndavotela ngokuchasene nabo. Kuyo yonke indlu yesikhungu ndandifuthi ndibohlwaya, ndifuna ukubanyanzela ukuba bathethe into embi ngoThixo; ndivutha umsindo ngakubo, ndabasukela nasemizini yeentlanga.

Kuwo omnye uhambo olunjalo ndaya eDamasko ndinegunya nomsebenzi ovela kubabingeleli abakhulu. Emini enkulu, kumkani, ndabona endleleni ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini, okuqaqambe ngaphezu kwelanga, kudangazela ngeenxa zonke kum nakwabo bendihamba nabo.

Sawa phantsi sonke, ndaza ndeva ilizwi lithetha kum ngesiHebhere, lisithi: ‘Sawule, Sawule, undisukela ni na? Kunzima kuwe ukukhaba iincam zeemviko.’ ^a

Ndathi: ‘Ungubani na, Nkosi?’ Yathi iNkosi: ‘Ndim uYesu, lowo umtshutshisayo.’

Kodwa vuka, ume ngeenyawo zakho — ndibonakele kuwe ngenxa yale nto: ukuba ndikumise, ube ngumkhonzi, ube lingqina lezinto ozibonileyo ngam nezo ndiya kuzibonakalisa kuwe, ndikuhlangula ebantwini bakho nakwiintlanga — endikuthumela kuzo, ukuba uwavule amehlo abo, baze bajike bemke ebumnyameni, basinge ekukhanyeni, bemke egunyeni likaSathana, basinge kuBawo wethu, baze bamkele uxolelo lwezono nendawo phakathi kwabo bangcwalisiweyo ngokholo kum.’

Ngako oko, kumkani Agripa, andithanga ndibe ngongevayo kumbono wasezulwini, kodwa ndaxelela kuqala abo baseDamasko, ndaza ndakwenza njalo naseYerusalem nakuwo wonke ummandla welakwaYuda, nakwiintlanga, ukuba baguquke bajike basinge kuBawo wethu, besenza izenzo ezivumelana nenguquko yabo. Ngenxa yoko amaYuda andibamba etempileni, afuna ukundibulala. Ndincediswa nguBawo wethu, ndimi kude kube namhla ndingqina kwabancinane nabakhulu, ndingatsho nto ingaphaya kwezo zinto abathi abaprofeti noMoses ukuba ziya kwenzeka: ukuba uKrestu umelwe kukuva ubunzima, aze, engowokuqala ukuvuka kwabafileyo, avakalise ukukhanya kubantu bakowethu nakwiintlanga.

Ngexa uPawulos wayezithethelela, uFesto wadanduluka wathi: “Pawulos, uyageza! Ukufunda kwakho okukhulu kuyakubhudisa.”

Kodwa uPawulos wathi: “Andigezi, Festo obekekileyo; ndithetha amazwi enyaniso nengqondo ephilileyo. Ukumkani uyazi ngezi zinto — ndithetha naye ngokukhululekileyo. Ndiqinisekile ukuba akukho nanye kwezi zinto emsithelayo, kuba ayenziwanga ekubhacweni. Kumkani Agripa, uyabakholelwa na abaprofeti? Ndiyazi ukuba uyakholelwa.”

Wathi uAgripa: “Ucinga ukundiphembelela ngokukhawuleza okungaka ukuba ndibe ngumKrestu?”

Wathi uPawulos: “Nokuba kukwisithuba esifutshane okanye eside, ndithandaza kuBawo wethu ukuba kungabi nguwe wedwa, kodwa nabo bonke abandivayo namhla babe njengam — ngaphandle kwale mixokelelwane.”

Waza wesuka ukumkani, nerhuluneli noBhernike nabo babehleli nabo.

Bathi bephuma, baxelelana besithi: “Le ndoda ayinatyala lokufa nelokuvalelwa entolongweni.”

Wathi uAgripa kuFesto: “Le ndoda ngeyikhululwe ukuba ayizange ibhene kuKesare.”