INSIZWA oyibona lapha nomphostoli uPawulu uThimothewu. UThimothewu uhlala nomkhaya wakubo eListra. Unina u-Evnike kanti ugogo wakhe uLowisi.

Sekungokwesithathu uPawulu ehambela eListra. Esikhathini esingaba unyaka ngaphambili, uPawulu noBarnaba bafika okokuqala besohambweni lokushumayela. Manje uPawulu ubuyile futhi nomngane wakhe uSila.

Uyazi ukuthi uPawulu uthini kuThimothewu? Uyambuza: ‘Ungathanda ukusijoyina sinoSila? Singaludinga usizo lwakho ekushumayeleni kubantu ezindaweni ezikude.’

UThimothewu uyaphendula: ‘Yebo, ngingathanda.’ Ngakho ngokushesha kamuva uThimothewu ushiya abakubo ahambe noPawulu noSila. Kodwa ngaphambi kokufunda ngohambo lwabo, ake sizwe obekwenzeka kuPawulu. Cishe sekuyiminyaka engu-17 uJesu abonakala kuye endleleni eya eDamaseku.

Khumbula, uPawulu wafikela eDamaseku ukuhlupha abafundi bakaJesu, manje usengumfundi ngokwakhe! Kamuva ezinye izitha ziceba ukubulala uPawulu ngoba azikuthandi ukufundisa kwakhe ngoJesu. Kodwa abafundi basiza uPawulu ukuba abaleke. Bamfaka eqomeni bamehlisela ngaphandle kodonga lomuzi.

Kamuva uPawulu uyoshumayela e-Antiyokiya. Kulapha lapho abalandeli bakaJesu bebizwa ngokuthi amaKristu okokuqala. UPawulu noBarnaba bathunywa besuka e-Antiyokiya bangenele uhambo lokushumayela emazweni akude. Omunye wemizi abayihambelayo iListra, kubo kaThimothewu.

Manje, cishe ngemva konyaka, uPawulu ubuyela eListra ohambweni lwesibili. Uma uThimothewu ehamba noPawulu noSila, uyazi ukuthi bayaphi? Bheka ibalazwe, sifunde ezinye zezindawo.

Okokuqala baya e-Ikoniyu, bese kuba umuzi olandelayo i-Antiyokiya. Ngemva kwalokho baya eTrowa, bese bedlulela eFilipi, eThesalonika naseBhereya. Uyayibona i-Athene ebalazweni? UPawulu ushumayela khona. Ngemva kwalokho bahlala unyaka nengxenye beshumayela eKorinte. Ekugcineni bama kafushane e-Efesu. Bese bebuya ngomkhumbi baye eKhesariya, bahambe bakhuphukele e-Antiyokiya, lapho uPawulu ehlala khona.

Ngakho uThimothewu uhamba amakhulu ngamakhulu amakhilomitha esiza uPawulu ekushumayeleni “izindaba ezinhle” futhi aqalise amabandla amaningi obuKristu. Uma usukhulile, ingabe uyoba yinceku ethembekile kaJehova njengoThimothewu?