Mtumwi Paulo mwina ndi mmodzi mwa anthu odziwika bwino m'Baibulo. Makalata amene analemba zaka zikwi zambiri zapitazo adakali ofunika kwa ife lerolino. Amatipatsa kumvetsetsa, malangizo ndi chiyembekezo. Kuona mmene Paulo anasinthira ndi chitsanzo chowala kwa Mkristu aliyense.
Mtumwi Paulo akudzitcha Myuda wa fuko la Benjamini, Mfarisi amene anaphunzitsidwa ndi Gamaliyeli amene anali mmodzi wa aphunzitsi ofunika koposa m'nthaŵi yake. Iye ankadziwa lamulo ndipo ankalisunga. M'chikhumbo chake cha kukondweretsa Mulungu, iye anazunza Akristu oyambirira, chifukwa chakuti anaganiza kuti anali kutsutsana kotheratu ndi Mulungu ndi malamulo Ake. Iye anawagwira ndi kuwaika m'ndende, ndipo analipo pamene Stefano anaponyedwa miyala mpaka kufa. Mu Machitidwe 9:1 iye akufotokozedwa kuti akuwopseza kupha ophunzira, chifukwa cha "tchimo" lawo la kukhulupirira Yesu Khristu.
Mwina mungaganize kuti munthu amene anali wolimba kwambiri m'zikhulupiriro zake, wokhazikika kwambiri m'njira inayake ya moyo, wotsimikiza kwambiri kuti otsatira a Yesu anali oopsa, moti munthu woteroyo sangasinthe. Koma Mulungu anali ndi dongosolo losiyana kwa Paulo.
Pamene Paulo anali kuyenda panjira yopita ku Damasiko kukazunza Akristu, iye anali ndi chokumana nacho chosintha moyo. Yesu Mwini anaonekera kwa iye monga kuunika kochokera kumwamba, ndipo Paulo anagwada. Chokumana nacho chaumwini chimenechi ndi Yesu Kristu chinachititsa Paulo kulapa kotheratu. Kuyambira nthawi imeneyo anayamba kuzunza otsatira a Yesu n'kuyamba kukhala wophunzira wa Yesu mwiniyo.
Pambuyo pa chokumana nacho chimenechi nthaŵi yomweyo anayamba kulalikira Kristu! Iye sanadabwe ngati zimene anali kuchita zinali zabwino, kapena kulankhula yekha kuchokera ku izo. Iye anali atakumana ndi Kristu ndipo anali ndi cholinga chatsopano kotheratu m'moyo. Cholinga chake tsopano chinali kulalikira Yesu kwa Akunja, limodzinso ndi kwa mafumu ndi ana a Israyeli. (Machitidwe 9.)
Msewu wopita ku Damasiko unali chiyambi chabe
Ngakhale kuti tsopano anabadwanso, ali ndi mtima watsopano, maganizo atsopano, ndi moyo watsopano, kutembenuka kwa Paulo sikunasinthe amene anali mwachibadwa. Koma tsopano iye anakumana ndi Khristu, ndipo mtima wake wonse chikhumbo anali kumudziwa Iye payekha – Khristu anakhala chirichonse kwa iye! Umboni wake wamphamvu unali wakuti, "Pakuti kwa ine, moyo ndiwo wamoyo kwa Khristu, ndipo kufa kuli bwino kwambiri." Afilipi 1:21.
Kulakalaka kukondweretsa Kristu kumeneku kunampangitsa kukhala wodzichepetsa kwambiri, chifukwa anaona kuti zonse zimene anali nazo monga munthu wachibadwa zinali zopanda pake kukondweretsa Kristu. Munthu ameneyu amene anali wamphamvu kwambiri mwa iye mwini, choncho "wolungama", ananena pa Afilipi 3:7-8, "Koma Khristu wandisonyeza kuti zimene ndinkaganiza kale kuti n'zamtengo wapatali n'zopanda pake. Palibe chodabwitsa monga kudziwa Khristu Yesu Ambuye wanga. Ndasiya zina zonse ndikuziwerengera zonse ngati zinyalala. Zonse chimene ndikufuna ndi Khristu."
Mtumwi Paulo sanadziwonenso kukhala munthu wamkulu, koma monga munthu amene anafunikira kusinthiratu. Chifukwa anali wodzichepetsa kwambiri kuvomereza izi, Mulungu tsopano akhoza kuyamba kusintha Paulo mkati – kumusintha kukhala ngati Khristu. (Aroma 8:29.) Mulungu anamuonetsa mmene angatsatire Yesu, kutsatira moyo umene Yesu anakhala nawo padziko lapansi, kuti aphunzire kum'dziŵa Yesu payekha ndi kukhala ngati Iye. Iye akunenanso mu Afilipi 3:10, "Ndikufuna kudziwa Khristu ndi mphamvu imene inamuukitsa kwa akufa. Ndikufuna kukhala ndi phande m'mavuto ake ndi kukhala ngati iye mu imfa yake."
Paulo sanayese konse kulingalira njira yake yotuluka m'zimene zinafunikira kuchitidwa. Pali malo ambiri mu Chipangano Chatsopano kumene tingathe kuona kuti cholinga cha Paulo chinali kugonjetsa tchimo mu chikhalidwe chake chaumunthu, kuti moyo wa Khristu ukhale moyo wake. (2 Akorinto 4:10.)
Iye akuchitira umboni izi pamene akunena mu Afilipi 3:12-14, "Sindinena kuti ndapambana kale kapena ndakhala kale wangwiro. Ndimapitirizabe kuyesetsa kuti ndipeze mphoto imene Khristu Yesu wandipambana kale kwa iye mwini. Ndithudi, anzanga, sindikuganiza kwenikweni kuti ndapambana kale; chinthu chimodzi chomwe ndimachita, komabe, ndikuiwala zomwe zili kumbuyo kwanga ndikuchita zonse zomwe ndingathe kuti ndifikire zomwe zili patsogolo. Choncho ndimathamanga molunjika kulinga ku cholinga kuti ndipambane mphoto, yomwe ndi kuitana kwa Mulungu kudzera mwa Khristu Yesu ku moyo wakumwamba."
Chivumbulutso chochokera kwa Mulungu
Chotero Paulo anasinthidwa kaŵiri m'moyo wake! Nthaŵi yoyamba inali pamene analapa, pamene mtima wake, mkhalidwe wake wa maganizo, unasinthidwa kotheratu. Iye anafotokoza izi mu Aefeso 4:22-24 monga kuvula "munthu wokalamba", maganizo akale a maganizo, ndi kuvala "munthu watsopano", kupeza maganizo atsopano - izi zikhoza kuchitidwa mu mphindi imodzi, mchitidwe wa chikhulupiriro.
Koma kusintha kwachiwiri kunali ndondomeko yaitali; ndondomeko yoyeretsa kumene chikhalidwe chake chochimwa chinali chochepa ndi pang'ono m'malo mwa zipatso za Mzimu, mwa chikhalidwe chaumulungu - ndipo izi zinachitika tsiku ndi tsiku kutenga mtanda wake ndi kunena kuti Ayi pamene anayesedwa.
Mulungu anakhoza kupatsa Paulo mavumbulutso amphamvu. Chifukwa chakuti anali wodzichepetsa ndi womvera zimene Mulungu anasonyeza, Mulungu akanamsinthiratu. Ndipo Mulungu akanatha kugwiritsa ntchito makalata amene Paulo analemba monga Mawu a Mulungu; kulangiza ndi kuvumbula chifuniro cha Mulungu kwa mibadwo ya ophunzira!
Pamapeto pa moyo wake Paulo anatha kunena kuti, "Ndamenya nkhondo yabwino, ndamaliza mpikisano, ndipo ndakhalabe wokhulupirika. Ndipo tsopano mphoto ikuyembekezera ine—korona wa chilungamo, amene Ambuye, Woweruza wolungama, adzandipatsa pa tsiku la kubweranso kwake. Ndipo mphoto si ya ine ndekha komanso kwa onse amene akuyembekezera mwachidwi kuonekera kwake." 2 Timoteyo 4:7-8. Analandira cholinga chomaliza cha chikhulupiriro chake - chipulumutso cha moyo wake. (1 Petro 1:9.)
Maumboni amphamvu a Paulo
Mbali yabwino kwambiri ya zonse ndi yakuti uthenga wabwino umenewu umene Paulo analalikira, kudzera m'makalata ake, koma chofunika kwambiri, ndi moyo wake, ndi wotseguka kwa inu ndi kwa ine! N'zothekanso kuti inu ndi ine kusintha kwathunthu! Tiyeni tikhulupirire mawu awa ochokera kwa Paulo ndikutsatira chitsanzo chake chokhazikika ndikukhala motere :
"Kudzikonda kwanga kwakale kwapachikidwa ndi Khristu. Si ine amene ndimakhala, koma Khristu amakhala mwa ine. Choncho ndimakhala m'thupi la padziko lapansili mwa kukhulupirira Mwana wa Mulungu, amene anandikonda ndi kudzipereka yekha chifukwa cha ine." Agalatiya 2:20.
"Musakhale ngati anthu a m'dzikoli, koma Mulungu asinthe mmene mukuganizira. Mukatero mudzadziwa kuchita zonse zabwino ndi zomusangalatsa." Aroma 12:2.
"Choncho nkhope zathu sizikuphimbidwa. Iwo amasonyeza ulemerero wowala wa Ambuye, monga Mzimu wa Ambuye umatipangitsa ife kwambiri ngati Ambuye wathu waulemerero." 2 Akorinto 3:18.
Tangoganizani kuti munthu amene analemba mawu amenewa ndi munthu yemweyo amene anayamba njira yopita ku Damasiko, poganiza kuti anali wabwino komanso wolungama kuposa ena, kuzunza okhulupirira, wolakwa kwambiri m'njira iliyonse! Choncho palibe aliyense wa ife amene angagwiritse ntchito chiyambi chathu ngati chodzikhululukira. Tithokoze Mulungu chifukwa cha chitsanzo chimene Paulo anakhala chifukwa cha ife, ndi zonse zimene anachita kuti timve uthenga wabwino ndi kuti nafenso tisinthe!
Ngati titsatira chitsanzo cha Paulo, tidzathanso kumapeto kwa moyo wathu kunena monga Paulo pa 2 Timoteo 4:7, "Ndamenya nkhondo yabwino, ndamaliza mpikisano, ndipo ndakhalabe wokhulupirika."
* M'machaputala oyambirira a Machitidwe, Mtumwi Paulo amatchedwa Sauli. Kuti zikhale zosavuta, timamutcha Paulo m'nkhani yonse.
