uNgcwele Pawulu umPostoli
uNgcwele Pawulu umPostoli wayengomunye wabadala besonto lokuqala lobuKristu. Uzalwe ebizwa uSawulu waseTarsa kepha ebhayibhelini kubhalwe ukuthi uNkulunkulu umguqule igama kuPawulu ngenkathi ahamba emgwaqeni yaseDamasaki ngokuba wayehlulumeza amaKristu. Amasonto wamaKatolika, ama-Orthodox, ama-Anglican, nama-Luthere alandula ukuthi uyisicwebi. uPawulu ubhale izincwadi eziningi kwamabandla wobuKristu aseningizimu-ntsholanga kweYurophu, enyakatho kwe-Afrika nasentshonalanga kwe-Eshiya ezafakwa eTestamenteni Elisha. Futhi usungule amasonto amaningi kulezindawo. Ngenxa yeminikelo yakhe ebuKristini, ubonwa njengomunye wabantu abamqoka enkathini yokuqala yabapostoli.
Imithombo emqoka mayelana impilo nezenzo zikaPawulu iyimibhalo eseTestamenteni elisha njengezincwadi zakhe kanye nencwadi yezenzo zabapostoli. uPawulu wayengamazi uJesu ephila – wayengasi ngomunye wabafundi bakaJesu abayishumi nambili. Wayephila enkathini uJesu aphila ngayo. Waye azi abantu ababemazi uJesu njengabafundi ababesondelene kakhulu noJesu njengoPetru, uJohane noJakobe. Futhi wazene nabo iminyaka eduze nokubethelwa esiphambanweni kukaJesu.Wayenolwazi mayelana impilo nezimfundiso zikaJesu. uPawulu ungumfundisi omqoka womchazabuKristu ngokuba imibono yakhe mayelana loludaba yayivunyelwe yiningi lamaKristu esontweni lasekuqaleni. uPawulu ufundise ukuthi ukusoka kwakungekhomqoka ukuze abantu basindiswe nokuthi akufanelwe ukuthi abezizwe baphoqe ukulandela lelisiko lamaJuda. Ngokwencwadi yezenzo zabaphostoli, uPawulu wayengumFarisi futhi wayenesandla ekuhlukunyezweni nasekucindezelweni zabafundi bakaJesu ngaphambi kokuphenduka kwakhe.Mhla eya ukubopha amaKristu eDamasiki, uPawulu ubone ubukhanya obukhulu, wezwa Umsindisi ekhuluma, wenzwa impumputhe, bese wabuyiselwa ukubona ngu-Ananiyasi.Ngasemuva kwalezenzakalo, uPawulu wabhajadiswa, bese waqala ukushumayela ukuthi uJesu waseNazaretha ungumsindisi ngokwelamaJuda futhi wayeyindodana kaNkulunkulu.Wenze izinkambo ezintathu zokuthelela umlayezo wobuKristu emiphakathini yebezizwe.
Ngokwesiko, izincwadi eziyi-24 kwezingama-27 eTestamenteni Elisha zilandulelwa ukuba zibhalwe nguPawulu.Izincwadi ezisikhombisa zaziwa ngokungaphikisani futhi nokungasoleki ukuthi zilotshwe nguPawulu uqobo: kwabaseRoma, kwabaseKorinte (lokuqala nalesibili), kwabaseThesaloniki (lokuqala), kuFilemoni, kwabaseGalathiya kanya nakwabaseFilipi. Kulezi eziyisithupha ezisele, kwabase-Efesu (yokuqala neyesibili), yesibili kuThimothewu kanye nayekuTito, kucatshangwa ukuthi zibhalwe ngabafundi bakhe besebenzisa izimfundiso zakhe noma ezinye izincwadi zakhe ezingasekho. KwabaseKolose kanye nalesibili kwabaseThesaloniki akwaziwa ukuthi zibhalwe ngabafundi bakhe noma zibhalwe nguye uPawulu uqobo. Cishe bonke abosongqondonkulu bayaphika ukuthi uPawulu ubhale yakwamaHebheru.
Kulezinsuku, izincwadi zikaPawulu zingqangi emchazankolweni, endunyisweni, nasemfundisweni yamabandla obuKristu ikakhulukazi lamaKatolika, amaProtestanti, nama-Orthodox aseMpumalanga. Iningi lamaKristu lifundisa ukuthi imibhalo kaPawulu ilandula ukuba abantu basindiswa ngokwenkolo kuphela ngaphandle komthetho wesiJuda. Kukhona abambalwa abamusola ngokuphambanisa nokungcolisa ubuKristu ngokuletha izindikimba zabangakholwi namaGreki esontweni lasekuqaleni.