IziNcwadi zikaPawulu
Yizincwadi ezilishumi nane eziseTestamenteni eliSha ekusukeni okwakuyizincwadi ezazibhalwe ngumPhostoli uPawulu kumalungu eBandla. Zingahlukaniswa ngamaqoqo ngalendlela elandelayo:
â… Â kanye no2 kwabaseThesalonika (ngonyaka ka50–51 emuva kukaKristu)
UPawulu wabhala izincwadi kwabaseThesalonika eseKorinte ngesikhathi sohambo lwakhe lobufundisi lwesibili. Umsebenzi wakhe eseThesalonika uyachazwa kwiZenzo 17. Wayefuna ukubuyela eThesalonika, kodwa akakwazanga ukwenza njalo (â… Â Thes. 2:18). Ngakho-ke wathumela uThimothewu ukuyothokozisa abaguqukileyo futhi nokuba amazise ukuthi babeqhuba kanjani. Incwadi yokuqala ngumphumela wokubonga kwakhe ngokubuya kukaThimothewu. Incwadi yesibili yabhalwa isikhashana kamuva.
â… Â kanye no2 kwabaseKorinte, kwabaseGalathiya, kwabaseRoma (ngonyaka ka55–57 emuva kukaKristu)
UPawulu wabhala izincwadi kwabaseKorinte ngesikhathi sohambo lwakhe lobufundisi lwesithathu ukuze aphendule imibuzo futhi alungise inhlakanhlaka phakathi kwabaNgcwele ababeseKorinte.
Incwadi kwabaseGalathiya kungenzeka ukuthi yabhalelwa izinxenye eziningi zeBandla kulo lonke elaseGalathiya. Amanye amalungu eBandla ayeselishiya ivangeli ethanda umthetho wabaJuda. Kulencwadi, uPawulu wachaza ngenhloso yomthetho kaMose kanye nokubaluleka kwenkolo yomoya.
UPawulu wabhala incwadi kwabaseRoma eseKorinte, ngokunye efuna ukulungiselela abaNgcwele baseRoma ukubahambela ayenethemba lokukwenza kubo. Lencwadi futhi iyaqinisa izimfundiso ezase ziphikiswa ngabaJuda abase beguqukele kubuKristu.
KwabaseFilipi, kwabaseKolose, kwabase-Efesu, KuFilemoni, KumaHeberu (ngonyaka ka 60–62 emuva kukaKristu)
UPawulu wabhala lezi zincwadi ngesikhathi esetilongweni okokuqala eRoma.
UPawulu wabhala incwadi kwabaseFilipi ikakhulu ukuzwakalisa ukubonga futhi nothando lwabaNgcwele baseFilipi futhi nokubathokozisa ekudumaleni kwabo ngokuboshwa kwakhe okude.
UPawulu wabhala incwadi kwabaseKolose ngenxa yombiko wokuthi abaNgcwele baseKolose base bewela ekudukeni okukhulu. Babekholwa wukuthi ukuphelela du kwakutholakala kuphela ngokugcina ngokuqaphela izimiso zangaphandle kunokukhulisa isimilo sikaKristu.
Incwadi kwabase-Efesu ibaluleke kakhulu, ngoba iqukethe izimfundiso zikaPawulu ngeBandla likaKristu.
Incwadi kuFilemoni ngeyakhe yedwa ekhuluma ngo-Onesimu, isigqila esasiphange inkosi yaso, uFilemoni, futhi sabaleka saya eRoma. UPawulu wathumela u-Onesimu enkosini yakhe nalencwadi ecela ukuba u-Onesimu athethelelwe.
UPawulu wabhala incwadi kumaHeberu kumalungu eBandla angabaJuda ukubakholisa ngokuthi umthetho kaMose wawusugcwalisekile kuKristu futhi nokuthi umthetho wevangeli kaKristu wawusuthathe indawo yawo.
â… Â kanye no2 kuThimothewu, kuThithu (ngonyaka ka 64–65 emuva kukaKristu)
UPawulu wabhala lezi zincwadi emuva kokukhululwa etilongweni eRoma okokuqala.
UPawulu wahamba waya e-Efesu, lapho ashiya khona uThimothewu ukuze aqede ukukhula kwezimo ezithile zokucabanga, ehlose ukuba abuye emuva kwalokho. Wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala kuThimothewu, mhlawumbe eseMakedoniya, ukumeluleka kanye nokumkhuthaza ekugcwaliseni isibopho sakhe.
UPawulu wabhala incwadi kuThithu ngesikhathi esekhululiwe etilongweni. Kungenzeka ukuthi wahambela eKrethe, lapho uThithu ayesebenza khona. Incwadi iphathelene ikakhulu nokuphila ngokulunga kanye nokulungiswa ngaphakathi eBandleni.
UPawulu wabhala incwadi yakhe yesibili kuThimothewu ngesikhathi esetilongweni okwesibili, masinyane nje ngaphambi kokubulawa kukaPawulu. Lencwadi iqukethe amazwi okugcina kaPawulu futhi ikhombisa isibindi esimangalisayo kanye nethemba ayebhekana ngalo nokufa.