NGESIKHATSI semphostoli Pawula bekute imikhumbi lehlelelwe kugibeta bantfu. Umuntfu lofuna kugibela bekufanele acale abute labanye kutsi ukhona yini umkhumbi loya lapho aya khona nekutsi bantfu bebavumelekile yini kugibela kulomkhumbi. (Imis. 21:2, 3) Imikhumbi beyima etindzaweni letinyenti. Ngako ngisho nobe umuntfu bekagibele umkhumbi longayi lapho afuna kuya khona, bekabese ufuna umkhumbi loya edvute nalapho aya khona.—Imis. 27:1-6.

Lemikhumbi beyihamba ngetikhatsi letitsite temnyaka, futsi beyite sikhatsi lesicondzile sekuhamba. Ngaphandle kwesimo selitulu lesibi ematilosi labekasebentisa emadimoni bekephuta kuhamba nangabe acabanga kutsi atawehlelwa yibhadi, loko bekwenteka nangabe abone lihhwabayi noma nawabona umkhumbi lowephukile elugwini lwelwandle. Ematilosi bekasheshe ahambe nangabe umoya ungahhushi kakhulu. Nangabe umuntfu atfola umkhumbi loya lapho aya khona, bekahlala lapho kunalomkhumbi khona netikhwama takhe amele simemetelo lesitsi lomkhumbi sewuyesuka, bese lomuntfu uyagibela.

Lionel Casson losati semlandvo utsi: “ERoma bekwentiwe lilungiselelo lelimelula lekutsi bantfu batfole imikhumbi, ngako bekungakadzingeki kutsi batifunele bona imikhumbi labatoyigibela. Siteshi sayo besisemfuleni iTiber. Edolobheni lase-Ostia lebelisedvutane, bekunendzawo lenkhulu letungeletwe ngemahhovisi. Banikati bemikhumbi lehlukahlukene ngibo lebebasebentisa lamahhovisi lamanyenti. Banikati bemikhumbi yaseNarbonne [leseyatiwa ngekutsi yiFrance] bebanalo lihhovisi, nebanikati bemikhumbi yaseCarthage [leseyatiwa ngekutsi yiTunisia] nabo bebanalo lihhovisi, kanye nalabanye labanyenti. Noma ngubani lebekafuna kugibela umkhumbi, bekufanele aye kulelihhovisi lebanikati balomkhumbi loya lapho afuna kuyakhona.”

Kuhamba ngemkhumbi bekonga sikhatsi, kodvwa bekunato tingoti. Pawula wephukelwa ngumkhumbi kanyenti ngesikhatsi asitfunywa selivangeli.—2 Khor. 11:25.