Imbono YeBhayibhile

‘Esona Sitya Siethe-ethe’—Ngaba Oku Kusisithuko Kumabhinqa?

“KUTHENI AMABHINQA EJONGWA NGOKOBUNI BAWO KUNAMAVA, UBUCHULE, NOBUKRELEKRELE BAWO?”—BETTY A.

“AMABHINQA ENZIWA ACINGE UKUBA AZEZONA ZIDALWA ZIPHANTSI.”—LYNN H.

NGABA ibinzana leBhayibhile elithi ‘esona sitya siethe-ethe’ liyawathoba amabhinqa? Indinyana yeBhayibhile esithetha ngayo yeyoku-1 kaPetros 3:7, ethi: “[“Ngokufanayo,” NW] nina madoda, hlalani nabo ngokokwazi, nimbeka umfazi, njengesona sitya siethe-ethe, njengeendlalifa kunye nani zobabalo lobomi, ukuze imithandazo yenu ingathinteleki.”

Xa uPetros wayebhalela amaKristu akhonza kunye nawo la mazwi, amabhinqa ayenamalungelo ambalwa kakhulu, kungekuphela nje kwiintlanga ezazingabahedeni zamandulo kodwa naphakathi kwebutho lamaYuda awexukileyo. Ngaba uPetros namaKristu okuqala babekhuthaza imbono eyayixhaphakile ngamabhinqa ngelo xesha?

Ngaba Azizitya Eziphantsi?

Abafundi bamazwi kaPetros benkulungwane yokuqala babeya kuliqonda njani ibinzana elithi ‘esona sitya siethe-ethe’? Igama lesiGrike eliguqulelwe ngokuthi isitya (skeuʹos) lasetyenziswa izihlandlo eziliqela kwiZibhalo zesiGrike yaye libhekisela kwiingqayi, izixhobo, nezitya ezahlukahlukeneyo. Xa wabiza amabhinqa ‘njengezona zitya ziethe-ethe,’ uPetros wayengawathobi amabhinqa, kuba eli binzana libonisa ukuba namadoda ayezizitya ezicekethekileyo okanye eziethe-ethe. Ezinye iindinyana zeBhayibhile zisebenzisa kwaesi safobe ekubhekiseleni kumabhinqa nasemadodeni, ‘njengezitya zodongwe’ (2 Korinte 4:7) ‘nezitya zenceba’ (Roma 9:23). Liyinyaniso elokuba uPetros uwachaza amabhinqa ‘njengaethe-ethe’ kunamadoda. Kodwa eyabaseRoma 5:6, (NW) isebenzisa igama elithi ‘ubuethe-ethe’ kubo bonke abantu—indoda nebhinqa. Ngoko ke, amaKristu okuqala ayengenakulijonga eli binzana lithi “njengesona sitya siethe-ethe” njengeliwathobayo amabhinqa.

Kunoko, amazwi kaPetros ayenokujongwa njengaphakamisa iwonga lamabhinqa. Ngomhla kaPetros amabhinqa ayengahlonelwa tu kwaphela. Njengoko uThixo wabona kwangaphambili kude kudala, amadoda ebesoloko ebalawula yaye ebaxhaphaza abafazi bawo, emzimbeni, ngokwesini, nangokweemvakalelo. (Genesis 3:16) Ngaloo ndlela, isiluleko sikaPetros esiya kumadoda angamaKristu, ngokungathi kunjalo, sithi: Musani ukulisebenzisa kakubi igunya elinikwe amadoda ngabantu behlabathi.

Makhe siliphonononge eli binzana lithi ‘ethe-ethe.’ UPetros kule ndinyana, wayebhekisela, kungekhona nje kwiimpawu zeemvakalelo, kodwa kwezomzimba. Amadoda zizitya eziethe-ethe; ngokwentelekiso, amabhinqa azizitya eziethe-ethe ngakumbi. Njani? Amathambo nezihlunu zakheke ngohlobo olubonisa ukuba ngokuqhelekileyo amadoda anamandla ngakumbi. Phofu ke, akukho nto ibonisa ukuba uPetros wayethelekisa amandla okuziphatha, okomoya, okanye engqondo. Eneneni, ngokwendlela asabela ngayo ngokweemvakalelo kwiziganeko, amabhinqa anokuchazwa kakuhle njengahlukileyo emadodeni, kungekhona ngobuethe-ethe okanye ukomelela. IBhayibhile ichaza amandla, unyamezelo, nengqiqo yamabhinqa awahamba ngendlela kaThixo—njengoSara, uDebhora, uRute, noEstere, xa sikhankanya nje ambalwa. Amadoda athobekileyo akanabunzima ekuyamkeleni into yokuba amabhinqa anokuba krelekrele ngaphezu kwawo.

Phofu ke, abanye bakholelwa kwelokuba isibakala sokubhekisela kumabhinqa ‘njengawona aethe-ethe’ sibonisa ukuba angabona bantu baphantsi. Kodwa khawuqwalasele lo mzekelo. Masithi umntu unezitya ezibini eziluncedo gqitha. Esinye somelele, esinye asomelelanga. Ngaba esi sitya sesibini ngandlel’ ithile asixabisekanga kangako ngenxa yokuba singomelelanga? Enyanisweni, esi singomelelanga sidla ngokuphathwa ngenyameko nangembeko kunesi somelele ngakumbi. Ngoko ke, ngaba ibhinqa lixabiseke kancinane ngenxa yokuba lingenamandla angako ngokomzimba kunendoda? Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo! UPetros usebenzisa ibinzana elithi ‘esona sitya siethe-ethe,’ engawanyelisi amabhinqa, kodwa ekhuthaza intlonelo.

“Ngokufanayo . . . Ngokokwazi”

UPetros wayala amadoda ukuba ‘ngokufanayo ahlale nabo [abafazi bawo] ngokokwazi.’ “Ngokufanayo” nabani? Kwiindinyana ezandulelayo uPetros wayexubusha ngenyameko kaKristu enothando ngabalandeli bakhe, waza wayalela amadoda ukuba anyamekele abafazi bawo “ngokufanayo.” (1 Petros 2:21-25; 3:7, NW) UKristu wayesoloko eyibeka phambili intlalo-ntle nezilangazelelo zabafundi bakhe kuneminqweno nokhetho lobuqu. Wayenomdla kwintlalo-ntle yabo yokomoya neyomzimba, yaye wayenolwazelelelo ngeentsilelo zabo. Amadoda amele axelise umzekelo kaKristu wothando, abaphathe kakuhle abafazi bawo “ngokufanayo.”

Umtshato onempumelelo awenzeki ngamabona-ndenzile. Bobabini indoda nomfazi bamele bayazi indlela yokufak’ isandla ukuze umtshato uphumelele. Ngenxa yoko, uPetros ululeka amadoda ukuba ahlale nabafazi bawo “ngokokwazi.” Amadoda kufuneka afunde indlela uYehova noNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu, abaqhubana ngayo namabhinqa. Kufuneka afunde indlela uThixo afuna abaphathe ngayo abafazi bawo.

Ukongezelela, amadoda kufuneka abazi kakuhle abafazi bawo—iimvakalelo zabo, amandla, iintsilelo, izinto abazithandayo nabangazithandiyo. Kufuneka azi indlela yokuhlonela ubukrelekrele, amava nesidima sabafazi bawo. IBhayibhile ithi: “Nina madoda, bathandeni abafazi benu, njengokuba naye uKristu walithandayo ibandla, wazinikela ngenxa yalo. Ngoko amelwe amadoda ukubathanda abawo abafazi, njengokuba beyimizimba yawo. Lowo umthandayo umkakhe, uyazithanda; kuba akukho namnye wakha wayithiya eyakhe inyama; usuka ayondle, ayigcine.”—Efese 5:25, 28, 29.

Babekeni

Xa uPetros wabhekisela kumabhinqa “njengesona sitya siethe-ethe,” kwakhona wathi amadoda afanele ‘ababeke.’ KwisiGrike, isibizo esithi ti·meʹ sidlulisela ingcamango yokunikela imbeko, intlonelo, noxabiso. Ngamany’ amazwi, ukunika imbeko akusosenzo nje esihle kodwa kukwazi oko kubafaneleyo. UPawulos wayalela onke amaKristu, amadoda namabhinqa, ngale ndlela: “Mayela nothando olu lobuzalwana, ndithi, yenzelanani ububele; mayela nembeko leyo, phangelanani.”—Roma 12:10.

Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova uThixo akawajongi amabhinqa njengoonopopi. KwaSirayeli, imithetho kaThixo yayisebenza ngokufanayo kumadoda nakumabhinqa awayenetyala lokukrexeza, umbulo, inkohlakalo, nolunye ulwaphulo-mthetho. (Levitikus 18:6-17, 23, 29; 20:10-12) Amabhinqa ayefumana iingenelo zeSabatha, imithetho elawula abaHlulwa, imisitho, namanye amalungiselelo amaninzi oMthetho. (Eksodus 20:10; Numeri 6:2; Duteronomi 12:18; 16:11, 14) Umama, ndawonye nobawo, wayemele anikwe imbeko yaye athotyelwe.—Levitikus 19:3; 20:9; Duteronomi 5:16; 27:16; IMizekeliso 1:8.

Indinyana ye-10 ukusa kweyama-31 yeMizekeliso isahluko 31 zizukisa “umfazi onesidima” ngenxa yokuthembeka, ukukhuthala, nobulumko bakhe ekunyamekeleni iimbopheleleko zakhe ezininzi. Wayehlonelwa ngokufanelekileyo ngenxa yesabelo sakhe ekusingatheni imicimbi yentsapho, kunye neminye imicimbi yemali. Hayi indlela okwahluke ngayo oku kwisimo sengqondo samanye amadoda acinga ukuba amabhinqa zizinto nje zokuhombisa! Kamva, kwibandla lamaKristu okuqala, amabhinqa ajizekwa ngomoya oyingcwele njengamangqina kaKristu. (IZenzo 1:14, 15; 2:3, 4; thelekisa uYoweli 2:28, 29.) Ngaloo ndlela, wambi amabhinqa amiselwa kwangaphambili ukuba abe ngabagwebi bamadoda, amabhinqa, kwanezithunywa. (1 Korinte 6:2, 3) Kuyinyaniso ukuba, amabhinqa ayengenakufundisa kwiindibano zebandla; phofu ke, kwakukho iimeko zaxa amabhinqa angamaKristu ayenokuthandaza okanye aprofete. Abelwa ukufundisa abafazana, abantwana, nabo bangaphandle kwebandla.—Mateyu 24:14; 1 Korinte 11:3-6; Tito 2:3-5; thelekisa INdumiso 68:11.

Enye into ekubonisa kakuhle oko kwakucingwa nguPetros xa wathi mababekwe ifumaneka kweyesi-2 kaPetros 1:17. Apho sifunda ukuba uYehova wamzukisa uYesu ngokuvakalisa ukukholiswa kwakhe nguye phambi kwabanye ngokuthi: “Lo nguNyana wam oyintanda.” Ngokufanayo, indoda ifanele ibonise ngezenzo, ekuhleni nangasese, ukuba iyambeka umfazi wayo.

Iindlalifa Zobomi

Ukutyhubela imbali, amadoda aye awagqala amabhinqa njengafanelwe yimbeko okanye intlonelo nje encinane—njengekhoboka, okanye isixhobo nje sokwanelisa amadoda. Ngokuqinisekileyo imbono yobuKristu yokubeka amabhinqa yenza ukuba ahlonelwe ngakumbi. IBarnes’ Notes on the New Testament ithi isiluleko sikaPetros “siqulethe inyaniso ebaluleke gqitha ngokuphathelele amabhinqa. Kuzo zonke ezinye iintlangano zonqulo ngaphandle kwentlangano yobuKristu, ngeendlela zonke ibhinqa beligqalwa njengelingaphantsi kunendoda. UbuKristu bufundisa ukuba . . . linikwe ilungelo kuwo onke amathemba namadinga afundiswa lunqulo. . . . Le nyaniso nje iyodwa iya kuliphakamisa ibhinqa ekunyelisweni kuyo yonke indawo, ize iphelise ngokukhawuleza ezinye izinto ezimbi ezenziwa luluntu.”

Ekubeni amadoda namabhinqa engakaKristu, kukho isizathu esinzulu sokuba amadoda abaxabise abafazi bawo njengempahla kaKristu. Kamsinya emva kokubhekisela kubafazi ‘njengezona zitya ziethe-ethe,’ amazwi kaPetros ayaqhubeka: “Njengeendlalifa kunye nani zobabalo lobomi, ukuze imithandazo yenu ingathinteleki.” (1 Petros 3:7b) UPetros wabonisa ukuba ukuba indoda imphatha kakubi umfazi wayo oko kunokulonakalisa ulwalamano lwayo noThixo, kuthintele imithandazo yayo.

Aliwathuki nangayiphi na indlela amabhinqa ibinzana elithi ‘esona sitya siethe-ethe.’ Ngoxa uYehova wamisela amadoda njengeentloko-ntsapho, akayithandi into yokuphathwa kakubi kwamabhinqa ngamadoda. Kunoko, uyalela indoda ukuba, ngokumazi umfazi, ibe nenyameko nembeko kuye.

IBhayibhile iyalela amadoda atshatileyo nangatshatanga ukuba anikele imbeko kumabhinqa, angawaphathi njengabantu abaphantsi. Amadoda namabhinqa anqula uThixo ngokunyanisekileyo naphathana ngesidima aya kufumana iintsikelelo ezityebileyo kwisandla sikaThixo.—Thelekisa eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 7:16.

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 27]

Miss G. E. K./Artist: Alice D. Kellogg 1862-1900

Courtesy of Joanne W. Bowie