Ukufunda KumaKristu Enkulungwane Yokuqala

“Lumkani, ningathabatheki ziintanda-bulumko nayinkohliso elambathayo esekelwe kwizithethe zabantu, nakwizinto eziziziqalelo zehlabathi, kungekhona kuKristu.”—Kolose 2:8.

UMPOSTILE uPawulos wawalumkisa ngaloo ndlela amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ngokuphathelele iingozi zokulandela iingcamango zabantu. Ayenokubambelela kulwalathiso olunokuthenjwa olwadluliselwa nguYesu nabapostile bakhe, olwalusele lubangele ukuba afumane iintsikelelo ezininzi, okanye abe ngamaxhoba eemfundiso zabantu eziguquguqukayo, nezazisele zibangele unxunguphalo nentlungu kwizigidi ngezigidi zabantu.—1 Korinte 1:19-21; 3:18-20.

Ukuphila ‘Ngendlela KaKristu’

Abo babebandakanyeke kwiimfazwe zomnqamlezo kwisithuba esimalunga newaka leminyaka eyadlulayo, basilela ukuqonda ukuba ukuphila ‘ngendlela kaKristu’ kuthetha okungakumbi kunokuzibiza njengomlandeli kaYesu Kristu. (Mateyu 7:21-23) Kuthetha ukuphila ngokuvisisana ngokupheleleyo neemfundiso zikaYesu ezifumaneka kwiLizwi likaThixo eliphefumlelweyo, iBhayibhile. (Mateyu 7:15-20; Yohane 17:17) UYesu Kristu wathi: “Ukuba nithe nahlala kulo izwi lam, ngokwenene ningabafundi bam.” (Yohane 8:31) Waphinda wathi: “Bonke baya kwazi ukuba ningabafundi bam, ukuba ninothando phakathi kwenu.”—Yohane 13:35.

Enyanisweni, abo babebandakanyeke kwiimfazwe zomnqamlezo babengamaxhoba ‘enkohliso elambathayo esekelwe kwizithethe zabantu.’ Asinto imangalisayo ukuba abantu bakhohliswe, kuba kaloku kwaneenkokeli zabo zonqulo, oobhishophu babo, “babengamajoni awaziwayo.” ICyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature ebhalwe nguMcClintock noStrong ithi: “Abefundisi babenomoya wemfazwe, kangangokuba babesoloko bekulungele ukulwela nantoni na enokufunyanwa [ngezigalo].”

Yintoni eyabangela ukuba iimeko zibe mandundu ngolu hlobo? Emva kokufa kwabapostile benkulungwane yokuqala ababengamaKristu, iinkokeli zeecawa eziwexukileyo zaphum’ ecaleni kanobom kwiimfundiso zikaKristu, kanye njengoko iLizwi likaThixo lalixele kwangaphambili. (IZenzo 20:29, 30) Ekugqibeleni, icawa ewexukileyo yazifaka zwabha kwimibandela yaseburhulumenteni. Kuthiwa ngenkulungwane yesine, uMlawuli waseRoma uConstantine waguqukela kubuKristu xa kanye wayelele ekhukweni lokufa. Kanti le Cyclopedia ithi “ukufakwa koMnqamlezo endaweni yophawu olwalukho ngaphambili kwindwe, kwanyanzela onke amaKristu ukuba abe ngamajoni.”

Kambe ke, kwakungekho nto inyanzela ukuba amaKristu enjenjalo. Kodwa ‘iingxoxo ezeyisayo’ zentanda-bulumko yabantu zabangela ukuba ayaphule kanobom imithetho eyayimelwa nguKristu. (Kolose 2:4) Abantu bebesoloko besebenzisa iingxoxo ezikhohlisayo ukuze bathethelele iimfazwe neengxwabangxwaba ezikhoyo phakathi kwabo. Kambe ke, iCyclopedia ithi, ukubandakanyeka kwabantu abachubekileyo okanye aboyika uThixo, “kwiimfazwe ezimanyumnyezi njengezo zazisiliwa mandulo nezanamhlanje, akuvisisani . . . nemigaqo yobuKristu.”

Ukutyhubela iinkulungwane, neecawa ezingeyonxalenye yeNgqobhoko ziye zabhenela emfazweni. Kanye njengeecawa zeNgqobhoko, amarhamente azo aye abulalana ngenkohlakalo, ebulala nabanye abantu ngenxa yeengxwabangxwaba zobuhlanga, ezobupolitika nezonqulo. Ziye zasebenzisa ugonyamelo okanye izisongelo ukuze ziguqulele abanye kwiinkolelo zazo. Ezinye kuzo ziye zanegalelo ekubulaweni kwenyambalala yabantu ukutyhubela imbali ngelokuzama ukufeza iinjongo zazo. Azahlukanga nganto kwiicawa zeNgqobhoko.

Ayahlukile Ehlabathini

Yintoni eyabangela ukuba amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala angabandakanyeki kwiimfazwe ezimanyumnyezi nezobupolitika zexesha lawo? Ancedwa yimigaqo emibini ebalulekileyo. Owokuqala, ngulo myalelo uYesu wawunika uPetros xa uPetros wasebenzisa ikrele ukuze amkhusele: “Buyisela ikrele lakho endaweni yalo, kuba bonke abathabatha ikrele baya kutshabalala ngekrele.” (Mateyu 26:52) Owesibini, ngamazwi awathethwa nguYesu kuPilato xa wayebuza uYesu ngokuba ngukumkani kwakhe: “Ubukumkani bam abuyonxalenye yeli hlabathi. Ukuba ubukumkani bam bebuyinxalenye yeli hlabathi, abalindi bam bebeya kulwa ukuze ndinganikelwa kumaYuda. Kodwa ubukumkani bam abusuki kulo mthombo.”—Yohane 18:36.

AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ayisebenzisa njani loo migaqo? Azigcina ahluke ngokupheleleyo ehlabathini, engangeneleli kwaphela kwimicimbi yezobupolitika neyezomkhosi. (Yohane 15:17-19; 17:14-16; Yakobi 4:4) Akazange avume ukuphakamisa izigalo nxamnye nabamelwane bawo. Xa sijonga imbali, liyazicacela elokuba amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala akazange abe ngamalungu emibutho yamaYuda okanye abe yinxalenye yomkhosi waseRoma. Kwangaxeshanye, akazange azixakekise ngokuxelela iinkokeli zezobupolitika into emaziyenze, kuba ukwenjenjalo kwakuyimbopheleleko yamagunya aseburhulumenteni.—Galati 6:5.

Ngenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, uJustin Martyr, wabhala ‘ngokukhanda kwamaKristu amakrele awo abe ngamakhuba.’ (Mika 4:3) Ephendula abo babegxeka ukuma kwamaKristu, uTertullian wabuza: “Ngaba kusemthethweni ukusebenza kwindawo eza kukubangela uphakamise ikrele, nangona iNkosi isithi umntu osebenzisa ikrele uya kufa kwangekrele?”

‘Ukuthobela UThixo Njengomlawuli Kunabantu’

Ukungavumi ukuya emfazweni kwabangela ukuba amaKristu okuqala ajamelane nobunzima. Kwakuchasene neenkolelo zelo xesha. UCelsus, owayewathiy’ egazini amaKristu, wakunyelisa ukuma kwawo. Wayekholelwa ukuba mntu ngamnye ufanele aye emfazweni xa amagunya enyanzelisa ukuba enjenjalo. Nakubeni ayephathwa ngenkohlakalo, amaKristu okuqala ala ukulandela iintanda-bulumko ezazichasene neemfundiso zikaKristu. Athi: “Simele sithobele uThixo njengomlawuli kunabantu.”—IZenzo 4:19; 5:29.

Namhlanje, amaNgqina kaYehova alandela umzekelo wawo. Ngokomzekelo, kwiJamani yamaNazi ala ngokupheleleyo ukubandakanyeka kwiimfazwe zikaHitler ekwakubulawa kuzo abantu ngokumanyumnyezi. Ayexolele ukunyamezela intshutshiso ekrakra kwanokubulawa, kunokuba ayeke ubundilele bawo bobuKristu. Kuthiwa ngenxa yokubambelela kwawo kwimigaqo yeBhayibhile, “isiqingatha sawo savalelwa yaza ikota yawo yabulawa” ngamaNazi. (Of Gods and Men) Ngaloo ndlela, kumashumi ezigidi zabantu ababulawa kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi II, akukho namnye owabulawa liNgqina likaYehova. Kunokuba abulale abantu, amaNgqina ayexolele ukuncama ubomi bawo, njengokuba amaninzi kuwo enjenjalo.

Isifundo Kuthi

Yintoni esinokuyifunda kwimbali? Ngokuqinisekileyo enye yezinto esinokuzifunda yile: Intanda-bulumko yabantu ibisoloko ikhokelela kwintiyo nophalazo-gazi phakathi kweentlanga ezahlukahlukeneyo. Ichan’ ucwethe iNtshumayeli 8:9 xa isithi: ‘Umntu ulawule umntu yaba kukwenzakala kwakhe.’ Kanti isizathu soku sifumaneka kuYeremiya 10:23, apho iLizwi likaThixo lithi: “Ayikho semntwini wasemhlabeni indlela yakhe. Asikokomntu ohambayo ukwalathisa inyathelo lakhe.” Kaloku, uThixo akazange abadalele ukulawula imicimbi yabo ngempumelelo abantu, ngaphandle kwakhe. Abazange bawanikwe amandla okwenjenjalo. Oko kuye kwabonakala ukutyhubela yonke imbali.

Ngoko ke, thina njengabantu ngabanye asinakukutshintsha oko kwenziwa ziinkokeli zamazwe njengoko zisenza izinto ezimasikizi ezazisenziwa mandulo, singenalo negunya lokuzama ukuziyalela ngento emaziyenze. Kodwa akuyomfuneko ukuba sibandakanyeke kwiimfazwe zazo. UYesu wathi ngabalandeli bakhe: “Abayonxalenye yehlabathi, kanye njengoko nam ndingeyonxalenye yehlabathi.” (Yohane 17:14) Ukuze siphephe ukubandakanyeka kwiimfazwe zeli hlabathi, simele sivumele iLizwi likaThixo, iBhayibhile—kungekhona iintanda-bulumko zabantu eziguquguqukayo—lisikhokele ebomini bethu.—Mateyu 7:24-27; 2 Timoti 3:16, 17.

Ikamva Eliqaqambileyo

ILizwi likaThixo elinokuthenjwa alithethi nje ngezinto ezenzeka mandulo nezo zenzeka kumhla wethu. Lisinika ukhokelo oluqinisekileyo ngekamva. (INdumiso 119:105; Isaya 46:9-11) Lisicacisela nangenjongo kaThixo ngesi sijikelezi-langa. Akayi kuvumela abantu ukuba batshabalalise umhlaba, ngokuthi ngobudenge basebenzise kakubi izinto ezinamandla angaphaya kwengqondo ezenziwe yinzululwazi nobugcisa. Uya kuqinisekisa ukuba umhlaba uba yiParadesi njengoko wayenenjongo yokuba ube njalo kwasekuqaleni.—Luka 23:43.

Ngokuphathelele le nkalo, iLizwi likaThixo lithi: “Kuba abathe tye bona baya kuhlala emhlabeni, nabangenakusoleka baya kusala kuwo. Bona ke abangendawo, baya kunqunyulwa emhlabeni; ke wona amaqhophololo, aya kuncothulwa kuwo.” (IMizekeliso 2:21, 22) Oku kuya kwenzeka kungekudala, njengoko la maxesha amanqam enikela ubungqina bokuba siphila ‘kwimihla yokugqibela’ yale nkqubo ingendawo yezinto. (2 Timoti 3:1-5, 13) Yaye ngokuqinisekileyo, akusentsuku zatywala iphele le mihla yokugqibela. Sifunda oku kwisiprofeto seBhayibhile: “Ihlabathi liyadlula nenkanuko yalo, kodwa lowo wenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.”—1 Yohane 2:17; Daniyeli 2:44.

Kungekudala, uThixo uya ‘konakalisa abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba’ aphelise eli hlabathi lizele lugonyamelo aze azise ihlabathi elitsha “apho kumi ubulungisa.” (ISityhilelo 11:18; 2 Petros 3:10-13) Kwabo baya kusinda, uya ‘kuzisula zonke iinyembezi emehlweni abo, kungabi sabakho kufa, kungabi sabakho kuzila nakukhala nantlungu kwakhona.’ (ISityhilelo 21:1-4) Iimfazwe nogonyamelo ziya kuphela ngonaphakade, njengoko esi siprofeto sikuIsaya 2:4 siya kuzaliseka ngokupheleleyo: “Ziwakhande amakrele azo abe ngamakhuba nemikhonto yazo ibe zizikere zokuthena imithi. Uhlanga aluyi kuphakamisela uhlanga ikrele, zingayi kuphinda zifunde nemfazwe kwakhona.” Nawe unokunandipha elo kamva liqaqambileyo nelingunaphakade, ukuba nje unokufunda kwiziganeko zexa elidluleyo.—Yohane 17:3.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 27]

AmaNgqina kaYehova aye alandela umzekelo wamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24, 25]

UYesu wathi uBukumkani bakhe abuyonxalenye yeli hlabathi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

ILizwi likaThixo lithembisa ukuba abantu baya kuphila ubomi obungunaphakade, befezekile kumhlaba oyiparadesi