“Abo Babizwa Ngokuba ‘Ngoothixo’”

XA umpostile uPawulos waphilisa indoda esisiqhwala eListra, abantu badanduluka besithi: “Oothixo baye baba njengabantu yaye bahlile beza kuthi!” Babiza uPawulos ngokuba nguHermes, noBharnabhas ngokuthi nguZeyus. (IZenzo 14:8-14) E-Efese, umkhandi wesilivere uDemetriyo walumkisa esithi, ukuba uPawulos wayevunyelwa aqhubeke eshumayela, “itempile yothixokazi omkhulu uArtemis iya kubalelwa ekuthini yinto engento.”—IZenzo 19:24-28.

Abantu benkulungwane yokuqala—kanye njengabaninzi namhlanje—babenqula “abo babizwa ngokuba ‘ngoothixo,’enoba kusezulwini okanye kusemhlabeni.” Ngoko ke, uPawulos, wathi: “Kukho ‘oothixo’ abaninzi ‘neenkosi’ ezininzi.” Noko ke, wacacisa ngelithi: “Okunene kuthi thina kukho uThixo omnye,” yaye “kukho iNkosi enye, uYesu Kristu.”—1 Korinte 8:5, 6.

Ngaba UYesu Wayekwabizwa Ngokuba NguThixo?

Nakuba uYesu engazange athi unguThixo, njengokuba engumlawuli omiselwe nguYehova kwisiprofeto sikaIsaya ubizwa ngamagama anjengathi “uThixo Onamandla” nelithi “iNkosana yoXolo.” Isiprofeto sikaIsaya songezelela ngelithi: “Akayi kuyeka ukuphatha njengenkosana, noxolo aluyi kuphela.” (Isaya 9:6, 7) Ngoko ke, ‘njengeNkosana’—unyana kaKumkani Omkhulu, uYehova—uYesu uya kuba nguMlawuli kubukumkani basezulwini ‘bukaThixo uSomandla’—Eksodus 6:3.

Noko ke, usenokubuza, ‘Kwenzeka njani ukuba uYesu abe nguThixo uSomandla, yaye kwakutheni ukuze umpostile uYohane athi uYesu unguThixo?’ KwiBhayibhile yesiXhosa, uYohane 1:1 ufundeka ngolu hlobo: “Ekuqaleni ube ekho uLizwi, waye uLizwi ekuye uThixo, waye uLizwi enguThixo.” Abanye bathi, le nto ithetha ukuba, “uLizwi” owazalwa emhlabeni njengosana olunguYesu unguThixo uSomandla. Ngaba yinyaniso leyo?

Ukuba le ndinyana inokuchazwa ngokuthi uYesu nguThixo uSomandla, ibiza kuphikisa amazwi athi “waye uLizwi ekuye uThixo.” Xa umntu othile ‘ekuye,’ okanye enomnye umntu akakwazi ukuba kwanguloo mntu mnye. Ngenxa yoko iinguqulelo ezininzi zeBhayibhile ziye zayenza yacaca into yokuba uLizwi akanguye uThixo uSomandla. Ngokomzekelo, ezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile zithi: “ULizwi wayenguthixo,” “uthixo wayenguLizwi,” enye ithi “uLizwi wayengokobuthixo.”a

Iindinyana zeBhayibhile kwisiGrike ezakhiwe ngendlela efanayo noYohane 1:1 zisebenzisa igama elithi “uthixo.” Ngokomzekelo, xa zazibhekisela kuHerode Agripa I, izihlwele zadanduluka zisithi: ‘Nguthixo lo uthethayo.’ Kanti xa uPawulos engazange afe emva kokulunywa yinyoka enobuhlungu, abantu bathi: “Unguthixo.” (IZenzo 12:22; 28:3-6) Kuvisisana negrama yesiGrike kwakunye nemfundiso yeBhayibhile ukubhekisela kuLizwi ngokuthi ‘nguthixo,’ kungekhona uThixo.—Yohane 1:1.

Khawucinge nje ngendlela uYohane awamchaza ngayo “uLizwi” kwisahluko sokuqala seNcwadi yakhe yeVangeli. Wabhala wathi: “ULizwi waba yinyama waza wahlala phakathi kwethu, yaye salubona uzuko lwakhe, uzuko [olungelulo olukaThixo] olunjengolo lonyana okuphela kozelweyo nguyise.” Ngoko “uLizwi,” owaba yinyama, wahlala emhlabeni enguYesu waza wabonwa ngabantu. Ngenxa yoko, akunakwenzeka ukuba abe wayenguThixo uSomandla, ekubeni uYohane wathi ngaye: “Akukho mntu umbonileyo uThixo nangaliphi na ixesha.”—Yohane 1:14, 18.

Usenokubuza: ‘Kwakutheni ukuze uTomas akubona uYesu adanduluke athi, “Nkosi yam, Thixo wam!”?’ Njengoko sele kutshiwo, uYesu unguthixo ngengqiqo yokuba ungokobuthixo, kodwa akanguye uYise. UYesu wayesandul’ ukuthi kuMariya Magadala: “Ndinyukela kuBawo noYihlo nakuThixo wam noThixo wenu.” Uz’ ukhumbule isizathu sokuba uYohane abhale iNcwadi yakhe yeVangeli. Kwiindinyana ezintathu emva kwengxelo ephathelele uTomas, uYohane wayitsho into yokuba ubhala ukuze abantu “bakholwe ukuba uYesu unguye uKristu uNyana kaThixo—kungekhona kuba enguThixo.—Yohane 20:17, 28, 31.

Ngubani “Uthixo Weli Phakade”?

Licacile elokuba baninzi oothixo. Njengoko siye sabona, abanye kwaba thixo bachaziwe eBhayibhileni. Noko ke, abantu abawabonayo amandla kaYehova kwakude kudala badanduluka besithi: “UYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso! UYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso!” (1 Kumkani 18:39) Kodwa ke, ukho nomnye uthixo, onamandla. IBhayibhile ithi: ‘Uthixo weli phakade uzimfamekise ngaphakathi kwabo iingqiqo zabangakholwayo.’—2 Korinte 4:4, IBhayibhile yesiXhosa.

Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uYesu wabalumkisa izihlandlo ezithathu abafundi bakhe ngalo thixo, embiza ngokuba ‘ngumlawuli weli hlabathi.’ UYesu wathi lo mlawuli unamandla, okanye uthixo, “uza kuphoselwa phandle.” (Yohane 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) Ngubani lo thixo, yaye liliphi eli hlabathi alilawulayo?

Akakho omnye ngaphandle kwengelosi engumvukeli, uSathana uMtyholi. Sazi njani? IBhayibhile ithi xa uSathana wahenda uYesu, wambonisa “zonke izikumkani zehlabathi nozuko lwazo, waza wathi kuye: “Zonke ezi zinto ndokunika ukuba uthe wawa phantsi wanqula kum.’” (Mateyu 4:8, 9) Ngeyayingesosihendo esi ukuba uSathana wayethembise ngokunika uYesu into engeyoyakhe. Eneneni umpostile uYohane wathi: “Ihlabathi liphela lisemandleni ongendawo.”—1 Yohane 5:19.

Khumbula esi sithembiso sikaYesu: “Umlawuli weli hlabathi uza kuphoselwa phandle.” (Yohane 12:31) Eneneni, eli hlabathi okanye inkqubo yezinto, kwakunye nomlawuli walo liya kutshatyalaliswa, njengoko kwaxelwa kwangaphambili ngumpostile uYohane xa wathi: “Ihlabathi liyadlula.” Waphinda uYohane waleka ngelithi: “Lowo wenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.” (1 Yohane 2:17) Ngoku makhe sihlole injongo ezukileyo yokuphela koThixo oyinyaniso nendlela esinokungenelwa ngayo kuyo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20, 21]

Abantu baseListra babedla ngokubiza uPawulos noBharnabhas ngokuthi ngoothixo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20, 21]

UYesu wathi kuMariya Magadala: ‘Ndinyukela kuThixo wam noThixo wenu’