“Malingcwaliswe IGama Lakho”—Liphi Igama?

NGABA ungumntu wonqulo? Ngoko ngokungathandabuzekiyo, njengabanye abaninzi, uyakholelwa kubukho boMntu Owongamileyo. Yaye mhlawumbi uwuhlonela kakhulu umthandazo owaziwa kunene obhekiswa kuloo Mntu, owafundiswa nguYesu kubalandeli bakhe nowaziwa ngokuba nguMthandazo WeNkosi, okanye nguBawo wethu Osemazulwini. Lo mthandazo uqalisa ngolu hlobo: “Bawo wethu osemazulwini, malingcwaliswe igama lakho.”—Mateyu 6:9.

Wakha wazibuza na isizathu sokuba uYesu abeke ‘ukungcwaliswa,’ kwegama likaThixo ekuqaleni kwalo mthandazo? Emva koko, wakhankanya ezinye izinto ezinjengokuza koBukumkani bukaThixo, ukwenziwa kokuthanda kukaThixo emhlabeni nokuxolelwa kwezono zethu. Ukuzaliseka kwezi zicelo zizezinye ekugqibeleni kuya kuthetha uxolo oluhlala luhleli emhlabeni nobomi obungunaphakade kuluntu. Ngaba unokucinga ngayo nayiphi na into ebaluleke ngakumbi kunaleyo? Sekunjalo, uYesu wasifundisa ukuba sithandazele kuqala ukungcwaliswa kwegama likaThixo.

Akuzange kube ngamabona-ndenzile nje ukufundisa kukaYesu abalandeli bakhe ukuba babeke igama likaThixo kuqala emithandazweni yabo. Elo gama ngokucacileyo lalibaluleke gqitha kuye, ekubeni walikhankanya ngokuphindaphindiweyo kwimithandazo yakhe buqu. Ngesinye isihlandlo xa wayethandaza esidlangalaleni kuThixo, weviwa esithi: “Bawo, lizukise igama lakho.” Yaye uThixo waphendula wathi: “Ndilizukisile, ndiya kubuya ndilizukise.”—Yohane 12:28.

Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokuba uYesu afe, wayethandaza kuThixo abafundi bakhe besiva, yaye baphinda bamva ebalaselisa ukubaluleka kwegama likaThixo. Wathi: “Ndilibonakalisile igama lakho kubo abantu obundinike bona, bephuma ehlabathini.” Kamva, waphinda wathi: “Ndabazisa igama lakho, ndandiya kubazisa.”—Yohane 17:6, 26.

Kutheni igama likaThixo lalibaluleke kangaka nje kuYesu? Kutheni wabonisa ukuba libalulekile kwanakuthi, ngokusixelela ukuba sithandazele ukungcwaliswa kwalo? Ukuze sikuqonde oku, kufuneka sazi indlela amagama awayejongwa ngayo kumaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile.

Amagama Kumaxesha Okubhalwa KweBhayibhile

Ngokucacileyo uYehova uThixo wafaka emntwini umnqweno wokuzithiya amagama izinto. Umntu wokuqala wayenegama, elinguAdam. Kwibali lendalo, enye yezona zinto zokuqala uAdam achazwa ezenza kukuthiya amagama izilwanyana. Xa uThixo wanika uAdam umfazi, kwangoko uAdam wambiza ngokuba “ngumfazi” (ʼIsh·shahʹ, ngesiHebhere). Kamva, wamnika igama lokuba nguEva, elithetha ukuthi “Ophilayo,” kuba “engunina wabaphilileyo bonke.” (Genesis 2:19, 23; 3:20) Kwananamhlanje silandela isithethe sokunika abantu amagama. Ngenene, kunzima ukuyithelekelela indlela ebesingaphila ngayo ngaphandle kwamagama.

Phofu ke, kumaxesha akwaSirayeli, amagama ayengeyonto nje efanisayo. Ayethetha okuthile. Ngokomzekelo, igama elithi Isake, “Ukuhleka,” lakhumbuza ngokuhleka kwabazali bakhe abalupheleyo xa beva ukuba babeza kuba nomntwana. (Genesis 17:17, 19; 18:12) Igama likaEsawu lithetha “Oxhonti,” lichaza imbonakalo yomzimba. Elinye igama lakhe elithi, Edom, elithetha “Ngqombela,” lalikhumbuza ukuba wathengisa ngobuzibulo bakhe ukuze afumane isitya seentlumayo ezingqombela. (Genesis 25:25, 30-34; 27:11; 36:1) UYakobi, nangona wayengemva kancinane nje kwiwele lakhe, uEsawu, wabuthenga ubuzibulo kuEsawu waza wafumana iintsikelelo zezibulo kuyise. Ukususela ekuzalweni, intsingiselo yegama likaYakobi yayisithi “Bamba Ngesithende” okanye “Umgweqi.” (Genesis 27:36) Ngokufanayo igama likaSolomon, awathi amaSirayeli ebudeni bolawulo lwakhe aba noxolo nempumelelo, lalithetha “Onoxolo.”—1 Kronike 22:9.

Ngaloo ndlela, iThe Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Umqulu 1, iphepha 572) ichaza okulandelayo: “Ukufundisiswa ‘kwegama’ kwiTestamente Endala kutyhila indlela elithetha lukhulu ngayo kwisiHebhere. Igama aliyonto nje efanisa ubani, kodwa lichaza ubuntu bokwenene balowo elilelakhe.”

Isibakala sokuba uThixo uwajonga amagama njengabalulekileyo sibonwa kwinto yokuba, ngesithunywa sezulu, wayalela ababeza kuba ngabazali bakaYohane uMbhaptizi nababeza kuba ngabazali bakaYesu ngamagama ababemele bawasebenzise ekuthiyeni oonyana babo. (Luka 1:13, 31) Yaye maxa wambi wawaguqula amagama, okanye wanika abantu amagama angakumbi, ukubonakalisa indima yabo kwinjongo yakhe. Ngokomzekelo, xa uThixo waxela kwangaphambili ukuba umkhonzi wakhe uAbram (“Uyise Wemivuyo”) wayeza kuba nguyise weentlanga ezininzi uYehova waliguqula igama lakhe languAbraham (“Uyise Wesihlwele”). Yaye waliguqula igama lomfazi ka-Abraham, uSarayi (“Onosukuzwano”), laba nguSara (“Inkosazana”), ekubeni wayeya kuba ngunina wembewu ka-Abraham.—Genesis 17:5, 15, 16; thelekisa iGenesis 32:28; 2 Samuweli 12:24, 25.

UYesu, naye wakuqonda ukubaluleka kwamagama yaye wabhekisela kwigama likaPetros ekumnikeni ilungelo lenkonzo. (Mateyu 16:16-19) Kwanezidalwa zokomoya zinamagama. Ezibini ezikhankanywe eBhayibhileni nguGabriyeli noMikayeli. (Luka 1:26; Yuda 9) Yaye xa umntu ethiya amagama izinto ezingenabomi ezinjengeenkwenkwezi, izijikelezi-langa, iidolophu, iintaba nemilambo, uxelisa nje uMdali wakhe. Ngokomzekelo, iBhayibhile isixelela ukuba uThixo uzibiza zonke iinkwenkwezi ngamagama.—Isaya 40:26.

Ewe, amagama abalulekile kuThixo, yaye wafaka emntwini umnqweno wokwazi abantu nezinto ngamagama. Kungoko ke izithunywa zezulu, abantu, izilwanyana, kwaneenkwenkwezi nezinye izinto ezingenabomi, zinamagama. Ngaba bekuya kufaneleka ukuba uMdali wazo zonke ezi zinto azishiye yena engenagama? Kakade bekungenakuba njalo, ingakumbi ngenxa yamazwi athethwa ngumdumisi athi: “Inyama yonke ilibonge igama lakhe [uThixo] elingcwele ngonaphakade kanaphakade.”—INdumiso 145:21.

IThe New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Umqulu 2, iphepha 649) ithi: “Enye yezona mbalasane zisisiseko nezibalulekileyo zesityhilelo seBhayibhile sisibakala sokuba uThixo engenguye ongenagama: unegama lobuqu, anokubizwa namele abizwe ngalo.” UYesu ngokuqinisekileyo wayecinga ngelo gama xa wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandaze bathi: “Bawo wethu osemazulwini, malingcwaliswe igama lakho.”—Mateyu 6:9.

Ngenxa yako konke oku, kubaluleke ngokucacileyo ukuba sazi ukuba lingubani na igama likaThixo. Ngaba wena uyalazi igama elilelikaThixo siqu?

Lingubani IGama LikaThixo?

Ngokumangalisayo, uninzi lwamakhulu ezigidi zamalungu eecawa zeNgqobhoko mhlawumbi beluya kukufumana kunzima ukuwuphendula lo mbuzo. Bambi bebeya kuthi igama likaThixo nguYesu Kristu. Kanti uYesu wayethandaza kumntu wumbi xa wathi: “Ndilibonakalisile igama lakho kubo abantu obundinike bona, bephuma ehlabathini.” (Yohane 17:6) Wayethandaza kuThixo emazulwini, njengonyana ethetha noyise. (Yohane 17:1) Yayiligama likaYise wasezulwini eli lalimele “lingcwaliswe.”

Kanti iiBhayibhile ezininzi zakutshanje azinalo eli gama, yaye kunqabile ukuba lisetyenziswe ezicaweni. Ngenxa yoko, kunokuba libe ‘lelingcwaliswayo,’ liye lalahleka kubafundi beBhayibhile abazizigidi ngezigidi. Njengomzekelo wendlela abaguquleli beBhayibhile abaye baliphatha ngayo igama likaThixo, qwalasela indinyana nje enye apho libonakala khona: INdumiso 83:18. Nantsi indlela esi sibhalo esibhalwe ngayo kwiiBhayibhile ezine ezahlukahlukeneyo:

“Mabazi ukuba wena kuphela, ogama linguNKOSI, ungOsenyangweni phezu komhlaba wonke.” (Revised Standard Version yowe-1952)

“Bafundiswe ukuba wena, onguSonini-nanini, unguThixo Osenyangweni phezu kwehlabathi lonke.” (A New Translation of the Bible, nguJames Moffatt, yowe-1922)

“Mabazi oku: wena kuphela onegama elinguYahweh, ungOsenyangweni phezu kwehlabathi lonke.” (Jerusalem Bible yamaKatolika yowe-1966)

“Bazi ukuba wena, ugama linguYehova, unguwe wedwa Osenyangweni phezu kwehlabathi lonke.” (IBhayibhile eqhelekileyo yesiXhosa yowe-1859)

Kutheni igama likaThixo likhangeleka lahluke kangaka kwezi nguqulelo zeBhayibhile? Ngaba igama lakhe nguNKOSI, uSonini-nanini, uYahweh okanye nguYehova? Okanye ngaba onke la magama amkelekile?

Ukuze sikuphendule oku, kufuneka sikhumbule ukuba ntlandlolo iBhayibhile yayingabhalwanga ngesiNgesi. Ababhali beBhayibhile babengamaHebhere, yaye ikakhulu babhala ngesiHebhere nangesiGrike somhla wabo. Uninzi lwethu aluzithethi ezo lwimi zamandulo. Kodwa iBhayibhile iye yaguqulelwa ngeelwimi ezininzi zale mihla, yaye sinokuzisebenzisa ezi nguqulelo xa sifuna ukufunda iLizwi likaThixo.

AmaKristu ayihlonela ngokunzulu iBhayibhile yaye ngokufanelekileyo akholelwa ukuba “sonke isibhalo siphefumlelwe nguThixo.” (2 Timoti 3:16) Ngenxa yoko, ukuguqulela iBhayibhile kuyimbopheleleko enzima. Ukuba ubani uthi ayitshintshe ngabom okanye ayishenxise inxalenye yeBhayibhile, wonakalisa iLizwi eliphefumlelweyo. Kumntu onjalo bekuya kubhekiswa esi silumkiso seZibhalo: “Xa athe umntu wongeza kwezo zinto, uThixo uya kongeza kuye izibetho ezibhaliweyo kule ncwadi; ukuba ke uthe umntu wasusa kuwo amazwi encwadi yesi siprofeto, uThixo uya kusisusa isabelo sakhe encwadini yobomi.”—ISityhilelo 22:18, 19; bona kwaneDuteronomi 4:2.

Abaguquleli abaninzi beBhayibhile ngokungathandabuzekiyo bayayihlonela iBhayibhile yaye ngokunyanisekileyo bafuna ukuyenza iqondwe kwesi sizukulwana sale mihla. Kodwa abaguquleli abaphefumlelwanga. Uninzi lwabo luneembono ezibukhali kwimicimbi yonqulo yaye basengaphenjelelwa ziingcamango nokhetho lobuqu. Kwakhona basenokwenza iimpazamo zobuntu ekugwebeni.

Ngenxa yoko, sinelungelo lokubuza imibuzo ethile ebalulekileyo: Lingubani igama lokwenene likaThixo? Yaye kutheni iinguqulelo ezahlukeneyo zeBhayibhile zinamagama awahlukeneyo kaThixo? Sakuba siyifumene impendulo kule mibuzo, sinokubuyela emva kwingxaki yethu yokuqala: Kutheni ukungcwaliswa kwegama likaThixo kubaluleke kangaka?

Ngaphandle kokuba kuboniswe ngenye indlela, iZibhalo ezikule ncwadana inemifanekiso zicatshulwe kwinguqulelo yeBhayibhile yesiXhosa. Ukuba emva kwesicatshulwa kulandela u-NW, oko kubonisa ukuba loo nguqulelo ithatyathwe kwiNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures yolwimi lwesiNgesi, uHlelo lowe-1984.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 4]

Izithunywa zezulu, abantu, izilwanyana, kwaneenkwenkwezi nezinye izinto ezingenabomi, zinamagama. Ngaba bekuya kufaneleka ngoMdali wazo zonke ezi zinto ukuba angabi nagama?

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 5]

Igama likaThixo ngokucacileyo lalibaluleke kunene kuYesu, ekubeni walikhankanya ngokuphindaphindiweyo kwimithandazo yakhe