UbuNdilele

Ingcaciso: Sisikhundla sabo bangathabathi cala okanye abanganikeli nkxaso kumaqela asukuzanayo amabini okanye angaphezulu kunoko. Oku kuyinyaniso yembali yamandulo neyanamhla ukuba kuzo zonke iintlanga naphantsi kwazo zonke iimeko amaKristu okwenyaniso aye azabalazela ukuhlala engoondilele ngokupheleleyo kungquzulwano oluphakathi kwamacandelo ehlabathi. Awaphazamisani noko abanye bakwenzayo ngokuba nesabelo kwimigidi yokuthand’ izwe, ukusebenza kwimikhosi exhobileyo, ukuthelela iqela lobupolitika, ukuzabalazela ukufumana isigxina sobupolitika, okanye ukuvota. Kodwa anqula uYehova kuphela, uThixo weBhayibhile; aye ahlulela ubomi bawo engagogotye lutho kuye aza anikela inkxaso yawo epheleleyo kuBukumkani bakhe.

Ziziphi izibhalo eziye zanempembelelo kwisimo sengqondo samaKristu ngegunya loorhulumente behlabathi?

Roma 13:1, 5-7: “Yonke imiphefumlo mayiwalulamele amagunya awongamileyo [abalawuli abangoorhulumente]. Kuba akukho gunya lingelilo elivela kuThixo; . . . kungoko ndithi, kufuneka ukulilulamela, ningakwenzi oko ngenxa yengqumbo yodwa, nikwenze nangenxa yesazela. . . . Ngoko bonke banikeni okubafaneleyo; mnikeni irhafu ofanelwe yirhafu, unikelo ofanelwe lunikelo, ukoyika ofanelwe kukoyikwa, imbeko ofanelwe yimbeko.” (Akukho rhulumente unokubakho ngaphandle kokuvunyelwa nguThixo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuba injani na ihambo yamagosa athile, amaKristu okwenyaniso aye awahlonela ngenxa yesigxina akuso. Ngokomzekelo, kungakhathaliseki ukuba bayisebenzisa njani na imali yerhafu oorhulumente, abanquli bakaYehova ngokunyanisekileyo baye bazihlawula iirhafu zabo ngenxa yezo zinto wonk’ ubani anokungenelwa kuzo.)

Marko 12:17: “Waphendula uYesu wathi kubo, Nikelani izinto zikaKesare kuKesare, nezinto zikaThixo kuThixo.” (Ngoko amaKristu ebesoloko eyiqonda into yokuba akamele nje ‘anikele’ imali ngokwendlela yerhafu kurhulumente wehlabathi kodwa akwamele aphumeze iimfanelo eziphakamileyo anazo kuThixo.)

Ize. 5:28, 29: “[Isithethi senkundla ephakamileyo yamaYuda sathi] Besinganithethelanga na kunene [nina bapostile] ngelithi, maningafundisi ngeli gama [likaYesu Kristu]? Niyabona, niyizalisile iYerusalem ngemfundiso yenu; nifuna ukulizisa phezu kwethu igazi lalo mntu. Waphendula ke uPetros nabapostile, bathi, Simelwe kukuthi sive uThixo kunokuba sive abantu.” (Xa bekukho ungquzulwano olungqalileyo phakathi kwemiyalelo yabalawuli babantu nezinto ezifunwa nguThixo, amaKristu okwenyaniso aye axelisa umzekelo wabapostile ngokuthobela uThixo kuqala.)

Ziziphi izibhalo ebezisoloko zinempembelelo kwisimo sengqondo samaKristu okwenyaniso ngokuba nenxaxheba kwimfazwe yokwenyama?

Mat. 26:52: “Aze athi uYesu kuye, Libuyisele endaweni yalo ikrele lakho; kuba bonke abathabatha ikrele baya kutshabalala likrele.” (Ngaba sasinokubakho nasiphi na isizathu esikhulu ngakumbi kunesokukhusela uNyana kaThixo? Kanti, apha uYesu wabonisa ukuba abo bafundi babengamele babhenele kwizixhobo zemfazwe ebonakalayo.)

Isa. 2:2-4: “Kuya kuthi ekupheleni kwemihla, intaba yendlu kaYehova ivelele ezincotsheni zazo iintaba, . . . Uya kugweba phakathi kweentlanga, ohlwaye izizwe ezininzi; ziwakhande amakrele azo abe ngamakhuba, nezikhali zazo zibe zizitshetshe zeediliya; uhlanga lungaphakamiseli uhlanga ikrele, nezizwe zingaphindi zifunde ukulwa.” (Abantu ngabanye abavela kuzo zonke iintlanga bamele bazigqibele ngokobuqu ngekhondo abaya kulihamba. Abo baye bayithobela indlela uYehova azibona ngayo izinto banikela ubungqina bokuba unguThixo wabo.)

2 Kor. 10:3, 4: “Noko sihamba sisenyameni, asiphumi mkhosi ngokwenyama; kuba zona iintonga esiphuma ngazo umkhosi, azizezenyama; kuye uThixo zinamandla okuwisa iinqaba.” (Apha uPawulos uthi akazange abhenele kwizixhobo zenyama, ezinjengentetho enobuqhophololo nebonakalisa ukuziphakamisa, okanye kwizixhobo ezibonakalayo, ukuze akhusele ibandla kwiimfundiso zobuxoki.)

Luka 6:27, 28: “Mna [Yesu Kristu] ndithi kuni nivayo, Zithandeni iintshaba zenu; yenzani okulungileyo kwabo banithiyayo. Basikeleleni abo baniqalekisayo, nibathandazele abo banigxekayo.”

Akuyonyaniso na ukuba uYehova wamvumela uSirayeli wamandulo ukuba abandakanyeke emfazweni?

UYehova wayalela uSirayeli wamandulo ukuba alwe ukuze alithabathele kuye ilizwe awathi yena walityumba njengelifa labo nokuze atshabalalise abantu abaqheliselo lwabo lonakeleyo nokuvukela kwabo uThixo oyinyaniso kwathi kwabangela uYehova abajonge njengababengasakufanelekelanga ukuphila. (Dut. 7:1, 2, 5; 9:5; Lev. 18:24, 25) Sekunjalo, kwabonakaliswa inceba kuRahabhi nakumaGibheyon kuba babonakalisa ukholo kuYehova. (Yosh. 2:9-13; 9:24-27) Kumnqophiso woMthetho uThixo wandlala imithetho yemfazwe awayeya kukholiswa yiyo, echaza ababengamele bayingenele nendlela le mfazwe eyayimele iphunyezwe ngayo. Ngokwenyaniso ezo yayiziimfazwe ezingcwele zikaYehova. Oko akunjalo ngemfazwe ebonakalayo yalo naluphi na uhlanga namhlanje.

Ekumiselweni kwebandla lamaKristu, kwabakho imeko entsha. AmaKristu akakho phantsi koMthetho kaMoses. Abalandeli bakaKristu babemele benze abafundi abantu bazo zonke iintlanga; ngoko abanquli boThixo oyinyaniso ekuhambeni kwexesha babeza kufunyanwa kuzo zonke ezo ntlanga. Noko ke, yintoni eshukumisa ezo ntlanga xa zingenela imfazwe? Ngaba kukuphumeza ukuthanda koMdali wawo wonke umhlaba okanye kukuhambisela phambili izilangazelelo ezithile zobuhlanga? Ukuba amaKristu okwenyaniso akwelinye ilizwe bekufuneka alwe nelinye ilizwe, ebeya kulwa namakholwa angoowawo, nabantu abathandazela uncedo kuThixo ofanayo nalowo bathandaza kuye. Ngokufanelekileyo, uKristu wayalela abalandeli bakhe ukuba balibeke phantsi ikrele. (Mat. 26:52) Ekubeni ezukisiwe emazulwini, ukususela ngoko ukubhekisa phambili wayeya kubatshabalalisa abo bamvukelayo uThixo oyinyaniso nokuthanda Kwakhe.—2 Tes. 1:6-8; ISityhi. 19:11-21.

Ngokubhekisele ekusebenzeni nemikhosi exhobileyo, ithini imbali yehlabathi ngesimo sengqondo samaKristu okuqala?

“Ukuhlolisiswa ngenyameko kwayo yonke inkcazelo efumanekayo kubonisa ukuba, akukho mKristu owaba lijoni; ibe akukho joni, emva kokuba lingumKristu, elahlala kwinkonzo yomkhosi, de kwalixesha likaMarcus Aurelius [irhuluneli yamaRoma ukususela ngowe-161 ukusa kowe-180 C.E.].”—The Rise of Christianity (London, 1947), E. W. Barnes, iphe. 333.

“Thina esasizaliswe yimfazwe, sixhelana, sinabo bonke ubungendawo, ngamnye wethu ukutyhubela wonk’ umhlaba siziguqule izixhobo zethu zemfazwe,—amakrele ethu angamakhuba, izikhali zethu zizixhobo zokuhlakula,—ibe sihlakulela ukuzinikela, ubulungisa, ubuntu, ukholo, nethemba, nto ezo esizifumene kuBawo Ngokwakhe owathi yena Ngaye wabethelelwa.”—Justin Martyr kwethi “Dialogue With Trypho, a Jew” (kwinkulungwane yesi-2 C.E.), The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, Mich.; eyaphinda yashicilelwa ngowe-1885 kuhlelo lwase-Edinburgh), yahlelwa nguA. Roberts noJ. Donaldson, Umqu. I, iphe. 254.

“Bakugatya ukuba nayo nayiphi na inxaxheba kulawulo lwaseburhulumenteni okanye ukuthelela umkhosi wokhuselo wobukhosi. . . . kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba amaKristu, awulahle umsebenzi ongcwele ngakumbi, abe ngamajoni, oomantyi, okanye amatshawe.”—History of Christianity (New York, 1891), Edward Gibbon, iphe. 162, 163.

Ziziphi izibhalo ebezisoloko zinempembelelo kwisimo sengqondo samaKristu okwenyaniso ngokubandakanyeka kwiimbambano nemicimbi yobupolitika?

Yoh. 17:16: “Abangabo abehlabathi, njengokuba nam [Yesu] ndingenguye owehlabathi.”

Yoh. 6:15: “Uthe ngoko uYesu, esazi ukuba bahlalele [amaYuda] ukuza kumbamba ngamandla, bamenze ukumkani, wabuya wemka, waya entabeni yena yedwa.” Kamva, waxelela irhuluneli yamaRoma oku: “Ubukumkani bam asibubo obeli hlabathi; ukuba bebububo obeli hlabathi ubukumkani bam, amakhonza am ange ezama, ukuze ndinganikelwa kumaYuda; ngoku ke ubukumkani bam asibobalapha.”—Yoh. 18:36.

Yak. 4:4: “Bakrexezindini, bakrexezikazindini, anazi na ukuba ubuhlobo balo ihlabathi bubutshaba kuye uThixo? Othe ngoko wanga angaba sisihlobo salo ihlabathi, uzenza utshaba lukaThixo.” (Kutheni le nto lo mcimbi ungonzulu kangaka? Kungenxa yokuba, njengoko eyoku-1 kaYohane 5:19 isitsho, “ihlabathi liphela lilele kongendawo.” KuYohane 14:30, uYesu wabhekisela kuSathana ‘njengomphathi wehlabathi.’ Ngoko, kungakhathaliseki ukuba umntu usenokuxhasa liphi na icala lehlabathi, ngokwenene ubeya kuba phantsi kolawulo lukabani?)

Ngokubandakanyeka kwezobupolitika, ababhali-mbali behlabathi bathini ngesimo sengqondo sabo babesaziwa njengamaKristu okuqala?

“UbuKristu bokuqala babuqondwa kancinane ibe babungathandwa kangako ngabo babelawula ihlabathi labahedeni. . . . AmaKristu akugatya ukwenza imisebenzi ethile yabemi baseRoma. . . . Babengenakuba kwisigxina sobupolitika.”—On the Road to Civilization, A World History (Philadelphia, 1937), A. Heckel noJ. Sigman, iphe. 237, 238.

“AmaKristu ayechasele ibe ezahlulile kurhulumente, njengesizwe sababingeleli nesokomoya, ibe ubuKristu babonakala bukwazi ukuphembelela ubomi babantu kuphela ngaloo ndlela, emele ivunywe ukuba, yeyona isulungekileyo, ngokusisiseko ngokuzabalazela ukubethelela ngakumbi nangakumbi imvakalelo engcwele kubemi belizwe.”—The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries (New York, 1848), Augustus Neander, yaguqulelwa isuka kwisiJamani nguH. J. Rose, iphe. 168.

Ziziphi izibhalo ebezisoloko zinempembelelo kwisimo sengqondo samaKristu okwenyaniso ngemigidi equka indwe nemihobe yesizwe?

1 Kor. 10:14: “Kubalekeni ukubusa izithixo.” (Kwane-Eksodus 20:4, 5)

1 Yoh. 5:21: “Bantwanana, zigcineni kuzo izithixo.”

Luka 4:8: “UYesu waphendula wathi: . . . kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Uze uqubude eNkosini uThixo wakho, ukhonze yena yedwa.”

Bona kwanoDaniyeli 3:1-28.

Ngaba imiqondiso kwanemigidi yokuthand’ izwe elolo hlobo ngokwenene inentsingiselo engokonqulo?

“[Umbhali-mbali] uCarlton Hayes kudala wabonisa ukuba isithethe sokunqulwa kwendwe nokwenziwa kwesifungo kwizikolo zaseMerika sisikhumbuzo esingokonqulo. . . . Ibe into yokuba ezi zithethe zamihla le zidibene nonqulo ekugqibeleni iye yaqinisekiswa yiNkundla Ephakamileyo kungcelele lwamatyala.”—The American Character (New York, 1956), D. W. Brogan, iphe. 163, 164.

“Iindwe zakuqala zaziphantse zibe zezidibene nonqulo ngokupheleleyo. . . . Kangangeenkulungwane indwe yesizwe yaseNgilani—umnqamlezo obomvu kaSt. George—yayiyeyonqulo; enyanisweni kubonakala ukuba kwakusoloko kufunwa uncedo lonqulo ukuze kwenziwe iindwe zesizwe zibe zezingcwele, ibe imvelaphi yezininzi inokulandwa iphuma kwindwe engcwele.”—Encyclopædia Britannica (1946), Umqu. 9, iphe. 343.

“Kumgidi kawonke wonke owawonganyelwe lisekela-mongameli leNkundla [Ephakamileyo Yezomkhosi], ngowe-19 kuNovemba, kwabonakaliswa imbeko kwindwe yaseBrazil. . . . Emva kokuba indwe iphakanyisiwe, uMphathiswa Jikelele Wezomkhosi uTristao de Alencar Araripe wathetha oku ngomgidi ololu hlobo: ‘ . . . iindwe ziye zaba nguthixo wonqulo lokuthand’ izwe oluye lwafuna inkonzo . . . Indwe iyahlonelwa ibe iyanqulwa . . . Indwe iyanqulwa, kanye njengoko iLizwe loobawo linqulwa.’”—Diario da Justiça (Ikomkhulu Eliyintloko, Brazil), Februwari 16, 1956, iphe. 1906.

Ngokubhekisele kwimigidi yokuthand’ izwe, ibonisa ntoni imbali yehlabathi ngesimo sengqondo sabo babesaziwa bengamaKristu okuqala?

“AmaKristu akazange avume . . . ukunikela umbingelelo kwirhuluneli—nto leyo efanayo namhlanje nokungavumi ukukhahlela indwe okanye ukuphinda isifungo sokunyaniseka. . . . Ambalwa gqitha amaKristu alalanisayo, nangona isibingelelo esinomlilo ovuthayo kuso sasidla ngokubekwa ebaleni ukwenzela ukuba angasokoli. Konke ekwakumele kwenziwe ngumbanjwa yayikukuvuvuza inxalenye encinane yesiqhumiso emlilweni ibe wayenikwa Isiqinisekiso Sedini aze abe ngokhululekileyo. Kwakhona wayecaciselwa ngenyameko ukuba wayenganquli rhuluneli; wayevuma nje ubuthixo berhuluneli njengentloko yoburhulumente baseRoma. Sekunjalo, phantse ukuba akukho maKristu azama ukufumana ithuba lokusaba.”—Those About to Die (New York, 1958), D. P. Mannix, iphe. 135, 137.

“Isenzo sokunqula irhuluneli sasiquka ukusasaza iinkozo ezimbalwa zesiqhumiso okanye amathontsi ambalwa ewayini kwisibingelelo esasimi phambi komfanekiso oqingqiweyo werhuluneli. Mhlawumbi emva kwethuba elide sahlukanayo nolo qheliselo asiboni mahluko phakathi koko . . . nokuphakanyiswa kwesandla kukhahlelwa indwe okanye umlawuli othile owahlukileyo welizwe, amazwi abonis’ imbeko, intlonelo, nokuthand’ izwe. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba abantu abaninzi gqitha kwinkulungwane yokuqala bavakalelwa kanye ngaloo ndlela kodwa kwakungenjalo ngamaKristu. Wonke lo mcimbi ayewujonga njengobonakalisa ukunqula, njengovuma irhuluneli njengothixo ibe ke ngoko esiya kuba nganganyanisekanga kuThixo nakuKristu, ibe akazange avume ukwenza oko.”—The Beginnings of the Christian Religion (New Haven, Conn.; 1958), M. F. Eller, iphe. 208, 209.

Ngaba ubundilele bamaKristu buthethe ukuba akanamdla kwimpilontle yabamelwane bawo?

Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo. Azi kakuhle ibe ngokunyanisekileyo azabalazela ukusebenzisa umyalelo owaphindaphindwa nguYesu: “Uze umthande ummelwane wakho ngoko uzithanda ngako.” (Mat. 22:39) Akwazabalazela ukusebenzisa isiluleko esabhalwa ngumpostile uPawulos: “Masisebenze okulungileyo kubo bonke, ngokukodwa ke kwabendlu yokholo.” (Gal. 6:10) Aye eyiseka lelokuba eyona nto ilungileyo anokuyenzela abamelwane bawo kukwabelana nabo ngeendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo, obuya kuzicombulula ngokusisigxina iingxaki ezijongene noluntu nobuvulela abo babamkelayo ithemba elimangalisayo lobomi obungunaphakade.