Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

■ Ngaba kufanelekile ukusebenzisa ibinzana elithi “ihlabathi elitsha” elizayo?

Lo ngumbuzo ofanelekileyo, ekubeni igama lesiGrike elithi koʹsmos ngokufuthi eliguqulelwa ngokuthi “ihlabathi,” ngokusisiseko lithetha uluntu, nasekubeni uThixo engazi kudala uhlanga olutsha loluntu. Ngaphezu koko, eBhayibhileni asilifumani ibinzana elithi kai·nosʹ koʹsmos (ngokoqobo, elithetha “ihlabathi elitsha”).

Kodwa indlela iBhayibhile elisebenzisa ngayo igama elithi koʹsmos iyawavumela amaKristu ukuba eli binzana lithi “ihlabathi elitsha” alisebenzise xa ebhekisela kwiParadisi eza kubakho emhlabeni. IThe New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology icacisa isithi: ‘Isibizo esithi kosmos ntlandlolo sasichaza isakhiwo, kodwa ngokukodwa sithetha ulungelelwaniso.’ Esi sichazi-magama songezelela ngelithi eli gama likwaneentsingiselo ezingqalileyo, ezinjengezi “isihombiso” “ukulawuleka kobomi bebutho labantu,” nethi “abemi bomhlaba, uluntu.”

Kwizibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, ukoʹsmos usoloko esetyenziswa engosingisela kwintsapho yoluntu iphela. Ngaloo ndlela sifunda oku “bonke bonile [oko kukuthi, yonke inzala ka-Adam engafezekanga] basilela eluzukweni lukaThixo.” (Roma 3:19, 23) Kwelinye icala, “wenjenje uThixo ukulithanda kwakhe ihlabathi [koʹsmos], ude wancama uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze bonke abakhoIwayo kuye . . . babe nobomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 3:16) Ewe, idini likaKristu lifumaneka kuye wonk’ ubani okwintsapho yoluntu obonakalisa ukholo.

Ukuba leyo ibiyekuphela kwendlela iBhayibhile emsebenzisa ngayo ukoʹsmos, bekuya kuba kokungachananga ukuthi “ihlabathi elitsha” elizayo. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba bambi bentsapho yoluntu baya kusinda kwimbandezelo enkulu ezayo. Baya kwandula ke aba basindi babe nethuba lokuphila kwiParadisi ebuyiselweyo. Ngoko uThixo akayi kudala uhlanga olutsha loluntu, uluntu olutsha, ihlabathi elitsha labantu. Noko ke, iBhayibhile ayilisebenzisi ibinzana elithi koʹsmos njengelithetha uluntu lonke kuphela.

Ngokomzekelo, maxa wambi eli gama lesiGrike lichaza lonke uluntu oluthe lwatyeka kuThixo. AmaHebhere 11:7 athi “ngokholo uNowa . . . waligweba ihlabathi [koʹsmos].” Ngokucacileyo akazange enze kugwetywe kwanto ingumntu, lonke uluntu; uNowa ekunye nabasixhenxe bentsapho yakhe basinda kuMkhukula. Ngokufanayo, uYesu wathandaza esithi: “Mna ndicelela bona; andiceleli lona ihlabathi [koʹsmos], ndicelela abo undinike bona . . . lhlabathi labathiya, ngokuba bengengabo abehlabathi, njengokuba nam ndingenguye owehlabathi.”—Yohane 17:9, 14; thelekisa eyesi-2 kaPetros 2:5; 3:6.

Noko ke, makhe sitsalele ingqalelo kwenye intsingiselo elisebenzisa kuyo iBhayibhile igama elithi koʹsmos. Eli gama lichaza nje ubume, inkqubo, okanye imekobume yobomi boluntu.a Kumazwi kaYesu silifumana lisetyenziswe ngale ndlela: “Kumnceda ntoni na umntu, ukuba uthe wazuza ihlabathi [koʹsmos] liphela, waza wonakalelwa ke ngumphefumlo wakhe?” (Mateyu 16:26) Ngokucacileyo, uKristu wayengabhekiseli ‘ekuzuzeni’ komntu ‘lonke ihlabathi loluntu,’ yaye engabhekiseli ‘kulo lonke ihlabathi loluntu elithe latyeka kuThixo.’ Into eyayiza kuzuzwa ngumntu othanda izinto eziphathekayo yayingenakuba luluntu, kodwa yayiza kuba koko abantu banako, bakwenzayo, okanye bakulungiselelayo. Kwakhona okufanayo koko kwathethwa ngumpostile uPawulos ‘ngokuxhalela izinto zehlabathi’ komntu otshatileyo. Ngokukwanjalo, umKristu akafanele ‘alisebenzise ngokupheleleyo eli hlabathi.’—1 Korinte 7:31-33.

Ngokwale ngqiqo, ukoʹsmos unentsingiselo efanayo neyegama lesiGrike elinguai·onʹ, elinokuguquleIwa ngokuthi “inkqubo yezinto” okanye “isizukulwana.” (Bona iAid to Bible Understanding, iphepha 1671-4.) Kwezinye iimeko sifumanisa ukuba la magama mabini phantse anokusetyenziswa elinye endaweni yelinye. Khawuqwalasele le mizekelo mibini ebonisa ukufana kwegama elithi koʹsmos nelithi ai·onʹ: (1) UPawulos wathi washiywa nguDemas, “ngokuthanda iphakade [inkqubo yezinto, NW] [ai·onʹ] langoku.” Kodwa umpostile uYohane waluleka nxamnye ‘nokuthanda ihlabathi [koʹsmos],’ ekuthi kuphume kulo “inkanuko yenyama nenkanuko yamehlo, noqhankqalazo lobu bomi.” (2 Timoti 4:10; 1 Yohane 2:15-17) (2) UYohane 12:31 uthetha ‘ngomphathi walo eli hlabathi [koʹsmos],’ othi kweyesi-2 yabaseKorinte 4:4 achazwe ‘njengothixo wale nkqubo yezinto [ai·onʹ].’

Ngenxa yoko, igama elithi koʹsmos, okanye “ihlabathi,” linokusetyenziswa ukuchaza lonke uluntu kwanemekobume yoluntu. Ngenxa yesi sizathu, ngokufanelekileyo nangokuwasebenzisa ngokuchanileyo omabini la magama, sinokuthetha ‘ngenkqubo entsha yezinto’ okanye “ihlabathi elitsha” elizayo. Eli hlabathi liya kube libunjwe bubume obutsha, ulungelelwaniso olutsha lwehlabathi okanye imekobume entsha yobomi boluntu. Inkoliso yabemi beParadisi ebuyiselweyo emhlabeni iya kube ikhe yaphila kwinkqubo endala yezinto. Kanti iya kube isindile kuyo okanye ivusiwe. Ngoko baya kuba bengabantu abanye. Noko ke, xa ihlabathi labantu elityekileyo kuThixo liya kuba lingasekho, yaye kukho ilungiselelo elitsha, okanye ulungelelwaniso olutsha oluya kube lusekelwe kukuthanda kukaThixo okutyhiliweyo nokuya kube kwesamele, loo Paradisi ibuyiselweyo iya kuba lihlabathi elitsha.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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Uluntu olunobulungisa luya kubuyisela iParadisi kwihlabathi elitsha