UKristu Ulikhokela Ngenkuthalo Ibandla Lakhe
“UThixo weNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu . . . wammisa ukuba abe yintloko phezu kweento zonke kulo ibandla.”—EFESE 1:17, 22.
1. Wambi amalungu eecawa zeNgqobhoko angawuphendula njani umbuzo othi, ‘Ngubani inkokeli yenu?’ kodwa awuphendula njani amaNgqina kaYehova?
AMANGQINA KAYEHOVA akukho mntu amgqala njengenkokeli yawo. Indlela intlangano yawo elungelelaniswe ngayo ayifani naleyo kapopu weCawa yamaRoma Katolika, eyoosolusapho beeCawa zaseMpuma zobuOrthodox, okanye eyeenkokeli zezinye iicawa namahlelo eNgqobhoko. Anyaniseke kuYesu Kristu, oyintloko yebandla lamaKristu nowathi wathetha oku: “Mnye uMkhokeli wenu, uKristu.”—Mateyu 23:10.
2. Kutheni le nto amaNgqina kaYehova eqonda ukuba uKristu uyiNtloko yebandla lamaKristu, kodwa yiyiphi imibuzo esenokubuzwa?
2 NgePentekoste umpostile uPetros wakungqinela oku esithi: “Kuba uDavide, enganyukanga waya emazulwini, ke uthi ngokwakhe, Yathi iNkosi eNkosini yam, Hlala ngasekunene kwam, ndide iintshaba zakho ndizenze isihlalo seenyawo zakho. Ngoko mayazi ngokuqinisekileyo yonke indlu kaSirayeli, ukuba uThixo wamenza iNkosi noKristu, kwayena lo Yesu nambethelelayo emnqamlezweni nina.” (IZenzo 2:34-36) Kodwa ngoxa siqonda ukuba ngowama-33 C.E. uYesu wathi wenziwa iNkosi neNtloko yebandla, ngaba sityekele ekucingeni ukuba ebehleli ngasekunene kukaYehova engenzi nto, elindele ukuhlaliswa kwakhe etroneni ngowe-1914? Ngaba siyiqonda ngokupheleleyo into yokuba ukususela kwasekuqaleni uKristu ebelikhokela ngenkuthalo ibandla lakhe?
Iindlela Zobuthixo Zokulawula Ngenkuthalo
3. UYesu wabathembisa ukubathumelela ntoni abafundi bakhe, ibe sazi njani ukuba wayengathethi ngomntu?
3 Kubusuku bangaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uYesu wathetha oku kubapostile bakhe abathembekileyo: “Kunilungele ukuba ndimke; kuba, ndingemkanga, uMthetheleli akayi kuza kuni; ke, ndithe ndemka, ndiya kumthumela kuni.” (Yohane 16:7) Wayengayi kuthumela mntu koko wayeza kuthumela amandla asebenzayo. Oku wakucacisa gca kanye ngaphambi kokunyukela kwakhe ezulwini, ebaxelela oku abafundi bakhe abahlanganiseneyo: “Mna ndilithumela kuni idinga likaBawo; ke nina hlalani kuwo umzi oyiYerusalem, nide nambathiswe amandla aphuma enyangweni.”—Luka 24:49.
4. Umoya oyingcwele wasetyenziswa njani ukususela ngePentekoste ukuya phambili?
4 Abafundi bakaYesu abathembekileyo bahlala kummandla waseYerusalem de kwangePentekoste. Ngolo suku “bazaliswa nguMoya oyiNgcwele,” njengokuba kwakuthenjisiwe. UPetros wakungqinela oku esithi: “Ephakanyisiwe [uYesu] ngoko sisandla sokunene sikaThixo, elamkele kanjalo idinga loMoya oyiNgcwele kuYise, uthulule oku nikubonayo, nikuvayo, kalokunje nina.” (IZenzo 2:4, 33) Ngale ndlela uYehova wathi wawazala la maKristu okuqala njengoonyana bakhe bokomoya. (Galati 4:6) Kwakhona, uYesu wafumana umoya kuYise njengendlela yokulawula ngenkuthalo ibandla lakhe elisemhlabeni ekwisikhundla sakhe sasezulwini ngakwesokunene sikaThixo.
5, 6. (a) Yiyiphi enye indlela uKristu awayinikwayo eyathi yamnceda ukuba alawule ibandla lakhe elisemhlabeni? (b) Chaza imizekelo engqalileyo engendlela uYesu awayisebenzisa ngayo le ndlela ukuze ancede abafundi bakhe nokuxhasa umsebenzi wokushumayela.
5 Ngokungakumbi, umpostile uPetros wabhala oku mayela noYesu: “Osekunene kukaThixo, eye emazulwini, kwakubon’ ukuba kuthotyelwe phantsi kwakhe izithunywa zezulu, noomagunya, namandla.” (1 Petros 3:22) Ngoko ke, uYehova wanika uKristu ilungelo lokusebenzisa izithunywa zezulu njengenye indlela yokulikhokela ngempumelelo ibandla lamaKristu.
6 Ngenxa yoko, kwincwadi yeZenzo xa sifunda ukuba “isithunywa seNkosi” okanye “isithunywa sikaThixo” sathabatha inyathelo lokuxhasa umsebenzi wokushumayela wamaKristu okanye sangenelela ukuze sincede amalungu ebandla lamaKristu, simele sikholelwe ukuba ezo zithunywa zezulu zazisebenza phantsi kolwalathiso lukaKristu Yesu. (IZenzo 5:19; 8:26; 10:3-7, 22; 12:7-11; 27:23, 24) ‘NjengoMikayeli, osisiphatha-zithunywa zezulu,’ uKristu unezithunywa zezulu azilawulayo, yaye wasebenzisa zona ekulikhokeleni ngenkuthalo ibandla lamaKristu kwinkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.—Yuda 9; 1 Tesalonika 4:16.
Iqumrhu Elilawulayo Elibonakalayo
7. Ziziphi ezinye iindlela uKristu awazisebenzisayo ukuze akhokele ibandla lakhe, ibe ziziphi iZibhalo ezithetha ngobu “buveleli”?
7 Kwakhona iZibhalo zibonisa ukuba uYesu Kristu wasebenzisa iqela lamadoda njengequmrhu elilawulayo ukuze alathise ibandla lakhe elisemhlabeni. Ekuqaleni, kubonakala ukuba eli qumrhu lilawulayo lalibunjwe ngabapostile abali-11 kuphela. Xa babefuna ukhokelo lukaYehova ukuze bamisele umntu wokuthabatha indawo kaYuda Sikariyoti, uPetros wacaphula INdumiso 109:8, enala mazwi: “Mabuthatyathwe ngomnye ubuveleli bakhe.” Ngoko, ekuthandazeni kwabo kuYehova, uPetros namaqabane akhe bacela uThixo ukuba atyumbe indoda ‘yokuthabatha isabelo solu lungiselelo nobupostile, awaphambukayo kubo uYuda.’ UMatiya wamiselwa ukuba akhonze “ndawonye nabapostile abalishumi elinamnye.”—IZenzo 1:20, 24-26.
8. Yiyiphi imizekelo emibini yokuqala ebonisa indlela uKristu awawasebenzisa ngayo amalungu equmrhu elilawulayo elibonakalayo?
8 Isihlandlo sokuqala esichaziweyo abathi ngaso abapostile abali-12 baphumeza obu “buveleli” njengequmrhu elilawulayo kwakuxa bamisela amadoda afanelekayo ngokomoya ukuba akhonze abazalwana bawo kwibandla lokuqala lamaKristu. (IZenzo 6:1-6) Okwesibini kwakuxa uFilipu waqalisa ukushumayela ngoKristu kumaSamariya. Ngenxa yoku, “abapostile ababeseYerusalem . . . bathuma uPetros noYohane kubo.” Kuphela kwaba semva kokuba la malungu amela iqumrhu elilawulayo athi abeka izandla zawo phezu kwamaSamariya awathi ‘amamkela uMoya oyiNgcwele.’—IZenzo 8:5, 14-17.
Ukhokelo LukaKristu Siqu
9. Ngaba uKristu wayesoloko esebenza ngezithunywa zezulu okanye ngequmrhu elilawulayo? Nika umzekelo.
9 Ngaloo ndlela, ukususela kanye ekuqalisweni kwebandla lamaKristu, uKristu ebenelungelo lokusebenzisa umoya oyingcwele, izithunywa zezulu nequmrhu elilawulayo elibonakalayo ukuze akwazi ukubakhokela ngenkuthalo abafundi bakhe emhlabeni. Ngathuba lithile wade wathabatha amanyathelo ngokobuqu. Ngokomzekelo, uKristu wamguqula ngokobuqu uSawule waseTarso. (IZenzo 9:3-6) Kwiintsuku ezintathu kamva uYesu wathetha ngokungqalileyo ‘nomfundi othile’ ogama linguHananiya. Emxelela uthumo oluntlu-ntathu awayefuna ukuba uSawule alwenze, uYesu wathi: “Lowo usisitya esinyuliweyo ndim, sokuphatha igama lam emehlweni eentlanga, nookumkani, kwanoonyana bakaSirayeli.” (IZenzo 9:10-15) UKristu wambizela umsebenzi okhethekileyo uSawule. Ngaloo ndlela uSawule waba ngumpostile, okanye othunyiweyo ibe wathi waziwa kakuhle njengompostile uPawulos.
10. UKristu wawuvelela njani ngokobuqu umsebenzi wokushumayela?
10 UKristu wayewuvelela ngokobuqu umsebenzi wokushumayela. Ngomoya oyingcwele awayewufumene kuYise uYehova, wakhokela kwiihambo zokushumayela zikaPawulos ibe wayenomdla wobuqu kuzo. Sifunda oku: “Wathi uMoya oyiNgcwele, Ndahluleleni ke uBharnabhas kwanoSawule, baye emsebenzini endibabizele kuwo. . . . Bona ke ngoko, bakuthunywa nguMoya oyiNgcwele, behla baya kwaSeluki; kanjalo besuka apho ngomkhombe” bekuhambo lokuqala lokushumayela. (IZenzo 13:2-4) Ngokuqinisekileyo, umoya oyingcwele, ongamandla asebenzayo kaYehova, ‘awunakuthetha’ nto okanye ‘uthume’ umntu wona ngokwawo. Kuyacaca ukuba umntu owayesebenzisa lo moya ukuze walathise imicimbi yayinguKristu, iNtloko yebandla.
11. Kwenzeka ntoni ebudeni bohambo lwesibini lukaPawulos lokushumayela, ibe oku kubonisa njani ngokucacileyo ukuba uYesu wasebenzisa umoya ekwalathiseni umsebenzi wokushumayela?
11 Oku kusebenzisa kukaYesu umoya njengoko wayekhokela ngenkuthalo ibandla lamaKristu kucaciswe gca kwingxelo yohambo lwesibini lukaPawulos lokushumayela. Bakuba bewatyelele kwakhona amabandla aseLekawoni (ummandla oseAsiya Mayina) awathi asekwa ebudeni bokhenketho lokuqala lokushumayela, ngokucacileyo uPawulos namaqabane akhe ahambahambayo bazimisela ukusinga ngasentshona ukutyhubela iphondo laseRoma eAsiya. Kwakutheni ukuze bangaliphumezi eli cebo labo? “[Ngenxa yokuba] balelwa nguMoya oyiNgcwele ukulithetha ilizwi kwelaseAsiya.” (IZenzo 15:36, 40, 41; 16:1-6) Kodwa ngubani owayesebenzisa umoya oyingcwele kaYehova ukuze abakhokele? Indinyana elandelayo iyaphendula. Ibonisa ukuba xa babesinge ngasentla, bezimisele ukushumayela eBhitini, “akabavumelanga uMoya lowo [kaYesu, NW].” (IZenzo 16:7) Ewe, uYesu Kristu wayesebenzisa umoya awayewufumene kuYise ukuze awalathise ngenkuthalo umsebenzi wokushumayela. Yena noYise uYehova babefuna ukuba iindaba ezilungileyo zifikelele eYurophu, ngoko uPawulos wabona umbono ukuze enze oko.—IZenzo 16:9, 10.
UKristu Wawasekela Amalungu Equmrhu Elilawulayo
12, 13. Xa uPawulos watyelela okokuqala eYerusalem njengomKristu, yintoni eyenzekayo neyathi yabonisa indlela uKristu awazixhasa ngayo izigqibo ezenziwa ngabazalwana abanembopheleleko kweso sixeko?
12 Ngexesha lokudibana kompostile uPawulos okokuqala nabafundi eYerusalem, kuyaqondakala ukuba babemathidala ukudibana naye. “UBharnabhas ke wamthabatha wamsa kubapostile.” (IZenzo 9:26, 27) UPawulos wachitha iintsuku ezili-15 ehleli nompostile uPetros. Kwakhona wadibana noYakobi ongumntakwabo Yesu ngoyise, ngelo xesha owayengomnye wabadala bebandla laseYerusalem. (Galati 1:18, 19) Iindinyana zokugqibela zencwadi yeZenzo zibonisa ukuba abadala baseYerusalem baba yinxalenye yequmrhu elilawulayo lebandla lamaKristu okuqala, kunye nabapostile abali-12.—IZenzo 15:2; 21:18.
13 Ebudeni bokuhlala kwakhe kangangeeveki ezimbini eYerusalem, uPawulos wanikela ubungqina kumaYuda athetha isiGrike, kodwa “ayezamela ke wona ukumsika.” ULuka uhlomela ngokuthi “bekwazile ke oko abazalwana, bamhlisela eKesareya, bamthumela eTarso.” (IZenzo 9:28-30) Kodwa ngubani owabangela ukuba kwenziwe esi sigqibo sobulumko? Kwiminyaka ethile kamva, xa uPawulos Wayebalisa isiganeko esikwasinye kubomi bakhe, wathi uYesu wabonakala kuye waza wamyalela ukuba ayishiye ngokukhawuleza iYerusalem. Xa uPawulos wachasayo, uYesu walek’ umsundulo ngokuthi, “Hamba; ngokuba mna ndiya kukuthuma kude kwiintlanga.” (IZenzo 22:17-21) UKristu wayeyondele ngenyameko imicimbi ngoxa wayephezulu yaye wasebenza ngabazalwana abanembopheleleko eYerusalem nangokuthetha ngqo noPawulos.
14. Kwingxelo ekwiZenzo nekumaGalati yintoni ebonisa ukuba uKristu wayalathisa imicimbi ngokuphathelele intlanganiso yequmrhu elilawulayo eyayingolwaluko?
14 Ngokufanayo, ukuzifunda ngocoselelo iZibhalo kubonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba uKristu wabangela ukuba kubekho intlanganiso ebalulekileyo yequmrhu elilawulayo ukuze kuzinziswe imbambano yokuba amaKristu aziiNtlanga ayemele athobele ulwaluko noMthetho kaMoses okanye angenjinjalo na. Incwadi yeZenzo ithi xa le mbambano yaphakamayo, ‘[ngokungathandabuzekiyo amalungu anembopheleleko, okanye abadala, kwibandla lakwa-Antiyokhwe] agqiba kwelokuba uPawulos noBharnabhas, nabanye abathile kubo, mabenyuke baye kubapostile namadoda amakhulu eYerusalem, ngawo lo mbuzo.’ (IZenzo 15:1, 2) Kodwa xa uPawulos echaza iimeko ezakhokelela ekubeni aye eYerusalem ukuze azinzise imbambano yolwaluko, uthi: “Ndenyuka ke ngokwesityhilelo.” (Galati 2:1-3; thelekisa esoku-1:12.) NjengeNtloko ekhutheleyo yebandla, uKristu wafuna ukuba lo mcimbi ubalulekileyo nongokwemfundiso uzinziswe lilo lonke iqumrhu elilawulayo elibonakalayo. Ngomoya wakhe oyingcwele, wazikhokela iingqondo zala madoda azinikeleyo ekwenzeni isigqibo sawo.—IZenzo 15:28, 29.
Isigqibo Esingaqhelekanga
15, 16. (a) Iqumrhu elilawulayo lafuna ukuba uPawulos enze ntoni akuba ebuyile kuhambo lwakhe Iwesithathu lokushumayela? (b) Kutheni le nto lo myalelo usengabonakala ungaqhelekanga, ibe kwakutheni aze uPawulos awuthobele? (c) Nguwuphi umbuzo ophakamayo?
15 Omnye umzekelo ovus’ umdla nobonisa ukuzalathisa kukaKristu ngenkuthalo izinto ngoxa esezulwini koko kwenzekayo emva kohambo lukaPawulos lwesithathu lokushumayela. ULuka ubalisa ukuba bakuba bebuyele eYerusalem, uPawulos wanikela ingxelo epheleleyo kumalungu equmrhu elilawulayo awayekho. ULuka wabhala oku: “UPawulos wangena kunye nathi kuYakobi; ayekho namadoda amakhulu onke. Ubabulisile, wamana ebacacisela zonke ngazinye izinto awazenzayo uThixo phakathi kweentlanga, ngalo ulungiselelo lwakhe.” (IZenzo 21:17-19) Lakuba limvile uPawulos, iqumrhu elihlanganiseneyo lamnika umyalelo ongqalileyo, lisithi: “Yenza le nto sikuxelela yona.” Lamyalela ukuba aye etempileni aze angqine ekuhleni ukuba yena ‘wayengafundisi onke amaYuda aphakathi kweentlanga, ukuba ahlukane noMoses, engazange awaxelele nokuba makangabalusi abantwana bawo, angahambi ngawo amasiko.’—IZenzo 21:20-24.
16 Omnye usengabuthandabuza ubulumko balo myalelo. Njengokuba sele sibonile, kwiminyaka ethile engaphambilana uYakobi, yaye mhlawumbi nabanye abadala ababekho kuzo zozibini ezi zihlandlo, bamthumela kude neYerusalem uPawulos ngenxa yokuba ubomi bakhe babusongelwa ‘ngamaYuda athetha isiGrike.’ (IZenzo 9:29) Phezu kwako nje oku, uPawulos wawuthobela lo myalelo, nto leyo eyayivisisana noko wayesele ekuthethile kweyoku-1 yabaseKorinte 9:20. Kodwa okwenzekayo ngaphambili kwenzeka nangeli thuba. “AmaYuda avela [kwiphondo laseRoma] kwelaseAsiya” abangela isidubedube aza azama ukumbulala uPawulos. Kuphela kwaba kukungenelela ngokukhawuleza kwamasoldati aseRoma okwamsindisayo ukuba angabulawa. (IZenzo 21:26-32) Ekubeni uKristu eyiNtloko ekhutheleyo yebandla, kwakutheni ukuze abangele ukuba iqumrhu elilawulayo lifune uPawulos aye etempileni?
17. Esi sigqibo singaqhelekanga saphumela njani ekubeni sesiluncedo, ibe oku kubonisa ntoni?
17 Impendulo ibonakala koko kwathi kwenzeka kubusuku besibini akuba uPawulos ebanjiwe. Wathi wanikela ubungqina obuhle kwisihlwele esasifuna ukumbulala yaye, ngosuku olulandelayo, wabunikela entlanganisweni yamatyala. (IZenzo 22:1-21; 23:1-6) Kwanakwisihlandlo sesibini wasinda cebetshu ekubulaweni. Kodwa ngobo busuku, uYesu wabonakala kuye waza wathi: “Yomelela, Pawulos; kuba njengokuba waqononondisa izinto ngam eYerusalem, kwangokunjalo umelwe kukuthi ungqine naseRoma.” (IZenzo 23:11) Khumbula uthumo oluntlu-ntathu uKristu awaluxela kwangaphambili njengolwaluza kwenziwa nguPawulos. (IZenzo 9:15) UPawulos wayelingqinele igama likaKristu “kwiintlanga” ‘nakoonyana bakaSirayeli,’ kodwa ngoku lalifikile ixesha lokuba anikele ubungqina “kookumkani.” Ngenxa yeso sigqibo senziwa liqumrhu elilawulayo, uPawulos wakwazi ukunikela ubungqina kwiirhuluneli zaseRoma uFelikis noFesto, kuKumkani uHerode Agripa II, waza, ekugqibeleni, wabunikela kuNero owayenguMlawuli waseRoma. (IZenzo, isahluko 24-26; 27:24) Ngubani onokuyithandabuza into yokuba nguKristu owabangela konke oku?
UKristu Usalikhokela Ngenkuthalo Ibandla Lakhe
18. Wathini uYesu Kristu ngaphambi kokuba anyukele ezulwini?
18 Ngaphambi kokubashiya abafundi bakhe aze anyukele ngakwisandla sokunene sikaYise, uYesu Kristu wathi: “Linikwe mna lonke igunya emazulwini nasehlabathini. Hambani ngoko niye kuzenza abafundi zonke iintlanga, nibabhaptizela egameni loYise, loNyana, loMoya oyiNgcwele; nibafundisa ukuba bazigcine zonke izinto endiniwisele umthetho ngazo. Niyabona, mna ndinani yonke imihla, kude kube sekuphelisweni kwephakade eli.”—Mateyu 28:18-20.
19. UKristu walisebenzisa njani igunya lakhe alinikwe nguThixo kwinkulungwane yokuqala, ibe yintoni eza kuqwalaselwa kwinqaku elilandelayo?
19 Incwadi yeZenzo, enikela imbali yeminyaka yokuqala yobuKristu, ayishiyi mathandabuzo ekuboniseni ukuba uKristu wasebenzisa igunya lakhe ngokulikhokela ngenkuthalo ibandla lakhe emhlabeni. Wakwenza oku ngomoya oyingcwele, ngezithunywa zezulu nangequmrhu elilawulayo elalibunjwe ngabapostile abali-12 namadoda amakhulu ebandla laseYerusalem. UYesu wathi wayeya kuba nabafundi bakhe kude kube sekuphelisweni kwale nkqubo yezinto, esikuko kanye ngoku. Kwinqaku elilandelayo, siza kubona indlela asasebenza ngayo ngenkuthalo njengeNtloko yebandla lamaKristu nendlela azikhokela ngayo “izimvu” zakhe namhlanje.
Iingongoma Emazikhunjulwe
◻ Kutheni le nto amaNgqina kaYehova kungekho namnye umntu amgqala njengenkokeli yawo?
◻ UKristu wawusebenzisa njani umoya oyingcwele ukuze akhokele ibandla lamaKristu lokuqala?
◻ UKristu wazisebenzisa njani izithunywa zezulu ekukhokeleni amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala?
◻ UKristu walisebenzisa njani iqumrhu elilawulayo elibonakalayo ukuze alathise ibandla lakhe emhlabeni?
◻ Maxa wambi uKristu wayeyalathisa njani imicimbi ngokobuqu?
[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 12]
(Ukuze ufumane inkcazelo epheleleyo, jonga encwadini)
Uhambo Lwesibini LukaPawulos Lokuya Kushumayela
Kwa-Antiyokwe
KwaSeluki
ELASEKILIKI
ITarso
IDerbhe
IKAPADOKI
IPAMFILI
IGALATI
IListra
I-Ikoniyo
Kwa-Antiyokwe
ILIKI
ELASEASIYA
IBHITINI NEPONTO
ITrowa
ELASEMAKEDONI
IFilipi
ITesalonika
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
Ukristu wakwalikhokela ibandla lakhe ngequmrhu elilawulayo elibonakalayo