Unqulo Lokwenyaniso Luyaluphelisa Uloyiko Njani?

ABABHALI baseBritani uEdwin noMona Radford babedidekile. Emva kokuqokelela ngaphezu kwamawaka amabini eendidi zeenkolo, bafumanisa ukuba kukho uloyiko olufanayo olubangelwa ziinkolo eSkotlani, elndiya, eUganda nakuMbindi Merika. Bazibuza oku, ‘Yintoni eyayinokuba ingunobangela woku?’ Ngokuchanileyo umbhali uRobertson Davies uthi: “Kubonakala ukuba iinkolo zinxibelelene nezinye iinkolelo ezazikho kude kudala ngaphambi kweenkonzo esizaziyo.” Ngoko, ziziphi “iinkolelo” zangaphambi kobuKristu ezavela kuzo iinkolo?

Isiqalo Seenkolo Nokusasazeka Kwazo

IBhayibhile yalatha kwilizwe laseShinare (ummandla ophakathi komlambo iTigris nomEfrati, kamva owabizwa ngokuba yiBhabhiloni) njengendawo ekwavela kuyo iinkolelo zonqulo lobuxoki, kuquka neenkolo. Apho, “igorha lezingela” eligama linguNimrodi laqalisa ukwakha iNqaba yaseBhabheli edume kakubi. Yayiza kusetyenziselwa unqulo lobuxoki. Noko ke, uYehova uThixo wawatshitshisa amacebo abakhi ngokuduba intetho yabo. Ngokuthe ngcembe, umsebenzi wokwakha waphela, baza bachithachitheka. (Genesis 10:8-10; 11:2-9) Kodwa kungakhathaliseki apho babehlala khona, bahamba neenkolelo, iingcamango neentsomi. Phofu ke, iBhabheli, yahlala isisazulu sonqulo lobuxoki, ekuhambeni kwexesha kwakhona yayandisa indima yayo njengonozala nomkhuthazi wobugqi, ubugqwirha, nokukholelwa kwiinkolo, njengokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi. (Thelekisa uIsaya 47:12, 13; Daniyeli 2:27; 4:7.) Ngaloo ndlela, incwadi ethi Great Cities of the Ancient World ithi: Ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kwakusekelwe kwiingcamango ezimbini zobuBhabhiloni: izodiac, nokongama kwezinto zasesibhakabhakeni. . . . AmaBhabhiloni azizukisa izijikelezi-langa ngempembelelo ubani ebengayilindela kwisithixo sesijikelezi-langa ngasinye.”

Zisichaphazela njani ezi ziganeko zamandulo? Incwadi yeBhayibhile yeSityhilelo ibonisa ukuba inkqubo yonqulo lobuxoki, ejikeleze wonke umhlaba iphume kwiingcamango zeBhabhiloni yamandulo. Ibikho ukuza kutsho kumhla wethu yaye ibizwa ngokuba ‘yiBhabheli Enkulu.’ (ISityhilelo 17:5) Kakade ke, ukudlula kwexesha neziganeko zasekuhlaleni kuye kwazichaphazela ezo ngcamango zamandulo zaseBhabhiloni. Iintlobo ezahlukahlukeneyo zeenkonzo ezibonwayo namhlanje zingumphumo woko. Kodwa kanye njengokuba imithi eyahlukahlukeneyo ngokufuthi ikhula kumhlaba omnye, ngokunjalo iinkonzo ezahlukahlukeneyo neenkolo emhlabeni jikelele zivela kwindawo efanayo—eBhabhiloni. Ukukucacisa oku, masibone indlela enye yeenkolelo zaseBhabhiloni eye yazityhutyha ngayo phantse zonke iinkonzo zehlabathi namhlanje.

Ukoyika Abafi—Kusekelwe Entwenini?

AmaBhabhiloni ayekholelwa ukuba xa kusifa umzimba wenyama umoya womntu awufi yaye unokubuya uze kunceda okanye wenzakalise abaphilayo. Ngaloo ndlela bayila izithethe zonqulo ezazenzelwe ukuxolisa abafi nokuphepha impindezelo yabo. Le nkolelo isekho kumazwe amaninzi namhlanje. Ngokomzekelo, eAfrika, “iphumeza indima ephambili kubomi bemihla ngemihla phantse kuzo zonke . . . iindawo.”—African Religions—Symbol, Ritual, and Community.

Kwanabantu abathi bangamaKristu kumazwe anjalo bayachaphazeleka. Ngokomzekelo, uHenriette, ongumfazi oyinzalelwane yaseAfrika nonama-63 eminyaka ubudala, uyakuvuma oku: “Nangona ndandililungu elikhutheleyo lecawa yasekuhlaleni yamaProtestanti, ndandiyoyika ‘imimoya’ yabafi. Sasihlala kufutshane namangcwaba, yaye nanini na kusondela umkhoko wabantu abaya kungcwaba ngakwindlu yethu, ndandivusa umntwana wam ndize ndimthathele kum bade badlule. Kungenjalo, ‘umoya’ wabafi wawuya kungena endlwini yam uze uthabathe umntwana oleleyo.”

Iinkolo ezinjalo zisekho kuba imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo ibalasele kunene kwiNgqobhoko. Imbali ibonisa ukuba izithandi zobulumko zamaGrike—ingakumbi uPlato—zayikhulisa ingcamango yamaBhabhiloni yokungafi komphefumlo. Phantsi kwempembelelo yazo, umhlohli ophambili wezakwalizwi waseBritani, uJohn Dunnett, ubhala oku, “ingcamango yokungafi komphefumlo yayityhutyha kakhulu iCawa yamaKristu.” Le mfundiso yaseBhabhiloni iye yagcina izigidi kubukhoboka bokoyika okubangelwa ziinkolo.

Noko ke, unqulo lokwenyaniso, luyaluphelisa uloyiko olunjalo. Ngoba? Kuba unqulo lokwenyaniso alusekelwanga kwiinkolelo ezivela eBhabhiloni kodwa lusekelwe kwiimfundiso ezifumaneka eBhayibhileni.

Umphefumlo NgokwaseBhayibhileni

Incwadi yokuqala yeBhayibhile isixelela ukuba umntu waba ngumphefumlo, umntu ophilileyo. (Genesis 2:7) Ngoko xa umntu esifa, umphefumlo uyafa. Umprofeti uHezekile uyaqinisekisa esithi: “Umphefumlo owonayo, kuya kufa wona.” (Hezekile 18:4; Roma 3:23) Umphefumlo uyafa yaye awuqhubeki uphila emva kokufa. Endaweni yoko, kunjengokuba INdumiso 146:4 isithi: “Uyaphuma umoya wakhe, abuyele yena emhlabeni wakhe; ngaloo mini ayatshitsha amabhongo akhe.” Ngenxa yoko, umhlohli uJohn Dunnett uqukumbela ngelithi, ukungafi komphefumlo “kuhlala kuyinkolelo engekho Bhayibhileni.”

Ukuba akukho mphefumlo ungafiyo, akunakubakho “mimoya” yabafi eyoyikisa abantu emhlabeni. Ngaloo ndlela siyadilika isiseko sokoyika abafi okubangelwa ziinkolo.

Uloyiko Olusekelwe Kwinkohliso

Ukoyika abafi okubangelwa ziinkolo kuphela nzima. Ngoba? Kuba izinto ezihlathuzelis, amanwele ziyenzeka—njengobunye ubusuku xa ibhinqa eliliqina laseSuriname leva uthile ebiza igama lalo. Alizange likuse so oko, kodwa laqalisa ukuchukunyiswa “zizandla” ezingabonakaliyo, yaye xa lakuchasayo oko, laphantse lakrwitshwa ngamandla angabonakaliyo. Mhlawumbi uyazibuza usithi, ‘Ukuba “imimoya” yabafi ayiphili, ngoko ngubani owayengunobangela woko?’ Kwakhona, ukwazi iBhayibhile kuyaluphelisa uloyiko olubangelwa ziinkolo.

Icacisa ukuba amandla ayimimoya engendawo, ebizwa ngokuba ziidemon, ikho. Phofu ke, ezo demon, aziyomiphefumlo ifileyo. Zizithunywa zikaThixo ezavukelayo zaza zanyula ukuba kwicala likaSathana, “lowo ulilahlekisayo elimiweyo liphela.” (ISityhilelo 12:9; Yakobi 2:19; Efese 6:12; 2 Petros 2:4) IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba iidemon zifumana uvuyo ekulahlekiseni, ekoyikiseni nasekuhlaseleni abantu. Ingxelo ekuLuka 9:37-43 ibalisa ukuba inkwenkwe ethile yahlaselwa yidemon ‘yayibetha yathi xhwenene, yade yalephuza amagwebu’ yaza yayenza ukuba igruzuke. Naxa le nkwenkwe yasiwa kuYesu, ‘idemon yayintlala, yayibetha, yathi xhwenene kunene.’ Ingxelo iyaqhubeka isithi, “Wawukhalimela ke uYesu umoya ongcolileyo, waphilisa umntwana, wambuyisela kuyise.”

Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, iCyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature ichaza iinkolo “njengokunqula oothixo bobuxoki.” Ngaloo ndlela, ukuba uneenkolo ezinjalo, mhlawumbi ngokungazi, uxolisa “oothixo bobuxoki,” okanye iidemon! Unqulo lobuxoki olunjalo kukuwaphula ngokunzulu umthetho kaYehova uThixo.—Thelekisa eyoku-1 yabaseKorinte 10:20 neDuteronomi 18:10-12.a

‘Mthobeleni UThixo’—Ngaba Wenjenjalo?

Ngaba ubuya kuba nenkalipho yokuzinikela umva ezo demon ngokulahla iinkolo? Kuyinyaniso ukuba, iidemon zinamandla. Kodwa emva kokuba ebonisile ukuba kufuneka sikhethe ukukhonza uYehova uThixo okanye iidemon, umpostile uPawulos wabuza oku: “Sinamandla [kunoYehova], yini na?” (1 Korinte 10:21, 22) Hayi, asinawo—kodwa khumbula, noSathana needemon zakhe abanawo!

Endaweni yoko, ezo demon ‘ziba namanwele’ ngenxa yokoyika uYehova. (Yakobi 2:19) Kodwa uThixo onguSomandla uya kukukhusela ukuba uyamcela. Umbhali weBhayibhile uYakobi ngokubhekele phaya uthi: “Mthobeleni ngoko uThixo. Mchaseni ke uMtyholi, wonibaleka.” (Yakobi 4:7) Nokoyika kwakho okubangelwa ziinkolo kuya kuphela.

Amawakawaka abantu jikelele emhlabeni ababekade bephila benoloyiko yaye bekhotyokiswe ngamasiko enziwa ngenxa yokuba neenkolo ngoku banokukungqinela oko. UMtyholi wabaleka kubo! Wabaleka ngayiphi indlela? Khumbula ukuba, utshaba lokoyika okubangelwa ziinkolo lulwazi. Unjingalwazi uRudolph Brasch, oyingcali kwimvelaphi yeenkolo, uthi: “Lo ngumbandela wemfundo—okukhona abantu befunda, kokukhona beya besahlukana neenkolo.”

Ngaloo ndlela, xa uHenriette, okhankanywe ngaphambilana, wasamkelayo isimemo samaNgqina kaYehova sokuqalisa ukufundisisa iBhayibhile ngesisa, kungekudala wawabona amaqhinga eedemon. Iinkolo wazilahlela kude. Yena, namawaka anjengaye, babubonile ubunyaniso bamazwi akumaHebhere 2:15. Apho, umpostile uPawulos uthi uYesu uya ‘kubakhulula ebukhobokeni bonke abo babethe ngalo lonke ixesha lokudla kwabo ubomi bazizisulu zokoyika ukufa.’ Kanye njengokuba ilanga eligqatsileyo lakusasa liguqulela umbethe omninzi wamahlathi akwimimandla ethandwa ziimvula ekubeni ngumphunga, ukukhanya kwenyaniso yeBhayibhile kuyaluphelisa lonke uloyiko olubangelwa ziinkolo.

Namhlanje, intlaninge, ‘yababezizisulu zokoyika’ iye yawasusa amakhubalo emiqaleni yabo neentambo zokuzikhusela kubantwana babo. Ngoku bavakalelwa ngendlela avakalelwa ngayo uIsaac, onama-68 eminyaka ubudala nowayesakuba ligqirha eMzantsi Afrika. Emva kokufundisisa iBhayibhile namaNgqina kaYehova, wathi: “Ndiziva ndonwabe kakhulu yaye ndikhululekile kuba andisacinezelwanga kukoyika imimoya.” Hayi indlela amazwi kaYesu angqineka eyinyaniso ngayo: “Naniya kuyazi inyaniso, yaye inyaniso iya kunikhulula”!—Yohane 8:32.

Ewe, unqulo lokwenyaniso luyaluphelisa uloyiko!

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]

Iinkolo zasasazeka kwihlabathi lonke ukusuka apho zivela khona eBhabhiloni