Ukuphilisa Ngaba Kuvela KuThixo?

KWAQENGQELEKA iminyaka engama-38 le ndoda igula. UYesu wayibuza wathi, “Uyafuna na ukuba uphile?” Ukuba wawuyile ndoda, ngaba wawungayi kuphendula ngomdla ngokuthi Ewe ndiyafuna? Noko ke, uYesu wayixelela wathi: “Vuka, uthabathe ukhuko lwakho, uhambe.” Waba yintoni umphumo waloo mazwi? “Usuke kwaoko waphila umntu, waluthabatha ukhuko lwakhe, wahamba.”—Yohane 5:5-9.

Esi senzo sokuphilisa sobuthixo sasisesinye sezenzo ezininzi uYesu awathi waziphumeza ebudeni bobulungiseleli bakhe basemhlabeni. (Mateyu 11:4, 5) Abaphilisi namhlanje bathi uThixo usaphilisa ngolo hlobo, yaye baxhaswa nabubungqina obuvela kumawakawaka abantu abathi baye baphiliswa ngabo.

Umahluko Ocacileyo

Uhlolisiso lweBhayibhile lutyhila umahluko ocacileyo phakathi konyango oluchazwa eBhayibhileni nolo luchazwa ngabaphilisi namhlanje. Ngokomzekelo, uYesu nabafundi bakhe, abazange babize mali ngokuphilisa kwabo. UYesu wafundisa abafundi bakhe wathi, “Namkele ngesisa, yiphani ngesisa.” (Mateyu 10:8) Ngaloo ndlela balandela umzekelo owamiselwa nguElisha, owala isipho esasivela kwindoda egama linguNahaman lowo wamnyanga iqhenqa awayenalo. (2 Kumkani 5:1, 14-16) Ngoko ke, xa abaphilisi bebiza imali ngomsebenzi abawenzayo, bayawutyeshela lo mzekelo ungokweZibhalo.

Kwakhona kuyaphawuleka ukuba ukuphilisa okwakusenziwa kumaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile kwakukhawuleziswa okanye kwakugqitywa ngexesha nje elifutshane. Xa umpostile uPetros wabona indoda ‘eyayisisiqhwala kwasekuzalweni kwayo,’ wathi kuyo: “Egameni likaYesu Kristu umNazarete, vuka uhambe.” Ingxelo ityhila oku: “Zomelezeka kwalapho iinyawo [zale ndoda isisiqhwala] namaqatha ayo. Yesuka umtsi, yema, yahambahamba.” (IZenzo 3:1-8) Zifundele eminye imizekelo kwiZenzo 5:15, 16 nese-14:8-10.

Noko ke, unyango lwanamhlanje lokuphilisa ngokuqhelekileyo luthabatha iintsuku, iiveki kwaneenyanga ukuze lusebenze! Kwakhona, kuphawuleka ukuba abaphilisi bathanda ukunyanga izigulo ezifana nokuba yimfama, ukoma kwelungu elithile lomzimba okanye ukuba sisithulu—zigulo ezo ngamanye amaxesha ezichaphazela ingqondo kabani. Ugqirha otyandayo uPaul Brand uthi: “Lakungakwazi ukuguquguquka ilungu lomzimba—njengokulahlekelwa yimilenze, ngamehlo okanye ukuvaleka kweentunjana zentloko ezinokubangela ukungakhuli kweenwele—kunqabile ukuba imimangaliso yenzeke.” Noko ke, uYesu waphilisa ‘naluphi na uhlobo lwesifo nesigulo,’ kuquka neziphene zomzimba ngokucacileyo umntu awazalwa enazo, njengokoma isandla.—Mateyu 9:35; Marko 3:3-5.

‘Uswele Ukholo!’

Kulusizi ukuthi, abantu abaninzi abagula kabuhlungu baya ‘kubaphilisi’ baze babuyele emakhaya begula gqitha kunangaphambili. Abaphilisi bayazithethelela ngokungaphumeleli konyango olunjalo ngokuthi, ‘Baswele ukholo!’ Noko ke, oku kuvakala kububuqhophololo. Kunjengokuba uGqr. William Nolen esithi: “Ngokungafaniyo nogqirha oqhelekileyo, umphilisi osebenzisa amandla angaphaya kwawemvelo akaze abe netyala xa ukuphilisa kungaphumeleli. Ndimele ndivume ukuba bendingathanda ukukhetha ukusebenzisa isingxengxezo esilolo hlobo xa ndijamelana nesigulana endingenakukwazi ukusinyanga.”

Abaprofeti bakaThixo, uYesu, nokuba ngabafundi bakaYesu abazange bakubone kuyimfuneko ukunikela isingxengxezo sokuba lowo ugulayo wayengenakuphiliswa ngenxa yokuswela kwakhe ukholo. Kuyinyaniso ukuba, ukungabi nalukholo kusenokuba kwalinciphisa inani labantu ababesiza ukuze baphiliswe. Kodwa abo bathi beza, babesoloko bephiliswa ngokupheleleyo!—Marko 6:5, 6.

Eneneni, kwiimeko ezithile kwakunyangwa abantu ngokucacileyo ababeswele ukholo. Ngokomzekelo, uNahaman, umthethelimkhosi wokumkani wakwa-Aram, wayengakukholelwa ngokupheleleyo ukuba wayenokuphiliswa kwiqhenqa lakhe ngendlela umprofeti uElisha awalathisa ngayo. Kwaba semva kokuphila kwakhe kuphela apho wavumayo wathi: “Uyabona, ndiyaqonda ngoku ukuba akukho Thixo ehlabathini lonke, kukwaSirayeli kodwa.” (2 Kumkani 5:11-13, 15) Ngaloo ndlela izingxengxezo eziphuthileyo zabaphilisi azinabunyaniso.

Ukuphilisa—Isipho Esadlulayo

Kodwa akuyonyaniso na ukuba izipho ezimangalisayo zokuphilisa zaziqhelekile phakathi kwamaKristu okuqala? (1 Korinte 12:9) Ewe kuyinyaniso, kodwa kwakukho isizathu esiphilileyo ngemimangaliso eyayisenzeka emva apho. Kangangeminyaka eliwaka enesiqingatha, uhlanga loSirayeli wemvelo lwalungabantu bakaThixo abanyuliweyo; kodwa kwinkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, uSirayeli walahlwa ngenxa yokuswela kwakhe ukholo waza wathatyathelw’ indawo libandla lamaKristu elitsha. Loo maKristu okuqala ayefuna uncedo olungaqhelekanga ukuze omeleze ukholo lwawo nokuze anikele kwabangaphandle ubungqina bokuba ayexhaswa nguYehova uThixo.

Ngaloo ndlela, izipho ezimangalisayo, kuquka nezokuphilisa, zanikwa ibandla lamaKristu elalisandul’ ukumiselwa. Ezi zipho zasebenza ‘njengomqondiso’ kwabangakholwayo nanjengendlela yokwakha ukholo lwabangakholwayo. (1 Korinte 14:22) Noko ke, phantse kwiminyaka engamawaka amabini kamva, ubuKristu abusebubo obusakhasayo. (Thelekisa eyoku-1 yabaseKorinte 13:9-13.) IBhayibhile yagqitywa kudala yaye sele kuhanjiswe imibhalo yayo ezizigidi. Ngoko amaKristu okwenyaniso namhlanje anokuthi ngokulula alathisele abangakholwayo kuyo ukuze axhase oko akufundisayo. Izipho ezimangalisayo aziseyomfuneko.

Ngokubhekele phaya uPawulos wabonisa ukuba izipho ezimangalisayo ‘zaziya kubhangiswa.’ (1 Korinte 13:8) Izipho ezinjalo zazithi zidluliselwe kuphela xa kukho abapostile bakaKristu Yesu okanye zidluliselwe ngabo ngokungqalileyo. (IZenzo 8:18-20; 10:44-46; 19:6) Emva kokufa kwabapostile, izipho ezimangalisayo zaphela.

ICyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature ebhalwe nguMcClintock noStrong (Umqulu VI, iphepha 320) ithi “kuyinto engenakuphikiswa ukuba ebudeni bekhulu lokuqala leminyaka emva kokufa kwabapostile siva okuncinane okanye asiva nento le ngokwenza kwamaKristu okuqala imisebenzi yemimangaliso.”

Isizathu Sokuba Sibe Ngabalumkileyo

UYesu Kristu walumkisa ngelokuba kwakuya kufika ixesha laxa abaninzi babeya kuthi kuye: “Nkosi, Nkosi, sasingathe na egameni lakho saprofeta, sathi egameni lakho sakhupha iidemon, sathi egameni lakho senza imisebenzi yamandla emininzi?” Yaye uYesu wayeya kubaxelela athi: “Andizanga ndinazi; mkani kum, nina nenza okuchasene nomthetho.” (Mateyu 7:22, 23) Ngoko, yintoni ebangela ukuba babonakale bephumelela ekwenzeni “imisebenzi yamandla” ukuba asingomoya kaThixo?

Kwiimeko ezithile, kubonakala kubandakanyeke ubuqhophololo obuphandle. Ngokomzekelo, iphephandaba laseZimbabwe iThe Herald, lanikela ingxelo ngabantu abathathu abahlukahlukeneyo awathi umphilisi odumileyo wavakalisa ukuba wayebanyangile. Iphephandaba lakutyhila oku njengobuqhetseba xa lathi: “Omnye umntwana akakakwazi ukuva okanye ukuthetha; omnye akazange waba sisithulu okanye isimumu; nomfazi owayesisithulu, akakakwazi ukuva unangoku.”

Maxa wambi, ukuphilisa kubonakala kunomphumo kuba nje lowo unyangwayo enentembelo yokuba uza kuphila. Kwezinye iimeko—ingakumbi apho kuye kwadlula ithuba elide ngaphambi kokuba unyango lungqineke lunomphumo—kubonakala ukuba kubandakanyeke inkqubo yokuziphilisa komzimba engokwemvelo. UGqr. William Nolen kwincwadi ethi Science and the Paranormal uthi “malunga nama-80 ekhulwini abantu abagulayo abeza [kugqirha oqhelekileyo] banezifo ezihlala zihlale ziziphelele ngokunokwazo—oko kukuthi, zizifo abanokuphila kuzo ngamandla emvelo.” Ngoko ke, njengoko ixesha lihamba umphilisi unokuthi nje ngokulula afumane udumo ngendlela aphilisa ngayo.

Ekugqibeleni, iBhayibhile ilumkisa ngelokuba ‘uSathana ngokwakhe uzimilisa okwesithunywa sokukhanya’ ngelinge lokukhohlisa. (2 Korinte 11:14) Kweyesi-2 yabaseTesalonika 2:9, 10, uPawulos wacacisa ngokubhekele phaya esithi: “Ukufika [kongenamthetho, NW] kungokusebenza kukaSathana, ngayo imisebenzi yonke yamandla [“zonke iintlobo zemimangaliso,” The Jerusalem Bible] nemiqondiso, nezimanga zobuxoki, nangako ukulukuhla konke kokungalungisi kwabo batshabalalayo.” Ngoko lumka! Ukuphilisa kudla ngokuquka amandla obudemon! UPawulos walumkisa wathi: “Andithandi ke ukuba nibe ngamadlelane needemon nina. Aninako ukusela indebe yeNkosi nendebe yeedemon.”—1 Korinte 10:20, 21.

Xa UmKristu Egula

Kuyinyaniso ukuba, xa ubani egula unyango olumangalisayo lunokubonakala luyinto enomtsalane. Noko ke, phawula ukuba uEpafrodito owayesebenza noPawulos wagulel’ ukufa. (Filipi 2:25-27) Ngokunjalo iqabane elisondeleyo likaPawulos uTimoti wafumana ubunzima ngenxa ‘yobulwelwe bakhe obufuthi.’ (1 Timoti 5:23) Kanti, akukho nanye kula madoda uPawulos awayinyanga ngokwenza imimangaliso. Yaye xa uPawulos wayefuna ukunyanyekelwa ngamayeza, kusenokuba wasebenzisa uncedo lukaLuka, “igqirha eliyintanda,” awayehamba nalo.—Kolose 4:14.

Ngokunjalo namhlanje, umKristu ogulayo unokulufuna uncedo logqirha onesiqinisekiso sabo okanye ingcali yokunyanga, ephepha nakuphi na ukuchitha ixesha kunyango olunempembelelo yeedemon okanye kubantu abanyanga ngaphandle kolwazi ndlela ezo eziqhelekileyo kumazwe amaninzi namhlanje. Unako nokuthandaza, engathandazeli ukuphiliswa ngokungummangaliso, kodwa acele ubulumko bokujamelana nesigulo eso. (Yakobi 1:5) Usenako nokumkhunga uYehova ukuba ‘amxhase elukhukweni lobulwelwe.’—IiNdumiso 41:3.

Kuyavunywa ukuba, kunokuba yinto etyhafisayo xa oogqirha bezamayeza bengakwazi ukunyanga isifo esithile. Sekunjalo, naxa egula umKristu umele azame ‘ukuzicikida izinto eziziincamisa,’ engavumeli ukuxhalabela kwakhe impilo kukusithe ngokupheleleyo ukuxhalabela kwakhe imicimbi engokomoya. (Filipi 1:10) Unokuzithuthuzela ngethemba lokuphila phantsi koBukumkani bukaThixo xa ‘engayi kuthi ummi wakhona, Ndiyafa.’—Isaya 33:24; 65:17-19.

Ngokwenene, eli themba lehlabathi elitsha lobulungisa lixabiseke kude lee kunezithembiso ezingekhoyo ezithenjiswa ngabaphilisi. Cinga nje ngoPeter, indoda eyimfama ehlala eAkumadan, eGhana. Wachitha iminyaka engama-26 kwiicawa ezahlukahlukeneyo zokuphilisa ngethemba lokuba wayeya kunyangwa kubumfama anabo. Kodwa akukho namnye umphilisi owawavulayo amehlo akhe. Ngoko, ngoxa wayesaqhubeka njalo necawa yokuphilisa, wadibana namaNgqina kaYehova.

AmaNgqina acacisa ngokuphuma eBhayibhileni ukuba phantsi koBukumkani bukaThixo, ziya kupheliswa ngokupheleleyo zonke iziphene. Oku kwawavula amehlo engqondo kaPeter. Enoxabiso olunzulu ngeenyaniso ezimangalisayo zeBhayibhile, waba ngumvakalisi wexesha elizeleyo woBukumkani bukaThixo yaye uye wasebenza njengaye ngaphezu kweminyaka emithathu! Ukhangele phambili kwixesha laxa, ngokoqobo, “aya kuvulwa amehlo eemfama, zivulwe iindlebe zezithulu.”—Isaya 35:5, 6.

Ngoncedo lweLizwi likaThixo, abanye abangamawakawaka ngokufanayo baye bayeka ukuthembela ngokungafanelekanga kubaphilisi.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]

Abaphilisi abafane babanyange abantu abanezigulo zamalungu omzimba

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 7]

UmKristu ogulayo uthandazela amandla okunyamezela. Kwakhona ukhangele phambili kwihlabathi elitsha, apho ‘kungekho mmi wakhona uya kuthi, Ndiyafa’