Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
◼ Ngaba kukho umlinganiselo othile ngeminyaka yobudala bomfana ongumKristu ukuze anconyelwe njengesicaka solungiselelo ebandleni?
Hayi, iBhayibhile ayinikeli nawuphi na umlinganiselo ongeminyaka yobudala.
KuSirayeli wamandulo, kwiimeko ezithile uThixo wayiqingqa iminyaka. Amadoda awayebhaliselwa inkonzo yasemkhosini ayemele abe nama-20 eminyaka ubudala; amakhwenkwana nje ayengathunyelwa edabini, njengoko kusenzeka kwezinye iindawo namhlanje. Iminyaka yayikwabalulekile kubaLevi. AmaKehati awayekhonza emnqubeni ayemele asusele kwiminyaka engama-30 ukuya kuma-50 ubudala. Ngoba? Oko kuqingqwa kwakhankanywa malunga ‘nokusebenza imisebenzi ngemisebenzi, nomsebenzi wokuthwala ententeni yokuhlangana.’ (Numeri 4:3, 47) Kubonakala ngathi abaLevi babenokuqalisa ukwenza imisebenzi elula xa babeneminyaka engama-25, kodwa babemele babe neminyaka engama-30 ngaphambi kokuba nesabelo kumsebenzi onzima namalungelo angakumbi embopheleleko yokuchitha, ukuthwala kunye nokuhlanganisa umnquba. (Numeri 8:24-26) Kamva umsebenzi onzima kangako wawungaz’ ukuba yimfuneko etempileni, ngoko abaLevi baqalisa ukusebenza beneminyaka engama-20.—1 Kronike 23:24.
Kodwa xa uYehova wayeka ukusebenzisa uSirayeli wemvelo waza waqalisa ukusebenzisa uSirayeli wokomoya, ngaba wamisa umlinganiselo othile weminyaka ukuze umntu abe sisicaka solungiselelo (umdikoni) kumabandla amaKristu?
Ubani angacinga ngolo hlobo, ngokusekelwe kwingxelo yeenkulungwane ezidluleyo. KwiCawa yamaRoma Katolika, umdikoni “ligosa elimiselweyo, ngokusondele kakhulu phantsi koluhlu lwabefundisi, ngokoluhlu lobuthixo kwiqumrhu labaphathi eCaweni.” IAntiquities of the Christian Church kaBingham ithi: “Oobhishophu nabefundisi [abadala] . . . ngokuqhelekileyo abanakumiselwa ngaphambi kweminyaka engamashumi amathathu; kodwa amadikoni ebevumelekile ukumiselwa eneminyaka engamashumi amabini anesihlanu, kodwa kungekhona ngaphambi koko. Esi sisigqibo esamiswa kokubini ngumthetho wamalungelo abemi kunye nomthetho weecawa . . . Kunqabile ukuba sidibane nomzekelo wobani owamiselwa ngaphambi kweminyaka engamashumi amabini anesihlanu, kuyo yonke imbali yeCawa.”
Ziziphi ke ngoko, iimfaneleko ezifunyanwa eBhayibhileni? Ekuphela kwezinikelweyo zezo zikhankanywe kweyoku-1 kuTimoti 3:8-10, 12, 13: “Kwangokunjalo abalungiseleli bamelwe kukuba nokundileka, bangabi ntlolela yombini, bangazinikeli kwiwayini eninzi, bangangxameli nzuzo imbi; mababe nemfihlo yokholo esazeleni esihlambulukileyo. Nabo aba ke mabacikidwe ukuqala; bandule ke ukulungiselela, bengabangenakumangaleleka. Abalungiseleli mababe ngamadoda abafazi ngabanye, besongamela kakuhle abantwana nezindlu ezizezabo. Kuba abo balungiselele kakuhle, bazizuzela isimo esihle, nokungafihlisi okukhulu ekukholweni, okukuKristu Yesu.”
Sinokubona apha ukuba akukho mlinganiselo wobudala umiselweyo wokumiselwa njengesicaka solungiselelo. Ngoko xa abadala behlanganisene ukuze baxubushe ngeemfanelo zamadoda asebandleni, banokukhumbula ukuba akukho siseko singokweBhayibhile semfuneko yokuba indoda engumKristu imele ibe neminyaka engama-20, engama-25, okanye engama-30 ubudala ngaphambi kokuba ibe inganconyelwa ize isebenze. IBhayibhile ibhekisela kwabo bakwesi sikhundla ‘njengamadoda alungiselela kakuhle,’ ngoko bekungangenkankulu ukuba silindele ukuba babe okanye baphakathi kwiminyaka yabo yeshumi elivisayo. Ingqina oku, iBhayibhile ithi izicaka zolungiselelo ezinjalo zisenokuba sezitshatile yaye zinabantwana.
Ngaphezu koko, amadoda anconyelwe njengezicaka zolungiselelo amele abe ‘ngacikidiweyo,’ abonakale engalawo anesimo sokunyamekela iimbopheleko. Oko akuthethi ukuba angenela ithuba lokusebenza phantsi kweemeko zokucikidwa. Endaweni yoko, amele abe azibonakalise ekhulile ngokobuKristu kangangexesha elisengqiqweni (ubuncinane abe nonyaka ebhaptiziwe), abe nentumekelelo yaye akwazi ukunyamekela imicimbi ayabelwayo. Ukuba umfana oselula ‘onokundileka’ uyazibonakalisa ezi mpawu, yaye uthobekile kwaye ehlangabezana nezinye iimfaneleko, abadala banokumncomela ukuba amiselwe kwanokuba akakabi nawo ama-20 eminyaka ubudala. Amanye amadoda anokuba ngakhule ngakumbi ngokweminyaka xa ebonakala ngokucacileyo ukuba ayahlangabezana nezi mfaneleko ‘zokulungiselela kakuhle, ezizuzele isimo esihle, nokungafihlisi okukhulu.’