Abemi BaseRoma Bafumana Ezona Ndaba Zilungileyo

UMONI unokuba lilungisa njani emehlweni kaThixo aze ngaloo ndlela azuze ubomi obungunaphakade? Lo mbuzo wabangela iingxubusho ezishushu ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Ngaba uyayazi impendulo? Enoba uyayazi okanye akuyazi, umele uyifunde ingxubusho yobuchule yompostile uPawulos ngale ngxaki kwincwadi yeBhayibhile yamaRoma. Ukwenjenjalo kuya kukunceda ukuqonde ukunxulumana okubalulekileyo okuphakathi kokholo, imisebenzi, ubulungisa nobomi.

UPAWULOS NENCWADI EYA KWABASEROMA

Incwadi eya kwabaseRoma yabhalwa nguPawulos malunga nowama-56 C.E. ebhalela amaKristu aseRoma. Kwakutheni ukuze abhale le ncwadi? Nangona uPawulos ngowama-56 C.E. wayengekatyeleli kwelaseRoma, ngokucacileyo wayesazi amaKristu amaninzi apho, ekubeni kwincwadi yakhe iqaqobana lawo elibize ngamagama. Ukongezelela koku, uPawulos wayekulangazelela ngamandla ukuya eRoma ukuze akhuthaze abazalwana bakhe abangamaKristu ababelapho, yaye kubonakala ukuba wayenenjongo yokumisa eRoma kutyelelo awayelucebile lobuvangeli basemazweni baseSpeyin.—Roma 1:11, 12; 15:22-24.

Noko ke, injongo eyintloko kaPawulos yokubhala le ncwadi yayikukuphendula umbuzo othi: Abantu banokwenza njani ukuze bazuze ubulungisa obukhokelela ebomini? Impendulo ibonakala izezona ndaba zilungileyo. Ubulungisa bubalwa ngesizinzi sokholo. UPawulos uyakugxininisa oku aze akwenze umxholo wencwadi yakhe xa ebhala esithi: “Andinazintloni ngazo iindaba ezilungileyo zikaKristu; kuba zingamandla kaThixo okusindisa bonke abakholwayo; umYuda kuqala, kwanomGrike. Kuba ngazo kutyhilwa ubulungisa bukaThixo, buphuma elukholweni buse elukholweni, njengokuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Olilungisa ke uya kudla ubomi ngokokholo.”—Roma 1:16, 17.

UKHOLO NOMTHETHO

Kwinkulungwane yokuqala, asinguye wonke ubani owayevuma ukuba ubulungisa babuphuma elukholweni. Iqaqobana elalikuvakalisa oku ngokuphandle laligxininisa kwelokuba kwakukho okungakumbi okwakufuneka. Ngaba uYehova akazange alungiselele uMthetho kaMoses? Kwakunokwenzeka njani ukuba nabani na ongalithobeliyo elo lungiselelo liphefumlelweyo abe lilungisa? (Bona amaGalati 4:9-11, 21; 5:2.) Ngonyaka wama-49 C.E., imbambano yokugcina uMthetho yaxutyushwa liqumrhu elilawulayo eYerusalem, yaye lagqiba kwelokuba akukho mfuneko yokuba abeeNtlanga abamkela iindaba ezilungileyo baluswe baze bagcine imimiselo yoMthetho wamaYuda.—IZenzo 15:1, 2, 28, 29.

Malunga neminyaka esixhenxe kamva, uPawulos wabhala le ncwadi eya kwabaseRoma exhasa eso sigqibo sibalulekileyo. Enyanisweni, wenza okungakumbi kunoko. UMthetho wawungaseyomfuneko kuphela nje kumaKristu aziiNtlanga kodwa amaYuda awayexhomekeke ekuwuthobeleni ayengasayi kuvakaliswa engamalungisa afanele azuze ubomi.

UBULUNGISA OBUNGOKOKHOLO

Njengoko ufunda incwadi yabaseRoma, uya kuphawula indlela uPawulos awuxhasa ngobuchule ngayo lo mcimbi, ezixhasa iingongoma zakhe ngokucaphula kakhulu kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere. Xa ethetha namaYuda, ekusenokuba ayenengxaki yokwamkela imfundiso yakhe ephefumlelweyo, ubonakalisa uthando nenkxalabo ngawo. (Roma 3:1, 2; 9:1-3) Sekunjalo, iingongoma zakhe uzibeka ngendlela ecace ngokuphawulekayo nangengqiqo engenakukhanyelwa.

KwabaseRoma isahluko 1 ukusa kwisahluko 4, uPawulos uqalisa ngenyaniso yokuba bonke bonile. Ngenxa yoko, abantu banokuvakaliswa bengamalungisa ngesizinzi sokholo kuphela. Enyanisweni, amaYuda azama ukuba ngamalungisa ngokugcina uMthetho kaMoses. Kodwa asilela. Ngenxa yoko, ngokungafihlisiyo uPawulos uthi: “AmaYuda kwanamaGrike, aphantsi kwesono onke.” Uyingqina le nyaniso ìngamkelwa ngokulula ngokucaphula iZibhalo eziliqela.—Roma 3:9.

Ekubeni ‘ngokwasemisebenzini yomthetho, kungayi kugwetyelwa nyama emehlweni akhe,’ liliphi ithemba elikhoyo? UThixo uya kuvakalisa abantu bengamalungisa njengesipho ngesizinzi sedini lentlawulelo likaYesu. (Roma 3:20, 24) Ukuze bakuzuze oku, bafanele babe nokholo kwelo dini. Ngaba imfundiso yokuba abantu baya kuvakaliswa bengamalungisa ngesizinzi sokholo intsha? Akunjalo. UAbraham ngokwakhe wavakaliswa elilungisa ngenxa yokholo ngaphambi kokuba kumiselwe umthetho.—Roma 4:3.

Emva kokubonisa ukubaluleka kokholo, kwisahluko 5 uPawulos uxubusha isizinzi sokholo kumaKristu. Esi singuYesu, owathi ngenxa yekhondo lakhe lobulungisa wayibhangisa imiphumo emibi yesono sika-Adam kwabo banokholo Kuye. Ngaloo ndlela, “ngesenzo esinye sobulungisa,” ingekuko ukuthobela uMthetho kaMoses, ‘kukho ukugwetyelwa ubomi kubo bonke abantu.’—Roma 5:18.

UKUCOMBULULA IIMPIKISWANO

Noko ke, ukuba amaKristu akakho phantsi koMthetho, yintoni ewathintelayo ukuba angenzi izono aze sekunjalo alindele ukuvakaliswa engamalungisa, ngobabalo oluvela kuThixo? UPawulos uyiphendula le mpikiswano kwabaseRoma isahluko 6. AmaKristu afile kwikhondo lawo elidluleyo lesono. Ubomi bawo obutsha ekuYesu buwanyanzelela ukuba alwe nobuthathaka bawo benyama. Uyawabongoza esithi: “Isono masingalawuli emzimbeni wenu onokufa.”—Roma 6:12.

Kodwa ngaba amaYuda, ubuncinane wona ke, awafanele abambelele kuMthetho kaMoses? Kwisahluko 7, uPawulos ucacisa ngenyameko ukuba oku akunjalo. Njengokuba umfazi otshatileyo ekhululekile emthethweni wendoda yakhe xa isifa, ngoko ukufa kukaYesu kwawakhulula amakholwa angamaYuda ekuthobeleni uMthetho. UPawulos uthi: “Nani nabulawa nafa kuwo umthetho ngawo umzimba kaKristu.”—Roma 7:4.

Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba kwakukho nto ithile iphosakeleyo ngoMthetho? Akunjalo konke konke. UMthetho wawugqibelele. Ingxaki yayikukuba abantu abangafezekanga babengenakukwazi ukuwuthobela uMthetho. UPawulos wabhala esithi: “Siyazi ukuba umthetho ungowomoya; ke mna ndingowenyama; kuthengiswe ngam, ndaba phantsi kwesono.” Umntu ongafezekanga akanakuwugcina uMthetho ogqibeleleyo yaye ngoko ugwetyiwe nguwo. Ngoko ke, hayi indlela ekuvuyisa ngayo ukuba “akukho kugwetywa kwabakuKristu Yesu”! AmaKristu athanjisiweyo aye enziwa oonyana bakaThixo ngomoya. Umoya kaYehova uyawanceda ukuba alwe nokungafezeki kwenyama. “Ngubani na oya kumangalela abanyulwa bakaThixo inguThixo nje obagwebelayo?” (Roma 7:14; 8:1, 33) Akukho nto inokubahlula eluthandweni lukaThixo.

UBULUNGISA NAMAYUDA EMVELO

Ukuba uMthetho awusafuneki nganto, oku kulushiya phi uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli? Yaye kuthekani ngazo zonke izibhalo ezithembisa ukubuyiselwa kukaSirayeli? Le mibuzo ixutyushwa kweyabaseRoma isahluko 9 ukusa kwese-11. IZibhalo zesiHebhere zaxela kwangaphambili ukuba ngamaSirayeli nje ambalwa awayeya kusindiswa yaye uThixo wayeya kuyiguqulela ingqalelo yakhe kwiiNtlanga. Ngokuvisisana noku, iziprofeto ezingokusindiswa kukaSirayeli azizalisekiswa nguSirayeli wokwemvelo kodwa libandla lamaKristu, elisekwe liqela lamaKristu angamaYuda okwemvelo nakholwayo laza lazaliswa ngabeeNtlanga abaneentliziyo ezilungileyo.—Roma 10:19-21; 11:1, 5, 17-24.

IMIGAQO YOBULUNGISA

KwabaseRoma isahluko 12 ukusa kwese-15, uPawulos uhlabela mgama ecacisa iindlela eziluncedo amaKristu athanjisiweyo anokwenza ngazo ukuze ahlale ngokuvisisana nokuvakaliswa kwawo engamalungisa. Ngokomzekelo, uthi: “Niyinikele imizimba yenu ibe lidini eliphilileyo, elingcwele, elikholekileyo kuThixo: inkonzo yenu ke leyo yasengqondweni. Kananjalo ningamilisi okweli phakade; manibe kumila kumbi ngokuhlaziyeka kwengqiqo yenu.” (Roma 12:1, 2) Sifanele sibe nentembelo kumandla okwenza okulungileyo yaye singalwisani nobubi ngobubi. Lo mpostile wabhala esithi, “Musani ukweyiswa bububi; boyise ububi ngokulungileyo.”—Roma 12:21.

IRoma yayisisazulu segunya lobupolitika ngemihla kaPawulos. Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos ngobulumko waluleka amaKristu esithi: “Yonke imiphefumlo mayiwalulamele amagunya awongamileyo. Kuba akukho gunya lingelilo elivela kuThixo.” (Roma 13:1) Iinkqubano zamaKristu omnye nomnye nazo ziyinxalenye yokuphila ngokuvisisana nobulungisa. UPawulos uthi: “Musani ukuba natyala lanto mntwini, lingelilo elokuthandana; kuba omthandayo omnye uzalise umthetho.”—Roma 13:8.

Ngapha koko, amaKristu afanele asicingele isazela somnye aze angabi ngagwebayo. UPawulos ubongoza esithi: “Masisukele izinto zoxolo, nezinto zokwakhana.” (Roma 14:19) Esinjani sona ukusebenziseka isiluleko kuzo zonke iinkalo zobomi bamaKristu! Wandula ke, kwisahluko 16, uPawulos aqukumbele ngemibuliso yobuqu namazwi okuqukumbela alukhuthazo nasisiluleko.

KUBATHANJISWA NAKWEZINYE IZIMVU

Umbandela oxutyushwe kwabaseRoma wawubalulekile kwinkulungwane yokuqala yaye usabalulekile nanamhlanje. Ubulungisa nobomi obungunaphakade zizinto ezo ezingumdla kubo bonke abakhonzi bakaYehova. Enyanisweni, incwadi eya kwabaseRoma yayibhalelwa ibandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo, nangona namhlanje inkoliso yamaNgqina kaYehova ‘ingabesihlwele esikhulu’ yaye benethemba lokuphila emhlabeni. (ISityhilelo 7:9) Sekunjalo, le ncwadi inesigidimi esibalulekileyo nakwaba. Sisiphi?

Incwadi eya kwabaseRoma ingqina ukuba amaKristu avakaliswa engamalungisa ngenxa yokholo. Kubathanjiswa, oku kubenza babe ngabalawuli noYesu kuBukumkani basezulwini. Noko ke, namalungu esihlwele esikhulu akwavakaliswa engamalungisa, kodwa ‘njengabahlobo bakaThixo,’ njengoko kunjalo ngosolusapho uAbraham. (Yakobi 2:21-23) Ubulungisa babo bubenza basinde kwimbandezelo enkulu, yaye oku kungenxa yokholo kwigazi likaYesu, njengokuba kwakunjalo ngabathanjiswa. (INdumiso 37:11; Yohane 10:16; ISityhilelo 7:9, 14) Ngenxa yoko, indlela uPawulos aqiqa ngayo kwabaseRoma ibaluleke gqitha kwezinye izimvu ndawonye nakubathanjiswa. Yaye isiluleko esihle sale ncwadi sokuphila ngokuvisisana nokuvakaliswa kwethu singamalungisa sibalulekile kuwo onke amaKristu.

IThe Book of Life, ehlelwe nguGqirha Newton Marshall Hall noIrving Francis Wood, ithi: “Ngenxa yengxoxo nemfundiso ekuyo [eyabaseRoma] ifikelela elona nqanaba liphakamileyo lemfundiso ephefumlelweyo kaPawulos. Iyathantamisa, ibhalwe ngobuchule, kodwa sekunjalo ithetha ngegunya. . . . Ukufundisisa le ncwadi kububutyebi nomvuzo omkhulu.” Kutheni ungazifundeli le ncwadi uze uyoliswe ‘ziindaba ezilungileyo’ eziquletheyo, ‘ezingamandla kaThixo okusindisa.’—Roma 1:16.

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“Akukho gunya [lehlabathi] lingelilo elivela kuThixo.” Oku akuthethi ukuba uThixo umisa igunya ngalinye elilawulayo esihlalweni. Kunoko, abalawuli behlabathi bakho kuphela ngemvume kaThixo. Kwiimeko ezininzi, uThixo uye wabaxela kwangaphambili abalawuli abangabantu yaye ngaloo ndlela baye “babekwa kwizikhundla ezisikelwe umda nguThixo.”—Roma 13:1, NW.

[Inkcazelo]

Museo della Civiltá Romana, Roma

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AmaKristu axelelwa oku: “Yambathani ke iNkosi uYesu Kristu.” Oku kuthetha ukuba afanele alandele ngokusondeleyo emanyathelweni kaYesu, emxelisa ngokubeka izilangazelelo ezingokomoya kuqala ebomini bawo kunokubeka ezokwenyama, ngaloo ndlela, ‘angakwenzeli ukukhwezelela iinkanuko zenyama.’—Roma 13:14.

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UPawulos waxelela abaseRoma ukuba ‘babulisane ngolwango olungcwele.’ Noko ke, apha wayengamiseli isiko elitsha elingokobuKristu okanye isithethe esingokonqulo. Ngomhla kaPawulos, ukuncamisa ebunzi, emlonyeni okanye esandleni ngokufuthi kwakudla ngokuba luphawu lokubulisa, uthando, okanye intlonelo. Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos wayebhekisa kwisiko elaliqhelekile ngomhla wakhe.—Roma 16:16.