Umanyano Luqinisekile NgoKristu
Iimbalasane Zeyabase-Efese
EKUQALENI kowama-52 C.E., umpostile uPawulos washumayela e-Efese. Esi sixeko sityebileyo sezorhwebo saseAsiya Mayina sasikwasisazulu sonqulo lobuxoki. Kodwa ubuKristu basasazeka apho emva kokuba uPawulos ebuyele e-Efese, ngokunokwenzeka ngobusika bowama-52/53 C.E. Wayenikela iintetho imihla ngemihla kwiholo yesikolo yaye wayenikela ubungqina kwindlu ngendlu ebudeni bokuhlala kwakhe apho iminyaka emithathu.—IZenzo 19:8-10; 20:20, 21, 31.
Ngoxa wayevalelwe entolongweni eRoma malunga nowama-60-61 C.E., uPawulos wabhalela amaKristu ase-Efese. Ukumanyana noYesu Kristu nokumanyaniswa ngaye kungumxholo wencwadi yakhe. Enyanisweni, kangangezihlandlo ezili-13 kubhekiselwa ‘kumanyano noKristu,’ ngaphezu kwayo nayiphi na enye incwadi uPawulos awayibhalayo. Njengabase-Efese, sinokungenelwa kumazwi kaPawulos angendima kaKristu, siphepha ukuziphatha okubi yaye sixhathisa imikhosi yoomoya abangendawo.
Umanyano Luyinjongo KaThixo
Okokuqala, uPawulos wachaza indlela uThixo awayeya kulwenza ngayo umanyano ngoKristu. (Efe 1:1-23) UYehova wayenenjongo yokuhlanganisa kwakhona zonke izinto ezisemazulwini nezisemhlabeni ‘ngokuhlela’ (indlela yokuhlela imicimbi). NgoKristu, uThixo wayeya kumanyanisa kunye naye abo bakhethelwe ubomi basezulwini nabanye ababeya kuphila emhlabeni. Namhlanje, uThixo uye wamanyanisa abathanjiswa ‘nesihlwele esikhulu,’ yaye ‘ukuhlanganiswa kwezinto zakhe zasemhlabeni’ kuya kuqhubeka de abo bakumangcwaba enkumbulo balive ilizwi likaYesu baphume. (ISityhilelo 7:9; Yohane 5:28, 29, NW) Sifanele sibe nombulelo ngako oku, kwananjengokuba uPawulos wathandazela ukuba abase-Efese balixabise ilungiselelo likaThixo ngabo.
Ngokulandelayo ingqalelo yalathiselwa kumaKristu eeNtlanga, awayefudula efile esonweni. (2:1–3:21) NgoKristu, uMthetho wawubhangisiwe ibe sibekiwe nesiseko sokuba amaYuda neeNtlanga zimanyaniswe zize zibe yitempile yokuba uThixo ahlale kuyo ngomoya. Ubugosa bukaPawulos babukukwenza yaziwe imfihlelo engcwele ukuze iiNtlanga zimanyaniswe noKristu, ezazinokuthi ngaye zisondele kuThixo zinokungafihlisi kokuthetha. Kwakhona uPawulos wathandazela abase-Efese, ngoku ecela ukuba uYehova ababangele bame beqinile ngokholo nothando.
Oothunywashe Abakhuthaza Umanyano
UPawulos wabonisa ukuba uThixo wayebanikile oothunywashe bokumanyanisa. (4:1-16) Phakathi kwaba ngumzimba omnye wokomoya olibandla. Lo mzimba usebenza ngokumanyeneyo ngaphantsi kobuntloko bukaKristu. Yaye ulungiselela izipho kubantu ukubanceda bonke ukuba bafikelele kubunye bokholo.
Kwakhona uYehova wenza kube nokwenzeka ukubonakalisa iimpawu zobuKristu ezikhuthaza umanyano. (4:17–6:9) Ekubeni embethe “umntu omtsha,” amaKristu ayaziphepha izinto ezingezozabuthixo ezinjengentetho engamanyala. Ahamba ngobulumko, ebonakalisa intlonelo kuKristu, yaye ebonakalisa ukuzithoba okufanelekileyo.
Ukongezelela koku, uThixo uwenza amaKristu abe nako ukuwachasa amandla omoya ongendawo ofuna ukuphazamisa umanyano lwethu. (6:10-24) Isikrweqe sokomoya esivela kuThixo sinikela inkuselo enjalo. Ngoko masisisebenzise size sithandaze ngokunyanisekileyo, siquka amakholwa angoowethu kwizikhungo zethu.
Esinjani sona ukuba sihle isiluleko uPawulos awasinika abase-Efese! Kwanga singasithobela ngokuphepha ukuziphatha okubi nokuxhathisa imikhosi yoomoya abangendawo. Yaye masiluxabise ngokunzulu umanyano esilunandiphayo ngoYesu Kristu.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]
Iintolo Ezinomlilo: Isikrweqe somoya siquka “ikhaka lokholo” elenzelwe ukucima, okanye ukuzenza zingabi namandla, “iintolo ezinomlilo” zikaSathana. (Efese 6:16) Zimbi zeentolo ezazisetyenziswa ngamaRoma zaziziingcongolo ezingenanto phakathi ezinesikhongozelo esenziwe ngentsimbi ngaphantsi kwendawo eyayizaliswa ngenaphtha (ioli etsha lula eyenziwe ngamalahle evuthayo). Zazidutyulwa ngezaphetha ezingaqinanga ukwenzela ukuba umlilo ungacimi, yaye ukuzigalela ngamanzi kuphela kwakusandisa ubungakanani bamadangatye. Kodwa amakhaka amakhulu ayewakhusela amajoni kwiintolo ezinjalo, kanye njengokuba ukholo kuYehova lubangela abakhonzi bakhe bakwazi “ukuzicima zonke iintolo ezinomlilo zakhe ongendawo.” Ewe, ukholo luyasinceda sixhathise izinto ezinjengeentlaselo zoomoya abangendawo kwakunye nezilingo zokwenza okubi, ukusukela ikhondo lobomi bokuthanda izinto eziphathekayo, nokunikezela kuloyiko namathandabuzo.