Imizekelo Yokuthobeka Esinokuyixelisa
“Ukuthobeka kwakho kuya kundenza mkhulu.”—INDUMISO 18:35, NW.
1. Bubuphi ubungqina bokuthobeka obabunokubonwa kowayesakuba ngumongameli weWatch Tower Society?
UJOSEPH F. RUTHERFORD wayeyindoda enesithozela, ekubeni wayengaphezu kwe-1,8 leemitha ubude yaye enobunzima obungaphezu kwama-90 eekhilogram. Kwakhona wayenelizwi elinamandla, awayelisebenzisa kungekuphela nje ekwenzeni igama likaYehova laziwe ngomlinganiselo elalingazange laziwe ngawo ngaphambili kodwa kwanasekubhenceni inkohliso yeenkokeli zonqulo zeNgqobhoko, elubiza unqulo lwazo ngokuba “lusisirhintyelo nesabatha.” Kodwa nangona iintetho zakhe zazinamandla ngolo hlobo, xa wayethandaza nentsapho yaseBheteli kwikomkhulu, wayevakala njengenkwenkwana ethetha noyise, ngaloo ndlela enikela ubungqina bolwalamano olusenyongweni awayenalo noMenzi wakhe nobokuthobeka kwakhe. Ewe, wayethobeke njengomntwana omncinane.—Mateyu 18:3, 4.
2. Kukweyiphi inkalo ngokukhethekileyo abakhonzi bakaYehova abahluke ngokupheleleyo ngayo kubantu behlabathi?
2 Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, bonke abakhonzi bakaYehova uThixo bokwenyaniso bathobekile. Kule nkalo bahluke ngokupheleleyo kubantu behlabathi. Namhlanje, kunanini na ngaphambili, lizaliswe ngabantu abanekratshi. Abasemagunyeni nabakwizikhundla eziphezulu, izityebi nabafundileyo, kwanabantu abaninzi abangamahlwempu nabo bahlelelekileyo ngezinye iindlela banekratshi.
3. Kunokuthiwani ngeziqhamo zekratshi?
3 Ikratshi libangela ukruthakruthwano nonxunguphalo olungathethekiyo. Eneneni, zonke iinkxwaleko ezikhoyo kwindalo zabangelwa kukuba isithunywa sezulu esithile saba nekratshi, safuna ukunqulwa ngendlela ekufanelwe kunqulwe uMdali, uYehova uThixo, kuphela ngayo. (Mateyu 4:9, 10) Ngaphezu koko, lowo wazenza uMtyholi noSathana, waphumelela ekulukuhleni umfazi wokuqala, uEva, ngokubhenela kwikratshi lakhe. Wamthembisa ukuba ukuba wayenokutya kwisiqhamo esalelweyo, wayenokufana noThixo, azi okulungileyo nokubi. Ukuba wayethobekile, ngewayethe, ‘Kutheni ndifanele ndifune ukufana noThixo?’ (Genesis 3:4, 5) Xa siqwalasela imeko elusizi uluntu olukuyo, emzimbeni, engqondweni nasekuziphatheni, hayi indlela ukuba nekratshi kwabantu okungathetheleleki ngayo! Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba sifunda ukuba uYehova ulithiyile “ikratshi nokukratsha”! (IMizekeliso 8:13) Imizekelo yokuthobeka efumaneka eLizwini likaThixo, iBhayibhile, yahluke ngokupheleleyo kubo bonke abanekratshi.
UYehova UThixo Uthobekile
4. Ziziphi izibhalo ezibonisa ukuba uYehova uthobekile?
4 UYehova uThixo—Osenyangweni, uMongami Wendalo Iphela, uKumkani wamaphakade—uthobekile. (Genesis 14:22) Ngaba oko kunokwenzeka? Kakade, kunokwenzeka! UKumkani uDavide wathi, njengokuba kubhaliwe kwiNdumiso 18:35 (NW): “Uya kundinika ikhaka lakho losindiso, yaye isandla sakho sokunene siya kundixhasa, yaye ukuthobeka kwakho kuya kundenza mkhulu.” Ngokucacileyo, uKumkani uDavide wavuma ukuba kukuthobeka kukaYehova okwakumenze, yena Davide, wamkhulu. Kwakhona, kwiNdumiso 113:6 (NW) sifunda ukuba uYehova “uyazithoba ukuze akhangele ezulwini nasemhlabeni.” Ezinye iinguqulelo zifundeka ngokuthi, “uyagoba ukuze akhangele,” (New International Version) “uyazithoba ukuze akhangele phantsi ezantsi kangaka.”—The New English Bible.
5. Ziziphi iziganeko ezingqinela ukuthobeka kukaYehova?
5 Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova uThixo wazithoba ngendlela awayeqhubana ngayo noAbraham, evumela uAbraham abuze ngobulungisa bakhe kwinjongo yakhe yokutshabalalisa izixeko ezingendawo zaseSodom naseGomora.a (Genesis 18:23-32) Yaye xa uYehova wavakalisa ukuba wayefuna ukulutshabalalisa uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli—ngesinye isihlandlo ngenxa yonqulo-zithixo, ngesinye isihlandlo ngenxa yemvukelo—sihlandlo ngasinye uMoses waqiqa noYehova ngokungathi wayethetha nomnye umntu. Sihlandlo ngasinye uYehova wayevumelana naye. Kwabonisa ukuthobeka ngaye ukuvuma izicelo zikaMoses awayezenza ngenxa yabantu Bakhe amaSirayeli. (Eksodus 32:9-14; Numeri 14:11-20) Eminye imizekelo yokuqhubana kukaYehova nabantu ngokuthobeka ubuso ngobuso, ngokungathi kunjalo inokubonwa kulwalamano lwakhe noGidiyon noYona, njengokuba ibhalwe kuBagwebi 6:36-40 nakuYona 4:9-11.
6. Luluphi uphawu lukaYehova olukubonisa ngokubhekele phaya ukuthobeka kwakhe?
6 Eneneni, ubuncinane izihlandlo ezisithoba, kuthiwa uYehova “uzeka kade umsindo.”b Ukuzeka kade umsindo kukaYehova ekuqhubaneni nezidalwa ezingafezekanga ukutyhubela amawaka eminyaka bubungqina obungakumbi bokuba uthobekile. Abantu abanekratshi abanamonde, bayakhawuleza ukuba nomsindo, bahluke kakhulu kwabazeka kade umsindo. Hayi indlela ukuthobeka kukaYehova okukwenza kubonakale kungenangqondo ngayo ukuba nekratshi kwabantu abangafezekanga! Ekubeni sixelelwa ukuba ‘sibe ngabaxelisa uThixo, ngokwabantwana abaziintanda,’ simele sithobeke njengokuba naye ethobekile.—Efese 5:1.
Umzekelo KaKristu Wokuthobeka
7, 8. Zithini iZibhalo ngokuthobeka kukaYesu Kristu?
7 Umzekelo wokuthobeka ongowesibini ngokubalasela esifanele siwuxelise ukhankanywa kweyoku-1 kaPetros 2:21: “Kuba nabizelwa oko; ngokuba noKristu weva ubunzima ngenxa yethu, esishiya nomzekelo, ukuze silandele emkhondweni wakhe.” Kwakudala ngaphambi kokuba eze emhlabeni engumntu, kwaprofetwa ngaye kuZekariya 9:9 kwathiwa: “Duma, ntombi inguYerusalem; yabona, uKumkani wakho uza kuwe, elilungisa, enosindiso, enentobeko, ekhwele e-esileni.” Ukuba uYesu Kristu wayenekratshi, ngewayezamkele izikumkani zehlabathi xa wayezithenjiswa nguMtyholi ukuba nje wayenokumnqula kube kanye. (Mateyu 4:9, 10) Kwakhona ukuthobeka kwakhe wakubonisa ngokulunikela kuYehova lonke uzuko ngoko wayekufundisa, esithi: “Xa nithe namphakamisa uNyana woMntu, noqonda oko ukuba ndinguye, nokuba andenzi nto ngokwam; ndisuka ndizithethe ezi zinto njengoko wandifundisayo uBawo.”—Yohane 8:28.
8 Ngokufanelekileyo wayenokuthi kubaphulaphuli bakhe: “Thabathani idyokhwe yam niyithwale, nifunde kum; ngokuba ndinobulali, ndithobekile ngentliziyo; noyifumanela ukuphumla imiphefumlo yenu.” (Mateyu 11:29) Yaye onjani wona ukuba mhle umzekelo wokuthobeka awawumiselayo ngokuhlamba iinyawo zabapostile bakhe ngobusuku bokugqibela enabo njengomntu! (Yohane 13:3-15) Ngokufaneleke ngokona kona, kwabaseFilipi 2:3-8, umpostile uPawulos ululeka amaKristu ukuba abe ‘nokuthobeka kwentliziyo,’ ecaphula uYesu Kristu njengomzekelo: “Yibani nale ngcinga kuni, wayenayo kuye uKristu Yesu: yena wathi, esebumeni bukaThixo, akathi ukulingana kwakhe oku noThixo kulixhoba; usuke wazihluba, wathabatha ubume bomkhonzi, enziwe wafana nabantu; wathi ngemo efunyenwe enjengomntu, wazithoba, waba ngolulamileyo, wada wesa ekufeni, ukufa ke [“kwasemthini wentuthumbo,” NW].” Xa wayejamelene neyona meko ibuhlungu yobomi bakhe, ngokuzithoba wathandaza kuYise wathi: “Makungabi njengokuthanda kwam, makube njengokuthanda kwakho.” (Mateyu 26:39) Ngokuqinisekileyo, ukuze sibe ngabaxelisa uYesu Kristu, abalandela emkhondweni wakhe, simele sithobeke.
Umpostile UPawulos, Umzekelo Omhle Wokuthobeka
9-12. Umpostile uPawulos wawumisela ngaziphi iindlela umzekelo omhle wokuthobeka?
9 Umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Yibani ngabaxelisa mna, njengokuba nam ndixelisa uKristu.” (1 Korinte 11:1) Ngaba umpostile uPawulos wamxelisa uYesu Kristu ngokuthobeka kwentliziyo, ngaloo ndlela esinika omnye umzekelo wokuthobeka esinokuwuxelisa? Ngokuqinisekileyo wenjenjalo. Okokuqala, ngokuthobeka wavuma ukuba wayengumkhonzi kaYesu Kristu. (Filipi 1:1) Waxelela abadala base-Efese ‘ngokukhonza kwakhe iNkosi, enako konke ukuthobeka kwentliziyo, neenyembezi ezininzi, nokulingwa okwamhlelayo ngamayelenqe amaYuda.’ (IZenzo 20:17-19) Ukuba wayengathobekanga, ngewayengazange awabhale amazwi afumaneka kumaRoma 7:18, 19: “Kuba ndiyazi ukuba ngaphakathi kwam, oko kukuthi enyameni yam, akumi okulungileyo . . . Kuba okulungileyo endikuthandayo, andikwenzi; khona okubi, endingakuthandiyo, oko ndiyakwenza.”
10 Okunye okubonisa ukuthobeka kukaPawulos koko wakubhalela amaKristu aseKorinte, njengokuba kubhalwe kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 2:3: “Mna kuni ndafika ndaba ngothambileyo, onokoyika, onokugubha okukhulu.” Ngokuthobeka ebhekisela kwikhondo lakhe langaphambi kokuba abe ngumKristu, wabhala: “Ngaphambili ndandingumnyelisi, nomtshutshisi, nomphathi kakubi. . . . UKristu Yesu weza ehlabathini ukuze asindise aboni; endingomkhulu kubo mna.”—1 Timoti 1:13, 15.
11 Okubonisa ukuthobeka kwakhe ngokubhekele phaya kukuba wazukisa uYehova uThixo ngako konke ukuphumelela kwakhe kwimigudu yakhe. Ngokuphathelele ubulungiseleli bakhe wabhala: “Mna ndatyala, uApolo wankcenkcesha, ke nguThixo owahlumisayo. Ngoko ke lowo utyalayo akalutho, nalowo unkcenkceshayo akalutho; oyinto nguThixo lo uhlumisayo.” (1 Korinte 3:6, 7) Kwakhona wacela abazalwana bakhe ukuba bamthandazele ukuze akwazi ukubunikela kakuhle ubungqina, njengokuba sifunda kwabase-Efese 6:18-20: “Nithandaza . . . nangenxa yam, ukuba ndiphiwe ilizwi ekuwuvuleni umlomo wam . . . ukuze ndingafihlisi ukuthetha [imfihlelo engcwele yeendaba ezilungileyo], njengoko ndimelwe kukuthetha ngako.”
12 Kwakhona uPawulos wabonisa ukuthobeka kwakhe ngendlela awayesebenzisana ngayo nabanye abapostile: “OoYakobi noKefas noYohane . . . basinika thina noBharnabhas izandla zokunene zobudlelane, ukuze siye thina kwiintlanga; bona ke baye kwabolwaluko.” (Galati 2:9) Ngokubhekele phaya wabonisa ukukulungela kwakhe ukusebenzisana nabadala bebandla laseYerusalem ngokuhamba kunye nabafana abane ababesiya etempileni beyokuzalisekisa isifungo esithile aze ahlawule iindleko zabo.—IZenzo 21:23-26.
13. Yintoni eyabangela ukuba ukuthobeka kukaPawulos kuphawuleke kangaka?
13 Ukuthobeka kukaPawulos kuphawuleka ngakumbi xa siphawula indlela awasetyenziswa ngamandla ngayo nguYehova uThixo. Ngokomzekelo, sifunda ukuba “waye noThixo esenza ngezandla zikaPawulos imisebenzi yamandla engahlali isihla.” (IZenzo 19:11, 12) Ngaphezu koko, wanikwa imibono nezityhilelo ezingaphaya kwamandla omntu. (2 Korinte 12:1-7) Kwakhona asifanele sikutyeshele ukuphefumlelwa kwakhe ukuba abhale iincwadi (eneneni iileta) ezili-14 kwezingama-27 zeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Konke oko akuzange kumenze azikhukhumalise. Waqhubeka ethobekile.
Imizekelo Yanamhlanje
14-16. (a) Umongameli wokuqala weWatch Tower Society wayengumzekelo omhle njani wokuthobeka? (b) Umzekelo wakhe wahluke ngokupheleleyo kokabani?
14 KumaHebhere 13:7, sifunda isiluleko sompostile uPawulos: “Bakhumbuleleni abakhokeli benu, abalithethayo kuni ilizwi likaThixo; nisingasinga impumelelo yehambo yabo, nixelise bona elukholweni lwabo.” Ngokuvisisana nalo mgaqo, sinokuthabatha umongameli wokuqala weWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society, uCharles Taze Russell njengomzekelo wanamhlanje, esinokuxelisa ukholo lwakhe. Ngaba wayeyindoda ethobekileyo? Eneneni wayeyiyo! Njengokuba kuye kwaphawulwa, kwincwadi yakhe ethi Studies in the Scriptures, eyimiqulu emithandathu enamaphepha amalunga nama-3 000, akazange abhekisele nokuba kukanye kwisiqu sakhe. Iimpapasho zeWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society namhlanje zilandela lo mgaqo ngokungalathiseli ingqalelo ebantwini ngokuchaza ababhali bamanqaku akuzo.
15 KwiMboniselo, uRussell wakha wabhala ukuba wayengazi nto “ibubuRussell” “nabalandeli bakaRussell,” magama lawo awayesetyenziswa ngabachasi bakhe kodwa yena ewakhaba ngawo omane. Wabhala: “Umsebenzi wethu . . . ubukukuhlanganisa la masuntwana enyaniso kudala esasazekile size siwanikele kubantu beNkosi—kungekhona njengamatsha, kungekhona njengawethu, kodwa njengaweNkosi. . . . Lo msebenzi ekuye kwakholeka eNkosini ukuba isebenzise isakhono sethu esingento kuwo ubungengomsebenzi wokusungula izinto koko ubungowokuvelisa oko sekwakhiwe, owokulungisa nowokuvisisanisa izinto.” Ngokwenene, wayevakalisa amazwi afana nawompostile uPawulos, afumaneka kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 3:5-7.
16 Isimo sakhe sengqondo sasahluke ngokupheleleyo kweso sikaCharles Darwin. Kuhlelo lwakhe lokuqala lwencwadi ethi The Origin of Species ngowe-1859, izihlandlo eziliqela uDarwin wasebenzisa amazwi athi ingcamango “yam,” ekutyeshela oko abanye ngaphambi kwakhe babekuthethile ngendaleko. Umbhali odumileyo waloo nkulungwane, uSamuel Butler, wamgxeka kanobom uDarwin, ebonisa ukuba ngaphambili abanye abaninzi babeyihambisele phambili ingcamango yendaleko; yayingasungulwanga nguDarwin konke konke.
17. Yiyiphi imizekelo engakumbi yokuthobeka kukaMzalwan’ uRutherford?
17 Omnye umkhonzi othembekileyo kumaxesha anamhlanje owasetyenziswa ngamandla nguYehova uThixo yayinguJoseph F. Rutherford, okhankanywe ekuqaleni. Wayengummeli ongafihlisiyo wenyaniso yeBhayibhile yaye ngokukodwa wegama likaYehova. Nangona wayesaziwa ngokubanzi ngokuba nguJudge Rutherford, entliziyweni yakhe wayeyindoda ethobekileyo. Ngokomzekelo, wakha wathetha eqinisekile ngoko amaKristu ayenokukulindela ngowe-1925. Xa iziganeko zingazange zikuxhase oko wayekulindele, ngokuthobeka waxelela intsapho yaseBheteli eBrooklyn ukuba wayevakalelwa kukuba uzenze isibhanxa. Omnye umKristu othanjisiweyo owayesisinxulumani sakhe esisenyongweni wathi wamva izihlandlo eziliqela uMzalwan’ uRutherford ecela uxolo ngendlela evumelana noMateyu 5:23, 24, esidlangalaleni nangasese, kuba wayekhathaze omnye umKristu ngendlela awayethethe ngayo. Kufuneka ukuthobeka ukuze ubani okwisikhundla segunya acele uxolo kwabo bangaphantsi kwakhe. UMzalwan’ uRutherford wabamisela umzekelo omhle bonke abaveleli, enoba kusebandleni, kumsebenzi wokuhambahamba, okanye kwelinye lamasebe oMbutho.
18. Ngawaphi amazwi abonisa ingqondo ethobekileyo awathethwa ngumongameli wesithathu woMbutho?
18 Umongameli wesithathu weWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society, uNathan H. Knorr, naye wabonisa ukuba, nangona wayebalasele kangako phakathi kwabantu bakaYehova, wayengaziva ephakamile ngenxa yesikhundla awayekuso. Nangona wayenobuchule obubalaseleyo kulungelelwaniso nasekuthetheni esidlangalaleni, wayenentlonelo enzulu ngoko abanye babekwenza. Ngaloo ndlela, wakha watyelela ilungu leSebe Lokubhala kwiofisi yalo waza wathi: “Apha kulapho owona msebenzi ubalulekileyo nowona unzima wenziwa khona. Kungenxa yoko ndingawenzi kangako.” Ewe, ngokuthobeka wayesebenzisa isiluleko esikweyabaseFilipi 2:3, sokuba ‘ngokuthobeka kwentliziyo umntu ababalele abanye ekuthini ngabona bongamileyo kunaye.’ Wayeqonda ukuba nangona ukukhonza njengomongameli woMbutho kwakubalulekile, neminye imisebenzi yayibalulekile. Kwakufuneka athobeke ukuze avakalelwe ngaloo ndlela nokuze oko akuthethe ngokuphandle ngolo hlobo. Wayengomnye umzekelo omhle sonke esimele siwuxelise, ngokukodwa abo bakwizikhundla ezibalaseleyo zokuvelela.
19, 20. (a) Nguwuphi umzekelo wokuthobeka owamiselwa ngumongameli wesine woMbutho? (b) Inqaku elilandelayo liza kusinceda njani ekubonakaliseni ukuthobeka?
19 Umongameli wesine woMbutho, uFred W. Franz, naye wayengumzekelo omhle wokuthobeka. Njengesekela lomongameli woMbutho iminyaka emalunga nama-32, wayesenza umsebenzi omkhulu ekubhaleni amaphephancwadi neentetho zendibano; kodwa kule nkalo wayesoloko ezama ukungabalaseli, engalathiseli ingqalelo kuye. Kusenokucatshulwa umzekelo ofanayo wamandulo. Xa uYowabhi woyisa ama-Amon eRabha, waqinisekisa ukuba uKumkani uDavide wayefumana uzuko ngolo loyiso.—2 Samuweli 12:26-28.
20 Eneneni, kukho imizekelo emininzi emihle kakhulu, eyamandulo neyanamhlanje, esinika izizathu ezinamandla zokuthobeka. Noko ke, kukho izizathu ezininzi ngakumbi zokuba sithobeke, yaye ezi kwanezinto ezisinceda sithobeke ziza kuxutyushwa kwinqaku elilandelayo.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Igama lesiNgesi elithi “condescend” (ukuzithoba) ngokufuthi lisetyenziswa ngentsingiselo “yokuphakamela omnye umntu.” Kodwa intsingiselo yalo eyintloko—nentsingiselo elisetyenziswe ngayo kwiNew World Translation—ithetha “ukungabi ngqongqo,” “ukungagxininisi kumalungelo esikhundla sikabani.”—Bona iWebster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.
b Eksodus 34:6; Numeri 14:18; Nehemiya 9:17; INdumiso 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Yoweli 2:13; Yona 4:2; Nahum 1:3.
Uyakhumbula Na?
◻ Zibe yintoni iziqhamo zekratshi?
◻ Ngubani oye wamisela owona mzekelo mhle wokuthobeka?
◻ Yintoni ebonisa ukuba ngubani owamisela umzekelo wokuthobeka ongowesibini ngokubalasela?
◻ Umpostile uPawulos wamisela wuphi umzekelo omhle wokuthobeka?
◻ Yiyiphi imizekelo yokuthobeka yanamhlanje ebalaseleyo esinayo?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
UYesu wakubonakalisa kakuhle ukuthobeka
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
UPawulos wamisela umzekelo omhle wokuthobeka
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
UMzalwan’ uRussell akazange azizukise ngezinto awayezibhala