Ithemba Elilunge Ngakumbi Ngomphefumlo

AMAJONI amaRoma ayengayilindelanga le nto. Njengoko ayembonzeleka kwinqaba ekwintaba yeMasada, inqaba yokugqibela yemikhosi yemvukelo yamaYuda, azilungiselela ukubulala iintshaba zawo, imikhwazo yamadoda emfazwe, nezikhalo zamabhinqa nabantwana. Kunoko eva isandi sokuvutha komlilo kuphela. Njengoko ayehlola loo nqaba yayisitsha, amaRoma ayiqonda intlekele eyayenzekile: iintshaba zawo—abantu abakuma-960—zazisele zifile! Ngendlela elungeleleneyo, abaphumi-mkhosi abangamaYuda babulala iintsapho zabo, bandula ke baxabelana bodwa. Indoda yokugqibela yazibulala.a Yintoni eyayibangele ukuba babulale abantu abaninzi kangaka baze bazibulale ngokumasikizi ngolo hlobo?

Ngokutsho kombhali-mbali owayephila ngelo xesha uJosephus, uthunywashe oyintloko yayiyinkolelo yokungafi komphefumlo. UEleazar Ben Jair, inkokeli yamaZealot aseMasada, ekuqaleni wazama ukweyisela amadoda akhe kwelokuba ukuzibulala kwakuya kuba yinto endiliseke ngakumbi kunokubulawa okanye ukwenziwa amakhoboka ngamaRoma. Akubona ukuba ayathandabuza, wabhenela ekwenzeni intetho echukumisayo ngomphefumlo. Wawaxelela ukuba umzimba wawuliqokobhe nje, intolongo yomphefumlo. Wahlabela mgama esithi: “Kodwa xa ukhululwe kule ntolongo yasemhlabeni uvalelwe kuyo, umphefumlo ubuyela kwindawo yawo, eneneni wandula ke uthabathe amandla asikelelweyo nokomelela okungasikelwe mda, uhlale ungabonakali emehlweni omntu njengoko enjalo noThixo Ngokwakhe.”

Asabela njani? UJosephus uthi emva kokuba uEleazar ethethe wophela ngale ngcamango, “bonke abaphulaphuli bakhe abazange balinde nokuba agqibe ukuthetha yaye bezaliswe lihlombe elingalawulekiyo bakwenza ngokukhawuleza oko.” UJosephus wongezelela athi: “Bemka bengxamile ngokungathi baqhutywa yinto ethile, wonk’ ubani efuna ukuba phambili kunabanye, . . . babefikelwe ngumnqweno onganyamezelekiyo wokuba babulale abafazi babo, abantwana babo baze bazibulale nabo.”

Lo mzekelo umanyumnyezi ubonisa indlela imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo enokuyiguqula ngokunzulu ngayo imbono eqhelekileyo yabantu ngokufa. Abo bakholelwa kuyo bafundiswa ukuba ukufa bakujonge, kungekhona njengolona tshaba luphambili lomntu, kodwa njengendlela ekhulula umphefumlo ukuze ube kwindawo ebhetele. Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze la maYuda angamaZealot akholelwe kuloo nto? Abaninzi bebeya kucinga ukuba imibhalo yawo engcwele, iZibhalo zesiHebhere, ifundisa ukuba umntu unomoya ophilayo ngaphakathi kwakhe, umphefumlo ophumayo uze uqhubeke uphila emva kokufa. Ngaba kunjalo ngokwenene oko?

Umphefumlo KwiZibhalo ZesiHebhere

Ngamafutshane, akunjalo. Kwakwincwadi yokuqala yeBhayibhile, iGenesis, sixelelwa ukuba umphefumlo asiyonto onayo, yinto oyiyo. Sifunda oku ngoAdam, umntu wokuqala: “Umntu ke waba ngumphefumlo ophilileyo.” (Genesis 2:7, akekeliswe sithi.) Igama lesiHebhere elisetyenziswe apha ukubhekisela kumphefumlo, elithi neʹphesh, livela izihlandlo ezingaphezulu kwama-700 kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere, aliyidluliseli nakanye ingcamango yelungu elithile elahlukileyo, elingabonakaliyo nelingumoya emntwini. Kunoko, umphefumlo uyabonakala, uyinto yokwenene, yokwenyama.

Khawuhlole ezi zibhalo zilandelayo kowakho umbhalo weBhayibhile, kuba igama lesiHebhere elithi neʹphesh liyafumaneka kwisibhalo ngasinye. Zibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba umphefumlo unokuba sesichengeni, engozini yaye unokuthinjwa (Duteronomi 24:7; ABagwebi 9:17; 1 Samuweli 19:11); unokuchukumisa izinto (Yobhi 6:7); unokubotshwa ngesinyithi (INdumiso 105:18); unokulamba, ucinezeleke ngenxa yokuzila, yaye ufe isiqaqa ngenxa yokulamba nokunxanwa; yaye unokuthwaxwa sisifo sokungcumbeka okanye ude ungakwazi ukulala ngokwaneleyo ngenxa yentlungu. (Duteronomi 12:20; INdumiso 35:13; 69:10; 106:15; 107:9; 119:28) Ngamanye amazwi, ngenxa yokuba umphefumlo wakho unguwe, wena siqu, umphefumlo wakho unokuva nantoni na onokuyiva.b

Ngoko ke, ngaba oko kuthetha ukuba umphefumlo ngokwenene unokufa? Ewe. Kunokuba ingafi, kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere imiphefumlo yabantu kuthiwa ‘iyanqunyulwa,’ okanye ibulawe, ngenxa yokwenza okubi, ibethwe ife, igetyengwe, itshatyalaliswe yaye idlavulwe ibe ziziqa. (Eksodus 31:14; Duteronomi 19:6; 22:26; INdumiso 7:2) UHezekile 18:4 uthi: “Umphefumlo owonayo, kuya kufa wona.” Kuyacaca ukuba ngokuqhelekileyo ukufa kusisiphelo semiphefumlo yabantu, ekubeni sonke sonayo. (INdumiso 51:5) Umntu wokuqala, uAdam, waxelelwa ukuba isohlwayo sesono kukufa—kungekhona ukufuduselwa kummandla womoya nowokungafi. (Genesis 2:17) Yaye xa wonayo, kwavakaliswa esi sigwebo: “Ngokuba uluthuli, uya kubuyela kwaseluthulini.” (Genesis 3:19) Xa uAdam noEva bafayo, baba koko iBhayibhile ngokufuthi ikubiza ngokuthi ‘yimiphefumlo efileyo’ okanye ‘imiphefumlo eswelekileyo.’—Numeri 5:2, NW; Num 6:6.

Akumangalisi ukuba iThe Encyclopedia Americana ithethe yenjenje ngokuphathelele umphefumlo kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere: “Imfundiso yeTestamente Endala ngomntu yileyo yomanyano, kungekhona ukumanyana komphefumlo nomzimba.” Yongezelela ithi: “Inefesh . . . ayize iqondwe njengesebenza ngokwahlukileyo emzimbeni.”

Ngoko ke, amaYuda athembekileyo ayekugqala kuyintoni ukufa? Xa siyibeka ngokungqalileyo, ayekholelwa ukuba ukufa kusisichasi sobomi. INdumiso 146:4 isixelela oko kwenzekayo xa umoya, okanye amandla okuphila, ushiya umntu: “Uyaphuma umoya wakhe, abuyele yena emhlabeni wakhe; ngaloo mini ayatshitsha amabhongo akhe.”c Ngokufanayo, uKumkani uSolomon wabhala esithi abafileyo “abazi lutho.”—INtshumayeli 9:5.

Ngoko ke, kwakutheni ukuze amaYuda amaninzi enkulungwane yokuqala, anjengamaZealot aseMasada, aqiniseke ngolo hlobo ukuba umphefumlo awufi?

Impembelelo YamaGrike

Le ngcamango amaYuda ayifumana kumaGrike, kungekhona eBhayibhileni. Kubonakala ukuba le ngcamango yaqalisa kumahlelo onqulo oluntsonkothileyo lwamaGrike yaza yaya kwintanda-bulumko yamaGrike phakathi kwenkulungwane yesixhenxe neyesihlanu ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Ingcamango yokuphila emva kokufa apho imiphefumlo emibi yohlwaywa kabuhlungu khona yayinomtsalane gqitha, yaye loo ngcamango yayilwa yaza yasasazeka. Izithandi-bulumko zazihlala ziphikisana ngento oyiyo ngokwenene umphefumlo. UHomer wayesithi umphefumlo wawuphephetheka umke xa umntu esifa, ubhubhuzele, untyiloze, okanye urhwashaze ngokuvakalayo. UEpicurus wayesithi umphefumlo wawunobunzima yaye, ngoko, wawungumzimba onobunzima obuncinane gqitha.d

Kodwa mhlawumbi oyena mmeli ubalaseleyo wemfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo yayisisithandi-bulumko esingumGrike uPlato, owayephila ngenkulungwane yesine ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Indlela awakuchaza ngayo ukufa komfundisi wakhe, uSocrates, ibonisa ukuba wayeneenkolelo ezifana twatse nezamaZealot aseMasada eenkulungwane eziliqela kamva. Njengoko umphengululi uOscar Cullmann echaza, “uPlato usibonisa indlela uSocrates afa ngayo eseluxolweni yaye ezole ngokupheleleyo. USocrates ufa kamnandi. Ayikho into apha ebonisa ukuba ukufa kuyoyikeka. USocrates akakoyiki ukufa, ekubeni enyanisweni kusikhulula emzimbeni. . . . Ukufa kungumhlobo omkhulu womphefumlo. Ufundisa ngolo hlobo; yaye ngolo hlobo, ngokuvisisana kakuhle nemfundiso yakhe, uyafa.”

Kuyacaca ukuba kwakusebudeni bexesha lamaMakhabhi, ngenkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi kobukho bukaKristu, awathi amaYuda aqalisa ukwamkela le mfundiso kumaGrike. UJosephus usixelela ukuba ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo abaFarisi namaEssene—amaqela amakhulu onqulo lwamaYuda—ayamkela le mfundiso. Imibongo emele ukuba yabhalwa ngelo xesha iyathetha ngale nkolelo.

Noko ke, kuthekani ngoYesu Kristu? Ngaba yena nabalandeli bakhe babefundisa le ngcamango eyayivela kunqulo lwamaGrike?

Imbono YamaKristu Okuqala Ngomphefumlo

Imbono yamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ngomphefumlo yayahlukile kuleyo yamaGrike. Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngokufa komhlobo kaYesu uLazaro. Ukuba uLazaro wayenomphefumlo ongafiyo owaphephetheka wemka, ukhululekile yaye wonwabile, ekufeni kwakhe, ngaba ingxelo ekuYohane isahluko 11 ibingayi kufundeka ngolunye uhlobo? Ngokuqinisekileyo uYesu ngewayebaxelele abalandeli bakhe ukuba uLazaro wayephila yaye onwabile ezulwini; kunoko, wavumelana neZibhalo zesiHebhere, wabaxelela ukuba uLazaro wayelele, engekho zingqondweni. (Yoh 11 Indinyana 11) Ngokuqinisekileyo uYesu ngewayevuyile ukuba umhlobo wakhe wayenandipha ubomi obutsha obuchulumancisayo; kunoko, simfumana elila esidlangalaleni ngenxa yokufa kwakhe. (Yoh 11 Indinyana 35) Ngokuqinisekileyo, ukuba umphefumlo kaLazaro wawusezulwini, wonwabile ngenxa yokungafi, uYesu wayengenakuyenza inkohlakalo yokumbuyisa ukuze aphile iminyaka embalwa ‘entolongweni’ yomzimba ongafezekanga wokwenyama phakathi koluntu olugulayo nolufayo.

Ngaba uLazaro wavuka ebalisa amabali amnandi ngeentsuku zakhe ezine ezimangalisayo engumntu womoya okhululekileyo? Hayi, akazange enjenjalo. Abo bakholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo baya kuphendula ngokuthi oku kwakubangelwa kukuba oko kwabonwa yile ndoda kwakungachazeki ngamazwi. Kodwa eso sizathu asibambeki; ngapha koko, ngaba uLazaro wayengayi kubaxelela abo abathandayo loo nkcazelo incinane ke—ukuba wayebone into emangalisa gqitha kangangokuba ayichazeki? Kunoko, uLazaro akazange abalise ngezinto ezenzekayo xa wayefile. Khawufan’ ucinge—angathethi nto ngomnye weyona mibandela uxhalabisa abantu kunayo nayiphi na eminye: wokuba kunjani ukufa! Sinye kuphela isizathu sokuba angabalisi. Kwakungekho nto wayenokuyibalisa. Abafileyo balele, abakho zingqondweni.

Ngoko ke, ngaba iBhayibhile ichaza ukufa njengomhlobo womphefumlo, indlela ethile ephakathi kwamanqanaba okuphila? Akunjalo! KumaKristu okwenyaniso anjengompostile uPawulos, ukufa kwakungenguye umhlobo; ‘kwakulutshaba lokugqibela.’ (1 Korinte 15:26) AmaKristu akugqala ukufa, kungekhona njengento yokwemvelo, kodwa njengento eyoyikekayo, engeyoyamvelo, kuba kungumphumo ongqalileyo wesono nokuvukelwa kukaThixo. (Roma 5:12; 6:23) Akuzange kube yinxalenye yenjongo yokuqala kaThixo ngoluntu.

Noko ke, amaKristu okwenyaniso awaphelelwa lithemba ngokuphathelele ukufa komphefumlo. Ukuvuswa kukaLazaro kuyenye yeengxelo ezininzi zeBhayibhile ezisibonisa kakuhle ngethemba eliyinyaniso, elingokweZibhalo ngemiphefumlo efileyo—uvuko. IBhayibhile ifundisa ngeendidi ezimbini zovuko. Kwinkoliso yabantu abalele emangcwabeni, enoba bangamalungisa okanye abangawo, kukho ithemba lokuvuselwa kubomi obungunaphakade kwiParadisi yalapha emhlabeni. (Luka 23:43; Yohane 5:28, 29; IZenzo 24:15) Kwiqela elincinane uYesu awalibiza ngokuthi ‘ngumhlambi wakhe omncinane,’ kukho uvuko olukhokelela kubomi bokungafi njengabantu bomoya ezulwini. Aba, abaquka abapostile bakaKristu, baya kulawula uluntu noKristu Yesu baze balubuyisele emfezekweni.—Luka 12:32; 1 Korinte 15:53, 54; ISityhilelo 20:6.

Ngoko, kutheni sifumana iicawa zeNgqobhoko zingafundisi ngovuko, kodwa zifundisa ngokungafi komphefumlo womntu? Khawucinge ngempendulo eyanikelwa ngumfundi wezakwalizwi uWerner Jaeger kwiThe Harvard Theological Review emva phayaa ngowe-1959: “Esona sibakala sibalulekileyo kwimbali yemfundiso yamaKristu sasikukuba umseki wezifundo zakwalizwi zamaKristu, uOrigen, wayesisithandi-bulumko esasikholelwa kwiimfundiso zikaPlato kwisikolo saseAlexandria. Wafakelela zonke iimfundiso ezingomphefumlo awayezithabathe kuPlato kwimfundiso yobuKristu.” Ngoko icawa yenza kanye oko amaYuda akwenzayo kwiinkulungwane ezingaphambilana! Ashiya iimfundiso zeBhayibhile elandela intanda-bulumko yamaGrike.

Imvelaphi Yokwenene Yale Mfundiso

Bekhusela imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo, bambi basenokubuza oku, Kutheni le mfundiso inye ifundiswa, ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo, ziicawa ezininzi kangaka zehlabathi? IZibhalo zisinika isizathu esibambekayo sokuba le mfundiso ixhaphake kangaka kwiicawa zeli hlabathi.

IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba “ihlabathi liphela lilele emandleni alowo ungendawo” yaye ngokukhethekileyo ichaza uSathana ‘njengomphathi weli hlabathi.’ (1 Yohane 5:19; Yohane 12:31) Ngokuqinisekileyo, iicawa zehlabathi azikwazanga ukuyiphepha impembelelo kaSathana. Kunoko, ziye zafak’ isandla kwiinkathazo nosizi kwihlabathi lanamhlanje. Yaye kumbandela womphefumlo, zibonakala ziyixhasa ngokucace gca ingcamango kaSathana. Njani?

Khumbula ubuxoki bokuqala obathethwayo. UThixo waxelela uAdam noEva ukuba babeya kufa ukuba babemona. Kodwa uSathana waqinisekisa uEva esithi: “Anisayi kufa.” (Genesis 3:4) Eneneni, uAdam noEva bafa; babuyela eluthulini njengoko uThixo wayetshilo. USathana, ‘uyise wabo ubuxoki,’ akazange abuyeke ubuxoki bakhe bangaphambili. (Yohane 8:44) Kwiinkonzo ezininzi eziyilahlayo imfundiso yeBhayibhile okanye ziyityeshele ngokupheleleyo, kusabethelelwa le ngcamango inye: ‘Awusayi kufa. Umzimba wakho usenokufa, kodwa umphefumlo wakho uya kuqhubeka uphila, ngonaphakade—njengoThixo!’ Okubangel’ umdla kukuba noSathana wayexelele uEva ukuba wayeza kuba “njengoThixo”!—Genesis 3:5.

Hayi indlela ekulunge ngakumbi ngayo ukuba nethemba elisekelwe, kungekhona kubuxoki okanye kwiintanda-bulumko zabantu, kodwa enyanisweni. Hayi indlela ekulunge ngakumbi ngayo ukuqiniseka ukuba abafileyo bethu esibathandayo abakho zingqondweni emangcwabeni kunokuba sixhalabe ngendawo ekuyo imiphefumlo ethile engafiyo! Oku kulala kwabafileyo akumele kusoyikise okanye kusenze sidandatheke. Ngandlel’ ithile, abafileyo sisenokubagqala njengabakwindawo yokuphumla ekhuselekileyo. Kutheni sisithi ikhuselekile nje? Kungenxa yokuba iBhayibhile iyasiqinisekisa ukuba abafileyo abathandayo uYehova bayaphila ngengqiqo ekhethekileyo. (Luka 20:38) Bayaphila kwinkumbulo yakhe. Leyo yingcamango ethuthuzela ngokunzulu kuba inkumbulo yakhe ayisikelwanga mda. Uzimisele ukubuyisela izigidi ezingenakubalwa zabantu esibathandayo ebomini aze abanike ithuba lokuphila ngonaphakade kumhlaba oyiparadisi.—Thelekisa uYobhi 14:14, 15.

Imini ezukileyo yovuko iyeza, njengoko onke amadinga kaYehova emele azaliseke. (Isaya 55:10, 11) Khawucinge nje ngokuzaliseka kwesi siprofeto: “Abafileyo bakho baya kuphila; izidumbu zakowethu ziya kuvuka. Vukani, nimemelele, nina bahleli eluthulini; kuba ngumbethe wezikhanyiso umbethe wakho, nehlabathi liya kubakhupha abangasekhoyo.” (Isaya 26:19) Ngoko ke abafileyo abalele emangcwabeni bakhuseleke njengosana kwisibeleko sonina. Kungekudala baya ‘kukhutshwa,’ babuyiselwe ebomini kumhlaba oyiparadisi!

Liliphi ithemba elilunge ngaphezu kwelo?

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

AmaZealot angamaYuda aseMasada ayekholelwa ukuba ukufa kwakuya kuyikhulula imiphefumlo yawo