Ngaba Unokuyikholelwa IBhayibhile?

KWELI hlabathi lanamhlanje, basebaninzi abantu abayikholelwayo iBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, kuhlolisiso lukaGallup lwakutshanje kubemi baseMerika, ama-80 ekhulwini aye avakalisa ukuba ayakholelwa ukuba iBhayibhile iliLizwi eliphefumlelweyo likaThixo. Enoba lo mlinganiselo mkhulu okanye akunjalo kummandla okuwo, usenokubona ukuba abantu abanokholo kangako balindele ukufundiswa iBhayibhile ecaweni. Kodwa ngokufuthi oku akunjalo. Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngemfundiso yokohlwaywa komphefumlo emva kokufa.

Ngaba eBhayibhileni ikho imfundiso engentlambululo-miphefumlo okanye engesihogo esivuthayo? Namhlanje, abaphengululi abaninzi beNgqobhoko banokuphendula ngokuthi hayi. INew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Enyanisweni, imfundiso yamaKatolika engentlambululo-miphefumlo isekelwe kwisithethe, kungekhona kwiSibhalo Esingcwele.” Ngokuphathelele isihogo, iA Dictionary of Christian Theology ithi: “[KwiTestamente Entsha] akubonakali ngathi isihogo somlilo sasiyinxalenye yentshumayelo yamandulo.”

Enyanisweni, ibhunga leemfundiso zeCawa yamaTshetshi kutshanje liye langundaba-mlonyeni xa laxelela abantu ukuba bangayikholelwa nantoni na ephathelele imfundiso yesihogo somlilo. UGqr. Tom Wright, umfundisi omkhulu weCawa yaseLitchfield, uthi indlela ekwakucingwa ngayo ngesihogo somlilo kwixa elidlulileyo “yamenza uThixo waba lirhamncwa yaza yabangela uloyiko olukhulu kwabaninzi.” Ingxelo yeli bhunga ichaza isihogo “njengento engekhoyo.”a Ngokufanayo, iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi ngokuphathelele imbono yamaKatolika: “Namhlanje izifundo zakwalizwi ziyisingatha ingxaki yesihogo ngokusigqala njengemeko yokwahlukaniswa noThixo.”

Eneneni, oko iBhayibhile ikufundisayo ngomphefumlo akungqinelani nemfundiso engentlambululo-miphefumlo nesihogo somlilo. Ngokufuthi iBhayibhile ithetha ngokufa kwemiphefumlo. “Umphefumlo owonayo kuya kufa wona.” (Hezekile 18:4; thelekisa iKing James neDouay eyinguqulelo yamaKatolika.) Ngokutsho kweBhayibhile, abafileyo abazi nto, abeva nazintlungu. “Ngokuba abadla ubomi bayazi ukuba baya kufa; ke bona abafileyo abazi lutho, abasabi namvuzo; ngokuba balityelwe, abasakhunjulwa nganto.” (INtshumayeli 9:5) Ithemba elifumaneka eBhayibhileni ngabafileyo lelokuba baya kuvuka kwixesha elizayo. Xa umhlobo kaYesu uLazaro wafayo, uYesu wakufanisa ukufa nokulala. Udade boLazaro uMarta wavakalisa ithemba elifundiswa eBhayibhileni xa wathi: “Ndiyazi ukuba uya kuvuka eluvukweni ngomhla wokugqibela.” Ngokuvusa uLazaro ekufeni, uYesu wayeqinisekisa elo themba kuluntu.—Yohane 5:28, 29; 11:11-14, 24, 44.

Ababhali-mbali bathi imfundiso yokuba umntu unomphefumlo owahlukileyo, umphefumlo ongafiyo ayiveli eBhayibhileni kodwa ivela kwintanda-bulumko yamaGrike. INew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi amaHebhere amandulo ayengazi ukuba umntu ubunjwe ngomzimba wenyama kunye nomphefumlo ongumoya. Ithetha ngenkolelo yamaHebhere ithi: “Xa umoya wobomi wangena kwindoda yokuqala eyayibunjwe nguThixo ngomhlaba, yaba ‘ngumntu ophilileyo’ (G[enesis] 2.7). Ukufa kwakungagqalwa njengokwahlukanisa izinto ezimbini ezahlukahlukeneyo emntwini, njengakwintanda-bulumko yamaGrike; umoya wobomi uyaphuma aze umntu asale ‘engumntu ofileyo’ (L[evitikus] 21.11; N[umeri] 6.6; 19.13). Kwimeko nganye igama elithi ‘umntu’ livela kwelesiHebhere elithi [neʹphesh], ngokufuthi eliguqulelwa ngokuthi ‘umphefumlo’ kodwa enyanisweni, libhekisela emntwini.”

Kwale ntyila-lwazi inye ithi abaphengululi abangamaKatolika kutshanje “baye bathi [ITestamente Entsha] ayifundisi ukuba umphefumlo awufi ngokwengqiqo yesiGrike.” Iqukumbela ngelithi: “Le ngxaki ayiconjululwa kangako luqikelelo oluyintanda-bulumko njengakwisipho esikhulu esingaphaya kwamandla emvelo soVuko.”

Ngaba YiBhayibhile Eligunya Okanye Sisithethe?

Noko ke, iingcamango ezingaveli eBhayibhileni zaqalisa njani ukufundiswa ecaweni? Iicawa eziliqela zithi iBhayibhile lelona gunya lazo likhulu. Ngokomzekelo, kutshanje uPopu John Paul II wathetha ngemfuneko yokuba iSibhalo “samkelwe ngamarhamente athembekileyo ngenxa yenyaniso esiyiquletheyo nanjengelona gunya liphakamileyo kukholo lwethu.” Noko ke, yamkelwa ngokubanzi into yokuba iimfundiso zeNgqobhoko zanamhlanje azifani twatse nezo zamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala. Inkoliso yeecawa zizigqala ezo nguqulelo njengotshintsho olukhoyo lwemfundiso esisiseko yecawa. Ngaphezu koko, iCawa yamaKatolika ima ngelithi isithethe secawa sinegunya elilinganayo neleZibhalo. INew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi icawa “ayiyamkeli into njengeyinyaniso ngokusekelwe kwiZibhalo kuphela, kodwa ingavumelani nesithethe, kwaye ayiyamkeli esekelwe kwisithethe kuphela, ize ingavumelani neZibhalo.”

Kuyo yonke imbali, iicawa ziye zazilahla iimfundiso zeZibhalo zaza kunoko zamkela ezisekelwe kwisithethe kuphela. Enyanisweni, iicawa ezininzi ngoku zithi iimfundiso zeBhayibhile ziphosakele. Ngokomzekelo, iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi “licace mhlophe elokuba ezinye izinto ezibhaliweyo eBhayibhileni aziyonyaniso xa zithelekiswa nolwazi lwanamhlanje lwenzululwazi nembali.” Ngokuphathelele imfundiso yeBhayibhile ethi abafileyo abazi lutho, yongezelela isithi: “Kwanakwimibandela yonqulo, [ITestamente Endala] iyalungqina ulwazi olungaphelelanga . . . ngobomi emva kokufa.” Le ntyilalwazi icaphula INdumiso 6:5 (indinyana 6 kwezinye iiBhayibhile) njengomzekelo woku xa isithi: “Ngokuba ekufeni akusekho kukukhumbula; kwelabafileyo [okanye eHadesi] ngubani na osenokubulela kuwe?” Ezinye izikolo zamaProtestanti azisafundisi ukuba iBhayibhile ayinazo iimpazamo. Kwelinye icala, iCawa yamaKatolika ikholelwa ekubeni inemagisterium okanye igunya lokufundisa, ethi ngenxa yalo ikwazi ukutolika oko kufundiswa eBhayibhileni. Noko ke, usenokuzibuza, ‘Kuthekani ukuba indlela etolika ngayo iyaphikisana neZibhalo?’

Ukubaluleka KweZibhalo

UYesu ngokuphindaphindiweyo wayezicaphula iZibhalo njengegunya, ngokufuthi eziqalisa iingongoma zakhe ngokuthi: “Kubhaliwe kwathiwa.” (Mateyu 4:4, 7, 10; Luka 19:46) Enyanisweni, xa uYesu wathetha ngemeko yomntu otshatileyo, akazange asekele ingxubusho yakhe kwintelekelelo yentanda-bulumko yamaGrike, kodwa wayisekela kwingxelo yendalo ekwiGenesis. (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Mateyu 19:3-9) Kuyacaca kuba, uYesu wayezigqala iZibhalo njengeziphefumlelwe nguThixo nanjengeziyinyaniso. Xa wayethandaza kuThixo, wathi: “Ilizwi lakho liyinyaniso.”—Yohane 17:17.b

IBhayibhile inikela ingxelo ngendlela uYesu awazikhalimela ngayo iinkokeli zonqulo ngomhla wakhe: “Ngokuchuliweyo nibekela bucala umyalelo kaThixo ukuze nigcine isithethe senu. . . . Yaye ngaloo ndlela nenza ilizwi likaThixo litshitshe ngesithethe senu.” (Marko 7:6-13) Ngokufanayo, umpostile uPawulos wakwazi ukuyixhathisa ingcinezelo yokwamkela intanda-bulumko yamaGrike okanye iimfundiso eziyimposiso kwimfundiso yakhe. Walumkisa esithi: “Lumkani, mhlawumbi kusenokubakho uthile oya kunithabatha njengexhoba lakhe ngentanda-bulumko nenkohliso elambathayo ngokwesithethe sabantu.” (Kolose 2:8; 1 Korinte 1:22, 23; 2:1-13) Zazikho ke nezinye izithethe, okanye iimfundiso, uPawulos awayefundise amaKristu ukuba azigcine, kodwa ezi zazisekelwe eZibhalweni yaye zazivisisana ngokupheleleyo nazo. (2 Tesalonika 2:13-15) UPawulos wabhala esithi: “Sonke iSibhalo siphefumlelwe nguThixo kwaye siyingenelo ukuze umntu kaThixo afaneleke ngokuzeleyo, ewuxhobele ngokupheleleyo wonke umsebenzi olungileyo.”—2 Timoti 3:16, 17.

UPawulos wakubona kusengaphambili ukuphambuka kwabantu eZibhalweni. Walumkisa uTimoti wathi: “Kuba kuya kubakho isihlandlo sexesha xa bengayi kuyinyamezela imfundiso ephilileyo, . . . ibe baya kuzishenxisa iindlebe zabo zimke kuyo inyaniso.” Wabongoza uTimoti wathi: “Wena, ngoko, gcina ingqiqo yakho kuzo zonke izinto.” (2 Timoti 4:3-5) Kodwa wayeza kuyenza njani loo nto? Phakathi kwezinye iindlela yayikukuba abe “ngophilileyo engqondweni.” Isichazi-magama sesiGrike sichaza eli gama leBhayibhile “njengokuba nomdla wokufunda nokuhlolisisa okuthile ngokuzeleyo.” ULuka wasebenzisa eli binzana ukuchaza indlela ababeyiyo abaphulaphuli bakaPawulos benkulungwane yokuqala eBhereya. Iimfundiso zikaPawulos zazintsha kubo, yaye babengafuni ukulahlekiswa. Ebancoma uLuka wabhala: “Aba ke [baseBhereya] babechubeke ngakumbi kunabo baseTesalonika, kuba balamkela ilizwi ngeyona ntumekelelo inkulu yengqondo, bezincina ngenyameko iZibhalo mihla le mayela nokuba zazinjalo kusini na ezo zinto.” Ngoko ke ukuba ngabaphilileyo engqondweni akuzange kubenze abantu baseBhereya babe ngoovuma-zonke. Kunoko, umphumo wokuhlolisisa kwabo ngokunyanisekileyo waba kukuba “abaninzi babo baba ngamakholwa.”—IZenzo 17:11, 12.

Iingenelo Zokuphila Ngokuvisisana NeBhayibhile

AmaKristu okuqala ayesaziwa ngokubambelela kwawo eBhayibhileni nangokuba nothando lokuzincama. Noko ke, namhlanje, abantu abaninzi ‘banohlobo lozinikelo lobuthixo kodwa bayawakhanyela amandla alo.’ (2 Timoti 3:5) Namhlanje naluphi na uhlobo lobuKristu olungavumelaniyo nobo bamandulo alunakuze lube namandla okwenene alungileyo ebomini babantu. Ngaba oku kunokusinceda sifumanise isizathu sokuba, kwinkoliso yeenkonzo zeNgqobhoko, sibona kusanda ugonyamelo, ukuziphatha okubi, ukuqhekeka kweentsapho nokuthanda izinto eziphathekayo? Kwamanye amazwe “amaKristu,” amalungu onqulo olufanayo alwa iimfazwe zenkohlakalo ezinobuhlanga.

Ngaba umoya wokuba ngabaphilileyo engqondweni ofana nowabantu baseBhereya waphela? Ngaba likho iqela labantu namhlanje elikholelwa lize liphile ngokuvisisana neBhayibhile?

IEncyclopedia Canadiana ithi: “Umsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova kukuvuselelwa nokusekwa kwakhona kowona msebenzi ubalulekileyo wobuKristu owawusenziwa nguYesu nabafundi bakhe ebudeni benkulungwane yethu yokuqala neyesibini.” Ibhekisela kumaNgqina, iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ayigqala iBhayibhile njengekuphela kwento akholelwa kuyo nenikela umgaqo wokuziphatha.”

Alithandabuzeki elokuba esi sesona sizathu siyintloko esibangela amaNgqina kaYehova aziwe ehlabathini lonke njengabantu abanenkqubela ngokomoya, abaseluxolweni nabonwabileyo. Ngoko ke, sikhuthaza abafundi bethu ukuba bafunde okungakumbi ngeemfundiso zeBhayibhile eziphilileyo zokomoya. Ulwazi olungakumbi lunokukhokelela ekubeni nentembelo engakumbi eBhayibhileni nasekubeni nokholo olomeleleyo kuThixo. Iingenelo ezingapheliyo zokholo olunjalo ziwufanele ngokwenene umgudu.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]

Umpostile uPawulos nabanye bashumayela kwindawo yokuthengisa

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

AmaNgqina kaYehova “ayigqala iBhayibhile njengekuphela kwento akholelwa kuyo nenikela umgaqo wokuziphatha”