Ukutshintshwa “KobuKristu”—Ngaba Kwamkelekile KuThixo?

MASITHI uyalela umzobi ukuba akuzobe. Akuba egqibile, uyavuya; lo mfanekiso ufana nawe twatse. Unombono wabantwana bakho, abazukulwana bakho nabazukulwana babo bekhangele lo mfanekiso ngebhongo.

Noko ke, kwizizukulwana ezilandelayo kamva, omnye wenzala yakho uvakalelwa kukuba indlela eziqala emva ngayo iinwele zakho kulo mfanekiso ayithandeki, ngoko wongezelela ezinye iinwele. Omnye akathandi indlela emi ngayo impumlo yakho, yaye uyayitshintsha. Izizukulwana ezilandelayo nazo “ziyawuphucula,” ngoko ekugqibeleni incinane kakhulu into efana nawe kulo mfanekiso. Ukuba wawazile ukuba kuza kwenzeka oku, wawuya kuvakalelwa njani? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo wawuya kucaphuka.

Okubuhlungu kukuba, oko kwenzeka kulo mfanekiso, ngokusisiseko koko kuye kwenzeka kwicawa yabo bazibanga bengamaKristu. Imbali ibonisa ukuba kungekudala emva kokufa kwabapostile bakaKristu, “ubuKristu” baqalisa ukutshintsha, kanye njengoko iBhayibhile yaxela kwangaphambili.—Mateyu 13:24-30, 37-43; IZenzo 20:30.a

Kakade ke, kufanelekile ukusebenzisa imigaqo yeBhayibhile kwizithethe namaxesha awahlukahlukeneyo. Ngumcimbi owahluke ngokupheleleyo ukutshintsha iimfundiso zeBhayibhile ukuze zivisisane nendlela ekucingwa ngayo ngokuqhelekileyo. Ukanti, yiloo nto kanye eqhubekayo. Ngokomzekelo, phawula utshintsho oluye lwenziwa kwiindawo ezininzi ezibalulekileyo.

ICawa Imanyana NoRhulumente

UYesu wafundisa ukuba ulawulo okanye uBukumkani bakhe bobasezulwini, yaye ngexesha elifanelekileyo buya kutshabalalisa lonke ulawulo lwabantu buze bulawule umhlaba uphela. (Daniyeli 2:44; Mateyu 6:9, 10) Abuyi kulawula ngeenkqubo zabantu zezobupolitika. UYesu wathi: “Ubukumkani bam abuyonxalenye yeli hlabathi.” (Yohane 17:16; 18:36) Ngaloo ndlela, abafundi bakaYesu, ngoxa babewuthobela umthetho, babengazibandakanyi kwezobupolitika.

Noko ke, ngexesha loMlawuli waseRoma uConstantine ebudeni benkulungwane yesine, abaninzi kwabo babezibanga bengamaKristu baphelelwa ngumonde wokulindela ukubuya kukaKristu nokumiselwa koBukumkani bukaThixo. Ngokuthe ngcembe, isimo sengqondo sabo ngokuphathelele ezobupolitika satshintsha. Incwadi ethi Europe—A History, ithi: “Ngaphambi kwexesha likaConstantine amaKristu ayengekaqalisi ukusebenzisa amagunya [ezobupolitika] njengendlela yawo yokuhambisela phambili iinjongo neenkolelo zawo. Emva kwexesha likaConstantine, ubuKristu baba ngumtya nethunga nezobupolitika.” UbuKristu obuhlaziyiweyo baba lunqulo olusemthethweni olukhoyo “jikelele,” okanye “ubukatolika,” unqulo loBukhosi baseRoma.

Intyila-lwazi iGreat Ages of Man ithi ngenxa yolu manyano lweCawa noRhulumente, “ngoA.D. 385, iminyaka engama-80 kuphela emva kwentshutshiso ekrakra yamaKristu, iCawa ngokwayo yayiqalisa ukubulala abaqhekeki, yaye abefundisi bayo babenegunya eliphantse lilingane nelabalawuli.” Ngaloo ndlela kwaqalisa ixesha apho kwakusetyenziswa ikrele endaweni yokweyisela abantu ukuba baguquke, yaye abantu abathobekileyo ababeshumayela ngenkulungwane yokuqala bathatyathelw’ indawo ngabefundisi ababenxanelwe igunya. (Mateyu 23:9, 10; 28:19, 20) Umbhali-mbali uH. G. Wells wabhala “ngomahluko omkhulu phakathi” kobuKristu benkulungwane yesine “nemfundiso kaYesu waseNazarete.” Lo “mahluko omkhulu” wachaphazela kwaneemfundiso ezisisiseko ngoThixo noKristu.

Ukutshintshwa KukaThixo

UKristu nabafundi bakhe bafundisa ukuba kukho “uThixo omnye, uYise,” owahlulwa ngegama lakhe uYehova, elivela malunga nezihlandlo ezingama-7 000 kwimibhalo-ngqangi yamandulo yeBhayibhile. (1 Korinte 8:6; INdumiso 83:18) UYesu wadalwa nguThixo; ‘ulizibulo kuzo zonke izidalwa,’ itsho njalo inguqulelo yeBhayibhile yamaKatolika eyiDouay Version kwabaseKolose 1:15. Ngaloo ndlela, njengalowo udaliweyo, uYesu ngokuphandle wathi: “UBawo mkhulu kunam.”—Yohane 14:28.

Kodwa ngenkulungwane yesithathu, abefundisi abathile abanempembelelo, bethabatheke yimfundiso kabathathu emnye yomhedeni osisithandi sobulumko nongumGrike uPlato, baqalisa ukutshintsha uThixo ukuze avisisane nenkolelo kaBathathu Emnye. Kwiinkulungwane ezalandelayo, ngokungavumelaniyo nezibhalo le mfundiso yamphakamisa uYesu ukuze alingane noYehova yaza yenza umoya oyingcwele kaThixo, okanye amandla asebenzayo, wangumntu.

Ngokuphathelele ukwamkela kwecawa ingcamango yobuhedeni kaBathathu Emnye, iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ingcamango ethi ‘uThixo omnye kwiZiqu ezithathu’ ayizange imiselwe ngokuqinileyo, ngokuqinisekileyo ayizange ihlanganiswe ngokupheleleyo namaKristu neenkolelo awayesithi zezawo, ngaphambi kokuphela kwenkulungwane yesi-4. Kodwa ikwayile ngcamango ebe yeyokuqala ukwaziwa iyimfundiso kaBathathu Emnye. Phakathi kwaBaseki beCawa abangabaPostile, akuzange kubekho nto esondela kwaukusondela kwingcamango okanye kwingqiqo enjalo.”

Ngokufanayo, iThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Abantu ababekholelwa kuBathathu Emnye kwinkulungwane yesine abazange bayibonakalise ngokuchanileyo imfundiso yamaKristu okuqala ngokubhekisele kwimo ayiyo uThixo; ngokuchasene noko, oku kwakubonakalisa ukuphambuka kule mfundiso.” IThe Oxford Companion to the Bible ithi uBathathu Emnye yenye “yeengcamango zokholo zamva” eziliqela. Ukanti, uBathathu Emnye akuphela kwengcamango yabahedeni eyahlanganiswa necawa.

Ukutshintshwa Komphefumlo

Yinkolelo eqhelekileyo namhlanje ukuba abantu banomphefumlo ongafiyo nosalayo xa umzimba usifa. Kodwa ngaba ubusazi ukuba nale mfundiso yecawa yafakelwa kamva? UYesu wayingqinela inyaniso yeBhayibhile ethi abafileyo “abazi nto konke konke,” ngokungathi kunjalo balele. (INtshumayeli 9:5; Yohane 11:11-13) Ubomi buza kubuyiselwa ngovuko—‘baya kuvuka kwakhona’ kubuthongo bokufa. (Yohane 5:28, 29) Umphefumlo ongafiyo, ukuba ubukho, ubungayi kufuna luvuko, ekubeni umphefumlo ongafiyo ungenakufa.

UYesu wada wakubonisa oko kufundiswa yiBhayibhile ngovuko, ngokuvusa abantu ekufeni. Ngokomzekelo, cinga ngoLazaro owayefe iintsuku ezine. Xa uYesu wamvusayo, uLazaro waphuma engcwabeni engumntu ophilayo nophefumlayo. Akuzange kubuye mphefumlo ungafiyo uvela kulonwabo lwasezulwini ungene kumzimba kaLazaro ekuvukeni kwakhe ekufeni. Ukuba kwakunjalo, uYesu wayengayi kuba umenzele ububele ngokumvusa!—Yohane 11:39, 43, 44.

Ivela phi ke ingcamango yomphefumlo ongafiyo? IThe Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology ithi le ngcamango “yavela kwintanda-bulumko yamaGrike kunokuba ivele kwisityhilelo seBhayibhile.” IThe Jewish Encyclopedia iyachaza: “Inkolelo yokuba umphefumlo uyaqhubeka ukho emva kokubola komzimba ngumcimbi oyingcamango yentanda-bulumko okanye yabefundisi kunokuba ibe lukholo olucacileyo, ibe ngokuvisisana noko akukho ndawo efundiswa kuyo ngokucacileyo kwiZibhalo Ezingcwele.”

Ngokufuthi, ubuxoki bukhokelela kobunye, yaye kunjalo nangemfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo. Yavulel’ ithuba ingcamango yabahedeni yentuthumbo kanaphakade kwisihogo somlilo.b Ukanti, iBhayibhile itsho ngokucacileyo ukuba “umvuzo isono esiwuhlawulayo kukufa”—kungekhona intuthumbo kanaphakade. (Roma 6:23) Ngaloo ndlela, xa ichaza ngovuko, iKing James Version ithi: “Lwathi ulwandle lwabakhupha abafileyo abakulo; kwathi ukufa nesihogo kwabakhupha abafileyo abakhona.” Ngokufanayo, iBhayibhile ebizwa ngokuba yiDouay ithi “ulwandle . . . nokufa nesihogo zabakhupha abafileyo bazo.” Ewe, ngamafutshane, abo basesihogweni bafile, ‘balele,’ kanye njengoko uYesu watshoyo.—ISityhilelo 20:13.

Ngaba ngokunyanisekileyo uyakholelwa ukuba imfundiso yokugwetywa ngonaphakade esihogweni itsalela abantu kuThixo? Nakanye. Le ngcamango iyababhebhetha abantu abacingayo nabathanda okusesikweni nabanothando! Kwelinye icala, iBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba “uThixo uluthando” nokuba uyithiyile inkohlakalo, kwanakwizilwanyana.—1 Yohane 4:8; IMizekeliso 12:10; Yeremiya 7:31; Yona 4:11.

Ukutshintsha “Umfanekiso” Kwezi Mini

Ukutshintshwa kukaThixo nobuKristu kusaqhubeka nanamhlanje. Kutshanje unjingalwazi wonqulo uye wachaza ukuba kwicawa ahamba kuyo yamaProtestanti kukho usukuzwano “lwegunya leZibhalo nesivumo-sokholo nxamnye negunya leengcamango ezingaqhelekanga zabantu, ukungathembeki kwecawa kumba wokuba uKristu uyinkosi nxamnye nokwamkela ukuguqulwa kobuKristu ngokuvumelana nenkolelo yala maxesha. Eyona mbambano yile: Ngubani omisela indlela yokwenziwa kwezinto ecaweni . . . ziZibhalo Ezingcwele okanye ziingcamango ezibalaseleyo namhlanje?”

Okubuhlungu kukuba, “iingcamango ezibalaseleyo namhlanje” zisaphumelela. Ngokomzekelo, ayifihlwa into yokuba iicawa ezininzi ziye zakuguqula ukuma kwazo kwimibandela eyahlukahlukeneyo ukuze zibonakalise inkqubela nokuphangalala kwengqondo. Ngokukodwa kwimibandela yokuziphatha, iicawa ziye zanenkululeko engakumbi ngokonqulo, njengoko kuye kwakhankanywa kwinqaku lokuqala. Ukanti, iBhayibhile itsho ngokucacileyo ukuba uhenyuzo, nokukrexeza nobufanasini zizono ezinzulu emehlweni kaThixo nokuba abo benza izono ezinjalo “abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.”—1 Korinte 6:9, 10; Mateyu 5:27-32; Roma 1:26, 27.

Xa umpostile uPawulos wabhala la mazwi acatshulwe ngasentla, zazixhaphakile zonke izenzo zobungendawo kumaGrike namaRoma awayemngqongile. UPawulos wayesenokuqiqa ngelithi: ‘Ewe, uThixo watshabalalisa iSodom neGomora zaba luthuthu ngenxa yezono ezinzulu zokuziphatha kakubi ngokwesini, kodwa ke oko kwenzeka kwiminyaka engama-2 000 eyadlulayo! Ngokuqinisekileyo akusebenzi kwesi sizukulwana sikhanyiselweyo.’ Noko ke, akazange azithethelele; akazange avume ukonakalisa inyaniso yeBhayibhile.—Galati 5:19-23.

Khangela “Kumfanekiso” Wantlandlolo

Ethetha neenkokeli zonqulo zamaYuda zomhla wakhe, uYesu wathi zazinqulela ‘ilize ngenxa yokuba zazifundisa iimfundiso eziyimiyalelo yabantu.’ (Mateyu 15:9) Abo befundisi benza into eyayisenziwa ngabefundisi beNgqobhoko ngoMthetho kaYehova awawunikela ngoMoses, nabasayenzayo, ngemfundiso kaKristu—bayidyobha imfundiso yenyaniso kaThixo “ngepeyinti” esisithethe. Kodwa uYesu wabukhucula bonke obo buxoki ukuze kungenelwe abantu abantliziyo zinyanisekileyo. (Marko 7:7-13) UYesu wayethetha inyaniso, enoba yayithandwa okanye kwakungenjalo. ILizwi likaThixo lalisoloko liligunya lakhe.—Yohane 17:17.

Hayi indlela ahluke ngayo uYesu kuninzi lwabo bazibanga bengamaKristu! Eneneni, iBhayibhile yaxela kwangaphambili isithi: “Abantu baya kulangazelela izinto ezintsha baze bazifunele abafundisi . . . bokubafundisa izinto abazilangazelelayo; ibe kunokuba baphulaphule inyaniso, baya kuphethukela kwiintsomi.” (2 Timoti 4:3, 4, The Jerusalem Bible) Ezi ‘ntsomi,’ esiye sahlola ezimbalwa zazo, ziyatshabalalisa ngokomoya, ngoxa inyaniso yeLizwi likaThixo isakha yaye ikhokelela kubomi obungunaphakade. Yile nyaniso amaNgqina kaYehova akukhuthaza ukuba uyihlolisise.—Yohane 4:24; 8:32; 17:3.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

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Imvelaphi Yegama Elithi UmKristu

Kangangeminyaka elishumi ubuncinane emva kokufa kukaYesu, abalandeli bakhe babesaziwa njengabale “Ndlela.” (IZenzo 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4) Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba indlela ababephila ngayo yayisekelwe ekukholelweni kuYesu Kristu, ‘oyindlela nenyaniso nobomi.’ (Yohane 14:6) Kwandula ke, ngaxa lithile emva kowama-44 C.E., kwa-Antiyokwe eSiriya, abafundi bakaYesu ‘ngolwalathiso lobuthixo babizwa ngokuba ngamaKristu.’ (IZenzo 11:26) Eli gama lakhawuleza lamkeleka, kwanaphakathi kwamagosa karhulumente. (IZenzo 26:28) Eli gama litsha alizange liyiguqule indlela awayephila ngayo amaKristu, eyaqhubeka isekelwe kwindlela awayephila ngayo uKristu.—1 Petros 2:21.

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Ngobulungiseleli bawo basesidlangalaleni, amaNgqina kaYehova alathisela abantu eLizwini likaThixo, iBhayibhile

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Third from left: United Nations/Photo by Saw Lwin