“Ziqeqeshe”

CITIUS, altius, fortius—qinisela, phezulu, ngamandla! Lawo yayingamazwi abhekiselwa kwiimbaleki eGrisi naseRoma yamandulo. Kangangeenkulungwane, eOlympia, eDelphi naseNemea naseIsthmus yaseKorinte, le midlalo “yayithandazelwa” kwizithixo yaye kwakusiza kuyo amawaka abantu. Ukuze ubani akwazi ukuba nenxaxheba kule midlalo kwakufuneka azilolonge ngamandla iminyaka emininzi. Impumelelo yayizisa uzuko kwabo bagqwesileyo nakwizixeko ababesuka kuzo.

Ngenxa yeemeko ababephila phantsi kwazo, akumangalisi ukuba ababhali beZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike bathelekisa ugqatso lokomoya lwamaKristu nemidlalo yeembaleki. Ukuze badlulisele iingongoma ezinamandla zokufundisa, umpostile uPetros noPawulos bazekelisa ngemidlalo. Kumhla wethu, ugqatso olufanayo oluqatha lwamaKristu lusaqhubeka. AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala kwakufuneka ajamelane nenkqubo yezinto yamaYuda; namhlanje kufuneka ‘sisukuzane’ nenkqubo yeli hlabathi liphela esemgubasini wentshabalalo. (2 Timoti 2:5; 3:1-5, Inguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike) Bambi basenokufumanisa ukuba “ugqatso lokholo” alupheli yaye luyadinisa. (1 Timoti 6:12, The New English Bible) Kuya kuba yinzuzo ukuba sihlolisisa umahluko oseBhayibhileni ophakathi kwemidlalo yeembaleki nogqatso lwamaKristu.

Umqeqeshi Obalaseleyo

Ukuze imbaleki iphumelele kuxhomekeke ubukhulu becala kumqeqeshi wayo. Ngokuphathelele imidlalo yamandulo, iArchaeologia Graeca ithi: “Abadlali babebophelelekile ukuba bafunge ukuba bachithe iinyanga ezilishumi beziqeqesha belungiselela le midlalo.” NamaKristu kufuneka aziqeqheshe ngamandla. UPawulos wacebisa uTimoti, umdala ongumKristu esithi: “Yiba nosukelo lokuziqeqesha ngozinikelo lobuthixo.” (1 Timoti 4:7) Ngubani umqeqeshi “wembaleki” engumKristu? NguYehova uThixo ngokwakhe! Umpostile uPetros wabhala: “UThixo wabo bonke ububele obungasifanelanga . . . uya kulugqiba ngokwakhe uqeqesho lwenu, uya kuniqinisa, uya kunomeleza.”—1 Petros 5:10.

Ibinzana elithi ‘uya kulugqiba uqeqesho lwenu’ lisuka kwisenzi sesiGrike yaye ngokutsho kweTheological Lexicon of the New Testament, lithetha “ukwenza into ethile [okanye umntu] ifanelekele injongo yayo, ukuyilungisa nokuyenza ifanelekele umsebenzi wayo.” Ngokufanayo, iLiddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon ithi esi senzi sisenokuchazwa ‘njengokulungiselela, ukuqeqesha nokulungisa ngokucokisekileyo.’ Ziziphi iindlela uYehova ‘alungiselela, aqeqesha nalungisa ngazo ngokucokisekileyo’ ugqatso lwamaKristu? Ukuze siqonde le ntelekiso, makhe sicinge ngezinye iindlela abaqeqeshi ababezisebenzisa.

Incwadi ethi The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece ithi: “Abo babeqeqesha ulutsha babesebenzisa iindlela ezimbini ezisisiseko, eyokuqala yayijoliswe ekukhuthazeni umfundi ukuba enze owona mgudu ukuze afumane ezona ziphumo zihle, yaye eyesibini yayikukuphucula ubugcisa nobuchule bakhe.”

Ngokufanayo, uYehova uyasikhuthaza yaye uyasomeleza ukuze senze konke okusemandleni ethu size siphucule ubuchule bethu kwinkonzo yakhe. UThixo wethu usomeleza ngeBhayibhile, intlangano yakhe yasemhlabeni, nangamaKristu aqolileyo. Maxa wambi usiqeqesha ngokusohlwaya. (Hebhere 12:6) Maxa wambi usenokuvumela izilingo ezihlukahlukeneyo nobunzima ukuba busifikele ukuze sikwazi ukunyamezela. (Yakobi 1:2-4) Yaye unikela amandla afunekayo. Umprofeti uIsaya uthi: “Abo bathembela kuYehova baya kufumana amandla kwakhona. Baya kunyuka ngamaphiko njengeenkozi. Baya kubaleka baze bangatyhafi; baya kuhamba bangadinwa.”—Isaya 40:31.

Ngaphezu koko, uThixo usinika umoya wakhe oyingcwele ngokuyintabalala, osomeleza ukuze siqhubeke sinikela kuye inkonzo eyamkelekileyo. (Luka 11:13) Kwiimeko ezininzi abakhonzi bakaThixo baye banyamezela izilingo ezinzima ixesha elide ezivavanya ukholo lwabo. Abo baye benjenjalo ngamadoda namabhinqa aqhelekileyo njengathi sonke. Kodwa ukuthembela kwabo ngokupheleleyo kuThixo kuye kwabenza banyamezela. Eneneni, ‘amandla angaphaya koko kuqhelekileyo aye angakaThixo, akabi ngawabo.’—2 Korinte 4:7.

Umqeqeshi Onovelwano

Omnye umphengululi uthi omnye wemisebenzi yomqeqeshi wamandulo “yayikukumisela uhlobo nenani lwemithambo eyayifuneka kwimbaleki nganye nakumdlalo ngamnye.” Njengoko uThixo esiqeqesha, unikela ingqalelo kwiimeko, amandla, indlela esakhiwe ngayo neentsilelo zethu ngabanye. Ngokufuthi xa uYehova esiqeqesha, siyambongoza, njengoYobhi xa wathi: “Khawuncede, ukhumbule ukuba undenze ngodongwe.” (Yobhi 10:9) Uvakalelwa njani umqeqeshi wethu onovelwano? UDavide wabhala wathi ngoYehova: “Yena uyakwazi ukuyilwa kwethu, ekhumbula ukuba siluthuli.”—INdumiso 103:14.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba unempilo enkenenkene nto leyo enokusikela umda oko unokukwenza kubulungiseleli, okanye kusenokwenzeka ukuba uzijongela phantsi. Mhlawumbi uzabalazela ukwahlukana nomkhwa ombi, okanye usenokuvakalelwa kukuba akukwazi ukujamelana nengcinezelo yoontanga ekuhlaleni, emsebenzini okanye esikolweni. Enoba iimeko zakho zinjani, ungaze ulibale ukuba uYehova uyayiqonda ingxaki yakho ngaphezu kwakhe nabani na omnye—kuquka nawe! Njengomqeqeshi onenkxalabo, usoloko ekulungele ukukunceda ukuba usondela kuye.—Yakobi 4:8.

Abaqeqeshi bamandulo “babekwazi ukwahlula phakathi kokudinwa okanye ubuthathaka obabungabangelwa ngumthambo kodwa bubangelwa zezinye izinto ezisengqondweni, ukungatyhileki, ukudandatheka nabanye oonobangela. . . . [Abaqeqeshi] babenegunya elikhulu kangangokuba babede bajonge indlela imbaleki nganye ephila ngayo baze benze okuthile ukuba kuyimfuneko.”

Ngaba maxa wambi uziva udiniwe okanye ubuthathaka ngenxa yeengcinezelo ezingapheliyo nezilingo zeli hlabathi? Njengomqeqeshi wakho, uYehova unomdla wokwenene kuwe. (1 Petros 5:7) Uzibona ngokukhawuleza iimpawu onazo zobuthathaka okanye ukudinwa ngokomoya. Nangona uYehova esinika inkululeko yokuzenzela ukhetho lobuqu, ngenxa yokuxhalabela intlalo-ntle yethu kanaphakade, uyasinceda aze asiluleke xa kuyimfuneko. (Isaya 30:21) Njani? Ngokusebenzisa iBhayibhile neempapasho ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni, abadala bokomoya ebandleni nabazalwana bethu abanothando.

“Ukuzeyisa Kuzo Zonke Izinto”

Kakade ke, ukuze ziphumelele kwakufuneka okungakumbi kunomqeqeshi nje onobuchule. Okuninzi kwakuxhomekeke kwimbaleki ngokwayo nokuzinikela kwayo kuqeqesho oluqatha. Zazinocwangciso olungqongqo, ekubeni uqeqesho lwaluquka ukuzila izinto ezithile nokutya okuthile. UHorace, imbongi yenkulungwane yokuqala ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, wathi abadlali “babengabi namabhinqa yaye bengayiseli iwayini” ukuze “bafikelele usukelo lwabo.” Yaye ngokutsho komphengululi weBhayibhile uF. C. Cook, abo babenenxaxheba kule midlalo kwakufuneka “bazeyise [baze] batye ukutya okusempilweni . . . kangangeenyanga ezilishumi.”

UPawulos wenza olu thelekiso xa wabhalela amaKristu aseKorinte, isixeko esasiqhelene neMidlalo yaseIsthmus eyayiqhutyelwa kufuphi: “Wonke umntu oba nenxaxheba kukhuphiswano uqhelisela ukuzeyisa kuzo zonke izinto.” (1 Korinte 9:25) AmaKristu okwenyaniso ayabuphepha ubomi bokuthanda izinto eziphathekayo, ukuziphatha okubi nobungacocekanga beli hlabathi. (Efese 5:3-5; 1 Yohane 2:15-17) Imikhwa engeyoyabuThixo nengavisisaniyo neZibhalo nayo imele ilahlwe ize ithatyathelwe indawo ziimpawu zobuKristu.—Kolose 3:9, 10, 12.

Kunokwenziwa njani oku? Phakathi kwezinye izinto, phawula impendulo kaPawulos esebenzisa umzekeliso onamandla: “Ndiyawuqoba umzimba wam ndize ndiwuphathe njengekhoboka, ukuze, emva kokuba ndishumayele kwabanye, mna ngokwam ndingabi ngongakholekanga ngandlel’ ithile.”—1 Korinte 9:27.

Enjani yona ukuba namandla ingongoma uPawulos ayivelisayo apha! Wayengancomeli ukuzingcungcuthekisa. Kunoko, wayevuma ukuba wayenomlo wangaphakathi. Maxa wambi, wayesenza izinto awayengafuni ukuzenza aze angazenzi ezo awayefuna ukuzenza. Kodwa walwela ukuba ubuthathaka bakhe bungamongameli. ‘Wayewuqoba umzimba wakhe,’ esilwa ngamandla neminqweno nemikhwa yokwenyama.—Roma 7:21-25.

Onke amaKristu afanele enjenjalo. UPawulos wathetha ngeenguqulelo ezenziwa ngabathile eKorinte ngaphambili ababehenyuza, benqula izithixo, bengamafanasini, bengamasela besenza nezinye izinto. Yintoni eyabenza baguquka? Ngamandla eLizwi likaThixo nomoya oyingcwele kuquka nokuzimisela kwabo ukuphila ngokuvisisana nalo. UPawulos wathi: “Kodwa niye nahlanjwa nahlambuluka, niye nangcwaliswa, niye navakaliswa ningamalungisa egameni leNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu nangomoya kaThixo wethu.” (1 Korinte 6:9-11) UPetros wabhala okufanayo ngabo baye bashiya imikhwa emibi enjalo. NjengamaKristu, bonke babenze iinguqulelo zokwenene.—1 Petros 4:3, 4.

Imigudu Emihle

UPawulos wazekelisa ukuzimisela nokunikela kwakhe ingqalelo kusukelo lokomoya, esithi: “Indlela endalathisa ngayo izithonga zam yeyokuze ndingabethi umoya.” (1 Korinte 9:26) Lowo ukukhuphiswano unokuzalathisa njani izithonga okanye amagalelo akhe? Incwadi ethi The Life of the Greeks and Romans iphendula isithi: “Kwakungafuneki nje amandla amakhulu kuphela, kodwa nokuba neliso elibukhali ekuboneni ubuthathaka balowo ulwa naye. Enye into eyayinokunceda bubuchule bokulwa obabufundiswa kwizikolo ezifundisa ukujijisana, nokoyisa lowo ulwa naye ngokukhawuleza.”

Inyama yethu enesono yenye yezinto esilwa nazo. Ngaba sele sibubonile “ubuthathaka” bethu? Ngaba sikulungele ukuzijonga ngendlela abanye basijonga ngayo—ingakumbi indlela uSathana asijonga ngayo? Oku kufuna ukuzihlolisisa ngokunyaniseka nomnqweno wokwenza utshintsho. Sisenokuzikhohlisa ngokulula. (Yakobi 1:22) Hayi indlela ekulula ngayo ukuzithethelela ngesenzo esingebobulumko! (1 Samuweli 15:13-15, 20, 21) Oko kuyafana ‘nokubetha umoya.’

Kule mihla yokugqibela, abo bafuna ukukholisa uYehova baze bafumane ubomi abafanele balibazise ukukhetha phakathi kokulungileyo nokuphosakeleyo, phakathi kwebandla likaThixo nehlabathi elonakeleyo. Bafanele bakuphephe, ‘ukuthingaza, ukungazinzi kuzo zonke iindlela zabo.’ (Yakobi 1:8) Abafanele bachithe ixesha besukelana nezinto ezingenamsebenzi. Xa ubani elandela eli khondo lingqalileyo, nelokuzimisela, uya konwaba yaye ‘ukuhambela kwakhe phambili kuya kubonakala ebantwini bonke.’—1 Timoti 4:15.

Ewe, ugqatso lwamaKristu luyaqhubeka. UYehova—uMqeqeshi wethu Ozukileyo—ngothando udlulisela imiyalelo aze asincede xa kuyimfuneko ukuze sikwazi ukunyamezela size ekugqibeleni soyise. (Isaya 48:17) Njengeembaleki zamandulo, sifanele sihlakulele ukuzeyisa sinikele ingqalelo kumlo wethu wokholo. Imigudu yethu emihle iya kuvuzwa kakhulu.—Hebhere 11:6.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 31]

‘Mthambise Ngeoli’

KwiGrisi yamandulo inxalenye yoqeqesho lweembaleki yayisenziswa ngumntu othambisa abanye. Umsebenzi wakhe yayikukuthambisa ngeoli imizimba yamadoda ayeza kwenza umthambo. IThe Olympic Games in Ancient Greece ithi abaqeqeshi “babephawula ukuba kuneenzuzo ukuphulula izihlunu ngaphambi koqeqesho, kwakhona baphawula ukuba ukuphulula ngenyameko nangononophelo kwakuluncedo ekupheliseni ukudinwa emva koqeqesho olude.”

Njengoko ubani ehlaziyeka aze aphile xa ethanjiswa ngeoli yokoqobo emzimbeni, ukusebenzisa iLizwi likaThixo ‘kwimbaleki’ engumKristu ediniweyo kunokuyiluleka, kuyithuthuzele kuze kuyiphilise. Ngaloo ndlela, ngokhokelo oluvela kuYehova, amadoda amakhulu ebandla abongozwa ukuba athandazele umntu onjalo, ngokufuziselayo ‘emthambisa ngeoli egameni likaYehova,’ nto leyo ebalulekileyo ekuchacheni ngokomoya.—Yakobi 5:13-15; INdumiso 141:5.

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Emva kokuzinikela, iimbaleki zazifunga ukuba ziye zaqeqeshwa iinyanga ezilishumi

[Inkcazelo]

Musée du Louvre, Paris

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Copyright British Museum