AmaKristu Okuqala NoMthetho KaMoses

“UMthetho uye waba ngumkhapheli wethu osikhokelela kuKristu.”—GALATI 3:24.

1, 2. Ziziphi ezinye zeenzuzo ezafunyanwa ngamaSirayeli awayewuthobela ngokunyaniseka uMthetho kaMoses?

NGOWE-1513 B.C.E., uYehova wanika amaSirayeli imithetho. Wabaxelela abantu ukuba xa belithobela ilizwi lakhe, uya kubasikelela yaye baya kuphila ngolonwabo nangolwaneliseko.—Eksodus 19:5, 6.

² Loo Mthetho, owabizwa ngokuba nguMthetho kaMoses, okanye ngokulula nje “uMthetho,” ‘wawungcwele‚ unobulungisa yaye ulungile.’ (Roma 7:12) Wawukhuthaza iimpawu ezintle ezinjengobubele, ukuthembeka, ukuziphatha okuhle, nokuthanda ummelwane. (Eksodus 23:4, 5; Levitikus 19:14; Duteronomi 15:13-15; 22:10, 22) Kwakhona uMthetho wawukhuthaza amaYuda ukuba athandane. (Levitikus 19:18) Ngaphezu koko, ayengamele abe nobudlelane nabeeNtlanga okanye andiselane nabantu abangawuthobeliyo uMthetho. (Duteronomi 7:3, 4) ‘Njengodonga’ olwahlula amaYuda kwabeeNtlanga, uMthetho kaMoses wabakhusela abantu bakaThixo ukuze bangangcoliswa yindlela yokucinga nezenzo zabahedeni.—Efese 2:14, 15; Yohane 18:28.

3. Ekubeni kwakungekho mntu owayenokuwuthobela uMthetho ngokugqibeleleyo, oku kwaba nawuphi umphumo?

³ Noko ke, nawona maYuda aweyengqongqo akazange akwazi ukuwuthobela ngokugqibeleleyo uMthetho kaThixo. Ngaba uYehova wayefuna okungaphezu kwamandla awo? Akunjalo. Esinye isizathu sokuba uMthetho wanikelwa kuSirayeli yayikukuze “ukunxaxha kubonakaliswe.” (Galati 3:19) UMthetho wawukhumbuza amaYuda anyanisekileyo ngemfuneko ebalulekileyo yoMhlanguli. Xa Lowo wafikayo, amaYuda athembekileyo avuya. Kungekudala ayeza kukhululwa kwisiqalekiso sesono nokufa!—Yohane 1:29.

4. UMthetho ‘ungumkhapheli wethu osikhokelela kuKristu’ ngayiphi ingqiqo?

⁴ UMthetho kaMoses wawuza kusebenza ixesha elithile. Ebhalela amanye amaKristu, umpostile uPawulos wawuchaza ‘njengomkhapheli wethu osikhokelela kuKristu.’ (Galati 3:24) Umkhapheli wamandulo wayepheleka abantwana ukuya nokubuya esikolweni. Ngokuqhelekileyo wayengenguye utitshala; kuphela nje wayezisa abantwana kutitshala. Ngokufanayo, uMthetho kaMoses wawulungiselelwe ukuba ukhokelele amaYuda ahlonel’ uThixo kuKristu. UYesu wathembisa ukuba wayeya kuba nabalandeli bakhe “yonke imihla de kube sekuphelisweni kwenkqubo yezinto.” (Mateyu 28:20) Ngoko ke, lathi lakuba limisiwe ibandla lamaKristu, ‘umkhapheli’—uMthetho—awasebenza. (Roma 10:4; Galati 3:25) Kodwa, wambi amaKristu angamaYuda akazange ayamkele ngokukhawuleza le nyaniso ibalulekileyo. Ngenxa yoko, aqhubeka ethobela iinkalo ezithile zoMthetho kwanasemva kokuvuswa kukaYesu. Noko ke, amanye ayiguqula indlela ayecinga ngayo. Ngokwenjenjalo, asibekela umzekelo omhle namhlanje. Makhe sibone ukuba akwenza njani oko.

Inkcazelo Entsha Ngemfundiso YamaKristu

5. Nguwuphi umyalelo uPetros awawufumana embonweni, yaye kwakutheni ukuze othuke?

⁵ Ngowe-36 C.E., umpostile ongumKristu uPetros wabona umbono omangalisayo. Ngelo xesha weva ilizwi elinamandla lisithi makaxhele aze atye inyama yeentaka nezilwanyana ezazigqalwa nguMthetho zingahlambulukanga. UPetros wothuka! Kaloku ‘wayengazange adle nantoni na eyinqambi nengahlambulukanga.’ Kodwa eli lizwi lamxelela lisithi: “Musa ukuzibiza ngokuba ziyinqambi izinto uThixo aye wazihlambulula.” (IZenzo 10:9-15) Kunokubambelela ngokungqongqo kuMthetho, uPetros wayiguqula indlela aweyecinga ngayo. Oku kwaphumela ekubeni afumanise into ethile ebalulekileyo ngeenjongo zikaThixo.

6, 7. Yintoni eyabangela uPetros aqonde ukuba ngoku wayenokushumayela kwabeeNtlanga, yaye sisiphi esinye isigqibo ekusenokuba wasenza?

⁶ Nantsi into eyenzekayo. Kwaza amadoda amathathu apho uPetros wayehlala khona eze kumcela ukuba ahambe nawo ukuya kwikhaya lomntu othile weeNtlanga ongalukanga nowayehlonel’ uThixo uKorneli. UPetros wawamemela endlwini la madoda waza wawenzela ububele. Eyiqondile intsingiselo yalo mbono, uPetros wawapheleka ngosuku olulandelayo waya nawo kwikhaya likaKorneli. Apho uPetros wanikela ubungqina obucokisekileyo ngoYesu Kristu. Ngelo xesha, uPetros wathi: “Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiyaqonda ukuba uThixo akakhethi buso, kodwa kwiintlanga zonke umntu omoyikayo aze asebenze ubulungisa wamkelekile kuye.” AsingoKorneli kuphela owaba nokholo kuYesu kodwa kwanezalamane zakhe nabahlobo bakhe abasenyongweni, yaye “umoya oyingcwele wawela phezu kwabo bonke abo babeliva ilizwi.” Eqonda ukuba nguYehova obangele oku, uPetros “wabayalela ukuba babhaptizwe egameni likaYesu Kristu.”—IZenzo 10:17-48.

⁷ Yintoni eyambangela uPetros agqibe kwelokuba abeeNtlanga abangazange bawuthobele uMthetho kaMoses ngoku bangaba ngabalandeli bakaYesu Kristu? Kukuqonda okungokomoya. Ekubeni uThixo wayebonise ukuba uyabamkela abeeNtlanga abangalukanga, ngokuthulula umoya oyingcwele phezu kwabo, uPetros waqonda ukuba bayafaneleka ukuba babhaptizwe. Kwangaxeshanye, kubonakala ukuba uPetros waqonda ukuba uThixo akalindelanga ukuba amaKristu eeNtlanga agcine uMthetho kaMoses ngaphambi kokuba abhaptizwe. Ukuba wawuphila ngelo xesha, ngaba ngewawuvumile ukuguqula indlela obucinga ngayo njengokuba uPetros wenjenjalo?

Bambi Baqhubeka Belandela “Umkhapheli”

8. Yiyiphi imbono engolwaluko eyayahlukile kwekaPetros eyayikhuthazwa ngamaKristu athile awayehlala eYerusalem, yaye kwakutheni?

⁸ Emva kokunduluka kwikhaya likaKorneli, uPetros waya eYerusalem. Zazisele zifikile kwibandla lalapho iindaba zokuba abeeNtlanga “babelamkele ilizwi likaThixo,” yaye ezi ndaba azizange zibaphathe kakuhle abafundi abathile abangamaYuda. (IZenzo 11:1-3) Ngoxa bevuma ukuba abeeNtlanga nabo banokuba ngabalandeli bakaYesu, “abaxhasi bolwaluko” bagxininisa kwelokuba aba bantu ababengengomaYuda bamele bathobele uMthetho ukuze basindiswe. Kwelinye icala, kwimimandla ngokukhethekileyo yabeeNtlanga, ekwakukho amaKristu ambalwa angamaYuda, ulwaluko lwalungeyonto ibalulekileyo. Ezi ngcamango zimbini zazingisa kangangeminyaka enokuba li-13. (1 Korinte 1:10) Olu isenokuba yayiluvavanyo oluqatha kuloo maKristu okuqala—ingakumbi kwabeeNtlanga ababehlala kwimimandla yamaYuda!

9. Kutheni kwakubalulekile ukuba imbambano yolwaluko izinziswe?

⁹ Ekugqibeleni le mbambano yajiya ngowe-49 C.E. xa amaKristu aseYerusalem eza eSiriya yakwa-Antiyokwe, apho uPawulos wayeshumayela khona. Aqalisa ukufundisa ukuba amaguquka eeNtlanga afanele aluke ngokuvumelana noMthetho. Oku kwabangela impikiswano nokuxambulisana okukhulu phakathi kwawo noPawulos noBharnabhas! Ukuba yayingazange izinziswe le mbambano, wambi amaKristu, enoba ayengamaYuda okanye aweeNtlanga, ayeza kukhubeka. Ngenxa yoko, kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba uPawulos nabanye abambalwa baye eYerusalem baze bacele iqumrhu elilawulayo liyisingathe le mbambano ukuze iphele.—IZenzo 15:1, 2, 24.

Ukwahluka Okunyanisekileyo Kwezimvo—Emva Koko, Umanyano!

10. Ziziphi ezinye zeenkalo iqumrhu elilawulayo elaziqwalaselayo ngaphambi kokwenza isigqibo ngabeeNtlanga?

¹⁰ Kwintlanganiso eyayikho, bambi babambelela kulwaluko, ngoxa abanye babethetha into eyahlukileyo. Kodwa akuzange kude kubanjanwe ngezihlwitha. Emva kokuba kuphikisenwe kanobom, umpostile uPetros noPawulos bachaza imimangaliso uYehova awayeyenzile kwabangalukanga. Bachaza ukuba uThixo wathulula umoya oyingcwele phezu kwabeeNtlanga abangalukanga. Enyanisweni, babuza: ‘Ngaba ibandla lamaKristu linelungelo lokubagxotha abo uThixo aye wabamkela?’ Wandula ke umfundi uYakobi wafunda indinyana ethile yeSibhalo eyabanceda bonke ababekho ukuba babone ukuthanda kukaYehova kulo mbandela.—IZenzo 15:4-17.

11. Yintoni engazange ichaphazele isigqibo esenziwa ngolwaluko, yaye yintoni ebonisa ukuba uYehova wasisikelela eso sigqibo?

¹¹ Wonke umntu wayelindele isigqibo sequmrhu elilawulayo. Ngaba imvelaphi yalo yobuYuda yayiza kwenza lithambekele ekuxhaseni ulwaluko? Akunjalo. La madoda athembekileyo ayezimisele ukulandela iZibhalo nokhokelo lomoya oyingcwele kaThixo. Emva kokuphulaphula zonke iinkcukacha ezazibandakanyekile, iqumrhu elilawulayo lavumelana ngamxhelomnye ukuba kwakungekho mfuneko yokuba amaKristu eeNtlanga aluswe aze athobele uMthetho kaMoses. Xa eli lizwi lafikelela kubazalwana, bavuya, yaye amabandla aqalisa ‘ukwanda ngenani imihla ngemihla.’ Loo maKristu aluthobelayo ulwalathiso olucacileyo lolawulo lobuthixo asikelelwa ngempendulo eluqilima engokweZibhalo. (IZenzo 15:19-23, 28, 29; 16:1-5) Sekunjalo, kwasala umbuzo obalulekileyo owawusafanele uphendulwe.

Kuthekani NgamaKristu AngamaYuda?

12. Nguwuphi umbuzo owasala ungaconjululwanga?

¹² Iqumrhu elilawulayo labonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba amaKristu eeNtlanga akafanele aluke. Kodwa kuthekani ngamaKristu angamaYuda? Isigqibo sequmrhu elilawulayo asizange siyigubungele loo nkalo.

13. Kutheni kwakungachananga ukugqiba kwelokuba kwakufuneka ubani agcine uMthetho kaMoses ukuze asindiswe?

¹³ AmaKristu athile angamaYuda “anenzondelelo ngoMthetho” aqhubeka ebalusa abantwana bawo yaye egcina iinkalo ezithile zoMthetho. (IZenzo 21:20) Amanye akazange nje aphelele apho, kodwa ade agxininisa esithi amaKristu angamaYuda afanele agcine uMthetho ukuze asindiswe. Kule nkalo, ayetsho phantsi. Ngokomzekelo, umKristu wayeza kulenzela ntoni idini lesilwanyana ukuze axolelwe izono? Kaloku idini likaKristu laliwenze alilize loo madini. Kuthekani ngemfuneko yoMthetho yokunganxulumani kwamaYuda nabeeNtlanga? Kwakuza kuba nzima ngokwenene kumaKristu akhutheleyo angabavakalisi beendaba ezilungileyo ukuba athobele loo mithetho aze kwangaxeshanye athobele umyalelo wokufundisa abeeNtlanga zonke izinto uYesu awayewafundise zona. (Mateyu 28:19, 20; IZenzo 1:8; 10:28)a Akukho bungqina bokuba lo mbandela wacaciswa kuloo ntlanganiso yequmrhu elilawulayo. Sekunjalo, ibandla alizange lishiywe enyanyeni.

14. Incwadi kaPawulos ephefumlelweyo yanikela luphi ulwalathiso ngoMthetho?

¹⁴ Kwafika ulwalathiso, kungengancwadi evela kwiqumrhu elilawulayo, kodwa ngenye incwadi ephefumlelweyo ebhalwe ngabapostile. Ngokomzekelo, umpostile uPawulos wathumela isigidimi esinamandla kumaYuda nakwabeeNtlanga ababehlala eRoma. Kule ncwadi yakhe, wabachazela ukuba umYuda wokwenene “unguye ngaphakathi, nolwaluko lwakhe lolo lwentliziyo ngawo umoya.” (Roma 2:28, 29) Kwakwincwadi efanayo, uPawulos wasebenzisa umzekeliso ukungqina ukuba amaKristu akasekho phantsi koMthetho. Wathi umfazi akanakutshata namadoda amabini ngaxeshanye. Kodwa, xa indoda yakhe ifile, ukhululekile ukuba angatshatela kwenye. Wandula ke uPawulos wawusebenzisa lo mzekeliso, ebonisa ukuba amaKristu athanjisiweyo akanakuba ngaphantsi koMthetho kaMoses aze kwangaxeshanye abe ngakaKristu. Kwakuza kufuneka abe ‘ngabafileyo kuwo uMthetho’ ukuze amanyaniswe noKristu.—Roma 7:1-5.

Akazange Akhawuleze Ayifumane Ingongoma

15, 16. Kwakutheni ukuze amanye amaKristu angamaYuda angayifumani ingongoma ngokuphathelele uMthetho, yaye oku kubonisa ntoni ngokuphathelele imfuneko yokuhlala siphaphile ngokomoya?

¹⁵ Indlela uPawulos awaqiqa ngayo ngoMthetho yayingenakuphikiswa. Ngoko ke, kwakutheni ukuze amanye amaKristu angamaYuda angayifumani msinya ingongoma? Eyona nto iphambili kukuba, ayengenako ukuqonda kokomoya. Ngokomzekelo, akutyeshela ukuzondla ngokutya kokomoya okuqinileyo. (Hebhere 5:11-14) Kwakhona ayengayi rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu. (Hebhere 10:23-25) Esinye isizathu esabangela ukuba abanye bangayifumani ingongoma sisenokuba sinento yokwenza nendlela owawungayo uMthetho. Kaloku wona wawusekelwe kwizinto ezinokubonwa, ziviwe yaye zichukunyiswe, njengetempile nobubingeleli. Kwakulula ngomntu ongazixabisiyo izinto zokomoya ukuwamkela uMthetho kunokwamkela imigaqo enzulu yobuKristu, eyayisekelwe kwizinto ezingabonakaliyo.—2 Korinte 4:18.

¹⁶ Esinye isizathu esabangela ukuba abanye ababesithi bangamaKristu babe nenzondelelo ngoMthetho sachazwa nguPawulos kwincwadi yakhe eyayisiya kumaGalati. Wachaza ukuba la madoda ayefuna ukugqalwa njengahlonelwayo, njengamalungu onqulo olwaziwayo. Kunokuba ahluke ebantwini, ayezimisele ukulalanisa nangayiphi na indlela ukuze amkeleke. Ayefuna ngakumbi ukukholeka kubantu kunokukholeka kuThixo.—Galati 6:12.

17. Imbono ecacileyo ngokuthotyelwa koMthetho yafumaneka nini?

¹⁷ AmaKristu anokuqonda awazifunda ngenyameko iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo zikaPawulos nezabanye afikelela kwizigqibo ezifanelekileyo ngokuphathelele uMthetho. Noko ke, de kube ngunyaka wama-70 C.E. imbono efanelekileyo ngoMthetho kaMoses yayingekakhanyi ngokucacileyo kumaKristu angamaYuda. Oko kwenzeka xa uThixo wavumela ukuba iYerusalem, itempile yayo, neengxelo eziphathelele ububingeleli zitshatyalaliswe. Oku kwabangela ukuba abantu bonke bangakwazi ukuzithobela zonke iinkalo zoMthetho.

Ukusebenzisa Esi Sifundo Namhlanje

18, 19. (a) Sisiphi isimo sengqondo esifanele sibe naso neso sifanele sisiphephe ukuze sihlale siphilile ngokomoya? (b) Umzekelo kaPawulos usifundisa ntoni ngokulandela ulwalathiso oluvela kubazalwana abakhokelayo? (Bona ibhokisi ekwiphepha 24.)

¹⁸ Emva kokuqwalasela ezi ziganeko zakudala, mhlawumbi uyazibuza: ‘Ukuba ndandiphila ngelo xesha, ndandiza kwenza ntoni njengokuba ukuthanda kukaThixo kutyhileka ngokuthe ngcembe? Ngaba ndandiza kuqinis’ intamo ndibambelele kwiimbono zangaphambili? Okanye ngaba ndandiza kuba nomonde de ulwazi olucacileyo lukhanye? Yaye ukuba kwakunjalo, ngaba ndandiza kuluxhasa ngokupheleleyo?’

¹⁹ Phofu ke, asinakuqiniseka ngento esasinokuyenza ukuba sasiphila ngelo xesha. Kodwa sinokuzibuza: ‘Yintoni endiyenzayo xa kucaciswa ulwazi oluthile lweBhayibhile namhlanje? (Mateyu 24:45) Xa kunikelwa ulwalathiso oluthile lweZibhalo, ngaba ndizama ukulusebenzisa, ndingathobeli nje oko kubhaliweyo kodwa nemigaqo ehambisana nako? (1 Korinte 14:20) Ngaba ngomonde ndilindela kuYehova xa iimpendulo kwimibuzo endikhathazayo ndingakhawulezi ukuzifumana?’ Kubalulekile ukuba sikusebenzise ukutya kokomoya okufumanekayo namhlanje, ukuze “singakhukuliseki.” (Hebhere 2:1) Xa uYehova enikela ulwalathiso ngeLizwi, umoya nangentlangano yakhe esemhlabeni, masiphulaphule ngenyameko. Ukuba senjenjalo, uYehova uya kusisikelela ngobomi obungunaphakade obonwabisayo nobanelisayo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

Ubuya Kuphendula Uthini?

• UMthetho kaMoses ‘wawungumkhapheli osikhokelela kuKristu’ ngayiphi ingqiqo?

• Sisiphi isizathu esabangela ukuba uPetros ‘nabaxhasi bolwaluko’ basabele ngokwahlukileyo kulwazi olutsha lwenyaniso?

• Ufunde ntoni ngendlela uYehova ayityhila ngayo inyaniso namhlanje?

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

UPawulos Ujamelana Novavanyo Ngokuthobeka

Emva kohambo lobuvangeli basemazweni oluphumelelayo, uPawulos wafika eYerusalem ngowama-56 C.E. Apho wayelindelwe luvavanyo. Iindaba zokuba wayefundisa ukuba uMthetho uphelisiwe zazisele zifikile ebandleni. Amadoda amakhulu ayesoyika ukuba amaKristu angamaYuda asandul’ ukuguquka ayeza kukhubeka yintetho ephandle kaPawulos ngokuphathelele uMthetho yaye ayesenokugqiba kwelokuba amaKristu akawahloneli amalungiselelo kaYehova. Ebandleni kwakukho amaKristu amane angamaYuda awayenze isifungo, mhlawumbi sokuba ngaBahlulwa. Kwakuza kufuneka aye etempileni ukuze azenze zonke izinto ezazifunwa seso sifungo.

Amadoda amakhulu amcela uPawulos ukuba ahambe nala madoda mane aye etempileni ukuze ahlawule iindleko zawo. UPawulos wayesele ebhale ubuncinane iincwadi ezimbini eziphefumlelweyo apho wayebonisa ukuba akuseyomfuneko ukugcina uMthetho ukuze ubani asindiswe. Noko ke, wazicingela izazela zabanye. Ngaphambilana wabhala esithi: “Kwabo baphantsi komthetho ndaba njengophantsi komthetho . . . ukuze ndibazuze abo baphantsi komthetho.” (1 Korinte 9:20-23) Nangona wayengaze alalanise xa kubandakanyeke imigaqo ebalulekileyo yeZibhalo, uPawulos wacinga ukuba wayenokuvumelana necebiso lamadoda amakhulu. (IZenzo 21:15-26) Wayengayi kuba uphosisile ngokwenjenjalo. Ilungiselelo lezifungo lalingachasananga neZibhalo, yaye itempile yayisetyenziselwa unqulo olunyulu, kungekhona unqulo-zithixo. Engafuni kukhubekisa abanye, uPawulos wakwenza oko wayecelwa ukuba akwenze. (1 Korinte 8:13) Alithandabuzeki elokuba kwafuneka uPawulos abonise ukuthobeka, nto leyo esenza simxabise ngakumbi.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22, 23]

Kangangeminyaka eliqela, amaKristu ayenezimvo ezahlukileyo ngoMthetho kaMoses