Ngoobani AmaKristu Okwenyaniso?
“UBUKRISTU buthetha ukufundisa nokuphila ngokuvisisana nezinto ezazifundiswa nguYesu Kristu.” (On Being a Christian) Ngaloo mazwi umfundisi wezakwalizwi waseSwitzerland uHans Küng wayethetha inyaniso engenakuphikiswa: Ekuphela kwamaKristu okwenyaniso ngabo baphila ngokuvisisana neemfundiso zikaYesu.
Noko ke, kuthekani ukuba abantu okanye iintlangano ezithile ezithi zilandela uKristu azenzi ngokuvisisana nezinto ezazifundiswa nguYesu? UYesu wathi baninzi ababeza kuthi bangamaKristu. Babeya kubhekisela kwimisebenzi eyahlukahlukeneyo ukungqina ukuba baye bamkhonza, besithi: “Asizange na siprofete egameni lakho, sakhupha iidemon egameni lakho, senza imisebenzi emininzi yamandla egameni lakho?” Noko ke, uYesu uya kuthini? Amazwi akhe aqatha awuchaza ngokucacileyo umgwebo wakhe, kuba uya kuthi: “Andizange ndinazi! Mkani kum, nina benzi bokuchasene nomthetho.”—Mateyu 7:22, 23.
Eso sisilumkiso esiqatha ‘kubenzi bokuchasene nomthetho’ abathi balandela uYesu. Phawula izinto ezimbini eziyintloko ezimele zenziwe ngabo uYesu aya kubagqala njengamaKristu okwenyaniso kunokuba abagatye njengabenzi bokuchasene nomthetho.
“Ukuba Ninothando Phakathi Kwenu”
UYesu wachaza into efunekayo kumaKristu okwenyaniso, wathi: “Ndininika umyalelo omtsha, wokuba nithandane; kanye njengoko ndinithandileyo mna, ukuba nani nithandane. Ngako oko bonke baya kwazi ukuba ningabafundi bam, ukuba ninothando phakathi kwenu.”—Yohane 13:34, 35.
UYesu ufuna ukuba abalandeli bakhe bathandane ngokunyanisekileyo baze bathande nabantu bonke. AmaKristu amaninzi aye akwenza oko kangangeenkulungwane ukususela kwixesha awayephila ngalo uYesu emhlabeni. Kodwa kuthekani ngenkoliso yeentlangano zonqulo ezithi zezobuKristu? Ngaba imbali yazo ibonisa ukuba bezisaziwa ngokuba nothando? Nakanye. Kunoko, ibizezona ziphambili kwiimfazwe neengxwabangxwaba ezininzi eziye zabulala abantu abangenatyala.—ISityhilelo 18:24.
Oko kuye kwaqhubeka kunjalo ukuza kuthi ga kumhla wethu. Iintlanga ezithi zingamaKristu zaba phambili ekuxhelweni kwabantu kwiimfazwe ezimbini zehlabathi zenkulungwane yama-20. Kutshanje, amalungu eecawa ekuthiwa zezamaKristu aye aphambili kwizenzo zenkohlakalo nokuzama ukutshabalalisa uhlanga eRwanda ngowe-1994. Owayesakuba ngubhishophu omkhulu wamaTshetshi uDesmond Tutu ubhala athi, “Abo babulala abanye ngenkohlakalo, babekunqulo olunye. Uninzi lwabo lwalungamaKristu.”
“Ukuba Nithe Nahlala Kulo Izwi Lam”
Echaza into yesibini efunekayo kumaKristu okwenyaniso, uYesu wathi: “Ukuba nithe nahlala kulo izwi lam, ngokwenene ningabafundi bam, niya kuyazi inyaniso, yaye inyaniso iya kunikhulula.”—Yohane 8:31, 32.
UYesu ulindele ukuba abalandeli bakhe bahlale kwilizwi lakhe—okuthetha ukuthi, babambelele kwiimfundiso zakhe. Kunoko, abefundisi bonqulo, abathi balandela uKristu “baye bamkela iingcamango zamaGrike,” utsho njalo umfundisi wezakwalizwi uKüng. Kunokuba bafundise iimfundiso zikaYesu, bafundisa iingcamango ezinjengokungafi komphefumlo, inkolelo yentlambululo-miphefumlo, ukunqulwa kukaMariya nokuba kufanele kubekho abefundisi—iingcamango ezivela kunqulo lobuhedeni neentanda-bulumko.—1 Korinte 1:19-21; 3:18-20.
Abefundisi beecawa beza nenye imfundiso edidayo kaBathathu Emnye, bebeka uYesu kwisikhundla esiphakamileyo angazange athi sesakhe. Ngaloo mfundiso, benza abantu bayeka ukunqula lowo uYesu wayesoloko esithi kufanele kunqulwe yena—uYise, uYehova. (Mateyu 5:16; 6:9; Yohane 14:28; 20:17) UHans Küng uthi, “Xa uYesu ethetha ngoThixo, uthetha ngoThixo wamandulo kasolusapho uAbraham, uIsake noYakobi: uYahweh . . . Kaloku kuye ngulo kuphela uThixo.” Bangaphi abantu namhlanje abaqonda ngokulula ukuba uThixo uYise kaYesu nguYahweh, okanye nguYehova, njengoko igama lakhe libhalwa njalo ngesiXhosa?
Iinkokeli zonqulo ziye zawutyeshela ngokupheleleyo umyalelo kaYesu wokungathabathi cala kwimicimbi yezopolitiko. Ngomhla kaYesu, eGalili “kulapho kwakugquba khona ubuhlanga,” utsho njalo umbhali uTrevor Morrow. AmaYuda amaninzi athanda ilizwe alwa iimfazwe ukuze afumane inkululeko kwezopolitiko nakunqulo. Ngaba uYesu waxelela abafundi bakhe ukuba babe nenxaxheba kwimilo enjalo? Akunjalo. Ngokwahlukileyo, wathi: ‘Aniyonxalenye yehlabathi.’ (Yohane 15:19; 17:14) Noko ke, kunokuba zingathabathi cala kwezopolitiko, umbhali waseIreland uHubert Butler uthi iinkokeli zonqulo “zingoophuma silwe abaxuba ilizwi likaThixo nezopolitiko.” Ubhala athi, “UbuKristu obuxhasa ezopolitiko bukwaxhasa imfazwe yaye xa amagosa aseburhulumenteni neenkokeli zonqulo befikelela kwisivumelwano, ngalo lonke ixesha iCawa iye isikelele imikhosi yemfazwe ngenjongo yokuba izuze okuthile.”
Abafundisi Bobuxoki Bayamkhanyela UYesu
Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa ngokushiywa kobuKristu bokwenyaniso. Wathi emva kokufa kwakhe, “iingcuka ezicinezelayo” eziphuma phakathi kwabo bathi bangamaKristu ziya ‘kuthetha izinto ezijijekileyo ukuze zitsale abafundi emva kwazo.’ (IZenzo 20:29, 30) Zaziya ‘kuvakalisa esidlangalaleni ukuba ziyamazi uThixo,’ kodwa eneneni ‘zimkhanyela ngemisebenzi yazo.’ (Tito 1:16) Ngokufanayo umpostile uPetros walumkisa ukuba abafundisi bobuxoki baya “kungenisa ngasese amahlelo atshabalalisayo yaye baya kumkhanyela nomnini owabathengayo.” Wathi, ukuziphatha kwabo kakubi kuya kwenza abantu ‘batshabhise indlela yenyaniso.’ (2 Petros 2:1, 2) Umphengululi ongumGrike uW. E. Vine uthi ukukhanyela uKristu ngale ndlela kuthetha “ukukhanyela uYise noNyana, ngokusasaza iimfundiso eziyingozi nezowexuko.”
Uya kwenza ntoni uYesu xa abo bathi bangabalandeli bakhe ngabom ‘bengahlali elizwini lakhe’ baze bangayifikeleli imilinganiselo ayibekele abalandeli bakhe? Walumkisa: “Nabani na ondikhanyelayo phambi kwabantu, nam ndiza kumkhanyela phambi koBawo osemazulwini.” (Mateyu 10:33) Kakade ke, uYesu akamkhanyeli umntu owenza impazamo kodwa efuna ngokunyanisekileyo ukuthembeka. Ngokomzekelo, nangona umpostile uPetros wakhanyela uYesu izihlandlo ezithathu, waguquka waza waxolelwa. (Mateyu 26:69-75) Noko ke, uYesu uyazikhanyela iintlangano okanye abantu abaziingcuka ezambethe ufele lwegusha—abenza ngathi balandela uKristu kodwa betyeshela iimfundiso zakhe ngabom nangokuzingisileyo. Ethetha ngabo bafundisi bobuxoki, uYesu wathi: “Niya kubaqonda ngeziqhamo zabo abo bantu.”—Mateyu 7:15-20.
Abapostile Bayafa, Kukhula Uwexuko
Aqala nini amaKristu obuxoki ukukhanyela uKristu? Kamsinya nje emva kokufa kukaYesu. UYesu walumkisa ukuba uSathana uMtyholi wayeza kukhawuleza ahlwayele “ukhula,” okanye amaKristu obuxoki, phakathi ‘kwembewu entle,’ okanye amaKristu okwenyaniso, uYesu awawatyala ebudeni bobulungiseleli bakhe. (Mateyu 13:24, 25, 37-39) Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa esithi abafundisi abanenkohliso babesele bekho ngexesha lakhe. Wathi isizathu esiyintloko sokuba baphambuke kwiimfundiso zikaYesu Kristu, kukuba babengenalo ngokwenene “uthando lwenyaniso.”—2 Tesalonika 2:10.
Ngoxa babesaphila abapostile bakaYesu Kristu babeluthintela olu wexuko. Noko ke, emva kokufa kwabo, iinkokeli zonqulo ziye zenza ‘imisebenzi yamandla nemiqondiso yobuxoki nemihlola nayo yonke inkohliso engeyoyabulungisa’ ukuze zilahlekise abantu abaninzi zize zibaphambukise enyanisweni eyafundiswa nguYesu nabapostile bakhe. (2 Tesalonika 2:3, 6-12) Isithandi-sobulumko esiliNgesi uBertrand Russell, wabhala wathi, kungekudala ibandla lamaKristu lokuqala latshintsha laba yintlangano yonqulo “eyayinokwenza uYesu kwanoPawulos babamb’ ongezantsi.”
Ukubuyiselwa KobuKristu Bokwenyaniso
Inyaniso ecace mhlophe yile yokuba, ukususela ekufeni kwabapostile, iimfundiso zikaKristu azizange zibalaseliswe ngabo bathi bangamaKristu. Noko ke, oku akuthethi ukuba uYesu uye wasilela ukuzalisekisa isithembiso sakhe sokuba wayeya kuba kunye nabalandeli bakhe “yonke imihla de kube sekuphelisweni kwenkqubo yezinto.” (Mateyu 28:20) Sinokuqiniseka ukuba ukususela oko wathetha loo mazwi, bekusoloko kukho abantu abathembekileyo abaye ‘bafundisa baza baphila ngokuvisisana nezinto ezazifundiswa nguYesu Kristu.’ UYesu Kristu uye wasigcina isithembiso sakhe sokuxhasa abanjalo njengoko bebezabalazela ukubonisa uthando oluphawula amaKristu okwenyaniso nokuhlala benyanisekile kwiimfundiso zakhe eziyinyaniso.
Okungakumbi, uYesu wathembisa ukuba ngemihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto, wayeya kuhlanganisela abafundi bakhe abathembekileyo kwibandla lamaKristu elibonakala ngokucacileyo awayeza kulisebenzisa ukuphumeza ukuthanda kwakhe. (Mateyu 24:14, 45-47) Ngoku usebenzisa elo bandla ukuhlanganisa “isihlwele esikhulu” samadoda, amabhinqa nabantwana ‘esiphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga nezizwe nezizwana neelwimi,’ esimanyanisa phantsi kolwalathiso lwakhe ukuze sibe “mhlambi mnye” phantsi ‘komalusi omnye.’—ISityhilelo 7:9, 14-17; Yohane 10:16; Efese 4:11-16.
Ngoko ke, yishiye nayiphi na intlangano eye yangcolisa igama likaKristu yaza yanyelisa ubuKristu kule minyaka engamawaka amabini edluleyo. Ukuba akuyishiyi, njengoko uYesu Kristu waxelela umpostile uYohane, ‘unokwamkeliswa kwizibetho zayo’ xa uThixo eyigweba kungekudala. (ISityhilelo 1:1; 18:4, 5) Yenza isigqibo sokuba phakathi kwabo awathetha ngabo umprofeti uMika xa wathi “ekupheleni kwemihla,” abanquli bokwenyaniso—abo babambelele kubuKristu bokwenyaniso—baya kuphulaphula imiyalelo kaThixo baze ‘bahambe emendweni wakhe’ wonqulo lokwenyaniso olubuyiselweyo. (Mika 4:1-4) Abapapashi beli phephancwadi baya kukuvuyela ukukunceda ubone abo banquli bokwenyaniso.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 5]
Kutheni amaKristu okwenyaniso engabi nanxaxheba emfazweni?
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Soldiers, left: U.S. National Archives photo; flamethrower, right: U.S. Army Photo
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 7]
UYesu wathi ezona zinto zifunekayo kumaKristu okwenyaniso kukuba ‘nothando phakathi kwawo’ ‘nokuhlala kwilizwi lakhe’