Indlu Yesikhungu—Awayeshumayela Kuyo UYesu Nabafundi Bakhe
“Wandula ke walijikeleza lonke elaseGalili, efundisa kwizindlu zabo zesikhungu, eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zobukumkani.”—MATEYU 4:23.
KWIINCWADI zeVangeli kuthethwa izihlandlo ezininzi ngoYesu ekwindlu yesikhungu. UYesu wayesoloko esiya kushumayela ngoBukumkani bukaThixo kwizindlu zesikhungu kwiminyaka emithathu yokushumayela kwakhe, enokuba wayeseNazarete idolophu awakhulela kuyo okanye eKapernahum idolophu awayehlala kuyo okanye kwezinye idolophu needolophana awayesiya kuzo. UYesu wathi ngomsebenzi wakhe wokushumayela: “Bendisoloko ndifundisa kwindlu yesikhungu nasetempileni, apho onke amaYuda abuthelana khona.”—Yohane 18:20.
Nabapostile bakaYesu kunye namanye amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala babedla ngokufundisa kwizindlu zesikhungu zamaYuda. Kwenzeka njani ukuba amaYuda anqulele kwizindlu zesikhungu? Izindlu zesikhungu zomhla kaYesu zazakhiwe njani? Makhe sithethe ngezi zindlu.
Inxalenye Ebalulekileyo Yobomi BamaYuda Amadoda amaYuda ayesiya eYerusalem kathathu ngonyaka kwimithendeleko eyayisiba setempileni. Kodwa enokuba ayehlala ePalestina okanye kwelinye lamathanga akwaYuda, ayesiya kwindlu yesikhungu ukuze anqule imihla ngemihla.
AmaYuda aqala nini ukunqulela kwizindlu zesikhungu? Abanye bacingela ukuba aqala ukuzisebenzisa xa ayethinjwe eBhabhiloni (607-537 B.C.E.), yabe netempile kaYehova itshatyalalisiwe. Kwakhona kusenokwenzeka ukuba zaqala ukusetyenziswa emva kokuba amaYuda ebuyile ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, xa umbingeleli uEzra wakhuthaza abantu ukuba bazuze ulwazi olungakumbi nokuwuqonda uMthetho kaThixo.—Ezra 7:10; 8:1-8; 10:3.
Ekuqaleni igama elithi “indlu yesikhungu” lalithetha “indibano” okanye “ibandla.” Lalisetyenziswa ngaloo ndlela kwiSeptuagint, inguqulelo yesiGrike yeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, abantu basebenzisa eli gama ukubhekisela kwisakhiwo ekwakunqulelwa kuso. Ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo phantse zonke iidolophu awayesiya kuzo uYesu zazinendlu yesikhungu; zazisiba liqela esixekweni; zazininzi ngakumbi eYerusalem. Zazakhiwe njani?
Indlu Yokunqulela Engenabugocigoci Xa amaYuda esakha indlu yesikhungu, ayekhangela indawo ephakamileyo aze aqiniseke ukuba umnyango wayo ujonga (1) ngaseYerusalem. Kodwa ke, kuyabonakala ukuba kwakunganyanzelekanga ukuba basoloko besakha ngaloo ndlela kuba yayingasoloko ifumaneka indawo enjalo.
Xa igqityiwe ukwakhiwa, indlu yesikhungu yayingabi nabunewunewu. Eyona nto yayisoloko ikho yayiyityeya (2) okanye indawo yokugcina eyona nto yayibalulekile kubahlali—imisongo yeZibhalo eZingcwele. Ityeya kwakusiziwa nayo enkonzweni ize ibuyiselwe kwigumbi layo emva kwayo (3).
(4) Abaphathi bezindlu zesikhungu kunye nezinye iindwendwe ezibekekileyo babehlala kwizihlalo ezazibekwa ngaphambili ecaleni kwetyeya. (Mateyu 23:5, 6) Ngasembindini weholo kwakusibakho iqonga eliphakamileyo nesitulo sesithethi. (5). Izitulo zokuhlala abanye abantu zazingqonga iqonga (6).
Izindlu zesikhungu zazidla ngokusetyenziswa zize zixhaswe libandla lasekuhlaleni. Bonke, izityebi namahlwempu, babenikela ngokuzithandela ukuze banyamekele indlu yabo yesikhungu. Yayiqhutywa njani inkonzo kwezi zindlu zesikhungu?
Ukunqulela Kwindlu Yesikhungu Inkonzo yalapho yayiquka ukudumisa, ukuthandaza, ukufunda iZibhalo, ukufundisa nokushumayela. Ibandla laliqala ngokucengceleza iShema okanye ukuvuma ukholo okwakusenziwa ngamaYuda. Igama elithi Shema livela kwigama lokuqala lesibhalo sokuqala esasicengcelezwa: “Phulaphula [Shema], Sirayeli: UYehova uThixo wethu nguYehova mnye.”—Duteronomi 6:4.
Emva koko, kwakufundwa kuze kucaciswe uMthetho okanye iincwadi ezintlanu zeBhayibhile ezabhalwa nguMoses. (IZenzo 15:21) Emva kokuba zifundiwe kwakucaciswa iinxalenye ezithile zeencwadi zabaprofeti. Maxa wambi, nabantu basemzini babevunyelwa ukuba bakhe bahlomle njengoko kwenziwa nakuYesu kwisiganeko ekubhalwe ngaso kuLuka 4:16-21.
Kakade ke, umsongo owanikwa uYesu ngaloo mini wawungenazo izahluko neevesi njengeeBhayibhile esinazo namhlanje. Sinokuba nomfanekiso ngqondweni kaYesu evula loo msongo aze afumane isicatshulwa awayesifuna. Emva kokuba ufundiwe umsongo wawuphinda usongwe.
Ubukhulu becala kwakufundwa ngesiHebhere kuze kuguqulelwe kwisiAramiki. Amabandla awayethetha isiGrike ayesebenzisa iSeptuagint.
Zaziyinxalenye Yobomi Bemihla Ngemihla Indlu yesikhungu yayibalulekile kumaYuda kangangokuba yona kunye nezinye izakhiwo ezazisakhiwa kunye nayo zaziye zisetyenziselwe iinjongo ezahlukahlukeneyo. Maxa wambi amatyala ayexoxelwa kuzo kuze kuqhutywe neentlanganiso zabahlali namanye amatheko. Ngamanye amaxesha abahambi babelaliswa kwelinye lamagumbi endlu yesikhungu.
Phantse kuzo zonke iidolophu indlu yesikhungu yayisiba nesikolo. Sinokuba nomfanekiso ngqondweni wegumbi lokufundela lizaliswe ngabantwana ababefundiswa ukufunda oonobumba abakhulu. Kwakungenxa yezo zikolo le nto amaYuda amandulo ayekwazi ukufunda yaye nabantu abaqhelekileyo bezazi iZibhalo.
Kodwa ke indlu yesikhungu yayisakhiwa ukuze kunqulelwe kuyo. Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuphawula ukuba amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ayeyiqhuba njengamaYuda inkonzo yawo. Nawo amaKristu ayenqula uYehova ngomthandazo, iingoma zokudumisa nokufundwa kunye nokucaciswa kweLizwi likaThixo. Babengafani ngezo zinto nje kuphela. Iindleko zeendawo zokunqulela zamaKristu nezamaYuda zazihlawulwa ngeminikelo yokuzithandela; iLizwi likaThixo lalingafundwa lize licaciswe ngabefundisi nje kuphela yaye inkonzo yabo yayikhokelwa ngamadoda amakhulu afanelekayo.
NamaNgqina kaYehova anamhlanje axelisa umzekelo kaYesu nowabalandeli bakhe benkulungwane yokuqala. Indlela ayiqhuba ngayo inkonzo inezinto efana ngazo nendlela ekwakuqhutywa ngayo kwizindlu zesikhungu zamandulo. Ngaphezu koko, amaNgqina ahlanganisana ngesizathu esifanayo neso sabantu ebebesoloko bethanda inyaniso—ahlanganisana ukuze ‘asondele kuThixo.’—Yakobi 4:8.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]
Esi sakhiwo sifana nendlu yesikhungu yaseGamla yenkulungwane yokuqala
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
Kwizikolo ezazisiba kwindlu yesikhungu kwakufunda amakhwenkwe aneminyaka emithandathu ukuya kweli-13 ubudala