Indlela Ibandla Elilungelelaniswe Nelilawulwa Ngayo

KWINCWADI yakhe yokuqala eyayisiya kwabaseKorinte, umpostile uPawulos wachaza into ebalulekileyo ngoThixo. Wathi: “UThixo akangoThixo wesiphithiphithi, kodwa ngowoxolo.” Waza wathi xa ethetha ngeentlanganiso zebandla: “Zonke izinto mazenzeke ngesidima nangocwangco.”—1 Kor. 14:33, 40.

² Ekuqaleni kwale ncwadi inye, lo mpostile walinqanda ibandla laseKorinte elalixabana. UPawulos wabacela abazalwana ukuba ‘bavumelane ngento abayithethayo baze bacinge ngendlela efanayo.’ (1 Kor. 1:10, 11) Emva koko waluleka aba bazalwana ngezinto ezahlukahlukeneyo ezazibangela bangamanyani ebandleni. Esenza umzekelo ngomzimba womntu, wenza kwacaca ukuba kufuneka bamanyane baze basebenzisane. Ngenxa yoko, wabacela bonke kwibandla lamaKristu, nokuba benza owuphi umsebenzi, ukuba bathandane baze bakhathalelane. (1 Kor. 12:12-26) Ukuze basebenzisane ngolo hlobo abantu ebandleni, kufuneka kubekho indlela elungeleleneyo yokwenza izinto.

³ Kodwa laliza kulungelelaniswa njani ibandla lamaKristu? Ngubani owayeza kulilungelelanisa? Laliza kusebenza njani? Ngoobani ababeza kubekwa kwizikhundla ezithile? Xa sivumela iBhayibhile ukuba isikhokele, siyazifumana iimpendulo zale mibuzo.​—1 Kor. 4:6.

LILUNGELELANISWE NGENDLELA KATHIXO

⁴ Ibandla lamaKristu laqala ukubakho ngePentekoste ka-33 C.E. Yintoni esinokuyifunda ngebandla lelo xesha? Lalisebenza ngendlela elungeleleneyo ibe lilawulwa ngendlela kaThixo (ulawulo okanye amandla, ngesiGrike kraʹtos, uthixo the·osʹ). La magama avela kweyoku-1 kaPetros 5:10, 11, ibe aguqulelwe ngokuthi “uThixo” nangokuthi “amandla.” Ingxelo ephefumlelweyo esichazela into eyenzeka eYerusalem malunga neminyaka eyi-2 000 eyadlulayo, iyasiqinisekisa ukuba ibandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo lasekwa nguThixo. (IZe. 2:1-47) Lalisisakhiwo sakhe, indlu yakhe. (1 Kor. 3:9; Efe. 2:19) Indlela eyayisebenza ngayo intlangano ngexesha labapostile, isasetyenziswa libandla lamaKristu nanamhlanje.

⁵ Ibandla lokuqala laqala linabafundi abamalunga ne-120. Umoya oyingcwele waqala wathululwa kubo, kuzaliseka uYoweli 2:28, 29. (IZe. 2:16-18) Kodwa kwangaloo mini, kwabhaptizwa emanzini abanye abamalunga ne-3 000 baza bangeniswa kwibandla labathanjisiweyo. Babelamkele ilizwi elingoKristu baza “baqhubeka bemamela izinto ezazifundiswa ngabapostile.” Emva koko, “noYehova waqhubeka esongeza yonke imihla kwabo babesindiswa.”​—IZe. 2:41, 42, 47.

⁶ Ulwando kwibandla labathanjiswa eYerusalem lwaba lukhulu, kangangokuba umbingeleli omkhulu wamaYuda wakhalaza esithi, abafundi babezalise iYerusalem ngemfundiso yabo. Abafundi abatsha eYerusalem babequka ababingeleli abaninzi abangamaYuda, ababa yinxalenye yebandla.​—IZe. 5:27, 28; 6:7.

⁷ UYesu wayethe: “Niza kuba ngamangqina am eYerusalem, kulo lonke elakwaYuda naseSamariya, de niyokufika nakwezona ndawo zikude emhlabeni.” (IZe. 1:8) Kwenzeka loo nto kanye xa kwavela intshutshiso enkulu eYerusalem, emva kokuba kubulewe uStefano, abafundi ababehlala apho bathi saa kwilizwe lakwaYuda naseSamariya. Ibe naphi na apho babesiya khona, baqhubeka beshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo yaye besenza abafundi abangakumbi, nakumaSamariya. (IZe. 8:1-13) Kamva, iindaba ezilungileyo zashunyayelwa ngempumelelo kwabo babengaluswanga, abantu abangengomaYuda. (IZe. 10:1-48) Wonke lo msebenzi wokushumayela nokwenza abafundi abaninzi, wenza ukuba kubekho amabandla amatsha ngaphandle kweYerusalem.​—IZe. 11:19-21; 14:21-23.

⁸ Ziintoni ezenziwayo ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuba ibandla elitsha ngalinye lalilungelelene kwaye lilawulwa ngendlela kaThixo? Ngenxa yokusebenza komoya kaThixo, kwabekwa abalusi bokwalusa umhlambi. UPawulos noBharnabhas bamisela abadala kumabandla abawatyelelayo kuhambo lwabo lokuqala lokuhambisa ivangeli. (IZe. 14:23) Umbhali weBhayibhile uLuka ubalisa ngentlanganiso kaPawulos nabadala bebandla lase-Efese. UPawulos wathi kubo: “Zigadeni, nigade nomhlambi enibekwe ngumoya oyingcwele ukuba nibe ngabadala bawo, ukuze nilaluse ibandla likaThixo awalithenga ngegazi loNyana wakhe.” (IZe. 20:17, 28) Babekulungele ukuba ngabadala kuba babefaneleka ngokweZibhalo. (1 Tim. 3:1-7) UTito owayesebenza noPawulos wanikwa igunya lokumisela abadala kwibandla laseKrete.​—Tito 1:5.

⁹ Njengoko kwakumiselwa amabandla angakumbi, abapostile nabadala baseYerusalem babengabaveleli abaphambili bebandla lamaKristu, elalisele lifike nakwamanye amazwe ngexesha labapostile. Babeliqumrhu elilawulayo.

¹⁰ Xa uPawulos wayebhalela ibandla lase-Efese, wachaza ukuba xa ibandla lamaKristu lisebenzisana nomoya kaThixo, lize lithobele uYesu Kristu oyiNtloko yebandla, laliza kuhlala limanyene. Lo mpostile wacela amaKristu alapho ukuba athobeke kwaye ahlale ‘emanyene encedwa ngumoya oyingcwele,’ eseluxolweni kunye nabo bonke abasebandleni. (Efe. 4:1-6) Emva koko wacaphula iNdumiso 68:18 waza wayisebenzisa kwilungiselelo likaYehova lokuba amadoda afanelekayo asebenzele ibandla, njengabapostile, abaprofeti, abashumayeli bevangeli, abalusi nabafundisi. Loo madoda, azizipho ezivela kuYehova, ayeza kwakha lonke ibandla elukholweni ukuze lomelele ngendlela eyayiza kuvuyisa uThixo.​—Efe. 4:7-16.

IBANDLA LANAMHLANJE LILANDELA UMZEKELO WABAPOSTILE

¹¹ Nanamhlanje kulandelwa indlela efanayo yokulungelelanisa izinto kuwo onke amabandla amaNgqina KaYehova. La mabandla xa ewonke, alibandla elimanyeneyo elisehlabathini lonke, elinezinye izimvu ezincedisa abathanjiswa. (Zek. 8:23) Le nto yenzeka ngenxa kaYesu Kristu. Wenza laa nto wayeyithembisile, ukuhlala ekunye nabafundi bakhe abathanjisiweyo “yonke imihla de kube sekuphelisweni kweli hlabathi.” Abantu abangena kwibandla elikhulayo namhlanje bayazamkela iindaba ezilungileyo zikaThixo, baze bazinikele kuYehova, babhaptizwe babe ngabafundi bakaYesu. (Mat. 28:19, 20; Marko 1:14; IZe. 2:41) Bayamamkela ‘umalusi olungileyo,’ uYesu Kristu, oyiNtloko yomhlambi omnye ongamaKristu athanjisiweyo “nezinye izimvu.” (Yoh. 10:14, 16; Efe. 1:22, 23). Loo ‘mhlambi mnye’, uhlala umanyene xa uthembekile kuKristu, oyiNtloko yebandla. Uze uthobele ‘ikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi,’ elilungelelanisa izinto kwintlangano nelimiselwe nguKristu. Akwaba singahlala silithemba ikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi.​—Mat. 24:45.

UKUSETYENZISWA KWEMIBUTHO ESEMTHETHWENI (CORPORATIONS)

¹² Kuye kwamiselwa imibutho esemthethweni ukuze kwenziwe imisebenzi yokudlulisela ukutya okuqinisa ukholo ngexesha elifanelekileyo, nokuze kushunyayelwe iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani ngaphambi kokuba kufike isiphelo. Le mibutho ibhaliswe ngokusemthethweni kumazwe awahlukahlukeneyo ibe iyasebenzisana. Ilungelelanisa ukushunyayelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo ehlabathini lonke.

INDLELA ELISEBENZA NGAYO ISEBE

¹³ Nanini xa kuqala ukubakho iofisi yesebe, kumiselwa iKomiti Yesebe enabadala abathathu okanye abangaphezulu. Ijonga umsebenzi owenziwa kwilizwe okanye kumazwe aphantsi kwelo sebe. Umdala omnye kule komiti uba ngumnxibelelanisi weKomiti Yesebe.

¹⁴ Amabandla aphantsi kwelo sebe ayohlulwa ukuze abe ziziphaluka. Ezinye iziphaluka ziba nkulu ezinye zibe ncinci, kuxhomekeka kwindawo, kulwimi oluthethwa kuloo ndawo nakwinani lamabandla aphantsi kweloo sebe. Kumiselwa umveleli wesiphaluka ukuze atyelele amabandla esiphaluka ngasinye. Iofisi yesebe iye ithumelele umveleli wesiphaluka iileta ezithetha ngendlela amele awenze ngayo umsebenzi awunikiweyo.

¹⁵ Amabandla ayawamkela aze ahambisane namalungiselelo entlangano awenziwa ukuze kuncedakale bonke abantu. Ayakwamkela ukumiselwa kwabadala abasebenza kwiiofisi zamasebe, kwiziphaluka nasemabandleni. Afumana ukutya okuqinisa ukholo kwikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi ngexesha elifanelekileyo. Ikhoboka elithembekileyo lanamhlanje lithobela uKristu oyiNtloko yebandla, lisebenzisa imigaqo yeBhayibhile, lize livumele ukwalathiswa ngumoya oyingcwele. Xa sonke sisebenzisana ibe simanyene, kwenzeka into efana neyenzeka kumaKristu exesha labapostile: “Amabandla aqhubeka esiba nokholo olomeleleyo yaye esanda yonke imihla.”—IZe. 16:5.