Ithemba Lovuko Linamandla
“Ndikwazigqala zonke izinto ziyilahleko . . . khon’ ukuze ndimazi [uYesu Kristu] namandla ovuko lwakhe.”—FILIPI 3:8-10.
1, 2. (a) Kwiminyaka eyadlulayo omnye umfundisi waluchaza njani uvuko? (b) Luya kwenzeka njani uvuko?
EKUQALENI kweminyaka yee-1890, iphephandaba likawonke-wonke lathetha ngentshumayelo ekhethekileyo eyanikelwa ngumfundisi eBrooklyn, eNew York, eUnited States. Wathi uvuko luya kuquka ukuhlanganiswa nokuhlaziywa kwawo onke amathambo nenyama eyayisakha umzimba womntu, enoba yayitshatyalaliswe ngumlilo okanye yingozi, enoba yayityiwe lirhamncwa okanye yaba ngumgquba. Lo mshumayeli wayekholelwa ukuba ngenye imini engama-24 eeyure, emoyeni kwakuya kuzala izandla, iingalo, iinyawo, iminwe, amathambo, imisipha nolusu lwezigidi zabantu abafileyo. La malungu ayeya kuba efuna ezinye iinxalenye zomzimba wawo. Kwandule ke kuphume imiphefumlo ezulwini nasesihogweni ukuze ingene kule mizimba ivusiweyo.
2 Ukuvusa umntu ngokuhlanganisa amasuntswana awayebumba umzimba wangaphambili akukho ngqiqweni, yaye abantu abanawo umphefumlo ongafiyo. (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekile 18:4) UYehova, uThixo wovuko, akuyomfuneko ukuba aphinde ahlanganise amasuntswana awayebumba umzimba womntu ngaphambili. Unako ukubenzela imizimba emitsha abo bavusiweyo. UYehova unike uNyana wakhe uYesu Kristu amandla okuvusa abafileyo, benethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade. (Yohane 5:26) Ngoko uYesu wathi: “Ndim uvuko nobomi. Lowo ubonisa ukholo kum, nokuba uyafa, uya kubuyela ebomini.” (Yohane 11:25, 26) Elinjani lona ukuvuyisa idinga! Liyasomeleza ukuba sinyamezele iimvavanyo size sijamelane nokufa njengamaNgqina kaYehova athembekileyo.
3. Kwakutheni ukuze kufuneke uPawulos athethelele uvuko?
3 Uvuko aluhambisani nengcamango yokuba abantu banomphefumlo ongafiyo—imbono yesithandi-sobulumko esingumGrike uPlato. Ngoko, kwenzeka ntoni xa umpostile uPawulos wanikela ubungqina kumaGrike adumileyo aseAreyopago eAthene, ebhekisela kuYesu, esithi uThixo wamvusa? Ingxelo ithi: “Ngoko, bakuva ngovuko lwabafileyo, bambi baqalisa ukwenza intlekisa.” (IZenzo 17:29-34) Abantu abaninzi abambonayo uYesu Kristu ovusiweyo babesaphila yaye, nangona babegculelwa, banikela ubungqina bokuba uvusiwe kwabafileyo. Kodwa abafundisi bobuxoki ababenxulumene nebandla laseKorinte balukhanyela uvuko. Ngoko ke uPawulos wayithethelela ngamandla le mfundiso yobuKristu kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte isahluko se-15. Ukuhlolisisa ngenyameko izizathu awazibekayo ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo kungqina ukuba ithemba lovuko liyinto eqinisekileyo yaye linamandla.
Ubungqina Obubambekayo Bokuvuswa KukaYesu
4. Bubuphi ubungqina bokuzibonela obanikelwa nguPawulos ngovuko lukaYesu?
4 Phawula indlela uPawulos aqalisa ngayo xa eluthethelela. (1 Korinte 15:1-11) Ngaphandle kokuba abantu baseKorinte baba ngamakholwa ngokungenanjongo, baya kubambelela kwiindaba ezilungileyo zosindiso. UKristu wafela izono zethu, wangcwatywa, waza wavuswa. Eneneni, uYesu ovusiweyo wabonakala kuKefas (uPetros), “nakwabalishumi elinesibini.” (Yohane 20:19-23) Wabonwa ngabamalunga nama-500, mhlawumbi xa wabanika umyalelo othi: ‘Hambani niyokwenza abafundi.’ (Mateyu 28:19, 20) UYakobi wambona, njengoko kwaba njalo nangabo bonke abapostile abathembekileyo. (IZenzo 1:6-11) Kufuphi neDamasko, uYesu wabonakala kuSawule “ngokungathi kukulowo uzelwe ngaphambi kwexesha”—ngokungathi sele evuselwe kubomi bokomoya. (IZenzo 9:1-9) Abantu baseKorinte baba ngamakholwa ngenxa yokuba uPawulos washumayela kubo, yaye bazamkela iindaba ezilungileyo.
5. Wayeqiqa njani uPawulos njengoko kubhalwe kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:12-19?
5 Phawula indlela awayeqiqa ngayo uPawulos. (1 Korinte 15:12-19) Ekubeni amangqina okuzibonela eshumayela ukuba uKristu wavuswa, kunokutshiwo njani ke ukuba akukho luvuko? Ukuba uYesu akazange avuswe kwabafileyo, ukushumayela kwethu nokholo lwethu lilize, yaye singamaxoki anikela ubungqina nxamnye noThixo ngokuthi wavusa uKristu. Ukuba abafileyo abavuswa, ‘sisesezonweni zethu,’ yaye abo bafe bemanyene noKristu batshabalele. Ngaphezu koko, “ukuba besithembele kuKristu kobu bomi kuphela, singabona bokusizelwa kubantu bonke.”
6. (a) Wathini uPawulos xa engqina ngovuko lukaYesu? (b) Luyintoni ‘utshaba lokugqibela,’ yaye luya kutshitshiswa njani?
6 UPawulos uyalungqina uvuko lukaYesu. (1 Korinte 15:20-28) Kanye njengoko uKristu ‘eyintlahlela’ yabo balele ekufeni, nabanye baya kuvuswa. Njengoko ukufa kwabakho ngenxa yokungathobeli komntu omnye uAdam, uvuko luya kubakho ngomntu—uYesu. Abo bangabakhe babeza kuvuswa ebudeni bobukho bakhe. UKristu ‘utshitshisa wonke urhulumente nalo lonke igunya namandla’ achasene nolongamo lukaThixo aze alawule njengoKumkani de uYehova azithobele phantsi kweenyawo zakhe zonke iintshaba. ‘Kwanotshaba lokugqibela’—ukufa esakuzuz’ ilifa kuAdam—luya kutshitshiswa ngesizinzi sedini likaYesu. Uya kwandula ke uKristu anikele uBukumkani kuThixo wakhe noYise, ezithoba “kuLowo wazithobela phantsi kwakhe zonke izinto, ukuze uThixo abe zizinto zonke kubo bonke.”
Ngaba Babhaptizwa Ngenxa Yabafileyo?
7. Ngoobani “abo babhaptizwa ngenjongo yokuba ngabo bafileyo,” yaye kuthetha ntoni oku kubo?
7 Abo baluchasayo uvuko babuzwa lo mbuzo: “Baya kwenza ntoni na abo babhaptizwa ngenjongo yokuba ngabo bafileyo?” (1 Korinte 15:29) UPawulos wayengatheth’ ukuthi abaphilayo bamele babhaptizwe ngenxa yabafileyo, kuba abafundi bakaYesu bamele bafunde, bakholelwe baze babhaptizwe bona ngokwabo. (Mateyu 28:19, 20; IZenzo 2:41) AmaKristu athanjisiweyo ‘abhaptizwa ngenjongo yokuba ngabafileyo’ ngokuntywiliselwa kwikhondo lobomi eliwakhokelela ekufeni nasekuvusweni. Olu hlobo lobhaptizo luqalisa xa umoya kaThixo ufaka kuwo ithemba lokuphila ezulwini luze luphele xa evuselwa kubomi bokomoya bokungafi ezulwini.—Roma 6:3-5; 8:16, 17; 1 Korinte 6:14.
8. Yintoni amaKristu anokuqiniseka ngayo kwanokuba uSathana nabakhonzi bakhe banokuwabulala?
8 Njengoko amazwi kaPawulos ebonisa, ithemba lovuko libangela ukuba amaKristu akwazi ukujamelena neengozi nokufa ngalo lonke ixesha ngenxa yokwenza umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoBukumkani. (1 Korinte 15:30, 31) Ayazi ukuba uYehova unokuwavusa ukuba uye wamvumela uSathana nabakhonzi bakhe ukuba bawabulale. NguThixo kuphela onokutshabalalisa imiphefumlo yawo, okanye ubomi bawo, eGehena, efuzisela intshabalalo kanaphakade.—Luka 12:5.
Imfuneko Yokulumka
9. Ukuze ithemba lovuko lisomeleze ebomini bethu, yintoni esimele siyiphephe?
9 Ithemba lovuko lamomeleza uPawulos. Xa wayese-Efese, kunokwenzeka ukuba iintshaba zakhe zambeka ebaleni ukuze alwe namarhamncwa. (1 Korinte 15:32) Ukuba oko kwenzeka, wahlangulwa kanye njengokuba uDaniyeli waye wahlangulwa kwiingonyama. (Daniyeli 6:16-22; Hebhere 11:32, 33) Ekubeni wayenethemba lovuko, uPawulos akazange abe nesimo sengqondo esifana neso sabawexuki bakwaYuda ngomhla kaIsaya. Bathi: “Masidle size sisele, kuba ngomso siyafa.” (Isaya 22:13, Septuagint) Ukuze ithemba lovuko lisomeleze kubomi bethu njengoko lenzayo kuPawulos, simele sibaphephe abo banomoya ombi ngolo hlobo. UPawulos walumkisa wathi: “Ningalahlekiswa. Unxulumano olubi lonakalisa imikhwa elungileyo.” (1 Korinte 15:33) Kakade ke, lo mgaqo usebenza kwiinkalo ezahlukahlukeneyo zobomi.
10. Ithemba lethu lovuko linokugcinwa njani liphilile?
10 Kwabo baluthandabuzayo uvuko, uPawulos wathi: “Vukani niqabuke nenze ubulungisa, ningasiqheliseli isono, kuba bambi baswele ulwazi ngoThixo. Ndikuthetha oku ukuze nidane.” (1 Korinte 15:34) Kweli ‘xesha lesiphelo,’ kufuneka senze ngokuvisisana nolwazi oluchanileyo lukaThixo noKristu. (Daniyeli 12:4; Yohane 17:3) Oku kuya kugcina ithemba lethu lovuko liphilile.
Bavuswa Benomzimba Onjani?
11. UPawulos waluzekelisa njani uvuko lwamaKristu athanjisiweyo?
11 Ngokulandelayo uPawulos waxubusha imibuzo ethile. (1 Korinte 15:35-41) Mhlawumbi ngelizama ukuthandabuza uvuko, omnye umntu usenokubuza athi: “Bavuswa njani na abafileyo? Beza benamzimba unjani na?” Njengoko uPawulos wabonisayo, imbewu etyalwe emhlabeni iyafa njengoko itshintsha ukuze ibe sisithole. Ngokufanayo, umntu ozelwe ngomoya umele afe. Kanye njengoko isityalo siphuma kwimbewu njengomzimba omtsha, ngokufanayo umzimba ovusiweyo womKristu othanjisiweyo wahlukile kumzimba wenyama. Nangona esenobomi obufana nobo bangaphambi kokuba afe, uvuswa njengesidalwa esitsha esinomzimba womoya ukuze akwazi ukuphila ezulwini. Ngokuzenzekelayo, abo bavuselwe emhlabeni baya kuvuswa benemizimba yenyama.
12. Lithetha ntoni ibinzana elithi “imizimba yasezulwini” nelithi ‘imizimba yasemhlabeni’?
12 Njengokutsho kukaPawulos, umzimba womntu wahlukile kulowo wesilwanyana. Kwanezilwanyana zinemizimba eyahlukahlukeneyo. (Genesis 1:20-25) “Imizimba yasezulwini” yezidalwa zomoya yahlukile ngozuko ‘kwimizimba yasemhlabeni’ yenyama. Kukho umahluko nakuzuko lwelanga, lwenyanga nolweenkwenkwezi. Kodwa abo bathanjisiweyo bavusiweyo banozuko olukhulu ngakumbi.
13. Ngokutsho kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:42-44, kuhlwayelwa ntoni kuze kuvuswe ntoni?
13 Emva kokuba echaze umahluko, uPawulos wongezelela wathi: “Kukwanjalo nangovuko lwabafileyo.” (1 Korinte 15:42-44) Wathi: “Uhlwayelwa unokonakala, uvuswa unokungonakali.” Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPawulos apha uthetha ngabathanjisiweyo njengeqela. Bahlwayelwa benokonakala ekufeni, bavuswa benokungonakali, bengenasono. Nangona ihlabathi lingabahloneli, bavuselwa kubomi basezulwini baze babonakaliswe noKristu eluzukweni. (IZenzo 5:41; Kolose 3:4) Ekufeni kuhlwayelwa “umzimba wenyama” kuze kuvuswe “umzimba womoya.” Ekubeni oku kunokwenzeka kumaKristu azelwe ngomoya, sinokuqiniseka ukuba abanye banokuvuselwa kubomi basemhlabeni.
14. UPawulos wamthelekisa njani uKristu noAdam?
14 Ngokulandelayo uPawulos uthelekisa uKristu noAdam. (1 Korinte 15:45-49) UAdam, umntu wokuqala, “waba ngumphefumlo ophilayo.” (Genesis 2:7) “UAdam wokugqibela”—uYesu—“waba ngumoya onik’ ubomi.” Wanikela ngobomi bakhe ukuze bube yintlawulelo, okokuqala ngenxa yabalandeli bakhe abathanjisiweyo. (Marko 10:45) Njengabantu, ‘banomfanekiso walowo wenziwe ngothuli,’ kodwa xa bevuswa baba njengoAdam wokugqibela. Kakade ke, kwidini likaYesu kuya kungenelwa lonke uluntu oluthobelayo, kuquka abo bavuselwe emhlabeni.—1 Yohane 2:1, 2.
15. Kutheni amaKristu athanjisiweyo engavuselwa enyameni, yaye avuswa njani ebudeni bobukho bukaYesu?
15 Xa amaKristu athanjisiweyo esifa, akavuselwa enyameni. (1 Korinte 15:50-53) Umzimba onokonakala wenyama negazi awunakudla ilifa ukungonakali noBukumkani bamazulu. Abanye abathanjiswa akuyi kuba yimfuneko ukuba balale ixesha elide ekufeni. Xa begqiba ikhondo labo lasemhlabeni bethembekile ebudeni bobukho bukaYesu, baya “kutshintshwa, ngesiquphe, ngokuqhwanyaza kweliso.” Ngephanyazo baya kuvuselwa kubomi bokomoya bokungonakali nozuko. Ekugqibeleni, “umtshakazi” kaKristu uya kuba li-144 000.—ISityhilelo 14:1; 19:7-9; 21:9; 1 Tesalonika 4:15-17.
Ukoyisa Ukufa!
16. Ngokutsho kukaPawulos nabaprofeti bamandulo, yintoni eya kwenzeka ekufeni okwazuzw’ ilifa kuAdam onesono?
16 Ngovuyo uPawulos wavakalisa ukuba ukufa kwakuya kuginywa ngonaphakade. (1 Korinte 15:54-57) Xa oko konakalayo noko kufayo kusambatha ukungonakali nokungafi, la mazwi aya kuzaliseka: “UKufa kuginywe ngonaphakade.” “Kufa, luphi na uloyiso lwakho? Kufa, luphi na ulwamvila lwakho?” (Isaya 25:8; Hoseya 13:14) Ulwamvila oluvelisa ukufa sisono, yaye amandla esono yayinguMthetho, owawugwebela aboni ukufa. Kodwa ngenxa yedini novuko lukaYesu, ukufa okwazuzw’ ilifa kuAdam onesono akuyi kuba naloyiso.—Roma 5:12; 6:23.
17. Asebenza njani namhlanje amazwi akweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:58?
17 UPawulos wathi: “Ngenxa yoko, bazalwana bam abaziintanda, qinani, ningabi nakushukuma, nisoloko ninokuninzi kokwenza emsebenzini weNkosi, nisazi ukuba ukusebenza kwenu akulolize eNkosini.” (1 Korinte 15:58) Loo mazwi abhekiswa kwintsalela ethanjisiweyo ‘nakwezinye izimvu’ zikaYesu kwanokuba ziyafa kule mihla yokugqibela. (Yohane 10:16) Ukubulaleka kwabo njengabavakalisi boBukumkani akulolize, kuba balindelwe luvuko. Ngoko, njengabakhonzi bakaYehova masixakeke emsebenzini weNkosi ngoxa silindele imini esiya kudanduluka ngovuyo sisithi: “Kufa, luphi na uloyiso lwakho?”
Ithemba Lovuko Lizalisekile!
18. Lalomelele kangakanani ithemba lovuko kuPawulos?
18 Amazwi kaPawulos abhalwe kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte isahluko se-15 akwenza kucace ukuba ithemba lovuko lalinamandla ebomini bakhe. Wayeqiniseke ngokupheleleyo ukuba uYesu wavuswa kwabafileyo nokuba nabanye baya kukhululwa kwingcwaba loluntu eliqhelekileyo. Ngaba unokholo olomelele ngolo hlobo? UPawulos wazigqala “njengenkunkuma eninzi” zonke iingenelo zokuzingca yaye ‘zonke izinto wazigqala ziyilahleko’ ukuze ‘amazi uKristu namandla ovuko lwakhe.’ Lo mpostile wayezimisele ukunikezela ekufeni okufana nokukaKristu ngethemba lokufumana “uvuko lokuqala.” Oko kubizwa ngokuba “luvuko lokuqala” kufunyanwa ngabalandeli bakaYesu abathanjisiweyo abali-144 000. Ewe, bavuselwa kubomi bokomoya ezulwini, ngoxa “abanye abafileyo” beya kuvuselwa emhlabeni.—Filipi 3:8-11; ISityhilelo 7:4; 20:5, 6.
19, 20. (a) Ngoobani ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni abaya kuvuselwa kubomi basemhlabeni? (b) Luvuko loobani okhangele phambili kulo?
19 Ithemba lovuko liye laba yinyaniso ezukileyo kwabo bathanjisiweyo abaye bahlala bethembekile de kwasekufeni. (Roma 8:18; 1 Tesalonika 4:15-18; ISityhilelo 2:10) Abo basinde ‘kwimbandezelo enkulu’ baya kulibona ithemba lovuko lizalisekiswa emhlabeni njengoko ‘ulwandle lubakhupha abafileyo abakulo, nokufa neHadesi zibakhupha abafileyo abalapho.’ (ISityhilelo 7:9, 13, 14; 20:13) Phakathi kwabo baza kuvuselwa kubomi basemhlabeni kuya kubakho uYobhi, oweva intlungu yokulahlekelwa ngoonyana abasixhenxe neentombi ezintathu. Khawube nombono wovuyo aya kuba nalo xa ebamkela—yaye hayi indlela abaya kuvuya ngayo kuba benabanye abantakwabo abasixhenxe nabanye oodade wabo abathathu abaziimbelukazi!—Yobhi 1:1, 2, 18, 19; 42:12-15.
20 Hayi indlela ekuya kuba yintsikelelo ngayo xa uAbraham noSara, uIsake noRebheka—ewe nabanye abaninzi kakhulu, kuquka “bonke abaprofeti”—bevuselwa kubomi basemhlabeni! (Luka 13:28) Omnye wabo baprofeti nguDaniyeli, owathenjiswa uvuko phantsi kolawulo lukaMesiya. Kangangama-2 500 eminyaka, uDaniyeli ubephumle engcwabeni, kodwa kungekudala, ngamandla ovuko ‘uya kubuya avuke amkele isabelo selifa lakhe’ njengomnye ‘weenkosana emhlabeni.’ (Daniyeli 12:13; INdumiso 45:16) Hayi indlela ekuya kubangel’ imincili ngayo ukwamkela kungekuphela nje abathembekileyo bamandulo kodwa noyihlo okuzalayo, unyoko, unyana wakho, intombi yakho okanye abanye obathandayo abahluthwa lutshaba ukufa!
21. Kutheni sifanele senzele abanye izinto ezintle ngaphandle kokulibazisa?
21 Kusenokwenzeka ukuba bambi babahlobo bethu nabo sibathandayo bebekhonza uThixo kangangamashumi eminyaka yaye sele bekhulile ngeminyaka. Ukwaluphala kusenokwenza kube nzima ngabo ukuhlangabezana nezinto ezilucelomngeni ebomini. Hayi indlela ebekuya kuba kukubonisa uthando ngayo ukubanceda ngayo nayiphi na indlela esinokubanceda ngayo kanye ngoku! Yaye asiyi kuzisola nganto ngokuba siye ngandlel’ ithile sabatyeshela ukuba kuyenzeka babe ngamaxhoba okufa. (INtshumayeli 9:11; 12:1-7; 1 Timoti 5:3, 8) Sinokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova akayi kuzilibala izinto ezintle esizenzela abanye, kungakhathaliseki ukuba badala kangakanani okanye iimeko zabo zinjani. UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Lo gama ixesha lisasivumela, masenze okulungileyo kubo bonke, ngokukodwa kwabo bahlobene nathi elukholweni.”—Galati 6:10; Hebhere 6:10.
22. De ithemba lovuko lizaliseke, yintoni esifanele sizimisele ukuyenza?
22 UYehova ‘nguBawo onenceba noThixo wentuthuzelo yonke.’ (2 Korinte 1:3, 4) ILizwi lakhe liyasithuthuzela yaye liyasinceda ukuba sithuthuzele abanye ngethemba lovuko elinamandla. De sizibonele ngokwethu ukuzaliseka kwelo themba ngokuthi abo bafileyo bavuselwe kubomi basemhlabeni, masibe njengoPawulos, owayenokholo eluvukweni. Ngamana ngokukodwa singaxelisa uYesu, lowo lazalisekayo ithemba awayenalo kumandla kaThixo okumvusa. Kungekudala abo bakumangcwaba enkumbulo baya kuliva ilizwi likaKristu baze baphume. Ngamana oku kungasithuthuzela kuze kusivuyise. Kodwa ngaphezu kwako konke, ngamana singanombulelo kuYehova, lowo ubangele ukuba ukufa koyiswe ngeNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu!
Ungaphendula Uthini?
• Bubuphi ubungqina bokuzibonela obanikelwa nguPawulos ngovuko lukaYesu?
• Luluphi ‘utshaba lokugqibela,’ yaye luya kutshitshiswa njani?
• Kwimeko yamaKristu athanjisiweyo, kuhlwayelwa ntoni kuze kuvuswe ntoni?
• Ngoobani ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni ongathanda ukubabona xa bevuselwa kubomi basemhlabeni?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
Umpostile uPawulos waluthethelela ngamandla uvuko
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 20]
Uvuko lukaYobhi, intsapho yakhe nabanye abaninzi luya kuba ngunobangela wovuyo olungathethekiyo!