“Hambani Ke Ngokwabantwana Bokukhanya”
“Nimambathe umntu omtsha, othe ngokukaThixo wadalelwa ebulungiseni, nasebungcweleni benyaniso.”—EFESE 4:24.
1. Abanquli bakaYehova basikelelwe ngantoni? Ngoba?
UYEHOVA UTHIXO ‘nguYise wezikhanyiso,’ yaye “akukho bumnyama kuye nakanye.” (Yakobi 1:17; 1 Yohane 1:5) UNyana Wakhe, uYesu Kristu, wathi ngaye: “Ndim ukhanyiselo lwehlabathi; lowo undilandelayo akasayi kuhamba ebumnyameni; yena uya kuba nalo ukhanyiso lobomi.” (Yohane 8:12) Ngenxa yoko abanquli bakaYehova bokwenyaniso, abalandeli boNyana wakhe, basikelelwe ngokukhanya—kwengqondo, kokuziphatha nokomoya—yaye ‘bazizikhanyiso ehlabathini.’—Filipi 2:15.
2. Nguwuphi umahluko okhoyo phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo nabehlabathi owaxelwa kwangaphambili?
2 Mandulo, umprofeti uIsaya waphefumlelwa ukuba aprofete oku kuchasene noko: “Uyabona, ubumnyama buwugubungele umhlaba, isithokothoko sizigubungele izizwe; ke kuwe uYehova uthe chapha, ubuqaqawuli bakhe bubonakele phezu kwakho.” Enyanisweni, lonke uluntu olungazani noThixo kuthethwa ngalo njengolulawulwa noluphenjelelwa ‘ziziphatha-hlabathi zobumnyama.’—Isaya 60:2; Efese 6:12.
3. Ziziphi izizathu ezibangela ukuba sibe nomdla wokwenene kwisiluleko sikaPawulos esisexesheni?
3 Umpostile uPawulos wayekuxhalabele gqitha ukuba amaKristu awayekhonza nawo azigcine ekhululekile kubumnyama obunjalo. Wawabongoza ukuba ‘angabi sahamba njengoko zihamba ngako nezinye iintlanga’ kunoko ‘ahambe ngokwabantwana bokukhanya.’ (Efese 4:17; 5:8) Kwakhona wawachazela indlela angaphumelela ngayo ekwenzeni oko. Namhlanje, ubumnyama nesithokothoko esigubungele iintlanga siye samnyama ngakumbi. Ihlabathi liye lazika kumgxobhozo wokuziphatha nangokomoya. Abanquli bakaYehova baye banedabi elingakumbi abafanele balilwe. Ngenxa yoko, sinomdla ngakumbi koko uPawulos aza kukuthetha.
Ukufunda NgoKristu
4. Wayecinga ngantoni uPawulos xa wathi: “Nina animfundanga ngokunjalo uKristu”?
4 Emva kokuchaza izilangazelelo ezingamampunge nokungcola kwehlabathi, umpostile uPawulos uphethulela ingqalelo yakhe kumaKristu awayekhonza nawo e-Efese. (Funda eyabase-Efese 4:20, 21.) UPawulos wayechithe phantse iminyaka emithathu eshumayela yaye efundisa kweso sixeko, yaye umele ukuba wayeqhelene nabaninzi ebandleni. (IZenzo 20:31-35) Ngaloo ndlela, xa wathi, “Animfundanga ngokunjalo uKristu,” wayethetha into ayaziyo yokuba amaKristu ase-Efese ayengazange afundiswe uhlobo lwenyaniso enguvula-zibhuqe, engxengelelweyo eyiqwabazel’ iliso indlela ethile yehambo embi ayichaze kwindinyana 17 ukuya kweye-19. Wayesazi ukuba ayefundiswe kakuhle nangokuchanileyo indlela yokuphila yamaKristu okwenyaniso njengoko yabonakaliswa nguYesu Kristu. Ngenxa yeso sizathu, ayengasahambi ebumnyameni ngendlela ezazisenza ngayo iintlanga, kodwa ayengabantwana bokukhanya.
5. Yintoni umahluko phakathi kokuba senyanisweni nje kuphela nokuba inyaniso ibe kuthi?
5 Ngoko, hayi indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ‘ukumfunda uKristu’ ngendlela eyiyo! Ngaba zikho iindlela eziphosakeleyo zokufunda uKristu? Ewe, zikho. Ngaphambilana, kumaEfese 4:14, uPawulos wayelumkise abazalwana esithi: “Singabi saba ziintsana, silatyuzwa, siphetshethwa ngumoya wonke wemfundiso, ngokunyanga kwabantu, ngobuqhetseba obusemaqhingeni olahlekiso.” Licacile elokuba kwakukho abathile ababefundile ngoKristu kodwa beqhubeka behamba ngeendlela zehlabathi yaye bade bazame nokweyisela abanye ukuba benze okufanayo. Ngaba oku kuyasibonisa ingozi yokuba senyanisweni nje kuphela, njengokuba bambi besebenzisa eli binzana, endaweni yokuba inyaniso ibe kuthi? Ngomhla awayephila ngayo uPawulos abo babenolwazi olungenzulu babekhukuliswa lula nangokukhawuleza ngabanye, yaye oko kuyinyaniso nanamhlanje. Ukuthintela oku, uPawulos wahlabela mgama waza wathi amaEfese ayefanele ukuba ‘amvile uKristu yaye afundiswa kuye uYesu.’—Efese 4:21.
6. Namhlanje sinokufunda, simve size sifundiswe njani nguKristu?
6 Ibinzana elithi “ukufunda,” “ukuva,” nelithi “ukufundiswa” elisetyenziswe nguPawulos lithetha inkqubo yokufundisisa neyokufunda, njengokuba kunjalo esikolweni. Kakade ke, asinakumva, sifunde kuye, okanye sifundiswe nguYesu ngokuthe ngqo namhlanje. Kodwa wenza iphulo lokufundisisa iBhayibhile ehlabathini lonke ngokusebenzisa ‘umkhonzi othembekileyo noqondayo.’ (Mateyu 24:45-47; 28:19, 20) ‘Sinokumfunda uKristu’ kakuhle nangokuchanileyo ukuba sizondla rhoqo ngokutya kokomoya esikufumana kudidi lomkhonzi ngexesha elifanelekileyo sikufundisise ngenkuthalo enoba kungokobuqu okanye ebandleni, sicamngce ngako, size sikusebenzise oko sikufundayo. Masiqiniseke ukuba siwasebenzisa ngokuzeleyo onke amalungiselelo ukuze sibe nokutsho ngokunyanisekileyo ukuba siye ‘samva yaye safundiswa sikuye.’
7. Abaluleke ngantoni amazwi kaPawulos athi, “inyaniso ikuye uYesu”?
7 Emva kokugxininisa inkqubo yokufunda, ibangel’ umdla into yokuba kumaEfese 4:21 uPawulos wongezelela ngokuthi: “njengoko inyaniso ikuye uYesu.” Bambi abaphengululi beBhayibhile batsalel’ ingqalelo kwisibakala sokuba uPawulos engafane alisebenzise igama lobuqu likaYesu kwiincwadi zakhe. Enyanisweni, esi kuphela kwesihlandlo elisetyenziswe kuso kwincwadi yamaEfese. Ngaba oku kunentsingiselo ekhethekileyo? Mhlawumbi uPawulos wayetsalel’ ingqalelo kumzekelo uYesu awawumiselayo njengomntu. Khumbula ukuba uYesu wakha wathi: “Ndim indlela, ndim inyaniso, ndim ubomi.” (Yohane 14:6; Kolose 2:3) UYesu wathi: “Ndim . . . inyaniso” kuba akazange nje athethe aze afundise yona kodwa wayiphila waza wayimntwisa. Ewe, ubuKristu bokwenyaniso abuyongcamango nje kuphela kodwa buyindlela yobomi. ‘Ukufunda uKristu’ kuquka ukufunda ukumxelisa ekuphileni inyaniso. Ngaba ubomi bakho ubuphila ngendlela uYesu awayebuphila ngayo obakhe? Ngaba imihla ngemihla ulandela ngokusondeleyo kumanyathelo akhe? Kuphela kungokwenza ngaloo ndlela ukuze sibe sihamba ngokwabantwana bokukhanya.
‘Mlahleni Umntu Omdala’
8. Nguwuphi umzekelo uPawulos awusebenzisa kumaEfese 4:22, 24, yaye kutheni ufanelekile?
8 Ukubonisa indlela ‘esingamfunda ngayo uKristu’ ngokuphumelelayo size sihambe ngokwabantwana bokukhanya, uPawulos wahlabela mgama waza kumaEfese 4:22-24, wabonisa ukuba kukho amanyathelo amathathu akhethekileyo esifanele siwalandele. Elokuqala kula lithi: “Nithi ngakwihambo yangaphambili nimlahle umntu omdala, owonakaliswayo ngokokweenkanuko zokulukuhla.” (Efese 4:22) Ibinzana elithi “nimlahle” (“nimkhulule,” Kingdom Interlinear) nelithi “nimambathe” (indinyana 24) linikela umfanekiso-ngqondweni wokukhulula nokunxiba isambatho esithile. Esi sisikweko uPawulos asisebenzise amaxesha amaninzi, yaye sisebenza gqitha. (Roma 13:12, 14; Efese 6:11-17; Kolose 3:8-12; 1 Tesalonika 5:8) Xa isambatho sethu sisiba mdaka okanye sisiba nebala, njengaxa sisitya, ngoko nangoko sinxiba esinye. Ngaba asifanele sixhalabe ngokufanayo ngokungcoliseka kwemeko yethu yokomoya?
9. Ubani umkhulula njani umntu omdala?
9 Ngoko ke, ubani umkhulula njani umntu omdala? Isenzi esithi “nimkhulule” ngokolwimi lwamandulo kuthiwa sikwimo engamiselwanga xesha (aorist tense). Esi senzi sibonisa isenzo esenzeke kwakanye kuphela okanye esenzeka kube kanye yaye singaze siphinde senzeke. Oku kusixelela ukuba ‘ubuntu obudala’ (“umntu omdala,” Kingdom Interlinear), ndawonye ‘nehambo yethu yangaphambili,’ ezo zinto zifanele zilahlwe ngokungqalileyo, ngokucokisekileyo nangokupheleleyo. Le asinto esingaziziliza okanye side sithandabuze ukuyenza. Kutheni kungenakuba njalo nje?
10. Kutheni kufuneka ukuba ubani aqiniseke yaye azimisele xa ekhulula umntu omdala?
10 Ibinzana elithi “owonakaliswayo” libonisa ukuba “umntu omdala” uyaqhubeka ngokuthe ngcembe esiba kwimeko ethob’ isidima ngokuziphatha, imeko iya isiba mandundu. Enyanisweni, ngenxa yokukugatya ukukhanya kokomoya, uluntu lonke luya luwohloka. Oku kungenxa ‘yeenkanuko zokulukuhla,’ ngokutsho kukaPawulos. Iinkanuko zenyama ziyakhohlisa kuba zisenokubonakala zingenabungozi, kodwa ekugqibeleni ziyonakalisa. (Hebhere 3:13) Ukuba azilawulwa, imiphumo iya kuba kukungcola nokufa. (Roma 6:21; 8:13) Kungenxa yeso sizathu lento sifanele simlahle umntu obudala, simkhulule ngokungqalileyo nangokupheleleyo, ngendlela esikhululwa ngayo isambatho esidala nesingcolileyo.
“Umoya Wengqondo” Omtsha
11. Ukuhlaziya ngokomoya kufanele kuqale phi?
11 Umntu ophuma emgxobhozweni akufuneki akhulule nje kuphela iimpahla zakhe ezimdaka kodwa ukwafanele ahlambe ngokucokisekileyo ngaphambi kokuba anxibe into ecocekileyo. Koko kanye uPawulos akuchazayo njengenyathelo lesibini elikhokelela kukukhanya kokomoya: “Nihlaziywe ke kuwo umoya wengqiqo [“amandla aphembelela ingqondo,” NW] yenu.” (Efese 4:23) Njengoko wabonisayo ngaphambilana, kwindinyana 17 neye-18, iintlanga zihamba “ngamampunge engqiqo yazo” yaye “zenziwe mnyama iingqondo.” Ngokusengqiqweni, ukwenziwa ntsha kwezinto kufanele kuqale engqondweni, isizinzi sengqiqo nesokuqonda. Kunokwenziwa njani oku? UPawulos wacacisa ukuba kungokuhlaziya amandla aphembelela ingqondo yethu. Yintoni loo mandla?
12. Yintoni amandla aphembelela ingqondo?
12 Ngaba amandla aphembelela ingqondo yethu, abhekisela kuwo uPawulos, ngumoya oyingcwele? Akunjalo. Amazwi athi “amandla aphembelela ingqondo yenu” ngokoqobo afundeka ngokuthi “umoya wengqondo yenu.” Ayikho indawo eBhayibhileni apho kuthethwa ngomoya kaThixo oyingcwele njengowomntu othile okanye uyinxalenye yakhe. Igama elithi “umoya” ngokusisiseko lithetha “impefumlo,” kodwa likwasetyenziswa eBhayibhileni “ukwalatha kumandla abangela ukuba umntu abonakalise isimo esithile sengqondo, utyekelo, okanye imvakalelo ethile okanye enze isenzo okanye alandele ikhondo elithile.” (Insight on the Scriptures, Umqulu 2, iphepha 1026) Ngoko “umoya wengqondo” ngamandla abangela ingqondo yethu isebenze okanye ayiphembelelayo, utyekelo lwethu lwengqondo noko sithambekele kuko.
13. Kutheni sifanele silwenze lube lutsha utyekelo lweengqondo zethu?
13 Ngokwemvelo ingqondo engafezekanga ityekele kwaye ithambekele kwizinto ezibonakalayo, ezokwenyama neziphathekayo. (INtshumayeli 7:20; 1 Korinte 2:14; Kolose 1:21; 2:18) Nokuba umntu umlahlile umntu omdala nezenzo zakhe ezibi, ukuba utyekelo lwakhe lwasengqondweni lwesono aluguqukanga ekuhambeni kwexesha luya kumnyanzelela ukuba abuyele koko akuyekileyo. Ngaba oko akungawo amava abaninzi, ngokomzekelo, abaye bazama ukuyeka ukutshaya, ukusela ngokugqithiseleyo, okanye ukuyeka ezinye izenzo ezibi? Ukuba abawenzi umgudu wokuhlaziya amandla aphembelela ingqondo yabo, abanakukuphepha ukubuyela emva ngokupheleleyo. Nakuphi na ukwenziwa kumila kumbi kufanele kubandakanye ukuhlaziywa okucokisekileyo kwengqondo.—Roma 12:2.
14. Anokuhlaziywa njani amandla aphembelela ingqondo?
14 Ngoko ke, ubani uwahlaziya njani loo mandla ukuze abe aya kuphembelela ingqondo yakhe kwindlela elungileyo? Isenzi esithi “nihlaziywe” kumbhalo wesiGrike sikwixesha elimiyo, esibonisa isenzo esiqhubekayo. Ngoko amandla aphembelelayo anokuhlaziywa ngokuqhubeka sifundisisa iLizwi likaThixo lenyaniso nokucamngca ngoko likuthethayo. Izazinzulu zisixelela ukuba ebuchotsheni bethu, inkcazelo ekwimo yemiqondiso yombane okanye yemichiza ehamba isuka komnye umthambo-luvo isiya komnye, idlula kwiindawo ezininzi exokonyezelelwa kuzo nezibizwa ngokuba ziisynapse. Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi The Brain, “Kuyileka inkumbulo yohlobo oluthile kwisynapse yomthambo-luvo xa kudlula umqondiso othile, uze ushiye ngasemva umfanekiso wawo.” Xa kuphinda kudlula umqondiso okwamnye kwixesha elizayo, iiseli zemithambo-luvo ziwuqonda msinya zize zisabele ngokukhawuleza ngakumbi. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, oku kuyila indlela entsha kabani yokucinga. Njengoko sizingisa ekungeniseni inkcazelo eyakhayo yokomoya, kwakheka indlela entsha yokucinga, yaye amandla aphembelela ingqondo yethu ayahlaziywa.—Filipi 4:8.
“Nimambathe Umntu Omtsha”
15. Mtsha ngayiphi ingqiqo umntu omtsha?
15 Ekuqukumbeleni, uPawulos uthi: “Nimambathe umntu omtsha, othe ngokukaThixo wadalelwa ebulungiseni, nasebungcweleni benyaniso.” (Efese 4:24) Ewe, umKristu wambatha umntu omtsha. Igama elithi “omtsha” apha alibhekiseli kwixesha adalwe ngalo, kodwa kuhlobo adalwe ngalo. Oku kuthetha ukuthi, akamtsha kuba ingowala maxesha. Ngumntu omtsha ngokupheleleyo, ohlaziyekileyo ‘odalwe ngokukaThixo.’ KumaKolose 3:10, uPawulos wasebenzisa ulwimi olufanayo yaye wathi “uhlaziyelwa . . . ngokomfanekiselo walowo wamdalayo.” Ubakho njani lo mntu mtsha?
16. Kunokutshiwo njani ukuba umntu omtsha ‘udalwe ngokukaThixo’?
16 UYehova uThixo wadala isibini sokuqala esingabantu, uAdam noEva, ngokomfanekiso Wakhe nangokufana naye. Bajizekwa ngeempawu zokuziphatha nezokomoya ezazibenza bahluke kwaye babe kumgangatho ophakame gqitha kunendalo ezizilwanyana. (Genesis 1:26, 27) Nangona ukuvukela kwabo kwalahlela uluntu lonke kwisono nakukungafezeki, thina, njengenzala ka-Adam, sisenamandla okubonakalisa iimpawu zokuziphatha nezokomoya. Ukuthanda kukaThixo kukuba abo banokholo kwidini lentlawulelo bafanele bamlahle umntu omdala baze banandiphe ‘inkululeko yozuko lwabantwana bakaThixo.’—Roma 6:6; 8:19-21; Galati 5:1, 24.
17. Kutheni ubulungisa nokuthembeka kuziimpawu ezibalaseleyo zomntu omtsha?
17 Ubulungisa nokuthembeka kokwenene ziimpawu ezimbini uPawulos athetha ngazo njengezibalaseleyo kumntu omtsha. Oku kugxininisa ngakumbi isibakala sokuba umntu omtsha uhlaziywa ngokomfanekiselo waLowo wamdalayo. INdumiso 145:17 isixela oku: “Ulilungisa uYehova ngeendlela zakhe zonke, unenceba ngezenzo zakhe zonke.” Yaye ISityhilelo 16:5 sithi ngoYehova: “Unobulungisa, Nkosi, wena ukhoyo, wawukho, uyingcwele.” Enyanisweni, ubulungisa nokuthembeka ziimpawu eziyimfuneko ukuba siza kuphila ngendlela esadalwa ngayo ngokomfanekiselo kaThixo, sibonakalisa uzuko lwakhe. Ngamana singanjengoZekariya, uyise kaYohane uMbhaptizi, owashukunyiswa ngumoya oyingcwele ukuba adumise uThixo ngokubanika abantu Bakhe ‘ukuba bamkhonze bengenakoyika, ngobungcwele nangobulungisa.’—Luka 1:74, 75.
“Hambani Ke Ngokwabantwana Bokukhanya”
18. UPawulos usincede njani ukuze iindlela zehlabathi sizibone njengoko zinjalo?
18 Kuninzi esifanele sicinge ngako emva kokuqwalasela ngokweenkcukacha amazwi kaPawulos akumaEfese 4:17-24. Kwindinyana 17 ukuya kweye-19, uPawulos usinceda sibone iindlela zehlabathi njengoko zinjalo. Ngokulugatya ulwazi lukaThixo nokuzenza lukhuni iintliziyo zabo, abo basesehlabathini baye baluphelisa ulwalamano lwabo nomthombo wokwenene wobomi. Ekugqibeleni, kungekho njongo okanye lwalathiso lokwenene, imigudu yabo iba bubudenge kwaye ibelilize. Baye batshona nzulu ngakumbi kumgxobhozo wokuziphatha nangokomoya. Hayi indlela okubi ngayo oko! Esinjani sona isizathu ukuba namandla sokuba thina sizimisele ukuhamba njengabantwana bokukhanya!
19. Ekuqukumbeleni uPawulos usikhuthaza njani ukuze sihambe ngokwabantwana bokukhanya?
19 Wandula ke uPawulos kwindinyana 20 neyama-21, agxininise ukubaluleka kokufunda inyaniso ngokunyaniseka ukuze singanxulumani nje nenyaniso kodwa siyiphile ngendlela uYesu awayiphila ngayo. Ukuqukumbela, kwindinyana 22 ukuya kweyama-24, usibongoza ukuba simkhulule umntu omdala size sinxibe omtsha—ngokuqinisekileyo, ngokuzimisela. Kwangaxeshanye, sifanele siqhubeke sikhokelela utyekelo lweengqondo zethu kwindlela elungileyo neyokomoya. Ngaphezu kwako konke, sifanele sikhangele kuYehova ukuze asincede njengoko sihamba ngokwabantwana bokukhanya. “Ngokuba nguThixo, yena wathi ukhanyiso malukhanye ebumnyameni, okhanyisele iintliziyo zethu, ukuze kukhanye ukwaziwa kobuqaqawuli bukaThixo ebusweni bukaYesu Kristu.”—2 Korinte 4:6.
Ngaba Uyakhumbula?
◻ Namhlanje ‘sinokumfunda njani uKristu’?
◻ Kutheni umntu omdala efanele alahlwe ngokuqinisekileyo?
◻ Yintoni amandla aphembelela ingqondo, yaye ahlaziywa njani?
◻ Ziziphi iimpawu ezibalaseleyo kumntu omtsha?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
UYesu wathi: “Ndim indlela, ndim inyaniso, ndim ubomi”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
“Mkhululeni umntu omdala nezenzo zakhe”—ingqumbo, umsindo, ububi, ukunyelisa, ukuthetha amanyala nokuxoka.—Kolose 3:8, 9, NW
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
“Nimambathe umntu omtsha, othe ngokukaThixo wadalelwa ebulungiseni, nasebungcweleni benyaniso.”—Efese 4:24