Ngaba Ubusazi?
Ngaba iqhenqa elichazwe eBhayibhileni liyafana nesifo esaziwa ngolohlobo namhlanje?
Igama lezonyango elithi “iqhenqa” njengoko lisetyenziswa namhlanje libhekisela kwintsholongwane eyosulela abantu. Lentsholongwane (Mycobacterium leprae) yaqala yachazwa nguGqirha A. Hansen ngowama-1873. Izazinzulu ziyezafumanisa ukuba lentsholongwane ingaphila ngaphandle komzimba ikhutshwa yincindi yamarhanana kangange ntsuku ezisithoba. Baye bafumanisa ukuba abantu abasondeleyo kubantu abane sisifo basesichengeni sokosuleleka yaye enye yeendlela zokusifumana kungempahla. Ngokutsho kweWorld Health Organization, bangaphezu kwama 220, 000 abantu abaye bafunyanwa benesisifo ngowama-2007.
Alithandabuzeki elokuba iqhenqa liye labathwaxa abantu kuMbindi Mpuma, yaye uMthetho kaMoses wawufuna ukuba abantu abane qhenqa bahlaliswe bodwa. (Levetikus 13:4, 5) Noko ke, igama lesiHebhere elithi tsa·raʹʽath eliguqulelwe ngokuthi iqhenqa lalingabhekiseli nje kuphela kubantu ababesulelekile. ITsa·raʹʽath yayichaphazela iimpahla kunye nezindlu. Oluhlobo lweqhenqa lwalufumaneka kwiimpahla ezinziwe ngoboya, ngelineni okanye nakwintoni na eyenziwe ngesikhumba. Kwezinye iimeko, yayinokususwa ngokuhlanjwa, kodwa ukuba “isifo esiluhlaza bulubhelu okanye esibubomvurha” siye asasuka, eso sambatho okanye isikhumba kwakufuneka sitshiswe. (Levetikus 13:47-52) Ezindlwini, esi sifo sasibonakala “ngezibhaxu eziluhlaza bulubhelu okanye ezibomvurha” edongeni. Amatye kunye nodaka oluchaphazelekileyo kwakufuneka lususwe luze—lulahlwe kude nemizi. Ukuba iqhenqa lithe labuya, isakhiwo kwakufuneka sichithwe zize izinto esakhiwe ngazo zitshatyalaliswe. (Levitikus 14:33-45) Bambi bathi iqheqha elalibasezimpahleni okanye ezindlwini ngoku kunokuthiwa kukungunda okanye ukufuma. Noko ke, asinakuqiniseka.
Kwakutheni ukuze ukushumayela kukampostile uPawulos eEfese kudale isiphithiphithi phakathi kwabakhandi besilivere?
Abakhandi besilivere base Efese babesenza intywenka yemali ngokwenza “iitempilana zesilivere zika Atermis,” umkhuseli wabantu base-Efese, uthixokazi wokuzingela, wokuchuma, nowokuzala. (IZenzo 19:24) Abanquli bakhe babekholelwa ukuba umfanekiso wakhe wawa “uvela ezulwini” waza wagcinwa kwitempile ka Artemis eEfese. (IZenzo 19:35) Le tempile yayigqalwa njengenye yemimangaliso esixhenxe yehlabathi lamandulo. Izihlwele zabanquli zazithontelana ukuya eEfese ebudeni bukaMatshi noAprili nyaka ngamnye ukuya kwimibhiyozo yokuhlonela uArtemis. Xa aba bantu begoduka babethanda ukuthenga imifanekiso eqingqiweyo, eyayisetyenziswa njengezikhumbuzo, amakhubalo okanye iminikelo kuthixokazi. Imibhalo ekroliweyo yamndulo yase Efese ithetha ngokwenziwa kwemifanekiso eqingqiweyo yegolide nesilivere kaAtermis, yaye eminye ikhankanya ngokukhethekileyo imibutho yabenzi besilivere.
UPawulos wafundisa ukuba imifanekiso “eyenziwe ngezandla asingabo oothixo.” (IZenzo 19:26) Ngoko, becatshukiswe kukubona ukuba baza kulahlekelwa yingeniso, abenzi beetempile zesilivere babangela isaqunge esikhulu ukuchasa intshumayelo kaPawulos. UDemetrius, omnye wabenzi besilivere, wavakalisa uloyiko lwabo xa wathi: “Kukho ingozi kungekuphela nje yokuba lo msebenzi wethu uya kuba negama elibi kodwa kwaneyokuba itempile yothixokazi omkhulu uArtemis iya kubalelwa ekuthini yinto engento yaye kwanobungangamela bakhe obo bunqulwa sisithili siphela saseAsiya nomhlaba omiweyo sele buza kutshitshiswa.”—IZenzo 19:27.