Ngaba Abashumayeli AbangamaKristu Kufuneka Bangatshati?

IINKONZO zehlabathi, ezifana neCawa YamaRoma Katolika, iicawa ezahlukeneyo zobuOthodoki, ezamaBhuda nezinye, zithi iinkokeli zeecawa nabefundisi akufuneki zitshate. Abantu abaninzi bathi le nto ibangela ukuba kuxhaphake ihlazo lokuziphatha kakubi kwabefundisi ngokwesondo.

Ngoko umbuzo ngulo, Ngaba iZibhalo zithi abashumayeli abangamaKristu bamele bangatshati? Ukuze siphendule lo mbuzo, makhe sithethe ngokuba ivela phi le nto yokungatshati kwabashumayeli noko kuthethwa nguThixo.

UKUNGATSHATI KWIMBALI YEENKONZO

IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi le nto ikwathetha “ukungabelani namntu ngesondo, nto leyo ehambisana nendima yeenkokeli zecawa okanye yabantu abazinikele ecaweni.” Ngo-2006 uPopu Benedict XVI waxelela iBhunga Eliphetheyo Lecawa YamaRoma ukuba ukuhlala ungatshatanga “lisiko elabakho kungekudala emva kwexesha Labapostile.”

Eli siko lokungatshati lalingekho ngexesha lamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala. Umpostile uPawulos owayephila ngelo xesha walumkisa amakholwa ngabantu ababeza kuthetha ‘amazwi aphefumlelweyo alahlekisayo, besalela nokuba kutshatwe.’—1 Timoti 4:1-3.

Lo mthetho wokungatshati waqalisa ngenkulungwane yesibini kwiicawa “zamaKristu” zaseNtshona. Incwadi ethi Celibacy and Religious Traditions ithi, “wawuhambisana nento yokungabelani ngesondo eyayivela kuBukhosi BaseRoma.”

Kwiinkulungwane ezalandelayo, ibhunga leecawa nabantu ababizwa ngokuba ngooTata bakhuthaza ukuba abefundisi bangatshati. Babecinga ukuba ukwabelana ngesondo kuyangcolisa kwaye akuvisisani nemisebenzi yabefundisi. Sekunjalo, iEncyclopædia Britannica ithi “ngenkulungwane ye-10 abefundisi abaninzi nkqu noobhishophu baba nabafazi.”

Ukungatshati kwabefundisi kwanyanzeliswa kwiNtlanganiso eyayibanjelwe kwisakhiwo iLateran, eRoma, ngo-1123 nango-1139. Loo mthetho usasebenza nangoku sithethayo kwiCawa YamaRoma Katolika. Ngenxa yawo, icawa yayingalahlekelwa ligunya nemali, nto leyo eyayisenzeka xa abefundisi abatshatileyo benika abantwana babo ilifa lezakhiwo zayo.

UTHINI UTHIXO NGOKUNGATSHATI?

Into ayithethayo uThixo ngokungatshati icaciswe kakuhle kwiLizwi lakhe iBhayibhile. Kuyo sifunda into eyathethwa nguYesu ngabantu abahlala bengatshatanga, “ngenxa yobukumkani bamazulu.” (Mateyu 19:12) Nompostile uPawulos wathetha ngamaKristu akhethe ukulandela umzekelo wakhe wokungatshati “ngenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo.”—1 Korinte 7:37, 38; 9:23.

UYesu noPawulos babengathi abashumayeli mabangatshati. UYesu wathi asingabo bonke abalandeli bakhe ababenesi “siphiwo” sokungatshati. Xa uPawulos wayebhala ngabantu “abangatshatanga,” wathi: “Andinamyalelo uvela eNkosini, kodwa ndinikela uluvo lwam.”—Mateyu 19:11; 1 Korinte 7:25.

IBhayibhile ithi ngenkulungwane yokuqala abashumayeli abaninzi abafana nompostile uPetros, babetshatile. (Mateyu 8:14; Marko 1:29-31; 1 Korinte 9:5) Ngenxa yokuxhaphaka kokuziphatha okubi ngokwesondo ngelo xesha, uPawulos wathi ukuba umKristu ongumveleli utshatile, makabe ‘nomfazi omnye nabantwana abathobelayo.’​—1 Timoti 3:2, 4.

UPawulos wayengathethi ngabantu abatshatileyo kodwa bengabelani ngesondo, kuba iBhayibhile ithi “indoda mayimnike okumfaneleyo umfazi wayo.” Iphinda ithi abantu abatshatileyo ‘mabangabandezani.’ (1 Korinte 7:3-5) Kucacile ke ukuba ukungatshati asinto ifunwa nguThixo okanye ekunyanzelekileyo ukuba abashumayeli abangamaKristu bayenze.

NGENXA YEENDABA EZILUNGILEYO

Ukuba iZibhalo azitsho ukuba makungatshatwa, kwakutheni ukuze uYesu noPawulos bangakugxeki? Kuba umntu ongatshatanga unamathuba amaninzi okushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo. Kaloku yena akanawo amaxhala abanawo abantu abatshatileyo.—1 Korinte 7:32-35.

Cinga ngomzekelo kaDavid, owashiya umsebenzi owawubhatala imali entle kakhulu kwidolophu yaseMexico, waya kufundisa abantu iBhayibhile kwilali yaseCosta Rica. Ngaba wayecinga ukuba into emenze wakwazi ukwenjenjalo kukungatshati? Uthi: “Ewe kuko. Kwakunzima ukuqhela izithethe nentlalo entsha, kodwa zange kundithathe xesha lide kuba ndandindodwa.”

UClaudia, umKristu ongatshatanga owafudukela kwiindawo ekwakufuneka abavangeli kuzo, uthi: “Ndiyithanda kakhulu inkonzo endiyenzela uThixo. Ukholo nobuhlobo bam noThixo zomelezwa kukubona indlela andinyamekela ngayo.”

Ukungatshati akumele kube yingxaki. UClaudia uthi: “Enoba utshatile okanye akutshatanga, uza konwaba ukuba usebenzela uYehova uThixo ngamandla akho onke.”—INdumiso 119:1, 2.