Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 11—2 B.C.E.—100 C.E.—Indlela Yokholo, Yethemba, nothando

“Amaqiniso amakhulu kakhulu ngalula kakhulu: banjalo nabantu abakhulu kunabanye.” Abalobi baseBrithani bekhulu le-19 leminyaka uJulius noAugustus Hare

EMINYAKENI cishe engu-320 ngemva kokufa kuka-Alexander Omkhulu, inkosi yaseMakhedoniya, kwazalwa umnqobi wezwe omkhulu kunaye. Wayezohluka kuAlexander ngezindlela ezimbili eziyinhloko, njengoba kwabikezelwa kuLuka 1:32, 33: ‘Uyakuthiwa iNdodana yoPhezukonke; nombuso wakhe awuyikubanakuphela.’ UJesu Kristu wayeyiloMbusi, futhi kwakufanele aqhubeke ephila ngaphezu kokuba nje kufundwe ngaye ezincwadini zomlando.

UJesu wayengumuntu ovamile owayephila ukuphila okuvamile. Akazange abe nendlu yobukhosi. Akazange futhi azihlanganise nabantu abacebile nabanamandla; akazange futhi abe neqoqo lamagugu asemhlabeni. UJesu wazalwa ngo-October 2 B.C.E., emkhayeni ophansi wamaJuda ezimweni ezivamile emzaneni omncane waseBetlehema. Ukuphila kwakhe esemncane kwakungenazigameko. Waqeqeshwa emsebenzini wokubaza, “eyindodana, njengokushiwoyo kaJosefa.”—Luka 3:23; Marku 6:3.

Ngisho nabantu abahlekisa ngombono wokuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu abanakukuphika ukuthi ukuzalwa kwakhe kwaqalisa inkathi entsha, akekho futhi ongawaphikisa ngokuphumelelayo amazwi ashiwo iWorld Christian Encyclopedia okuthi “ubuKristu buye baba yinkolo esabalele neyomhlaba wonke emlandweni.”

Ayiyintsha, Kodwa Yehlukile

UbuKristu babungeyona inkolo entsha ngokuphelele. Izimpande zayo zazijule enkolweni yamaIsrayeli, eyayondliwa nguMthetho obhaliwe kaJehova uNkulunkulu. Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba uIsrayeli abe isizwe, ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova kwakwenziwa ngokhokho bakhe oNowa, uAbrahama, noMose futhi eqinisweni kwakuwukuqhutshekiselwa phambili kwenkolo endala kunazo zonke eyayikhona, ukukhulekelwa kweqiniso koMdali okwaqala e-Edene. Kodwa abaholi besizwe nabenkolo bakwaIsrayeli bavumela ukuba inkolo yamanga nemithonseyana yobuBabiloni ingenele ngokunyenya ekukhulekeleni kwabo futhi kanjalo kungcoliswe. Njengoba iWorld Bible iphawula: “Ibandla lobuJuda ngesikhathi sokuzalwa kukaJesu lalingcoliswe ubuzenzisi futhi lanqwatshelaniswa ngemikhuba yokugcina umthetho eyasitha amaqiniso angokomoya ayisisekelo amenyezelwa abaprofethi abakhulu bamaHeberu.”

Uma ziqhathaniswa nezinto eziyinkimbinkimbi zabantu ezenezelwe okholweni lobuJuda, izimfundiso zikaJesu zaziphawulwa ubulula. UPawulu, omunye wezithunywa zevangeli ezinomfutho kakhulu zobuKristu zekhulu lokuqala leminyaka, wakubonisa lokhu lapho ekhuluma ngezimfanelo eziyinhloko zobuKristu: “Kumi ukukholwa, nokwethemba, nothando, lokho kokuthathu; kepha okukhulu kulokho luthando.” (1 Korinte 13:13) Ezinye izinkolo nazo zikhuluma ‘ngokholo, ngethemba, nangothando,’ kodwa ubuKristu buhlukile. Kanjani?

Ukholo Kubani Futhi Kuphi?

UJesu wagcizelela isidingo ‘sokukholwa nguNkulunkulu’ Lowo amchaza ngokuthi uMdali. (Johane 14:1; Mathewu 19:4; Marku 13:19) Ngakho ubuKristu buhlukile kubuJain nobuBuddha, zombili eziphika umqondo wokuba khona koMdali, zizisholo ukuthi izulu nomhlaba kwakulokhu kukhona. Futhi njengoba uKristu akhuluma ‘ngoNkulunkulu oyedwa oqinisileyo’ ngokusobala akazange akholelwe oquqabeni lonkulunkulu nonkulunkulukazi beqiniso njengoba izinkolo zasendulo zaseBabiloni, eGibithe, eGrisi, naseRoma zazifundisa, noma njengoba ubuHindu busakufundisa.—Johane 17:3.

UJesu wachaza ukuthi, injongo yaphezulu yayiwukuba anikele ‘ukuphila kwakhe kube yisihlengo sabaningi,’ ‘ukusindisa okulahlekileyo,’ ‘ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa nguye angabhubhi, kodwa abenokuphila okuphakade.’ (Marku 10:45; Luka 19:10; Johane 3:16; qhathanisa nabaseRoma 5:17-19.) Inkolelo ekufeni komhlatshelo ukuze kufezwe inhlawulo yesono iyahluka enkolweni yobuShinto, eyenqabayo ukuvuma ukuthi kukhona isono sokuqala noma esazuzwa ngefa.

UJesu wafundisa ukuthi kukhona inkolo eyodwa kuphela yeqiniso. Waluleka: “Ngenani ngesango elincane; ngokuba isango libanzi nendlela inkulu eyisa ekubhujisweni; baningi abangena khona. Kepha isango lincane nendlela iyingcingo eyisa ekuphileni; bayingcosana abayifumanayo.” (Mathewu 7:13, 14) Incwadi ethi Imperial Rome ithi: “AmaKristu [okuqala] ayephikelela ukuthi yiwo kuphela ayephethe iqiniso, nokuthi zonke ezinye izinkolo . . . zazingezamanga.” Lokhu ngokusobala kuhlukile esimweni sengqondo samaBuddha namaHindu, abheka zonke izinkolo njengezinokufaneleka.

Hlobo Luni Lwethemba?

Ithemba lobuKristu ligxile esithembisweni soMdali sokuthi uhulumeni wakhe uyoxazulula izinkinga zezwe. Ngakho kusukela ekuqaleni kwenkonzo kaJesu ngo-29 C.E., wakhuthaza abantu ukuba ‘bakholwe yivangeli’ nokuthi “umbuso kaNkulunkulu ususondele.” (Marku 1:15) Ngokungafani nezinkolo zaseMpumalanga, njengobuCh’ôndogyo, imfundiso kaJesu ayizange igcizelele ubuzwe njengendlela yokugcwalisa ithemba lobuKristu. Eqinisweni, uJesu wakwenqaba konke ukusikisela kokuba angenele ezombangazwe. (Mathewu 4:8-10; Johane 6:15) Ngokusobala, akazange aphethe njengoba abaholi babaJuda abathile benza, ngokuthi “isintu kumelwe ngenkuthalo sisize uNkulunkulu ukuba alethe uMesiya.”

Ithemba lobuKristu lihlanganisa nethemba lokujabulela ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni ngaphansi kwezimo zokulunga. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 5:5; IsAmbulo 21:1-4.) Ingabe lokho akucacile futhi akulula ukukuqonda? Akunjalo ngabanye abamiqondo yabo ifiphazwe umqondo weNirvana yobuBuddha, iThe Faiths of Mankind ebhekisela kuyo ‘njengewukunqamula’ nokho ‘okungekhona ukushabalalisa.’ Lencwadi igomela ngokuthi, eqinisweni, iNirvana “akunakwenzeka ukuyichaza.”

Uthando—Ngobani Futhi Lwanhloboni?

UJesu wathi umyalo omkhulu kunayo yonke ungukuthi: “Woyithanda iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, nangawo wonke umphefumulo wakho, nangayo yonke ingqondo yakho, nangawo onke amandla akho.” (Marku 12:30) Yeka ukuthi kuhluke kanjani ezinkolweni ezinaka kakhulu ukusindiswa komuntu, kuyilapho zingazinaki izithakazelo zaphezulu. UJesu wathi, into yesibili ebalulekile uthando oluqondile ngomakhelwane. Waxwayisa: “Ngakho-ke konke nokungakanani enifuna ukuba abantu bakwenze kini,” weluleka, “kwenzeni nani kanjalo kubo.” (Mathewu 7:12; 22:37-39) Kodwa phawula ukuthi lokhu kuhluka kanjani emfundisweni ephambene kaConfucius: “Lokho ongazifiseli khona, ungakwenzi nakwabanye.” Yiluphi uthando olucabangela njengoluphakeme, yilolo oluvimbela abantu ukuba bangakulimazi noma yilolo olubashukumisela ukuba bakwenzele okuhle?

“Isivivinyo sokuqala somuntu omkhulu ngempela ukuthobeka kwakhe,” kwaphawula umlobi oyiNgisi wekhulu le-19 leminyaka uJohn Ruskin. Ngokunikela ngokuphila kwakhe ngokuzithoba ngenxa yezithakazelo zegama likaYise nodumo, okwesibili, ngenxa yabantu, uJesu wabonisa uthando kokubili ngabantu nangoNkulunkulu. Yeka ukuthi kungokuhluke kanjani ezifisweni zobogovu ebunkulunkulwini buka-Alexander Omkhulu, iCollier’s Encyclopedia ethi ngaye: “Kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe, akufaka engozini ngokuphindaphindiwe, abukho ubufakazi bokuthi wake wawucabangela umbuzo wokuthi kuzokwenzekani kubantu bakubo ngemva kokufa kwakhe.”

Ebonakalisa futhi uthando ayenalo ngoNkulunkulu nangabantu, uJesu, ngokungafani namaHindu ayephila ngesikhathi sakhe eNdiya, akazange avumelane nesimiso sezigaba esibandlululayo. Futhi ngokungefani namaqembu obuJuda avumela amalunga awo ukuba aphakamisele ababusi angabathandi izikhali, uJesu waxwayisa abalandeli bakhe ngokuthi “bonke abaphatha inkemba bayakubhubha ngenkemba.”—Mathewu 26:52.

Ukholo Olubonakaliswa Ngemisebenzi

Ukuba matasa kobuKristu bakuqala ngokholo, ngethemba, nangothando kwazibonakalisa ekuziphatheni kwawo. AmaKristu atshelwa ukuba ‘akhumule umuntu omdala’ ovamile esintwini esinesono nokuthi ‘embathe umuntu omusha owadalwa ngokukaNkulunkulu ekulungeni nasebungcweleni beqiniso.’ (Efesu 4:22-24) Lokhu akwenza. Ngokuthakazelisayo, uHarold J. Laski, ongasekho, usosayensi wezombangazwe oyiNgisi, wathi: “Ngokuqinisekile, uvivinyo lwemfundiso yenkolo akulona ikhono lalabo abayamukelayo ukuba babonise ukholo lwabo; uvivinyo lwayo ikhono enalo lokuguqula ukuziphatha kwabo ekuphileni okuvamile kwansuku zonke,”—(Omalukeke abethu). Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Korinte 6:11.

Egcwele ukholo olungenakuzanyazanyiswa nethemba elinesisekelo esiqinile futhi eshukunyiswa uthando lweqiniso, amaKristu okuqala aqalisa ukulalela umyalo kaJesu wokugcina awanika wona ngaphambi kokwenyukela kwakhe ezulwini: “Ngalokho hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi, nibabhapathize . . . , nibafundise ukugcina konke enginiyale ngakho.”—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

NgePentekoste lika-33 C.E., umoya kaNkulunkulu wathululelwa phezu kwabalandeli abangamaKristu abayi-120 ababehlangene ekamelweni eliphezulu eJerusalema. Ibandla lobuKristu lase lizelwe!a Amalunga alo ngokumangalisayo aphiwa ikhono ngalolosuku lokukhuluma izilimi zezinye izizwe, kanjalo kwabenza bakwazi ukukhuluma namaJuda namaproselithe akwamanye amazwe ayeze emkhosini eJerusalema. (IzEnzo 2:5, 6, 41) Yeka umphumela okwaba nawo! Ngosuku olulodwa nje, inani lamaKristu leqa lisuka cishe kwayi-120 laba ngaphezu kwezi-3 000!

UJesu walinganisela ukushumayela kwakhe kumaJuda ikakhulukazi. Kodwa ngokushesha ngemva kwePentekoste, umphostoli ongumKristu uPetru wasetshenziswa ukuba avulele amaSamariya ayelandela elalela izincwadi ezinhlanu zokuqala zeBhayibheli ‘INdlela’, futhi kamuva, ngo-36 C.E., wavulela bonke abangemaJuda. UPawulu waba “ngumphostoli wabezizwe” futhi waqalisa uhambo oluthathu lwezithunywa zevangeli. (Roma 11:13) Kanjalo kwamiswa amabandla, futhi achuma kusho incwadi ethi From Christ to Constantine, yenezela: “Intshiseko yawo ekusakazeni ukholo yayingenamingcele,” iyenezela: “Ukufakaza kwamaKristu kwakuthe chithi saká futhi kunemiphumela emihle.” Ukushushiswa kwamaKristu kwaba nemiphumela engalindelekile, kwasiza ekusakazeni isigijimi, njengomoya ubhebhethekisa ilangabi. Incwadi yeBhayibheli yezEnzo ilandisa ngomlando othakazelisayo womsebenzi ongenakuvinjwa wobuKristu phakathi nenkathi yokuqala yobuKristu.

‘Akubona UbuKristu Engibaziyo Lobo!’

Ingabe usabela ngalendlela lapho uzwa lencazelo yezinsuku zokuqala zobuKristu? Ingabe uye wathola ukuthi kunokuba abe nokholo oluqinile, amaKristu amaningi okuzisholo agcwele ukungabaza, engaqiniseki ngafanele akukholelwe? Ingabe uye wathola ukuthi esikhundleni sokuba nethemba, amaningi awo ashaywa uvalo, engaqiniseki ngekusasa? Futhi ingabe uye wathola ukuthi “sinenkolo eyanele ukuba isenze sibe nenzondo, kodwa enganele ukuba isenze ukuba sithandane” njengoba kwasho umlobi wemibhinqo uJonathan Swift oyiNgisi wekhulu leminyaka le-18?

UPawulu wabikezela ngalentuthuko ephambene. “Izimpisi ezihahahayo”—abaholi bobuKristu ngegama kuphela. ‘Zaziyakuvuka . . . zikhulume okudukisayo, zihunge abafundi ukuzilandela.’ (IzEnzo 20:29, 30) Lokhu kwakuyokuba nomphumela ongakanani? Umagazini wethu olandelayo uzochaza.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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UmKristu unokholo kuNkulunkulu ophilayo

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Ithemba lobuKristu libheka phambili epharadesi lasemhlabeni elibuyiselwe

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Uthando lobuKristu alukhethi ekusizeni abanye ukuba bakhonze uNkulunkulu