Umbono WeBhayibheli
Uthando Oluhlanganisayo
NGO-1978 isiphepho esikhulu eNorth Atlantic sagadla emkhunjini kanokusho i-Queen Elizabeth 2. Amagagasi alingana nesakhiwo esinezitezi eziyishumi ashaya umkhumbi, awenza ushone uvumbuka kuhle kwesivalo sebhodlela sikakhokho sintanta. Ifenisha nabagibeli babephonseka ngapha nangapha njengoba umkhumbi untengantenga. Ngokuphawulekayo, kuncane kakhulu ukulimala okwenzeka phakathi kwabagibeli abangu-1200. Ubunjiniyela bezinga eliphezulu, izinto zokwakha kanye nokwakhiwa kwawo kwawuvikela ukuba ungahlakazeki.
Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule kunomunye umkhumbi owahlaselwa isiphepho. Umphostoli uPawulu nabanye abangu-275 babekulomkhumbi. Esaba ukuthi umkhumbi uzohlakazeka ube izimvithi ngenxa yamandla esiphepho, ngokusobala amatilosi adlulisela “izinto zokusiza”—amaketanga noma izindophi—ngaphansi komkhumbi zisuka kolunye uhlangothi ziya kolunye ukuze zibambe amapulangwe akha umzimba womkhumbi angahlukani. Bonke ababegibele kuwo basinda, nakuba umkhumbi ungazange usinde.—IzEnzo, isahluko 27.
Ngesinye isikhathi izilingo ekuphileni zingase zisenze sizizwe sengathi sisemkhunjini ezilwandle ezigubhayo. Amagagasi okukhathazeka, ukudumazeka, nokucindezeleka, angasigubuzela, evivinya uthando lwethu kuze kube ngaphezu kwamandla. Ukuze sibhekane ngokuphumelelayo neziphepho ezinjalo futhi sigweme ukuhlakazeka, nathi ngokufanayo sidinga izinto zokusiza.
Lapho Kuqubuka Iziphepho
Ukholo nokukhuthazela kukamphostoli uPawulu kulandiswe kahle eBhayibhelini. Wasebenza njengesigqila ngenxa yamabandla obuKristu akuqala. (2 Korinte 11:24-28) Akufeza emsebenzini weNkosi kunikeza ubufakazi obusobala bothando lwakhe olujulile ngomakhelwane bakhe nobuhlobo bakhe obuqinile noNkulunkulu. Nokho, ukuphila kukaPawulu kwakungekhona okushelelayo ngaso sonke isikhathi. Umphostoli wabhekana ngokuphumelelayo neziphepho eziningi, kokubili ezingokoqobo nezingokomfanekiso.
Osukwini lukaPawulu, lapho umkhumbi ubhekana nesiphepho esinamandla, ukusinda kwabagibeli nokomkhumbi kwakuxhomeke ekuhlakanipheni kwamatilosi nasekuqineni komkhumbi ungahlukani. Kwakunjalo nalapho umphostoli ebhekana neziphepho ezingokomfanekiso. Nakuba uPawulu abhekana nokuntula ngokwenyama, ukuboshwa, nokuhlushwa, iziphepho ezinzima kakhulu ezabekela inselele ukuqina kwakhe ngokomoya nangokomzwelo nekhono lakhe lokuqhubeka ebonisa uthando, zazivela ngaphakathi ebandleni lobuKristu.
Ngokwesibonelo, uPawulu wazikhandla ngokungakhathali unyaka nengxenye ukuze amise ibandla emzini waseKorinte. Ahlangabezana nakho kwabaseKorinte kwamenza waba nozwela ngomhlambi. UPawulu waze wakhuluma ngaye ngokwakhe njengoyise wawo. (1 Korinte 4:15) Kepha, naphezu komlando wakhe wothando nokusebenza kanzima ngenxa yebandla, abanye eKorinte bakhuluma kabi ngoPawulu. (2 Korinte 10:10) Ngokubheka konke lokho ayekwenze ngokuzidela, yeka ukuthi kumelwe ukuba kwaba okudumaza kanjani lokho!
Labo ababamukele uthando lukaPawulu lokungazigodli babengaba kanjani nonya kangaka futhi bakhulume kabi ngaye? Kumelwe ukuba uPawulu wazizwa sengathi uvithizekile, njengomkhumbi ohlaselwa isivunguvungu. Yeka ukuthi kwakungaba lula kanjani ngaye ukuba ayeke, abe nomuzwa wokuthi yonke imizamo yakhe yesikhathi esidlule iyize, noma abe nenzondo! Yini eyenza ukuba uPawulu angaphazamiseki engqondweni? Yini eyenza ukuba angavithizwa ukudumazeka?
Uthando Olusihlanganisayo
UPawulu akashiyanga kungabaza ezingqondweni zabafundi bakhe ngokuqondene nomthombo wakho kokubili amandla akhe nokwakumshukumisa. Wabhala: “Uthando uKristu analo luyasiphoqelela.” (2 Korinte 5:14) UPawulu wakhomba emthonjeni obalulekile wamandla nokwakumshukumisa. Amandla aphoqelelayo “uthando uKristu analo.” Isazi seBhayibheli senza lokhu kukhulumela ngokuqondene nalombhalo: “UPawulu akasho ukuthi uthando lwethu ngoKristu lusenza sibambelele enkonzweni yethu . . . Lokho bekungasho ukungayifezi ngokuphelele. Uthando lwethu ngoKristu luvuselelwa futhi lusekelwe njalo uthando lwakhe ngathi.” —Omalukeke sizenzele.
Uthando olwabonakaliswa uKristu ngokuzinikela ekufeni okubuhlungu esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa—ngalokho enikela ukuphila kwakhe kobuntu okuphelele njengesihlengo ukuze asindise sonke isintu esikholwayo—lwashukumisa, lwaphoqelela futhi lwacindezela uPawulu ukuba aqhubeke ekhonza izithakazelo zikaKristu nabazalwane. Ngaleyo ndlela, uthando lukaKristu lwamlawula uPawulu, lwamnqabela ukuba abe nobugovu, futhi lwagcina izinhloso zakhe zisenkonzweni kaNkulunkulu nabantu ayekanye nabo.
Ngempela, umthombo oshukumisa inkambo yomKristu yokuphila ekholekile, uthando lukaKristu. Lapho sibhekene nokuvivinywa okungase kube nomphumela othena amandla ngokomzimba, ngokomzwelo nangokomoya, amandla aphoqelelayo othando lukaKristu enza sikwazi ukudlulela ngalé kwezinga lapho umuntu ongashukunyiswa yilutho engahluleka khona. Lusinikeza amandla okuba sikhuthazele.
Asinakuthembela emizweleni yethu engaphelele ukuba isisekele futhi isishukumise. Lokhu kunjalo ikakhulukazi lapho ukuvivinywa kwethu kuza ngenxa yokudumazeka noma ukukhathazeka. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uthando lukaKristu lunamandla okusigcina enkonzweni yethu, okusisekela nokusishukumisa, kungakhathaliseki ukuvivinywa kwethu siqu. Uthando lukaKristu lwenza umKristu akwazi ukukhuthazela, hhayi kuphela ngalé kwalokho okulindelwe abanye, kodwa mhlawumbe ngisho nangalé kwalokho okulindeleke kuye ngokwakhe.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba uthando lukaKristu lukhuthazela, umphumela uba ngohlala njalo. Lungamandla aphoqelelayo angantengantengi noma anciphe. “Uthando alupheli nanini.” (1 Korinte 13:8) Lusenza sikwazi ukuqhubeka simlandela ngokukholeka, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenzekani.
Ukuvivinywa okungokomzwelo kunamandla angasivithiza. Ngakho-ke, yeka ukuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ukuba sizindle ngothando uKristu alubonakalisa ngenxa yethu. Uthando lukaKristu luyosenza singahlukani. Uthando lwakhe lwenza kube nokwenzeka ukugwema ukuphukelwa umkhumbi wokholo lwethu. (1 Thimothewu 1:14-19) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uthando lukaKristu lusiphoqelela ukuba senze konke okusemandleni ethu ekudumiseni lowo owenza ukubonakaliswa kothando lukaKristu kwaba nokwenzeka, uJehova uNkulunkulu.—Roma 5:6-8.