Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ngubani Umphik’ ukristu?

“NIZWILE UKUTHI UMPHIK’ UKRISTU UYEZA.”—1 JOHANE 2:18.

UMA uxwayisiwe ngokuthi kunesigebengu esiyingozi esibonakale siza ngasendaweni yakini, ubuyokwenzenjani? Cishe ubuyobuzisisa ukuthi sinjani nokuthi ayini amaqhinga aso. Ubuyohlala uqaphile.

Kukhona isimo esifanayo namuhla. Siye saxwayiswa amazwi omphostoli uJohane: “Zonke izinkulumo eziphefumulelwe ezingamvumi uJesu azisuki kuNkulunkulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lena yinkulumo ephefumulelwe yomphik’ ukristu enezwa ukuthi iyeza, futhi manje isisezweni kakade.” (1 Johane 4:3) Ingabe ukhona umphik’ ukristu onjalo, oyisitha sikaNkulunkulu nomkhohlisi wabantu, manje osongela inhlalakahle yaso sonke isintu?

UJohane wasebenzisa igama elithi “umphik’ ukristu” izikhathi ezinhlanu ezincwadini zakhe ezimbili. Libhekisela eqenjini eliphikisana nalokho okufundiswa yiBhayibheli ngoJesu Kristu futhi lihlanganisa nabakhohlisi abathi banguKristu noma bathunywe nguye. IBhayibheli linikeza ukwaziswa okunokwethenjelwa ngomphik’ ukristu. Kodwa njengoba kwenzeka ngezinye izikhathi ngezigebengu, kuye kwanakwa kakhulu imibiko eyiphutha esikhundleni seqiniso mayelana naleli qembu eliyimpicabadala.

Kukhonjwa Okungeyena

Kusukela ezinsukwini zomphostoli uJohane, abantu baye bathi amazwi kaJohane ngomphik’ ukristu asho umuntu othile oyedwa. Abantu baye bakhomba abantu abahlukahlukene. Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule abaningi babecabanga ukuthi uMbusi WaseRoma uNero wayengumphik’ ukristu. Kamuva, inzondo nokwesaba okwalethwa u-Adolf Hitler kwenza abaningi bakholiseka ukuthi ungumphik’ ukristu. Leli gama kwaze kwabizwa nangalo isazi sefilosofi esingumJalimane uFriedrich Nietzsche. Nokho abanye bakholelwa ukuthi umphik’ ukristu usazofika futhi uyovela njengesazi sezombangazwe esiyiqili nesinonya, esihlose ukubusa umhlaba. Bakholelwa ukuthi isilo sasendle sesAmbulo isahluko 13 yiso okubhekiselwa kuso njengomphik’ ukristu oshiwo uJohane. Bathi uphawu lwaso luka-666 ngandlela-thile luyoveza lo somaqhuzu wobubi wesikhathi esizayo.

Labo abasekela le mibono bathi uJohane wabhekisela kumphik’ ukristu oyedwa kuphela. Kodwa amazwi akhe abonisani? Cabangela eyoku-1 Johane 2:18, ethi: “Njengoba nje nizwile ukuthi umphik’ukristu uyeza, ngisho namanje sekunabaphik’ ukristu abaningi.” Yebo, “abaphik’ ukristu abaningi,” hhayi oyedwa, yibo ababebangela isimo esibi ngokomoya ekhulwini lokuqala. Namuhla kunabaphik’ ukristu abaningi, hhayi oyedwa, abakha isigaba somphik’ ukristu. Njengeqembu baye bonakalisa isintu ngokomoya. (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5, 13) Obani abakha umphik’ ukristu?

Ake sibheke isilo sasendle sesAmbulo isahluko 13 njengokungenzeka sibe nguye. Umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “Isilo sasendle engasibona sasinjengengwe, kodwa izinyawo zaso zazinjengezebhere, nomlomo waso wawunjengomlomo wengonyama.” (IsAmbulo 13:2) Lezi zici zisho ukuthini?

Izazi zeBhayibheli ziye zaphawula ukuhlobana kwesAmbulo isahluko 13 noDaniyeli isahluko 7. UNkulunkulu wanikeza uDaniyeli umbono wezilo ezingokomfanekiso, kuhlanganise ingwe, ibhere nengonyama. (Daniyeli 7:2-6) Umprofethi kaNkulunkulu wathi zisho ukuthini? Wabhala ukuthi lezo zilwane zasendle zifanekisela amakhosi asemhlabeni, noma ohulumeni. (Daniyeli 7:17) Ngakho, singaphetha ngokunengqondo ngokuthi isilo sasendle sesAmbulo simelela ohulumeni babantu. Njengoba lab’ ohulumeni babantu bephikisana noMbuso kaNkulunkulu, bakha ingxenye yomphik’ ukristu.

Ubani Omunye Owakha Umphik’ ukristu?

Ngesikhathi uKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu esemhlabeni, wayenezitha eziningi. Nakuba namuhla zingeke zisakwazi ukufinyelela kuye ngokoqobo, zisekhona izimbangi zakhe zanamuhla. Phawula ukuthi obani abahlanganisiwe kulezi zimbangi.

Umphostoli uJohane wathi: “Ubani ongumqambimanga uma kungeyena lowo ophika ukuthi uJesu unguKristu? Lona nguye umphik’ ukristu, ophika uBaba neNdodana.” (1 Johane 2:22) Izihlubuki nabaholi bokukhulekela kwamanga basonta izimfundiso ezicacile zikaJesu bazenze isinyokotho senkohliso yenkolo. Abanjalo benqaba iqiniso leBhayibheli futhi basakaze amanga egameni likaNkulunkulu noKristu. Baphika ubuhlobo bangempela bukaBaba neNdodana ngemfundiso yabo yobuqili kaZiqu-zintathu. Ngakho-ke, nabo bayingxenye yomphik’ ukristu.

UJesu waxwayisa abafundi bakhe kusengaphambili kuLuka 21:12: “Abantu bayobeka izandla kini futhi banishushise, beninikela emasinagogeni nasematilongweni, . . . ngenxa yegama lami.” Kusukela ekhulwini lokuqala, amaKristu eqiniso aye akhuthazelela ushushiso olunonya. (2 Thimothewu 3:12) Abaphehli bodweshu olunjalo bamelene noKristu. Nabo bayingxenye yomphik’ ukristu.

“Lowo ongekho ngakimi umelene nami, nalowo ongabuthi kanye nami uyahlakaza.” (Luka 11:23) Lapha uJesu uthi bonke abamelene naye nezinjongo zaphezulu azisekelayo bayingxenye yomphik’ ukristu. Balindelwe yini?

Balindelwe Yini Abaphik’ ukristu?

“[UNkulunkulu uyobhubhisa] abakhuluma amanga; uJehova uyamenyanya umuntu wegazi nowenkohliso,” kusho iHubo 5:6. Ingabe lokhu kuyasebenza kubaphik’ ukristu? Yebo. Umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “Abakhohlisi abaningi baphumele ezweni, abantu abangavumi ukuthi uJesu Kristu weza enyameni. Lona ngumkhohlisi nomphik’ ukristu.” (2 Johane 7) Ngenxa yamanga abo nokukhohlisa, uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke uyobachitha abaphik’ ukristu.

Njengoba isikhathi sokukhipha leso sahlulelo sisondela, amaKristu eqiniso akufanele avumele ukukhohlisa nokucindezela komphik’ ukristu kwenze buthaka ukholo lwawo, ikakhulukazi okuvela ezihlubukini. Isixwayiso sikaJohane siyaphuthuma: “Ziqapheleni nina, ukuba ningalahlekelwa izinto esisebenzele ukuzikhiqiza, kodwa ukuba nithole umvuzo ogcwele.”—2 Johane 8.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]

Nero on pages 2 and 20: Courtesy of the Visitors of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford