Ubani “Owukuphela KukaNkulunkulu Weqiniso”?

UJESU wayevame ukuthandaza kuNkulunkulu, ayembiza ngokuthi uBaba, futhi wafundisa nabanye ukuba benze okufanayo. (Mathewu 6:9-11; Luka 11:1, 2) Ethandaza kanye nabaphostoli bakhe—emahoreni ambalwa nje ngaphambi kokuba afe—uJesu wanxusa: “Baba, ihora selifikile; khazimulisa indodana yakho, ukuze indodana yakho ikukhazimulise. Lokhu kusho ukuphila okuphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo omthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.”—Johane 17:1, 3.

Phawula ukuthi uJesu uthandaza kuLowo ambiza ngokuthi “uwukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso.” Uqokomisa isikhundla sikaNkulunkulu esiphakeme kunazo zonke lapho eqhubeka ethi: “Ngakho manje wena, Baba, ngikhazimulise eceleni kwakho ngenkazimulo enganginayo eceleni kwakho ngaphambi kokuba izwe libe khona.” (Johane 17:5) Njengoba uJesu ayethandaza ecela ukuba abe seceleni kukaNkulunkulu, kwakungenzeka kanjani ukuba ngesikhathi esifanayo abe ‘ukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso’? Ake siyihlolisise le ndaba.

Isikhundla SikaJesu Ezulwini

Ngemva kwamahora ambalwa enze lo mthandazo, uJesu wabulawa. Kodwa akazange afe isikhathi eside—wafa kusukela ngoLwesihlanu ntambama kwaze kwaba ngeSonto ekuseni. (Mathewu 27:57–28:6) Umphostoli uPetru wabika: “Lo Jesu uNkulunkulu wamvusa, okuyiqiniso esingofakazi balo sonke.” (IzEnzo 2:31, 32) Kungenzeka yini ukuthi uJesu wazivusa yena ngokwakhe? Cha, ngoba ngokweBhayibheli, abafileyo “abazi lutho.” (UmShumayeli 9:5) Khona-ke, lowo “owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso,” uYise kaJesu wasezulwini, nguyena owavusa iNdodana yakhe.—IzEnzo 2:32; 10:40.

Ngemva nje kwalokho, umfundi kaJesu uStefanu wabulawa abashushisi benkolo. Lapho nje sebezomkhanda ngamatshe, uStefanu wabona umbono. Wathi: “Bhekani! Ngibona amazulu evulekile neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.” (IzEnzo 7:56) Khona-ke uStefanu wabona uJesu, “iNdodana yomuntu,” esesikhundleni sakhe sokuba yisekela likaNkulunkulu ezulwini—‘engakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu’—njengoba nje ‘ayeseceleni kukaNkulunkulu’ ngaphambi kokuba eze emhlabeni.—Johane 17:5.

Kamuva, ngemva kokubulawa kukaStefanu, uJesu wazibonakalisa ngokuyisimangaliso kuSawulu, owaziwa kakhulu ngegama lakhe lesiRoma, elithi Pawulu. (IzEnzo 9:3-6) Lapho uPawulu ese-Athene, eGrisi, wakhuluma ‘ngoNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo.’ Wathi lo Nkulunkulu, “owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso,” ‘uyokwahlulela umhlaba owakhiwe ngokulunga ngomuntu ammisile, futhi unikeze isiqinisekiso kubo bonke abantu njengoba eye wamvusa kwabafileyo.’ (IzEnzo 17:24, 31) Lapha umphostoli uPawulu wachaza uJesu ‘njengomuntu’—yebo, umuntu ongaphansi kukaNkulunkulu—uNkulunkulu amvusela ekuphileni kwasezulwini.

Umphostoli uJohane naye wachaza uJesu njengomuntu ongaphansi kukaNkulunkulu. UJohane wathi waloba iVangeli lakhe ukuze abafundi bakholwe ukuthi “uJesu unguKristu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu”—hhayi ukuthi unguNkulunkulu. (Johane 20:31) UJohane wabuye wabona umbono wasezulwini lapho abona khona “iWundlu,” lelo eVangelini lakhe elibizwa ngokuthi uJesu. (Johane 1:29) Leli Wundlu limi nabanye abangu-144 000, uJohane athi ‘bathengwa [noma bavuswa] emhlabeni.’ UJohane uyachaza ukuthi laba abangu-144 000 “kulotshwé igama [leWundlu] negama likaYise emabunzini abo.”—IsAmbulo 14:1, 3.

Ingabe “iWundlu” ‘noYise’ ngumuntu oyedwa? Lutho neze. EBhayibhelini, bangabantu ababili abahlukene. Kanti namagama abo imbala awefani.

Igama LeWundlu NelikaYise

Njengoba sesibonile, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, iWundlu, yaqanjwa ngokuthi uJesu. (Luka 1:30-32) Khona-ke, lingubani igama likaYise? Livela kaningi eBhayibhelini. Ngokwesibonelo, iHubo 83:18 lithi: “Wena, ogama lakho linguJehova, wena wedwa ungoPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.” Okudabukisayo ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu elithi Jehova liye lashintshwa ezinguqulweni eziningi zeBhayibheli kwathi esikhundleni salo kwasetshenziswa elithi “NKOSI” nelithi “NKULUNKULU,” ngokuvamile abhalwa ngofeleba. Lab’ ofeleba kucatshangwa ukuthi yibona okufanele bahlukanise uJehova phakathi kwabanye ababizwa ngokuthi onkulunkulu noma amakhosi.a Noma kunjalo, ezinguqulweni eziningi zeBhayibheli, iGama likaNkulunkulu liye labuyiselwa kuzo zonke izindawo okufanele livele kuzo.

I-American Standard Version yesiNgisi (ka-1901) iyisibonelo esiphawulekayo senguqulo yeBhayibheli eye yabuyisela igama likaNkulunkulu elithi Jehova ezindaweni okufanele livele kuzo. Isandulela sayo sithi: “Ngemva kokuhlola ngokucophelela, ababukezi [be-American Standard Version] bávumelana ngazwilinye ngokuthi inkolelo-ze yamaJuda, eyayithi iGama likaNkulunkulu akufanele liphinyiselwe ngoba lingcwele kakhulu, akusafanele neze ibe nethonya kule nguqulo yesiNgisi nakunoma iziphi ezinye izinguqulo zeTestamente Elidala, njengoba nje, ngenhlanhla, ingenalo ithonya ezinguqulweni eziningana zamuva nje ezishicilelwe yizithunywa zevangeli.”

Imfundiso KaZiqu-zintathu—Yavelaphi?

Kuthiwani-ke ngemfundiso yokuthi uJehova noJesu empeleni banguNkulunkulu oyedwa, njengoba kusho imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu? Kumagazini ka-April kuya ku-June 1999, i-Living Pulpit yachaza uZiqu-zintathu ngale ndlela: “Kukhona uNkulunkulu oyedwa uYise, iNkosi eyodwa uJesu Kristu noMoya Ongcwele, ‘abantu’ abathathu . . . empeleni abangumuntu oyedwa . . . ; abantu abathathu kodwa bonke abanguNkulunkulu oyedwa, banezimfanelo ezifanayo kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo bahlukene, ngamunye unezici zobuntu ezihlukile.”b

Yavelaphi le mfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu eyinkimbinkimbi? I-Christian Century ka-May 20 kuya ku-27, 1998, icaphuna umfundisi othile evuma ukuthi uZiqu-zintathu “uyimfundiso yesonto hhayi ekaJesu.” Nakuba uZiqu-zintathu engeyona imfundiso kaJesu, ingabe uyavumelana nalokho uJesu akufundisa?

UBaba—Mkhulu KuneNdodana

UJesu wafundisa abafundi bakhe ukuba bathandaze kanje: “Baba wethu osezulwini‚ malingcweliswe igama lakho.” EBhayibhelini uBaba wethu wasezulwini, ogama lakhe linguJehova, uchazwa njengomkhulu kuneNdodana. Ngokwesibonelo, uJehova ubelokhu ekhona “kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade.” Kodwa iBhayibheli lithi uJesu ‘uyizibulo lezidalwa zonke.’ Kanti noJesu uqobo wafundisa iqiniso lokuthi uJehova mkhulu kunaye lapho ethi: “UBaba mkhulu kunami.” (Mathewu 6:9; iHubo 90:1, 2; Kolose 1:15; Johane 14:28, iBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile) Noma kunjalo, imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu ima kwelokuthi bobabili uBaba neNdodana “banguNkulunkulu oyedwa.”

Iqiniso lokuthi uBaba mkhulu kuneNdodana, kanye nokuthi uBaba ungumuntu ohlukile, liyaqokonyiswa futhi emithandazweni kaJesu, njengalowo awenza ngaphambi nje kokuba abulawe: “Baba, uma uthanda, susa le ndebe [okungukuthi, ukufa okuhlazisayo] kimi. Noma kunjalo, makungenzeki intando yami, kodwa eyakho.” (Luka 22:42) Ukube bobabili uNkulunkulu noJesu ‘bebengumuntu oyedwa,’ njengoba imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu isho, bekungenzeka kanjani ukuba intando kaJesu, noma isifiso sakhe, sibonakale sihlukile kwesikaYise?—Hebheru 5:7, 8; 9:24.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukube bobabili uJehova noJesu bebengumuntu oyedwa, bekungenzeka kanjani ukuthi omunye wabo azi izinto omunye angazazi? Ngokwesibonelo, maqondana nesikhathi sokwahlulelwa kwezwe, uJesu wathi: “Ngokuphathelene nalolo suku noma lelo hora, akekho owaziyo, nazingelosi ezulwini naNdodana, ngaphandle kukaBaba.”—Marku 13:32.

UZiqu-zintathu Nesonto

UZiqu-zintathu akuyona neze imfundiso kaJesu noma yamaKristu okuqala. Kodwa njengoba sekushiwo ngaphambili, “uyimfundiso yesonto.” Ikhuluma ngoZiqu-zintathu, i-Living Pulpit ka-1999 yathi: “Ngezinye izikhathi, kubonakala sengathi wonke umuntu ucabanga ukuthi imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu iyimfundiso eyisisekelo yenkolo yobuKristu,” kodwa yabuye yanezela ukuthi akuyona “imfundiso yeBhayibheli.”

I-New Catholic Encyclopedia (ka-1967) idingida udaba lukaZiqu-zintathu kabanzi bese ivuma: “Uma sibhekisisa, imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu yavela ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine. . . . Le mfundiso eyasungulwa ethi ‘uNkulunkulu oyedwa kuBantu abathathu’ ayizange imiswe ngokuqinile, futhi ngokuqinisekile ayizange yamukeleke ngokugcwele kumaKristu nasezinkolelweni zawo, ngaphambi kokuphela kwekhulu lesine.”

UMartin Werner, owayenguprofesa e-University of Bern, eSwitzerland, wathi: “Noma nini lapho kuqhathaniswa ukuthi ubani omkhulu phakathi kukaJesu noNkulunkulu, uYise, eTestamenteni Elisha, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kukhulunywa ngokuza kukaJesu emhlabeni njengomuntu noma ngesikhundla sakhe sokuba uMesiya, kuye kuqondakale futhi kuvele ngokucacile ukuthi [uJesu] mncane.” Ngokusobala, lokho uJesu namaKristu okuqala ababekukholelwa kuhluke ngokuphelele emfundisweni kaZiqu-zintathu yamasonto anamuhla. Pho, yavelaphi le mfundiso?

Imvelaphi Yokuqala KaZiqu-zintathu

IBhayibheli lisitshela ngawonkulunkulu nawonkulunkulukazi abaningi ababekhulekelwa abantu, kuhlanganise no-Ashitoreti, uMilkomu, uKemoshi kanye noMoleki. (1 AmaKhosi 11:1, 2, 5, 7) Ngisho nabantu abaningi esizweni sakwa-Israyeli wamandulo bake bakholelwa ukuthi uBhali unguNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngakho umprofethi kaJehova u-Eliya wabaphonsela le nselele: “Uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu weqiniso, landelani yena; kodwa uma kunguBhali, landelani yena.”—1 AmaKhosi 18:21.

Ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu bamaqaba abahamba ngabathathu, noma onkulunkulu abanguziqu-zintathu, kwase kuvamile kakade ngaphambi kokuba uJesu azalwe. Isazi-mlando uWill Durant sithi: “Umqondo wonkulunkulu abangoziqu-zintathu wavela eGibhithe.” Kuyi-Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, uJames Hastings uyabhala: “Ngokwesibonelo, enkolweni yamaNdiya, ungase uthole unkulunkulu onguziqu-zintathu uBrahmā, uSiva kanye noVishnu; kanti enkolweni yaseGibhithe ungase uthole unkulunkulu onguziqu-zintathu u-Osiris, u-Isis kanye noHorus.”

Khona-ke kukhona onkulunkulu abaningi. Ingabe amaKristu okuqala ayekwamukela lokhu? Futhi ingabe ayethi uJesu unguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

EGIBHITHE

Uziqu-zintathu ohlanganisa uHorus, u-Osiris kanye no-Isis, ngenkulungwane yesibili B.C.E.

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

EPALMYRA, ESYRIA

Uziqu-zintathu ohlanganisa unku-lunkulu wenyanga, iNkosi Yamazulu kanye nonkulunkulu welanga, cishe ngekhulu lokuqala C.E.

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

ENDIYA

Unkulunkulu wamaHindu onguziqu-zintathu, cishe ngekhulu lesi-7 C.E.

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

ENORWAY

UZiqu-zintathu (uYise, iNdodana noMoya Ongcwele), cishe ngekhulu le-13 C.E.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 19]

Top two photos: Musée du Louvre, Paris