“Labo Ababizwa Ngokuthi ‘Onkulunkulu’”

LAPHO umphostoli uPawulu elapha indoda elunyonga eListra, abantu bamemeza: “Onkulunkulu sebeye baba njengabantu futhi behlele kithi!” Babiza uPawulu ngokuthi uHermesi, kwathi umngane wakhe uBarnaba bambiza ngokuthi uZeyusi. (IzEnzo 14:8-14) E-Efesu umkhandi wesiliva uDemetriyu waxwayisa ngokuthi uma uPawulu evunyelwa ukuba aqhubeke eshumayela, “ithempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu u-Arthemisi lizobhekwa njengelingelutho.”—IzEnzo 19:24-28.

Abantu ngekhulu lokuqala—njengabantu abaningi namuhla—babekhulekela “labo ababizwa ngokuthi ‘onkulunkulu,’ kungaba sezulwini noma emhlabeni.” Empeleni, uPawulu wathi: “Kukhona ‘onkulunkulu’ abaningi ‘namakhosi’ amaningi.” Nokho, wabuye wachaza: “Empeleni kithi kukhona uNkulunkulu oyedwa uBaba,” futhi “kukhona iNkosi eyodwa, uJesu Kristu.”—1 Korinte 8:5, 6.

Ingabe NoJesu Wayebizwa Ngokuthi UNkulunkulu?

Nakuba uJesu engakaze azibize ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu, kodwa njengoba engumbusi omiswe uJehova, esiprofethweni sika-Isaya ubizwa ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu Onamandla” nangokuthi “iSikhulu Sokuthula.” Lesi siprofetho sika-Isaya siyenezela: “Ngeke kuphele ukuchichima kokubusa kwesikhulu kanye nokuthula.” (Isaya 9:6, 7) Ngakho ‘njengeSikhulu’—indodana yeNkosi Enkulu, uJehova—uJesu uyoba uMbusi kuhulumeni ‘kaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke,’ omiswe ezulwini.—Eksodusi 6:3.

Kodwa omunye umuntu angase abuze, ‘UJesu “unguNkulunkulu Onamandla” ngamuphi umqondo, futhi akazange yini umphostoli uJohane athi uJesu unguNkulunkulu?’ Enguqulweni yeBhayibheli lesiNgisi i-King James, uJohane 1:1 ufundeka kanje: “Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi‚ uLizwi wayenoNkulunkulu‚ uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.” Abanye baye bame kwelokuthi lokhu kusho ukuthi “uLizwi,” owazalwa emhlabeni njengosana olunguJesu, unguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke. Ingabe lokhu kuyiqiniso?

Ukube leli vesi belingachazwa njengelisho ukuthi uJesu unguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, beliyophikisana nenkulumo eyandulelayo, ethi “uLizwi wayenoNkulunkulu.” Umuntu ‘onomunye umuntu’ akunakwenzeka abe yilowo muntu akanye naye. Khona-ke izinguqulo eziningi zeBhayibheli ziveza umehluko, zenze kucace ukuthi uLizwi wayengeyena uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke. Ngokwesibonelo, izinguqulo zeBhayibheli eziyisibonelo salokhu zithi: “ULizwi wayewunkulunkulu,” “uLizwi wayengunkulunkulu,” “uLizwi wayengowaphezulu.”a

Amavesi eBhayibheli anamagama ahlelwe njengoJohane 1:1 olimini lwesiGreki asebenzisa igama elithi ‘unkulunkulu.’ Ngokwesibonelo, lapho sibhekisela kuHerode Agrippa I, isixuku samemeza: “Yizwi likankulunkulu.” Futhi lapho uPawulu esinda ngemva kokulunywa inyoka enesihlungu, abantu bathi: ‘Uwunkulunkulu.’ (IzEnzo 12:22; 28:3-6) Ukubiza uLizwi ngokuthi ‘unkulunkulu,’ hhayi ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu, kuvumelana nakho kokubili uhlelo lolimi lwesiGreki kanye nemfundiso yeBhayibheli.—Johane 1:1.

Cabanga ngendlela uJohane abiza ngayo “uLizwi” esahlukweni sokuqala seVangeli lakhe. Wabhala: “ULizwi waba yinyama wahlala phakathi kwethu, sayibona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo [engeyona enjengekaNkulunkulu kodwa] enjengeyendodana ezelwe yodwa kuyise.” Ngakho “uLizwi,” owaba yinyama, wahlala emhlabeni njengomuntu owayebizwa ngokuthi uJesu futhi abantu bambona. Ngenxa yalokho, kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba abe uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, lowo uJohane athi ngaye: “Akekho umuntu oye wabona uNkulunkulu noma nini.”—Johane 1:14, 18.

Omunye angase abuze: ‘Pho, kungani uTomase athi, “Nkosi yami, Nkulunkulu wami!” lapho ebona uJesu ovusiwe’? Njengoba sekuphawuliwe kakade, uJesu uwunkulunkulu ngomqondo wokuthi ungowaphezulu, kodwa akayena uYise. UJesu wayesanda kusho la mazwi kuMariya Magdalena: “Nginyukela kuBaba noYihlo, kuNkulunkulu wami noNkulunkulu wenu.” Khumbula futhi isizathu sokuba uJohane abhale iVangeli lakhe. Emavesini amathathu ngemva kokulandisa ngoTomase, uJohane wachaza ukuthi wabhala ukuze abantu ‘bakholwe ukuthi uJesu unguKristu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu’—hhayi ukuthi unguNkulunkulu.—Johane 20:17, 28, 31.

Ubani “Unkulunkulu Waleli Zwe”?

Ngokusobala, kukhona onkulunkulu abaningi. Abanye, njengoba sesibonile, babizwe ngamagama eBhayibhelini. Noma kunjalo, abantu ababona amandla kaJehova esikhathini esidlule bathi: “UJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso! UJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso!” (1 AmaKhosi 18:39) Nokho, kukhona nomunye unkulunkulu onamandla. IBhayibheli lithi: “Unkulunkulu waleli zwe uphuphuthekisile ingqondo yabo [abangakholwa].”—2 Korinte 4:4, iBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile.

Ngobusuku obungaphambi kokuba afe, uJesu waxwayisa abafundi bakhe kathathu ngalo nkulunkulu, embiza ngokuthi “umbusi waleli zwe.” UJesu wathi lo mbusi onamandla, noma unkulunkulu, “uzophonswa ngaphandle.” (Johane 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) Ungubani lo nkulunkulu, futhi yiliphi leli zwe angumbusi walo?

Akekho omunye ngaphandle kwengelosi eyisihlubuki, uSathane uDeveli. Sazi kanjani? IBhayibheli liyachaza ukuthi lapho elinga uJesu, uSathane wambonisa “yonke imibuso yezwe nenkazimulo yayo, wathi kuye: ‘Zonke lezi zinto ngizokunika zona uma uwa phansi wenze isenzo sokukhuleka kimi.’” (Mathewu 4:8, 9) Lokho uSathane athi uzokunika uJesu kwakungeke neze kube yisilingo ukube wayethembisa ukumnika okuthile angenakho. Empeleni, umphostoli uJohane wathi: “Lonke izwe lisemandleni omubi.”—1 Johane 5:19.

Khumbula ukuthi uJesu wathembisa: “Umbusi waleli zwe uzophonswa ngaphandle.” (Johane 12:31) Eqinisweni, leli zwe, noma isimiso sezinto, kanye nombusi walo, kuyosuswa, njengoba umphostoli uJohane abikezela lapho ethi: “Izwe liyadlula.” Kodwa, enezela uJohane, wathi: “Lowo owenza intando kaNkulunkulu uhlala kuze kube phakade.” (1 Johane 2:17) Manje ake sihlole izinjongo ezinhle zalowo owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso nokuthi singazuza kanjani kuzo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 20, 21]

Abantu baseListra bashukumiseleka ukuba babize uPawulu noBarnaba ngokuthi onkulunkulu

[Isithombe ekhasini 20, 21]

UJesu wathi kuMariya Magdalena: ‘Nginyukela kuNkulunkulu wami noNkulunkulu wenu’