Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe UJesu Wafela Esiphambanweni Ngempela?
ISIPHAMBANO singolunye lwezimpawu zenkolo ezaziwa kakhulu. Izigidi ziyasihlonipha, zisibheka njengento engcwele uJesu abulawelwa kuyo. Umlobi ongumRoma Katolika futhi ongumvubukuli u-Adolphe-Napoleon Didron wathi: “Isiphambano siye sakhulekelwa ngendlela efanayo, uma kungeyona elinganayo, noKristu; lolu khuni olungcwele cishe ludunyiswa njengoNkulunkulu uqobo.”
Abanye bathi isiphambano sibenza bazizwe beseduze noNkulunkulu lapho bethandaza. Abanye basisebenzisa njengesivikelo, becabanga ukuthi sibavikela kokubi. Kodwa ingabe amaKristu kufanele asihloniphe isiphambano? Ingabe uJesu wafela esiphambanweni ngempela? Lifundisani iBhayibheli ngale ndaba?
Sifanekiselani Isiphambano?
Esikhathini eside ngaphambi kwenkathi yobuKristu, abantu baseBhabhiloni lasendulo babesebenzisa iziphambano njengemifanekiso yokukhulekela unkulunkulu wenzalo uTamuzi. Ukusetshenziswa kwesiphambano kwasakazekela eGibhithe, eNdiya, eSiriya naseChina. Khona-ke, emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, ama-Israyeli onakalisa ukukhulekela kwawo uJehova ngezenzo zokuhlonipha unkulunkulu wamanga uTamuzi. IBhayibheli lithi lolu hlobo lokukhulekela ‘luyinto enengekayo.’—Hezekeli 8:13, 14.
Ukulandisa kwamaVangeli kaMathewu, uMarku, uLuka noJohane kusebenzisa igama lesiGreki elithi stau·rosʹ lapho kubhekisela kulokho uJesu afela kukho. (Mathewu 27:40; Marku 15:30; Luka 23:26) Igama elithi stau·rosʹ lisho ugodo oluqondile noma isigxobo. Incwadi ethi The Non-Christian Cross kaJ. D. Parsons, iyachaza: “Akukho nowodwa umusho kunoma yimiphi imibhalo eminingi eyakha iTestamente Elisha, lowo ngesiGreki sakuqala, onikeza ngisho nobufakazi obugudliselayo bokuthi i-stauros esasetshenziswa lapho kubulawa uJesu sasingenye into ngaphandle nje kwe-stauros esivamile; ingasakhulunywa-ke nje eyokuthi kwakungelona ugodo olulodwa kodwa kuyizingodo ezimbili ezazibethelwe njengesiphambano.”
Njengoba kulotshiwe kweyezEnzo 5:30, umphostoli uPetru wasebenzisa igama elithi xyʹlon, elisho “umuthi,” njengegama elimqondo-fana nelithi staurosʹ, elibhekisela emthini noma ogodweni oluqondile, hhayi esiphambanweni sezingodo ezimbili. Kwaze kwaba ngemva kweminyaka engu-300 uJesu afa lapho abanye ababethi bangamaKristu baqala khona ukukhuthaza umbono wokuthi uJesu wabulawelwa esiphambanweni esiyizingodo ezimbili. Nokho, lo mbono wawusekelwe esikweni nasekusetshenzisweni kabi kwegama lesiGreki elithi stau·rosʹ. Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi eminye imidwebo yakudala ebonisa indlela amaRoma ayebabulala ngayo abantu inogodo olulodwa noma umuthi.
“Ziqapheni Ezithombeni”
Indaba ebaluleke kakhulu kumaKristu eqiniso kufanele kube ukuthi kufanelekile yini ukuhlonipha lokho okwasetshenziswa ekubulaleni uJesu. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwakuyisigxobo esiqondile sokuhlushwa, isiphambano, umcibisholo, umkhonto, insabula, noma ummese, ingabe into enjalo kufanele isetshenziswe ekukhulekeleni?
Ake sithi othandekayo wakho wabulawa ngonya futhi isikhali abulawa ngaso sethulwa phambi kwenkantolo njengobufakazi. Ubungazama yini ukuthola leso sikhali, usithwebule, bese wenza amakhophi esithombe saso ukuze uwanike abantu? Ubungayikhiqiza yini imifanekiso yaso ngobukhulu obuhlukahlukene? Ubungazenza yini ezinye zalezi zinto zibe ubucwebe bokuhloba? Noma ubungenza ukuba le mikhiqizo yakhiwe ngenjongo yokuyidayisela abangane nezihlobo ukuze ikhulekelwe? Cishe ubungakunenga kwawona nje umqondo onjalo! Kodwa, zona lezi zinto ziye zenziwa ngesiphambano!
Ngaphandle kwalokho, ukusetshenziswa kwesiphambano ekukhulekeleni akuhlukile ekukhulekeleni izithombe, okuyinto iBhayibheli eliyilahlayo. (Eksodusi 20:2-5; Duteronomi 4:25, 26) Umphostoli uJohane waziveza ngokunembile izimfundiso zobuKristu beqiniso lapho eyala amanye amaKristu ngala mazwi: “Ziqapheni ezithombeni.” (1 Johane 5:21) Lokhu akwenza ngisho nalapho ebhekene nokufa ezinkundleni zamaRoma.
Nokho, amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayekwazisa kakhulu ukufa kukaKristu komhlatshelo. Ngokufanayo nanamuhla, nakuba lokho okwasetshenziswa ekushushiseni nasekubulaleni uJesu kungafanele kukhulekelwe, amaKristu eqiniso akhumbula ukufa kwakhe njengendlela uNkulunkulu asindisa ngayo abantu abangaphelele. (Mathewu 20:28) Lesi sibonakaliso esikhulu sothando lukaNkulunkulu siyobalethela izibusiso eziningi abathandi beqiniso, kuhlanganise nethemba lokuphila okuphakade.—Johane 17:3; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.
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Eminye imidwebo yakudala ibonisa isigxobo esisodwa esiqondile amaRoma ayebulalela kuso abantu
[Umthombo]
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