Umbono WeBhayibheli

Kusho Ukuthini Ukuba UmKristu

“EZWENI lakithi ukuba umKristu kusho ukuya esontweni kanye ngesonto,” kusho uKingsley wasezweni elithile lase-Afrika. URaad waseMpumalanga Ephakathi uyachaza: “Emphakathini wakithi amaKristu abhekwa njengeqembu elilandela amasiko aseNtshonalanga ngendlela yawo yokugqoka, imikhosi, nendlela aphatha ngayo abesifazane.”

Kodwa ingabe ukuba umKristu kusho ukuthi umuntu uya enkonzweni kanye ngesonto futhi ulandela imikhuba namasiko athile? Uma ucabangisisa, akufanele yini igama elithi “umKristu” lisho indlela yokuphila ebonisa isimo sengqondo, izindinganiso, nokuziphatha uJesu ayekufundisa futhi ephila ngakho?a Babunjani ubuKristu lapho buqala?

UbuKristu Bokuqala—Babuyindlela Yokuphila

UJesu wathi kubalandeli bakhe: “Ningabangane bami uma nenza lokho enginiyala ngakho.” (Johane 15:14) Njengoba izimfundiso zikaJesu zazithinta zonke izingxenye zokuphila kwabo, ekuqaleni abafundi bakaKristu babebiza inkolo yabo ngokuthi ‘iNdlela.’ (IzEnzo 9:2) Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, ‘ngokwelungiselelo laphezulu babizwa ngokuthi amaKristu.’ (IzEnzo 11:26) Leli gama elisha ababebizwa ngalo lalisho ukuthi bayakholwa ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, eyadlulisela intando kaYise wasezulwini esintwini. Le nkolelo yabenza balandela indlela yokuphila eyayihlukile kweyezwe elibazungezile.

Izimfundiso zikaKristu zashukumisela abalandeli bakhe ukuba balandele izimfundiso zeBhayibheli, okwakusho ukugwema “ubufebe, ukungcola, ukuziphatha okubi, ukukhonza izithombe, umkhuba wokusebenzisa imimoya, ubutha, ukuxabana, umhawu, isifuthefuthe sentukuthelo, imibango, . . . izikhathi zokudakwa, imibuthano exokozelayo, nezinto ezifana nalezi.” (Galathiya 5:19-21; Efesu 4:17-24) Umphostoli uPawulu wakhumbuza amaKristu aseKorinte ukuthi abanye phakathi kwawo babeke bazenza lezi zinto. Wabe esenezela: “Kodwa seniye nagezwa nahlanzeka, seniye nangcweliswa, sekuthiwe nilungile egameni leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.”—1 Korinte 6:9-11.

Encwadini yakhe ethi The Rise of Christianity u-E. W. Barnes uthi: “Izincwadi zasendulo ezigunyaziwe zichaza ubuKristu njengenkolo enokuziphatha okuhle futhi elalela umthetho. Amalungu ayo ayethanda ukuba izakhamuzi eziqotho nezikhonzi ezithembekile. Ayexwaya iziphambeko nemikhuba eyonakalisayo yobuqaba. Ekuphileni kwawo kwangasese ayelwela ukuba omakhelwane abanokuthula nabangane abathembekile. Ayefundiswa ukuba ahluzeke, akhuthale futhi aphile ukuphila okuhlanzekile. Phakathi nenkathi yenkohlakalo nokuntula ukuzithiba, wona ayethembekile futhi eneqiniso, uma ephila ngezimiso zawo. Ayenezindinganiso eziphakeme zokuziphatha kobulili: isibopho somshado sasihlonishwa futhi ukuphila komkhaya kwakuhlanzekile.” Zazinjalo izimpawu zokuba umKristu ezinsukwini zokuqala.

Olunye uphawu olwehlukanisa amaKristu okuqala kwakuyintshiseko yawo emsebenzini wokushumayela. UJesu wayala abalandeli bakhe: “Ngakho-ke hambani niyokwenza abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi.” (Mathewu 28:19, 20) UJean Bernardi, uprofesa eSorbonne University eParis, eFrance, waphawula: “[AmaKristu] kwakufanele aphume ayokhuluma kuyo yonke indawo nabo bonke abantu. Emigwaqweni emikhulu nasemadolobheni, ezigcawini nasezindlini. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ayemukelwa noma cha. Kubantu abampofu, nakwabacebile ababesindwa yizinto zabo. . . . Kwakufanele ahambe ngemigwaqo nangemikhumbi, aze afinyelele emikhawulweni yomhlaba.”

UbuKristu Beqiniso Namuhla

AmaKristu eqiniso namuhla kufanele abonakale ngokucacile ngendlela yawo yokuphila, njengoba nje ayenjalo ekhulwini lokuqala. Ngenxa yalokho, oFakazi BakaJehova balwela ukunamathela ngokuqinile ezimisweni ezasungulwa amaKristu okuqala. Nabanye bayayiphawula imizamo yabo yokuvumelanisa ukuphila kwabo nezimfundiso zeBhayibheli.

Ngokwesibonelo, i-New Catholic Encyclopedia iyavuma ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova baziwa “njengelinye lamaqembu aziphatha kahle kakhulu emhlabeni.” I-Deseret News yaseSalt Lake City, e-Utah, yaphawula ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova “bakhuthaza izibopho eziqinile emikhayeni futhi bakhiqiza izakhamuzi ezikhuthele nezithembekile.” Leli phephandaba lanezela: “Amalungu akholelwa ezimisweni zokuziphatha eziqinile. Akholelwa ukuthi ukubhema, ukuphuza ngokweqile, ukusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa, ukugembula, ukuziphatha okuxekethile kobulili nobungqingili kuyimikhuba elimaza ingokomoya. Bafundisa ukwethembeka nemikhuba emihle yokusebenza.”

OFakazi bawuthatha ngokungathí sina nomsebenzi wabo wokuba abashumayeli bevangeli abashisekayo. Iphawula ngalokhu i-New Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Isibopho esiyisisekelo selungu ngalinye . . . siwukufakaza ngoJehova ngokumemezela uMbuso waKhe osondelayo. . . . Ukuze umuntu abe uFakazi wangempela kufanele ngandlela-thile ashumayele ngokuphumelelayo.”

Kuyacaca ukuthi ubuKristu beqiniso bungaphezu nje kokuba yilungu lenye yezinkolo eziningi zeLobukholwa. UJesu ngokwakhe wabikezela ukwanda kwamaKristu mbumbulu. (Mathewu 7:22, 23) OFakazi BakaJehova bayakumema ukuba ufunde futhi wenze lokho uJesu akufundisa. Yilokho okushiwo ukuba umKristu. UJesu wathi: “Uma nizazi lezi zinto, niyajabula uma nizenza.”—Johane 13:17.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

WAKE WAZIBUZA?

◼ Obani uJesu ayebabiza ngabangane bakhe?—Johane 15:14.

◼ Uhlobo olunjani lokuziphatha okufanele amaKristu eqiniso aluxwaye?—Galathiya 5:19-21.

◼ Imuphi umsebenzi amaKristu okufanele abe nengxenye kuwo?—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 27]

AmaKristu eqiniso angabashumeyeli bevangeli abashisekayo, njengoba ayenjalo emakhulwini eminyaka edlule