Igazi—Libalulekile Ekuphileni

Igazi lingakusindisa kanjani ukuphila kwakho? Ngokungangabazeki lombuzo uyakuthakazelisa ngoba igazi lihlangene nokuphila kwakho. Igazi lithwala umoya-mpilo liwuyise kuwo wonke umzimba wakho, lisusa isikhutha, likusiza ukuba uzifanelanise nezinguquko zezinga lokushisa, futhi liyasiza ekulwisaneni kwakho nezifo.

Ukuhlanganiswa kokuphila negazi kwenziwa esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba uWilliam Harvey achaze isimiso sokujikeleza kwegazi ngo-1628. Izimiso zokuhle eziyisisekelo zezinkolo ezinkulu zigxile kuMniki-kuphila, owaveza umbono wakhe ngokuphila nangegazi. Ummeli ongumJuda nomKristu wathi ngaYe: “Yena obapha bonke ukuphila nokuphefumula nakho konke. Ngokuba siphila, sihamba, sikhona [nga]ye.”a

Abantu abakholelwa kuMniki-kuphila onjalo bayethemba ukuthi iziqondiso zakhe zingezenzuzo yethu ephakade. Umprofethi ongumHeberu wamchaza ngokuthi ‘Okufundisa okukusizayo, okuhola ngendlela omelwe ukuhamba ngayo.’

Leso siqinisekiso, esikuIsaya 48:17, siyingxenye yeBhayibheli, incwadi ehlonishwayo ngenxa yezimiso zokuhle ezingasizuzisa sonke. Lithini ngokusebenzisa komuntu igazi? Ingabe liyayibonisa indlela ukuphila okungasindiswa ngayo ngegazi? Eqinisweni, iBhayibheli libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi igazi lingaphezu kokuba nje uketshezi lokuphila oluyinkimbinkimbi. Likhuluma ngegazi izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingu-400, futhi ezinye zalezikhathi ziphathelene nokusindiswa kokuphila.

Kokunye ukubhekisela kulo kwangaphambili, uMdali wathi: “Konke okuphilayo nokuhambayo kuyoba ukudla kwenu. . . . Kodwa akumelwe nidle inyama esenegazi layo lokuphila kuyo.” Wanezela: “Ngegazi lokuphila kwenu ngokuqinisekile ngiyofuna ukuba nilandise,” wayeselahla ukubulala. (Genesise 9:3-6, New International Version) Washo lokho kuNowa, ukhokho wethu sonke ohlonishwa kakhulu amaJuda, amaMuslim, namaKristu. Ngaleyondlela sonke isintu saziswa ukuthi ngokombono woMdali, igazi limelele ukuphila. Lokhu kwakungaphezu kokuba umthetho ophathelene nokudla. Ngokukhanyayo kwakuhileleke isimiso sokuziphatha. Igazi lomuntu linokubaluleka okukhulu futhi akufanele lisetshenziswe kabi. UMdali kamuva wanezela imininingwane esingabona kuyo kalula izimpikiswano zokuziphatha azihlanganisa negazi lokuphila.

Waphinde wabhekisela egazini lapho enikeza uIsrayeli wasendulo isimiso soMthetho. Nakuba abantu abaningi bekuhlonipha ukuhlakanipha nezimiso zokuhle ezikulesosimiso somthetho, bambalwa abayiqaphelayo imithetho yaso engathi sína ngegazi. Ngokwesibonelo: “Uma noma ubani wendlu kaIsrayeli noma wezihambi ezihlala phakathi kwawo edla noma iliphi igazi, ngiyobeka ubuso baMi ngokumelene nalowomuntu odla igazi, futhi ngiyomnquma phakathi kwezihlobo zakhe. Ngoba ukuphila kwenyama kusegazini.” (Levitikusi 17:10, 11, Tanakh) UNkulunkulu wabe esechaza lokho umzingeli okwakumelwe akwenze ngesilwane esifile: “Uyolithulula igazi laso abese elisibekela ngenhlabathi. . . . Awuyikudla igazi lanoma iyiphi inyama, ngoba ukuphila kwayo yonke inyama kuyigazi layo. Noma ubani olidlayo uyonqunywa.”—Levitikusi 17:13, 14, Ta.

Ososayensi manje sebayazi ukuthi isimiso soMthetho samaJuda sasithuthukisa impilo enhle. Ngokwesibonelo, sasidinga ukuba indle ilahlwe ngaphandle kwekamu futhi igqitshwe nokuthi abantu bangayidli inyama eyayinengozi enkulu yokuthwala izifo. (Levitikusi 11:4-8, 13; 17:15; Duteronomi 23:12, 13) Nakuba umthetho ophathelene negazi wawunezici ezithile ezingokwempilo, kwakuhileleke okwengeziwe. Igazi lalinencazelo engokomfanekiso. Lalimelele ukuphila okwakunikezwe uMdali. Ngokuphatha igazi njengelikhethekile, abantu babebonisa ukuthembela kuye ukuze baphile. Yebo, isizathu esiyinhloko sokuthi kungani babengenakulidla igazi sasingekhona ukuthi lalinezifo, kodwa sasiwukuthi lalinokubaluleka okukhethekile kuNkulunkulu.

UMthetho waphawula ngokuphindaphindiwe ngokwenqabela koMdali ukudla igazi ukuze usekele ukuphila. “Akumelwe nilidle igazi; lithululeleni enhlabathini njengamanzi. Ningalidli, ukuze kunihambele kahle nina nabantwana benu ngemva kwenu, ngoba niyobe nenza okulungile.”—Duteronomi 12:23-25, NIV; 15:23; Levitikusi 7:26, 27; Hezekeli 33:25.b

Ngokuphambene nendlela abanye abacabanga ngayo namuhla, umthetho kaNkulunkulu ngegazi kwakungamelwe unganakwa ngenxa nje yokuthi kuvelé isimo esiphuthumayo. Phakathi nesimo esibucayi sangesikhathi sempi, amabutho athile amaIsrayeli abulala izilwane futhi “akudla kanye negazi.” Njengoba isimo sasiphuthuma, ingabe kwakuvumelekile ngawo ukuba asekele ukuphila kwawo ngegazi? Cha. Umphathi wawo wabonisa ukuthi noma kunjalo inkambo yawo yayisalokhu iyiphutha elingathi sína. (1 Samuweli 14:31-35) Ngakho, nakuba ukuphila kuyigugu kangaka, uMniki-kuphila wethu akazange asho ukuthi izindinganiso zakhe zingeqiwa esimweni esiphuthumayo.

IGAZI NAMAKRISTU EQINISO

UbuKristu bumi kuphi endabeni yokusindisa ukuphila komuntu ngegazi?

UJesu wayengumuntu oqotho, kungakho nje ehlonishwa kakhulu kangaka. Wayazi ukuthi uMdali wathi ukudla igazi kwakungalungile nokuthi lomthetho wawubopha. Ngakho, kunesizathu esihle sokukholelwa ukuthi uJesu wayeyowugcina lomthetho ngegazi ngisho noma engaphansi kokucindezeleka kokuba enze ngenye indlela. UJesu “akenzanga lutho olungalungile, [futhi] akukho nkohliso eyafunyanwa ezindebeni zakhe.” (1 Petru 2:22, Knox) Kanjalo wabekela abalandeli bakhe isibonelo, kuhlanganise nesibonelo senhlonipho ngokuphila negazi. (Kamuva sizocabangela indlela igazi likaJesu ngokwakhe elihileleke ngayo kulendaba ebalulekile ethinta ukuphila kwakho.)

Phawula lokho okwenzeka, eminyakeni eminingi ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, lapho kuphakama umbuzo ngokuthi ingabe othile owayeba umKristu kwakumelwe yini agcine yonke imithetho yakwaIsrayeli. Lokhu kwaxoxwa emkhandlwini wendikimba ebusayo yamaKristu, eyayihlanganisa nabaphostoli. UJakobe, umfowabo kaJesu ngomzali oyedwa, wabhekisela emibhalweni equkethe imiyalo emayelana negazi eyashiwo kuNowa nasesizweni sakwaIsrayeli. Ingabe yayiyoba ebophayo kumaKristu?—IzEnzo 15:1-21.

Lowomkhandlu wathumela isinqumo sawo kuwo wonke amabandla: Akudingekile ukuba amaKristu agcine isimiso somthetho esanikezwa uMose, kodwa ‘kuyimfuneko’ ngawo ukuba “[ayeke] okuhlatshelwe izithombe, negazi, nokuqumbeleneyo [inyama engakhishwanga igazi], nobufebe.” (IzEnzo 15:22-29) Abaphostoli babenganikezi nje umkhuba onemicikilisho noma umthetho ophathelene nokudla. Lesinqumo sachaza izimiso zokuziphatha eziyisisekelo, amaKristu okuqala enza ngokuvumelana nazo. Cishe eminyakeni eyishumi kamuva avuma ukuthi kwakusamelwe “azilonde kokuhlatshelwe izithombe, negazi . . . nobufebe.”—IzEnzo 21:25.

Uyazi ukuthi izigidi zabantu ziyaya emasontweni. Abaningi babo cishe bangavuma ukuthi izimiso ezilawula amaKristu zihlanganisa ukungakhulekeli izithombe nokungahlanganyeli ekuziphatheni okubi okungathi sína. Nokho, kufanele siphawule ukuthi abaphostoli babeka ukugwema igazi ezingeni lokuziphatha eliphakeme ngokulinganayo nokugwema lezozinto ezimbi. Isinqumo sabo saphetha kanje: “Uma nizilonda ngokucophelela kulezizinto, niyochuma. Mpilonhle!”—IzEnzo 15:29, NW.

Isinqumo sabaphostoli saqondwa isikhathi eside njengesibophayo. UEusebius usitshela ngowesifazane osemusha ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka owathi ngaphambi kokuba afe ngokuhlushwa, waphawula iphuzu lokuthi amaKristu “awavunyelwe ukuba adle igazi ngisho nelezilwane ezingenangqondo.” Wayengasebenzisi ilungelo lokukhetha ukufa. Wayekufuna ukuphila, kodwa wayengeke ahlehle ezimisweni zakhe. Awubahloniphi yini labo ababeka isimiso ngaphezu kwenzuzo yomuntu siqu?

Isazi sesayensi uJoseph Priestley saphetha: “Umthetho onqabela ukudla igazi, owanikezwa uNowa, kubonakala ubopha kuyo yonke inzalo yakhe . . . Uma sichaza [u]mthetho owenqabelayo wabaphostoli ngomkhuba wamaKristu okuqala, okungenakucatshangwa ukuthi ayengazange asiqonde ngokufanele isimo nezinga lawo, asinakwenza ngokunye ngaphandle kokuphetha ngokuthi wawuhloselwe ukuba ube owujuqu noqhubekayo; ngoba awekho amaKristu adla igazi emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka.”

KUTHIWANI NGOKUSEBENZISA IGAZI NJENGOMUTHI?

Ingabe umthetho ongokweBhayibheli owenqabela igazi wawuyohlanganisa nokusetshenziswa kwalo ekwelapheni, njengokumpontshelwa, lokho ngokuqinisekile okwakungaziwa ezinsukwini zikaNowa, uMose, noma abaphostoli?

Nakuba ukwelapha kwanamuhla okusebenzisa igazi kwakungasetshenziswa emuva ngalesosikhathi, ukusetshenziswa kwegazi ekwelapheni akuqali namuhla. Iminyaka engaba ngu-2 000, eGibithe nakwezinye izindawo, “igazi” lomuntu “lalibhekwa njengekhambi elinamandla lesifo sochoko.” Udokotela othile wembula ukwelashwa okwanikezwa indodana yeNkosi uEsari-Hadoni lapho isizwe sama-Asiriya sasihamba phambili kwezobuchwepheshe: “[Inkosana] ilulama kahle kakhulu; inkosi, inkosi yami, mayijabule. Kusukela ngosuku lwama-22 nginika (yona) igazi ukuba iliphuze, iphuza (lona) izinsuku ezintathu. Ngezinye izinsuku ezintathu ngizonika (yona igazi) ukuze lisebenze ngaphakathi.” UEsari-Hadoni wayesebenzelana namaIsrayeli. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi amaIsrayeli ayenoMthetho kaNkulunkulu, ayengeke alokothe aphuze igazi njengomuthi.

Ingabe igazi lasetshenziswa njengomuthi ezikhathini zamaRoma? Isazi sezemvelo uPliny (owayephila esikhathini sabaphostoli) nodokotela wekhulu lesibili leminyaka uAretaeus babika ukuthi igazi lomuntu laliwumuthi wesithuthwane. Kamuva uTertullian wabhala: “Cabangani ngalabo okwakuthi ngenxa yesifiso sokuhaha, embukisweni enkundleni yezemidlalo, bathathe igazi elisashisa lezigebengu ezikhohlakele . . . futhi bahambe nalo beyolapha isithuthwane sabo.” Wabaqhathanisa namaKristu, “ayengenalo igazi ngisho nelezilwane ekudleni [kwawo] . . . Lapho nivivinya amaKristu niwanika amasosishi agcwele igazi. Yebo, niyaqiniseka ukuthi [ku]phambene nomthetho kuwo.” Ngakho, amaKristu okuqala ayekhetha ukufa kunokudla igazi.

“Igazi elisesimweni salo esijwayelekile alizange . . . liphelelwe isikhathi njengesithako emithini yokwelapha nasemlingweni,” kubika incwadi ethi Flesh and Blood. “Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1483, uLouis XI waseFrance wayefa. ‘Nsuku zonke isifo sakhe sasiba sibi kakhulu, futhi imithi ayimsizanga ngalutho, nakuba yayingeyohlobo olungandile; ngoba wayenethemba eliqinile lokuthi wayezolulama ngegazi labantu ayelithatha kubantwana abathile aligwinye.’”

Kuthiwani ngokumpompela igazi? Ukuhlola ngokuqondene nalokhu kwaqala ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu le-16 leminyaka. UThomas Bartholin (1616-80), uprofesa wesayensi yezitho zomzimba eYunivesithi yaseCopenhagen, waphikisa: ‘Labo abaphoqelela ukusebenzisa igazi labantu emakhambini ezifo asebenza ngaphakathi babonakala belisebenzisa ngokungafanele futhi benza isono esingathi sína. Amazimu ayalahlwa. Kungani singabenyanyi labo abangcolisa umminzo wabo ngegazi labantu? Okufana nalokho kuwukwamukela igazi elingesilo elakho elivela emthanjeni osikiwe, kungaba ngokulifaka ngomlomo noma ngamathuluzi okumpompela. Abasunguli balenqubo bahlala besekwesabeni ngenxa yomthetho waphezulu, ukudla igazi okwenqatshelwe kuwo.’

Ngakho, abantu abacabangayo emakhulwini eminyaka adlule baqaphela ukuthi umthetho weBhayibheli wawusebenza ekufakeni igazi ngemithambo njengoba nje wawusebenza ekulidleni ngomlomo. UBartholin waphetha: “Noma iyiphi indlela yokufaka [igazi] ivumelana nenjongo eyodwa nje vó, yokuba umzimba ogulayo wondliwe noma uhlunyelelwe ngaleligazi.”

Lokhu kuhlaziya kungase kukusize ukuba uqonde ukuma okungokwenkolo okungenakuguquka okuthathwa oFakazi BakaJehova. Bakwazisa kakhulu ukuphila, futhi bafuna ukunakekelwa okuhle kwezokwelapha. Kodwa bazimisele ukuba bangayephuli indinganiso kaNkulunkulu, engazange iguquke: Labo abahlonipha ukuphila njengesipho esivela kuMdali abazami ukukusekela ngokudla igazi.

Noma kunjalo, sekuyiminyaka eminingi kwenziwa ukugomela kokuthi igazi lisindisa ukuphila. Odokotela bangalandisa ngezimo lapho othile opha kakhulu khona kodwa wampontshelwa igazi wayeselulama ngokushesha. Ngakho ungase uzibuze, ‘Kuhlakaniphé noma kungokungahlakaniphile kangakanani lokhu ngokwezokwelapha?’ Kunikezwa ubufakazi bezokwelapha ukuze kusekelwe ukwelapha ngegazi. Ngakho, kukuwe ukuthola amaqiniso ukuze wenze ukukhetha okuqondisiwe mayelana negazi.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 4]

“Imithetho elotshwe ngamafuphi nangokuhlelekile [kuzEnzo 15] ichazwa njengebalulekile, okunikeza ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokuthi ezingqondweni zabaphostoli lokhu kwakungelona ilungiselelo lesikhashana, noma isinyathelo sokubambisa.”—UProfesa Édouard Reuss, University of Strasbourg.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 5]

UMartin Luther wabhekisela kulokho okwakushiwo isinqumo sabaphostoli ethi: “Manje uma sifuna ukuba nesonto elivumelana nalomkhandlu, . . . kumelwe sifundise futhi sigcizelele ukuthi kusukela manje kuqhubeke asikho isikhulu, inkosi, umuntu wesigaba esiphakathi, noma umlimi ozodla inyama yedada, yenyamazane enezimpondo ezimagatshagatsha yensikazi noma yeduna, noma yengulube ephekwe ngegazi . . . Futhi abantu besigaba esiphakathi nabalimi kumelwe bagweme ikakhulukazi ukudla amasosishi abomvu namasosishi egazi.”

[Umthombo]

Woodcut by Lucas Cranach

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]

“UNkulunkulu nabantu babheka izinto ngemibono ehlukene. Lokho okubonakala kubalulekile emehlweni ethu ngokuvamile akusho lutho esilinganisweni sokuhlakanipha okungenamkhawulo; futhi lokho okubonakala kungasho lutho kithina ngokuvamile kungokubaluleke kakhulu kuNkulunkulu. Kwakunjalo kusukela kwasekuqaleni.”—“An Enquiry Into the Lawfulness of Eating Blood,” kaAlexander Pirie, 1787.

[Isithombe ekhasini 3]

Medicine and the Artist by Carl Zigrosser/Dover Publications

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Emkhandlwini oyingqopha-mlando, indikimba ebusayo yamaKristu yaqinisekisa ukuthi umthetho kaNkulunkulu ngegazi usasebenza

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi imiphumela yayiyini, amaKristu okuqala enqaba ukwephula umthetho kaNkulunkulu ngegazi

[Umthombo]

Painting by Gérôme, 1883, courtesy of Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore