Indlela Ibandla Elihlelwe Neliqondiswa Ngayo

UMPHOSTOLI UPAWULU washo iqiniso elibalulekile ngoNkulunkulu encwadini yakhe yokuqala eya kwabaseKorinte. Wathi: “UNkulunkulu unguNkulunkulu wokuthula akayena owesiyaluyalu.” Lapho eqhubeka ekhuluma ngemihlangano yebandla, wathi: “Zonke izinto mazenzeke ngokufaneleyo nangohlelo.”—1 Kor. 14:33, 40.

² Ekuqaleni kwaleyo ncwadi, lo mphostoli wanikeza isiyalo mayelana nokungezwani okwakusebandleni laseKorinte. Wakhuthaza abazalwane bakhona ukuba ‘bakhulume ngokuvumelana’ nokuba ‘bahlangane ngokufanele emqondweni ofanayo nasendleleni efanayo yokucabanga.’ (1 Kor. 1:10, 11) Wabe esebanikeza iseluleko mayelana nezindaba ezihlukahlukene ezaziphazamisa ubunye bebandla. Esebenzisa umfanekiso womzimba womuntu, waveza isidingo sobunye nokubambisana. Wanxusa bonke ebandleni lobuKristu ukuba bakhathalelane ngothando, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyini indima yabo. (1 Kor. 12:12-26) Ukubambisana ngobunye okunjalo kulabo abasebandleni kusho ukuthi laliyohleleka.

³ Kodwa lalizohlelwa kanjani ibandla lobuKristu? Lalizohlelwa ubani? Lalizokwakhiwa obani? Obani ababezokhonza ezikhundleni ezimisiwe? Ngokuvumela iBhayibheli lisiqondise, sithola izimpendulo ezicacile zale mibuzo.—1 Kor. 4:6.

LIHLELWE NGOKUVUMELANA NENDLELA KANKULUNKULU YOKUBUSA

⁴ Ibandla lobuKristu lasungulwa ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. Yini esingayifunda ngebandla langekhulu lokuqala? Lalihlelwe futhi liqondiswa ngokwasezulwini, okusho ukuthi, laba ngaphansi kokubusa (ngesiGreki, kraʹtos) kukaNkulunkulu (the·osʹ). Womabili la magama avela kweyoku-1 Petru 5:10, 11. Ukulandisa okuphefumulelwe kwalokho okwenzeka eJerusalema eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 000 edlule kusishiya singangabazi ukuthi ibandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe lasungulwa uNkulunkulu. (IzE. 2:1-47) Laliyisakhiwo sakhe, indlu yakhe. (1 Kor. 3:9; Efe. 2:19) Indlela yokuhlela nenqubo eyasungulwa ekhulwini lokuqala yiyo elandelwa ibandla lobuKristu namuhla.

⁵ Ibandla lokuqala laqala linabafundi abangaba ngu-120. Umoya ongcwele wathululelwa kubo kuqala, kugcwaliseka uJoweli 2:28, 29. (IzE. 2:16-18) Kodwa ngalo lolo suku abanye ababalelwa ku-3 000 babhapathizwa emanzini futhi bangeniswa ebandleni labazelwe ngomoya. Babamukele izwi ngoKristu futhi “baqhubeka bezinikela ekufundiseni kwabaphostoli.” Ngemva kwalokho, “uJehova waqhubeka enezela kubo nsuku zonke abasindiswayo.”—IzE. 2:41, 42, 47.

⁶ Ukwanda kwebandla laseJerusalema kwakukukhulu kangangokuthi umpristi ophakeme wamaJuda wakhalaza ngokuthi abafundi base begcwalise iJerusalema ngemfundiso yabo. Abafundi abasha eJerusalema bahlanganisa nabapristi abaningi abangamaJuda ababa amalungu ebandla.—IzE. 5:27, 28; 6:7.

⁷ UJesu wathi: “Nizoba ofakazi bami eJerusalema nakulo lonke elaseJudiya neSamariya nasezingxenyeni ezikude kakhulu zomhlaba.” (IzE. 1:8) Nangempela, kwathi lapho kuvela ushushiso olukhulu eJerusalema ngemva kokufa kukaStefanu, abafundi ababehlala lapho bahlakazekela kulo lonke elaseJudiya nelaseSamariya. Kodwa nomaphi lapho babeya khona, babeqhubeka bememezela izindaba ezinhle futhi benza abafundi abengeziwe, kuhlanganise nabanye ababengamaSamariya. (IzE. 8:1-13) Kamuva, izindaba ezinhle zazishunyayelwa ngempumelelo kwabangasokile, abantu bezizwe abangewona amaJuda. (IzE. 10:1-48) Umphumela wawo wonke lo msebenzi wokushumayela waba ukwenziwa kwabafundi abaningi nokumiswa kwamabandla amasha ezindaweni ezingaphandle kweJerusalema.—IzE. 11:19-21; 14:21-23.

⁸ Yimaphi amalungiselelo enziwa ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi ibandla ngalinye elisanda kumiswa lihlelwa futhi liqondiswe ngendlela kaNkulunkulu—noma ngokwasezulwini? Ngomoya kaNkulunkulu kwenziwa ilungiselelo lokuba abelusi abangaphansi banakekele umhlambi. Emabandleni uPawulu noBarnaba abawahambela ohambweni lwabo lokuqala beyizithunywa zevangeli, bamisa abadala. (IzE. 14:23) Umlobi weBhayibheli uLuka ulandisa ngomhlangano uPawulu aba nawo nabadala bebandla lase-Efesu. UPawulu wathi kubo: “Ziqapheleni nina nawo wonke umhlambi umoya ongcwele onimise phakathi kwawo ukuba nibe ngababonisi, ukuze neluse ibandla likaNkulunkulu, alithenga ngegazi leNdodana yakhe.” (IzE. 20:17, 28) Ayekufanelekela ukuba ngabadala ngoba ayehlangabezana nezimfuneko ezishiwo imiBhalo. (1 Thim. 3:1-7) UThithu, isisebenzi esikanye noPawulu, wagunyazwa ukuba amise abadala emabandleni aseKrethe.—Thithu 1:5.

⁹ Njengoba kwakumiswa amabandla engeziwe, abaphostoli nabadala eJerusalema baqhubeka bekhonza njengababonisi abayinhloko bebandla lobuKristu lezizwe zonke langekhulu lokuqala elase landile. Bakhonza njengendikimba yalo ebusayo.

¹⁰ Lapho umphostoli uPawulu ebhalela ibandla lase-Efesu, wachaza ukuthi uma ibandla lobuKristu lisebenza ngokuvumelana nomoya kaNkulunkulu, lingalondoloza ubunye ngokunamathela ebunhlokweni bukaJesu Kristu. Lo mphostoli wanxusa amaKristu alapho ukuba ahlakulele ukuthobeka nokuba agcine “ubunye bomoya” ngokusebenzisana ngokuthula nabo bonke abasebandleni. (Efe. 4:1-6) Wabe esecaphuna iHubo 68:18 wathi lisebenza elungiselelweni likaJehova lokuba amadoda afanelekayo ngokomoya akhonze izidingo zebandla njengabaphostoli, abaprofethi, abavangeli, abelusi nabafundisi. Amadoda anjalo, njengezipho ezivela kuJehova, ayezokwakha lonke ibandla lifinyelele ekupheleleni ngokomoya, lijabulise uNkulunkulu.—Efe. 4:7-16.

AMABANDLA ANAMUHLA ALANDELA ISIBONELO SABAPHOSTOLI

¹¹ Namuhla kulandelwa isibonelo esifanayo sokuhleleka kuwo wonke amabandla oFakazi BakaJehova. Ewonke akha ibandla elinobunye lomhlaba wonke elizinsika zalo ngabagcotshwe ngomoya. (Zak. 8:23) NguJesu Kristu owenza lokhu kwenzeke. Njengoba ayethembisile, ngobuqotho uye waba nabafundi bakhe abagcotshiwe “izinsuku zonke kuze kube isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.” Abantu ababa yingxenye yebandla elikhulayo bamukela izindaba ezinhle zikaNkulunkulu, banikezele ukuphila kwabo kuJehova ngokungazigodli, bese bebhapathizwa njengabafundi bakaJesu. (Math. 28:19, 20; Marku 1:14; IzE. 2:41) Babheka “umalusi omuhle,” uJesu Kristu, njengoyiNhloko yawo wonke umhlambi, umhlambi owakhiwa amaKristu agcotshiwe kanye “nezinye izimvu.” (Joh. 10:14, 16; Efe. 1:22, 23) Lowo ‘mhlambi owodwa’ ulondoloza ubunye bawo ngokuqaphela ngobuqotho ubunhloko bukaKristu nangokuzithoba emzileni wokuhlela izinto awumisile, “inceku ethembekileyo neqondayo.” Kwangathi singaqhubeka sithembela ngokuphelele kulo mzila namuhla.—Math. 24:45.

INDIMA YEZINHLANGANO EZINGOKWENKOLO

¹² Ukuze kulungiselelwe ukudla okungokomoya ngesikhathi esifanele futhi izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso zishunyayelwe ngaphambi kokuba kufike ukuphela, kuye kwamiswa izinhlangano ezithile. Lezi zinhlangano ezingokomthetho ziqashelwa imithetho yamazwe ahlukahlukene futhi ziyabambisana. Zenza kube lula ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle emhlabeni.

INDLELA IGATSHA ELIHLELWE NGAYO

¹³ Njalo lapho kumiswa ihhovisi legatsha, kumiswa neKomiti Yegatsha eyakhiwa abadala abathathu noma ngaphezulu, ezonakekela umsebenzi kulelo zwe noma emazweni aqondiswa yilelo gatsha. Ilungu elilodwa lekomiti likhonza njengomxhumanisi weKomiti Yegatsha.

¹⁴ Amabandla angaphansi kwegatsha ngalinye ahlelwa abe izigodi. Izigodi ziyashiyana ngobukhulu kuye ngendawo, ulimi nenani lamabandla asendaweni engaphansi kwalelo gatsha. Kumiswa umbonisi wesigodi ozokhonza amabandla asesigodini ngasinye. Ihhovisi legatsha linikeza umbonisi wesigodi iziqondiso zendlela okufanele anakekele ngayo imisebenzi yakhe.

¹⁵ Amabandla ayawaqaphela amalungiselelo okuhleleka enzelwe ukuzuzisa wonk’ umuntu. Amukela ukumiswa kwabadala abaqondisa umsebenzi emagatsheni, ezigodini nasemabandleni. Athembela encekwini ethembekile neqondayo ukuze athole ukudla okungokomoya ngesikhathi esifanele. Kanti inceku ethembekile namuhla yona izithoba ngokuphelele ebunhlokweni bukaKristu, inamathele ezimisweni zeBhayibheli futhi ilandele isiqondiso somoya ongcwele. Njengoba sonke sisebenza ndawonye ngobunye, sithola imiphumela efana neyayitholwa amaKristu ekhulwini lokuqala: “Ngempela, amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa okholweni futhi anda ngesibalo usuku nosuku.”—IzE. 16:5.