Ukulunga Phambi KukaNkulunkulu—Kanjani?
“GOD ’e say ’im alrite.” ‘Ngokusobala leyo indlela “ukuhlangulwa” okuye kwabekwa ngayo enguqulweni yamuva ‘yeTestamente Elisha’ iNew Guinea Pidgin. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lokhu kungase kubonakale kungajwayelekile kanjani, kuyawuveza umqondo oyisisekelo osegameni elihunyushwe emaBhayibhelini amaningi olimi lwesiNgisi ngokuthi “ukuhlangulwa,” noma “ukulungisiswa,” njengoba kuboniswe kumaRoma 5:16.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abanye abantu bathi: ‘Ngiphila ukuphila okuhle. Ngenza okuhle kwabanye uma nginamandla. Ngikulungiselele ukuhlangana noMenzi wami.’ Ngokusobala baqonda ukuhlangulwa njengokusho ukuzihlangula. NgokweBhayibheli, imfundiso ‘yokuhlangulwa’ ihlobene nendlela uNkulunkulu asibheka ngayo nendlela asebenzelana ngayo nathi. UJehova ‘unguMdali.’ (Isaya 40:28) ‘UnguMahluleli womhlaba wonke.’ (Genesise 18:25) Ngakho-ke, akukho lutho olungaba olubaluleke ngaphezu kwendlela yena asibheka ngayo.
Isizathu Esenza Sidinge Ukwenziwa Abalungile KuNkulunkulu
IBhayibheli lithi ngoJehova: “Uyidwala, umsebenzi wakhe uphelele, ngokuba zonke izindlela zakhe zingukulunga; unguNkulunkulu wokuthembeka ongenakonakala; ulungile, uqotho yena.” (Duteronomi 32:4) Uyisibonelo esiphelele sokulunga. NjengoMdali noMniki-kuphila, unelungelo lokubeka indinganiso, noma isimiso, sokunquma ukuthi ikuphi okulungile nokungalungile. Lokho okusekuvumelaneni nendinganiso kaNkulunkulu kulungile.
Kanjalo, uNkulunkulu ubeka uphawu izidalwa zakhe ezihlakaniphile okumelwe zilufinyelele uma zifisa ukuphila ngokuvumelana noMdali wazo. Ukugeja lolophawu, noma indinganiso, yilokho izilimi zokuqala zeBhayibheli ezikubiza ngokuthi isono. Ngakho-ke, isono siwukungalungi. Siwukwehluleka ukuvumelana ilencazelo kaNkulunkulu yokulungile nokungalungile. Ngokomphumela, isono futhi siwuhlobo lokungahleleki, uhlobo lokungabi namthetho.—1 Johane 5:17; 3:4.
UJehova “kasiye owesiyaluyalu kepha ngowokuthula.” (1 Korinte 14:33) Ekuqaleni, zonke izidalwa zakhe ezulwini nasemhlabeni zaziphelele. Zazinikwe ilungelo lokuzikhethela. (2 Korinte 3:17) Zajabulela “ukukhululeka kwenkazimulo yabantwana bakaNkulunkulu.” (Roma 8:21) Uma nje izindinganiso zakhe zokulunga bezilalelwa, ukuthula nokuhleleka bekuyochuma kuyo yonke indawo. Ukungahleleki kwangena endaweni yonke lapho, okokuqala ezulwini, kamuva emhlabeni, ezinye izidalwa ziba ezingenamthetho phambi kukaNkulunkulu, zenqaba ilungelo lakhe lokuba azibuse. Zayilahla indinganiso kaNkulunkulu yokulungile nokungalungile. Zageja uphawu kanjalo zazenza izoni.
Lokhu kwaba njalo ngabazali bethu bokuqala, uAdamu noEva. (Genesise 3:1-6) “Ngakho-ke . . . isono sangena ezweni . . . nangesono kwangena ukufa, ngokunjalo ukufa kwafikela abantu bonke.” (Roma 5:12) Kusukela ekuhlubukeni kwabo, isono siye “sabusa ngokufa,” ngoba yonke inzalo kaAdamu ‘yonile futhi yasilalelwa’ indinganiso kaNkulunkulu yokulunga. (Roma 5:21; 3:23) Ngakho-ke sinesidingo sokwenziwa abalungile kuNkulunkulu.
Umbono WamaKatolika ‘Ngokuhlangulwa’
Lesidingo sokubuyisana noNkulunkulu siqashelwa yiwo wonke amasonto azisho ukuthi angawobuKristu. Nokho, ukuqonda indlela obuzuzwa ngayo nokuma komKristu phambi kukaNkulunkulu kuyehluka emfundisweni yamaKatolika neyamaProthestani.
Ngokwemfundiso yamaKatolika, iThe Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ukuhlangulwa kusho loloshintsho noma inguquko emphefumulweni umuntu asuswa ngayo esimweni sesono sokuqala, leso azalelwa kuso njengengane ka-Adamu, ayiswe kulesosomusa nasebudodaneni baPhezulu ngoJesu Kristu, uAdamu wesibili.” IA Catholic Dictionary iqhubeka ichaza ngokuthi: “Sizigcina sikulenqubo lapho abantu abadala besuswa esimweni sokufa nesono beyiswa emuseni nasebuhlotsheni obuhle noNkulunkulu; ngoba ngokuqondene nezinsana iSonto lifundisa ukuthi zilungisiswa ekubhapathizweni ngaphandle kokuba zona ngokwazo zenze okuthile.”
Uma kubekwa ngamafushane, iSonto lamaKatolika lifundisa ukuthi “ukuhlangulwa” kuyisenzo sikaNkulunkulu lapho umuntu obhapathizelwa okholweni lwamaKatolika enziwa olungile ngokoqobo futhi angcweliswe ngesipho “somusa” waphezulu. Lithi futhi ukuhlangulwa okunjalo (1) kungandiswa ngobuhle bomuntu siqu, noma imisebenzi emihle; (2) kungalahleka ngesono sokufa noma sokungakholwa; (3) kubuye kutholakale ngesenzo esingcwele sokuphenduka ezonweni. Kulelilungiselelo, umKatolika ohlanguliwe kumelwe avume izono zakhe kumpristi athole ukuthethelelwa kuzo. Noma ikuphi “ukujeziswa kwesikhashana” okusasele ngemva kokuthethelelwa kwaso kungase kuhlawulelwe ngemisebenzi emihle noma kuthethelelwe ngokuhoxiswa ‘kwesijeziso.’a
Umbono WamaProthestani
Ukuthethelelwa kwezono ngokukhokha imali okonakele ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-16 kwashukumisa iNguquko YobuProthestani. Indela engumKatolika uMartin Luther wawuhlasela lomkhuba emithethweni engama-95 ayifaka emnyango wesonto elinjengenqaba eWittenberg, eJalimane, ngo-1517. Kodwa, empeleni, ukungavumelani kukaLuther nemfundiso engokomthetho yamaKatolika kwakuhilela okungaphezu kwalokho. Kwakuhlanganisa yonke imfundiso yesonto yokuhlangulwa. Ivumela lokhu, iA Catholic Dictionary ithi: “Umehluko wenkolelo endleleni izoni ezihlangulwa ngayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu wenza indaba eyinhloko yokwaneliseka phakathi kwamaKatolika namaProthestani ngesikhathi seNguquko. ‘Uma lemfundiso’ (okungukuthi, imfundiso yokuhlangulwa ngokholo kuphela) ‘ihluleka,” kusho uLuther kweyakhe ethi Table Talk, ‘kuyobe sekuphelile ngathi.’
Ngokuthe ngqó, wayesho ukuthini uLuther uma ekhuluma “ngokuhlangulwa ngokholo kuphela”? NjengomKatolika, uLuther wayefundile ukuthi ukuhlangulwa komuntu kuhilela ubhapathizo, ubuhle bomuntu siqu, nemisebenzi emihle, kanye nesenzo esingcwele sokuphenduka ezonweni esenziwa ngumpristi, olalela ukuvunywa kwezono, anikeze ukuthethelelwa kwazo, bese ebeka imisebenzi yokuhlawula engase ihilele ukuzijezisa.
Emizamweni yakhe yokuthola ukuthula noNkulunkulu, uLuther wayesesebenzise zonke izimpande zemfundiso yamaRoma ngokuhlangulwa, kuhlanganise nokuzila, imithandazo, nokuzijezisa, kodwa kwangaba namphumela. Engakutholanga ukuthula, wafunda ngokuphindaphindiwe amaHubo nezincwadi zikaPawulu, ekugcineni waze wathola ukuthula kwengqondo ngokuphetha ngokuthi uNkulunkulu uhlangula abantu kungekhona ngobuhle babo, imisebenzi emihle, noma ukuphenduka ezonweni, kodwa ngenxa yokholo lwabo kuphela. Washukunyiswa kakhulu yilomqondo ‘wokuhlangulwa ngokholo kuphela’ kangangokuthi wanezela igama elithi “kuphela” ngemva kwegama elithi “ukholo” enguqulweni yakhe yesiJalimane yamaRoma 3:28!b
Amasonto amaningi obuProthestani ngokuyisisekelo awamukela umbono kaLuther ‘wokuhlangulwa ngomusa kusetshenziswa ukholo.’ Eqinisweni, lokhu kakade kwase kuvezwe owayenze iNguquko kusengaphambili uJacques Lefèvre d’Étaples ongumFulentshi. Ifushanisa umehluko phakathi kombono wamaKatolika nowamaProthestani ngokuhlangulwa, iA Catholic Dictionary ithi: “AmaKatolika abheka ukuhlangulwa njengesenzo lapho umuntu enziwa ngokoqobo abe ngolungile; amaProthestani, njengaleso okuvele kuthiwe nje ulungile, ubuhle bomunye—okungukuthi, uKristu—bunikezwe yena.”
Akukho “Ukuhlangulwa” KwamaKatolika Noma Kwamaprothestani
Imfundiso yamaKatolika iyeqisa kulokho okufundiswa yiBhayibheli uma ithi “umuntu wenziwa ngokoqobo abe ngolungile,” ngesipho somusa waphezulu onikezwa ekubhapathizweni kwakhe. Akulona ubhapathizo olususa isono sokuqala, kodwa igazi likaKristu elachitheka. (Roma 5:8, 9) Kunomehluko omkhulu phakathi kokwenziwa nguNkulunkulu ngokoqobo ube ngolungile nasekubalelweni, noma ekubhekweni, njengolungile. (Roma 4:7, 8) Noma imuphi umKatolika oqotho, olwa kanzima nesono, uyazi ukuthi akakenziwa ngokoqobo olungile. (Roma 7:14-19) Ukuba ubelungile ngokoqobo, ubengeke abe nezono zokuvunywa kumpristi.
Ngokungaphezulu, ukuba imfundiso yamaKatolika ibilandela iBhayibheli, umKatolika osiqaphelayo isono ubeyovuma izono zakhe kuNkulunkulu, ecela ukuthethelelwa ngoJesu Kristu. (1 Johane 1:9–2:2) Ukungenela kompristi ongumuntu kunoma isiphi isigaba ‘sokuhlangulwa’ akunaso isisekelo eBhayibhelini, njengoba nje nokwandiswa kobuhle, okusekelwe kukho imfundiso yokuthethelelwa kwezono kungenaso.—Heberu 7:26-28.
Umqondo wamaProthestani wokuhlangulwa, njengoba usho ukulungiswa komKristu ngezinzuzo zomhlatshelo kaKristu, ngokungangabazeki useduze nalokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo. Nokho, amanye amasonto obuProthestani afundisa “ukuhlangulwa ngokholo kuphela” lokho, njengoba sizobona kamuva, awakunaki okunye okuqondile okwashiwo umphostoli uPawulu noJakobe. Isimo sengqondo salawo masonto esihle ngokomoya sifushaniswa ngamazwi athi “uma usuke wasindiswa, uhlala usindisiwe.” Amanye amaProthestani akholelwa ukuthi kwanele ukukholelwa kuJesu ukuze usindiswe, ngakho-ke, athi ukulungisiswa kwandulela ubhapathizo.
Ngokungaphezulu, amasonto athile obuProthestani, nakuba ekufundisa ukuhlangulwa ngokholo, alandela umenzi wenguquko ongumFulentshi uJohn Calvin futhi afundise ukumiselwa kusengaphambili komuntu siqu, ngaleyondlela ephika imfundiso engokweBhayibheli yokuzikhethela. (Duteronomi 30:19, 20) Ngakho-ke, kungashiwo ukuthi imiqondo yamaKatolika neyamaProthestani ngokuhlangulwa ayikho ekuvumelaneni okuphelele neBhayibheli.
Lifundisani IBhayibheli?
Nokho ngokuqinisekile iBhayibheli liyayifundisa imfundiso ‘yokuhlangulwa,’ noma indlela umuntu anganikezwa ngayo ukuma okulungile phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Sisibonile ngaphambili isidingo sokwenziwa abalungile kuNkulunkulu, njengoba sonke singazalwanga singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kodwa ‘singabantwana bolaka.’ (Efesu 2:1-3) Ukuthi ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luhlala lukithi noma luyasuka kuxhomeke ekwamukeleni noma ekwenqabeni kwethu ilungiselelo lakhe lomusa lokubuyisana naye, uNkulunkulu ongcwele, olungile. (Johane 3:36) Lelolungiselelo lothando ‘liyisihlengo esakhokhwa uKristu Jesu.’—Roma 3:23, 24.
Umphostoli uPawulu wabonisa ukuthi umhlatshelo wesihlengo kaKristu uvula amathemba amabili, elinye ‘elasemhlabeni’ elinye ‘elasezulwini.’ Wabhala: “Kwaba-kuhle kuye [uNkulunkulu] ukuba ukugcwala konke kuhlale kuyo [iNdodana, uKristu] nokuba ngayo abuyisane nakho konke esenzile ukuthula ngegazi lesiphambano sayo, yebo ngayo, nokuba kuyizinto ezisemhlabeni nokuba ngezisezulwini.”—Kolose 1:19, 20.
Ukuze sihlanganyele noma iliphi lalamathemba amabili, kudingekile ukuba sibe nokuma okulungile phambi kukaNkulunkulu, futhi lokhu kuhilela okwengeziwe kunokumane nje ‘sikholelwe kuJesu.’ Ukuthi ikuphi okuhilelekile ngamaKristu anethemba lasezulwini nangalawo anethemba lokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni eyipharadesi kuzocatshangelwa ezihlokweni ezimbili ezilandelayo. Siza ufunde uqhubeke, futhi ungangabazi ukucela ufakazi kaJehova okunikeze lomagazini ukuba axoxe ngalezihloko nawe, uphethe iBhayibheli.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Ngokwemfundiso yamaKatolika, isono sihilela umuzwa wecala nezinhlobo ezimbili zesijeziso—esaphakade nesesikhashana. Umuzwa wecala nesijeziso saphakade kuhlawulelwa ngesenzo esingcwele sokuphenduka ezonweni. Kulokhu kuphila isijezisiso sesikhashana kumelwe sihlawulelwe ngemisebenzi emihle nemikhuba yokuphenduka, noma ekuphileni okulandelayo ngomlilo wasesihlanzweni. Ukuhoxiswa kwesijeziso kuwukuthethelelwa okuncane noma ngokugcwele ekujezisweni kwesikhashana ngokusebenzisa ubuhle bukaKristu, uMariya, ‘nobosanta,’ obugcinwe ‘eNgcebweni YeSonto.’ “Imisebenzi emihle” edingekile ukuze kuhoxiswe isijeziso ingase ihlanganise inkambo yomuntu emhlabeni noma ukunikela imali enjongweni ethile “enhle.” Esikhathini esidlule, imali yayinikelelwa izimpi ezilwela inkolo nokwakha izindlu zamasonto ezinezindawo zababhishobhi, amasonto, nezibhedlela.
b ULuther futhi ubonisa ukungabaza ngokufaneleka okungokwenkolo kwencwadi kaJakobe, enomqondo wokuthi iphuzu lakhe esahlukweni 2, lokuthi ukholo ngaphandle kwemisebenzi lufile, luyayiphikisa incazelo kamphostoli uPawulu ngokuhlangulwa “ngaphandle kwemisebenzi.” (Roma 4:6) Wehluleka ukuqaphela ukuthi uPawulu wayekhuluma ngemisebenzi yoMthetho wamaJuda.—Roma 3:19, 20, 28.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]
ISONTO LAMAKATOLIKA lifundisa ukuthi ukuhlangulwa kwenza umuntu abe ngolungile ngokoqobo, kodwa lokho kuhlangulwa kungalahleka ngesono sokufa noma kutholakele ngobuhle bobuntu siqu
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]
AMAPROTHESTANI AMANINGI akholelwa ekuhlangulweni, noma ekulungisisweni, ngokholo kuphela, nokuthi ukukholelwa kuJesu kuqinisekisa insindiso. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi ukuhlangulwa kumiselwa kusengaphambili
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 7]
IBHAYIBHELI lifundisa ukuthi umuntu unelungelo lokuzikhethela nokuthi umhlatshelo wesihlengo kaKristu uvula amathemba amabili, elinye elasezulwini nelinye elasemhlabeni. Womabili lamathemba ahilela ukuthola ukuma okulungile phambi kukaNkulunkulu