Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

◼ Lapho othile efa, ingabe kufanelekile ngamaKristu ukunikeza abomndeni izimbali noma ukuziyisa emangcwabeni?

Kwamanye amazwe kuyisiko ukwenza kanjalo. Kodwa ukusebenzisa izimbali emingcwabeni ngezinye izikhathi kuye kwaba nokubaluleka okungokwenkolo. Ngakho ake sihlole lendaba ngokuningiliziwe, ikakhulukazi njengoba kunamanye amasiko angase abonakale enokuhlangana okufanayo nenkolo yamanga. Phawula ukukhulumela okukuyiEncyclopedia of Religion (1987):

“Izimbali ziphathelene nendawo engcwele ngokuhlangana kwazo nonkulunkulu nonkulunkulukazi. UFlora, unkulunkulukazi waseRoma wentwasahlobo nezimbali, wenza izimbali zibe zinhle futhi zinuke kamnandi . . . Kungase kushwelezwe futhi kukhulekwe eziThixweni . . . ngokunikela ngokudla nezimbali.

“Ukuhlangana kwezimbali nezinkonzo zokufa kwenzeka emhlabeni wonke. AmaGreki namaRoma amboza abafileyo namathuna abo ngezimbali. Imiphefumulo yamaBuddha afayo eJapane ikhushulelwa phezulu ngomuthi welotus, futhi amatshe amathuna emangcwabeni angase abekwe emithini yelotus ebaziwe . . . AbaseTahiti bashiya izithungu zezimbali ziboshwe ngamafern eceleni kwesidumbu ngemva kokufa bese bethela amakha ezimbali phezu kwesidumbu ukuze bakwenze kube lula ukudlulela kwaso ekuphileni okungcwele kwangemva kokufa . . . Futhi izimbali zingase zibe khona ngezikhathi ezingcwele ziyi mpepho noma amakha.”

Eqaphela ukuthi izimbali ziye zasetshenziswa ngokuphathelene nenkolo yamanga, amanye amaKristu aye aba nomuzwa wokuthi akufanele anikele ngezimbali noma azithumele uma kunomngcwabo. Umuzwa wawo ungase futhi ubonakalise isifiso sokugwema amasiko ezwe, kwazise abalandeli bakaJesu kumelwe ‘bangabi abezwe.’ (Johane 15:19) Nokho, imibhalo yeBhayibheli ephathelene nalokhu nemibono yabantu bendawo kuyathintana nalendaba.

Izimbali ziyingxenye yezipho ezinhle zikaNkulunulu ezijatshulelwa abaphilayo. (IzEnzo 14:15-17; Jakobe 1:17) Ubuhle bezimbali abudalile buye basetshenziswa ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. Uthi lwezibani etabernakele lwaluhlotshiswa ‘ngezimbali zemialimondi . . . nezimbali.’ (Eksodusi 25:31-34) Imidwebo eqoshiwe ethempelini yayihlanganisa imiqhele yezimbali nemithi yesundu. (1 AmaKhosi 6:18, 29, 32) Ngokusobala, ukusebenzisa kwamaqaba izimbali noma imiqhele yezimbali kwakungasho ukuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi abakhulekeli beqiniso kwakudingeka bagweme ukuzisebenzisa.—IzEnzo 14:13.

Nokho, kuthiwani ngempikiswano enkulu yokulandela amasiko, njengamasiko emingcwabo? IBhayibheli libhekisela emasikweni amaningi, amanye angafanelekile ngabakhulekeli beqiniso, amanye alandelwa abantu bakaNkulunkulu. AmaKhosi Okuqala 18:28 akhuluma “ngomthetho” wabakhulekeli bakaBali ‘wokumemeza ngezwi elikhulu, nokuzisika’—isiko abakhulekeli beqiniso ababengeke balilandele. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uRuthe 4:7 akasikiseli ukungavunyelwa ‘[kwesiko] lokuhlenga nokwenana endulo kwaIsrayeli.’

Amasiko amukelekayo kuNkulunkulu angase abe khona ngisho nasezindabeni ezingokwenkolo kuphela. Lapho uNkulunkulu ehlela umkhosi wePhasika, akazange akhulume ngokusetshenziswa kwewayini, kodwa ngekhulu lokuqala, kwakuyisiko ukusebenzisa izindebe zewayini. UJesu nabaphostoli bakhe abazange balenqabe lelisiko lenkolo. Balithola lingasoleki, futhi balilandela.—Eksodusi 12:6-18; Luka 22:15-18; 1 Korinte 11:25.

Kungokufanayo nangamanye amasiko emingcwabo. AbaseGibithe ngokwesiko babesigqumisa isidumbu. Inzalamizi ethembekile uJosefa ayizange ngokuzenzakalelayo isabele ngokuthi, ‘Leli isiko lamaqaba, ngakho thina maHeberu kumelwe siligweme.’ Kunalokho, “wayala izinceku zakhe izinyanga ukuba zimgqumise uyise ngemithi,” ngokusobala ukuze uJakobe angcwatshwe eZweni Lesithembiso. (Genesise 49:29–50:3) Kamuva amaJuda aba namasiko okungcwaba ahlukahlukene, njengokugeza isidumbu nokusingcwaba ngosuku lokufa. AmaKristu okuqala awamukela lamasiko obuJuda.—IzEnzo 9:37.

Nokho, kuthiwani uma isiko libhekwa njengelinencazelo esekelwe ephutheni lenkolo, njengokukholelwa emphefumulweni ongafi? Khumbula ukuthi iencyclopedia ithe abanye “bashiya izithungu zezimbali eziboshwe ngamafern eceleni kwesidumbu ngemva kokufa bese bethela amakha ezimbali phezu kwesidumbu ukuze bakwenze kube lula ukudlulela kwaso ekuphileni okungcwele ngemva kokufa.” Ukuthi kungase kube khona isiko elinjalo akusho ukuthi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu kumelwe zigweme noma yini efanayo. Nakuba amaJuda ayengakholelwa ‘ekudluleleni ekuphileni okungcwele ngemva kokufa,’ iBhayibheli lithi: “Base besithatha isidumbu sikaJesu, basisonga ngezindwangu zelineni kanye namakha njengesiko labaJuda lokumbela.”—Johane 12:2-8; 19:40.

AmaKristu kufanele agweme imikhuba eshayisana neqiniso leBhayibheli. (2 Korinte 6:14-18) Nalapho, zonke izinhlobo zezinto, imiklamo, nemikhuba, ngesikhathi esithile noma kwenye indawo, kuye kwachazwa ngokungeyikho noma kwahlanganiswa nezimfundiso ezingezona ezingokombhalo. Kuye kwakhulekelwa imithi, izinto ezimise okwenhliziyo ziye zabhekwa njengezingcwele, futhi impepho iye yasetshenziswa emikhosini yamaqaba. Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi umKristu akumelwe asebenzise impepho, ahlobise izihlahla, noma agqoke amatshe okuzihlobisa amise okwenhliziyo?a Leso akusona isiphetho esifanelekile.

UmKristu oqotho kufanele acabangele lokhu: Ingabe ukulandela isiko kubonisa kwabanye ukuthi sengamukele izinkolelo noma imikhuba engekho ngokombhalo? Isikhathi nendawo kungayithonya impendulo. Kungase kwenzeke ukuthi isiko (noma umklamo othile) liye laba nencazelo engokwenkolo yamanga eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane edlule noma lingase libe nayo namuhla ezweni elikude. Kodwa ngaphandle kokwenza ukuhlola okuchitha isikhathi, zibuze: ‘Uyini umbono ovamile lapho ngihlala khona?’—Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Korinte 10:25-29.

Uma kwaziwa kahle ukuthi isiko (noma umklamo, njengesiphambano) linencazelo engokwenkolo yamanga, ligweme. Ngakho-ke amaKristu awanakuzithumela izimbali ezimi njengesiphambano, noma njengenhliziyo ebomvu uma lokho kubhekwa njengokunokubaluleka okungokwenkolo. Noma kungase kube khona enye indlela engokomthetho izimbali ezisetshenziswa ngayo emngcwabeni noma emathuneni enencazelo engokwenkolo kuleyondawo. Nalokho umKristu kufanele akugweme. Nokho, lokho akusho ukuthi ukuletha isithungu sezimbali emngcwabeni noma ukunikeza umngane osesibhedlela izimbali kumelwe kubhekwe njengesenzo esingokwenkolo okumelwe sigwenywe.b

Ngokuphambene, emazweni amaningi isiko lokunikeza izimbali lisakazeke kabanzi futhi libhekwa njengomusa ofanelekile. Izimbali zinganezela ubuhle futhi zingenza isikhathi esidabukisayo sibe esijabulisa kakhudlwana. Futhi zingaba uphawu lozwela nolokukhathalela. Kwenye indawo lelisiko lingase libe ukubonisa imizwa enjalo ngesenzo sokupha, njengokulungisela ogulayo noma abasosizini ukudla. (Khumbula uthando olwalukhona ngoDorka ngenxa yokuthi wayebonisa isithakazelo sakhe nokubakhathalela abanye. [IzEnzo 9:36-39]) Lapho ukwenza kanjalo kungahlangene ngokusobala nezinkolelo ezingamanga, abanye oFakazi BakaJehova bajwayele ukunikeza umngane osesibhedlela izimbali noma lapho kufiwe. Futhi ngabanye bangase babonise ngokuqhubekayo isithakazelo nomuzwa wabo ngezenzo eziwusizo.—Jakobe 1:27; 2:14-17.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]