AmaKristu Nezwe Lesintu
“Qhubekani nihamba ngokuhlakanipha ngakulabo abangaphandle.”—KOLOSE 4:5.
1. UJesu wathini ngokuphathelene nabalandeli bakhe nezwe?
ETHANDAZA kuYise wasezulwini, uJesu wathi ngabalandeli bakhe: “Izwe liye labazonda, ngoba bengeyona ingxenye yezwe, njengoba nje nami ngingeyona ingxenye yezwe.” Wabe esenezela: “Angikuceli ukuba ubakhiphe ezweni, kodwa ukuba ubabheke ngenxa yomubi.” (Johane 17:14, 15) AmaKristu ayengeke ahlukaniswe ngokoqobo nezwe—ngokwesibonelo, ngokuhlaliswa wodwa ezigodlweni. Kunalokho, uKristu ‘wawathuma ezweni’ ukuze abe ofakazi bakhe “nasezingxenyeni eziqhele kakhulu zomhlaba.” (Johane 17:18; IzEnzo 1:8) Nokho, wacela uNkulunkulu ukuba awabheke ngoba uSathane, “umbusi walelizwe,” wayeyobangela ukuba azondwe ngenxa yegama likaKristu.—Johane 12:31; Mathewu 24:9.
2. (a) IBhayibheli lilisebenzisa kanjani igama elithi “izwe”? (b) Yisiphi isimo sengqondo esilinganiselayo uJehova asibonisayo ngezwe?
2 EBhayibhelini, igama elithi “izwe” (ngesiGreki, koʹsmos) ngokuvamile libhekisela emphakathini wesintu ongalungile, ‘osemandleni omubi.’ (1 Johane 5:19) Ngenxa yokuthi amaKristu avumelana nezindinganiso zikaJehova futhi alalela umyalo wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ezweni, ngezinye izikhathi kuye kwaba nobuhlobo obungebuhle phakathi kwawo nezwe. (2 Thimothewu 3:12; 1 Johane 3:1, 13) Nokho, elithi koʹsmos liyasetshenziswa futhi emBhalweni ekubhekiseleni emkhayeni wesintu uwonke. Ekhuluma ngezwe ngalomqondo, uJesu wathi: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kakhulu kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhujiswa kodwa abe nokuphila okumi phakade. Ngoba uNkulunkulu wathumela iNdodana yakhe ezweni, kungekhona ukuba yahlulele izwe, kodwa ukuba izwe lisindiswe ngayo.” (Johane 3:16, 17; 2 Korinte 5:19; 1 Johane 4:14) Ngakho, nakuba ezizonda izinto eziyingxenye yesimiso esibi sikaSathane, uJehova wabonisa uthando lwakhe ngesintu ngokuthumela iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuze isindise bonke ‘ababeyofinyelela ekuphendukeni.’ (2 Petru 3:9; IzAga 6:16-19) Isimo sengqondo sikaJehova esilinganiselayo ngokuqondene nezwe kufanele sibe yisiqondiso kubakhulekeli bakhe.
Isibonelo SikaJesu
3, 4. (a) Yisiphi isimo uJesu aba naso mayelana nobubusi? (b) UJesu walibheka kanjani izwe lesintu?
3 Ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe, uJesu watshela uPontiyu Pilatu: “Umbuso wami awuyona ingxenye yalelizwe.” (Johane 18:36) Ngokuvumelana nalamazwi, uJesu ngaphambili wayenqabe isipho sikaSathane segunya phezu kwemibuso yezwe, wenqaba nokuvumela amaJuda ukuba amenze inkosi. (Luka 4:5-8; Johane 6:14, 15) Nokho, uJesu wabonisa uthando olukhulu ngezwe lesintu. Isibonelo salokhu sabikwa umphostoli uMathewu: “Lapho ebona izixuku wafikelwa isihawu ngazo, ngoba zaziphundleke futhi zihlakazeke njengezimvu ezingenamalusi.” Eshukunyiswa uthando, washumayela kubantu emizini nasemizaneni yabo. Wabafundisa futhi wabaphulukisa ekuguleni kwabo. (Mathewu 9:36) Wayenozwela nangezidingo ezingokwenyama zalabo ababeza bezofunda kuye. Siyafunda: “UJesu wabizela abafundi bakhe kuye wathi: ‘Ngifikelwa isihawu ngesixuku, ngoba kakade sekuyizinsuku ezintathu sihlezi nami futhi asinalutho oludliwayo; futhi angifuni ukusimukisa singadlile. Ngokunokwenzeka singase siphelelwe amandla emgwaqweni.’” (Mathewu 15:32) Yeka ukukhathalela kothando!
4 AmaJuda ayengawafuni nakancane amaSamariya, kodwa uJesu waxoxa isikhathi eside nowesifazane ongumSamariya futhi wafakaza ngokungashwampuluzi izinsuku ezimbili emzini wamaSamariya. (Johane 4:5-42) Nakuba uNkulunkulu ayemthume “ezimvwini ezilahlekile zendlu ka-Israyeli,” ngezikhathi ezithile uJesu wasabela okholweni olwalubonakaliswa ngabangemaJuda. (Mathewu 8:5-13; 15:21-28) Yebo, uJesu wabonisa ukuthi kungenzeka ‘ukungabi ingxenye yezwe,’ kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo ubonise uthando ngezwe lesintu, ngabantu. Ingabe nathi ngokufanayo siyabubonisa ububele ngabantu lapho sihlala khona, lapho sisebenza khona, noma lapho sithenga khona? Ingabe siyakubonisa ukukhathalela inhlalakahle yabo—hhayi nje ngezidingo zabo ezingokomoya kodwa futhi nangezinye izidingo uma kusemandleni ethu ukusiza? UJesu wenza kanjalo, futhi ngalokho, wavula indlela yokufundisa abantu ngoMbuso. Yiqiniso, asinakuzenza izimangaliso ezingokoqobo njengoJesu. Kodwa isenzo somusa ngokuvamile siyazenza izimangaliso, ngomqondo othile, ngokuqeda ukucwaswa.
Isimo Sengqondo SikaPawulu Ngakubantu “Abangaphandle”
5, 6. Umphostoli uPawulu wasebenzelana kanjani namaJuda “angaphandle”?
5 Kweziningana zezincwadi zakhe, umphostoli uPawulu ukhuluma ngabantu “bangaphandle,” noma “abangaphandle,” esho abangewona amaKristu, kungaba amaJuda noma abeZizwe. (1 Korinte 5:12; 1 Thesalonika 4:12; 1 Thimothewu 3:7) Wasebenzelana kanjani nabanjalo? ‘Waba yizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo, ukuze ngazo zonke izindlela asindise abathile.’ (1 Korinte 9:20-22) Lapho efika emzini, indlela yakhe yokufundisa kwakuwukuba aqale aye kumaJuda ayesezinze kuleyo ndawo. Wayewangena kanjani? Ngesu nangenhlonipho wayenikeza ubufakazi beBhayibheli obugculisayo bokuthi uMesiya wafika, wafa ukufa komhlatshelo futhi wavuswa.—IzEnzo 13:5, 14-16, 43; 17:1-3, 10.
6 Ngalendlela uPawulu wayakhela olwazini lwamaJuda loMthetho nabaprofethi ukuze awafundise ngoMesiya noMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Futhi waphumelela ekugculiseni amanye. (IzEnzo 14:1; 17:4) Naphezu kokuphikisa kwabaholi abangamaJuda, uPawulu wabonisa imizwa efudumele ngamaJuda akanye nawo lapho ebhala: “Bafowethu, ukuthakazela kwenhliziyo yami nokubanxusela [amaJuda] kwami kuNkulunkulu, ngempela, kuwukuba basindiswe. Ngoba ngiyabafakazela ukuthi banentshiseko ngoNkulunkulu; kodwa hhayi ngokolwazi olunembile.”—Roma 10:1, 2.
Ukusiza Amakholwa AngemaJuda
7. Amaproselithe amaningi asabela kanjani ezindabeni ezinhle ezazishunyayelwa uPawulu?
7 Amaproselithe kwakungabantu abangemaJuda ababebe ngabaqhubi beNkolo YobuJuda abasokile. Ngokusobala, kwakunamaJuda angamaproselithe eRoma, e-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya, eTopiya, nase-Antiyokiya ePhisidiya—empeleni, kuyo yonke indawo yamaJuda engaphandle kwePalestina. (IzEnzo 2:8-10; 6:5; 8:27; 13:14, 43; qhathanisa noMathewu 23:15.) Ngokungafani nababusi abaningi abangamaJuda, cishe amaproselithe ayengakhukhumele, futhi ayengenakuqhosha ngokuba awozalo luka-Abrahama. (Mathewu 3:9; Johane 8:33) Kunalokho, ayelahle onkulunkulu bamaqaba futhi ngokuthobeka aphendukela kuJehova, athola ulwazi oluthile ngaye nemithetho yakhe. Futhi amukela ithemba lamaJuda likaMesiya ozayo. Njengoba kakade ayesebonise ukuzimisela ukwenza izinguquko ekufuneni kwawo iqiniso, amaningi awo ayezimisele ukwenza izinguquko ezengeziwe futhi asabele lapho umphostoli uPawulu ewashumayeza. (IzEnzo 13:42, 43) Lapho umproselithe owayeke wakhulekela onkulunkulu bamaqaba ephendukela ebuKristwini, wayekuhlomela ngokukhethekile ukufakaza kwabanye abeZizwe ababesakhulekela labonkulunkulu.
8, 9. (a) Ngaphandle kwamaproselithe, yisiphi esinye isigaba sabeZizwe esakhangwa yinkolo yobuJuda? (b) Abaningi abangasokile abesaba uNkulunkulu basabela kanjani ezindabeni ezinhle?
8 Ngaphandle kwamaproselithe asokile, kunabanye abangemaJuda abakhangwa inkolo yobuJuda. Owokuqala kulaba owaba ngumKristu uKorneliyu, ‘owayengumuntu ozinikele nowesaba uNkulunkulu,’ nakuba ayengeyena umproselithe. (IzEnzo 10:2) Encwadini yakhe ehlaziya izEnzo, uProfesa F. F. Bruce wabhala: “AbeZizwe abanjalo ngokuvamile babizwa ngokuthi ‘abesaba uNkulunkulu’; nakuba leli kungelona igama elingokomthetho, liyakufanelekela ukusetshenziswa. AbeZizwe abaningi balezo zinsuku, nakuba babengazimisele ukuba abaphendukele ngokugcwele eNkolweni YobuJuda (njengoba imfuneko yokusoka yayiyisithiyo esikhulu kwabesilisa), bakhangwa ukukhulekelwa kukaNkulunkulu oyedwa kwasesinagogeni lamaJuda okungeyona inkimbinkimbi nezindinganiso zokuziphatha zendlela yokuphila yamaJuda. Abanye babo babeya esinagogeni futhi bayijwayejwayela imithandazo nezifundo zemibhalo, ababekuzwa kufundwa enguqulweni yesiGreki.”
9 Umphostoli uPawulu wahlangana nabaningi abesaba uNkulunkulu lapho eshumayela emasinagogeni ase-Asia Minor naseGreece. E-Antiyokiya yasePhisidiya wabiza labo ababehlangene esinagogeni ngokuthi, “madoda, ma-Israyeli nani abanye enesaba uNkulunkulu.” (IzEnzo 13:16, 26) ULuka ubhala ukuthi ngemva kokuba uPawulu eshumayele esinagogeni laseThesalonika amaSabatha amathathu, “abanye kubo [amaJuda] baba amakholwa [amaKristu] futhi bazihlanganisa noPawulu noSila, noquqaba olukhulu lwamaGreki olwalukhulekela uNkulunkulu nabangembalwa kwabesifazane abavelele benza kanjalo.” (IzEnzo 17:4) Cishe, abanye kumaGreki babengabesaba uNkulunkulu abangasokile. Kunobufakazi bokuthi abaningi abeZizwe abanjalo bazihlanganisa nemiphakathi yamaJuda.
Ukushumayela Phakathi “Kwabangakholwa”
10. UPawulu washumayela kanjani kwabeZizwe, ababengenalwazi ngemiBhalo, kwaba namuphi umphumela?
10 EmiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki, igama elithi “abangakholwa” lingabhekisela kubantu abangaphandle kwebandla lobuKristu bebonke. Ngokuvamile libhekisela emaqabeni. (Roma 15:31; 1 Korinte 14:22, 23; 2 Korinte 4:4; 6:14) E-Athene, abaningi abangakholwa babefunde ifilosofi yamaGreki bengenalwazi nhlobo ngemiBhalo. Ingabe lokhu kwamdikibalisa uPawulu ekufakazeni kubo? Cha. Kodwa wavumelanisa indlela yakhe nesimo. Ngobuhlakani wanikeza imiqondo eseBhayibhelini ngaphandle kokucaphuna ngokuqondile imiBhalo YesiHeberu, abase-Athene ababengayazi. Ngobuciko wabonisa ukufana phakathi kweqiniso leBhayibheli nemiqondo ethile eyavezwa izimbongi zasendulo ezingamaStoyiku. Futhi waveza umqondo kaNkulunkulu oyedwa weqiniso wesintu sonke, uNkulunkulu oyokwahlulela ngokulunga ngendoda eyafa futhi yavuswa. Ngaleyo ndlela uPawulu washumayela ngobuhlakani ngoKristu kwabase-Athene. Waba yini umphumela? Nakuba iningi lamhleka usulu noma langabaza, “amanye amadoda azihlanganisa naye futhi aba amakholwa, okwakukhona noDiyonisiyu phakathi kwawo, umahluleli wenkantolo yase-Areyophagu, nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguDamari, kanye nabanye ngaphandle kwabo.”—IzEnzo 17:18, 21-34.
11. IKorinte yayiluhlobo luni lomuzi, futhi waba yini umphumela womsebenzi kaPawulu wokushumayela khona?
11 EKorinte kwakwakhe amaJuda amaningi, ngakho uPawulu waqala inkonzo yakhe lapho ngokushumayela esinagogeni. Kodwa lapho kuvela ukuthi amaJuda ayephikisa, uPawulu waya kubantu beZizwe. (IzEnzo 18:1-6) Yeka uhlobo lwabantu ababeyilo! IKorinte yayiwumuzi wezentengiselwano ophithizelayo, osebenzelana nomhlaba wonke, owawudume kulo lonke izwe lamaGreki namaRoma ngokuphila kwawo okuxekethile. Empeleni, “ukwenza ubuKorinte” kwakusho ukuziphatha kabi. Nokho, kwakungemva kokuba amaJuda enqabe ukushumayela kukaPawulu lapho uKristu abonakala kuye futhi wathi: “Ungesabi, kodwa qhubeka ukhuluma . . . , ngoba nginabantu abaningi kulomuzi.” (IzEnzo 18:9, 10) Njengokusho kwakhe, uPawulu wamisa ibandla eKorinte, ngisho noma amanye amalungu alo ayephila ukuphila “kobuKorinte” ngaphambili.—1 Korinte 6:9-11.
Ukuzama Ukusindisa “Zonke Izinhlobo Zabantu” Namuhla
12, 13. (a) Insimu yethu namuhla ifana kanjani neyosuku lukaPawulu? (b) Yisiphi isimo sengqondo esisibonisayo ezindaweni lapho izinkolo zeLobukholwa sezinesikhathi eside zimile noma lapho abaningi bekhathele khona yinkolo ehleliwe?
12 Namuhla, njengasekhulwini lokuqala, ‘umusa ongafanelwe kaNkulunkulu uletha insindiso kuzo zonke izinhlobo zabantu.’ (Thithu 2:11) Insimu yokushumayela izindaba ezinhle iye yanda yafinyelela kuwo wonke amazwekazi nengxenye enkulu yeziqhingi zolwandle. Futhi, njengasosukwini lukaPawulu, ngempela kuhlanganwa nazo “zonke izinhlobo zabantu.” Ngokwesibonelo, abanye bethu bashumayela emazweni lapho amasonto eLobukholwa esenamakhulu eminyaka amiswa. NjengamaJuda ekhulu lokuqala, amalungu awo kungenzeka aboshwé ngokuqinile ngamasiko enkolo. Noma kunjalo, siyakujabulela ukufuna labo abanesimo esihle senhliziyo futhi sakhele kunoma yiluphi ulwazi lweBhayibheli abanalo. Asibeyi noma sibadelele, yize abaholi babo benkolo besiphikisa futhi basishushise ngezinye izikhathi. Kunalokho, siyaqaphela ukuthi abanye phakathi kwabo bangase ‘babe nentshiseko ngoNkulunkulu’ ngisho noma bentula ulwazi olunembile. NjengoJesu noPawulu, sibonisa uthando oluqotho ngabantu, futhi sinesifiso esinamandla sokuba basindiswe.—Roma 10:2.
13 Lapho sishumayela, iningi lethu lihlangana nabantu asebekhathele yinkolo ehleliwe. Nokho, kungenzeka basamesaba uNkulunkulu, basakholelwa kuNkulunkulu ngezinga elithile futhi bayazama ukuphila ukuphila okukahle. Kulesi sizukulwane esisontekile nesiya singamhloniphi uNkulunkulu, akufanele yini sijabule ngokuhlangana nabantu abakholelwayo kuNkulunkulu? Futhi asikulangazeleli yini ukubaqondisa ohlotsheni lokukhulekela olungenabo ubuzensisi namanga?—Filipi 2:15.
14, 15. Kuye kwenzeka kanjani ukuba kube nensimu enkulu yokushumayela izindaba ezinhle?
14 Emfanekisweni wakhe wenetha, uJesu wabikezela ukuthi kwakuyoba nensimu enkulu yomsebenzi wokushumayela. (Mathewu 13:47-49) Ichaza lomfanekiso, INqabayokulinda ka-June 15, 1992, ekhasini 20 yathi: “Phakathi namakhulu eminyaka amalungu eLobukholwa aba nendima eyinhloko ekuhumusheni, ekukopisheni, nasekusakazeni iZwi likaNkulunkulu. Kamuva amasonto amisa noma asekela izinhlangano zeBhayibheli, ezahumushela iBhayibheli ezilimini zamazwe akude. Athumela nezithunywa zezokwelapha nothisha, abenza abantu baba amaKristu ngokubanxenxa ngokudla. Lokhu kwabutha inqwaba yezinhlanzi ezingafaneleki, ezazingenakho ukuvunyelwa uNkulunkulu. Kodwa okungenani kwenza izigidi zabangewona amaKristu zazi ngeBhayibheli futhi zazi uhlobo oluthile lobuKristu, nakuba lwalonakele.”
15 Ukuguqulela abantu kweLobukholwa kuye kwaphumelela ngokukhethekile eNingizimu Melika, e-Afrika, naseziqhingini ezithile zolwandle. Osukwini lwethu, kuye kwatholakala abaningi abathobekile kulezi zindawo, futhi singaqhubeka senza okuningi okuhle uma sinesimo sengqondo esiqondile nothando ngabantu abanjalo abathobekile, njengoba noPawulu ayenjalo ngamaproselithe amaJuda. Phakathi kwalabo abadinga usizo lwethu kukhona nezigidi zabantu abangase babizwe ngokuthi “abazwelana” noFakazi BakaJehova. Bayakujabulela njalo ukusibona lapho sibahambele. Abanye baye batadisha iBhayibheli nathi futhi beza emihlanganweni yethu, ikakhulukazi eSikhumbuzweni sokufa kukaKristu saminyaka yonke. Ingabe abanjalo abayona insimu enkulu yokushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso?
16, 17. (a) Yiziphi izinhlobo zabantu esixoxa nazo ngezindaba ezinhle? (b) Simlingisa kanjani uPawulu ekushumayeleni ezinhlotsheni ezihlukahlukene zabantu?
16 Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuthiwani ngalabo abavela emiphakathini engenalo eLobukholwa—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sihlangana nabo emazweni akubo noma bayizifiki emazweni aseNtshonalanga? Kuthiwani nangalezo zigidi eziningi eziye zayifulathela ngokuphelele inkolo, ziphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu noma zithi akaziwa? Kuthiwani nangalabo abayilalela ngentshiseko enjengeyenkolo ifilosofi yanamuhla noma ulwazi lwengqondo oluthandwayo olunyatheliswa ezincwadini eziningi zokuzisiza ezitholakala ezitolo zezincwadi? Ingabe bakhona kulabo bantu okufanele bagwenywe, bebhekwa njengabangasenakuhlengwa? Ngeke babe khona uma silingisa umphostoli uPawulu.
17 Lapho eshumayela e-Athene, uPawulu akazange awele ogibeni lokuphikisana nezilaleli zakhe ngefilosofi. Nokho, indlela yakhe yokubonisana nabantu ayebhekene nabo wayivumelanisa nabo, enikeza amaqiniso eBhayibheli ngendlela ecacile nenengqondo. Ngokufanayo, akudingeki ukuba sibe ochwepheshe ezinkolweni noma kumafilosofi abantu esibashumayezayo. Nokho, sivumelanisa indlela yethu nezimo ukuze ukufakaza kwethu kuphumelele, kanjalo sibe “yizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo.” (1 Korinte 9:22) Ebhalela amaKristu eKolose, uPawulu wathi: “Qhubekani nihamba ngokuhlakanipha ngakulabo abangaphandle, nizithengisisele ithuba. Amazwi enu ngaso sonke isikhathi mawabe nomusa, ayoliswe ngosawoti, ukuze nazi ukuthi kufanele nimphendule kanjani umuntu ngamunye.”—Kolose 4:5, 6.
18. Yimuphi umthwalo wemfanelo esinawo, futhi yini okungafanele neze siyikhohlwe?
18 NjengoJesu nomphostoli uPawulu, masibonise uthando kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo. Ikakhulukazi, masizikhandle ukuze sihlanganyele nabanye izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ungalokothi ukhohlwe ukuthi uJesu wathi ngabafundi bakhe: “Abayona ingxenye yezwe.” (Johane 17:16) Ukuthi kusho ukuthini lokhu kithi kuzocatshangelwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.
Ukubukeza
◻ Chaza isimo sengqondo sikaJesu esilinganiselayo ngezwe.
◻ Umphostoli uPawulu washumayela kanjani kumaJuda nakumaproselithe?
◻ UPawulu wayelwethula kanjani udaba kwabesaba uNkulunkulu nabangakholwa?
◻ Emsebenzini wethu wokushumayela, singaba kanjani “yizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo”?
[Izithombe ekhasini 10]
Ngokwenza izenzo zomusa komakhelwane bawo, amaKristu ngokuvamile angaqeda ukucwaswa