“Igama Elingaphimiseleki”?

IKHOTHAMO iGateway elingamamitha angu-192 ukuphakama, elingasemfuleni eSt. Louis, eMissouri, liyisikhumbuzo esiphakeme kunazo zonke e-United States. Eduze kolunye uhlangothi lwaleli khothamo kunesonto elingaphakeme kangako ngokuvamile okuthiwa i-Old Cathedral.

Lapho ichaza ukwakheka kwendawo yokungena yaleli sonto, incwajana ethi The Story of the Old Cathedral, eyanyatheliswa yileli sonto, ithi: “Phezulu kuvulandi kunesihloko esimaphakathi nendawo esiqoshwe igama likaNkulunkulu lesiHebheru ngezinhlamvu ezinkulu zegolide.” Njengoba lesi sithombe sibonisa, izinhlamvu ezine zesiHebheru יהוה (YHWH), noma i-Tetragrammaton, zimelela igama likaNkulunkulu, elibonakala ngokucacile.

Lapho leli sonto lakhiwa ngo-1834, kumelwe ukuba abantu besifunda-bhishobhi saseSt. Louis babenomuzwa wokuthi leli gama elibhalwe ngezinhlamvu ezine zesiHebheru kufanele libe sendaweni evelele. Pho, kungani igama likaNkulunkulu libhekwa ‘njengelingaphimiseleki’?

I-New Catholic Encyclopedia ichaza lokho okwenzeka ngemva kwesikhathi esithile amaJuda ebuyile ekudingisweni kwawo eBhabhiloni ekhulwini lesithupha B.C.E. Ithi: “Igama elithi Yahweh [eliyi-Tetragrammaton okunezelwe kuyo onkamisa] laqala ukuhlonishwa ngendlela ekhethekile, futhi kwavela umkhuba wokusebenzisa igama elithi ADONAI [iNkosi] noma elithi ELOHIM [uNkulunkulu] esikhundleni salo. . . . Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lo mkhuba waholela ekukhohlweni indlela efanele yokuphimisela igama elithi Yahweh.” Ngakho, abantu bayeka ukusebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu. Ekugcineni, indlela elaliphinyiselwa ngayo ngempela endulo yalahleka futhi igama likaNkulunkulu laba elingaphimiseleki kubo.

Nakuba singenakuqiniseka ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu laliphinyiselwa kanjani ngempela, into ebalulekile ukuthi ukusebenzisa igama lakhe kusisondeza kuye. Ungathanda yini ukuba abangane bakho bakubize ngokuthi “mnumzane” noma “ntokazi,” noma ungathanda ukuba bakubize ngegama lakho? Ngisho noma bekhuluma olunye ulimi futhi bengaliphimiseli kahle igama lakho, ubusengathanda ukuba bakubize ngegama, akunjalo? Kunjalo nangoNkulunkulu. Ufuna ukuba sisebenzise igama lakhe siqu, elithi Jehova.

NgesiZulu, iningi labantu lazi ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu liphinyiselwa ngokuthi “Jehova.” Bekungeke yini kufaneleke ukuba bonke abathanda uNkulunkulu bambize ngegama lakhe, kanjalo basondele kuye? IBhayibheli lithi: “Sondelani kuNkulunkulu, naye uyosondela kini.”—Jakobe 4:8.