Wugijime Ngokukhuthazela Umncintiswano
“Masiwugijime ngokukhuthazela lo mncintiswano obekwe phambi kwethu.”—HEB. 12:1.
1, 2. Umphostoli uPawulu wayifanisa nani inkambo yokuphila yamaKristu?
MINYAKA yonke, kugijinywa imincintiswano yamabanga amade emazweni amaningi. Labo okuthiwa ompetha bokugijima bayingenela benomgomo owodwa—ukunqoba. Abanye abaningi abayingenelayo ababi nomgomo ophakeme kangako. Kubo, ukugijima baze baliqede ibanga elinqunyiwe kukodwa kuyinto enkulu abaziqhenya ngayo.
2 EBhayibhelini, inkambo yokuphila yamaKristu iye yafaniswa nomncintiswano. Umphostoli uPawulu waqaphelisa amaKristu ayekanye nawo aseKorinte yasendulo leli qiniso encwadini yakhe yokuqala awabhalela yona. Wabhala: “Anazi yini ukuthi emncintiswaneni abagijimi bagijima bonke, kodwa munye kuphela owamukela umklomelo? Gijimani ngendlela yokuba niwufinyelele.”—1 Kor. 9:24.
3. Kungani uPawulu ethi munye kuphela umgijimi onqobayo?
3 Ingabe uPawulu wayesho ukuthi munye kuphela kulawo maKristu owayeyothola umklomelo wokuphila futhi bonke abanye babeyogijimela ize? Lutho neze! Abantu ababegijima imincintiswano babeziqeqesha futhi bezikhandla kakhulu benomgomo wokunqoba. UPawulu wayefuna ukuba amaKristu akanye nawo azikhandle ngaleyo ndlela ekufuneni kwawo ukuphila okuphakade. Uma ayengenza kanjalo, ayengaba nethemba lokuzuza umklomelo wokuphila. Yebo, emncintiswaneni wamaKristu, bonke abawuqedayo bayawuthola lowo mklomelo.
4. Yini okudingeka siyicabangele ngomncintiswano obekwe phambi kwethu?
4 Lawo mazwi ayakhuthaza, nokho ayasangulukisa kubo bonke abangenele umncintiswano wokuphila namuhla. Kungani? Ngoba umklomelo—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi owokuphila ezulwini noma ePharadesi emhlabeni—awunakuqhathaniswa nalutho. Yiqiniso, lo mncintiswano uyibanga elide futhi uyakhandla; kunezithiyo eziningi, izithikamezo nezingozi endleleni. (Math. 7:13, 14) Ngokudabukisayo, abanye baye behlisa ijubane, bakhathala noma ngisho bawa endleleni. Iziphi izihibe nezingozi ezikulo mncintiswano wokuphila? Ungazigwema kanjani? Yini ongayenza ukuze uwuqede, ngaleyo ndlela unqobe?
Kudingeka Ukukhuthazela Ukuze Sinqobe
5. Njengoba kulotshwe kumaHebheru 12:1, uPawulu wabhekisela kanjani emncintiswaneni?
5 Encwadini ayibhalela amaKristu angamaHebheru aseJerusalema naseJudiya, uPawulu waphinde wakhuluma ngezici zemidlalo yabasubathi noma imincintiswano. (Funda amaHebheru 12:1.) Akazange nje awaqaphelise isizathu sokungenela umncintiswano kodwa wabonisa nalokho umuntu okumelwe akwenze ukuze anqobe. Ngaphambi kokuba sihlole iseluleko sikaPawulu esiphefumulelwe asibhalela amaKristu angamaHebheru ukuze sibone ukuthi yiziphi izifundo esingazithola kuso, asihlole ukuthi yini eyashukumisela uPawulu ukuba alobe leyo ncwadi nokuthi yini ayezama ukukhuthaza abafundi bayo ukuba bayenze.
6. AmaKristu ayengaphansi kwayiphi ingcindezi evela kubaholi benkolo?
6 AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala, ikakhulukazi lawo ayehlala eJerusalema naseJudiya, ayebhekene nezimo ezivivinyayo nobunzima obuningi. Ayengaphansi kwengcindezi enkulu evela kubaholi benkolo bamaJuda, ababesenethonya elikhulu kubantu. Ngaphambili, laba baholi babephumelele ekwenzeni ukuba uJesu Kristu alahlwe ngecala lokuvukela umbuso futhi abulawe njengeselelesi. Futhi babengakadeli. Encwadini yezEnzo, sifunda izindaba eziningi zokusongela nokuhlasela kwabo amaKristu, okwaqala cishe ngokushesha nje ngemva kwezenzakalo ezimangalisayo zangePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. Ngokuqinisekile, lokhu kwenza ukuphila kwabathembekileyo kwaba lukhuni.—IzE. 4:1-3; 5:17, 18; 6:8-12; 7:59; 8:1, 3.
7. Iziphi izikhathi ezibucayi amaKristu uPawulu awabhalela ayephila kuzo?
7 Lawo maKristu futhi ayephila esikhathini sangaphambi nje kokuphela kwesimiso sezinto samaJuda. UJesu wayewatshele ngembubhiso eyayizofikela isizwe samaJuda esingathembekile. Wayetshele abalandeli bakhe nangezenzakalo ezaziyokwenzeka ngaphambi nje kokuba kufike ukuphela, wabanika neziqondiso eziqondile zesinyathelo okufanele basithathe ukuze basinde. (Funda uLuka 21:20-22.) Babeyokwenzenjani-ke? UJesu waxwayisa: “Qaphelani ukuba izinhliziyo zenu zingalokothi zisindwe ukuminza nokuphuza kakhulu nezinkathazo zokuphila, ngokungazelelwe lolo suku lunifice ngaso leso sikhathi.”—Luka 21:34.
8. Yini okungenzeka yenza amanye amaKristu ukuba anciphise ijubane noma akhathale?
8 Ngesikhathi uPawulu elobela amaHebheru incwadi yakhe, cishe kwase kuphele iminyaka engu-30 uJesu asinikeza leso sixwayiso. Ukuhamba kwesikhathi kwawathinta kanjani lawo maKristu? Amanye anqotshwa izingcindezi nezithikamezo zokuphila kwansuku zonke futhi ehluleka ukuthuthuka ngokomoya, into eyayiyowaqinisa. (Heb. 5:11-14) Kubonakala sengathi amanye aba nomuzwa wokuthi ukuphila kungaba lula kakhulu uma ayengamane ahambisane neningi lamaJuda ayewazungezile. Kakade, lawo maJuda ayengamshiyanga ngokuphelele uNkulunkulu; ayesalandela uMthetho wakhe ngezinga elithile. Amanye amaKristu ayethonywa noma esatshiswa abantu abathile ebandleni ababegqugquzela ukuba kunanyathelwe eMthethweni KaMose nasesikweni lamaJuda. Yini uPawulu ayengase ayisho eyayiyosiza abafowabo abangamaKristu ukuba bahlale bephapheme ngokomoya futhi bakhuthazele emncintiswaneni?
9, 10. (a) Isiphi isikhuthazo esanikezwa uPawulu esisithola ngasekupheleni kwesahluko 10 sencwadi yamaHebheru? (b) Kungani uPawulu abhala ngezenzo zokwethembeka zofakazi basendulo?
9 Kuyathakazelisa ukuphawula indlela uPawulu, ephefumulelwe uNkulunkulu, azama ngayo ukuqinisa amaKristu angamaHebheru. Esahlukweni 10 sencwadi yakhe, uPawulu waveza ukuthi uMthetho wawumane ‘uyisithunzi sezinto ezinhle ezizokuza’ futhi ngokusobala wawubonisa inani lomhlatshelo wesihlengo kaKristu. Ngasekupheleni kwaleso sahluko, uPawulu waxwayisa abafundi bale ncwadi: “Ninesidingo sokukhuthazela, ukuze kuthi, ngemva kokuba seniyenzile intando kaNkulunkulu, nizitholele ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso. Ngoba kusele ‘isikhathi esincane kakhulu,’ futhi ‘lowo ozayo uzofika, ngeke alibale.’”—Heb. 10:1, 36, 37.
10 KumaHebheru isahluko 11, ngekhono, uPawulu uchaza ukuthi kusho ukuthini ukuba nokholo lweqiniso kuNkulunkulu. Ubuye akucacise ngezibonelo zamadoda nabesifazane basendulo ababonisa ukholo. Kwakudingeka yini ngempela ukuba achezuke odabeni lwakhe anikeze lowo mlando? Yebo, kwakudingeka. Lo mphostoli wayazi ukuthi abakhulekeli ayekanye nabo kwakudingeka baqaphele ukuthi ukholo lwaludinga ukuba nesibindi sokuthatha isinyathelo nokukhuthazela. Isibonelo esivelele salezo zinceku zikaJehova zasendulo ezithembekile sasiyowaqinisa amaHebheru ukuze abhekane nezimo ezivivinyayo nobunzima. Ngakho, ngemva kokunikeza uhide lwezenzo zokholo zalabo bantu abathembekile basendulo, uPawulu wayengathi: “Ngenxa yokuthi sinefu elikhulu kangaka lofakazi elisihaqileyo, nathi masilahle konke okusindayo nesono esisithandela kalula, futhi masiwugijime ngokukhuthazela lo mncintiswano obekwe phambi kwethu.”—Heb. 12:1.
‘Ifu Lofakazi’
11. Ukucabanga ‘ngefu elikhulu lofakazi’ kungaba namuphi umphumela kithi?
11 ‘Ifu elikhulu lofakazi’ akhuluma ngalo lalingezona nje izibukeli, ezazize ngenjongo yokuzobuka umncintiswano kuphela noma yokuzobona umdlali oyintandokazi noma iqembu labadlali ezilithandayo linqoba. Kunalokho, lingabantu ababekade bephakathi emncintiswaneni, onjengowokugijima, futhi abasebewugijime baze bawuqeda. Nakuba manje sebafa, babengabhekwa njengabagijimi abangomakadebona abangakhuthaza abagijimi abasha emncintiswaneni. Cabanga indlela umuntu ongenele umncintiswano angase azizwe ngayo uma azi ukuthi uzungezwe noma ubukelwe abanye abagijimi abamnkantsh’ ubomvu abanqoba kaningi. Ngeke yini lokho kumshukumisele ukuba alikhiphe lonke ijubane lakhe, aze azephule? Lab’ ofakazi basendulo bangafakaza ukuthi lo mncintiswano ongokomfanekiso unganqotshwa, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ukhandla kangakanani. Ngakho, ukuhlale ekhumbula isibonelo ‘sefu lofakazi,’ kwakungawaqinisa idolo amaKristu angamaHebheru ekhulu lokuqala futhi ‘awugijime ngokukhuthazela umncintiswano’—njengoba singenza nathi namuhla.
12. Izibonelo uPawulu azinikezayo zisebenza kanjani kithi?
12 Abaningi babantu abathembekile uPawulu akhuluma ngabo babenezimo ezicishe zifane nezethu. Ngokwesibonelo, uNowa waphila esikhathini sokuphela kwezwe langaphambi kukaZamcolo. Nathi siseduze nokuphela kwalesi simiso sezinto samanje. U-Abrahama noSara bacelwa ukuba bashiye izwe lenkaba yabo ukuze bayophishekela ukukhulekela kweqiniso futhi balindele ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso sikaJehova. Nathi sinxuswa ukuba sizidele ukuze sivunyelwe uJehova futhi sithole izibusiso asiphathele zona. UMose wadabula ehlane elesabekayo, elibangise eZweni Lesithembiso. Kulesi simiso sezinto esifayo, nathi sisendleleni ebheke ezweni elisha elithenjisiwe. Kuyafaneleka ngempela ukuba sicabangisise ngalokho laba bantu abadlula kukho, izimo abaphumelela nabahluleka kuzo, kuhlanganise namandla nobuthakathaka babo.—Roma 15:4; 1 Kor. 10:11.
Baphumelela—Kanjani?
13. UNowa wabhekana naziphi izinselele, futhi yini eyamsiza ukuba azinqobe?
13 Yini eyenza lezo zinceku zikaJehova ukuba zikhuthazele futhi ziphumelele emncintiswaneni? Phawula lokho uPawulu akuloba ngoNowa. (Funda amaHebheru 11:7.) “Uzamcolo wamanzi phezu komhlaba [owawuzochitha] yonke inyama” wawuyinto uNowa ayengakaze ‘ayibone.’ (Gen. 6:17) Wawungakaze ube khona ngaphambili, uyinto eyayizobe iqatshukwa. Noma kunjalo, uNowa akazange awubheke njengento engenakwenzeka noma ngisho engacabangeki. Ngani? Ngoba wayenokholo lokuthi noma yini uJehova ayishilo, wayeyoyenza. UNowa akazange abe nomuzwa wokuthi wayecelwa ukuba enze into engaphezu kwamandla akhe. Kunalokho, “wenza kanjalo nje.” (Gen. 6:22) Uma sicabanga ngakho konke lokho uNowa okwakudingeka akwenze—ukwakha umkhumbi, ukubutha izilwane, ukufaka ukudla kwabantu nokwezilwane emkhunjini, ukushumayela isigijimi sesixwayiso nokugcina umkhaya wakhe uqinile ngokomoya—siyobona ukuthi kwakungeyona neze into elula ‘ukwenza kanjalo nje.’ Nokho, ukholo lukaNowa nokukhuthazela kwakhe kwaholela ekuphileni nasezibusisweni abazithola yena nomkhaya wakhe.
14. Iziphi izimo ezivivinyayo u-Abrahama noSara abazikhuthazelela, besinikeza siphi isifundo?
14 UPawulu ube esekhuluma ngo-Abrahama noSara ohlwini lwakhe ‘lwefu lofakazi elisihaqile.’ Bayekiswa ukuphila kwabo okuvamile e-Uri, futhi ikusasa labo lalibonakala lingaqinisekile. Baba izibonelo zokholo olungantengantengi nokulalela esingabheka kuzo lapho sibhekene nezimo ezivivinyayo. Ngenxa yakho konke ukuzidela u-Abrahama avuma ukukwenza ngenxa yokukhulekela kweqiniso, wabizwa ngokufanele ngokuthi “uyise wabo bonke abanokholo.” (Roma 4:11) UPawulu wakhuluma ngamaphuzu avelele kuphela ngo-Abrahama ngoba ayebabhalela babeyazi kahle imininingwane yokuphila kuka-Abrahama. Noma kunjalo, isifundo uPawulu asiqokomisa sinamandla: “Bonke laba [abahlanganisa no-Abrahama nomkhaya wakhe] bafa benokholo, nakuba bengakutholanga ukugcwaliseka kwezithembiso, kodwa bazibona zikude, bazamukela futhi bavuma obala ukuthi bangabafokazi nezakhamuzi zesikhashana ezweni.” (Heb. 11:13) Ngokusobala, ukholo lwabo kuNkulunkulu nobuhlobo babo bomuntu siqu naye babasiza ukuba bawugijime ngokukhuthazela umncintiswano.
15. Yini eyashukumisela uMose ukuba aphile ngendlela aphila ngayo?
15 UMose ungenye yezinceku zikaJehova eziyisibonelo eziphakathi ‘kwefu lofakazi.’ UMose washiya ukuphila okunethezekile, okuphakeme, “ekhetha ukuphathwa kabi nabantu bakaNkulunkulu.” Yini eyamshukumisela ukuba enze kanjalo? UPawulu waphendula: “Wagxilisa amehlo ekukhokhweni komvuzo. . . . Waqhubeka egxilile sengathi uyambona Lowo ongabonakali.” (Funda amaHebheru 11:24-27.) UMose akazange athikanyezwe “ukujabula isikhashana esonweni.” UNkulunkulu nezithembiso zakhe babengokoqobo kakhulu kuMose kangangokuthi wabonisa isibindi nokukhuthazela okungandile. Wazikhandla engakhathali ehola ama-Israyeli ewakhipha eGibhithe futhi ewayisa eZweni Lesithembiso.
16. Kungani uMose engazange adikile lapho engavunyelwa ukuba angene eZweni Lesithembiso?
16 Njengo-Abrahama, uMose akazange akubone ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu esikhathini sakhe. Kwathi lapho ama-Israyeli esezongena eZweni Lesithembiso, uMose watshelwa la mazwi: “Uzolibona leli zwe ukude, kodwa ngeke ungene ezweni engilinika abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.” Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi ngaphambilini, yena no-Aroni, bethukutheliswe ukuhlubuka kwabantu, ‘abasinakanga isibopho sabo kuNkulunkulu phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli emanzini aseMeriba.’ (Dut. 32:51, 52) Ingabe uMose wadikila noma wacasuka? Lutho. Wabusisa isizwe futhi waphetha ngala mazwi: “Uyajabula, Israyeli! Ubani onjengawe, isizwe esijabulela insindiso kuJehova, isihlangu sosizo lwakho, naLowo oyinkemba yakho ephakeme?”—Dut. 33:29.
Izifundo Esizitholayo
17, 18. (a) Ngokuphathelene nomncintiswano wokuphila esikuwo, yini esingayifunda ‘efwini lofakazi’? (b) Sizoxoxa ngani esihlokweni esilandelayo?
17 Ukubukeza kwethu ukuphila kwabanye balabo abakha ‘ifu lofakazi elisihaqile,’ kukwenze kwaba sobala ukuthi ukuze sigijime umncintiswano size siwuqede, kumelwe sibe nokholo oluphelele kuNkulunkulu nasezithembisweni zakhe. (Heb. 11:6) Ukholo akumelwe kube nje into esiyibonisa ngezikhathi ezithile ekuphileni kwethu; kumelwe lube umgogodla wako. Ngokungafani nabantu abangenalo ukholo, izinceku zikaJehova zikwazi ukubona ngale kwalesi sikhathi samanje. Siyakwazi ukubona “Lowo ongabonakali” kanjalo sigijime umncintiswano ngokukhuthazela.—2 Kor. 5:7.
18 Umncintiswano wamaKristu awulula. Noma kunjalo, singawugijima ngokuphumelelayo. Esihlokweni esilandelayo, sizoxoxa ngosizo olwengeziwe esinalo.
Ungachaza?
• Kungani uPawulu abhala kabanzi ngofakazi basendulo abathembekile?
• Ukulibona ngeso lengqondo ‘ifu lofakazi elisihaqile’ kungasikhuthaza kanjani ukuba sigijime ngokukhuthazela?
• Ufundeni ngokucabangela izibonelo zofakazi abathembekile abanjengoNowa, u-Abrahama, uSara noMose?
[Isithombe ekhasini 19]
U-Abrahama noSara bavuma ukushiya ukunethezeka kwase-Uri