1921 Eminyakeni Eyikhulu Edlule

INQABAYOKULINDA kaJanuwari 1, 1921, yabuza abaFundi BeBhayibheli lo mbuzo: “Usiphatheleni lo nyaka?” Yabe isicaphuna u-Isaya 61:1, 2 owabakhumbuza ngomsebenzi wabo wokushumayela. “UJehova ungigcobile ukuba ngishumayele izindaba ezinhle kwabathotshisiweyo . . . ngimemezele umnyaka womusa kaJehova nosuku lokuphindisela lukaNkulunkulu wethu.”

ABASHUMAYELI ABANESIBINDI

Ukuze bafeze umsebenzi wabo, abaFundi BeBhayibheli kwakuzodingeka bangesabi. Kwakuzodingeka bamemezele “izindaba ezinhle” kwabamnene “nosuku lokuphindisela” kwababi.

UMfoweth’ uJ. H. Hoskin, owayehlala eCanada, wafakaza ngesibindi naphezu kokuphikiswa. Entwasahlobo yango-1921, wahlangana nomshumayeli waseWeseli. UMfoweth’ uHoskin waqala ingxoxo yakhe ngokuthi: “Kufanele sivumelane lapho sixoxa ngemiBhalo, ngisho noma singaboni ngaso linye kwezinye izinto, ingaba khona indlela yokuthi sixoxe ngokuzwana nangobungani.” Kodwa lokho akwenzekanga. UMfoweth’ uHoskin wathi: “Kwathi nje sisaxoxe imizuzwana, [umshumayeli] washaya umnyango kakhulu kangangokuba ngangicabanga ukuthi ingilazi yawo izophihlika iwe.”

Umshumayeli wamemeza: “Kungani ungayi kubahedeni uyokhuluma nabo?” UMfoweth’ uHoskin wazibamba, kodwa lapho esehamba wacabanga, ‘Bekungathi ngikhuluma naye uqobo lwakhe!’

Ngosuku olulandelayo, lo mshumayeli waqhubeka esho izinto ezimbi ngoMfoweth’ uHoskin esontweni lakhe. UMfoweth’ uHoskin wathi: “Waxwayisa umhlambi wakhe ngami, watshela abantu ukuthi ngangiwumkhohlisi omubi kunabo bonke abake baba khona kulelo dolobha futhi kwakufanele ngidutshulwe.” Lokho akuzange kumphazamise, waqhubeka eshumayela futhi wathola imiphumela emihle. Wathi: “Angikaze ngikujabulele kanje ukushumayela. Abanye abantu babeze bathi, ‘Ngiyazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu!’ bangibuze nokuthi kukhona yini abangangisiza ngakho ukuze ngingasweli lutho.”

ISIFUNDO SOMUNTU SIQU NESOMKHAYA

Ukuze basize abantu bathuthuke, abaFundi BeBhayibheli bafaka izinhlelo zokutadisha iBhayibheli kumagazini i-Golden Age.a Uhlelo lwesiFundo SeBhayibheli Sentsha lwalunemibuzo abazali ababengaxoxa ngayo nezingane zabo. Abazali kwakufanele “babuze izingane zabo le mibuzo, bazisize zithole izimpendulo zayo eBhayibhelini.” Eminye imibuzo efana nothi “Zingaki izincwadi eziseBhayibhelini?,” yayifundisa amaqiniso ayisisekelo. Eminye, efana nothi “Ingabe wonke amaKristu eqiniso kufanele alindele ushushiso?,” yayisiza abasha ukuba balungele ukuba abashumayeli abanesibindi.

Uhlelo olubizwa ngokuthi i-Advanced Studies in the Divine Plan of the Ages lwalunemibuzo eyenzelwe abaFundi BeBhayibheli abavuthiwe, izimpendulo zayo zazitholakala emqulwini wokuqala we-Studies in the Scriptures. Izinkulungwane zabafundi zazuza kulezi zinhlelo, kodwa i-Golden Age kaDisemba 21, 1921, yamemezela ukuthi zombili lezi zinhlelo zazingeke zisaba khona. Kungani kwenziwa lolo shintsho?

INCWADI ENTSHA!

Incwadi ethi *The Harp of God*

Ikhadi lesabelo sokufunda

Amakhadi emibuzo

Abaholayo baqaphela ukuthi abafundi beBhayibheli abasha kwakudingeka bafundiswe amaqiniso ayisisekelo ngendlela ehlelekile. Ngenxa yalokho, ngoNovemba 1921 kwakhululwa incwadi ethi The Harp of God. Labo ababeyamukela le ncwadi babebhaliswa ohlelweni lokufunda olubizwa ngokuthi i-The Harp Bible Study Course. Lolu hlelo lwalusiza abafundi baqonde “injongo kaNkulunkulu yokubusisa isintu ngokuphila okuphakade.” Lwalusebenza kanjani?

Lapho umuntu amukela incwadi, wayethola nesabelo sokufunda esibhalwe ekhadini elincane. Ngeviki elilandelayo, wayethola ikhadi elinemibuzo eminingi esekelwe kuleso sabelo. Lelo khadi laliphetha ngesabelo sokufunda sangeviki elilandelayo.

Iviki ngalinye, kuze kuphele amaviki angu-12, umfundi wayethola ikhadi elisha elalithunyelwa ikilasi noma ibandla lendawo. Ngokuvamile, amakhadi ayethunyelwa yilabo asebekhulile ebandleni noma abangasenawo amandla. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Anna K. Gardner, waseMillvale, ePennsylvania, e-U.S.A., wathi: “Lapho kukhululwa incwadi ethi The Harp of God, uThayle, udadewethu ongakwazi ukuhamba kahle, wathola umsebenzi ayengawenza wokuthumela amakhadi emibuzo iviki neviki.” Lapho lolu hlelo lokufunda seluphelile, umfundi wayevakashelwa othile wasebandleni ukuze amsize afunde okwengeziwe ngeBhayibheli.

UThayle Gardner uhleli esihlalweni sabakhubazekile

UMSEBENZI OWAWUSEZA

Ekupheleni konyaka, uMfoweth’ uJ. F. Rutherford wathumelela wonke amakilasi incwadi. Waphawula wathi, “Umsebenzi wokufakaza ngoMbuso kulo nyaka ube mkhulu futhi uphumelele kakhulu kunalowo owenziwe kunoma imuphi unyaka wenkathi yokuvuna.” Wenezela: “Mningi umsebenzi okusamelwe wenziwe. Khuthazani abanye ukuba bahlanganyele kulo msebenzi obusisiwe.” Ngokusobala, abaFundi BeBhayibheli basilalela leso seluleko. Ngo-1922 babezomemezela uMbuso ngesibindi ngendlela ababengakaze benze ngayo.

Abangane Abanesibindi

AbaFundi BeBhayibheli babonisana uthando lobuzalwane ngokusizana. Babengabangane abanesibindi abazalelwe ‘isikhathi sosizi,’ njengoba sizobona.—IzAga 17:17.

NgoLwesibili, ngomhla ka-31 Meyi, 1921, eTulsa, e-Oklahoma, e-U.S.A., kwaqubuka isenzakalo kamuva esabizwa ngokuthi ukuQothulwa Kohlanga KwaseTulsa, ngemva kokuba kuboshwe owesilisa omnyama futhi wabekwa icala lokuhlasela owesifazane omhlophe. Lapho iqulu lamadoda amhlophe angu-1 000 lilwa neqembu elincane lamadoda amnyama, ngokushesha leyo mpi yabhebhethekela endaweni yaseGreenwood ehlala abantu abamnyama, kwaphangwa futhi kwashiswa imizi namabhizinisi okungaphezu kuka-1 400. Imibiko yathi kwafa abantu abangu-36, kodwa kungenzeka ukuthi empeleni babebaningi kakhulu kunalokho.

UMfoweth’ uRichard J. Hill, owayengumFundi WeBhayibheli onsundu ohlala eGreenwood, wachaza okwenzeka: “Ngelanga okwahlaselwa ngalo, ebusuku saba nekilasi lethu lokutadisha iBhayibheli njengokuvamile. Lapho ikilasi seliphelile sezwa kuqhuma izibhamu. Saze salala kulokhu kudutshulwa.” Lapho kusa ngoLwesithathu ngoJuni 1, isimo sase sisibi nakakhulu. “Kwafika abantu abathile basitshela ukuthi uma sifuna ukuphepha kumelwe siye ehholo lomphakathi ngokushesha.” Ngakho uMfoweth’ uHill nomkakhe nezingane zabo ezinhlanu babalekela ehholo lomphakathi laseTulsa. Kuleyo ndawo, kwakunabantu abamnyama abacishe babengu-3 000 ababegadwe amasosha ayebizelwe ukuzolamula impi.

Cishe ngaleso sikhathi uMfoweth’ u-Arthur Claus, owayemhlophe, wathatha isinqumo esabonisa isibindi. “Lapho ngizwa ukuthi abantu abahlaselayo bagcwele eGreenwood, bayaphanga futhi bashisa imizi, nganquma ukuyohlola umngane wami, uMzalwan’ uHill.”

U-Arthur Claus wafundisa ikilasi elinezingane ezingu-14 esebenzisa incwadi ethi The Harp of God

Lapho efika emzini kaMfoweth’ uHill, wazithela phezu komakhelwane omhlophe ophethe isibhamu. Lowo makhelwane, naye owayengumngane kaMfoweth’ uHill, wacabanga ukuthi u-Arthur wayengomunye wabahlaselayo. Wamemeza wathi, “Ufunani lapho?”

U-Arthur wathi, “Ukube ngamnika impendulo engamenelisi, wayezongidubula. Ngamqinisekisa ukuthi ngingumngane kaMfoweth’ uHill nokuthi ngangike ngamvakashela kaningi.” U-Arthur nalowo makhelwane bakwazi ukuvikela umuzi ukuba ungaphangwa.

Ngokushesha, u-Arthur wathola ukuthi uMfoweth’ uHill nomndeni wakhe babesehholo lomphakathi. U-Arthur watshelwa ukuthi abantu abamnyama babengavumelekile ukuhamba bengayitholanga imvume esayinwe uJenene uBarrett, owayephethe. U-Arthur wathi: “Kwakunzima ukumthola ujenene. Lapho ngimtshela engangifuna ukukwenza, wangibuza: ‘Uzokwazi ukuwunakekela lo mndeni nezidingo zawo?’ Ngavumela phezulu.”

Eseyitholile imvume, u-Arthur waphuthuma waya ehholo lomphakathi. Wafike wayinika iphoyisa elababaza lathi: “Habe! Isayinwe ujenene uqobo lwakhe! Uyazi ukuthi selokhu kusile wena ungumuntu wokuqala ozothatha abantu la?” Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, bamthola uMfoweth’ uHill nomndeni wakhe. Bonke bangena emotweni ka-Arthur bahamba.

UMfoweth’ uClaus waqikelela ukuthi uMfoweth’ uHill nomndeni wakhe baphephile. Ukubonisa kwakhe isibindi nothando lobuzalwane kwaba nemiphumela emihle kwabanye. U-Arthur wathi: “Umakhelwane esasivikele naye umuzi wakwaHill wabahlonipha nakakhulu oFakazi BakaJehova. Abantu abaningi bafisa ukwazi okwengeziwe ngoMbuso ngoba babona ukuthi sasingahlukanisiwe uhlanga, sonke sasingabantu abalinganayo abazinikezele kuNkulunkulu.”

a I-Golden Age yabizwa ngokuthi i-Consolation ngo-1937 yaba i-Phaphama! ngo-1946.