Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe AmaKristu Kufanele Ahlanganyele Emikhosini KaNcibijane?

“N TAMBAMA ngosuku olwandulela uNcibijane kuzola ngendlela engavamile,” kusho uFernando, udokotela waseBrazil. “Kodwa ngo-11 ebusuku, baqala ukufika—izixuku zabantu abanamanxeba okugwazwa noma okudutshulwa, intsha elimele ezingozini zomgwaqo nabesifazane abashayiwe. Cishe njalo imbangela yalokhu utshwala.”

Uma ucabangela okungenhla, akumangalisi ukuthi iphephabhuku elithile laseBrazil labhekisela osukwini lokuqala lonyaka ngokuthi usuku lwebhabhalazi lomhlaba wonke. Ingosi yezindaba yaseYurophu ithi “uNcibijane ungowabantu abavamile abazitika ngenjabulo,” yenezela ngokuthi “ungomunye umzuliswano empini engunaphakade phakathi komuntu notshwala.”

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi akubona bonke abantu abagubha uNcibijane ngokuphuza badakwe nangokwenza izenzo zobudlova. Eqinisweni, abaningi basikhumbula ngenjabulo lesi senzakalo. “Lapho sisakhula, sasilinda usuku olwandulela uNcibijane ngelikhulu isasasa,” kusho uFernando, ocashunwe ekuqaleni. “Njalo kwakuba nemidlalo eminingi, ukudla neziphuzo. Phakathi kwamabili sasangana bese sifiselana ‘Unyaka Omuhle!’”

Ngokufanayo, abaningi namuhla banomuzwa wokuthi bahlanganyela emikhosini kaNcibijane ngaphandle kokweqisa. Noma kunjalo, amaKristu kufanele ahlole umsuka nokubaluleka kwalo mkhosi othandwayo. Ingabe imikhosi kaNcibijane ingqubuzana nezimfundiso zeBhayibheli?

Amaqiniso Omlando

Imikhosi kaNcibijane ayimisha. Imibhalo eqoshiwe yasendulo ibonisa ukuthi yayigujwa eBabiloni ngisho nasenkulungwaneni yesithathu yeminyaka B.C.E. Lo mkhosi, owawugujwa maphakathi no-March, wawubalulekile. I-World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Ngaleso sikhathi unkulunkulu uMarduk wayenquma isiphetho salokho okuzokwehlela izwe phakathi nonyaka ozolandela.” Umkhosi waseBabiloni wokugubha unyaka omusha wawuthatha izinsuku ezingu-11 futhi wawuhlanganisa nokwenziwa kwemihlatshelo, ukushaya udwendwe namasiko okuzala.

Isikhathi esithile, amaRoma nawo ayeqala unyaka wawo ngenyanga ka-March. Kodwa ngo-46 B.C.E., uMbusi uJulius Caesar wakhipha isinqumo sokuthi kufanele uqale ngosuku lokuqala luka-January. Kakade lolo suku lwase lunikezelwe kuJanus, unkulunkulu weziqalo, futhi manje lwaluzophawula nosuku lokuqala lonyaka wamaRoma. Usuku lwashintsha, kodwa umoya wokujabula wawusekhona. I-Cyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong ithi ngosuku lokuqala luka-January, abantu “babezitika ngokweqisa okukhulu, nangezinkolelo-ze ezihlukahlukene zobuqaba.”

Ngisho nanamuhla, amasiko enkolelo-ze asenengxenye emikhosini kaNcibijane. Ngokwesibonelo, ezingxenyeni ezithile zeNingizimu Melika, abaningi bamukela uNcibijane bemi ngonyawo lwesokudla. Abanye bashaya amacilongo bashise neziqhumane. Ngokwesiko lamaCzech, usuku olwandulela uNcibijane luyisikhathi sokudla isobho likadali, kanti ngokwesiko lamaSlovak abantu bafaka imali noma amazenga enhlanzi ngaphansi kwendwangu yetafula. Amasiko anjalo, ahloselwe ukuxosha ishwa nokuletha ukuchuma, abhebhethekisa inkolelo yasendulo yokuthi ukuqala konyaka kuyisikhathi sokunquma okuzokwenzeka.

Umbono WeBhayibheli

IBhayibheli liyala amaKristu ukuba ‘ahambe ngokufaneleyo, hhayi ngemibuthano exokozelayo nangezikhathi zokudakwa.’a (Roma 13:12-14; Galathiya 5:19-21; 1 Petru 4:3) Njengoba imikhosi kaNcibijane iphawuleka ngakho kanye ukweqisa okulahlwa yiBhayibheli, amaKristu awahlanganyeli kuyo. Lokhu akusho ukuthi amaKristu aqeda injabulo. Ngokuphambene nalokho, ayazi ukuthi iBhayibheli litshela abakhulekeli bakaNkulunkulu weqiniso ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuba bajabule—futhi ngenxa yezizathu eziningi. (Duteronomi 26:10, 11; IHubo 32:11; IzAga 5:15-19; UmShumayeli 3:22; 11:9) Futhi iBhayibheli liyavuma ukuthi ngokuvamile ukudla nokuphuza kuhambisana nokujabula.—IHubo 104:15; UmShumayeli 9:7a.

Kodwa-ke, njengoba sibonile, imikhosi kaNcibijane isekelwe emasikweni obuqaba. Ukukhulekela kwamanga kungcolile futhi kuyanengeka emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu, futhi amaKristu ayayenqaba imikhuba enemisuka enjalo. (Duteronomi 18:9-12; Hezekeli 22:3, 4) Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Kunabudlelwane buni ukulunga nokungabi namthetho? Noma ukukhanya kunasabelo sini nobumnyama? Ngaphezu kwalokho, ikuphi ukuvumelana okukhona phakathi kukaKristu noBeliyali?” Ngesizathu esihle, uPawulu wanezela: “Niyeke ukuthinta into engahlanzekile.”—2 Korinte 6:14-17a.

AmaKristu ayaqaphela futhi ukuthi ukuhlanganyela emasikweni enkolelo-ze akuqinisekisi injabulo nokuchuma—ikakhulukazi ngoba ukuhlanganyela emikhosini enjalo kungasilahlekisela umusa kaNkulunkulu. (UmShumayeli 9:11; Isaya 65:11, 12) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli liyala amaKristu ukuba alinganisele futhi azithibe endleleni aziphatha ngayo. (1 Thimothewu 3:2, 11) Ngokusobala, bekuyoba okungafanele ngomuntu othi ulandela izimfundiso zikaKristu ukuba yingxenye yomkhosi onokweqisa okungalawuleki.

Nakuba imikhosi kaNcibijane ingase ikhange futhi ihehe, iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuba ‘siyeke ukuthinta into engahlanzekile’ futhi ‘sizihlanze kukho konke ukungcola kwenyama nokomoya.’ Labo abavumelana nalezi ziqondiso, uJehova ubanikeza lesi siqinisekiso esijabulisayo: “Ngizonamukela. . . . Ngiyoba uyihlo, nina niyoba amadodana namadodakazi kimi.” (2 Korinte 6:17b–7:1) Yebo, labo abaqotho kuye ubathembisa izibusiso nokuchuma kwaphakade.—IHubo 37:18, 28; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4, 7.

[Umbhalo waphansi]