Umbono WeBhayibheli
Kuthiwani Ngeziqu Zokuhlonishwa?
NJENGOBA amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayeqhubeka nemisebenzi yawo yansuku zonke futhi eshumayela nezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, ayehlangana nezikhulu zikahulumeni eziningana—ezazinezikhundla eziphansi neziphakeme. Abafundi bakaJesu ngokwabo abazange bazisebenzise iziqu zokuhlukaniswa ngezikhundla ekuphileni. Nokho, kwakuvamile ngaleso sikhathi ukubabiza ngeziqu abantu ngabanye ababesezikhundleni zokuphatha. Umbusi wamaRoma wayebizwa ngokuthi “Mhlonishwa.”—IzEnzo 25:21.
Ngakho lapho bevela phambi kwezikhulu zikahulumeni, abafundi bakaJesu bakubheka kanjani ukusetshenziswa kweziqu zokuhlonishwa? Thina kufanele sikubheke kanjani?
Ukuhlonipha, Akukhona Ukugunyaza
Umphostoli uPawulu waluleka amanye amakholwa ukuba ‘anike bonke okubafaneleyo, lowo ofuna inhlonipho, inhlonipho enjalo.’ (Roma 13:7) Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa nokubiza izikhulu ngeziqu zazo. Namuhla isiqu esinjengesithi Mhlonishwa naso sivame ukusetshenziselwa ukubiza izikhulu zikahulumeni. Kodwa abanye bangase babuze, ‘Ngingambiza kanjani umuntu ngaleyo ndlela uma ngisola ukuthi ukuziphatha kwakhe akuhloniphekile?’
Izikhulu eziningi zikahulumeni zenza imisebenzi ngendlela efanele, kodwa akuzona zonke ezinokwethenjelwa. Noma kunjalo, iBhayibheli lisinxusa ukuba sizithobe emakhosini nakubabusi “ngenxa yeNkosi.” (1 Petru 2:13, 14) Ngakho-ke, ukuqaphela isikhundla segunya isikhulu sikahulumeni esikuso ngemvume kaNkulunkulu kuyosishukumisela ukuba sibonise inhlonipho nodumo olusifanele.—Roma 13:1.
Ukuziphatha kwesikhulu sikahulumeni akukhona okunqumayo kule ndaba. Akusona isizathu leso sokusihlonipha. Ukubiza isikhulu sikahulumeni ngesiqu saso sokuhlonishwa akubonisi ukuthi siyavumelana nokuziphatha kwaso. Lokhu kuboniswa yisenzakalo esithile ekuphileni komphostoli uPawulu.
Ukusebenzisa KukaPawulu Iziqu
Umphostoli uPawulu waboshwa eJerusalema ngamacala angamanga futhi wayiswa phambi kukaFeliksi, umbusi waseJudiya. UFeliksi wayengesona neze isikhulu sikahulumeni esiyisibonelo. Isazi-mlando esingumRoma uTacitus sabhala ukuthi uFeliksi “wayecabanga ukuthi wayengenza noma yini embi angajeziswa.” Wayekujabulela kakhulu ukufunjathiswa kunokwenza ubulungisa. Noma kunjalo, phakathi neminyaka emibili esetilongweni, uPawulu wamhlonipha lo mbusi, futhi babevame ukuxoxa bobabili—uFeliksi ethemba ukuthi uzomfumbathisa, okuyinto engazange yenzeke, futhi uPawulu wasebenzisa leli thuba ukuze amshumayeze.—IzEnzo 24:26.
Lapho uFestu ethatha isikhundla ngemva kaFeliksi, lo mbusi omusha walalela icala likaPawulu eKhesariya. Ukuze athandwe abaholi bamaJuda, uFestu wasikisela ukuba icala likaPawulu liqulwe eJerusalema. Kodwa uPawulu wayazi ukuthi icala lakhe lalingase liqulwe ngendlela engenabo ubulungisa lapho, ngakho wasebenzisa ilungelo lakhe lokuba yisakhamuzi saseRoma, wathi: “Ngidlulisela icala kuKhesari!”—IzEnzo 25:11.
UFestu wayengaqiniseki ukuthi angakuchaza kanjani ukumangalelwa kukaPawulu kuKhesari, kodwa wathola usizo lapho kufika iNkosi u-Agripha II imvakashele futhi yaba nesithakazelo kuleli cala. Ngosuku olulandelayo, ngokubukisa okukhulu, abakhuzi bempi nezicukuthwane zendawo baphelezela inkosi lapho ingena egumbini lezilaleli.—IzEnzo 25:13-23.
Lapho kuthiwa akakhulume, uPawulu wasebenzisa isiqu esithi “Nkosi” lapho eqala ukukhuluma futhi wahlonipha u-Agripha ngokuba yisazi samasiko nezimpikiswano phakathi kwamaJuda. (IzEnzo 26:2, 3) Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakwaziwa kabanzi ukuthi u-Agripha wayenobuhlobo obukhohlakele bokuziphatha kabi nodadewabo. Ngokuqinisekile uPawulu wayelazi idumela elibi lika-Agripha lokuthi wayephila ukuphila okungcolile. Kodwa noma kunjalo, uPawulu wamhlonipha ngendlela efanele njengenkosi.
Phakathi nokuzikhulumela kukaPawulu, uFestu wababaza: “Uyahlanya, Pawulu!” Kunokuba acasuke, waphendula ngesizotha, ebiza lo mbusi ngokuthi “Mhlonishwa.” (IzEnzo 26:24, 25) UPawulu wambonisa inhlonipho eyayifanele isikhundla sakhe. Kodwa, lezi zibonelo ziphakamisa umbuzo, Ingabe ukhona umngcele wenhlonipho okufanele iboniswe?
Isilinganiso Esithile Senhlonipho
Igunya lohulumeni lilinganiselwe njengoba kuboniswe kweyabaseRoma 13:1, ethi: “Amagunya akhona ami ezikhundleni zawo ezilinganiselwe ebekwe nguNkulunkulu.” Ngakho, inhlonipho efanele ngezikhulu zikahulumeni nayo ilinganiselwe. UJesu waveza ukuthi igcina kuphi inhlonipho okufanele inikwe abanye lapho etshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi: “Maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi, ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, kanti nonke nina ningabafowabo bomunye nomunye. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngoba munye onguYihlo, yiLowo osezulwini. Ningabizwa futhi ngokuthi ‘abaholi,’ ngoba munye onguMholi wenu, uKristu.”—Mathewu 23:8-10.
Umehluko ophakathi kweziqu zenkolo nezomphakathi ubeka umngcele uma kuziwa ekuboniseni inhlonipho efanele. Esimweni lapho izikhulu zomphakathi zithola iziqu zenkolo, iseluleko sikaPawulu sokuzinika inhlonipho ngeke sifinyelele ekusebenziseni iziqu zenhlonipho ezinjalo. Umuntu olandela iseluleko esingokomBhalo wayeyoziphatha ngenhlonipho lezo zikhulu. Kodwa, unembeza wakhe oqeqeshwe ngeBhayibheli wawuyomshukumisela ukuba enqabe ukusebenzisa noma isiphi isiqu senkolo, njengoba enesibopho ‘sokubuyisela izinto zikaNkulunkulu kuNkulunkulu.’—Mathewu 22:21.
INGABE WAKE WAZIBUZA?
◼ Abalandeli bakaJesu babezibheka kanjani izikhulu zomphakathi?—Roma 13:7.
◼ Ingabe umphostoli uPawulu wazisebenzisa iziqu zokuhlonipha izikhulu zikahulumeni?—IzEnzo 25:11; 26:2, 25.
◼ Hlobo luni lweziqu uJesu alwenqabela?—Mathewu 23:8-10.
[Isithombe ekhasini 20, 21]
UPawulu wambiza ngokuthini u-Agripha?