Umbono WeBhayibheli
Iminikelo Eyenzelwa Abasweleyo—Ingabe Iyisibopho SamaKristu?
EMINYAKENI engaphansi kweyishumi edlule, i-PTL (Praise the Lord) Club, indlunkulu yayo eseningizimu-mpumalanga ye-United States, yakhankasela iminikelo njengenhlangano engokwenkolo esiza abasweleyo. Besebenzisa inxanxathela yeziphuphutheki nama-TV kanye nezincwadi, baqoqa amakhulu ezigidi zamaRandi, ezaqoqwa ngobuthaphuthaphu ukuze zigcwalise amabhokisi abo emali—ngokusobala ukuze kusakazwe lelivangeli.
Cabanga nje ngendlela izinkulungwane ezazithumele imali kuyi-PTL Club ezazizwa ngayo lapho zifunda imibiko yezindaba enjengeyakhishwa yi-Associated Press eyathi uJim Bakker, owayengumongameli we-PTL, kanye nomkakhe, uTammy, “kubikwa ukuthi bakhokhelwa emholweni nebhonasi [amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-4,7] ngo-1986.” Okubi nangaphezulu, lombiko wenezela: “Bakhokhelwa leyomali ngisho nakuba lenkonzo ikweleta okungenani [amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-145] . . . Imali ye-PTL engaba [amaRandi angu-780 000] yayibekelwe eceleni ngenxa [kaJessica] Hahn ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuthi akayidaluli indaba yobuhlobo bakhe [bobulili] noBakker.”
Ngaphambi kokuba agwebe uBakker ngenxa yokuphamba abalandeli bakhe, umahluleli ecaleni lakhe wathi: “Labo kithi abanenkolo bakhathele ukuba iziphukuphuku zabashumayeli nabapristi abahahela imali.”
Inkolo ayiyodwa ekushukumiseni ngentshiseko imizwelo yabanikelayo bese izigcinela eningi yaleyomali. Kuyinto evamile ngabanye abaqoqi bezimali ukugcina amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-90 eminikelo abayiqoqayo.
Khona-ke, ingabe kuyamangalisa yini ukuthi abantu bayanengwa izinhlangano ezinjalo? Nokho, amaKristu kufanele enzeni? Ingabe abophekile ukuba anikele ezinhlanganweni ezihleliwe zokusiza abasweleyo? Iziphi iziqondiso ezinikezwa iBhayibheli ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukusetshenziswa ngokuhlakanipha kwezimali lapho kusizwa abanye? Iyiphi indlela engcono newusizo kakhulu yokusiza abanye?
Ukupha—Lapho Kufanele Nalapho Kungafanele
Eqinisweni, iseluleko seBhayibheli siwukuba nomusa nokupha abasweleyo. Kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo abantu bakaNkulunkulu baye bakhuthazwa ukuba “baphane, babelane.” (1 Thimothewu 6:18; Duteronomi 15:7, 10, 11) Eqinisweni, amaKristu ayatshelwa encwadini yoku-1 Johane 3:17: “Yena onemfuyo yezwe, ebona umzalwane wakhe eswele, amvalele isihawu sakhe, uthando lukaNkulunkulu lungahlala kanjani kuye na?”
Yipha, yebo; kodwa yiba ngoqaphayo! Ngaso sonke isikhathi sinxuswa izinhlangano zokusiza abasweleyo, izinkolo, nemikhankaso yaminyaka yonke yenkonzo yomphakathi; iningi lenza izicelo ezishukumisayo. Nokho, ekuzihlaziyeni kuhle ukukhumbula lesisaga seBhayibheli: “Ongenalwazi uyakholwa ngamazwi onke, kepha oqondileyo uyaqaphela ukunyathela kwakhe.” (IzAga 14:15) Ngamanye amazwi, yiba ngoqaphayo ekwamukeleni ukuzisholo noma izithembiso zezinhlangano ezisiza abasweleyo ngalokho ezibonakala ziyikho. Isetshenziswa kanjani ngempela imali eqoqiwe? Ingabe izinhlangano ezinikezwa imali yilezo umKristu okufanele azisekele? Ingabe imisebenzi yazo eyezombangazwe, ubuzwe, noma ihlangene nenkolo yamanga? Ingabe injongo eziyimelelayo iwusizo futhi ayishayisani nezimiso ezingokomBhalo?
Ezinye izinhlangano ziyakwazi ukwenzela abantu abasweleyo okuningi okuhle. Lapho ehlaselwa izinhlekelele ezingokwemvelo noma ukugula okukhulu, ezikhathini eziningi amaKristu ngokwawo aye amukela izinzuzo ezivela ezinhlanganweni ezinjalo ezisiza abampofu. Nokho, ezinye izinhlangano zinezindleko eziphakeme zokuqondisa noma zokuqoqa izimali, okwenza ukuthi ingxenye encane kuphela yemali eqoqwayo isetshenziselwe injongo ehlosiwe ngempela. Ngokwesibonelo, ukuhlola kwamuva nje okwenziwa ezinhlanganweni ezingu-117 zase-United States ezingenzi zinzuzo ezinkulu kakhulu, kuhlanganise nezinhlangano ezisiza abasweleyo, kwathola ukuthi ezingaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezine zazo zikhokhela abaqondisi bazo abaphambili iholo lonyaka elingamaRandi angu-590 000 noma ngaphezulu. Ukuhlolwa kwezimali ngokuvamile kwembula izindleko zezinto zokunethezeka nokusekela ngokwezimali indlela yokuphila esaphazayo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi liyini igama laleyonhlangano, cishe ngeke kwenzeke ukukholelwa ukuthi ukunikela ezinhlanganweni ezinjalo kuyogcwalisa umyalo weBhayibheli wokusiza abasweleyo.
Umbono Olinganiselwe
Nakuba engekho ofuna ukusaphaza imali yakhe—noma okubi kunalokho, ayibone isetshenziselwa ukucebisa abantu abakhonza izithakazelo zabo—kunesidingo futhi sokuxwaya ukungabethembi abantu endabeni yokupha. Ungakusebenzisi ukwehluleka noma ngisho nokungathembeki kwezinye “izinhlangano” njengezaba zokungabanaki abahluphekayo noma ukugodla imizwa yozwela. IzAga 3:27, 28 ziyeluleka: “Ungagodleli abaninikho okuhle, lapho kusemandleni esandla sakho ukukwenza. Ungasho kumakhelwane wakho ukuthi: Hamba, ubuye, ngiyakukunika kusasa, lapho kukhona kuwe.” (Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Johane 3:18.) Ungaphethi ngokuthi zonke izinhlangano ezihleliwe zokusiza abasweleyo ziyasaphaza noma ziyakhohlisa. Hlola amaqiniso, bese wenza isinqumo somuntu siqu sokupha noma cha.
Abaningi bakhetha ukusiza ngezipho zomuntu siqu, eziqondiswa kubantu abasweleyo nemikhaya yabo. Kanjalo, abaphayo bayaqiniseka ngokusetshenziswa okungokoqobo nokusheshayo kweminikelo yabo. Lokhu futhi kunikeza ithuba lokwakha nokubonakalisa umusa ngamazwi kanye nangezenzo. Ngisho nakuba ungenakho okuningi kokupha ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo, usengaba nayo injabulo yokupha. Ngokulandelayo lapho uzwa ngesidingo sangempela sosizo olunjalo, yipha ngalokho onakho ngomoya weyesi-2 Korinte 8:12: “Ngokuba uma uthando lukhona, kwamukeleka njengalokho umuntu anakho, kungenjengalokho angenakho.”
Khumbula futhi ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi okuthile kungase kube kuhle kakhulu kunemali. UJesu watshela abalandeli bakhe ukuba ‘bahambe bashumayele bathi: Umbuso wezulu ususondele. . . . Namukelisiwe ngesihle, yiphani ngesihle.’ (Mathewu 10:7, 8) Ngokufanayo namuhla, amaKristu ayaqaphela ukuthi isikhathi, amandla, nemali okusetshenziselwa ukusekela ukufakaza ngoMbuso—okuthuthukisa ukuphila futhi kunikeze ithemba—kuwukupha komusa okungcono kakhulu.
Khona-ke, umbono weBhayibheli uwukuba nomusa, ukuphana, nokunikeza usizo. Usikhumbuza ukuthi usizo lwezinto ezibonakalayo ngokuvamile luyadingeka, futhi lesosidingo akufanele singanakwa. Ngesikhathi esifanayo ungazizwa ubophekile ukupha noma ubani nabo bonke abangase bacele imali yakho. Cabangela indlela okungcono kakhulu ngayo ukusebenzisa imali onayo ukuze uthokozise uNkulunkulu futhi unikeze usizo olukhulu olungokoqobo emkhayeni wakho siqu nakumakhelwane wakho. (1 Thimothewu 5:8; Jakobe 2:15, 16) Lingisa uJesu ngokuba oziqaphelayo nosabelayo ezidingweni zabanye—ezingokomoya nezezinto ezibonakalayo. Ngokwamazwi amaHeberu 13:16: ‘Ungakhohlwa ukwenza okuhle nokuphana, ngokuba iminikelo enjalo uNkulunkulu uthokoziswa yiyo.’