Obani Abakhuluma Ngezilimi?
“NGOLUNYE usuku lapha ekamelweni engihlala kulo, ngangiguqile ngithandaza. Ngokungazelele ngazizwa nginenjabulo enkulu nengenakuvinjelwa. Ngaqalisa ukudumisa uNkulunkulu ngesiNgisi, khona-ke ngashintshela kolunye ulimi. Kwakungokuhlangenwe nakho okuhle kakhulu.”—Owesifazane ongumBaptist eTexas.
“Khona-ke kwenzeka ukuba ulimi lwami lubambeke, futhi ngokushesha angazanga lutho, ngangingazi lutho, kodwa ngawezwa lamandla ashukumisela ekukhulumeni. Ngangifuna ukuyeka ukukhuluma, kodwa ulimi lwami lwalushukunyiswa ngalendlela. . . . khona-ke ngizwa amazwi ami siqu, angiwaqondi, kodwa ulimi lwami luphoqelelwa ukuba lukhulume.”—Ilungu lesilisa leBandla Labaphostoli eMexico.
“Kuveza okuthile okwenzeka enhliziyweni yami.”—Indoda engumKatolika eMichigan.
Yini lena abayichazayo? Ukukhuluma ngezilimi, noma glossolaliaa ngesiGreki. Phakathi neshumi leminyaka elidlule noma amabili, izinkulungwane ezingokoqobo zabantu zithi zamukele kuNkulunkulu isipho esiyisimangaliso sezilimi. Lesi“sipho” singatholakala hayi emasontweni oMoya kuphela kodwa futhi ngokoqobo kuzo zonke izinhlelo ezamukela iziphob—iRoma Katolika, iBaptist, iWeseli, iLuthela nelaseHabe. NgokweChristianity Today—ukubuzwa kwezigidi ezingama-29 zamaMelika amadala azicabangela ukuba awesonto likamoya noma abamukele izipho, cishe izigidi ezinhlanu zathi zisamukele isipho sokukhuluma ngezilimi.
Le“sipho” ngokuvamile sibonakala ngokuqhuma kwenjabulo ehambisana namazwi angezwakali nezisho. Kumuntu ongaphandle, kungezwakala njengenkulumo engenangqondo, kodwa kumuntu wesonto likaMoya noma owamukele isipho, “kungokuhlangenwe nakho okumangalisayo umKristu angaba nakho,” njengoba omunye okhuluma izilimi ekubeka. Kungani abaningi bebeka ukubaluleka okungaka ekukhulumeni ngezilimi?
“Okokuqala,” kuchaza uFelicitas D. Goodman encwadini yakhe ethi Speaking in Tongues, “kubonisa ukuba khona koMoya oNgcwele ngaphakathi kumuntu. . . . Okwesibili, ukukhuluma ngezilimi kubhekwa njengendlela yokuthandaza, ephefumlelwe ukuba khona koMoya oNgcwele.” Ngakho-ke kumuntu oqotho okhuluma ngezilimi, isipho sakhe siyisibonakaliso sokuthi uye wamukela umoya ongcwele. Angase abe nomuzwa wokuthi amazwi akhe awakufanelekele ukubonga uNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke, izilimi zibhekwa “njengesipho soMoya esimenza akwazi ukuthandaza ngokuphumelela ngokwengeziwe” “ngohlobo lokukhuluma olungezwakali nolungafani,” kwasho uClark H. Pinnock, ilungu eliwuprofesa wezenkolo eziqhutshwa ngohlelo eMcMaster Divinity School eOntario, eKhanada. Kodwa, eqinisweni, ingabe isipho sezilimi ‘sibonisa ukuba khona komoya ongcwele kumuntu’? Ingabe kumelwe ufune isipho ukuze sikusize “uthandaze ngokuphumelela ngokwengeziwe” kuNkulunkulu?
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Igama elithi “glossolalia” livela emazwini amabili esiGreki, glōssa, elisho “ulimi,” nelithi lalia, elisho “ukukhuluma.”
b Igama elithi “charismatic’’ livela egameni lesiGreki elithi charismata, elisho “izipho.” Leligama ngokuvamile lisetshenziselwa ukubhekisela kulabobantu abasemahlelweni agcina kakhulu amasiko abanomuzwa wokuthi izilimi nezinye izipho eziyinqaba kuyingxenye evamile etholwa ngamaKristu namuhla.