Ukufinyelela Ekwazini AmaKristu Akuqala

UPawulu Ulobela AbaseKorinte

ININGI lethu liyakujabulela ukuthumela nokwamukela izincwadi. Lena kuyindlela enhle yokuthintana nabangane abakude nabathandekayo. Izincwadi ezalotshwa amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala zingezithakazelisa ngokukhethekile. Kulezincwadi, sibona uhlobo lwezwe ababephila kulo nokucindezela ababebhekana nakho. Ukufunda izincwadi ezinjalo kuyindlela enhle yokwazi amaKristu akuqala.

Ngokwesibonelo, izincwadi ezimbili ezisemaBhayibhelini ethu ezalotshwa umphostoli uPawulu ziya kumaKristu aseKorinte, eGrisi, zembula izwe elijabulisayo elinabantu abahlukahlukene nezinkinga. Ikakhulukazi zisisiza ukuba sazane kangcono nomphostoli uPawulu umKristu ovelele owaqalisa ukushunyayelwa kwe“zindaba ezinhle” ezingxenyeni eziningi zoMbuso waseRoma.

UPawulu wafika eKorinte ngonyaka ka-50 C.E., eminyakeni eyishumi nesikhombisa ngemva kokufa kukaJesu. Kulezozinsuku lomuzi wawuyindawo yomsebenzi. Umi endaweni enhle, wawuyiziko elicebile lezentengiselwano futhi udonsa abantu abanhlobonhlobo bazo zonke izizwe.

Futhi wawuyindawo yezwe eyinhloko yezemidlalo. Imidlalo yobuIsthmian, eyayiqhutshwa lapho njalo ngemva kweminyaka emibili, yayicatshangelwa njengeyesibili eMidlalweni yeOlympic. Futhi umuzi wawungowenkolo. IKorinte yayaziwa ikakhulukazi ngokuzinikezela kunkulunkulukazi wamaGreki uAprodite, nokuziphatha okubi okuhlobene nokukhulekelwa kwakhe. Eqinisweni, “ukuzenza umKorinte” kwakusho “ukuba yisifebe.”

Izincwadi

Ukushumayela kukaPawulu eKorinte kwavusa ukuphikisa okuvamile emaJudeni anenkani. Kodwa, lapho ethola izinhliziyo ezinhle, waqhubeka wahlala. Emva konyaka nengxenye, lapho ekugcineni ehamba, kwakukhona ibandla eliqinile lamaKristu lapho. Cishe eminyakeni emithathu ngemva kwalokho, uPawulu waloba incwadi leyo manje esiyibiza ngokuthi AbaseKorinte bokuQala.

Kungani umphostoli aloba lencwadi? Ngenxa yokuthi abaseKorinte babemthumele imibuzo ethile ayedinga ukuyiphendula. Kodwa okubaluleke ngokwengeziwe wathola izindaba eziphazamisayo ezivela eKorinte. Ukwehlukana, izimfundiso ezimbi, ukuziphatha okubi nabantu abaziphakamisayo babesongela ingokomoya lebandla elisha. Ngakho-ke uPawulu waloba lencwadi enamandla kodwa efudumele ukuze aqondise izindaba. Ingabe abaseKorinte basabela kahle? Kwakungokwezinga elithile kuphela. Kamuva esikhathini esingaphansi konyaka waloba incwadi yakhe yesibili eya kwabaseKorinte, ebancoma ngesimo sabo esingcono.

Njengoba lezincwadi zaziphefumlelwe, azisona isidala. Izimiso ezikuzo zisasebenza. Ngakho-ke, funda lezincwadi ngokunakekela uma ufuna ukuqonda izindinganiso zobuKristu ngomshado, indlela yokuqondisa imihlangano yokukhulekela kweqiniso, isimiso sobunhloko obufanelekile bobuKristu nesidingo sokuba bonke ‘bapheleliswe emqondweni munye nasekuboneni kunye.’ (1 Korinte 1:10) Futhi incwadi yokuqala yathandwa, ngenxa yencazelo yayo enhle yothando nencazelo yayo enhle kakhulu nokuvikela ithemba lovuko. (1 Korinte, izahluko 13 no-15) Kodwa, njengoba sekuye kwaphawulwa kakade, lezincwadi futhi zisisiza ukuba siwazi kangcono amaKristu akuqala.

Abantu

Abantu baseKorinte babeluhlobo luni? Abanye babenesizinda sobuJuda, kuhlanganise uKrispu owayewumphathi wesinagoge lamaJuda lapho uPawulu efika okokuqala eKorinte. (IzEnzo 18:8) Kwakukhona futhi nababengewona amaJuda, abanye ababehileleke ngokujulile ekuziphatheni okubi kwaseKorinte.—1 Korinte 6:9-11.

Ezinye izigqila kubonakala ukuthi zaba amaKristu. Kwaba njalo nangabanye abafelokazi nabangashadile, kanye nabashadile ababangane babo babengazamukelanga izindaba ezinhle. (1 Korinte 7:12-40) Ngamanye amazwi, uma sibekela eceleni umehluko wesikhathi nesizinda esingokwempucuko, ibandla lobuKristu eKorinte libonakala lingehlukile kakhulu emabandleni amadolobha amakhulu namuhla.

Nokho, ababekholiwe eKorinte ikakhulukazi babebasha okholweni lobuKristu, futhi lokhu kwabonakala. Babevumela enye indoda ukuba ihlanganyele nabo ngisho nakuba yayihileleke ekulaleni nesihlobo usinganina. Mhlawumbe babecabanga ukuthi inkululeko yobuKristu yayiluvumela uhlobo lwento enjalo. Futhi, esikhundleni sokubumbana, baba ngamaqembu ahlukahlukene, alandela abantu esikhundleni sokulandela uJesu Kristu. Izimo ezimbi zazibonakala endleleni ababegubha ngayo iSidlo seNkosi Sakusihlwa, abanye babo babeze badakwe nokudakwa ngalezozikhathi!—1 Korinte izahluko 1, 5 no-11.

Futhi, abathile ababekholwa eKorinte babemangalela amanye amaKristu enkantolo. Abanye, mhlawumbe ababethonywe yizazi ezingamaGreki, babefundisa ukuthi yayingekho into efana novuko. Futhi abanye babeqhosha, ‘bekhukhumele,’ ngokusobala benomuzwa wokuthi babengcono ngandlela-thile kunabanye bebandla.—1 Korinte 4:18; 3:18; 6:1-8; 15:12.

Ingabe lokho kuzwakala kuyizinkinga eziningi? Ngempela zazikhona. Kodwa, khumbula, uPawulu wayeqale ukushumayela eKorinte eminyakeni emihlanu kuphela ngaphambili. Iqiniso, uJehova uNkulunkulu wamnikeza izipho ezikhethekile zomoya ukuze aqinise ibandla, kodwa abaseKorinte babebonisa isithakazelo esengeziwe esiphweni sezilimi, isibonakaliso esimangalisayo kwababengewona amaKristu kodwa esingabalulekile kangako ekwakheni ibandla. Ngakho-ke, uPawulu wabakhuthaza ukuba bahlakulele isipho sokuprofetha esasiyofeza okwengeziwe ekubaqiniseni ngokomoya.—1 Korinte 14:1-12.

Izisusa zamaKristu amaningi aseKorinte zazingezimbi. Ayethumele imibuzo kuPawulu, ngokusobala ayefuna ukwazi indlela eqondile yokwenza izinto. Futhi, uPawulu wawancoma: “Ngiyanibonga ngokuba ningikhumbula ezintweni zonke, nibambelela ezimfundisweni, njengoba nganinika zona.” (1 Korinte 11:2) Futhi lapho eloba iseluleko esinamandla, abaningi babonakala besabela ngokushesha, ‘bedabukiswa ngokukaNkulunkulu.’ (2 Korinte 7:11) Kodwa abanye baqhubeka bamelana negunya likaPawulu.—2 Korinte 10:10; 11:4-6.

Izibonelo Ezinhle

Kuzo zonke izincwadi abantu abahlukahlukene bayavela. UPawulu uphawula uSostene othile okungenzeka wayengumJuda oqhamile eKorinte ngaphambi kokuba umKristu. (1 Korinte 1:1; IzEnzo 18:17) Amalungu ebandla laseKlowe, naseKorinte, abika kuPawulu isimo esibi esasanda ebandleni. Yeka isibonelo esihle sokwenza okulungileyo ngesibindi! (1 Korinte 1:11) Indlu kaStefana, amaKristu okuqala lapho, ayematasa ekhonza abangcwele—isibonelo esihle sonke lesisikhathi. UStefana noFortunatu noAkhayiku, banconywa uPawulu kwabaseKorinte. Wathi: “Baziseni abanjalo.”—1 Korinte 16:18, 15, 17.

Khona-ke kwakukhona uApholo, isikhulumi esiphumelelayo esikwazi ukuncenga. UPawulu wamcela ukuba avakashele eKorinte, kodwa wayengafuni ukwenza kanjalo ngalesosikhathi. Mhlawumbe wayenezinye izibopho, noma mhlawumbe wayengafuni ukukhuthaza umoya wokwehlukana owawuvele ngegama lakhe. (1 Korinte 16:12) UThithu othembekile, kamuva owayeyomelela uPawulu eKrethe, wammelela manje eKorinte futhi waletha izindaba ezinhle ngoshintsho lwabo esimweni. (Thithu 1:5; 2 Korinte 7:14, 15; 12:18) Insizwa evelele uThimothewu yayikade ilapho nayo. Yasiza emsebenzini wokuqalisa ubuvangeli eKorinte, futhi uPawulu wayethemba ukuthi uThimothewu wayezobuyela lapho ngokushesha. (1 Korinte 4:17; 16:10) Yebo, umphakathi wamaKristu owambulwa kulezincwadi wawumatasa, uyinhlangano yabantu abangokoqobo abakhathalele ukukhonza uNkulunkulu nokukhonzana.

Umphostoli UPawulu

Futhi owayematasa kunabo bonke kwakungumphostoli uPawulu ngokwakhe. Simbona eshumayela kwabaseKorinte “ngobuthakathaka nangokwesaba,” ngokwehluke kakhulu ekushisekeleni inkolo ngonya abaningi ababecabanga ukuthi wayenakho. (1 Korinte 2:3) Naphezu kwezinkinga zabo ezingathi sína, sizwa uthando lukaPawulu ngabaseKorinte. Wabancoma lapho ayengakwazi futhi waveza injabulo yakhe lapho ezwa indlela abemukele ngayo kahle iseluleko sakhe esinamandla.—1 Korinte 4:14; 11:2; 2 Korinte 7:8-13.

Izinhliziyo zethu zizwelana noPawulu lapho sifunda ngobunzima abuthola enkonzweni—ukushaywa, uhambo olude, izingozi, kanye ‘neva enyameni,’ mhlawumbe isifo esingathi sína samehlo. (2 Korinte 12:7-10; 11:21-27) “Ngaphandle kwezinye izinto” kusho uPawulu, “kukhona okungicindezelayo imihla yonke: Ukukhathalela wonke amabandla.” (2 Korinte 11:28) Abadala abaningi abangamaKristu ngokungangabazeki bayozwelana nezinkinga zakhe.

Kodwa uPawulu wayengakhonondi. Waphawula lezizinto ukuze avikele igunya lakhe ‘kubaphostoli abaqhamileyo kakhulu.’ (2 Korinte 12:11-13) Ngempela, wayekujabulela ukubekezelela ubunzima obunjalo, ngoba lokhu kwakwenza kwaba sobala ukuthi wayekhonza ngamandla kaNkulunkulu, hhayi awakhe. (2 Korinte 12:9, 10) Ngakho-ke wabeka isibonelo esihle sokukholwa ngezenzo.

UPawulu wathi kwabaseKorinte: “Ngakho-ke ngiyanincenga ukuthi: Yibani abalingisi bami.” (1 Korinte 4:16) Ngisho nanamuhla, senza kahle ukulandela lesi seluleko. Kodwa ukuze silingise uPawulu kumelwe simazi—inkonzo yakhe yokwethembeka, imizwelo yakhe nezimo, nokuzinikezela kwakhe kuNkulunkulu. Indlela engcono yokwenza lokhu iwukufunda izincwadi ezimbili azilobela amaKristu aseKorinte. Kungani ungaqali ukwenza lokho manje?