Ababhishobhi—Amakhosi Noma Izigqila?
UTHOMAS WOLSEY wazalelwa eIpswich, eNgilandi, ngo-1475. Waba umpristi ngo-1498 futhi wayethandwa iNkosi uHenry VIII. Wadlondlobala ngokushesha. Wamiswa njengombhishobhi waseLincoln ngo-1514, njengombhishobhi omkhulu waseYork ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva, njengokhadinali ngo-1515, nanjengesithunywa sikaPapa eminyakeni nje emithathu kamuva. Ngokungaphezulu, inkosi yamenza ungqongqoshe oyinkosi. Ngaleyondlela eqinisweni wabusa eNgilandi kusukela ngo-1515 kuya ku-1529. UKhadinali Wolsey wayeyisibonelo sabafundisi abaningi abaye baba namandla kokubili “njengamakhosi” kwezezwe nakwezingokomoya.
Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., “kwakunombhishobhi” ohlukile. KwakunguThimothewu, owayeyindodana yendoda engumGreki, nakuba unina uEvnike noninakhulu uLuwisi babengamaJuda. Bamkhulisa ngothando ngendlela yobuKristu. Cishe ngonyaka ka-50 C.E., eseyinsizwa, uThimothewu wabamba ithuba lokuhamba nomphostoli uPawulu njengesithunywa sevangeli. Ngemva kweminyaka yokuqeqeshwa, waba umbonisi ongumKristu, noma e·piʹsko·pos (okuvela kulo igama elithi “umbhishobhi”), futhi wayethandwa kakhulu ngenxa yokuzinikela kwakhe ngokungagodli. UPawulu wabhala: “Ukhonzile kanye nami ngenxa yevangeli njengomntwana kuyise.”—Filipi 2:22.
UThomas inkosi, uThimothewu isigqila—ubani owabeka isibonelo esihle “sababhishobhi” beqiniso abangamaKristu, noma ababonisi?
Isibonelo Sombonisi OngumKristu
UMsunguli nokuwuyena kuphela iNhloko yobuKristu beqiniso, uJesu Kristu, wamisa isibonelo esiyisisekelo sababonisi, uma ethi: “Niyazi ukuthi phakathi kwamaqaba ababusi babusa phezu kwawo, futhi amadoda abo amakhulu enza igunya lawo lizwiwe. Lokhu akumelwe kwenzeke kini. . . . Noma ubani ofuna ukuba ngowokuqala kini kumelwe abe yisigqila senu, njengoba neNdodana yoMuntu ingezelanga ukukhonzwa kodwa ukukhonza, nokunikela ukuphila kwayo njengesihlengo sabaningi.”—Mathewu 20:25-28, Jerusalem Bible; omalukeke sizenzele.
UPetru, omunye wababonisi bokuqala, waqinisa isibonelo esingenhla ngokuyala abadala abangamaKristu: “Yalusani umhlambi kaNkulunkulu ophakathi kwenu, kungabi-ngokucindezelwa kodwa ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu, kungabi-ngenxa yenzuzo eyihlazo kodwa ngenhliziyo evumayo, kungabi-njengabazenza amakhosi phezu kwamabandla enabelwa wona, kodwa nibe-yizibonelo zomhlambi.” (1 Petru 5:2, 3) UPetru wenza lokho ayekushumayela. Lapho evakashele uKorneliyu, oweZizwe wokuqala owaba ngumKristu, oweZizwe “wawa phansi ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wakhuleka. Kepha uPetru wamvusa wathi: Sukuma, nami ngingumuntu nje.”—IzEnzo 10:25, 26.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, uPetru wabhala lamazwi akhe kweyoku-1 Petru 5:1 ebhalela “amadoda amadala” (NW). Igama lesiGreki uPetru alisebenzisa kwelithi “amadoda amadala” kwakungupre·sby·teʹrous, okuthathwe kulo igama elithi “umpristi.” KweLobukholwa, “ababhishobhi” manje bacatshangelwa njengabakhulu “kubapristi.” Kodwa lapho umphostoli uPawulu ‘ethumela e-Efesu futhi ebiza amadoda amadala (NW) [pre·sby·teʹrous] ebandla,’ wathi kuwo, phakathi kwezinye izinto: “Ziqapheleni nina nomhlambi wonke anibeke kuwo umoya ongcwele ukuba nibe ngababonisi [e·pi·skoʹpous].” (IzEnzo 20:17, 28) Ngakho-ke, abadala (pre·sby·teʹrous) nababonisi (e·pi·skoʹpous) babenesikhundla esifanayo ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli. Igama elithi “umdala” liqokomisa okuhlangenwe nakho nokuvuthwa ngokomoya okudingekayo ngalabo abamukela lomthwalo wemfanelo, kanti elithi “umbonisi” lichaza uhlobo lomsebenzi labo abawenzayo ekuqondiseni nasekunakekeleni amalungu ebandla.
Kodwa ingabe umuntu oyedwa wabusa “njengombonisi,” noma “umdala,” ebandleni ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli? Akunjalo ngokwalokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo kuThithu 1:5, 7. Lapho uThithu watshelwa ukuba ‘amise amadoda amadala (NW) [pre·sby·teʹrous] emizini yonke.’ IThe Jerusalem Bible ihumusha lelivesi ngalendlela “futhi umise abadala kuwo wonke amadolobha” namazwi angezansi athi: “Ezinsukwini zakuqala umphakathi ngamunye wobuKristu wawubuswa indikimba yabadala.”—Omalukeke sizenzele.
UThimothewu wayalwa futhi ukuba amise ababonisi emabandleni amaningi. UPawulu wanilobela, ngokweKing James Version: “Uma umuntu efisa isikhundla sobubhishobhi [e·pi·skoʹpos], ufisela umsebenzi omuhle.” (1 Thimothewu 3:1) IThe Jerusalem Bible ihumusha lokhu ngalendlela: “Ukufuna ukuba umdala owengamele kuwukufuna umsebenzi omuhle.” Iyenezela embhalweni ongezansi: “Igama elithi ‘episcopos,’” elisetshenziswe lapha uPawulu, “alikakafinyeleli encazelweni efanayo njengelithi ‘umbhishobhi’.” (Omaluleke sizenzele.) Ngakho abafundi bamaKatolika bayavuma ukuthi ababhishobhi abangamakhosi beLobukholwa abafani nababonisi abathobekile bamaKristu akuqala. Njengoba iThe New Bible Dictionary isho: “Akukho luphawu eTestamenteni Elisha lokuphatha kombhishobhi oyedwa.” UElmer T. Merrill, M.A., LL.D., ngokufanayo uthi encwadini yakhe iEssays in Early Christian History: “Eminyakeni yokuqala eyikhulu . . . umbhishobhi kakhulukazi wayengusihlalo kuphela ozithobile wekholiji [indikimba ehlelekile] yamanye amalungu [abadala].”
Ababhishobhi BeLobukholwa—Ingabe Bayafaneleka NgokomBhalo?
Lapho ebhalela uThithu umphostoli uPawulu wathi umbonisi kumelwe abe “ongasolekiyo.” (Thithu 1:6) Ingabe uKhadinali uWolsey ‘wayengasoleki’? IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi “wayengemsulwa—wayenendodana nendodakazi abangamavezandlebe.” Akayedwa kulokhu. Kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka, abapristi abangenakubalwa nababhishobhi baye baba necala ngokufanayo. Njengoba incwadi iAge of Faith isho: “Ngekhulu lesishiyagalolunye, ubumsulwa babefundisi ngisho nokungaganwa kwabapristi kwase kuyinhlekisa.” Omunye woPapa bekhulu leminyaka le-11, uGregory VII, wavuma: “Ngathola kungabambalwa kuphela ababhishobhi abakumiswa kwabo nokuphila kwabo kuvumelana nemithetho yeSonto, noma ababusa ebantwini bakaNkulunkulu ngothando futhi hhayi ngesifiso sezwe.”
UPawulu wabhala futhi ukuthi umdala ongumKristu akumelwe abe ‘onxanela imali.’ (1 Thimothewu 3:3) Nokho ngokuqondene noWolsey, iEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Wayethanda izinto zezwe, ehahela umnotho” futhi “wasebenzisa amandla akhe amakhulu kwezezwe nakwezenkolo ukuze aqongelele umnotho kangangokuba wayengowesibili ekulandeleni iNkosi.” Wayenezindlu zobukhosi ezimbili, enye yazo, iYork Place, yayiwubukhazikhazi kakhulu kangangokuba uHenry VIII, ngemva kokuyihlola, “wathukutheliswa umnotho awuthola,” futhi wayithatha.
Ngokufanayo namuhla, abefundisi besonto baye basebenzisa inkokhelo yezintela zesonto, iminikelo, okweshumi, nezimali ezitholakala ngamazwe nezakhiwo ukuze bazicebise. (IsAmbulo 18:7) Ngokwesibonelo, umbhishobhi othile eNingizimu Afrika, oyinhloko yelinye lamahlelo abaNsundu ayizinkulungwane, muva nje uye wathenga imoto entsha i’‘Buick’ ebiza ama-R37 000. Lokhu wakwenza naphezu kokuba kakade enezimoto ezine zokunethezeka. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi yini eyonakele ngenye yezimoto zakhe, isikhulu sesonto sachaza: “Imoto enhle, kodwa umbhishobhi udinga indawo enkudlwana kuyi‘Buick’ enkulu.”
Yeka ukuthi idlula ngokushesha kangakanani inzuzo enjalo ebonakalayo! UThomas Wolsey wahluleka ukuhlela ukuchitha umshado uHenry VIII ayewufuna futhi kanjalo wangabe esathandeka ngo-1529. Ngokomlando, khona-ke “wehla ngokudabukisayo ekubuseni kwakhe iYork, leyo angakaze ayivakashele”—eminyakeni eyi-15! (Omalukeke sizenzele.) Nokho, uWolsey wayengakahluleki kwezombangazwe. Ukwehluleka kwakhe koqobo kwakuwukunganaki ukulandela “umalusi omuhle [uJesu] odela ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yezimvu.”—Johane 10:11.
Ngokuphambene, uThimothewu akazange azigaxe kwezombangazwe. Ngakho-ke ‘wayengesiye owezwe.’ (Johane 15:19) Kunokuba abuse phezu kwabanye, waba isigqila esizinikele samaKristu akanye nawo kangangokuba uPawulu wabhala: “Ngokuba anginamuntu onenhliziyo enjengeyakhe, onganakekela izindaba zenu ngobuqotho.”—Filipi 2:20.
Yeka ukuthi singabonga kanjani ngokuthi uJehova namuhla, uye ngokufanayo wenza izinkulungwane zababonisi abathembekile ‘abanakekela ngobuqotho’ umhlambi kaNkulunkulu. Cishe bonke ababonisi emabandleni oFakazi BakaJehova bangamadoda azothile. Iningi labo lisekela imikhaya yalo ngomsebenzi wokuziphilisa futhi linakekela imithwalo yalo yemfanelo engokomoya ngesikhathi selishayisile. Esiningi salesosikhathi sihlanganisa ukulungiselela nokuba khona emihlanganweni emihlanu ngesonto; ukuhola ekushumayeleni endlini ngendlu; ukuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli nabantu abathakazelayo; ukuvakashela abagulayo, asebekhulile, nababuthakathaka ngokomoya; nokunakekela imikhaya yabo siqu. Lawa angamadoda amatasatasa kakhulu, “ayizigqila” ezizinikezele, ezingatholi nkokhelo ngalezinkonzo. Ngokuphambene, ngezimali zazo siqu zihlanganyela ekunikeleni ukuze kulondolozwe iHholo LoMbuso lebandla. Azigqoki izingubo ezingavamile, azinawo amagama akhethekile, futhi zihlukaniswa kuphela ngolwazi lwazo lweBhayibheli, ukuvuthwa kwazo kobuKristu, nentshiseko yazo enkonzweni kaJehova. Amadoda anjalo afanele inhlonipho ejulile nokubambisana nawo ngenhliziyo yonke njengoba elusa umhlambi futhi ebonakalisa ngenkonzo yawo yokuzithoba nokuzinikela ukuthi ayizigqila—hhayi amakhosi!