Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

■ Ingabe kufanele ukukhuluma ‘ngezwe elisha’ elizayo?

Lombuzo ungabuzwa ngokufanelekile, njengoba igama lesiGreki ngokuvamile elihunyushwa ngokuthi “izwe” koʹsmos, ngokuyisisekelo lisho isintu, futhi uNkulunkulu ngeke enze uhlanga lwesintu olusha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, eBhayibhelini asiwatholi amazwi athi kai·nosʹ koʹsmos (ngokwezwi nezwi, “izwe elisha”).

Kodwa ukusebenzisa kweBhayibheli elithi koʹsmos kuvumela umKristu ukuba akhulume ‘ngezwe elisha’ lapho ebhekisela ePharadesi elizayo elibuyiselwe emhlabeni. IThe New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology iyaehaza: ‘Ibizo elithi kosmos kuqala lalisho ukwakha, kodwa ikakhuiukazi lisho uhlelo.’ Lesiehazamazwi sinezela ngokuthi leligama futhi linemiqondo ekhethekile, njengokuthi “umhlobiso,” “ukuqondiswa kokuphila emphakathini wabantu” ‘nezakhamuzi zomhlaba, isintu.’

EmiBhalweni yamaKristu yesiGreki, elithi koʹsmos ngokuvamile lisetshenziswa ngomqondo osho wonke umkhaya wesintu. Ngakho sifunda ukuthi “bonke bonile [okungukuthi, yonke inzalo engaphelele ka-Adamu], basilalelwe inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu.” (Roma 3:19, 23) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, “uNkulunkulu walithanda izwe [koʹsmos] kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Yebo, umhlatshelo kaKristu uvulekele wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo emkhayeni wesintu.

Uma lokho bekuwukuphela kokusebenzisa kweBhayibheli igama elithi koʹsmos, bekuyoba oku ngafanelekile ukukhuluma ‘ngezwe elisha’ elizayo. Ngani? Ngoba abanye besintu bayosinda osizini olukhulu oluzayo. Laba bayobe sebeba nethuba lokuphila ePharadesi elibuyiselwe. Ngakho uNkulunkulu ngeke adale uhlanga lwesintu olusha, isintu esisha, izwe elisha labantu. Nokho, iBhayibheli alilisebenzisi elithi koʹsmos ukusho sonke isintu kuphela.

Ngokwesibonelo, ngezinye izikhathi leligama lesiGreki lisho bonke abantu abadediselwe kude noNkulunkulu. AmaHeberu 11:7 athi “ngokukholwa uNowa . . . walahla izwe [koʹsmos].” Ngokusobala akalahlanga wonke umuntu, sonke isintu; uNowa nabayisikhombisa bomkhaya wakhe basinda kuZamcolo. Ngokufanayo, uJesu wathandaza: “Ngiyabakhulekela bona; angikhulekeli izwe [koʹsmos] kepha labo ongiphé bona . . . Izwe labazonda, ngokuba bengesibo abezwe, njengalokhu nami angisiye owezwe.”—Johane 17:9, 14; qhathanisa neyesi-2 Petru 2:5; 3:6.

Nokho, ake sibhekisise omunye futhi umqondo iBhayibheli elisebenzisa ngawo elithi koʹsmos. Lokhu kusho isimo, uhlelo, noma sonke isimo sokuphila kwesintu.a Sithola ukusetshenziswa okunjalo emazwini kaJesu: “Kuyakumsizani umuntu, uma ezuza izwe [koʹsmos] lonke, onakalelwe ukuphila kwakhe, na?” (Mathewu 16:26) Ngokukhanyayo, uJesu wayengabhekisele ‘ekuzuzeni’ komuntu ‘izwe lonke lesintu,’ noma ‘izwe lonke labantu abadediselwe kude noNkulunkulu.’ Kwakungesiso isintu umuntu othanda izinto ezibonakalayo ayengasizuza, kodwa kwakuyilokho abantu abanakho, abakwenzayo, noma abakulungiselelayo. Lokhu kwakunjalo futhi ngokuphawula komphostoli uPawulu ‘ngokukhathalela okwezwe’ komuntu oshadile. Ngokufanayo, umKristu akufanele ‘asebenzise izwe ngokugcwele.’—1 Korinte 7:31-33; qhathanisa neNW.

Ngalomqondo, elithi ko’smos linencazelo efana neyegama lesiGreki elithi ai·onʹ, elingase lihunyushwe ngokuthi “isimiso sezinto” noma “inkathi.” (Bheka i-Aid ta Bible Understanding, amakhasi 1671-4.) Kwezinye izimo sithola ukuthi lamagama angase ashintshaniswe. Cabangela izibonelo ezimbili zokufana phakathi kwelithi koʹsmos nelithi ai·onʹ: (1) UPawulu wabhala ukuthi uDema wayemshiyile, “owathanda isimiso sezinto [ai·onʹ] samanje.” Kodwa umphostoli uJohane weluleka ngokumelene ‘nokuthanda izwe [koʹsmos],’ okuvela kukho “inkanuko yenyama, nenkanuko yamehlo, nokuzigabisa ngalokhukuphila.” (2 Thimothewu 4:10, NW; 1 Johane 2:15-17) (2) UJohane 12:31 ukhuluma ‘ngombusi walelizwe [koʹsmos],’ lowo eyesi-2 Korinte 4:4, NW, emchaza ngokuthi “unkulunkulu walesimiso sezinto [ai·onʹ].”

Ngakho-ke, elithi koʹsmos, noma “izwe,” lingasetshenziswa ngokuqondene naso sonke isintu nangokuqondene naso sonke isimiso sesintu. Ngalesizathu, singakhuluma ngokufanele nangokuqondé ngokufanayo ngokuza ‘kwesimiso esisha sezinto’ noma ‘kwezwe elisha.’ Lesi kuyoba isimo esisha, uhlelo lwezwe noma sonke isimo sokuphila kwesintu. Abaningi abayo be behlala ePharadesi lasemhlabeni elibuyiselwe bayobe bephilé esimisweni esidala sezinto. Nokho bayobe besindile kuso noma bevusiwe. Ngakho bayobe beyisintu esifanayo. Nokho, lingasekho izwe lesintu esidediselwe kude noNkulunkulu, futhi sekunelungiselelo elisha, noma uhlelo, olusekelwe entandweni kaNkulunkulu eyembuliwe eyobe ibusa, leloPharadesi elibuyiselwe liyoba izwe elisha.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Isintu esilungile siyobuyisela iPharadesi ezweni elisha