Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
◼ Ingabe bukhona ubudala okumelwe bufinyelelwe indoda engumKristu ukuze ituswe njengenceku ekhonzayo ebandleni?
Cha, abukho ubudala obumiswa iBhayibheli.
KuIsrayeli wasendulo, uNkulunkulu wayemisa ubudala obuqondile ezimweni ezithile. Amadoda ayebhalisela inkonzo yezempi kwakudingeka abe neminyaka engama-20 ubudala; abafanyana babengathunyelwa empini, njengoba kusenzeka nakwezinye izindawo namuhla. Unyaka kwakuyisici esibalulekile ngamaLevi. AmaKohati ayekhonza etabernakele kwakufanele abe neminyaka esukela kwengama-30 kuya kwengama-50 ubudala. Ngani? Lomngcele waphawulwa ngokuqondene ‘nomsebenzi wenkonzo nomsebenzi wokuthwala etendeni lokuhlangana.’ (Numeri 4:3, 47) Kubonakala sengathi amaLevi ayengaqala ukwenza umsebenzi olula lapho eneminyaka engama-25, kodwa kwafanele abe neminyaka engama-30 ngaphambi kokuba ahlanganyele emisebenzini enzima nasemalungelweni enomthwalo wemfanelo owengeziwe okudiliza, ukudonsa, nokuhlanganisa itabernakele. (Numeri 8:24-26) Umsebenzi onzima kanjalo wawungasenakudingeka kamuva ethempelini, ngakho amaLevi ayeseqala ukukhonza lapho eneminyaka engama-20.—1 IziKronike 23:24.
Kodwa lapho uJehova eyeka ukusebenzisa uIsrayeli ongokwenyama futhi eqala ukusebenzisa uIsrayeli ongokomoya, ingabe wamisa ubudala okwakumelwe bufinyelelwe izinceku ezikhonzayo (amadiyakoni) ebandleni lobuKristu?
Umuntu angase acabange kanjalo, ngokusekelwe emlandweni wamakhulu eminyaka amuva. ESontweni lamaRoma Katolika, idiyakoni ‘liyisikhonzi esimisiwe, esisilandela ngokuseduze isikhundla sompristi, ohlwini lwezikhundla olumiswe ngokwaphezulu eSontweni.’ IAntiquities of the Christian Church kaBingham iyaphawula: “Ababhishobhi namalunga [abadala] . . . ngokuvamile bangase bangamiswa ngaphambi kokuba babe neminyaka engamashumi amathathu; kodwa amadiyakoni ayevunyelwa ukuba amiswe lapho eseneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu, futhi hhayi ngaphambi kwalokho. Lesi isikhathi esimiswe kokubili umthetho kahulumeni nowesonto . . . Kuyaqabukela ukuba sihlangabezane nesimo somuntu omiswe ngaphambi kokuba abe neminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu, kuwo wonke umlando weSonto.”
Nokho, ziyini izimfanelo ezitholakala eBhayibhelini? Okuwukuphela kwezinikeziwe yilezo ezitholakala ku-1 Thimothewu 3:8-10, 12, 13: “Ngokunjalo namadiyakoni kufanele abe-nesizotha, angabi-ndimimbili, angabi-ngabanaka kakhulu iwayini, angahaheli inzuzo embi, ephethe imfihlakalo yokukholwa kunembeza omhlophe. Nalabo mabaqale bahlole, andukuba babe-ngamadiyakoni, uma bengasoleki. Amadiyakoni mawabe-ngamadoda amfazi munye, abusa kahle abantwana bawo nemizi yawo. Ngokuba amadiyakoni akhonzé kahle azizuzela ukuma kahle nesibindi esikhulu ekukholweni okukuKristu Jesu.”
Singabona lapha ukuthi akukho budala obumisiwe ukuze umuntu amiswe njengenceku ekhonzayo. Ngakho lapho abadala behlangana ukuze baxoxe ngezimfanelo zabesilisa ebandleni, bangakhumbula ukuthi asikho isisekelo esingokweBhayibheli sokufuna ukuba indoda engumKristu ibe neminyaka engama-20, engama-25, noma engama-30 ubudala ngaphambi kokuba ituswe futhi ikhonze. IBhayibheli libhekisela kulabo abakulesikhundla ‘njengabakhonzayo,’ ngakho asinakulindela ukuba babe abasanda kweva noma abaphakathi kweminyaka yabo yokweva eshumini elinambili. Sinalokhu engqondweni, iBhayibheli lithi izinceku ezikhonzayo ezinjalo zingase zibe ezishadile nezinabantwana.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, amadoda atuswa njengezinceku ezikhonzayo kufanele abe ‘ahloliwe,’ enikeza ubufakazi bokukwazi ukusingatha umthwalo wemfanelo. Lokho akusho ukuthi kuchithwa isikhathi esiningi behlolwa. Kunalokho, kumelwe babe sebebonise ukuvuthwa kobuKristu esikhathini eside ngokwanele (sebeye babhapathizwa okungenani unyaka owodwa), babeamadoda azimisele nakwaziyo ukubhekana nemisebenzi ayabelwe. Uma insizwa ‘enesizotha’ ibonisa lezimfanelo, kuwukuthi ithobekile futhi ihlangabezana nezinye izimfanelo, abadala bangase bayituse ukuba imiswe ngisho nanoma ingakabi neminyaka engama-20 ubudala. Amanye amadoda angase abe-madala ngokwanele lapho ekubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi ayahlangabezana nalezimfanelo ‘zokukhonza kahle ezizuzela ukuma kahle nesibindi esikhulu.’