AbaseRoma Bathola Izindaba Ezinhle Kunazo Zonke
UMUNTU onesono angaba kanjani ngolungile emehlweni kaNkulunkulu futhi ngaleyondlela azuze ukuphila okuphakade? Lombuzo wabangela izingxoxo ezishubile ekhulwini lokuqala leSikhathi sethu Esivamile. Ingabe uyayazi impendulo? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyayazi noma cha, kukuwena ukuba uzifundele ingxoxo yobuciko kamphostoli uPawulu yalenkinga encwadini yeBhayibheli yabaseRoma. Ukwenza kanjalo kuyokusiza ukuba uqonde ubudlelwano obusemqoka obuphakathi kokholo, imisebenzi, ukulunga, nokuphila.
UPAWULU NABASEROMA
Incwadi yabaseRoma iyincwadi eyabhalwa uPawulu cishe ngo-56 C.E. iya kumaKristu eRoma. Kungani abhala lencwadi? Nakuba uPawulu ngo-56 C.E. ayengakavakasheli eRoma, ngokusobala wayazi amaKristu amaningi lapho, njengoba amaningi awo ewabiza ngamagama encwadini yakhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPawulu wayefuna kakhulu ukuya eRoma ukuze ayonikeza isikhuthazo kubazalwane abangamaKristu lapho, futhi kubonakala sengathi wayehlele ukwenza iRoma ibe indawo ayezogxila kuyo ohambweni lwakhe lobuthunywa bevangeli ayeluhlongoza lokuya eSpaniya.—Roma 1:11, 12; 15:22-24.
Nokho, injongo enkulu kaPawulu yokubhala lencwadi yayiwukuphendula lombuzo: Abantu bangakuzuza kanjani ukulunga okuholela ekuphileni? Impendulo iba izindaba ezinhle kakhulu. Ukulunga kubalwa ngesisekelo sokholo. UPawulu uveza leliphuzu futhi wakha isihloko sencwadi yakhe lapho ebhala: “Anginamahloni ngevangeli; ngokuba lingamandla kaNkulunkulu, kube-yinsindiso kulowo nalowo okholwayo, kumJuda kuqala, nakumGreki. Ngokuba ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu kwambulwa kulo, kuvela ekukholweni, kuyisa ekukholweni, njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Olungileyo uzakuphila ngokukholwa.”—Roma 1:16, 17.
UKHOLO NOMTHETHO
Ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka, akubona bonke abavuma ukuthi ukulunga kwakubalwa ngesisekelo sokholo. Ingcosana eyayisho obala yaphikelela ngokuthi kwakudingeka okwengeziwe. UJehova wayengalungiselelanga yini uMthetho kaMose? Wayengaba kanjani ngolungile umuntu owayengalithobeli lelolungiselelo eliphefumlelwe? (Bheka abaseGalathiya 4:9-11, 21; 5:2.) Ngonyaka ka-49 C.E., indaba yokunamathela eMthethweni yaxoxwa yindikimba ebusayo eJerusalema, futhi yaphetha ngokuthi abeZizwe abamukela izindaba ezinhle kwakungadingeki ukuba basokwe futhi bathobele imiyalo yoMthetho wamaJuda.—IzEnzo 15:1, 2, 28, 29.
Cishe eminyakeni eyisikhombisa kamuva, uPawulu wabhala incwadi eya kwabaseRoma esekela lesosinqumo esaphawula ushintsho. Ngempela, wachaza okwengeziwe. Akukhona nje ukuthi uMthetho wawungadingeki kumaKristu angabeZizwe kodwa amaJuda ayethembele ekuwulaleleni ayengeke alungisiswe kukho ukuphila.
UKULUNGA NGOKHOLO
Njengoba ufunda encwadini yabaseRoma, uzophawula indlela uPawulu abeka ngayo ngokucophelela indaba yakhe, esekela izinkulumo zakhe ngezingcaphuno eziningi ezivela emiBhalweni yesiHeberu. Lapho ekhuluma kumaJuda, okungenzeka anenkinga ekwamukeleni imfundiso yakhe ephefumlelwe, ubonisa uthando nokukhathalela. (Roma 3:1, 2; 9:1-3) Nokho, wethula indaba yakhe ngendlela ecace ngokuphawulekayo nangomqondo ongenakungatshazwa.
KwabaseRoma isahluko 1 kuya kusahluko 4, uPawulu uqala ngeqiniso lokuthi wonke umuntu unecala lesono. Ngakho, ukuphela kwendlela abantu abalungisiswa ngayo ingesisekelo sokholo. Yiqiniso, amaJuda azama ukuba ngalungile ngokugcina uMthetho kaMose. Kodwa ahluleka. Ngakho, uPawulu usho ngesibindi: “AbaJuda namaGreki . . . bonke baphansi kwesono.” Ufakazela leliqiniso elingathandwa ngezingcaphuno eziningi zemiBhalo.—Roma 3:9.
Njengoba “ngemisebenzi yomthetho akukho-nyama eyakulungisiswa,” yiliphi ithemba elikhona? UNkulunkulu uyokwenza ukulungisiswa kwabantu kube isipho samahhala ngesisekelo somhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo. (Roma 3:20, 24) Ukuze azenze akutholakalele, kumelwe abe nokholo kulowomhlatshelo. Ingabe lemfundiso yabalungisiswa ngesisekelo sokholo iyinto entsha? Lutho neze. UAbrahama uqobo walungisiswa ngenxa yokholo lwakhe ngisho nangaphambi kokuba uMthetho usungulwe.—Roma 4:3.
Esekugcizelele ukubaluleka kokholo, uPawulu esahlukweni 5 uxoxa ngesisekelo sokholo lobuKristu. Lona uJesu, onkambo yakhe yokulunga yayenza ize imiphumela emibi yesono sika-Adamu ngalabo abanokholo kuYe. Ngakho, “ngasenzo sinye sokulunga,” hhayi ngokulalela uMthetho kaMose, “kwaba-khona ukulungisiswa kukho ukuphila kubantu bonke.”—Roma 5:18.
UKUPHENDULA UKUPHIKISA
Nokho, uma amaKristu engekho ngaphansi koMthetho, yini engawavimbela ukuba aqhubeke enza izono futhi alindele ukuba naphezu kwalokho alungisiswe, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu ongasifanele? UPawulu uphendula lokhu kuphikisa kwabaseRoma isahluko 6. AmaKristu aye afa enkambweni yawo yesono yangaphambili. Ukuphila kwawo okusha kuJesu kuwenza abe nesibopho sokuba alwe nobuthakathaka bawo obungokwenyama. Uyanxusa: “Makungabusi isono emzimbeni wenu ofayo.”—Roma 6:12.
Kodwa okungenani, ingabe amaJuda akumelwe aqhubeke anamathele eMthethweni kaMose? Esahlukweni 7, uPawulu uchaza ngokucophelela ukuthi akunjalo. Njengoba nje umfazi oganile ekhululeka emthethweni wendoda yakhe lapho ifa, kanjalo ukufa kukaJesu kwakhulula amaJuda akholwayo ekuthobeleni uMthetho. UPawulu uthi: “Nani naba-ngabafileyo maqondana nomthetho ngomzimba kaKristu.”—Roma 7:4.
Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi kwakunokuthile okungalungile ngoMthetho? Lutho neze. UMthetho wawuphelele. Inkinga yayiwukuthi abantu abangaphelele babengawulaleli uMthetho. “Siyazi ukuthi umthetho ungowomoya,” kubhala uPawulu, “kepha mina ngingowenyama, othengisiwe phansi kwesono.” Umuntu ongaphelele ngeke agcine uMthetho ophelele kaNkulunkulu futhi ngalokho uyamlahla. Khona-ke, yeka indlela okumangalisa ngayo ukuthi “akusekho ukulahlwa kwabakuKristu Jesu”! AmaKristu agcotshiwe aye akhethwa ngumoya ukuba abe ngamadodana kaNkulunkulu. Umoya kaJehova uwasiza ukuba alwe nokungapheleli kwenyama. “Ngubani ozakumangalela abakhethiweyo bakaNkulunkulu na? UNkulunkulu ungolungisisayo.” (Roma 7:14; 8:1, 33) Akukho lutho olungabahlukanisa nothando lukaNkulunkulu.
UKULUNGA NAMAJUDA ANGOKWENYAMA
Uma uMthetho ungasadingeki, lokhu kusibeka kusiphi isimo isizwe sakwaIsrayeli? Futhi kuthiwani ngayo yonke leyomibhalo ethembisa ukubuyiselwa kukaIsrayeli? Lemibuzo ihlanganiswa kwabaseRoma izahluko 9 kuya ku-11. ImiBhalo yesiHeberu yabikezela ukuthi yingcosana yamaIsrayeli kuphela eyayiyosindiswa nokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeyophendulela ukunakekela kwakhe kwabezizwe. Ngokuvumelana nalokhu, iziprofetho eziphathelene nokusindiswa kukaIsrayeli azigcwaliswa uIsrayeli ongokwenyama kodwa ibandla lobuKristu, elakhiwa ingcosana yamaJuda angokwenyama akholwayo futhi ligcwaliswe ngabeZizwe abanezinhliziyo ezinhle.—Roma 10:19-21; 11:1, 5, 17-24.
IZIMISO ZOKULUNGA
KwabaseRoma izahluko 12 kuya ku-15, uPawulu uyaqhubeka echaza izindlela ezithile ezingokoqobo amaKristu agcotshiwe angaphila ngazo ngokuvumelana nokulungisiswa kwawo. Ngokwesibonelo, uthi: “Ninikele imizimba yenu ibe-ngumnikelo ophilileyo, ongcwele, othandeka kuNkulunkulu, kube-ngukukhonza kwenu kokuqonda; ningalingisi lelizwe, kodwa niguqulwe isimo ngokwenziwa ibentsha ingqondo yenu.” (Roma 12:1, 2) Kumelwe sithembele emandleni okuhle futhi singalwi nokubi ngokubi. “Unganqotshwa ngokubi,” kubhala umphostoli, “kodwa nqoba okubi ngokuhle.”—Roma 12:21.
IRoma yayiyisikhungo sokubusa kwezombangazwe ngosuku lukaPawulu. Ngakho, uPawulu waluleka amaKristu ngokuhlakanipha: “Akube-yilowo nalowo azithobe phansi kwamandla ombuso, ngokuba akukho-mandla ombuso angaveli kuNkulunkulu.” (Roma 13:1) Ukusebenzelana kwamaKristu ngamanye nakho kuyingxenye yokuphila ngokuvumelana nokulunga. “Ningabi-nacala lani nakubani,” kusho uPawulu, “kuphela elokuthandana; ngokuba othanda omunye uwugcwalisile umthetho.”—Roma 13:8.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, amaKristu kumelwe acabangele unembeza womunye nomunye futhi angahlulelani. UPawulu uyanxusa: “Asijonge okokuthula nokokwakhana.” (Roma 14:19) Yeka iseluleko esihle sokusisebenzisa kuzo zonke izici zokuphila komKristu! Khona-ke, kusahluko 16, uPawulu uphetha ngemikhonzo yomuntu siqu namazwi okuphetha esikhuthazo neseluleko.
NGABAGCOTSHIWE NEZINYE IZIMVU
Isihloko okuxoxwa ngaso kwabaseRoma sasibalulekile ekhulwini lokuqala futhi sisesemqoka kakhulu nanamuhla. Ukulunga nokuphila okuphakade kungokwesithakazelo esishukumisayo kuzo zonke izikhonzi zikaJehova. Yiqiniso, eyabaseRoma yayibhalelwe ibandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe, kanti namuhla oFakazi BakaJehova abaningi kakhulu ‘bangabesixuku esikhulu’ futhi banethemba lasemhlabeni. (IsAmbulo 7:9) Nokho, lencwadi inesigijimi esisemqoka nakulaba futhi. Yisiphi?
Incwadi yabaseRoma ibonisa ukuthi amaKristu alungisiswa ngokholo. Ngabagcotshiwe, lokhu kungenjongo yokuba kwabo ababusi abakanye noJesu eMbusweni wasezulwini. Nokho, amalungu esixuku esikhulu nawo ayalungisiswa, kodwa ‘njengabahlobo bakaNkulunkulu,’ njengoba yayinjalo inzalamizi uAbrahama. (Jakobe 2:21-23) Ukulunga kwawo kungenjongo yokusinda kwawo osizini olukhulu, futhi kusekelwe ekubeni nokholo egazini likaJesu, njengoba nje kunjalo ngabagcotshiwe. (IHubo 37:11; Johane 10:16; IsAmbulo 7:9, 14) Ngakho, amaphuzu kaPawulu kwabaseRoma abaluleke kakhulu kwezinye izimvu kanye nakwabagcotshiwe. Futhi iseluleko esihle salencwadi sokuphila ngokuvumelana nokulungisiswa kwethu sisemqoka ngawo wonke amaKristu.
IBook of Life, ehlelwe oDokotela uNewton Marshall Hall noIrving Francis Wood, ithi: “Ngasohlangothini oluphikisayo nolungokwemfundiso [eyabaseRoma] ifinyelela iqophelo eliphezulu kakhulu kulemfundiso kaPawulu ephefumlelwe. Inesizotha, inobuciko, kodwa noma kunjalo inamandla. . . . Ukuhlolwa kwalencwadi kuletha umvuzo wayo omningi nocebile.” Kungani ungazifundeli lencwadi ngokwakho futhi ujabulele ‘ivangeli’ eliqukethe, ‘elingamandla kaNkulunkulu, kube-yinsindiso.’—Roma 1:16.
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“Akukho-mandla ombuso [wezwe] angaveli kuNkulunkulu.” Lokhu akusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubeka umbusi ngamunye esikhundleni. Kunalokho, ababusi bezwe bakhona nje ngemvume kaNkulunkulu. Ezimweni eziningi, ababusi abangabantu babonwa kusengaphambili futhi babikezelwa uNkulunkulu futhi ngalokho ‘bamiswa uNkulunkulu.’—Roma 13:1.
[Umthombo]
Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma
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AmaKristu ayatshelwa: “Yembathani iNkosi uJesu Kristu.” Lokhu kusho ukuthi kumelwe alandele izinyathelo zikaJesu ngokuseduze, amlingise ngokubeka kuqala ekuphileni kwawo izithakazelo ezingokomoya kunezingokwenyama, ngalokho, ‘enganakekeli inyama kuvuswe izinkanuko.’—Roma 13:14.
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UPawulu watshela amaRoma ukuthi ‘abingelelane ngokuqabula okungcwele.’ Nokho, lapha wayengamisi umkhuba omusha wobuKristu noma umthetho ongokwenkolo. Osukwini lukaPawulu, ukuqabula ibunzi, izindebe, noma isandla ngokuvamile kwakwenziwa njengophawu lokubingelela, lothando, noma lwenhlonipho. Ngakho, uPawulu wayemane nje ebhekisela emkhubeni owawuvamile osukwini lwakhe.—Roma 16:16, qhathanisa neNW.