UJehova Anganiqinisa
“Nguye omupha oyethileyo amandla, nakongenamandla uyandisa izikhwepha.”—ISAYA 40:29.
1, 2. Yibuphi ubufakazi bamandla kaJehova amakhulu?
UJEHOVA unguNkulunkulu ‘onamandla amakhulu.’ Singabubona ubufakazi ‘bamandla kaNkulunkulu aphakade nobuNkulunkulu’ ebukhazikhazini bendalo yakhe ebonakalayo. Labo abenqaba ukuqaphela ubufakazi obunjalo bokuba kwakhe uMdali abanakuzilandulela.—IHubo 147:5; Roma 1:19, 20.
2 Amandla kaJehova aya eba sobala ngokwandayo njengoba izazi zesayensi zihlolisisa emajukujukwini endawo yonke, enemithala engenakubalwa esabalele endaweni elinganiselwa ebangeni elihanjwa ukukhanya ngeminyaka engamakhulu ezigidi. Ebusuku obumnyama kodwa obucwathile, buka emazulwini futhi ubone ukuthi awuzizwa yini njengomhubi: “[Lapho] ngibuka izulu lakho, umsebenzi weminwe yakho, inyanga nezinkanyezi ozimisileyo, umuntu uyini ukuba umkhumbule, nendodana yomuntu ukuba uyinake na?” (IHubo 8:3, 4) Futhi yeka indlela uJehova aye wamnakekela kahle ngayo umuntu, thina! Walungiselela indoda nowesifazane bokuqala ikhaya elihle eliwumhlaba. Ngisho nenhlabathi yalo yayinamandla—okukhulisa uhlaza, iveza ukudla okunomsoco, okungangcolisiwe. Umuntu nezilwane bathola amandla angokomzimba kulokhu kubonakaliswa kwamandla kaNkulunkulu.—Genesise 1:12; 4:12; 1 Samuweli 28:22.
3. Ngaphandle kwezinto ezibonakalayo zendawo yonke, yini enye ebonakalisa amandla kaNkulunkulu?
3 Ngaphandle kokuthi amazulu ayakhanga nokuthi ukuphila kwezitshalo nokwezilwane kuyajabulisa, kubonakalisa kithi amandla kaNkulunkulu. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Okungabonwayo kwakhe, kuthi amandla akhe aphakade nobuNkulunkulu bakhe kubonakala kwasekudalweni kwezwe, ngokuba kuqondakala ngezenzo zakhe.” (Roma 1:20) Kodwa kunobunye ubufakazi bamandla akhe okufanele sibunake futhi sibazise. ‘Yini,’ ungase ubuze, ‘ebonakalisa amandla kaNkulunkulu ukudlula indawo yonke?’ Impendulo inguJesu Kristu. Eqinisweni, ngaphansi kokuphefumlelwa umphostoli uPawulu uthi uKristu obethelwe ‘ungamandla kaNkulunkulu nokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu.’ (1 Korinte 1:24) ‘Kungani kunjalo?’ ungase ubuze, ‘Futhi kuhlangene ngani nokuphila kwami njengamanje?’
Amandla Abonakaliswa NgeNdodana Yakhe
4. Amandla kaNkulunkulu aye aboniswa kanjani ngokuphathelene neNdodana yakhe?
4 Amandla kaNkulunkulu aboniswa okokuqala lapho edala iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, eyenziwe ngomfanekiso wakhe. LeNdodana yomoya yakhonza uJehova ‘njengengcweti yomsebenzi’ ngokusebenzisa amandla kaNkulunkulu amakhulukazi ekudaleni zonke ezinye izinto. (IzAga 8:22, 30) UPawulu wabhalela abafowabo abangamaKristu eKolose: “Kwadalelwa kuyo konke okusezulwini nasemhlabeni, okubonwayo nokungenakubonwa . . . konke kwadalwa ngayo, kwadalelwa yona.”—Kolose 1:15, 16.
5-7. (a) Esikhathini esidlule, abantu babehileleke kanjani ekubonakalisweni kwamandla kaNkulunkulu? (b) Kunasiphi isizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi amandla kaNkulunkulu angabonakaliswa kumaKristu namuhla?
5 Siyingxenye yezinto ‘ezadalelwa emhlabeni.’ Ngakho ingabe amandla kaNkulunkulu angase adluliselwe kithina bantu? Phela, kukho konke ukusebenzelana kukaNkulunkulu nabantu abangaphelele, uJehova ngezikhathi ezithile uye wadlulisela amandla engeziwe ezincekwini zakhe ukuze zifeze izinjongo zakhe. UMose wayazi ukuthi, ngokuvamile, abantu abangaphelele baphila iminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80. (IHubo 90:10) Kuthiwani ngoMose ngokwakhe? Waphila iminyaka engu-120, kodwa “iso lakhe lalingafiphele, amandla akhe ayengakanciphi.” (Duteronomi 34:7) Nakuba lokho kungasho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenza ukuba ngamunye wezinceku zakhe aphile isikhathi eside kangako noma amgcine enalobobungqabavu, kuyakufakazela ukuthi uJehova angabaqinisa abantu.
6 Okubonisa ngokwengeziwe amandla kaNkulunkulu okuqinisa amadoda nabesifazane yilokho akwenza ngomka-Abrahama. “USara uqobo wathola amandla okukhulelwa esedlulelwe yisikhathi, ngokuba wathi ukholekile owethembisayo.” Noma cabangela indlela uNkulunkulu aqinisa ngayo abahluleli kwa-Israyeli: ‘UGideyoni, noBaraki, noSamsoni, noJefta, noDavide, noSamuweli nabaprofethi, abaphiwa amandla ebuthakathakeni.’—Heberu 11:11, 32-34.
7 Amandla anjalo angasebenza nakithi ngokufanayo. Yiqiniso, singase singalindeli ukuthola abantwana manje ngokuyisimangaliso, noma singase singabonakalisi amandla anjengakaSamsoni. Kodwa singaba namandla, njengoba uPawulu asho kubantu abavamile eKolose. Yebo, uPawulu wabhalela amadoda, abesifazane, nabantwana, abanjengalabo abatholakala emabandleni namuhla, futhi wathi ‘babeqiniswa nokuqiniswa.’—Kolose 1:11.
8, 9. Ekhulwini lokuqala, amandla kaJehova enziwa kanjani aba sobala ngokuphathelene nabantu abafana nathi?
8 Phakathi nenkonzo kaJesu yasemhlabeni, uJehova wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi amandla akhe ayesebenza ngeNdodana yakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesikhathi izixuku zithutheleka kuJesu eKapernawume, “namandla eNkosi ayekuye ukuba aphulukise.”—Luka 5:17.
9 Ngemva kokuvuswa kwakhe, uJesu waqinisekisa abalandeli bakhe ukuthi ‘babezakwamukeliswa amandla, umoya ongcwele esefikile phezu kwabo.’ (IzEnzo 1:8) Yeka ukuthi lokhu kwakuyiqiniso kanjani! Isazi-mlando sibika ngalezizenzakalo ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngemva kwePentekoste ngo-33 C.E.: “Abaphostoli baveza ngamandla amakhulu ubufakazi ngokuvuka kweNkosi uJesu.” (IzEnzo 4:33) UPawulu ngokwakhe wayengomunye owaqiniselwa umsebenzi uNkulunkulu amthuma ukuba awenze. Ngemva kokuguqulwa nokuvulwa kwamehlo akhe, “wakhula kakhulu emandleni, wahlula abaJuda abakhileyo eDamaseku eqinisa ukuthi lowo unguKristu.”—IzEnzo 9:22.
10. Amandla avela kuNkulunkulu ayewusizo kanjani kuPawulu?
10 Ngokuqinisekile uPawulu wayedinga amandla engeziwe, lapho sicabangela ukukhuthazela okungokomoya nokungokwengqondo okwakudingeka ukuze afeze uhambo oluthathu lwezithunywa zevangeli olwaluhlanganisa izinkulungwane zamakhilomitha. Futhi wabekezelela zonke izinhlobo zobunzima, ekhuthazelela ukuboshwa futhi ebhekana nokufel’ ukholo. Kanjani? Waphendula: “INkosi yangimela, yangipha amandla ukuba intshumayelo ipheleliswe ngami.”—2 Thimothewu 4:6-8, 17; 2 Korinte 11:23-27.
11. Ngokuphathelene namandla kaNkulunkulu, iliphi ithemba uPawulu abhekisela kulo ngezinceku ezikanye naye eKolose?
11 Khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi uPawulu, lapho ebhalela ‘abazalwane bakhe kuKristu’ abaseKolose, wabaqinisekisa ukuthi babengase ‘baqiniswe nokuqiniswa konke ngokwamandla enkazimulo [kaJehova], kuze kube-ngukubekezela konke nokubhekakade ngokujabula.’ (Kolose 1:2, 11) Nakuba lawomazwi ngokuyinhloko ayebhekiselwe kumaKristu agcotshiwe, bonke abalandela ezinyathelweni zikaKristu bangazuza kakhulu kulokho uPawulu akubhala.
Baqiniswa EKolose
12, 13. Siyini isizinda sencwadi eyayiya kwabaseKolose, futhi cishe basabela kanjani kuyo?
12 Ibandla laseKolose, elalisesifundazweni samaRoma e-Asiya, cishe lakhiwa ngokushumayela komKristu othembekile okuthiwa u-Ephafra. Kubonakala sengathi lapho ezwa ngokuboshwa kukaPawulu eRoma cishe ngo-58 C.E., u-Ephafra wazimisela ukuvakashela lomphostoli futhi amkhuthaze ngombiko omuhle wothando nokubambelela kwabazalwane baseKolose. Cishe u-Ephafra wabuye wadlulisa nombiko wokwethembeka ngezinkinga ezithile ebandleni laseKolose ezazidinga ukulungiswa. Ngokulandelayo, uPawulu wazizwa eshukunyiselwe ukuba abhalele lelibandla incwadi yesikhuthazo nesiyalo. Nawe ungathola isikhuthazo esikhulu kusahluko 1 saleyoncwadi, ngoba sinikeza ukukhanyiselwa ngendlela uJehova angaqinisa ngayo izinceku zakhe.
13 Ungacabanga ukuthi kumelwe ukuba abazalwane nodade eKolose bazizwa kanjani lapho uPawulu ebachaza ‘njengabazalwane abathembekile kuKristu.’ Kwakufanele batuswe ngenxa ‘yothando ababenalo kubo bonke abangcwele’ ‘nangokuthela izithelo zezindaba ezinhle’ kusukela esikhathini ababa ngaso amaKristu! Ingabe lamazwi afanayo angase ashiwo ngebandla lethu, ngathi ngabanye?—Kolose 1:2-8, qhathanisa ne-NW.
14. Sasiyini isifiso sikaPawulu ngokuphathelene nabaseKolose?
14 UPawulu washukunyiswa kakhulu umbiko awuthola kangangokuba watshela abaseKolose ukuthi wayengayekile ukubakhulekela futhi ecela ukuba ‘bagcwaliswe ngokwazi intando [kaNkulunkulu] ngokuhlakanipha konke nokuqonda okungokomoya, bahambe ngokufanele iNkosi.’ Wathandazela ukuba ‘bathele izithelo emisebenzini yonke elungileyo, bakhule ekumazini uNkulunkulu, baqiniswe nokuqiniswa konke ngokwamandla enkazimulo yakhe, kuze kube-ngukubekezela konke nokubhekakade ngokujabula.’—Kolose 1:9-11.
Siyaqiniswa Nanamuhla
15. Singasibonisa kanjani isimo sengqondo esifana naleso esaboniswa kulokho uPawulu akubhalela abaseKolose?
15 Yeka ukuthi uPawulu wasibekela isibonelo esihle kanjani! Abafowethu emhlabeni wonke badinga imithandazo yethu ukuze bakhuthazele futhi balondoloze injabulo yabo naphezu kokuhlupheka kwabo. NjengoPawulu, kufanele sisho izinto ngokuqondile emikhulekweni yethu lapho sithola izindaba zokuthi abafowethu kwelinye ibandla, noma izwe, babhekene nobunzima. Kungase kube ukuthi ibandla eliseduze lithintwe inhlekelele engokwemvelo noma inkinga ethile engokomoya. Noma kungase kube ukuthi amaKristu ayakhuthazela ezweni elikhungethwe impi yombango noma ukubulalana phakathi kwezizwe ezithile. Emthandazweni kufanele sicele uNkulunkulu ukuba asize abafowethu ‘bahambe ngokufanele iNkosi,’ baqhubeke bethela izithelo zoMbuso kuyilapho bekhuthazela, futhi bakhule olwazini. Ngalendlela izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zithola amandla omoya wakhe, ‘ziyaqiniswa nokuqiniswa.’ Ningaqiniseka ukuthi uYihlo uyonizwa futhi asabele.—1 Johane 5:14, 15.
16, 17. (a) Njengoba uPawulu abhala, yini okufanele sibonge ngayo? (b) Kungamuphi umqondo abantu bakaNkulunkulu beye bakhululwa futhi bathethelelwa?
16 UPawulu wabhala ukuthi abaseKolose kwakufanele ngabe ‘babonga uYise owabenza bafanela isabelo sefa labangcwele ekukhanyeni.’ Nathi masibonge uBaba wethu wasezulwini ngendawo yethu elungiselelweni lakhe, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi endaweni yasezulwini noma yasemhlabeni yoMbuso wakhe. UNkulunkulu wabenza kanjani abantu abangaphelele ukuba bafaneleke emehlweni akhe? UPawulu wabhalela abafowabo abagcotshiwe: “Wasikhulula emandleni obumnyama [wasibeka] embusweni weNdodana yothando lwakhe; okukuyo sinokuhlengwa, ukuthethelelwa kwezono.”—Kolose 1:12-14.
17 Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi liyini ithemba lethu, elasezulwini noma elasemhlabeni, sibonga uNkulunkulu nsuku zonke ngokukhululwa kwethu kulesisimiso esibi sobumnyama, okufezwa ukholo lwethu elungiselelweni eliyigugu lomhlatshelo wesihlengo weNdodana kaJehova ethandekayo. (Mathewu 20:28) AmaKristu agcotshwé ngomoya aye azuza esihlengweni esisetshenziswa kuwo ngendlela ekhethekile ukuze ‘abekwe embusweni weNdodana yothando lukaNkulunkulu.’ (Luka 22:20, 29, 30) Kodwa “ezinye izimvu” nazo ziyazuza esihlengweni ngisho kwamanje. (Johane 10:16) Zingathola intethelelo kaNkulunkulu ukuze zibe nokuma okulungile phambi kwakhe njengabangane bakhe. Zinengxenye enkulu ekumemezeleni “lelivangeli lombuso” kulesisikhathi sokuphela. (Mathewu 24:14) Ngaphezu kwalokho, zinethemba elimangalisayo lokuba ezilunge ngokuphelele neziphelele ngokomzimba, ekupheleni kokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane. Njengoba ufunda lencazelo kusAmbulo 7:13-17, ake ubone ukuthi awuvumi yini ukuthi lokhu kuyoba ubufakazi bokukhululwa nokubusiswa.
18. Ikuphi ukubuyisana okukhulunywa ngakho kweyabaseKolose uNkulunkulu asakufeza namanje?
18 Incwadi kaPawulu isisiza ukuba sibone ukuthi kungakanani esikukweleta umuntu omkhulu kunabo bonke owake waphila. Yini uNkulunkulu ayeyifeza ngoKristu? “[Kwakuwukuba] abuyisane nakho konke esenzile ukuthula ngegazi [elachitheka esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa, NW], nokuba kuyizinto ezisemhlabeni nokuba ngezisezulwini.” Injongo kaNkulunkulu iwukubuyisela yonke indalo ekuvumelaneni okuphelele naye, njengoba kwakunjalo ngaphambi kokuhlubuka e-Edene. UMuntu owasetshenziswa ekudaleni zonke izinto kusenguMuntu ofanayo manje osetshenziselwa ukufeza lokhu kubuyisana.—Kolose 1:20.
Ukuqiniselwa Yiphi Injongo?
19, 20. Kuxhomekephi ukuba kwethu abangcwele nabangenasisihla?
19 Imithwalo yemfanelo iza kulabo phakathi kwethu ababuyisene noNkulunkulu. Sasiyizoni futhi sidediselwe kude noNkulunkulu. Kodwa manje, njengoba sesinokholo emhlatshelweni kaJesu futhi izingqondo zethu zingasekho emisebenzini emibi, ngokuyinhloko sisesimweni ‘esingcwele nesingenasisihla, asinacala phambi [kukaNkulunkulu].’ (Kolose 1:21, 22) Cabanga nje, njengoba uNkulunkulu ayengenamahloni ngalabofakazi abathembekile basendulo, ngakho akanamahloni ngathi, ukubizwa ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu wethu. (Heberu 11:16) Namuhla, akekho ongasisola ngokuphatha ngokungafanele igama lakhe elikhazimulayo, noma ngokuthi siyesaba ukumemezela lelogama emikhawulweni yomhlaba!
20 Kodwa phawula isixwayiso uPawulu asinezela kweyabaseKolose 1:23: “Uma kambe nihlala ekukholweni, nisekeliwe nigxilile, ningagudluzwa ethembeni levangeli enalizwayo, elashunyayelwa kukho konke okudaliweyo okuphansi kwezulu.” Okuningi kuxhomeke ekuhlaleni kwethu sithembekile kuJehova, silandela ezinyathelweni zeNdodana yakhe ethandekayo. UJehova noJesu basenzele okuningi kakhulu! Kwangathi singabonisa ukubathanda kwethu ngokulandela iseluleko sikaPawulu.
21. Kungani sinesizathu esikhulu sokuvukwa amadlingozi namuhla?
21 Kumelwe ukuba amaKristu aseKolose avukwa amadlingozi lapho ezwa ukuthi ‘ivangeli ayelizwile’ kakade lase ‘lishunyayelwe kukho konke okudaliweyo okuphansi kwezulu.’ Namuhla kuthakazelisa ngisho nangokwengeziwe ukuzwa isilinganiso izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso esezimenyezelwe ngaso oFakazi abangaphezu kwezigidi ezine nengxenye emazweni angaphezu kuka-230. Phela, unyaka ngamunye abacishe babe ngu-300 000 ezizweni zonke babuyisana noNkulunkulu!—Mathewu 24:14; 28:19, 20.
22. Ngisho noma sibhekana nokuhlupheka, yini uNkulunkulu angasenzela yona?
22 Nakuba uPawulu ngokobufakazi obutholakalayo ayesetilongweni ngesikhathi ebhala incwadi eya kwabaseKolose, akazange nakancane azidabukele ngokwakumehlele. Kunalokho, wathi: “Kalokhu ngiyathokoza ezinhluphekweni zami ngenxa yenu.” UPawulu wayazi ukuthi kwakunjani “ukubekezela konke nokubhekakade ngokujabula.” (Kolose 1:11, 24) Kodwa wayazi ukuthi lokhu wayengakwenzi ngamandla akhe. UJehova wayemqinisile! Kungokufanayo nanamuhla. Izinkulungwane zoFakazi eziye zaboshwa futhi zashushiswa azizange zilahlekelwe injabulo yazo ekukhonzeni uJehova. Kunalokho, ziye zaqaphela ukuba neqiniso kwamazwi kaNkulunkulu njengoba etholakala ku-Isaya 40:29-31: “Nguye omupha oyethileyo amandla . . . Abamethemba uJehova bayathola amandla amasha.”
23, 24. Iyini imfihlakalo engcwele okukhulunywa ngayo kweyabaseKolose 1:26?
23 Inkonzo yezindaba ezinhle egxile kuKristu yayibaluleke kakhulu kuPawulu. Wayefuna ukuba nabanye bakuqonde ukubaluleka kwendima kaKristu enjongweni kaNkulunkulu, ngakho wayichaza ngokuthi “imfihlakalo [engcwele, NW] ebifihlakele selokhu kwaqala izikhathi nezizukulwane.” Nokho, yayingeke ihlale iyimfihlakalo. UPawulu wanezela: “Kalokhu yambuliwe kwabangcwele bakhe.” (Kolose 1:26) Lapho kuqala ukuhlubuka e-Edene, uJehova wanikeza isithembiso sezinto ezingcono ezazizokuza, ebikezela ukuthi ‘inzalo yowesifazane yayizochoboza ikhanda lenyoka.’ (Genesise 3:15) Lokhu kwakusho ukuthini? Izizukulwane ngezizukulwane, amakhulu ngamakhulu eminyaka, yahlala iyimfihlakalo. Khona-ke uJesu wafika, “walethela ekukhanyeni ukuphila nokungabhubhi ngevangeli.”—2 Thimothewu 1:10.
24 Yebo, “imfihlakalo engcwele” igxile kuKristu naseMbusweni wobuMesiya. UPawulu wakhuluma ‘ngezinto ezisezulwini,’ ebhekisela kulabo abayohlanganyela ekubuseni koMbuso noKristu. Laba bayosetshenziswa ekuletheni izibusiso ezingenakubalwa kuzo zonke “izinto ezisemhlabeni,” labo abayojabulela ipharadesi laphakade lapha. Khona-ke, ungabona ukuthi kwakufaneleke kanjani ngoPawulu ukuba abhekisele ‘engcebweni yenkazimulo yalemfihlakalo engcwele.’—Kolose 1:20, 27.
25. Njengoba kuboniswe kweyabaseKolose 1:29, kufanele sibe yini isimo sethu sengqondo manje?
25 UPawulu wayebheke phambili endaweni yakhe eMbusweni. Kodwa wayeqaphela ukuthi kwakungeyona into ayengamane abe nethemba layo kodwa angenzi lutho. “Engikusebenzelayo . . . ngilwa ngokusebenza kwakhe okusebenza kimi ngamandla.” (Kolose 1:29) Phawula ukuthi uJehova, ngoKristu, waqinisa uPawulu ukuze afeze inkonzo esindisa ukuphila. UJehova angenza okufanayo ngathi namuhla. Kodwa kufanele sizibuze, ‘Ingabe nginawo umoya wobuvangeli enganginawo lapho ngiqala ukufunda iqiniso?’ Ithini impendulo yakho? Yini engasiza ngamunye wethu ukuba aqhubeke ‘ezikhandla futhi elwa ngokusebenza kwamandla kaJehova’? Isihloko esilandelayo sidingida yona kanye lendaba.
Uphawulile?
◻ Kungani singaqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova angawabonakalisa amandla akhe ngenxa yesintu?
◻ Siyini isizinda samazwi kaPawulu akweyabaseKolose isahluko 1?
◻ UNkulunkulu ukufeza kanjani ukubuyisana okukhulunywa ngakho kweyabaseKolose 1:20?
◻ Ngamandla akhe, yini uJehova angayifeza ngathi?
[Ibalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 8]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
IKOLOSE