Iseluleko Esinengqondo Esiphathelene Nezifo
UHIPPOCRATES uye waziwa ngokuthi “uyise wezokwelapha zanamuhla.” Okuningi iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngezifo kwabhalwa uMose eminyakeni engaba inkulungwane ngaphambili. Nokho, ngokuphawulekayo, kuye kwathiwa: “Abacwaningi bezokwelapha abanolwazi olungcono kakhulu manje abenza umsebenzi ongcono kakhulu bafinyelela esiphethweni sokuthi iBhayibheli liyincwadi engokwesayensi enembe kakhulu. . . . Amaqiniso okuphila, ukuhlolwa kwezifo, ukwelashwa kwazo, nezindlela zokuzivimbela ezinikezwe eBhayibhelini zithuthuke kakhulu futhi zinokwethenjelwa kakhulu kunezinkolelo-mbono zikaHippocrates, eziningi zazo ezingakafakazelwa namanje, futhi ezinye zazo eziye zatholakala ziphaphalaza kakhulu.”—UDkt. H. O. Philips, encwadini eya kuyi-AMA [American Medical Association] News, eyanyatheliswa kumagazini wayo ka-July 10, 1967.
Ngokuphathelene nodokotela ongumKristu uLuka, owaloba iVangeli elilodwa nencwadi yezEnzo, uDkt. C. Truman Davis wathi: “Lapho kunikezwa incazelo yezokwelapha, inembe ngokuthe ngqó. ULuka usebenzisa ingqikithi yamagama obuchwepheshe esiGreki angamashumi amabili nantathu atholakala kuyi-Hippocrates, i-Galen nezinye izincwadi zezokwelapha zangaleyo nkathi.”
Impilo NoMthetho KaMose
Ukugcina uMthetho kwakuvame ukunikeza izinzuzo ezingokwempilo. Ngokwesibonelo, uMthetho wayala ukuba ekamu lebutho lempi indle yomuntu igqitshwe, kanjalo ngezinga elikhulu kuvikelwa izifo ezithathelwanayo ezithwalwa izimpukane njengesihudo ne-typhoid fever. (Duteronomi 23:9-14) Ukungcoliswa kokudla namanzi kwakuvikelwa, uMthetho uthi noma yini okwakuwele kuyo isilwane ‘esingcolileyo’ sesifile yayiba engcolile futhi kudingeke ukuba kuthathwe izinyathelo ezithile, kuhlanganise nokuphohloza isitsha sobumba esingcoliswe ngaleyo ndlela.—Levitikusi 11:32-38.
Ngokuphawulekayo, i-Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible yathi: “Izinyathelo zokuvikela izifo zaziyisisekelo kulomthetho, okwakuthi uma zilandelwa zibe nengxenye enkulu ekuvikeleni i-pilioencephalitis etholakala ekudleni, izimfiva zamathumbu, ukugula okubangelwa ukudla, nokuba nezikelemu. Ukugcizelela ukuvikelwa komthombo wamanzi ahlanzekile kwakuyindlela ephumelela kakhulu yokuvimbela ukuphakama nokusakazeka kwezifo ezinjenge-amoebiasis, izimfiva zamathumbu, ikholera, isichenene, ne-spirochetal jaundice. Lezi zinyathelo zokuvikela izifo, ezakha ingxenye eyisisekelo yanoma isiphi isimiso sezempilo somphakathi, zazibaluleke kakhulu enhlalakahleni yesizwe esasisadla ngoludala emaphethelweni ezindawo ezishisayo emhlabeni.”
Encwadini yakhe ethi The Bible and Modern Medicine, u-A. Rendle Short, M.D., waphawula ukuthi uma umthetho wenhlanzeko yomphakathi wawukhona, wawukhona ngezinga elincane kakhulu phakathi kwezizwe ezazizungeze u-Israyeli wasendulo, wabe esethi: “Ngakho kumangaza nakakhulu ukuthi encwadini enjengeBhayibheli, okuthiwa ayiyona engokwesayensi, kukhona isimiso senhlanzeko, futhi kumangaza ngokufanayo ukuthi isizwe esasisanda kuphuma ebugqileni, esasinqotshwa kaningi izitha futhi sithunjwe ngezikhathi ezithile, sasingaba nesimiso semithetho yezempilo esihlakaniphile nesinengqondo kangaka ezincwadini zaso zemithetho. Lokhu kuye kwaqashelwa izazi ezihlonishwayo, ngisho nalezo ezingenasithakazelo esingako esicini esingokwenkolo seBhayibheli.”
NgokoMthetho, umvundla nengulube kwakuphakathi kwezilwane ama-Israyeli ayengavunyelwe ukuzidla. (Levitikusi 11:4-8) Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, uDkt. Short uthi: “Yiqiniso, siyayidla ingulube, unogwaja nomvundla, kodwa lezi zilwane zingase zibe nezifo ezibangelwa izilokazane ezithile futhi ziphephe kuphela uma ukudla kuphekisisiwe. Ingulube idla izinto ezingahlanzekile, futhi inezilo ezimbili, i-trichina ne-tape worm, ezingase zidluliselwe kubantu. Ngaphansi kwezimo zamanje kulelizwe [iBrithani], ingozi incane kakhulu, kodwa kwakuyoba okuhluke kakhulu ePalestina yasendulo, futhi kwakungcono ukukugwema lokhu kudla.”
Ezinye Izinzuzo Ezingokwempilo
Ukunamathela ezimfunekweni zikaJehova ezilungile ngokuphathelene nokuziphatha okungokobulili nakho kwakunomphumela omuhle kuma-Israyeli ngokomoya, ngokwengqondo, nangokomzimba. (Eksodusi 20:14; Levitikusi, isahluko 18) Ngokufanayo amaKristu alondoloza ukuhlanzeka kokuziphatha ajabulela izinzuzo ezingokwempilo. (Mathewu 5:27, 28; 1 Korinte 6:9-11) Ukugcina izindinganiso zeBhayibheli zokuziphatha eziphakeme kuyisivikelo ezifweni ezidluliselwa ngobulili.
UPawulu watusa ukuba uThimothewu aphuze iwayini elincane ngenxa yesisu sakhe nokugula kwakhe njalo. (1 Thimothewu 5:23) Ukucwaninga kwanamuhla kuyakuqinisekisa ukuthi iwayini linezici zokwelapha. UDkt. Salvatore P. Lucia, uProfesa weZokwelapha e-University of California School of Medicine, uye wathi: “Iwayini lisetshenziswa kakhulu ekwelapheni izifo zesimiso sokugaya ukudla. . . . I-tannin nezibulala-magciwane ezilingene ezisewayinini zilenza libe usizo olukhulu ekwelapheni i-intestinal colic, i-mucous colitis, i-spastic constipation, isifo sohudo neziningi ezinye izifo zesisu namathumbu ezithathelwanayo.” Yebo, uPawulu wasikisela ukuba uThimothewu ‘asebenzise iwayini elincane,’ hhayi iwayini eliningi, futhi iBhayibheli liyakulahla ukudakwa.—IzAga 23:20.
ImiBhalo iyakuvuma ukuba khona kwesimiso sokuthonywa komzimba isimo sengqondo, nakuba abacwaningi bezempilo abaningi besanda kuqaphela ukuthi kunokuhlobana okuthile phakathi kokugula emzimbeni nesimo somuntu esingokomzwelo. IzAga 17:22 zithi: “Inhliziyo eyenamileyo iyikhambi elihle, kepha umoya owaphukileyo uyomisa amathambo.” Imizwelo enjengomona, ukwesaba, ukuhaha, inzondo, nesifiso sobugovu sokuvelela iyalimaza, kuyilapho ukuhlakulela nokubonisa uthando, injabulo, ukuthula, ukubhekakade, umusa, ubuhle, ukholo, ubumnene, nokuzithiba, izithelo zomoya kaNkulunkulu, kubangela imiphumela emihle futhi ngezinye izikhathi eyelaphayo. (Galathiya 5:22, 23) Yebo, imiBhalo ayisho ukuthi konke ukugula kubangelwa ukuphazamiseka kwengqondo, futhi ayisho ukuthi konke ukubonana nodokotela nokwelashwa yibo akukuhle. UPawulu wabiza umKristu okholekile uLuka ngokuthi “udokotela othandekayo.”—Kolose 4:14.