IMIBUZO EVELA KUBAFUNDI

Njengoba kuboniswe kweyabaseGalathiya 4:​24, umphostoli uPawulu wayebhekisela kuziphi izivumelwano ezimbili?

Ngemva kokukhuluma ngobuhlobo u-Abrahama ayenabo noSara noHagari, umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Lezi zinto zingase zibe isenzakalo esingumfanekiso; ngoba laba besifazane basho izivumelwano ezimbili.” (Gal. 4:​22-24) Ekuqaleni, sasicabanga ukuthi lezi zivumelwano ezimbili ziyisivumelwano soMthetho nesivumelwano esisha. Kodwa ngemva kokuphinde sicwaningisise la mavesi, sikholelwa ukuthi asho okuhlukile. Kubonakala sengathi uPawulu wayengabhekiseli esivumelwaneni esisha, kodwa wayebhekisela esivumelwaneni sika-Abrahama. Cabanga ngalezi zizathu ezimbalwa ezisenza siphethe kanjalo.a

UPawulu wahlobanisa owesifazane oyisigqilakazi uHagari neNtaba iSinayi. (Gal. 4:25) UHagari wayebhekisela esivumelwaneni soMthetho esenziwa eNtabeni iSinayi ngo-1513 B.C.E. (Eks. 19:​5, 6) Akekho umuntu onesono owayengawugcina ngokuphelele lowo Mthetho, ngakho sasikhumbuza amaJuda ukuthi ayeyizigqila zesono. Lesi sivumelwano sasingasiza isizwe sakwa-Israyeli sikwazi ukubona uMesiya, ukuphela komuntu owayezokwazi ukuwugcina ngokuphelele lo Mthetho. Lapho uMesiya enikela ngokuphila kwakhe okungenasono ukuze kube umhlatshelo, wenza abantu abanesono bakwazi ukukhululwa esonweni nasekufeni. (Gal. 3:​19, 24, 25) Lapho uJesu eseyifezile injongo kaNkulunkulu, lowo Mthetho wawungasadingeki.—Roma 10:4.

UPawulu waqhathanisa uHagari noSara, “owesifazane okhululekile” owazala umntwana “ngesithembiso.” (Gal. 4:23) Leso sithembiso kwakuyisivumelwano sika-Abrahama. (Gal. 3:29; 4:​28, 30) Sifingqwe ngala mazwi akuGenesise 22:​18, athi: “Ngenzalo yakho [Abrahama] zonke izizwe zomhlaba ziyozitholela isibusiso ngenxa yokuthi ulalele izwi lami.”

Leso sivumelwano esenziwa no-Abrahama saveza neminye imininingwane ngesithembiso uJehova asenza e-Edene. (Gen. 3:15) Saveza ukuthi ‘inzalo’ ebikezelwe yayiyoba inzalo ka-Abrahama. UPawulu wachaza ukuthi ngokuyinhloko le “nzalo” ibhekisela kuJesu Kristu. Kodwa labo “abakaKristu,” abagcotshiwe abangu-144 000 abayobusa noJesu eMbusweni wakhe, bayingxenye yale nzalo engokomfanekiso. (Gal. 3:​16, 29; IsAm. 14:​1-3) Ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu asenza ku-Abrahama kuyobalethela izibusiso eziningi labo abamukela uJesu nabamlalelayo.

Kungani uPawulu asebenzisa lesi “senzakalo esingumfanekiso”? Wayebonisa ukuthi uma amaJuda angesikhathi sakhe ayephikelela ukugcina lo Mthetho njengoHagari, ayeyohlale eyizigqila. Kodwa uma ayamukela ‘inzalo’ ka-Abrahama eyinhloko uJesu Kristu, njengoSara, ayeyokhululeka. Ayeyothola inkululeko yangempela yokukhululwa esonweni nasekufeni. (Joh. 8:​32-34) Uma ayengamamukeli uJesu, lokho kwakusho ukuthi ayengeke ayiqonde injongo eyinhloko yesivumelwano soMthetho, okungukuthi ukuwaholela kuKristu.

AbaseGalathiya abaningi uPawulu ayebabhalela babengewona amaJuda futhi babengakaze babe ngaphansi kwalo Mthetho. Abanye balabo ababeshisekela inkolo yobuJuda babephikelela ukuba amaKristu angabeZizwe alalele lo Mthetho, okuhlanganisa ukuba abantu basokwe. UPawulu wachaza ukuthi kwakuyoba ubuwula ngabo ukuba babe ‘izigqila’ zalo Mthetho ngoba kakade base beyitholile ‘inkululeko’ evela kuKristu.—Gal. 5:​1, 10-14.