Ukubona Owukuphela KukaNkulunkulu Weqiniso

CISHE selokhu abantu baba khona, baye baba nonkulunkulu abaningi. Baningi kangangokuba kunzima ukusho inani eliqondile lonkulunkulu nonkulunkulukazi abakhulekelwayo emhlabeni wonke—kodwa bayizigidigidi.

Njengoba sesibonile ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, manje siyabuza, Yimuphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu abakhulekelwayo emhlabeni wonke, manje nasesikhathini esidlule, onguNkulunkulu weqiniso? Ukuthi kunoNkulunkulu weqiniso oyedwa vó esingambheka kanjalo kuvezwe ngokucacile eBhayibhelini kuJohane 17:3: “Lokhu kusho ukuphila okumi phakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo owamthuma, uJesu Kristu.”

Igama Elimhlukanisayo

Kunengqondo ukuthi noma imuphi unkulunkulu onobuntu kudingeka abe negama elimhlukanisa kwabanye onkulunkulu abanamagama abo. Leli gama kufanele likhethwe yilowo nkulunkulu ngokwakhe, kunokuba liqanjwe abakhulekeli bakhe.

Nokho, kule ndaba kuvela iqiniso elididayo. Nakuba izinkolo eziningi ezichumayo ziqamba onkulunkulu bazo amagama, amaJuda namasonto avelele eLobukholwa aye ahluleka ukubiza unkulunkulu amkhulekelayo ngegama elimhlukanisayo. Kunalokho, asebenzisa iziqu ezinjengokuthi Nkosi, Nkulunkulu, Mninimandla onke, nesithi Baba.

Ebhala encwadini ethi Theology, umlobi uDavid Clines waphawula okulandelayo: “Esikhathini esithile phakathi kwekhulu lesihlanu nelesibili B.C. uNkulunkulu wehlelwa yingozi ehlasimulisayo: walahlekelwa yigama. Eqinisweni, amaJuda ayeka ukusebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu elithi Yahweh, futhi aqala ukubiza uYahweh ngeziqu ezihlukahlukene, ezithi: uNkulunkulu, iNkosi, iGama, oNgcwele, oKhona, ngisho nesithi iNdawo. Ngisho nalapho elithi Yahweh lalibhalwe khona eBhayibhelini, abafundi babeliphimisela ngokuthi Adonayi. Lapho ithempeli selibhujiswe ngokuphelele, ukusetshenziswa kwaleli gama kwaphela ngisho nasemikhosini yokukhulekela eyayingavamile, futhi abantu bayikhohlwa ngisho nendlela yokuphimisela leli gama.” Nokho, akekho ongasho ngokunembile ukuthi amaJuda ayesadla ngoludala ayeka nini ukuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu ngokuzwakalayo futhi kunalokho afaka esikhundleni salo amagama esiHeberu asho uNkulunkulu neNkosi Yendawo Yonke.

Khona-ke, kubonakala sengathi isici sokuqala esidingekayo uma sifuna ukubona “owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso” ukuba sazi igama lakhe. Lokhu kucwaninga akunzima neze, ngoba igama likaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, uMdali, lishiwo ngokucacile kumaHubo 83:18: “Bazi ukuthi nguwe wedwa ogama lakho linguJehova; ungoPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.”

UJehova Noma UYahweh?

Nakuba igama elithi Jehova livela kuyi-King James Version nakwezinye izinguqulo zeBhayibheli, abanye bakhetha ukusebenzisa igama elithi Yahweh esikhundleni selithi Jehova. Yiliphi elinembile?

Imibhalo yesandla yeBhayibheli yasendulo yabhalwa ngesiHeberu. EmiBhalweni YesiHeberu, igama laphezulu livela izikhathi ezicishe zibe ngu-7 000 futhi libhalwa ngongwaqa abane—YHWH noma JHVH. La magama anongwaqa abane ngokuvamile abizwa ngokuthi i-Tetragrammaton noma i-Tetragram, okuyigama elisuselwa emagameni amabili esiGreki asho “izinhlamvu ezine.” Kuphakama inkinga yokuphimisela ngoba imibhalo yesiHeberu yakuqala yayinongwaqa, kodwa babengekho onkamisa abaqondisa umfundi. Ngakho ukuthi i-Tetragrammaton iphinyiselwa ngokuthi Yahweh noma Jehova kuxhomeke ekutheni umfundi ufaka baphi onkamisa kulab’ ongwaqa abane. Namuhla izazi eziningi zesiHeberu zikhetha elithi Yahweh njengendlela enembile yokuphimisela.

Nokho, ukusetshenziswa kabanzi kwaleli gama kusekela elithi Jehova. Ngani? Sekungamakhulu eminyaka ukuphimisela ngokuthi Jehova kwamukelwa esiNgisini. Labo abangavumelani nale ndlela yokuphimisela kufanele futhi bangavumelani nokusetshenziswa okwamukelwayo kwegama elithi Jeremiya ngisho nelithi Jesu. Elithi Jeremiya bekuyodingeka lishintshwe lithi Yir·meyahʹ noma Yir·meyaʹhu, okuyindlela yakuqala yokuliphimisela ngesiHeberu, kanti elithi Jesu beliyothi Ye·shuʹaʽ (ngesiHeberu) noma I·e·sousʹ (ngesiGreki). Ngakho, abafundi beBhayibheli abaningi, kuhlanganise noFakazi BakaJehova, banomuzwa wokuthi ukungaguquguquki kusekela ukusetshenziswa kwelesiNgisi eselaziwa kakade elithi “Jehovah” nelifana nalo kwezinye izilimi.

Ingabe Kunendaba Ngempela?

Abanye bangase bathi akunandaba ngempela ukuthi ubiza uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke ngegama noma cha, futhi bayaneliseka ngokukhuluma ngoNkulunkulu nangokumbiza ngokuthi uBaba noma nje uNkulunkulu. Nokho, lokhu kokubili kuyiziqu akuwona amagama futhi akumvezi ngokuqondile uNkulunkulu noma kumhlukanise. Ezikhathini zeBhayibheli igama elisho uNkulunkulu (NgesiHeberu, ʼElo·himʹ) lalisetshenziselwa ukuchaza noma yimuphi unkulunkulu—ngisho nonkulunkulu wamaFilisti angamaqaba uDagoni. (AbAhluleli 16:23, 24) Ngakho uma umHeberu etshela umFilisti ukuthi yena njengomHeberu ukhulekela “uNkulunkulu,” lokho kwakungeke kumveze uNkulunkulu weqiniso amkhulekelayo.

Ayathakazelisa amazwi atholakala kuyi-Imperial Bible-Dictionary ka-1874: “Elithi [Jehova] liyibizo-qho ngaso sonke isikhathi, lichaza uNkulunkulu uqobo futhi yena yedwa; kanti elithi Elohim lithi alibe yibizomvama, ngokuvamile lichaza oPhezukonke, kodwa hhayi ngokunembile nangokungaguquki. . . . Ngokuphindaphindiwe umHeberu uthi uNkulunkulu wami . . . ; kodwa ngeke athi uJehova wami, ngoba lapho ethi Nkulunkulu wami, usuke esho uJehova. Ukhuluma ngoNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kodwa ngeke akhulume ngoJehova ka-Israyeli, ngoba akekho omunye uJehova. Ukhuluma ngoNkulunkulu ophilayo, kodwa ngeke akhulume ngoJehova ophilayo, ngoba vele uJehova uyaphila.”

Izimfanelo ZikaNkulunkulu Weqiniso

Yiqiniso, ukwazi igama lothile nje kuphela akusho ukuthi simazi kahle-hle. Abaningi bethu siyawazi amagama ezazi zezombangazwe ezidumile. Ngisho namadoda nabesifazane abadumile bakwamanye amazwe bangase babe namagama esiwaziyo. Kodwa ukwazi nje amagama abo—ngisho nokuwaphimisela kahle—akusho ukuthi siyazana nabo noma ukuthi baluhlobo luni lwabantu. Ngokufanayo, ukuze sazi uNkulunkulu weqiniso, kumelwe sazi izimfanelo zakhe futhi sizazise.

Nakuba kuyiqiniso ukuthi abantu abasoze bakwazi ukubona uNkulunkulu weqiniso, ngomusa usigcinele imininingwane eminingi eBhayibhelini ephathelene nobuntu bakhe. (Eksodusi 33:20; Johane 1:18) Abanye abaprofethi abangamaHeberu banikwa imibono ephefumulelwe yamagceke asezulwini kaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke. Lokho abakuchazayo akuvezi nje isithunzi esikhulu namandla kuphela kodwa kuveza nokuthula, ukuhleleka, ubuhle nentokozo.—Eksodusi 24:9-11; Isaya 6:1; Hezekeli 1:26-28; Daniyeli 7:9; IsAmbulo 4:1-3.

UJehova uNkulunkulu wembula ezinye zezimfanelo zakhe ezikhangayo kuMose, njengoba kulotshwe ku-Eksodusi 34:6, 7: “NguJehova! NguJehova! NguNkulunkulu ogcwele isihe, onomusa, ophuza ukuthukuthela, novamé ubumnene neqiniso, ogcinela abayizinkulungwane umusa, othethelela ububi neziphambeko nezono.” Awuvumi yini ukuthi ukwazi ngalezi zimfanelo zikaNkulunkulu kusisondeza kuye futhi kusenze sifune ukwazi okwengeziwe ngaye?

Nakuba kungekho muntu oyoke abone uJehova uNkulunkulu enkazimulweni yakhe ebabazekayo, kulotshiwe ukuthi lapho uJesu Kristu esaphila emhlabeni, wabonisa uhlobo lomuntu ayilo uJehova uNkulunkulu, uYise wasezuwini. Ngesinye isikhathi uJesu wathi: “INdodana ayikwazi ukwenza ngisho nento eyodwa ngokusuka kuyo siqu, kodwa kuphela lokho ebona uYise ekwenza. Ngoba noma yiziphi izinto azenzayo Yena, neNdodana iyazenza lezizinto ngendlela efanayo.”—Johane 5:19.

Ngakho singaphetha ngokuthi umusa, ububele, ubumnene nemfudumalo kaJesu, ukuthanda ukulunga nokuzonda ububi kuyizimfanelo uJesu azibona kuYise, uJehova uNkulunkulu, lapho uJesu enaye emazulwini ngaphambi kokuba abe umuntu emhlabeni. Ngakho, lapho sesikuqonda ngempela lokho okushiwo yigama elithi Jehova, ngokuqinisekile sinezizathu ezinhle zokuthanda nokubusisa lelo gama elingcwele, silidumise futhi siliphakamise, futhi sithembele kulo.

Ukwazi owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso ngale ndlela ngempela kuyinqubo engapheli, njengoba kuvezwe ngokucacile endleleni INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ehumushé ngayo uJohane 17:3. Lapha, inkathi efanele yesenzo esithi “ukwazi” isiza kakhulu ngoba kusetshenziswe inkathi yamanje eqhubekayo kunokuba kusetshenziswe inkathi yamanje. Ngakho, siyafunda: “Lokhu kusho ukuphila okumi phakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo owamthuma, uJesu Kristu.” Yebo, ukuqhubeka singenisa ulwazi ngokuwukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, nangeNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, kuyinqubo okungafanele iphele.

Ukwambulwa KukaNkulunkulu Weqiniso

Ngakho, uNkulunkulu weqiniso uhlukaniseka kalula konkulunkulu bamanga abaningi. UnguMdali ongumninimandla onke wendawo yonke, kuhlanganise neplanethi ewuMhlaba nesintu esihlala kuyo. Unegama eliyingqayizivele—elithi Jehova, noma Yahweh. Akayona ingxenye kankulunkulu oyimpicabadala, uZiqu-zintathu. UnguNkulunkulu wothando, futhi uyifisela okuhle kodwa indalo yakhe engabantu. Ngesikhathi esifanayo unguNkulunkulu wobulungisa, futhi ngeke ababekezelele phakade labo abaphikelelayo bechitha umhlaba nabaphehla izimpi nobudlova.

UJehova uye wembula ukuthi akazimisele nje ukuqeda ububi nokuhlupheka emhlabeni kuphela kodwa uzimisele nokwenza umhlaba ube yipharadesi lapho abantu abanhliziyo ziqotho beyohlala khona phakade ngenjabulo. (IHubo 37:10, 11, 29, 34) UNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke useyigcobile iNdodana yakhe, uJesu, njengeNkosi yasezulwini yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, futhi ngokushesha uJesu uyoletha lelo lizwe elisha lokulunga futhi abuyisele izimo zePharadesi emhlabeni wethu.—Daniyeli 2:44; Mathewu 6:9, 10.

Sithemba ukuthi manje usuyakwazi ukuphendula umbuzo othi, Ingabe uNkulunkulu ukhona ngempela? nokubona uNkulunkulu weqiniso.

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

UJesu Kristu wabonisa ukuthi uJehova uwukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso