Ingabe Umlando Ongokwenkolo Unayo Inzuzo Kuwe?

“ESIKOLENI, ngangingazithandi nakancane ezomlando,” kuvuma uBarbara ngokusobala. Kodwa manje uyalwazisa ulwazi ngeMpi Yezwe I, ngokwesibonelo. Lolulwazi, kanye neBhayibheli lakhe, lumsiza ukuba achaze ngokuphumelela ngokwengeziwe isizathu sokuba izwe lingabi nakuthula kusukela ngo-1914. (IsAmbulo 6:4) Ngokufanayo, umlando ongokwenkolo ungasisiza ukuba siqonde izwe esiphila kulo.

Kungani izizwe, amaqembu emiphakathi, ngisho nemikhaya kuye kwehlukana phakathi kwezinkolo zobuKatolika nezobuProthestani kusukela ekhulwini le-16 leminyaka? “Emzamweni wokufundisa iVangeli ngeqiniso, ngalesosikhathi owaqaliswa ngokuyinhloko abafundisi besonto baseJalimane, eSwitzerland, naseFrance, iRome yayingathandi ukusekela,” kuphawula isazimlando uFriedrich Oehninger. Lokhu kwaholela ekwakhiweni kwamasonto angamahlelo.

Kodwa ingabe “ukufundisa iVangeli ngeqiniso” kwakuye kwamiswa ngempela? Ukuhlola umlando ongokwenkolo kuzosisiza ukuba sithole lokho okwenzeka ngempela.

Lokho Okwembulwa Ukuhoxiswa Kwesijeziso Sezono Ngokukhokhwa Kwemali

“Inguquko yaqala ngokulwa kukaLuther ngenxa yokusetshenziswa kabi kokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono ngokukhokhwa kwemali (indulgence), cishe okwakuyindaba ebaluleke ngempela esontweni kuphela,” kuphawula isazimlando uGottfried Fitzer. “Kodwa eqinisweni kwembula ukuthi izindaba zesonto zaziye zahlangana eduze nemali, ezomnotho, nezombangazwe.” Ake sihlolisise.

UPrince Albert waseBrandenburg wazuza izikhundla ezihlukahlukene ezinethonya esontweni. Kwadingeka ukuba akhokhele iVatican cishe imali elingana namaRandi ayingxenye yesigidi, esizwa yibhange ngemali ebolekiswayo. Upapa wamisa umBhishobhi oMkhulu uAlbert njengommeleli wakhe wokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono eJalimane ephakathi futhi wamvumela ukuba athole ingxenye yemali eyinzuzo ukuze akhokhele izikweleti zakhe.

Abashumayeli baka-Albert bokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono bakhankasa ngokuphumelelayo, beqinisekisa “ngokuthethelelwa kwazo zonke izono ngokuphelele” nokukhululwa ngokushesha esihlanzweni. Eqinisweni, isonto lathembisa ukuhoxiswa kwezijeziso zesonto kuphela, kodwa abantu babekholelwa ukuthi izincwadi zokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono zaziyobakhulula kuzo zonke izono. UMartin Luther wathukuthela futhi, ngo-1517, wakhipha iziphakamiso zakhe ezaziwayo ezingama-95, “ngenxa yokuthanda iqiniso,” njengoba abhala esingenisweni.a

Njengoba uLuther ayemane efuna kube nengxoxo phakathi kwezazi, leyo yena njengoprofesa ayenelungelo kuyo, iziphakamiso zabhalwa ngesiLatini. Kodwa zabangela “umuzwa othusayo,” ngokukaFriedrich Oehninger. “Ngezinsuku eziyi-14 zase zaziwa [izinguqulo ezinyathelisiwe zesiJalimane] kulo lonke elaseJalimane, ngamasonto amane zase zaziwa kulo lonke eLobukholwa. Abanye bajabula ngokuthi ekugcineni umuntu oyedwa wayeye wamelana nokucindezela kwamaRoma; kwabanye, uLuther waba yisisulu senzondo.” Umphumela weziphakamiso zakhe wammangaza uLuther ngokwakhe. Zembulani?

Lokho Okwembulwa Yiziphakamiso ZikaLuther Ezingama-95

Ngokweziphakamiso zakhe zokuqala, “konke ukuphila kwabakholwayo kumelwe kube ukuphenduka.” Isoni sasingenakuzuza ukuthula noNkulunkulu ngezincwadi zokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono kodwa ngokuphenduka koqobo nangokuziphatha kobuKristu. Esinye seziphakamiso zokugcina sasifundeka kanje: “Ngakho-ke, mabaphele bonke labobaprofethi abashumayela kumaKristu: ‘Ukuthula, ukuthula,’ kodwa kube kungekho-kuthula.”—Esama-92.

ULuther wabhala ukuthi akulona isiko kodwa kumelwe kube iVangeli “eliphakeme kakhulu” ‘neliwumcebo wangempela.’ (Esama-55, 62, 65) Iqiniso. UJesu wabeka isibonelo ngokufundisa ngemiBhalo ephefumlelwe, ethi ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu: “Izwi lakho liyiqiniso.” (Johane 17:17; Luka 24:44) Ngokuphambuka kulendlela, abefundisi balenqaba iBhayibheli njengegunya eliphakeme kakhulu futhi babhajwa kunoxhaka we zimfundiso zomuntu. ULuther wabasola, ethi: “Izimfundiso zabantu zishunyayelwa yilabo abathi umphefumulo uyaphuma (esihlanzweni) ngokushesha nje lapho imali ingena ebhokisini.”—Esama-27.

ULuther waxwayisa ngokuthi “inzuzo nokuhaha kuyanda” ngokushumayela okunjalo. (Esama-28) Umlando ongokwenkolo ufakazela ukuthi abefundisi abazishayangamkhuba izixwayiso ezingokomBhalo futhi baba yizisulu zothando lwemali. (Heberu 13:5) Incwadi yomlando yamaKatolika iyavuma: “Imbangela eyinhloko yokonakala esontweni langalesosikhathi kwakuwumthetho wemali weziphathi-mandla zesonto lamaRoma Katolika, elangcoliswa ngokuphelele ukuthenga nokuthengisa ngamalungelo enkonzo.”

Lapho uLuther ekhuluma ngokumelene “nesiko ‘elingcwele’ lesonto” futhi “ekugxeka ngokuqondile ukuthambekela kwesonto emalini nasekubuseni,” njengoba esinye isazimlando esingumProthestani sakubeka, wathinta umnyombo wenkinga: ukulahlwa okuvamile kwezimfundiso zamaKristu okuqala.

Indlela Ukushiywa Kwenkolo Yeqiniso Okwaqala Ngayo

Isiphakamiso se-11 sachaza enye imfundiso engeyona engokombhalo ngokuthi “ukhula olwatshalwa ngokusobala lapho ababhishobhi belele.” Lokhu kusikhumbuza umfanekiso kaJesu wamabele nokhula, lapho aprofetha khona ngokutshalwa kwamaKristu-mbumbulu. (Mathewu 13:36-43) Ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli, lamaKristu-mbumbulu, kuhlanganise nabafundisi abayizihlubuki, axubanisa izimfundiso zeBhayibheli eziyiqiniso nefilosofi yamaGreki futhi afaka izimfundiso ezingezona ezingokomBhalo njengokungafi komphefumulo, isihogo somlilo, noZiqu-zintathu.b—IzEnzo 20:29, 30.

Ngokwesibonelo, amaKristu okuqala ayengenalo ikhono lokudweba izithombe, futhi labo ababizwa ngokuthi oBaba BeSonto babebheka ukuhlonishwa kwesithombe ‘njengokuphambuka eqinisweni nanjengesono.’ Nokho, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine leminyaka, kakade amasonto ayesegcwele izithombe zikaJesu, uMariya, abaphostoli, izingelosi, nabaprofethi. NgokukaEpiphanius waseSalamis, labo ababefanekiswa babethola ukuhlonishwa okungafanele lapho abantu bekhothama phambi kwabo. Kancane kancane, isixwayiso esithi “zilindeni ezithombeni” saqala ukunganakwa.—1 Johane 5:21; qhathanisa nezEnzo 10:25, 26.

AmaKristu okuzisholo awenqaba umyalo kaJesu lapho eqala ‘ukuzenza amakhosi’ phezu kwabafowabo ngokuhlela izikhundla zobufundisi ezihlukahlukene. (Mathewu 20:25-27; 23:8-11) Kamuva, ababhishobhi baseRoma bazisholo ukuba bakhulu. Lapho “ukonakala kokuphila kwesonto ngaphansi kokubusa kopapa okungaphathelene namabandla kuqhubeka kungaqashelwe,” isonto lenza imizamo “yokuziguqula ngokwalo, kodwa lalingenamandla okwenza kanjalo,” kuphawula isazi-mlando uOehninger.

Ekhulwini le-16 leminyaka kwaba nezinguquko ezengeziwe. “Isimo sangalesosikhathi sasimvuna (uLuther),” kusho uOehninger, enezela ngokuthi “izitha zamhlasela, zimsongela ngokufa njengesihlubuki, kodwa zamane zamshukumisela ukuba enze ukuhlola okwengeziwe nokusha ngesisekelo semiBhalo eNgcwele, kwaze kwaba yilapho sonke isimiso samaRoma, njengendalo nje yomuntu, siqala ukuvithika phambi kwamehlo akhe.” Kodwa ingabe amasonto ayesanda kusungulwa ngempela ayekhululekile “ekuxhashazweni okwesabekayo nasezimfundisweni zamanga,” njengoba ayezisholo?

Inguquko—Akukho Ukubuyiselwa

Isidingo senguquko ekhulwini le-16 leminyaka asizange siholele ekubuyiselweni kwesonto “lendawo yonke” noma kwe zimfundiso zamaKristu okuqala kodwa samane sabangela ukwahlukana kweLobukholwa elihlubukayo laba yizingxenye zezihlubuki ezabuye zahlukana futhi. Ababhishobhi banamuhla, kuhlanganise nezindlalifa zikaLuther, basabonakala ‘belele,’ njengoba kusho isiphakamiso se-11.

AmaProthestani aye nqaba imfundiso yokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono kodwa amukela eziningi ezinye izimfundiso zamanga. “Inkolo yobuKristu yamukela futhi imfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo, kufilosofi yamaGreki,” kusho iEvangelischer Erwachsenenkatechismus (Ikhathekhizimu yamaProthestani Yabantu Abadala). ‘Yahlanganiswa . . . nobufakazi obungokweBhayibheli ngovuko lomzimba.’

Ngokusebenzisa izimfundiso zabantu nokuxubanisa inkonzo yabo nezinto zezwe, kuhlanganise nezombangazwe, abaholi be Lobukholwa, njengasezinsukwini zikaLuther, balulaza igunya leBhayibheli. Ngakho-ke, ‘isimo sabo sokwesaba uNkulunkulu’ sibonakala singenamandla futhi asikwazi ukwenza ngcono inani elehlayo lababakhona ezinkonzweni ze-. sonto, ukunganaki kwamalungu esonto, ukuguqulelwa kwezingxoxo zesonto ekubeni ezombangazwe, nokuhoxa okwandayo kwamalungu.—2 Thimothewu 3:5.

Njengoba nje ukwaziswa okuphathelene nomlando wesiguli kungasiza udokotela ukuba axilonge isifo somuntu, kanjalo umlando ongokwenkolo ungasisiza ukuba siqonde ukuthi kungani eLobukholwa ligulela ukufa osukwini lwethu. Khona-ke, ingabe alikho ithemba lobuKristu beqiniso? Kungokuphambene! Umfanekiso kaJesu wabonisa ukuthi abalandeli bakhe abanjengamabele, “abantwana bombuso” beqiniso, babeyobonakala ekuvuneni “esikhathini sokugcina.” (Mathewu 13:38, 39; Daniyeli 12:4) Kwakuyokwenzeka kanjani lokhu?

Isifundo Emlandweni Ongokwenkolo Wanamuhla

Ngo-1891 iqembu labaFundi BeBhayibheli lavakashela ikhaya likaLuther langaphambili eWittenberg. Omunye ojikelezayo wabika, “Yeka indlela okwakukhumbuza ngayo ngokukhanyayo lezozikhathi zesiphithiphithi.” Phakathi kwalabo abangena ekamelweni likaLuther “lokutadisha futhi bahlala esihlalweni sakhe esidala” kwakunguCharles Taze Russell. Umbiko uyaqhubeka: “[Thina] sinesizathu esikhulu sokujabula namuhla kangangokuthi, nakuba abasunguli benguquko enkulu bama ngokushesha emsebenzini futhi bahlela ezinye izimiso okungeyizo, nokho, ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwaphezulu, ukuhlanzwa kwendawo engcwele kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaqedwa, nezitsha zegolide zeqiniso laphezulu manje ziyaphinda zibekwa ngokufanelekile.” Lokho uLuther ahluleka ukukufinyelela, lesivakashi sasiza ekukufezeni.

Kwakuyisehlakalo sezici ezingokomlando lapho uRussell—kanye namanye amadoda nabesifazane abathanda iqiniso—eqala isifundo seBhayibheli esizimele ngawo-1870. Nokho, phakathi kuka-1870 no-1875 ‘babethola nje ulwazi oluyisisekelo lweCebo likaNkulunkulu futhi beguqula amaphutha amaningi ayefundiwe ayethandwa, njengoba sasingakafiki ngokuphelele isikhathi sokuyiqonda ngokukhanyayo imininingwane,’ njengoba uRussell abhala kamuva. Kodwa iminyaka eyalandela yaba ebalulekile ekubuyiselweni kwezimiso zokuqala zobuKristu.

Ngomagazini iZion’s Watch Tower, abaFundi BeBhayibheli bamemezela ukuthi igama loPhezukonke linguJehova, ukuthi umphefumulo uyafa (1881), ukuthi uZiquzintathu awuwona ongokomBhalo (1882), nokuthi isihogo seBhayibheli yithuna (1883). Njengoba nje izimfundiso zamanga zangena kancane kancane, ngakho-ke manje ukukhanya kweqiniso kwakuya kukhanya kancane kancane. (IzAga 4:18, 19) Kusukela ekuqaleni, lamaKristu aliqonda iqiniso eliyisisekelo ngokuphathelene noJesu, owanikela ukuphila kwakhe kwaba yisihlengo, futhi benza ukubuya kwakhe okungabonakali noMbuso kaNkulunkulu kwaba umnyombo womsebenzi wabo.—1 Thimothewu 2:6.

Ukuze kube khona “ukusakazwa kwamaqiniso eBhayibheli ngezilimi ezihlukahlukene okuhlelwe kangcono” ngezincwadi, ngo-1884 abaFundi BeBhayibheli bamisa ngokomthetho eUnited States iZion’s Watch Tower Tract Society eyayisimisiwe kakade. Ngonyaka owandulelayo kakade kwase kube nezincwadi ngesiSwedish, khona-ke ngo-1885, kwaba nezincwadi zokuqala zesiJalimane. Ngo-1892 kwacatshangelwa umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli kwamanye amazwe. Namuhla, abaFundi BeBhayibheli—abaziwa kahle njengoFakazi BakaJehova—bashumayela “lelivangeli loMbuso” emazweni angama-208 ngezilimi ezingama-200.—Mathewu 24:14.

Iningi loFakazi lalingamalungu amasonto eLobukholwa noma ezinye izinkolo futhi lalikholelwa ezimfundisweni ezimenyelisayo uNkulunkulu. Ngemva kokungenisa ulwazi oluqondile ngoNkulunkulu nokuba nokholo, laphenduka enkambweni yalo engalungile, laguquka, lase liba izinceku zikaJehova ezizinikezele, zabhapathizwa. Ukwenza kwabo “imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka” kwaphumela ekubeni nonembeza ohlanzekile nasekubeni nokuthula noNkulunkulu.—IzEnzo 26:20; Johane 17:3.

Ingabe Umlando Ongokwenkolo Unayo Inzuzo?

Ngempela unayo. Izingxenye eziningi zeBhayibheli ziqukethe umlando ongokwenkolo oyinzuzo. (Roma 15:4) AmaVangeli abonisa indlela uJesu afundisa ngayo iqiniso ngoNkulunkulu nangenjongo yaKhe ngomhlaba. Abalandeli bakaJesu kwakudingeka ukuba balindele uMbuso wasezulwini owawuyoxazulula izinkinga zomhlaba. “Ngakho lindani, ngokuba anilwazi usuku nehora,” kusho uJesu.—Mathewu 6:9, 10; 25:1-13.

Umlando ongokwenkolo uqinisekisa ukufika kwamaKristu-mbumbulu ayebikezelwe, azimisela owawo umbuso wasemhlabeni. Inguquko yashintsha isimo sezwe kodwa ayizange izibuyisele izimfundiso zeBhayibheli eziyiqiniso. Umlando futhi ukhomba ekubonakaleni kwamaKristu anamuhla ‘alindayo,’ ‘angesiwo awezwe,’ futhi abeka uMbuso kaNkulunkulu kuqala. (Johane 17:16) Lokhu kwaziswa kuye kwasiza abantu abaningi ukuba babone abalandeli beqiniso bakaJesu namuhla.

UBarbara, ophawulwe ekuqaleni kwalesihloko, ungomunye woFakazi abakhuthele abangaphezu kwezi-3 000 000 emhlabeni wonke abazama ukufinyelela abantu abathembekile ‘ngemfundiso eyiqiniso yevangeli.’ Isilinganiso esithile solwazi ngomlando ongokwenkolo siye saba esinenzuzo nakulabamemezeli boMbuso.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 28]

Igama elithi indulgence lisho ukuhoxiswa kwesijeziso (sesikhashana) sezono . . . ukuhoxiswa kwesikhashana kwesijeziso kusebenza lapha noma esihlanzweni.—Isazi esingumKatolika uJosef Lortz.

Ngisho nanamuhla, izazi azivumelani ngokuthi ukuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono kuyini nokuthi kusho ukuthini ngokuphila komKatolika.—Umlobi-mlando ongumProthestani uHeinrich Bornkamm.

Ukuhoxiswa Kwesijeziso Sezono—Imfundiso Ekhethekile YamaKatolika

Umpristi ovumisa izono uthwesa umKatolika ophendUkayo isenzo esi bonisa ukudabuka noma ukuphenduka (njengomthandazo, ukuzila ukudla, izipho ezinikwa abampofu, noma uhambo oluya endaweni engcwele). Upapa angazihoxisa lezijeziso ngoba, ngokwemfundiso yamaRoma Katolika, uyinkosi phezu kwazo zonke izijeziso zesikhashana (kuhlanganise nesihlanzo) futhi unikeza ukuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono okuvela kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi indawo yengcebo yomvuzo noma isijeziso sikaKristu nabangcwele. Ezikhathini Zobumnyama, lelilungelo lazixhaphaza ngokungathi sina futhi lachazwa ‘njengebhizinisi lezentengiselwano elikhulu kakhulu, elalenziwa naphezu kokulahleka kwezimiso zokuziphatha nokungqubuzana nezimfundiso zemiBhalo eNgcwele.’

Isonto alisilinganisi isenzo sokuphenduka nokuthethelelwa kwezono. Nokho, ngisho nasezikhathini zobumnyama, abantu bagcina “inkolelo yokuthi ngenkokhelo isono sasesulwa,” futhi abashumayeli bokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono bawusekela lomqondo. Iziphakamiso zikaLuther zazimelene ‘nalezozinganekwane’ futhi ngaleyondlela zabekwa ngamafuphi: “Ukuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono kuyimisebenzi yabantu futhi akuhlangene ngalutho nevangeli leqiniso.”

UPapa Clement VI wamisa imfundiso ethile ngo-1343 kodwa wangayichaza ngokukhanya yo. Ngaleyondlela uLuther wayengamangala ngesimo sayo esingakhanyi. Isonto lasabela ngokushesha kulokhu ngokukhipha incazelo engokomthetho yokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono ngo-1518. Kodwa isimemezelo sikapapa sikaLeo X asizange sinikeze “bufakazi beBhayibheli bokwenza umvuzo noma isijeziso sikaKristu nabangcwele silingane nendawo yengcebo yokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono.” Lokhu kwashukumisela uLuther ongumKatolika ukuba enze isinqumo esikhulu. Ukwenqaba kwakhe isimiso sokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono okungekhona okungokombhalo kwadedela iNguquko, futhi ukunganakwa kwe senzo sokugxeka kwakhe kwaholela ekuhlukaneni okukhulu kwesonto.

Ezikhathini zanamuhla, Ukugxeka okukhulu okuvela ngaphakathi eSontweni lamaRoma Katolika “akuzange kuholele oguqukweni lwesimiso kodwa kwaholela kuphela ekulungisweni komkhuba.” Ngo-1967 uPapa Paul VI wanquma ukuba kuhanjiswane nemfundiso endala yokuhoxiswa kwesijeziso sezono. NgamaKatolika, umbuzo ongenakuphikwa usewukuthi: Ingabe ngilandela iZwi likaNkulunkulu, noma ingabe ngikholelwa izimfundiso zabantu?