Ingabe Noma Iyiphi Inkolo Ilungile?

“Inhlekelele yezikhathi zethu iyadabukisa. Sidinga inkolo, kodwa asimtholi uNkulunkulu esingayisebenzisa kuye.”—ULucian Blaga, imbongi yaseRomania nesazi sefilosofi

“Inkolo nabefundisi bekulokhu, futhi mhlawumbe kuyohlala isikhathi eside, kuphakathi kwezitha ezinkulu kakhulu zentuthuko nenkululeko.”—UKhristo Botev, imbongi yaseBulgaria

LEZINGCAPHUNO ezilapha zenanela inkinga abantu abaningi abaqotho abazithola bekuyo. Ekujuleni kwenhliziyo bayasizwa isidingo senkolo, kodwa uNkulunkulu oyimfihlakalo abefundisi abafundisa ngaye akayena uNkulunkulu abangamqonda futhi bamthande. Ngaphezu kwalokho, bayaqaphela ukuthi abefundisi nezinkolo zabo baye benza okuningi ukuze kuvinjelwe intuthuko nenkululeko yomuntu. Yebo, nakuba isidingo senkolo siqashelwa ngokwandayo, abantu abaqotho ngeke baneliswe nje yinoma iyiphi inkolo.

Umehluko Obalulekile

Inkolo ifeza indima eyinhloko endleleni isintu esakheke ngayo kanye nomlando waso. INew Encyclopædia Britannica ithi inkolo “iyiqiniso kokuhlangenwe nakho komuntu, isiko, nomlando” futhi iyanezela: “Ubufakazi bezimo zengqondo ezingokwenkolo nezibopho zokwethembeka bukhona kuzo zonke izingxenye zokuphila komuntu.” Kodwa umlando ubonisa ukuthi ayikho ezinkolweni ezinkulu zezwe eye yaba isibusiso esintwini.

Umbusi waseNdiya uJawaharlal Nehru wake waphawula: “Umbukwane walokho okuthiwa inkolo, noma okungenani inkolo ehleliwe, eNdiya nakwezinye izindawo, uye wasenza sagcwala ukwesaba.” Uma ucabanga ngezimpi eziye zalwiwa kanye nobugebengu obuye benziwa egameni lenkolo, ingabe ungamphikisa ngobuqotho?

Ekhulwini le-18 leminyaka, isazi sefilosofi esingumFulentshi uVoltaire saveza umehluko othakazelisayo. Sabhala: “Wena uthi, inkolo iye yenza izenzo ezihlazisayo ezingenakubalwa. Kufanele umane uthi inkolelo-ze, inkolelo-ze ebusa phezu kwembulunga yethu elusizi. Inkolelo-ze iyisitha esinonya ukwedlula zonke sokukhulekela okuhlanzekile esikukweleta uMuntu Ophakeme.” UVoltaire walwa nokungabekezeli kwenkolo kosuku lwakhe, kodwa wakulondoloza ukukholelwa kwakhe kuNkulunkulu njengoMdali wendawo yonke. Wawubona umehluko phakathi kwenkolo yeqiniso neyamanga.

Isidingo Sokukhetha

Akubona bonke abavumelanayo noVoltaire. Abanye bathi babona okuhle kuzo zonke izinkolo; ngakho, abasizwa isidingo sangempela sokufuna inkolo yeqiniso. Abantu abanjalo kufanele balalele isixwayiso esanikezwa ngumprofethi uIsaya, owabhala: “Wo kubona abasho okubi ukuthi kungokuhle, nokuhle ukuthi kungububi, ababeka ubumnyama bube-ngukukhanya, nokukhanya kube-ngubumnyama, babeke nokubabayo kube-ngubumtoti, nobumtoti bube-ngokubabayo!” (Isaya 5:20) Inkolo yamanga iye yavezela isintu okubi. Kuye kwaphumela ebumnyameni obungokomoya futhi kuye kwashiya okubabayo emilonyeni yabantu abanhliziyo-ziqotho.

Ngakho-ke, akukhona ukuthi ukukhetha kumelwe kwenziwe phakathi kokuba umuntu ongakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu nokukholelwa kunoma iyiphi inkolo. Akulula kanjalo. Uma umuntu eseye waqaphela isidingo sokukhulekela uNkulunkulu, lowomuntu kumelwe afune inkolo yeqiniso. Njengoba umcwaningi uÉmile Poulat akubeka kahle kwethi Le Grand Atlas des Religions (Iqoqo Elikhulu Lemininingwane Yezinkolo): “Izinto [izinkolo] ezizifundisayo nezizifunayo zihlukahlukene kakhulu kangangokuba akunakwenzeka ukuzikholelwa zonke.” Ivumelana nalokhu, iEncyclopædia Universalis (Universal Encyclopedia) yesiFulentshi ithi: “Uma ikhulu lama-21 leminyaka libuyela enkolweni, . . . umuntu kuyodingeka anqume ukuthi izinto ezingcwele azinikezwayo ziyiqiniso yini noma zingamanga.”

Indlela Yokukhetha Inkolo Efanele

Yini eyosiqondisa ekukhetheni inkolo efanele? IEncyclopædia Universalis isho ngokunembile lapho iqokomisa ukubaluleka kweqiniso. Inkolo efundisa amanga ayinakuba ngeyeqiniso. Umprofethi omkhulu kunabo bonke abake banyathela emhlabeni wathi: “UNkulunkulu unguMoya; abakhuleka kuye bafanele ukukhuleka ngomoya nangeqiniso.”—Johane 4:24.

Lowomprofethi kwakunguJesu Kristu, futhi wabuye wathi: “Xwayani abafundisi benkolo bamanga, abeza kini bembathise okwezimvu kodwa empeleni beyizimpisi ezihahayo. Ningababona nje ngezithelo zabo. . . . Noma yimuphi umuthi omuhle uthela izithelo ezinhle, kodwa umuthi omubi uthela izithelo ezimbi.” (Mathewu 7:15-17, Phillips) Lapho bebona izithelo ezimbi zezinkolo zezwe “ezinkulu,” ngisho nezamahlelo nezinkolo eziye zavumbuka, abantu abaningi abaqotho baqala ukuzibheka ‘njengemithi emibi’ zonke, ezingalungile neze. Bangayithola kanjani-ke inkolo yeqiniso?

Ngokusobala kungaba okungenakwenzeka ukuhlola zonke izinkulungwane zezinkolo ezikweLobukholwa nezingaphandle kwalo ngaphambi kokuba umuntu akhethe. Nokho, uma—njengoba kwasho uJesu—sisebenzisa iqiniso nezithelo njengesiqinisekiso, kungaba okunokwenzeka ukubona inkolo yeqiniso.

Iqiniso Nezithelo

UJesu wakhuluma ngeqiniso. Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, yiliphi iqembu labakholwayo eliwalahlayo amanga angokwenkolo athathwe ezinganekwaneni zasendulo nakuyifilosofi yamaGreki esakazeke ezinkolweni eziningi? Amanye amanga anjalo yimfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo womuntu awufi ngokwemvelo.a Lemfundiso iye yazala imfundiso ehlambalaza uNkulunkulu yesihogo somlilo.

UJesu wabuye wakhuluma ngezithelo. Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, ingabe ikhona inkolo oyaziyo eye yakha ubuzalwane bangempela bezizwe zonke lapho imingcele yohlanga, ulimi, neyobuzwe inqotshwa khona ngothando nangokuba nokuqondana? Ingabe ukhona umphakathi wenkolo osemhlabeni wonke owaziyo omalungu awo angancamela ukushushiswa kunokuvumela abezombangazwe noma abaholi benkolo bawubangele ukuba uzonde abafowabo nodadewabo futhi ubabulale egameni lobuzwe noma lenkolo? Inkolo eye yalahla amanga anjalo angokwenkolo yayiyonikeza ubufakazi obunamandla bokuthi ingeyeqiniso, akunjalo?

Namuhla Kuqhutshwa Inkolo Yeqiniso

Ingabe ikhona inkolo enjalo? Yebo, ikhona. Kodwa kumelwe uvume ukuthi ayiyona enye yezinkolo ezinkulu zomhlaba. Ingabe lokhu kufanele kusimangalise? Cha. ENtshumayelweni yakhe edumile yaseNtabeni, uJesu wathi: “Ngenani ngesango elincane; ngokuba isango libanzi nendlela inkulu eyisa ekubhujisweni; baningi abangena khona. Kepha isango lincane nendlela iyingcingo eyisa ekuphileni; bayingcosana abayifumanayo.”—Mathewu 7:13, 14.

Ngakho ingatholakala kuphi inkolo yeqiniso? Ngakho konke ukuthobeka nokwethembeka, kumelwe sisho ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova bakha umphakathi wezizwe zonke ohamba ‘kulendlela encane neyingcingo.’ Yiqiniso, izinkolo ezinkulu ngokukloloda zibiza oFakazi BakaJehova ngokuthi ihlelo. Kodwa yilokho kanye abaholi benkolo abahlubukayo ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka C.E. ababewabiza ngakho amaKristu okuqala.—IzEnzo 24:1-14.

Kungani oFakazi BakaJehova beqiniseka ngokuthi banenkolo yeqiniso? Phela, bakha ubuzalwane bezizwe zonke obufinyelela emazweni angaphezu kwangu-200 nobunqoba ukwehlukana ngokobuzwe, uhlanga, ulimi, nesigaba somphakathi. Futhi bayenqaba ukukholelwa izimfundiso—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zindala kangakanani—ezikuphikisa ngokusobala lokho okushiwo iBhayibheli. Kodwa baba kanjani sesimweni esilangazelekayo esinjalo? Futhi ukuqhuba inkolo yeqiniso kuhilelani? Lemibuzo kanye neminye ephathelene nenkolo kuzoxoxwa ngayo ezihlokweni ezimbili ezilandelayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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IziMpi Zenkolo zaziyingxenye yezithelo ezimbi zenkolo yamanga

[Umthombo]

Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris

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Inkolo yeqiniso ithela izithelo ezinhle