Liyini Ngempela IVangeli?
PHAKATHI nenkathi kaKhisimusi, abantu emazweni amaningi bayezwa ngeVangeli, futhi baze bakhulume ngokomuntu siqu ngalo. Leligama livame kakhulu, kodwa ingabe linencazelo eyengeziwe kunokuba abaningi becabanga? Ingabe iVangeli lingase lisho okuthile okuhle ngokuphawulekayo kuwe nakwabathandekayo bakho?
Igama elithi “iVangeli” lisho “izindaba ezinhle,” futhi ngokuqinisekile, izindaba ezinhle azamukelwa nje kuphela ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi, kodwa zamukelwa noma ngasiphi isikhathi. Nokho, iVangeli langempela alizona nje noma iziphi izindaba ezinhle. Liyizindaba ezinhle ezithile ezivela emthonjeni oqinisekile ngendaba ethile. Eqinisweni, liyisigijimi uNkulunkulu anqume ukuba simenyezelwe kuso sonke isintu.
UEugênio Salles, umbhishobhi omkhulu waseRio de Janeiro, eBrazil, wakhuluma ngalezozindaba ezinhle lapho enxusa: “Kufanele senze ngokuvumelana neVangeli futhi hhayi ngokusekelwe emiqondweni yabantu.” Lombhishobhi wayeqinisile. Nokho, ukwenza ngokuvumelana neVangeli kudinga ukuba sazi ukuthi iVangeli liyini. Singakuthola kanjani lokho? Futhi kuyosisiza kanjani ukwenza ngokuvumelana neVangeli?
Liyini IVangeli?
Isimo seVangeli ngokuvamile asiqondwa kahle. Ngo-1918 iFederal Council of the Churches of Christ eMelika yahalalisela iNhlangano Yezizwe manje engasekho njengewukubonakaliswa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu kwezombangazwe emhlabeni futhi yamemezela ukuthi ‘yayisekelwe eVangelini.’ Leyonhlangano yahluleka ngokudabukisayo emgomweni wayo wokulondoloza ukuthula. Ngokukhanyayo, lomkhandlu wawunephutha. INhlangano Yezizwe yayingahlangene ngalutho neVangeli.
Eminyakeni yamuva abagqugquzeli bemfundiso yenkululeko engokwenkolo baye bafaka ngokukhululekile iVangeli lapho bexoxa ngemibono yabo yezinguquko ezingokombangazwe nezingokwenhlalo. Ngokwenza kanjalo baye bangalinaka iVangeli langempela. Umagazini iVeja waseBrazil waphawula: “ISonto lamaKatolika laqala ukuthanda umbuso wezenhlalo, lingazinaki izidingo ezingokomoya zabathembekile balo. Labo ababefuna igama elithi Nkulunkulu entshumayelweni ngokuvamile babethola kuphela izimpikiswano zobugagu ezimelene nokungabi nabulungisa kwezenhlalo.”
Intuthuko ezimweni zokuphila noma ukushintsha kwezimiso zezombangazwe kungase kube izindaba ezinhle kwabanye. Nokho, lokho akuzona izindaba ezinhle zangempela, iVangeli langempela. Evuma ukwehluleka kwesonto lakhe ukushumayela iVangeli langempela, omunye umbhishobhi wathi: “Siye sangakunaka ukufundiswa okungokomoya kwabathembekileyo bethu kusukela ngawo-1960 ngenxa yokungena kokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo kwemfundiso yethu.”
Umbiko kumagazini wezindaba waseU.S. iTime usikisela ukuthi namaProtestane aye aphambuka eVangelini. Lomagazini uyaphawula: “Izinkolo ezisekelwe emasikweni azihluleki nje kuphela ukudlulisela isigijimi sazo; ngokwandayo aziqiniseki ngokuthi siyini ngempela lesosigijimi.” Kufanele sibe yini isigijimi sazo? Liyini iVangeli?
Ukubona IVangeli
IWebster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary ichaza “iVangeli” ngokuthi “isigijimi esiphathelene noKristu, umbuso kaNkulunkulu, nensindiso.” Igama elithi “ivangeli” lichazwa futhi njengelisho “incazelo yesigijimi sobuKristu (ivangeli lokuthuthukisa umphakathi)”; “isigijimi noma izimfundiso zomfundisi wenkolo.” Ingabe zonke lezincazelo ziyasebenza? Cha, hhayi uma sikhuluma ngeVangeli langempela. IVangeli langempela lisekelwe eBhayibhelini; ngakho, yincazelo yokuqala kuphela kulezo ezintathu enembile. Ezokugcina ezimbili zimane nje zibonisa indlela lelogama elithi “ivangeli” eliye lasetshenziswa ngayo namuhla.
Ngokuvumelana nalomqondo, iVine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words ithi emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki (“iTestamente Elisha”), iVangeli “lisho izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu nezensindiso eza ngoKristu, eyotholakala ngokuba nokholo, ngesisekelo sokufa kwaKhe okuhlawulayo.” Kubalulekile ukukuqonda lokhu ngoba ukuziqonda kahle izindaba ezinhle zeqiniso kuhlobene kakhulu nenhlala-kahle yethu yamanje nenjabulo yesikhathi esizayo.
Isigijimi Esicacile
Njengoba incwadi okubhekiselwe kuyo eyandulelayo ibonisa, iVangeli lihlangene kakhulu noJesu Kristu—kangangokuthi ukulandisa kweBhayibheli okusezincwadini ezine okuphathelene nokuphila kwakhe emhlabeni kubizwa ngokuthi amaVangeli amane. Kusukela khona kanye ekuqaleni kokuphila kwakhe kobuntu, izindaba eziphathelene noJesu zaziyizindaba ezinhle. Lapho imemezela ukuzalwa kwakhe, ingelosi yathi: “Bhekani, nginibikela izindaba ezinhle [noma, ivangeli] zokuthokoza okukhulu okuzakuba-kubantu bonke ukuthi nizalelwe namuhla uMsindisi onguKristu iNkosi.”—Luka 2:10, 11.
UJesu osanda kuzalwa wayeyokhula abe nguKristu, uMesiya owayethenjisiwe. Wayeyokwambula injongo kaNkulunkulu ngensindiso, anikele ngokuphila kwakhe okuphelele kobuntu ngenxa yesintu, avuswe, bese eba yiNkosi ekhethiwe yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Izindaba ezinhle ngempela! Kungakho isigijimi esiphathelene naye sibizwa ngokuthi iVangeli.
Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe emfushane yasemhlabeni, uJesu wayeshiseka kakhulu ekushumayeleni izindaba ezinhle. EVangelini likaMathewu siyafunda: “UJesu wayihamba imizi yonke nemizana efundisa emasinagogeni abo, eshumayela ivangeli lombuso.” (Mathewu 9:35) Ukushumayela kwakhe kwakungekhona nje okokwenza abantu bazizwe bengcono. UMarku uloba ngoJesu ethi: “Isikhathi sigcwalisekile, umbuso kaNkulunkulu ususondele; phendukani, nikholwe yivangeli.” (Marku 1:15) Yebo, labo abasabela futhi balalela izindaba ezinhle bathola ukuthi zashintsha ukuphila kwabo.
Ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, abalandeli bakhe baqhubeka beshumayela iVangeli. Abazange nje bakhulume ngoMbuso kuphela kodwa banezela izindaba ezijabulisayo zokuthi uJesu wayevuselwe ngasesandleni sokunene sikaNkulunkulu emazulwini futhi uye wanikela inani lokuphila kwakhe okuphelele kobuntu ngenxa yesintu. Njengalowo okhethwe uNkulunkulu ukuba abuse phezu kwawo wonke umhlaba njengeNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, wayeyoba yisiThunywa sikaNkulunkulu ekubhubhiseni izitha zikaNkulunkulu nasekubuyiseleni umhlaba ube ipharadesi.—IzEnzo 2:32-36; 2 Thesalonika 1:6-10; Heberu 9:24-28; IsAmbulo 22:1-5.
Namuhla, izindaba ezinhle zihlanganisa nesinye isici. Ngokwabo bonke ubufakazi bokugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho, uJesu manje usemisiwe esihlalweni sobukhosi, futhi siphila ezinsukwini zokugcina zalesimiso sezinto. (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5; IsAmbulo 12:7-12) Isikhathi lapho uMbuso uyothatha khona isinyathelo ngokumelene nezitha zikaNkulunkulu sisondela ngokushesha. Yiziphi izindaba ezingcono ukwedlula lezi?
Sizobona esihlokweni esilandelayo indlela iVangeli elinamandla ngayo. Lasiza omunye wesifazane owayebanjwe ugibe lwemilingo yemimoya emibi ukuba athole inkululeko. Lasiza indoda eyayisejele ngenxa yokuphanga ukuba ithole injabulo. Futhi liyokuzuzisa kakhulu nawe—uma ulalela izindaba ezinhle.