Ukushintsha Kwesimo ‘SobuKristu’—Ingabe Kuyamukeleka KuNkulunkulu?

AKE sithi ucela umdwebi ukuba enze umfanekiso wakho. Lapho eseqedile, ujabula kakhulu; nguwe nje uzihlalele. Ucabanga ngezingane zakho, abazukulu bakho nabezingane zakho sebebuka lo mfanekiso ngeqholo elikhulu.

Nokho, ngemva kwezizukulwane ezithile, omunye wozalo lwakho uba nomuzwa wokuthi impandla esemfanekisweni ayiyinhle, ngakho uyala ukuba kunezelwe izinwele. Omunye akakuthandi ukuma kwekhala, ngakho uyala ukuba kushintshwe. Ezizukulwaneni ezilandelayo kwenziwa olunye “ushintsho,” kangangokuthi ekugcineni akusewena okulowo mfanekiso. Ukube bewazi ukuthi kuzokwenzeka lokhu, ubuyozizwa kanjani? Akungabazeki ukuthi ubuyocasuka.

Ngokudabukisayo, empeleni indaba yalo mfanekiso yindaba yesonto elizibiza ngokuthi elobuKristu. Umlando ubonisa ukuthi ngemva nje kokufa kwabaphostoli bakaKristu, isimo esingokomthetho ‘sobuKristu’ saqala ukushintsha njengoba nje iBhayibheli lalibikezele.—Mathewu 13:24-30, 37-43; IzEnzo 20:30.a

Yiqiniso, kungokufanelekile ukusebenzisa izimiso zeBhayibheli ezimweni ezihlukahlukene zempucuko nasezikhathini ezithile. Kuyinto ehluke ngokuphelele ukushintsha izimfundiso zeBhayibheli ukuze zivumelane nokucabanga okuvamile. Nokho, lokho yikho kanye okwenzeka. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela ushintsho oluye lwenziwa ezindaweni ezithile ezibalulekile.

ISonto Lamukela UMbuso

UJesu wafundisa ukuthi ukubusa kwakhe, noma uMbuso wakhe, ungowasezulwini, lowo ngesikhathi esifanele oyobhubhisa yonke imibuso yabantu bese ubusa kuwo wonke umhlaba. (Daniyeli 2:44; Mathewu 6:9, 10) Ngeke ubuse ngezimiso zezombangazwe zabantu. UJesu wathi: “Umbuso wami awuyona ingxenye yalelizwe.” (Johane 17:16; 18:36) Ngakho, nakuba abafundi bakaJesu babewuthobela umthetho, babengazingeneli ezombangazwe.

Nokho, ngesikhathi soMbusi WaseRoma uConstantine ngekhulu lesine, abaningi ababethi bangamaKristu base bephelelwe isineke sokulinda ukubuya kukaKristu nokumiswa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Kancane kancane, isimo sabo sengqondo ngezombangazwe sashintsha. “Ngaphambi kukaConstantine,” kusho incwadi ethi Europe—A History, “amaKristu ayengazithathi izikhundla [zezombangazwe] ukuze athuthukise injongo yawo. Ngemva kukaConstantine, ubuKristu nezombangazwe kwaba yimbumba.” UbuKristu obuhlelwe kabusha baba inkolo engokomthetho “yendawo yonke” (catholic) yoMbuso WaseRoma.

I-encyclopedia i-Great Ages of Man ithi ngenxa yalokhu kuhlangana kweSonto noMbuso, “ngo-A.D. 385, eminyakeni engu-80 nje ngemva kwegagasi elikhulu lokugcina loshushiso lwamaKristu, iSonto ngokwalo lase liqala ukubulala izihlubuki, futhi abefundisi balo sebenamandla athi awalingane nawababusi.” Ngakho kwaqala inkathi lapho inkemba yathatha khona isikhundla sokuguqula ngokukholisa, futhi abefundisi abaneziqu nabafuna amandla bathatha isikhundla sabashumayeli abathobekile bangekhulu lokuqala. (Mathewu 23:9, 10; 28:19, 20) Isazi-mlando uH. G. Wells sabhala ‘ngomehluko omkhulu phakathi’ kobuKristu bangekhulu lesine “nemfundiso kaJesu waseNazaretha.” Lo “mehluko omkhulu” wathinta ngisho nezimfundiso ezisemqoka ngokuphathelene noNkulunkulu noKristu.

Ukubunjwa Kabusha KukaNkulunkulu

UKristu nabafundi bakhe bafundisa ukuthi “kukhona uNkulunkulu oyedwa uBaba,” ohlukaniswa ngegama lakhe elithi Jehova, elivela izikhathi ezingaba ngu-7 000 emibhalweni yesandla yakuqala yeBhayibheli. (1 Korinte 8:6; IHubo 83:18) UJesu wadalwa uNkulunkulu; futhi eyabaseKolose 1:15 kuyi-Catholic Douay Version of the Bible ithi ‘uyizibulo lazo zonke izidalwa.’ Ngakho, njengesidalwa esadalwa, uJesu usho ngokungagungci ukuthi: “UBaba mkhulu kunami.”—Johane 14:28.

Kodwa ngekhulu lesithathu, abefundisi abathile abanethonya, ababengabashisekeli bemfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu yesazi sefilosofi yamaGreki angamaqaba uPlato, baqala ukubumba kabusha uNkulunkulu ozovumelana noZiqu-zintathu abazakhele yena. Emakhulwini eminyaka alandela, le mfundiso yaphakamisa uJesu ngokungasekelwe emBhalweni yamlinganisa noJehova futhi yenza umoya ongcwele, noma amandla asebenzayo, kaNkulunkulu aba umuntu.

Ngokuphathelene nokwamukela kwesonto umqondo wobuqaba kaZiqu-zintathu, i-New Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ukwakhiwa ‘kukaNkulunkulu omthathu emunye’ akuzange kumiswe ngokuqinile, futhi ngokuqinisekile akuzange kufakwe ngokuphelele ekuphileni kobuKristu nasenkolweni yabo, ngaphambi kokuphela kwekhulu lesi-4 leminyaka. Kodwa yiso kanye lesi senzo sokwakha okwaqanjwa kuso imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu. Phakathi koFata Abangabaphostoli, akukho lutho oluthi alusondele nokusondela emqondweni noma embonweni onjalo.”

Ngokufanayo, i-Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu yekhulu lesine ayizange iyibonakalise ngokunembile imfundiso yobuKristu bakuqala ngokuqondene nesimo sikaNkulunkulu; ngokuphambene yayiwukuphambuka kule mfundiso.” I-Oxford Companion to the Bible ibiza uZiqu-zintathu ngokuthi ngenye yeziningi ‘zezinkolelo ezakhiwa kamuva.’ Nokho, uZiqu-zintathu akawona ukuphela komqondo wobuqaba owafakwa esontweni.

Ukwakhiwa Kabusha Komphefumulo

Kuyinkolelo evamile namuhla ukuthi abantu banomphefumulo ongafi, osindayo ekufeni komzimba. Kodwa ingabe bewazi ukuthi le mfundiso yesonto nayo yanezelwa kamuva? UJesu waqinisekisa iqiniso elingokweBhayibheli lokuthi abafileyo “abazi lutho,” kunjengokungathi balele. (UmShumayeli 9:5; Johane 11:11-13) Ukuphila kuyobuyiselwa ngovuko—‘ukuphinde uvuke’ ebuthongweni bokufa. (Johane 5:28, 29) Uma umphefumulo ongafi ubukhona, ubungeke udinge ukuvuswa, ngoba ukungafi kwenza kungabi nakufa.

UJesu waze wabonisa indlela imfundiso yeBhayibheli yovuko eyogcwaliseka ngayo ngokuvusa abantu ekufeni. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela uLazaru, owayesenezinsuku ezine efile. Lapho uJesu emvusa, uLazaru waphuma ethuneni engumuntu ophilayo nophefumulayo. Lapho uLazaru evuka kwabafileyo, akukho mphefumulo owabuyela emzimbeni wakhe uvela ezulwini. Ukube kwakunjalo, uJesu wayezobe engambonisanga musa neze ngokumvusa!—Johane 11:39, 43, 44.

Khona-ke, ivelaphi le nkolelo-mbono yokungafi komphefumulo? I-Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology ithi lo mbono “uvela kakhulu kuyifilosofi yamaGreki kunasesambulweni seBhayibheli.” I-Jewish Encyclopedia iyachaza: “Inkolelo yokuthi umphefumulo uyaqhubeka uphila ngemva kokufa komzimba iyindaba yokuqagela kwefilosofi noma isayensi yenkolo kunokuba kube ukholo olungenamicikilisho, futhi ngaleyo ndlela ayifundiswa ndawo ngokucacile emiBhalweni Engcwele.”

Ngokuvamile, amanga aholela kwamanye, futhi kunjalo nangemfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo. Yavula indlela yombono wobuqaba wokuhlushwa phakade esihogweni somlilo.b Nokho, iBhayibheli likusho ngokucacile ukuthi “inkokhelo isono esiyikhokhayo iwukufa”—hhayi ukuhlushwa phakade. (Roma 6:23) Ngakho, lapho ichaza uvuko, i-King James Version ithi: “Ulwandle lwakhipha abafileyo ababekulo; nokufa nesihogo kwakhipha abafileyo ababekukho.” Ngokufanayo iBhayibheli i-Douay lithi “ulwandle . . . nokufa nesihogo kwakhipha abafileyo bako.” Yebo, kalula nje, labo abasesihogweni bafile, ‘balele,’ njengoba kwasho uJesu.—IsAmbulo 20:13.

Ingabe ukholelwa ngobuqotho ukuthi imfundiso yokujeziswa phakade esihogweni idonsela abantu kuNkulunkulu? Nakancane. Ezingqondweni zabantu abanobulungisa nothando, iwumqondo obadedisela kude! Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi “uNkulunkulu uluthando” nokuthi ubudlova, ngisho nasezilwaneni, buyenyanyeka kuye.—1 Johane 4:8; IzAga 12:10; Jeremiya 7:31; Jona 4:11.

Ukushintshwa ‘Kwesimo’ Namuhla

Ukushintshwa kukaNkulunkulu nobuKristu kusaqhubeka nanamuhla. Uprofesa wenkolo muva nje uchaze umzabalazo osesontweni lakhe lobuProthestani ngokuthi umzabalazo “ophakathi kwegunya lemiBhalo nesivumo sokholo kanye negunya lemiqondo ehlukile neyobuntu, ophakathi kokuthembeka kwesonto ekubuseni kukaKristu kanye nokwamukela nokwakha kabusha ubuKristu ukuze buvumelane nomoya okhona namuhla. Udaba oluhilelekile yilolu: Ubani omisa inkambo ezolandelwa isonto . . . imiBhalo Engcwele noma imibono evamile yanamuhla?”

Ngokudabukisayo, “imibono evamile yanamuhla” ibonakala inqoba. Ngokwesibonelo, akuyona imfihlo ukuthi amasonto amaningi aye ashintsha ukuma kwawo ezindabeni ezihlukahlukene ukuze abonakale enenqubekela phambili futhi enomqondo ovulekile. Amasonto aye ayekethisa ngempela, ikakhulukazi ezindabeni zokuziphatha, njengoba kuye kwashiwo esihlokweni sokuqala. Nokho, iBhayibheli likwenza kucace ukuthi ubufebe, ukuphinga nobungqingili izono ezimbi kakhulu emehlweni kaNkulunkulu nokuthi labo abenza izono ezinjalo “ngeke bawuzuze njengefa umbuso kaNkulunkulu.”—1 Korinte 6:9, 10; Mathewu 5:27-32; Roma 1:26, 27.

Lapho umphostoli uPawulu ebhala la mazwi acashunwe ngenhla, izwe lamaGreki nelamaRoma elalimzungezile laligcwele zonke izinhlobo zobubi. UPawulu wayengathi: ‘Yebo, uNkulunkulu walibhubhisa iSodoma neGomora ngenxa yezono ezinkulu zobuhlobo bobulili, kodwa lokho kwenzeka eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule! Ngokuqinisekile akusasebenzi kule nkathi yokukhanyiselwa.’ Nokho, akazange abeke izaba; wenqaba ukonakalisa iqiniso leBhayibheli.—Galathiya 5:19-23.

Bheka ‘Esimweni’ Sokuqala

Ekhuluma nabaholi benkolo bamaJuda bosuku lwakhe, uJesu wathi ukukhulekela kwabo ‘kwakuyize ngoba babefundisa imiyalo yabantu njengezimfundiso.’ (Mathewu 15:9) Lokho okwakwenziwa yilabo befundisi eMthethweni kaJehova awunikeza ngoMose kufana nalokho okuye kwenziwa abefundisi beLobukholwa, nalokho abasakwenza namanje emfundisweni kaKristu—“bapenda” iqiniso laphezulu ngopende wesiko. Kodwa uJesu wasusa wonke lawo manga ukuze kuzuze abantu abanhliziyo ziqotho. (Marku 7:7-13) UJesu wakhuluma iqiniso, lithandwa noma lingathandwa. IZwi likaNkulunkulu laliyigunya lakhe njalo.—Johane 17:17.

Yeka indlela uJesu ayehluke ngayo kulabo abathi bangamaKristu! Ngempela, iBhayibheli labikezela: “Abantu bayohahela izindaba ezintsha futhi bazibuthele . . . abafundisi ngokuzithandela kwabo; bese kuthi, esikhundleni sokulalela iqiniso, bayophendukela ezinganekwaneni.” (2 Thimothewu 4:3, 4, The Jerusalem Bible) Lezi “zinganekwane,” esesiye sacabangela ezimbalwa zazo, ziyonakalisa ngokomoya, kuyilapho iqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu lakha, futhi liholela ekuphileni okumi phakade. Leli yiqiniso oFakazi BakaJehova abakukhuthaza ukuba ulihlole.—Johane 4:24; 8:32; 17:3.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Imvelaphi Yegama Elithi UmKristu

Abalandeli bakaJesu babaziwa ngokuthi ‘abeNdlela’ okungenani iminyaka eyishumi ngemva kokufa kukaJesu. (IzEnzo 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4) Ngani? Ngenxa yokuthi indlela yabo yokuphila yayigxile ekubeni nokholo kuJesu Kristu, ‘oyindlela neqiniso nokuphila.’ (Johane 14:6) Khona-ke, esikhathini esithile ngemva kuka-44 C.E., e-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya, abafundi bakaJesu ‘ngokwelungiselelo laphezulu babizwa ngokuthi amaKristu.’ (IzEnzo 11:26) Leli gama lamukelwa ngokushesha, ngisho nayizikhulu zikahulumeni. (IzEnzo 26:28) Leli gama elisha alizange liyishintshe indlela yokuphila yamaKristu, leyo eyaqhubeka ifaniswa nekaKristu.—1 Petru 2:21.

[Izithombe ekhasini 7]

Ngenkonzo yabo yasobala, oFakazi BakaJehova baqondisa abantu eZwini lika-Nkulunkulu, iBhayibheli

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]

Third from left: United Nations/Photo by Saw Lwin