Igazi—Libalulekile Ebomini

Igazi linokubusindisa njani ubomi bakho? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo unomdla kulo mbandela kuba igazi linxibelelene nobomi bakho. Igazi lithwala ioksijini ukutyhutyha umzimba wakho, lisusa ikhabhon diokside, likwenza ukwazi ukuzilungelelanisa nokuguquka kwamaqondo obushushu, kwaye linegalelo ekulweni kwakho nezifo.

Ukunxibelelana kobomi negazi kwenziwa kwacaca kude kudala ngaphambi kokuba uWilliam Harvey azobe inkqubo yojikelezo-gazi emzimbeni ngowe-1628. Imilinganiselo esisiseko yeenkonzo eziphambili isekelwe kuMniki-Bomi, owaluvakalisayo uluvo lwakhe ngobomi nangegazi. Igqwetha elingumYuda nelingumKristu lathi ngaye: “Inguye nje obanika bonke ubomi, nomphefumlo, nazo zonke izinto. Kuba kuyo sihleli, siyashukuma, sikho.”a

Abantu abakholelwa kuMniki-Bomi onjalo banenkoloseko yokuba ulwalathiso lwakhe lolokulungelwa kwethu okuhlala kuhleli. Umprofeti ongumHebhere wamchaza ‘njengaLowo ukufundisa okungakuncedayo, Lowo ukunyathelisa ngendlela oya kuhamba ngayo.’

Eso siqinisekiso, esikuIsaya 48:17, siyinxalenye yeBhayibhile, incwadi ehlonelwayo ngenxa yemilinganiselo yokuziphatha enokusizisela iingenelo sonke. Ithini ke ngokusebenzisa kwabantu igazi? Ngaba iyayibonisa indlela obunokusindiswa ngayo ubomi ngegazi? Enyanisweni, iBhayibhile ibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba igazi likokungakumbi kunolwelo nje oluntsonkothileyo lwempilo. Ikhankanya igama elithi igazi izihlandlo ezingaphezu kwama-400, ibe ezinye zezi mbekiselo zibandakanya ukusindiswa kobomi.

Kwenye imbekiselo yokuqala, uMdali wavakalisa oku: “Yonke into ephilayo neshukumayo yoba kukudla kuni. . . . Kodwa nize ningayidli inyama enegazi lobomi elisekuyo.” Walek’ umsundulo ngokuthi: “Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiya kuniphendulisa ngegazi lobomi benu,” waza ke wakugweba ukubulala. (Genesis 9:3-6, New International Version) Wakuthetha oku kuNowa, ukhokho wethu sonke ohlonelwa gqitha ngamaYuda, ngamaSilamsi nangamaKristu. Ngaloo ndlela lonke uluntu lwenziwa lwaqonda ukuba ngokwembono yoMdali, igazi limela ubomi. Lo yayingummiselo othetha okungakumbi kunommiselo wokudla. Ngokuqinisekileyo kwakubandakanyeke umgaqo othile wokuziphatha. Igazi lomntu libaluleke gqitha yaye alifanele lisetyenziswe kakubi. Kamva uMdali wongezelela iinkcukacha esinozikubona ngokulula kuzo iimbambano ezifanelekileyo azinxibelelanisa negazi lobomi.

Kwakhona wathetha ngegazi xa wanika uSirayeli wamandulo uMthetho. Ngoxa abantu abaninzi bebuhlonela ubulumko nemigaqo elawulayo ekuloo mthetho, bambalwa ababuqondayo ubunzulu bemiyalelo yawo engegazi. Ngokomzekelo: “Ukuba nabani na kwindlu kaSirayeli okanye kubaphambukeli ohlala phakathi kwawo utya naliphi na igazi, ndiya kujamelana naye loo mntu otya igazi, ibe ndiya kumnqumla angabikho phakathi kwabantu bakowabo. Kuba ubomi benyama busegazini.” (Levitikus 17:10, 11, Tanakh) Wandula ke uThixo wacacisa oko umzingeli wayemele akwenze ngesilwanyana esifileyo: “Uya kuliphalaza igazi laso aze aliselele ngomhlaba. . . . Aniyi kulitya igazi layo nayiphi na inyama, kuba ubomi bayo yonke inyama busegazini layo. Nabani na olityayo uya kunqunyulwa angabikho.”—Levitikus 17:13, 14, Ta.

Ngoku izazinzulu ziyazi ukuba uMthetho wamaYuda wawukhuthaza impilo entle. Ngokomzekelo, lo mthetho wawusithi umphutha mawukhutshelwe ngaphandle komnquba uze uselelwe ngomhlaba nokuba abantu bangayidli inyama eyayisenokuba nobungozi ngenxa yesifo esithile. (Levitikus 11:4-8, 13; 17:15; Duteronomi 23:12, 13) Ngoxa umthetho ongegazi wawuneenkalo ezithile zempilo, kwakubandakanyeke okungakumbi. Igazi lalinentsingiselo engokomfuziselo. Lalimela ubomi obulungiselelwe nguMdali. Ngokuliphatha igazi njengento ekhethekileyo, abantu babebonisa ukuxhomekeka kwabo kuye ukuze baphile. Ewe, isizathu esiyintloko sokuba babengamele balitye igazi, sasingekuba liyingozi empilweni, kodwa sasikukuba lalinentsingiselo ekhethekileyo kuThixo.

Ngokuphindaphindiweyo uMthetho wasichaza isalelo soMdali ngokudla igazi ukuze kuzinyaswe ubomi. “Uze ungalityi igazi; liphalazele emhlabeni njengamanzi. Musa ukulitya, ukuze kulunge kuwe nakubantwana bakho emva kwakho, kuba uya kuba wenza okuthe tye.”—Duteronomi 12:23-25, NIV; Dut 15:23; Levitikus 7:26, 27; Hezekile 33:25.b

Ngokwahlukileyo kwindlela abanye abaqiqa ngayo namhlanje, umthetho kaThixo ngegazi wawungamele utyeshelwe ngenxa nje yokuvela kwemeko yongxamiseko. Ebudeni bamanqam emfazwe, wambi amadoda okulwa akwaSirayeli abulala izilwanyana aza ‘ayitya inyama inegazi.’ Ngaba, ngenxa yamanqam ayevumelekile ukuzimasa ubomi bawo ngegazi? Nakanye. Umphathi-mkhosi wawo wabonisa ukuba ikhondo lawo lalisisenzo esiphosakele ngokunzulu. (1 Samuweli 14:31-35) Ngenxa yoko, nakubeni ubomi bubaluleke ngolo hlobo, uMniki-Bomi wethu akazange athi imilinganiselo yakhe inokutyeshelwa kwiimeko zongxamiseko.

IGAZI NAMAKRISTU OKWENYANISO

Bumi phi ubuKristu kwimbambano yokusindisa ubomi bomntu ngegazi?

UYesu wayeyindoda yengqibelelo, nto leyo ecacisa isizathu sokuba ahlonelwe kangaka. Wayesazi ukuba uMdali wathi ukutya igazi kwakuphosakele kwaye lo mthetho wawuyimfuneko. Ngenxa yoko, kukho isizathu esivakalayo sokukholelwa ukuba uYesu wayeya kuwuphakamisa umthetho ongegazi kwanokuba wayecinezelelwa ukuba enze ngokuchasene nawo. UYesu “zange one, engazange wakhohlisa.” (1 Petros 2:22, TE) Ngaloo ndlela wabamisela umzekelo wokulandelwa abalandeli bakhe, kuquka umzekelo wokuhlonela ubomi negazi. (Siya kuqwalasela kamva indlela elibandakanyeke ngayo igazi likaYesu kulo mbandela ubalulekileyo ochaphazela ubomi bakho.)

Phawula okwenzekayo xa, kwiminyaka ethile emva kokufa kukaYesu, kwaphakama imbambano emayela nokuba uthile owayesiba ngumKristu wayemele ayigcine yonke kusini na imithetho yakwaSirayeli. Oku kwaxutyushwa kwibhunga lequmrhu elilawulayo lamaKristu, ekwakukho kulo abapostile. Umntakwabo Yesu ngonina uYakobi wabhekisela kwimibhalo eyayiqulethe imiyalelo engegazi eyayichazwe kuNowa nakuhlanga lwakwaSirayeli. Ngaba loo mithetho injalo yayiza kuba yimfuneko kumaKristu?—IZenzo 15:1-21.

Elo bhunga lathumela isigqibo salo kuwo onke amabandla: Akuyomfuneko ukuba amaKristu agcine umthetho owawunikwe uMoses, kodwa ‘kuyafuneka’ ngawo ukuba ‘azile izinto ezibingelelwe kwizithixo, negazi, nento ekrwitshiweyo [inyama engophiswanga] nombulo.’ (IZenzo 15:22-29) Abapostile babenganikeli nje isithethe esithile okanye ummiselo wokudla. Lo myalelo wamisela imilinganiselo elawulayo esisiseko, leyo amaKristu okuqala enza ngokuvisisana nayo. Malunga neminyaka elishumi kamva avuma ukuba ayesafanele ‘azigcine entweni ebingelelwe kwizithixo, nasegazini, nasembulweni.’—IZenzo 21:25.

Uyayazi into yokuba izigidi zabantu ziyaya ezicaweni. Ngokunokwenzeka inkoliso yabo ibiya kuvuma ukuba imilinganiselo elawulayo yamaKristu ibandakanya ukunganquli zithixo nokungabandakanyeki ekuziphatheni okubi okunzulu. Noko ke, sifanele siphawule ukuba abapostile bakubeka ukuphepha igazi kumlinganiselo ophakamileyo wokuziphatha ofanayo nokuphepha ezo zenzo ziphosakeleyo. Ummiselo wabo waqukumbela ngokuthi: “Enothi nakuzigcina kuzo, nibe niyalungisa. Hlalani kakuhle.”—IZenzo 15:29.

Kudala ummiselo wabapostile uqondwa njengento eyimfuneko. UEusebius ubalisa ngebhinqa eliselula ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini elathi, ngaphambi kokufa ngenxa yokuthuthunjiswa, labonisa ukuba amaKristu “awavumelekanga ukutya igazi kwanelezilwanyana ezingenangqiqo.” Lalingasebenzisi ilungelo lalo lokufa. Lalikufuna ukuphila, kodwa lalingenakulalanisa kwimigaqo yalo. Ngaba akubahloneli kusini na abo baphakamisa umgaqo kunengenelo yobuqu?

Isazinzulu uJoseph Priestley safikelela kwesi sigqibo: “Isalelo sokutya igazi, esanikwa uNowa, sibonakala siyimfuneko kuyo yonke inzala yakhe . . . Ukuba [esi] salelo sabapostile sisichaza ngokwendlela awayesiqhelisela ngayo amaKristu akuqala, angenakucingelwa engengawo angazange abuqonde ngokuchanileyo ubume nobunzulu baso, akukho sigqibo simbi ngaphandle kwesi sokuba sasenzelwe ukuba sibe njengoko sinjalo nesihlala sihleli; kuba igazi lalingatyiwa ngawo nawaphi na amaKristu kangangeenkulungwane ezininzi.”

KUTHEKANI NGOKUSETYENZISWA KWEGAZI NJENGEYEZA?

Ngaba umthetho weBhayibhile owalela igazi wawuya kugubungela ukusetyenziswa kwalo kwezonyango, njengotofelo-gazi, nto leyo ngokuqinisekileyo yayingaziwa ngemihla kaNowa, kaMoses, okanye yabapostile?

Ngoxa unyango lwezi mini lokusebenzisa igazi lwalungekho emva apho, ukusetyenziswa kwegazi kwezonyango akunto intsha. Kangangeminyaka enokuba ngama-2 000, eYiputa nakwezinye iindawo, “igazi lomntu laligqalwa njengelona qwili liphambili lokunyanga iqhenqa.” Ugqirha othile wadiza unyango oluthile olwanikwa unyana kaKumkani uEsar-haddon xa uhlanga lwaseAsiriya lwalunkqenkqeza phambili kwezobugcisa: “[Inkosana] ichacha kakuhle kakhulu; ukumkani, inkosi yam, ingakhululeka. Ukususela kusuku lwama-22 ndiyinika (inkosana) igazi ukuze isele, iya kulisela (lona) kangangeentsuku ezi-3. Kangangeentsuku ezi-3 ezilandelayo ndiya kuyinika (yona igazi) ukuze lisebenze ngaphakathi.” UEsar-haddon wayeneenkqubano ezithile namaSirayeli. Sekunjalo, ngenxa yokuba amaSirayeli ayenoMthetho kaThixo, ayengasokuze alisele igazi njengeyeza.

Ngaba igazi lalisetyenziswa kwezonyango kumaxesha amaRoma? Ingcaphephe kwinzululwazi yezilwanyana nezityalo uPliny (owayephila ngexesha labapostile) nalowo wayengugqirha ngenkulungwane yesibini uAretaeus banikela ingxelo yokuba igazi lomntu lalisetyenziselwa ukunyanga isifo sokuwa. Kamva uTertullian wabhala oku: “Qwalasela abo bathi ngonxano lokubawa, kumboniso okwibala lemidlalo, bakhongozele igazi eliseshushu lezaphuli-mthetho ezingendawo . . . bahambe nalo ukuya kunyanga abantu abagula sisifo sokuwa.” Wathelekisa oko noko kwakusenziwa ngamaKristu, athi “angaquki kwanegazi lezilwanyana kwizidlo [zawo] . . . Xa kuvavanywa amaKristu uwanika isoseji ezaliswe ligazi. Kambe ke, weyisekile kukuba [oku] akuvumelekanga kuwo.” Ngoko, amaKristu okuqala ayekulungele ukufa kunokuba atye igazi.

“Igazi likwimo yalo eqhelekileyo . . . alizange lishiywe lixesha njengesithako esisetyenziswayo kwezonyango nakumlingo,” inikela loo ngxelo incwadi ethi Flesh and Blood. “Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1483 uLouis XI waseFransi wayegulel’ ukufa. ‘Suku ngalunye ukugula kwakuthabath’ unyawo, kwaye amayeza awazange amncede nganto, nangona ayengaqhelekanga; kuba wayenethemba elikhulukazi lokuba wayeya kuphiliswa ligazi lomntu awayelithabatha kubantwana abathile aze alisele.’”

Kuthekani ngokutofela igazi? Ulingelo lokwenza oku lwaqalisa ngasekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-16. UThomas Bartholin (1616-80), unjingalwazi owayehlolisisa amalungu omzimba kwiYunivesithi yaseCopenhagen, wakuchasa oku esithi: ‘Abo babalaselisa ukusetyenziswa kwegazi labantu ukwenzela ukunyanga izifo zangaphakathi balisebenzisa kakubi yaye bona ngokunzulu. Amazim ayagwetywa. Kutheni singacekisi nje abo bangcolisa ummizo wabo ngegazi labantu? Kuyinto efanayo ukufumana igazi elingelolakho elivela kumthambo osikiweyo, enoba kungomlomo okanye ngezixhobo zokutofela igazi. Abaqulunqi bale ndlela yonyango bankwantyiswa ngumthetho kaThixo, okwalelayo ukutyiwa kwegazi.’

Ngenxa yoko, abantu abahluzekileyo engqondweni kwiinkulungwane ezadlulayo baqonda ukuba umthetho weBhayibhile wawusebenza ekufakeni igazi ngemithambo kanye njengokuba wawusebenza ekulityeni igazi ngomlomo. Lo kaBartholin waqukumbela ngelithi: “Ndlela nganye yokungenisa [igazi] iyafana nenye kwaye inenjongo enye, yokuba ngeli gazi umzimba ogulayo wondliwe okanye ubuyiselwe empilweni.”

Olu hlolisiso lusenokukunceda uqonde ukuma okungenakujikwa nokungokonqulo kwamaNgqina kaYehova. Abuxabise gqitha ubomi, yaye ayakufuna ukunyanyekelwa ngonyango oluhle. Kodwa azimisele kwelokuba akasayi kuze awaphule umlinganiselo kaThixo, ongaguquguqukiyo: Abo babuhlonelayo ubomi njengesipho esivela kuMdali abazami ukusindisa ubomi ngokutya igazi.

Sekunjalo, kangangeminyaka abantu baye bema ngelithi igazi liyabusindisa ubomi. Oogqirha banokuthetha ngeemeko apho uthile waye wopha kanobom kodwa watofelwa igazi waza ke wachacha ngokukhawuleza okukhulu. Ngoko usenokuzibuza oku, ‘Ngaba oku kububulumko okanye kuyintswela-bulumko kangakanani ngokwezonyango?’ Kunikelwa ubungqina obungokwezonyango ukuze kuxhaswe unyango lokusebenzisa igazi. Ngaloo ndlela, unyanzelekile ukuba ufumane izibakala ukuze wenze ukhetho lobulumko ngegazi.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 4]

‘‘Imiyalelo eyandlalwe apha ngendlela echanileyo necwangcisiweyo [kwiZenzo 15] ichazwa njengefunekayo, nto leyo enikela ubungqina obungenakuphikiswa bokuba kwiingqondo zabapostile eli yayingelolungiselelo lokwexeshana, okanye umlinganiselo obambisileyo.”—Unjingalwazi Édouard Reuss, weYunivesithi yaseStrasbourg.

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]

UMartin Luther walatha kwizinto ezazinxulumene nommiselo wabapostile: “Ngoku ukuba sifuna ukuba necawa evisisana neli bhunga, . . . simele sifundise size sinamathele kwelokuba ngenxa yoku akukho nkosana, nkosi, mnumzana okanye hlwempu litya inyama yerhanisi, ye-“doe,” yexhama, okanye yehagu ephekwe ngegazi . . . Abanumzana namahlwempu ngokukhethekileyo bamele bazile isoseji ebomvu nesoseji yegazi.”

[Inkcazelo]

Woodcut by Lucas Cranach

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 6]

“UThixo nabantu bazijonga izinto ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo. Oko kubonakala kubalulekile emehlweni ethu ngokufuthi kubonakala kungento xa kuthelekiswa nobulumko obungasikelwe mda; ibe oko kubonakala kukuncinane kuthi ngokufuthi kubaluleke kunene kuThixo. Oku kwakunjalo ukususela ekuqalekeni.”—“An Enquiry Into the Lawfulness of Eating Blood,” nguAlexander Pirie, ngowe-1787.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 3]

Medicine and the Artist by Carl Zigrosser/Dover Publications

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

Enoba iyintoni na imiphumo, amaKristu okuqala akwala ukwaphula umthetho kaThixo ongegazi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Kwibhunga elibalulekileyo embalini, iqumrhu elilawulayo lamaKristu lagxininisa into yokuba umthetho kaThixo ngegazi useyimfuneko

[Inkcazelo]

Painting by Gérôme, 1883, courtesy of Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore