Ibandla Malakheke

“Ibandla . . . laba noxolo, lisakheka.”—IZENZO 9:31.

 1. Yiyiphi imibuzo enokuphakama ngokuphathelele “ibandla likaThixo”?

NGOMHLA wePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uYehova wamkela iqela labafundi bakaKristu njengohlanga olutsha, “uSirayeli kaThixo.” (Galati 6:16) Kwakhona, la maKristu athanjiswe ngomoya aba koko iBhayibhile ikubiza ngokuthi “ibandla likaThixo.” (1 Korinte 11:22) Kodwa, kuthetha ntoni ukuba libandla likaThixo kwawo? “Ibandla likaThixo” laliza kulungelelaniswa njani? Laliza kusebenza njani emhlabeni, kungakhathaliseki ukuba ahlala phi na amalungu alo? Khona oku kubuchaphazela njani ubomi nolonwabo lwethu?

2, 3. UYesu wabonisa njani ukuba ibandla laliza kubumbana?

² Njengokuba kuye kwatshiwo kwinqaku elandulela eli, uYesu waxela kwangaphambili ngobukho beli bandla labalandeli abathanjisiweyo, xa wathi kuPetros: “Ndiza kulakhela phezu kolu lwalwa [uYesu Kristu] ibandla lam, namasango eHadesi akayi kulongamela.” (Mateyu 16:18) Enye into, ngoxa wayenabapostile bakhe, uYesu wababonisa indlela elaliza kusebenza, nelaliza kulungelelaniswa ngayo elo bandla laliza kusekwa.

³ UYesu wafundisa ngamazwi nezenzo ukuba abathile babeza kukhokela ibandla. Babeza kwenjenjalo ngokukhonza okanye balungiselele abanye beqela labo. UKristu wathi: “Niyazi ukuba abo babonakala belawula iintlanga baba ziinkosi phezu kwazo nabo bakhulu kuzo basebenzisa igunya phezu kwazo. Makungabi njalo phakathi kwenu; kodwa nabani na ofuna ukuba mkhulu phakathi kwenu makabe ngumlungiseleli wenu, yaye nabani na ofuna ukuba ngowokuqala phakathi kwenu makabe likhoboka lenu nonke.” (Marko 10:42-44) Kuyacaca ukuba, “ibandla likaThixo” lalingayi kubunjwa ngabantu abazimele geqe, iintlaba-zahlukane, ngamnye ehamba ngayibonayo. Kunoko, laliza kuba yimbumba, amalungu alo eza kunxibelelana, ebonisana ukuze kubekho ucwangco.

4, 5. Sazi njani ukuba ibandla laliza kufuna ukufundiswa ngokomoya?

⁴ UYesu iNtloko yelo “bandla likaThixo” wabonisa ukuba abapostile bakhe nabanye awayebafundisile babeza kuba neembopheleleko ezithile ebandleni. Yintoni ababeza kuyenza? Umsebenzi ophambili yayiza kuba kukufundisa amalungu ebandla izinto zokomoya. Khumbula ukuba emva kokuvuswa kwakhe uYesu, ephambi kwabanye abapostile wathi kuPetros: “Simon nyana kaYohane, uyandithanda na?” UPetros waphendula wathi: “Ewe, Nkosi, uyazi wena ukuba ndinomsa ngawe.” UYesu waba sesithi: “Yondla iimvana zam. . . . Yalusa amatakane am ezimvu. . . . Yondla amatakane am ezimvu.” (Yohane 21:15-17) Lowo yayingumsebenzi obaluleke gqitha!

⁵ La mazwi kaYesu abonisa ukuba abo bahlanganiselwa ebandleni bafaniswa nomhlambi wezimvu. Ezi zimvu—amadoda, abafazi nabantwana abangamaKristu—zaziza kufuna ukondliwa ngokomoya nokwaluswa kakuhle. Ngaphezulu, ekubeni uYesu wayalela bonke abalandeli bakhe ukuba bafundise abanye benze nabafundi, nawuphi na ofikayo kwezi zimvu zakhe wayeza kuqeqeshwa ukuze akwazi ukuphumeza olu thumo lukaThixo.—Mateyu 28:19, 20.

 6. Ngawaphi amalungiselelo awayesenziwa ‘kwibandla likaThixo’ elitsha?

⁶ Lakuba lisekiwe “ibandla likaThixo,” abo bangamalungu alo babehlanganisana rhoqo bafundiswe baze bakhuthazane: “Baqhubeka bezinikela emfundisweni yabapostile nasekwabelaneni, ngokutya nasemithandazweni.” (IZenzo 2:42, 46, 47) Enye into ephawulekayo kule ngxelo kukuba kwakulungiselelwa amadoda athile afanelekayo ukuze ancedise ekunyamekeleni imibandela ethile. Ayengakhethwa ngenxa yemfundo anayo, okanye ubuchule bawo. La yayingamadoda “azele ngumoya nobulumko.” Enye yawo yayinguStefano, ibe le ngxelo ibonisa ukuba ‘wayeyindoda ezele lukholo nomoya oyingcwele.’ Ubukho bala madoda emabandleni babangela ukuba ‘ilizwi likaThixo liqhubeke likhula, nenani labafundi lande kakhulu eYerusalem.’—IZenzo 6:1-7.

Amadoda Asetyenziswa NguThixo

7, 8. (a) Abapostile namadoda amakhulu aseYerusalem ayekhonza njengantoni kumaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala? (b) Waba yintoni umphumo emva kokuba amabandla echazelwe oko amele akwenze?

⁷ Kuyaqondakala ukuba, abapostile babekhokela kumalungiselelo ebandla lokuqala, kodwa bengebodwa. Ngaxa lithile, uPawulos namaqabane akhe babuyela kwiSiriya yakwa-Antiyokwe. IZenzo 14:27 zibalisa ngoko zisithi: “Bakuba befikile yaye belihlanganisele ndawonye ibandla, baqala ukubalisa izinto ezininzi uThixo awayezenzile ngabo.” Ngoxa babesekwelo bandla, kwaphakama umbuzo wokuba amakholwa eeNtlanga ayemele oluswe kusini na. Ukucombulula oko, kwathunyelwa uPawulos noBharnabhas “kubapostile namadoda amakhulu eYerusalem,” ekucaca ukuba babekhonza njengequmrhu elilawulayo.—IZenzo 15:1-3.

⁸ UmKristu ongumdala uYakobi, umntakwaboYesu kodwa engenguye umpostile, nguye owayesongamela xa “abapostile namadoda amakhulu bahlanganisana ndawonye ukuba babonisane ngalo mcimbi.” (IZenzo 15:6) Emva kokuwuxubusha kakuhle loo mbandela bencedwa nangumoya oyingcwele, bafikelela kwisigqibo esivisisana neZibhalo. Impendulo bayibhala phantsi baza bayithumela emabandleni. (IZenzo 15:22-32) Abo bayivayo loo nkcazelo bayamkela baza benza ngokuvisisana nayo. Waba yintoni umphumo? Abazalwana noodade bakheka baza bakhuthazeka. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ithi: “Ngoko ke, eneneni, amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa elukholweni yaye esanda ngenani imihla ngemihla.”—IZenzo 16:5.

 9. Yiyiphi imisebenzi yamadoda angamaKristu afanelekayo echazwa yiBhayibhile?

⁹ Yiyiphi indlela ayesebenza ngayo amabandla? Cinga ngomzekelo wamabandla awayekwisiqithi saseKrete. Nakuba abantu abaninzi balapho babedume kakubi, abathile bashiya ikhondo labo baba ngamaKristu okwenyaniso. (Tito 1:10-12; 2:2, 3) Babehlala kwizixeko ezahlukeneyo, ibe bonke babekude gqitha kwiqumrhu elilawulayo eYerusalem. Kodwa, oko kwakungeyongxaki kangako kuba kwakukho “amadoda amakhulu” okomoya amiselwe kwibandla ngalinye laseKrete, njengakwezinye iindawo. Loo madoda ayeneempawu ezifunekayo eziseBhayibhileni. Amiselwa angabadala, okanye abaveleli abakwaziyo “ukubongoza ngemfundiso ephilileyo nokubohlwaya abo baphikisayo.” (Tito 1:5-9; 1 Timoti 3:1-7) Amanye ayefanelekela ukunceda emabandleni njengezicaka zolungiselelo.—1 Timoti 3:8-10, 12, 13.

10. Ngokutsho kukaMateyu 18:15-17, zaziza kuconjululwa njani iingxaki ezinzulu?

¹⁰ UYesu wabonisa ukuba laliza kubakho elo lungiselelo. Khumbula ingxelo ekuMateyu 18:15-17, apho wabonisa ukuba maxa wambi kusenokuvela iingxaki phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo, omnye esona omnye. Lowo woniweyo wayemele aye kumoni aze ‘asidandalazise isiphoso sakhe’ ngasese, ingabo bobabini nje kuphela. Ukuba oko akukhange kuncede, kwakunokubizwa omnye okanye ababini abayaziyo loo ngxaki ukuze bancede. Kwakumele kuthiweni ukuba loo ngxaki ayiconjululwa nalapho? UYesu wathi: “Ukuba akabaphulaphuli, thetha nebandla. Ukuba akaliphulaphuli nebandla, kuwe makabe njengomntu weentlanga nomqokeleli werhafu.” Xa uYesu wayethetha oko, amaYuda ayesabumba “ibandla likaThixo,” ngoko amazwi akhe ayebhekisela kuwo ngelo xesha.a Noko ke, emva kokusekwa kwebandla lamaKristu, loo myalelo wawuza kusebenza kulo. Obu bobunye ubungqina bokuba abantu bakaThixo babeza kuba nelungiselelo lebandla ukuze kwakhiwe yaye kwalathiswe umKristu ngamnye.

11. Yiyiphi indima ababenayo abadala ekucombululeni iingxaki?

¹¹ Ngokufanelekileyo, amadoda amakhulu, okanye abaveleli babemela ibandla xa besingatha okanye becombulula iingxaki okanye bexoxa amatyala esono. Oko kuvisisana neemfaneleko zabadala ezikhankanywe kuTito 1:9. Kuyavunywa ukuba abadala bamabandla babengafezekanga, njengoTito, owathunyelwa nguPawulos emabandleni ukuba ‘amise izinto ngendlela efanelekileyo.’ (Tito 1:4, 5) Namhlanje, abo bamiselwa njengabadala bamele baqale bangqine ukholo nokuzinikela kwabo kangangexesha elithile. Ngoko, abanye ebandleni batsho babenentembelo kwindlela elisebenza ngayo eli lungiselelo.

12. Yiyiphi imbopheleleko yabadala ebandleni?

¹² Kubadala bebandla lase-Efese, uPawulos wathi: “Zilumkeleni nina nawo wonke umhlambi, ekuthe phakathi kwawo umoya oyingcwele wanimisela nangabaveleli, ukuba nilaluse ibandla likaThixo, elo walithenga ngegazi lowakhe uNyana.” (IZenzo 20:28) Namhlanje abaveleli bamiselwa ukuba ‘baluse ibandla likaThixo.’ Bamele balaluse ngothando, bangabi ziinkosi phezu komhlambi. (1 Petros 5:2, 3) Bamele bazabalazele ukwakha nokunceda “wonke umhlambi.”

Ukusondela Ebandleni

13. Yintoni enokwenzeka ebandleni maxa wambi, yaye ngoba?

¹³ Abadala nabo bonke abanye ebandleni abafezekanga, ngoko kukhe kubekho ukungaboni ngasonye okanye iingxaki, njengokuba kwakunjalo nangenkulungwane yokuqala ngoxa kwakusekho abanye abapostile. (Filipi 4:2, 3) Umveleli okanye omnye umntu usenokuthetha into evakala ikrwada, engenaluvelwano, okanye engachananga. Okanye sisenokuvakalelwa kukuba into ethile eyenziweyo ayikho zibhalweni, kube kubonakala ukuba nakuba abadala besazi ngayo akukho nto bayenzayo ukuyilungisa. Noko ke, kusenokwenzeka ukuba loo mbandela uye walungiswa okanye usaphethwe ngokuvisisana neZibhalo ibe kukho ezinye iinkcukacha zawo esingazaziyo thina. Enoba sicinga ukuba siwazi kakuhle simele sicinge oku: Kangangexesha elithile, kwabakho isono esinzulu esasisenziwa kwibandla laseKorinte, bandla elo lalinyanyekelwa nguYehova. Ethubeni, waqinisekisa ukuba obo bubi buyalungiswa, ngendlela efanelekileyo nengqongqo. (1 Korinte 5:1, 5, 9-11) Sinokuzibuza oku, ‘Ukuba ndandihlala eKorinte ngoko, yintoni endandiya kuyenza ngeso sono?’

14, 15. Yintoni eyabangela abanye bayeka ukulandela uYesu, ibe sifunda ntoni thina koko?

¹⁴ Nantsi enye into enokwenzeka ebandleni. Masithi umntu ukufumanisa kunzima ukuqonda nokwamkela imfundiso ethile yeZibhalo. Usenokuba uye waphanda eBhayibhileni nakwiimpapasho ezikhoyo ebandleni waza wafuna uncedo kumaKristu aqolileyo, nkqu nabadala. Sekunjalo, kusenzima ukuqonda ingongoma okanye ukuyamkela. Yintoni anokuyenza? Kwakha kwenzeka into enjalo malunga nonyaka ngaphambi kokuba uYesu afe. Wathi yena ‘usisonka sobomi’ yaye ukuze umntu aphile ngonaphakade wayemele ‘atye inyama yoNyana womntu aze asele igazi lakhe.’ Oko kwabothusa abanye abafundi bakhe. Kunokuba babuze intsingiselo yoko okanye balinde ngokholo, abaninzi ‘abazange babe sahamba naye.’ (Yohane 6:35, 41-66) Thina, ukuba sasilapho yintoni esasiya kuyenza?

¹⁵ Namhlanje, abanye baye bayeka ukunxulumana nebandla, becinga ukuba bangazimela ngenkqay’ elangeni. Basenokuthi baye bakhutyekiswa, bavakalelwa kukuba kukho undonakele ongalungiswayo, okanye kukho imfundiso ethile abangayamkeliyo. Ngaba lifanelekile elo nyathelo? Ngoxa iyinyaniso into yokuba umKristu ngamnye abe nolwalamano lobuqu noThixo, asinakuyiphika eyokuba uThixo usebenzisa ibandla lomhlaba wonke, njengokuba wayesenza ngemihla yabapostile. Ngaphezulu, uYehova wawasebenzisa waza wawasikelela amabandla enkulungwane yokuqala, elungiselela ukuba kumiselwe abadala nezicaka zolungiselelo ezifanelekayo ukuze kungenelwe amabandla. Kusenjalo ke nanamhlanje.

16. Ukuba umntu uziva efuna ukulishiya ibandla, yintoni amele aqale acinge ngayo?

¹⁶ Ukuba umKristu uvakalelwa ukuba unokuthembela kulwalamano analo noThixo kuphela, uya kuba ugatya ilungiselelo elenziwe nguThixo—elo lebandla lomhlaba wonke kwakunye nelo lebandla lasekuhlaleni labantu bakaThixo. Loo mntu usenokuzinqulela yedwa uThixo okanye anxulumane negcuntswana labanye, kodwa uya kulifumana phi ilungiselelo labadala bebandla nezicaka zolungiselelo? Kuyabonakala ukuba, xa uPawulos wayebhalela ibandla laseKolose ebonisa ukuba loo leta yayimele ifundwe naseLawodike, wathetha ‘ngokumiliselwa nokwakhelwa [kuKristu].’ Abo babekuloo mabandla, kungekhona abantu ababezimele bezahlule kuwo, ngabo ababeza kungenelwa kuyo.—Kolose 2:6, 7; 4:16.

Intsika Nesixhaso Senyaniso

17. Eyoku-1 kuTimoti 3:15 ifundisa ntoni ngebandla?

¹⁷ Kwincwadi yakhe yokuqala kuTimoti umdala ongumKristu, umpostile uPawulos wachaza iimfaneleko zabadala nezicaka zolungiselelo emabandleni. Kanye emva koko, uPawulos ukhankanya ‘ibandla loThixo ophilayo,’ esithi ‘liyintsika nesixhaso senyaniso.’ (1 Timoti 3:15) Ngokuqinisekileyo, lonke ibandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo lazingqina liyiloo ntsika ngenkulungwane yokuqala. Ayinakuphikwa eyokuba elona lungiselelo lanceda amaKristu athile afumana loo nyaniso libandla lasekuhlaleni. Kulapho ayenokuyiva khona inyaniso ifundiswa ize ithethelelwe, apho ayenokwakhiwa khona.

18. Kutheni zibalulekile nje iintlanganiso zebandla?

¹⁸ Ngokufanayo, ibandla lamaKristu omhlaba wonke yindlu kaThixo, “intsika nesixhaso senyaniso.” Ukubakho kwethu rhoqo size sibe nenxaxheba kwiintlanganiso zebandla esikulo yeyona nto iya kusinceda sakheke, luze lomelele nolwalamano lwethu noThixo, sitsho sikulungele ukwenza ukuthanda kwakhe. Ebhalela ibandla laseKorinte, uPawulos wathetha ngezinto ezazixutyushwa kwezo ntlanganiso. Wathi wayenqwenela ukuba oko kwakuthethwe apho kucace yaye kuqondwe ukuze abo bakhoyo ‘bakheke.’ (1 Korinte 14:12, 17-19) Nathi namhlanje sinokwakheka ukuba siyayamkela into yokuba uYehova uThixo ulungiselele amabandla asekuhlaleni yaye uyawaxhasa.

19. Yintoni ekwenza uzive unombulelo ngebandla okulo?

¹⁹ Ewe, ukuba sinqwenela ukwakhiwa njengamaKristu, simele sihlale ebandleni. Liye langqineka lisikhusela kwiimfundiso zobuxoki, ibe uThixo ebesoloko elisebenzisa ukuqinisekisa ukuba iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bakhe obulawulwa nguMesiya ziyashunyayelwa emhlabeni jikelele. Akuthandabuzeki ukuba, uThixo uye wafeza okuninzi esebenzisa ibandla lamaKristu.—Efese 3:9, 10.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

Usakhumbula Na?

• Kutheni silindele ukuba uThixo asebenzise amabandla asemhlabeni?

• Yintoni eyenziwa ngabadala ebandleni nakuba bengafezekanga?

• Wakhiwa njani wena libandla okulo?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Abapostile namadoda amakhulu eYerusalem babekhonza njengequmrhu elilawulayo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

Abadala nezicaka zolungiselelo bafumana ulwalathiso ukuze bakwazi ukufeza iimbopheleleko zabo ebandleni