Ibandla Malimdumise UYehova
“Ndiya kulivakalisa kubazalwana bam igama lakho; phakathi ebandleni ndiya kukudumisa ngengoma.”—HEBHERE 2:12.
1, 2. Kutheni libaluleke kangaka nje ibandla, ibe yiyiphi eyona ndima yalo?
UKUTYHUBELA imbali, abantu bebefumana ubuhlobo nonqabiseko kulwalamano lwentsapho. Noko ke, iBhayibhile isichazela ngolunye ulwalamano lwabantu abaninzi ehlabathini lonke namhlanje, abaxhamla ubuhlobo nonqabiseko olukhethekileyo. Olu lwalamano lufumaneka kwibandla lamaKristu. Nokuba uphuma kwintsapho eluqilima nenenyameko okanye akunjalo, uya kulixabisa ilungiselelo likaThixo lebandla. Kakade ke, ukuba sele ukwibandla lamaNgqina kaYehova, unokungqina ukuba lukho olu thando phakathi kwawo yaye lukwenza uzive unqabisekile.
2 Ibandla asiyondawo nje yokudibana kweqela labahlobo. Asiyombutho yabantu okanye iqela apho kudibana khona abantu abanemvelaphi efanayo okanye abathanda umdlalo ofanayo. Eyona njongo yebandla kukudumisa uYehova uThixo. Oko kwakunjalo kwakudala njengokuba incwadi yeeNdumiso ibonisa. KwiNdumiso 35:18, sifunda oku: “Ndiya kukubonga ebandleni elikhulu; ndiya kukudumisa phakathi kwesizwana esikhulu.” Ngokufanayo, kwiNdumiso 107:31, 32, sikhuthazwa oku: “Abantu mabambulele uYehova ngobubele bakhe bothando nangemisebenzi yakhe emangalisayo koonyana babantu. Mabambonge ebandleni labantu.”
3. Ngokutsho kukaPawulos, yintoni eyenziwa libandla?
3 Umpostile uPawulos wabalaselisa enye indima ebalulekileyo yebandla xa wabhekisela “endlwini kaThixo, elibandla loThixo ophilayo, intsika nesixhaso senyaniso.” (1 Timoti 3:15) Liliphi eli bandla wayethetha ngalo uPawulos? Ziziphi iindlela iBhayibhile elisebenzisa ngazo igama elithi “ibandla”? Ibandla limele libuchaphazele njani ubomi namathemba ethu? Ukuze sifumane impendulo, masihlolisise indlela elisetyenziswa ngalo igama elithi “ibandla” kwiLizwi likaThixo.
4. Izihlandlo ezininzi igama elithi “ibandla” libhekisela entwenini kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere?
4 Igama lesiHebhere elidla ngokuguqulelwa ngokuthi “ibandla,” liphuma kwingcambu ethetha “ukuhlanganisa” okanye “ukudibanisa.” (Duteronomi 4:10; 9:10) Umdumisi wasebenzisa igama elithi “ibandla” ebhekisela kwiingelosi zasezulwini, ibe linokubhekisela nakwiqela labenzi bobubi. (INdumiso 26:5; 89:5-7) Kodwa, izihlandlo ezininzi iZibhalo zesiHebhere zilisebenzisa ukubhekisela kumaSirayeli. UThixo wabonisa ukuba uYakobi wayeya kuba “libandla lezizwana,” ibe kwaba njalo. (Genesis 28:3; 35:11; 48:4) AmaSirayeli abizwa, okanye akhethwa aba ‘libandla likaYehova,’ ‘ibandla loThixo oyinyaniso.’—Numeri 20:4; Nehemiya 13:1; Yoshuwa 8:35; 1 Samuweli 17:47; Mika 2:5.
5. Liliphi igama lesiGrike elidla ngokuguqulelwa ngokuthi “ibandla,” ibe linokusetyenziswa njani?
5 Lona elesiGrike elithi ek·kle·siʹa, livela kumagama amabini esiGrike athetha “ukuza” ‘nokubiza.’ Linokubhekisela kwiqela labantu, njengalo ‘ndibano’ yavuswa nguDemetriyo nxamnye noPawulos e-Efese. (IZenzo 19:32, 39, 41) Kodwa ngokuqhelekileyo iBhayibhile ilisebenzisa ukubhekisela kwibandla lamaKristu. Ezinye iinguqulelo ziliguqulela ngokuthi “icawa,” kodwa iThe Imperial Bible-Dictionary ithi “alikhe libhekisele kwisakhiwo ngokwaso apho amaKristu ahlangana khona ukuze anqule.” Okubangela umdla kukuba, kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, eli gama lisetyenziswa ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo ubuncinane izihlandlo ezine.
Ibandla LikaThixo Elithanjisiweyo
6. Yintoni eyenziwa nguDavide noYesu ebandleni?
6 Esebenzisa amazwi kaDavide akwiNdumiso 22:22 kuYesu, umpostile uPawulos wathi: “‘Ndiya kulivakalisa kubazalwana bam igama lakho; phakathi ebandleni ndiya kukudumisa ngengoma.’ Ngenxa yoko [uYesu] wayebophelelekile ukuba abe ‘njengabazalwana’ bakhe kwiinkalo zonke, ukuze abe nokuba ngumbingeleli omkhulu onenceba nothembekileyo kwizinto eziphathelele uThixo.” (Hebhere 2:12, 17) UDavide wadumisa uThixo phakathi kwibandla lamaSirayeli amandulo. (INdumiso 40:9) Kodwa wayebhekisela kwintoni uPawulos xa esithi uYesu wadumisa uThixo “phakathi ebandleni”? Liliphi elo bandla?
7. Yiyiphi eyona nto libhekisela kuyo igama elithi “ibandla” kwiZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike?
7 Kubaluleke gqitha oko sikufunda kumaHebhere 2:12, 17. Kusibonisa ukuba ngandlel’ ithile, uKristu wayelilungu lebandla apho wayevakalisa khona igama likaThixo kubazalwana bakhe. Yayingoobani abo bazalwana bakhe? Ngabo babumba inxalenye ‘yembewu ka-Abraham,’ abazalwana bakaKristu abathanjiswe ngomoya, “abanesabelo kubizo lwasezulwini.” (Hebhere 2:16–3:1; Mateyu 25:40) Eneneni, eyona nto libhekisela kuyo igama elithi “ibandla” kwiZibhalo ZesiGrike ZamaKristu liqela labalandeli bakaKristu abathanjisiweyo. Aba bathanjiswa bali-144 000 babumba ‘ibandla lamazibulo abhaliswe emazulwini.’—Hebhere 12:23.
8. Ngawaphi amazwi kaYesu abonisa ukuba kwakuza kusekwa ibandla lamaKristu?
8 UYesu wabonisa ukuba kwakuza kusekwa “ibandla” lamaKristu. Malunga nonyaka ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, wathi komnye umpostile: “UnguPetros wena, yaye ndiza kulakhela phezu kolu lwalwa ibandla lam, namasango eHadesi akayi kulongamela.” (Mateyu 16:18) Bobabini uPetros noPawulos babeqonda kakuhle ukuba nguYesu olo lwalwa lwaluxeliwe. UPetros wathi abo bakhiwe “njengamatye aphilayo” endlu yokomoya phezu kolwalwa, uKristu, ‘babe sisizwana esisesakhe ngokukhethekileyo, sokuvakalisa ngokubanzi iimbalasane’ zalowo wababizayo.—1 Petros 2:4-9; INdumiso 118:22; Isaya 8:14; 1 Korinte 10:1-4.
9. Lasekwa nini ibandla likaThixo?
9 Esi ‘sizwana sisesakhe ngokukhethekileyo’ saba lilo nini ibandla lamaKristu? Sasekwa ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., xa uThixo wathululela umoya oyingcwele kubafundi ababehlanganisene eYerusalem. Kamva ngaloo mini, uPetros wanikela udlwabevu lwentetho kwiqela lamaYuda nabaguqukele ebuYudeni. Abaninzi bahlabeka iintliziyo ngokufa kukaYesu; baguquka baza babhaptizwa. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba kwabhaptizwa amawaka amathathu, atsho ayinxalenye yebandla elitsha nelikhulayo likaThixo. (IZenzo 2:1-4, 14, 37-47) Eli bandla lalikhula kuba ayesanda amaYuda nabaguqukele ebuYudeni ababeyiqonda into yokuba uSirayeli wokwenyama wayengaselilo ibandla likaThixo. Endaweni yakhe, amaKristu athanjisiweyo abumba “uSirayeli kaThixo” ngawo awaba libandla likaThixo lokwenene.—Galati 6:16; IZenzo 20:28.
10. Luluphi ulwalamano analo uYesu nebandla likaThixo?
10 IBhayibhile isoloko isahlula uYesu kwabathanjisiweyo, ngamabinzana athi “ngokuphathelele uKristu kunye nebandla.” UYesu uyiNtloko yeli bandla lamaKristu athanjiswe ngomoya. UPawulos wathi, uThixo “wamenza intloko yezinto zonke kulo ibandla, elingumzimba wakhe.” (Efese 1:22, 23; 5:23, 32; Kolose 1:18, 24) Namhlanje, emhlabeni kusele igcuntswana lentsalela yamalungu athanjisiweyo eli bandla. Kodwa siqinisekile ukuba iNtloko yawo, uYesu Kristu, uyawathanda. Indlela abathanda ngayo ichazwa kweyabase-Efese 5:25 ethi: ‘NoKristu walithanda ibandla waza wazinikela ngenxa yalo.’ Uyawathanda kuba axakekile ‘enikela kuThixo umbingelelo wendumiso, oko kukuthi, isiqhamo semilebe evakalisa ekuhleni igama lakhe,’ kanye njengoYesu xa wayelapha emhlabeni.—Hebhere 13:15.
Ezinye Iindlela Elibhekisela Kuzo Igama Elithi “Ibandla”
11. Yiyiphi into yesibini elibhekisela kuyo igama elithi “ibandla” kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike?
11 Maxa wambi, iBhayibhile isebenzisa igama “ibandla” ngendlela elinganiselweyo nengangqalanga, engabhekiseli kulo lonke iqela labathanjisiweyo abali-144,000 ababumba “ibandla likaThixo.” Ngokomzekelo, uPawulos wabhalela elinye iqela lamaKristu wathi: “Kuphepheni ukuba zizikhubekiso kumaYuda nakumaGrike nakwibandla likaThixo.” (1 Korinte 10:32) Nakanjani, ukuba umKristu othile kwiKorinte yamandulo wayeziphethe kakubi, oko kwakunokubakhubekisa abanye. Noko ke, ngaba kwakuya kukhubekisa onke amaGrike, amaYuda, okanye abathanjiswa belo xesha ukuza kuthi ga namhlanje? Nakanye. Kuyacaca ukuba kule ndinyana igama elithi “ibandla likaThixo” libhekisela kumaKristu aphila ngexesha elithile. Ngokuvisisana noku, umntu unokubhekisela kulwalathiso lukaThixo, uncedo, okanye intsikelelo yakhe ebandleni, kuwo onke amaKristu enokuba aphi na. Okanye sinokubhekisela kulonwabo noxolo olukwibandla likaThixo namhlanje, oko kukuthi phakathi kwabo bonke abazalwana abangamaKristu.
12. Yiyiphi into yesithathu elibhekisela kuyo igama elithi “ibandla” eBhayibhileni?
12 Into yesithathu ebhekisela kuyo iBhayibhile xa isithi “ibandla” ngawo onke amabandla akummandla othile. Sifunda oku: “Ibandla kulo lonke elakwaYuda naseGalili naseSamariya laba noxolo.” (IZenzo 9:31) Kwakukho amaqela amaninzi amaKristu kuloo mmandla, kodwa onke akwelo lakwaYuda, eGalili naseSamariya kwabhekiselwa kuwo ‘njengebandla.’ Xa sicinga ngenani labo babhaptizwa ngePentekoste yoma-33 C.E. nelabo babhaptizwa kungekudala emva koko, kumele ukuba kwakukho amaqela angakumbi awayehlanganisana rhoqo kummandla waseYerusalem. (IZenzo 2:41, 46, 47; 4:4; 6:1, 7) UHerode Agripa I walawula elakwaYuda de kwasa ekufeni kwakhe ngowama-44 C.E., ibe ngokutsho kweyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 2:14 kubonakala ukuba malunga nowama-50 C.E. kwakukho iqela lamabandla kwelakwaYuda. Ngoko xa sifunda ukuba uHerode ‘wayebaphethe kakubi abathile kwaba basebandleni,’ oko kusenokuba kwakubhekisela kwiqela lamabandla awayehlanganisana eYerusalem.—IZenzo 12:1.
13. Yiyiphi into yesine neqhelekileyo ebhekisela kuyo iBhayibhile xa isithi “ibandla”?
13 Eyesine, ingqalile yaye isetyenziswa rhoqo ukubhekisa kwiqela lamaKristu abumba ibandla elikwindawo ethile, njengakwikhaya elithile. UPawulos wakhankanya “ibandla laseGalati.” Ayemaninzi amabandla anjalo kwelo phondo likhulu laseRoma. UPawulos walisebenzisa kabini igama elithi “amabandla” ebhekisela eGalati, eyayiquka amabandla akwa-Antiyokwe, eDerbhe, eListra naseIkoniyo. Kuloo mabandla kwakumiselwa amadoda amakhulu, okanye abaveleli abafanelekayo. (1 Korinte 16:1; Galati 1:2; IZenzo 14:19-23) Ngokutsho kweZibhalo, onke ‘ayengamabandla kaThixo.’—1 Korinte 11:16; 2 Tesalonika 1:4.
14. Sisiphi isigqibo esifikelela kuso ngendlela elisetyenziswa ngayo igama “ibandla” kwizibhalo eziliqela?
14 Kwezinye iimeko, amaqela eza kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu ayesiba mancinane, ekwazi ukuhlanganisana kwimizi yabantu. Sekunjalo nawo ayebizwa ngokuthi “ibandla.” Amabandla esiwaziyo anjalo lelo lalikwindlu ka-Akwila noPriska, kwindlu kaNimfa nakwekaFilemon. (Roma 16:3-5; Kolose 4:15; Filemon 2) Oku kumele kuwakhuthaze amabandla amancinane gqitha ahlanganisana emizini yabantu namhlanje. Kwinkulungwane yokuqala, uYehova wayewazi loo mabandla ibe kusenjalo nanamhlanje, uyawasikelela ngomoya wakhe.
Amabandla Adumisa UYehova
15. Ukusebenza komoya oyingcwele kwabonakala njani kwamanye amabandla okuqala?
15 Ngaphambilana siye sachaza ngokuzaliseka kweNdumiso 22:22, xa uYesu wadumisa uThixo phakathi ebandleni. (Hebhere 2:12) Nabalandeli bakhe abathembekileyo babeza kwenjenjalo. Kwinkulungwane yokuqala xa amaKristu okwenyaniso athanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele aba ngoonyana bakaThixo, ngaloo ndlela esiba ngabazalwana bakaKristu, loo moya wenza amanye asebenza ngendlela ekhethekileyo. Afumana izipho ezimangalisayo zomoya. Ezinye kwezo zipho kukuthetha ngendlela ekhethekileyo yobulumko okanye ulwazi, amandla okuphilisa okanye okuprofeta, nkqu nokuthetha iilwimi abangazaziyo.—1 Korinte 12:4-11.
16. Yayiyintoni enye injongo yommangaliso weziphiwo zomoya?
16 Malunga nokuthetha ulwimi oluthile, uPawulos wathi: “Ndiza kuvuma indumiso ngesiphiwo somoya, kodwa ndiza kuvuma indumiso nangengqondo yam.” (1 Korinte 14:15) Wayeqonda ukuba abanye bamele bakuqonde oko akuthethayo ukuze bafunde kuko. Usukelo lukaPawulos yayikukudumisa uYehova ebandleni. Wabongoza abanye ababeneziphiwo zomoya esithi: “Phuphumani kuzo ukuze ibandla lakheke,” ebhekisela kumabandla ababekuwo. (1 Korinte 14:4, 5, 12, 23) Kucacile ukuba, uPawulos wayenomdla kumabandla asekuhlaleni, esazi ukuba kulo ngalinye, amaKristu ayeza kufumana ithuba lokudumisa uThixo.
17. Yintoni esinokuqiniseka ngayo namhlanje ngamabandla ethu?
17 UYehova usalisebenzisa yaye usalixhasa ibandla lakhe. Uyalisikelela iqela lamaKristu athanjisiweyo asemhlabeni namhlanje. Oku kubonakala kwintabalala yokutya kokomoya okunanditshwa ngabantu bakaThixo. (Luka 12:42) Uyabusikelela ubuzalwana behlabathi lonke. Uyawasikelela namabandla ethu, apho sidumisa khona uMdali wethu ngezenzo namazwi akhayo okomoya. Kula mabandla sifumana imfundo noqeqesho ukuze sikwazi ukudumisa uThixo nangezinye iindlela, xa singekho ebandleni.
18, 19. Yintoni afuna ukuyenza amaKristu azinikele ngokupheleleyo kulo naliphi na ibandla akulo?
18 Khumbula ukuba umpostile uPawulos wabongoza amaKristu ebandla laseFilipi, eMakedoni wathi: “Ndiqhubeka ndithandazela ukuba nizaliswe sisiqhamo sobulungisa, esingoYesu Kristu, kuse kuzuko nendumiso kuye uThixo.” Oku kwakuquka ukuxelela kwawo abanye, nabo bangekho sebandleni ngokholo lwawo kuYesu nethemba elimangalisayo analo. (Filipi 1:9-11; 3:8-11) Ngokuvisisana noku, uPawulos wabongoza amanye amaKristu wathi: “Ngaye [uYesu] masisoloko sinikela kuThixo umbingelelo wendumiso, oko kukuthi, isiqhamo semilebe evakalisa ekuhleni igama lakhe.”—Hebhere 13:15.
19 Ngaba uyavuyiswa kukudumisa uThixo “phakathi ebandleni” njengoYesu, uze usebenzise imilebe yakho udumisa uYehova phambi kwabo bangamaziyo uThixo ukuze bamdumise? (Hebhere 2:12; Roma 15:9-11) Ubukhulu becala, impendulo yethu ixhomekeke kwindlela esivakalelwa ngayo ngendima yebandla lethu kwinjongo kaThixo. Kwinqaku elilandelayo, siza kuqwalasela indlela uYehova alalathisa aze alisebenzise ngayo ibandla lethu nendima elimele libe nayo kubomi bethu namhlanje.
Uyakhumbula Na?
• Labakho njani “ibandla likaThixo,” elibunjwa ngamaKristu athanjisiweyo?
• Ziziphi izinto ezintathu ezingakumbi elibhekisela kuzo igama elithi “ibandla” eBhayibhileni?
• Ngokuphathelele ibandla, yintoni ababefuna ukuyenza uDavide, uYesu namaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala, ibe kumele kusichaphazele njani thina oko?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]
UYesu wayesisiseko saliphi ibandla?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]
Amaqela amaKristu asekuhlaleni ayehlanganisana abe “ngamabandla kaThixo”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]
NjengamaKristu aseBenin, sinokumdumisa uYehova phakathi kwendimbane