Ukuhambela Kwakho Phambili Makubonakale
“Ziphonononge ezi zinto; wendele kuzo, ukuze ukuhambela kwakho phambili kubonakale ebantwini bonke.”—1 TIM. 4:15.
1, 2. Yintoni eyenzekayo kuTimoti xa wayeselula yaye luluphi utshintsho olwenzekayo xa wayeneminyaka emalunga nama-20 ubudala?
XA WAYESELULA, uTimoti wayehlala eGalati, iphondo laseRoma ngoku elibizwa ngokuba yiTurkey. Kumashumi eminyaka emva kokufa kukaYesu kwamiselwa amabandla amaKristu aliqela kuloo mmandla. UTimoti, unina noninakhulu nabo baba ngamaKristu baza bakhonza kwelinye lala mabandla. (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14, 15) UTimoti wayephila nabantu abaqhelileyo, ngoko ngokuqinisekileyo wayonwabile njengomKristu oselula. Noko ke, izinto zatshintsha ngequbuliso.
2 Oku kwenzeka xa umpostile uPawulos wayetyelele apho okwesibini. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ngelo xesha uTimoti wayekwishumi elivisayo okanye eneminyaka engaphezulwana kwengama-20. Ebudeni botyelelo lukaPawulos ekusenokwenzeka ukuba lwaluseListra, waphawula ukuba uTimoti “kwakunikelwa ingxelo entle ngaye ngabazalwana” baloo mabandla. (IZe. 16:2) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uTimoti wayeqolile nakuba wayeselula. Ngoko, bekhokelwa ngumoya oyingcwele, uPawulos kunye nabadala belo bandla bambeka izandla uTimoti ukuze enze umsebenzi obalulekileyo ebandleni.—1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6.
3. UTimoti wafumana liphi ilungelo lenkonzo elikhethekileyo?
3 UTimoti wafumana isimemo awayengasilindelanga—ukuba apheleke umpostile uPawulos kumsebenzi wokuhambahamba! (IZe. 16:3) Kumele ukuba uTimoti waba nemincili akuva ezi ndaba zingalindelekanga! Kwiminyaka elandelayo uTimoti wahamba noPawulos yaye maxa wambi wayehamba nabanye, encedisa abapostile namadoda amakhulu. Umsebenzi wokuhambahamba owawusenziwa nguPawulos noTimoti wawubomeleza ngokomoya abazalwana. (Funda iZenzo 16:4, 5.) Ngenxa yoko ukuhambela phambili kukaTimoti kwabonakala kumaKristu amaninzi. Emva kokusebenza noTimoti iminyaka emalunga neshumi, umpostile uPawulos wabhalela amaFilipi wathi: “Andinamntu wumbi onokuninyamekela ngokwenene [njengoTimoti]. . . . Niyabazi ubungqina awabunikelayo ngaye siqu, bokuba waba likhoboka kunye nam ekuhambiseleni phambili iindaba ezilungileyo.”—Fil. 2:20-22.
4. (a) Yiyiphi imbopheleleko enkulu eyanikwa uTimoti? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo enokubuzwa ngokuphathelele amazwi kaPawulos akweyoku-1 kuTimoti 4:15?
4 Malunga nexesha uPawulos awabhalela ngalo abaseFilipi, wanika uTimoti imbopheleleko enkulu—eyokumisela abadala nezicaka zolungiselelo. (1 Tim. 3:1; 5:22) Kucacile ukuba ngelo xesha uTimoti wayengumveleli ongumKristu onokuthenjwa. Nakuba kunjalo, kwakule leta uPawulos wabongoza uTimoti ukuba ‘ukuhambela kwakhe phambili kubonakale ebantwini bonke.’ (1 Tim. 4:15) Kanti, ngaba ukuhambela phambili kukaTimoti kwakungekabonakali kubantu bonke? Ngoko wayethetha ukuthini uPawulos yaye sinokungenelwa njani kwesi siluleko sakhe?
Ukubonakalisa Iimpawu Zokomoya
5, 6. Lalikweyiphi ingozi ibandla lase-Efese yaye uTimoti wayenokulikhusela njani?
5 Masihlolisise umongo weyoku-1 kuTimoti 4:15. (Funda eyoku-1 kuTimoti 4:11-16.) Ngaphambi kokuba abhale le leta, uPawulos waqala waya eMakedoni kodwa wacela uTimoti ukuba asale e-Efese. Kwakutheni? Abanye kweso sixeko babeqalisa ukuba nempembelelo embi ebandleni ngokufundisa ubuxoki. UTimoti kwakufuneka akhusele ibandla ukuze lihlale licocekile ngokomoya. Wayeza kukwenza njani oku? Okokuqala, kwakuza kufuneka abe ngumzekelo.
6 UPawulos wabhalela uTimoti wathi: “Yiba ngumzekelo wabo bathembekileyo ngokuthetha, ngehambo, ngothando, ngokholo, ngobunyulu.” Wongezelela wathi: “Ziphonononge ezi zinto; wendele kuzo, ukuze ukuhambela kwakho phambili kubonakale ebantwini bonke.” (1 Tim. 4:12, 15) Oku kuhambela phambili kukaTimoti kwakubhekisela kwiimpawu zokomoya kungekhona kwigunya. Le nkqubela ifanele ibonakale kuwo onke amaKristu.
7. Yintoni ekulindeleke ukuba onke amalungu ebandla ayenze?
7 Njengakwixesha likaTimoti, abantu banokuba neembopheleleko ezahlukahlukeneyo ebandleni. Abanye bangabadala okanye izicaka zolungiselelo. Abanye bangoovulindlela. Kanti abanye bakumsebenzi wokuhambahamba, kwinkonzo yaseBheteli okanye kwinkonzo yobuvangeli. Abadala bafumana izabelo ezahlukahlukeneyo zokufundisa, njengakwiindibano ezincinane nezinkulu. Kodwa ke onke amaKristu—amadoda, amabhinqa nabaselula—anokukwazi ukubonakalisa inkqubela ngokomoya. (Mat. 5:16) Eneneni njengokuba kwakunjalo ngoTimoti, namaKristu aneembopheleleko ezikhethekileyo kulindeleke ukuba abonakalise iimpawu zokomoya.
Yiba Ngumzekelo Kwindlela Othetha Ngayo
8. Indlela esithetha ngayo ibaluleke kangakanani kunqulo lwethu?
8 UTimoti kwakuza kufuneka abe ngumzekelo kwindlela athetha ngayo. Sinokukubonakalisa njani ukuhambela kwethu phambili kule nkalo? Indlela esithetha ngayo ichaza okuninzi ngathi. Wayenyanisile uYesu xa esithi: “Umlomo uthetha ngokuphuphuma kwentliziyo.” (Mat. 12:34) UYakobi umntakwabo Yesu, wayiqonda indlela ebaluleke ngayo intetho kunqulo lwethu. Wathi: “Ukuba umntu uzibona engumnquli ofanelekileyo ukanti engalubambi ngomkhala ulwimi lwakhe, kodwa eqhubeka ekhohlisa intliziyo yakhe, unqulo lwakhe luphuthile.”—Yak. 1:26.
9. Sinokuba ngumzekelo njani kwindlela esithetha ngayo?
9 Abanye abantu abasebandleni banokuva kwindlela esithetha ngayo ukuba sikhule kangakanani ngokomoya. Ngoko kunokuba athethe ngendlela engafanelekanga, egxekayo okanye ekhubekisayo, amaKristu aqolileyo azama ukuthetha ngendlela eya kubakha, ibathuthuzele ize ibakhuthaze abanye. (IMize. 12:18; Efe. 4:29; 1 Tim. 6:3-5, 20) Xa sikulungele ukuthetha nabanye ngemilinganiselo kaThixo ephakamileyo nangokuzimisela kwethu ukuphila ngayo, oko kunokubonisa ukuba sizinikele kuThixo. (Roma 1:15, 16) Abantu abaneentliziyo ezinyanisekileyo baya kufuna ukulandela umzekelo wethu kuba besiva indlela esithetha ngayo.—Fil. 4:8, 9.
Ziphathe Kakuhle Yaye Ube Nyulu
10. Ukholo olungenaluhanahaniso lunokusinceda njani ukuze sihambele phambili ngokomoya?
10 UmKristu akafanele abe ngumzekelo kwindlela athetha ngayo kuphela. Xa indlela yethu yokwenza izinto ingavisisani nezinto esizithethayo, siya kufana nabahanahanisi. UPawulos wayekwazi ukuhanahanisa kwabaFarisi nendlela okwakunempembelelo embi ngayo oko. Walumkisa uTimoti izihlandlo eziphindaphindiweyo ngokuhanahanisa okunjalo. (1 Tim. 1:5; 4:1, 2) Kodwa uTimoti wayengengomhanahanisi. Kwileta yakhe yesibini awayibhalela uTimoti, uPawulos wathi: “Ndikhumbula ukholo olukuwe olungenalo naluphi na uhanahaniso.” (2 Tim. 1:5) Sekunjalo kwakufuneka uTimoti abonakalise ukunyaniseka kwakhe njengomKristu nakwabanye. Kwakufuneka abe ngumzekelo kwindlela aziphatha ngayo.
11. Wathini uPawulos kuTimoti ngobutyebi?
11 Kwiileta zakhe ezimbini awazibhalela uTimoti, uPawulos walumkisa ngeenkalo ezininzi zokuziphatha. Ngokomzekelo, walumkisa uTimoti ngeengozi zobutyebi. UPawulos wathi: “Ukuthanda imali yingcambu yazo zonke iintlobo zobubi, yaye ngenxa yokusukelana nolo thando bambi baye balahlekana nokholo, bezingxwelerha ngeentlungu ezininzi.” (1 Tim. 6:10) Ukuthanda ubutyebi kubonisa ukungaqoli ngokomoya. Ngokwahlukileyo koko amaKristu anelisekayo kukuphila ubomi obulula, ‘kukuba nesixhaso nesambatho,’ abonisa ukuba akhulile ngokomoya.—1 Tim. 6:6-8; Fil. 4:11-13.
12. Sinokukwenza njani ukuhambela phambili kwethu kubonakale kwindlela esiphila ngayo?
12 UPawulos waxelela uTimoti indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuba abafazi abangamaKristu “bazihombise ngesinxibo esilungiswe kakuhle, ngokuthozama nangengqondo ephilileyo.” (1 Tim. 2:9) Amabhinqa anxiba nazilungisa ngendlela ethozamileyo nabonisa ukuba nengqondo ephilileyo nakwezinye iinkalo, angumzekelo omhle. (1 Tim. 3:11) Lo mgaqo uyasebenza nakumadoda angamaKristu. UPawulos wabongoza abaveleli ukuba “abe ngcathu ngemikhwa, aphile engqondweni, alungelelane.” (1 Tim. 3:2) Xa sibonisa ezi mpawu kubomi bethu bemihla ngemihla, ukuhambela kwethu phambili kuya kubonakala kubo bonke.
13. NjengoTimoti, sinokuba nguwo njani umzekelo wobunyulu?
13 UTimoti kwakufuneka abe ngumzekelo ngokuba nyulu. Xa wayethetha ngobunyulu uPawulos wayebhekisela ekuziphatheni kakuhle ngokwesini. Ukuziphatha okuhle kukaTimoti kwakufuneka kubonakale ngokukodwa kwindlela awayephatha ngayo amabhinqa. Kwakufuneka aphathe ‘abafazi abakhulu njengoonina, amabhinqa amancinane njengoodadewabo enobunyulu bonke.’ (1 Tim. 4:12; 5:2) Enoba umntu uyazifihla ukuba uziphethe kakubi, uThixo uyambona yaye ngokuqinisekileyo nabanye abantu baya kuyazi loo nto ekugqibeleni. Kanti nezinto ezintle ezenziwa ngumKristu, ziyabonakala. (1 Tim. 5:24, 25) Onke amalungu ebandla anokukwazi ukwenza ukuhambela kwawo phambili kubonakale ngendlela aziphethe ngayo nangokuba nyulu.
Kubalulekile Ukuba Nothando Nokholo
14. IZibhalo zikubethelela njani ukubaluleka kokuba nothando?
14 Eyona nto ibalulekileyo amaKristu okwenyaniso afanele abe nayo, luthando. UYesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Ngako oko bonke baya kwazi ukuba ningabafundi bam, ukuba ninothando phakathi kwenu.” (Yoh. 13:35) Silubonakalisa njani olu thando? ILizwi likaThixo liyasibongoza ukuba ‘sinyamezelane ngothando,’ ‘sibe nobubele omnye komnye, sibe nemfesane, sixolelane ngesisa,’ size sibuk’ iindwendwe. (Efe. 4:2, 32; Heb. 13:1, 2) Umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi: “Ngokuphathelele uthando lobuzalwana yibani nomsa omnye komnye.”—Roma 12:10.
15. Kutheni kubalulekile ukuba sonke sibe nothando ingakumbi abaveleli abangamaKristu?
15 Ukuba uTimoti wayenokuwaphatha rhabaxa amanye amaKristu aze angabonakalisi bubele kuwo, kwakungayi kunceda nganto ukufundisa kwakhe ngobuchule nokuba ngumveleli obalaseleyo. (Funda eyoku-1 yabaseKorinte 13:1-3.) Kwelinye icala, ukubonakalisa uthando lokwenene kubazalwana bakhe nokubuk’ iindwendwe nokubenzela izinto ezintle, ngokuqinisekileyo kwakubonakalisa ukuba uTimoti ukhulile ngokomoya. Yiloo nto kwileta yakhe eya kuTimoti, uPawulos wabalaselisa uthando njengolunye lweempawu uTimoti afanele abe ngumzekelo kuzo.
16. Kwakutheni ukuze kufuneke ukuba uTimoti abe nokholo olomeleleyo?
16 Xa uTimoti wayehlala e-Efese, ukholo lwakhe lwavavanywa. Kukho abantu ababefundisa iimfundiso ezichaseneyo nobuKristu. Abanye babesasaza ‘amabali obuxoki’ okanye bephanda ngezinto ezingalakhiyo ibandla. (Funda eyoku-1 kuTimoti 1:3, 4.) UPawulos wathi abo bantu ‘bakhukhumele likratshi, baswele ingqiqo, yaye bagula ngengqondo ziimbuzwano nokuxambulisana ngamazwi.’ (1 Tim. 6:3, 4) Ngaba uTimoti wayenokuzixakekisa ngezo mfundiso zazixhaphakile kwelo bandla? Akunjalo, kuba uPawulos wabongoza uTimoti ukuba ‘alwe umlo omhle wokholo,’ yaye akhwebuke “kwiintetho ezililize ezihlambela oko kungcwele nakwiimpikiswano zoko kubizwa ngokuba ‘lulwazi’ kuxokwa.” (1 Tim. 6:12, 20, 21) Ngokuqinisekileyo uTimoti walamkela icebiso lobulumko likaPawulos.—1 Kor. 10:12.
17. Ukholo lwethu lunokuvavanywa njani namhlanje?
17 Okubangel’ umdla kukuba uTimoti waxelelwa ukuba “kuya kubakho ixesha laxa abathile beya kuphambuka elukholweni, benikela ingqalelo kumazwi aphefumlelweyo alahlekisayo nakwiimfundiso zeedemon.” (1 Tim. 4:1) Onke amalungu ebandla kuquka lawo aneembopheleleko, afanele abe njengoTimoti abonise ukholo olomeleleyo nolungagungqiyo. Ukuba siluchasa ngokupheleleyo uwexuko, sinokubonisa ukuba sikhulile ngokomoya size sibe ngumzekelo wokholo.
Ukuhambela Phambili Kwakho Makubonakale
18, 19. (a) Sinokwenza njani ukuze ukuhambela kwethu phambili kubonakale kubantu bonke? (b) Yintoni esiza kuyixubusha kwinqaku elilandelayo?
18 Ngokucacileyo, ukuhambela phambili komKristu wokwenyaniso akuxhomekekanga kwimbonakalo yangaphandle, kubuchule anabo okanye isikhundla. Kusenokungaxhomekeki nakubungakanani beminyaka ayichithe esebandleni. Kunoko, ukukhula ngokomoya kubonakala ngokuthobela uYehova ngengcinga, ngentetho nangendlela esiziphatha ngayo. (Roma 16:19) Sifanele sithobele umyalelo wokuthandana nokuba nokholo olomeleleyo. Masicingisise ngamazwi kaPawulos awawathetha kuTimoti ukuze ukuhambela kwethu phambili kubonakale kubo bonke.
19 Olunye uphawu olubonisa ukuba singamaKristu akhulileyo ngokomoya, luvuyo oluyinxalenye yesiqhamo somoya oyingcwele kaThixo. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Kwinqaku elilandelayo siza kuxubusha ngendlela esinokuhlakulela ngayo uvuyo kula maxesha anzima.
Ubuya Kuphendula Uthini?
• Yintoni enokufundwa ngabanye kwindlela esithetha ngayo?
• Ukuhambela kwethu phambili kubonakala njani kwindlela esiziphatha ngayo nakubunyulu bethu?
• Kutheni amaKristu efanele abe ngumzekelo ekuboniseni uthando nokholo?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]
UTimoti wayeqolile nakuba wayeselula
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 13]
Ngaba abanye bayakubona ukuhambela kwakho phambili?