‘Ukuthengisisa Isikhathi’ EItaly
EZIKHATHINI ezimbili umphostoli uPawulu wanxusa amaKristu akanye nawo lapho eseRoma, eItaly ukuba ‘athengisise isikhathi [“esihle,” NW].’ (Efesu 5:15, 16; Kolose 4:5) Abafundi bezincwadi zakhe ekhulwini lokuqala basabela kahle. Bafuna amathuba amahle okusakaza “izindaba ezinhle” futhi basiza abanye ukuba babe abakhulekeli bakaNkulunkulu weqiniso—Mathewu 24:14.
Izinceku zikaJehova zosuku lwanamuhla eItaly, lapho uPawulu abhala khona lezozincwadi, zisasabela kahle eselulekweni sakhe. NjengamaKristu okuqala, zifuna izindlela zokwandisa ingxenye yazo emsebenzini wokushumayela ngoMbuso. Zisithola kanjani “isikhathi esihle”?
Izinzuzo Zokwaziwa
UGiuseppe, isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele esesikhulile soFakazi BakaJehova eRoma, ukhumbula ngesikhathi enza umsebenzi wokuziphilisa. Wayeye waqiniseka ngokuthi bonke ayesebenza nabo babazi ukuthi ungomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Lokhu kwaziwa kwaholela esikhathini “esihle” sokuhlanganyela amaqiniso eBhayibheli. Ngolunye usuku wabelwa ukuba aqeqeshe indoda okwakuthiwa uGianni. Zisuka nje ezinye izisebenzi zatshela uGianni ukuthi uthisha wakhe kwakungomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Ngokushesha lapho isisebenzi sisodwa noGiuseppe, satshela uGiuseppe: “Manje sikhuluma ngomsebenzi wethu, kodwa ngesikhathi sokudla ngifuna ukufunda okuthile ngoJehova. ”
Phakathi nezikhathi zokudla kwasemini baba nezingxoxo eziningana. UGiuseppe wafundisa uGianni ukuthi uNkulunkulu unegama, uJehova. Wachaza futhi injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba. Nokho, kwenzekani lapho isikhathi sokuqeqeshwa sesiphelile? UGiuseppe uthi, “Ngamnika inombolo yami yocingo nenye incwadi yokufunda iBhayibheli, wayemukela incwadi kodwa wathi: ‘Uma ngithola okuthile kulezincwadi okungavumelani neqiniso leBhayibheli, ngiyobuya ngikubonise ukuthi unephutha phambi kwabo bonke osebenza nabo.’”
Kwedlula izinyanga. Akubangakhozwi elivela kuGianni. UGiuseppe uyaqhubeka, “Khona-ke, ngolunye usuku wangishayela ucingo futhi wathi wayefuna ukungibona. Sahlangana, futhi wayenohlu lwemibuzo. Saxoxa amahora ayishumi! Wasemukela isipho sokufunda iBhayibheli njalo.” Yaba yini imiphumela? UGiuseppe uthi: “Izinguquko ezinhle azenza zahlaba umkakhe nonina umxhwele kangangokuba nabo, futhi, baqala ukubonisa isithakazelo esifundweni seBhayibheli. Namuhla uGianni, umkakhe, nonina bonke bayizinceku ezithembekile zikaJehova.”
Waphoqwa Ukuba Ashise IBhayibheli Lakhe
Ukuziphatha okuhle kobuKristu nakho kuholela ‘ethubeni elihle’ lokuhlanganyela amaqiniso eBhayibheli nabanye. Njengoba umphostoli uPawulu esho, ukuziphatha okuhle ‘kungahlobisa isifundiso sikaNkulunkulu uMsindisi wethu ezintweni zonke.’—Thithu 2:10.
UPietro, manje onguFakazi osezohlanganisa ama-30, wakhangelwa ‘esifundisweni’ esinjalo ukuziphatha kobuKristu kowayefunda naye ekilasini. UPietro uyakhumbula, “Ngangisebangeni lesithathu, kodwa ngisakukhumbula ukuziphatha kwalowomfana. Nguye kuphela owayenqaba ukuhlala ekilasini phakathi nesifundo sezenkolo.”
Ngelinye ilanga uPietro wabuza umfana ukuthi kungani ayephuma ngazo zonke izikhathi. Umfana wachaza ukuthi wayevunyelwa ukuba aphume ekilasini ngoba ungomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. UPietro waba nesithakazelo. Wacela umfana ukuba amphathele iBhayibheli. Emva kokufunda izingxenye ezithile zeBhayibheli, uPietro uthi, “Ngaqonda ukuthi laliqukethe iqiniso, nganquma ukuthi ngangifuna ukulilandela kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke. Ngaphatha iBhayibheli esikoleni futhi ngatshela wonke umuntu ukuthi ngangingomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Ngangineminyaka eyishumi kuphela ubudala.”
Izinkinga zaqala. UPietro uyaqhubeka: “Umpristi owayefundisa ezenkolo esikoleni watshela abazali bami ukuthi ngangisebenzisa iBhayibheli esikoleni, futhi wabeluleka ngokuthi balishise. Lapho ngifika ekhaya, umama wazama ukuhlwitha iBhayibheli lami, kodwa ngalibamba ngaliqinisa ngangokusemandleni ami. Khona-ke umama waqala ukungishaya futhi walidabula ezandleni zami. Emva kwalokho wangiphoqa ukuba ngishise iBhayibheli lami.” UPietro walahlekelwa yiBhayibheli lakhe kodwa hhayi ukholo lwakhe. Wacabanga: ‘Uma nje sengikhulile, ngiyothenga iBhayibheli elisha futhi ngiye kwabanye ukuba ngihlanganyele nabo isigijimi salo.’
Kwedlula iminyaka emibili. Khona-ke uPietro wezwa ukuthi ekhaya lomunye wabangane bakhe kwakuqhutshwa isifundo seBhayibheli. Waya esifundweni ngokufihla. UPietro uthi, “Ngolunye usuku ngatshela abazali bami, ‘Senginqume ukuba omunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Manje akukho lutho oluzoguqula ingqondo yami!’ ” Bebona ukuzimisela kwendodana yabo eneminyaka eyi-12 ubudala, abazali badikila. Zisuka nje uPietro waqala ukuba khona emihlanganweni eHholo LoMbuso. Eminyakeni emine kamuva wabhapathizwa njengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Namuhla, eminyakeni eyi-18 emva kokuba efunde iqiniso okokuqala eBhayibhelini ngenxa yokuziphatha kokwethembeka kowayefunda naye, uPietro “uthengisisa isikhathi” ngokukhonza njengesikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele eItaly.
Uyashiseka Nakuba Eneminyaka Engama-70
UMafalda, owesifazane ongumKristu waseLivorno, ungelinye lamaphayona noma izikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele, ashisekayo angaphezu kwezi-22 000, eItaly. Waqala ukusebenza njengephayona eneminyaka engama-56. Uyachaza, “Umsebenzi wobuphayona udinga ukuthi okungenani amahora ayi-1 000 anikelwe emsebenzini wokushumayela. Kodwa njengoba lesi kuyisigijimi esibalulekile, ngisebenza amahora ayizi-2 000 unyaka ngamunye njengesisebenzi esiyiphayona.” Manje uMafalda uneminyaka engama-70 ubudala. Yini ahlela ukuyenza? Uthi, “Phakathi kwamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala, kwakukhona abesifazane abanemizi ababesebenza kanzima ababehlanganyela enkonzweni. Ngifuna ukuqhubeka ngimemezela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu njengabo. Lokhu kuwumgomo wami ekuphileni.”
Ngempela, kusukela eziqongweni zezintaba ezineqhwa enyakatho yealpine kuze kube sesiqhingini saseSicily esiseMediterranean eningizimu, oFakazi BakaJehova banamuhla eItaly babonisa intshiseko yozakwabo bekhulu lokuqala. Ngokwesilinganiso usuku ngalunye lonyaka basebenza amahora angaphezu kwezi-100 000 emsebenzini wokushumayela. Uba yini umphumela? Ngonyaka odlule kuphela, cishe abantu abayizi-12 000 babhapathizwa futhi baba yizikhonzi zikaJehova ezimisiwe. Manje bona, kanye nabanye oFakazi BakaJehova abayizi-131 000, ‘bathengisisa isikhathi’ eItaly.