Inkolo Yeqiniso Isusa Ukwesaba—Kanjani?

ABALOBI baseBrithani uEdwin noMona Radford bamangala. Ngemva kokuqoqa izinkolelo-ze ezingaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezimbili, bathola ukwesaba kokukholelwa ezeni okufanayo eScotland, eNdiya, naseUganda, naseMelika ePhakathi ngokufanayo. Bazibuza, ‘Kubangelwa yini lokhu?’ Umlobi uRobertson Davies ngokuqondile uyaphawula: “Inkolelo-ze ibonakala ihlobene nohlobo oluthile lwenkolelo eyandulela kude izinkolo esizaziyo.” Khona-ke, yiluphi “uhlobo lwenkolelo” lwangaphambi kobuKristu oluwumsuka wenkolelo-ze?

Umsuka Namagatsha Enkolelo-ze

IBhayibheli likhomba izwe laseShineyari (indawo ephakathi kwemifula iTigris ne-Ewufrathe, kamuva eyabizwa ngokuthi iBabiloni) njengendawo okwavela kuyo imiqondo yenkolo yamanga, kuhlanganise nezinkolelo-ze. Lapho, “iphisi elinamandla” eligama lalo linguNimrode laqalisa ukwakhiwa koMbhoshongo onedumela elibi waseBabele. Wawuzosetshenziselwa ukukhulekela kwamanga. Nokho, uJehova uNkulunkulu, wavimbela amacebo abakhi ngokuphambanisa ulimi lwabo. Umsebenzi wokwakha wama kancane kancane, futhi bahlakazeka. (Genesise 10:8-10; 11:2-9) Kodwa noma kuphi lapho babakha khona, babehamba nezinkolelo ezifanayo, imibono, nezinganekwane. Nokho, iBabele, lahlala liyisikhungo senkolo yamanga, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi futhi landisa ingxenye yalo njengonina nomzanyana wemilingo, ukulumba, nezinkolelo-ze, ezinjengokufundwa kwezinkanyezi. (Qhathanisa noIsaya 47:12, 13; Daniyeli 2:27; 4:7.) Ngakho incwadi ethi Great Cities of the Ancient World iyaphawula: “Ukufundwa kwezinkanyezi kwakusekelwe emiqondweni emibili yaseBabiloni: izodiac, nobungcwele bezindikimba zasemkhathini. . . . Abantu baseBabiloni babekholelwa ukuthi onozungezilanga banamandla umuntu ayengawalindela konkulunkulu babo abehlukene.”

Lezehlakalo zasendulo ziye zasithinta kanjani? Incwadi yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo ibonisa ukuthi isimiso somhlaba wonke, senkolo yamanga siye savela emiqondweni yeBabiloni lasendulo. Isekhona nanamuhla futhi ibizwa ngokuthi “IBabiloni Elikhulu.” (IsAmbulo 17:5) Yebo, ukuhamba kwesikhathi nezinto ezenzekayo kuye kwathonya leyomiqondo yokuqala yaseBabiloni. Umphumela uwukungafani okukhulu kwenkolo okubonakala namuhla. Kodwa njengoba imithi ehlukahlukene ngokuvamile ikhula emhlabathini ofanayo, ngakho izinkolo ezihlukahlukene nezinkolelo-ze emhlabeni wonke zinomsuka wazo emhlabathini ofanayo—iBabiloni. Ngokwesibonelo, ake sibone indlela enye yezinkolelo-ze zaseBabiloni eye yangena ngayo cishe kuzo zonke izinkolo zezwe namuhla.

Ukwesaba Abafile—Kusekelwephi?

Abantu baseBabiloni babekholelwa ukuthi ingxenye engokomoya yomuntu yayisinda ekufeni komzimba wenyama futhi yayingabuyela ukuthinta abaphilayo ngokuhle noma ngokubi. Ngakho-ke basungula imikhuba engokwenkolo eyayiklanyelwe ukushweleza kwabafile nokugwema ukuziphindisela kwabo. Lenkolelo isekhona emazweni amaningi namuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, eAfrika, “ifeza ingxenye ebalulekile ekuphileni kwansuku zonke cishe kwawo wonke . . . umphakathi.”—African Religions—Symbol, Ritual, and Community.

Ngisho namaKristu okuzisholo emazweni anjalo ayathinteka. Ngokwesibonelo, uHenriette, owesifazane wozalo lwaseAfrika oneminyaka engama-63 ubudala, uyavuma: “Nakuba ngangiyilungu elikhuthele lesonto lobuProthestani lendawo, ngangesaba ‘imimoya’ yabafile. Sasihlala eduze kwamathuna, futhi noma nini lapho udwendwe lomngcwabo luza ngasemzini wethu, ngangivusa ingane yami futhi ngiyibambisise kuze kube yilapho udwendwe seludlulile. Kungenjalo, ‘umoya’ wofile wawuzongena endlini futhi uyithathe ingane elele.”

Inkolelo-ze enjalo isekhona ngoba imfundiso yomphefumulo ongafi ivamile kweLobukholwa. Umlando ubonisa ukuthi izazi zefilosofi zamaGreki—ikakhulukazi uPlato—zandisa umqondo waseBabiloni wokungafi. Ngaphansi kwethonya lazo, kubhala uJohn Dunnett, umfundisi oyinhloko wezinkolo waseBrithani, “indaba yokungafi komphefumulo yafikela ikakhulukazi ukungena esontweni lobuKristu.” Lemfundiso yaseBabiloni iye yagcina izigidi zisebugqilini bokwesaba kokukholelwa ezeni.

Nokho, inkolo yeqiniso, iyakususa ukwesaba okunjalo. Ngani? Ngoba inkolo yeqiniso ayisekelwe ezinkolelweni ezinomsuka eBabiloni kodwa ezimfundisweni ezitholakala eBhayibhelini.

Umphefumulo NgokweBhayibheli

Incwadi yokuqala yeBhayibheli isitshela ukuthi umuntu waba umphefumulo, umuntu ophilayo. (Genesise 2:7) Ngakho lapho umuntu efa, umphefumulo uyafa. Umprofethi uHezekeli uyaqinisekisa: “Umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4; Roma 3:23) Umphefumulo uyafa futhi awuqhubeki uphila ngemva kokufa. Kunalokho, njengoba iHubo 146:4 lithi: “Umoya wakhe uyaphuma, yena abuyele emhlabathini wakhe; ngalona lolosuku amacebo akhe ayaphela.” Ngakho, umfundisi uJohn Dunnett uyaphetha, ukungafi komphefumulo “kusalokhu kuyinkolelo engeyona engokweBhayibheli.”

Uma ungekho umphefumulo ongafi, ayinakuba khona “imimoya” yabafile yokwesabisa abantu emhlabeni. Ngakho-ke isisekelo sokukholelwa ezeni sokwesaba abafile siyawohloka.

Ukwesaba Okusekelwe Enkohlisweni

Ukukholelwa ezeni kokwesaba abafile kuphela kanzima. Ngani? Ngoba izinto ezesabekayo ziyenzeka—njengalobobusuku lapho owesifazane oseqinile eSuriname ezwa othile ebiza igama lakhe. Akakunakanga lokho, kodwa “izandla” ezingabonakali khona-ke zaqala ukumthinta, futhi lapho engavumelani nalokho, wacishe waklinywa amandla angabonakali. Mhlawumbe uyamangala, ‘Uma “imimoya” yabafile ingaphili, khona-ke ubani owenza lokho?’ Nalapha, ulwazi lweBhayibheli luxazulula ukusaba kokukholelwa ezeni.

Lichaza ukuthi amandla amabi emimoya, abizwa ngokuthi amademoni akhona. Nokho, lawomademoni awayona imiphefumulo efile. Ayizingelosi zikaNkulunkulu ezahlubuka zathatha uhlangothi lukaSathane, “odukisa izwe lonke.” (IsAmbulo 12:9; Jakobe 2:19; Efesu 6:12; 2 Petru 2:4) IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi amademoni ayajabula ngokudukisa, ukwesabisa, nokuhlupha abantu. Indaba kaLuka 9:37-43 ilandisa ukuthi idemoni ‘elahlukumeza ngayo umfana wakhihliza amagwebu’ futhi lamlimaza. Ngisho nalapho umfana eyiswa kuJesu, “idemoni layiwisa phansi, layihlukumeza kakhulu.” Ukulandisa kuyaqhubeka, “uJesu wamkhuza umoya ongcolileyo, wamphulukisa umfana, wambuyisela kuyise.”

Ngokuthakazelisayo, iCyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature ichaza inkolelo-ze ‘njengokukhulekela onkulunkulu bamanga.’ Ngakho, uma wenza izenzo ezinjalo zokukholelwa ezeni, mhlawumbe ngokungazi, ushweleza “konkulunkulu bamanga,” noma amademoni! Ukukhulekela okunjalo kwamanga kuyisono esingathi sína kuJehova uNkulunkulu.—Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Korinte 10:20 noDuteronomi 18:10-12.a

‘Zithobeni KuNkulunkulu’—Ingabe Uyazithoba?

Ubungaba naso yini isibindi sokufulathela lawomademoni ngokulahla inkolelo-ze? Yiqiniso, amademoni anamandla. Kodwa ngemva kokubonisa ukuthi kumelwe sikhethe ukukhonza uJehova uNkulunkulu noma amademoni, umphostoli uPawulu wabuza: “Kanti sinamandla kunaye [kunoJehova, NW] na?” (1 Korinte 10:21, 22) Cha, asinawo—kodwa khumbula, noSathane namademoni akhe abanawo! Kunalokho, lawomademoni ‘ayathuthumela’ ngenxa yokwesaba uJehova. (Jakobe 2:19) Kodwa uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke ukunikeza isivikelo sakhe uma usicela. Umlobi weBhayibheli uJakobe uqhubeka athi: “Ngakho thobelani uNkulunkulu, kepha nimelane noSathane, khona uyakunibalekela.” (Jakobe 4:7) Ukwesaba kwakho kokukholelwa ezeni ngokufanayo kuyobaleka.

Izinkulungwane emhlabeni wonke ezake zaphila ngokwesaba nobugqili emasikweni okukholelwa ezeni manje zingakufakazela lokho. UDeveli wazibalekela! Ngayiphi indlela? Khumbula, isitha sokwesaba kokukholelwa ezeni siwulwazi. UProfesa uRudolph Brasch, isazi sokudabuka kwezinkolelo-ze uthi: “Kuyindaba yemfundo—ukuthi lapho abantu befundiswa kakhulu, yilapho ukukholelwa kwabo ezeni kwehla.”

Ngakho, lapho uHenriette, okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili, emukela isimemo soFakazi BakaJehova sokuqalisa isifundo seBhayibheli samahhala, ngokushesha wabona ngalé kweqhinga lamademoni. Izindlawu zenkolelo-ze zamdedela. Yena, nezinkulungwane ezinjengaye, baye babona ukuba yiqiniso kwamazwi akumaHeberu 2:15. Lapho umphostoli uPawulu wathi uJesu ‘wayezokhulula bonke labo ababesebugqilini kukho konke ukuphila kwabo ngenxa yokwesaba kwabo ukufa.’ (New International Version) Njengoba nje ilanga lasekuseni ezindaweni ezikumatropiki lihwamukisa amazolo asemahlathini athola imvula eningi, ukukhanya kweqiniso leBhayibheli kususa ukwesaba kokukholelwa ezeni.

Namuhla, abaningi ‘ababeyizigqila zokwesaba’ baye bagqashula izintambo zokuzivikela emimoyeni emibi ezintanyeni zabo nezincweba zokuvikeleka kubantwana babo. Manje bazizwa njengoIsaac, oneminyaka engama-68 ubudala owayeyinyanga yaseNingizimu Afrika. Ngemva kokutadisha iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova wathi: “Ngizizwa ngijabule kakhulu futhi ngikhululekile ngoba angisacindezelwe ukwesaba imimoya.” Yeka indlela amazwi kaJesu aye abonakala eyiqiniso ngayo: “Niyakulazi iqiniso, neqiniso liyakunikhulula”!—Johane 8:32.

Yebo, inkolo yeqiniso iyakususa ukwesaba!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

Izinkolelo-ze zasakazeka emhlabeni wonke zivela emthonjeni wazo eBabiloni