Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe Siyabadinga Ngempela Abapristi?

“BONGANI ngenxa yesipho sobuPristi,” kwasho uJohn Paul II encwadini yakhe yaminyaka yonke eya kubapristi ‘ngoLwesine Olungcwele,’ ngo-1992. Akuwona nje amaKatolika kuphela kodwa nabanye baye bawaqaphela kabuhlungu amaphutha abo. Baye baba nomuzwa wokuthi badinga othile owamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu ukuze abatshele intando kaNkulunkulu, anikele umhlatshelo kuYe, nokuba umlamuleli wabo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Umuntu onjalo kuthiwa umpristi. Ingabe siyamdinga ngempela umpristi ukuze asisize sizuze intethelelo kuNkulunkulu?

Umqondo wabapristi nemihlatshelo awusungulwanga abantu kodwa wasungulwa uNkulunkulu. Ukube zazingekho izono ezenziwa kuNkulunkulu, sasingeke sibe khona isidingo sabapristi. E-Edene, umuntu ophelele u-Adamu wayengamdingi umpristi. Wadalwa engenasono.—Genesise 2:7, 8; UmShumayeli 7:29.

Babengobani Abapristi Bokuqala?

Sonke namuhla siye sazuza ukuba nesono ngenxa yokuthi u-Adamu wona ngamabomu futhi siyinzalo yakhe. (Roma 3:23) U-Abela, indodana yomuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, wakuqaphela lokhu. IBhayibheli lithi ngaye: “Ngokukholwa uAbela wanikela kuNkulunkulu ngomhlatshelo.” (Heberu 11:4) Nakuba u-Abela namanye amadoda okholo asendulo—njengoNowa, u-Abrahama, noJobe—babengenakubizwa ngokuthi abapristi, bayinikela imihlatshelo kuNkulunkulu ngenxa yabo noma imikhaya yabo. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli lithi ngoJobe namadodana akhe: “[UJobe] wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa njengomumo wawo onke; ngokuba uJobe wathi: Mhlawumbe amadodana ami onile.” (Jobe 1:5) Nokho, kwenzeka kanjani ukuba abapristi nemihlatshelo kuvame emiphakathini eminingi kangaka?

Cabangela izenzakalo zangesikhathi senzalamizi yasendulo uNowa. UNowa nomkhaya wakhe babewukuphela kwabantu abasinda kuZamcolo wembulunga yonke. Njengoba babephumela emhlabeni ohlanziwe, uNowa wakha i-altare futhi wanikela imihlatshelo yokubonisa ukwazisa ngesihe nesandla sikaJehova esivikelayo. Njengoba zonke izizwe ziyinzalo kaNowa, ngokungangabazeki zalandela isibonelo sakhe futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi zasungula amasiko ahlukahlukene ahlobene nabalamuleli nemihlatshelo yezono.—Genesise 10:32.

Eminyakeni engaphezu kweyikhulu kamuva, kwaqubuka ukuhlubuka ngokumelene noNkulunkulu emzini waseBabele. UNkulunkulu wasanganisa ulimi lwabantu futhi bahlakazeka. (Genesise 11:1-9) Abanye abapristi, manje abase bethuthukisa izinkolelo ezisontekile neziphendukezelwe, basungula amasiko anyanyekayo emazweni abasakazekela kuwo. Nokho, uNkulunkulu wasibona isidingo sokufundisa abakhulekeli bakhe ngesidingo sabo sobupristi beqiniso obunompristi omkhulu, abapristi abangaphansi, nemihlatshelo eyamukelekayo kuye.

Isizathu Esenza Ukuba UNkulunkulu Amise Abapristi

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uJehova wanikeza isizwe sakwa-Israyeli abapristi ababenza imisebenzi emibili eyisisekelo. Okokuqala, babemelela uNkulunkulu phambi kwabantu njengabahluleli nabafundisi boMthetho kaNkulunkulu. (Duteronomi 17:8, 9; Malaki 2:7) Okwesibili, babemelela abantu phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngokunikela imihlatshelo kuye ngenxa yabantu. Incwadi kaPawulu eya kumaKristu angamaHeberu iyachaza: “Yilowo nalowompristi omkhulu okhethwa kubantu umiselwa abantu kokukaNkulunkulu, ukuze anikele izipho nemihlatshelo ngenxa yezono; . . . Akukho-muntu ozithathela lesosikhundla, kuphela obizelwa kuso nguNkulunkulu.”—Heberu 5:1, 4.

UPawulu uyaqhubeka echaza ukuthi ubupristi bakwa-Israyeli babungeyona indlela yokugcina kaNkulunkulu yokubuyisana kwaKhe nabantu. Imisebenzi yabapristi kwakuyimifuziselo ebhekisela ezintweni ezingcono, ‘izinto zasezulwini.’ (Heberu 8:5, NW) Lapho nje lezozinto zasezulwini sezifikile, lemifuziselo yayingasadingeki. Ngokwesibonelo: Ungase ugcine isikhangiso somkhiqizo othile owudinga ngempela, kodwa ubungeke yini usilahle lapho usuwutholile lowomkhiqizo?

Kudala ngaphambi kokuba kuvele isizwe sakwa-Israyeli, uNkulunkulu wajonga ubupristi obabungeke bukhonze izibusiso zama-Israyeli kuphela, kodwa ezaso sonke isintu. Ekuqaleni, u-Israyeli wanikezwa ilungelo lokuba nethuba lokuveza amalungu alobobupristi. Lapho lesizwe sakhiwa, uJehova watshela u-Israyeli: “Uma nilalela nokulalela izwi lami, . . . [niyakuba] ngumbuso wabapristi kimi, nesizwe esingcwele.” (Eksodusi 19:5, 6; qhathanisa noGenesise 22:18.) Ngokudabukisayo, lesizwe asizange silalele amazwi kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho, uJesu watshela abapristi nabaFarisi: “Niyakwamukwa umbuso kaNkulunkulu, uphiwe isizwe esiyakuveza izithelo zawo.” Obani manje okumelwe bakhonze njengabapristi ukuze kubusiswe isintu?—Mathewu 21:43.

Yibuphi Ubupristi AmaKristu Abudingayo?

Ngenxa yokuthi sizuze isono njengefa ku-Adamu, ukusindela ekuphileni okuphakade kungenzeka kuphela ngomhlatshelo ophelele owanikezwa uJesu. (1 Johane 2:2) UJesu ngokwakhe usimelela njengomPristi Ophakeme, njengoba nje kwakufanekiselwa ebupristini bakwa-Israyeli. AmaHeberu 9:24 athi: “UKristu kangenanga endaweni engcwele eyenziwe ngezandla, engumfanekiso waleyo okuyiyo ngempela, kepha wangena ezulwini uqobo ukuba manje abonakale ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yethu.” Ngakho, ubuhle obedlulele bobupristi obuphakeme bukaKristu buyasiqeda isidingo sabapristi abangabantu abakhonza njengabalamuleli. Nokho, izinkonzo zabapristi abangaphansi zisadingeka. Ngayiphi indlela?

Abapristi kumelwe ‘banikele ngemihlatshelo yokomoya eyamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu ngaye uJesu Kristu.’ (1 Petru 2:5) Ngokuphathelene nohlobo lwemihlatshelo lena eyilo, uPawulu wabhala: “Masinikele njalonjalo kuNkulunkulu ngaye umhlatshelo wokubonga, okungukuthi isithelo sezindebe.” (Heberu 13:15) Ngakho-ke, labo abayokwakha ubupristi bobukhosi, lapho besesemhlabeni, bamelela uNkulunkulu phambi kwabantu njengoFakazi bakhe, hhayi abalamuleli. Kamuva, ezulwini noJesu Kristu, bamelela abantu phambi kukaNkulunkulu, besebenzisa izinzuzo zomhlatshelo kaKristu futhi beletha ukuphulukiswa kuzo zonke izifo.—Qhathanisa noMarku 2:9-12.

Nakuba wonke amakholwa kufanele anikeze ubufakazi, bambalwa kuphela abayokhonza ‘embusweni wabapristi’ wasezulwini. UJesu wathi: “Ungesabi, mhlambi omncane; ngokuba kwathandeka kuYihlo ukuninika umbuso.” (Luka 12:32; IsAmbulo 14:1) Laba bayovuselwa ezulwini futhi “bayakuba-ngabapristi bakaNkulunkulu nabakaKristu, babuse kanye naye iminyaka eyinkulungwane.”—IsAmbulo 20:6.

UNkulunkulu uhlele ukuba labapristi basezulwini benze izinto kokubili ngomqondo ongokomoya nongokwenyama okungekho bupristi obuye bazenza. Ngokushesha, njengoba besebenzisa inzuzo yomhlatshelo wesihlengo kaJesu, bayokwazi ukuhlanganyela ekubuyiseleni sonke isintu esikholwayo ekupheleleni kobuntu. Khona-ke, u-Isaya 33:24 uyogcwaliseka ngokumangalisayo. Uthi: “Abakhé khona abayikusho ukuthi: Ngiyagula; abantu abahlala khona bayakuthethelelwa ububi babo.”

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

“Benediction of the Wheat at Artois” 1857, by Jules Breton: France / Giraudon/Art Resource, N.Y.