Kungani Kubalulekile Ukuhlonipha Igunya?

NGUBANI ongabongi ngokuthi amaphoyisa anegunya lokubopha izigebengu ezeba impahla yethu noma ezisongela imikhaya yethu? Futhi asikwazisi yini ukuthi izinkantolo zinegunya lokujezisa izigebengu ukuze zivikele umphakathi?

Singahle sicabange nangezinye izinkonzo eziwusizo ezenzelwa umphakathi, njengokulungiswa kwemigwaqo, ukugcinwa kwenhlanzeko nemfundo—ngokuvamile ezikhokhelwa ngezintela ezibizwa iziphathimandla zikahulumeni. AmaKristu eqiniso angawokuqala ukuvuma ukuthi kubalulekile ukuhlonipha igunya elimiswe ngokufanelekile. Kodwa le nhlonipho kufanele iboniswe ngezinga elingakanani? Futhi kukuziphi izimo ekuphileni lapho kudingeka kuhlonishwe igunya khona?

Igunya Emphakathini

IBhayibheli litshela bonke abantu, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bangamakholwa noma cha, ukuba bahloniphe igunya likahulumeni elisebenzela ukuzuzisa umphakathi. Umphostoli uPawulu ongumKristu wabhalela akholwa nabo eRoma ngalokhu, futhi kuwusizo ukucabangela lokho akushoyo, njengoba kulotshwe kweyabaseRoma 13:1-7.

UPawulu wayeyisakhamuzi saseRoma, futhi iRoma yayiwumbuso wezwe ngaleso sikhathi. Incwadi kaPawulu, eyabhalwa cishe ngonyaka ka-56 C.E., yeluleka amaKristu ukuba abe izakhamuzi eziyisibonelo. Wabhala: “Yonke imiphefumulo mayizithobe emagunyeni aphakeme, ngoba akukho gunya elikhona kungengoNkulunkulu; amagunya akhona ami ezikhundleni zawo ezilinganiselwe ebekwe uNkulunkulu.”

UPawulu lapha uchaza ukuthi bekungeke kube nagunya labantu ukube uNkulunkulu akalivumelanga. Ngalowo mqondo amagunya aphakeme anesikhundla esilinganiselwe enjongweni kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke lokho kusho ukuthi “lowo ophikisa igunya uthathé ukuma ngokumelene nohlelo lukaNkulunkulu.”

Njengoba amagunya aphakeme engase azincome izakhamuzi ezenza okuhle, la magunya abuye abe namandla okujezisa abenzi bokubi. Abenza okubi banesizathu esihle sokwesaba ilungelo lamagunya lokuba “umphindiseli,” njengoba ohulumeni benza kanjalo ‘njengezikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu.’

UPawulu uphetha umbono wakhe ngokuthi: “Ngakho-ke kukhona isizathu esicindezelayo sokuba nizithobe, hhayi kuphela ngenxa yalololulaka kodwa futhi nangenxa kanembeza wenu. Ngoba kungakho futhi nikhokha izintela; ngoba ayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu zasobala ezikhonza njalo yona kanye lenjongo.”

Umthwalo wemfanelo wokusebenzisa izintela ngowamagunya aphakeme, hhayi abakhokhi bentela. Njengesakhamuzi esithembekile, umKristu ulondoloza unembeza omuhle. Uyazi ukuthi ngokuzithoba emagunyeni aphakeme futhi akhokhe izintela ezifanele, akukhona nje ukuthi uphakamisa izinga lomphakathi ahlala kuwo kodwa futhi uphila ngokuvumelana nezimfuneko zaphezulu.

Umkhaya Negunya

Kuthiwani ngegunya emkhayeni? Lapho isencane, ingane ngokuvamile izofuna ukunakwa ngokuba ikhale noma iklabalase. Kodwa umzali ohlakaniphile uzoqonda ukuthi yiziphi izidingo zangempela zengane futhi angavumeli ukuthukuthela kwengane kube yikhona okunqumayo. Ezinye izingane, lapho zikhula, zinikwa inkululeko yokuzibusa futhi zivunyelwe ukuba zizibekele ezazo izindinganiso. Ngenxa yokuntula okuhlangenwe nakho, zingase zihileleke ebugebengwini noma kwezinye izenzo ezimbi, ziphazamise kokubili umkhaya wazo nomphakathi uwonke, njengoba iziphathimandla eziningi zendawo zikwazi kahle lokho.

“Abazali bephuza kakhulu ukuyala izingane,” kusho uRosalind Miles, umlobi wencwadi ethi Children We Deserve. “Isikhathi sokuqala yilapho ingane izalwa.” Zisuka nje, uma abazali bekhuluma ngezwi legunya elinomusa nokukhathalela futhi bengaguquguquki ezenzweni zabo, ngokushesha izingane zabo zizofunda ukulamukela lelo gunya nokuyala kothando okuvela kulo.

IBhayibheli linentilibathwa yokwaziswa ngokuphathelene negunya emkhayeni. Encwadini yezAga, indoda ehlakaniphile uSolomoni idonsela ukunakekela ebunyeni babazali abesaba uNkulunkulu phambi kwezingane zabo, ngokuthi: “Ndodana yami, yizwa ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawushiyi umthetho kanyoko.” (IzAga 1:8) Lapho abazali belondoloza lobo bunye obunengqondo phambi kwezingane zabo, izingane ziyazi ukuthi bamiphi. Zingase zizame ukubahlanganisa ngamakhanda ukuze zithole ezikufunayo, kodwa igunya labazali elinobunye liyisivikelo kwabasha.

IBhayibheli lichaza ukuthi indoda ayigcini ngokuba nomthwalo wemfanelo oyinhloko ngenhlalakahle engokomoya yezingane kuphela kodwa neyomkayo. Lokhu kuchazwa ngokuthi ubunhloko. Kufanele kusetshenziswe kanjani lobu bunhloko? UPawulu uthi njengoba nje uKristu eyiNhloko yebandla kanjalo indoda iyinhloko yomkayo. UPawulu ube esenezela: “Madoda, qhubekani nithanda omkenu, njengoba nje noKristu alithanda ibandla [umlobokazi wakhe ongokomoya] futhi wazinikela ngenxa yalo.” (Efesu 5:25) Lapho indoda ilandela isibonelo sikaJesu futhi isebenzisa ubunhloko ngendlela enothando, iyozuza ‘inhlonipho ejulile’ yomkayo. (Efesu 5:33) Izingane zomkhaya onjalo nazo zizokubona ukubaluleka kwegunya elivela kuNkulunkulu bese zikhuthazeka ukulamukela.—Efesu 6:1-3.

Abazali abangabodwa, kuhlanganise nalabo abaye bashonelwa abangane babo bomshado, bangabhekana kanjani nale ndaba? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngubaba noma umama, banganxusa ngokuqondile egunyeni likaJehova uNkulunkulu noJesu Kristu. Ngaso sonke isikhathi, uJesu wayekhuluma ngegunya—likaYise nelemiBhalo ephefumulelwe.—Mathewu 4:1-10; 7:29; Johane 5:19, 30; 8:28.

IBhayibheli linikeza intilibathwa yezimiso eziwusizo eziphathelene nezinkinga izingane ezibhekene nazo. Ngokuthola lezi zimiso nokuzilandela, umzali uyokwazi ukunikeza izingane iseluleko esinothando nesiwusizo. (Genesise 6:22; IzAga 13:20; Mathewu 6:33; 1 Korinte 15:33; Filipi 4:8, 9) Abazali bangasebenzisa nezincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini eziklanyelwe ngokukhethekile ukubasiza baqeqeshe izingane zabo ukuba ziqaphele izinzuzo zokuhlonipha igunya lemiBhalo.a

Ibandla LobuKristu Negunya

“Lena iNdodana yami, ethandekayo, engiyamukele; yilaleleni.” (Mathewu 17:5) La mazwi, akhulunywa uJehova uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe, aqinisekisa ukuthi uJesu wayekhuluma ngegunya laphezulu. Lokho ákusho kulotshwe ekulandiseni okune kwamaVangeli esingakwazi ukuwahlola kalula.

Ngaphambi nje kokunyukela ezulwini, uJesu watshela abafundi bakhe: “Lonke igunya linikezwe mina ezulwini nasemhlabeni.” (Mathewu 28:18) NjengeNhloko yebandla lakhe, uJesu akagcinanga ngokuqaphelisisa abagcotshiwe abalandela ezinyathelweni zakhe emhlabeni, kodwa kusukela ekuthululweni komoya ongcwele ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., uye waphinde wabasebenzisa njengomzila weqiniso, ‘njengesigqila esikholekile nesiqondayo.’ (Mathewu 24:45-47; IzEnzo 2:1-36) Yini aye wayenza ekufezeni konke lokhu ukuze aqinise ibandla lobuKristu? “Lapho enyukela phezulu . . . , waphana ngezipho ezingabantu.” (Efesu 4:8) Lezi “zipho ezingabantu” ngabadala abangamaKristu, abamiswe ngomoya ongcwele futhi abanikwe igunya lokunakekela izithakazelo ezingokomoya zabakholwa nabo.—IzEnzo 20:28.

Ngenxa yalesi sizathu uPawulu uyeluleka: “Khumbulani labo abaholayo phakathi kwenu, abaye bakhuluma izwi likaNkulunkulu kini, futhi njengoba nicabangisisa ngomphumela wokuziphatha kwabo nilingise ukholo lwabo.” Njengoba la madoda athembekile elandela izinyathelo zikaJesu eduze, ngokuqinisekile kuwukuhlakanipha ukulingisa ukholo lwawo. UPawulu ube esenezela: “Lalelani labo abaholayo phakathi kwenu futhi nizithobe, [“niliqaphele ngokuqhubekayo igunya abanalo phezu kwenu,” The Amplified Bible] ngoba baqapha imiphefumulo yenu njengabayolandisa; ukuze lokhu bakwenze ngenjabulo hhayi ngokububula, ngoba lokhu bekuyonilimaza.”—Heberu 13:7, 17.

Kuthiwani lapho isiqondiso esinjalo singanakwa? Amanye amalungu ebandla lobuKristu lakuqala enza kanjalo futhi aba izihlubuki. UHimenewu noFiletu baphawulwa njengamadoda achitha ukholo lwabanye nabanezinkulumo ezingenangqondo ‘ezingcolisa okungcwele.’ Okunye ababegomela ngakho kwakuwukuthi uvuko lwase ludlulile, ngokusobala olungokomoya noma olungokomfanekiso, ngakho lwalungasekho olunye uvuko lwangesikhathi esizayo ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—2 Thimothewu 2:16-18.

Kwasiza igunya elimisiwe. Abadala abangamaKristu bakwazi ukukuphikisa lokho ngoba njengoba babengabameleli bakaJesu Kristu, babesebenzisa igunya lomBhalo. (2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) Kungokufanayo nanamuhla ebandleni lobuKristu, elichazwa ngokuthi “insika nozime lweqiniso.” (1 Thimothewu 3:15) Izimfundiso zamanga ngeke zivunyelwe zonakalise “isibonelo samazwi amahle,” esigcinelwe sona njengeqiniso elihle eliseBhayibhelini.—2 Thimothewu 1:13, 14.

Nakuba inhlonipho ngegunya iphela ngokushesha ezweni, thina njengamaKristu siyaqaphela ukuthi amagunya afanele emphakathini, emkhayeni nasebandleni lobuKristu amiselwe ukuzuzisa thina. Ukuhlonipha igunya kubalulekile ukuze siphile kahle ngokwenyama, ngokomzwelo nangokomoya. Ngokwamukela nokuhlonipha igunya elinjalo elivela kuNkulunkulu, siyolondolozwa amagunya aphakeme kunawo wonke—uJehova uNkulunkulu noJesu Kristu—ukuze sizuze phakade.—IHubo 119:165; Heberu 12:9.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

IBhayibheli linentilibathwa yokwaziswa ngokuphathelene negunya emkhayeni

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Abazali abangabodwa banganxusa ngokuqondile egunyeni likaJehova uNkulunkulu noJesu Kristu

[Izithombe ekhasini 7]

AmaKristu ayaqaphela ukuthi amagunya afanele emkhayeni, ebandleni lobuKristu nasemphakathini amiselwe ukuwazuzisa

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]

Photo by Josh Mathes, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States