Qaphela “Ama-Epikhuru”

“Ukahle kakhulu! Uphila ngezindinganiso zokuziphatha eziphakeme. Akabhemi, akazisebenzisi kabi izidakamizwa noma asebenzise ulimi olungcolile. Eqinisweni, ungcono kunabanye abathi bangamaKristu!”

INGABE wake wabezwa abathile besho kanjalo ukuze bathethelele ubuhlobo obungafanele ababuhlakulelayo? Ingabe lokhu kuyamukeleka ngokomBhalo? Isibonelo sebandla lamaKristu okuqala siyasikhanyisela kulendaba.

Ekhulwini lokuqala, umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa ibandla laseKorinte: “Ningadukiswa. Ukuzihlanganisa nababi konakalisa imikhuba enosizo.” Mhlawumbe amanye amaKristu ayezihlanganisa nabantu ababethonywe ifilosofi yamaGreki, kuhlanganise neyama-Epikhuru. Ayengobani ama-Epikhuru? Kungani ayengaba ingozi engokomoya kumaKristu aseKorinte? Ingabe bakhona abantu abafana nawo namuhla okufanele sibaqaphele?—1 Korinte 15:33.

Ayengobani Ama-Epikhuru?

Ama-Epikhuru ayengabalandeli besazi sefilosofi esingumGreki u-Epicurus, esasiphila kusukela ngo-341 kuya ku-270 B.C.E. Safundisa ukuthi injabulo iwukuphela kwento enhle noma eyinhloko ekuphileni. Ingabe lokho kusho ukuthi ama-Epikhuru ayephila ngendlela ehlazisayo, engenazimiso, ehileleke emikhubeni eyonakalisayo njengoba ayephishekela ukuba nesikhathi esimnandi? Ngokumangalisayo, u-Epicurus akazange afundise abalandeli bakhe ukuba baphile ngaleyo ndlela! Kunalokho, wafundisa ukuthi injabulo itholakala kangcono uma ubonisa ukuhlakanipha, isibindi, ukuzithiba nobulungisa ekuphileni. Watusa ukuphishekela injabulo ehlala ikhona kukho konke ukuphila, hhayi injabulo yangaleso sikhathi noma yesikhashana. Ngakho ama-Epikhuru kungenzeka ukuthi ayebonakala elungile uma eqhathaniswa nalabo ababenza izono ezinkulu.—Qhathanisa noThithu 1:12.

Ingabe Babufana NobuKristu?

Ukube wawuyilungu lebandla lokuqala laseKorinte, ingabe wawuyohlatshwa umxhwele ama-Epikhuru? Kungenzeka ukuthi abanye bacabanga ukuthi izindinganiso zokuziphatha zama-Epikhuru ezazibonakala ziphakeme zaziwenza abantu abaphephile amaKristu ayengazihlanganisa nabo. Beqhubeka bezithethelela, kungenzeka ukuthi abantu baseKorinte babebona sengathi kunokufana okuthile phakathi kwezindinganiso zama-Epikhuru nezeZwi likaNkulunkulu.

Ngokwesibonelo, ama-Epikhuru ayelinganisela ekuphishekeleni kwawo injabulo. Ayezazisa kakhulu izinjabulo ezingokwengqondo kunezingokwenyama. Lokho umuntu ayekudla kwakungabalulekile kunobuhlobo bakhe nomuntu ayedla naye. Ama-Epikhuru ayegwema ngisho nokuhileleka kwezombangazwe nokwenza ububi ngasese. Yeka ukuthi kwakungaba lula kanjani ukucabanga uthi: “Afana kakhulu nathi!”

Nokho, ingabe ama-Epikhuru ayefana ngempela namaKristu okuqala? Akunjalo neze. Labo abanamandla okuqonda aqeqeshwe kahle babengawuphawula umehluko omkhulu. (Heberu 5:14) Ingabe ungakwazi ukuwuphawula? Ake sihlolisise izimfundiso zika-Epicurus.

Okubi Ngobu-Epikhuru

Ukuze asize abantu banqobe ukwesaba onkulunkulu nokufa, u-Epicurus wafundisa ukuthi onkulunkulu abanasithakazelo esintwini futhi abangeneli ezindabeni zesintu. Ngokuka-Epicurus, onkulunkulu abazange badale indawo yonke, ukuphila kwaba khona ngengozi. Ingabe lokhu kwakungaphikisani ngokusobala nemfundiso yeBhayibheli yokuthi kukhona “uNkulunkulu oyedwa,” uMdali, nokuthi uyazikhathalela izidalwa zakhe ezingabantu?—1 Korinte 8:6; Efesu 4:6; 1 Petru 5:6, 7.

U-Epicurus wafundisa nokuthi akukho kuphila ngemva kokufa. Yebo, lokhu kwakuphambene nemfundiso yeBhayibheli yovuko. Eqinisweni, lapho umphostoli uPawulu ekhuluma e-Areyophagu, kungenzeka ukuthi ama-Epikhuru ayephakathi kwalabo ababephikisana noPawulu ngemfundiso yovuko.—IzEnzo 17:18, 31, 32; 1 Korinte 15:12-14.

Kungenzeka ukuthi isici esiyingozi kakhulu sefilosofi ka-Epicurus sasifihleke kakhulu. Ukwenqaba kwakhe ukuthi kunokuphila ngemva kokufa kwaholela ekubeni aphethe ngokuthi umuntu kufanele aphile ngenjabulo ngangokunokwenzeka phakathi nesikhathi sakhe esifushane esemhlabeni. Njengoba sesibonile, umbono wakhe wawungakhuthazi ngempela ukuphila ngesono, kodwa kunalokho, wawukhuthaza ukujabulela isikhathi samanje, ngoba kuyisona kuphela esinaso.

Ngakho, u-Epicurus wayelahla ukwenziwa kobubi ngasese ukuze umuntu agweme ukukhathazwa ukuthi ububi bakhe bungase butholakale, okungayisongela ngokuqinisekile injabulo yamanje. Wayekhuthaza ukulinganisela ukuze agweme imiphumela yokweqisa, okungesinye isithiyo senjabulo yamanje. Wayekhuthaza nokuba nobuhlobo obuhle nabanye ngenxa yokuthi uma bekubuyisela ngokuhle kuyoba inzuzo. Yiqiniso, kuhle ukugwema ukwenza ububi ngasese, ukulinganisela nokuhlakulela ubuhlobo. Ngakho kungani ifilosofi ka-Epicurus yayiyingozi kumKristu? Ngoba iseluleko sakhe sasisekelwe embonweni wakhe ongenalo ukholo wokuthi: “Masidleni siphuze, ngoba kusasa sizokufa.”—1 Korinte 15:32.

Kuyavunywa, iBhayibheli libonisa abantu indlela yokuphila ngenjabulo manje. Nokho, liyeluleka: “Zigcineni othandweni lukaNkulunkulu, kuyilapho nilindele isihe seNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu ninombono wokuphila okuphakade.” (Jude 21) Yebo, iBhayibheli ligcizelela ikusasa laphakade, hhayi isikhathi samanje esidlula ngokushesha. Isithakazelo esiyinhloko somKristu siwukukhonza uNkulunkulu, futhi uthola ukuthi lapho enza uNkulunkulu eze kuqala, uyajabula futhi aneliseke. Ngokufanayo, uJesu, kunokuba abe matasa ngezithakazelo zakhe siqu, wasebenzisa amandla akhe ngokungagodli ekukhonzeni uJehova nasekusizeni abantu. Wafundisa abafundi bakhe ukuba benze okuhle kwabanye, hhayi ngethemba lokuthi bayobenzela okuhle nabo, kodwa ngenxa yokubathanda ngempela. Ngokusobala, izisusa eziyinhloko zobu-Epikhuru nobuKristu zihluke ngokuphelele.—Marku 12:28-31; Luka 6:32-36; Galathiya 5:14; Filipi 2:2-4.

Ingozi Efihlekile

Kuyahlekisa ukuthi nakuba ama-Epikhuru ayekugcizelela kangaka ukuba nenjabulo, injabulo yawo yayilinganiselwe kakhulu. Ngenxa yokuntula “injabulo kaJehova,” u-Epicurus wabiza ukuphila ngokuthi “isipho sosizi.” (Nehemiya 8:10) Yeka ukuthi amaKristu okuqala ayejabule kanjani uma kuqhathaniswa! UJesu wayengakutusi ukuphila kokuzincisha injabulo. Eqinisweni, ukulandela inkambo yakhe kuyindlela eholela enjabulweni enkulu kakhulu.—Mathewu 5:3-12.

Uma amanye amalungu ebandla laseKorinte ayecabanga ukuthi ayengazihlanganisa nalabo abathonywe indlela yokucabanga yama-Epikhuru ngaphandle kokufaka ukholo lwawo engozini, ayenephutha. Ngesikhathi uPawulu ebhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eya kwabaseKorinte, abathile kuwo kakade base belahlekelwe ukholo ovukweni.—1 Korinte 15:12-19.

Ubu-Epikhuru Namuhla?

Nakuba ubu-Epikhuru banyamalala ekhulwini lesine C.E., bakhona namuhla abanombono wokuthi isikhathi samanje siwukuphela kwesikhathi esinaso. Labo bantu babonisa ukholo oluncane noma bangalubonisi nhlobo ukholo esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu sokuphila okuphakade. Nokho, abanye babo banezindinganiso eziphakeme zokuziphatha.

UmKristu angase ayengeke ukuba akhe ubuhlobo obuseduze nabantu abanjalo, mhlawumbe ecabanga ukuthi izimfanelo zabo ezinhle zenza kufaneleke ukuba nobuhlobo nabo. Nokho, nakuba singazibheki njengabangcono kunabanye, kumelwe sikhumbule ukuthi konke “ukuzihlanganisa nababi”—kuhlanganise nokuzihlanganisa nalabo abanethonya elifihlekile—“konakalisa imikhuba enosizo.”

Ifilosofi yokuthi isikhathi samanje siwukuphela kwesikhathi esinaso iyatholakala nasemihlanganweni ethile yezebhizinisi, ezincwadini zokuzifundisa, kumanoveli, emabhayisikobho, ezinhlelweni zethelevishini nasemculweni. Nakuba lombono wokuntula ukholo ungakhuthazi ngokuqondile ukuziphatha okunesono, ingabe ungasithonya ngezindlela ezifihlekile? Ngokwesibonelo, ingabe singaba matasa kakhulu ngokuzanelisa kangangokuthi size silahlekelwe umbono wempikiswano ephathelene nobukhosi bukaJehova? Ingabe singayengelwa ekubeni ‘sithathe izinto kalula,’ esikhundleni sokuba sibe ‘nokuningi kokukwenza emsebenzini weNkosi’? Noma ingabe singayengelwa ekungabazeni ukufaneleka nezinzuzo zezindinganiso zikaJehova? Kudingeka siqaphele ukuba singazichayi ngokuqondile ekuziphatheni okubi, ebudloveni nasekusebenziseni imimoya kanye nakulabo abathonywe imibono yezwe!—1 Korinte 15:58; Kolose 2:8.

Ngakho-ke, masihlakulele ukuzihlanganisa, ngokuyinhloko nalabo abasilandela ngobuqotho isiqondiso sikaJehova. (Isaya 48:17) Ngenxa yalokho, imikhuba yethu enosizo iyoqiniswa. Ukholo lwethu luyoqiniswa. Ngeke siphile ngenjabulo manje kuphela kodwa sinombono wokuphila ngayo phakade.—IHubo 26:4, 5; IzAga 13:20.

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

U-Epicurus wafundisa ukuthi onkulunkulu abanasithakazelo esintwini

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of The British Museum