Ubunye Buqinisekile NgoKristu
Amaphuzu Avelele Avela Kweyabase-Efesu
EKUQALENI kuka-52 C.E., umphostoli uPawulu washumayela e-Efesu. Lomuzi ocebile wezentengiselwano waseAsia Minor wawuyisikhungo futhi senkolo yamanga. Kodwa ubuKristu bachuma lapho ngemva kokuba uPawulu ebuyele e-Efesu, ngokunokwenzeka ebusika buka-52/53 C.E. Wanikeza izinkulumo zansuku zonke ehholo lesikole futhi wafakaza endlini ngendlu phakathi nesikhathi sokuhlala kwakhe cishe iminyaka emithathu.—IzEnzo 19:8-10; 20:20, 21, 31.
Lapho eboshiwe eRoma cishe ngo-60-61 C.E., uPawulu wabhalela amaKristu ase-Efesu. Ubunye noJesu Kristu nangaye uJesu buyisihloko sencwadi yakhe. Eqinisweni, ibhekisela izikhathi ezingu-13 ‘ebunyeni noKristu,’ ngaphezu kwanoma iyiphi enye incwadi eyabhalwa uPawulu. Njengabase-Efesu, singazuza emazwini kaPawulu ngendima kaKristu, sigweme ukuziphatha okubi futhi simelane nawomoya bobubi.
Ubunye Buyinjongo KaNkulunkulu
Okokuqala, uPawulu wachaza indlela uNkulunkulu ayeyoletha ngayo ubunye ngoKristu. (1:1-23) UJehova wayehlose ukuphinda ahlanganisele ndawonye zonke izinto ezisezulwini nezisemhlabeni ‘ngokuphatha,’ (NW) (indlela yokuphatha izindaba). NgoKristu, uNkulunkulu wayeyohlanganisela kuye labo abakhethelwe ukuphila kwasezulwini kanye nabanye abayophila emhlabeni. Namuhla, uNkulunkulu uye wahlanganisa abagcotshiwe ‘nesixuku esikhulu,’ futhi ‘ukuhlanganiswa kwazo zonke izinto ezisemhlabeni’ kuyoqhubeka kuze kube yilapho labo abasemathuneni okukhunjulwa bezwa izwi likaJesu futhi baphume. (IsAmbulo 7:9; Johane 5:28, 29) Kufanele sibonge ngalokhu, njengoba noPawulu athandazela ukuba abase-Efesu balazise ilungiselelo likaNkulunkulu ngabo.
Ngokulandelayo ukunakekela kwabhekiswa kumaKristu angabeZizwe, ayekade efile esonweni. (2:1–3:21) NgoKristu, uMthetho wapheliswa futhi kwabekwa isisekelo sokuba amaJuda nabeZizwe bahlangane futhi babe yithempeli uNkulunkulu angahlala kulo ngomoya. Ukuphatha kukaPawulu kwakuwukuba enze yaziwe imfihlakalo engcwele yokuthi abeZizwe bangaba sebunyeni noKristu, lowo abangasondela ngaye kuNkulunkulu ngesibindi. UPawulu waphinda wathandazela abase-Efesu, manje ecela ukuba uJehova abenze bame beqinile ngokholo nothando.
Izici Ezikhuthaza Ubunye
UPawulu wabonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uye wanikeza izici ezihlanganisayo. (4:1-16) Phakathi kwalezi kunomzimba owodwa ongokomoya oyibandla. Lomzimba usebenza ngobunye ngaphansi kobunhloko bukaKristu. Futhi ulungiselela izipho ezingabantu zokusiza bonke ukuba babe munye okholweni.
UJehova futhi wenza kube nokwenzeka ukubonisa izimfanelo zobuKristu ezikhuthaza ubunye. (4:17–6:9) Njengoba embethe ‘ubuntu obusha,’ amaKristu agwema izinto zokungamesabi uNkulunkulu njengenkulumo engcolile. Ahamba ngokuhlakanipha, abonise inhlonipho ngoKristu, futhi abonise ukuzithoba okufanele.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wenza amaKristu akwazi ukumelana nawomoya bobubi abafuna ukuphazamisa ubunye bethu. (6:10-24) Izikhali ezingokomoya ezivela kuNkulunkulu zinikeza isivikelo esinjalo. Ngakho masizisebenzise futhi sithandaze ngobuqotho, sihlanganisa esikholwa kanye nabo ekunxuseni kwethu.
Yeka iseluleko esihle uPawulu asinikeza abase-Efesu! Kwangathi singasilalela ngokugwema ukuziphatha okubi futhi simelane nawomoya bobubi. Futhi masibe nokwazisa okujulile ngobunye esibujabulela ngoJesu Kristu.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 24]
Imicibisholo Evuthayo: Izikhali ezingokomoya zihlanganisa “isihlangu sokukholwa” okungacinywa ngaso, noma siyenze ingalimazi, “imicibisholo evuthayo” kaSathane. (Efesu 6:16) Eminye imicibisholo eyayisetshenziswa ngamaRoma kwakuyimihlanga ekhishwe ubuthumbu eyayinesikhongozelo sensimbi ngaphansi kwesihloko okwakufakwa kuso uketshezi olushisayo. Yayicitshwa ngeminsalo engenamandla ukuze kugwenywe ukucima komlilo, futhi ukuyicima ngamanzi kwakumane nje kwandise ubukhulu belangabi. Kodwa izihlangu ezinkulu zazivikela amasosha emicibisholweni enjalo, njengoba nokholo kuJehova lwenza izinceku zakhe zikwazi ‘ukucima yonke imicibisholo evuthayo yomubi.’ Yebo, ukholo lusisiza ukuba simelane nezinto ezinjengokuhlaselwa imimoya emibi kanye nezilingo zokwenza okubi, ukuphishekela indlela yokuphila yokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo, nokunqotshwa ukwesaba nokungabaza.