‘Bathenga Iqiniso’!

“THENGA iqiniso, ungathengisi ngalo.” (IzAga 23:23) Yanxusa kanjalo indoda ehlakaniphile uSolomoni. Nakuba lokhu kungashiwo ngeqiniso lilonke, kungashiwo ngokukhethekile ngeqiniso elitholakala eZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli. Iqiniso elinjalo lingaholela ekuphileni okuphakade! (Johane 17:3, 17) Nokho, phawula ukuthi ukuthola iqiniso elinjalo kuhambisana nokulahlekelwa okuthile. Umuntu kumelwe azimisele “ukulithenga,” okungukuthi, adele noma anikele okuthile ukuze alithole. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 13:45, 46.) Ngokuvamile, abantu abazimiseli ukwenza kanjalo. Kodwa emazweni amaningi, inani elandayo labantu abanesibindi lithenga iqiniso leBhayibheli—ngokuvamile lilahlekelwe kakhulu.

Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngoFakazi BakaJehova ezweni eliseNtshonalanga Afrika eGhana. Ngo-June ka-1989, kwakunabantu abangaphezu kuka-34 000 kulelo lizwe ababemukele iqiniso leBhayibheli futhi belihlanganyela nabanye ngentshiseko. Khona-ke umsebenzi wokushumayela obala wavinjelwa ngokomthetho. Nakuba kunjalo, abanhliziyo ziqotho baqhubeka ‘bethenga iqiniso’—naphezu kwezithiyo ezingokomthetho. Ukuvinjelwa kwaphela ngo-October 31, 1991, futhi phakathi no-1995, eminyakeni emithathu nengxenye nje ngemva kokukhululwa, inani loFakazi BakaJehova abashisekayo eGhana lase linyuke lafinyelela ku-46 104! Futhi kulonyaka inani seliye lafinyelela ngaphezu kuka-52 800.

Yini eye yadonsela abantu eqinisweni leZwi likaNkulunkulu? Yikuphi ukuzidela abanye okuye kwadingeka bakwenze ukuze ‘bathenge iqiniso’? Ukuze sithole impendulo, ake sibheke okuhlangenwe nakho kwamaKristu amathathu aseGhana.

Bakhangwa Izimfundiso ZeBhayibheli

Ake siqale sicabangele owesifazane osanda kweva emashumini amabili. Uyise wayengumfundisi, nokho wakhetha ukuyishiya inkolo kayise. Isizathu? Uthando lwakhe ngeqiniso.

Ngesinye isikhathi wachaza: “OFakazi babevame ukuza ekhaya njengoba bengena indlu ngendlu. Ngemva kokuxoxa nabo izikhathi ezimbalwa, ngaqaphela ukuthi ababekufundisa kwakusekelwe eBhayibhelini. Ngabuza imibuzo ngezihloko ezinjengoZiqu-zintathu, isihogo somlilo, ukungafi komphefumulo, ikakhulu ngokuphulukisa ngokuthandazela. Ngangikholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi lezi zimfundiso zazivela eBhayibhelini. Kodwa oFakazi bangisiza ukuba ngibone ukuthi kwakungenjalo.”—Ukuze uthole umbono weBhayibheli ngezihloko ezinjalo, siza ubheke uMarku 13:32; Roma 6:23; IzEnzo 10:40; neyoku-1 Korinte 13:8-10.

Lona wesifazane osemusha uyanezela: “Kodwa, umkhaya wakithi wangiphikisa kakhulu, ikakhulukazi ubaba. Wayenomuzwa wokuthi ngangidukiswa. Nokho, ngangazi ukuthi engangikufunda koFakazi BakaJehova kwakuyiqiniso. Ngazama ukujwayelanisa ubaba nalezi zinto eziseBhayibhelini, kodwa wayengafuni ukungilalela. Eqinisweni, ukuphikiswa kwaqina.

“Nokho, ngama isibindi. Ngangazi ukuthi ulwazi lweqiniso kuphela oluholela ekuphileni okuphakade ePharadesi, futhi ngangizimisele ukubambelela kulo. Lapho oFakazi basendaweni bezwa ngezinkinga engangibhekene nazo, bangisiza ngothando, bengikhuthaza futhi benginika izinto ezithile engangizidinga. Lokhu kwangisiza ukuba ngiqonde ukubaluleka kwamazwi kaJesu atholakala kuJohane 13:35: ‘Bonke bayokwazi ngalokhu ukuthi ningabafundi bami, uma ninothando phakathi kwenu.’ Ukukholelwa kwami ekutheni oFakazi BakaJehova babeyinkolo yeqiniso kwajula. Kamuva, lapho abazali bami bephawula ukuthi ngiye ngashintsha ukuphila kwami kwaba ngcono, bakuthanda ababekubona, futhi isimo sabo sengqondo ngami sashintsha—kangangokuba ubaba wacela oFakazi ukuba baqhubele umfowethu omdala isifundo seBhayibheli!”

Ukuziqinisekisa Ngeqiniso

‘Ukuthenga iqiniso’ kuyinselele nakwenye intsha ekhuliswe abazali abangoFakazi. Enye intsha ithambekele ekulithatheni kalula iqiniso leBhayibheli. Uma ihluleka ukwenza iqiniso elinjalo libe ngelayo, ukholo lwayo luba buthakathaka, lungagxili. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 13:20, 21.) UNathaniel, indoda yaseGhana eneminyaka eyevile kwengu-30, ulandisa ngendlela ‘athenga ngayo’ iqiniso ebusheni bakhe.

“Abazali bami bangifundisa iBhayibheli kusukela ngisewusana,” ekhumbula. “Njengoba ngangikhula, ngangihamba nabo emsebenzini wokushumayela, kodwa ngangingakanqumi ngempela ukuba uFakazi. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngaqaphela ukuthi kwakudingeka ngizihlolele mathupha iBhayibheli.

“Okokuqala, kwakumelwe ngiqiniseke ukuthi yiBhayibheli eliyiZwi likaNkulunkulu, hhayi noma iyiphi enye incwadi engcwele yenkolo. Ngesifundo sami siqu, ngafunda ukuthi liwukuphela kwencwadi engcwele eneziprofetho eziningi ezicacile ezagcwaliseka ngokunembile. Ngafunda nokuthi iBhayibheli liqukethe amaqiniso amaningi angokwesayensi—ngokwesibonelo, ukuthi umhlaba ‘uphanyekwe phezu kweze.’ (Jobe 26:7) Lamazwi abhalwa ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka ngaphambi kokuba abezesayensi bazi ngesimiso somjikelezo welanga. UNkulunkulu kuphela owayengaphefumulela abantu ukuba balobe izinto ezinjalo!a

“Okulandelayo, ngangifuna ukuthola ukuthi iyiphi inhlangano yenkolo efundisa futhi yenze amaqiniso afundiswa eBhayibhelini. Izinkolo eziningi zifundisa ngesihogo somlilo, uZiqu-zintathu, nangomphefumulo ongafi osindayo ekufeni komuntu. Kodwa lezi zimfundiso ngazithola zingenangqondo. Ngacabanga: Ingabe akuyena ubaba omubi obengafaka isandla sengane yakhe ebhodweni elinamanzi abilayo lapho eyijezisa? Khona-ke, uNkulunkulu onothando angabafaka kanjani abantwana bakhe esihogweni somlilo abenze bahlupheke? Nokho, oFakazi BakaJehova bafundisa ngokuvumelana nemibhalo yeBhayibheli enjengowamaRoma 6:23, ethi: ‘Inkokhelo isono esiyikhokhayo iwukufa’—hhayi isihogo somlilo. Lokhu ngakuthola kunengqondo.

“Ngaphawula nokuthi oFakazi BakaJehova bafuna ukuthi wonke amalungu abo aphile ngokuvumelana nezindinganiso zeBhayibheli nokuthi basusa ekuhlanganyeleni noma ubani osenza umkhuba isono ngokungaphenduki. Ngenxa yalokho, ngaphetha ngokuthi oFakazi BakaJehova baneqiniso, futhi ngenza isinqumo sami siqu sokuba ngomunye wabo. Ngasebenza kanzima ukuze ngifanelekele ukubhapathizwa njengoFakazi.”—1 Korinte 5:11-13.

Okuhlangenwe nakho kukaNathaniel kubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi ngisho nentsha ekhuliswe abazali abangamaKristu kumelwe ‘ithenge iqiniso.’ Akumelwe imane iye nje emihlanganweni yebandla ngokugcina icala. Njengabantu basendulo baseBereya, kumelwe ‘ihlole ngokucophelela imiBhalo nsuku zonke ukuthi zinjalo yini lezi zinto.’ (IzEnzo 17:11) Lokhu kudinga isikhathi nomzamo, kodwa kungaholela okholweni oluqinile nasekuqinisekeni.—Qhathanisa neyabase-Efesu 3:17-19.

Ukukhululeka Ekudukisweni Yinkolo Yamanga

Indoda yaseGhana okuthiwa uGodwin yayicishe ibe neminyaka engu-70 lapho ishiya iSonto LaseHabe neQembu LamaFrimesoni. “Kunezinto ezazenzeka esontweni engangizithola zingathandeki,” kusho uGodwin. “Ngokwesibonelo, kwakunokukhulu ukulwa ngaphakathi, futhi namanje kusekhona. Ngezinye izikhathi kwakuye kudingeke ukuba kuze amaphoyisa azobuyisela ukuthula nokuhleleka! Ngangingacabangi ukuthi lokhu kubafanele abalandeli bakaKristu. Kwaba khona inkinga phakathi kwami nelinye ilungu esasikanye nalo eHabe. Inkantolo yendawo yalithetha icala futhi yayilahla ngecala lendoda. Nokho, umfundisi wesonto wavuna lendoda ngokungafanele futhi wazama ukungigxeka phambi kwebandla lonke! Ngamtshela izindaba zakhe futhi ngalishiya isonto—ngahamba unomphela.

“Kwadlula isikhathi, kwafika oFakazi BakaJehova ekhaya. Ekuqaleni, ngalalela ngoba ngimane nje ngingafuni ukuxosha abantu abakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu. Kodwa ngaqala ukuqaphela ukuthi ngisho noma ngangisonte eHabe amashumi eminyaka, kuningi engangingakwazi ngeBhayibheli. Ngokwesibonelo, ngangingazi ukuthi iBhayibheli likhuluma ngethemba lokuphila phakade ePharadesi emhlabeni.b Futhi lapho ngiqala ukuya emihlanganweni yoFakazi BakaJehova, inhlonipho, futhi ikakhulu ukugqoka nokuzilungisa kwentsha, kwangihlaba umxhwele. Laba kwakungabantu abaphila ngezimiso zeBhayibheli ngempela!”

Noma kunjalo, ‘ukuthenga iqiniso’ kwadinga enze ukulungisa okunzima ekuphileni kwakhe. UGodwin uyakhumbula: “Ngangiyilungu leQembu LamaFrimesoni. Nakuba yaziwa ngokuthi yinhlangano yabazalwane esiza amalungu ayo, ngaphawula imikhuba eyayihilela ukusetshenziswa kwezingebhezi namathambo nokukhulekelwa kwemimoya. Lemimoya kwakucatshangwa ukuthi isiza labo ababethintana nayo ukuba bathuthuke ngokomoya.

“Ukufunda kwami kwangisiza ukuba ngibone ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu wenyanya noma yikuphi ukuzihilela nemimoya ngoba kungaletha umuntu ngaphansi kwethonya likaSathane namabutho akhe amabi omoya.c Ingabe ngangizoqhubeka njengelungu leQembu LamaFrimesoni nezinkolelo zalo ezingasekelwe ndawo, noma ngangizoyeka futhi ngijabulise uJehova? Ngakhetha lokhu kwamuva. Ngazilahla zonke izimpahla zobuFrimesoni enganginazo, ngisho nesudi engangiyisebenzisa emihlanganweni yeQembu. Ngezwa ubuqiniso besithembiso sikaJesu lapho ethi, ‘Iqiniso liyonikhulula’! (Johane 8:32) Manje ngihlanganyela nabanye ngenjabulo izinto engiye ngazifunda. Angizisoli nakancane.”

Izinkulungwane eziningi zabanhliziyo ziqotho ngokufanayo ziye zazidela kakhulu ukuze ‘zithenge iqiniso.’ NjengalamaKristu amathathu okukhulunywe ngawo lapha, azizisoli ngoshintsho eziye zalwenza. Iqiniso leBhayibheli liye lazinikeza ‘isisekelo esihle sesikhathi esizayo, ukuze zibambisise ukuphila kwangempela.’ (1 Thimothewu 6:19) Lokho “kuphila kwangempela” nazo zonke izibusiso ezihambisana nakho kungaba okwakho phakade nawe uma ‘uthenga iqiniso.’

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

UNathaniel

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

UGodwin