Ibandla Malakhiwe

“Ibandla . . . langena enkathini yokuthula, lakhiwa.”—IZENZO 9:31.

 1. Imiphi imibuzo engase ibuzwe mayelana ‘nebandla likaNkulunkulu’?

NGOSUKU lwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., uJehova wamukela iqembu labafundi bakaKristu njengesizwe esisha, “u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu.” (Galathiya 6:16) La maKristu agcotshwe ngomoya aba nayilokho iBhayibheli elikubiza ngokuthi “ibandla likaNkulunkulu.” (1 Korinte 11:22) Nokho, kwakuhilelani lokho? “Ibandla likaNkulunkulu” lalizohlelwa kanjani? Lalizosebenza kanjani emhlabeni, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi amalungu alo ahlalaphi? Futhi ukuphila nenjabulo yethu kuhileleke kanjani?

2, 3. UJesu wabonisa kanjani ukuthi ibandla laliyohleleka?

² Njengoba kuphawuliwe esihlokweni esandulele, uJesu wabikezela ukuthi laliyoba khona leli bandla labalandeli abagcotshiwe ngokutshela umphostoli uPetru: “Phezu kwaleli dwala [elinguye uJesu Kristu] ngizokwakha ibandla lami, amasango eHayidesi ngeke alehlule.” (Mathewu 16:18) Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho uJesu esekanye nabaphostoli, wanikeza izinkomba zendlela elalizosebenza futhi lihleleke ngayo lelo bandla elalizomiswa maduze.

³ UJesu wafundisa ngamazwi nangezenzo ukuthi abathile ebandleni babezohola. Babezokwenza kanjalo ngokukhonza abanye abaseqenjini labo. UKristu wathi: “Niyazi ukuthi labo ababonakala bebusa izizwe bazenza izingqongqo phezu kwazo nabakhulu bazo basebenzisa igunya phezu kwazo. Akunjalo phakathi kwenu; kodwa noma ubani ofuna ukuba mkhulu phakathi kwenu kumelwe abe yisikhonzi senu, futhi noma ubani ofuna ukuba ngowokuqala phakathi kwenu kumelwe abe yinceku yabo bonke.” (Marku 10:42-44) Kusobala ukuthi “ibandla likaNkulunkulu” lalingeke libe nhlakanhlaka, lakhiwe abantu abathé chithi saka, ngamunye ezimele yedwa le. Kunalokho, laliyohleleka, amalungu alo axhumane.

4, 5. Sazi kanjani ukuthi ibandla kwakuyodingeka linikezwe imfundo engokomoya?

⁴ Lowo owayeyoba iNhloko yalelo “bandla likaNkulunkulu” wabonisa ukuthi abaphostoli bakhe nabanye ababefunde kuye babeyoba nemithwalo yemfanelo eqondile yokukhonza abanye. Imithwalo enjengani? Isabelo esiyinhloko kwakuyoba esokunikeza amalungu ebandla imfundo engokomoya. Khumbula ukuthi uJesu ovusiwe washo la mazwi kuPetru kukhona nabanye babaphostoli: “Simoni ndodana kaJona, uyangithanda na?” UPetru waphendula: “Yebo, Nkosi, uyazi ukuthi ngiyakuthanda.” UJesu wathi kuye: “Yondla amawundlu ami. . . . Yalusa amawundlu ami. . . . Yondla amawundlu ami.” (Johane 21:15-17) Yeka isabelo!

⁵ Emazwini kaJesu singabona ukuthi labo ababuthelwa ebandleni bafaniswa nezimvu esibayeni. Lezi zimvu—amaKristu angabesilisa, abesifazane nezingane—kwakuyodingeka zondliwe ngokomoya futhi zeluswe ngokufanele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba uJesu ayala bonke abalandeli bakhe ukuba bafundise abanye futhi benze abafundi, noma ibaphi abantu abasha ababeba izimvu zakhe kwakuyodingeka baqeqeshelwe ukufeza lowo msebenzi ovela kuNkulunkulu.—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

 6. Imaphi amalungiselelo enziwa ‘ebandleni likaNkulunkulu’ elalisanda kwakhiwa?

⁶ Lapho “ibandla likaNkulunkulu” selakhiwe, amalungu alo abuthana njalo ukuze afundiswe futhi akhuthazane: “Baqhubeka bezinikela ekufundiseni kwabaphostoli nasekwabelaneni izinto, ekudleni nasemithandazweni.” (IzEnzo 2:42, 46, 47) Esinye isici esiphawulekayo ekulandiseni komlando ukuthi amadoda athile afanelekayo amiswa ukuba asize ekunakekeleni izindaba ezithile eziwusizo. Awakhethwanga ngenxa yezinga lemfundo noma amakhono obuchwepheshe ayenawo. Lawa kwakungamadoda “agcwele umoya nokuhlakanipha.” Enye yawo kwakunguStefanu, futhi ukulandisa kuveza ukuthi ‘wayeyindoda egcwele ukholo nomoya ongcwele.’ Omunye wemiphumela yokuhlelwa kwalawo maKristu njengebandla kwaba ukuthi “izwi likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka landa, isibalo sabafundi saqhubeka siphindaphindeka kakhulu eJerusalema.”—IzEnzo 6:1-7.

Amadoda UNkulunkulu Awasebenzisayo

7, 8. (a) Abaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema babekhonza njengani phakathi kwamaKristu okuqala? (b) Waba yini umphumela lapho kudluliselwa ukwaziswa ngamabandla?

⁷ Kuyaqondakala ukuthi ababehola ebandleni lokuqala kwakungabaphostoli, kodwa babengebodwa. Ngesinye isikhathi, uPawulu nayehamba nabo baphindela e-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya. IzEnzo 14:27 ziyalandisa: “Lapho sebefikile futhi bebuthele ibandla ndawonye, balandisa izinto eziningi uNkulunkulu ayezenzile ngabo.” Besekulelo bandla, kwaphakama umbuzo ngokuthi kuyadingeka yini ukuba amakholwa avela kwabeZizwe asoke. Ukuze kuxazululwe indaba, kwathunyelwa uPawulu noBarnaba “kubaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema,” okusobala ukuthi babekhonza njengendikimba ebusayo.—IzEnzo 15:1-3.

⁸ Umdala ongumKristu uJakobe, umfowabo kaJesu ngomzali oyedwa kodwa owayengeyena umphostoli, wengamela lapho “abaphostoli namadoda amadala [behlangana] ukuze bayihlole le ndaba.” (IzEnzo 15:6) Ngemva kokuyidingida besizwa nawumoya ongcwele, bafinyelela esiphethweni esivumelana nemiBhalo. Basithumela ngencwadi emabandleni ezindawo ngezindawo. (IzEnzo 15:22-32) Labo abathola lokhu kwaziswa bakwamukela futhi bakusebenzisa. Kwaba namuphi umphumela? Abazalwane nodade bakheka futhi bakhuthazeka. IBhayibheli liyabika: “Ngakho-ke, ngempela, amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa okholweni futhi anda ngesibalo usuku nosuku.”—IzEnzo 16:5.

9. IBhayibheli lichaza ziphi izindima zamadoda angamaKristu afanelekayo?

⁹ Kodwa iyiphi indlela evamile amabandla ayezosebenza ngayo? Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngamabandla asesiqhingini saseKrethe. Nakuba abantu abaningi ababehlala lapho babenedumela elibi, abanye bashintsha baba amaKristu eqiniso. (Thithu 1:10-12; 2:2, 3) Babehlala emizini ehlukahlukene, futhi bonke babeqhelelene kakhulu nendikimba ebusayo eyayiseJerusalema. Nokho, lokho kwakungeyona inkinga enkulu ngoba kwamiswa “amadoda amadala” angokomoya emabandleni aseKrethe njengakwezinye izindawo. Lawo madoda ayehlangabezana nezimfuneko esizithola eBhayibhelini. Amiswa njengabadala, noma ababonisi, ‘ababengakhuthaza ngemfundiso ephilayo’ futhi ‘basole abaphikisayo.’ (Thithu 1:5-9; 1 Thimothewu 3:1-7) Amanye amadoda angokomoya ayefanelekela ukusiza amabandla njengezinceku ezikhonzayo.—1 Thimothewu 3:8-10, 12, 13.

10. NgokukaMathewu 18:15-17, izinkinga ezingathí sina kwakufanele zixazululwe kanjani?

¹⁰ UJesu wabonisa ukuthi kwakuyoba nokuhleleka okunjalo. Khumbula ukulandisa okukuMathewu 18:15-17, lapho athi khona ngezinye izikhathi kungase kube nezinkinga phakathi kwabantu ababili bakaNkulunkulu, omunye one omunye ngandlela-thile. Owoniwe kwakufanele aye kowonile ‘ayomambulela iphutha lakhe’ ngasese, bebabili kuphela. Uma inkinga ingaxazululeki kuleso sinyathelo, kwakungase kucelwe umuntu oyedwa noma ababili abawaziyo amaqiniso endaba ukuba basize. Kuthiwani uma indaba yayingalungi nalapho? UJesu wathi: “Uma engabalaleli, khuluma nebandla. Uma engalilaleli ngisho nebandla, makabe kuwe njengomuntu wezizwe nanjengomthelisi.” Lapho uJesu esho lawo mazwi, “ibandla likaNkulunkulu” lalisakhiwa amaJuda, ngakho amazwi akhe ekuqaleni ayesebenza kuwo.a Nokho, lapho ibandla lobuKristu selimisiwe, isiqondiso sikaJesu sasiyosebenza kulo. Lena kwakungenye inkomba yokuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu babeyohlelwa njengebandla ukuze umKristu ngamunye akhiwe futhi aqondiswe.

11. Abadala kwakufanele bahileleke ngezinga elingakanani ekuxazululweni kwezinkinga?

¹¹ Ngokufanelekayo, amadoda amadala, noma ababonisi, ayeyomelela ibandla lendawo ekusingatheni noma ekuxazululeni izinkinga noma ekusingatheni amacala okona. Lokhu kuyahambisana nezimfuneko zabadala ezishiwo kuThithu 1:9. Yiqiniso, abadala bamabandla ezindawo ngezindawo babengamadoda angaphelele, njengoba ayenjalo noThithu owathunyelwa uPawulu emabandleni ukuze ‘ayolungisa izinto eziyiphutha.’ (Thithu 1:4, 5) Namuhla, labo abacatshangelwa ukumiswa njengabadala kumelwe babe sebenesikhathi esithile bebonisa ukholo nokuzinikela kwabo. Kanjalo, abanye ebandleni baba nesizathu sokwethemba ukuhola nesiqondiso esinikezwa ngaleli lungiselelo.

12. Abadala banamuphi umthwalo wemfanelo ngokuqondene nebandla?

¹² UPawulu wabhalela abadala basebandleni lase-Efesu: “Ziqapheleni nina nawo wonke umhlambi umoya ongcwele onimise phakathi kwawo ukuba nibe ngababonisi, ukuze neluse ibandla likaNkulunkulu, alithenga ngegazi leNdodana yakhe.” (IzEnzo 20:28) Kuyiqiniso ngezinga elifanayo namuhla ukuthi abadala bebandla bamiswa ukuze ‘beluse ibandla likaNkulunkulu.’ Lokhu kufanele bakwenze ngothando, bangazenzi izingqongqo phezu komhlambi. (1 Petru 5:2, 3) Ababonisi kufanele bazame ukwakha nokusiza “wonke umhlambi.”

Ukunamathela Ebandleni

13. Ngezinye izikhathi, yini engase yenzeke ebandleni, futhi ngani?

¹³ Abadala nabo bonke abanye ebandleni abaphelele, ngakho ngezinye izikhathi kuba nezinkinga noma ukungaboni ngaso linye, njengoba kwakunjalo nasekhulwini lokuqala kusekhona abanye babaphostoli. (Filipi 4:2, 3) Umbonisi noma omunye umuntu angase asho into ezwakala iwukwedelela, inokhahlo, noma ingelona iqiniso eliphelele. Noma singase sicabange ukuthi kunesimo esingqubuzana nemiBhalo esiqhubekayo, kodwa kubonakale sengathi abadala abayilungisi indaba nakuba bazi ngayo. Yebo, kungenzeka ukuthi leyo ndaba seyisingathiwe, noma kumanje iyasingathwa, ngokuvumelana nemiBhalo futhi kucatshangelwa amaqiniso thina esingawazi. Kodwa ngisho noma isimo sinjengoba sicabanga, cabanga ngalokhu: Isikhathi esithile, ebandleni laseKorinte, ibandla uJehova ayelikhathalela, kwaqhubeka kunesimo esithile sokona okungathí sina. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uJehova wenza ukuba lokho kona kusingathwe ngendlela efanele neqatha. (1 Korinte 5:1, 5, 9-11) Singazibuza, ‘Ukube ngangiphila eKorinte ngaleso sikhathi, ngangiyokwenze njani lapho isimo singakalungiswa?’

14, 15. Kungani abanye bayeka ukulandela uJesu, okusifundisa siphi isifundo?

¹⁴ Cabanga esinye isimo esingase sivele ebandleni. Ake sithi umuntu othile ukuthola kunzima ukuqonda nokwamukela imfundiso ethile engokomBhalo. Kungenzeka uye wacwaninga eBhayibhelini nasezincwadini ezitholakala ngebandla futhi wafuna usizo kumaKristu avuthiwe, ngisho nakubadala. Noma kunjalo, kusalokhu kunzima kuye ukuyiqonda noma ukuyamukela leyo mfundiso. Yini angayenza? Lapho sekusele cishe unyaka uJesu afe, kwenzeka into ethi ayifane. Wathi yena ‘uyisinkwa sokuphila,’ futhi ukuze umuntu aphile phakade kwakudingeka ‘adle inyama yeNdodana yomuntu aphuze igazi layo.’ Lokho kwabashaqisa abanye babafundi bakhe. Kunokuba bafune incazelo noma bamane balinde benokholo, abafundi abaningi “ababange besahamba [noJesu].” (Johane 6:35, 41-66) Nakulokhu, ukube sasilapho, sasiyokwenze njani thina?

¹⁵ Ezikhathini zanamuhla, abanye baye bayeka ukuhlanganyela nebandla lendawo, bezitshela ukuthi bazomkhonza bebodwa uNkulunkulu. Bangase bathi kungoba baye balinyazwa, noma bacabanga ukuthi kukhona ukona okuqhubeka kungalungisiwe, noma abakwazi ukwamukela imfundiso ethile. Inengqondo kangakanani indlela abenza ngayo? Nakuba kuyiqiniso ukuthi umKristu ngamunye kufanele abe nobuhlobo bomuntu siqu noNkulunkulu, asinakuphika ukuthi uJehova usebenzisa ibandla lomhlaba wonke, njengoba ayenza osukwini lwabaphostoli. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova wayesebenzisa futhi ebusisa amabandla ezindawo ngezindawo ekhulwini lokuqala, ehlela ukuba kube nabadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo ezifanelekayo ukuze kusizwe amabandla. Nanamuhla kusenjalo.

16. Uma umuntu elingeka ukuba ashiye ibandla kufanele acabange ngani?

¹⁶ Uma umKristu enomuzwa wokuthi angathembela kuphela ebuhlotsheni bakhe siqu noNkulunkulu, ufulathela ilungiselelo elimiswe uNkulunkulu—lebandla lomhlaba wonke nelamabandla ezindawo ngezindawo abantu bakaNkulunkulu. Lowo muntu angase azimele yedwa noma azihlanganise nabanye abambalwa, kodwa ulishiyaphi ilungiselelo labadala bebandla nezinceku ezikhonzayo? Ngokuphawulekayo, lapho uPawulu ebhalela ibandla laseKolose futhi eyala ukuba incwadi ifundwe naseLawodikeya, wakhuluma ngokuba ‘abagxilile nangokwakhiwa kuKristu.’ Ababeyozuza kulokhu yilabo ababengaphakathi kulawo mabandla, hhayi abantu ababezihlukanisa nawo.—Kolose 2:6, 7; 4:16.

Insika Nozime Lweqiniso

17. Eyoku-1 Thimothewu 3:15 ibonisani mayelana nebandla?

¹⁷ Encwadini yokuqala ayibhalela umdala ongumKristu uThimothewu, umphostoli uPawulu waveza izimfuneko zabadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo emabandleni. Ngemva nje kwalokho, uPawulu wakhuluma ‘ngebandla likaNkulunkulu ophilayo,’ wathi ‘liyinsika nozime lweqiniso.’ (1 Thimothewu 3:15) Ngokuqinisekile ibandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe lilonke laba yileyo nsika ekhulwini lokuqala. Futhi akunakuphikwa ukuthi ilungiselelo eliyinhloko lokuba amaKristu ngamanye athole lelo qiniso kwakuwukuba azihlanganise nebandla lendawo. Yisebandleni lapho ayengase ezwe khona kufundiswa futhi kusekelwa iqiniso, lapho ayengase akhiwe khona.

18. Kungani imihlangano yebandla ibaluleke kakhulu?

¹⁸ Ngokufanayo, ibandla lobuKristu lomhlaba wonke liyindlu kaNkulunkulu, “insika nozime lweqiniso.” Ukuba khona kwethu nokuhlanganyela njalo emihlanganweni yebandla lakithi kuyindlela eyinhloko esakhiwa ngayo, siqiniswe ebuhlotsheni bethu noNkulunkulu, futhi silungiselelwe ukwenza intando yakhe. Lapho ebhalela ibandla laseKorinte, uPawulu wagxila kulokho okwakushiwo kuleyo mihlangano. Wathi ufisa ukuba okushiwo emihlanganweni yabo kucace futhi kuqondakale ukuze abakhona ‘bakheke.’ (1 Korinte 14:12, 17-19) Thina namuhla singakhiwa uma siqaphela ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu ugunyaze ilungiselelo lamabandla ezindawo ngezindawo futhi uyalisekela.

19. Kungani unomuzwa wokuthi ibandla lakini likwenzele lukhulu?

¹⁹ Yebo, uma sifisa ukwakheka njengamaKristu, kufanele sihlale ngaphakathi kwebandla. Sekuyisikhathi eside liyisivikelo ezimfundisweni zamanga futhi uNkulunkulu elisebenzisa ukuze enze ukuba izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso wakhe ophethwe uMesiya zimenyezelwe emhlabeni wonke. Ngokungangabazeki, uNkulunkulu ufeze okuningi ngebandla lobuKristu.—Efesu 3:9, 10.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

Uyakhumbula?

• Kungani kufanele sikulindele ukuba uNkulunkulu asebenzise amabandla emhlabeni?

• Nakuba bengaphelele, abadala balenzelani ibandla?

• Ibandla lakini likwakha kanjani wena?

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Abaphostoli namadoda amadala aseJerusalema babekhonza njengendikimba ebusayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

Abadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo bayafundiswa ukuze bakwazi ukufeza imithwalo yabo yemfanelo ngokuqondene nebandla