Ukuba Izikhonzi Ezihambisana Nezinguquko Nezizivumelanisa Nezimo
“Ngiye ngaba yizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo, ukuze ngazo zonke izindlela ngisindise abathile.”—1 KORINTE 9:22.
1, 2. (a) Umphostoli uPawulu wayeyisikhonzi esiphumelelayo ngaziphi izindlela? (b) UPawulu wasichaza kanjani isimo sakhe sengqondo ngesabelo sakhe?
WAYEKHULULEKILE phakathi kongqondongqondo naphakathi kwabenzi bamatende abaphansi. Wayenethonya ezikhulwini zaseRoma nakubalimi abancane baseFrigiya. Izincwadi zakhe zazishukumisa amaGreki anomqondo ovulekile namaJuda ayesadla ngoludala. Indaba yakhe wayeyibeka icace bhá kungabi lula ukuyiphikisa, ngesikhathi esifanayo ishukumise imizwelo ngendlela enamandla. Wayezama ukuthola into avumelana ngayo nawo wonke umuntu ukuze alethe abathile kuKristu.—IzEnzo 20:21.
2 Lo muntu kwakungumphostoli uPawulu, ngokungangabazeki owayeyisikhonzi esiphumelelayo nesihambisana nezinguquko. (1 Thimothewu 1:12) Wathola umyalo kuJesu wokuba “aphathe igama [likaKristu] ezizweni nasemakhosini nakubantwana bakwa-Israyeli.” (IzEnzo 9:15) Wayenasiphi isimo sengqondo ngalesi sabelo? Wathi: “Ngiye ngaba yizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo, ukuze ngazo zonke izindlela ngisindise abathile. Kodwa ngenza zonke izinto ngenxa yezindaba ezinhle, ukuze ngibe umhlanganyeli wazo nabanye.” (1 Korinte 9:19-23) Yini esingayifunda esibonelweni sikaPawulu engasisiza ukuba siphumelele ngokwengeziwe ekushumayeleni nasekufundiseni kwethu?
Umuntu Oguqukile Wahlangabezana Nenselele
3. UPawulu wayenamuphi umuzwa ngamaKristu ngaphambi kokuguquka kwakhe?
3 Ingabe uPawulu wayelokhu engumuntu obekezelayo, ocabangelayo, osifanelekelayo isabelo asithola? Lutho neze! Ukushisekela inkolo kobuhlanya kwakwenze uSawulu (njengoba uPawulu ngaphambili ayaziwa kanjalo) waba umshushisi onobudlova wabalandeli bakaKristu. Eseyinsizwa, wahambisana nokubulawa kukaStefanu. Kamuva, uPawulu wawazingela ngonya amaKristu. (IzEnzo 7:58; 8:1, 3; 1 Thimothewu 1:13) Waqhubeka “esonga futhi eshabashekela ukubulala abafundi beNkosi.” Enganelisekile ukuzingela amakholwa eJerusalema kuphela, waqala ukusabalalisa umkhankaso wakhe wenzondo waze wafinyelela eDamaseku esenyakatho.—IzEnzo 9:1, 2.
4. Yiluphi ushintsho okwadingeka uPawulu alwenze ukuze afeze isabelo sakhe?
4 Kungenzeka ukuthi umsuka wale nzondo enkulu kaPawulu ngobuKristu kwakuyinkolelo ayenayo yokuthi le nkolo entsha yayizongcolisa ubuJuda ngokubuxuba nemibono engaziwa, engathandeki. Kakade, uPawulu ‘wayengumFarisi,’ igama elisho ukuthi ‘ohlukanisiwe.’ (IzEnzo 23:6) Cabanga ukuthi kumelwe ukuba uPawulu washaqeka kangakanani lapho ezwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayemkhethele ukuba ashumayele uKristu—kwabeZizwe nokwenza! (IzEnzo 22:14, 15; 26:16-18) Phela, abaFarisi babenqaba ngisho nokudla nabantu ababebabheka njengezoni! (Luka 7:36-39) Akungabazeki ukuthi kwadingeka azikhandle ukuze alungise umbono wakhe futhi awuvumelanise nentando kaNkulunkulu yokuba zonke izinhlobo zabantu zisindiswe.—Galathiya 1:13-17.
5. Singamlingisa kanjani uPawulu enkonzweni yethu?
5 Nathi kungadingeka senze okufanayo. Njengoba silokhu sihlangana nezinhlobo eziningi zabantu bezizwe nezilimi zonke ensimini yethu, kudingeka sisihlole ngobuqotho isimo sethu sengqondo bese siqeda noma iluphi ubandlululo. (Efesu 4:22-24) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siyakuqaphela noma cha, umphakathi esikhulele kuwo nemfundo esiyitholayo kuyasilolonga. Lokhu kungagxilisa kithi imibono nezimo zengqondo ezinokucwasa, ezibandlululayo futhi zibophe abathile ngabhande linye. Uma sifuna ukuphumelela ekutholeni nasekusizeni abantu abanjengezimvu kumelwe siyinqobe imizwa enjalo. (Roma 15:7) Yilokho uPawulu akwenza. Wayamukela inselele yokwandisa inkonzo yakhe. Eshukunyiswa uthando, waba namakhono okufundisa okuyinzuzo ukuwalingisa. Ngempela lapho sitadisha inkonzo ‘yomphostoli ezizweni’ sithola ukuthi wayenakisisa, evumelana nezimo, futhi enomqondo osabalele lapho eshumayela futhi efundisa.a—Roma 11:13.
Inkonzo Yesikhonzi Esihambisana Nezinguquko
6. UPawulu wasinaka kanjani isizinda sezilaleli zakhe, futhi kwaba namuphi umphumela?
6 UPawulu wayezinaka izinkolelo nesizinda sezilaleli zakhe. Lapho ekhuluma neNkosi u-Agripha ll, uPawulu wavuma ukuthi le nkosi ‘yayiyisazi sawo wonke amasiko nezimpikiswano phakathi kwamaJuda.’ UPawulu wabe esekusebenzisa ngobuhlakani lokho ayekwazi ngezinkolelo zale nkosi waxoxa nayo ngezinto eyayiziqonda kahle kakhulu. Ukuqiniseka kukaPawulu nendlela ecacile anikeza ngayo izizathu zakhe kwakunamandla kangangokuthi u-Agripha wathi: “Ngesikhashana nje uzongithonya ukuba ngibe umKristu.”—IzEnzo 26:2, 3, 27, 28.
7. UPawulu wabonisa kanjani ukuthi wayezivumelanisa nezimo lapho eshumayela esixukwini saseListra?
7 UPawulu wayebuye azivumelanise nezimo. Phawula indlela ehlukile ayisebenzisa lapho ezama ukuyekisa isixuku emzini waseListra ukuba sibakhulekele yena noBarnaba njengonkulunkulu. Kuthiwa laba bantu, abakhuluma isiLikawoniya, babephakathi kwabantu abangafundile kangako futhi bethambekele kakhudlwana ekukholelweni ezeni. NgokwezEnzo 14:14-18, uPawulu wabhekisela endalweni nasemikhiqizweni yayo eyinsada njengobufakazi bokuphakama kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Kwakulula ukuyilandela indaba futhi kubonakala ‘yazivimbela izixuku ukuba zibenzele umhlatshelo’ oPawulu noBarnaba.
8. UPawulu wabonisa ngaziphi izindlela ukuthi wayevumelana nezimo nakuba ayecasuka ngezinye izikhathi?
8 Yebo, uPawulu wayengaphelele, futhi ngezinye izikhathi wayecasulwa izinto ezithile. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesinye isikhathi lapho ehlaselwa ngendlela emlulazayo futhi engenabulungisa, watshela umJuda ogama lakhe lingu-Ananiya ezikabhoqo. Kodwa lapho etshelwa ukuthi wayechaphe umpristi omkhulu, waxolisa ngokushesha. (IzEnzo 23:1-5) E-Athene waqale ‘wacasuka lapho ebona ukuthi umuzi ugcwele izithombe.’ Kodwa enkulumweni yakhe ayinikeza e-Areyophagu, akazange akubonise lokho kucasuka. Esikhundleni salokho, wakhuluma nabase-Athene esithangamini sabo, indaba yakhe eyakhela kulokho ababevumelana ngakho ngokubhekisela e-altare elinikezelwe “Kunkulunkulu Ongaziwa” nangokucaphuna enye yezimbongi zabo.—IzEnzo 17:16-28.
9. UPawulu wakubonisa kanjani ukuba nomqondo osabalele lapho ekhuluma nezilaleli ezihlukahlukene?
9 Lapho ekhuluma nezilaleli ezihlukahlukene, uPawulu wabonisa ukuba nomqondo osabalele ngendlela emangalisayo. Wayekucabangela nokuthi ukucabanga kwezilaleli zakhe kwakulolongwe inhlalo nendawo enjani. Lapho ebhalela amaKristu aseRoma, wayazi kahle ukuthi ayehlala enhloko-dolobha yombuso owawunamandla kakhulu ngaleso sikhathi. Iphuzu eliyinhloko lencwadi kaPawulu kumaKristu aseRoma laliwukuthi amandla esono sika-Adamu okusonakalisa anqotshwa ngamandla kaKristu okusikhulula. Wakhuluma namaKristu aseRoma nalabo ababesondelene nawo ngolimi olwaluzofinyelela izinhliziyo zabo.—Roma 1:4; 5:14, 15.
10, 11. UPawulu wayivumelanisa kanjani imifanekiso yakhe nezilaleli zakhe? (Bheka nombhalo waphansi.)
10 UPawulu wayenzenjani lapho efuna ukuchazela izilaleli zakhe amaqiniso eBhayibheli ajulile? Lo mphostoli wayenekhono lokusebenzisa imifanekiso ejwayelekile, eqondakala kalula ukuze acacise izinto ezingokomoya eziyinkimbinkimbi. Ngokwesibonelo, uPawulu wayazi ukuthi abantu baseRoma babeyazi inqubo yezigqila eyayisetshenziswa kuwo wonke uMbuso WaseRoma. Eqinisweni, kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi abaningi kubantu ayebabhalela babeyizigqila. Ngakho-ke, uPawulu wasebenzisa umfanekiso wobugqila ukuze agcizelele iphuzu lakhe elinamandla ngokuzikhethela komuntu ukuthobela isono noma ukulunga.—Roma 6:16-20.
11 Enye incwadi yokucwaninga ithi: “Phakathi kwamaRoma umnikazi wesigqila wayengasikhulula isigqila ngokuphelele, noma isigqila sasingathenga inkululeko yaso ngokukhokhela umniniso. Inkululeko yayingatholakala nangokuthi kuhlelwe ukuba isigqila sibe ngaphansi kukankulunkulu othile.” Isigqila esikhululiwe sasingaqhubeka sisebenzela umniniso abese esiholela. Kubonakala sengathi uPawulu wayebhekisele kulo mkhuba lapho ebhala ngelungelo lomuntu lokuzikhethela ukuthi iyiphi inkosi afuna ukuyilalela—isono noma ukulunga. AmaKristu eRoma ayekhululiwe esonweni futhi manje engawakaNkulunkulu. Ayekhululekile ukuba akhonze uNkulunkulu, kodwa ayesengakhetha ukukhonza isono—inkosi yawo yangaphambili—uma ayethanda ukwenza kanjalo. Lowo mfanekiso olula kodwa ojwayelekile wawuyoshukumisela lawo maKristu aseRoma ukuba azibuze, ‘Iyiphi inkosi engiyikhonzayo?’b
Ukufunda Esibonelweni SikaPawulu
12, 13. (a) Imuphi umzamo odingekayo namuhla ukuze sifinyelele izinhliziyo zezilaleli zethu ezihlukahlukene? (b) Yini oye wayithola iphumelela lapho ushumayeza abantu bezizinda ezihlukahlukene?
12 NjengoPawulu, kumelwe sinakisise, sivumelane nezimo futhi sibe nomqondo osabalele ukuze sifinyelele izinhliziyo zezilaleli zethu ngokwahlukahlukana kwazo. Ukuze sisize izilaleli zethu zithole umqondo wezindaba ezinhle, sifisa ukwenza okungaphezu nje kokuya ensimini, sinikeze isigijimi esilungiselelwe noma sishiye izincwadi ezithile zeBhayibheli. Silwela ukuqonda izidingo zabo nezinto ezibakhathazayo, izinto abazithandayo nabangazithandi, izinto abazesabayo nabazicwasayo. Nakuba lokhu kudinga ukucabangisisa nokuzikhandla, abamemezeli boMbuso emhlabeni wonke bakwenza ngentshiseko lokhu. Ngokwesibonelo, ihhovisi legatsha loFakazi BakaJehova eHungary liyabika: “Abafowethu bayawahlonipha amasiko nendlela yokuphila yabantu bezinye izizwe futhi ababalindeli ukuba bazivumelanise namasiko alapha.” OFakazi bakwezinye izindawo balwela ukwenza okufanayo.
13 Kwelinye izwe eMpumalanga Ekude, abantu abaningi bakhathazeka ngempilo, ukuqeqesha izingane nemfundo. Abamemezeli boMbuso kuleyo ndawo bazama ukuqokomisa lezi zindaba esikhundleni sokuxoxa ngezinto ezinjengokuwohloka kwezimo embulungeni yonke noma izindaba zomphakathi ezixakayo. Ngokufanayo, abamemezeli kwelinye idolobha elikhulu e-United States baphawula ukuthi abantu bengxenye ethile yensimu yabo bakhathazeke ngezinto ezinjengokukhwabanisa, isiminyaminya sezimoto nobugebengu. OFakazi basebenzisa lezi zindaba ngokuphumelelayo ekuqaleni izingxoxo zeBhayibheli. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isiphi isihloko abasikhethayo, abafundisi beBhayibheli abaphumelelayo bayaqiniseka ukuthi badlulisela ithemba, bakhuthaze, bagcizelele ukubaluleka kokusebenzisa izimiso zeBhayibheli manje kanye namathemba akhazimulayo uNkulunkulu asinikeza wona ngekusasa.—Isaya 48:17, 18; 52:7.
14. Chaza izindlela esingazivumelanisa ngazo nezidingo nezimo zabantu ezingafani.
14 Kuyasiza futhi ukuba sishintshashintshe isingeniso sethu enkonzweni njengoba abantu benezizinda ezihlukahlukene kakhulu ngokwamasiko, imfundo nenkolo. Isingeniso sethu kubantu abakholelwa kuMdali kodwa abangakholelwa eBhayibhelini siyohluka kuleso esisisebenzisa lapho sixoxa nalabo abakholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu akekho. Lapho sixoxa nomuntu onomuzwa wokuthi zonke izincwadi ezingokwenkolo zingamathuluzi okufunza abantu izinkolelo, siyosebenzisa intshumayelo ehlukile kuleyo esiyisebenzisa kumuntu okwamukelayo lokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo. Ukuvumelana nezimo kuyadingeka nalapho sixoxa nabantu bamazinga ahlukahlukene emfundo. Abafundisi abanekhono bayobonisana nabantu basebenzise nemifanekiso evumelana nesimo abasuke bebhekene naso.—1 Johane 5:20.
Ukusiza Izikhonzi Ezintsha
15, 16. Kungani kunesidingo sokuqeqesha izikhonzi ezintsha?
15 UPawulu wayengakhathaleli ukuthuthukisa izindlela zokufundisa zakhe yedwa. Wayesiqaphela isidingo sokuqeqesha nokulungiselela isizukulwane esisesincane, njengawoThimothewu noThithu, ukuba sibe izikhonzi eziphumelelayo. (2 Thimothewu 2:2; 3:10, 14; Thithu 1:4) Ngokufanayo, kunesidingo esiphuthumayo sokunikeza nokwamukela ukuqeqeshwa namuhla.
16 Ngo-1914, kwakunabamemezeli boMbuso abangaba ngu-5 000 emhlabeni wonke; namuhla, isonto ngalinye kuba nabamemezeli abasha abangaba ngu-5 000 ababhapathizwayo! (Isaya 54:2, 3; IzEnzo 11:21) Lapho abantu beqala ukuhlanganyela nebandla lobuKristu futhi befisa ukuhlanganyela enkonzweni, kudingeka baqeqeshwe banikezwe nesiqondiso. (Galathiya 6:6) Kubalulekile ukuba sisebenzise izindlela zeNkosi uJesu ekufundiseni nasekuqeqesheni abafundi.c
17, 18. Singabasiza kanjani abamemezeli abasha ukuba babe nokuzethemba enkonzweni?
17 UJesu akazange athi nje lapho ebona isixuku wabe esethi kubaphostoli bakhe abasishumayeze. Waqale wagcizelela isidingo somsebenzi wokushumayela futhi wabakhuthaza ukuba bawuthandazele. Khona-ke wabe esebahlelela izinto ezintathu eziyisisekelo: umuntu abazosebenza naye, isabelo sensimu kanye nesigijimi. (Mathewu 9:35-38; 10:5-7; Marku 6:7; Luka 9:2, 6) Nathi singenza okufanayo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sisiza ingane yethu siqu, umfundi omusha, noma othile osekunesikhathi engahlanganyeli emsebenzini wokushumayela, kufanele senze umzamo wokubaqeqesha ngale ndlela.
18 Abamemezeli abasha badinga usizo olukhulu ukuze bakwazi ukuzethemba lapho bethula isigijimi soMbuso. Ungabasiza yini ukuba balungiselele futhi baprakthize intshumayelo elula, ekhangayo? Ensimini, mabafunde esibonelweni sakho lapho ukhuluma ezindlini ezimbalwa zokuqala. Ungalandela isibonelo sikaGideyoni, owathi emabuthweni ayekanye naye: “Kufanele nifunde ngokubheka mina, yileyo ndlela okufanele nenze ngayo.” (AbaHluleli 7:17) Yibe usunikeza ummemezeli omusha ithuba lokukhuluma. Bancome abamemezeli abasha ngemizamo yabo, futhi lapho kufaneleka ubanikeze ukusikisela okufushane kwendlela yokuthuthukisa.
19. Uzimisele ukwenzani njengoba ulwela ‘ukufeza inkonzo yakho ngokugcwele’?
19 Ukuze ‘sifeze inkonzo yethu ngokugcwele,’ sizimisele ukuba abavumelana nezimo ezethulweni zethu, futhi sifisa ukuqeqesha izikhonzi ezintsha ukuba zenze okufanayo. Lapho sicabangela ukubaluleka komgomo wethu—ukudlulisela ulwazi ngoNkulunkulu oluholela ensindisweni—siyaqiniseka ukuthi kuwufanele wonke umzamo odingekayo ukuba “yizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke izinhlobo, ukuze ngazo zonke izindlela [sisindise] abathile.”—2 Thimothewu 4:5; 1 Korinte 9:22.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Ukuze uthole izibonelo zendlela uPawulu azibonisa ngayo lezi zimfanelo enkonzweni yakhe, cabangela izEnzo 13:9, 16-42; 17:2-4; 18:1-4; 19:11-20; 20:34; Roma 10:11-15; 2 Korinte 6:11-13.
b Ngokufanayo, lapho echaza ubuhlobo obusha phakathi kukaNkulunkulu ‘namadodana’ akhe agcotshwe ngomoya, uPawulu wasebenzisa umkhuba osemthethweni ababewazi kahle abafundi ayebabhalela eMbusweni WaseRoma. (Roma 8:14-17) Incwadi ethi St. Paul at Rome ithi: “Ukuba nengane yokutholwa ngokuyisisekelo kwakuwumkhuba waseRoma, futhi kwakuhlobene eduze nemibono yaseRoma ngomkhaya.”
c Kwamanje, wonke amabandla oFakazi BakaJehova anesimiso samaPhayona Asiza Abanye. Lesi simiso sikusebenzisa ngokunenzuzo okuhlangenwe nakho nokuqeqesheka kwezikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele ekusizeni abamemezeli abanokuhlangenwe nakho okuncane.
Usakhumbula?
• Singamlingisa ngaziphi izindlela uPawulu enkonzweni yethu?
• Cishe iziphi izinguquko okudingeka sizenze ekucabangeni kwethu?
• Singasigcina kanjani isigijimi sethu sinikeza ithemba?
• Izikhonzi ezintsha zidingani ukuze zibe nokuzethemba?
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 29]
Umphostoli uPawulu wayenakisisa, evumelana nezimo futhi enomqondo osabalele lapho eshumayela futhi efundisa
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 31]
UJesu wahlelela abafundi bakhe izinto ezintathu eziyisisekelo: umuntu abazosebenza naye, isabelo sensimu kanye nesigijimi
[Izithombe ekhasini 28]
UPawulu waphumelela ekufinyeleleni izilaleli ezihlukahlukene ngokuzivumelanisa nezimo
[Isithombe ekhasini 30]
Izikhonzi eziphumelelayo ziyasicabangela isizinda sendlela yokuphila yezilaleli zazo
[Isithombe ekhasini 31]
Izikhonzi ezihambisana nezinguquko zisiza ezintsha ukuba ziyilungiselele inkonzo