Ingabe Kufanele Uyikhokhe Intela?
“Nikani wonke umuntu lokho enimkweleta kona: Uma nikweleta intela, khokhani intela; uma nikweleta inkokhiso, khona-ke khokhani inkokhiso; uma nikweleta inhlonipho, inhlonipho; uma nikweleta udumo, udumo.”—Roma 13:7, New International Version.
UMA kucatshangelwa intela ekhuphukayo, kungase kubonakale kunzima ukwamukela iseluleko esingenhla. Kodwa-ke, lawo amazwi omphostoli uPawulu, futhi alotshwe eBhayibhelini. Kungenzeka uyalihlonipha iBhayibheli. Kodwa ungase uzibuze, ‘Ingabe ngempela amaKristu kumelwe akhokhe yonke intela—kuhlanganise naleyo abanye abangase bayibheke njengeyeqisayo noma engenabulungisa?’
Cabanga ngeseluleko uJesu asinika abafundi bakhe. Wayazi ukuthi amaJuda akubo ayeyicasukela kakhulu intela eyayifunwa amaRoma. Naphezu kwalokho, uJesu wayala: “Buyiselani okukaKhesari kuKhesari, kodwa okukaNkulunkulu kuNkulunkulu.” (Marku 12:17) Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi uJesu wakhuthaza ukuba kukhokhwe intela kuwo kanye umbuso owawuzombulala maduzane.
Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva, uPawulu wanikeza iseluleko esicashunwe esethulweni. Wakhuthaza ukuba kukhokhwe intela, naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi isamba esikhulu sentela sasisetshenziselwa ukuxhasa ibutho lempi lamaRoma nokusekela indlela yokuphila yababusi abangamaRoma ababeziphethe kabi futhi besaphaza. Kungani uPawulu akhuthaza umbono onjena owawungathandeki?
Amagunya Aphakeme
Cabangela umongo wamazwi kaPawulu. KweyabaseRoma 13:1, wabhala: “Yonke imiphefumulo mayizithobe emagunyeni aphakeme, ngoba akukho gunya elikhona kungengoNkulunkulu; amagunya akhona ami ezikhundleni zawo ezilinganiselwe ebekwe nguNkulunkulu.” Lapho isizwe sika-Israyeli sinababusi abesaba uNkulunkulu, kwakulula ukubheka ukuxhasa isizwe ngezimali njengomthwalo womphakathi nesibopho senkolo. Kodwa ingabe amaKristu ayenomthwalo ofanayo nalapho ababusi bengabakhulekeli bezithombe abangakholwa? Yebo! Amazwi kaPawulu abonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayenike ababusi “igunya” lokubusa.
Kukhulu okwenziwa ohulumeni ukuze bagcine ukuhleleka. Lokhu kuvumela amaKristu ukuba afeze imisebenzi yawo engokomoya ehlukahlukene. (Mathewu 24:14; Hebheru 10:24, 25) Yingakho lapho ekhuluma ngegunya likahulumeni eliphethe, uPawulu athi: “Liyisikhonzi sikaNkulunkulu kuwe ukuze uzuze.” (Roma 13:4) UPawulu ngokwakhe wasisebenzisa ngokunenzuzo isivikelo esasinikezwa nguhulumeni wamaRoma. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ehlaselwa yisixuku, wasindiswa amasosha amaRoma. Kamuva wafaka isikhalo enkantolo yamaRoma ukuze aqhubeke ekhonza njengesithunywa sevangeli.—IzEnzo 22:22-29; 25:11, 12.
Ngakho-ke, uPawulu waveza izizathu ezintathu zokukhokha intela. Okokuqala, wakhuluma “ngolaka” lwawohulumeni lapho bejezisa izaphulamthetho. Okwesibili, wachaza ukuthi unembeza womuntu ohlonipha uNkulunkulu wawuyolimala uma ekhohlisa endabeni yentela. Okokugcina, wabonisa ukuthi intela imane iyisinxephezelo sezinkonzo ohulumeni abazenza ‘njengezinceku zomphakathi.’—Roma 13:1-6.
Ingabe amaKristu uPawulu ayekhonza nawo awalalela amazwi akhe? Kubonakala kunjalo, ngoba umlobi owayezibiza ngomKristu ekhulwini lesibili uJustin Martyr (owaphila cishe kusukela ngo-110 kuya ku-165 C.E.) wathi amaKristu ayekhokha intela yawo “ngokuzithandela okukhulu ngaphezu kwabo bonke abantu.” Namuhla, lapho ohulumeni befuna inkokhelo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isikhathi noma imali, amaKristu ayaqhubeka ebambisana nabo ngokuzithandela.—Mathewu 5:41.a
Yiqiniso, amaKristu anelungelo lokusebenzisa noma yiziphi izinxephezelo zentela ezisemthethweni. Kwezinye izimo, angase akwazi ukuthola izinxephezelo zentela ezinikwa labo abanikelela izinhlangano zenkolo. Noma kunjalo, ngenxa yokuthi alalela iZwi likaNkulunkulu, amaKristu eqiniso awakubalekeli ukukhokha intela. Ayayikhokha intela, abese ekushiyela emagunyeni aphethe ukuthwala wonke umthwalo ngendlela ayisebenzisa ngayo leyo mali.
Intela ephakeme kakhulu ingenye nje indlela “umuntu aye wabusa [ngayo] umuntu kwaba ukulimala kwakhe.” (UmShumayeli 8:9) OFakazi BakaJehova bathola induduzo esithembisweni seBhayibheli sokuthi maduze bonke abantu bayothola ubulungisa ngaphansi kukahulumeni kaNkulunkulu—uhulumeni ongasoze uthwese abantu umthwalo osindayo wentela engenabulungisa.—IHubo 72:12, 13; Isaya 9:7.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Iseluleko sikaJesu sokuba sibuyisele “kuKhesari izinto zikaKhesari” sasingalinganiselwe ekukhokheni intela kuphela. (Mathewu 22:21) Incwadi ethi Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Gospel of Matthew kaHeinrich Meyer iyachaza: “Amazwi athi [izinto zikaKhesari] . . . akufanele siwaqonde njengasho intela yomphakathi kuphela, kodwa zonke izinto uKhesari ayenegunya lokuzithola ngenxa yokubusa kwakhe okumiswe ngokufanele.”
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 11]
AmaKristu okuqala ayekhokha intela yawo “ngokuzithandela okukhulu ngaphezu kwabo bonke abantu.”—JUSTIN MARTYR
[Isithombe ekhasini 10]
AmaKristu eqiniso ayayilalela imithetho yentela
[Isithombe ekhasini 11]
UJesu wathi: “Buyiselani kuKhesari izinto zikaKhesari”
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]
© European Monetary Institute