‘Ukuvivinywa Kobuqotho Bothando Lwenu’

AMAZWI angenhla akucabangisani? Ukushushiswa nobunzima? Ukufel’ ukholo? Lawomazwi abhalwa ekuqaleni umphostoli uPawulu encwadini eyayiya kumaKristu eKorinte lasendulo. Abaluleke kakhulu kubantu bakaJehova namuhla ngokuthi ‘ubuqotho bothando lwabo’ buvivinywa ngokufanayo. Kodwa kanjani? Ukuze siphendule, ake sihlole umongo wamazwi kaPawulu.

Isisekelo Sovivinyo

Emashumini amabili eminyaka ngemva kokusungulwa kobuKristu, ibandla laseJerusalema lalisenkingeni enkulu ngokwezimali. Njengoba ayehlala kuleyondawo eyayigcwele ukuphikisa nokubandlulula kwamaJuda, phakathi neminyaka amaKristu ‘ayekhuthazelele impi enkulu yezinhlupheko,’ ebhekana ngisho ‘nanokuphangwa kwempahla yawo.’ (Heberu 10:32-34) Kwakudingeka usizo lwangaphandle.

Ngokuqinisekile, abafowabo abangabeZizwe kwakufanele bashukunyiselwe ukuba basabele esimweni sawo sosizi. Kakade, ‘babenesikweleti’ esikhethekile ababesikweleta amaJuda aseJerusalema. Kwakungekhona yini eJerusalema lapho izindaba ezinhle zazisakazekele kwabeZizwe zisuka khona? UPawulu wacabanga: “Uma amaKristu angamaJuda ahlanganyela ingcebo yawo engokomoya nabeZizwe, abeZizwe banomsebenzi ocacile wokunikela ezidingweni zawo zezinto ezibonakalayo.”—Roma 15:27, The New English Bible.

Ukuhlela Umnikelo

UPawulu wayeqondiswe indikimba ebusayo ukuba ‘akhumbule [amaKristu] ampofu.’ (Galathiya 2:10) Ngakho wathumela izwi kumaKristu aseYurophu naseAsia Minor ngokuqondene nesimo eJerusalema. Nazi iziyalezo zikaPawulu: “Maqondana nomnikelo obuthelwa abangcwele, njengalokho ngayala amabandla aseGalathiya, yenzani kanjalo nani. Ngosuku lokuqala lweviki akube-yilowo nalowo azibekelele eqongelela njengenhlanhla yakhe, ukuze kuthi nxa ngifika, kungabi-yikhathi kwenziwa umnikelo.”—1 Korinte 16:1, 2.

Ngokuhlela imali yabo ngalendlela, akekho owayengazizwa ephoqelekile noma ecindezelekile lapho kuqoqwa umnikelo. Abazalwane babengenakho nokuncane ukwesaba ukuthi imali yabo yayingasetshenziswa kabi noma isaphazwe. ‘Abakhethiweyo’ kuphela ababeyovunyelwa ukuba bahambise izimali ezaziqoqiwe, uPawulu ehambisana nabo ngokwakhe uma kubhekwa njengokudingekile.—1 Korinte 16:3-5.

Kwaba yini ukusabela kwabaseKorinte? Nakuba ngokusobala abazalwane basabela kahle eselulekweni sikaPawulu, umnikelo awuzange uthunyelwe. (2 Korinte 8:6, 10, 11) Mhlawumbe abadala baba matasa kakhulu ngokususa ebandleni ukungezwani, ukuziphatha okubi, nezinye izinkinga uPawulu ayebabhalele ngazo.

‘Vamani Ekupheni Komusa’

Nokho, uPawulu wababhalela enye incwadi ethi: “Kepha siyanazisa, bazalwane, ngomusa kaNkulunkulu awuphiweyo amabandla aseMakedoniya ukuthi ekuvivinyweni okukhulu kosizi ukuthokoza kwawo okuvamileyo nobumpofu bawo obukhulu kwenza ukuba avame kakhulu ekuphaneni okupheleleyo; ngokuba ngokwawo anikela njengamandla awo, yebo, ngiyafakaza ngithi, nangaphezu kwamandla awo; asinxusa kakhulu ecela umusa wokuhlanganyela ekukhonzeni abangcwele; futhi akubanga-njengokwethemba kwethu kuphela, kepha bazinikela bona uqobo kuqala eNkosini nakithi futhi ngentando kaNkulunkulu, saze samncenga uThithu ukuba, njengalokho wayeseqalile ngaphambili, kanjalo afeze futhi kini lowomsebenzi womusa. Kepha njengalokho nivamile kukho konke: ukukholwa, namazwi, nokwazi, nokukhuthala konke, nothando enisithanda ngalo, manivame nakuwo lowomsebenzi womusa.”—2 Korinte 8:1-7.

Isibonelo sabaseMakedoniya abazidelayo sanikeza abaseKorinte okuningi ababengazindla ngakho. IKorinte lalidumile ngomcebo walo, ukunethezeka, nezentengiselwano. Kungenzeka ukuthi abanye babazalwane lapho babempofu ngokuqhathaniswa, kodwa, lilonke, akungabazeki ukuthi lelobandla lalingcono kunamaKristu aseMakedoniya ‘ayesebumpofwini obukhulu.’ Nokho, abaseMakedoniya babenikele ‘ngaphezu kwamandla abo.’ Abazange badinge ukushukunyiswa uPawulu ukuba banikele. Ingani ‘banxusa’ uPawulu ukuba babe nengxenye kulomnikelo! Lokhu kwakuwubufakazi bokuthi amaKristu aseMakedoniya ngempela ‘azinikela wona uqobo eNkosini [ngokuzinikela kokungagodli] [nakuPawulu nabakanye naye],’ ethobela isiqondiso sabo esingokwasezulwini.

Ukuvivinywa Kothando Lwabo Nokuphana

Ingabe abaseKorinte babeyoshukunyiswa ngokufanayo ukuba ‘bavame ekupheni komusa’? Lapho ehambela eKorinte okokuqala, uPawulu wayephoqekile ukuba azisekele njengomthungi wamatende. (IzEnzo 18:1-3) Waqhubeka nalesimiso sokuzisekela ngisho nakuba kwaba nebandla lapho, wagwema ukusebenzisa ‘igunya’ lakhe njengomvangeli wesikhathi esigcwele ukuze athole ukusekelwa okungokwezimali.—1 Korinte 9:3-12.

Umkhulumeli weBhayibheli uThomas Scott uthi: “Ngokunokwenzeka, wayebone izinto ezithile esimweni samaKristu aseKorinte, ekuqaleni ezambangela ukuba agweme ukwamukela noma yikuphi ukusekela okuvela kuwo.” Mhlawumbe bethonywe ukuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo kobugovu okubazungezile, laba abaseKorinte abacebile kungenzeka ukuthi babengathambekele ekubeni abaphanayo. Futhi kungenzeka ukuthi uPawulu wayesaba ukuthi laba abaseKorinte abacabanga ngezentengiselwano babengangabaza isisusa sakhe ukuba wayamukela ukusekelwa okungokwezimali. Kungenzeka ngisho nokuthi kwakunalabo, njengabanye eThesalonika, ababevilapha futhi befuna isaba sokuphila ngamaKristu abakanye nawo.—2 Thesalonika 3:7-12.

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, uPawulu nayekanye nabo bakhetha ukuzisekela, “ukuze singalithiyi ivangeli likaKristu.” (1 Korinte 9:12) Nokho, kamuva, uPawulu wangena enkingeni ngokwezimali, okwazwakala kubazalwane abampofu abahlala eFilipi. UPawulu watshela abaseKorinte: “Ngaphanga amanye amabandla, ngithatha iholo kuwo, ukuba ngikhonze nina; nalapho ngikhona kini ngiswele, angibanga-mthwalo kumuntu, ngokuba abazalwane abavela eMakedoniya [ngokusobala iFilipi] bakuqeda ukuswela kwami; ezintweni zonke ngazilinda ukuba nginganisindi, futhi ngisezakuzilinda.”—2 Korinte 11:8, 9; qhathanisa nabaseFilipi 4:15, 16.

Yiqiniso, uPawulu ngokwakhe wavuma ukuthi ‘wayengenakulithatha iholo’ kwabaseKorinte. Kodwa lapho uPawulu ezama ukwenqaba ukwamukelwa owesifazane waseFilipi uLidiya, ‘wabancenga.’ (IzEnzo 16:15) Ingabe abaseKorinte babonisa ukukhathalela okufanayo okuphikelelayo ngenhlala-kahle kaPawulu engokwezinto ezibonakalayo? Kuyangabazisa. Nokho, uPawulu wayeqonda ukuthi isimo esihilela ibandla laseJerusalema sasinikeza ithuba lokuvivinya ukuthi abaseKorinte babenakho yini ukuthambekela kokuba ongoqo noma base bekhulile ekuphaneni. Ngakho-ke wanxusa:

“Angikusho njengomyalo, kodwa ukuze . . . ngivivinye ubuqotho bothando lwenu; ngokuba angikusho lokhu ukuba abanye bakhululeke, nina nikhathazeke, kodwa kube-ngokulinganayo, ukuze kuthi ngalesisikhathi inala yenu isize bona ekusweleni kwabo ukuba nenala yabo isize nina ekusweleni kwenu, kube-khona ukulingana, njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi: Kowaba-nokuningi kakusalanga, nowaba-nokuncane kantulanga.”—2 Korinte 8:8, 13-15.

Ngokusobala, abaseKorinte baphumelela ovivinyweni lwabo. Esikhathini esithile kamuva uPawulu wabika: “Ngokuba kwaba-kuhle kwabaseMakedoniya nabaseAkhaya [lapho kwakukhona khona iKorinte] ukwenzela abampofu kwabangcwele baseJerusalema umnikelo othile.”—Roma 15:26.

Ukuhlangabezana Novivinyo Namuhla

Nokho, ingabe siyaphumelela ekuvivinyweni kothando nokuphana okuzivezayo namuhla? Siphila ‘ezikhathini ezinzima.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Abaningi bethu bacindezelwa ukucindezela okungokwezimali. Futhi ngezinye izikhathi “inkanuko yenyama, nenkanuko yamehlo, nokuzigabisa ngalokhukuphila” kudala ukucindezela kwakho. (1 Johane 2:16) Yeka ukuthi kulula kanjani ukuba abazicabangelayo, abangazihluphi ngezidingo zabanye!

Bebonke, oFakazi BakaJehova namuhla baye bahlangabezana nokuvivinywa kothando lwabo lobuzalwane ngendlela evelele. Ngokwesibonelo, ngoMarch 3, 1985, kwaba nokuzamazama komhlaba eSantiago, eChile. Amakhulu amaningi abazalwane balahlekelwa amakhaya nempahla yabo. Ngokushesha, amabandla ahlela imizamo yokusiza. “Kungakadluli amahora amaningi,” kubika labobazalwane, “abanye baqala ukufika nokudla, izembatho, izingubo zokulala nezinye izinto eziwusizo.” Iminikelo nayo yangena ivela kuwo wonke umhlaba. Izenzakalo ezifanayo ziye zenzeka izikhathi eziningana eminyakeni edlule.

Kodwa akudingekile ukuba silindele inhlekelele ukuze sibonise uthando lwethu lobuzalwane. Uma umKristu esikanye naye enobunzima obungokwezimali, singakhathazeka ngezidingo zakhe, senze okungaphezu kokuthi, “Nifudumale, nisuthe.” (Jakobe 2:15, 16) Futhi kuthiwani ngalabo abasenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele ‘abaphila ngezindaba ezinhle.’ NjengoPawulu, abanjalo abafuni futhi abalindeli usizo olungokwezimali kulabo ababakhonzayo. Nakuba kunjalo, abaningi baye bashukunyiselwa ukuba babonise ukuphana kulabo abakhandleka ‘ekuhlwanyeleni izinto ezingokomoya’ ngenxa yabo.—1 Korinte 9:11, 14.

Futhi kuthiwani ngezidingo zenhlangano yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova? IYearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses ka-1989 ibika ukuthi “phakathi nonyaka wenkonzo ka-1988 iWatch Tower Society yasebenzisa imali engu-R74 586 692,43 ekunakekeleni amaphayona akhethekile, izithunywa zevangeli, nababonisi abajikelezayo ezabelweni zabo zasenkonzweni yasensimini.” Futhi kwasetshenziswa izimali ezinkulu kunakekelwa futhi kuthengwa izakhiwo zamagatsha, amathuluzi, imishini, nephepha—kungasabalwa izindleko eziyisisekelo zokuphila zomkhaya waseBethel embulungeni yonke, manje osungaphezu kwezi-9 000! Ngaphezu kwalokho, manje izakhiwo eziyi-18 ezisuswa phansi nezivuselelwayo ziyaqhubeka emagatsheni ahlukahlukene, kanye neziyi-19 endlunkulu yethu eBrooklyn, eNew York. Ingabe unengxenye ngokusekela ngokwezimali kulomsebenzi wembulunga yonke?

Njengasekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka, namuhla bonke bayahlanganyela ekunakekeleni lomthwalo wemfanelo, kuhlanganise nabangacebile, labo, ngeminikelo yabo emincane, abaye baba umgogodla wokusekela iNhlangano ngokwezimali. Abanye bakuthola kuwusizo ukulandela isibonelo esibekwe kweyoku-1 Korinte 16:2 futhi njalo bahlukanise izimali zabo siqu kuze banikele eHholo LoMbuso lakubo. Abanye bangase futhi banqume ukunikela imali ngokuqondile eWatch Tower Society e-25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201 noma kwelinye lamahhovisi ayo egatsha.

Qiniseka ukuthi uJehova uyabaqaphela labo, ngokuphana kwabo, ababonisa ubuqotho bothando lwabo. Ungazilahlekiseli izibusiso! UPawulu wathembisa: “UNkulunkulu unamandla okunipha umusa wonke uvame, ukuze kuthi ninokwanela konke ezintweni zonke ngezikhathi zonke, nivame imisebenzi yonke emihle.”—2 Korinte 9:8.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 26]

INDLELA ABANYE ABANIKELA NGAYO EMSEBENZINI WOMBUSO

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