Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe Indawo Yabesifazane Isepulpiti?
“AMAKRISTU amaningi avamile awaqondi ukuthi kungani abesifazane kumelwe banqatshelwe ukuphatha inkonzo yeSidlo Esingcwele noma yomshado, uma bengaba ababusi, abongameli, abahluleli, odokotela, nososayensi,” kubhala umfundisi weSonto laseSheshi uNicholas Stacey ephephandabeni laseLondon iTimes.
Nakuba isonto laseSheshi liqeqeshela abesifazane inkonzo ekhethekile, kuze kube manje alibavumeli abesifazane ukuba bakhonze njengabapristi ukuze baphathe izinkonzo zalo zamasakramente. Ingabe uyavumelana nombono wesonto, noma ukholelwa ukuthi abesifazane kufanele babe sepulpiti?
Ingahlukanisa Amasonto Phakathi
Indaba yokuba kwabesifazane ngabefundisi isiye yaba ehlukanisayo phakathi kwamalungu enkolo eyodwa. Isonto laseSheshi lingahlukana kalula libe amahlelo amabili ngenxa yalendaba, kuxwayisa uDr. Graham Leonard, umbhishobhi
waseLondon, umfundisi ophambili ekuphikisaneni nokugcotshwa kwabesifazane. Abanye abantu basola ubandlululo njengoluyisizathu sokungavunyelwa kwabesifazane epulpiti, kodwa kuningi okuhilelekile. Sekungamakhulu eminyaka, isonto laseSheshi
lizama ukulungisa ukungafani kwalo neRome. Kodwa encwadini yamuva nje eya kumBhishobhi oMkhuIu waseCanterbury, upapa wathi noma ikuphi ukuvunyelwa kwabesifazane ezikhundleni zobupristi kuyodala “emehlweni eSonto lobuKatolika, isithiyo esingathi sína ngokuqhubekayo esingavimba leyontuthuko.”
Nokho, isici esisodwa esibalulekile siye sanganakwa kulempikiswano—iBhayibheli. Abesifazane babekhonza kanjani ebandleni lokuqala lobuKristu, futhi kufanele ibe yini indima yabo namuhla?
Bayalingana Kodwa Abafani
Ekusungulweni kwebandla lobuKristu ngonyaka ka-33 C.E., abesifazane kanye nabesilisa babengabemukeli bomoya ongcwele. Umphostoli uPetru wachaza ukuthi lokhu kwakunjengoba nje umprofethi uJoweli abikezela emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili.—IzEnzo 1:13-15; 2:1-4, 13-18.
Kamuva, uPetru waqaphela ngokugcwele elinye iqiniso elibalulekile: “UNkulunkulu akabheki ubuso bamuntu.” (IzEnzo 10:34) Lowombhalo usho ukuthi uNkulunkulu “akakhethi.” Umuntu ‘obheka ubuso’ ubonisa ukuthi uqaphela noma ukhetha omunye umuntu. Ezikhathini zasendulo, abahluleli abaningi babevuna abantu abacebile kunabampofu. Noma izinqumo zazikhishwa ngesisekelo sobuzwe, isikhundla, umndeni, noma ubungane kunokuba zisekelwe emaqinisweni. Kodwa uJehova wenza okuphambene. Uvuna kuphela labo abamesabayo nabenza ukulunga. Uma kuziwa ekusindisweni, uNkulunkulu akakhethi ‘ubuso’ bowesilisa ‘kunobuso’ bowesifazane. Bobabili bayalingana kuye.—IzEnzo 10:35.
Ngakho, imiBhalo inikeza amaKristu esilisa nawesifazane isilinganiso esilinganayo senhlonipho njengamalungu ebandla. Umphostoli uPawulu ubhalela amaKristu aseGalathiya ukuthi “akakho oboshiweyo nokhululekileyo, akakho owesilisa lowesifazane; ngokuba nina nonke nimunye kuKristu.” Bonke bazimele ngokomoya phambi kukaNkulunkulu; nokho bonke bamunye njengendikimba yezinceku zakhe. Bonke bayafana endlini kaNkulunkulu.—Galathiya 3:26-28.
Nokho, kukhona umehluko phakathi kwabesilisa nabesifazane ebandleni. Kodwa njengoba umehluko ongokwemvelo phakathi kowesilisa nowesifazane ungesiso isithiyo ekuphelelisaneni kwabo, ngakho amalungelo angafani abesilisa nabesifazane abawajabulelayo ebandleni lobuKristu akufanele abe isithiyo ekusebenzelaneni kwebandla. Uyini lowomahluko?
Abafundisi—Nini Futhi Bobani?
Umahluko ugxile ekufundiseni nasegunyeni. Abesifazane abavunyelwe ukukhonza ebandleni esikhundleni esingokomthetho sokufundisa nokusebenzisa igunya elingokomoya emalungwini ebandla abakanye nawo. Encwadini yakhe yokweluleka ayeyibhalele uThimothewu, uPawulu usho ngokucacile: “Kepha angimvumeli owesifazane ukuba afundise, nokuba abuse phezu kwendoda; kodwa makazithulele.”—1 Thimothewu 2:12.
Ngokulandelayo uPawulu ubhekisela esisekelweni sokungabavumeli abesifazane ukuba babe abafundisi—ubudlelwane obumiswe ngokwaphezulu phakathi kowesilisa nowesifazane. Uyabhala: “Ngokuba uAdamu wabunjwa kuqala emva kwalokho uEva.” (1 Thimothewu 2:13) UNkulunkulu wayengabadala oAdamu noEva ngesikhathi esifanayo, kodwa akakwenzanga. UAdamu waphila isikhathi esithile ngaphambi kukaEva. Ingabe lokhu akuvezi injongo kaNkulunkulu yokuba uAdamu aqondise, abe inhloko kunokuthi kube uEva? (1 Korinte 11:3) Futhi ukufundisa, empeleni, kuwukusebenza njengomphathi, noma inhloko, yalabo abafundiswayo. Labo abafundiswayo bayalalela futhi bafunde ngokuthula, Ngakho, ebandleni abesilisa kuphela okumelwe babe abafundisi nababonisi.
Ingabe iqiniso lokuthi abesifazane abafundisi ebandleni kudingeka libangele ukukhungatheka nokucasuka? Cha. Abesifazane bakhululekile ukufundisa imfundiso yobuKristu futhi bamenywa ukuba benze njalo. Esimweni esinjani futhi ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo? Abesifazane abadala bangaba “abafundisi bokuhle” kwabesifazane abasha. Futhi njengoba uEvnike nonina, uLowisi bafundisa uThimothewu, kanjalo abesifazane abangamaKristu basalandela isibonelo sabo ekuqeqesheni abantwana babo ‘eNdleleni’ yeqiniso.—Thithu 2:3-5; IzEnzo 9:2; 2 Thimothewu 1:5.
Namuhla, abesifazane abangamaKristu nabo balandela izibonelo zikaEvodiya noSintike ngokushumayela izindaba ezinhle obala. (Filipi 4:2, 3) Bangaba abafundisi ngokuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli nabantu abathakazelayo. (Mathewu 28:20) Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabesifazane athola ukwaneliseka okungokomoya kulomsebenzi ophuthumayo wokushumayela nokufundisa. Babhekisa abanye ekumisweni komhlaba wokulunga nokuthula ngaphansi kokubusa kukaJesu Kristu—ithemba abahlanganyela ngokulinganayo nabafowabo abangamaKristu. —IHubo 37:10, 11; 68:11.
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Indaba yokuba kwabesifazane ngabefundisi isiye yaba ehlukanisayo phakathi kwamalungu enkolo eyodwa