“UMthetho Uye Waba Umfundisi Wethu”

BANGAKI abantwana abakubonayo ukubaluleka kwemithetho nesiyalo? Ababaningi. Kubona, ukubekelwa imingcele kuyisidina. Kodwa labo abanomthwalo wemfanelo wokusiza intsha bayazi ukuthi sidingeka ngempela isiqondiso esifanele. Futhi njengoba iminyaka iqhubeka, kungenzeka intsha eningi iyokubona ukubaluleka kwesiqondiso esitholile. Ukuze abonise ubuhlobo obuba khona phakathi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu nabantu bakhe umphostoli uPawulu wasebenzisa umfanekiso wendoda eyavikela abantwana.

AmaKristu athile ekhulu lokuqala esifundazweni saseRoma iGalathiya agcizelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayamukela kuphela labo abalalela uMthetho uNkulunkulu ayewunikeze ama-Israyeli ngoMose. Umphostoli uPawulu wayazi ukuthi lokho kwakungamanga, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayehlisele umoya ongcwele kwabathile ababengakaze bawugcine umthetho wamaJuda. (IzEnzo 15:12) Ngakho uPawulu walungisa umbono ongalungile ngokusebenzisa umfanekiso. Engcwadini ayibhalela amaKristu aseGalathiya, wathi: “UMthetho uye waba umfundisi wethu oholela kuKristu.” (Galathiya 3:24) Esinye isazi sithi, umfundisi, “unesizinda sasendulo esinomlando omuhle.” Ukuqonda lesi sizinda kucacisa iphuzu umphostoli uPawulu ayeliveza.

Umfundisi Nomthwalo Wakhe Wemfanelo

Abafundisi (tutor) babesetshenziswa kakhulu amaGreki, amaRoma, mhlawumbe ngisho nayimikhaya engamaJuda ukuze baqondise okwakwenziwa abantwana babo kusukela beseyizinsana baze bathombe. Umfundisi ngokuvamile wayeyisigqila esinokwethenjelwa, ngokuvamile esesikhulile, esasikhonza njengomnakekeli ukuqinisekisa ukulondeka komntwana nokubona ukuthi izifiso zikababa ngomntwana ziyahlonishwa. Lonke usuku, umfundisi wayehamba nomntwana namaphi lapho eya khona, abheke ukuthi uhlanzekile, amyise esikoleni, ngokuvamile amphathele izincwadi nezinye izinto, futhi amsize ngomsenzi wesikole.

Ngokuvamile umfundisi wayengeyena uthisha. Kunokuba afundise izifundo ezivamile zasesikoleni, wayemane asebenzise iziqondiso zikababa njengomnakekeli womntwana. Nokho, wayezinikeza iziqondiso ngendlela ecashile ngesiqondiso nangesiyalo. Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa nokufundisa indlela efanele yokuziphatha, iseluleko, futhi ngisho nokumjezisa ngokuqondile uma onile. Ngokuqinisekile, umama nobaba ababengabafundisi bengane abayinhloko. Kodwa, njengoba umfana ekhula, umfundisi wakhe wayemfundisa ukuthi kwakufanele ahambe ngeqholo emgwaqweni, asigqoke kanjani isembatho sakhe, ahlale kanjani, adle ngendlela efanele nokuthi kwakufanele asukume lapha kufika abantu abadala, athande abazali bakhe, njalonjalo.

UPlato isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki (428-348 B.C.E.) wayengakungabazi ukuthi izifiso zomntwana eziwubula kwakufanele zilawulwe. Wabhala: “Njengoba nje kungafanele zingabi namalusi izimvu noma ezinye izilwane ezaluswayo, nabantwana abanakuphila ngaphandle komfundisi, nezigqila azinakuba khona ngaphandle kwenkosi.” Lo mbono ungase ubonakale uwukweqisa; noma kunjalo yileyo ndlela uPlato ayezibheka ngayo izinto.

Ukuba khona njalo kwabafundisi kwabenza baba nedumela lokuba abanakekeli abacindezelayo nabeluleki abanokhahlo, umthombo wokuthethiswa okungapheli, okukhathazayo futhi okungasebenzi. Noma kunjalo, umfundisi wayeyisivikelo, kokubili ekuziphatheni nangokwenyama. U-Appian isazi-mlando esingumGreki sangekhulu lesibili C.E. silandisa indaba yomunye umfundisi okwathi endleleni eya esikoleni kwadingeka ukuba amsingathe umntwana ukuze amphephise kwababefuna ukumbulala. Lapho enqaba ukumdedela umfana, babulawa bobabili.

Ukuziphatha okubi kwakudlangile emazweni ayebuswa amaGreki. Abantwana, ikakhulukazi babafana, babedinga isivikelo ekunukubezweni ngokocansi. Ngakho abafundisi kwakufanele bahlale nomntwana ekilasini, ngoba othisha abaningi babengathenjwa. Iciko lokukhuluma elingumGreki uLibanius langekhulu lesine C.E. laze lathi abafundisi kwakufanele babe “abavikeli bentsha ekhulayo,” ukuze “baxoshe abantu abangathandeki, babadedisele kude, bangabavumeli ukuba bajwayelane nabafana.” Abafundisi abaningi bathola inhlonipho kulabo ababebavikela. Amatshe ezikhumbuzo awubufakazi bokwazisa abantu abadala ababenakho ngabafundisi bangaphambili abathandekayo lapho befa.

UMthetho Njengomfundisi

Kungani umphostoli uPawulu afanisa uMthetho KaMose nomfundisi? Yini eyenza lo mfanekiso ufaneleke kakhulu?

Okokuqala ukuthi uMthetho wawuyisivikelo. UPawulu wachaza ukuthi amaJuda ‘ayeqashelwe ngaphansi komthetho.’ Kwakusengathi angaphansi kwesivikelo somfundisi. (Galathiya 3:23) UMthetho wawuthonya zonke izingxenye zokuphila. Wawulawula izinkanuko zawo nezifiso zenyama. Wawuqondisa ukuziphatha kwawo futhi uwakhuze emaphutheni awo, wenza umIsrayeli ngamunye aqaphele ukungapheleli kwakhe.

UMthetho wawuyisivikelo nasemathonyeni onakalisayo, njengokuziphatha okubi nemikhuba yenkolo yezizwe ezazizungeze u-Israyeli. Ngokwesibonelo, ukwenqabela kukaNkulunkulu ukuganiselana namaqaba kwakubalulekile enhlalakahleni engokomoya yaso sonke isizwe. (Duteronomi 7:3, 4) Imithetho enjalo yagcina abantu bakaNkulunkulu behlanzekile ngokomoya futhi yabalungiselela ukubona uMesiya. Ngempela, lawa kwakungamalungiselelo othando. UMose wakhumbuza ama-Israyeli akubo: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho wayekuqondisa, njengoba nje umuntu eyiqondisa indodana yakhe.”—Duteronomi 8:5.

Nokho, ingxenye ebalulekile yomfanekiso kamphostoli uPawulu yisimo sesikhashana segunya lomfundisi. Lapho umntwana esefinyelele izinga lokuvuthwa, wayekhululeka egunyeni lomfundisi wakhe. Isazi-mlando esingumGreki uXenophon (431-352 B.C.E.) sabhala: “Lapho umfana engaseyena umntwana, eseyibhungu, abanye bayamkhulula egunyeni [lomfundisi] wakhe [nakuthisha] wakhe; akabe esaba ngaphansi kwabo, kodwa uyavunyelwa ukuba azinqumele.”

Kwakuyinto efanayo ngegunya loMthetho KaMose. Ukusebenza kwawo kwakungokwesikhashana—“ukuze wenze izeqo zibonakale, kuze kufike inzalo [uJesu Kristu].” Umphostoli uPawulu wachaza ukuthi kumaJuda, uMthetho ‘wawungumfundisi oholela kuKristu.’ Ukuze amaJuda angesikhathi sikaPawulu amukeleke kuNkulunkulu, kwakufanele aqaphele indima kaJesu enjongweni kaNkulunkulu. Lapho sebenze kanjalo, umsebenzi walo mfundisi wawusuke usufeziwe.—Galathiya 3:19, 24, 25.

UMthetho uNkulunkulu awunika ama-Israyeli wawuphelele. Wazifeza ngokugcwele izinjongo uNkulunkulu ayewumisele zona—ukuvikela abantu bakhe nokubaqaphelisa izindinganiso zakhe eziphakeme. (Roma 7:7-14) UMthetho wawungumfundisi omuhle. Kodwa, kwabanye ababephila ngaphansi kwesivikelo sawo, kungenzeka izimfuneko zawo zazibonakala ziwumthwalo. Ngakho, uPawulu wabhala ukuthi lapho isikhathi sikaNkulunkulu esimisiwe sifika, “uKristu wasikhulula esiqalekisweni soMthetho ngokusithenga.” UMthetho ‘wawuyisiqalekiso’ ngomqondo wokuthi wawufaka amaJuda angaphelele ngaphansi kwezindinganiso ayengenakuzifinyelela ngokuphelele. Kwakudingeka acophelele ekugcineni imicikilisho ethile. Lapho umJuda esamukele ilungiselelo eliphakeme elenziwe ngomhlatshelo wesihlengo kaJesu, ukunamathela emigoqweni yomfundisi kwakungasadingekile.—Galathiya 3:13; 4:9, 10.

Ngakho-ke, uPawulu wafanisa uMthetho KaMose nomfundisi ngoba wayegcizelela ukuba kwawo umnakekeli nesimo sawo sesikhashana. Umuntu akamukeleki kuJehova ngokulalela lowo Mthetho, kodwa ngokuqaphela uJesu nokubonisa ukholo kuye.—Galathiya 2:16; 3:11.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 21]

“AMADODA APHETHE” KANYE “NABAPHATHI”

Ngaphandle kokubhala ngomfundisi, umphostoli uPawulu wasebenzisa nomfanekiso “wamadoda aphethe” kanye “nabaphathi.” KweyabaseGalathiya 4:1, 2, siyafunda: “Uma nje indlalifa iseyingane ayihlukile neze encekwini, nakuba iyinkosi yezinto zonke, kodwa ingaphansi kwamadoda aphethe nangaphansi kwabaphathi kuze kube usuku uyise alumisa kusengaphambili.” Umsebenzi “wamadoda aphethe” kanye “nabaphathi” wawuhlukile kowabafundisi, kodwa uPawulu wayefuna ukuveza cishe iphuzu elifanayo.

Ngaphansi komthetho wamaRoma, ‘indoda ephethe’ yayimiswa ngokomthetho ukuze ibe umnakekeli wentandane futhi inakekele izindaba zezimali zalowo mntwana aze akhule. Ngenxa yalokhu, uPawulu uthi nakuba leyo ngane “iyinkosi” yefa layo, uma isencane, yayingenawo amalungelo angaphezu kwawenceku.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ‘umphathi’ wayeyinxusa eliphethe izindaba zomuzi ezingokwezimali. Isazi-mlando esingumJuda uFlavius Josephus sithi insizwa okuthiwa uHyrcanus yacela ukuba uyise ayinike incwadi eyala umphathi wayo ukuba ayinike imali yokuthenga noma yini eyayiyifuna.

Ngakho, njengokuba ngaphansi komfundisi, ukuba ngaphansi ‘kwendoda ephethe’ noma ngaphansi ‘komphathi’ kwakuhambisana nokuntuleka kwenkululeko lapho umuntu esemncane. Ukuphila komntwana kwakulawulwa abanye abantu kuze kufike isikhathi esinqunywe nguyise.

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Umdwebo osesitsheni sezimbali sasendulo samaGreki obonisa umfundisi ephethe induku

[Umthombo]

National Archaeological Museum, Athens

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Umdwebo osendebeni yangekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E. obonisa umfundisi (ophethe induku) ebukele njengoba umfundi amnakekele efundiswa izinkondlo nomculo

[Umthombo]

Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz/Art Resource, NY