“Odwendweni Lokunqoba”
UDWENDWE lokunqoba lwaluwukugujwa okuwumbukwane kokunqotshwa kwesitha. Esinye seziqu eziphakeme kakhulu isiGele samaRoma esasisinikeza ujenene onqobile sasiwukumvumela ukuba agubhe ukunqoba kwakhe ngodwendwe olunjalo olungokomthetho, olubizayo. Umphostoli uPawulu wakhuluma kabili ngodwendwe lokunqoba ezincwadini zakhe. Nokho, ngaphambi kokuba sicabangele amazwi akhe, zama ukulubona ngeso lengqondo udwendwe olunjalo. Cabanga ngezixuku ziklele emigwaqweni njengoba luhamba kancane ngeVia Triumphalis bese lukhuphuka ngomqansa omazombezombe luya ethempelini likaJupitheri elisesiqongweni seGquma laseRoma iCapitoline.
“Iphunga lamakha amnandi ezinongo ezishiswayo lalishunqiswa kakhulu ethempelini nasemaceleni emigwaqo, luvimbanisa umoya ngamakha alo, kubhala isazi uJames M. Freeman. “Odwendweni kwakuba khona isigele nezakhamuzi ezivelele zombuso, ezazidumisa umnqobi ngokuba khona kwazo. Izimpango zempi eziyigugu kakhulu, njengegolide, isiliva, izikhali zalo lonke uhlobo, amafulege, izinto zobuciko ezibizayo neziyivela kancane, nakho konke okwakucatshangelwa umnqobi noma onqotshiwe njengokubaluleke kakhulu kwakuthwalwa endaweni esobala emzini ogcwele izixuku zabantu. Iziboshwa zempi nazo zaziphoqwa ukuba zimashe kuloludwendwe. Ujenene loludwendwe olumenyezelelwe ukudumisa yena, wayegibela inqola yekhethelo edonswa amahhashi amane. Isembatho sakhe sasifekethiswe ngegolide, ibhantshi lakhe lihlotshiswe ngezimbali. Esandleni sakhe sokunene wayephatha igatsha lomnyezane, kanti kwesokhohlo wayephatha intonga yobukhosi; kuyilapho ebunzini lakhe kwakunomqhele owenziwe ngamahlamvu omnyezane waseDelphi. Ngesikhathi amasosha ekhamuluka nezixuku zihalalisa, umnqobi wayethwalwa achushiswe emigwaqweni aye ethempelini likaJupitheri, lapho kwakunikelwa khona imihlatshelo, ngemva kwalokho okwabe sekwenziwa idili likawonk’ uwonke ethempelini.”
UPawulu wasebenzisa ngokomfanekiso udwendwe lokunqoba lapho ebhala incwadi yakhe yesibili eyayiya kumaKristu aseKorinte ngonyaka ka-55 weSikhathi sethu Esivamile. Wathi: “Makabongwe uNkulunkulu osihola njalo odwendweni lokunqoba kuKristu nobonakalisa ngathi iphunga lokwazi kwakhe ezindaweni zonke; ngokuba siyiphunga elimnandi likaKristu kuNkulunkulu kubo abasindiswayo nakubo abalahlwayo, kulaba siyiphunga lokufa kube-ngukufa, kodwa kulabo siyiphunga lokuphila kube-ngukuphila.”—2 Korinte 2:14-16.
Lapha uPawulu namanye amaKristu agcotshiwe bavezwa njengezikhonzi ezizinikele zikaNkulunkulu ‘ezikanye noKristu.’ Bavezwa njengamadodana, izikhulu, namasosha alandela ihele likaJehova futhi aholwa nguye odwendweni lokunqoba endleleni eqholwe ngamakha. (Bheka INqabayokulinda, kaJuly 15, 1990, amakhasi 10-15.) Lokhu kusetshenziswa okungokomfanekiso kodwendwe olunjalo futhi kubonisa ukuthi labo abenqaba izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu balindelwe ukufa kuphela. Kodwa yeka ukuthi kwehluke kanjani ngabalandeli bakaJesu abagcotshiwe! Banethemba lokusindela ekuphileni kokungafi kwasezulwini kanye noKristu. Futhi kuthiwani ngabangane babo abathembekile, nabo abazinikezele kuNkulunkulu? Banethemba elijabulisayo lokuphila epharadesi lasemhlabeni, lapho uNkulunkulu ‘eyosula izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba khona; nokudabuka; nokukhala; nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona.’ (IsAmbulo 21:1-4; Luka 23:43) Ingabe uyingxenye yalesixuku esijabulayo?
Umfanekiso ohlukile uvezwe kwabaseKolose 2:15 (NW), lapho uPawulu abhala khona ukuthi: “Ehlubula ohulumeni neziphathimandla babe nqunu, [uNkulunkulu] wabukisa ngabo kuwonk’ uwonke obala, ebahola ngaso odwendweni lokunqoba.” Lapha ohulumeni abayizitha neziphathimandla ezingaphansi kukaSathane uDeveli kufaniswa nezithunjwa neziboshwa odwendweni lokunqoba. UJehova uMnqobi ubahlubula babe nqunu futhi ubukisa ngabo obala njengabanqotshiwe. Banqotshwa “ngaso,” okungukuthi, “isigxobo sokuhlushwa” sikaJesu. Ukufa kwakhe esigxotsheni kwanikeza isisekelo sokususa “incwadi ebhalwe ngesandla” (isivumelwano soMthetho) futhi kwenza kwaba nokwenzeka ngamaKristu ukuba akhululeke ebugqilini bemibuso kaSathane yobumnyama. (Kolose 2:13, 14) Yeka ukuthi kufanele siyazise kanjani inkululeko enjalo yobuKristu!