Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe Yonke Imikhosi Engokwenkolo Iyamthokozisa UNkulunkulu?
Iqulu elithembekile, labangu-20 000, ligubha iMisa elikhethekile egcekeni ledolobha. Lapho inkonzo iphela, udwendwe luyaqala. Isixuku sabakhulekeli manje siyanda siba abantu abangu-60 000 abahamba ezitaladini, bonke belandela umfanekiso kaNossa Senhora Aparecida, “usanta” ohloniphekile waseBrazil. Ntambama, kuzwakala ubuqhuqhuqhu eduze kwethempeli, njengoba izihambeli ziqala ukuphakamisa imililo exhophayo.
IMIKHOSI enjalo engokwenkolo nezindwendwe zayo ivamile emazweni amaningi. Kodwa yini eshukumisela izixuku ukuba zihlanganyele kulezindwendwe? Isiko nokuzinikela kungezimbili zezisusa eziyisisekelo kumaKatolika, amaBuddha, nakulabo bamanye amahlelo angokwenkolo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengasesikhathini esidlule, ukuzijabulisa kungase kube isici esibalulekile. IWorld Book Encyclopedia ithi ezikhathini zenkathi ephakathi “imikhosi eminingi engokwenkolo yayigcizelela ukuzilibazisa. Yayenza abantu bakhohlwe ubunzima bokuphila kwabo kwansuku zonke.” Ngokuvamile okufanayo kuyiqiniso nanamuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, iSalvador, eBrazil, idume ngemikhosi ya-yo engokwenkolo nethandwayo, ehlanganisa inkolo eyimfihlakalo nedili emikhosini ehlukahlukene nokuxokozela lamadili aphetha ngakho. Nokho, nakuba ezinye izindwendwe ezingokwenkolo zingase zibe imikhosi exokozelayo, ezinye zinesizotha.
“Bephelezela umfanekiso nabapristi, abambalwa babehuba ihubo kuyilapho abanye belandela ngokuthula,” kuphawula owayevakashele udwendwe oluvelele eBrazil. “Kodwa okwakubusa lesenzakalo kwakuyisizotha, noma kunalokho usizi, njengokungathi isixuku sasize emngcwabeni.” Futhi uLúcio ovela engxenyeni esenyakatho neBrazil, uthi: “Njengoba ngake ngenza, abantu balifuna ngempela ikhambi ezinkingeni zomkhaya noma ezingokwezimali. Ngokuvamile ukuzinikela ‘kusanta’ ohloniphekile kuhlanganisa ukwanga umfanekiso, ukuthi umuntu anyuke izitebhisi ngamadolo akhe, noma ahambe ibanga elide ethwele itshe ekhanda lakhe.”
Ukuzidela okunjalo umuntu azikhethela khona kungase kubonakale kungavamile kubantu abangakholwa. Nokho, labo abahlanganyela kukho banomuzwa wokuthi bathokozisa uNkulunkulu. Kodwa ingabe bayamthokozisa? IBhayibheli liyasisiza ukuba sibone ukuthi imikhosi nezindwendwe ezinjalo ezingokwenkolo ziyamthokozisa yini uNkulunkulu noma azimthokozisi.
Ingabe Ziletha Ukuvunyelwa UNkulunkulu?
Umlando usitshela ukuthi uIsrayeli wasendulo wayegubha kokubili imikhosi yaminyaka yonke neyezinkathi ezithile ngokwenama. Imikhosi enjalo yayimdumisa uJehova uNkulunkulu. (Duteronomi 16:14, 15) Ngokuqondene nemikhosi engokweBhayibheli, i-Illustrated Bible Dictionary ithi: “Intokozo eyayibonakaliswa yayisuka enhliziyweni. Isibopho esingokwenkolo sasihlangene nokujabula ngezinto zesikhashana ezazicatshangelwa njengeziyizipho zikaNkulunkulu.” Naphezu kwemikhosi engokwenkolo, abapristi nabantu bakwaIsrayeli balidebeselela ingokomoya labo. (Isaya 1:15-17; Mathewu 23:23) Nokho, manje umbuzo uwukuthi, Ingabe izindwendwe ezingokwenkolo zaziyingxenye yobuKristu bekhulu lokuqala?
Nakuba uJesu Kristu ayigubha eminye imikhosi yobuJuda, uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe abazange basungule izindwendwe ezingokwenkolo. IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Izindwendwe kubonakala ziye zaqala ukuthandwa ngokushesha ngemva kokwamukelwa kobuKristu njengenkolo yombuso nguConstantine ekhulwini lesine leminyaka.” Futhi iWorld Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Imikhosi yesonto [kanye nezindwendwe zayo] yabusa amasiko obuqaba amaningi iwanikeza izincazelo ezintsha.”
AmaKristu awekho ngaphansi kwesibopho sokuhlanganyela emikhosini nasezindwendweni ezinjalo ezingokwenkolo. Ebhekisela emikhosini eyayidingwa umthetho kaNkulunkulu kuIsrayeli wasendulo, umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Makungabikho-muntu onahlulela ngokudla nesiphuzo noma ngokuqondene nomkhosi noma owokugujwa kokwethwasa kwenyanga noma kwesabatha; ngoba lezozinto ziyisithunzi sezinto ezizayo, kodwa okungokoqobo kukuKristu.” (Kolose 2:16, 17, NW) AmaKristu aseKolose kwakungamelwe avumele noma ubani ahlulele ukuma kwawo phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngesisekelo sokugujwa kwemikhosi yomthetho kaMose.
Okuthile Okungcono Kunezindwendwe
NgabaseKolose ukuhlanganisa inkolo yabo yobuKristu nemikhuba yamasiko angokwenkolo kwakuyobe kuwukuhlehlela emuva okholweni lwabo. Iphuzu likaPawulu laliwukuthi, Kungani nilandela isithunzi nje seqiniso? Iqiniso langempela likuKristu. Ngakho-ke, ukubambelela esithunzini esingokwesiprofetho kuwukufiphaza lokho okungokoqobo okungokomoya lezozinto ezazikhomba kukho. Ngani? Ngoba, njengoba uPawulu asho, “okungokoqobo kukuKristu.” Kanjalo, namuhla imikhosi enjalo engokwenkolo ayiyona ingxenye yokukhulekela kweqiniso kobuKristu.
Ngakho-ke, amaKristu akusadingekile ukuba agcine lamasiko anomsuka waphezulu, futhi ngokuqinisekile kumelwe agweme imikhosi enomsuka wobuqaba, engase ihlanganise ukusetshenziswa kwemifanekiso nokuxokozela. (IHubo 115:4-8) Umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa: “Maningaboshelwa ejokeni linye nabangakholwayo, ngokuba kunakuhlanganyela kuni ukulunga nokungalungi na? Kunabudlelwane buni ukukhanya nobumnyama na? Unakuzwana kuni uKristu noBeliyali na?” (2 Korinte 6:14, 15) Ngamanye amazwi, uma sifuna ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu, ngeke sixubanise ukukhulekela kweqiniso nokwamanga. Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi singayinaki intando kaNkulunkulu kodwa siqhubeke simthokozisa?—Mathewu 7:21.
Cha, uNkulunkulu akayamukeli imikhosi yobuqaba engokwenkolo nezindwendwe zayo. Eqinisweni, izonyamalala kanye nawo wonke amasiko ahlazisa uJehova, njengoba kwabikezelwa eZwini likaNkulunkulu. KusAmbulo 18:21, 22, inkolo yamanga nemikhuba yayo ihlanganiswé nomuzi wobuqaba waseBabiloni. Lombhalo ufundeka kanje: “Ingelosi enamandla yafukula itshe linjengelokusila elikhulu, yaliphonsa elwandle, yathi: Ngokunjalo iBabiloni umuzi omkhulu liyakuphonswa phansi ngamandla, lingabe lisafunyanwa. Izwi lababetha ihabhu nelabahlabeleli nelababetha imitshingo namacilongo alisoze laphinda lizwakale kuwe.” Ngokuqaphela ukuthi imikhosi yobuBabiloni engokwenkolo iyamcasula uNkulunkulu, yini oyoyenza?
Ake sithi usohambweni oluya endaweni ebalulekile futhi udukile endleleni. Uma umuntu othile ngomusa ekubonisa indlela ongahamba ngayo ngokulondeka ukuze ufike lapho uya khona, ngeke yini ubonge ngokuthi uye wayithola indlela eqondile? Ngokufanayo, lapho usuyifundile indlela uNkulunkulu abheka ngayo izindwendwe ezingokwenkolo, kungani ungafunisisi eZwini lakhe ukuze ubone ukuthi yikuphi okumthokozisayo? Ukwenza ngokuvumelana nalokho okufunda eBhayibhelini kuyohlanganyela ekukuletheleni ubuhlobo obuhle noNkulunkulu—obungcono kakhulu kunokugubha imikhosi engokwenkolo nezindwendwe.—Johane 17:3.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]
IHarper’s, udwendwe lwama-Ista lwaseDashi, ekhulwini le-19 leminyaka