Utshwala—Uyini Umbono WobuKristu Ngabo?

“NGUBANI othi: Maye! Ngubani othi: Wo! Ngubani oxabanayo? Ngubani okhalayo, ngubani onezilonda ngeze, na? Ngubani onamehlo aklwelayo na? Yibo abalibala ngasewayinini.” (IzAga 23:29, 30) Yebo, iBhayibheli liyavuma ukuthi iziphuzo ezidakayo zingaveza imiphumela emibi kakhulu: ukudungeka kwemizwa, ukuziphatha okuyihlazo, ukulahleka kwengqondo, ukuphazamiseka kwempilo, izinkinga zomkhaya, futhi ngisho nobumpofu.

Phawula ukuthi umbhalo weBhayibheli ongenhla ukhuluma ngalabo “abalibala” ngasewayinini, izidakwa! Ngabanjalo, utshwala bunjengoshevu, ngokuvamile bubangela imiphumela emibi engokomzimba nengokwengqondo. (IzAga 23:32-35) Imilutha yotshwala ingalahlekelwa ukuzithiba futhi iqale ukwenza izinto ngokuvamile engaba namahloni ngazo. Ngakho iBhayibheli liyaxwayisa: “Ungabi-phakathi kwezinseli zewayini nabayiziminzi zenyama. Ngokuba inseli noyisiminzi bayakubampofu; ukozela kuyakwembathisa umuntu amanikiniki.” (IzAga 23:20, 21) Ukudakwa futhi kubalwe “nemisebenzi yenyama,” engavimbela umuntu ekungeneni eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu.—Galathiya 5:19, 21; 1 Korinte 6:10.

‘Alihlakaniphile’—Kobani?

Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi utshwala benqatshelwe ngokuphelele kumaKristu? Kuthiwani ngokuzisholo komfundisi, oshiwo esihlokweni esandulelayo, okuthiwa kusekelwe kuzAga 20:1, kokuthi “amadoda ahlakaniphile awaliphuzi kwanhlobo iwayini.” Lelivesi lithi: “lwayini liyisideleli, uphuzo olunamandla lungumxokozeli; bonke abaduka ngalo abahlakaniphile.” Nalapha, iBhayibheli aligxeki labo abaphuza iwayini kodwa, kunalokho, labo abaduka ngalo! “Abalibala ngasewayinini” ‘nezinseli zewayini’—yilaba ‘abangahlakaniphile.’

Cabangela, futhi, uIsaya 5:11, 22. Lamavesi afundeka kanje: “Wo kubona abavuka ekuseni, ukuze balandele uphuzo olunamandla, balibale kuze kuhlwe, bashe iwayini! Wo kubona abangamaqhawe ngokuphuza iwayini namadoda anamandla ngokuxubanisa uphuzo olunamandla.” Yini uIsaya ayilahlayo? Akukhona yini ukuphuza ngokweqile, okungukuthi, ukuphuza kusukela “ekuseni” kuze “kuhlwe”?

Izinceku ezithembekile zikaNkulunkulu—njengoAbrahama, uIsaka, noJesu—kubikwa ukuthi baphuza iwayini, ngokulinganisela. (Genesise 14:18; 27:25; Luka 7:34) IBhayibheli futhi libala iwayini phakathi kwezibusiso ezivela kuJehova. (Genesise 27:37; Duteronomi 11:14; Isaya 25:6-8) IBhayibheli lize libonise ngisho nokuthi ukuphuza iwayini ngokulinganisela kungaba nemiphumela eyinzuzo. Umhubi wathi iwayini “lijabulisa inhliziyo yomuntu.” (IHubo 104:15) Umphostoli uPawulu watusa kuThimothewu: “Ungabe usaphuza amanzi [axutshiwe] odwa, kepha phuza iwayini eliyingcosana ngenxa yesisu sakho nobuthakathaka bakho obuvamileyo.”—1 Thimothewu 5:23.

Iwayini Noma Amanzi Amagilebhisi?

Abanye bathi “iwayini” okukhulunywa ngalo kulawomatekisi eBhayibheli kwakungamanzi avamile amagilebhisi. Nokho, iCyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong isikhumbuza ukuthi “iBhayibheli alenzi mehluko phakathi kwamawayini adakayo nangadaki—alikaze libhekisele noma likhulume ngomehluko onjalo.” Ngokuvumelana nalokhu eBhayibhelini “iwayini” liboniswe njengophuzo oludakayo futhi lihlanganiswe “nophuzo olunamandla.”—Genesise 9:21; Luka 1:15; Duteronomi 14:26; IzAga 31:4, 6.

Ngokuthakazelisayo, isimangaliso sikaJesu sokuqala kwawukuphendula amanzi abe yiwayini. Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kuthi: “Umphathi wokudla ezwa . . . iwayini, engazi ukuthi livelaphi, . . . wabiza umyeni, wathi kuye: Wonke umuntu ubeka iwayini elimnandi kuqala, kuthi lapho sebephuze kakhulu, akhiphe elibi kunalo; wena ugcinile elimnandi kuze kube-manje.” (Johane 2:9, 10) Yebo, “[iwayini] elimnandi” uJesu alenza kwakuyiwayini langempela.

Ngempela, abaholi benkolo abaqhoshayo osukwini lukaJesu bamgxeka ngokuphuza iwayini ngezikhathi ezithile. UJesu wathi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi ufikile engadli-sinkwa, engaphuziwayini; nithi-ke: Unedemoni. Ifikile iNdodana yomuntu, idla, iphuza, senithi: Bhekani, umuntu oyisiminzi nesiphuzi.” (Luka 7:33, 34) Wawuyoba yini umehluko phakathi kokuphuza kukaJesu nokungaphuzi kukaJohane ukuba uJesu wayemane ephuza amanzi amagilebhisi angadaki? Khumbula, kwathiwa uJohane wayengasoze “aphuza iwayini nophuzo oludakisayo.”—Luka 1:15.

Ngokusobala, uJesu akazange akulahle ukuphuza uphuzo oludakayo ngokulinganisela. Osukwini lwakhe ukuphuza iwayini kwakuyingxenye yokugubha iPhasika.a Futhi iwayini langempela laqhubeka liyingxenye yeSidlo seNkosi Sakusihlwa, esathatha indawo yePhasika.

Ukwahlulela Kudingekile

Ngakho iBhayibheli alikwenqabeli ukuphuza iziphuzo ezidakayo. Ezimweni eziningi, ukuphuza uphuzo olunamandla noma ukungaluphuzi kuyindaba yesinqumo somuntu siqu. Nokho iBhayibheli likulahla ngokunamandla ukudakwa, kanye nokuminza: “Ungabi-phakathi kwezinseli zewayini nabayiziminzi zenyama. Ngokuba inseli noyisiminzi bayakuba-mpofu.” (IzAga 23:20, 21) Ngakho, bonke kumelwe babonise ukulinganisela nokuzithiba. “Ningadakwa yiwayini, kuvela kulo umhumheko, kodwa nigcwaliswe ngoMoya.” Khumbula, ukuzithiba kungesinye sezithelo zomoya kaNkulunkulu.—Efesu 5:18; Galathiya 5:19-23.

Ngempela, akudingekile ukuba umuntu adakwe ukuze angene ezinkingeni zotshwala. Incwajana eyakhishwa yiU.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse iyasikhumbuza: “Lapho umuntu ephuza, ialcohol imuncwa yisimiso sokugaywa kokudla iye emithanjeni yegazi futhi ifinyelele ebuchosheni ngokushesha. Iqala ukukhubaza izingxenye zobuchopho ezilawula ukucabanga nomzwelo. Umuntu uzizwa engenamingcele, ekhululeke ngokwengeziwe.” Lomuzwa ‘wokungabi namingcele’ ungenza umuntu abe yisisulu sezingozi zokuziphatha.

Enye ingozi iba lapho kuziwa ekushayeleni. Ngokokulinganisa okuthile, eUnited States kuphela kufa abantu abayizi-25 000 ngonyaka ezingozini ezibangelwa abashayeli abadakiwe. Ngokusobala, abaningi abayiqapheli ngempela indlela utshwala obuphazamisa ngayo kakhulu amandla okubona. Kodwa amaKristu abheka ukuphila njengesipho esivela kuJehova. (IHubo 36:9) Ingabe kungaba okuvumelanayo nalombono ngomuntu ukufaka ukuphila kwakhe engozini, nokwabanye, ngokushayela lapho amandla okubona ephazanyiswe utshwala? Ngakho, amaKristu amaningi aye anquma ukungabuthinti kwanhlobo utshwala lapho kumelwe ashayele.

UmKristu ukhathalela futhi umphumela wokuphuza kwakhe kwabanye. Akungabazeki ukuthi kungakho ababonisi abangamaKristu, izinceku ezikhonzayo, nabesifazane abadala bonke benxuswa ukuba banganaki “kakhulu iwayini.” (1 Thimothewu 3:2, 3, 8; Thithu 2:2, 3) Nakuba omunye umuntu ngokusobala engasheshi ukudakwa uphuzo oludakayo, uyaqaphela ukuba alinganisele ekuphuzeni kwakhe ukuze angathonyi kabi omunye umuntu; futhi akazami ukuphoqelela utshwala komunye ongafuni ukuphuza. IBhayibheli lithi futhi: “Kuhle ukungayidli inyama nokungaliphuzi iwayini noma okunye umzalwane wakho aqhuzuka ngakho.”—Roma 14:21.

Ezinye izimo zingase zidinge ngisho nokuyeka ukuphuza. Cabangela ukukhulelwa. I-International Herald Tribune (Inguqulo yaseParis) yacaphuna ukuhlola okwenziwa eUniversity of North Carolina (U.S.A.) futhi yabika ukuthi “ukuphuza kakhulu nje okukodwa lapho usanda kukhulelwa kungaphumela ekulimaleni okungathi sína ngokomzimba nangokwengqondo emntwaneni okhulayo.” Abesifazane kumelwe bazihlole ngokungathi sína izingozi ezinjalo zokuphuza ngesikhathi sokukhulelwa.

Labo abanomlando wokudakwa noma wokuthambekela ekubeni ngabangalinganiseli nabo bangakuthola kungcono kakhulu ukukuyeka ngokuphelele ukuphuza.b Ngokufanayo kungaba ngokungcono kakhulu ukugwema ukuphuza lapho kukhona umuntu ongumlutha wotshwala noma onembeza wakhe uyakulahla ukuphuza. Futhi ukuphuza uphuzo oludakayo ngaphambi kwemihlangano yobuKristu noma lapho sihlanganyela emsebenzini wokushumayela obala kuyoba okungafanelekile. AmaLevi asendulo abeka isibonelo salokhu ngokukugwema lapho esemsebenzini ethempelini.—Levitikusi 10:8-10.

Okokugcina, kumelwe kuhlonishwe imithetho yezwe. Kwamanye amazwe utshwala benqatshelwe ngokuphelele. Kwamanye, kungokwabantu abadala asebedlule eminyakeni ethile. UmKristu uyayilalela imithetho enjalo ‘yamandla ombuso.’—Roma 13:1.

Yebo, ukuthi uphuzo oludakayo uzoluphuza noma cha noma uzophuza oluningi kangakanani noma oluncane kangakanani kuyizinqumo zomuntu siqu. UNkulunkulu uyakhazinyuliswa lapho sisebenzisa ukuqonda futhi ngenjabulo sikhetha inkambo yokulinganisela. Khona-ke, landela lenkambo yokuhlakanipha ukuze kuthi “noma nidla, noma niphuza, noma nenzani,” ‘konke nikwenzele udumo lukaNkulunkulu.’—1 Korinte 10:31.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

UmKristu angase anqume ukuyeka ukuphuza uphuzo oludakayo ngenxa kanembeza womunye