Yini Engasisiza Siphathe Iqiniso Ngokufanele?

UMHLAZIYI wemidlalo yaseshashalazini welinye iphephandaba wake wayobukela umdlalo othile. Akawuthandanga kangako futhi kamuva wabhala: “Uma ufuna ukuyobona izinto eziyize, impela hamba uyowubukela lo mdlalo.” Kamuva, abagqugquzeli balo mdlalo bakhipha isikhangiso esasicaphuna amazwi alo mhlaziyi. Ayethi: “Impela hamba uyowubukela lo mdlalo”! Isikhangiso sasiwacaphune njengoba enjalo amazwi omhlaziyi, kodwa sasiwakhiphile emongweni wawo ngaleyo ndlela sawuhlanekezela ngokuphelele umbono wakhe.

Leso sibonelo sibonisa indlela ongabaluleka ngayo umongo wamazwi. Ukukhipha amazwi emongweni wawo kungayihlanekezela incazelo yawo, njengoba uSathane ahlanekezela incazelo yemiBhalo lapho ezama ukudukisa uJesu. (Mathewu 4:1-11) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukuhlola umongo wamazwi kusisiza sikuqonde ngokunembe kakhudlwana lokho akushoyo. Ngenxa yalokhu, lapho sitadisha ivesi leBhayibheli, kuwukuhlakanipha njalo ukubheka umongo ukuze sikuqonde kangcono lokho okwakushiwo umlobi.

Liphathe Ngokucophelela

Umongo uchazwa ngokuthi ingxenye yamazwi alotshiwe noma akhulunyiwe eyandulela noma elandela igama noma indima ethile, ngokuvamile ithonye incazelo yalo noma ukusebenza kwalo. Umongo ungaba nayizimo noma amaqiniso aphathelene nesenzakalo, isimo, njll. Ngalo mqondo, igama elinomqondo-munye nelithi “umongo” kungaba elithi “isizinda.” Ukuhlola umongo wombhalo kubaluleke kakhulu uma sicabangela lokho umphostoli uPawulu akubhalela uThimothewu: “Yenza konke okusemandleni akho ukuba uzinikele wamukeleka kuNkulunkulu, isisebenzi esingenamahloni ngalutho, esiphatha izwi leqiniso ngokufanele.” (2 Thimothewu 2:15) Ukuze siliphathe ngokufanele iZwi likaNkulunkulu, kudingeka siliqonde kahle bese silichaza ngokwethembeka nangokunembile kwabanye. Ukuhlonipha uJehova, uMlobi weBhayibheli, kuyosishukumisela ukuba sizame ukwenza kanjalo, futhi ukuhlola umongo kuyosisiza kakhulu.

Isizinda SikaThimothewu Wesibili

Ngokwesibonelo, ake sihlole incwadi yeBhayibheli kaThimothewu Wesibili.a Singaqala ukuhlola kwethu ngokuzibuza ngesizinda sale ncwadi. Ubani owabhala uThimothewu Wesibili? Nini? Kuziphi izimo? Singabe sesizibuza, Wayekusiphi isimo lo “Thimothewu” osesihlokweni sale ncwadi? Kungani ayedinga ukwaziswa okukuyo? Izimpendulo zale mibuzo ziyokujulisa kakhulu ukwazisa kwethu le ncwadi futhi kusisize sibone indlela esingazuza ngayo kuyo namuhla.

Amavesi okuqala kaThimothewu Wesibili abonisa ukuthi le ncwadi yabhalwa umphostoli uPawulu eyibhalela uThimothewu. Amanye amavesi abonisa ukuthi lapho uPawulu eyibhala, wayeboshelwe izindaba ezinhle. Njengoba abaningi babemshiyile, uPawulu waba nomuzwa wokuthi wayesezokufa. (2 Thimothewu 1:15, 16; 2:8-10; 4:6-8) Ngakho, kumelwe ukuthi le ncwadi wayibhala ngesikhathi eboshwe okwesibili eRoma, cishe ngo-65 C.E. Kubonakala sengathi ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho uNero wamgwebela ukufa.

Yileso isizinda sikaThimothewu Wesibili. Nokho, kuyaphawuleka ukuthi uPawulu akambhalelanga uThimothewu ukuze abalise ngezinkinga zakhe. Kunalokho, waxwayisa ngezikhathi ezinzima uThimothewu ayezobhekana nazo futhi wakhuthaza lo mngane wakhe ukuba agweme iziphazamiso, aqhubeke ‘ezuza amandla,’ futhi adlulisele iziyalezo zikaPawulu kwabanye. Labo nabo babezokuhlomela ngokugcwele ukusiza abanye. (2 Thimothewu 2:1-7) Yeka isibonelo esihle sokukhathalela abanye ngokungenabugovu ngisho nasezikhathini ezinzima! Yiseluleko esihle ngempela lesi kithi namuhla!

UPawulu ubiza uThimothewu ngokuthi “umntwana othandekayo.” (2 Thimothewu 1:2) Le nsizwa ivela kaningi emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki njengomngane kaPawulu othembekile. (IzEnzo 16:1-5; Roma 16:21; 1 Korinte 4:17) Kubonakala sengathi lapho uPawulu embhalela le ncwadi, uThimothewu wayesevile eminyakeni engu-30—esabhekwa njengosemusha. (1 Thimothewu 4:12) Nokho, kakade wayesenomlando omuhle wokwethembeka, mhlawumbe eseneminyaka engu-14 ‘ezigqilaza noPawulu.’ (Filipi 2:19-22) Naphezu kobusha bukaThimothewu, uPawulu wamphathisa umsebenzi wokweluleka abanye abadala ukuba “bangalwi ngamazwi” kodwa bagxile ezintweni ezibalulekile, njengokholo nokukhuthazela. (2 Thimothewu 2:14) UThimothewu wayegunyazwe nokuba amise ababonisi bamabandla nezinceku ezikhonzayo. (1 Thimothewu 5:22) Nokho, kungenzeka ukuthi wayethanda ukuba madolonzima ngokusebenzisa igunya lakhe.—2 Thimothewu 1:6, 7.

Lo mdala osemncane wayebhekene nezinselele ezinzima. Okokuqala, kwakunabantu ababili, uHimenewu noFiletu, ‘ababechitha ukholo lwabanye,’ befundisa ukuthi ‘uvuko lwase lwenzekile kakade.’ (2 Thimothewu 2:17, 18) Ngokusobala, babekholelwa ukuthi uvuko lungokomoya kuphela nokuthi lwase lwenzekile kumaKristu. Mhlawumbe babewacaphuna bawakhiphe emongweni amazwi kaPawulu athi amaKristu ayefile ezonweni zawo kodwa ayephilisiwe ngomoya kaNkulunkulu. (Efesu 2:1-6) UPawulu waxwayisa ngokuthi lalizokwanda ithonya elinjalo lezihlubuki. Wabhala: “Kuyokuba khona inkathi lapho bengayikuyibekezelela khona imfundiso ephilayo, . . . futhi bayofulathelisa izindlebe zabo eqinisweni, kuyilapho bephambukiselwa ezindabeni ezingamanga.” (2 Thimothewu 4:3, 4) Isixwayiso sikaPawulu esanikezwa kusengaphambili sasibonisa ukuthi kwakuphuthuma ukuba uThimothewu alalele iseluleko somphostoli.

Inzuzo Yale Ncwadi Namuhla

Kulokhu osekushiwo, siyabona ukuthi uPawulu wabhala ekaThimothewu Wesibili okungenani ngalezi zizathu ezilandelayo: (1) Wayazi ukuthi ukufa kwakhe kwase kuseduze, efuna ukulungiselela uThimothewu isikhathi lapho ayezobe engasekho khona ukuba amsekele. (2) Wayefisa ukuhlomisa uThimothewu ukuze avikele amabandla ayewengamele ekuhlubukeni nakwamanye amathonya alimazayo. (3) Wayefuna ukukhuthaza uThimothewu ukuba ahlale ematasa enkonzweni kaJehova futhi athembele olwazini olunembile lwemiBhalo ephefumulelwe ekumelaneni nezimfundiso zamanga.

Ukuqonda lesi sizinda kusenza simqonde kakhudlwana uThimothewu Wesibili. Nanamuhla, kukhona izihlubuki ezinjengoHimenewu noFiletu ezithuthukisa eyazo imibono futhi ezingathanda ukuchitha ukholo lwethu. Ngaphezu kwalokho “izikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo” uPawulu aprofetha ngazo sezifikile. Abaningi sebeye bakubona ukuba yiqiniso kwalesi sixwayiso sikaPawulu: “Bonke labo abafisa ukuphila ngokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kanye noKristu Jesu nabo futhi bayoshushiswa.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1, 12) Singama kanjani siqine? NjengoThimothewu, kudingeka silalele iseluleko salabo asebekhonze uJehova iminyaka eminingi. Futhi ngesifundo somuntu siqu, umthandazo nobudlelwane bobuKristu, ‘singaqhubeka sizuza amandla’ ngomusa kaJehova ongafanelwe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, siqiniseka ngamandla olwazi olunembile, singasilalela iseluleko sikaPawulu esithi: “Qhubeka ubambelele esibonelweni samazwi anempilo.”—2 Thimothewu 1:13.

‘Isibonelo Samazwi Anempilo’

Ayini la “mazwi anempilo” uPawulu ayekhuluma ngawo? Leyo nkulumo uyisebenzisela ukubhekisela emfundisweni yobuKristu eyiqiniso. Encwadini yakhe yokuqala kuThimothewu, uPawulu wachaza ukuthi ‘amazwi anempilo’ ngokuyisisekelo yilawo “eNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.” (1 Thimothewu 6:3) Ukulingisa isibonelo samazwi anempilo kwenza umuntu abe nengqondo ehluzekile, uthando futhi acabangele abanye. Njengoba inkonzo nezimfundiso zikaJesu kuvumelana nazo zonke ezinye izimfundiso ezitholakala kulo lonke iBhayibheli, inkulumo ethi “amazwi anempilo” ingabhekisela nakuzo zonke izimfundiso zeBhayibheli.

KuThimothewu, njengakubo bonke abadala abangamaKristu, isibonelo samazwi anempilo ‘sasingokuhle ayekuphathisiwe’ okwakudingeka akuqaphe. (2 Thimothewu 1:13, 14) UThimothewu kwakumelwe ‘ashumayele izwi, abe kulo enomuzwa wokuphuthuma ngenkathi evumayo, ngenkathi enzima, asole, akhuze, akhuthaze, ngakho konke ukubekezela nekhono lokufundisa.’ (2 Thimothewu 4:2) Lapho siqaphela ukuthi izimfundiso zokuhlubuka zazanda osukwini lukaThimothewu, singabona ukuthi kungani uPawulu agcizelela ukuphuthuma kokufundisa amazwi anempilo. Siyabona nokuthi uThimothewu kwakuyodingeka avikele umhlambi ‘ngokusola, ngokukhuza nangokukhuthaza’ ngokubekezela, esebenzisa ikhono elihle lokufundisa.

Kwakufanele alishumayele kubani izwi uThimothewu? Umongo usikisela ukuthi, njengomdala, uThimothewu wayeyoshumayela izwi ebandleni lobuKristu. Uma kucatshangelwa ukucindezela kwabaphikisi, uThimothewu kwakufanele aqhubeke egxilile ngokomoya futhi amemezele ngesibindi izwi likaNkulunkulu, hhayi amafilosofi abantu, imibono yakhe siqu, noma ukucabangela okungasizi. Yiqiniso, lokhu kwakungase kumenze aphikiswe abathile okungenzeka babethambekele ezintweni ezingafanele. (2 Thimothewu 1:6-8; 2:1-3, 23-26; 3:14, 15) Nokho, ngokulalela iseluleko sikaPawulu, uThimothewu wayeyoqhubeka ekuvimbile ukuhlubuka, njengoba noPawulu ngokwakhe ayenzile.—IzEnzo 20:25-32.

Ingabe amazwi kaPawulu mayelana nokushumayela izwi ayasebenza nasekushumayeleni ngaphandle kwebandla? Yebo, ayasebenza nakhona, njengoba umongo ubonisa. UPawulu uqhubeka athi: “Nokho, wena hlala usangulukile kuzo zonke izinto, ukhuthazele ngaphansi kokubi, wenze umsebenzi womvangeli, uyifeze ngokugcwele inkonzo yakho.” (2 Thimothewu 4:5) Ukuba umvangeli—ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle kwabangakholwa—kubalulekile enkonzweni yobuKristu. (Mathewu 24:14; 28:19, 20) Futhi njengoba nje izwi likaNkulunkulu lishunyayelwa ebandleni ngisho ‘nangenkathi enzima,’ ngakho siyaphikelela ekushumayeleni izwi kwabangaphandle kwebandla ngisho noma izimo zinzima.—1 Thesalonika 1:6.

IZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe liyisisekelo sako konke ukushumayela nokufundisa kwethu. Silethemba ngokuphelele iBhayibheli. UPawulu wathi kuThimothewu: “Yonke imiBhalo iphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu futhi inenzuzo yokufundisa, yokusola, yokuqondisa izinto, yokuyala ekulungeni.” (2 Thimothewu 3:16) Ngokuvamile lawo mazwi acashunwa kahle ukubonisa ukuthi iBhayibheli liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe. Kodwa uPawulu wayeqondeni lapho ewabhala?

UPawulu wayekhuluma nomdala onomthwalo wemfanelo ‘wokusola, aqondise izinto, ayale ekulungeni,’ ebandleni. Ngakho, wayekhumbuza uThimothewu ukuba akwethembe ukuhlakanipha kweZwi eliphefumulelwe, uThimothewu ayelifundiswe kusukela ebuntwaneni. NjengoThimothewu, abadala ngezinye izikhathi kumelwe basole abenzi bobubi. Lapho benza kanjalo, kufanele njalo balethembe iBhayibheli. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba imiBhalo iphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu, konke ukusola okusekelwe kuyo eqinisweni kuwukusola okuvela kuNkulunkulu. Noma ubani owenqaba ukusolwa okusekelwe eBhayibhelini akenqabi imibono yomuntu kodwa wenqaba iseluleko esiphefumulelwe esivela kuJehova ngokwakhe.

Yeka ukuthi incwadi kaThimothewu Wesibili ichichima kanjani ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu! Futhi iqondakala ngokwengeziwe ngempela uma sihlola umongo lapho sifunda iseluleko sayo! Kulesi sihloko, sikukhé phezulu nje ukwaziswa okumangalisayo nokuphefumulelwe okukule ncwadi, kodwa kwanele ukubonisa ukuthi kusiza kangakanani ukubheka umongo walokho esisuke sikufunda eBhayibhelini. Lokho kuyosisiza siqiniseke ukuthi ngempela ‘siliphatha ngokufanele izwi leqiniso.’

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UPawulu wayefisa ukuhlomisa uThimothewu ukuze avikele amabandla

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UPawulu wakhumbuza uThimothewu ukuba akwethembe ukuhlakanipha kweZwi eliphefumulelwe