Ama-Anabaptist ‘Nesibonelo Samazwi Aphilayo’

UMPHOSTOLI uPawulu waxwayisa ukuthi ngemva kokufa kwakhe, amaKristu ayizihlubuki, ‘anjengezimpisi ezihahayo,’ ayezongena emhlambini kaNkulunkulu futhi ayezofuna ‘ukuhunga abafundi ukubalandela.’ Ayezokwenza kanjani lokhu? Ngokungenisa amasiko nezimfundiso zamanga ukuze ahlanekezele iqiniso lemiBhalo.—IzEnzo 20:29, 30; 1 Thimothewu 4:1.

Ngalesizathu, uPawulu wakhuthaza insizwa uThimothewu: “Isibonelo samazwi aphilayo masibe-yilawo owawezwa kimi ngokukholwa nangothando olukuKristu Jesu; okuhle okubekiwe kuwe ukulonde ngoMoya oNgcwele ohlala kithi.” Sasiyini ‘lesibonelo samazwi aphilayo’?—2 Thimothewu 1:13, 14.

“Isibonelo” Siyamiswa

Zonke izincwadi zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki zaqedwa ngekhulu lokuqala leSikhathi sethu Esivamile. Nakuba zalotshwa abalobi abahlukene, umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, noma amandla ayisiphekupheku, waqinisekisa ukuthi zinokuvumelana hhayi kuphela phakathi kwazo kodwa futhi nemiBhalo yakuqala yesiHeberu. Ngalendlela, “isibonelo” semfundiso ehluzekile engokomBhalo sakhiwa futhi amaKristu kwakumelwe anamathele kuso, njengoba nje uJesu wayebe “isibonelo” sokuba asilandele.—1 Petru 2:21; Johane 16:12, 13.

Ngezikhathi zamakhulu eminyaka obumnyama obungokomoya ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli, kwenzekani ‘esibonelweni samazwi aphilayo’? Abantu abaningi abaqotho bazama ukusithola futhi, nakuba ukubuyiselwa okugcwele kwakumelwe kulinde “kuze kube-sesikhathini sokugcina.” (Daniyeli 12:4) Ngezinye izikhathi kwakuba yizwi loyedwa, futhi ngezikhathi ezithile kwakuyiqembu elincane labantu elalihlolisisa “isibonelo.”

Kubonakala sengathi amaWaldenses ayeyileyongcosana.a Ayehlala eFrance, eItaly, nakwezinye izindawo zaseYurophu phakathi nekhulu le-12 kuya kwele-14. Kamuva kulenhlangano kwavela ama-Anabaptist. Ayengobani, futhi yini ayeyikholelwa?

Izimfundiso Eziyisisekelo

Ama-Anabaptist aba ngavelele okokuqala cishe ngonyaka ka-1525, eZurich, eSwitzerland. Izinkolelo zawo zasakazeka ngokushesha kusukela kulelodolobha kuya ezingxenyeni eziningi zeYurophu. INguquko yokuqala kwekhulu le-16 yayenze izinguquko ezithile, kodwa ngokubona kwama-Anabaptist, yayingafinyelelanga izinga elanelisayo.

Esifisweni sawo sokubuyela ezimfundisweni zobuKristu zekhulu lokuqala, enqaba okuningi kwemfundiso yamaRoma Katolika kunoMartin Luther nabanye abagqugquzeli benguquko. Ngokwesibonelo, ama-Anabaptist agcina isimiso sokuthi kungaba nokuzinikezela komuntu omdala kuphela kuKristu. Ngenxa yomkhuba wawo wokubhapathiza abantu abadala, ngisho nangomuntu owabhapathizwa esemncane, anikwa igama elithi “ama-Anabaptist,” elisho ukuthi “abaphinda babhapathize.”—Mathewu 28:19; IzEnzo 2:41; 8:12; 10:44-48.

“Kuma-Anabaptist iSonto langempela laliyinhlangano yabantu abakholwayo,” kubhala uDr. R. J. Smithson encwadini yakhe iThe Anabaptists—Their Contribution to Our Protestant Heritage. Ngenxa yalokho, azibheka njengenhlangano yamakholwa esemphakathini omkhulu futhi ekuqaleni ayengenaye umfundisi oqeqeshwe ngokukhethekile, noma okhokhelwayo. Njengabafundi bakaJesu, ayengabashumayeli abajikelezayo ababehambela amadolobha namadolobhana, ekhuluma nabantu ezimakethe, emashabhu, nasemakhaya.—Mathewu 9:35; 10:5-7, 11-13; Luka 10:1-3.

Umuntu ngamunye ongumAnabaptist wayebhekwa njengokumelwe alandise ngokwakhe kuNkulunkulu, ojabulela inkululeko yokwenza akuthandayo futhi obonisa ukholo lwakhe ngemisebenzi, nokho aqaphele ukuthi insindiso ayifikanga ngemisebenzi kuphela. Uma othile enza ngokuphambene nokholo, wayengaxoshwa ebandleni. Ukubuyiselwa kwakulandela kuphela ubufakazi bokuphenduka okufanelekile.—1 Korinte 5:11-13; qhathanisa neyesi-2 Korinte 12:21.

Umbono Wawo Ngezwe

Ama-Anabaptist aqaphela ukuthi akanakuliguqula izwe. Nakuba iSonto laba elivunana noMbuso kusukela ngesikhathi sombusi wamaRoma uConstantine ekhulwini lesine C.E., kuwo lokhu kwakungasho ukuthi uMbuso ungowobuKristu. Ngokwalokho uJesu akusho, ayazi ukuthi umKristu kwakumelwe ‘angabi owezwe,’ ngisho noma lokhu kwakuholela ekushushisweni.—Johane 17:15, 16; 18:36.

Lapho kungekho ukungqubuzana phakathi kukanembeza wobuKristu nezithakazelo ezingokwezwe, ama-Anabaptist avuma ukuthi uMbuso kumelwe uhlonishwe futhi ulalelwe. Kodwa ilungu lama-Anabaptist lalingeke lihileleke kwezombangazwe, libe nesikhundla kuhulumeni, libe yimantshi, noma lifunge izifungo. Lenqaba zonke izimo zobudlova namandla, lalingeke futhi libe nengxenye empini noma emisebenzini yezempi.—Marku 12:17; IzEnzo 5:29; Roma 13:1-7; 2 Korinte 10:3, 4.

Ama-Anabaptist agcina indinganiso ephakeme yokuziphatha ngokuphila okulula, ngokuyisisekelo okukhululekile ezintweni ezibonakalayo nasezinkanukweni. Ngenxa yothando lwawo komunye nomunye, ngokuvamile amisa izakhiwo, nakuba amaningi awo enqaba ukuphila kukawonk’uwonke njengendlela yokuphila. Nokho, ngesizathu sokuthi konke kungokukaNkulunkulu ayekulungele ngaso sonke isikhathi ukusebenzisa izinto ezibonakalayo anazo ekusizeni abampofu.—IzEnzo 2:42-45.

Ngokutadishisisa iBhayibheli, ikakhulukazi imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, ama-Anabaptist athile enqaba ukwamukela imfundiso kaZiqu-Zintathu yabantu abathathu kuNkulunkulu oyedwa, njengoba eminye yemibhalo yawo ibonisa. Indlela yawo yokukhulekela ngokuvamile yayilula, iSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa sithathwa njengesikhethekile. Enqaba imibono yamasiko yamaRoma Katolika, yamaLuthela, neyabalandeli bakaCalvin, abheka lesisenzo njengokugujwa kwesikhumbuzo sokufa kukaJesu. “Kuwo,” kubhala uR. J. Smithson, “kwakuyisenzo esihlonipheke kakhulu umKristu angahlanganyela kuso, esihilela ukuvuselelwa kwesivumelwano sekholwa sokunikela ukuphila kwalo ngokungagodli enkonzweni kaKristu.”

Ukushushiswa—Nangemva Kwakho

Ama-Anabaptist aqondwa kabi, njengoba kwakunjalo ngamaKristu akuqala. Njengawo, ayebhekwa njengabaphazamisa ukuhleleka okumisiwe komphakathi, ‘eyaluzisa izwe lonke.’ (IzEnzo 17:6) EZurich, eSwitzerland, iziphathimandla, zihlangane nomgqugquzeli wenguquko uHuldrych Zwingli, zaphikisana nama-Anabaptist ikakhulukazi ngokwenqaba kwawo ukubhapathiza abantwana. Ngo-1527 baminzisa ngonya uFelix Manz; omunye wabaholi bama-Anabaptist, futhi bashushisa ama-Anabaptist aseSwitzerland kabuhlungu kangangokuba acishe aqothulwa.

EJalimane ama-Anabaptist ashushiswa kabuhlungu kokubili ngamaKatolika nangamaProthestani. Igunya elingokomthetho, elakhishwa ngonyaka ka-1528, lakhipha isigwebo sokufa nganoma ubani oba ngumAnabaptist—futhi lokho kwenziwa ngaphandle kwanoma yikuphi ukuthethwa kwecala. Ukushushiswa eAustria kwabangela ama-Anabaptist amaningi alapho ukuba abalekele eMoravia, eBohemia, nasePoland, futhi kamuva eHungary naseRussia.

Ngokufa kwabaholi bokuqala abaningi kangaka, kwakungenakuvinjewa ukuba ababenemiqondo engafani neyabo bavelele. Baletha ukuntengantenga okwaholela ekudidekeni okukhulu futhi kwalandelwa ukusuka ezindinganisweni ezaziphawule izinsuku zokuqala. Lokhu kwaba sobala ngokudabukisayo ngonyaka ka-1534, lapho abantu abanjalo bethatha ngenkani umbuso kakopeletsheni waseMünster, eWestphalia. Ngonyaka olandelayo idolobha lathunjwa futhi ngokuchithwa kwegazi nokuhlushwa okukhulu. Lesisenzo sasingavumelani nemfundiso yama-Anabaptist eqiniso futhi sabaphuca kakhulu inhlonipho yabo. Abanye abalandeli bafuna ukuyeka igama lokuthi ama-Anabaptist bethanda igama lokuthi “amaBaptist.” Kodwa kungakhathaliseki igama abalikhetha, babelokhu beyizisulu zokuphikiswa futhi ikakhulukazi zeBandla LamaKatolika Lokuhlola Amacala Ezihlubuki.

Ekugcineni, amaqembu ama-Anabaptist athutha ehamba efuna inkululeko enkudlwana nokuthula. Namuhla, siwathola eNyakatho naseNingizimu-Melika, kuhlanganise naseYurophu. Amahlelo amaningi enkolo aye athonywa izimfundiso zawo zokuqala, kuhlanganise namaQuaker, amaBaptist osuku lwethu, nelaBazalwane lasePlymouth. AmaQuaker, ahlanganyela inzondo yama-Anabaptist ngempi nomqondo wokuqondiswa ‘ukukhanya kwangaphakathi.’

Ukusinda kwama-Anabaptist kubonakala ngokucace kakhulu namuhla emaqenjini amabili. Elokuqala uBuzalwane bukaHutter, elaqanjwa ngomholi walo wekhulu le-16, uJacob Hutter. Basungula izakhiwo zomphakathi eNgilandi, eNtshonalanga Canada, eParaguay, naseNingizimu Dakota eUnited States. Elinye iqembu elamaMennonite. Athatha igama lawo kuMenno Simons, owenza okuningi ukuze asule irekhodi elibi elashiywa eNetherlands ngemva kwendaba yaseMünster. USimons wafa ngo-1561. Namuhla, amaMennonites atholakala eYurophu naseNyakatho-Melika, kanye nama-Amish Mennonites.

“Isibonelo” Namuhla

Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi ama-Anabaptist afuna “isibonelo samazwi aphilayo,” awaphumelelanga ukusithola. Ngaphezu kwalokho, encwadini yakhe ethi A History of Christianity, uK. S. Latourette uyaphawula: “Noma ekuqaleni ayeshiseka ebuvangelini, ukushushiswa kwabangela amaningi awo ukuba ahoxe futhi azandise ngozalo esikhundleni sokuphenduka.” Futhi kunjalo ngisho namanje ngalawomaqembu amancane anomkhondo wenhlangano yama-Anabaptist. Isifiso sawo sokuzihlukanisa nezwe nezindlela zalo siye sawaholela ukuba agcine izindlela eziwahlukanisayo zokugqoka, ezikhuthazwa ukuphila kwabo okuhlukile emphakathini.

Ngakho-ke, ingabe “isibonelo samazwi aphilayo” singatholakala ngempela namuhla? Yebo, kodwa kudinga isikhathi nothando ngeqiniso ukusithola. Kungani ungahloli ukuze ubone ukuthi lokho okukholelwayo kuyahambisana ‘nesibonelo’ esembulwe ngokwaphezulu? Kulula ukubona lokho okuyisiko elenziwe umuntu nalokho okuyiqiniso elingokomBhalo. OFakazi BakaJehova endaweni yakini bayokujabulela ukukusiza, ngoba nabo ngokwabo bayayazisa indlela abaye basizwa ngayo ukuba baqonde “isibonelo samazwi aphilayo.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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OFakazi BakaJehova basiza abaningi ukuba baqonde “isibonelo samazwi aphilayo”