UThithu Usukela Isabelo Esilukhuni

“KUTHITHU, umntanami ngempela ngokokukholwa esikuhlanganyele sonke.” Lamazwi kumelwe ukuba afudumalisa inhliziyo kaThithu njengoba ayeqala ukufunda incwadi yesabelo eyayithunyelwe umphostoli uPawulu. Wayeshiywe eKrethe ukuba akhonze njengombonisi ojikelezayo, ehambela amabandla ahlukahlukene. UThithu wayebubonakalisile ‘ubuqotho’ bakhe ngakho wayeyifanelekela imithwalo yemfanelo ayethweswe yona.—Thithu 1:4.

Eminyakeni eyi-12 noma engaphezulu ngaphambili, uPawulu wayeye noThithu eJerusalema. Ngokungangabazeki lomKristu ‘weqiniso’ ongasokiwe ongumGreki wayekhona lapho abaphostoli namadoda amadala befinyelela iziphetho eziqondile ngempikiswano yokusoka. Ngemva kokucabangela ubufakazi obuningi, banquma ukuthi kwakungadingekile ngamaKristu angabeZizwe, njengoThithu, ukuba basoke futhi bagcine zonke izimfuneko zoMthetho kaMose. Yeka okuhlangenwe nakho okuqinisa ukholo ukuba kulowomhlangano odumileyo!—IzEnzo 15:1-29; Galathiya 2:1-3.

Nokho eKrethe kwakunabantu ababesebandleni abaqhubeka benga“bokusoka.” Baphikisana nendikimba ebusayo eJerusalema. Esikhundleni sokugcina imibono enjalo ngasese, labantu “abangalaleliyo” babefundisa ukuthi ukusoka kwakudingekile ukuze umuntu asindiswe. Okubi kakhulu, laba “abakhuluma ize” basekela “izinganekwane zabaJuda” nemithetho engatholakali eMthethweni kaMose. Laba “abakhohlisayo” babephula ukholo ‘lwayo yonke indlu.’ Amabandla aseKrethe ayesongelwa uqhekeko.—Thithu 1:10, 11, 14.

Okunye ukusongela kwakuyindawo eyayidume kabi kakhulu amaKristu aseKrethe ayevele kuyo. Umprofethi waseKrethe wavuma: “AbaseKrethe bangabaqambimanga njalo, izilwane ezimbi, iziminzi ezivilaphayo.” Njengoba lesisisho sabonisa, abaseKrethe babenjengezilwane ezilimazayo futhi ezibulalayo; babejatshuliswa ukonakalisa idumela labanye ngokuhleba okungamanga. Izici ezinjalo ezimbi zase zingene ngokunyelela emabandleni obuKristu eKrethe.—Thithu 1:12; 3:2.

Encwadini yakhe, uPawulu ubonisa ngokukhanyayo indlela lezinkinga okwakumelwe zisingathwe ngayo. UThithu wayezogcwalisa izidingo ezimbili ezibalulekile: “Ngakushiya eKrethe ngenxa yalokhu [1] ukuba uhlele okusaseleyo, [2] umise amalungu emizini yonke, njengokuba ngakuyala.”—Thithu 1:5.

Ukuhlela Okusaseleyo

Lesi kwakuyisabelo esinzima. Naphezu kwabantu ababekhathaza, uThithu kwakumelwe amelele iqiniso, a“bambelele ezwini elithembekileyo.” Abanye babeyomdelela, bebekela igunya lakhe inselele. Kodwa uThithu wayenokusekelwa kwasezulwini. Wayengakhomba encwadini yesabelo, ngokuthi: “Khuluma lokho, uyale, ukhuze ngamandla onke. Ungadelelwamuntu.”—Thithu 1:9; 2:15.

Kuthiwani uma omunye ekwenqaba ukusolwa, efuna ukuzwelwa abanye ebandleni? Abantu abanjalo babeyo’lulekwa kanye noma kabili’ ngomusa. Uma lokho kwehluleka, uThithu wayalwa: “Male.” Lokho kusho ukuthi wayezokhishwa ebandleni, noma asuswe ekuhlanganyeleni.—Thithu 3:10, 11.

Ngenxa yomoya wokunganaki, amanye amaKristu aseKrethe awasishayanga mkhuba lesiseluleko. UThithu kwakumelwe ‘abayalisise njalo.’ Ngisho nabazalwane asebekhulile babedinga ukukhunjuzwa ukuba babe ‘ngabazithibayo, abazothileyo.’—Thithu 1:13; 2:2.

Ukumiswa Kwababonisi

Amabandla aseKrethe ayenesidingo sokuphatha okuhle. Ingabe uThithu kwakumelwe akhethe ilungu elinethonya elikhulu futhi aligcobe njengo“mpristi” phezu kwebandla? Qha, wayeyalezwe ukuba amise “amalungu [amadoda amadala] emizini yonke.” Lokho kusho ukuthi wayezonakekela ukuba indikimba yabadala imiswe ukuze yengamele imisebenzi yebandla.—Thithu 1:5.

UPawulu ubala izimfuneko eziningana zokumqondisa ekukhetheni lababonisi. Zigxila ekuziphatheni. Imfanelo yokuqala yayiwukuthi indoda kumelwe ibe ‘engasolekiyo.’ Nakuba imfundo ephakeme yayingadingeki, lamadoda kwakumelwe azi futhi anamathele ngokuqinile ‘ezwini’ likaNkulunkulu uma efundisa futhi ‘esola abaphikayo.’ Lezizimfuneko zibaluleke ngokufanayo uma sicabangela amadoda asezikhundleni zokuphatha namuhla. Njengoba, ngokwesibonelo, uPawulu abhala: ‘Umbonisi kumelwe abe . . . othembekileyo.’ Ukwethembeka okunjalo kuboniswa ‘ngokubambelela ezwini elithembekileyo’ njengoba lichazwa ezincwadini zenhlangano kaJehova yobuKristu namuhla.—Thithu 1:6-9.

Kwakunezinye izindaba ezibalulekile futhi cishe kwakudingeka “aqinise impela ngalezozinto.” (Thithu 3:8) Lezi zingahlukaniselwa ezigabeni ezine—izifiso, inkulumo, imisebenzi nombono.

Ukubheka Izifiso Ezifanelekile

Encwadini yakhe kuThithu uPawulu ubhekisela kabili “ethembeni lokuphila okuphakade.” Singabeka izinhliziyo zethu kulelithemba ngokuqinile ngoba “uNkulunkulu ongaqambi amanga” ukwethembisile. (Thithu 1:2; 3:7) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, yeka ukuthi kungokuphambene kanjani nokuthi kuyingozi kanjani ukuvumela “izinkanuko zezwe” ziminyanise le“themba elibusisiweyo,” elihlangene “nokuvela kwenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu omkhulu noMsindisi wethu uJesu Kristu.”—Thithu 2:11-14.

Lokhu “kuvela kwenkazimulo” kaNkulunkulu ngoMsindisi wethu, uKristu Jesu, kuseduze kakhulu. Okuhlobene kakhulu nalokhu kuvela kuyoba ukubhujiswa kwaso sonke isimiso esibi nabo bonke abaye bagxilisa ukuphila kwabo ezintweni zezwe ezibonakalayo nasezinkanukweni. Ngakho-ke, yeka ukuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ngathi ukuba sisiphule ezinhliziyweni zethu, yebo, “sidele . . . nezinkanuko zezwe, sihambe . . . ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu kulesisikhathi samanje”!—Thithu 2:11-14.

Masiqaphele Inkulumo Yethu

“Abakhuluma ize,” “abakhohlisayo,” ‘amaphikankani,’ ‘abahlambalazi’ ‘nemibuzo yobuwula’—lamazwi ambula ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kolimi kwakonakele esiqhingini saseKrethe. Kwakudingekile ngoThithu ukuba axwayise abesifazane abadala ukuba “bangabi ngabahlebi.” Iseluleko esifanayo siyadingeka namuhla.—Thithu 1:10, 12; 2:3, 9; 3:2, 9.

Ngokwesibonelo, kwelinye ibandla udade osekhulile, nakuba ayekhuthele enkonzweni yasensimini, wayethambekele ukukhuluma kabi ngabantwana bakhe asebekhulile nabazinikezele nangendoda yakhe engakholwayo. Ngaphandle kokumusho ngegama, kwadingeka ukuba omunye wabadala anikeze inkulumo ebandleni ngalendaba. Empeleni, ingabe sinalo ilungelo lokukhuluma kabi nganoma imuphi umuntu? Incwadi kaPawulu ephefumlelwe kuThithu iyaphendula: “Bangahlambalazimuntu.” Kunalokho, amaKristu kumelwe agxile ekusebenziseni ‘ukukhuluma okuqondileyo okungasolekiyo.’—Thithu 3:2; 2:8.

Imisebenzi Ethokozisa UNkulunkulu

“Bavuma ukuthi bayamazi uNkulunkulu, kepha bayamphika ngemisebenzi yabo.” (Thithu 1:16) Abantu ababekhathaza emabandleni aseKrethe bafanelwa kahle yilencazelo. Izikhathi ezine uPawulu ugcizelela isidingo se”misebenzi emihle,” ukuze aveze umehluko. (Thithu 2:7, 14; 3:8, 14) Ngokubeka isibonelo emisebenzini emihle, uPawulu wabhekisela “entshumayelweni engayiphathiswayo.” (Thithu 1:3) UJesu waphathisa bonke abalandeli bakhe lomsebenzi obalulekile; ngakho kumelwe ube ophezulu ohidini lwethu lwe”misebenzi emihle” evamile.—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

Okuhlanganisiwe futhi ‘emisebenzini emihle’ kwakuyoba imizamo yobaba ukuba bakhulise “abantwana abakholwayo.” Ngabafazi, kwakuyohlanganisa ukuba “abaphatha kahle amakhaya, . . . abathobela amadoda abo ukuba izwi likaNkulunkulu lingahlanjalazwa.” Labo abasebenza emisebenzini yokuziphilisa, nakuba bengekho ebugqilini, babeyosebenzisa isimiso esikuThithu 2:9, 10 ngokulalela abaqashi babo ngenhlonipho. AmaKristu ngokufanayo kufuneka ‘atho bele ababusi neziphathimandla,’ nokuba ‘alungele imisebenzi yonke emihle.’—Thithu 1:6; 2:5; 3:1.

Ukulondoloza Umbono Oqondile

AmaKristu aseKrethe ayedinga ukulondoloza umbono oqondile mayelana nezoni zezwe, angazihlambalazi kodwa ‘abonakalise ubumnene obukhulu kubantu bonke.’ Sidinga ukwenza okufanayo namuhla. Ngaphandle kwalokho, imizamo yethu yokubasiza ukuba bamukele isigijimi soMbuso iyokwehluleka. Futhi, njengaseKrethe yasendulo, sidinga ukuqaphela abangane bethu. Kungayiphi enye indlela esingalalela ngayo umyalo wokuba “sidele ukungakholwa nezinkanuko zezwe, sihambe . . . ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu kulesisikhathi samanje”?—Thithu 3:2; 2:12.

“Ngokuba nathi kade sasiyiziwula, abangalaleliyo, abadukiswayo,” kusho umphostoli uPawulu. Ingabe uJehova wayebophekile ukuba asisindise kulesisimo sokona? Qha, ‘kwakungengamisebenzi yokulunga esayenzayo thina kepha ngokwesihawu sakhe wasisindisa.’ Ngokuba nokholo egazini likaKristu elathululwa, amaKristu athola ukuthethelelwa izono ezidlule futhi amukela ‘ithemba lokuphila okuphakade’ elimangalisayo. Lowo kuwu‘musa ongasifanele’ obabazekayo nesizathu esiqinile sokugwema izifiso ezimbi futhi sibe nenkulumo eyakhayo, imisebenzi emihle nesimo somusa komakhelwane bethu.—Thithu 3:3-7.

Yeka ukuthi uThithu kumelwe ukuba wabonga kanjani ngalolusizo lothando esabelweni sakhe esinzima! Ngokungangabazeki wayifunda ngokuphindaphindiwe incwadi kaPawulu izikhathi eziningi, ngokuvamile ecaphuna kuyo lapho efundisa nalapho enikeza iseluleko. Izigidi namuhla zisebenzisa lencwadi ephefumlelwe ngokufanayo ngokwenzuzo enkulu yazo neyabanye. Ekuqukethe ngempela kuhle futhi kunenzuzo.