Ukumelana Komphostoli Nokuhlubuka

Ukuze uzuze ngokugcwele kulesihloko, sikukhuthaza ukuba ufunde incwadi yeBhayibheli eyaziwa ngokuthi uJohane wokuQala inamakhasi ambalwa.

NGASEKUPHELENI kweminyaka yekhulu lokuqala leSikhathi sethu Esivamile, ingozi engathi sína engumshoshaphansi yasongela ibandla lobuKristu lakuqala. Ingabe kwakuwukushushiswa okuvela kwabangaphandle komphakathi wobuKristu? Cha, ingozi eyinhloko yayivela ngaphakathi. Isitha esinyenyayo kwakuwukuhlubuka.

Ngonyaka ka-98 C.E. omunye wabaphostoli wasala ukuze abe isivikelo sokugcina ngokumelene nalokho kamuva okwakuyobonakala kuyizikhukhula ezinkulu zezimfundiso zamanga nokuhlehla kwezinkolo nakwezombangazwe. Wayengumphostoli uJohane owayesekhulile, indodana kaZebedewu nomfowabo womphostoli uJakobe, owabulawelwa ukholo eminyakeni ethile engama-54 ngaphambili. Njengensizwa, uJohane wayekhonza kanye noJesu ngesikhathi senkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni emfushane. Mhlawumbe ngenxa yobuntu bukaJohane obunamandla uJesu wambiza ngokuthi; ‘iNdodana Yokuduma.’ Manje njengoba esekhulile, wabhala incwadi enamandla yesixwayiso neseluleko emabandleni obuKristu. Akushoyo kusabalulekile nakithina namuhla.—Marku 3:17; Luka 9:51-56.

UJohane wayazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi ukuhlubuka kwakunyenya phakathi kwayekholwa kanye nabo. Umphostoli uPawulu wayekubikezele ngaphambili ukuwa okunjalo. Ngokungagunciyo uJohane wadalula abakhohlisi, lapho ethi: “Nakalokhu sekukhona abaphikukristu abaningi; ngalokho siyazi ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokugcina. Baphuma kithi, kodwa babengesibo abakithi; ngokuba uma bebengabakithi, bebeyakuhlala nathi.” Iqiniso lokuthi uJohane ukhuluma nga“baphikukristu” ngobuningi libonisa ukuthi ukuhlubuka kwakungalinganiselwe nje kumuntu oyedwa, kodwa kwakuhilela abaningi abawuphika umbono kaKristu njengoba uvezwe emiBhalweni.—1 Johane 2:18, 19.

Babengobani labobaphikukristu? Futhi babezama kanjani ukukhohlisa ababekholwa kanye nabo? UJohane akagodli-mazwi ekudaluleni izihlubuki ezingabaphikukristu. Ubahlasela ngezihloko ezintathu: (1) Baphika ukuthi uKristu weza ngenyama, (2) baphika ukuthi uJesu wayenguKristu neNdodana kaNkulunkulu nokuthi (3) bona ngokwabo babeyizoni.

Ingabe UKristu Weza Ngenyama?

Kodwa ungase ubuze: ‘Amanye amakholwa angaphika kanjani ukuthi uJesu Kristu weza ngenyama?’ Ngokusobala ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yekhulu lokuqala amanye amaKristu ayethonywe ulwazi olunzulu lwamaGreki, kuhlanganise nobu‘Gnosticism.’ Lezihlubuki zazinombono wokuthi yonke into ebonakala ngamehlo yayiyimbi, kuhlanganise nomzimba wenyama. Kanjalo-ke, kubaphikukristu abayizihlubuki, uJesu wayengazange eze ngenyama enobubi, kodwa kunalokho, njengomoya. UJohane ubonisa ngokukhanyayo ukuthi akanayo ingxenye emibonweni enjalo engokwenkolo eyayiphika amandla omhlatshelo wesihlengo kaKristu. Kanjalo ubhala ngo“Jesu Kristu, olungileyo;” owayeyi“nhlawulo ngezono zethu, kungengezethu zodwa nangezezwe lonke.”—1 Johane 2:1, 2.

Kamuva, ngencazelo elula egomelayo, uJohane ukhanyisa udaba ngokwengeziwe, lapho ethi: “Bonke omoya abavuma ukuthi uJesu Kristu ufikile enyameni bangabakaNkulunkulu; lowomoya ongamvumi uJesu akasiye okaNkulunkulu.”—1 Johane 4:2, 3.

Ingabe UJesu Akasiye UKristu?

Kubonakala sengathi amaJuda athile angokwemvelo ayezishaya amaKristu aqala ukuphika ukuthi uJesu wayenguKristu neNdodana kaNkulunkulu. UJohane uyakuhlaba ukuntula ukholo olunjalo, lapho ethi: “Ngubani ongumqambimanga, uma kungesiye ophikayo ukuthi uJesu unguKristu na? Nguye ongumphikukristu ophika uYise neNdodana.” (1 Johane 2:22) Amazwi kaJohane aqondile awabashiyeli sikhala abangabazi.

Kamuva uJohane uphakamisa omunye umbuzo ukuze asekele umbono wakhe: “Ngubani onqoba izwe, uma kungesiye okholwa ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu na? . . . Nginilobele lokho, ukuze nazi ukuthi ninokuphila okuphakade nina enikholwa egameni leNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”—1 Johane 5:5, 13.

Ingabe Siyizoni?

Nakuba kubonakala kunzima ukukukholelwa, abanye abaphika uKristu babethi babengenaso isono mhlawumbe (ngenxa yokuthi babezibheka njengabasindisiwe) becabanga ukuthi babengenakusenza isono. Ngakho-ke uJohane uyawuchitha umqondo onjalo odukile kuyo yonke incwadi yakhe. Ngokwesibonelo uthi: “Uma sithi asinasono, siyazikhohlisa, neqiniso alikho kithi. . . . Uma sithi asonanga, simenza [uNkulunkulu] umqambimanga, nezwi lakhe alikho kithi.”—1 Johane 1:8-10.

‘Kodwa siyini isono?’ ungase ubuze. Izwi lesiGreki elithi ha.martiʹ ngokuqondile lisho “ukugeja.” Kodwa ngaphansi kokuphefumlelwa uJohane unikeza incazelo ethe xaxa: “Bonke abenza isono bayeqa nomthetho, ngokuba isono singukweqa umthetho [ngesiGreki, anomia, liveza umqondo wokwedelela nokwephula umthetho, ukona, ububi] . . . owenza isono ungokaSathane, . . . lowo ozelwe nguNkulunkulu akenzi isono.”—1 Johane 3:4, 8, 9.

Yiqiniso, sonke siyizoni. Kodwa uJohane unesithakazelo ekusoleni izoni zangamabomu noma abephuli-mthetho, umuntu “oqhubeka ona,” okwenza umkhuba ukona. Kamuva, udalula indlela isimo esibucayi ngayo ngomuntu okwenza umkhuba ukona lapho ethi: “Ngalokho kubonakala abantwana bakaNkulunkulu nabantwana bakaSathane; lowo ongenzi ukulunga akasiye okaNkulunkulu, naye ongamthandi umzalwane wakhe.” (1 Johane 3:10; 5:18) Ngakho-ke, sengathi singagwema ukwenza umkhuba ukona okungesibo ubuKristu.

Yini Eyashukumisela Ukuhlubuka?

Ngokunokwenzeka sasiyini isisusa esabangela izimfundiso zokuhlubuka ezihlukene? Esinye okwakungenzeka sasiyiso sinikezwa uWilliam Barclay, umfundi wesikole wamaGreki weminyaka yekhulu lama-20, obhala ukuthi inkinga uJohane azama ukuyinqanda yayivela kubantu “abanhloso yabo yayiwukwenza ubuKristu buhlonipheke ngokokuhlakanipha . . . , ababazi ukuthambekela kwenhlakanipho nezimo zangalolosuku, futhi ababefisa ukuveza ubuKristu ngendlela yalemiqondo yolwazi olunzulu lwangalesosikhathi. Kwakuvela kubantu ababenomuzwa wokuthi sase sifikile isikhathi ngobuKristu ukuba bufane nolwazi olunzulu lwezwe futhi buhambisane nomqondo wangalesosikhathi.”

Ezikhathini zanamuhla, abanye baye baba nombono ofanayo, ohlasela ukholo lwangempela ezisekelweni zalo. Labaphikisi bafuna ukudunga izimfundiso zobuKristu futhi bazenze zamukeleke kakhulu kubantu abahloniphekayo nabahlakaniphile balesimiso. Ukuba imibono enjalo yabathile eminyakeni yamuva nje iye yasetshenziswa, oFakazi BakaJehova ngokuqinisekile babeyolahlekelwa izimfanelo zabo “zobuKristu bakudala” namandla okuqhubeka bukhona.

Ngakho-ke iseluleko sikaJohane sifike ngesikhathi esifanelekile ngisho nanamuhla: “Ngokuba ukuthanda uNkulunkulu yilokhu ukuba sigcine imiyalo yakhe; nemiyalo yakhe ayinzima.” Leyomiyalo ihlanganisa ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu nokuzigcina sihlukile ezweni futhi singathathi uhlangothi ezimpini zalo, ngesikhathi esifanayo senze okusemandleni ethu ukuze singcwelise igama likaJehova futhi siqhubeke nothando lweqiniso.—1 Johane 5:3; Marku 13:10; Johane 17:16; Mathewu 6:9; 1 Johane 3:23.

Ikhambi Lesono Nokuhlubuka

Ingabe akhona yini amandla athile okunqanda ukwenza isono umkhuba? Impendulo kaJohane iwukuthi: “Ongathandiyo akamazi uNkulunkulu, NGOKUBA UNKULUNKULU ULUTHANDO.” Kanjalo, ngobulula obuhlaba umxhwele, uJohane ukhanyisa iphuzu lakhe. Uthando luyisihluthulelo. Futhi uthando lukaNkulunkulu alubonakalisa ngeNdodana yakhe luyikhambi ngemiphumela yesono. “Uthando lukaNkulunkulu lwabonakaliswa kithi ngalokho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wathumela iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba siphile ngayo.” Lolulwazi kumelwe lusithinte kanjani? UJohane uyaphendula: “Bathandekayo, uma uNkulunkulu wasithanda kanjalo, nathi simelwe ukuthandana.”—1 Johane 4:8-11.

Uma simthanda ngempela uNkulunkulu nomakhelwane, khona-ke sizokwenqabela noma imiphi imixhantela yesono nokuhlubuka. Uthando aluphikisani ngamabomu nomthetho kaNkulunkulu nezimiso. Nakuba kunjalo, uJohane uyaxwayisa, “sikhona isono sokufa.” Izihlubuki ezingaphenduki ngokuqinisekile ziyoba sohlwini lwalabo abafanelwe ukubhujiswa.—1 Johane 5:16, 17; Mathewu 12:31; Luka 12:10; Heberu 6:4-6; 10:23-27.

Uma isono nokuhlubuka kuyintanjana emnyama encwadini kaJohane, uthando lwangempela luwubuhlalu bamaparele obuyimbozayo. Ngisho noma incwadi kaJohane inesixwayiso esingathi sína, nokho ikhanyisa kakhulu izihloko ezintathu eziphindwayo—uthando, ukukhanya nokuphila. UJohane uthi, ‘Gwema abaqambimanga, abaphika uKristu, izihlubuki. Susa ubumnyama, hamba ekukhanyeni. Lahla inzondo futhi ubonise uthando. Melana nesono, wazi ukuthi uma wenza isono unomsizi noma ummeleli kuYise uJesu Kristu.’ Yebo, “yilobu ubufakazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu usiphile ukuphila okuphakade, nalokhu kuphila kuseNdodaneni yakhe.”—1 Johane 5:11; 2:1, 2.

Eselulekweni sakhe sokugcina uJohane uyaxwayisa: “Bantwanyana, zilindeni ezithombeni.” (1 Johane 5:21) Ezweni leRoma lasendulo iseluleko esinjalo sasifaneleke kakhulu. Futhi kulabo namuhla abafisa ukuqhubeka nobuKristu beqiniso futhi bagweme ukuhlubuka sisalokhu sibalulekile. Ngakho-ke, sengathi singasilalela iseluleko sikaJohane esiphefumlelwe. Siyosisiza ukuba simelane nesono, sibonakalise uthando lobuKristu oluqotho, sihambe endleleni yeqiniso futhi sibe nokuma okuqinile okungaxegiyo ngokumelene nokuhlubuka.

[Isithombe ekhasini 14]

Ulwazi olunzulu lwamaGreki lwaholela ekuhlubukeni