1. Kuyini uJehova akufunayo?

 UJEHOVA wathi edala abantu wabapha inkululeko yokuzikhethela. Enye indlela esiyisebenzisa ngayo inkululeko le yikwenza izinqumo. Isinqumo esiqakatheke kakhulu esingenziwa ngumuntu yikuzinikela kuJehova amkhonze labantu bakhe. UJehova ufuna sonke sikwenze lokhu. Ngenxa yani? Ngenxa yokuthi uyasithanda futhi ufuna izinto zisihambele kuhle. Ufuna sibe ngabangane bakhe njalo siphile kuze kube nini lanini.—Dute. 30:​19, 20; Gal. 6:​7, 8.

2. UJehova ufuna ukuthi labo abangakaphenduki benzeni? (U-1 Johane 2:1)

² UJehova kasibambi ngamandla ukuthi simkhonze. Uyayekela umuntu ngamunye azikhethele lokho afuna ukukwenza. Kodwa abadala kumele benzeni nxa umKhristu obhabhathiziweyo angenza isono esikhulu? Nxa engaphenduki kuyabe kumele asuswe ebandleni. (1 Khor. 5:13) Lanxa kunjalo, uJehova uyabe elokhu ethemba ukuthi uzaphenduka kuye. Phela isizatho esiqakathekileyo esenza uJehova wasihlawulela ngoJesu yikuthi wayefuna ukuthethelela izoni eziphendukayo. (Bala u-1 Johane 2:1.) Lanxa umuntu angenza isono esikhulu, uJehova uyabe elokhu emthanda, yikho eqhubeka emkhuthaza ukuthi aphenduke.—Zak. 1:3; Rom. 2:4; Jak. 4:8.

3. Sizaxoxa ngani esihlokweni lesi?

 ³ UJehova ufuna sibone isono ngendlela yena asibona ngayo, futhi ufuna siphathe abantu abenze izono ezinkulu ngendlela yena abaphatha ngayo. Esihlokweni lesi sizafunda ukuthi singamlingisela njani. Yikho nanzelela ukuthi umuntu owayeyenze isono esikhulu waphathwa njani ebandleni leKhorinte. Nanzelela lokuthi umphostoli uPhawuli watshela ibandla lelo ukuthi lenzeni umuntu lowo esephendukile kanye lokuthi uJehova uzwa njani nxa umKhristu angenza isono esikhulu.

IBANDLA LAMPHATHA NJANI UMUNTU OWAYEYENZE ISONO ESIKHULU?

4. Kwenzakalani ebandleni leKhorinte? (U-1 Khorinte 5:​1, 2)

⁴ Bala u-1 Khorinte 5:​1, 2. Ngesikhathi uPhawuli esenza uhambo lwakhe lwesithathu engumnali, wezwa ukuthi kulento embi kakhulu eyayisenzakala ebandleni leKhorinte elalisanda kubunjwa. Kwakulomzalwane owayesexhwalile owayelala lomkayise. Lokho kwakulihlazo, ‘ngitsho labantu bezinye izizwe’ babekwazi ukuthi kubi. Kodwa ibandla lalikubona kuqondile ukuthi umuntu lo aqhubeke ezikhonzela nje angathi akwenzakalanga lutho. Mhlawumbe abanye babecabanga ukuthi nxa bemyekela kutshengisa ukuthi balesihawu futhi bayazwisisa njengoJehova. Kodwa uJehova kafuni ukuthi umuntu owenza okubi ayekelwe enjalo. Okwakusenziwa yindoda le kwakusenza ukuthi abantu bakhulume kubi ngebandla. Kanti njalo kumele ukuthi yayiyenga labanye ebandleni ukuthi benze okubi njengayo. Manje uPhawuli walincedisa njani ibandla leli?

5. UPhawuli watshela ibandla ukuthi lenzeni futhi wayesitshoni? (U-1 Khorinte 5:13) (Khangela lomfanekiso.)

⁵ Bala u-1 Khorinte 5:13. UNkulunkulu waphefumulela uPhawuli ukuthi abhalele abaseKhorinte incwadi ebatshela ukuthi umuntu lo owayesenza isono engaphenduki kumele asuswe ebandleni. Abanye ebandleni kwakumele bamphathe njani? UPhawuli wabatshela ukuthi ‘bayekele ukuba lobudlelwano’ laye. Wayesitshoni? Wabachasisela ukuthi lokho kwakugoqela lokuthi ‘bangaqali ukudla lomuntu onjalo.’ (1 Khor. 5:11) Phela nxa usidla lomuntu ingxoxo kaziswelakali futhi kungaba lula ukuthi libe lihlela ukuthi lizabe lihlangana. Kuyacaca ukuthi uPhawuli wayesitsho ukuthi ibandla akumelanga lixoxe lendoda le njalo akumelanga lizinike isikhathi sokuba layo. Lokhu kwakuzalivikela ukuthi lingacini lilandela imikhuba yayo emibi.  (1 Khor. 5:​5-7) Kanti njalo nxa ibandla lalingaxwaya indoda le kwakungenza ukuthi inanzelele ukuthi isiphambuke kangakanani kuJehova, mhlawumbe ibisizisola iphenduke.

6. Ibandla leKhorinte lenzani selamukele incwadi eyayivela kuPhawuli futhi isoni leso senzani?

⁶ UPhawuli wathi esethumele incwadi eyayisiya ebandleni laseKhorinte, waqalisa ukuzibuza ukuthi babezakwenzani sebeyibalile. Kodwa uThithusi wamphathela indaba ezinhle. Ibandla lalikwenzile lokho ayelitshele khona, lasusa isoni phakathi kwalo. (2 Khor. 7:​6, 7) Kanti njalo okuhle yikuthi lathi selikwenzile lokho, isoni leso saphenduka. Umuntu lo watshintsha indlela ayecabanga ngayo layeziphatha ngayo waqalisa ukulandela imithetho  kaJehova. (2 Khor. 7:​8-11) Ngemva kwalokho uPhawuli wathi ibandla lenzeni?

IBANDLA KWAKUMELE LIMPHATHE NJANI UMZALWANE OWAYESEPHENDUKILE?

7. Ukususa umuntu owayesenza okubi ebandleni kwanceda ngani? (U-2 Khorinte 2:​5-8)

⁷ Bala u-2 Khorinte 2:​5-8. UPhawuli wathi ‘indlela ayekhuzwe ngayo ngabanengi yayimlingene umuntu lo.’ Ayekutsho yikuthi indlela ayejeziswe ngayo yayiwenzile umsebenzi wayo. Wuphi lowomsebenzi? Umsebenzi wokumncedisa ukuthi aphenduke.—Heb. 12:11.

8. UPhawuli watshela ibandla ukuthi lenzeni?

⁸ UPhawuli watshela ibandla wathi “limthethelele ngesihle njalo limduduze” umzalwane lo owonileyo futhi “limqinisekise ukuthi liyamthanda.” Unanzelele yini ukuthi uPhawuli wayefuna ibandla lingasuthiseki ngokumamukela kuphela umuntu lo? Wayefuna bamqinisekise ngamazwi langezenzo ukuthi babemthelele ngenhliziyo yonke futhi bemthanda. Lokhu kwakuzakwenza abone ukuthi bamamukele ngazo zombili ebandleni.

9. Kuyini okungabe kwenza kwaba nzima ukuthi abanye bamthethelele umzalwane lo owayesephendukile?

⁹ Kambe ukuthi ebandleni lelo bakhona yini abanye ababethikaza ukwamukela isoni lesi esasesiphendukile? Kungenzakala ukuthi babekhona lanxa iBhayibhili lingasitsheli. Phela lokho kwakulethe uhlupho ebandleni lonke futhi kungabe kwabazwisa ubuhlungu kakhulu abanye. Abanye ababesebenza nzima ukuthi baqhubeke beziphatha kuhle bangabe babebona kungayenzi ukuthi indoda le ebiphambanisa yamukelwe kuhle kangaka ebandleni. (Khangela loLukha 15:​28-30.) Kodwa kungani kwakuqakathekile ukuthi ibandla litshengise ukuthi liyamthanda umzalwane lo owayesephendukile?

10-11. Aluba abadala bayekela ukusithethelela isoni esasesiphendukile kwakuzakwenzakalani?

¹⁰ Ubona angathi kwakungenzakalani nxa abadala babengayekela ukuyibuyisela ebandleni indoda le eyayisiphendukile? Kwakungenzakalani nxa indoda le yayingabuyiselwa kodwa ibandla liyininele khatshana? Yayingakhulelwa “yikudana kakhulu.” Mhlawumbe yayingacina isibona angathi akuselathemba lokuthi izaphinda imkhonze uJehova, ize icine isikhalala iyekele ukulungisisa ubungane bayo loNkulunkulu.

¹¹ Kwakungenzakalani nxa abafowethu labodadewethu ebandleni babengayekela ukuyixolela indoda le eyayisiphendukile? Mhlawumbe labo babengacina sebephambanisa ubungane babo loJehova. Kungani sisitsho njalo? Ngenxa yokuthi kwakuyabe sekutshengisa ukuthi kabamlingiseli uNkulunkulu wabo othethelelayo kodwa balingisela uSathane olesihluku futhi ongelasihawu. USathane wayeyabe esebasebenzisa ukwenza ukuthi indoda le idane kakhulu ize ikhalale ukukhonza uJehova.—2 Khor. 2:​10, 11; Efe. 4:27.

12. Ibandla leKhorinte lalingamlingisela njani uJehova?

¹² Ibandla laseKhorinte lalingatshengisa njani ukuthi lilingisela uJehova hatshi uSathane? Kwakumele liphathe umuntu lo owayesephendukile ngendlela uJehova aphatha ngayo izoni eziphendukayo. Zwana ukuthi abanye abalobi beBhayibhili bathini ngoJehova. UDavida wathi: “Wena Jehova umuhle futhi uzimisele ukuthethelela.” (Hubo. 86:5) UMikha wathi: “Nguphi uNkulunkulu onjengawe, oxolela izoni leziphambeko?” (Mik. 7:18) U-Isaya yena wathi: “Owenza okubi katshiye indlela yakhe, loxhwalileyo atshiye imicabango yakhe, kabuyele kuJehova, yena uzakuba lesihawu  kuye, abuyele kuNkulunkulu wethu ngoba uzamthethelela ngendlela enkulu.”—Isaya. 55:7.

13. Kungani kwakuqondile ukuthi indoda eyayonile ibuyiselwe ebandleni? (Khangela ibhokisi elithi “ Indoda YeKhorinte Eyayonile Yabuyiselwa Ngemva Kwesikhathi Esinganani?”)

¹³ Ibandla leKhorinte kwakumele lilingisele uJehova ngokwamukela indoda le eyayisiphendukile langokuyiqinisekisa ukuthi liyayithanda. Ibandla leli latshengisa ukuthi ‘liyalalela ezintweni zonke’ ngoba lakwenza lokho elakutshelwa nguPhawuli, layamukela indoda eyayisiphendukile. (2 Khor. 2:9) Ngemva kwezinyanga ezilutshwana nje indoda le isusiwe, yayisitshintshile yaphenduka. Yikho kwakungelasizatho sokuthi abadala baphuze ukuyibuyisela ebandleni yona isiphendukile.

SINGENZANI UKUZE SAHLULELE KUHLE FUTHI SIBE LESIHAWU NJENGOJEHOVA?

14-15. Okwenzakala eKhorinte kusifundisani? (U-2 Phetro 3:9) (Khangela lomfanekiso.)

¹⁴ Indaba le emayelana lendlela isoni esasisebandleni leKhorinte esaphathwa ngayo yabhalwa futhi yagcinwa ukuze “kufundiswe thina.” (Rom. 15:4) Isifundisa ukuthi uJehova kafuni ukuthi umuntu aqhubeke esebandleni yena esenza isono esikhulu engaphenduki. Kafuni ukuthi abantu abaqhubeka besenza okubi bazwelwe besebeyekelwa baqhubeke besebandleni. Lanxa  uJehova elesihawu, kabamukeli abantu abaziphatha kubi futhi lemithetho yakhe kayitshintshi. (Jud. 4) Aluba uJehova ubengayekelela abantu abenza izono bengaphenduki, ubeyabe engelasihawu ngoba lokho bekungaliphambanisa ibandla.—Zaga. 13:20; 1 Khor. 15:33.

¹⁵ Okunye esikufundayo yikuthi uJehova kafuni ukuthi loba ngubani abhujiswe. Ufuna abantu bonke basinde. Yikho uba lesihawu kulabo abatshintsha indlela abacabanga ngayo lezenzo zabo bazame ukulungisisa ubungane babo laye. (Hez. 33:11; bala u-2 Phetro 3:9.) Lokhu yikho okwenza uJehova wasebenzisa uPhawuli ukuthi achasisele ibandla leKhorinte ukuthi liyithethelele futhi liyamukele ebandleni indoda le eyayisiphendukile yatshiya isono sayo.

16. Wena uthini ngendlela indoda eyayisebandleni leKhorinte eyaphathwa ngayo?

¹⁶ Ukuhlola indlela isoni esasiseKhorinte esaphathwa ngayo sekusincede sabona ukuthi uJehova ulothando, ulungile lokuthi wahlulela kuhle. (Hubo. 33:5) Lokho kwenza simdumise kakhulu ngoba sonke siyaphambanisa futhi siyabe sifuna asithethelele. Sonke nje kumele simbonge uJehova ngoba wasibhadalela inhlawulo eyenza ukuthi sithethelelwe izono zethu. Kuyasiduduza ukwazi ukuthi uyabathanda kakhulu abantu futhi ubafisela okuhle!

17. Sizaxoxa ngani ezihlokweni ezilandelayo?

¹⁷ Lamuhla abantu abenza izono ezinkulu kumele baphathwe njani? Abadala bangatshengisa njani ukuthi balothando njengoJehova nxa bencedisa isoni ukuthi siphenduke? Abanye ebandleni kumele benzeni nxa abadala bangasusa umuntu ebandleni kumbe nxa bangambuyisela? Sizaxoxa ngemibuzo le ezihlokweni ezilandelayo.