ISONTO yamaKatolika, amasonto esi-Orthodox, awesiBuddha, lamanye amasonto alomthetho othi abafundisi kanye labakhokheli bawo akumelanga batshade. Abanye abafundisi bamasonto la balamacala aphathelane lezemacansini yikho abantu abanengi bathi umthetho lo yiwo obangele lokho.

Kodwa iBhayibhili liyakutsho yini ukuthi abakhokhelayo emasontweni kumele bangatshadi? Ukuze siyizwisise indaba le asihloleni ukuthi yaqalisa njani lokuthi uNkulunkulu uthini ngayo.

Ngo-2006, owayenguPapa wamaKatolika ngalesosikhathi uBenedict XVI wathi umthetho wokuthi abakhokhelayo emasontweni bangatshadi ‘wawuvele usukhona kudala ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli.’

Kodwa amaKhristu akudala ayengelamthetho ovimbela ukuthi atshade. Lokhu kukhanya kulokhu okwatshiwo ngumphostoli uPhawuli ngesikhathi exwayisa amaKhristu ukuthi abanye babezakuza lemfundiso “ekhohlisayo” njalo “balele abantu ukuthi bathathane.”—1 KuThimothi 4:1-3.

Ngo-101 C.E. * kusiya ku-200 C.E., abanye abantu emasontweni acina esebumba isonto yamaKatolika bakhetha ukuthi bangatshadi. Ibhuku elithile elikhuluma ngalokhu lithi ngalesosikhathi abantu abanengi ababebuswa ngumbuso wamaRoma babengasayi emacansini.

Eminyakeni eyalandelayo kwaba lemihlangano eyenziwayo eyayikhuthaza abakhokhelayo emasontweni kanye labafundisi ukuthi bangatshadi. Babesithi ukuya emacansini kwakusenza umuntu  angabi ngcwele njalo kwakumphambanisa ekwenzeni imisebenzi yobufundisi. Kodwa ibhuku okuthiwa yi-Encyclopædia Britannica libika ukuthi “eminyakeni yabo-900 kusiya ku-1000 abaphristi abanengi labanye abafundisi basebetshadile.”

Umthetho othi abakhokhelayo emasontweni bangatshadi waqiniswa emihlanganweni eyenziwa eRome ngamaKatolika ngo-1123 lango-1139 njalo yiwo olokhu ulandelwa. Lokhu kwanceda isonto yamaKatolika ukuthi ingalahlekelwa yimali lempahla ngoba abaphristi ababetshadile babengabhalisa impahla zesonto kumawili abo ukuze zibe lilifa labantwababo.

IBhayibhili licacile endabeni le. UJesu wayengatshadanga njalo wakhuluma ngabantu abakhetha ukuhlala bengatshadanga ‘ngenxa yoMbuso wezulu.’ (UMathewu 19:12) Umphostoli uPhawuli laye wayengatshadanga njalo wakhuluma ngamaKhristu ayefisa ukuhlala engatshadanga “ngenxa yevangeli.”—1 KwabaseKhorinte 7:37, 38; 9:23.

Lanxa kunjalo uJesu loPhawuli kabazange bafakele amaKhristu umthetho wokuthi angatshadi. UJesu wathi ayisibo bonke abalandeli bakhe abenelisayo ukuhlala bengatshadanga. Ngesikhathi ekhuluma “ngabangendanga” [abangatshadanga, NW] uPhawuli wathi: “Kangilawo umlayo weNkosi, kodwa ngiyeluleka ngokubona kwami.”—UMathewu 19:11; 1 KwabaseKhorinte 7:25, The Holy Bible in Ndebele.

IBhayibhili liveza ukuthi abanye ababekhokhela ebandleni kudala babetshadile. Omunye wakhona nguPhetro. (UMathewu 8:14; UMakho 1:29-31; 1 KwabaseKhorinte 9:5) Embusweni weRoma wangalesosikhathi abantu abanengi babengaziphathanga yikho uPhawuli wabhalela amaKhristu ewatshela ukuthi umbonisi kwakumele “abe yindoda yomfazi oyedwa” njalo ‘abone ukuba abantwana bakhe bayamlalela.’—1 KuThimothi 3:2, 4.

AmaKhristu la ayengayekeli ukuya emacansini ngenxa yokuthi iBhayibhili likubeka kucace ukuthi “indoda kumele igcwalise umlandu wayo wokuthathana kumkayo” lokuthi abatshadileyo akumelanga ‘bancitshane’ ezindabeni zemacansini. (1 KwabaseKhorinte 7:3-5) Lokhu kwenza sibone ukuthi uNkulunkulu uthini ngendaba le lokuthi umKhristu nguye ozikhethelayo ukuthi ufisa ukutshada loba ukuhlala engatshadanga.

Pho-ke kungani uJesu loPhawuli bakhuthaza amaKhristu ukuthi ahlale engatshadanga nxa izimo zabo zivuma? Umuntu ongatshadanga angenza okunengi emsebenzini wokutshumayela ukwedlula otshadileyo ngenxa yokuthi kaphanjaniswa yizinto ezikhathaza abatshadileyo.—1 KwabaseKhorinte 7:32-35.

Ngokwesibonelo, uDavid watshiya umsebenzi owawuleholo elihle eMexico City waya emaphandleni aseCosta Rica ukuze afundise abanye iBhayibhili. Ukungatshadi kwamnceda yini? Uthi: “Kwanginceda sibili ngoba kwakunzima ukuhlala endaweni entsha elamasiko engingawaziyo. Kodwa ngaphangisa ukujayela ngenxa yokuthi ngangingatshadanga.”

Omunye umKhristu ongatshadanga okuthiwa nguClaudia wathuthela ezindaweni ezilabantu abalutshwana abatshumayelayo ukuze ayencedisa khonale. Uthi: “Ngiyakukholisa ukusebenzela uNkulunkulu. Ukholo lwami luyaqina njalo ubungane bami laye buyakhula nxa ngibona indlela anginakekela ngayo.”

Ukungatshadi akumelanga kuthwalise umuntu amagabha avuzayo. UClaudia uphinda athi: “Akulandaba ukuthi utshadile kumbe awutshadanga, nxa usebenzela uJehova uNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo yonke uzathokoza.”—IHubo 119:1, 2.