Zimene Owerenga Amafunsa . . .

Kodi Gehena ndi Malo Amene Anthu Ochimwa Amakapsa Kwamuyaya?

▪ M’Mauthenga Abwino, Yesu anachenjeza ophunzira ake za kuwopsa kwa chilango cha Gehena. N’zodziwikiratu kuti Yesu anafuna kuti iwo amvere chenjezo limeneli. Komano kodi iye ankatanthauza kuti Gehena ndi malo amene anthu amakapsa kwamuyaya?​—Mateyu 5:22.

Poyamba tiyeni tikambirane za mawu akuti Gehena. Mawu achigiriki akuti Geʹen·na ndi ofanana ndi mawu achiheberi akuti geh Hin·nom, kutanthauza “chigwa cha Hinomu.” Mawu amenewa akaphatikizidwa kuti geh veneh-Hin·nom, amatanthauza “chigwa cha ana a Hinomu.” (Yoswa 15:8; 2 Mafumu 23:10) Malo amenewa masiku ano amadziwika kuti Wadi er-Rababi ndipo ndi chigwa chachikulu chimene chili kum’mwera cha kumadzulo kwa Yerusalemu.

M’nthawi ya mafumu a Yuda, kuyambira 700 B.C.E, malo amenewa ankalambirirako milungu yonyenga kuphatikizapo kupereka ana nsembe mwa kuwaotcha pamoto. (2 Mbiri 28:1-3; 33:1-6) Mneneri Yeremiya analosera kuti m’chigwa chimenechi ndi mmenenso anthu a ku Babulo adzapheremo anthu a ku Yudeya pa nthawi imene Mulungu adzapereke chiweruzo chake chifukwa cha makhalidwe oipa a anthu a ku Yudeyawo. *​—Yeremiya 7:30-33; 19:6, 7.

Malinga ndi zimene ananena katswiri wina wachiyuda dzina lake David Kimhi (c. 1160-c. 1235 C.E.), chigwachi chinadzakhala dzala la mzinda wa Yerusalemu. Dzala limeneli linkagwiritsidwa ntchito ngati malo owotcherako zinyalala kumene moto unkayaka nthawi zonse. Chinthu chilichonse chimene chinkaponyedwa kumeneko, chinkapsa mpaka kusanduka phulusa.

Anthu ena omasulira Mabaibulo amalakwitsa kwambiri pomasulira mawu akuti Geʹen·na kuti “helo.” (Mateyu 5:22, King James Version) Kodi n’chifukwa chiyani amachita zimenezi? Chifukwa amaganiza kuti moto umene unkayaka m’chigwa chimene chinali kunja kwa mzinda wa Yerusalemu unkaimira chilango chowotchedwa ndi moto, chimene anthu oipa amakalandira akafa. Koma chimenechi ndi chiphunzitso cha anthu amene salambira Mulungu. Ndipo Yesu sanatanthauze kuti Gehena ndi malo onzunzirako anthu.

Yesu ankadziwa kuti Atate wake wakumwamba, Yehova amadana kwambiri ndi kuotcha anthu amoyo pamoto. Ponena za mmene anthu ankagwiritsira ntchito Gehena m’nthawi ya mneneri Yeremiya, Mulungu ananena kuti: “Iwo amanga malo okwezeka ku Tofeti, m’chigwa cha mwana wa Hinomu, kuti azitentha ana awo aamuna ndi ana awo aakazi pamoto, chinthu chimene sindinawalamule kuchita ndiponso chimene sindinachiganizirepo mumtima mwanga.” (Yeremiya 7:31) Komanso chiphunzitso chakuti anthu ena akafa amakazunzika, ndi chosagwirizana ndi mfundo yakuti Mulungu ndi wachikondi. Sichigwirizananso ndi zimene Baibulo limaphunzitsa kuti akufa “sadziwa chilichonse.”​—Mlaliki 9:5, 10.

Yesu anagwiritsa ntchito mawu akuti “Gehena” mophiphiritsa ndipo ankatanthauza kuti anthu osamvera Mulungu adzawonongedwa moti sadzakhalaponso. Choncho, mawu akuti “Gehena” ndi ofanana ndi mawu akuti “nyanja yamoto,” otchulidwa m’buku la Chivumbulutso. Mawu awiri onsewa ndi ophiphiritsira ndipo amatanthauza chiwonongeko chimene munthu akadzawonongedwa sadzakhalakonso chifukwa sadzaukitsidwa.​—Luka 12:4, 5; Chivumbulutso 20:14, 15.

[Mawu a M’munsi]