1. UYehova utsala abantu abanjani, yaye kutheni bemele bahlale bephaphile ngokomoya?

UYESU wathi: “Abanquli bokwenyaniso baya kumnqula uBawo ngomoya nenyaniso, kuba, eneneni, uBawo ufuna abanjalo ukumnqula.” (Yohane 4:23) Xa uYehova efumana abantu abanjengawe, ubatsalela kuye nakuNyana wakhe. (Yohane 6:44) Elo lilungelo elingathethekiyo! Noko ke, abo bathanda inyaniso yeBhayibhile bamele ‘baqhubeke beqiniseka ngoko kwamkelekileyo eNkosini,’ kuba uSathana ngusomaqhinga.—Efese 5:10; ISityhilelo 12:9.

2. Chaza indlela uYehova abajonga ngayo abo baxuba unqulo lwenyaniso nolobuxoki.

² Masenze umzekelo ngoko kwenzeka kufuphi neNtaba yeSinayi xa amaSirayeli acela uAron ukuba awenzele isithixo. UAron wafana wayivuma loo nto waza walenza ithole legolide, kodwa ke wathi limela uYehova. Wathi: “Ngumthendeleko kuYehova ngomso.” Ngaba ayizange imkhathaze uYehova le ngxubevange yonqulo lwenyaniso nolobuxoki? Yamkhathaza. Wabulala abanquli-zithixo abangamawaka amathathu. (Eksodus 32:1-6, 10, 28) Yintoni esiyifundayo kule ngxelo? Ukuba sifuna ukuzigcina kuthando lukaThixo, simele ‘singayichukumisi into engahlambulukanga’ kwaye singavumeli nantoni na idyobhe inyaniso.—Isaya 52:11; Hezekile 44:23; Galati 5:9.

3, 4. Kutheni sifanele siyiqwalasele imigaqo yeBhayibhile xa sihlola izithethe kunye nemibhiyozo ethandwayo?

³ Okulusizi kukuba, emva kokufa kwabapostile, ababexabe phambi kowexuko, oosingamaKristu ababengayithandi inyaniso  baqalisa ukufaka izithethe, imibhiyozo kunye neentsuku “ezingcwele” zabahedeni, abaye bazibiza ngokuthi zezamaKristu. (2 Tesalonika 2:7, 10) Njengoko siza kube sithetha ngeminye yale mibhiyozo, phawula ukuba inomoya wehlabathi kunokuba ibe nomoya kaThixo. Imibhiyozo yehlabathi idla ngokuba nento efana ngayo, eyile: Inomtsalane kubantu abaneminqweno engafanelekanga, kwaye ikhuthaza iinkolelo zonqulo lobuxoki nokusebenzelana nemimoya—izinto edume ngazo “iBhabhiloni Enkulu.” * (ISityhilelo 18:2-4, 23) Ukhumbule ke ukuba uYehova wazibonela ngawakhe amehlo izithethe zonqulo ezilizothe zabahedeni esuka kuzo imibhiyozo emininzi ethandwayo. Ngokuqinisekileyo nanamhlanje uYehova usajonga le mibhiyozo njengelizothe. Ngaba nathi asifanele siyijonge njalo?—2 Yohane 6, 7.

⁴ NjengamaKristu enene, siyazi ukuba eminye imibhiyozo ayimkholisi uYehova. Kodwa simele sizimisele ukuba singabi nanto yakwenza nayo. Ukwazi isizathu sokuba uYehova angayithandi imibhiyozo enjalo kuya kusenza sizimisele nangakumbi ukuphepha nantoni na enokusenza singakwazi ukuzigcina kuthando lukaThixo.

5. Kutheni siqinisekile ukuba uYesu akazange azalwe ngoDisemba 25?

⁵ IBhayibhile ayithethi ngokubhiyozelwa komhla wokuzalwa kaYesu. Enyanisweni, kwaumhla wokuzalwa kwakhe awaziwa. Kodwa ke, siqinisekile ukuba akazange azalwe ngoDisemba 25 oba sebusika kummandla awazalelwa kuwo. * Esinye  isizathu sokuba sitsho kukuba uLuka wathi xa uYesu wayezalwa, ‘abalusi babehlala ezindle’ besalusa imihlambi yabo. (Luka 2:8-11) Ukuba ‘babehlala ezindle’ unyaka wonke, yayingayi kuphawuleka le nto. Kodwa ngenxa yokuba iBhetelehem isiba neemvula ezibandayo nekhephu, ebusika imihlambi yayifakwa kubuhlanti obunophahla, kwaye abelusi babengenakuba ‘babehlala ezindle.’ Ukongezelela koko, uYosefu noMariya baya eBhetelehem ngenxa yokuba uKesare Agasto wayeyalele ukuba kubalwe abantu. (Luka 2:1-7) Yayingenakufane yenzeke into yokuba uKesare ayalele abantu ababeluthiyile ulawulo lwamaRoma ukuba baye kwisixeko sookhokho babo kwingqele eqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo yasebusika.

6, 7. (a) Zivela phi izithethe ezininzi zeKrismesi? (b) Zahluke njani izipho zeKrismesi kwizipho aphana zona amaKristu?

⁶ Imvelaphi yeKrismesi ayikho kwiZibhalo, kunoko ivela kwimithendeleko yabahedeni, enjengeSaturnalia yamaRoma, umbhiyozo owenzelwa uSaturn, uthixo wolimo. Ngokutsho kweNew Catholic Encyclopedia, nabanquli bothixo ekuthiwa nguMithra babebhiyozela uDisemba 25 ‘njengomhla wokuzalwa kwelanga elingenakoyiswa mntu. IKrismesi yavela ngexesha apho ukunqulwa kwelanga kwakuyeyona nto iphambili eRoma,’ kwiinkulungwane ezimalunga nezintathu emva kokuba uKristu efile.

⁷ Ebudeni bemibhiyozo yabo, abahedeni babephana izipho kwaye benze izihikahika zezidlo—zinto ezo zisenziwayo nanamhlanje ngeKrismesi. Kodwa ke njengoko kusenjalo phofu nanamhlanje, ezo zipho zazingenziwa ngomoya ochazwe kweyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 9:7, ethi: “Ngamnye makenze kanye njengoko egqibile entliziyweni yakhe, kungekhona ngokukrokra okanye ngokunyanzelwa, kuba uThixo uthanda umphi ochwayitileyo.” AmaKristu enene apha eqhutywa luthando, akaxhomekeki kumhla othile ukuze aphe, kwaye akaye alindele ukubuyekezwa xa esipha umntu isipho. (Luka 14:12-14; funda iZenzo 20:35.) Ukongezelela koko, abulela kakhulu kuba eye ophulwa kwisiphithiphithi seKrismesi aza othulwa  umthwalo wokungena ematyaleni othwalwa ngabaninzi ngeli xesha lonyaka.—Mateyu 11:28-30; Yohane 8:32.

8. Ngaba izazi zampha izipho zomhla wokuzalwa uYesu? Cacisa.

⁸ Kodwa abanye basenokuphikisa besithi, azizange na izazi ziphe uYesu izipho zomhla wokuzalwa? Akunjalo. Izipho zazo zaziyindlela yokubonisa imbeko kumntu obalulekileyo, nto leyo eyayiqhelekile ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile. (1 Kumkani 10:1, 2, 10, 13; Mateyu 2:2, 11) Enyanisweni azizange zifike nangobo busuku uYesu wayezalwa ngabo. Ukufika kwazo, uYesu wayesele eneenyanga ezelwe yaye ehlala endlwini, kungekhona esitalini.

9. Yintoni ephawulekayo kwimibhiyozo yomhla wokuzalwa ekuthethwa ngayo eBhayibhileni?

⁹ Nangona ukuzalwa komntwana bekuyinto edala imivuyo  ebantwini, iBhayibhile ayithethi nto ngemibhiyozo yomhla wokuzalwa komkhonzi kaThixo. (INdumiso 127:3) Ngaba ilibalekile loo nkcazelo? Ayilityelwanga, kuba kukho imibhiyozo yemihla yokuzalwa emibini ekhankanyiweyo—okaFaro waseYiputa nokaHerode Antipas. (Funda iGenesis 40:20-22; noMarko 6:21-29.) Kodwa ke, yomibini le mibhiyozo yaba nonyawo lwemfene—ngokukodwa okaHerode, kuba kuwo uYohane umBhaptizi waye wanqunyulwa intloko.

10, 11. AmaKristu amandulo ayeyijonga njani imibhiyozo yemihla yokuzalwa, yaye ngoba?

¹⁰ IThe World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “AmaKristu okuqala ayejonga ukubhiyozelwa komhla wokuzalwa wakhe nawuphi na umntu njengesithethe sabahedeni.” Ngokomzekelo, amaGrike amandulo ayekholelwa ukuba umntu ngamnye  unomoya omkhuselayo owawubakho xa ezalwa uze emva koko ube liliso kuye. Incwadi ethi The Lore of Birthdays ithi loo moya “wawuba nobuhlobo obungaqhelekanga nothixo ozelwe ngosuku olunye naloo mntu umkhuselayo.” Kudala imihla yokuzalwa yanxityelelaniswa nezazi zeenkwenkwezi nokuvumisa ngazo.

¹¹ Isizathu sokuba abakhonzi bakaThixo bamandulo bazichase izithethe zemihla yokuzalwa yayingebobuhedeni nokusebenzelana nemimoya kuphela, kusenokwenzeka ukuba babeqhutywa nayimigaqo. Kutheni sisitsho nje? Kungokuba babengamadoda nabafazi abathobekileyo nabathozamileyo ababengajongi ukuzalwa kwabo njengento ebaluleke kakhulu kangangokuba ibhiyozelwe. * (Mika 6:8; Luka 9:48) Kunoko, babezukisa uYehova kwaye bembulela ngesipho sobomi. *—INdumiso 8:3, 4; 36:9; ISityhilelo 4:11.

12. Umhla wokufa kwethu unokulunga njani kunomhla wokuzalwa?

¹² Bonke abo bagcina ingqibelelo baba kwinkumbulo kaThixo xa besifa, ibe ikamva labo liqinisekisiwe. (Yobhi 14:14, 15) INtshumayeli 7:1 ithi: “Igama lilunge ngakumbi kuneoli elungileyo, yaye umhla wokufa ulunge ngaphezu komhla wokuzalwa.” “Igama” lethu ludumo oluhle esizenzele lona kuThixo ngenxa yokumkhonza ngokuthembeka. Olona suku amaKristu ayalelwa ukuba alukhumbule asilolokuzalwa, kodwa lelokufa—ukufa kukaYesu, esiza kufumana usindiso ngenxa yegama lakhe elihle.—Luka 22:17-20; Hebhere 1:3, 4.

13, 14. Zivela phi izithethe ezithandwayo zeIsta?

¹³ Nangona i-Ista ichazwa njengokubhiyozela ukuvuswa kukaKristu, ivela kunqulo lobuxoki. Igama elithi Ista lisuka kuEostre, okanye kuOstara, isithixokazi sama-Anglo-Saxon sesifingo nentwasa-hlobo. Kwenzeka njani ke ukuba i-Ista inxulunyaniswe namaqanda nemivundla? Amaqanda “ebeluphawu oluphambili lobomi obutsha novuko,” itsho iEncyclopædia Britannica, ngoxa umvundla ubusoloko uchazwa njengofuzisela inzala. Ngoko ke, i-Ista lisiko lenzala elifihliweyo ukuze libonakale ngathi kukubhiyozelwa kovuko lukaKristu. *

¹⁴ Ngaba uYehova wayenokuyenza into yokuvuma ukuba isithethe esingcolileyo senzala sibe sisikhumbuzo sokuvuswa koNyana wakhe? Unotshe! (2 Korinte 6:17, 18) Phofu ke, iZibhalo azisiyaleli kananjalo zingasigunyazisi ukuba sikhumbule ukuvuswa kukaYesu. Ngoko, ukwenza loo nto ngeIsta kukunganyaniseki okuphindwe kabini.

15. Ivela phi iHalloween, ibe yintoni ephawulekayo ngosuku ebhiyozelwa ngalo le holide?

¹⁵ IHalloween, edume ngokuba namagqwirha, oohili nezinye izinto ezinxulunyaniswa nayo—nekwabizwa ngokuba yiAll Hallows’ Eve okanye ubusuku obungaphambi koSuku Lwazo Zonke Iingcwele—ivela kumaCelts amandulo aseBritani naseIreland. Ngosuku lokuthwasa kwenyanga olusondele kuNovemba 1, ayebhiyozela umthendeleko weSamhain, othetha “Ukuphela Kwehlobo [kumntla weIkhweyitha].” Ayekholelwa ukuba ebudeni beSamhain, umdiyadiya ophakathi kwabantu nelemimoya wawuvuleka kuze kudakase imimoya emibi nemihle emhlabeni. Kwakucingelwa ukuba  imiphefumlo yabafi yayibuyela kumakhaya abo, ibe iintsapho zabo zazibekela ezi ndwendwe zazo ziziziporho ukutya neziselo ngenjongo yokuzixolisa. Ngenxa yoko, xa namhlanje abantwana abanxibe njengeziporho okanye amagqwirha, bengena kwindlu ngendlu besongela abaninimzi ngokubantlonta ukuba ababaphi into emnandi, benza izithethe zeSamhain bengaqondanga.

16, 17. (a) Kutheni amaKristu aza kutshata efanele azihlole ngenyameko izithethe zomtshato zasekuhlaleni esebenzisa imigaqo yeBhayibhile? (b) Yintoni amaKristu afanele acinge ngayo ngokuphathelele izithethe ezinjengokuphoswa kwerayisi okanye ezinye izinto?

¹⁶ Kungekudala, “akukho lizwi lamyeni nelamtshakazi liya kuze liviwe kwakhona [kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu].” (ISityhilelo 18:23) Ngoba? Esinye sezizathu kukuba isebenzelana nemimoya, nto leyo enokuwungcolisa umtshato zisuka nje.—Marko 10:6-9.

¹⁷ Ilizwe ngalinye linezithethe zalo. Ezinye izithethe ezisenokubonakala zingeyongozi zisenokuba zivela kumasiko aseBhabhiloni ekukholelwa ukuba aya kuzisa ‘ithamsanqa’ kwabo batshatayo okanye kwabamenyiweyo. (Isaya 65:11) Esinye sezo zithethe kukuphoswa kwerayisi okanye ezinye izinto. Esi sithethe sisenokuba sasivela kwingcamango yokuba ukutya kwakuyixolisa imimoya emdaka ukuze ingenzakalisi umtshakazi nomyeni. Ukongezelela koko, kudala irayisi inxulunyaniswa nokuzala, ulonwabo, nokuphila ixesha elide. Kucacile ukuba bonke abantu abafuna ukuzigcina kuthando lukaThixo abayi kuzidyobha ngezithethe ezinjalo.—Funda eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 6:14-18.

18. Yiyiphi imigaqo yeBhayibhile efanele ikhokele abo balungiselela ukutshata nabo bamenyiweyo?

¹⁸ Nabakhonzi bakaYehova abazenzi izithethe zehlabathi ezinokwenza imisitho yomtshato wamaKristu ingabi nasidima okanye ikhubekise abanye abantu. Ngokomzekelo, baya kukuphepha ukuthetha amazwi ahlabayo okanye iintetho ezigudle isini, kwaye bafanele bakuyeke ukuntlonta abantu  ukuze benziwe intlekisa okanye ukuthetha izinto ezibenza babe neentloni abo batshatayo kunye nabanye. (IMizekeliso 26:18, 19; Luka 6:31; 10:27) Kananjalo abayenzi imisitho enobunewunewu ‘ekukuqhayisa ngezinto zobu bomi’ kunokuba ibonise ukuthozama. (1 Yohane 2:16) Ukuba ulungiselela umtshato, ungaze ulibale ukuba uYehova ufuna ukuba olo suku lwakho lukhethekileyo ulukhumbule kakuhle, ungazisoli nganto. *

19, 20. Enye incwadi yehlabathi ithi kuvela phi ukungqubanisa iiglasi xa kuselwa, yaye kutheni esi sithethe singamkelekanga kumaKristu?

¹⁹ Ukungqubanisa iiglasi sisithethe esiqhelekileyo emitshatweni nakwezinye iimbutho. I-International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture yowe-1995 ithi: “Ukungqubanisa iiglasi . . . yintsalela yesithethe samandulo esasisenziwa ngabantu xa kunikelwa umnikelo ongcwele kwizithixo . . . ukuze bavakalise umnqweno, umthandazo wabo owawunokushwankathelwa ngokuthi ‘ubomi obude!’ okanye ‘mpilo-ntle!’”

²⁰ Ewe kona, abantu abaninzi basenokuba abayiqondi into yokuba ukungqubanisa iiglasi xa kuselwa yinto enokwenza nonqulo okanye neenkolelo. Ukanti, isithethe sokuphakamisela phezulu iiglasi zewayini sinokujongwa njengokucela “ezulwini”—kumandla angaphaya kwawomntu—intsikelelo ngendlela engqubanayo neZibhalo.—Yohane 14:6; 16:23. *

21. Yiyiphi imibhiyozo ethandwayo ayiphephayo amaKristu nangona isenokuba ayinanto yakwenza nonqulo, yaye ngoba?

²¹ Ngenxa yemilinganiselo ehlayo yehlabathi lanamhlanje —ekhuthazwa yiBhabhiloni Enkulu ngendlela engqalileyo okanye engangqalanga—amanye amazwe aba neminyhadala minyaka le okanye iMardi Gras, apho kujuxuzwa ngendlela engatshongo khona nalapho kukhuthazwa ubufanasini. Ngaba kufanelekile na ukuba ‘umntu othanda uYehova’ aye kule minyhadala okanye ayibukele? Ngaba ukwenza loo nto kuya kubonisa ukuba ngokwenene ukuthiyile okubi? (INdumiso 1:1, 2; 97:10) Kubhetele kalikhulu ukuba nesimo sengqondo esifana nesomdumisi owathandaza esithi: “Dlulisa amehlo am angaboni oko kungento yanto.”—INdumiso 119:37.

22. Kuxa kutheni apho umKristu enokugqiba ngokwesazela sakhe enoba awenze umbhiyozo okanye angawenzi?

²² Ngemihla yale mibhiyozo yehlabathi, umKristu ufanele alumke angenzi izinto eziya kubangela ukuba abantu bacinge ukuba naye uyabhiyoza. UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Enoba niyatya okanye niyasela okanye nenza nantoni na eyenye, zonke izinto zenzeleni uzuko lukaThixo.” (1 Korinte 10:31; bona ibhokisi ethi “ Ukwenza Izigqibo Ngobulumko.”) Kwelinye icala, ukuba kucacile ukuba isithethe okanye umbhiyozo awunanto yakwenza nonqulo lobuxoki, awudibananga nepolitiki okanye umoya wokuthand’ izwe, kwaye awungqubani nemigaqo yeBhayibhile, umKristu ngamnye unokuzenzela isigqibo enoba uza kuwenza okanye angawenzi kusini na. Kwangaxeshanye, ufanele acingele iimvakalelo zabanye abantu ukuze angabakhubekisi.

23, 24. Sinokubunikela njani ubungqina ngemilinganiselo yobulungisa kaYehova?

²³ Abantu abaninzi bajonga imihla yemibhiyozo ethandwayo njengamathuba okuba kunye nentsapho nabahlobo. Ngenxa yoko, xa abantu becinga ukuba isigqibo sethu esisekelwe kwiZibhalo sibonisa ulunya okanye sibaxiwe, sinokubacacisela kakuhle ukuba amaNgqina  kaYehova ayakuthanda ukuba kunye nentsapho nabahlobo. (IMizekeliso 11:25; INtshumayeli 3:12, 13; 2 Korinte 9:7) Ngoko siyakuvuyela ukuba kunye nabahlobo nezalamane nangaliphi na elinye ixesha ebudeni bonyaka, yaye kuba simthanda uThixo nemilinganiselo yakhe yobulungisa, asifuni kugxobha izihlandlo ezinjalo ngezithethe ezimcaphukisayo.—Bona ibhokisi ethi “ Unqulo Lwenene Lusenza Sivuye Kakhulu.”

²⁴ Amanye amaNgqina aye akwazi ukucacisela abantu ababuza ngokunyaniseka esebenzisa incwadi ethi Yintoni Ngokwenene Efundiswa YiBhayibhile?, * isahluko se-16. Noko ke, khumbula ukuba usukelo lwethu asikokuphikisana nabantu, kodwa kukunceda abantu babone inyaniso. Ngoko yiba nembeko, uzole, kwaye ‘amazwi akho asoloko ekholekile, enongwe ngetyuwa.’—Kolose 4:6.

25, 26. Abazali banokubanceda njani abantwana babo babe nokholo ngakumbi yaye bamthande uYehova?

²⁵ Thina bakhonzi bakaYehova sifundiswe kakuhle. Siyazazi izizathu zokuba sikholelwe yaye senze izinto ezithile nesokuba singazenzi ezinye izinto. (Hebhere 5:14) Ngoko ke, bazali, fundisani abantwana benu indlela yokucacisa imigaqo yeBhayibhile. Xa nisenjenjalo niyalwakha ukholo lwabo, nibanceda bakwazi ukuphendula ngeZibhalo xa bebuzwa ngeenkolelo zabo, kwaye nibenza baqiniseke ukuba uYehova uyabathanda.—Isaya 48:17, 18; 1 Petros 3:15.

²⁶ Bonke abanqula uThixo “ngomoya nenyaniso” abaneli kungayenzi nje kuphela imibhiyozo engqubana nezibhalo, kodwa bazama ukunyaniseka kuzo zonke izinto abazenzayo. (Yohane 4:23) Namhlanje, abantu abaninzi bathi yinto engenakwenzeka ukuba umntu anyaniseke. Kodwa njengoko siza kubona kwisahluko esilandelayo, iindlela zikaThixo zisoloko zizezona zisemagqabini.