Ukusebenza “Ensimini”—Ngaphambi Kokuvuna

ABAFUNDI boMfundisi Omkhulu babedidekile. UJesu wayesanda kulandisa indatshana kakolweni nokhula. Yayingomunye wemizekeliso eminingi ayexoxe ngayo ngalolo suku. Lapho eseqedile, iningi lezilaleli zakhe lahamba. Kodwa abalandeli bakhe babazi ukuthi imizekeliso yakhe kumelwe ukuba inencazelo ekhethekile—ikakhulu lona kakolweni nokhula. Babazi ukuthi uJesu wayengeyena nje umxoxi wezindaba othakazelisayo.

UMathewu ubika ukuthi bacela: “Sichazele umfanekiso wokhula ensimini.” UJesu wabe esewuchaza lo mzekeliso, wabikezela ukuhlubuka okukhulu okwakuyovela phakathi kwabazibiza ngabafundi bakhe. (Mathewu 13:24-30, 36-38, 43) Lokhu kwenzeka, futhi ukuhlubuka kwabhebhetheka ngokushesha ngemva kokufa komphostoli uJohane. (IzEnzo 20:29, 30; 2 Thesalonika 2:6-12) Imiphumela yako yasabalala kangangokuthi umbuzo owawubuzwe nguJesu kuLuka 18:8 wabonakala ufaneleka kakhulu: “Lapho iNdodana yomuntu ifika, ingabe ngempela iyoluthola ukholo emhlabeni?”

 Ukufika kukaJesu kwakuyosho ukuqala ‘kokuvunwa’ kwamaKristu anjengokolweni. Lokho kwakuyoba uphawu ‘lwesiphelo sesimiso sezinto,’ esaqala ngo-1914. Ngakho akufanele kusimangaze ukuthi kwaba nabathile abaqala ukuba nesithakazelo eqinisweni leBhayibheli enkathini eyaholela ekuqaleni kokuvuna.—Mathewu 13:39.

Ukuhlola umlando kwenza kube sobala ukuthi ikakhulu kusukela ekhulwini le-15 kuqhubeke, izingqondo zazishukunyiswa, ngisho naphakathi koquqaba olukweLobukholwa ‘olwalunjengokhula,’ noma kumaKristu mbumbulu. Njengoba iBhayibheli laliya litholakala ngokukhululekile futhi kwenziwa amakhonkodensi eBhayibheli, abantu abanhliziyo ziqotho baqala ukuphenyisisa imiBhalo.

Ukukhanya Kuyanda

Phakathi kwabantu abanjalo ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19 kwakunoHenry Grew (wango-1781-1862), waseBirmingham, eNgilandi. Lapho eneminyaka engu-13 ubudala, wahamba nomkhaya wakubo ngomkhumbi bawela i-Atlantic baya e-United States, bafika ngo-July 8, 1795. Bazinza eProvidence, eRhode Island. Abazali bakhe bagxilisa kuye uthando lweBhayibheli. Ngo-1807, eneminyaka engu-25 ubudala, uGrew wacelwa ukuba akhonze njengomfundisi weSonto LaseBaptist eHartford, eConnecticut.

Wawuthatha ngokungathi sína umsebenzi wakhe wokufundisa futhi wazama ukusiza labo ayebanakekela ukuba baphile ngokuvumelana nemiBhalo. Nokho, wayekholelwa ekugcineni ibandla lingenabo abantu abenza isono ngamabomu. Ngezinye izikhathi, kwakudingeka yena namanye amadoda anomthwalo wemfanelo esontweni baxoshe (basuse ekuhlanganyeleni) labo ababefeba noma ababenza ezinye izenzo ezingahlanzekile.

Kwakunezinye izinkinga esontweni ezazimphatha kabi. Kwakunamadoda angewona amalungu esonto ayesingatha izindaba zebhizinisi zesonto futhi ehola ekuculeni ezinkonzweni. La madoda ayekwazi nokuvota ezindabeni zebandla futhi ngenxa yalokho elawula okwenzeka kulo ngesilinganiso esithile. Ngokusekelwe esimisweni sokuhluzihlukanisa nezwe, uGrew wayekholelwa  kakhulu ukuthi le misebenzi kufanele yenziwe amadoda athembekile kuphela. (2 Korinte 6:14-18; Jakobe 1:27) Ngokubona kwakhe, ukucula kwabangakholwa izingoma zokudumisa uNkulunkulu kwakuwukuhlambalaza. Ngenxa yalokhu, ngo-1811, uHenry Grew wakhishwa esontweni. Amanye amalungu ayenemibono efanayo azihlukanisa nesonto ngesikhathi esifanayo.

Ukuhlukana NeLobukholwa

Leli qembu, elihlanganisa uHenry Grew, laqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli ngenhloso yokuvumelanisa ukuphila kwalo nezinto elizenzayo neseluleko seBhayibheli. Ngokushesha ukutadisha kwalo kwaliholela ekubeni liqonde iqiniso leBhayibheli ngokwengeziwe futhi kwalenza ladalula amaphutha eLobukholwa. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1824, uGrew wabhala indaba ecatshangwe kahle eyayiphikisa uZiqu-zintathu. Phawula ukuba nengqondo kwale ndima ethathwe kulokho akubhala: “‘Mayelana nalolo suku, nalelo hora akwazi muntu, cha hhayi ngisho izingelosi ezisezulwini, ngisho iNdodana, kodwa UBABA.’ [Marku 13:32] Phawula lapha ukushiyana kwezidalwa ngesikhundla. Umuntu, Izingelosi, INdodana, UYise. . . . INkosi yethu isifundisa ukuthi nguYise kuphela owayazi ngalolo suku. Kodwa lokhu akulona iqiniso, uma, njengoba kusho abanye, uYise, uLizwi noMoya Ongcwele kungabantu abathathu kuNkulunkulu oyedwa; ngoba, ngokwalokhu [le mfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu] . . . iNdodana yayazi ngokufanayo noYise.”

UGrew wadalula ubuzenzisi babefundisi nabalawuli bempi ababezishaya abakhonza uKristu. Ngo-1828 wathi: “Kukhona ukungqubuzana esingakucabanga okudlula ukuba umKristu aphume ekamelweni lakhe, lapho abethandazela khona izitha zakhe, abese eyala amasosha akhe ukuba adubule izinhliziyo zazo lezo zitha ngezikhali zokufa ngonya olukhulu? Kwesinye isimo, ujabulela ukufana neNkosi yakhe efayo; kodwa ufana nobani kulesi esinye? UJesu wathandazela ababulali bakhe. AmaKristu abulala labo abathandazelayo.”

UGrew wabhala ngokunamandla nangokwengeziwe: “Siyomkholelwa nini uMninimandla onke osiqinisekisa ukuthi ‘akahlekwa usulu?’ Siyosiqonda nini isimo sangempela, isici esihlukanisayo, saleyo nkolo engcwele efuna ukuba sidede ngisho ‘nakokubonakala kukubi?‘ . . . Akukhona yini ukuhlambalaza iNdodana yobusisekileyo, ukusikisela ukuthi inkolo yayo ifuna ukuba umuntu enze izinto njengengelosi kwesinye isimo, bese imvumela ukuba enze izinto njengedemoni kwesinye?”

Ukuphila Okuphakade Asizalwa Nakho

Phakathi naleyo minyaka ingakabi khona imisakazo namathelevishini, indlela eyayithandwa yokuzwakalisa umbono wakho kwakuwukubhala amapheshana bese esakazwa. Cishe ngo-1835, uGrew wabhala ipheshana elibalulekile elalidalula ukungabi ngokomBhalo kwemfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo neyesihogo somlilo. Wayenomuzwa wokuthi lezi zimfundiso zihlambalaza uNkulunkulu.

Leli pheshana lalizoba nemiphumela efinyelela kude. Ngo-1837, uGeorge Storrs owayeneminyaka engu-40 ubudala wathola elinye lawo esitimeleni. UStorrs wayengowokuzalwa eLebanon, eNew Hampshire, ehlala e-Utica, eNew York, ngalesi sikhathi.

Wayengumfundisi ohlonishwa kakhulu eSontweni LaseWeseli (iMethodist-Episcopal). Lapho elifunda leli pheshana, kwamhlaba umxhwele ukuthi kwakuvezwe amaphuzu anamandla kangaka alahla lezi zimfundiso eziyisisekelo zeLobukholwa, ayengakaze yena azingabaze. Wayengazi ukuthi lalibhalwe ngubani, futhi kwadlula iminyaka ethile ngaphambi kokuba ahlangane noHenry Grew, okungenani ngo-1844, lapho bobabili behlala ePhiladelphia, ePennsylvania. Nokho, uStorrs wayitadisha yedwa le ndaba iminyaka emithathu, ekhuluma nabanye abefundisi kuphela ngayo.

Ekugcineni, njengoba kwakungekho muntu owayekwazi ukuphikisa izinto ayezifunda, uGeorge Storrs wanquma ukuthi wayengathembekile kuNkulunkulu uma eqhubeka eseSontweni LaseWeseli. Ngo-1840 wasula, wayesethuthela e-Albany, eNew York.

Ekuqaleni kwentwasahlobo ka-1842, uStorrs wanikeza uchungechunge lwezinkulumo eziyisithupha emasontweni ayisithupha ezazinesihloko  esithi “Uphenyo—Ingabe Ababi Abanakufa?” Isithakazelo saba sikhulu kangangokuthi wazibukeza ukuze zinyatheliswe, futhi eminyakeni engu-40 eyalandela, kwasakazwa amakhophi azo angu-200 000 e-United States naseGreat Britain. UStorrs noGrew babebambisana ezinkulumweni-mpikiswano ezilahla imfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo. UGrew waqhubeka eshumayela ngentshiseko kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-August 8, 1862, ePhiladelphia.

Ngemva nje kokuba uStorrs enikeze izinkulumo eziyisithupha ezisanda kushiwo, waba nesithakazelo ekushumayeleni kukaWilliam Miller, owayelindele ukubuya kukaKristu okubonakalayo ngo-1843. Isikhathi esingaba yiminyaka emibili, uStorrs wahileleka kakhulu ekushumayeleni lo myalezo kuyo yonke inyakatho-mpumalanga ye-United States. Ngemva kuka-1844, wayengasazimisele ukuhambisana nanoma yikuphi ukubeka usuku lokubuya kukaKristu, kodwa wayengenqabi uma abanye befuna ukuhlola izikhathi zezenzakalo. UStorrs wayekholelwa ukuthi ukubuya kukaKristu kwakuseduze nokuthi kwakubalulekile ukuba amaKristu ahlale ephapheme futhi eqaphile ngokomoya, elungele usuku lokuhlolwa. Kodwa wahlukana neqembu likaMiller ngoba lalamukela izimfundiso ezingasekelwe emiBhalweni, njengokungafi komphefumulo, ukushiswa komhlaba nokungabi khona kwanoma yiliphi ithemba lokuphila okuphakade kulabo abafa bengazi.

Lwaluzoholelaphi Uthando LukaNkulunkulu?

UStorrs washaqiswa umbono wama-Adventist wokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeyovusa abantu ababi ukuze nje aphinde ababulale. Wayengaboni bufakazi emiBhalweni besenzo esinjalo esingenanjongo sokuba uNkulunkulu akhokhe isibhongo. UStorrs nayebambisene nabo beqisa futhi baphetha ngokuthi ababi ngeke neze bavuswe. Nakuba babenenkinga yokuchaza imibhalo ethile ekhuluma ngovuko lwabangalungile, kubona isiphetho sabo sasibonakala sivumelana kakhudlwana nothando lukaNkulunkulu. Igxathu eliya phambili ekuqondeni izinjongo zikaNkulunkulu laliseduze.

Ngo-1870, uStorrs wagula kakhulu wangakwazi ukusebenza izinyanga ezithile. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, wakwazi ukuphinde ahlole konke ayekufundile phakathi neminyaka engu-74 ayeseyiphilile. Waphetha ngokuthi wayengayiphawulanga ingxenye ebalulekile yenjongo kaNkulunkulu ngesintu njengoba iboniswe esivumelwaneni sika-Abrahama—ewukuthi ‘yonke imikhaya yomhlaba yayiyobusiswa ngenxa yokulalela kuka-Abrahama izwi likaNkulunkulu.’—Genesise 22:18; IzEnzo 3:25.

Lokho kwaletha umcabango omusha engqondweni yakhe. Uma “yonke imikhaya” yayiyobusiswa, kwakungeke yini kudingeke ukuba yonke  izizwe lezi zindaba ezinhle? Yayizozizwa kanjani? Angithi izigidi zezigidi zase zifile kakade? Lapho eqhubeka ehlola imiBhalo, wafinyelela esiphethweni sokuthi kunezigaba ezimbili zabantu “ababi”: labo ababelwenqabe ngokuphelele uthando lukaNkulunkulu nalabo ababefe bengazi.

UStorrs waphetha ngokuthi laba bamuva kuyodingeka bavuswe kwabafileyo ukuze bathole ithuba lokuzuza emhlatshelweni wesihlengo kaKristu Jesu. Labo abayowamukela bayophila phakade emhlabeni. Labo abayowenqaba bayobhujiswa. Yebo, uStorrs wayekholelwa ukuthi akekho oyovuswa nguNkulunkulu kodwa angabi nathemba. Ekugcineni, akekho oyobe efe ngenxa yesono sika-Adamu ngaphandle kuka-Adamu uqobo! Kodwa kuthiwani ngalabo ababeyobe bephila phakathi nokubuya kweNkosi uJesu Kristu? Ekugcineni uStorrs wabona ukuthi kwakuzodingeka kwenziwe umkhankaso wokushumayela embulungeni yonke ukuze bafinyelelwe. Wayengazi nakancane ukuthi into enjalo yayingenziwa kanjani, kodwa wabhala enokholo: “Nokho abaningi kakhulu, uma bengaboni ukuthi into ethile kufanele yenziwe kanjani bayayenqaba, njengokungathi uNkulunkulu akanakuyenza ngoba bona bengayiboni yenzeka.”

UGeorge Storrs wafa ngo-December 1879, esemzini wakhe eBrooklyn, eNew York, oqhele ngemigwaqo embalwa kulokho kamuva okwakuzoba yisikhungo esiyinhloko somkhankaso wokushumayela embulungeni yonke ayewulangazelela kangaka.

Kwakudingeka Ukukhanya Okwengeziwe

Ingabe amadoda anjengoHenry Grew noGeorge Storrs ayeliqonda ngokucacile iqiniso njengathi namuhla? Cha. Ayebuqaphela ubunzima ayebhekene nabo, njengoba uStorrs asho ngo-1847: “Siyobe senza kahle ukukhumbula ukuthi sisanda kuphuma nje enkathini yobumnyama besonto; futhi ngeke neze kube yinto eyinqaba uma sizithola sisagqoke ezinye ‘zezingubo zeBabiloni’ sicabanga ukuthi yiqiniso.” Ngokwesibonelo, uGrew wayesazisa isihlengo esanikezwa nguJesu, kodwa wayengaqondi ukuthi ‘siyisihlengo esihambelanayo,’ okungukuthi, siwukuphila kukaJesu okuphelele kobuntu obanikelwa ngenxa yokuphila okuphelele kobuntu buka-Adamu. (1 Thimothewu 2:6) Futhi uHenry Grew wayekholelwa ngokuyiphutha ekutheni uJesu wayeyobuya abese ebusa ngokubonakalayo emhlabeni. Nokho, uGrew wayekukhathalela ukungcweliswa kwegama likaJehova, okuyinto ababembalwa kakhulu ababeyikhathalela kusukela ekhulwini lesibili C.E.

UGeorge Storrs ngokufanayo wayengawaqondi ngokunembile amanye amaphuzu abalulekile. Wakwazi ukubona amanga ayebhebhezelwa abefundisi, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi wayeqisa emibonweni ehlukile. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ngokusobala esabela ngokweqisa embonweni ovamile wabefundisi mayelana noSathane, uStorrs waphika umqondo wokuthi uDeveli ungumuntu ongokoqobo. Waphika uZiqu-zintathu; kodwa wayengaqiniseki ukuthi umoya  ongcwele ungumuntu yini kwaze kwaba ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe. Nakuba uGeorge Storrs ayelindele ukuthi ukubuya kukaKristu kwakuyoqale kungabonakali, wayecabanga ukuthi ekugcineni kwakuyobonakala ngokoqobo. Noma kunjalo, kubonakala sengathi womabili la madoda ayenezinhliziyo eziqotho, futhi asondela kakhulu eqinisweni kunabaningi.

“Insimu” uJesu ayichaza emzekelisweni kakolweni nokhula yayingakakulungeli ukuvunwa. (Mathewu 13:38) UGrew, uStorrs nabanye, babesebenza ‘ensimini’ belungiselela ukuvuna.

UCharles Taze Russell, owaqala ukunyathelisa lo magazini ngo-1879, wabhala lokhu mayelana neminyaka yakhe yakudala: “INkosi yasinika izinsiza eziningi ekutadisheni izwi laYo, evelele yazo okungumfowethu osekhulile esimthanda kakhulu, uGeorge Storrs, owasisiza kakhulu kokubili ngezwi nangokubhala; kodwa sasilokhu singafuni ukuba ngabalandeli babantu, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bakahle futhi bahlakaniphe kangakanani, kodwa [sifuna ukuba] ‘aBalandeli bakaNkulunkulu njengabantwana abathandekayo.’” Yebo, abafundi beBhayibheli abaqotho bazuza emizamweni yabantu abanjengoGrew noStorrs, kodwa kwakusabalulekile ukuhlola iZwi likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli, njengomthombo wangempela weqiniso.—Johane 17:17.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Lokho UHenry Grew Ayekukholelwa

Igama likaJehova lihlanjalaziwe, futhi kudingeka lingcweliswe.

UZiqu-zintathu, ukungafi komphefumulo nesihogo somlilo yizimfundiso ezikhohlisayo.

Ibandla lobuKristu kumelwe lizihlukanise nezwe.

AmaKristu akufanele ahlanganyele ezimpini zezizwe.

AmaKristu awekho ngaphansi komthetho weSabatha langoMgqibelo noma langeSonto.

AmaKristu akufanele abe ngamalungu ezinhlangano zomshoshaphansi, njengamaFreemason.

Akufanele kube nesigaba sabefundisi nesabantu abavamile phakathi kwamaKristu.

Iziqu ezingokwenkolo zivela kumphik’ ukristu.

Wonke amabandla kufanele abe nendikimba yabadala.

Abadala kumelwe babe ngcwele kukho konke ukuziphatha kwabo, babe abangasolekiyo.

Wonke amaKristu kumelwe ashumayele izindaba ezinhle.

Kuyoba nabantu abayophila phakade ePharadesi emhlabeni.

Izingoma zobuKristu kufanele zidumise uJehova noKristu.

[Umthombo]

Photo: Collection of The New-York Historical Society/69 288

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 28]

Lokho uGeorge Storrs Ayekukholelwa

UJesu wakhokha ukuphila kwakhe njengenani lesihlengo sesintu.

Ukushunyayelwa kwezindaba ezinhle akukenziwa (ngo-1871).

Ngenxa yalokho, ukuphela kwakungenakuba seduze ngaleso sikhathi (ngo-1871). Kwakuzodingeka kube nenkathi ezayo okwakuyoshunyayelwa ngayo.

Kuyoba nabantu abayothola ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni.

Kuyoba novuko lwabo bonke abafe bengazi. Labo abawamukelayo umhlatshelo wesihlengo sikaKristu bayothola ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni. Labo abawenqabayo bayobhujiswa.

Ukungafi komphefumulo nesihogo somlilo yizimfundiso zamanga ezihlambalaza uNkulunkulu.

ISidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa siwumkhosi waminyaka yonke oba ngo-Nisan 14.

[Umthombo]

Photo: SIX SERMONS, by George Storrs (1855)

[Izithombe ekhasini 29]

Ngo-1909, uC.T. Russell, umhleli we-“Zion’s Watch Tower,” wathuthela eBrooklyn, eNew York, e-U.S.A.