1. Wathini uYesu ngokufunga yaye ngoba?

AKUDLI ngakuba yimfuneko ukuba amaKristu enze izifungo. Oko kubangelwa kukuba athobela uYesu owathi: “Ke uEwe makabe nguEwe.” Wayethetha ukuba umntu umele anyaniseke kwisibhambathiso sakhe. UYesu wawutshayelela loo myalelo ngokuthi: “Ningafungi konke konke.” Ngaloo mazwi wayegxeka umkhwa owawuqhelekile nowawuthandwa ngabantu wokuthi nokuba nje bayazincokolela bafunge ngayo nantoni na, bengazimiselanga phofu ukwenza nanye kwezo zinto bazithethayo. Ngokwenza “okugqithe” uEwe okanye uHayi oqhelekileyo ukuze bavakalise iinjongo zabo, abo bantu babediza ukuba abanakuthenjwa yaye ngenxa yoko baphenjelelwa ‘ngongendawo.’—Funda uMateyu 5:33-37.

2. Chaza isizathu sokuba kungaphosakalanga ukwenza izifungo.

² Ngaba uYesu wayethetha ukuba kuphosakele kwanto nje isisifungo? Akanakuba wayethetha loo nto. Njengoko sivile kwinqaku elingaphambi kweli, uYehova uThixo nomkhonzi wakhe olilungisa uAbraham bafunga ngezihlandlo ezibalulekileyo. Kanti uMthetho kaThixo wawufuna ukuba kufungwe ukuze kulungiswe iingxaki ezithile. (Eks. 22:10, 11; Num. 5:21, 22) Ngenxa yoko, kusenokufuneka umKristu afunge ukuba uza kuthetha inyaniso xa enikela ubungqina kwinkundla yomthetho. Okanye kwiimeko ezingafane zenzeke, kusenokufuneka umKristu afunge ukuze aqinisekise abanye ngeenjongo zakhe okanye xa eza kulungisa umba othile. UYesu wathetha inyani kwiSanhedrin yamaYuda xa wafungiswayo. (Mat. 26:63, 64) Noko ke, kwakungeyomfuneko ukuba uYesu afunge kuye nabani na. Sekunjalo, ukuze abethelele ukuthembeka koko wayekuthetha, wayesoloko etshayelela ngala mazwi akhethekileyo: “Inene, inene, ndithi kuni.” (Yoh. 1:51; 13:16, 20, 21, 38) Makhe sibone ezinye izinto esinokuzifunda kumzekelo  kaYesu, okaPawulos nowabanye abaqinisekisayo ukuba uEwe wabo nguEwe.

3. UYesu wathembisa ntoni xa wayethandaza kuThixo, yaye wasabela njani uYise osezulwini?

³ “Khangela! Ndiyeza . . . ukuza kwenza intando yakho, Thixo.” (Heb. 10:7) Ngala mazwi anengqiqo, uYesu wazinikela kuThixo ukuze aphumeze yonke into eyayiprofetiwe ngeMbewu ethenjisiweyo, kuquka ‘ukutyunyuzwa kwakhe isithende’ nguSathana. (Gen. 3:15) Akakho omnye umntu owazinikelayo ukuze athwale imbopheleleko enzima ngolo hlobo. Esezulwini, uYehova wavakalisa ukumthemba okupheleleyo uNyana wakhe, nangona wayengalindelanga ukuba uYesu afunge ukuba uza kubambelela kumazwi akhe.—Luka 3:21, 22.

4. UYesu waqinisekisa njani ukuba uEwe wakhe uba nguEwe?

⁴ UYesu wayesoloko ezenza izinto azithethayo eqiniseka ukuba uEwe wakhe nguEwe. Akazange avumele nantoni na ukuba imphazamise kumsebenzi awayewuthunywe nguYise wokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo nokubenza abafundi bonke abo uThixo wabatsalela kuYesu. (Yoh. 6:44) IBhayibhile ichaza ukunyaniseka kukaYesu ngala mazwi adumileyo: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuba zininzi kangakanani na izithembiso zikaThixo, ziye zaba nguEwe ngaye.” (2 Kor. 1:20) Ngokwenene, uYesu ungumzekelo obalaseleyo womntu owanyanisekayo kwisibhambathiso awasenza kuYise. Kanti, makhe sihlolisise umzekelo womnye umntu owenza unako nako wokuxelisa uYesu.

5. Umpostile uPawulos wasimisela wuphi umzekelo?

⁵ “Ndenze ntoni na, Nkosi?” (IZe. 22:10) Ngala mazwi abonisa ukunyaniseka, uPawulos, owayebizwa ngokuba nguSawule ngelo xesha, wayesamkela ulwalathiso lweNkosi uYesu ezukisiweyo, eyabonakala kuye embonweni ukuze imthintele angatshutshisi abafundi bakaKristu. Ngenxa yesi siganeko, uSawule wazithoba waza waguquka kwikhondo lakhe langaphambili, wabhaptizwa waza wamkela isabelo esikhethekileyo sokunikela ubungqina ngoYesu kwiintlanga. Ukususela ngelo xesha, uPawulos waqhubeka ebiza uYesu ngokuthi ‘yiNkosi’ yakhe, emthobela de kwasekupheleni kobomi bakhe basemhlabeni. (IZe. 22:6-16; 2 Kor. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:8) UPawulos wayengafani nabantu uYesu awathi ngabo: “Kutheni, ngoko, nindibiza ngokuthi ‘Nkosi! Nkosi!’ kodwa ningazenzi izinto endizitshoyo?” (Luka 6:46) UYesu ulindele ukuba bonke abo bamamkela njengeNkosi yabo bathembeke kwizibhambathiso zabo, kanye njengompostile uPawulos.

6, 7. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos atshintshe izicwangciso zakhe zokutyelela eKorinte, yaye kutheni kwakungafanelekanga ukuba abagxeki bakhe bathandabuze ukunyaniseka kwakhe? (b) Simele sibajonge njani abo bamiselwe ukuze basikhokele?

 ⁶ UPawulos wasishumayela ngenzondelelo isigidimi soBukumkani kulo lonke elaseAsia Minor ukuya kutsho kwelaseYurophu, emisela yaye etyelela kwakhona amabandla amaninzi. Maxa wambi, wakubona kufanelekile ukufunga ngelokuqinisekisa ukuba oko wayekubhala kwakuyinyaniso. (Gal. 1:20) Xa abanye eKorinte batyhola uPawulos ngokungathembeki, wabhala wathi: “Kunokuthenjelwa kuThixo ukuba uEwe wethu akangoHayi.” (2 Kor. 1:18) Ngexesha lokubhala kwakhe loo mazwi, uPawulos wayesandul’ ukumka e-Efese yaye wayetyhubela eMakedoni esiya eKorinte. Ekuqaleni wayecebe ukuphinda aye eKorinte ngaphambi kokuya eMakedoni. (2 Kor. 1:15, 16) Kodwa nakubaveleli abahambahambayo namhlanje kuye kufuneke kutshintshwe ucwangciso lwamabandla abaza kuwatyelela. Olo tshintsho alwenziwa ngezizathu nje ezingenamsebenzi kodwa lwenziwa ngenxa yeemeko ezithile ezingxamisekileyo. Kwimeko kaPawulos, utyelelo lwakhe eKorinte lwalibaziseka ukuze kungenelwe ibandla lalapho. Kwenzeka njani oko?

⁷ Emva kokuba enze izicwangciso zakhe zokuqala, uPawulos weva iindaba ezingentle ese-Efese zokuba, eKorinte kunyanyezelwe iimbambano nokuziphatha okubi. (1 Kor. 1:11; 5:1) Ukuze alungise le meko, wabhala isiluleko esibukhali kwileta yakhe yokuqala eya kwabaseKorinte. Emva koko, akazange uPawulos asuke e-Efese aye ngqo eKorinte, kodwa wagqiba kwelokuba abanike ithuba lokusebenzisa isiluleko awayebanike sona, ukuze xa efika kubo utyelelo lwakhe lukhuthaze. Ebaqinisekisa ngesizathu sokutshintsha kwezicwangciso zakhe, uPawulos wabhala wathi kwileta yakhe yesibini: “Ke kaloku ndibiza uThixo ukuba abe lingqina nxamnye nomphefumlo wam ukuba isizathu sokuba ndingekezi eKorinte kukwazelelela nina.” (2 Kor. 1:23) Ngamana singangaze sifane nabagxeki bakaPawulos; kodwa masibonise intlonelo enzulu ngabo bamiselwe ukuba basikhokele. Eneneni kuya kusinceda ukuxelisa umzekelo kaPawulos wokuthembeka, kanye njengokuba wayexelisa uKristu.—1 Kor. 11:1; Heb. 13:7.

8. URebheka wasimisela wuphi umzekelo?

⁸ “Ndikulungele ukuhamba.” (Gen. 24:58) Ngaloo mazwi acacileyo, uRebheka wayechazela unina nomntakwabo ukuba ukulungele ukushiya ikhaya aze ahambe nomntu angamaziyo ngaphezu kweekhilomitha ezingama-800, esiya kwendela kunyana ka-Abraham, uIsake. (Gen. 24:50-58) UEwe kaRebheka waba nguEwe waza waba ngumfazi kaIsake othembekileyo nowoyika uThixo. Wahlala ezintenteni ubomi bakhe bonke, njengomphambukeli kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. Ukongezelela, ngenxa yokuthembeka kwakhe wajizekwa ngelungelo lokuba ngomnye wookhokhokazi beMbewu ethenjisiweyo, uYesu Kristu.—Heb. 11:9, 13.

9. URute wathembeka njani kwisibhambathiso sakhe?

⁹ “Hayi, siza kubuyela nawe ebantwini bakowenu.” (Rute 1:10) Abahlolokazi abangamaMowabhi, uRute no-Orpa, baqhubeka bemxelela oko uninazala owayengumhlolokazi naye, uNahomi, owayesuka kwaMowabhi esiya eBhetelehem. Ekugqibeleni, ngokubongozwa nguNahomi, uOrpa wagoduka. Kodwa uHayi kaRute waba nguHayi. (Funda uRute 1:16, 17.) Ngokuthembeka wanamathela kuNahomi, wayishiya ngokupheleleyo intsapho yakowabo kwakunye nonqulo lobuxoki lwamaMowabhi. Waqhubeka ethembekile ekunquleni uYehova yaye wawongwa ngokuba ngomnye wamabhinqa amahlanu akhankanywa nguMateyu kumnombo kaKristu.—Mat. 1:1, 3, 5, 6, 16.

10. Kutheni uIsaya engumzekelo omhle kuthi?

¹⁰ “Ndikho! Thuma mna.” (Isa. 6:8) Ngaphambi  kokutsho la mazwi, uIsaya wabona umbono ozukileyo kaYehova ehleli kwitrone yakhe ngaphezu kwetempile yakwaSirayeli. Ngoxa wayejonge lo mbono ubalaseleyo, uIsaya weva uYehova esithi: “Ndothuma bani na, ngubani na owosiyela?” Apha wayecelwa ukuba abe sisithethi sikaYehova sokuvakalisa isigidimi sikaThixo kubantu bakhe abawexukileyo. UIsaya wathembeka kwisibhambathiso sakhe—uEwe wakhe yayinguEwe. Ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-46, wasebenza ngokuthembeka njengomprofeti, evakalisa izigidimi ezinomgwebo ezinamandla kwakunye nezithembiso ezimangalisayo zokubuyiselwa konqulo lokwenyaniso.

11. (a) Kutheni kubalulekile ukuthembeka kwizibhambathiso zethu? (b) Yiyiphi imizekelo esisilumkiso yabo bangazange banyaniseke?

¹¹ Kutheni uYehova eye waqiniseka ukuba le mizekelo ingasentla ibhaliwe kwiLizwi lakhe? Ibe kubaluleke kangakanani ukuqiniseka ukuba uEwe wethu uba nguEwe? IBhayibhile ilumkisa ngokuphandle ukuba umntu ‘owaphula izivumelwano’ uphakathi kwabo ‘bafanelwe kukufa.’ (Roma 1:31, 32) UFaro waseYiputa, uKumkani wakwaYuda uZedekiya kunye noAnaniyas noSafira baphakathi kwemizekelo emibi echazwe eBhayibhileni yabantu abangazange baqiniseke ukuba uEwe wabo nguEwe. Bonke behlelwa yintlekele yaye bayimizekelo esilumkisayo nathi.—Eks. 9:27, 28, 34, 35; Hez. 17:13-15, 19, 20; IZe. 5:1-10.

12. Yintoni eya kusinceda sithembeke kwizibhambathiso zethu?

¹² ‘Kule mihla yokugqibela’ siphila kuyo, singqongwe ngabantu “abanganyanisekanga,” abantu ‘abanembonakalo yozinikelo lobuthixo kodwa bengaphili ngokuvisisana nalo.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Kufuneka sikuphephe kangangoko kunokwenzeka ukunxulumana nabantu abanjalo. Kunoko, sifanele ngalo lonke ixesha sihlanganisane nabo basoloko befuna ukuba uEwe abe nguEwe.—Heb. 10:24.

13. Nguwuphi oyena Ewe ubalulekileyo onokutshiwo ngumlandeli kaYesu Kristu?

¹³ Esona sibhambathiso sibalulekileyo anokusenza umntu siphathelele ukuzahlulela kwakhe kuThixo. Kwizihlandlo ezithathu ezikhethekileyo, abo bafuna ukuzincama njengabafundi bakaYesu banethuba lokuthi Ewe xa bebuzwa ngoko bafuna ukukwenza. (Mat. 16:24) Xa abadala ababini bexubusha nomntu ofuna ukuba ngumvakalisi ongabhaptizwanga, bambuza lo mbuzo, “Ngaba ukufuna ngokwenene ukuba liNgqina likaYehova?” Kamva, xa lo mntu enze inkqubela engakumbi ngokomoya yaye efuna ukuhlolwa enoba ukufanelekele ukubhaptizwa kusini na, abadala baya kuhlanganisana naye baze bambuze lo mbuzo, “Ngaba sele uzahlulele kuYehova ngomthandazo?” Kuya kuthi ke, mhla eza kubhaptizwa, kubuzwe lo mbuzo, “Ngenxa yedini lentlawulelo likaYesu Kristu, uguqukile na kwizono obuzenza waza wazahlulela ukwenza ukuthanda kukaYehova?”  Ngaloo ndlela, aba bavakalisi batsha bathi Ewe phambi kwamangqina, ngokuphathelele isithembiso abasenzileyo sokukhonza uThixo ngonaphakade.

14. Yiyiphi imibuzo esimele sisoloko sizibuza yona?

¹⁴ Enoba usandul’ ukubhaptizwa okanye ukhonze uThixo kangangamashumi eminyaka, umele usoloko uzihlola ngokuzibuza le mibuzo: ‘Ngaba ndiqhubeka ndiphila ngokuvisisana noyena Ewe wam ubalulekileyo, ndixelisa uYesu Kristu? Ngaba ndiqhubeka ndithobela uYesu ngokwenza umsebenzi wokushumayela nokwenza abafundi eyona nto ibalulekileyo ebomini bam?’—Funda eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 13:5.

15. Kukweziphi iinkalo zobomi ekubalulekileyo ukuba uEwe wethu abe nguEwe?

¹⁵ Ukuphila ngokuvisisana nesifungo sethu sokuzahlulela kuthetha ukuba simele sithembeke nakweminye imiba ebalulekileyo. Ngokomzekelo: Ngaba utshatile? Ngoko qhubeka unyanisekile kwisifungo esibalulekileyo sokuthanda nokuxabisa iqabane lakho lomtshato. Ngaba utyikitye isivumelwano soshishino okanye uzalise ifomu yamalungelo akhethekileyo entlanganweni? Ngoko qiniseka ukuba uyanyaniseka koko ukuthembisileyo. Ngaba uye wavuma ukumenyelwa esidlweni ngumntu ongathathi ntweni? Ngoko musa ukusirhoxisa eso simemo kuba uye wamenywa ngumntu oneemali zakhe. Okanye ngaba uye wathembisa umntu odibene naye entsimini ukuba uza kubuya uze umncede ngakumbi ngokomoya? Ngoko qiniseka ukuba uEwe wakho uba nguEwe, yaye uYehova uya kubusikelela ubulungiseleli bakho.—Funda uLuka 16:10.

16. Ukuba siye sasilela ukubambelela kwilizwi lethu, simele senze ntoni?

¹⁶ IBhayibhile ithi njengabantu abangafezekanga, “sonke siyakhubeka izihlandlo ezininzi,” ingakumbi kwindlela esilusebenzisa ngayo ulwimi lwethu. (Yak. 3:2) Sifanele senze ntoni xa sifumanisa ukuba asikhange sithembeke kwizibhambathiso zethu? KuMthetho kaThixo oya kumaSirayeli, kwakukho ilungiselelo lenceba kumntu owayenetyala ‘lokuthetha engacinganga ngemilebe yakhe.’ (Lev. 5:4-7, 11) Lisekho elo lungiselelo lothando xa amaKristu eye enza isono esinjalo. Ukuba sichazela uYehova isono esithile esiye sasenza, uya kusixolela ngenceba ngoMbingeleli wethu Omkhulu, uYesu Kristu. (1 Yoh. 2:1, 2) Noko ke, ukuze siqhubeke sithandwa nguThixo, simele sibonise iziqhamo ezifanele inguquko ngokungaphindi senze izono ezinjalo nangokwenza unako nako wokulungisa nawuphi na umonakalo owenziwe kukuthetha kwethu singacinganga. (IMize. 6:2, 3) Kakade ke, kubaluleke gqitha ukucingisisa kakuhle ngaphambi kokuba senze izithembiso esingenakuzizalisekisa.—Funda iNtshumayeli 5:2.

17, 18. Abo bazama ukuqinisekisa ukuba uEwe wabo uba nguEwe balindelwe liliphi ikamva elimangalisayo?

¹⁷ Bonke abanquli bakaYehova abaqhubeka beqiniseka ukuba uEwe wabo nguEwe balindelwe likamva elimangalisayo! Abathanjiswa abali-144 000 baya kuphila ezulwini bangafi, bekunye noYesu “balawule njengookumkani kunye naye iminyaka eliwaka.” (ISityhi. 20:6) Zona ezinye izigidi ngezigidi zabantu, ziya kunandipha iingenelo zoLawulo lukaKristu kumhlaba oyiparadesi. Apho ziya kuncedwa zifezeke emzimbeni nasengqondweni.—ISityhi. 21:3-5.

¹⁸ Xa sizingqina sithembekile kuvavanyo lokugqibela ekupheleni koLawulo lukaYesu Lweminyaka Eliwaka, asisayi kuphinda kufuneke singathembi izinto ezithethwa ngabantu. (ISityhi. 20:7-10) Ewe ngamnye uya kube ethetha uEwe, noHayi enguHayi. Kuba mntu ngamnye oya kuba ephila ngelo xesha uya kuba emxelisa ngokugqibeleleyo uBawo wethu wasezulwini onothando, uYehova, ‘uThixo wenyaniso.’—INdu. 31:5.