Ukuba ngcwele kusho ukuba ohlukanisiwe ezintweni ezingcolile. Igama lesiHebheru elihunyushwe ngokuthi “ngcwele” lisuka egameni elinencazelo esho “ukuhlukanisa.” Ngakho into engcwele ihlukanisiwe ezintweni ezivamile, ngenxa yokuthi ihlanzekile futhi imsulwa.

UNkulunkulu ungcwele ngezinga eliphakeme kakhulu. IBhayibheli lithi: “Akekho ongcwele njengoJehova.” a (1 Samuweli 2:2) Ngakho uNkulunkulu unelungelo lokunquma ukuthi yini engcwele.

Igama elithi “ngcwele” lingasetshenziswa lapho kukhulunywa ngezinto eziphathelene noNkulunkulu, ikakhulukazi lezo ezisetshenziselwa inkonzo edumisa uNkulunkulu. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli likhuluma ngalezi zinto:

• Izindawo ezingcwele: Lapho uMose emi ngasesihlahleni esasivutha, uJehova wathi kuye: “Indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.”​—Eksodusi 3:2-5.

• Imikhosi engcwele: Ngezikhathi ezithile, ama-Israyeli ayeba nemikhosi yokudumisa uJehova eyayibizwa ngokuthi “imibuthano engcwele.”​—Levitikusi 23:37.

• Izinto ezingcwele: Izinto ezazisetshenziswa endulo ethempelini elaliseJerusalema lapho kwenziwa inkonzo edumisa uNkulunkulu, zazibizwa ngokuthi “izitsha ezingcwele.” (1 AmaKhosi 8:4) Nakuba lezo zinto zazingcwele futhi kulindeleke ukuba ziphathwe ngenhlonipho, kwakungamelwe abantu bazikhonze. b

Yebo. Nakhu uNkulunkulu akutshela amaKristu: “Kumelwe nibe ngcwele, ngoba mina ngingcwele.” (1 Petru 1:16) Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abantu abanesono abasoze bakwazi ukufinyelela izinga likaNkulunkulu lobungcwele. Noma kunjalo, abantu abalalela imithetho kaNkulunkulu elungile, kuthiwa ‘bangcwele futhi bayamukeleka kuNkulunkulu.’ (Roma 12:1) Umuntu olwela ukuba ngcwele ubonakala ngendlela akhuluma ngayo nangezenzo zakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, ulalela iseluleko esiseBhayibhelini esithi ‘kumelwe sibe ngcwele futhi sidede ebufebeni’ nesithi “yibani ngcwele ngokwenu kukho konke ukuziphatha kwenu.”​—1 Thesalonika 4:3; 1 Petru 1:​15.

Yebo. Uma umuntu eyeka ukuziphatha ngendlela uNkulunkulu ayifunayo, uNkulunkulu akabe esambheka lowo muntu njengongcwele. Ngokwesibonelo, incwadi yamaHebheru eseBhayibhelini ibhalelwe ‘abazalwane abangcwele,’ kodwa iyabaxwayisa ngokuthi kungenzeka kukhule kubo “inhliziyo embi entula ukholo ngokuhlehla kuNkulunkulu ophilayo.”​—Hebheru 3:​1, 12.

Umbono oyiphutha: Ukunquma ukungashadi nokungayi ocansini kwenza umuntu abe ngcwele.

Iqiniso: Nakuba umKristu enganquma ukungashadi, ukungayi ocansini kukodwa akumenzi abe ngcwele phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Yiqiniso ukuthi labo abakhetha ukungashadi bangakwazi ukukhonza uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kweziphazamiso. (1 Korinte 7:​32-​34) Nokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi nalabo abashadile bangaba ngcwele. Empeleni, omunye wabaphostoli bakaJesu​—uPetru​—wayeshadile.​—Mathewu 8:​14; 1 Korinte 9:5.