Ingabe AmaKristu Kufanele Alugcine Usuku Lokuphumula?

U-JUNE ubeyinyanga evelele yezimvula. Ngenxa yalokhu, isiko lezwe elase linesikhathi eside laphulwa emidlalweni yethenisi yezihlabani yase-Wimbledon ngo-1991. Ngokokuqala ngqá emlandweni, lemidlalo yadlalwa ngeSonto ukuze kukhokhwe isikhathi esasilahlekile. Ngaphandle kokunganakwa kwemithetho ngezikhathi ezithile njengalokhu, iSonto lihlala liwusuku olungcwele lokuphumula eNgilandi, kanye nakwamanye amazwe amaningi.

Abanye abantu bagcina usuku oluhlukile lokuphumula. AmaJuda emhlabeni wonke agcina ngokungaguquki iSabatha kusukela ekushoneni kwelanga ngoLwesihlanu kuye ekushoneni kwalo ngoMgqibelo. Phakathi neSabatha, indiza yenhlangano yezindiza zesizwe yakwa-Israyeli ayindizi, futhi kwamanye amadolobha izinto zokuthutha umphakathi azisebenzi. Abagcini bamasiko eJerusalema bavala eminye imigwaqo ukuze bavimbele zonke izimoto abazibheka njengezingekho emthethweni ngeSabatha.

Iqiniso lokuthi izinkolo eziningi zisagcina usuku lokuphumula lwamasonto onke noma isabatha liphakamisa imibuzo eminingana. Ingabe ukugcina iSabatha kungokwamaJuda kuphela? Kungani izinkolo eziningi zeLobukholwa ziye zamukela usuku oluhlukile lokuphumula? Ingabe ukugcinwa kosuku lokuphumula lwamasonto onke kuseyimfuneko engokweBhayibheli namuhla?

Ingabe ISabatha Belilokhu Likhona?

Sithola ukukhulunyelwa kokuqala kwesabatha emiBhalweni encwadini ka-Eksodusi. Lapho ama-Israyeli esogwadule, athola imana, ukudla okuyisimangaliso, okuvela kuJehova. Usuku ngalunye lwesithupha lwesonto, kwakumelwe abuthe ingxenye ephindwe kabili ngoba usuku lwesikhombisa kwakumelwe kube “yisabatha likaJehova,” okwakungekho msebenzi owawuvunyelwe phakathi nalo.—Eksodusi 16:4, 5, 22-25.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ama-Israyeli ayenikezwe iSabatha ukuze liwakhumbuze ukuthi ayeyizigqila ezweni laseGibithe. Lesikhumbuzo sasingeke sibe esibalulekile ukuba ayelandela umthetho onjalo ngaphambili. Ngakho-ke, imithetho ebusa iSabatha yayinikezwe u-Israyeli kuphela.—Duteronomi 5:2, 3, 12-15.

Imikhuba Efuna Ukucophelela Newumthwalo

Ngenxa yokuthi uMthetho kaMose wawunganingilizi kakhulu ngokuqondene neSabatha, orabi phakathi namakhulu eminyaka baye benza imithetho eminingi evimbelayo, ngokuyinhloko enqabela zonke izinhlobo zemisebenzi ngeSabatha. Ngokwe-Mishnah, imisebenzi eyayenqatshelwe yayenziwe amaqoqo yaba izigaba ezingu-39 eziyinhloko, njengokuthunga, ukubhala, nomsebenzi wokulima. Eminingi yalemithetho ayisekelwe eBhayibhelini. Icaphuna i-Mishnah, i-Encyclopædia Judaica iyavuma ukuthi ‘injengendaba yezintaba ezilengayo eziboshwe ngezinwele, ngoba akukho lutho olukhuluma ngalendaba emiBhalweni kuyilapho imithetho iminingi.’

Ukuze kugcinwe umyalo wokuthi kufanele “kungaphumi-muntu endaweni yakhe ngosuku lwesikhombisa,” kwamiswa ibanga okwakungamelwe leqiwe, futhi lalibizwa ngokuthi “isilinganiso seSabatha.” Ngokusho kwemithombo ethile, lalilingana nezingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili, noma amamitha angaba ngu-900. (Eksodusi 16:29) Nokho, lomthetho wawephulwa ngobuqili: Ebusuku obandulelayo, ukudla kweSabatha kwakungase kubekwe ebangeni eliyizingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili ukusuka endlini. Khona-ke lendawo yayingase ibhekwe njengesenezelo sekhaya, futhi kwakungase kubalwe ezinye izingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili kusukela kuleyondawo.

Eminingi yalemithetho evimbelayo eyayenziwe umuntu yayisebenza osukwini lukaJesu. Kanjalo, abaholi benkolo basola abafundi bakhe ngokukha izikhwebu zommbila ukuze badle njengoba babedabula emasimini ommbila. Babekwa icala lokwephula  umthetho weSabatha—ukukha izikhwebu zommbila kwakubhekwa njengokuvuna, futhi ukuzihulula kwakubhekwa njengokugaya noma ukucola. UJesu wayilahla imibono yabo eyeqisayo ezikhathini eziningana, ngoba babewumelela kabi umoya womthetho kaJehova.—Mathewu 12:1-8; Luka 13:10-17; 14:1-6; Johane 5:1-16; 9:1-16.

Ukusuka ESabatheni LangoMgqibelo Ukuya KwelangeSonto

“AmaSonto ayogcinelwa ukukhonza uNkulunkulu ngokuzinikela.” Lowo uMyalo Wesine ophathelene neSabatha njengoba ukhishwe iSonto LamaKatolika. Incwadi yesiFulentshi ethi Catéchisme pour adultes esanda kunyatheliswa iyachaza: “ISonto lamaKristu ligujwa ngosuku olungemva kweSabatha: ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili, okungukuthi, usuku lokuqala lwendalo entsha. Lithatha izici ezibalulekile zeSabatha kodwa ligxile ePhasikeni likaKristu.” Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu kushintsha kusuka esabatheni langoMgqibelo ukuya kwelangeSonto?

Ngisho nakuba iSonto kwakuwusuku uJesu avuswa ngalo, kumaKristu akuqala kwakuwusuku lokusebenza olufana nezinye. Kodwa isinqumo esathathwa umkhandlu wamasonto waseLawodikeya (maphakathi nekhulu lesine C.E. ukuya ekupheleni kwalo) sembula ukuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, iSabatha lamaJuda langoMgqibelo lathathelwa indawo isabatha “lamaKristu” langeSonto. Lomthetho wesonto “wawenqabela amaKristu ukuba aqhube isiJuda futhi angasebenzi ngosuku lweSabatha [lamaJuda], futhi usuku lweNkosi [usuku lwesonto avuswa ngalo] kwakumelwe luhlonishwe ngendlela yobuKristu.” Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke abalandeli beLobukholwa kwadingeka basebenze ngeMigqibelo futhi bangasebenzi ngamaSonto. Kamuva, kwadingeka ukuba baye eMiseni ngeSonto.

Kusekelwa yiziphathimandla zezwe, ukusebenza ngamaSonto kwavinjelwa ngokushesha kulo lonke eLobukholwa. Kusukela ekhulwini lesithupha leminyaka kuqhubeke, izaphula-mthetho zazihlawuliswa noma zibhaxabulwe ngesiswebhu, futhi izinkabi zazo zithathwe. Ngezinye izikhathi, izoni ezingaphenduki zaziphoqelelwa ukuba zibe izinceku.

Ngandlela-thile, imithetho eyayiphathelene nokusebenza okwamukelekayo ngamaSonto yayiyinkimbinkimbi njengamasiko ayebusa iSabatha lamaJuda. I-Dictionnaire de théologie catholique inikeza izincazelo ezinde eziphathelene nokwakhiwa kwekhambi lokuxazulula imibuzo ngokusebenzisa imithetho yesonto, futhi phakathi kwezinto ezinqatshelwe, ithinta umsebenzi wezinceku, umsebenzi wokulima, ukuthethwa kwamacala okungokomthetho, ukuthengisa, nokuzingela.

Ngendlela edidayo, iSabatha lamaJuda kwakubhekiselwa kulo njengelenza lemithetho evimbelayo ifaneleke. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia ikhulumela imithetho yoMbusi uCharlemagne ephathelene namaSonto: “Umqondo weSabatha, owanqatshwa ngokuqondile uSt. Jerome futhi walahlwa wuMkhandlu wase-Orléans ngo-538 njengongowamaJuda futhi ongewona owamaKristu, washiwo ngokukhanyayo emyalweni kaCharlemagne wango-789 C.E., owanqabela yonke imisebenzi ngeSonto njengokuphula [iMiyalo Eyishumi].” Ngaleyondlela, nakuba kwalijabulisa isonto ukubona iziphathimandla zomphakathi zenza usuku lokuphumula lube ngeSonto, kuye kwavumela ukuba leziphathimandla zithethelele lemithetho evimbelayo ngesisekelo esingokomthetho salokho isonto elakwenqaba, okungukuthi, uMthetho kaMose ngokuphathelene neSabatha.

 Ukuma Okungekhona OkungokomBhalo

Emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili, oFata abaningi BamaSonto, kanye noAugustine ngokukhethekile, bamemezela ngokufanelekile ukuthi iSabatha laliyilungiselelo lesikhashana elalenzelwe amaJuda. Ngokwenza kanjalo, laboFata BamaSonto bamane nje bamukela lokho okuchazwa imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, okungukuthi, iSabatha liyingxenye ebalulekile yesivumelwano soMthetho esapheliswa umhlatshelo kaJesu.—Roma 6:14; 7:6; 10:4; Galathiya 3:10-14, 24, 25.

Kuyi-Vocabulaire biblique yamuva, isazi semfundiso yenkolo esingumProthestani uOscar Cullmann sicashunwa sivuma ukuthi “ngenxa yokuthi uJesu wafika, wafa, futhi wavuswa, imikhosi yeT[estamente] E[lidala] manje isiye yagcwaliseka, futhi ukuyilondoloza ‘kusho ukuphindela esivumelwaneni esidala, njengokungathi uKristu akazange afike.’” Ngemva kokucabangela leliphuzu elinengqondo, ingabe ukugcinwa kweSabatha okuphoqelelwayo kungathethelelwa?

Namuhla, abalobi bezincwadi zamaKatolika ngokuvamile bafuna ukusekelwa encwadini yezEnzo 20:7, ekhuluma “ngosuku lokuqala lweviki” (iSonto), lapho uPawulu ehlangana nabangane bakhe ukuze ahlanganyele isidlo kanye nabo. Nokho, lokhu kwakumane nje kuyiphuzu lokuveza imininingwane. Akukho kulombhalo noma kwamanye amavesi eBhayibheli okubonisa ukuthi lokhu kulandisa kwakwenzelwe ukuba kube yisibonelo okwakufanele silandelwe amaKristu, ngokuqinisekile kwakungesona isibopho. Yebo, ukugcinwa kwesabatha langeSonto akunakho ukusekelwa okungokomBhalo.

Yikuphi Ukuphumula AmaKristu Anakho?

Nakuba amaKristu engabophekile ukuba agcine usuku lokuphumula lwamasonto onke, nokho amenywa ukuba agcine ukuphumula kolunye uhlobo. UPawulu uchaza lokhu kumaKristu angamaJuda akanye nawo, ethi: “Ngakho-ke kubasalele abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuphumula kwesabatha. . . . Ngakho-ke masikhuthalele ukungena kulokho kuphumula.” (Heberu 4:4-11) Ngaphambi kokuba abe amaKristu, lamaJuda, ayeke alandela uMthetho kaMose ngokucophelela okukhulu ngangokunokwenzeka. Manje uPawulu wayengasawakhuthazi ukuba afune insindiso ngemisebenzi kodwa kunalokho ukuba ‘aphumule’ emisebenzini yawo efile. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke, kwakumelwe abe nokholo emhlatshelweni kaJesu, okwakuwukuphela kwendlela isintu esasingaba esilungile ngayo emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.

Thina namuhla singakubonisa kanjani ukucabangela okufanayo ngombono kaNkulunkulu? Njengomakhelwane babo, oFakazi BakaJehova, njengabantu abacabangayo, bayalwazisa usuku lokuphumula lwamasonto onke emisebenzini yokuziphilisa olusebenza emazweni amaningi. Lokhu kubanika isikhathi sokuhlangana njengomkhaya nesokuqabuleka. Kodwa ngokuyinhloko, luye lwabonakala luyisikhathi sokuphishekela eminye imisebenzi yobuKristu. (Efesu 5:15, 16) Lemisebenzi ihlanganisa imihlangano yebandla nokuhlanganyela enkonzweni yasobala, bevakashela omakhelwane babo ukuze bahlanganyele nabo ukwaziswa okungokomBhalo okuphathelene nesikhathi esisondelayo lapho isintu esikholwayo siyojabulela ukuthula komhlaba wonke. Uma ubungathanda ukwazi ngalokhu, oFakazi BakaJehova bayokujabulela ukukusiza, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lokho kungoMgqibelo, iSonto, noma ngolunye lwezinsuku zesonto.

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

UJesu wawugcina ngokuphelele umthetho weSabatha, kunamasiko amaJuda

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Ukuphishekelwa kwemisebenzi yobuKristu kunikeza ukuqabuleka ngezinsuku zokuphumula emisebenzini yokuziphilisa