Izibonelo Ezinhle—Ingabe Uyazuza Kuzo?

“NABA isibonelo kuwo wonke amakholwa eMakedoniya nase-Akhaya.” Umphostoli uPawulu wabhalela amaKristu athembekile ayehlala eThesalonika lawo mazwi. Isibonelo ayesibekela akholwa nabo sasincomeka ngempela. Nokho, nabo ngokwabo abaseThesalonika babelingisa isibonelo esabekwa uPawulu nalabo ayekanye nabo. UPawulu wathi: “Izindaba ezinhle esizishumayelayo azivelanga phakathi kwenu ngenkulumo yodwa kodwa futhi ngamandla nangomoya ongcwele nokuqiniseka okuqinile, njengoba nje nazi ukuthi saba luhlobo luni lwabantu kinina ngenxa yenu; futhi naba ngabalingisi bethu.”—1 Thesalonika 1:5-7.

Yebo, uPawulu wenza okungaphezu kokushumayela. Kona kanye ukuphila kwakhe kwakushumayela—isibonelo sokholo, ukukhuthazela nokuzidela. Ngenxa yalokho, uPawulu nalabo ayekanye nabo baba ithonya elinamandla ekuphileni kwabaseThesalonika, bebashukumisela ukuba bamukele iqiniso “ngaphansi kosizi oluningi.” Nokho, uPawulu nezisebenzi ayekanye nazo babengelona ukuphela kwethonya elihle kulawo makholwa. Izibonelo zabanye abakhuthazelela usizi nazo zaba isikhuthazo. UPawulu wabhalela abaseThesalonika: “Bafowethu, naba ngabalingisi bamabandla kaNkulunkulu aseJudiya asebunyeni noKristu Jesu, ngenxa yokuthi nani naqala ukuhlupheka ezandleni zabantu bezwe lakini siqu ngezinto ezifanayo nalezo nawo ahlupheka ngazo ezandleni zamaJuda.”—1 Thesalonika 2:14.

UJesu Kristu—ISibonelo Esizedlula Zonke

Nakuba uPawulu ngokwakhe ayebeke isibonelo esifanelwe ukulingiswa, akayekanga ukukhomba uJesu Kristu njengesibonelo esiyinhloko amaKristu okufanele asilandele. (1 Thesalonika 1:6) UKristu wayeyiSibonelo esizedlula zonke futhi useyiso. Umphostoli uPetru wabhala: “Nabizelwa kulenkambo, ngoba ngisho noKristu wahlupheka ngenxa yenu, enishiyela isibonelo sokuba nilandele izinyathelo zakhe eduze.”—1 Petru 2:21.

Nokho, uJesu waqeda inkambo yakhe yokuphila kobuntu eminyakeni ethi ayibe ngu-2 000 edlule. Manje ‘uhlala ekukhanyeni okungasondeleki’ njengesidalwa somoya esinokungafi. Njengoba ekuleso simo ‘akukho noyedwa umuntu ombonile noma ongambona.’ (1 Thimothewu 6:16) Khona-ke, singamlingisa kanjani? Enye indlela esingamlingisa ngayo ingokutadisha ukulandisa okune kweBhayibheli okuphathelene nokuphila kukaJesu. AmaVangeli asenza siqonde ubuntu bakhe, ukuphila kwakhe ‘nesimo sakhe sengqondo.’ (Filipi 2:5-8) Ukuqonda okwengeziwe kungatholakala ngokutadisha ngokucophelela incwadi ethi Umuntu Omkhulu Kunabo Bonke Owake Waphila, ekhuluma ngezenzakalo zokuphila kukaJesu ngokuningilizwe ngokwengeziwe nangokulandelana kwazo ngokohlelo lwezikhathi. *

Isibonelo sikaJesu sokuzidela saba nethonya elinamandla kumphostoli uPawulu. Watshela amaKristu aseKorinte: “Mina ngizokuthokozela kakhulu ukusebenzisa konke enginakho nokuba ngisetshenziswe ngokuphelele ngenxa yemiphefumulo yenu.” (2 Korinte 12:15) Yeka isimo sengqondo esifana nesikaKristu! Lapho sicabanga ngesibonelo esiphelele sikaKristu, nathi kufanele sishukumiseleke ukuba simlingise ekuphileni kwethu.

Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu wasifundisa ukuthi kufanele sincike esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu  sokusinakekela ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo. Kodwa wenza okungaphezu kwalokho. Wabonisa ukholo olunjalo nokuthembela kuJehova nsuku zonke. Wathi: “Amankentshane anemiphandu nezinyoni zezulu zinezidleke, kodwa iNdodana yomuntu yona ayinandawo yokubeka ikhanda layo.” (Mathewu 6:25; 8:20) Ingabe ukukhathazeka ngezinto ezibonakalayo kubusa ukucabanga nezenzo zakho? Noma ingabe ukuphila kwakho kunikeza ubufakazi bokuthi ufuna uMbuso kuqala? Futhi kuthiwani ngesimo sakho sengqondo ngenkonzo kaJehova? Ingabe sifana neseSibonelo sethu, uJesu? IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi uJesu akazange agcine ngokushumayela mayelana nentshiseko kodwa wabonisa intshiseko evuthayo ezimweni eziningi. (Johane 2:14-17) Ngaphezu kwalokho, yeka isibonelo esihle uJesu asibeka ngokuphathelene nothando! Phela wanikela ngokuphila kwakhe ngenxa yabafundi bakhe! (Johane 15:13) Ingabe ulingisa uJesu ngokubonisa abafowenu abangamaKristu uthando? Noma ingabe uvumela ukungapheleli kwabathile kuphazamise uthando lwakho ngabo?

Lapho sizama ukulandela isibonelo sikaKristu, sizovama ukushiyeka. Kodwa uJehova uyayijabulela ngokuqinisekile imizamo yethu ‘yokugqoka iNkosi uJesu Kristu.’—Roma 13:14.

“Izibonelo Emhlambini”

Ingabe bakhona abathile ebandleni namuhla abangaba izibonelo kithi? Ngokuqinisekile bakhona! Abazalwane abamiswe ezikhundleni zemithwalo yemfanelo kumelwe babeke isibonelo ngokukhethekile. UPawulu watshela uThithu, owayekhonza amabandla aseKrethe wamisa nababonisi, ukuthi umdala ngamunye omisiwe kumelwe abe “indoda okungekho cala ebekwa lona.” (Thithu 1:5, 6) Umphostoli uPetru wawaluleka ngokufanayo ‘amadoda amadala’ ukuba abe “izibonelo emhlambini.” (1 Petru 5:1-3) Futhi kuthiwani ngalabo abakhonza njengezinceku ezikhonzayo? Nabo kumelwe babe “abantu abakhonza ngendlela enhle.”—1 Thimothewu 3:13.

Yiqiniso, akukhona ukubhekana namaqiniso ukulindela ukuba umdala noma inceku ekhonzayo ngayinye ibe nekhono elivelele kuzo zonke izici zenkonzo yobuKristu. UPawulu watshela amaKristu aseRoma: “Sinezipho ezihlukahlukayo ngokomusa ongafanelwe esiwuphiwe.” (Roma 12:6) Abazalwane abahlukahlukene benza kahle kakhulu ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene. Akukhona ukubhekana namaqiniso ukulindela ukuthi abadala bazokwenza futhi basho yonke into ngendlela ephelele. IBhayibheli kuJakobe 3:2 lithi: “Sonke siyakhubeka izikhathi eziningi. Uma noma ubani engakhubeki ngezwi, lowo uyindoda ephelele, ekwazi ukulawula nomzimba wayo wonke.” Nokho, naphezu kokungapheleli kwabo, njengoThimothewu, abadala basengaba “isibonelo kwabakholekileyo ekukhulumeni, ekuziphatheni, othandweni, okholweni, ebumsulweni.” (1 Thimothewu 4:12) Lapho abadala benza kanjalo, umhlambi uyosisebenzisa ngokukhululekile isiyalo esikumaHeberu 13:7 esithi: “Khumbulani labo abaholayo phakathi kwenu, . . . futhi njengoba nicabangisisa ngomphumela wokuziphatha kwabo nilingise ukholo lwabo.”

Ezinye Izibonelo Zanamuhla

Phakathi namashumi eminyaka adlule, abanye abaningi ngokungenakubalwa baye bazibonakalisa beyizibonelo ezinhle. Kuthiwani ngezinkulungwane zezithunywa zevangeli ezizidelayo ‘ezishiyé izindlu noma abafowabo noma odadewabo noma oyise noma onina noma abantwana noma amasimu’ ukuze zifeze ukuthunywa kwazo kobuKristu emasimini akwamanye amazwe? (Mathewu 19:29) Futhi cabanga ngababonisi abajikelezayo nomkabo, abesilisa nabesifazane abakhonza njengezisebenzi zokuzithandela emahhovisi e-Watch Tower Society namaphayona akhonza amabandla. Ingabe izibonelo ezinjalo zingabakhuthaza abanye? Omunye umshumayeli wevangeli ongumKristu wase-Asia ukhumbula isithunywa sevangeli sekilasi lesi-8 le-Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Uthi lo mzalwane othembekile “wayezimisele ukubhekana nobhuzane lomiyane nomswakama ocindezelayo. . . . Okuhlaba umxhwele nakakhulu kwakuyikhono lakhe  lokubeka isigijimi ngolimi lwesiShayina nolwesiMalay nakuba ayevela eNgilandi.” Waba yini umphumela walesi sibonelo esihle? Lo mzalwane wathi: “Ukuzola nokuqiniseka kwakhe kwangikhuthaza ukuba ngifune ukuba isithunywa sevangeli lapho ngikhula.” Akumangalisi ukuthi lo mzalwane waba isithunywa sevangeli.

I-Watch Tower Publications Index inohlu lwezindaba zokuphila eziningi eziye zavela kumagazini INqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! Lezi zindaba zilandisa ngabantu abaye badela imisebenzi nemigomo yezwe, banqoba ubuthakathaka obuthile, benza ushintsho oluphawulekayo ebuntwini babo, balondoloza isimo sengqondo esihle ngaphansi kokuhlupheka futhi babonisa inkuthalo, ukukhuthazela, ukwethembeka, ukuthobeka nomoya wokuzidela. Ngokuphathelene nalokhu kulandisa, omunye umfundi wabhala: “Kungenza ngibe umKristu othobekile nonokubonga ngokwengeziwe lapho ngifunda lokho abanye abaye babhekana nakho, futhi kuye kwangisiza ukuba ngingalokothi ngizicabangele ngokweqile noma ngibe nobugovu.”

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ungakhohlwa izibonelo ezinhle zasebandleni okulo: izinhloko zemikhaya ezizinakekela ngokungayeki izidingo zezinto ezibonakalayo nezingokomoya zemikhaya yazo; odade—kuhlanganise nomama abangabodwa—abasingatha ukucindezela kokukhulisa izingane kuyilapho behlanganyela njalo enkonzweni; asebekhulile nabagulayo abaqhubekayo bethembekile naphezu kobuthakathaka nempilo ewohlokayo. Ingabe izibonelo ezinjalo azikushukumisi?

Kuyavunywa, izwe ligcwele izibonelo ezimbi. (2 Thimothewu 3:13) Noma kunjalo, cabanga ngesikhuthazo uPawulu asinika amaKristu aseJudiya. Ngemva kokubala ukuziphatha okuyisibonelo kwabesilisa nabesifazane abaningi bokholo basendulo, umphostoli uPawulu wawanxusa: “Ngakho-ke, ngenxa yokuthi sinefu elikhulu kangaka lofakazi elisihaqile, nathi . . . masiwugijimeni ngokukhuthazela umncintiswano obekwe phambi kwethu, njengoba sigxilise amehlo ethu kuMmeli Oyinhloko noMphelelisi wokholo lwethu, uJesu.” (Heberu 12:1, 2) AmaKristu namuhla nawo ahaqwe ‘ifu elikhulu’ lezibonelo ezinhle—zasendulo nezanamuhla. Ingabe uyazuza ngempela kuzo? Ungazuza uma uzimisela “[ukuba] umlingisi, hhayi wokubi, kodwa wokuhle.”—3 Johane 11.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 20]

Akukhona ukubhekana namaqiniso ukulindela ukuba umdala noma inceku ekhonzayo ngayinye ibe nekhono elivelele kuzo zonke izici zenkonzo yobuKristu.

[Izithombe ekhasini 21]

Abadala kumelwe babe “izibonelo emhlambini”