Ingabe Kumelwe Ukukholelwe?

UMFUNDI oneminyaka engu-12 ubudala wayekuthola kunzima ukuqonda izimiso eziyisisekelo ze-algebra. Uthisha wakhe wanikeza ikilasi izibalo ze-algebra ezazibonakala zilula.

Waqala wathi: “Ake sithi x=y futhi bobabili bangu-1.”

‘Kusahamba kahle,’ kucabanga umfundi.

Nokho, ngemva kwemigqa emine yalokho okwakubonakala kuwukubala okunengqondo, uthisha wanikeza isiphetho esimangazayo: “Ngakho-ke, 2=1!”

“Bonisani ukuthi akunjalo,” ephonsela abafundi bakhe abadidekile inselele.

Ngolwazi lwakhe olulinganiselwe lwe-algebra, lo mfundi osemncane akazanga ukuthi wayengakuphikisa kanjani lokhu. Isinyathelo ngasinye kulesi sibalo sasibonakala sinembile. Ingabe-ke kwakufanele asikholelwe lesi siphetho esixakayo? Kakade, uthisha wakhe wayezazi kakhulu izibalo kunalo mfundi. Cha, kwakungafanele asikholelwe! Wacabanga: ‘Akudingeki ngize ngibonise ukuthi lokhu akulona iqiniso. Ngiyazibonela nje ngokusebenzisa ingqondo ukuthi le nto ayinangqondo.’ (IzAga 14:15, 18) Wayazi ukuthi uthisha wakhe nanoma ubani kubafundi ayekanye nabo wayengeke ashintshanise amaRandi amabili ukuze athole elilodwa!

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lo mfundi we-algebra walithola iphutha endleleni yokubala kathisha. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, lesi senzakalo samfundisa isifundo esibalulekile. Ngisho nalapho othile onolwazi oluningi kakhulu kunawe enikeza amaphuzu acatshangelwe kahle futhi abonakala engenakuphikiswa, akudingeki isilaleli sikholelwe yisiphetho esiwubuwula ngenxa nje yokuthi asikwazi ukubonisa ukuthi siyiphutha ngaleso sikhathi. Lo mfundi empeleni wayelandela isimiso seBhayibheli esiwusizo kakhulu esikweyoku-1 Johane 4:1—sokungasheshi ukukholwa yonke into oyizwayo, ngisho noma ibonakala ivela emthonjeni onegunya.

Lokhu akusho ukuthi kumelwe unamathele ngenkani emibonweni owawunayo ngaphambili. Kuyiphutha ukushalazela ukwaziswa okungalungisa imibono enephutha. Kodwa futhi akufanele ‘unyakaziswe masinyane engqondweni’ lapho ucindezelwa umuntu othi unolwazi noma igunya elikhulu. (2 Thesalonika 2:2) Yiqiniso, uthisha wayezidlalela ngabafundi bakhe. Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi isimo sisuke singesona esingenangozi njengalapha. Abantu bangaba ‘nobuqili obukhulu ekuklameni isiphambeko.’—Efesu 4:14; 2 Thimothewu 2:14, 23, 24.

Ingabe Izazi Zihlale Ziqinisile?

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zinolwazi kangakanani, kunoma yimuphi umkhakha izazi zingase zibe nemibono engqubuzanayo neshintshashintshayo. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngempikiswano esaqhubeka kuyisayensi yezokwelapha mayelana nento eyisisekelo njengezimbangela zokugula. “Ukuthi imvelo nendlela umuntu akhuliswe ngayo kubaluleke kangakanani ekuguleni kudala impikiswano evuthayo phakathi kososayensi,” kubhala uprofesa wezokwalapha waseHarvard University. Labo abakulokho osekubizwa ngokuthi yiqembu lokunqunyelwa bakholelwa ngokunamandla ukuthi izakhi zethu zofuzo zifeza indima eyinhloko ekusenzeni sichayeke ezifweni ezihlukahlukene. Nokho, abanye baphikisa ngokuthi indawo esikuyo nendlela yethu yokuphila kuyizimbangela eziyinhloko zokugula kwabantu. Zombili izinhlangothi ziyicaphuna ngokushesha imiphumela yokucwaninga nokubala ukuze zisekele imibono yazo. Nokho, impikiswano iyaqhubeka.

Ongqondongqondo abadume kunabo bonke baye bavezwa kaningi njengabanephutha, yize lokho ababekufundisa kwakubonakala kungenakuphikiswa ngaleso sikhathi. Isazi sefilosofi uBertrand Russell sachaza u-Aristotle ngokuthi esinye ‘sezazi zefilosofi ezinethonya kunazo  zonke.’ Nokho, uRussell waphawula nokuthi izimfundiso eziningi zika-Aristotle ‘zingamanga ngokuphelele.’ Wabhala: ‘Ezikhathini zanamuhla cishe yonke intuthuko yesayensi, ubuhlakani, noma ifilosofi kuye kwadingeka yenziwe naphezu kokuphikiswa ngokuqondile abafundi baka-Aristotle.’—History of Western Philosophy.

“Okubizwa Ngokungeyikho Ngokuthi ‘Ulwazi’”

Cishe amaKristu okuqala ayehlangana nabaningi ababengabafundi bezazi eziqavile zefilosofi ezingamaGreki, njengoSocrates, uPlato no-Aristotle. Abantu abafundile bangaleso sikhathi babezibheka njengabangcono kuneningi lamaKristu ngokuhlakanipha. Babengebaningi kubafundi bakaJesu ababebhekwa ‘njengabahlakaniphile ngendlela engokwenyama.’ (1 Korinte 1:26) Eqinisweni, labo ababefunde amafilosofi angaleso sikhathi babecabanga ukuthi lokho amaKristu ayekukholelwa kwakumane ‘kuwubuwula’ noma “imbuda nje.”—1 Korinte 1:23; Phillips.

Ukube wawuphakathi kwalawo maKristu okuqala, ingabe kwakuyokuhlaba umxhwele ukucabanga okukholisayo kwesigaba esiphakeme esihlakaniphile sangaleso sikhathi noma kwawuyokwesabisa ukubukisa kwaso ngokuhlakanipha? (Kolose 2:4) Ngokomphostoli uPawulu, sasingeke sibe khona isizathu salokho. Wakhumbuza amaKristu ukuthi uJehova ubheka “ukuhlakanipha kwabantu abahlakaniphile” “nenkalipho yabantu abanengqondo” bangaleso sikhathi njengobuwula. (1 Korinte 1:19) Wabuza: “Isazi sefilosofi, umbhali nomcwaningi waleli zwe banani abangayibonisa abayifeze ngokuhlakanipha kwabo?” (1 Korinte 1:20, Phillips) Naphezu kokukhalipha kwabo, izazi zefilosofi, ababhali nabacwaningi bosuku lukaPawulu babenganikezanga zimpendulo zangempela ezinkingeni zesintu.

Ngakho amaKristu afunda ukukugwema lokho umphostoli uPawulu athi ‘kuwukuphikisana okubizwa ngokungeyikho ngokuthi “ulwazi.”’ (1 Thimothewu 6:20) Isizathu esenza uPawulu athi ulwazi olunjalo kushiwo “ngokungeyikho” ukuthi luwulwazi, ukuthi lwaluntula isici esibalulekile—umthombo noma ukuqondiswa okuvela kuNkulunkulu okwakungavivinywa ngako izinkolelo-mbono zabo. (Jobe 28:12; IzAga 1:7) Bentula lokho, futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo bephuphuthekiswa ngumkhohlisi omkhulu, uSathane, labo abanamathela olwazini olunjalo babengenakuzithembisa ukuthi bayoke balithole iqiniso.—1 Korinte 2:6-8, 14; 3:18-20; 2 Korinte 4:4; 11:14; IsAmbulo 12:9.

IBhayibheli—Isiqondiso Esiphefumulelwe

AmaKristu okuqala awazange nanini angabaze ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayambule intando, injongo nezimiso zakhe emiBhalweni. (2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) Lokhu kwawavikela ekubeni ‘kumukwe nawo njengezisulu ngefilosofi nenkohliso eyize ngokwesiko labantu.’ (Kolose 2:8) Isimo siyafana namuhla. Ngokungafani nemibono yabantu edidayo nengqubuzanayo, iZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe linikeza isisekelo esiqinile esingasekela kuso izinkolelo zethu. (Johane 17:17; 1 Thesalonika 2:13; 2 Petru 1:21) Ngaphandle kwalo, sisala sisesimweni esinzima kakhulu sokuzama ukwakha okuthile okuqinile esihlabathini esiphephukayo sezinkolelo-mbono namafilosofi abantu.—Mathewu 7:24-27.

Kodwa omunye angase athi: ‘Kahleni-ke. Akulona yini iqiniso ukuthi amaqiniso esayensi aye abonisa ukuthi iBhayibheli linamaphutha futhi ngenxa yalokho nalo alithembekile njengamafilosofi abantu ashintsha njalo?’ Ngokwesibonelo, uBertrand Russell wathi “uCorpenicus, uKepler noGalileo kwadingeka banqobe [imibono ka-]Aristotle kuhlanganise neyeBhayibheli ukuze banikeze umbono wokuthi umhlaba awukho phakathi nendawo emkhathini.” (Omalukeke sizenzele.) Akulona yini iqiniso ukuthi namuhla, ngokwesibonelo, abakholelwa endalweni bathi iBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi umhlaba wadalwa ngezinsuku eziyisithupha zamahora angu-24, kanti wonke amaqiniso abonisa ukuthi umhlaba ngokwawo unezinkulungwane zezigidi zeminyaka ukhona?

Empeleni iBhayibheli alisho ukuthi umhlaba uphakathi nendawo emkhathini. Lokho kwakuyimfundiso yabaholi besonto abanganamathelanga eZwini likaNkulunkulu. Ukulandisa kwendalo kukaGenesise kungavumelana nokuthi umhlaba unezinkulungwane zezigidi zeminyaka  ukhona futhi akusho ukuthi usuku ngalunye lokudala lwaba amahora angu-24 kuphela. (Genesise 1:1, 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:3, 4) Ukuhlolisisa iBhayibheli ngobuqotho kubonisa ukuthi nakuba lingeyona incwadi yokufundisa isayensi, aliyona neze “imbuda nje.” Eqinisweni, livumelana ngokugcwele nesayensi efakazelwe. *

‘Amandla Okucabanga’

Nakuba abaningi babafundi bakaJesu babengabesilisa nabesifazane abavamile nje, futhi cishe bengenamfundo etheni, babenekhono elithile ababelinikwe nguNkulunkulu. Kungakhathaliseki isizinda sabo, bonke babenekhono lokucabanga. UPawulu wakhuthaza amaKristu ayekanye nawo ukuba awasebenzise ngokugcwele ‘amandla awo okucabanga’ ukuze ‘azitholele ngokwawo intando kaNkulunkulu enhle neyamukelekayo.’—Roma 12:1, 2.

‘Ngamandla awo okucabanga’ ayewanikwe nguNkulunkulu, amaKristu okuqala abona ngokucacile ukuthi noma iyiphi ifilosofi noma imfundiso eyayingavumelani neZwi likaNkulunkulu elambuliwe yayiyize. Kwezinye izimo abantu abahlakaniphile bangaleso sikhathi eqinisweni ‘babecindezela iqiniso’ futhi bebushaya indiva ubufakazi obubazungezile bokuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona. “Nakuba begomela ngokuthi bahlakaniphile, baba iziwula,” kubhala umphostoli uPawulu. Ngenxa yokuthi babenqaba iqiniso elimayelana noNkulunkulu nenjongo yakhe, “baba abangenangqondo emicabangweni yabo futhi inhliziyo yabo engakhaliphile yaba mnyama.”—Roma 1:18-22; Jeremiya 8:8, 9.

Labo abagomela ngokuthi bahlakaniphile ngokuvamile banikeza iziphetho ezinjengokuthi “UNkulunkulu akekho” noma “IBhayibheli akufanele ulethembe” noma “Akuzona ‘izinsuku zokugcina’ lezi.” Imibono enjalo iwubuwula emehlweni kaNkulunkulu njengokuphetha ngokuthi “2=1.” (1 Korinte 3:19) Kungakhathaliseki igunya abantu abangase bashaye sengathi banalo, akudingekile ukuba wamukele iziphetho zabo uma ziphikisana noNkulunkulu, zilishaya indiva iZwi lakhe futhi zingqubuzana nokucabanga okuhluzekile. Ekugcineni, inkambo ehlakaniphile iwukuba njalo ‘uNkulunkulu atholakale eqinisile, nakuba wonke umuntu engatholakala engumqambimanga.’—Roma 3:4.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 31]

Ngokungafani nemibono yabantu eshintshashintshayo, iBhayibheli linikeza isisekelo esiqinile sezinkolelo

[Imithombo]

Left, Epicurus: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum; upper middle, Plato: National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece; right, Socrates: Roma, Musei Capitolini