Yima Uphelele Unokuqiniseka Okuqinile

“Ngaso sonke isikhathi [uyazikhandla] ngenxa yenu emithandazweni yakhe, ukuze ekugcineni nime niphelele futhi ninokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.”—KOLOSE 4:12.

1, 2. (a) Yini eyaphawulwa abangakholwa ngamaKristu okuqala? (b) Incwadi yabaseKolose isibonisa kanjani isithakazelo sothando?

ABALANDELI bakaJesu babenesithakazelo esijulile kubakhulekeli abakanye nabo. UTertullian (umlobi wekhulu leminyaka lesibili nelesithathu C.E.) wakhuluma ngomusa ababewubonisa izintandane, abampofu nasebekhulile. Lobo bufakazi bothando oluboniswa ngezenzo babahlaba umxhwele abangakholwa kangangokuthi abanye bathi ngamaKristu, ‘Ake nibheke indlela abathandana ngayo.’

² Incwadi yabaseKolose ibonisa isithakazelo sothando esinjalo umphostoli uPawulu nomngane wakhe u-Ephafra ababenaso ngabazalwane nodade baseKolose. UPawulu wababhalela wathi: U-Ephafra “ngaso sonke isikhathi [uyazikhandla] ngenxa yenu emithandazweni yakhe, ukuze ekugcineni nime niphelele futhi ninokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.” Phakathi  no-2001, isihloko sonyaka soFakazi BakaJehova kuzoba amazwi eyabaseKolose 4:12: “[Yimani] niphelele futhi ninokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.”

3. Yiziphi izinto ezimbili u-Ephafra azithandazela?

³ Ungabona ukuthi imithandazo ka-Ephafra ngenxa yabathandekayo bakhe yayinezici ezimbili: (1) ukuba ‘ekugcineni bame bephelele’ nokuba (2) bame ‘benokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.’ Lokhu kwaziswa kwahlanganiswa emiBhalweni ukuze kusizuzise. Ngakho zibuze, ‘Yini okudingeka ngiyenze mina ngokwami ukuze ekugcineni ngime ngiphelele futhi nginokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu? Futhi uyoba yini umphumela lapho ngenza kanjalo?’ Ake sibone.

Lwela ‘Ukuma Uphelele’

4. AbaseKolose kwakudingeka babe ‘abaphelele’ ngamuphi umqondo?

⁴ U-Ephafra wayenesifiso esijulile sokuba abafowabo nodadewabo abangokomoya baseKolose ‘ekugcineni bame bephelele.’ Igama uPawulu alisebenzisa, elihunyushwe ngokuthi “niphelele” lapha, lingaba nomqondo wokungabi nasici, ukukhula ngokugcwele noma ukuvuthwa. (Mathewu 19:21; Heberu 5:14; Jakobe 1:4, 25) Cishe uyazi ukuthi ukuba komuntu nguFakazi kaJehova obhapathiziwe ngokwako akusho ukuthi ungumKristu okhule ngokugcwele. UPawulu wabhalela abase-Efesu, ababehlala entshonalanga yeKolose, ukuthi abelusi nabafundisi bazame ukusiza ‘bonke bafinyelele ebunyeni okholweni nasolwazini olunembile ngeNdodana kaNkulunkulu, ekubeni indoda ekhule ngokugcwele, esilinganisweni sobukhulu esingesokugcwala kukaKristu.’ Kwenye indawo uPawulu wanxusa amaKristu ukuba abe “akhule ngokugcwele emandleni okuqonda.”—Efesu 4:8-13; 1 Korinte 14:20.

5. Singakwenza kanjani ukuphelela kube umgomo oyinhloko?

⁵ Uma abanye eKolose babengakakhuli ngokugcwele ngokomoya, noma bengakavuthwa, kwakudingeka lokho kube umgomo wabo. Akufanele yini kube okufanayo nanamuhla? Kungakhathaliseki noma sabhapathizwa emashumini eminyaka adlule noma muva nje, ingabe sizibona siye sathuthuka ngokusobala ekhonweni lethu lokucabanga nasemibonweni yethu? Siyazicabangela yini izimiso zeBhayibheli ngaphambi kokuba senze izinqumo? Ingabe izinto eziphathelene noNkulunkulu nezithakazelo zebandla ziba nendima ekhulayo ekuphileni kwethu, kunokuba zisithinte nje ngokwethukela? Asinakuziveza lapha zonke izindlela esingase sikubonise ngazo lokho kukhulela ekupheleleni, kodwa ake ucabange ngezibonelo ezimbili.

6. Yisiphi isici umuntu angase akwazi ukuthuthukela ekubeni ophelele kuso, njengoba uJehova enjalo?

⁶ Isibonelo sokuqala: Ake sithi sakhulela endaweni enobandlululo noma enenzondo ngabantu bolunye uhlanga, ubuzwe noma indawo. Manje sesiyazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu akakhethi nokuthi nathi kufanele sibe njalo. (IzEnzo 10:14, 15, 34, 35)  Ebandleni noma esifundeni sethu, kunabathile abanaleso sizinda esihlukile, ngakho siphakathi kwabo. Nokho, ingakanani imizwa yokungabanambithisisi noma ukungabethembi abantu abanjalo esisayifukamele ngaphakathi? Ingabe siyabeya, kube lula kithi ukucabanga into engeyinhle uma umuntu onaleso sizinda ona noma esicasula ngento ewubala? Zibuze, ‘Ingabe kudingeka ngithuthuke ngokwengeziwe ekubeni nombono kaNkulunkulu wokungakhethi?’

7. Ukuba umKristu ophelele kungase kuhilele ukuba namuphi umbono ngabanye?

⁷ Isibonelo sesibili: NgokweyabaseFilipi 2:3, kufanele singenzi ‘lutho ngokubanga noma ngokuzazisa, kodwa ngokuthobeka kwengqondo sibheke abanye njengabaphakeme kunathi.’ Sithuthuka kanjani kulokhu? Umuntu ngamunye unobuthakathaka nezici ezinhle. Uma esikhathini esidlule sasishesha ukubona ubuthakathaka babanye, ingabe sesithuthukile, asisalindeli ukuba bacishe ‘baphelele’? (Jakobe 3:2) Ingabe manje, kunanini ngaphambili, siyakwazi ukuzibona—ngisho nokuzifuna imbala—izici ezenza abanye baphakame kunathi? ‘Kumelwe ngivume ukuthi lo dade ungcono kunami ngokubekezela.’ ‘Lowaya ubonisa ukholo oluqinile kunami.’ ‘Uma sengikhuluma iqiniso, ufundisa kangcono kunami.’ ‘Ungcono kunami ekuthibeni ulaka lwakhe.’ Mhlawumbe abanye eKolose kwakudingeka bathuthuke kulokhu. Kuthiwani ngathi?

8, 9. (a) U-Ephafra wathandazela ukuba abaseKolose ‘bame’ bephelele ngamuphi umqondo? (b) ‘Ukuma uphelele’ kwakusikiselani mayelana nekusasa?

⁸ U-Ephafra wathandazela ukuba abaseKolose ‘bame bephelele.’ Ngokusobala, u-Ephafra wayethandaza kuNkulunkulu ukuba kuthi lapho abaseKolose sebengamaKristu aphelele, avuthiwe nakhule ngokugcwele, ‘bame,’ noma baqhubeke benjalo.

⁹ Asinakuthatha njengokungathi ngamunye oba ngumKristu, ngisho novuthiwe, uyoqhubeka enjalo. UJesu wathi indodana kaNkulunkulu eyingelosi ‘ayizange ime iqinile eqinisweni.’ (Johane 8:44) Futhi uPawulu wakhumbuza abaseKorinte ngabathile ababekhonze uJehova okwesikhathi esithile base behluleka. Waxwayisa abazalwane abagcotshwe ngomoya: “Lowo ocabanga ukuthi umile makaqaphele ukuba angawi.” (1 Korinte 10:12) Lokho kuwenza ufaneleke nakakhulu umthandazo wokuba abaseKolose ‘ekugcineni bame bephelele.’ Lapho sebephelele, sebekhule ngokugcwele, kwakuyodingeka baphikelele, bangahlehleli emuva, bangakhathali noma bakhukhuleke. (Heberu 2:1; 3:12; 6:6; 10:39; 12:25) Kanjalo babeyoba ‘abaphelele’ ngosuku lokuhlolwa kwabo nokwamukelwa kokugcina.—2 Korinte 5:10; 1 Petru 2:12.

10, 11. (a) Yisiphi isibonelo u-Ephafra asibekela sona mayelana nomthandazo? (b) Ngokuvumelana nalokho u-Ephafra akwenza, yini ongathanda ukuzinqumela ukuyenza?

¹⁰ Sesixoxile ngokubaluleka kokuthandazela abanye sibabize ngamagama, simcele ngokuqondile uJehova ukuba abasize, abaduduze, ababusise futhi abanike umoya ongcwele. Imithandazo ka-Ephafra ngabaseKolose yayinjalo. Futhi nathi singakwazi—empeleni kufanele—sithole kulawo mazwi ukusikisela okuwusizo mayelana nalokho esingakusho kuJehova ngathi ngokwethu emthandazweni. Ngokungangabazeki, kufanele sicele uJehova asisize ukuba ngabanye ‘ekugcineni sime siphelele.’ Ingabe wena uyamcela?

¹¹ Kungani ungakhulumi ngesimo sakho emthandazweni? Khuluma noNkulunkulu ngezinga osuthuthukele ngalo ekubeni ‘ophelele,’ okhule ngokugcwele novuthiwe. Mnxuse ukuba akusize ubone izici osadinga ukukhula ngokomoya kuzo. (IHubo 17:3; 139:23, 24) Ngokuqinisekile, unazo izici ezinjalo. Kunokuba kukudikibalise lokhu, nxusa uNkulunkulu ngokucacile nangokuqondile ukuba akusize uthuthuke. Ungakwenzi kanye nje kuphela lokhu. Eqinisweni, kungani ungazinqumeli ukuthi kuleli sonto elizayo uzokuthandazela isikhathi esithile ukuba ‘ekugcineni ume uphelele.’ Futhi hlela ukukwenza ngokwengeziwe lapho ucabanga ngesihloko sonyaka. Emithandazweni yakho, gxila ekuthambekeleni ongase ube nako kokuhlehlela emuva, kokukhathala noma kokukhukhuleka ushiye inkonzo kaNkulunkulu nokuthi ungakugwema kanjani ukwenza lokho.—Efesu 6:11, 13, 14, 18.

Thandazela Ukuqiniseka Okuqinile

12. Kungani abaseKolose babekudinga ngokukhethekile ‘ukuqiniseka okuqinile’?

¹² U-Ephafra wathandazela enye futhi into eyayisemqoka ukuze abaseKolose batholakale ekugcineni bemile futhi bamukeleka kuNkulunkulu. Ibaluleke ngokufanayo nakithi. Iyini? Wathandazela ukuba bame ‘benokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke  intando kaNkulunkulu.’ Babezungezwe ukuhlubuka namafilosofi onakalisayo, amanye awo ezishaya sakukhulekela kweqiniso. Ngokwesibonelo, bacindezelwa ukuba bagcine izinsuku ezikhethekile ngokuzila ukudla noma ngokwenza amadili, njengoba kwake kwadingeka ekukhulekeleni kwamaJuda. Abafundisi bamanga babegxile ezingelosini, imimoya enamandla eyasetshenziselwa ukudlulisela uMthetho kuMose. Cabanga ucindezelwa ngaleyo ndlela! Kwakunenqwaba yemibono engqubuzanayo.—Galathiya 3:19; Kolose 2:8, 16-18.

13. AbaseKolose babengasizwa ukuqaphela siphi isici, futhi lokho kungasisiza kanjani thina?

¹³ UPawulu waphendula ngokugcizelela indima kaJesu Kristu. “Njengoba namukele uKristu Jesu iNkosi, qhubekani nihamba ebunyeni naye, nigxilile futhi nakhiwa kuye futhi nisimamiswa okholweni, njengoba nje nafundiswa.” Yebo, kwakunesidingo sokuba (abaseKolose kanye nathi) siqiniseke ngokugcwele ngendima kaKristu enjongweni kaNkulunkulu nasekuphileni kwethu. UPawulu wachaza: “Kukuye lapho kuhlezi khona konke ukugcwala kwemfanelo yaphezulu ngesimo somzimba. Ngakho ninokugcwala ngaye, oyinhloko yabo bonke ohulumeni namagunya.”—Kolose 2:6-10.

14. Kungani ithemba laliyinto engokoqobo kwabaseKolose?

¹⁴ AbaseKolose babengamaKristu agcotshwe ngomoya. Babenethemba elicacile, ukuphila emazulwini, futhi babenezizathu ezinamandla zokugcina lelo themba ligqamile. (Kolose 1:5) ‘Kwakuyintando kaNkulunkulu’ ukuba baqiniseke ngokuqinile ngokuqiniseka kwethemba labo. Ingabe kukhona kubo okwakufanele balingabaze lelo themba? Lutho neze! Akufanele yini kube okufanayo namuhla ngabo bonke abanethemba elivela kuNkulunkulu lokuphila epharadesi lasemhlabeni? Ngokuqinisekile kunjalo! Kusobala ukuthi lelo themba eliqinisekile liyingxenye ‘yentando kaNkulunkulu.’ Manje cabanga ngale mibuzo: Uma ulwela ukuba ‘ngowesixuku esikhulu’ esiyosinda ‘osizini olukhulu,’ lingokoqobo kangakanani elakho ithemba? (IsAmbulo 7:9, 14) Ingabe liyingxenye ‘yokuqiniseka kwakho okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu’?

15. Yiluphi uchungechunge uPawulu alunikeza oluhlanganisa ithemba?

¹⁵ Njengoba sikhuluma ‘ngethemba’ asikhulumi ngesifiso esingacacile noma iphupho. Singakubona lokhu ochungechungeni lwamaphuzu uPawulu awavezela abaseRoma ngaphambili. Kulolo chungechunge, into ngayinye ephawuliwe ihlobene noma iholela kwelandelayo. Qaphela ukuthi uPawulu ulibekaphi “ithemba” emazwini akhe: “Masethabeni lapho sisezinsizini, njengoba sazi ukuthi usizi luveza ukukhuthazela; ukukhuthazela kona kuveza isimo sokwamukelwa; isimo sokwamukelwa sona siveza ithemba, futhi ithemba aliholeli ekudumazekeni; ngoba uthando lukaNkulunkulu luthululelwe ezinhliziyweni zethu ngomoya ongcwele.”—Roma 5:3-5.

16. Lapho ufunda iqiniso leBhayibheli, yiliphi ithemba owaba nalo?

¹⁶ Lapho oFakazi BakaJehova behlanganyela isigijimi seBhayibheli nawe okokuqala, kungenzeka ukuthi wakhangwa yiqiniso elithile, njengesimo sabafileyo noma uvuko. Kwabaningi, into eyinhloko ababeqala ukuyiqaphela kwakuyithuba elisekelwe eBhayibhelini lokuphila epharadesi lasemhlabeni. Khumbula lapho uqala ukuzwa ngaleyo mfundiso. Yeka ithemba elimangalisayo—ukugula nokuguga ngeke kusaba khona, ungaqhubeka uphila ujabulele izithelo zokuzikhandla kwakho, futhi kuyoba nokuthula nezilwane! (UmShumayeli 9:5, 10; Isaya 65:17-25; Johane 5:28, 29; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Wathola ithemba elimangalisayo!

17, 18. (a) Uchungechunge olwanikezwa nguPawulu kwabaseRoma lwaholela kanjani ethembeni? (b) Luhlobo luni lwethemba olushiwo kwabaseRoma 5:4, 5, futhi unalo yini?

¹⁷ Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, cishe wabhekana nokuphikiswa noma ukushushiswa okuthile. (Mathewu 10:34-39; 24:9) Ngisho nasezikhathini zamuva nje, emazweni ahlukahlukene imizi yoFakazi iye yaphangwa noma baphoqeleka ukuba babe ngababaleki. Abanye baye bahlaselwa ngokwenyama, baphucwa izincwadi zabo zeBhayibheli, noma babhecwa ngamanga emibikweni yabezindaba. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yiluphi uhlobo loshushiso okungenzeka wabhekana nalo, njengoba eyamaRoma 5:3 isho, wawungethaba kulolo sizi, futhi lwaveza umphumela omuhle. Njengoba uPawulu abhala, usizi lwaveza ukukhuthazela kuwe. Ukukhuthazela kwaholela esimweni sokwamukelwa. Wawazi ukuthi wawenza okulungile, wenza intando kaNkulunkulu, ngakho wazizwa uqiniseka ukuthi uyamukeleka kuye. Ngamazwi kaPawulu,  waba nomuzwa wokuba ‘sesimweni sokwamukelwa.’ Eqhubeka, uPawulu wabhala ukuthi “isimo sokwamukelwa sona siveza ithemba.” Lokho kungase kubonakale kuxaka. Kungani uPawulu alibeka kude kangaka “ithemba” kulolu chungechunge? Awuzange yini ube nethemba kudala kunalokho, lapho uqala ukuzwa izindaba ezinhle?

¹⁸ Ngokusobala, uPawulu akabhekisele lapha emuzweni wokuqala wethemba lokuphila okuphelele. Abhekisele kukho kungaphezu kwalokho; kujulile kunalokho, kushukumisa ngokwengeziwe. Lapho sikhuthazela ngokwethembeka futhi ngenxa yalokho siqaphela ukuthi siyamukeleka kuNkulunkulu, lokhu kuba nethonya elijulile lokunezela nokuqinisa ithemba lethu lokuqala. Lelo themba lethu manje liba ngokoqobo ngokwengeziwe, liqine futhi lisithinte ngokwengeziwe. Lelo themba elijulile likhanya ngokwengeziwe. Lingena  ebuntwini bethu, silizwa egazini. “Futhi [leli themba] aliholeli ekudumazekeni; ngoba uthando lukaNkulunkulu luthululelwe ezinhliziyweni zethu ngomoya ongcwele.”

19. Ithemba lakho kufanele libe yingxenye yemithandazo yakho yasikhathi sonke ngayiphi indlela?

¹⁹ U-Ephafra wayethandazela ngobuqotho ukuba abafowabo nodadewabo baseKolose bahlale bethonywe yilokho okwakuseza kubo futhi beqiniseka ngakho, ‘benokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.’ Kwangathi ngamunye wethu ngokufanayo angakhuluma njalo noNkulunkulu ngethemba lethu. Emithandazweni yakho yangasese, hlanganisa nethemba onalo ngezwe elisha. Yisho kuJehova ukuthi ulilangazelela kangakanani, uqiniseka ngokugcwele ukuthi lizofika. Mnxuse ukuba akusize ujulise futhi ugxilise ukuqiniseka kwakho. Njengoba u-Ephafra athandazela ukuba abaseKolose babe “nokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu,” yenza okufanayo. Kwenze kaningi.

20. Uma abambalwa bephambuka endleleni yobuKristu, kungani lokhu kungadingeki kubangele ukudikibala?

²⁰ Makungakuphazamisi noma kukudikibalise ukuthi akuwona wonke umuntu oma ephelele futhi enokuqiniseka okuqinile. Abanye bangase bahluleke, baphambuke, noma bamane bayeke. Lokho kwenzeka phakathi kwalabo ababeseduze kakhulu noJesu, abaphostoli bakhe. Kodwa lapho uJuda eba yimbuka, ingabe abanye abaphostoli bayekethisa noma bayeka? Lutho neze! UPetru wasebenzisa iHubo 109:8 ukuze abonise ukuthi indawo kaJuda yayiyothathwa ngomunye. Kwakhethwa omunye, futhi abaqotho bakaNkulunkulu baqhubeka ngenkuthalo nesabelo sabo sokushumayela. (IzEnzo 1:15-26) Babezimisele ukuma bephelele benokuqiniseka okuqinile.

21, 22. Ukuma kwakho uphelele futhi unokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyoqashelwa ngamuphi umqondo?

²¹ Ungaqiniseka ngokuphelele ukuthi ukuma kwakho uphelele futhi unokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu kuyoqapheleka. Kuyoqashelwa futhi kwaziswe. Ubani?

²² Abafowenu nodadewenu, abakwaziyo nabakuthandayo, bayokuphawula. Ngisho noma iningi lingakuvezi ngamazwi, umphumela uyofana nalokho esikufunda kweyoku-1 Thesalonika 1:2-6: “Ngaso sonke isikhathi siyambonga uNkulunkulu lapho sikhuluma ngokuphathelene nani nonke emithandazweni yethu, ngoba siwukhumbula ngokungaphezi umsebenzi wenu wokukholeka nomshikashika wenu wothando nokukhuthazela kwenu ngenxa yethemba eninalo eNkosini yethu uJesu Kristu phambi kukaNkulunkulu noBaba wethu. Ngoba . . . izindaba ezinhle esizishumayelayo azivelanga phakathi kwenu ngenkulumo yodwa kodwa futhi ngamandla nangomoya ongcwele nokuqiniseka okuqinile . . . ; futhi naba ngabalingisi bethu nabeNkosi.” AmaKristu aqotho akuzungezile ayozizwa ngokufanayo lapho ephawula ukuthi ‘umi uphelele futhi unokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.’—Kolose 1:23.

23. Kulo nyaka ozayo, yini okufanele uzimisele ukuyenza?

²³ Ngokuqiniseke ngokufanayo, uYihlo wasezulwini uyoqaphela futhi ajabule. Qiniseka ngalokho. Ngani? Ngoba umi uphelele futhi unokuqiniseka okuqinile “kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.” UPawulu wabhalela abaseKolose ngendlela ekhuthazayo mayelana nokuhamba kwabo “ngokufanele uJehova ngenjongo yokumjabulisa ngokugcwele.” (Kolose 1:10) Yebo, abantu abangaphelele bangakwazi ukumjabulisa ngokugcwele. Abafowenu nodadewenu baseKolose bakwenza. AmaKristu akuzungezile njengamanje ayakwenza. Nawe ungakwenza! Ngakho, phakathi nalo nyaka ozayo, imithandazo yakho yansuku zonke nezenzo zakho zasikhathi sonke makubonise ukuthi uzimisele ukuba ‘ekugcineni ume uphelele futhi unokuqiniseka okuqinile kuyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu.’

Uyakhumbula?

• Yini ehilelekile ‘ekumeni kwakho uphelele’?

• Yiziphi izinto eziphathelene nawe okufanele uzihlanganise emthandazweni?

• Njengoba kusikiselwa kweyamaRoma 5:4, 5, luhlobo luni lwethemba ofuna ukuba nalo?

• Isifundo sethu siye sakushukumisela ukuba ube namuphi umgomo phakathi nonyaka ozayo?

[Imibuzo Yesifundo]

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

U-Ephafra wathandazela ukuba abafowabo bame bephelele, benokuqiniseka okuqinile ngoKristu nethemba labo

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Kunezigidi zabanye ezinethemba eliqinisekile nokuqiniseka okuqinile njengawe