Kungani Kufanele Utadishe IBhayibheli?

UBILL wayesemusha, ethanda ukuzilolonga, efundile futhi ezimele kahle ngokwezimali. Kodwa wayenganelisekile. Ukuphila kwakhe kwakungenasiqondiso, futhi lokho kwakumkhathaza kakhulu. Ezama ukuthola injongo ekuphileni, wahlola izinkolo eziningana, kodwa akakutholanga ayekufuna. Ngo-1991, wahlangana nomunye woFakazi BakaJehova owamshiyela incwadi ekhuluma ngalokho okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngenjongo yokuphila. Kwahlelwa isifundo seBhayibheli ukuze uBill akwazi ukuhlaziya le ndaba nezinye.

UBill uyakhumbula: “Saba nesifundo sethu sokuqala, futhi ngenxa yokuthi sasilibheka njalo iBhayibheli, ngavele ngabona ukuthi yiyona nto ebengiyifuna lena. Izimpendulo eziseBhayibhelini zazithakazelisa kakhulu. Ngemva kwaleso sifundo, ngangena evenini yami ngaya ezintabeni, ngaphuma evenini, ngakhala ngaklabalasa ngenxa yenjabulo. Ngangijabule kakhulu ngokuthi ekugcineni ngase ngizithola izimpendulo zemibuzo yami.”

Yiqiniso, akuwona wonke umuntu othola iqiniso  leBhayibheli okhala ngokoqobo ngenxa yenjabulo. Nokho, ukuthola izimpendulo zemibuzo ebalulekile yokuphila kuyinto ejabulisayo kwabaningi. Bazizwa njengomuntu wasemzekelisweni kaJesu owathola umcebo ofihliwe esigangeni. UJesu wathi: “Ngenxa yenjabulo anayo uyahamba ayothengisa lokho anakho athenge lesosiganga.”—Mathewu 13:44.

Isihluthulelo Sokuphila Okunenjongo

UBill wayezibuza umbuzo oyisisekelo, Iyini injongo yokuphila? Izazi zefilosofi, izazi zemfundiso yenkolo nososayensi sebenezinkulungwane zeminyaka beshikashikana nalowo mbuzo. Kunezindimbane zemiqulu ebhalwe abantu abazama ukuwuphendula. Imizamo yabo ayizange iphumelele, futhi abaningi baye baphetha ngokuthi lowo mbuzo awunakuphendulwa. Nokho, impendulo ikhona. Nakuba ijulile, ayiyona inkimbinkimbi. Ichaziwe eBhayibhelini. Isihluthulelo sokuphila okujabulisayo nokunenjongo yilesi: Kumelwe sibe nobuhlobo obuhle noJehova, uMdali noBaba wethu osezulwini. Sikwenza kanjani lokho?

Ukusondela kuNkulunkulu kunezici ezimbili ezibonakala sengathi ziyangqubuzana. Labo abasondela kuye bayamesaba futhi bayamthanda. Ake sihlole imibhalo emibili esekela lawo mazwi. Endulo, inkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yahlolisisa isintu yayisibhala eyayikutholile encwadini yeBhayibheli yomShumayeli. Ifingqa eyayikuphawulile, yathi: “Nakhu ukuphela kwendaba‚ lapho sekuzwakele konke: Mesabe uNkulunkulu weqiniso futhi ugcine imiyalo yakhe. Ngoba lokhu yisibopho esiphelele somuntu.” (UmShumayeli 12:13) Ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka, lapho uJesu ebuzwa ukuthi yimuphi umyalo omkhulu kunayo yonke eyanikezwa uMose eMthethweni, wathi: “Kumelwe uthande uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ngenhliziyo yakho yonke nangomphefumulo wakho wonke nangengqondo yakho yonke.” (Mathewu 22:37) Ingabe kuzwakala kuxaka kuwe ukuthi kufanele simesabe uNkulunkulu kodwa futhi simthande? Ake sihlole ukubaluleka kokwesaba nokothando nendlela lezi zinto ezisebenza ngayo ndawonye ukuze zakhe ubuhlobo obanelisayo noNkulunkulu.

Lokho Okushiwo Ukwesaba UNkulunkulu

Ukwesaba okunenhlonipho kusemqoka uma sifuna ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu ngokwamukelekayo. IBhayibheli lithi: “Ukumesaba uJehova kungukuqala kokuhlakanipha.” (IHubo 111:10) Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Masiqhubekeni siba nomusa ongafanelwe, esinganikela ngawo inkonzo engcwele ngokwamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu ngokwesaba kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu nangovalo.” (Heberu 12:28) Ngokufanayo, ingelosi esemkhathini eyabonwa ngumphostoli uJohane embonweni yaqala ukumemezela izindaba ezinhle ngala mazwi: “Mesabeni uNkulunkulu nimnike inkazimulo.”—IsAmbulo 14:6, 7.

Lokhu kwesaba uNkulunkulu, okubaluleke kangaka ekubeni nokuphila okunenjongo, akukhona ukwesaba okukhwantabalisayo. Singase sizizwe sesaba ngendlela ekhwantabalisayo uma sisongelwa yisigebengu esinesihluku nesiyingozi. Kodwa ukwesaba uNkulunkulu kungukumhlonipha ngokujulile uMdali. Kuhilela ukwesaba ngendlela enhle ukudumaza uNkulunkulu ngoba unguMahluleli Ophakeme noMninimandla onke, onamandla negunya lokujezisa labo abangalaleli.

Ukwesaba Nothando Kuyahambisana

Nokho, uJehova akafuni abantu bamkhonze ngoba nje bemesaba. Ngokuyinhloko, uJehova unguNkulunkulu wothando. Umphostoli uJohane washukumiseleka ukuba abhale: “UNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Johane 4:8) UJehova uNkulunkulu uye wasebenzelana nesintu ngothando olukhulu, futhi ufuna nabantu basabele ngokumthanda. Nokho, uthando olunjalo luhambisana kanjani nokumesaba uNkulunkulu?  Lezi zinto ezimbili empeleni zihlobene. Umhubi wabhala: “Ukusondelana noJehova kungokwabamesabayo.”—IHubo 25:14, NW.

Cabanga ngomuzwa wenhlonipho ingane enawo ngoyise onamandla nohlakaniphile. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, leyo ngane iyosabela othandweni lukayise. Iyamethemba uyise futhi ibheke kuye ukuze ithole isiqondiso, iqiniseka ukuthi lesi siqondiso siyoyizuzisa. Ngokufanayo, uma simthanda futhi simesaba uJehova, siyosilalela isiqondiso sakhe, futhi lokhu kuyosizuzisa. Phawula lokho uJehova akusho mayelana nama-Israyeli: “Sengathi kungaba khona kubo inhliziyo enjalo ukuba bangesabe, bagcine njalo yonke imiyalelo yami, kube kuhle kubo nakubantwana babo kuze kube phakade.”—Duteronomi 5:29.

Yebo, ukwesaba uNkulunkulu akuholeli ekubophekeni kodwa kuholela enkululekweni, akuholeli osizini, kuholela enjabulweni. U-Isaya waprofetha ngoJesu: “Intokozo yakhe iyakuba sekumesabeni uJehova.” (Isaya 11:3) Nomhubi wabhala: “Ubusisiwe umuntu omesaba uJehova, othokoza kakhulu ngemithetho yakhe.”—IHubo 112:1.

Kusobala ukuthi asinakumesaba futhi asinakumthanda uNkulunkulu uma singamazi. Yingakho kubaluleke kangaka ukutadisha iBhayibheli. Ukulitadisha kusisiza siqonde ubuntu bukaNkulunkulu futhi sibone ukuhlakanipha kokulandela isiqondiso sakhe. Njengoba sisondelana kakhudlwana noNkulunkulu, sifuna ukwenza intando yakhe futhi sishukumiseleka ukuba sigcine imiyalo yakhe, sazi ukuthi iyosizuzisa.—1 Johane 5:3.

Umuntu uyakujabulela ukwazi ukuthi usemkhondweni oyiwonawona ekuphileni. Kunjalo nakuBill okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni. Muva nje uthe: “Kule minyaka engu-9 esidlulile kusukela ngaqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli, ubuhlobo bami noJehova buye bakhula. Izinyembezi zenjabulo ezangifikela ekuqaleni ziye zaphenduka indlela yokuphila ejabulisa ngempela. Ngihlala nginombono wekusasa eliqhakazile ekuphileni. Zonke izinsuku ngenza izinto ezinenjongo, angithungathani nenjabulo ngendlela engenanjongo. UJehova uye waba ngumuntu ongokoqobo kimi, futhi ngiyazi ukuthi ungifunela okungcono kakhulu.”

Esihlokweni esilandelayo, sizoqhubeka sihlola indlela ulwazi ngoJehova oluletha ngayo injabulo nezinzuzo kulabo abalusebenzisayo ekuphileni kwabo.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

Ukusondela kuNkulunkulu kusho ukuba simthande futhi simesabe

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

UJesu wayejabule ekwesabeni uJehova