UNkulunkulu Wamukela Zonke Izizwe

OHAMBWENI lwakhe lokuqala lokuya eMali, uJohn wathintwa umoya wokwamukela izihambi kaMamadou nomkhaya wakhe. Njengoba uJohn ayehlezi phansi edla sakunqikaza nabanye esitsheni esisodwa, wayezibuza eziphendula ukuthi angamtshela kanjani umninikhaya ngesipho esiyigugu ukuzedlula zonke—izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso eziseZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli. Nakuba ayesazi isiFulentshi, ulimi olukhulunywa eMali, uJohn wayengaqiniseki ukuthi kumelwe axoxe kanjani nomkhaya owawunenkolo nendlela yokucabanga ehluke ngokuphelele kweyakhe.

Akumangalisi ukuthi uJohn wacabanga ngendaba eseBhayibhelini yomuzi waseBabele. Yilapho uNkulunkulu asanganisa khona ulimi lwabantu abavukelayo. (Genesise 11:1-9) Umphumela uye waba ukuba khona kwabantu bezilimi, izinkolo, nendlela yokucabanga ehlukile ezindaweni ezahlukene zomhlaba. Namuhla, njengoba ukuvakasha nokuthuthela kwamanye amazwe sekuyinsakavukela, abaningi babhekana nenselele uJohn abhekana nayo, ngisho nasezindaweni zabo: Lingahlanganyelwa kanjani ithemba elisekelwe eBhayibhelini nabantu besizinda esihlukile?

Isibonelo Samandulo

Njengabanye abaprofethi kwa-Israyeli, ngokuyinhloko uJona wayekhuluma nama-Israyeli. Waprofetha ngenkathi izizwe eziyishumi eziyizihlubuki ezazihileleke ngayo ingcaca ezenzweni ezingamdumisi uNkulunkulu. (2 AmaKhosi 14:23-25) Cabanga ngokusabela kukaJona lapho ethola ukuthunywa okukhethekile kokuba ashiye izwe lakubo aye e-Asiriya ayoshumayeza izakhamuzi zaseNineve, abantu ababenenkolo namasiko ahlukile. Kungenzeka nokuthi uJona wayengalukhulumi nangokushelela ulimi lwabantu baseNineve. Noma ngabe ikuphi, le nselele yamkhungathekisa uJona, wabe esecela empunzini.—Jona 1:1-3.

Ngokusobala kwakudingeka uJona afunde ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu ubona okungalé kwengaphandle, kodwa uhlola inhliziyo. (1 Samuweli 16:7) Ngemva kokusindisa uJona ngokuyisimangaliso ekumukeni namanzi, uJehova wamthuma okwesibili ukuba ayoshumayeza abantu baseNineve. UJona walalela, umphumela waba ukuphenduka kwabaseNineve ngobuningi. Noma kunjalo, uJona wayengenawo umbono oqondile. Ngesifundo esinamandla, uJehova wambonisa ukuthi kwakumelwe ashintshe isimo sakhe sengqondo. UJehova wabuza uJona: “Bengingayikulihawukela iNineve, umuzi omkhulu, okukuwo abantu abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amabili abangakwazi ukwahlukanisa isandla sokunene nesokhohlo na?” (Jona 4:5-11) Kuthiwani  ngathi namuhla? Singabasiza kanjani abantu besizinda esihlukile?

Ukwamukela AmaSamariya Nabangewona AmaJuda

Ekhulwini lokuqala, uJesu wayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba benze abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi. (Mathewu 28:19) Lokhu kwakungelula ngabo. Abafundi bakaJesu babengamaJuda, futhi njengoJona, babejwayele ukukhuluma nabantu besizwe sabo nesizinda sabo kuphela. Kulindelekile ukuthi nabo babeyothonywa ubandlululo lwangaleso sikhathi. Nokho uJehova waqondisa izinto, ukuze izinceku zakhe kancane kancane ziqonde intando yakhe ngazo.

Isinyathelo sokuqala kwakuwukunqoba ubandlululo phakathi kwamaJuda namaSamariya. AmaJuda ayengadlelani namaSamariya. Kodwa kaningana, uJesu wacaba indlela yokuba ngesikhathi esizayo amaSamariya amukele izindaba ezinhle. Wabonisa ukungakhethi kwakhe ngokukhuluma nowesifazane ongumSamariya. (Johane 4:7-26) Ngesinye isikhathi, esebenzisa umfanekiso womSamariya onothando ngomakhelwane, wabonisa umJuda owayegxile enkolweni ukuthi nabantu abangewona amaJuda bangalubonisa uthando ngomakhelwane. (Luka 10:25-37) Lapho sifika isikhathi sokuba uJehova alethe amaSamariya ebandleni lobuKristu, uFiliphu, uPetru, noJohane—bonke ababengamaJuda ngokwendabuko—bashumayeza izakhamuzi zaseSamariya. Isigijimi sabo saletha injabulo enkulu kulowo muzi.—IzEnzo 8:4-8, 14-17.

Uma kwakunzima ngamaKristu angamaJuda ukuthanda amaSamariya, ebe eyizihlobo ezikude zamaJuda, kufanele ukuba kwakunzima nakakhulu ngawo ukubonisa uthando komakhelwane abangewona amaJuda, noma abeZizwe, amaJuda ayebeyisa futhi ebazonda. Noma kunjalo, ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, umngcele phakathi kwamaKristu angamaJuda nangabeZizwe wawusungasuswa. (Efesu 2:13, 14) Ukuze asize uPetru amukele leli lungiselelo, uJehova wambonisa umbono amtshela kuwo ukuthi ‘ayeke ukubiza izinto uNkulunkulu azihlanzile ngokuthi zingcolile.’ Umoya kaJehova wabe usumholela koweZizwe obizwa ngokuthi uKorneliyu. Ekhuluma ngaphansi kokuphefumulelwa, lapho esewuqonda umbono kaNkulunkulu—wokuthi angabizi lo muntu wezizwe ngokuthi ungcolile ngoba uNkulunkulu wayemhlanzile—uPetru, wathi: “Ngokuqinisekile ngiyaqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu akakhethi, kodwa ezizweni zonke umuntu omesabayo futhi asebenze ukulunga uyamukeleka kuye.” (IzEnzo 10:9-35) Yeka ukumangala kukaPetru lapho uNkulunkulu ebonisa ukuthi wayemamukela uKorneliyu nomkhaya wakhe ngokubathululela umoya ongcwele!

UPawulu—Isitsha Esikhethiweyo Ezizweni

Inkonzo kaPawulu iyisibonelo esivelele sendlela uJehova alungiselela ngayo kancane kancane izinceku zakhe ukuba zithande futhi zisize zonke izinhlobo zabantu. Ngesikhathi sokuguqulwa kukaPawulu, uJesu wathi uPawulu wayeyokhonza njengesitsha esikhethiweyo ukuba siphathe igama laKhe ezizweni. (IzEnzo 9:15) UPawulu wabe eseya e-Arabiya, mhlawumbe ukuze azindle ngenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokumsebenzisa  ekumemezeleni izindaba ezinhle ezizweni.—Galathiya 1:15-17.

Ohambweni lwakhe lokuqala lwezithunywa zevangeli, uPawulu wabonisa intshiseko lapho eshumayela kwababengewona amaJuda. (IzEnzo 13:46-48) UJehova wawubusisa umsebenzi kaPawulu, okwaba ubufakazi bokuthi umphostoli wayenza izinto ngokohlelo lukaJehova. UPawulu wabonisa ukuthi wayewuqaphela ngokugcwele umbono kaJehova lapho ngesibindi elungisa uPetru, owayebonise ukukhetha ngokugwema ukuzihlanganisa nabafowabo ababengewona amaJuda.—Galathiya 2:11-14.

Obunye ubufakazi bokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeqondisa imizamo kaPawulu bubonakala ohambweni lwakhe lwesibili lwezithunywa zevangeli, lapho umoya ongcwele uvimbela uPawulu ukuba ashumayele esifundeni saseRoma iBithiniya. (IzEnzo 16:7) Kusobala ukuthi kwakungakabi isikhathi esifanele. Nokho, kamuva abanye abantu baseBithiniya baba amaKristu. (1 Petru 1:1) Embonweni, umuntu waseMakedoniya wanxusa uPawulu, ethi: “Welela eMakedoniya usisize.” UPawulu waphetha ngokuthi kwakufanele ashintshe uhambo lwakhe ukuze amemezele izindaba ezinhle kuleso sifunda saseRoma.—IzEnzo 16:9, 10.

Ikhono likaPawulu lokuzivumelanisa nezimo lavivinyeka ngenkathi eshumayela kwabase-Athene. Umthetho wamaGreki nowamaRoma wawukwenqabela ukungenisa onkulunkulu bezizwe nemikhuba emisha yenkolo. Uthando lukaPawulu ngabantu lwamshukumisela ukuba acabangele imikhuba yabo engokwenkolo. E-Athene wabona i-altare okwakuqoshwe kulo ukuthi “Kunkulunkulu Ongaziwa.” Wakuveza lokhu emsebenzini wakhe wokushumayela. (IzEnzo 17:22, 23) Yeka indlela enhle yokwethula isigijimi sakhe ngendlela enomusa, nenenhlonipho!

Kufanele ukuthi kwamjabulisa uPawulu lapho ebheka emuva ebona imiphumela yomsebenzi wakhe njengomphostoli ezizweni! Wasiza ekusunguleni amabandla amaningi ayakhiwa ngamaKristu ayengewona amaJuda eKorinte, eFilipi, eThesalonika, nasemizini eseGalathiya. Wasiza amadoda nabesifazane bokholo, njengoDamari, uDiyonisiyu, uSergiyu, uPawulosi, noThithu. Yeka ilungelo lokubona abantu ababengamazi  uJehova neBhayibheli bamukela iqiniso lobuKristu! Ngokuphathelene nendima yakhe ekusizeni abangewona amaJuda ukuba bafinyelele ulwazi lweqiniso, uPawulu wathi: “Ngale ndlela ngakwenza umgomo wami ukuba ngingazimemezeli izindaba ezinhle lapho sekukhulunywe khona kakade ngegama likaKristu, . . . kodwa, njengoba nje kulotshiwe: ‘Labo abangaziswanga ngaye bayobona, nalabo abangezwanga bayoqonda.’” (Roma 15:20, 21) Singahlanganyela yini ekumemezeleni izindaba ezinhle kubantu abangebona abesizwe sethu?

Ukusiza Bonke Abantu Bomhlaba

USolomoni wathandaza kuJehova ngababengewona ama-Israyeli ababezoza ethempelini eliseJerusalema bezokhulekela. Wanxusa: “Mawuzwe wena ezulwini, indawo yakho yokuhlala, wenze njengakho konke lo wezizwe akhala ngakho kuwe, ukuze bonke abantu bomhlaba bazi igama lakho.” (1 AmaKhosi 8:41-43, omalukeke sizenzele.) Izinkulungwane zabamemezeli boMbuso emazweni amaningi namuhla zenanela leyo mizwa. Zihlangana nabantu abanjengabaseNineve, ‘abangakwazi ukwahlukanisa isandla sokunene nesokhohlo,’ ngomqondo ongokomoya. Futhi abamemezeli boMbuso bamagange bafuna ukuba nengxenye ekuqoqweni kwabakhulekeli beqiniso abavela ezizweni eziningi nezihlukahlukene.—Isaya 2:2, 3; Mika 4:1-3.

Njengoba nabantu beLobukholwa beye basamukela isigijimi sethemba esivela eBhayibhelini, nabantu abavela kwezinye izinkolo benza okufanayo. Lokhu kufanele kukuthinte kanjani wena siqu? Zihlole ngokwethembeka. Uma unomuzwa wokuthi ubandlululo lunezimpande ezijulile kuwe, lusiphule ufake uthando esikhundleni salo. * Ungabenqabi abantu uNkulunkulu azimisele ukubamukela.—Johane 3:16.

Lungisa ingqondo ngaphambi kokuba ukhulume nabantu besinye isizinda. Zijwayelanise nezinkolelo zabo, okubakhathazayo, nendlela yabo yokucabanga; khona-ke funa lokho enivumelana ngako. Bonisa ubuhle nozwela kwabanye. Gwema impikiswano, zivumelanise nezimo futhi ube owakhayo. (Luka 9:52-56) Ngokwenza kanjalo uyothokozisa uJehova, “ontando yakhe iwukuba zonke izinhlobo zabantu zisindiswe futhi zifinyelele olwazini olunembile lweqiniso.”—1 Thimothewu 2:4.

Yeka ukuthi sijabula kanjani ngokuba nabantu bezizwe ezihlukahlukene emabandleni ethu! (Isaya 56:6, 7) Namuhla akuve kumnandi ukuzwa ezinye izibongo ezinjengoMudau, Chirimba, Muronga, Nekwaya, hhayi nje kuphela izibongo ezinjengoDlamini, Ngcobo, Zulu, Mkhize! Ngempela, ‘sivulelwe umnyango omkhulu oholela emsebenzini.’ (1 Korinte 16:9) Kwangathi singabambisisa amathuba aphambi kwethu okudlulisela isimemo esivela kuNkulunkulu ongakhethi, uJehova, sokwamukela abantu bazo zonke izizwe!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

UPawulu wahlanganyela izindaba ezinhle nabantu ezindaweni zonke ngokuzivumelanisa nezimo

. . . e-Athene

. . . eFilipi

. . . lapho esohambweni