Ungubani UNkulunkulu?

“IGAMA elithi Nkulunkulu ngokuvamile kubizwa ngalo umthombo wembulunga yonke namandla ayo amakhulu kanti nokuzinikela okungokwenkolo kuqondiswa kuwo,” kusho i- Encyclopedia Americana. Isichazamazwi sichaza igama elithi “Nkulunkulu” ngokuthi “okuthile okukhulu kakhulu.” Sinjani isimo salesi simangaliso esingokoqobo?

Ingabe uNkulunkulu ungamandla angenabuntu noma ungumuntu ongokoqobo? Unalo yini igama? Ingabe uyingxenye kamthath’ emunye, uZiqu-zintathu, njengoba abaningi bekholelwa? Singamazi kanjani uNkulunkulu? IBhayibheli linikeza izimpendulo eziyiqiniso nezanelisayo zale mibuzo. Eqinisweni, lisikhuthaza ukuba sifune uNkulunkulu, lithi: ‘Akakude kulowo nalowo kithi.’—IzEnzo 17:27.

Ungamandla Angenabuntu Noma Ungumuntu Ongokoqobo?

Iningi elikholelwa kuNkulunkulu licabanga ukuthi ungamandla, hhayi umuntu. Ngokwesibonelo, kwamanye amasiko onkulunkulu baye bahlanganiswa namandla endalo. Abanye abaye bahlola ubufakazi obutholakale ekucwaningeni kwesayensi okuphathelene nokwakheka kwendawo yonke nesimo sokuphila emhlabeni, baye baphetha ngokuthi kufanele ukuba ukhona uMthombo Wendalo. Noma kunjalo, abathandisisi ukubheka lo Mthombo njengonobuntu.

Nokho, ingabe ukuba inkimbinkimbi kwendalo akubonisi yini ukuthi uMthombo Wendalo kufanele ukuthi unokuhlakanipha okumangalisayo? Ukuhlakanipha kudinga ingqondo. Ingqondo esezingeni eliphakeme eyadala yonke indalo ngeyomuntu onguNkulunkulu. Yebo, uNkulunkulu unomzimba ongewona owenyama njengowethu, kodwa umzimba ongokomoya. IBhayibheli lithi: “Uma kukhona umzimba ongokwenyama, ukhona nongokomoya.” (1 Korinte 15:44) Lapho lichaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu unjani, iBhayibheli likubeka ngokucacile: “UNkulunkulu uwuMoya.” (Johane 4:24) Umoya unohlobo lokuphila okwehluke ngokuphelele kokwethu; futhi abantu abawuboni ngamehlo. (Johane 1:18) Kunezinye futhi izidalwa zomoya ezingabonakali. Yizingelosi—“amadodana kaNkulunkulu.”—Jobe 1:6; 2:1.

Njengoba uNkulunkulu engumuntu womoya ongadalwanga, kunengqondo ukuthi unendawo yokuhlala. Lapho libhekisela endaweni yomoya, iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi amazulu ayindawo kaNkulunkulu “yokuhlala.” (1 AmaKhosi 8:43) Umlobi weBhayibheli uPawulu ubuye athi: ‘UKristu  wangena ezulwini ngokwalo, ukuba abonakale phambi kobuso bukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yethu.’—Heberu 9:24.

Igama elithi “umoya” libuye lisetshenziswe ngomunye umqondo eBhayibhelini. Lapho ekhuluma noNkulunkulu ngomthandazo, umhubi wathi: “Uyathumela umoya wakho, zidalwe.” (IHubo 104:30) Lo moya awuyena uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe, kodwa ungamandla uNkulunkulu awathumelayo noma awasebenzisayo ukuze afeze noma yini ayifisayo. Ngawo, uNkulunkulu wadala amazulu angokoqobo, umhlaba, nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo. (Genesise 1:2; IHubo 33:6) Umoya wakhe ubizwa ngokuthi umoya ongcwele. UNkulunkulu wabaphefumulela ngawo lo moya wakhe ongcwele abantu abaloba iBhayibheli. (2 Petru 1:20, 21) Ngakho, umoya ongcwele ungamandla asebenzayo angabonakali uNkulunkulu awasebenzisela ukufeza izinjongo zakhe.

UNkulunkulu Unegama Eliyingqayizivele

Umlobi weBhayibheli u-Aguri wabuza: “Ngubani oqoqele umoya ezandleni zakhe na? Ngubani obophile amanzi engutsheni yakhe na? Ngubani omisile yonke imikhawulo yomhlaba na? Ngubani igama lakhe, ngubani igama lendodana yakhe?” (IzAga 30:4) Empeleni, u-Aguri wayebuza ukuthi ‘Ukhona yini umkhaya noma uhlu lozalo lomuntu owenze zonke lezi zinto?’ NguNkulunkulu kuphela onamandla okulawula amandla emvelo. Nakuba indalo inikeza ubufakazi obunamandla bokuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, ayisho lutho ngegama likaNkulunkulu. Empeleni, sasingeke silazi igama likaNkulunkulu ngaphandle kokuba uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe asambulele lona. Futhi ukwenzile lokho. “NginguJehova,” kusho uMdali, “yilo igama lami.”—Isaya 42:8.

Igama likaNkulunkulu eliyingqayizivele, elithi Jehova, livela izikhathi ezingu-7 000 emiBhalweni YesiHeberu kuphela. UJesu Kristu wabazisa abanye lelo gama futhi walidumisa phambi kwabo. (Johane 17:6, 26) Lelo gama litholakala encwadini yokugcina yeBhayibheli njengengxenye yenkulumo yesiNgisi ethi “Hallelujah [Haleluya],” esho ukuthi “dumisani uJah.” Elithi “Jah” liyisifushaniso selithi “Jehova.” (IsAmbulo 19:1-6) Kodwa amaBhayibheli amaningi esimanje ayaqabukela esebenzisa lelo gama. Ngokuvamile asebenzisa igama elithi “NKOSI” noma “NKULUNKULU,” libhalwe ngonobumbakazi ukuze lihlukaniswe eziqwini ezivamile esithi “Nkosi” nesithi “Nkulunkulu.” Ezinye izazi zisikisela ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu kungenzeka laliphinyiselwa ngokuthi Yahweh.

 Kungani kunemibono engafani kangaka ngegama loMuntu omkhulu kangaka endaweni yonke? Inkinga yaqala emakhulwini eminyaka adlule ngenkathi amaJuda eyeka ukuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu ngenxa yenkolelo-ze, futhi eqala ukusebenzisa igama lesiHeberu elihunyushwa ngokuthi “Nkosi Engumbusi” nomaphi lapho ethola khona igama likaNkulunkulu uma efunda imiBhalo. Njengoba isiHeberu saseBhayibhelini sasilotshwa ngaphandle konkamisa, ayikho indlela yokwazi ngokuthé ngqo ukuthi uMose, uDavide, nabanye bezikhathi zamandulo babeziphimisela kanjani izinhlamvu ezakha igama likaNkulunkulu. Nokho, indlela yesiZulu yokulibiza ethi Jehova, nezinye izindlela ezifuze lena kwezinye izilimi, sekungamakhulu eminyaka isetshenziswa, futhi yamukeleka kabanzi namuhla.—Eksodusi 6:3; Isaya 26:4.

Nakuba kungaqinisekwa ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu laliphinyiselwa kanjani ngesiHeberu sasendulo, incazelo yalo ayiyona imfihlo. Igama laKhe lisho ukuthi “Ubangela Ukuba Kube Khona.” Ngalelo gama, uJehova uNkulunkulu uzichaza njengoMsunguli Wezinjongo Omkhulu. Ngaso sonke isikhathi uyazifeza izinjongo nezithembiso zakhe. NguNkulunkulu weqiniso kuphela onamandla okwenza lokhu, nonelungelo lokuba negama elinjalo.—Isaya 55:11.

Ngokungangabazeki, igama elithi Jehova lihlukanisa uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke kwabanye onkulunkulu. Yingakho lelo gama livela kaningi kangaka eBhayibhelini. Nakuba izinguqulo eziningi zingalisebenzisi igama likaNkulunkulu, iHubo 83:18 lisho ngokucacile: “Bazi ukuthi nguwe wedwa ogama lakho linguJehova; ungoPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.” Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe, uJesu Kristu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe: “Kumelwe nithandaze ngalendlela: ‘Baba wethu osemazulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho.’” (Mathewu 6:9) Ngakho-ke, kufanele silisebenzise igama likaNkulunkulu lapho sikhuleka, sikhuluma ngaye, nalapho simdumisa phambi kwabanye.

Ingabe UJesu UnguNkulunkulu?

UJehova uNkulunkulu akangabazi ukuthi ingubani iNdodana yakhe. Ukulandisa kweVangeli likaMathewu kuthi ngemva kokuba uJesu ebhapathiziwe, “kwaba khona izwi livela emazulwini elathi: ‘Lena iNdodana yami, ethandekayo, engiyamukele.’” (Mathewu 3:16, 17) UJesu Kristu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.

Nakuba kunjalo, abanye abantu abasontayo bathi uJesu unguNkulunkulu. Abanye bathi uNkulunkulu unguZiqu-zintathu. Ngokwale mfundiso, “uYise nguNkulunkulu, iNdodana nguNkulunkulu, noMoya oNgcwele uNkulunkulu, kodwa kunoNkulunkulu oyedwa hhayi abathathu.” Kunenkolelo yokuthi laba abathathu “banobuphakade futhi bayalingana.” (The Catholic Encycopedia) Ingabe imibono enjalo iyiqiniso?

Mayelana noJehova, imiBhalo ephefumulelwe ithi: “Kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade wena Nkulunkulu ukhona.” (IHubo 90:2) ‘UyiNkosi engunaphakade’—engenasiqalo noma isiphetho. (1 Thimothewu 1:17) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uJesu ‘uyizibulo layo yonke indalo,’ “isiqalo sendalo kaNkulunkulu.” (Kolose 1:13-15; IsAmbulo 3:14) Ebiza uNkulunkulu ngokuthi uBaba, uJesu wathi: “UBaba mkhulu kunami.” (Johane 14:28) UJesu wabuye wachaza ukuthi kwakunezinto yena noma izingelosi ababengazazi kodwa ezaziwa uNkulunkulu yedwa. (Marku 13:32) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu wakhuleka kuYise, wathi: “Makungenzeki intando yami, kodwa eyakho.” (Luka 22:42) Wayethandaza kubani uma ayengathandazi kuMuntu ophakeme kunaye? Kanti-ke futhi nguNkulunkulu owavusa uJesu ekufeni, akazivusanga.—IzEnzo 2:32.

NgokwemiBhalo, uJehova unguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, kanti uJesu uyiNdodana yakhe. Laba ababili babengalingani ngaphambi kokuba uJesu eze emhlabeni naphakathi nokuphila kwakhe kwasemhlabeni; ngisho nangemuva kokuvuselwa kwakhe ezulwini uJesu akazange alingane noYise. (1 Korinte 11:3; 15:28) Njengoba sesibonile, lokho okubizwa ngomuntu wesithathu kuZiqu-zintathu, umoya ongcwele, akuyena umuntu. Kunalokho, kungamandla uNkulunkulu awasebenzisela ukufeza lokho akufisayo. UZiqu-zintathu akayona imfundiso engokomBhalo. * “UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, uJehova, munye,” kusho iBhayibheli.—Duteronomi 6:4.

 Mazi Kangcono UNkulunkulu

Ukuze simthande uNkulunkulu futhi sizinikele kuye ngendlela ekhethekile nemfanele, kudingeka simazi ukuthi unjani ngempela. Singamazi kanjani kangcono uNkulunkulu? “Ngoba izimfanelo zakhe ezingabonakali zibonakala ngokucacile kusukela ekudalweni kwezwe kuye phambili,” kusho iBhayibheli, “ngoba ziqondakala ngezinto ezenziwe, ngisho namandla akhe angunaphakade nobuNkulunkulu bakhe.” (Roma 1:20) Enye yezindlela zokwazi uNkulunkulu kangcono iwukuqaphela, ukucabangisisa, nokwazisa lokho akudalile.

Nokho, indalo ayisitsheli konke okumelwe sikwazi ngoNkulunkulu. Ngokwesibonelo, ukuze siqonde ukuthi unguMuntu ongokomoya ngempela nonegama eliyingqayizivele, kudingeka sifunde iBhayibheli. Empeleni, ukutadisha iBhayibheli iyona ndlela engcono kakhulu yokwazi ngoNkulunkulu. EmiBhalweni uJehova usitshela okuningi kakhulu ngohlobo lukaNkulunkulu ayilo. Ubuye asembulele izinjongo zakhe, asifundise nangezindlela zakhe. (Amose 3:7; 2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) Yeka ukuthi sijabula kanjani ngokuthi uNkulunkulu ufuna ‘sifinyelele olwazini olunembile lweqiniso’ ukuze sizuze emalungiselelweni akhe othando! (1 Thimothewu 2:4) Khona-ke masenze wonke umzamo wokufunda ngoJehova.

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Ngomoya wakhe ongcwele, uNkulunkulu wadala umhlaba, waphefumulela nabantu ukuba babhale iBhayibheli

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Izwi elivela emazulwini lathi: “Lena iNdodana yami”

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UJesu wathandaza kuNkulunkulu—uMuntu ophakeme kunaye

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UJesu watshela abanye ngegama likaNkulunkulu

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Singamazi kangcono uNkulunkulu