1, 2. Kungani inkohliso yande kangaka namuhla, futhi ingase ivele ngaziphi izindlela? (Bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.)

AMANGA, ukuqola nokukhohlisa kuthè chithi saka kulesi simiso sezinto. Lokhu akufanele kusimangaze. IBhayibheli likwenza kucace ukuthi uSathane uDeveli ungumkhohlisi onobunyoninco, futhi ungumbusi walesi simiso sezinto. (1 Thim. 2:14; 1 Joh. 5:19) Njengoba sisondela ekupheleni kwalesi simiso esibi, intukuthelo kaSathane iyaqhubeka ikhula ngoba usalelwe ‘isikhathi esifushane’ kuphela. (IsAm. 12:12) Ngakho singalindela ukuba labo abathonywe uDeveli basebenzise inkohliso eyengeziwe ikakhulu kulabo abakhuthaza ukukhulekela kweqiniso.

² Imithombo yezindaba ngezinye izikhathi idlulisela izinkulumo ezidukisayo nezingamanga aluhlaza cwè ngezinceku zikaJehova nezinkolelo zazo. Kusetshenziswa izihloko ezinkulu zamaphephandaba, izinhlelo zamathelevishini nezingosi ze-Internet ukuze kubhebhethekiswe amanga. Ngenxa yalokho, abanye abantu bawakholelwa kalula amanga anjalo bese bephazamiseka.

3. Yini engasisiza ukuba simelane nenkohliso?

³ Siyajabula ngoba sineZwi likaNkulunkulu ‘elinenzuzo yokuqondisa izinto’ elisisiza ukuba simelane nala macebo esitha sethu ahloselwe ukusithena amandla. (2 Thim. 3:16) Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi izincwadi zomphostoli uPawulu zisitshela ukuthi amanye amaKristu eThesalonika langekhulu lokuqala aye adukiswa, akholelwa izinto ezingamanga. UPawulu wawanxusa ukuba ‘anganyakaziswa masinyane engqondweni yawo.’ (2 Thes. 2:1, 2) Iziphi izifundo esingazifunda eselulekweni sikaPawulu sothando, futhi singasisebenzisa kanjani esimweni sethu?

4. AmaKristu aseThesalonika aqasheliswa kanjani ngokuza ‘kosuku lukaJehova,’ futhi thina namuhla siqasheliswa kanjani?

⁴ Encwadini yakhe yokuqala eya ebandleni laseThesalonika, uPawulu wakhuluma ngokuza ‘kosuku lukaJehova.’  Wayengafuni ukuba abafowabo babe sebumnyameni futhi babe abangalulungele. Kunalokho, wabanxusa ‘njengamadodana okukhanya’ ukuba ‘bahlale bephapheme futhi besangulukile.’ (Funda eyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:1-6.) Namuhla, silindele ukubhujiswa kweBhabhiloni Elikhulu, umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga. Lokho kuyophawula ukuqala kosuku olukhulu lukaJehova. Siyajabula ngokuthi sikuqonda kakhudlwana ukufezeka kwenjongo kaJehova. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngebandla, sinikezwa njalo izikhumbuzo ezifika ngesikhathi ezisisiza ukuba sihlale sisangulukile. Ukuzinaka lezi zixwayiso eziphindaphindwayo kungaqinisa ukuzimisela kwethu ukunikela ‘inkonzo engcwele kuNkulunkulu ngamandla ethu okucabanga.’—Roma 12:1.

5, 6. (a) Wakhuluma ngani uPawulu encwadini yakhe yesibili eya kwabaseThesalonika? (b) Yini uNkulunkulu azoyenza maduze esebenzisa uJesu, futhi yini okufanele sizibuze yona?

⁵ UPawulu wathumelela amaKristu aseThesalonika incwadi yesibili ngemva nje kokuba ethumele eyokuqala. Kule ncwadi wakhuluma ngosizi oluzayo lapho iNkosi uJesu iyokhipha khona isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu kulabo “abangamazi uNkulunkulu nakulabo abangazilaleli izindaba ezinhle.” (2 Thes. 1:6-8) Ukwaziswa manje okusesahlukweni sesibili sale ncwadi kwembula ukuthi abanye kulelo bandla base ‘bethukile’ ngokuphathelene nosuku lukaJehova kangangokuba base bekholelwa ukuthi lwaluzofika ngaso leso sikhathi. (Funda eyesi-2 Thesalonika 2:1, 2.) Lawo maKristu okuqala ayenokuqonda okulinganiselwe ngokufezeka kwenjongo kaJehova njengoba nje noPawulu avuma kamuva ngokuphathelene neziprofetho: “Sinolwazi oluyingxenye futhi siprofetha ingxenye; kodwa lapho lokho okuphelele kufika, lokho okuyingxenye kuyophela.” (1 Kor. 13:9, 10) Kodwa izixwayiso eziphefumulelwe ezalotshwa uPawulu, umphostoli uPetru nabanye abafowethu abagcotshiwe abathembekile bangaleso sikhathi zazingawahlomisela ukuba alondoloze ukholo lwawo.

⁶ Ukuze aqondise izinto, uPawulu waphefumulelwa ukuba achaze ukuthi ngaphambi kokuba kufike usuku lukaJehova kwakuzovela ukuhlubuka okukhulu ‘nomuntu ongenamthetho.’ * Ngemva kwalokho,  ngesikhathi sayo esifanele, iNkosi uJesu ‘yayizobaqeda’ bonke labo abakhohlisiwe. Lo mphostoli wasiveza isizathu sokuthola kwabo lesi sahlulelo; sasiwukuthi “abalwamukelanga uthando ngeqiniso.” (2 Thes. 2:3, 8-10) Senza kahle ngokuzibuza: ‘Ngilithanda kangakanani iqiniso? Ingabe ngiyahambisana nokuqonda kwethu kwamanje okuchazwa kulo magazini nakwezinye izincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini ezilungiselelwe ibandla lomhlaba wonke labantu bakaNkulunkulu?’

7, 8. (a) Iziphi izingozi amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala okwadingeka abhekane nazo? (b) Yini eyingozi kakhulu kumaKristu namuhla?

⁷ Kuyavunywa, amaKristu ayeyobhekana nezinye izingozi ngaphandle kwezihlubuki nezimfundiso zazo. UPawulu wabhalela uThimothewu ukuthi “uthando lwemali luyimpande yazo zonke izinhlobo zezinto ezilimazayo.” Waveza ukuthi “ngokuzama ukufinyelela lolu thando abanye baye baduka okholweni futhi bazigwaza yonke indawo ngeminjunju eminingi.” (1 Thim. 6:10) “Imisebenzi yenyama” yayiyoqhubeka iyingozi.—Gal. 5:19-21.

⁸ Cishe uyaqonda ukuthi kungani uPawulu ayengabaxwayisa ngokuqinile abaseThesalonika ngengozi enkulu yamadoda anjengalawo ayeke wawabiza ngokuthi “abaphostoli bamanga.” Phakathi kwabo kwakunamadoda ayekhuluma “izinto ezisontekile ukuze amonyule abafundi ukuba bawalandele.” (2 Kor. 11:4, 13; IzE. 20:30) Kamuva uJesu wancoma ibandla lase-Efesu ngoba lalingakwazi “ukubekezelela abantu ababi.” Abase-Efesu ‘babavivinya’ labo bantu ababengaphostoli bamanga, empeleni ababengabaqambimanga. (IsAm. 2:2) Ngokuthakazelisayo, encwadini yakhe yesibili eya kwabaseThesalonika, uPawulu wakhuthaza: “Manje siyaniyala, bazalwane, egameni leNkosi uJesu Kristu, ukuba nihoxe kulowo nalowo mzalwane ohamba ngokungahlelekile.” Wabe esekhuluma ngamaKristu ‘ayengafuni ukusebenza.’ (2 Thes. 3:6, 10) Khona-ke, uma lawo maKristu ayebhekwa njengangahlelekile, kakhulu kangakanani-ke ngalawo ayesethambekele ekuhlubukeni! Yebo, ukuzihlanganisa nabantu abanjalo ngaleso sikhathi kwakuyingozi kakhulu futhi kwakumelwe kugwenywe—futhi kunjalo nanamuhla.—IzAga 13:20.

9. Kungani kufanele siqaphele lapho othile eqala ukukhuluma izinto eziyimibono ewukuqagela noma ezigxekayo?

⁹ Sesisondela ekugqashukeni kosizi olukhulu nasekupheleni kwalesi simiso esibi sezinto, ngakho lezo zixwayiso eziphefumulelwe ezakhishwa ekhulwini lokuqala zibaluleke kakhulu manje. Asifuni neze ‘ukulahlekelwa injongo’ yomusa ongafanelwe kaJehova futhi siphunyukwe isithembiso sokuphila okuphakade, kungaba sezulwini noma emhlabeni. (2 Kor. 6:1) Uma othile oba khona emihlanganweni yethu yebandla engake azame ukusinxenxela ekuxoxeni ngezinto eziyimibono ewukuqagela noma ezigxekayo, kufanele siqaphele ngempela.—2 Thes. 3:13-15.

10. AmaKristu aseThesalonika anxuswa ukuba anamathele kuziphi izimfundiso?

¹⁰ UPawulu wanxusa abazalwane bakhe baseThesalonika ukuba ‘bame baqine’ futhi banamathele kulokho ababekufundile. (Funda eyesi-2 Thesalonika 2:15.) Iziphi ‘izimfundiso’ ababezifundisiwe? Kwakungezona neze lezo ezazifundiswa noma zikhuthazwa inkolo yamanga njengokungathi zazibaluleke njengalezo ezitholakala emiBhalweni. Kunalokho, uPawulu wayebhekisele ezimfundisweni yena nabanye ababezithole kuJesu nakulokho uNkulunkulu ayephefumulele abaphostoli ukuba bakudlulisele, okuningi kwakho okwaba yingxenye yemiBhalo ephefumulelwe. UPawulu wabancoma abafowabo ebandleni laseKorinte ngoba wathi, “ezintweni zonke niyangikhumbula futhi nibambelele  ngokuqinile ezimfundisweni njengoba nje ngazidlulisela kini.” (1 Kor. 11:2) Lezo zimfundiso zazivela emthonjeni onokwethenjelwa ngakho babengazethemba ngempela.

11. Kungabathinta ngaziphi izindlela abanye ukukhohliswa?

¹¹ Lapho ebhalela amaHebheru, uPawulu wagcizelela izindlela ezimbili ezingabangela ukuba umKristu alahlekelwe ukholo lwakhe noma ahluleke ukuma aqine. (Funda eyamaHebheru 2:1; 3:12.) Wakhuluma ‘ngokukhukhuleka’ ‘nangokuhlehla.’ Isikebhe singaqale singabonakali ukuthi sikhukhulekela kude nosebe lomfula. Kancane kancane, igebe liyavuleka. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umuntu osunduza isikebhe sakhe singene phakathi emfuleni ukwenza ngenhloso lokhu. Zombili lezi zenzo zisifanekisa kahle isimo sabathile ababa yizisulu zokukhohliswa, benze ukholo lwabo eqinisweni lube buthakathaka.

12. Iziphi izinto zanamuhla ezingalimaza ingokomoya lethu?

¹² Cishe kwakunjalo ngabathile baseThesalonika. Kunjani namuhla? Ziningi kakhulu izinto ezidla isikhathi. Cabanga ngokuthi maningi kangakanani amahora owachitha uxhumana nabantu ezingosini zokuxhumana, ufunda futhi uphendula imiyalezo, uzijabulisa noma ufuna ukuhlale wazi ukuthi kwenzekani kwezemidlalo. Noma yikuphi kulokhu kungamphazamisa umKristu futhi kwehlise intshiseko yakhe. Ungaba yini umphumela? Ukuthandaza ngokusuka enhliziyweni, ukufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu, ukuya emihlanganweni nokushumayela izindaba ezinhle kungase kuphazamiseke. Yini esingayenza ukuze sigweme ukunyakaziswa ngokushesha endleleni yethu yokucabanga?

13. Njengoba kwabikezelwa, siyini isimo sengqondo sabaningi, futhi yini eyogcina ukholo lwethu luqinile?

¹³ Okunye okudingeka sikwenze ukuhlale siyiqaphela inkathi esiphila kuyo nemiphumela engase ilethwe ukuzihlanganisa nalabo abenqabayo ukuvuma ukuthi lezi ‘izinsuku zokugcina.’ Umphostoli uPetru waloba lokhu ngokuphathelene nale nkathi: “Kuyofika abahleki bosulu nokuhleka kwabo usulu, beqhubeka ngokwezifiso zabo siqu bethi: ‘Kuphi lokhu kuba khona kwakhe okuthenjisiwe? Phela, kusukela osukwini okhokho bethu abalala ngalo, zonke izinto ziqhubeka ngokufana ncamashí nasekuqaleni kwendalo.’” (2 Pet. 3:3, 4) Ukufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu nsuku zonke nokulitadisha njalo kuyosisiza ukuba sigxile ekutheni sikuphi nenkathi yesikhathi—kusenze sihlale sazi ukuthi ‘sisezinsukwini zokugcina.’ Ukuhlubuka okwabikezelwa kwazibonakalisa kudala futhi kusaqhubeka nanamuhla. “Umuntu ongenamthetho” uyaqhubeka ekhona futhi ephikisa izinceku zikaNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke, kudingeka sihlale siphapheme sazi ukuthi usuku lukaJehova luseduze.—Zeph. 1:7.

14. Kuyisivikelo kanjani ukuzigcina simatasa enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu?

¹⁴ Okuhlangenwe nakho kuye kwafakazela ukuthi indlela eyinhloko yokuhlala siphapheme futhi sigweme ukunyakaziswa endleleni yokucabanga, iwukuba sihlanganyele njalo ekushumayeleni izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso. Ngakho, lapho uJesu Kristu, iNhloko yebandla, eyala abalandeli bakhe ukuba benze abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi, babafundise ukugcina konke ayekufundisile, wayebanika iseluleko esasizobavikela. (Math. 28:19, 20) Ukulalela lesi siqondiso kusho ukuthi kumelwe sishisekele umsebenzi wokushumayela. Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi abazalwane bakho baseThesalonika babeyokwaneliseka ngokushumayela nokufundisa ngendlela ewukugcina icala, njengokungathi kwakumane nje kuwumsebenzi ababengawenza ngokunganaki? Khumbula amazwi uPawulu awasho kubo: “Ningawucimi  umlilo womoya. Ningakuphathi ngokwedelela ukuprofetha.” (1 Thes. 5:19, 20) Zijabulisa ngempela iziprofetho esizifundayo nesixoxa ngazo nabanye!

15. Iziphi izinto eziwusizo esingazicabangela phakathi nokukhulekela komkhaya?

¹⁵ Kuyaqondakala ukuthi sonke sifuna ukusiza imikhaya yethu ukuba ithuthukise amakhono ayo enkonzweni yasensimini. Abazalwane nodade abaningi baye bathola ukuthi enye indlela yokufeza lokhu iwukugxilisa ingxenye ethile yokukhulekela komkhaya enkonzweni. Ungase ukuthole kuzuzisa ukuxoxa ngendlela amalungu omkhaya angalandelela ngayo abantu abanesithakazelo. Yini angakhuluma ngayo ekuhambeleni okulandelayo? Iziphi izihloko ezingase ziqhubekisele phambili isithakazelo kulabo bantu? Isiphi isikhathi esingcono kakhulu sokubuyela kubo? Abaningi bachitha isikhathi esithile phakathi nokukhulekela komkhaya belungiselela imihlangano yebandla ukuze bazi ukuthi yini okuzoxoxwa ngayo kuleyo mihlangano. Ungakwenza yini okwengeziwe lapho ulungiselela ukuze ube nengxenye? Ukuhlanganyela kwakho kuyoqinisa ukholo lwakho futhi kukusize ugweme ukunyakaziswa engqondweni yakho. (IHu. 35:18) Yebo, ukuhlanganyela ekukhulekeleni komkhaya kuyoba isivikelo ekungabazeni nasemibonweni ewukuqagela.

16. Yini eshukumisela amaKristu agcotshiwe ukuba alondoloze amandla awo okucabanga?

¹⁶ Lapho sicabanga ngendlela uJehova aye abusisa ngayo abantu bakhe kuyo yonke iminyaka ngokukhulisa ukuqonda kwabo iziprofetho zeBhayibheli, cishe singaba nokwazisa ngomvuzo omuhle ophambi kwethu. Abagcotshiwe banethemba lokuba noKristu ezulwini. Yeka umklomelo umuhle okufanele ubashukumisele ukuba balondoloze amandla abo okucabanga! Singawasebenzisa ngempela amazwi kaPawulu awabhalela abaseThesalonika: ‘Thina sibophekile ukubonga uNkulunkulu ngaso sonke isikhathi ngenxa yenu, bazalwane abathandwa uJehova, ngoba ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu wanikhetha ngokuningcwelisa ngomoya nangokholo lwenu eqinisweni.’—2 Thes. 2:13.

17. Isiphi isikhuthazo osithola emazwini akweyesi-2 Thesalonika 3:1-5?

¹⁷ Labo abanethemba lokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni kufanele nabo balwele ukugwema ukunyakaziswa ezingqondweni zabo. Uma unethemba lasemhlabeni, yamukela enhliziyweni yakho isikhuthazo sothando uPawulu asilobela abafowabo abagcotshiwe eThesalonika. (Funda eyesi-2 Thesalonika 3:1-5.) Ngamunye wethu kufanele awazise ngokujulile la mazwi anothando. Yebo, izincwadi ezabhalelwa abaseThesalonika zinezixwayiso ezibalulekile ngemibono ewukuqagela noma engabazekayo. Njengoba siphila ngasekupheleni, lezi yizixwayiso amaKristu azazisa kakhulu namuhla.