Indlela Ibandla LobuKhristu Elihlelwe Ngayo

ENCWADINI yokuqala ayibhalela abaseKhorinte umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “UNkulunkulu kasiNkulunkulu wengxabangxoza kodwa ngowokuthula.” Ngemva kwalokho wakhuluma ngendlela imihlangano okumele yenziwe ngayo ebandleni, wathi: “Izinto zonke kazenziwe ngendlela efaneleyo lehlelwe kuhle.”—1 Khor. 14:33, 40.

² Esahlukweni sokuqala saleyoncwadi, umphostoli uPhawuli wanika amaKhristu aseKhorinte iseluleko ngenxa yokwahlukana okwasekukhona phakathi kwawo. Wawatshela ukuthi ‘avumelane futhi acabange ngendlela efananayo.’ (1 Khor. 1:10, 11) Waphinda wawaxwayisa langokunye okwakungaphambanisa ukumanyana kwebandla. Wasebenzisa umzekeliso womzimba ukuze atshengise indlela ibandla okumele libambane ngayo. Wakhuthaza bonke ukuthi baphathane ngothando kungelani lokuthi benza msebenzi bani ebandleni. (1 Khor. 12:12-26) Ukumanyana okunjalo kwakuzakutsho ukuthi ibandla lalizabe lihlelekile.

³ Kodwa lalizahlelwa njani ibandla lobuKhristu? Ngubani owayezalihlela? Ngobani ababezakhokhela? Asivumeleni iBhayibhili lisiphendulele imibuzo le.—1 Khor. 4:6.

IBANDLA LIHLELWE NGENDLELA KANKULUNKULU

⁴ Ibandla lobuKhristu laqala ngePhentekhosti ka-33 C.E. Kuyini esikufundayo endleleni ibandla elalihlelwe ngayo ngesikhathi sabaphostoli? Sifunda ukuthi lalihlelwe ngendlela kaNkulunkulu lokuthi nguye owayeliqondisa. Esikutshelwa liBhayibhili ngalokho okwenzakala eJerusalema eminyakeni engu-2 000 eyadlulayo, kwenza singathandabuzi ukuthi ibandla lelo elalibunjwa ngamaKhristu agcotshiweyo laqaliswa nguNkulunkulu. (ImiSeb. 2:1-47) Laliyisakhiwo sakhe, loba imuli yakhe. (1 Khor. 3:9; Efe. 2:19) Indlela elalihlelwe ngayo yiyo kanye indlela ibandla lobuKhristu elihlelwe ngayo lamuhla.

⁵ Ibandla elaqala ngesikhathi sabaphostoli laqalisa lilabantu ababengaba ngu-120. Umoya ongcwele waqala wathululelwa kubo, kwagcwaliseka isiphrofetho esikuJoweli 2:28, 29. (ImiSeb. 2:16-18) Kwaphinda kwaba labanye abangaba ngu-3 000 ababhabhathizwayo mhlalokho basebesiba yingxenye yalelobandla. Basebezamukele izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana loKhristu njalo ‘bazinikela ukulalela imfundiso yabaphostoli.’ IBhayibhili lithi: “UJehova waqhubeka esengezelela kubo abantu ababesindiswa.”—ImiSeb. 2:41, 42, 47.

⁶ Ibandla laqhubeka likhula eJerusalema njalo abaphristi abakhulu abangamaJuda bazonda besithi abafundi basebegcwalise iJerusalema ngemfundiso yabo. Loba kunjalo, abafundi baqhubeka besanda kakhulu eJerusalema njalo labanye abaphristi abakhulu baba ngamakholwa.—ImiSeb. 5:27, 28; 6:7.

⁷ UJesu wathi: “Lizakuba ngofakazi bami eJerusalema lakulo lonke elaseJudiya leSamariya, kuze kuyefika emaphethelweni omhlaba.” (ImiSeb. 1:8) Ngemva kokubulawa kukaStefane abafundi basebehlukuluzwa eJerusalema, yikho basabalala baya kuzo zonke izabelo zeJudiya leSamariya. Loba kunjalo baqhubeka betshumayela izindaba ezinhle njalo besenza abafundi kulezondawo. (ImiSeb. 8:1-13) Ngokuya kwesikhathi indaba ezinhle zacina zifikile lakwabezizweni. (ImiSeb. 10:1-48) Umsebenzi lo wokutshumayela wenza ukuthi abafundi baqhubeke besanda lokuthi kuvulwe amanye amabandla lakwezinye izindawo.—ImiSeb. 11:19-21; 14:21-23.

⁸ Manje kwenziwani ukuze amabandla la amatsha ahlelwe ngendlela kaNkulunkulu? Umoya ongcwele wenza ukuthi kubekwe abadala ababezanakekela izimvu lezi. Ngokwesibonelo, ekuhambeni kwabo kokuqala bengabanali, uPhawuli loBhanabha bahamba bebeka abadala emabandleni. (ImiSeb. 14:23) Kanti njalo uLukha wabhala ngomunye umhlangano uPhawuli aba lawo labadala bebandla lase-Efesu. Kulowomhlangano uPhawuli wathi: “Zilindeni lina lawo wonke umhlambi umoya ongcwele olibeke ukuthi libe ngababonisi phezu kwawo, ukuba leluse ibandla likaNkulunkulu alithenga ngegazi leNdodana yakhe.” (ImiSeb. 20:17, 28) Abazalwane labo babefanele ukuba ngabadala ngoba babelandela lokho okutshiwo yiMibhalo. (1 Tim. 3:1-7) UThithusi laye waphiwa imvumo yokubeka abadala emabandleni aseKhrethe.—Tit. 1:5.

⁹ Kodwa abaphostoli labadala eJerusalema yibo ababelomthwalo wokukhangela wonke amabandla ayelokhu esanda. Babeliqula elibusayo langalesosikhathi.

¹⁰ Umphostoli uPhawuli wabhalela abase-Efesu ebatshela ukuthi kwakumele bavume ukuqondiswa ngumoya ongcwele njalo bazithobe kuKhristu inhloko yebandla ukuze babambane. Wabakhuthaza ukuthi bathobeke futhi ‘bahlale bemanyene emoyeni’ lokuthi bahlalisane ngokuthula. (Efe. 4:1-6) Ngemva kwalokho wakhuluma amazwi akuHubo 68:18 atshengisa ukuthi uJehova wayezakhetha amadoda aqinileyo ekukhonzeni ukuthi abe ngabaphostoli, abaphrofethi, abavangeli, abelusi njalo amanye afundise. Amadoda la ayezalinakekela ibandla ukuze alincedise ukuthi liqine ekukholweni futhi liqhubeke lithokozisa uNkulunkulu.—Efe. 4:7-16.

LAMUHLA AMABANDLA ALANDELA OKWAKUSENZIWA NGABAPHOSTOLI

¹¹ Lamuhla inhlanganiso kaJehova ilandela indlela ibandla lobuKhristu elalihlelwe ngayo ngesikhathi sabaphostoli. Wonke amabandla aboFakazi bakaJehova abambene njalo ezinye izimvu zisebenza ndawonye ekuncediseni amaKhristu agcotshiweyo. (Zek. 8:23) Konke lokhu kungenxa yokuthi uJesu nguye okhokhelayo. Wathembisa ukuthi uzakuba labafundi bakhe “kuze kube yisiphetho somumo wezinto” njalo yikho kanye alokhu ekwenza lalamuhla. Abantu abeza enhlanganisweni baqala bamukele izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana loNkulunkulu, bazinikele kuye besebesiba ngabalandeli bakaJesu. (Mat. 28:19, 20; Mak. 1:14; ImiSeb. 2:41) Bayakwamukela ukuthi uJesu ‘ungumelusi omuhle’ lokuthi nguye iNhloko yebandla elibunjwa ngamaKhristu agcotshiweyo kanye ‘lezinye izimvu.’ (Joh. 10:14, 16; Efe. 1:22, 23) Okwenza ibandla lonke libambane yikuzehlisa kuKhristu iNhloko yebandla lokulandela konke elikutshelwa ‘yinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo’ eyabekwa nguJesu Khristu. Yikho kasiqhubekeni sibathemba labo uJesu ababekileyo ukuthi bakhokhele ibandla lamuhla.—Mat. 24:45.

INHLANGANISO ESIZISEBENZISAYO

¹² Ukuze sithole ukudla okusiqinisa ukholo ngesikhathi esifaneleyo njalo senelise lokutshumayela izindaba ezinhle ukuphela kungakafiki, kulenhlanganiso (corporations) esizisebenzisayo ezibhaliswe ngokusemthethweni. Zenza kube lula ukuthi umsebenzi wokutshumayela wenziwe emhlabeni wonke.

INDLELA IGATSHA ELIHLELWE NGAYO

¹³ Kungaba lewofisi yegatsha kuyakhethwa amadoda amathathu kumbe adlula lapho ukuthi abumbe iKhomithi yeGatsha. Ikhomithi le iyabe izakhangela umsebenzi owenziwa kulelolizwe lakwamanye amazwe angaphansi kwalelogatsha. Kukhethwa umzalwane oyedwa kuleyoKhomithi ukuthi abe ngumhleli wayo.

¹⁴ Amabandla angaphansi kwegatsha ngalinye ayahlelwa abe yiziqinti. Iziqinti lezi ziyatshiyana ubukhulu bazo kusiya ngendawo, lendimi ezikhulunywayo kanye lenani lamabandla asendaweni leyo. Isiqinti ngasinye siba lomzalwane osikhangelayo obizwa ngokuthi ngumbonisi wesiqinti. Iwofisi yegatsha yiyo etshela umbonisi wesiqinti imisebenzi okumele ayenze.

¹⁵ Wonke amabandla ayayemukela indlela uNkulunkulu ahlele ngayo izinto enhlanganisweni yakhe njalo lokho kuyawanceda kakhulu. Asekela bonke abadala ababekwe ukuthi bakhokhele emagatsheni, eziqintini lasemabandleni. Kanti njalo ayakwamukela konke ukudla okufika ngesikhathi okulethwa yinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo. Inceku ethembekileyo layo izimisele ukulalela uKhristu iNhloko yebandla lokulandela izimiso eziseBhayibhilini njalo iyavuma ukuqondiswa ngumoya ongcwele. Nxa singazimisela ukukhonza simanyene, uJehova uzasibusisa njengoba wenza kumaKhristu okuqala. IBhayibhili lithi: “Amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa ekukholweni futhi abazalwane besanda usuku ngosuku.”—ImiSeb. 16:5.