“Gijimani . . . Ze Nizuze Umvuzo”

“Gijimani njalo, ze nizuze umvuzo.”—1 KOR. 9:24.

1, 2. (a) Wasebenzisani uPowula ukukhuthaza amaKrestu amaHebheru? (b) Yini iinceku zakaZimu eziyalwa bona ziyenze?

ENCWADINAKHE ayitlolela amaHebheru, umpostoli uPowula wasebenzisa umfanekiso onamandla ukukhuthaza amaKrestu akunye nawo. Wawakhumbuza bona awasiwodwa ekugijimeni umjarho wokuphila lo. Bewabhodwe “siqubuthu esikhulu sabofakazi,” esiqede umjarho lo ngokuphumelelako. Ukuzikhumbula ngokukhanyako izenzo zokuthembeka neemzamo yokuzikhandla yabagijimi abebangaphambi kwawo, bekuzokukhuthaza amaKrestu amaHebheru bona aragele phambili agijima emjarhweni wawo angaphelelwa mamandla.

² Esihlokweni esigadungileko, sicoce ngekambo yokuphila ‘yesiqubuthu esikhulu sabofakazi’ abanengana. Boke batjengise bona ikholo labo eliqinileko libenze bahlala bathembekile kuZimu, ngasuthi bebaragela phambili bagijima emjarhweni bekwaba semaswapheleni. Singafunda epumelelwenabo. Njengombana kukhulunyiwe esihlokweneso, uPowula wanikela iinceku akunye nazo kuhlanganise nathi isiyeleliswesi: “Yeke asikususe koke okusihlubayezako, sahlukane nesono esithiyakala ngaso thina, siphikelele sigijime ibanga esilibekelweko.”—Heb. 12:1.

3. Khuyini amaKrestu angayifunda kilokho uPowula akutjhoko ngabagijimi emidlalweni yamaGirigi?

³ Malungana nomjarho weenyawo, isenzakalo ebesithandwa khulu ngesikhatheso, incwadi ethi Backgrounds of Early Christianity isitjela bona “amaGirigi bekazibandula begodu aphalisana ngebelo angakambathi.”a Ebujamweni obunjalo, abagijimi babahlubula nanyana yini ebadiselako nofana umthwalo ebewungabenza behlise ibelo labo. Nanyana singakubona kungafaneleki begodu kunganasithunzi lokho, bebagijima banomnqopho munye, wokufumana unongorwana. Iphuzu lakaPowula bekukukobana ukufumana umtlomelo emjarhweni wokuphila, kuqakathekile ngabagijimi bona basuse nanyana ngiliphi ihlobo lesithikaziso. Lesi bekusiluleko esizwakalako kumaKrestu wangesikhatheso, begodu sisesengiso nanamhlanjesi. Ngiziphi izinto ezibudisi namtjhana iimthwalo engasikhandela bona sizuze umtlomelo emjarhweni wokuphila?

“Asikususe Koke Okusihlubayezako”

4. Abantu bangesikhathi sakaNuwa bebamajadu ngani?

⁴ Isiluleko sakaPowula bekukukobana ‘sikususe koke okusihlubayezako.’ Lokho kuhlanganisa koke okungasikhandela bona sidzimelele ngokuzeleko begodu senze koke esingakwenza emjarhweni esiwugijimako. Kungaba yini okungasidiselokho? Nesicabanga ngoNuwa—esinye seembonelo esidzubhulwe nguPowula—sikhumbula okwatjhiwo nguJesu: “Njengombana gade kunjalo ngesikhathi sakaNuwa, kuzakuba njalo nangemihla yeNdodana yoMuntu.” (Luka 17:26) UJesu bekangakhulumi ngokuyihloko ngokutjhatjalaliswa ebekuza; bekakhuluma ngendlela yabantu yokuphila. (Funda uMatewu 24:37-39.) Inengi labantu bangesikhathi sakaNuwa khenge batjengise ikareko kuZimu, ingasaphathwa yokumthabisa. Yini eyabathikazisako? Zizinto ezijayelekileko. Ukudla, ukusela, nokutjhada—izinto zokuphila ezijayelekileko. UJesu wathi into ebeyimraro wamambala bekukukobana ‘azange banake.’

5. Yini engasisiza siqede umjarho ngokuphumelelako?

⁵ NjengoNuwa nomndenakhe, sinokunengi okufuze sikwenze qobe langa. Kufuze sisebenze bona sikghone ukuzitlhogomela thina neemndenethu. Lokho kungadla ingcenye ekulu yesikhathi sethu, amandla nemali. Khulukhulu eenkhathini zokubogaboga komnotho, kulula ukutshwenyeka ngeentlhogo zokuphila. NjengamaKrestu azinikezeleko, nathi sineemthwalo engokwezulwini eqakathekileko. Sihlanganyela ekonzweni, silungiselela begodu siye eemhlanganweni yobuKrestu, sibulunga ingokomoya lethu liqinile ngokuba nesifundo somuntu mathupha nokukhulekela komndeni. Naphezu kwakho koke uNuwa ebekufuze akwenze ekukhonzeni uZimu, “wenza njalo.” (Gen. 6:22) Kwamambala, ukubulunga iimthwalo yethu iimncani, nokubalekela ukuthatha iimthwalo engatlhogekiko, kuqakathekile nesifuna ukugijima umjarho wobuKrestu bekube semaswapheleni.

6, 7. Ngisiphi isiluleko sakaJesu okufuze sihlale sisikhumbula?

⁶ UPowula bekatjho ukuthini nekathi sisuse “koke okusihlubayezako”? Kwamambala, ngekhe sikwazi ukuzethula yoke imithwalo esinayo. Endabeni le, khumbula amezwi kaJesu athi: ‘Yeke ningathomi nitshwenyeke, nithi: “Alo-ke sizagomani, siseleni, simbatheni na?” Lezi zizinto abangakholwako abahlala bazifuna. UYihlo osezulwini uyazi bona niyazitlhoga zoke iintwezi.’ (Mat. 6:31, 32) Amezwi kaJesu atjho bona ngitjho nezinto ekuthiwa zijayelekile njengokudla nokwembatha zingaba mthwalo obudisi nofana isiqabo nesingazibulungi endawenazo efaneleko.

⁷ Tjheja amezwi kaJesu athi: ‘UYihlo osezulwini uyazi bona niyazitlhoga zoke iintwezi.’ Lokhu kutjengisa bona uBabethu wezulwini, uJehova, uzokwenza ingcenye yakhe ngokutlhogomela iintlhogo zethu. Singaqiniseka bona amezwi athi “zoke iintwezi” angahluka kilokho umuntu ngamunye akuthandako nakufunako. Nanyana kunjalo, sitjelwa bona singatshwenyeki ‘ngezinto abangakholwako abahlala bazifuna.’ Kubayini? Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uJesu wayelelelisa iinlaleli zakhe wathi: “Hlalani nitjhejile! Ningazinikeli eminyanyeni, ekuseleni nemitlhagweni yephaseli, nakungasinjalo-ke ilanga lizanifumana. Lizaba njengesifu lizakwiza phezu kwabantu boke kilo loke iphasi.”—Luka 21:34, 35.

8. Kubayini kwanje ngokukhethekileko kusikhathi ‘sokususa koke okusihlubayezako’?

⁸ Intambo yemaphethelweni iseduze. Qala bona kungaba kumbi kangangani nesingazivumela sidiselwe zizinto ezingatlhogekiko ezingasikhandela bona siqede umjarho njengombana siseduze kangaka nesiphelo! Ngalokho, isiluleko sakampostoli uPowula sihlakaniphe kwamambala: “Eqinisweni, okungiyo inzuzo ekulu kukobana simlotjhe uZimu, saneliswe ngilokho esinakho.” (1 Thi. 6:6) Ukutjheja kwethu amezwi kaPowula kuzosenza sibe namathuba amanengi wokufumana umtlomelo.

‘Isono Esithiyakala Ngaso’

9, 10. (a) Amezwi athi ‘isono esithiyakala ngaso’ aqaliselephi? (b) Singathiyeka njani?

⁹ Ngaphezu ‘kwakho koke okusihlubayezako,’ uPowula wakhuluma ngokulahla ‘isono esithiyakala ngaso.’ Kungaba yini lokho? Ibizo lesiGirigi elithi ‘esithiyakala ngaso’ livela kanye kwaphela eBhayibhilini, evesineli. Isazi u-Albert Barnes sathi: “Njengombana umgijimi angatjheja bona angambathi izambatho ezide ezingambamba iimlenze begodu zimkhandele, kufuze kube njalo nangomKrestu, ozimisele ukubekela eqadi koke okungafana nalokhu.” UmKrestu angathiywa njani okungenza bona ikholo lakhe libogaboge?

¹⁰ UmKrestu akalahli ikholo lakhe ngobusuku bunye. Lokho kungenzeka kancani kancani, ngitjho ngokungatjhejekiko. Ekuthomeni encwadinakhe, uPowula wayelelisa ngengozi ‘yokuthatheka’ ‘neyokuba nehliziyo embi engakholwako.’ (Heb. 2:1; 3:12) Iinyawo zomgijimi nezithiywa sisambatho sakhe, pheze ngeze akukhandele ukuwa. Ingozi yokuthiywa ikulu khulu umgijimi nekangatjheji ingozi yokwembatha isambatho esithileko nekagijimako. Yini engamenza angayitjheji ingozi? Kungaba butjhapha, kuzithemba ngokweqileko namtjhana ziinthikaziso ezithileko. Ngisiphi isifundo esingasifunda esilulekweni sakaPowula?

11. Khuyini engasibangela bona silahlekelwe likholo?

¹¹ Kufuze sikhumbule bona ukulahlekelwa likholo kungaba mphumela wezinto osekunesikhathi sizenza. Malungana ‘nesono esithiyakala ngaso,’ esinye isazi sahlathulula bona “sisono esinamandla khulu kunathi, ngebanga lobujamo bethu, ipilo, nabantu esizihlanganisa nabo.” Iphuzu kukobana ubujamo esikibo, abantu esizihlanganisa nabo, neemfiso zethu ezimbi koke kungaba nomthelela onamandla kithi. Zingabangela bona ikholo lethu libogaboge namtjhana ngitjho lisilahlekele.—Mat. 13:3-9.

12. Ngiziphi iinkhumbuzo okufuze sizikhumbule bona singalahlekelwa likholo?

¹² Eemnyakeni edlulileko, isigaba senceku ethembekileko nehlakaniphileko besisolo sisikhumbuza bona sitjheje esikubukelako nesikulalelako, okukukobana, lokho esikufaka eengqondweni neenhliziyweni zethu. Siyelelisiwe ngengozi yokuthiywa kulwela ukufuna imali nezinto eziqalekako. Singathikanyezwa kurhanyazela kwezokuzithabisa zephasi namtjhana zizinto ezitja ezikhangiswako. Kuzokuba yiphoso ekulu ukucabanga bona isiyeleliso esinjalo siqine khulu namtjhana sisebenza ebantwini abathileko kwaphela, kukulapho thina ngendlela ethileko sizizwa sivikelekile engozini leyo. Ubuqili nokukhohlisa zizinto ezibekwa liphasi lakaSathana phambi kwethu bona asithiye ngazo. Ubutjhaba, ukuzithemba ngokweqileko neenthikaziso kukhube abanye begodu izinto ezinjalo zingathinta ithemba lethu lokufumana umtlomelo wokuphila.—1 Jwa. 2:15-17.

13. Singazivikela njani eemtheleleni eyingozi?

¹³ Qobe langa, sibona abantu abakhuthaza iimnqopho, iinkambisolawulo, nokucabanga kwephasi elisibhodilekweli. (Funda Kwebe-Efesu 2:1, 2.) Nokho, bona sizokuthinteka kangangani kusame khulu kithi nendleleni esisabela ngayo emtheleleni lo. “Umoya” uPowula akhuluma ngawo uyabulala. Kufuze siyelele bona singarhitjhwa mumoya onetjhefu bese sibhalelwa kuqeda umjarho. Khuyini engasisiza bona sihlale sisemjarhweni lo? Sibonelo sakaJesu, umgijimi opheleleko odosa phambili. (Heb. 12:2) Godu sinesibonelo sakaPowula, ngombana wazibala hlangana nabagijimi emjarhweni wamaKrestu begodu wakhuthaza amakholwa akunye naye bona amlingise.—1 Kor. 11:1; Fil. 3:14.

“Ze Nizuze Umvuzo”—Njani?

14. UPowula wakuqala njani ukuba kwakhe nengcenye emjarhweni?

¹⁴ UPowula wakuqala njani ukuba nengcenye kwakhe emjarhweni? Ekulumwenakhe yamaswaphelo kubadala be-Efesu wathi: “Kodwana ngizicabanga bona ubuphilo bami abusililitho kimi, khona ngizaqeda ikhambo lami nomsebenzi wami, iKosi uJesu enginikele bona ngiwenze.” (IZe. 20:24) Bekazimisele ukudela koke, kuhlanganise ukuphila kwakhe bona aqede umjarho. KuPowula, yoke imizamo nokusebenza kwakhe budisi malungana neendaba ezihle, bekuzokuba lilize nekangabhalelwa kuqeda iphaliswano. Nokho, bekangazithembi ngokweqileko, acabanga bona nakanjani uzokufumana umtlomelo. (Funda KwebeFilipi 3:12, 13.) Kulokha kwaphela nesekazokufa atjho ngezinga elithileko lokuqiniseka bona: “Ngiyilwile ipi elungileko, ngagijima ngaliphelelisa ibanga lami emphalisanweni, ngabambelela ekukholweni.”—2 Thi. 4:7.

15. Ngisiphi isikhuthazo uPowula asinikela abagijimi akunye nabo emjarhweni?

¹⁵ Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPowula bekanesifiso esidephileko sokubona amanye amaKrestu aqeda umjarho angalisi. Ngokwesibonelo, wakhuthaza amaKrestu weFilipi bona asebenze budisi ukwenzela bonyana aphuluswe. Bekufuze alibambe ‘ngokuqinileko ilizwi lokuphila.’ Waragela phambili wathi: ‘Nanenza lokho, ngizaba nesizathu sokuzigqaja ngani mhlana kubuya uKrestu, ngombanyana kuzatjengisa bona yoke imizamo yami azange ibe lilize.’ (Fil. 2:16) Ngokufanako, wakhuthaza amaKrestu weKorinte: “Gijimani njalo, ze nizuze umvuzo!”—1 Kor. 9:24.

16. Kubayini kufuze sibe nombono okhanyako womnqopho, nofana umtlomelo?

¹⁶ Emjarhweni omude, onjengemarathoni, intambo ayibonakali ekuthomeni. Nanyana kunjalo, kiwo woke umjarho, umgijimi uhlale adzimelele ekufikeni esiphethweni sephaliswano. Ukudzimelelokho kuya kubonakala khulu nasekazokufika emaswapheleni. Kufuze kube ngokufanako nemjarhwenethu. Umnqopho, nofana umtlomelo, kufuze ube ngowamambala kithi. Lokho kuzosisiza siwufikelele.

17. Ikholo libandakanyeka njani ekubulungeni umtlomelo ungowamambala kithi?

¹⁷ UPowula watlola: “Ukukholwa kukuba neqiniso ngalokho okuqalwe ngethemba, kukuba neqiniso ngalokho esingakuboniko ngamehlo.” (Heb. 11:1) U-Abrahama noSara bebazimisele ukutjhiya indlela yabo yokuphila enethezekileko, baphile ‘njengeemfiki nezakhamuzi zesikhatjhana enarheni.’ Yini eyabasizako? ‘Babona [ukuzaliseka kweenthembiso zakaZimu] kusesekude.’ UMosisi wala ‘ukuthaba isikhatjhana enze isono’ ‘namagugu weGibhida.’ Walitholaphi ikholo namandla wokwenza njalo? “Ihliziyo yakhe beyiqala umvuzo abekazowufumana esikhathini esizako.” (Heb. 11:8-13, 24-26) Kuyazwisiseka bona kubayini uPowula anikela isandulela sehlathululo yakhe ngayinye yabantwaba ngamezwi athi “ngokukholwa.” Ikholo labenza bakghona ukuqala ngale kweenlingo nobudisi egade baqalene nabo begodu babona lokho uZimu egade akwenza ngebanga labo nalokho asazokwenza.

18. Bona silahle ‘isono esithiyakala ngaso,’ ngimaphi amagadango esingawathatha?

¹⁸ Ngokuzindla ngamadoda nabafazi abanekholo ekukhulunywe ngabo kumaHebheru isahluko 11 nangokulingisa isibonelo sabo, singahlawulela ikholo begodu silahle ‘isono esithiyakala ngaso.’ (Heb. 12:1) Godu ‘singatjhejana sikhuthazane bona sibe nethando, senze imisebenzi emihle’ ngokuhlangana nabantu abahlawulela ikholo elifanako.—Heb. 10:24.

19. Uzizwa njani ngokuhlala udzimelele emtlomelweni?

¹⁹ Sesiseduze nokuphela komjarho wethu. Kunjengokungathi sesiyayibona intambo. Ngekholo nangesizo lakaJehova, nathi singakghona ‘ukususa koke okusihlubayezako, sahlukane nesono esithiyakala ngaso.’ Kwamambala, singagijima ngendlela yokobana sizuze umtlomelo—iimbusiso ezithenjiswe nguZimu wethu noBaba, uJehova.

[Umtlolo waphasi]

Uyakhumbula?

• Kuhlanganisani ukususa “koke okusihlubayezako”?

• Yini engabangela umKrestu alahlekelwe likholo?

• Kubayini kufuze sidzimelele emtlomelweni?

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Khuyini ‘isono esithiyakala ngaso,’ begodu singasithiya njani?