Ngokwenene Iyintoni IVangeli?
EBUDENI bexesha leKrismesi, kumazwe amaninzi abantu bayeva, yaye bayathetha, ngeVangeli. Eli gama liqhelekile, kodwa ngaba linenye intsingiselo engakumbi kunokuba abaninzi becinga? Ngaba iVangeli inokuthetha into elunge ngakumbi kuwe nakwabathandekayo bakho?
“IVangeli” ithetha “iindaba ezilungileyo,” yaye ngokuqinisekileyo, iindaba ezilungileyo zamkelekile kungekuphela nje ngexesha leKrisimesi, kodwa ngalo naliphi na ixesha. Noko ke, iVangeli yokwenene ayizizo nje naziphi na iindaba ezilungileyo. Ziindaba ezilungileyo ezingombandela othile eziphuma ngokuthe ngqo kumthombo othile. Eneneni, sisigidimi uThixo aye wakhetha ukuba sivakaliswe kulo lonke uluntu.
UEugênio Salles, uBhishophu omkhulu waseRio de Janeiro, eBrazil, wayethetha ngezo ndaba zilungileyo xa wabongoza wathi: “Simele senze ngokuvisisana neVangeli singenzi ngokuvisisana neengcamango zabantu.” Lo bhishophu mkhulu wayechanile. Noko ke, ukuze senze ngokuvisisana neVangeli, kufuneka sazi ukuba iVangeli iyintoni na. Sinokukwazi njani oko? Yaye ukwenza ngokuvisisana neVangeli kuya kusinceda njani?
Iyintoni IVangeli?
Ngokufuthi akuqondwa kakuhle oko ikuko iVangeli. Ngowe-1918 iBhunga loManyano lweeCawa zikaKristu eMerika lazukisa uManyano Lwezizwe ngoku olufileyo njengembonakaliso yezobupolitika yoBukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni laza lathi “lusekelwe kwiVangeli.” Loo ntlangano yasilela ngokulusizi kusukelo lwayo lokulondoloza uxolo. Ngokucacileyo, ibhunga laliphosisile. UManyano Lwezizwe lwalungenanto yakwenza neVangeli.
Kwiminyaka yakutshanje abaququzeleli bemfundiso yezakwalizwi yokulwelwa kwenkululeko baye bathetha ngokukhululekileyo ngeVangeli xa bethetha ngeenguqu zabo kwezobupolitika okanye nasentlalweni. Ngokwenjenjalo baye bayityeshela iVangeli yokwenene. Iphephancwadi laseBrazil iVeja lagqabaza: “ICawa yamaKatolika yaqalisa ukuthanda ubukumkani basentlalweni, izityeshela iintswelo zokomoya zamalungu ayo athembekileyo. Abo babelindele ukuva igama elithi Thixo kwintshumayelo ngokufuthi babesiva kuphela iingxoxo zobuciko ezinxamnye nezinto ezingekho sikweni ezenzeka ekuhlaleni.”
Ukuphuculwa kwendlela yokuphila okanye inguqulelo kwinkqubo yezobupolitika inokuba ziindaba ezilungileyo kwabanye. Kanti, ezo ayizondaba zilungileyo zokwenene, iVangeli yokwenene. Evuma ukusilela kwecawa yakhe ukushumayela iVangeli yokwenene, omnye ubhishophu wathi: “Siye sakutyeshela ukufundisa amalungu ecawa yethu athembekileyo ukususela kwiminyaka yee-1960 ngenxa yokungena kwezinto ezingezizo ezokomoya kwimfundiso yethu.”
Ingxelo yephephancwadi laseUnited States iTime ibonisa ukuba namaProtestanti aye ayityeshela iVangeli. Eli phephancwadi liphawula oku: “Iimvaba zesithethe azaneli nje kukungakwazi ukudlulisela isigidimi sazo ngendlela eqondakalayo kuphela; ziya zingaqiniseki ukuba eso sigidimi siyintoni na.” Sifanele sibe yintoni isigidimi sazo? Iyintoni iVangeli?
Ukuchaza IVangeli
IWebster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary iyichaza “iVangeli” ngokuthi “sisigidimi esithetha ngoKristu, ubukumkani bukaThixo, nosindiso.” Igama elithi “ivangeli” likwachazwa “njengokutolikwa kwesigidimi samaKristu. (ivangeli yokuphucula intlalo)”; “isigidimi okanye iimfundiso zomfundisi wonqulo.” Ngaba zonke ezi nkcazelo zichanile? Akunjalo, ukuba sithetha ngeVangeli yokwenene. IVangeli yokwenene isekelwe eBhayibhileni; kungoko, iyinkcazelo yokuqala kuphela kwezo zintathu echanileyo. Ezimbini zokugqibela zibonisa kuphela indlela igama elithi “ivangeli” eliye lasetyenziswa ngayo namhlanje.
Ngokuvisisana nale ngcamango, iVine Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words ithi kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zamaGrike (“iTestamente Entsha”) iVangeli “ithetha iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo nezosindiso ngoKristu, olufunyanwa ngokholo, ngesizinzi sokufa Kwakhe okuyintlawulelo.” Kubalulekile ukukuqonda oku kuba ukuziqonda ngendlela echanileyo iindaba ezilungileyo zokwenyaniso kunento yokwenza kakhulu nobomi bethu bangoku nolonwabo kwixesha elizayo.
Isigidimi Esahlukileyo
Njengoko incwadi yeembekiselo engaphambili ibonisa, iVangeli inxulunyaniswa ngokusondeleyo noYesu Kristu—kangangokuba iingxelo ezine eziseBhayibhileni ezingobomi bakhe emhlabeni zibizwa ngokuba ziincwadi ezine zeVangeli. Ukususela kanye ekuqaleni kobomi bakhe njengomntu, iindaba ezingoYesu yayiziindaba ezilungileyo. Xa sasivakalisa ngokuzalwa kwakhe, isithunywa sezulu sathi: “Yabonani, ndinishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo [okanye, ivangeli] zovuyo olukhulu, oluya kuba kubo bonke abantu; ngokuba nizalelwe namhlanje emzini kaDavide umsindisi, onguKristu iNkosi.”—Luka 2:10, 11.
UYesu owayesandul’ ukuzalwa wayeya kukhula abe nguKristu, uMesiya othenjisiweyo. Wayeya kutyhila injongo kaThixo ngosindiso, anikele ngobomi bakhe bobuntu obufezekileyo ngenxa yoluntu, avuswe kwelabafileyo, aze abe nguKumkani onyuliweyo woBukumkani bukaThixo. Iindaba ezilungileyo ngokwenene! Kungenxa yoko isigidimi esingaye sibizwa ngokuba yiVangeli.
Ebudeni bobulungiseleli bakhe obufutshane basemhlabeni, uYesu wayenenzondelelo kakhulu ekushumayeleni iindaba ezilungileyo. Sifunda oku kwiVangeli ebhalwe nguMateyu: “Waye uYesu eyihamba yonke imizi nemizana, efundisa ezindlwini zabo zesikhungu, evakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani.” (Mateyu 9:35) Injongo yokushumayela kwakhe yayingekokuphilisa nje abantu. uMarko ubhale ukuba uYesu wathi: “Lizalisekile ixesha, nobukumkani bukaThixo busondele; guqukani, nikholwe kuzo iindaba ezilungileyo ezi.” (Marko 1:15) Ewe, abo basabelayo baza bazithobela iindaba ezilungileyo bafumanisa ukuba zabuguqula ubomi babo.
Emva kokufa kukaYesu, abalandeli bakhe baqhubeka beshumayela iVangeli. Abazange bathethe ngoBukumkani kuphela kodwa bongeza iindaba ezivuyisayo zokuba uYesu wayevuselwe kwesokunene sikaThixo emazulwini yaye wayedlulisele ixabiso lobomi bakhe bobuntu obufezekileyo ngenxa yoluntu. Njengalowo wanyulwa nguThixo ukuba alawule umhlaba wonke enguKumkani woBukumkani bukaThixo, uya kuba nguMmeli kaThixo ekutshabalaliseni iintshaba zikaThixo nasekubuyiseleni umhlaba ekubeni yiparadisi.—IZenzo 2:32-36; 2 Tesalonika 1:6-10; Hebhere 9:24-28; ISityhilelo 22:1-5.
Namhlanje, iindaba ezilungileyo ziquka nenye inkalo engakumbi. Ngokobungqina bokuzaliseka kwesiprofeto, uYesu ngoku sele ebekiwe etroneni, yaye siphila kwimihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto. (2 Timoti 3:1-5; ISityhilelo 12:7-12) Ixesha laxa uBukumkani buya kulwa neentshaba zikaThixo lisondela ngokukhawuleza. Ziziphi iindaba ezilunge ngakumbi ezinokubakho?
Siza kubona kwinqaku elilandelayo indlela iVangeli enamandla ngayo. Yanceda omnye umfazi ukuba akhululeke kwimimoya engendawo eyayimrhintyele. Yanceda enye indoda eyayivalelwe entolongweni ngenxa yokuphanga ifumane ulonwabo. Nawe uya kungenelwa kakhulu kuyo—ukuba uyaziphulaphula uze uzithobele iindaba ezilungileyo.