UYehova Unokukomeleza
“Umnika otyhafileyo amandla, ongenakomelela amandisele ukuqina.”—ISAYA 40:29.
1, 2. Bubuphi obunye bobungqina bamandla kaYehova amakhulu?
UYEHOVA nguThixo ‘onamandla amakhulu.’ Ubungqina ‘bamandla angunaphakade, nobuThixo’ bukaThixo sinokububona kwindalo yakhe ebonakalayo. Abo bangabuvumiyo ubungqina obunjalo bokuba nguMdali kwakhe abanakuziphendulela.—INdumiso 147:5; Roma 1:19, 20.
2 Amandla kaYehova abonakala ngakumbi njengokuba izazinzulu ziyihlolisisa nzulu indalo iphela, kunye neminyele yayo engenakubalwa enabe kummandla ogubungela amakhulu ezigidi zeminyaka yokukhanya. Ngobusuku obumnyama kodwa obuzolileyo, khangela emazulwini uze ubone ukuba akuvakalelwa ngendlela efanayo na nomdumisi owathi: “Xa ndilikhangelayo izulu lakho, umsebenzi weminwe yakho, inyanga neenkwenkwezi ozimisileyo: uyintoni na umntu lo, le nto umkhumbulelayo?” (INdumiso 8:3, 4) Yaye hayi indlela uYehova amnyamekele kakuhle ngayo umntu, thina aba! Indoda nomfazi bokuqala wabalungiselela ikhaya elihle emhlabeni. Kwanomhlaba walo wawunamandla—okuvelisa izityalo, ezivelisa ukutya okunezondlo nokucocekileyo. Abantu nezilwanyana bafumana amandla kule mbonakaliso yamandla kaThixo.—Genesis 1:12; 4:12; 1 Samuweli 28:22.
3. Ngaphandle kwezinto ezibonakalayo kwindalo, yintoni enye ebonisa amandla kaThixo?
3 Ngaphezu kokuba amazulu enomtsalane yaye izityalo nezilwanyana ezisemhlabeni zisithi ndijonge, zisibonisa amandla kaThixo. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Kwasekudalweni kwehlabathi, iindawo zakhe ezibe zingenakubonwa zibonwa kakuhle, ziqondeke, ngezinto ezenziweyo, kwa-amandla akhe angunaphakade, nobuThixo bakhe.” (Roma 1:20) Kodwa kukho nobunye ubungqina bamandla akhe esifanele sibuqwalasele size sibuxabise. Usenokubuza, ‘Yintoni ebonakalisa amandla kaThixo ngaphezu kwendalo iphela?’ Impendulo ithi nguYesu Kristu. Eneneni, ngaphantsi kokuphefumlelwa umpostile uPawulos uthi uKristu obethelelweyo ‘ungamandla kaThixo, nobulumko bukaThixo.’ (1 Korinte 1:24) ‘Kutheni kunjalo nje?’ usenokubuza, ‘Yaye oko kunokuthanani nobomi bam ngoku?’
Amandla Abonakaliswa NgoNyana Wakhe
4. Amandla kaThixo aboniswa njani ngokuphathelele uNyana wakhe?
4 Amandla kaThixo abonakaliswa okokuqala xa wadala uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, owenziwe ngokomfanekiselo wakhe. Lo Nyana ungumoya wakhonza uYehova ‘njengengcibi yomsebenzi’ ngokusebenzisa amandla kaThixo amakhulu ekudaleni zonke ezinye izinto. (IMizekeliso 8:22, 30) UPawulos wabhalela abazalwana bakhe abangamaKristu baseKolose wathi: “Zadalelwa kuye zonke izinto, ezisemazulwini nezisemhlabeni, ezinokubonwa nezingenakubonwa . . . zonke izinto zidalwe nguye, zidalelwe yena.”—Kolose 1:15, 16.
5-7. (a) Kwixesha elidluleyo, abantu babebandakanyeke njani ekubonakalisweni kwamandla kaThixo? (b) Sisiphi isizathu esinaso sokukholelwa ukuba amandla kaThixo anokubonakaliswa kumaKristu namhlanje?
5 Siyinxalenye ‘yezinto ezidalwe emhlabeni.’ Ngoko ngaba amandla kaThixo ayenokudluliselwa kuthi bantu? Kaloku, kuzo zonke iinkqubano zikaThixo nabantu abangafezekanga, uYehova ngamathuba athile uye wadlulisela amandla ongezelelekileyo kubakhonzi bakhe ukuze baphumeze iinjongo zakhe. UMoses wayesazi ukuba, ngokuqhelekileyo, abantu abangafezekanga baphila iminyaka engama-70 okanye engama-80. (INdumiso 90:10) Kuthekani ngoMoses? Waphila wada waba neminyaka eli-120 ubudala, ukanti ‘iliso lakhe lalingenalurhatyazo, esomelele nokomelela.’ (Duteronomi 34:7) Nangona oko kungathethi ukuba uThixo ubangela ngamnye kubakhonzi bakhe aphile ubomi obude kangako okanye abe namandla kangako, kunikela ubungqina bokuba uYehova unako ukubomeleza abakhonzi bakhe.
6 Okubonisa ngokubhekele phaya ukuba uThixo unako ukomeleza amadoda nabafazi koko wakwenza kumfazi ka-Abraham. “NoSara ngokwakhe wamkela amandla okumisa umzi, waza wazala, liseligqithile ixesha lokuba amithe, ekubeni wambalela ekuthini uthembekile lowo wabekayo ngedinga.” Okanye qwalasela indlela uThixo awabanika amandla ngayo abagwebi kwaSirayeli: ‘UGidiyon, kwanoBharaki, noSamson, noYifeta, kwanoDavide, noSamuweli, nabaprofeti; bathi bomelela ekubeni babeswele amandla.’—Hebhere 11:11, 32-34.
7 Amandla anjalo anokusebenza nakuthi. Kakade, ngoku asinakulindela inzala ngokungummangaliso, okanye sisenokungabonisi amandla afana nakaSamson. Kodwa sinako ukomelela, njengokuba uPawulos watshoyo kubantu abaqhelekileyo eKolose. Ewe, uPawulos wabhalela amadoda, abafazi, nabantwana, abangahlukanga kwabakhoyo emabandleni namhlanje, ibe wathi ‘babesomelezwa ngokomelela konke.’—Kolose 1:11.
8, 9. Ngenkulungwane yokuqala, amandla kaYehova abonakaliswa njani kubantu abafana nathi?
8 Ebudeni bobulungiseleli bukaYesu basemhlabeni, uYehova wakwenza kwacaca ukuba amandla akhe ayesebenza ngoNyana wakhe. Ngokomzekelo, xa izihlwele zazithontelana kuYesu eKapernahum, “aye ekho amandla eNkosi ukuba abaphilise.”—Luka 5:17.
9 Emva kokuvuswa kwakhe, uYesu waqinisekisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba babeya ‘kwamkela amandla, akubon’ ukuba uMoya oyiNgcwele uhlile phezu kwabo.’ (IZenzo 1:8) Hayi indlela okwakuyinyaniso ngayo oko! Umbhali-mbali ubalisa okwenzeka kwiintsuku ezimbalwa emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. esithi: “Baye abapostile bekungqinela ngamandla amakhulu ukuvuka kweNkosi uYesu.” (IZenzo 4:33) UPawulos ngomnye owomelezelwa ukwenza umsebenzi uThixo awayemthume ukuba awenze. Emva kokuguquka nokubuyiselwa kokubona kwakhe, “kwaba kukhona ke womelelayo . . . wabetha adubadubeka amaYuda abemi eDamasko, ebonakalalisa ukuba lo nguye uKristu.”—IZenzo 9:22.
10. Amandla avela kuThixo amnceda njani uPawulos?
10 Ngokuqinisekileyo uPawulos wayefuna amandla ongezelelekileyo, xa sicinga ngomxhino wokomoya nowengqondo owawufuneka ukuze enze ukhenketho lobuvangeli basemazweni izihlandlo ezithathu egubungela amawaka eekhilomitha. Kwakhona wanyamezela ubunzima obuninzi, wanyamezela ukuvalelwa entolongweni waza wabulawa njengomfeli-nkolo. Wakwenza njani oku? Waphendula: “INkosi yandinceda, yandomeleza, ukuze ngam uvakaliso lweendaba ezilungileyo luzaliseke.”—2 Timoti 4:6-8, 17; 2 Korinte 11:23-27.
11. Ngokuphathelele amandla kaThixo, liliphi ithemba uPawulos awabhekisela kulo kwabo wayekhonza nabo eKolose?
11 Ngoko ke, akumangalisi ukuba uPawulos, xa wayebhalela ‘abazalwana bakhe abakholwayo kuKristu’ eKolose, wabaqinisekisa ngelokuba ‘babenokomelezwa ngokomelela konke, ngokokuqina kozuko [lukaYehova], bade base kuko konke ukunyamezela, nokuzeka kade umsindo, kunye novuyo.’ (Kolose 1:2, 11) Nangona loo mazwi ngokusisiseko ayebhekiswe kumaKristu athanjisiweyo, bonke abalandela emanyathelweni kaKristu banokungenelwa kunene koko uPawulos wakubhalayo.
Ukomelezwa EKolose
12, 13. Kwakutheni ukuze kubhalwe incwadi eya kwabaseKolose, yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba basabela njani kuyo?
12 Ibandla laseKolose, elalikwiphondo lamaRoma laseAsiya, kusenokwenzeka ukuba layilwa ngokushumayela komKristu othembekileyo ogama linguEpafra. Kubonakala ukuba akuva ngokuvalelwa kukaPawulos entolongweni eRoma malunga nowama-58 C.E., uEpafra wazimisela ukumtyelela lo mpostile aze amkhuthaze ngengxelo entle yothando nokuba abazalwana baseKolose bami beqinile. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uEpafra wadlulisela nengxelo eyinyaniso ngeengxaki ezithile kwibandla laseKolose ekwakufuneka zilungisiwe. Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos waziva enyanzelekile ukuba abhalele eli bandla incwadi yokhuthazo nesiluleko. Nawe sisenokukukhuthaza kakhulu Kol isahluko 1 saloo ncwadi, kuba sicacisa indlela uYehova anokubomeleza ngayo abakhonzi bakhe.
13 Unokuyithelekelela indlela abazalwana noodade baseKolose abamele ukuba bavakalelwa ngayo xa uPawulos wabachaza ngokuthi ‘amawethu athembekileyo amanyene noKrestu.’ (TE) Babemele banconywe ‘ngokubathanda kwabo bonke abangcwele nangokuxakatha iziqhamo zeendaba ezi ezilungileyo’ kususela ekuqaleni kwabo ukuba ngamaKristu! Ngaba kunokuthethwa amazwi afanayo ngelethu ibandla, ngathi njengabantu ngabanye?—Kolose 1:2-8.
14. UPawulos wayenqwenela ntoni ngabaseKolose?
14 Ingxelo awayifumanayo yamchukumisa gqitha uPawulos kangangokuba waxelela abaseKolose ukuba wayengayekanga ukubathandazela nokucela ukuba ‘bazaliswe kukukwazi kakuhle ukuthanda kukaThixo, benokulumka nokuqonda konke okukokomoya; ukuze bahambe ngokuyifaneleyo iNkosi.’ Wayethandazela ukuba ‘baxakathe isiqhamo kuwo wonke umsebenzi olungileyo, bakhulele ekumazini uThixo; besomelezwa ngokomelela konke, ngokokuqina kozuko lwakhe, bade base kuko konke ukunyamezela, nokuzeka kade umsindo, kunye novuyo.’—Kolose 1:9-11.
Ukomelezwa Nanamhlanje
15. Sinokusibonisa njani isimo sengqondo esifana neso sibonakala kwincwadi uPawulos awayibhalela abaseKolose?
15 Onjani wona ukuba mhle umzekelo uPawulos awasimisela wona! Abazalwana bethu abasemhlabeni wonke kufuneka sibathandazele ukuba banyamezele baze balondoloze uvuyo lwabo phezu kwako nje ukubandezeleka. NjengoPawulos, sifanele singqale emithandazweni yethu xa sifumana iindaba zokuba abazalwana abakwelinye ibandla, okanye kwelinye ilizwe, batsala nzima. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ibandla elikufutshane lithwaxwe yintlekele yokwemvelo okanye bubunzima obuthile bokomoya. Okanye kusenokwenzeka ukuba amaKristu anyamezela kwilizwe elidlavulwa yimfazwe yamakhaya okanye ukubulalana kwezizwana. Xa sithandaza sifanele simcele uThixo abancede abazalwana bethu ‘bahambe ngokuyifaneleyo iNkosi,’ baqhubeke bexakatha iziqhamo zoBukumkani ngoxa benyamezela, yaye bakhule elwazini. Ngale ndlela abakhonzi bakaThixo bafumana amandla omoya wakhe, ‘besomelezwa ngokomelela konke.’ Unokuqiniseka ukuba uYihlo uya kukuva aze aphendule.—1 Yohane 5:14, 15.
16, 17. (a) Njengoko uPawulos wabhalayo, sifanele sibe nombulelo ngantoni? (b) Abantu bakaThixo bakhululwe baza baxolelwa ngayiphi ingqiqo?
16 UPawulos wabhalela abaseKolose esithi bafanele ‘bambulele uYise, owayebenze bakulingana ukwahlulelwa ilifa labangcwele ekukhanyeni.’ Nathi masimbulele uBawo wethu wasezulwini ngendawo asinike yona kwilungiselelo lakhe, enokuba ikummandla wasemazulwini okanye wasemhlabeni woBukumkani bakhe. UThixo wayebenze njani abantu abangafezekanga bafaneleka phambi kwakhe? UPawulos wabhalela abazalwana bakhe abathanjisiweyo wathi: ‘Wasihlangula egunyeni lobumnyama, wasifudusela ebukumkanini boNyana wothando lwakhe, esinayo kuye inkululeko ngokuhlawulelwa ngegazi lakhe, ukuxolelwa kwezono ke oko.’—Kolose 1:12-14.
17 Nokuba liyintoni na ithemba lethu, lelasezulwini okanye lelasemhlabeni, simbulela mihla le uThixo ngokusikhulula kule nkqubo ingendawo yobumnyama, nto leyo eyenziwa kukuba nokholo kwethu kwilungiselelo elixabisekileyo ledini lentlawulelo loNyana kaYehova oyintanda. (Mateyu 20:28) AmaKristu athanjiswe ngomoya aye angenelwa kwintlawulelo esetyenziswa ngendlela ekhethekileyo kwimeko yawo ukuze akwazi ‘ukufuduselwa ebukumkanini boNyana wothando lukaThixo.’ (Luka 22:20, 29, 30) Kodwa “nezinye izimvu” ziyangenelwa kwintlawulelo kwanangoku. (Yohane 10:16) Zinokuxolelwa nguThixo ukuze zibe ngabahlobo bakhe abangamalungisa. Zinenxaxheba enkulu ekuvakalisweni ‘kwezi ndaba zilungileyo zobukumkani’ kweli xesha lesiphelo. (Mateyu 24:14) Ngaphezu koko, zinethemba elimangalisayo lokuba ngamalungisa ngokupheleleyo nokufezeka emzimbeni, ekupheleni koLawulo lukaKristu lweWaka Leminyaka. Njengokuba ufunda inkcazelo ekwiSityhilelo 7:13-17, khangela ukuba akuvumi na ukuba oku kuya kuba bubungqina bokukhululwa nokusikelelwa.
18. Luluphi uxolelwaniso ekuthethwa ngalo kwabaseKolose uThixo asaluphumezayo?
18 Le ncwadi kaPawulos isinceda siqonde ukuba wasenzela okungakanani oyena mntu ubalaseleyo wakha waphila. UThixo wayefeza ntoni ngoKristu? ‘Wayezixolelanisa naye zonke izinto, elwenzile uxolo ngalo igazi [“lomthi wentuthumbo,” NW] wakhe; ewe, ngaye, nokuba zizinto ezisemhlabeni, nokuba zezisemazulwini.’ Injongo kaThixo kukubuyisela yonke indalo kwimvisiswano epheleleyo naye, njengokuba kwakunjalo ngaphambi kwemvukelo yase-Eden. Lowo wasetyenziselwa ukudala zonke izinto ikwanguye ngoku osetyenziselwa ukwenza olu xolelwaniso.—Kolose 1:20.
Bomelezelwa Ntoni?
19, 20. Ukuba ngcwele nokungabi nabala kwethu kuxhomekeke kwintoni?
19 Abo baxolelanisiweyo noThixo baneembopheleleko. Sasifudula singaboni abangazaniyo noThixo. Kodwa ngoku, ekubeni sinokholo kwidini likaYesu yaye neengqondo zethu zingasekho emisebenzini engendawo, ngokusisiseko simi ‘singcwele, singenakubekwa bala, singenakumangalelwa phambi koThixo.’ (Kolose 1:21, 22) Khawufan’ ucinge, kanye njengokuba uThixo wayengenazintloni ngaloo mangqina athembekileyo amandulo, akanazintloni nangathi, ukuba abizwe njengoThixo wethu. (Hebhere 11:16) Namhlanje, akukho namnye unokusimangalela ngokulimela kakubi igama lakhe elikhulu, okanye ngokoyika ukuvakalisa elo gama ukusa eziphelweni zomhlaba!
20 Kodwa phawula isilumkiso uPawulos awasongezelelayo kwabaseKolose 1:23: “Ukuba kaloku nihlala nihleli elukholweni, nisekelwe niqinile, ningashukunyiswa nimke ethembeni leendaba ezilungileyo ezi nazivayo, zona zashunyayelwayo kwindalo yonke ephantsi kwezulu.” Kuninzi okuxhomekeke ekuqhubekeni kwethu sithembekile kuYehova, silandela emanyathelweni oNyana wakhe oyintanda. UYehova noYesu kukhulu abasenzele kona! Ngamana singabonisa ukubathanda kwethu ngokulandela isiluleko sikaPawulos.
21. Kutheni sinesizathu esibambekayo sokuchulumanca namhlanje?
21 AmaKristu aseKolose amele ukuba ayechulumancile kukuva ukuba ‘iindaba ezilungileyo azivayo’ zazisele ‘zishunyayelwe kwindalo yonke ephantsi kwezulu.’ Namhlanje kuchulumancisa ngakumbi ukuva umkhamo iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani ezivakaliswa ngawo ngamaNgqina angaphezu kwezigidi ezine ezinesiqingatha kumazwe angaphezu kwama-230. Kaloku, nyaka ngamnye phantse bangama-300 000 abantu abaphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga abaxolelaniswa noThixo!—Mateyu 24:14; 28:19, 20.
22. Kwanokuba siyabandezeleka, uThixo unokusenzela ntoni?
22 Nangona kubonakala ukuba uPawulos wayevalelwe entolongweni xa wayebhala incwadi eya kwabaseKolose, akazange akhalaze ngenxa yemeko yakhe nangayiphi na indlela. Kunoko, wathi: “Ngoku ndiyavuya ezintlungwini zam ngenxa yenu.” UPawulos wayesazi ukuba kuthetha ntoni “konke ukunyamezela, nokuzeka kade umsindo, kunye novuyo.” (Kolose 1:11, 24) Kodwa wayesazi ukuba oku wayengakwenzi ngawakhe amandla. UYehova wayemomelezile! Kunjalo nanamhlanje. Amawaka amaNgqina aye avalelwa ezintolongweni aza atshutshiswa akalahlekelwanga luvuyo lwawo ekukhonzeni uYehova. Kunoko, aye abuqonda ubunyaniso bamazwi kaThixo afumaneka kuIsaya 40:29-31: “Umnika otyhafileyo amandla . . . bona abathembele kuYehova baya kuhlaziyeka emandleni.”
23, 24. Yintoni imfihlelo ekhankanywe kwabaseKolose 1:26?
23 Ubulungiseleli beendaba ezilungileyo obusekelwe kuKristu babubaluleke gqitha kuPawulos. Wayefuna abanye baqonde ukuxabiseka kwendima kaKristu kwinjongo kaThixo, ngoko wayichaza ‘njengemfihlelo, ebifihliwe kwasemaphakadeni nasezizukulwaneni.’ Noko ke yayingayi kuhlala iyimfihlelo. UPawulos wongezelela: “Kukalokunje ibonakalalisiwe kubo abangcwele bakhe.” (Kolose 1:26) Xa kwaqhambuka imvukelo e-Eden, uYehova wathembisa ukuba kwakuza kubuya kulunge, exela kwangaphambili ukuba ‘imbewu yomfazi yayiya kutyumza intloko yenyoka.’ (Genesis 3:15) Kwakuthetha ukuthini oku? Kwizizukulwana, kangangeenkulungwane, oku kwahlala kuyimfihlelo. Kwandula ke kwafika uYesu, waza “wabukhanyisa ubomi nokungonakali, ngazo iindaba ezilungileyo.”—2 Timoti 1:10.
24 Ewe, “imfihlelo” isekelwe kuKristu noBukumkani obungoMesiya. UPawulos wakhankanya ‘izinto ezisemazulwini,’ ebhekisela kwabo baya kuba nesabelo kulawulo loBukumkani kunye noKristu. Aba baya kuba negalelo ekuziseni iintsikelelo ezimangalisayo kuzo zonke “izinto ezisemhlabeni,” abo baya kunandipha iparadisi ngonaphakade apha. Ngoko, unokubona indlela ekwakufaneleke ngayo ukuba uPawulos abhekisele ‘kubutyebi bozuko lwaloo mfihlelo.’—Kolose 1:20, 27.
25. Njengoko kuboniswa kwabaseKolose 1:29, sifanele sibe nasiphi isimo sengqondo ngoku?
25 UPawulos wayekhangele phambili kwindawo yakhe kobo Bukumkani. Sekunjalo waqonda ukuba le asinto wayenokuyilinda ehleli engenzi nto. “Ndibulalekela kona oko, ndizama ngokokusebenza kwakhe okusebenzayo kum ngamandla.” (Kolose 1:29) Phawula ukuba uYehova, ngoKristu, womeleza uPawulos ukuze afeze ubulungiseleli obusindisa ubomi. UYehova unokwenza okufanayo nakuthi namhlanje. Kodwa sifanele sizibuze, ‘Ngaba ndinomoya wobuvangeli endandinawo ekuqaleni kwam ukufunda inyaniso? Ithini impendulo yakho? Yintoni enokunceda ngamnye kuthi aqhubeke ‘ebulaleka yaye ezama ngokuvisisana nokusebenza kwamandla kaYehova’? Inqaku elilandelayo liphethe kanye lo mbandela.
Ngaba Uphawulile?
◻ Kutheni sinokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova unokuwabonakalisa amandla akhe kubantu?
◻ Kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos abhale amazwi akhe kwabaseKolose isahluko 1?
◻ UThixo uluphumeza njani uxolelwaniso olukhankanywe kwabaseKolose 1:20?
◻ Ngamandla akhe, yintoni uYehova anokuyifeza ngathi?
[Imaphu/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]
KOLOSE