Uvuko—Imfundiso Ekuchaphazelayo

“Ndinethemba kuThixo . . . lokuba kuza kubakho uvuko lwamalungisa nabangengomalungisa.”—IZENZO 24:15.

1. Yavuka njani impikiswano ngovuko phambi kweSanhedrin?

EKUPHELENI kokhenketho lwakhe lwesithathu lobuvangeli basemazweni ngowama-56 C.E., umpostile uPawulos wayeseYerusalem. Emva kokubanjwa ngamaRoma, kwavunywa ukuba aye kuvela kwinkundla ephakamileyo yamaYuda, iSanhedrin. (IZenzo 22:29, 30) Njengoko wayondele amalungu alo nkundla, uPawulos waphawula ukuba amanye ngabaSadusi amanye ngabaFarisi. La maqela ayenento angavisisani kwaphela kuyo. AbaSadusi babengakholelwa kuvuko; ngoxa abaFarisi babekholelwa kulo. Ukuze abonise ukuba umi phi ngovuko, uPawulos wadanduluka wathi: “Madoda, bazalwana, ndingumFarisi, unyana womFarisi. Ngenxa yethemba lovuko lwabafileyo ndiyagwetywa.” Wathi akutsho kwaba sisaqunge nje kuloo ndibano!—IZenzo 23:6-9.

2. Kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos akulungele ukukumela ukukholelwa kwakhe kuvuko?

² Kwiminyaka ethile ngaphambili, xa wayesinge eDamasko, uPawulos wabona umbono aweva kuwo ilizwi likaYesu. UPawulos wada wabuza kuYesu wathi: “Ndenze ntoni na, Nkosi?” UYesu wathi: “Phakama uye eDamasko, yaye apho uya kuxelelwa ngayo yonk’ into ekumiselwe ukuba uyenze.” Ukufika kwakhe eDamasko, uPawulos wafunyanwa nguAnaniyas, umfundi ongumKristu wamnceda wamcacisela wathi: “UThixo wookhokho bethu ukunyulile ukuba ukwazi ukuthanda kwakhe nokuba ubone Lowo ulilungisa [uYesu ovusiweyo] nokuba ulive ilizwi lomlomo wakhe.” (IZenzo 22:6-16) Ayimangalisi ke into yokuba uPawulos wayekulungele ukukumela ukukholelwa kwakhe kuvuko.—1 Petros 3:15.

Ukuluvakalisa Esidlangalaleni Ithemba Lovuko

3, 4. UPawulos akazange agungqe njani ekumeleni uvuko, ibe sinokufunda ntoni kumzekelo wakhe?

³ Kamva uPawulos wavela phambi kweRhuluneli uFeliks. Kweso sihlandlo, uTertulo, ‘isithethi sasesidlangalaleni’ esabeka isimangalo samaYuda nxamnye noPawulos, wamtyhola ngokuba yinkokeli yehlelo nomxhokonkxi weziphendu. Engaphozisanga maseko uPawulos waphendula: “Ndiyakuvuma oku kuwe, ukuba ndinikela inkonzo engcwele kuThixo wookhokho bakowethu ngokulandela indlela abayibiza ngokuba ‘lihlelo.’” Wandula ke wangena kweyona mbambano wathi: “Ndinethemba kuThixo, themba elo abanalo naba bantu ngokwabo, lokuba kuza kubakho uvuko lwamalungisa nabangengomalungisa.”—IZenzo 23:23, 24; 24:1-8, 14, 15.

⁴ Malunga neminyaka emibini kamva, owangena ezihlangwini zikaFeliks, uPorkiyo Festo, wacela uKumkani uHerode Agripa ukuba amncedise baphicothe ityala lebanjwa uPawulos. UFesto wachaza ukuba uPawulos umangalelwa ngento ayithethileyo yokuba “uYesu othile owayefile . . . uyaphila.” Ezithethelela uPawulos wabuza: “Kutheni ningakholelwa nje ukuba uThixo uyabavusa abafileyo?” Emva koko wathi: “Ngenxa yokuba ndizuze uncedo oluvela kuThixo ndiyaqhubeka ukusa kule mini ndinikela ubungqina kwabancinane nabakhulu, kodwa ndingathethi nto ngaphandle kwezinto abazixelayo abaProfeti kwakunye noMoses ukuba zaziza kwenzeka, zokuba uKristu wayeza kubandezeleka yaye, njengowokuqala ukuvuswa kwabafileyo, wayeza kuvakalisa ukukhanya kwesi sizwana nakwiintlanga.” (IZenzo 24:27; 25:13-22; 26:8, 22, 23) UPawulos akazange agungqe kwaphela ekumeleni uvuko! NjengoPawulos, nathi sinokutsho ngengqiniseko ukuba kuza kubakho uvuko. Kodwa simele silindele intsabelo enjani? Phantse efanayo naleyo yafunyanwa nguPawulos.

5, 6. (a) Ukumela uvuko kwabapostile kwenza abantu basabela njani? (b) Njengoko sivakalisa ithemba esinalo kuvuko, yintoni ekufuneka siyenze?

⁵ Qwalasela oko kwenzeka ngaphambili xa uPawulos wayeseAthene kukhenketho lwakhe lwesibini lobuvangeli basemazweni (malunga nowama-49-52 C.E.). Waqiqa nabantu ababekholelwa kwintaphane yezithixo ebabongoza ukuba baqonde injongo kaThixo yokugweba umhlaba omiweyo ngobulungisa ngendoda ayimiseleyo. Ayikho enye indoda ngaphandle koYesu. UPawulos wathi oko uThixo ukuqinisekise ngokuvusa uYesu. Basabela njani abantu balapho? Sifunda oku: “Ngoko, bakuva ngovuko lwabafileyo, bambi baqalisa ukwenza intlekisa, ngoxa abanye bathi: ‘Siza kukuva ngale nto nangelinye ixesha.’”—IZenzo 17:29-32.

⁶ Loo ntsabelo ifana neyafunyanwa nguPetros noYohane kancinane nje emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. Nalapho abaSadusi batshotsha phambili kuloo ngxwabangxwaba. IZenzo 4:1-4 zibalisa oko kwenzekayo: “Ke kaloku ngoxa aba babini babethetha nabantu, kwafika ababingeleli abaziintloko nomphathi wetempile nabaSadusi, becaphukile ngenxa yokuba babefundisa abantu yaye bevakalisa ngokucacileyo uvuko kwabafileyo ngoYesu.” Noko ke, abanye beva. “Abaninzi kwabo babephulaphule intetho bakholwa, yaye inani lamadoda laba malunga namawaka amahlanu.” Kuyacaca ukuba, simele silindele abantu basabele ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo xa sithetha ngethemba lovuko. Ngenxa yoko, kufuneka someleze ukholo lwethu ngale mfundiso.

Ukholo Novuko

7, 8. (a) Njengoko kuboniswa kwileta eya kwibandla laseKorinte lenkulungwane yokuqala, lunokuba lilize njani ukholo? (b) Ukuluqonda ngokuchanileyo ithemba lovuko kuwahlula njani amaKristu okwenyaniso?

⁷ Akuzange kube lula kuwo onke amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo ukukholelwa kuvuko. Abanye ababe nale ngxaki babengamalungu ebandla laseKorinte. Ebhalela bona uPawulos wathi: “Ndanikezela kuni, phakathi kwezinto zokuqala, oko nam ndakwamkelayo, okokuba uKristu wafela izono zethu, ngokutsho kweZibhalo; wangcwatywa, waza wavuswa ngomhla wesithathu, ngokutsho kweZibhalo.” Emva koko uPawulos wanikela ubungqina bale nyaniso ngokuchaza ukuba uKristu ovusiweyo “wabonakala kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu,” inkoliso yabo eyayisadla amazimba. (1 Korinte 15:3-8) Wahlabela mgama wathi: “Kaloku ukuba uKristu uyashunyayelwa ukuba uvusiwe kwabafileyo, kwenzeka njani na ukuba abathile phakathi kwenu bathi akukho luvuko lwabafileyo? Ukuba, eneneni, akukho luvuko lwabafileyo, noKristu akavuswanga. Kodwa ukuba uKristu akavuswanga, ngokuqinisekileyo ukushumayela kwethu kulilize, nokholo lwethu lulilize.”—1 Korinte 15:12-14.

⁸ Enyanisweni, imfundiso yovuko ibaluleke kangangokuba ukholo lomKristu lilize ukuba akakholelwa kuvuko. Ewe, ukuluqonda ngokuchanileyo uvuko kwahlula amaKristu okwenyaniso kulawo obuxoki. (Genesis 3:4; Hezekile 18:4) Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos uquka imfundiso yovuko “kwimfundiso esisiqalelo” yobuKristu. Kwanga singazimisela ‘ukuxhinela ekuqoleni.’ Ebongoza uPawulos uthi, “siya kukwenza oku, ukuba eneneni uThixo uyasivumela.”—Hebhere 6:1-3.

Ithemba Lovuko

9, 10. EBhayibhileni lithetha ukuthini igama elithi uvuko?

⁹ Ukuze someleze ukholo lwethu kuvuko, makhe sihlolisise le mibuzo: EBhayibhileni lithetha ukuthini igama elithi uvuko? Imfundiso yovuko ilwenza lubalasele njani uthando lukaYehova? Iimpendulo zale mibuzo ziya kusisondeza ngakumbi kuThixo sitsho sikwazi nokufundisa abanye ngovuko.—2 Timoti 2:2; Yakobi 4:8.

¹⁰ Igama elithi “uvuko” liguqulelwe kwelesiGrike elithetha “ukuphinda uphakame.” Lithetha ukuthini kanye eli gama? Ngokutsho kweBhayibhile, ithemba lovuko kukweyiseka ukuba umntu ofileyo unako ukuphila kwakhona. IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba umntu uvuswa enomzimba wenyama okanye womoya, kuxhomekeka kwithemba analo enoba lelokuphila emhlabeni okanye ezulwini. Ibangela umdla gqitha indlela uYehova abonisa ngayo uthando, ubulumko namandla akhe ngeli themba libalaseleyo.

11. Abakhonzi bakaThixo abathanjisiweyo banaliphi ithemba lovuko?

¹¹ UYesu nabazalwana bakhe abathanjisiweyo bavuswa benomzimba womoya ukuze bakwazi ukuphila ezulwini. (1 Korinte 15:35-38, 42-53) Baza kulawula kunye kuBukumkani bukaMesiya, obuya kuguqula umhlaba ube yiParadesi. Ngaphantsi kukaYesu uMbingeleli Omkhulu, abathanjiswa baya kubumba ububingeleli basebukhosini. Baya kwenza abantu bazuze iingenelo zedini lentlawulelo likaKristu kwihlabathi elitsha lobulungisa. (Hebhere 7:25, 26; 9:24; 1 Petros 2:9; ISityhilelo 22:1, 2) Okwangoku, abathanjisiweyo abasaphila emhlabeni balangazelela ukwamkeleka kuThixo. Xa besifa baya kufumana “umvuzo” wabo ngokuvuselwa kubomi bokungafi bezidalwa zomoya ezulwini. (2 Korinte 5:1-3, 6-8, 10; 1 Korinte 15:51, 52; ISityhilelo 14:13) UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Ukuba simanyene naye ekufeni okufana nokwakhe, ngokuqinisekileyo siya kumanyana naye nasekuvukeni okufana nokwakhe.” (Roma 6:5) Kodwa kuthekani ngabo baza kuvuselwa ukuphinda baphile emhlabeni? Ithemba lovuko lunokubasondeza ngakumbi njani kuThixo? Oko sinokufunda lukhulu ngako kumzekelo ka-Abraham.

Uvuko Nobuhlobo NoYehova

12, 13. Sisiphi isizathu esibambekayo sokukholelwa kuvuko awayenaso uAbraham?

¹² UAbraham, ochazwa ‘njengomhlobo kaYehova,’ wayenokholo olubalaseleyo. (Yakobi 2:23) UPawulos wabhekisela kukholo luka-Abraham izihlandlo ezithathu kuludwe lwakhe lwamadoda nabafazi bokholo olukwincwadi yamaHebhere isahluko 11. (Hebhere 11:8, 9, 17) Kwityeli lesithathu uthetha ngokholo olwaboniswa nguAbraham xa wathobelayo evuma ukunikela ngonyana wakhe uIsake abe lidini. UAbraham weyiseka ukuba isithembiso sikaYehova sokuba imbewu iya kuza ngoIsake siqinisekisiwe. Nokuba uIsake wayenokufa njengedini, uAbraham “wakubalela ekuthini uThixo wayekwazi ukumvusa kwanakwabafileyo.”

¹³ Njengokuba kwenzekayo, wathi uYehova akubona ukomelela kokholo luka-Abraham, waveza isilwanyana sokwenza elo dini. Noko ke, oko kwenzeka kuIsake kwakungumzekeliso wovuko, njengoko uPawulos echaza: “Apho [Abraham] wamzuza [uIsake] ngokomzekeliso.” (Hebhere 11:19) Ngapha koko, uAbraham wayesele enesizathu esibambekayo sokukholelwa kuvuko. Kaloku akazange na uYehova abuyisele amandla ka-Abraham okuvelisa inzala xa yena nomfazi wakhe, uSara babesele baluphele ukuba bazale unyana wabo, uIsake?—Genesis 18:10-14; 21:1-3; Roma 4:19-21.

14. (a) Yintoni eyayilindelwe nguAbraham ngokutsho kwamaHebhere 11:9, 10? (b) Yintoni emele yenzeke kuAbraham ukuze akwazi ukuxhamla kwiintsikelelo zoBukumkani kwihlabathi elitsha? (c) Thina sinokuzifumana njani iintsikelelo zoBukumkani?

¹⁴ UPawulos uchaza uAbraham njengomphambukeli nomhlali zintenteni ‘owayelindele isixeko esineziseko zokwenene, sixeko eso esimakhi nomenzi waso unguThixo.’ (Hebhere 11:9, 10) Esi yayingesosixeko sokoqobo njengeYerusalem, eyayikuyo itempile kaThixo. Sona esi yayisesomfuziselo. SasibuBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini obubunjwe nguKristu Yesu nabo aza kulawula nabo bali-144 000. Xa bekuzuko lwasezulwini, aba bali-144 000 kubhekiselwa kubo ‘njengesixeko esingcwele, iYerusalem Entsha, umtshakazi’ kaKristu. (ISityhilelo 21:2) Ngowe-1914, uYehova wabeka uYesu etroneni njengoKumkani onguMesiya woBukumkani basezulwini wamyalela ukuba alawule phakathi kweentshaba zakhe. (INdumiso 110:1, 2; ISityhilelo 11:15) Ukuze axhamle kwiintsikelelo zokulawula kobo Bukumkani, kuza kufuneka uAbraham, ‘umhlobo kaYehova,’ aphile kwakhona. Ngokufanayo, nathi ukuze sizifumane, simele siphile kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo enoba singamalungu esihlwele esikhulu sabasinde kwiArmagedon okanye abo bavuswe ekufeni. (ISityhilelo 7:9, 14) Noko ke, sisiphi isizathu esenza sibe nethemba lovuko?

UThando LukaThixo—Isizathu Sokuba Nethemba Lovuko

15, 16. (a) Isiprofeto sokuqala seBhayibhile sisinika njani isizathu sokuba nethemba lovuko? (b) Ukuba nokholo kuvuko kusisondeza njani kuYehova?

¹⁵ Ngenxa yolwalamano esinalo noBawo wethu wasezulwini, ukholo olomelele njengolo luka-Abraham, nokuyithobela imiyalelo yakhe, uThixo usivakalisa singamalungisa ibe usigqala njengabahlobo bakhe. Oku kusinika ithuba lokuxhamla kwiingenelo zolawulo loBukumkani. Eneneni, kwaisiprofeto sokuqala seLizwi likaThixo, kwiGenesis 3:15, sisinika isizathu sokuba nethemba lovuko nokuba ngabahlobo bakaThixo. Asichazi nje ngokutyunyuzwa kwentloko kaSathana kodwa sichaza nangokutyunyuzwa kwesithende seMbewu yomfazi kaThixo. Ukufa kukaYesu kwisibonda kwakufuzisela oko kutyunyuzwa kwesithende. Ukuvuswa kwakhe ngosuku lwesithathu kwaliphilisa elo nxeba kwavulela indlela umlo ongenakujikwa nxamnye ‘nalowo unamandla okubangela ukufa, oko kukuthi uMtyholi.’—Hebhere 2:14.

¹⁶ UPawulos usikhumbuza ukuba “uThixo ubonakalisa uthando lwakhe kuthi ngokuthi, ngoxa sasisengaboni, uKristu asifele.” (Roma 5:8) Ukuba nombulelo kwethu ngobu bubele bungasifanelanga kusisondeza ngakumbi kuYesu noBawo wethu onothando wasezulwini.—2 Korinte 5:14, 15.

17. (a) Liliphi ithemba elavakaliswa nguYobhi? (b) Yintoni etyhilwa kuYobhi 14:15 ngoYehova, ibe uziva njani ngoku?

¹⁷ UYobhi, indoda ethembekileyo eyayiphila ngaphambi kwexesha lamaKristu, naye wayekhangele phambili kuvuko. Wabandezelwa gqitha nguSathana. Ngokwahlukileyo kumaqabane akhe obuxoki, angazange alukhankanye uvuko, uYobhi wathuthuzelwa leli themba waza wathi: “Ukuba indoda eyomeleleyo iyafa ngaba inokuphila kwakhona?” Eziphendula uYobhi wathi: “Ngayo yonke imihla yam yomsebenzi osisinyanzelo ndiya kulinda, kude kufike ukukhululeka kwam.” Ebhekisa kuThixo, uYehova, wathi: “Uya kubiza, ndisabele.” Ngokuphathelele iimvakalelo zoMdali wethu onothando, uYobhi wathi: “Uya kuwulangazelela umsebenzi wezandla zakho.” (Yobhi 14:14, 15) Ewe, uYehova ulindele ngolangazelelo ixesha xa bonke abathembekileyo bebuyela ebomini eluvukweni. Nakanjani, oku kusisondeza ngakumbi kuye xa sicamngca ngothando nobubele obungasifanelanga asenzela bona nakuba singafezekanga!—Roma 5:21; Yakobi 4:8.

18, 19. (a) Liliphi ithemba analo uDaniyeli ngokuphila kwakhona? (b) Yintoni esiza kuyihlolisisa kwinqaku elilandelayo?

¹⁸ Umprofeti uDaniyeli owachazwa yingelosi kaThixo ‘njengendoda enqweneleka kakhulu,’ waphila ixesha elide ekhonza ngokuthembeka. (Daniyeli 10:11, 19) Wagcina ingqibelelo yakhe kuYehova ukususela ekuthinjweni ngowama-617 B.C.E., de kwasa ekufeni kwakhe kwixesha elithile emva kokuba efumene umbono ngowama-536 B.C.E., kunyaka wesithathu wolawulo lukaKoreshi, ukumkani wasePersi. (Daniyeli 1:1; 10:1) Ngaxa lithile ebudeni bonyaka wesithathu wolawulo lukaKoreshi, uDaniyeli wabona umbono wamagunya ehlabathi afikelela kwimbandezelo enkulu ezayo. (Daniyeli 11:1–12:13) Engawuqondi lo mbono, uDaniyeli wacela lo ngelosi ize neso sigidimi wathi: “Owu nkosi yam, soba yintoni na isiphelo sayo yonke le nto?” Iphendula le ngelosi yalathisela ingqalelo ‘kwixesha lesiphelo,’ xa ‘abanengqiqo beya kuwuqonda.’ Yena uDaniyeli wayenaliphi ithemba? Le ngelosi yathi: “Uya kuphumla, kodwa uya kubuya uvuke, wamkele isabelo selifa lakho ekupheleni kwemihla.” (Daniyeli 12:8-10, 13) UDaniyeli uya kubuya “eluvukweni lwabo bangamalungisa,” ebudeni boLawulo lukaKristu Lweminyaka Eliwaka.—Luka 14:14.

¹⁹ Ngoku sikumagqibela kaNkqoyi exesha lesiphelo yaye sekumbovu luqalise uLawulo lukaKristu Lweminyaka Eliwaka kunokuba kwakunjalo ukuqala kwethu ukuba ngamakholwa. Ngoko, simele sizibuze oku, ‘Ngaba ndiza kubakho kwihlabathi elitsha ukuze ndibone uAbraham, uYobhi, uDaniyeli namanye amadoda nabafazi abathembekileyo?’ Siya kuba lapho kuphela xa sibambelela kuYehova sigcina imiyalelo yakhe. Kwinqaku lethu elilandelayo, siza kuhlolisisa iinkcukacha eziphathelele ithemba lovuko ukuze sibone ukuba ngoobani abaza kuvuswa.

Uyakhumbula Na?

• Abantu basabela njani xa uPawulos wayeshumayela ngethemba analo kuvuko?

• Kutheni ithemba lovuko lisahlula amaKristu okwenyaniso kulawo obuxoki?

• Sazi njani ukuba uAbraham, uYobhi noDaniyeli babenokholo kuvuko?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]

Phambi kweRhuluneli uFeliks, uPawulos waluvakalisa ngengqiniseko ithemba lovuko

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]

Kwakutheni ukuze uAbraham abe nokholo kuvuko?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]

UYobhi wathuthuzelwa lithemba lovuko

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]

UDaniyeli uya kubuyela ebomini kuvuko lwamalungisa