8—Phambi Kwesanhedrin

[IQumrhu lamaYuda elalilawula eYerusalem]

[Esi sakhluko sisekwe kwiZenzo 5:12-42]

Yayingumnqamlezo, isixhobo sehlazo nokungcungcuthekiswa, owazisa ithemba nosindiso ehlabathini. Abafundi babengabantu abathobekileyo, bengenabutyebi, bengenasixhobo ngaphandle kwelizwi likaThixo; kanti, ngamandla kaKristu, baya kuthetha ngebali elimangalisayo lesitali kunye nomnqamlezo, kunye noloyiso kuyo yonke inkcaso. Ngaphandle kokuphakanyiswa okanye ukwaziwa lihlabathi, babangamagorha okholo. Emilebeni yabo kwaphuma amazwi obuciko obungcwele obashukumisa ilizwe.IZ 77.1

EYerusalem apho ubunzulu bokungxama ngokugweba kwakuzinze khona, nalapho kwakugquba khona eyona mpixano inkulu yeengcamango ngaLowo wayebethelelwe njengesela, abafundi baqhubeka bethetha ngesibindi amazwi obomi, bebeka phambi kwamaYuda umsebenzi nenjongo kaKristu, ukubethelelwa kwaKhe, ukuvuka, nokunyuka. Ababingeleli nabalawuli beva bemangalisiwebubungqinaobucacileyobabapostile. Amandla oMsindisi ovukileyo, ngokwenene ayewile phezu kwabafundi, waye umsebenzi wabo ukhatshwa yimiqondiso nezimanga aza akhula yonke imihla amanani abakholwayo. Emacaleni ezitrato apho abafundi babeza kudlula khona, abantu bayibeka imilwelwe yabo ilaliswe “ezingqengqelweni nasezinkukhweni, ukuze kuthi, akubon’ ukuba uPetros uyeza, kubekho kuyo ethi isityekelwe sisithunzi sakhe.” Kwaziswa kwalapha abo babexhwalwe yimimoya emdaka. Bangqongwa zizihlwele, bathi nabo babephilisiwe badanduluka bedumisa uThixo belizukisa igama loMkhululi.IZ 77.2

Ababingeleli nabalawuli babona ukuba uKristu uphakanyiselwe phezulu ngaphezu kwabo. Bathi abaSadusi, ababengakholelwa eluvukweni, bakubeva abafundi bevakalisa ukuba uKristu uvukile kwabafileyo, banengqumbo, beqonda ukuthi, ukuba abapostile bayekiwe ukuba bashumayele uMsindisi ovukileyo, benze nemimangaliso egameni laKhe, imfundiso yokuba akusayi kubakho luvuko iya kwaliwa ngabantu bonke, kuze kuthi, kungekudala, liphele ihlelo labaSadusi. AbaFarisi babanomsindo bakuphawula ukuba abafundi basoloko bekekelele ekufundiseni ngendlela ewajongela phantsi amadini amaYuda, ize yenze ukuba iminikelo yemibingelelo ingabi lulutho.IZ 78.1

Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, onke amalinge awenziwayo okunyhasha le mfundiso intsha ayelilize; kodwa ngoku bebonke, abaSadusi nabaFarisi, bezimisela ukuba mawumiswe umsebenzi wabafundi, kuba wawubagweba ngetyala lokubulala uYesu. Bathi bezaliswe yingqumbo, ababingeleli babasa izandla kakubi uPetros noYohane, babafaka entolongweni yabantu bonke.IZ 78.2

Iinkokeli kuhlanga lwamaYudazawaphantsikakhuluukuzalisekisa injongo kaThixo ngabantu baKhe abanyuliweyo. Abo iNkosi yayibenze amagosa enyaniso babonakalisa ukunganyaniseki kwinto abaphathiswe yona, waza uThixo wanyula abanye ukuba benze umsebenzi waKhe. Ebumfameni bazo, ezinkokeli zavumela ukulawulwa yinto eziyibiza ngokuthi, yingqumbo yobulungisa, ukuchasana nabo bazibeka bucala iimfundiso ezazithandwa kakhulu. Azizange zivume mpela ukuba kunokuthi kanti zona azizange ziliqonde kakuhle ilizwi, okanye zazicacisa okanye zazisebenzisa ngendlela engeyiyo iziBhalo. Zaziphatha njengabantu abalahlekwe kukucingisisa. Zinalungelo lini ezi titshala, batsho, abanye bazo zingabalobi nje bentlanzi, ukuba zibeke iingcamango ezichasene neemfundiso esizifundise abantu? Bathi bezimisele ukuyinyhasha imfundiso yezi ngcamango, babavalela entolongweni abo babezifundisa.IZ 78.3

Abafundi abazange bothuswe okanye badakumbe yile mpatho. UMoya Oyingcwele wazisa ezingqondweni zabo amazwi awayethethwe nguKristu: “Akukho mkhonzi umkhulu kunenkosi yakhe. Ukuba banditshutshisa mna, bonitshutshisa nani; ukuba ilizwi lam baligcina, nelenu boligcina. Ke ezi zinto zonke baya kuzenza kuni ngenxa yegama lam, ngokuba bengamazi owandithumayo.” “Baya kunigxotha esikhungwini; ewe, kuza ilixa lokuba bonke abanibulalayo, babe bona bakhonza uThixo.” “Ezi zinto ndizithethile kuni, ukuze, xa lithe lafika ilixa, nizikhumbule ukuba mna ndandinixelele.” Yohane 15:20, 21; 16:2, 4.IZ 79.1

UThixo wamazulu, uMlawuli oligorha wezulu lonke nomhlaba wonke, wawuthabathela kwezaKhe izandla umcimbi wokuvalelwa entolongweni kwabafundi, kuba abantu babesilwanomsebenziwaKhe. Ngobusuku isithunywa sikaYehova sazivula iingcango zentolongo sathi kubafundi, “Hambani, niye kuma nithethe etempileni kubo abantu onke amazwi obu bomi.” Lo myalelo wawuchasene mpela nowawunikwe ziinkokeli zamaYuda; kodwa, ingaba abapostile bathi, asinakukwenza oku singathanga kuqala sihlangane noomantyi sifumane imvume kubo? Hayi; uThixo wayethe, “Hambani!” bathobela. “Bangena kwangesifingo etempileni, bafundisa.”IZ 79.2

Bakuba uPetros noYohane bevelile phambi kwamakholwa, bayinika ingxelo yendlela ingelosi ebakhokele ngayo ukuphuma phakathi kwebutho lamadindala awayejonge intolongo, yabathuma ukuba baqale kwakhona umsebenzi owawuphazanyisiwe, abazalwana bazaliswa kukumangaliswa naluvuyo.IZ 80.1

Ngelo xesha, umbingeleli omkhulu, ekunye nabo, “wayibizela ndawonye intlanganiso yamatyala, nawo onke amadoda amakhulu akoonyana bakaIsrayeli.” Ababingeleli nabalawuli babegqibe kwelokuba abafundi babamangalele ngokuvukela, bababeke ityala ngokubulala uHananiya noSafira, kunye nokuceba ukuhlutha ababingeleli igunya labo. Babethembe ukuba baya kudala umsindo kwisihlwele ukuze siwuthabathele kuso lo mcimbi sisebenzane nabafundi njengoko senzayo kuYesu. Babeqonda ukuba baninzi abangazamkelanga iimfundiso zikaKristu kanti babekwadiniwe nalulawulo olugwenxa lwamagunya obuYuda ngenxa yaloo nto benxubele ukuba kubekho utshintsho. Ababingeleli babesoyika hleze aba bangonelisekanga bangazamkela iinyaniso ezivakaliswa ngabapostile, baze bamamkele uYesu njengoMesiya,umsindowabantubonke uya kunyuka ngakwiinkokeli zenkolo, zezenziwe ziphendule ngokubulala uKristu. Bagqiba ukuba bathabathe amanyathelo aqatha ukunqanda ukwenzeka kwale nto.IZ 80.2

Bathi bakuthumela ukuba kubizwe amabanjwa eze phambi kwabo, bafumana umnqa omkhulu lilizwi elabuya lisithi iingcango zentolongo zifunyenwe ziqiniswe ngokupheleleyo nomlindi emi phambi kwazo, kodwa amabanjwa kungekho apho anokufunyanwa khona.IZ 81.1

Kungekudala, kwafika ingxelo emangalisayo, “Yabonani, amadoda lawa beniwafake entolongweni, nangaya etempileni, emi efundisa abantu. Wesuka umphathi enamadindala, wabazisa kungangamandla; kuba babesoyika abantu, hleze baxulutywe ngamatye.”IZ 81.2

Nangona abapostile babehlangulwe ngomlingo entolongweni, babengakhuselekanga ekuxoxisweni nasekugwetyweni. UKristu wayethe kubo esekunye nabo, “Zilumkeleni ke okwenu; kuba baya kuninikela ezintlanganisweni zamatyala.” Marko 13:9. Ngokuthumela ingelosi ukuba ibahlangule, uThixo wayebanike umqondiso wothando lwaKhe nesiqinisekiso sobukho baKhe. Kwakusele kubo ngoku ukuba baphatheke kakubi ngenxa yaLowo babeshumayela igospile yaKhe.IZ 81.3

Kwimbali yabaprofeti nabapostile, mininzi imizekelo ebekekileyo yokunyaniseka kuThixo. Amangqina kaKristu anyamezela ukuvalelwa entolongweni, ukuthuthunjiswa, nokufa ngokwako, endaweni yokuba bophule imiyalelo kaThixo. Umda owashiywa nguPetros noYohane ngowobukroti njengawo nawuphi na kwithuba levangeli. Xa babemi okwesibini phambi kwamadoda awayezimisele ukubatshabalalisa, kwakungekho koyika nakuthandabuza emazwini nasemoyeni wabo. Wathiakuthiumbingeleli omkhulu, “besinganithethelanga na kunene ngelithi, maningafundisi ngeli gama? Niyabona, niyizalisile iYerusalem ngemfundiso yenu; nifuna ukulizisa phezu kwethu igazi lalo mntu,” waphendula uPetros wathi, “Simelwe kukuthi sive uThixo kunokuba sive abantu.” Yingelosi eyayiphuma ezulwini eyabahlangulayo entolongweni yaza yabayalela ukuba bafundise etempileni. Ekulandeleni umyalelo wayo, babethobela umyalelo wezulu, kwaye kufuneka baqhubeke bekwenza oku nokuba imeko seyinjani.IZ 81.4

Ngelo xesha uMoya weMpefumlelo wafika phezu kwabafundi; abamangalelwa bajika baba ngabamangali, bebeka ityala phezu kwabo babe ngamalungu equmrhu. “UThixo woobawo bethu wamvusa uYesu,” watsho uPetros, “enambulalayo nina ngokumxhoma emthini. Yena lowo uThixo wamphakamisa ngesandla sakhe sokunene, wanguMthetheli noMsindisi, ukuze amnike UIsrayeli inguquko noxolelo lwezono. Saye singamangqina akhe ezo ndawo thina, kwanoMoya Oyingcwele, awamnika abo bamvayo yena uThixo.”IZ 82.1

Abanomsindo omkhulu kakhulu amaYuda ngala mazwi ada afuna ukuthabathela umthetho ezandleni zawo, aza athi, bengaphindanga baziswa ematyaleni, okanye, ngaphandle kwegunya lwabaphathi bamaRoma, agqiba kwelokuba abulawe amabanjwa. Nangona ayenetyala ngegazi likaKristu, ngoku afuna ukuzingcolisa izandla zawo ngegazi labafundi baKhe.IZ 82.2

Kwaye kukho equmrhwini indoda eyalihloniphayo ilizwi likaThixo ngentshumayelo eyayisenziwa ngabafundi. Lo yayinguGamaliyeli, umFarisi onegama elihle, eyindoda efundileyo enesikhundla esiphezulu. Ngobuchopho bakhe obukrelekrele walibona inyathelo elindlongondlongo elalicetywa ngababingeleli ukuba laliya kukhokelela kwiziphumo ezibi. Phambi kokuba athethe kwabo bakhoyo, wacela ukuba asuswe amabanjwa. Wayewazi kakuhle umcimbi awayeza kuthetha ngawo; wayesazi nokuba ababulali bakaKristu akukho nto inokubanqanda ekufezekiseni injongo yabo.IZ 82.3

Wenza intetho ebalulekileyo ngobuchule nokuzola, esithi: “Madoda, maIsrayeli, zilumkeleni ngento eniza kuzenza kwaba bantu. Kuba ngaphambi kwale mihla, kwesuka uTuda, esithi yena ngokwakhe unguthile; ekwanamathela kuye inani lamadoda angathi amakhulu mane; ngowasikwayo lowo; bathi bonke ababemthambele babhangazeka, ababa nto. Emva kwalowo kwesuka uYuda welaseGalili, ngemihla yobhalo lomlibo wokuzalwa, wakhukulisa abantu banela; naye lowo watshabalala; baza bonke ababemthambele bachithachithwa. Kungoku ke ndithi kuni, Khwelelani kwaba bantu nibayeke; ngokuba eli cebo, nalo msebenzi, ukuba lingaba lelabantu, lotshitsha: ukuba lelikaThixo, aninakulitshitshisa; hleze nifunyanwe ningabalwa kwanoThixo.”IZ 83.1

Ababingeleli babona ukuba ziyavakala ezi mbono, banyanzeleka ukuba bavumelane noGamaliyeli. Kwaba nzima ukulilawula ikratshi labo nentiyo yabo. Bathi, betshitshiliza, emva kokubabetha abafundi nokubabeka ityala okubeka ubomi babo emngciphekweni, babayala ukuba bangabuye bashumayele kwakhona egameni likaYesu, baza babakhulula. “Bemka ke ngoko bona ebusweni bentlanganiso yamatyala, bevuya, ngokuba kuthiwe bakufanele ukuhlaziswa ngenxa yegama lakhe. Kananjalo imihla yonke etempileni, nasemakhaya, babengayeki ukufundisa nokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zokuba uYesu unguye uKristu.”IZ 83.2

Kufutshane nje phambi kokubethelelwa kwaKhe, uKristu wabashiyela ilifa loxolo abafundi baKhe. “Ndishiya uxolo kuni, andininiki njengokunika kwehlabathi. Mayingakhathazeki intliziyo yenu, mayingabi nabugwala.” Yohane 14:27. Olu xolo asilulo uxolo olubakho ngokuvumelana nehlabathi. UKristu akazange athenge uxolo ngokuhambisana nobubi. Uxolo awalushiyela abafundi baKhe uKristu lungaphakathi kungekuko ngaphandle, lwaye lwaluya kuhlala namangqina aKhe ngonaphakade, kwiimbambano nasezingxabanweni.IZ 84.1

UKristu wathi, ethetha ngaYe, “Ningabi ndize kungenisa uxolo emhlabeni; andize kungenisa luxolo, ndize kungenisa ikrele.” Mateyu 10:34. ITshawe loXolo, kanti lizise iyantlukwano. Lowo weza kuvakalisa indaba zovuyo nokudala ithemba novuyo ezintliziyweni zabantwana babantu, wavula imbambano etshisa emazantsi, inyuse ukufutheka entliziyweni yomntu. Ke ngoku, ulumkisa abalandeli baKhe ngelithi, “Ehlabathini niya kuba nembandezelo. “Baya kunisa izandla, banitshutshise, beninikela ezindlwini zesikhungu nasezintolongweni, nisiwe phambi kookumkani neerhuluneli ngenxa yegama lam.” “Ke kaloku niya kunikelwa ngabazali nangabazalwana, nayimizalwane, nazizihlobo, kubekho nabababulalayo kuni; nithiywe ngabantu bonke ngenxa yegama lam.” Yohane 16:33; Luka 21:12, 16.IZ 84.2

Esi siprofeto sazaliseka ngendlela eyodwa. Konke ukungahlonitshwa, ukugculelwa, nenkohlakalo uSathana awayenokuvuselela iintliziyo zabantu ukuba ziyenze, konke kwafikelela kubalandeli bakaYesu. Siza kuphinda kwakhona sizaliseke ngendlela efanayo; kuba intliziyo yenyama isenobutshaba nomthetho kaThixo, yaye ayiyilulameli imiyalelo yawo. Ilizwe alikho ngaphezulu ngokuhambelana nemithetho kaThixo kunokuba lalinjalo ngemihla yabapostile. La ntiyo yayikho eyenza ukuba kukhwazwe kuthiwe, “Mbethelele! mbethelele!” ikwa yiloo ntiyo eyakhokelela ekutshutshisweni kwabapostile, isasebenza kubantwana bokungathobeli. Kwawona la moya wathi, ngexesha leeNkulungwane zoBumnyama, wenza ukuba kuvalelwe amadoda nabafazi entolongweni, ukubathumela elubhacweni, nasekufeni, owaqulunqa intshutshiso yokutshiswa kwabantu behleli, owaceba wabulala abantu okwabizwa ngokuba yi“Massacre of St Bartholommew,” nowaphemba imililo eSmithfield, usasebenza nangoku ngamandla enkohlakalo kwiintliziyo ezingahlaziyekanga. Imbali yenyaniso ihleli ilibali lemfazwe phakathi kokulungileyo nokubi. Ukuvakaliswa kwegospile kusoloko kuqhutyelwa phambili kweli lizwe kujongenwe nenkcaso, nengozi, nelahleko, nokuphatheka kakubi.IZ 84.3

Ayeyintoni amandla abo bathi kwixesha eladlulayo batshutshiswa ngenxa kaKristu? Yayibubunye noThixo, ubunye noMoya Oyingcwele, ubunye noKristu. Ukungcikivwa nokutshutshiswa kwabahlula abaninzi babo nabahlobo, kodwa akuzange kubahlule kuthando lukaKristu. Akazange athandwe ngaphezulu nguMsindisi wakhe lowo ubhudlwa ziinkqwithela kunaxa ephatheke kakubi ngokugculelwa ngenxa yenyaniso. “Nam ndiya kumthanda,” watsho uKristu, “ndizibonakalalise kuye.” Yohane 14:21. Xa ikholwa lithe, ngenxa yenyaniso, lema emkhumbini weenkundla zasemhlabeni, uKristu uma ecaleni kwalo. Xa livalelwe phakathi kweendonga zentolongo, uzibonakalisa kuye amkhuthaze entliziyweni ngothando lwaKhe. Xa esifa ngenxa kaKristu, uthi uMsindisi kuye, Bangawubulala umzimba, kodwa abanakhoukuwubulalaumphefumlo. “Yomelelani, mna ndiloyisileihlabathi.”IZ 85.1

“Musa ukoyika, kuba ndinawe mna; musa ukubhekabheka, kuba ndinguThixo wakho; ndikukhaliphisile, ewe, ndikuncedile, ndikuxhasile ngesandla sam sokunene sobulungisa bam.” Yohane 16:33; Isaya 41:10.IZ 86.1

“Abo bakholosa ngoYehova, banjengentaba yaseZiyon: ayishukumi, ihleli ngonaphakade. IYerusalem ijikelezwe ziintaba; ke uYehova ubajikelezile naye abantu bakhe kususela ngoku kude kuse ephakadeni.” “Akhulule imiphefumlo yawo ekuxinezelweni nasekugonyamelweni: linqabile emehlweni akhe igazi lawo.” Indumiso 125:1, 2; 72:14.IZ 86.2

“UYehova wemikhosi uya kuba khusela; . . . Wobasindisa abantu bakhe uYehova uThixo wabo ngaloo mini njengomhlambi; ngokuba bengamatye esithsaba, abengezela emhlabeni wakhe.” Zekariya 9:15, 16.IZ 86.3