1, 2. Kungani uPhawuli walobela amaKhristu angamaHebheru?

KWAKUNGUMNYAKA ka-61 C.E. ^[1] AmaKhristu ayeselizweni lako-Israyeli ayephakathi komhlane lembeleko ngoba kwakulokuthula kuleyondawo. Umphostoli uPhawuli yena wayesejele njalo wayelethemba lokuthi uzakhululwa masinyane. Umngane wakhe uThimothi wayesanda kukhululwa ejele futhi babehlela ukuvakatshela abafowabo abangamaKhristu ababeseJudiya. (Heb. 13:23) Kodwa kwasekusele iminyaka emihlanu kuphela ukuthi iJerusalema ‘ihonqolozelwe yizimpi’ njengoba uJesu wayephrofethile. AmaKhristu ayeseJudiya lalawo ayeseJerusalema kwasekumele alalele isixwayiso sikaJesu ngokuphangisa, angaze alalisa inkophe. Wayebaxwayise ukuthi babaleke nxa bebona izibonakaliso lezi ziqalisa ukwenzakala.​—Luk. 21:20-24.

² Kwasekwedlule iminyaka engu-28 uJesu ekhulume isiphrofetho lesi, okweminyaka yonke le amaKhristu ayehlala kulelolizwe ayekubekezelele ukuphikiswa lokuhlukuluzwa. (Heb. 10:32-34) Lanxa kunjalo uPhawuli wayekwazi ukuthi babesazokwehlelwa yibunzima obukhulu obabuzaxegisa ukholo lwabo. (Mat. 24:20, 21; Heb. 12:4) Wayefuna ukuthi bahlale belungele loba yini  eyayingabehlela. Kwakumele babekezele njalo babe lokholo oluqinileyo olwaluzabenza basinde. (Bala uHebheru 10:36-39.) Yikho-ke uPhawuli ekhokhelwa ngumoya ongcwele kaJehova walobela abazalwane laba incwadi eyayizabanceda kakhulu. Lamuhla incwadi leyo ibizwa kuthiwa ngamaHebheru.

3. Kungani kumele sicabangisise ngencwadi yamaHebheru?

³ Lathi lamuhla kumele sicabangisise ngalokho uPhawuli akubhalela amaKhristu angamaHebheru. Ngenxa yani? Ngoba lakithi kwenzakala izinto ezifanana lalezo ezazisenzakala kudala. Izikhathi esesiphila kuzo ‘zinzima’ njalo abantu bakaJehova bayaphikiswa futhi bayahlukuluzwa ngezindlela ezitshiyeneyo. (2 Tim. 3:1, 12) Kodwa sizimisele ukuhlala silokholo oluqinileyo ngoba sizinikele kuJehova. Inengi lethu lisezindaweni ezilokuthula futhi akwandanga ukuthi sihlukuluzwe. Lanxa kunjalo, akumelanga lisiphunyuke iqiniso leli eliqakathekileyo lokuthi sekuseduze ukuthi kufike izimo ezinzima ezingaxegisa ukholo lwethu.​—Bala uLukha 21:34-36.

4. Uthini umbhalo womnyaka ka-2016, njalo kungani ufanele?

⁴ Kuyini okuzasinceda ukuthi silungiselele izimo ezinzima ezizakubakhona? Encwadini yamaHebheru uPhawuli uqamba izinto ezinengi ezingasinceda ukuthi siqinise ukholo lwethu. Okunye okuqakathekileyo akuqambayo kusesahlukweni sokucina, evesini yokuqala. Ivesi le yiyo ekhethwe ukuthi ibe ngumbhalo womnyaka ka-2016. Ithi: “Qhubekani lithandana njengabazalwane.”​—Heb. 13:1.

5. Kutshoni ukuthandana njengabazalwane?

⁵ Kutshoni ukuthandana njengabazalwane? Ibala lesiGiriki elasetshenziswa nguPhawuli elithi phi·la·del·phiʹa litsho “ukuthanda umzalwane.” Ukuthanda umzalwane kugoqela ukuba lobuhlobo obuqinileyo laye futhi obuseduze. Kufanana lendlela umuntu angathanda ngayo umngane wakhe kumbe umuntu azalwa laye. (Joh. 11:36) Thina kasenzi angathi singabafowethu labodadewethu, sivele siyibo sibili. (Mat. 23:8) Indlela esizizwa ngayo ngabazalwane bethu ivezwa kuhle emazwini la athi: “Zimiseleni omunye komunye ngothando lobuzalwane. Hloniphanani okudlula ukuzihlonipha kwenu.” (Rom. 12:10) Nxa uthando lobuzalwane lungahlanganiswa le-a·gaʹpe, kuba lokumanyana ebantwini bakaNkulunkulu.

6. Ukuthanda abazalwane kutshoni kumaKhristu eqiniso?

⁶ Esinye isifundiswa sithi: “‘Uthando lobuzalwane,’ libala elingajayekelanga ikakhulu emabhukwini angasiwo esiKhristu.” AmaJuda akudala ayelisebenzisa ibala elithi ‘mzalwane’ lakulabo ababengasizihlobo zawo kodwa bengamaJuda. Ayengalisebenzisi ibala leli ebantwini beZizwe. Kodwa-ke amaKhristu eqiniso wona ayathandana, awakhethi ukuthi umuntu udabuka ngaphi. (Rom. 10:12) Angabazalwane komunye lomunye ngoba afundiswe nguJehova ukuthi athandane. (1 Thes. 4:9) Kodwa kungani kuqakathekile ukuthi siqhubeke sithanda abazalwane?

7. Yiziphi izizathu eziqakathekileyo ezenza sithande abazalwane?

⁷ Impendulo elula yikuthi uJehova ufuna sithande abazalwane. Asingeke sithi siyamthanda uNkulunkulu thina singabathandi abazalwane. (1 Joh. 4:7, 20, 21) Phela iseko elilodwa alihlalwa mbiza, siyabadinga sibili abanye. Lokhu kuliqiniso ikakhulu ngezikhathi zobunzima. UPhawuli wayekwazi ukuthi amanye amaKhristu angamaHebheru kwakumele  atshiye izindlu zawo kanye lempahla yawo. UJesu wayevele etshilo ukuthi isikhathi leso sasizakuba nzima kakhulu. (Mak. 13:14-18; Luk. 21:21-23) Ngakho okwakuqakatheke kakhulu yikuthi amaKhristu aqinise indlela ayethandana ngayo.​—Rom. 12:9.

8. Kuyini okumele sikwenze khathesi kungakaqalisi ukuhlupheka okukhulu?

⁸ Sekuseduze ukuthi ukuhlupheka okukhulu okungakaze kube khona kufike! (Mak. 13:19; Isam. 7:1-3) Ngaleso sikhathi kuzaba kuhle ukuthi silalele iseluleko lesi: “Hambani bantu bami, ngenani ezindlini zenu, lizivalele phakathi; lizifihle okwesikhatshana. Ulaka lwakhe luze luphele.” (Isaya. 26:20) ‘Izindlu’ lezi zingatsho amabandla esingena kuwo. Kulapho esihlangana khona labafowethu labodadewethu ukuze sikhonze uJehova. Kodwa ukuhlala sihlangana labanye abazalwane ayisikho kodwa okumele sikwenze. UPhawuli wakhumbuza amaKhristu angamaHebheru ukuthi lapho ehlangana kumele akhuthazane “ethandweni lasezenzweni ezinhle.” (Heb. 10:24, 25) Khathesi yiso isikhathi sokuthi sifunde ukuthanda abazalwane bethu ngoba kuzasinceda nxa sesiphakathi kwaloba yibuphi ubunzima esizahlangana labo esikhathini esizayo.

9. (a) Kunini lapho okumele sitshengise khona uthando lobuzalwane? (b) Nika izibonelo ezitshengisa ukuthi abantu bakaJehova balothando lobuzalwane.

⁹ Kumele sibathande kakhulu abazalwane bethu khathesi kungakafiki ukuhlupheka okukhulu. Abazalwane bethu abanengi bahlaselwa yikuzamazama komhlaba, izikhukhula, iziphepho, loba ezinye izingozi zemvelo. Abanye bathwele amagabha avuzayo ngoba bayaphikiswa njalo bayahlukuluzwa. (Mat. 24:6-9) Okunye esihlangana lakho yibunzima bokuphila njengoba siphila emhlabeni lo omubi. (Isam. 6:5, 6) Kumele sitshengise ukuthi siyabathanda abazalwane njengoba izimo ziqhubeka zisiba nzima. Lanxa ‘uthando lwabanengi luphola’ thina kumele sitshengise ukuthi olwethu luzaqhubeka lukhona.​—Mat. 24:12. ^[2]

10. Sizaxoxa ngani khathesi?

¹⁰ Singaqhubeka njani sithandana njengabazalwane kungelani lokuthi sihlangana lezinhlupho ekuphileni? Yiziphi izindlela esingatshengisa ngazo ukuthi siyabathanda abazalwane? Ngemva kokutsho amazwi la athi “qhubekani lithandana njengabazalwane,” uPhawuli uqamba ezinye izindlela eziyisithupha amaKhristu angatshengisa ngazo ukuthi ayathandana. Ake sizihlole izindlela lezo.

11, 12. Kutshoni ukwamukela izihambi? (Khangela umfanekiso osekuqaliseni.)

¹¹ “Lingakhohlwa ukwamukela izihambi.” (Bala uHebheru 13:2.) Umutsho uPhawuli awusebenzisa lapha owahunyutshwa ngokuthi “ukwamukela izihambi” utsho “ukuba lomusa ebantwini ongabaziyo.” Umutsho lo usikhumbuza isibonelo sika-Abhrahama lesikaLothi. Amadoda la atshengisa umusa ebantwini ayengabazi. Izihambi lezo kwakuzingilosi. (Gen. 18:2-5; 19:1-3) UPhawuli uthinta izibonelo lezi ukuze akhuthaze amaKhristu angamaHebheru ukuthi amukele izihambi ukuze atshengise ukuthi ayabathanda abazalwane.

¹² Thina siyabanxusa yini abanye emizini yethu ukuthi sizokudla labo kumbe ukuthi sizokwejisa labo ukuze sikhuthazane? Akudingi ukuthi siqanse amaqaqa sidinga izinto ezidulayo ukuze sinxuse abantu emizini yethu njalo asifuni ukunxusa abantu sisenzela ukuthi labo basinxuse kusasa. (Luk. 10:42; 14:12-14)  Inhloso yethu nxa sinxusa abanye ngeyokuthi sikhuthazane hatshi ukuthi basibuke! Sihlala sikulungele yini ukwamukela umbonisi wesiqinti lomkakhe emizini yethu lanxa singamjayelanga? (3 Joh. 5-8) Lanxa sihlala silokunengi kokwenza njalo silezinhlupho zansuku zonke, kuqakathekile ukuthi ‘singakhohlwa ukwamukela izihambi’!

13, 14. Singakwenza njani ukuhlala ‘sikhumbula abasentolongweni’?

¹³ “Khumbulani abasentolongweni.” (Bala uHebheru 13:3.) UPhawuli wayengakhulumi ngazo zonke izibotshwa kodwa wayekhuluma ngabazalwane ababebotshelwe ukholo lwabo. UPhawuli laye wayesejele okweminyaka emine ngesikhathi ebhalela amaKhristu angamaHebheru. (Flp. 1:12-14) Wabancoma abazalwane labo ngokuba “lozwelo kulabo ababesentolongweni.” (Heb. 10:34) Abanye abazalwane ababeseduze loPhawuli babemncedisa ngesikhathi esejele, kodwa amaKhristu la angamaHebheru wona ayekhatshana lalapho uPhawuli ayekhona. Pho ayengamtshengisa njani uzwelo? Ngokuhlala emkhulekela.​—Heb. 13:18, 19.

¹⁴ Lalamuhla kungenzakala ukuthi sikhatshana labazalwane bethu abasemajele. Lokhu kwenza singenelisi ukubancedisa njengaboFakazi abahlala eduze lamajele lawo. Kodwa nxa singahlala sinakana ngabo njalo sibathandazele, siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi siyabazwela njalo siyabathanda kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, sihlala sibakhumbula yini abafowethu labodadewethu abanengi kanye labantwana abasejele e-Eritrea? Abanye babo nguPaulos Eyassu, u-Isaac Mogos, kanye loNegede Teklemariam asebeleminyaka edlula 20 bebotshiwe.

15. Singatshengisa njani ukuthi siyawuhlonipha umtshado?

¹⁵ “Ukuthathana kumele kuhlonitshwe ngumuntu wonke.” (Bala uHebheru 13:4.) Singatshengisa lokuthi siyabathanda abazalwane ngokuziphatha kuhle ngaso sonke isikhathi. (1 Tim. 5:1, 2) Nxa umuntu ‘angonela umzalwane wakhe kumbe amzuzele khonapho’ ngokufeba laye loba ngokufeba lelinye ilunga lemuli yakhe, lowomuntu uyabe esenza ukuthi angasathenjwa futhi angasathandwa. (1 Thes. 4:3-8) Kanti njalo inkosikazi ingaphatheka kubi kakhulu futhi ingasamthembi umkayo nxa ingathola ukuthi ubukela iphonogirafi. Indoda enjalo iyabe itshengisa ukuthi iyamthanda yini umkayo kumbe ukuthi iyawuhlonipha yini umtshado wabo?​—Mat. 5:28.

16. Ukusuthiseka kusinceda njani ukuthi sitshengise ukuthi siyabathanda abazalwane?

¹⁶ “Lisuthiseke ngalokho elilakho.” (Bala uHebheru 13:5.) Nxa sisuthiseka ngalokho esilakho siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi siyamethemba kakhulu uJehova. Ukusuthiseka okunjalo kwenza singathandi inotho. (1 Tim. 6:6-8) Kwenza sikubone ukuthi ubuhlobo bethu loJehova kanye labazalwane bethu yibo obuqakatheke kakhulu ukwedlula loba yini esingaba layo. Umuntu osuthiseka ngalokho alakho kasoli, kakhononi loba adinge amaphutha kwabanye; kavumeli ukubuswa ngumhawu loba ubuhwaba ngoba uyakwazi ukuthi lokhu kungatshengisa ukuthi kabathandi abazalwane. Kodwa uyaphana ngoba uyasuthiseka ngalokho alakho.​—1 Tim. 6:17-19.

17. Ukuba ‘lethemba’ kusinceda njani ukuthi sitshengise ukuthi siyabathanda abazalwane?

¹⁷ “Siyatsho ngethemba.” (Bala uHebheru 13:6.) Ukuthembela kwethu kuJehova kwenza silindele ikusasa ngesibindi kungelani lokuthi sihlangana laziphi izinhlupho. Isibindi sona senza ukuthi singakhalali kumnyama kubomvu. Nxa sibathanda abazalwane njalo silesibindi kuzakuba lula ukuthi sibakhuthaze  njalo sibaduduze. (1 Thes. 5:14, 15) Lanxa abantu bomhlaba lo bezabe bethwele qatha ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka okukhulu, thina sizakwenelisa ‘ukuma siqine, siphakamise amakhanda ethu’ ngokuba siyabe sikwazi ukuthi ukuhlengwa kwethu sekusondele.​—Luk. 21:25-28.

18. Singatshengisa njani ukuthi siyabathanda abadala abasebandleni?

¹⁸ “Khumbulani abakhokheli benu.” (Bala uHebheru 13:7, 17.) Nxa sicabanga ngomsebenzi abadala abasenzela wona mahala, sisuka sibathande ngamandla njalo sibaqakathekise. Asifuni ukuthi bawenze umsebenzi wabo bengajabuli kumbe bekhonona ngenxa yalokho esikwenzayo. Kodwa sifuna ukubalalela futhi sizehlise kubo ngoba singenza njalo siyabe ‘sibahlonipha kakhulu ngothando ngenxa yomsebenzi wabo.’​—1 Thes. 5:13.

19, 20. Singaqhubeka njani sitshengisa ukuthi siyathandana kakhulu?

¹⁹ Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi abantu bakaJehova baziwa ngokuthi bayathandana. UPhawuli wakuvuma lokhu kudala. Kodwa wakhuthaza bonke ukuthi “benze njalo kokuphela.” (1 Thes. 4:9, 10) Kumele siqhubeke sithuthuka sibili endabeni le!

²⁰ Njengoba siqhubeka sibona umbhalo wethu walonyaka, kasicabangisiseni ngemibuzo le: Ngingemukela izihambi yini? Ngingabakhumbula njani abazalwane abasemajele? Ngiyawuhlonipha yini umtshado? Kuyini okuzanginceda ukuthi ngisuthiseke? Ngingatshengisa njani ukuthi ngithembele kuJehova? Ngingatshengisa njani ukuthi ngiyabalalela abakhokhelayo? Singakusebenzisa okutshiwo yimibuzo le, umbhalo wethu womnyaka kawusoze ube ngowokucecisa umduli weWolu yoMbuso. Kodwa uzasenza sikhumbule ukulalela iseluleko lesi esithi: “Qhubekani lithandana njengabazalwane.”​—Heb. 13:1.