Yebo, iBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi indlela abantu abacabanga nabenza ngayo yayiyoba yimbi nakakhulu esikhathini sethu. Laveza ukuthi lokho kushintsha kwabantu kwakuyoholela ekwehlulekeni ukuziphatha kahle osekudlange kakhulu nasekutheni abantu bangaphilisani kahle. a (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Kodwa iBhayibheli labikezela nokuthi abanye babengeke baziphathe ngaleyo ndlela. Kunalokho, ngosizo lukaNkulunkulu, babeyosebenza kanzima ukuze banqobe amathonya amabi, bacabange futhi benze ngokuvumelana nentando kaNkulunkulu.—Isaya 2:2, 3.

Kulesi sihloko

•  Yini eyabikezelwa iBhayibheli mayelana nokucabanga kanye nezenzo zabantu namuhla?

•  Abantu abanobugovu bayoba naliphi ithonya kwabanye?

•  Kungani abantu beshintsha benze izinto ezimbi kakhulu?

•  Yini okufanele siyenze lapho sibona abantu beshintsha?

•  Ingabe wonke umuntu uzoshintsha enze izinto ezimbi?

•  Ingabe wonke umphakathi wabantu uyogcina uwohloke ngokuphelele?

 IBhayibheli likhuluma ngemikhuba emibi kanye nezenzo ezaziyoba into evamile, okwakuyobangelwa ubugovu. Abantu babeyoba “abangakwazi ukuzithiba,” “abazithandayo,” “abathanda injabulo kunokuba bathande uNkulunkulu.”—2 Thimothewu 3:2-4.

 Njengoba kuprofethiwe, abantu namuhla ngokuvamile bazicabangela bona bodwa, bagxila ezintweni ezithandwa yibo, bangamagovu, bagxila ezintweni abafuna ukuzifeza, njalo njalo. Le mikhuba isithe chithi saka ngezinga lokuthi sekunabantu ababizwa ngesizukulwane esinobugovu. Abantu abaningi bazithanda baze bangabi “nalo uthando lokuhle,” abakwazi ukuthanda izimfanelo ezinhle. Ngenxa yokuthi ababongi, abasiboni isidingo sokubonisa ukwazisa ngalokho abanakho noma ngalokho abanye ababenzela khona.—2 Thimothewu 3:2, 3.

 Ubugovu buyimbangela yezinye izimfanelo eziwuphawu lwenkathi esiphila kuyo:

•   Umona. Abantu “abathanda imali” bathe chithi saka—bavame ukukala impumelelo yabo ngemali abanayo noma ngezinto abanazo.—2 Thimothewu 3:2.

•   Ukuqhosha. Baningi abantu “abaqhoshayo, abazazisayo,” kanye ‘nabakhukhumele.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:2, 4) Bayachoma, babe nehaba ngamakhono abanawo, ubuntu noma umcebo.

•   Ukunyundela. “Abahlambalazi” ‘nabanyundeli’ sebebaningi kakhulu. (2 Thimothewu 3:2, 3) La magama angabhekisela kubantu abahlambalaza abanye noma uNkulunkulu noma abaqamba amanga ngabo.

•   Inkani. Baningi abantu “abangathembekile,” “abangafuni sivumelwano,” “abakhapheli,” ‘nabanenkani.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:2-4) Lezi zimfanelo bazibonisa ngokwenqaba ukuxoxisana nabanye, ukubambisana nabo ukuze kutholakale isixazululo, noma ukuhlonipha izivumelwano abazenzile.

•   Udlame. Namuhla baningi abantu “abanolaka,” ababhodl’ umlilo, okuyinto evame ukuholela ezenzweni ezinonya noma udlame.—2 Thimothewu 3:3.

•   Ukwephulwa komthetho. UJesu wabikezela ukwanda “kokwephulwa komthetho” osukwini lwethu. (Mathewu 24:12) Wabikezela nokuthi kuyoba “neziyaluyalu” ezithe chithi saka.—Luka 21:9.

•   Ukungawuthandi umndeni. Ngenxa yokwanda kwabantu “abangalaleli abazali” nalabo “abangenalo uthando [lomndeni]” isiminingi kakhulu imindeni enabantu abanganakwa, abahlukunyezwayo nabashaywayo.—2 Thimothewu 3:2, 3.

•   Ubuzenzisi emasontweni. Liyanda kakhulu inani labantu “ababonakala bezinikele kuNkulunkulu.” (2 Thimothewu 3:5) Kunokuba bazithobe benze intando kaNkulunkulu, labo bantu balandela abaholi bamasonto ababatshela izinto abafuna ukuzizwa.—2 Thimothewu 4:3, 4.

 Ukudlondlobala kobugovu kubangele ukwanda kwezinkinga zengqondo noma zomzwelo. (UmShumayeli 7:7) Ngokwesibonelo, abanye abathanda imali bayabaxhaphaza abanye. Abantu abangenalo uthando bangase bahlukumeze amalungu omndeni, okungenza lawo malungu omndeni acindezeleke noma acabange ukuzibulala. Wonke umuntu ohlukumezayo noma ongathembekile ushiya izibazi ezingokomzwelo kubantu abahlukumezile noma angathembekanga kubo.

 IBhayibheli lisitshela ngezizathu eziyinhloko ezenza abantu bashintshe:

•   Uthando lweqiniso ngoNkulunkulu nangomakhelwane luyancipha. (Mathewu 24:12) Njengoba luncipha, kwanda ubugovu.

•   USathane uDeveli waxoshwa ezulwini waphonswa emhlabeni. (IsAmbulo 12:9, 12) Selokhu kwenzeka lokho, uye wathonya abantu emhlabeni ukuba babe nobugovu obukhulu.—1 Johane 5:19.

 IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “Hlukana nalabo bantu.” (2 Thimothewu 3:5, Easy-to-Read Version) Lokho akusho ukuthi kufanele sibe onkom’ idla yodwa. Kunalokho, akufanele senze abantu abanobugovu nabangaphili ngemithetho kaNkulunkulu babe abangani bethu abakhulu.—Jakobe 4:4.

 Cha. IBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi abanye bayoba abantu “ababubulayo nabaqumayo ngenxa yazo zonke izinto ezinengekayo [ezenzekayo].” (Hezekeli 9:4) Babengeke bavume ukuba nobugovu futhi ukuphila kwabo kwakuyoqondiswa imithetho kaNkulunkulu. Kwakuyoba sobala kwabanye abantu ukuthi indlela abakhuluma nabenza ngayo ihlukile. (Malaki 3:16, 18) Ngokwesibonelo, babeyozama ukuba nokuthula nawo wonke umuntu futhi babengeke bavume ukulwa izimpi nokuba nodlame.—Mika 4:3.

 Cha. Umphakathi wabantu ngeke uwohloke ngokuphelele. Kunalokho, ngokushesha uNkulunkulu uyosusa abantu abaqhubeka nokwephula imithetho yakhe. (IHubo 37:38) Uyokwakha ‘umhlaba omusha’—umphakathi omusha wabantu khona lapha emhlabeni esikuwo—abantu abamnene abayohlala kuwo ngokuthula kuze kube phakade. (2 Petru 3:13; IHubo 37:11, 29) Leli themba alilona iphupho nje. Ngisho kwamanje, iBhayibheli lisiza abantu ukuba bashintshe ukuphila kwabo kuvumelane nezindlela zikaNkulunkulu ezilungile.—Efesu 4:23, 24.