NJENGOBE leligama lelitsi “umphikikhristu” belisolo lisetjentiswa kuze kwetsiwe tintfo letinyenti letifaka ekhatsi imibuso kanye nabobhayisikobho, ngako-ke kuvamile kutsi sitibute: Ungubani umphikikhristu? Iyasitsintsa yini tsine lendzaba lamuhla? Kuyacaca kutsi indzawo yekucala lokufanele sihlole khona kutsi ungubani umphikikhristu kuseBhayibhelini, lapho leligama livela khona tikhatsi letisihlanu.

Umphotsoli Johane nguye kuphela umbhali weliBhayibheli lowasebentisa leligama lelitsi “umphikikhristu.” Wamchaza njani umphikikhristu? Asewunake nankha emavi lasencwadzini yekucala lebitwa ngelibito lakhe: “Bantfwana, lesi sesikhatsi sekugcina, futsi njengobe nivile kutsi umphikikhristu uyeta, nanyalo sebanyenti baphikikhristu labavelile; ngenca yaloko siyati kutsi lesi sesikhatsi sekugcina. Basukile kitsi, kodvwa bebangasikanye natsi . . . Ngubani longumcambimanga, ngaphandle kwaloyo lophika kutsi Jesu unguKhristu? Lona nguye umphikikhristu, loyo lophika Babe kanye neNdvodzana.”​—1 Johane 2:18, 19, 22.

Yini lesiyifundza kulawo mavi? Johane washo kutsi “sebanyenti baphikikhristu,” lokuveta kutsi umphikikhristu akusiye umuntfu munye, kodvwa licembu lebantfu. Bantfu noma tinhlangano letibaphikikhristu tisakata emanga, tiphika nekutsi Jesu unguKhristu nobe Mesiya, futsi tetama kuphambatisa buhlobo lobukhona emkhatsini waNkulunkulu kanye neNdvodzana yakhe lenguJesu Khristu. Labo lababaphikikhristu batsi bona banguKhristu nobe babameleli bakhe, kodvwa njengobe “basukile kitsi,” bakhweshile etimfundzisweni teliBhayibheli letiliciniso. Ngetulu kwaloko, lelicembu belikhona ngesikhatsi Johane abhala incwadzi yakhe ‘ngesikhatsi sekugcina,’ lokusho sikhatsi sekuphela kwebaphostoli.

Yini lenye Johane layibhala mayelana nemphikikhristu? Nakakhuluma ngebaphrofethi bemanga, wecwayisa watsi: “Onkhe emavi laphefumulelwe lavuma kutsi Jesu Khristu weta enyameni, avela kuNkulunkulu. Kodvwa onkhe emavi laphefumulelwe langamvumi Jesu akaveli kuNkulunkulu. Ngetulu kwaloko, lawa ngemavi emphikikhristu, loyo leneva kutsi uyeta, nalosavele akhona eveni.” (1 Johane 4:2, 3) Encwadzini yakhe yesibili, Johane waliphindza leliphuzu: “Sebanyenti bakhohlisi eveni, lokubantfu labangavumi kutsi Jesu Khristu weta asenyameni. Laba-ke ngibo labangumkhohlisi nemphikikhristu.” (2 Johane 7) Kuyacaca kutsi Johane abecondza kutsi umphikikhristu ngibo bonkhe labawasakata ngenhloso emanga lamayelana naJesu Khristu netimfundziso takhe.

Kusesele sikhatsi lesidze kutsi Johane abhale ngalabakhohlisi benkholo, Jesu Khristu abecwayise balandzeli bakhe watsi: “Caphelani baphrofethi bemanga  labeta kini bente shengatsi batimvu kantsi ngekhatsi babukhali njengetimphisi.” (Matewu 7:15) Nemphotsoli Pawula naye wecwayisa emaKhristu aseThesalonika watsi: “Akubete umuntfu lonidukisako nganobe nguyiphi indlela, ngobe lelo langa [laJehova] ngeke lifike kungakefiki kucala kuhlubuka futsi kwembulwe umuntfu lomubi, indvodzana yekubhujiswa.”​—2 Thesalonika 2:3.

Kodvwa ngelikhulu lekucala baphrofethi bemanga netihlubuki besebavele bacalile kudukisa libandla lebuKhristu. Leligama lelasetjentiswa nguJohane lelitsi “umphikikhristu” lifaka ekhatsi bonkhe labo lebebasakata emanga ngaJesu Khristu netimfundziso takhe. Umbono waJehova ngalabo bantfu wembuleka ngesikhatsi Pawula abachaza ngekutsi ‘yindvodzana yekubhujiswa.’

Kutsiwani ngemphikikhristu lamuhla? Bantfu kanye netinhlangano letakha umphikikhristu solo tiyamphikisa Khristu kanye netimfundziso takhe. Basakata emanga ngenjongo yekudida bantfu ngekutsi ungubani vele Babe, Jehova Nkulunkulu, kanye neNdvodzana yakhe, Jesu Khristu. Sinesizatfu lesihle sekutsi siwacaphele emanga enkholo lanjalo. Asesihlole tibonelo letimbili.

Sekuphele emakhulu eminyaka emasontfo asakata imfundziso yaMtsatfu Amunye, atsi Babe kanye neNdvodzana bangumuntfu munye. Ngako-ke umphikikhristu ulifihlile liciniso lekutsi ungubani Jehova Nkulunkulu kanye naJesu Khristu. Lokudideka kuvimba bantfu labanetinhlitiyo leticotfo kutsi balingise Jesu Khristu futsi basondzele kuNkulunkulu, njengobe liBhayibheli libakhutsata.​—1 Khorinte 11:1; Jakobe 4:8.

Emasontfo ayengeta kulokudideka ngekutsi avumele kusetjentiswa kweliBhayibheli lelite libito laNkulunkulu, lelitsi Jehova. Loku bakwenta ngisho nobe bati kutsi libito laJehova livela tikhatsi letingetulu kwa-7 000 emiBhalweni yekucala. Ube yini umphumela? Libito laNkulunkulu weliciniso liphindze lafihlwa nakakhulu.

Ngakulolunye luhlangotsi, kwati libito laNkulunkulu lelitsi Jehova, kusite bantfu labanyenti labanetinhlitiyo leticotfo kutsi basondzele kuNkulunkulu. Loko kwenteka kuRichard lokhumbula BoFakazi BaJehova lababili lacoca nabo. Utsi: “Bangikhombisa eBhayibhelini kutsi libito laNkulunkulu weliciniso nguJehova. Kwangijabulisa nekwati kutsi Nkulunkulu unelibito, intfo lebengingakaze ngiyive.” Kusukela lapho, Richard washintja kuphila kwakhe ngekutsi aphile ngetimiso teliBhayibheli futsi ajabulise Jehova. Uze utsi: “Kwati libito laNkulunkulu kwangisita kutsi ngibe nebuhlobo lobusedvute naye.”

Kusukela emakhulwini eminyaka lendlulile, umphikikhristu bekasolo enta tigidzi tebantfu kutsi tibe sebumnyameni bekungamati Nkulunkulu. Kodvwa ngekufundza liVi laNkulunkulu liBhayibheli, siyakhona kutfola kutsi ungubani umphikikhristu kanye nekutsi singakhululeka kanjani etimfundzisweni letingemanga.​—Johane 17:17.