Isinagoge—Indawo UJesu Nabafundi Bakhe Ababeshumayela Kuyo

“Khona-ke walijikeleza lonke elaseGalile, efundisa emasinagogeni abo futhi eshumayela izindaba ezinhle zombuso.”—MATHEWU 4:23.

AMAVESI amaningi amaVangeli akhuluma ngoJesu esesinagogeni. Wayevame ukukhetha ukushumayela esinagogeni, afundise ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Washumayela emasinagogeni aseNazaretha, umuzi akhulela kuwo, eKapernawune, umuzi agcina esehlala kuwo, nakweminye imizi nemizana aya kuyo phakathi nenkonzo yakhe eyathatha iminyaka emithathu nengxenye. Eqinisweni, ngasekupheleni kwenkonzo yakhe, wathi: “Ngaso sonke isikhathi bengifundisa esinagogeni nasethempelini, lapho wonke amaJuda ebuthanela khona.”—Johane 18:20.

Ngokufanayo, abaphostoli bakaJesu namanye amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala babevame ukufundisa emasinagogeni amaJuda. Nokho, yaqala kanjani inkambiso yokuba amaJuda akhulekele emasinagogeni? Zazinjani lezo zindlu zokukhulekela ngesikhathi sikaJesu? Ake siyihlole kabanzi le ndaba?

Laliyindawo Ebalulekile Ekuphileni KwamaJuda Kathathu ngonyaka, abesilisa abangamaJuda babeya eJerusalema ukuze bayogubha imikhosi ethempelini elingcwele. Kodwa nsuku zonke babekhulekela esinagogeni lendawo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bahlala ePalestina noma kwezinye izindawo zamaJuda ezazingaphandle kwePalestina.

 Ukusetshenziswa kwesinagoge kwaqala nini? Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi kwaqala cishe ngesikhathi amaJuda eya ekudingisweni eBhabhiloni (ngo-607 kuya ku-537 B.C.E.), inkathi ithempeli likaJehova elasala ngayo liyincithakalo. Kungenzeka nokuthi kwaqala ngokushesha ngemva kokuba ebuye ekudingisweni, ngesikhathi u-Ezra umpristi enxusa abantu bakubo ukuba bathole ulwazi olwengeziwe futhi bawuqonde kangcono uMthetho kaNkulunkulu.—Ezra 7:10; 8:1-8; 10:3.

Ekuqaleni, igama elithi “isinagoge” lalimane nje lisho “inhlangano” noma “ibandla.” Lasetshenziswa ngale ndlela kuyi-Septuagint, inguqulo yesiGreki yemiBhalo YesiHebheru. Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, indlu abantu ababebuthanela kuyo ngenjongo yokukhulekela yaqala ukubizwa ngokuthi isinagoge. Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., cishe umuzi nomuzi uJesu aya kuwo wawusunesinagoge lawo; amadolobha amakhulu ayenamasinagoge amaningana futhi eJerusalema eyintilibathwa. Zazinjani lezi zakhiwo?

Isakhiwo Sokukhulekela Esingadle Ngabukhazikhazi Lapho elungiselela ukwakha isinagoge, ngokuvamile amaJuda ayefuna indawo ephakeme futhi ahlele ukuba umnyango (1) ubheke eJerusalema. Nokho, kubonakala sengathi ngezinye izikhathi ayengakwazi ukunamathela kulokho.

Lapho seliqediwe ukwakhiwa, ngokuvamile isinagoge lalingabi isakhiwo esiwubukhazikhazi futhi impahla yayingabi ningi kakhulu. Nokho, impahla eyayisemqoka kakhulu kwakuyibhokisi (2) okwakugcinwa kulo imiqulu yemiBhalo Engcwele eyayiyigugu kakhulu emphakathini. Lapho kunemihlangano, ibhokisi lalibekwa lapho kubuthenwe khona, kamuva libuyiselwe ekamelweni eliphephile (3).

Eduze kwebhokisi kwakuba nezihlalo ezibheke ibandla (4) ezazihlala izikhulu ezengamele isinagoge nezivakashi eziyizicukuthwane. (Mathewu 23:5, 6) Indawo yesikhulumi yayiba maphakathi nesinagoge futhi ithí ukuphakama. Kuyo kwakuba netafula nesihlalo sesikhulumi (5). Ezinhlangothini ezintathu zesinagoge kwakuba nezihlalo zebandla ezibheke indawo yesikhulumi (6).

Ngokuvamile, isinagoge lalisetshenziswa futhi linakekelwa yibandla lendawo. Iminikelo yokuzithandela yayikhishwa abacebile nabampofu futhi yayisiza ekugcineni isakhiwo sisesimweni esihle. Nokho, yayinjani imihlangano yasesinagogeni?

Ukukhulekela Esinagogeni Isimiso sokukhulekela esinagogeni sasihlanganisa ukuculwa kwezingoma zokudumisa, ukuthandaza, ukufundwa kwemiBhalo, ukufundisa nokushumayela. Ibandla laliqala ngokusho i-Shema, isivumo sokholo samaJuda. Lesi sivumo sokholo sabizwa ngale ndlela ngenxa yegama lokuqala lomBhalo wokuqala owawushiwo ngokuzwakalayo: ‘Lalela [Shema] O Israyeli: UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu unguJehova oyedwa.’—Duteronomi 6:4.

Ngemva kwalokho, kwakufundwa futhi kuchazwe ingxenye yeTorah, izincwadi zeBhayibheli zokuqala ezinhlanu ezabhalwa uMose. (IzEnzo 15:21) Kwakube sekufundwa izingxenye ezithile zemibhalo yabaprofethi (ama-haftarah), zichazwe futhi kuboniswe indlela ezisebenza ngayo. Ngezinye izikhathi, yizikhulumi  ezihambele ibandla ezazisingatha le ngxenye, njengoba kwenza uJesu esenzakalweni esichazwe kuLuka 4:16-21.

Yiqiniso, umqulu owanikwa uJesu kulowo mhlangano wawungenazo izahluko namavesi njengoba kunjalo ngamaBhayibheli anamuhla. Ngakho, singambona ngamehlo engqondo evula umqulu ngesandla sakhe sokudla aze athole indima ayifunayo. Ngemva kokuba umqulu ufundiwe, wawugoqwa.

Ngokuvamile, okwakufundwa kwakubhalwe ngesiHebheru bese kuhunyushelwa olimini lwesi-Aramu. Emabandleni akhuluma isiGreki kwakusetshenziswa i-Septuagint.

Laliyingxenye Ebalulekile Yokuphila Kwansuku Zonke Isinagoge laliyingxenye ebalulekile ekuphileni kwamaJuda kangangokuthi lona nezinye izakhiwo ezazixhumene nalo noma ezaziseduze kwalo kwakusetshenziselwa izinjongo ezihlukahlukene. Ngezinye izikhathi amacala ayequlelwa esinagogeni; imihlangano yomphakathi yayibanjwa lapha, kuqhutshwe ngisho nemihlangano emikhulu futhi abantu babedlela ezindlini zokudlela ezazixhumene nalo. Ngezinye izikhathi izivakashi zazithola indawo yokufihla ikhanda emakamelweni ayeba sesakhiweni sesinagoge.

Cishe kuyo yonke imizi, isinagoge laliba nesikole esasiba sesakhiweni esifanayo nesinagoge. Singalibona ngeso lengqondo igumbi eligcwele abafundi abasebasha befundiswa ukufunda izinhlamvu ezinkulu ezazibhalwa uthisha ezibhebheni zengcina. Lezi zikole zasiza amaJuda asendulo ukuba akwazi ukufunda nokubhala nokuba ngisho nabantu abavamile bazi imiBhalo.

Nokho, injongo eyinhloko yesinagoge yayiwukukhulekela. Ngakho, akumangazi ukuthi imihlangano yamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala yayicishe ifane neyamaJuda eyayiba sesinagogeni. Injongo yaleyo mihlangano yamaKristu okuqala yayiwukukhulekela uJehova ngokuthandaza, ngokucula izingoma zokudumisa, ngokufunda nangokudingida iZwi likaNkulunkulu. Kwakukhona nokunye ukufana. Kuzo zombili izindawo zokukhulekela, izidingo ezihlukahlukene nezindleko zazinakekelwa ngeminikelo yokuzithandela; ukufunda nokuchaza iZwi likaNkulunkulu kwakungelona ilungelo lesigaba sabefundisi kuphela; ezimweni zombili, imihlangano yayihlelwa futhi iqondiswa amadoda amadala aqotho.

OFakazi BakaJehova namuhla bazama ukulingisa isibonelo esabekwa uJesu nabalandeli bakhe bangekhulu lokuqala. Yingakho imihlangano yabo eba seHholo LoMbuso inezici ezicishe zifane nezemihlangano yasendulo eyayiba sesinagogeni. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, oFakazi nabo bahlangana ngenjongo ‘yokusondela kuNkulunkulu’ njengoba kwakwenza abathandi beqiniso basendulo.—Jakobe 4:8.

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Lapho kuvuselelwa lesi sakhiwo kwasetshenziswa indlela iSinagoge iGamla langekhulu lokuqala elalakhiwe ngayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Esinagogeni kwakufunda abafana abaneminyaka esukela kweyisithupha kuya kwengu-13