Igama Elihle Kangaka

Ngu-Danny Saavedra

"Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi wayekuNkulunkulu, uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu. Yena lowo wayekhona ekuqaleni kuNkulunkulu. Konke kwavela ngaye; ngaphandle kwakhe akuvelanga lutho kukho konke okuvelileyo."-NgokukaJohane 1:1-3 (ZUL59)

Yini into yokuqala oyifundayo ngomuntu uma wethulwa kuye? Igama lakhe! Ngobani? Ngoba amagama asisiza ukukhumbula abantu, ukubakhomba, ukwazi ukuthi sixoxa nobani noma sibhekisa kubani uma sikhuluma. 

Ngezikhathi zakudala, amagama ayesho okuthile. Kulezi zinsuku, abantu abaningi babonakala ngathi amagama abaqamba ngawo izingane zabo asuselwa ekutheni iliphi igama abacabanga ukuthi lihle noma lipholile noma lithandwa abantu, kuyaqabukela ukubheka ngokujulile imvelaphi kanye no-mlando wegama noma ukubaluleka kwalo ngamasiko namagugu. Ezikhathini zasendulo, amagama ayenikezwa ngezizathu ezikhethekile. uIsaka ("yena ohlekayo") waqanjwa ngenxa yokuhleka kuka-Abrahama noSara lapho uNkulunkulu ebatshela ukuthi bazoba nendodana ebudaleni babo. uJakobe ("yena obamba isithende") wanikezwa igama lakhe ngoba wazalwa “isandla sakhe sibambelele esithendeni sika-Esawu" (UGenesise 24:26 ZUL59). 

Amagama aseBhayibhelini ayebaluleke ngempela ngoba ayevame ukusitshela okuthile ngomuntu. Lokhu kunjalo ikakhulukazi ngoNkulunkulu onamagama amaningi abaluleke kakhulu. Kusukela kuEl Shaddaikuye kuJehovah-Raah, onke amagama kaNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini embula okuthile Ngaye. Kuwo onke amagama anikwe uNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini, elithakazelisa kakhulu futhi eliyingqayizivele kufanele kube yileli alinikezwe kuNgokukaJohane 1:1 (ZUL59, kugcizelelwe): "Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi..."

Igama lesiGreki esilibona lapha elithi iZwi lithilogos. Umqondo we logos unamandla, oyindida, futhi umqondo omuhle. Indlela elula yokuchaza ifilosofi yamaGrikhi engemuva kwayo ukuthi logos yiisizathu noma isizathu esingakhulunywa ngemuva kwento ethile. Leli gama lichaza iqoqo lezinto ezihlanganiswe emcabangweni futhi zivezwe ngamagama. Kucatshangelwaisizathu somhlaba wonke esivela kuzo zonke izinto; imithetho ebophezelayo egcina konke okukhona.

Ngokwesiko lesiHeberu, lo mbono ubhekisa kwi amandla ashukumisayo entando kaNkulunkulu. Bavame ukusebenzisa leli gama memra—igama elisuselwa egameni lesi-Aramu elithi "khuluma"—ukuchaza ukuumsebenzi wokudala nentando kaNkulunkulu. 

Lokhu kuqonda komqondo, kanye netemu elisetshenziswe kuNgokukaJohane 1:1, kusibuyisela emuva kumlando wendalo etholakala kuGenesise 1. Lapho sibona uNkulunkulu ekhuluma bese kuba khona konke endaweni yonke. KumaHeberu 11:3 (ZUL59 kugcizelelwe) kuchazwa kabanzi lokhu, makuthiwa, "Izwe lonke ladatshulwa ngezwi likaNkulunkulu, kuze kuthi okubonwayo akuvelanga kokubonwayo." 

Ngakho-ke kuNgokukaJohane 1:1 (ZUL59) lapho ithi "Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi wayekuNkulunkulu, uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu," umphostoli usitshela lokhu UJesu Kristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uyisibonelo esiphilayo seZwi likaNkulunkulu. UnguNkulunkulu osenyameni, isithombe (eikón:isisho esiphezulu, isibonakaliso, kanye nokumelwa; isithombe sesibuko) sikaNkulunkulu ongabonakali (KwabaseKolose 1:15); Lowo owakhuluma intando yeNkosi ekuqaleni (UGenesise 1: 1–2; AmaHubo 33:9; KumaHeberu 11:3). Ungumlingiswa, inhliziyo, intando, nomqondo kaNkulunkulu uBaba owembulelwe umhlaba. Uyikho, njengoba amaGrikhi akholelwa, isizathu somhlaba wonke esivela kuzo zonke izinto (NgokukaJohane 1:3); imithetho ebophezelayo egcina konke okukhona (KwabaseKolose 1:15–17). 

Futhi qagela ukuthi yini? NgokukaJohane 1:14 (ZUL59) usho lokhu iZwi, Lowo obamba indawo yonke ndawonye futhi ngaye yonke indalo yaba khona, "waba yinyama, wakha phakathi kwethu." Yilokhu okwenza isikhathi sikaKhisimusi. UNkulunkulu waba ngumuntu! Usithanda kakhulu waze washiya izulu wasenzela indlela yokuthi singene ezulwini sihlale naye ingunaphakade! Yingakho kuNgokukaMathewu 1:23 (ZUL59) sibona ingelosi imemezela kuJosefa, "Bayakuyiqamba igama lokuthi u-Emanuweli" (okungukuthi ngokuhushwa "uNkulunkulu unathi"). INdodana kaNkulunkulu yathunyelwa ukwembula imicabango nenhliziyo kaYise—iZwi laKhe—emhlabeni . . . nokusisindisa. Yingakho ingelosi iyalela uJosefa ukuba amqambe ngokuthi uJesu (uYeshua: UNkulunkulu uyinsindiso) "ngokuba nguye oyakusindisa abantu bakhe ezonweni zabo" (NgokukaMathewu 1:21 ZUL59).

Njengoba silungiselela ukugubha uKhisimusi ezinsukwini ezimbalwa, khumbula ukuthi u-Imanuweli, uJesu wethu oligugu, iZwi laphakade, INkosi noMsindisi wethu, weza eMhlabeni ukuze simazi ngokujulile uNkulunkulu futhi sizwe ubukhona Bakhe ngokuseduze, ngakho-ke sizosindiswa. Wafika ngokukhululeka ezosinika "amandla okuba sibe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu" (NgokukaJohane 1:12 ZUL59). Kusasa, sizofunda ukuthi kunganiUNkulunkulu kwakufanele eze . . .