“Uze ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqingqiweyo okanye imbonakalo yayo nantoni na esemazulwini phezulu okanye esemhlabeni phantsi okanye esemanzini phantsi komhlaba. Uze ungaqubudi kuzo okanye uqhutyelwe ekuzikhonzeni.”—Eksodus 20:4, 5.

IZibhalo zesiHebhere, ezaziwa ngokuba yiTestamente Endala ziyakwalela ukunqulwa kwemifanekiso.

ISIZATHU ESIDLA NGOKUBEKWA

Ngokutsho kweNew Catholic Encyclopedia, amaYuda ayenenqwaba yemifanekiso awayeyisebenzisa xa enqula “ibe le mifanekiso yayihlonitshwa yaye ibekekile kuwo.” Ngokomzekelo, le encyclopedia ibala imifanekiso yeziqhamo, iintyatyambo kunye nezilwanyana eyayikwitempile eyayiseYerusalem.—1 Kumkani 6:18; 7:36.

OKO UMELE UKWAZI

Ngokwahlukileyo koko kuthethwa yiNew Catholic Encyclopedia, amaYuda athembekileyo awazange anqule imifanekiso yezinto ezazisetyenziswa etempileni. Ukongeza koko, akukho nanye indawo eBhayibhileni ethi amaSirayeli athembekileyo ayesebenzisa imifanekiso xa enqula.

OKUTHETHWA YIBHAYIBHILE

Esebenzisa umprofeti uIsaya, uThixo wathi: “Andiluniki omnye uzuko lwam, nendumiso yam andiyiniki imifanekiso eqingqiweyo.”—Isaya 42:8.

‘Inakuvisisana kuni na itempile kaThixo nezithixo? Into engahlambulukanga ningayichukumisi.’ —2 Korinte 6:16, 17.

“AmaKristu okuqala ebeya kuyithela nqa kwanengcamango yokubakho kwemifanekiso eqingqiweyo ezicaweni, yaye ebeya kukujonga ukuqubuda okanye ukuthandaza kuyo njengokunqula izithixo.”—History of the Christian Church

ISIZATHU ESIDLA NGOKUBEKWA

INew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ayinakuthandatyuzwa into yokuba amaKristu okuqala ayeyisebenzisa imifanekiso xa enqula. Amangcwaba ekwakungcwatywa kuwo amaKristu anemifanekiso eyayizotywe kwangala maKristu. . . . Amagumbi angcwele ekwakunqulelwa kuwo nekwakungcwatywa kuwo ahonjiswe ngemifanekiso yabantu basentsomini.” *

OKO UMELE UKWAZI

Eyona mifanekiso midala kula mangcwaba—awayeyimiqolomba engaphantsi komhlaba—yenziwa kwiminyaka yee-200. Kwakusele kudlule malunga neminyaka eyi-200 wafayo uYesu. Ngenxa yoko, “unqulo lwamaKristu okuqala” ethetha ngalo iNew Catholic Encyclopedia asilulo olwamaKristu okwenene—olo lwalusenziwa ngabalandeli bakaYesu ababephila ngexesha labapostile, noluchazwe kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike ezibizwa ngokuba yiTestamente Entsha. Ukusetyenziswa kwale mifanekiso kula mangcwaba kwiminyaka yee-200, kubonisa ukuba abo bazibiza njengamaKristu babesele besenza isiko labahedeni lokunqula imifanekiso, mhlawumbi ukuze babatsale. *

OKUTHETHWA YIBHAYIBHILE

“Sabani kulo unqulo-zithixo.”—1 Korinte 10:14.

“Zilindeni kuzo izithixo.”—1 Yohane 5:21.

Ukunqulwa kwemifanekiso akuxhaswa yiBhayibhile. Ngenxa yoko, amaNgqina kaYehova awayinquli, ibe awayixhomi nakumakhaya awo okanye kwiindawo anqulela kuzo.

ISIZATHU ESIDLA NGOKUBEKWA

INew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ekubeni unqulo olunikelwe kumfanekiso oqingqiweyo lufikelela luze luphelele kumntu omelwa nguwo, uhlobo olufanayo lonqulo olwenziwa emntwini lunokunikelwa kumfanekiso oqingqiweyo njengomela loo mntu.”

OKO UMELE UKWAZI

Xa uYesu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe indlela yokuthandaza, akazange athi mabasebenzise imifanekiso. Kukwanjalo nakwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Ayikho indawo ebonisa ukuba kufanelwe kunqulwe imifanekiso.

OKUTHETHWA YIBHAYIBHILE

“NguYehova uThixo wakho omele umnqule, yaye nguye yedwa omele unikele inkonzo engcwele kuye.”—Mateyu 4:10.