The Church that became an Example
Kulula ukulangazelela ubunye, ukuvuthwa, kanye nomsebenzi wokukhonza wamabandla ayisibonelo esihle. Lokho esingakunaki, ukuthi amabandla ayisibonelo esihle akhiwa ngaMakhrestu ayisibonelo esihle, futhi ukuba uMkhrestu oyisibonelo esihle akusiyona into ongathi “mhlawumbe lokhu akusoze kwenzeka kimi”. Umthelela obonakalayo webandla uzobamkhulu ngangokwesilanganiso somthelela iVangeli elinayowo empilweni yakho kanye nasekukhonzaneni komunye nomunye. IBandla kwiThestamente Elisha elabi yibandla eliyisibonelo esikhulu kunamanye, kwakuyibandla owawungeke ulindele lutho kulona.
Ngesikhathi abaPhostoli beshumayela eThesalonika, ukwamukelwa kweVangeli kwakungekho sezingeni ababevamise ukulibona kwamanye amadolobha. Nakuba iThesalonika yayiyidolobha elibalulekile, yayingafinyeleli ezingeni lokubaluleka, ithonya, nokunotha kwamadolobha afana ne-Athene, iKhorinte, noma i-Efesu. Nokho, ibandla laseThesalonika laba yisibonelo kuwo wonke amabandla akuleya ngxenye yoMbuso WaseRoma (1 Thesalonikha. 1:7–8).
Indlela eya ekubeni ibandla eliyisibonelo ilula: yiba nguMzalwane oyisibonelo. Nendlela yokuba nguMzalwane oyisibonelo nayo ayinzima kangako. Qiniseka ngeqiniso nokwethembeka koMbhalo oNgcwele (1 Thesalonikha. 1:5). Lapho kuvela amathuba okukhonza, lingisa abakholwayo abavuthiwe noKhristu, hhayi abangakavuthwa abahlale bekhononda (1 Thesalonikha. 1:6). Kuzo zonke izimo, ngisho nasebunzimeni, bonisa abanye ukuthi intokozo yakho ivela kuMoya oNgcwele (1 Thesalonikha. 1:6). Khumbula ukuthi impilo yoBukhrestu iwukushiya izinto zaleli-zwe ukuze ugxile ezintweni zeNkosi, ngoba Ithembisile ukuthi izobuya izosithatha (1 Thesalonikha. 1:9–10).
Nanoma ngubani angaba nguMzalwane oyisibonelo esihle. Nanoma yiliphi iBandla lingaba yiBandla eliyisibonelo esihle.