Xhosa Traditions Examined (Part 3)
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- We examine Xhosa Traditions from a Historical and Biblical Perspective.
Pastor Vuyo Mkonwana is vastly experienced in Xhosa traditions. He lives and works in the Xhosa heartland, in East London (South Africa). He is currently finishing his doctorate on aspects of Xhosa traditions and culture.
In Part 3 he addresses the worship of ancestors and people (apostles) in churches. He gives context for polygamy and gives an introduction of the Bible to Xhosa people.
In Part 1 we asked him about the origin of traditional practices including initiation school.
In Part 2 he gave the background of Imbeleko and Ukukhatshwa. He also gave context for meaningful dreams and divine calling.
Welcome to this series on Xhosa Traditions from a historical and biblical perspective. The reason we made these recordings were to help new believers in Christ who come from a Xhosa background to understand some of the Xhosa traditions from a biblical perspective.
If you watch this and you're not a true follower of Christ it might be difficult to understand where the speaker is coming from.
All culture, from every nation and people group on earth, needs to submit their culture and practices to the King of the Universe Jesus Christ. He is above all earthly culture, and He gives us the ways of Heaven which can be called the Kingdom culture.
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. If you desire blessing in your life and true relationship with God the Creator of all, then you need to follow His ways as revealed to mankind in the Bible, God's word.
Every white person, who begins to follow Jesus needs to re-evaluate certain aspects of their culture, and so does every black person, or Indian, or coloured. One culture isn't better than another, but each culture needs to submit to the Kingdom culture, as revealed in God's word.
Hallelua d truth is ŕeveal .umfundisi is on point.
So who did we worship before the settlers Pastor?
Sabelo, thanks for commenting. The God of the Bible is the Creator God, and the One true God. Jesus Christ came to reveal the Creator God to us, who God the Father is truly like.
People over the ages have tended to worship things that are inferior to the One true God. People have worshipped nature, but God is the Creator of nature. We are not to worship nature, but rather God as revealed in Jesus Christ. People also tend to worship themselves, to make ourselves like God, but can we save ourselves? No, we can't. Others worship money or power, and the result is corruption and other bad things that lead them astray.
The challenge is to not worship anything or anyone inferior to the one true God. Like, worshipping or revering the ancestors, as if they can help you. Why would someone very much human, with weaknesses and sins, suddenly become godlike when they die? Your ancestors can't help you now. They are dead. They are either in heaven or in hell. They can't answer your prayers.
Choose to worship Jesus Christ, the Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth and Him alone. Every other worship disconnects you from the one true God. Why worship a tree if it doesn't hear? And can't help?
God, as revealed through Jesus Christ, hears your prayers and is powerful. He loves you, and wants to help you in life. So worship the One who made you.
Blessings, and thanks for commenting.
Thank you so much for the information
Kindly look at my comment
Appreciate everything that comes with this clarification 🙏 but know do I have to keep reminding myself about my lineage all the time like as to say bakieba and all those clan in life or I'm now lost of my identity?
can we explain the part in the bible were the children od Israel took the bones of their forefather with them to the promised land. What was the significance with regard that the person was long dead
Hi Dywili, thanks for commenting and asking a great question.
One of the key principles in the Bible, which reveals to us how to access God's blessing in our lives is the principle of honour.
We are to honour our parents if we want to live long and be blessed.
The other important aspect are the promises that God gave to the children of Israel.
Both these aspects were important when it came to taking the bones of Jacob, and Joseph to the land of Israel.
It was their forefathers request to be buried in the land of Promise, the land of Canaan, and out of deep respect for their ancestors they honoured their request.
It had nothing to do with worshipping their ancestors or praying to them or through them for blessing.
I hope that answers your questions?
Africans have always practised what is in the bible from time immemorial.
1. Worshipped one God
2. Worshipped God on mountain
3. A brother took a wife of a brother who has passed on without children (ukuNgena as in Ruth)
4. Circumcision
5. No Pork
6. Libation
7. Worship in the kraal (enkundleni, emaxhantini nase Mthonyameni) courtyard, Holy place & Holy of Holies
8. Count seasons with moons
9. Hospitality to visitors (Ubuntu)
10. Community meetings at the gate of town (Kwasibonda phantsi komthi)
There are many others. The Bantu people are related to Jews (Judah), they are probably one of the 11 tribes out of the 13 Tribes of Israel. Investigate the Limbas, the African American and the Bantu's, you will see the facts written all over.
Thank you for commenting Doc Kabane.
You need to understand the whole bible to receive a solid understanding of Christianity, not simply take some verses from the old testament out of context to justify your position.
1. In Jesus Christ the Old Covenant received a completely new context.
Christians worship God the Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the only way to the Father, not the ancestors.
2. We no longer need a specific place to worship God, like on a mountain, we worship God in spirit and truth (John 4) and that can be done from anywhere at any time.
3. Taking a brother's wife is not a new testament practice. A man is to only have one wife according to new testament theology. But, to look out for family and help where you can is a good thing to do.
4. Circumcision is no longer needed for a Christian, because God circumcises our hearts. The Apostle Paul reveals:
Galatians 6:15 (NLT)
It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.
5. Jesus and the Apostle Paul revealed that Christians can eat anything, because food is sanctified through prayer. It is now more important what comes out of the heart (good or bad things which either pleases God or defiles us), than what you eat. The old testament food laws were simply pointing to the holiness that would be discovered in Christ. Christians may eat pork.
Colossians 2:16-17 (NLT)
16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.
- In other words, the old rules were simply a shadow of what would be found in Christ.
6. The old testament sacrifices fell away with the death of Christ on the cross. Jesus fulfilled all the blood offerings and libations. There are no instances where new testament gentile believers do these offerings. Jesus already fulfilled it through His death. Through faith in His blood offering we are now cleansed.
7. Concerning worship in the Kraal - the most holy place, holy place etc. is no longer a physical place, but rather reveals the holy and most holy place in the heavenlies. As Christians we enter the heavenly holy place when we pray and worship.
The following verses speak of this heavenly tabernacle that we enter through prayer:
Hebrews 12:22-24 (NLT)
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
8. If you want to count the seasons with the moons you are welcome to do so, but one of the above verses speaks of no one judging you about festivals, moons etc. So if one does that or doesn't do it, it doesn't make a difference in terms of pleasing God.
9. Hospitality to visitors is a biblical principle in the old and new testament and that is wonderful, revealing God's love for strangers.
10. Community meetings at the gate of the town is not a biblical command, but rather how the Jews did it in their culture. It's no issue if you do it like that or not.
Bottom-line: You need to decide if you are a true Christian following the teachings of Jesus and Paul as put out in the New Testament, or if you are going to remain stuck in the old testament missing out on all God has made available for us in Jesus. The reason the old testament or old covenant was replaced is because it was lacking all the blessings and goodness of God. In Jesus Christ we receive full access to God the Father.
As Christians we don't worship culture, nor Hebrew culture. Every culture in the world needs to be redeemed to Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all.
Bless you and thanks for engaging.
But Pst V when Ntsikana was born these guys were already here nje.
Just look at my comment
Why is Xhosa culture being viewed from a biblical perspective in the first place...If I were to evaluate and ask proper questions about the Bible you'd also find holes in it
Qonda, thanks for commenting.
As Christians, we believe the Bible is the truth. That it is God's word revealed so that we can know how to live life.
The Bible is the standard by which everything should be evaluated, especially if you are a follower of Jesus.
Qonda, how do you know what is true? What is the standard that you use to measure if something is true or not?
Who or what defines truth in your life?
@@ShofarEastLondon I use my mind to discern between what's truth and what isn't
@@qondamtakati6515 what standard do you use to determine what's true or not? Or what's right or not?
If your mind says to kill someone are you going to do it? Or rape someone? Or steal?
What is your standard for knowing what's right or what's not?
@@ShofarEastLondon What I was taught by my parents helps me decide what is true and what isn't and indeed what's bad and what isn't
Zange kuthwa niwamkele umnqulu kwathwa ze niwuphicothe ningawamkeli njengoba unjalo.
Look at my comment
keep your beliefs and let me keep mine
Steve Biko said you either alive and proud or you died and when you dead you can't care any way
same as me the day I die I won't care
Asanele, at least evaluate your beliefs. Where do they come from? Who made it up, or is it established in truth/evidence?
The evidence is overwhelming that people who died in hospital, and who were brought back to life by doctors, share stories of either a heaven experience or a hell experience. When you die, you live on as a spiritual being. You don't just disappear.
The stories that thousands upon thousands of people share of life after death concurs with what the Bible shares about life after death.
Check out this book "Imagine Heaven" that documents more than a hundred near-death experiences (those who died and came back to life).
Check it out, it is eye-opening. People share the same kinds of stories from all over the world, irrespective of their culture or beliefs. Heaven is for real.
www.amazon.com/Imagine-Heaven-Near-Death-Experiences-Exhilarating-ebook/dp/B01691YKY0/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=imagine+heaven&qid=1601304156&sr=8-1
Thanks again for engaging with us. We really appreciate it :)
Kindly evaluate my comment
Who is that voice?
God created humanity but also other creations, no all voices are God's voices.
The are people who don't subscribe to christianity like myself who believe in ancestors the way you speak you make those people to feel bad it's like telling someone who is buying clothes from pep that his clothes are worthless because you buy yours from Markams
Asanele, the point is certainly not to make someone feel bad. As I said before, 2+2=4. Not 5, and not 20. When it comes to spiritual things it's the same. Either Christianity is correct or your beliefs in the ancestors are correct, but both can't be right. One of us, at least, is wrong. That is why we need to evaluate our beliefs to determine if it's true or not.
How do you know that your belief in the ancestors, in revering them, or praying to them, is correct? Or if it is even good for you? Just because previous generations did it, does it make it correct? Shouldn't you evaluate your beliefs to see if it's true?
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No-one comes to the Father, except through Me." John 14:6 Jesus claimed to be the only way to God, and that there are no other legitimate ways to God. Every other way is a dead end. He also claimed to be the Truth, that in Him we find truth. He also claimed to be "life", so when we trust in Him we find true spiritual life and peace. Asanele, have you found peace, and rest for your soul?
If the issue was only about clothes, and the type of clothes we wear, it wouldn't be an issue. Who cares what clothes we wear?
The issue at hand, the path, or way to God, is of eternal importance. Your soul hangs in the balance. If Jesus did truly rise from the dead as He said He would, then that has huge implications for you and me. If He is God who became flesh ( a physical human being to show us how much He loves us), as He claimed to be, then it has massive implications. If it's not true, then it doesn't matter at all.
When you die, how do you know if you will be right with God? Forgiven of your sins? Will the ancestors help you then? According to the Bible when someone dies, they either go to heaven or hell. They don't become powerful ancestors to whom we must pray. According to the Bible that is an incorrect belief that will lead to a dead end.
I hope that makes sense to you, Asanele? It's good to engage and to ask questions about this extremely important topic.
Kindly evaluate my comment
I don't get it when people make Christianity the and all and be all of all religion...I don't believe there's one way to worship God,when there are so many different people in the world
Qonda, you have the right to believe what you want, but that doesn't make it true.
Every religion makes exclusive claims about the truth. All religions can't be true because they make exclusive claims about what is true. 2 +2 = 4, not 5 or 10. It is the same when it comes to spiritual truth as it is with maths.
Each religion makes vastly different claims about the nature of God. Christianity reveals that God is love and a loving Father. Islam claims that God is not a loving Father. There's a huge difference.
Christianity stands head and shoulders above all other religions for a variety of reasons. The number one reason is found in Jesus Christ. He came as a physical human being, and He claimed to be God who became a man. He declared that He would die and be risen from the dead. There are multiple, as in hundreds of people, eyewitnesses who saw Jesus alive after being crucified. Do you know of any other religious figure that was actually raised from the dead?
Jesus claimed to be God. Either He was a liar, or a lunatic, or truly who He claimed to be. If He is God who died for our sins to show us how much He loves us, then He and He alone is worthy of our worship.
If you do a bit of study into the facts, and the evidences for this it might just rock your world.
All of the major things Jesus did was actually prophesied in the old testament of the Bible, hundreds of years before. No other religion has anything that comes close to this. This reveals that the Bible is authored by God Himself who could see the future and move the prophets to write it down accordingly what was to come.
Jesus truly is who He claimed to be. Check it out.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father, except through Me."
Even Jesus claimed superiority above all others.
There is no-one that comes close to Jesus Christ.
@@ShofarEastLondon The same Bible that claims God is love and accepts all,yet promotes homophobia🤔
@@ShofarEastLondon That means Christianity may not be valid as well
@@ShofarEastLondon Again what I'm trying to emphasize is that you cannot look at another culture from a biblical perspective cause Christianity viewed from a different perspective is suspect as well
@@qondamtakati6515 The Bible reveals what God's original plan for creation was. He made mankind male and female, and then to produce offspring a man needs to marry a woman. That is God's original plan, and it works beautifully.
As Christians we love everyone, no matter the lifestyle they choose to follow.
God's way is simply the best way, especially if you would like to have children and a life full of peace and joy.
If we truly love people we will share the truth with them, which we are doing here.
One of the reasons that we know that the Bible is true is because it actually works. When we follow God's way we live better, healthier and more fulfilled lives than when we don't.
this guy is street mudding other churches he must stick to his church and leave others
Asanele, thanks for commenting. As Christians, we should follow the directives of God as found in the Bible. We should be Christ-followers. The Bible reveals that we must test what people preach and what they believe, according to Scripture.
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
True love speaks the truth. Evil loves to trick people to follow ungodly ways, and the result is pain, disappointment and disconnect from God.
Pastor Vuyo is simply stating the facts (or truth) according to God's Word. Facts don't care about our feelings. To follow Jesus is a sacrifice, and to expose false teaching is important because the truth sets people free.
The bible is clear that we are not to "defile ourselves" by consulting the spirits of the dead.
Leviticus 19:31 (NLT)
“Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God."
When someone dies, they either go to heaven or to hell. We can no longer consult them. If we consult the spirits of the dead, we are engaging with evil spirits, not our actual ancestors.
If you want to be a true Christian, you need to obey God's word.
Bless you and thank you for engaging with us on this message.
but you cannot prescribe to other how must worship god if what they are doing is wrong let god be the judge not other human being
@@ShofarEastLondon christianity is un african I can see it
@@asanelemvundla9029 Asanele, truth is still the truth. We train our kids at school that 2+2=4. It can't be 5 or 20. It's not judgemental to tell someone that 2+2 = 4.
It is the same with spiritual matters. Not all gods are equal. There is only one true God, the others are false gods (this is what the bible clearly reveals).
All the evidence points to the God of the Bible being the Creator of this universe and that Jesus Christ actually, physically died two thousand years ago and was risen from the dead to reveal that He is the One true way to God the Father. You and I are to give an account to how we live to the Creator God.
You have the right to believe what you want, but as Christians we have a responsibility before God to proclaim the truth to everyone. The truth sets free. Wrong beliefs hurt people, like believing drinking poison will cure you. If we love people we will speak the truth to them. We care about you and every other person so that is why we speak the truth as God's word reveals.
It's not judgemental to speak the truth, it is truly loving people. There's a big difference.
Thanks for engaging with us.
@@asanelemvundla9029 Why do you say it is un african?
"African" beliefs as in Xhosa or Zulu beliefs might be a few hundreds of years old, what came before that?
The Isrealites dwelt in Egypt a few thousand years ago and then God showed up doing mighty signs and wonders, delivering the Israelites from the oppression of Egypt. Egypt is an african nation.
The Egyptians thought they were powerful with their sorcerers and then God brought the nation to its knees with vastly greater power and miracles.
The God of the Bible was shown to be superior to the myths of the Egyptians.
Why would you want to serve something inferior to the great God who made the universe? The one, Jesus Christ, who died for all your sins and overcame death by rising from the dead.
The God who created this world came before every other religion. Most ancient people groups have accounts of a God who created the world.
The One who created it all has the right to determine how we live. You and I will die one day and then we will stand before the Creator God to give an account for our lives.
Are you ready to stand before your Maker?
He loves you and is waiting for you to embrace His liberating truth.
Bless you, and thanks for engaging with us