Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe Kufanele Uphinde Ubhapathizwe?

ULUCILA wayekhathazekile. Nakuba akhuliswa njengomKatolika, wayesanda kuqalisa isifundo esibalulekile seBhayibheli ngosizo lomngane ongeyena umKatolika. Wabona ukuthi iBhayibheli lichaza ubhapathizo njengokuthile okuhlukile esikweni ayelithole esewumntwana. “Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi kuyomelwe ngiphinde ngibhapathizwe?” wabuza ngobuqotho. “Nginovalo lokuthi ukwenza kanjalo kungathukuthelisa uNkulunkulu.”

Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu, kokubili abangamaKatolika nabangamaProthestani, bafafazwa noma bathelwa ngamanzi beseyizinsana emkhosini wokubhapathizwa. Izigidi zabanye abantu zabhapathizwa ngohlobo oluthile lokucwiliswa ngokuphelele emanzini lapho sebekhulile. Lokhu kuphakamisa lombuzo, Luyini ngempela ubhapathizo lobuKristu? Ingabe zikhona izimo ezithile ezingenza ubhapathizo lwesibili lufaneleke?

I-Pocket Catholic Dictionary ichaza ubhapathizo ngokuthi “umkhosi lapho, ngamanzi nangezwi likaNkulunkulu, umuntu ehlanzwa khona sonke isono futhi azalwe kabusha futhi angcweliswe kuKristu ekuphileni okuphakade.” Ngokuphathelene nokuphindwa kobhapathizo, lomthombo ofanayo uthi “ubhapathizo lunyathelisa uphawu olungacimeki emphefumulweni, okusho ukuthi alunakuphindwa, ngoba akufanele.” Ingabe yilokhu okushiwo yiBhayibheli?

Yenzani Abafundi, Nibabhapathize

KuMathewu 28:19, 20, sifunda umyalo ophathelene nobhapathizo uKristu ovusiwe awunikeza abafundi bakhe ngaphambi kokuba anyukele ezulwini. “Ngakho-ke, hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi; nibabhapathize egameni likaYise neleNdodana neloMoya Ongcwele, futhi nibafundise ukugcina yonke imiyalo engininike yona.” (The Jerusalem Bible) Ngokusobala, abafundi abangamaKristu okufuneka babhapathizwe—labo abaye bafundiswa ukugcina imiyalo kaKristu—hhayi izinsana.a Lokhu kuvumelana neqiniso lokuthi lonke ubhapathizo oluchazwe emiBhalweni ngokobufakazi obutholakalayo lwaluhilela abafundi abacwiliswa ngokuphelele emanzini. Lokhu kwakunjalo ngokusobala lapho uKristu Jesu ngokwakhe ebhapathizwa uJohane uMbhapathizi. Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kuthi ngemva kokubhapathizwa, uJesu “wakhuphuka emanzini” oMfula iJordani. (Mathewu 3:16, JB) Empeleni, imiBhalo ibonisa ukuthi uJohane wayekhetha izindawo ayebhapathizela kuzo ngokucophelela ukuze kutholakale amanzi amaningi.—Johane 3:23.

Kamuva, lapho lichaza ukubhapathizwa komthenwa waseTopiya, iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi “uFiliphu nomthenwa behlela phansi emanzini wambhapathiza,” ngemva kwalokho “baphuma emanzini.” (IzEnzo 8:38, 39, The New American Bible) Lokhu kubhapathizwa ngokucwiliswa kuvumelana nencazelo evamile yegama lesiGreki elithi ba·ptiʹzo, elisho “ukubhapathiza,” elithathelwe kwelithi baʹpto, elisho “ukucwilisa,” eliwumsuka wegama lesiNgisi elisho “ubhapathizo.”

Ukulandisa OkungokomBhalo Kokuphindwa Kobhapathizo

Kodwa kuthiwani ngezigidi eziningi zabantu ababhapathizwa beseyizinsana noma abangazange bacwiliswe ngokuphelele? Bekungafaneleka yini ukuphinde babhapathizwe? Isenzakalo esilandiswa kuzEnzo 19:1-7 siyasisiza ukuba siphendule lemibuzo. Cishe kwakungobusika buka-52/53 C.E. lapho umphostoli uPawulu evakashela idolobha elicebile lase-Efesu e-Asia Minor. Lapho wathola abanye abafundi ababedinga ukuphinde babhapathizwe. Ngemva kokwazi ukuthi lamadoda ayebhapathizwe ngobhapathizo lukaJohane, uPawulu waphinde wawabhapathiza “egameni leNkosi uJesu.” Akazange abe nomuzwa wokuthi ukwenza kanjalo kwakuyothukuthelisa uNkulunkulu. Ngokusobala, uNkulunkulu wavumelana nombono kaPawulu, futhi kunokuba athukuthelele lokhu kuphindwa kobhapathizo, uNkulunkulu wakuqinisekisa ngesipho somoya ongcwele.

Ukuba lamadoda angu-12 ayekwenqabile ukufundisa kukaPawulu ngokuphathelene nobhapathizo nokubaluleka kukaMesiya, uKristu Jesu, akungabazeki ukuthi uPawulu wayeyoluhoxisa ubhapathizo. Okokuqala, lamadoda kwadingeka ukuba alufanelekele ubhapathizo. Kungalesosikhathi kuphela ayengase aphinde abhapathizwe ngokuvunyelwa uNkulunkulu.

Indlela Yokufanelekela Ubhapathizo

Silufanelekela kanjani ubhapathizo? Cabangela isixuku esikhulu sabantu ababhapathizwa ngosuku lwePentekoste lika-33 C.E. Bafaneleka kanjani? Okokuqala, njengamaJuda namaproselite obuJuda, baqala ngolwazi oluhle oluyisisekelo lukaJehova uNkulunkulu, ukusebenzelana kwakhe nabantu bakhe, neziprofetho zeBhayibheli ngoMesiya wakhe othenjisiwe. Okwesibili, bangenisa ulwazi oluqondile olwengeziwe ngesikhathi sobufakazi obuphefumlelwe obanikezwa umphostoli uPetru ngalolosuku. Kwaba namuphi umphumela?

“Bezwa lokhu, bahlabeka enhliziyweni base bethi kuPetru nabaphostoli, ‘Bazalwane, kumelwe senzeni?’ UPetru waphendula, ‘Kumelwe niphenduke, futhi ngamunye wenu kumelwe abhapathizwe egameni likaJesu Kristu ukuze nithethelelwe izono zenu, khona-ke niyakuthola isipho soMoya Ongcwele.’” (IzEnzo 2:37, 38, JB) Phawula ukuthi ubufakazi bukaPetru babungashwampuluzi. “Wakhuluma nabo isikhathi eside ebanikeza izizathu eziningi.” Bagculiswa ukubonisana kwakhe nabo, futhi bakwamukela akusho base bebhapathizwa. “Ngalo lolosuku kwanezelwa esibalweni sabo abangaba yizinkulungwane ezintathu.”—IzEnzo 2:40, 41, JB.

Kufuneka izici ezifanayo obhapathizweni oluvunyelwa yimiBhalo namuhla: (1) ulwazi oluqondile, (2) ukuphenduka ngobuqotho, (3) nokuguquka, noma ukuphendukela kuNkulunkulu nokudeda “kulesisizukulwane esiphambeneyo.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, ubhapathizo oluvunyelwa yimiBhalo kumelwe lwenziwe “egameni likaJesu Kristu,” okungukuthi, lusekelwe ekwamukeleni umhlatshelo wakhe wesihlengo ukuze izono zithethelelwe nokuzithoba kuye njengenkosi kaNkulunkulu ebekwe esihlalweni sobukhosi.—IzEnzo 2:40, JB; Roma 5:12-19; 7:14-25.

Abantu abaqotho abafanelekela ubhapathizo ngokomBhalo akudingekile besabe ukuthi uma bephinda bebhapathizwa bazodumaza uNkulunkulu. Ngokuphambene nalokho, ukubhapathizwa okufanelekile ngokomBhalo kwabantu abafanelekayo kuletha injabulo kuNkulunkulu.

[Umbhalo waphansi]