Ukubhapathizwa “Egameni”

UKUHLOLA izinkulungwane zemibhalo yezwe yepapyrus yasendulo eyatholakala ezihlabathini zaseGibithe ekuqaleni kwalelikhulu leminyaka ngokuvamile kuyicacisa ngokuthakazelisayo imiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki. Kanjani? Ngokucabangela indlela amagama athile ayesetshenziswa ngayo, senziwe sawaqonda ngokunembe ngokwengeziwe amagama afanayo esimweni sawo esingokomBhalo.

Esinye isibonelo siwukusebenzisa kukaJesu igama elithi “egameni” lapho eyala abafundi bakhe ngaphambi kokuba anyukele ezulwini: “Ngalokho hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi, nibabhapathize egameni likaYise neleNdodana nelikaMoya oNgcwele.” Wayesho ukuthini uJesu?—Mathewu 28:19.

Izazi ziye zathola ukuthi emibhalweni yezwe inkulumo ethi “egameni,” isetshenziswe ekubhekiseleni ekukhokheni imali “esikweletini sikanoma ubani.” UProfesa wezenkolo uDkt. G. Adolf Deissmann wayekholelwa ukuthi ngenxa yobufakazi obuvela kulamapapyrus, “umqondo oyisisekelo . . . wenkulumo ethi ukubhapathiza egameni leNkosi, noma ukukholwa egameni leNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uwukuthi ubhapathizo noma ukholo lusho ukuba okaNkulunkulu noma oweNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”—Omalukeke abakaDeissmann.

Ngokuthakazelisayo, inkulumo efanayo yasetshenziswa amaJuda osuku lukaJesu, njengoba kuchazwe kuyiTheological Dictionary of the New Testament. “Ukusokwa kweproselithe kwenziwa . . . ‘egameni leproselithe,’ ukuze lamukelwe ebuJudeni. Lokhu kusokwa kwenzeka . . . ‘egameni lesivumelwano,’ ukuze lamukelwe esivumelwaneni.” Ngalokho kwakheka ubuhlobo futhi ongeyena umJuda uba iproselithe ngaphansi kwegunya lesivumelwano.

Ngakho kumaKristu, ubhapathizo olulandela ukuzinikezela lwenza kube nobuhlobo obuseduze noJehova uNkulunkulu, iNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu, nomoya ongcwele. Lowo oguqukayo uqaphela igunya labo ngokwehlukahlukana endleleni yakhe entsha yokuphila. Cabangela indlela lokhu okuyiqiniso ngayo ngesimo ngasinye kulamagama amathathu abiziwe.

Ngokuqaphela igunya likaNkulunkulu, sisondela kuye futhi singenela ubuhlobo naye. (Heberu 12:9; Jakobe 4:7, 8) Siba impahla kaNkulunkulu njengezigqila zakhe, ezithengwe ngenani lomhlatshelo wesihlengo kaJesu Kristu. (1 Korinte 3:23; 6:20) Umphostoli uPawulu futhi watshela amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka ukuthi ayengabakaJesu Kristu, hhayi abanoma yibaphi abantu okungenzeka bawalethela iqiniso. (1 Korinte 1:12, 13; 7:23; qhathanisa noMathewu 16:24.) Ukubhapathizwa egameni leNdodana kusho ukuliqaphela leliqiniso, ukwamukela uJesu ‘njengendlela, neqiniso, nokuphila.’—Johane 14:6.

Umoya ongcwele nawo udingekile ebuhlotsheni bethu obufanele noJehova kanye noJesu Kristu. Ukubhapathizwa egameni lomoya ongcwele kubonisa ukuthi siyayiqaphela indima yomoya ekusebenzelaneni kukaNkulunkulu kanye nathi. Sizimisele ukulandela isiqondiso sawo, ukuba singawudeleli noma senze ngokuphambene nawo, sivimbela ukusebenza kwawo kithi. (Efesu 4:30; 1 Thesalonika 5:19) Isimo somoya sokungabi umuntu asibangeli ubunzima mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwawo noma incazelo yawo, njengoba nje kunjalo ngokusetshenziswa kwamazwi athi “egameni lesivumelwano” ebuJudeni.

Ngakho-ke, ngesikhathi sokuzinikezela nokubhapathizwa, sidinga ukuzindla ngomthandazo ngalokho okuhilelekile ebuhlotsheni bethu obusha. Kudinga ukuzithoba entandweni kaNkulunkulu, eboniswe esibonelweni sikaJesu Kristu naselungiselelweni lakhe lesihlengo, okufanele ifezwe ngomoya ongcwele njengoba uqondisa zonke izinceku zikaNkulunkulu othandweni nasebunyeni emhlabeni wonke.