Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Kwakutheni ukuze IMboniselo ka-Aprili 1, 2002, kwiphepha 11, isiqendu 7, ithi ukubhaptizwa emanzini kwamaYuda angamakholwa ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. kwakufuzisela “ukuzahlulela kwawo kuThixo ngoKristu,” ekubeni ngaphambili kwakuthiwe amaYuda abhaptizwa ukususela ngowama-33 C.E. ukusa kowama-36 C.E. kwakungeyomfuneko ukuba azahlulele?

Ngowe-1513 B.C.E., uYehova uThixo wanika amaSirayeli ithuba lokuba abe luhlanga olungcwele kuye logama nje ‘ethobela ilizwi lakhe yaye ewugcina umnqophiso wakhe.’ Aphendula athi: “Konke akuthethileyo uYehova sikulungele ukukwenza.”—Eksodus 19:3-8; 24:1-8.

Ngokuvuma ukugcina umnqophiso woMthetho kaMoses, amaSirayeli azahlulela kuThixo. Ngenxa yoku izizukulwana ezilandelayo zamaYuda zazalelwa kolu hlanga luzahluleleyo. Noko ke, ukubhaptizwa kwamaYuda aba ngabalandeli bakaYesu Kristu ukususela ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. ukusa phambili kwakuquka okungakumbi kunokuzinikela kuThixo njengamalungu ohlanga oluzahluleleyo. Oku kwakufuzisela ukuzahlulela kwawo kuYehova uThixo kulwalamano olutsha ngoYesu Kristu. Njani?

Emva kokuthululwa komoya oyingcwele phezu kwabafundi abanokuba li-120 ababehlanganisene kwigumbi eliphezulu eYerusalem ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., umpostile uPetros waphakama waza waqalisa ukushumayela kwisihlwele samaYuda nakumaguquka awayehlanganisene apho eze kubona into eyenzekileyo. Emva kokunikela ubungqina obucokisekileyo, wathi kumaYuda awayechukumisekile: “Guqukani, yaye ngamnye wenu makabhaptizwe egameni likaYesu Kristu ukuze kuxolelwe izono zenu.” Besabela kwisibongozo sikaPetros, “abo balamkela ngokusuk’ entliziyweni ilizwi lakhe babhaptizwa, yaye ngaloo mini kongezelelwa imiphefumlo emalunga namawaka amathathu.”—IZenzo 2:1-41.

Ngaba loo maYuda abhaptizwa ethobela isibongozo sikaPetros ayengengawo amalungu ohlanga oluzahluleleyo? Ngaba ayengazahlulelanga kuThixo? Akunjalo. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala esithi ‘uThixo wawususa uMthetho endleleni ngokuwubethelela kwisibonda sentuthumbo.’ (Kolose 2:14) Ngokufa kukaKristu ngowama-33 C.E., uYehova uThixo wawushenxisa umnqophiso woMthetho—nto leyo eyayiwenza amaSirayeli abe ngabantu abazahlulele kuYe. Uhlanga olwalungazange lumamkele uNyana kaThixo ngoku lwalulahliwe nguThixo. “Abo bangamaSirayeli ngokwenyama” babengenakuthi baluhlanga lukaThixo oluzahluleleyo.—1 Korinte 10:18; Mateyu 21:43.

Umnqophiso woMthetho wabhangiswa ngowama-33 C.E., kodwa ixesha likaThixo lokubonakalisa uthando nokunikela ingqalelo ekhethekileyo kumaYuda alizange liphele ngelo xesha.a Elo xesha laliza kuqhubeka de kube ngowama-36 C.E., xa uPetros washumayela kuKorneli owayengumTaliyane owayehlonel’ uThixo nakwindlu yakhe nakwabanye beeNtlanga. (IZenzo 10:1-48) Kwakutheni ukuze ayolule inceba yakhe?

KuDaniyeli 9:27 kuthiwa: ‘UMesiya uya kwenza umnqophiso nabaninzi oya kusebenza kangangeveki enye.’ Umnqophiso owaqhubeka usebenza kangangeminyaka esixhenxe, okanye “kangangeveki enye,” ukususela kubhaptizo lukaYesu nasekuqaleni kobulungiseleli bukaMesiya ngowama-29 C.E. yayingumnqophiso ka-Abraham. Ukuze ubani abe kuloo mnqophiso, wayefanele abe ngomnye wembewu ka-Abraham engamaHebhere. Loo mnqophiso owawenziwe nomntu omnye awuzange wenze nabani na abe ngozahlulele kuYehova. Ngenxa yoko, amakholwa angamaYuda awayebhaptizwa emva kwentetho kaPetros ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., nakuba ayefumana ingqalelo ekhethekileyo njengamaYuda angokwemvelo, ayengenakuthi azahlulele kuThixo emva kokuba uMthetho ushenxisiwe. Mntu ngamnye ngoku wayefanele azahlulele kuThixo.

Ukuzahlulela kwamaYuda namaguquka aze abhaptizwe ngomhla wePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. kwakubalulekile nangenxa yesinye isizathu. Umpostile uPetros wabongoza abo babemphulaphule ukuba baguquke baze babhaptizwe egameni likaYesu. Ukuze benjenjalo kwakufuneka bayishiye indlela yehlabathi baze baqonde ukuba uYesu uyiNkosi noMesiya, unguMbingeleli Omkhulu, yaye uhleli kwisandla sasekunene sikaThixo ezulwini. Babefanele babize igama likaYehova uThixo ukuze basindiswe ngoKristu Yesu, nto leyo eyayiquka ukuba nokholo kuKristu nokumgqala njengeNkokeli yabo. Ngoku ubani wayeza kuba nolwalamano noThixo aze axolelwe izono ngenxa yesizinzi esitsha. Mntu ngamnye kumaYuda akholwayo wayefanele amkele eli lungiselelo litsha. Njani? Ngokuzahlulela kuThixo nokuzazisa esidlangalaleni ukuba wenze oko ngokuntywiliselwa emanzini egameni likaYesu Kristu. Ubhaptizo lwasemanzini lwalungumfuziselo wokuzahlulela kwawo kuThixo, luwenza abe nolwalamano olutsha naye ngoYesu Kristu.—IZenzo 2:21, 33-36; 3:19-23.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]