Isiko LamaYuda Lokuhlamba Umzimba—Ngaba Kamva Laba Lubhaptizo?
UYOHANE UMBHAPTIZI washumayela “ubhaptizo olufuzisela inguquko.” NoYesu wayalela abalandeli bakhe ukuba benze abafundi baze bababhaptize.—Marko 1:4; Mateyu 28:19.
IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba amaKristu afanele antywiliselwe ngokupheleleyo emanzini xa ebhaptizwa. Incwadi ethi Jesus and His World, ithi: “Le ndlela yokubhaptiza isetyenziswa nakwiinkonzo ezininzi, ezamandulo nezangoku, ehlabathini lonke.” Le ncwadi iqinisekisa isithi “ubhaptizo lwamaKristu . . . lwaqalwa ngamaYuda.” Ayinyaniso kangakanani la mazwi?
Amaqula Okuhlamba Umzimba Ngokwesiko LamaYuda
Abembi bezinto zakudala abemba kufuphi neNtaba yeTempile eYerusalem bafumene amaqula anokuba li-100 ekwakusenziwa kuwo isiko lokuhlamba umzimba. La maqula enziwa ngenkulungwane yokuqala ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo nenkulungwane yokuqala kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Umbhalo osetempileni wenkulungwane yesibini okanye yesithathu kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo uthi la maqula ayesetyenziswa “ziindwendwe.” Kuye kwafunyanwa amanye amaqula kummandla waseYerusalem owawuhlala izityebi neentsapho zababingeleli; phantse mzi ngamnye wawunequla lawo lokuhlamba umzimba ngokwesiko lalapha.
La maqula ayeziitanki ezimbhoxo ezembiwe elityeni okanye emhlabeni zaza zafulelwa ngezitena okanye amatye. Amaqula ayefulelwe ngaphakathi ukuze angavuzi. Inkoliso yawo ayeziimitha ezisisi-1,8 ububanzi nezisisi-2,7 ubude. Kwakukho imijelo eyayikhokelela amanzi emvula kula maqula. Ubuncinane amanzi ayeba ziimitha ezisisi-1,2 ubunzulu nto leyo eyayivumela umzimba wonke ugqunywe ngamanzi xa ubani egobile. Izinyuko ezazisehlela emanzini maxa wambi zazahlulwa ludonga olufutshane. Kucingelwa ukuba kwelinye icala kwakungena umntu xa engekahlambuluki, elinye ilelokuphuma, ukuze aphephe ukuphinda angcole.
La maqula ayesetyenziswa kwisiko lamaYuda lokuhlambulula. Yintoni eyayisenziwa kweli siko?
Umthetho Nesiko Lokuhlamba Umzimba
KuMthetho kaMoses abantu bakaThixo babekhuthazwa ukuba bacoceke, ngokomoya nasemzimbeni. AmaSirayeli ayengcoliswa zizinto ezahlukahlukeneyo yaye kwakufuneka azihlambulule ngokuhlamba umzimba neempahla zawo.—Levitikus 11:28; 14:1-9; 15:1-31; Duteronomi 23:10, 11.
UYehova uThixo unyulu yaye ungcwele ngokugqibeleleyo. Ngoko ke, ababingeleli nabaLevi kwakufuneka bahlambe izandla neenyawo ngaphambi kokusondela esibingelelweni kungenjalo babeya kufa.—Eksodus 30:17-21.
Abaphengululi bakholelwa ukuba kwiinkonzo zamaYuda ngenkulungwane yokuqala kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo, imithetho yokuzihlambulula yayingasebenzi kuphela kubabingeleli, kodwa nakwabo babengengawo amaLevi. AmaEssene nabaFarisi babesoloko bezihlambulula. Enye incwadi ithi xa ithetha ngexesha likaYesu: “Kwakufuneka umYuda azihlambulule ngaphambi kokuba angene kwiNtaba yeTempile, ngaphambi kokwenza umbingelelo, ngaphambi kokuzuza kumbingelelo owenziwe ngumbingeleli nangezinye izizathu ezifanayo.” ITalmud ithi abantu ababehlamba umzimba kwakulindeleke ukuba bantywile ngokupheleleyo emanzini.
UYesu wabagxeka abaFarisi ngokubambelela kumasiko okuzihlambulula. Kubonakala ukuba ‘babebhaptiza ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo,’ kuquka ukubhaptiza ‘ngeendebe nemiphanda nezitya zobhedu.’ UYesu wathi abaFarisi bawugqithile umthetho kaThixo ngamasiko abo. (Hebhere 9:10; Marko 7:1-9; Levitikus 11:32, 33; Luka 11:38-42) KuMthetho kaMoses akuzange kuthiwe abantu bafanele bantywiliselwe emanzini.
Ngaba ukubhaptizwa kwamaKristu kwaqala kulisiko lamaYuda lokuhlamba umzimba? Akunjalo!
Isiko Lokuhlamba Umzimba Nobhaptizo LwamaKristu
AmaYuda ayezihlambulula ngokwawo. Noko ke, ubhaptizo lukaYohane lwalungafani nesiko lamaYuda lokuhlamba umzimba. Ukwaziwa kukaYohane njengoMbhaptizi kubonisa ukuba ubhaptizo lwakhe lwalungekuko ukuntywilisela nje abantu. Iinkokeli zamaYuda zonqulo zade zathumela kuye igqiza lize kubuza: “Kutheni . . . ubhaptiza nje?”—Yohane 1:25.
KuMthetho kaMoses ubani wayezihlambulula nanini na esiba ngongcolileyo. Kwakungenjalo ngobhaptizo lukaYohane nolo lwamva lwamaKristu. Ubhaptizo lukaYohane lwalubonisa ukuguquka nokulahla indlela yangaphambili yokuphila. Ubhaptizo lwamaKristu lubonisa ukuba ubani wahlulele ubomi bakhe kuThixo. UmKristu ukwenza oku kube kanye, kungekhona ngokuphindaphindiweyo.
Isiko lokuhlamba umzimba elalisenziwa kumakhaya ababingeleli abangamaYuda nakwiindawo zikawonke-wonke kufuphi neNtaba yeTempile yayikukutywiliselwa okungenantsingiselo nto leyo engafaniyo nobhaptizo lwamaKristu. Injongo yoku kuntywiliselwa yayahluke ngokupheleleyo. IThe Anchor Bible Dictionary ithi: “Abaphengululi bayavumelana ukuba uYohane [uMbhaptizi] akazange amkele le ndlela yokubhaptiza,” ekuthetha ukuthi, le yamaYuda. Oku kunjalo nangobhaptizo olwenziwa kwibandla lamaKristu.
Xa amaKristu ebhaptizwa ‘acela kuThixo isazela esilungileyo.’ (1 Petros 3:21) Oku kungumfuziselo wokuzahlulela kukabani ngokupheleleyo kuYehova ukuze amkhonze njengomfundi woNyana Wakhe. Ukuntywiliselwa ngokupheleleyo emanzini ngumfuziselo ofanelekileyo wokuzahlulela. Xa ubani engena ngaphantsi kwamanzi ubonisa ukuba ufile kwikhondo lakhe lokuphila langaphambili. Ukuphakanyiswa emanzini kufuzisela ukuphila ukuze ubani enze ukuthanda kukaThixo.
UYehova uThixo ubanika isazela esicocekileyo abo bazahlulela kuye baze babhaptizwe. Umpostile uPetros owayephefumlelwe wayenokuthi kwamanye amakholwa: “Ubhaptizo, olunisindisayo nani ngoku.” Leyo yinto engenakuze ifezwe lisiko lamaYuda lokuhlamba umzimba nakaliwaka.