Benza Ukuthanda KukaYehova
UFilipu Ubhaptiza Igosa ElingumTiyopiya
NGOXA wayekhwele kwinqwelo yakhe, umTiyopiya othile wayelisebenzisa ngobulumko ixesha lakhe. Wayefunda ngokuvakalayo—nto leyo eyayiqhelekile kubahambi benkulungwane yokuqala. Le ndoda yayiligosa ‘elisemagunyeni phantsi kukaKandase ukumkanikazi wamaTiyopiya.’a “Yayiphathiswe bonke ubuncwane bakhe”—ngenxa yoko, yayingumphathiswa wezemali. Eli gosa lalifunda iLizwi likaThixo ukuze lifumane ulwazi.—IZenzo 8:27, 28.
Kude kufuphi nalapho kwakukho umshumayeli wevangeli uFilipu. Ingelosi yayimalathise ukuba aye kule ndawo, ibe ngoku yamxelela oku: “Yiya uze uzibandakanye kule nqwelo.” (IZenzo 8:26, 29) Sinokuba nomfanekiso ngqondweni kaFilipu ezibuza, ‘Ngubani le ndoda? Ifunda ntoni? Kutheni ndisalathiselwa kuyo nje?’
Njengoko uFilipu wayebaleka ecaleni kwale nqwelo, wamva lo mTiyopiya efunda la mazwi: “Njengemvu wasiwa ekuxhelweni, nanjengemvana engenalizwi phambi komchebi wayo, wenjenjalo ukungawuvuli umlomo wakhe. Ebudeni bokuthotywa kwakhe umgwebo wasuswa kuye. Ngubani na oya kuxela iinkcukacha zesizukulwana sakhe? Ngenxa yokuba ubomi bakhe bususiwe emhlabeni.”—IZenzo 8:32, 33.
UFilipu wayiqonda ngokukhawuleza loo ndinyana. Yayithatyathwe kumbhalo kaIsaya. (Isaya 53:7, 8) UmTiyopiya wayengakuqondi oko wayekufunda. UFilipu waqalisa incoko ngokubuza: “Uyakwazi na okunene oku ukufundayo?” UmTiyopiya waphendula: “Ngokwenene, ndingaze ndibe nokukwenza njani oko, ngaphandle kokuba ndikhokelwe nguthile?” Yandula ke yabongoza uFilipu ukuba akhwele kwinqwelo yayo.—IZenzo 8:30, 31.
“Yintoni Na Endinqandayo Ukuba Ndibhaptizwe?”
Lo mTiyopiya wathi kuFilipu: “Ndiyakubongoza, Umprofeti ukutsho malunga nabani na oku? Malunga naye okanye malunga namntu wumbi ongomnye?” (IZenzo 8:34) Ukudideka komTiyopiya kwakungamangalisi, kuba umbandela wokuchazwa ‘kwemvu,’ okanye “umkhonzi,” okwisiprofeto sikaIsaya kwakukudala uyintsinda-badala. (Isaya 53:11) Hayi indlela ekumele ukuba oku kwacaca ngayo xa uFilipu wavakalisa “iindaba ezilungileyo ezingoYesu” kulo mTiyopiya! Ethubeni lo mTiyopiya wathi: “Khangela! Amanzi amaninzi; yintoni na endinqandayo ukuba ndibhaptizwe?” Ngoko uFilipu wambhaptiza ngoko nangoko.—IZenzo 8:35-38.
Ngaba wayebonakalisa ukungxama xa wayesenjenjalo? Akunjalo konke konke! Lo mTiyopiya wayeguqukele ebuYudeni.b Ngoko wayesele engumnquli kaYehova onolwazi ngeZibhalo, kuquka neziprofeto eziphathelele uMesiya. Noko ke, ulwazi lwakhe lwalungaphelelanga. Ngoku ekubeni efumene le nkcazelo ibalulekileyo ephathelele indima kaYesu Kristu, lo mTiyopiya wakuqonda okufunwa nguThixo kuye ibe wayekulungele ukukwenza. Ubhaptizo lwalufanelekile.—Mateyu 28:18-20; 1 Petros 3:21.
Emva koko, “umoya kaYehova wamqhubela ukuba emke uFilipu.” Waya kwesinye isabelo. UmTiyopiya ‘wathi gqolo ehamba indlela yakhe enemihlali.’—IZenzo 8:39, 40.
Oko Sikufundayo
Njengabakhonzi bakaYehova bale mihla, sinembopheleleko yokunceda abantliziyo zinyanisekileyo bafunde inyaniso yeLizwi likaThixo. Abanye baye banempumelelo ekushumayeleni iindaba ezilungileyo kwabanye ngoxa beseluhambeni okanye bekwezinye iimeko ezingacwangciswanga. Ngenxa yomsebenzi wokushumayela ngoBukumkani, nyaka ngamnye amakhulu amawaka abantu afuzisela uzahlulelo lwawo kuYehova uThixo ngokubhaptizwa.
Kakade ke, abasebatsha abafanele babhaptizwe ngokukhawuleza. Kuqala bafanele bafumane ulwazi oluchanileyo ngoYehova uThixo nangoNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu. (Yohane 17:3) Emva koko bamele baguquke, beshiya ihambo ephosakeleyo baze baguquke ukuze baphile ngokwemilinganiselo kaThixo. (IZenzo 3:19) Oku kuthabatha ixesha, ngokukodwa xa indlela abebecinga ngayo nehambo yabo ibandakanyeke ngokunzulu. Ngoxa abasebatsha befanele babale iindleko zokuba ngabafundi abangamaKristu, kukho iintsikelelo ezinkulu eziba ngumphumo wokuba nolwalamano lokuzahlulela noYehova uThixo. (Thelekisa uLuka 9:23; 14:25-33.) Abo bangamaNgqina kaYehova ngehlombe balathisa abo basebatsha kwintlangano esetyenziswa nguThixo ukuze aphumeze ukuthanda kwakhe. (Mateyu 24:45-47) NjengomTiyopiya, aba baya kuvuya ngenxa yokufunda nokwenza oko uThixo afuna bakwenze.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Igama elithi “Kandase” asilogama lomntu kodwa sisibizo (esifana nesithi “Faro” nesithi “Kesare”) esasisetyenziswa kookumkanikazi baseTiyopiya.
b Amaguquka ayengabantu ababengengomaSirayeli ababekhetha ukunamathela kuMthetho kaMoses.—Levitikus 24:22.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 8]
Kutheni Ebizwa Ngokuba Lithenwa?
Kuyo yonke ingxelo ekwiZenzo isahluko 8, kubhekiselwa kumTiyopiya ngokuthi “ithenwa.” Noko ke, ekubeni uMthetho kaMoses wawungayamkeli indoda enqunyulwe amalungu esini ebandleni, kuyacaca ukuba le ndoda yayingelothenwa lokoqobo. (Duteronomi 23:1) Igama lesiGrike elithi “ithenwa” linokubhekisela kumntu okwisikhundla esiphakamileyo. Ngaloo ndlela, lo mTiyopiya wayeligosa phantsi kokumkanikazi waseTiyopiya.