Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
Kukuthini ukubhaptizelwa abafileyo?
Xa wayebhala ngovuko lwasezulwini, umpostile uPawulos wabhala indinyana ebangela umdla. KwiBhayibhile yesiXhosa sifunda oku: “Okanye baya kwenza ntoni na abo babhaptizelwa abafileyo, ukuba abafileyo abaze bavuke? Yini na ukuba babhaptizelwe nokubhaptizelwa abafileyo?”—1 Korinte 15:29.
Ngaba uPawulos wayebonisa ukuba kufanele kubhaptizwe abantu abaphilayo ngenxa yabo bafe bengabhaptizwanga? Oku kusenokubonakala kunjalo xa ufunda le nguqulelo nezinye. Noko ke, xa sihlolisisa ngenyameko esi Sibhalo nesiGrike samandulo esasetyenziswa nguPawulos sifikelela kwesinye isigqibo. UPawulos wayethetha ukuba amaKristu athanjisiweyo abhaptizwa, okanye antywiliselwe kwikhondo lobomi elikhokelela ekubeni afe egcine ingqibelelo njengoKristu. Emva koko, avuselwa kubomi bokomoya njengaye.
IZibhalo ziyakuxhasa oku. Kwileta yakhe eya kwabaseRoma, uPawulos wathi: “Anazi na ukuba sonke thina sabhaptizelwayo kuKristu Yesu sabhaptizelwa ekufeni kwakhe?” (Roma 6:3) Ebhalela abaseFilipi, uPawulos wathetha ngaye esithi: ‘wabelana noKristu kwiimbandezelo zakhe, ezithobela ekufeni okunjengokwakhe, enethemba lokufumana uvuko lokuqala lwabafileyo.’ (Filipi 3:10, 11) UPawulos wayebonisa ukuba indlela aphila ngayo umlandeli othanjisiweyo kaKristu ibandakanya ukugcina ingqibelelo ngaphantsi kovavanyo, ahlale ejamelana nokufa nanini na, ekugqibeleni afe ethembekile, aze emva koko afumane uvuko lwasezulwini.
Kuyabonakala ukuba ezi zibhalo zikhankanyiweyo kwanezinye ezithetha ngokungqalileyo ngokufa okuphathelele abo babhaptizwayo zibhekisela kubantu abaphilayo abasele bebhaptiziwe kungekhona abafileyo. Kwakhona uPawulos waxelela amanye amaKristu athanjisiweyo oku: “Nangcwatywa kunye naye kubhaptizo lwakhe, yaye ngolwalamano kunye naye niye navuswa kunye naye ngokholo lwenu ngokusebenza kukaThixo, owamvusayo kwabafileyo.”—Kolose 2:12.
Kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:29 kwiinguqulelo ezahlukahlukeneyo zeBhayibhile, isivumelanisi sesiGrike uhy·perʹ, esiguqulelwe ngokuhlanganiswa negama elithi “babhaptizelwa,” okanye esithi “endaweni,” sikwathetha ukuthi “ngenjongo yokuba.” Ngoko ke, ngokuvumelana nezinye izibhalo eziseBhayibhileni, INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele iyiguqulela ngokuchanileyo le ndinyana ngokuthi: “Baya kwenza ntoni na abo babhaptizwa ngenjongo yokuba ngabo bafileyo? Ukuba abafileyo abayi kuvuswa konke konke, kutheni bekwabhaptizwa ngenjongo yokuba ngabanjalo?”