Lutsha Zibekeleni Usukelo Lokukhonza UYehova
“Zikhetheleni namhlanje ukuba ngubani na eniya kumkhonza.”—YOSHUWA 24:15.
1, 2. Luluphi ubhaptizo oluphosakeleyo oluye lwanyanzeliswa yiNgqobhoko?
NGASEKUPHELENI kwenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo umbhali mbali uTertullian wabhala wathi: “[Abantwana] mababe ngamaKristu xa benolwazi oluphangaleleyo ngoKristu.” Wayekhalazela ukubhaptizwa kweentsana, nto leyo eyayisele ithanda ukuqheleka kubuKristu obuwexukileyo bexesha lakhe. Engaboni ngasonye noTertullian neBhayibhile, uMseki weCawa uAugustine wema ngelithi ubhaptizo lususa isono abazalwa benaso abantu kwaye abantwana abafa bengekabhaptizwa baya kutsha esihogweni. Loo nkolelo yakhuthaza ukubhaptizwa kweentsana ngokukhawuleza emva kokuzalwa kwazo.
2 Inkoliso yeecawa zeNgqobhoko isazibhaptiza iintsana. Ukongezelela koko, ukutyhubela imbali, abantu bezizwe “zabahedeni” ezoyisiweyo babebhaptizwa ngenkani ngabalawuli naziinkokeli zonqulo zamazwe ekuthiwa ngawobuKristu. Kodwa ukubhaptizwa kweentsana nabantu abadala ngenkani akusekelwanga Bhayibhileni.
Nanamhlanje Abantu Abazahluleli Ngenkani
3, 4. Yintoni enokunceda abantwana babazali abazahluleleyo ukuze nabo bazahlulele ngokuzithandela?
3 IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uThixo ubajonga njengabangcwele abantwana abancinane nokuba ngumzali omnye kuphela ongumKristu othembekileyo. (1 Korinte 7:14) Ngaba oko kubenza abo bantwana babengabakhonzi abazahluleleyo bakaYehova? Akunjalo. Noko ke, abantwana abakhuliswa ngabazali abazahlulele kuYehova bafumana uqeqesho olunokubanceda bazahlulele ngokuzithandela kuYehova. UKumkani osisilumko uSolomon wabhala wathi: “Owu nyana wam, gcina umyalelo kayihlo, ungawushiyi umthetho kanyoko. . . . Ekuhambahambeni kwakho uya kukukhokela; ekulaleni kwakho, uya kukulinda; nasekuvukeni kwakho, uya kuzixhalabisa ngawe. Ngokuba usisibane umyalelo, nomthetho ulukhanyiso, yaye izohlwayo zengqeqesho ziyindlela yobomi.”—IMizekeliso 6:20-23.
4 Ukhokelo lwabazali abangamaKristu lunokulukhusela ulutsha, kodwa oko kuxhomekeke ekubeni luyabathobela kusini na. USolomon walek’ umsundulo wathi: “Unyana olumkileyo umenza abe nemihlali uyise, unyana osisiyatha uyintlungu kanina.” “Wena ke, nyana wam, yiva uze ube nobulumko, ukhokele intliziyo yakho endleleni.” (IMizekeliso 10:1; 23:19) Ewe, ukuze nincedwe luqeqesho lwabazali, nina lutsha nimele namkele amacebiso, iziluleko noqeqesho lwabo. Anizalwa nizizilumko, kodwa “ninako ukuba zizilumko” nize ngokuzithandela nilandele “indlela yobomi.”
Kukuthini Ukweyiselwa Kwengqondo?
5. Sisiphi isiluleko esanikwa abantwana nooyise nguPawulos?
5 Umpostile uPawulos wathi: “Bantwana, bathobeleni abazali benu ngokumanyene neNkosi, kuba oku kububulungisa: ‘Beka uyihlo nonyoko’; wona lowo ngumyalelo wokuqala onesithembiso esithi: ‘Ukuze kulunge kuwe uze uhlale ixesha elide emhlabeni.’ Nani, boyise, musani ukubacaphukisa abantwana benu, kodwa qhubekani nibakhulisela kwingqeqesho nasekweyiselweni kwengqondo kuYehova.”—Efese 6:1-4.
6, 7. Yintoni ebandakanyekileyo ‘ekweyiseleni kwengqondo yomntwana kuYehova,’ yaye kutheni oku kungathethi kuthi abazali balahlekisa abantwana babo?
6 Ngaba abazali abangamaKristu, bayabalahlekisa abantwana babo xa bebaqeqesha baze ‘beyisele ingqondo zabo kuYehova’? Nakanye! Ngubani onokugxeka abazali xa befundisa abantwana babo oko bacinga ukuba kulungile kwaye kuluncedo? Abantu abangakholelwayo kubukho bukaThixo abagxekwa xa befundisa abantwana babo ukuba uThixo akakho. Abazali abangamaRoma Katolika bakhulisa abantwana babo ngokuvisisana neenkolelo zabo, ibe abafane bagxekwe ngokukhulisa abantwana babo ngolo hlobo. Nawo amaNgqina kaYehova akamele agxekwe xa ekhulisa abantwana ngendlela kaYehova kumbandela wenyaniso nemilinganiselo yokuziphatha.
7 Ngokutsho kweTheological Dictionary of the New Testament, igama lesiGrike eliguqulelwe ngokuthi ‘ukweyiselwa kwengqondo’ kweyabase-Efese 6:4 libhekisela kwinkqubo “yokuzama ukulungisa ingqondo, ukulungisa oko kungalunganga, ukuze umntwana acinge ngendlela kaThixo.” Kuthekani ukuba umntwana akafuni kuqeqeshwa ngabazali bakhe ngenxa yengcinezelo yoontanga, nokuthanda ukuhamba nomndilili? Ngubani ke ekumele kuthiwe unempembelelo embi—ngaba ngabazali okanye ngoontanga? Ukuba oontanga baphembelela oselula ukuba asebenzise iziyobisi, anxile okanye aziphathe kakubi, ngaba abazali bafanele bagxekwe ngokuzama ukulungelelanisa isimo sengqondo somntwana wabo nokumnceda abone imiphumo eyingozi yendlela aziphethe ngayo?
8. Yintoni eyasetyenziswayo ukuze ‘kweyiselwe uTimoti abe likholwa’?
8 Umpostile uPawulos wabhalela umfana oselula uTimoti wathi: “Yima ezintweni owazifundayo waza weyiselwa ekuzikholelweni, ubazi abantu owazifunda kubo, kuba uyaze kwasebusaneni imibhalo engcwele, enako ukukunika ubulumko obusa elusindisweni ngokukholwa kuKristu Yesu.” (2 Timoti 3:14, 15) Esengumntwana uTimoti, unina noninakhulu balwakhela kuThixo ukholo lwakhe besebenzisa iZibhalo Ezingcwele. (IZenzo 16:1; 2 Timoti 1:5) Xa babangamaKristu kamva, abazange bamnyanzele uTimoti ukuba abe likholwa kunoko “bameyisela” beqiqa naye ngokusuka eZibhalweni.
UYehova Uyakumema Ukuba Uzikhethele
9. (a) UYehova wazivava ngeliphi ilungelo izidalwa zakhe yaye ngoba? (b) UNyana kaThixo okuphela kwamzeleyo walisebenzisa njani ilungelo lakhe lokuzikhethela?
9 UYehova wayenako ukwenza izidalwa zakhe zilawulwe luthuku, zingakwazi ukwenza enye into ngaphandle kokuthanda kwakhe. Kunoko wazidala zanelungelo lokuzikhethela. UThixo wethu ufuna abantu bamkhonze ngokuzithandela. Wonwaba gqitha xa ebona izidalwa zakhe, abantu abadala nabaselula bemkhonza ngokuzithandela. Umzekelo obalaseleyo wokuzithoba ngokuzithandela ekwenzeni ukuthanda kukaThixo ngowoNyana wakhe ekuphela kwamzeleyo, uYehova athi ngaye: “Lo nguNyana wam, oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguye.” (Mateyu 3:17) Lo Nyana wamazibulo wathi kuYise: “Ukwenza ukuthanda kwakho, Thixo wam, kundiyolisile, nomthetho wakho ungaphakathi ezibilinini zam.”—INdumiso 40:8; Hebhere 10:9, 10.
10. Yintoni efunekayo ukuze simkhonze ngendlela eyamkelekileyo uYehova?
10 UYehova ulindele ukuba abo bamkhonzayo besalathiswa nguNyana wakhe bamthobele ngokuzithandela. Eprofeta umdumisi wadanduluka wathi: “Abantu bakho baya kuzinikela ngokuvumayo ngemini yomkhosi wakho wamajoni. Ngobungangamsha bobungcwele, ekuphumeni kwesifingo, uneqela lakho labantu abaselula kanye njengamathontsi ombethe.” (INdumiso 110:3) Yonke intlangano kaYehova, inxalenye yayo esezulwini nenxalenye yayo esemhlabeni, yenza izinto ngokuzithandela kuba ithobela uThixo.
11. Luluphi ukhetho olufanele lwenziwe lulutsha olukhuliswe ngabazali abazahluleleyo?
11 Nina ke lutsha kufuneka niqonde ukuba abazali nabadala abasebandleni lamaKristu abayi kuninyanzela ukuba nibhaptizwe. Umnqweno wokukhonza uYehova ufanele uphume kuni. UYoshuwa wamandulo wathi kumaSirayeli: ‘Mkhonzeni [uYehova] ngokungenasiphoso nangenyaniso. Zikhetheleni namhlanje ukuba ngubani na eniya kumkhonza.’ (Yoshuwa 24:14-22) Ngokufanayo, nifanele nizahlulele ngokuzithandela kuYehova nize ke niphilele ukwenza ukuthanda kwakhe.
Yamkelani Iimbopheleleko Zenu
12. (a) Ngoxa abazali benokubaqeqesha abantwana babo, yintoni abangenakukwazi ukuyenza? (b) Umntu oselula uqala nini ukuziphendulela kuYehova ngezenzo zakhe?
12 Liyeza ixesha apho ningasayi kuxhomekeka ekuthembekeni kwabazali benu. (1 Korinte 7:14) Umfundi uYakobi wathi: “Ukuba ubani uyakwazi ukwenza okulungileyo kodwa angakwenzi, kusisono oko kuye.” (Yakobi 4:17) Abazali abanakukhonza uThixo, baze bamkhonzele nabantwana babo, kunjalo ke nangabantwana. (Hezekile 18:20) Ngaba uye wafunda ngoYehova neenjongo zakhe? Ngaba umdala ngokwaneleyo ukuba ukuqonde oko ukufundayo nokuba nolwalamano naye? Ngaba akukho ngqiqweni ukucinga ukuba uThixo ukujonga njengomntu omdala ngokwaneleyo ukuba uzenzele isigqibo sokumkhonza?
13. Yiyiphi imibuzo abafanele bazibuze yona abantwana abakwishumi elivisayo abangekabhaptizwa?
13 Ngaba ungoselula okhuliswa ngabazali abakhonza uThixo, yaye ubakho kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu nakumsebenzi wokushumayela ngeendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani? Ukuba kunjalo, zibuze ngokunyanisekileyo oku: ‘Yintoni ebangela ukuba ndenze zonke ezi zinto? Ngaba ndiya kwiintlanganiso nakumsebenzi wokushumayela kuba ndikholisa abazali bam okanye kungenxa yokuba ndifuna ukukholisa uYehova?’ Ngaba uye wazibonela ngokwakho “ukulunga nokwamkeleka nokugqibelela kokuthanda kukaThixo”?—Roma 12:2.
Kutheni Umathidala Ukubhaptizwa Nje?
14. Yiyiphi imizekelo eseBhayibhileni ebonisa ukuba ubhaptizo alufanele lubekelwe amangomso?
14 “Yintoni na endithintelayo ukuba ndibhaptizwe?” UmTiyopiya owabuza loo mbuzo uFilipu wayesandul’ ukuva ukuba uYesu wayenguMesiya. Kodwa lo mTiyopiya wayenolwazi olwaneleyo lweZibhalo olwamenza waqonda kuba akamele alibazise wavuma ukuba ukususela ngoko ukusa phambili wayeza kukhonza uYehova njengelungu lebandla lamaKristu, kwaye elo nyathelo lamzisela uvuyo olungathethekiyo. (IZenzo 8:26-39) Ngokufanayo ibhinqa eligama linguLidiya elavula intliziyo yalo ‘ukuze linikele ingqalelo kwizinto ezazithethwa nguPawulos, labhaptizwa’ ngoko nangoko lona nendlu yalo. (IZenzo 16:14, 15) Ngendlela efanayo, umgcini-ntolongo waseFilipi waphulaphula uPawulos noSilas njengoko ‘babethetha ilizwi likaYehova kuye,’ ibe “yena nendlu yakhe babhaptizwa ngaphandle kokulibazisa.” (IZenzo 16:25-34) Ukuba, unolwazi olusisiseko ngoYehova neenjongo zakhe, umnqweno onyanisekileyo wokwenza ukuthanda kwakhe, negama elihle ebandleni kwaye uyeza kuzo zonke iintlanganiso kwaye unesabelo ekushumayeleni iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani, kutheni ukubekela amangomso nje ukubhaptizwa?—Mateyu 28:19, 20.
15, 16. (a) Yiyiphi ingcamango ephosakeleyo enokwenza ulutsha lungabhaptizwa? (b) Ukuzahlulela nokubhaptizwa kunokulukhusela njani ulutsha?
15 Ngaba woyika ukubhaptizwa kuba ubaleka ukuthethiswa xa unokwenza isono? Ukuba kunjalo cinga ngoku: Ngaba ubuya kuyiyeka ilayisensi yokuqhuba kuba nje usoyika ukuba ngenye imini usenokwenza ingozi? Kakade akunjalo! Awufanele uthandabuze ukubhaptizwa ukuba uyafaneleka. Enyanisweni, ukuzahlulela kuYehova bekuya kukunceda wenze konke okusemandleni akho ukuzama ukuxhathisa izenzo eziphosakeleyo uze wenze ukuthanda kwakhe. (Filipu 4:13) Lutsha, musani ukucinga ukuba anizukuphenduliswa ngezenzo zenu kuba nje ningade nibhaptizwe. Xa sele umdala ngokwaneleyo, umele uziphendulele kuYehova ngezenzo zakho enoba ubhaptiziwe okanye akunjalo.—Roma 14:11, 12.
16 AmaNgqina amaninzi ehlabathini jikelele avakalelwa kukuba isigqibo sawo sokuba abhaptizwe ngoxa ayeselula sawanceda gqitha. Ngokomzekelo cinga ngeNgqina elineminyaka engama-23 ubudala elihlala eNtshona Yurophu. Likhumbula ukuba ukubhaptizwa kwalo lineminyaka eli-13 ubudala kwalikhuthaza ukuba lingakhukuliswa ‘ziinkanuko zobutsha.’ (2 Timoti 2:22) Zisuka nje laba nosukelo lokuba ngumlungiseleli wexesha elizeleyo. Namhlanje, likhonza kamnandi kwiofisi yesebe yamaNgqina kaYehova. Ulutsha olukhetha ukukhonza uYehova luya kufumana intabalala yeentsikelelo, kuquka nawe.
17. Kukweziphi iinkalo ekufuneka siqhubeke ‘sikuqonda into ekuyiyo ukuthanda kukaYehova’?
17 Ukuzahlulela nokubhaptizwa sisiqalo sobomi esibonisa ukuba siyakugqala ukuthanda kukaYehova kuzo zonke izinto esizenzayo. Ukuze ukuzahlulela kwethu kube yimpumelelo kufuneka ‘sizithengele ixesha.’ Silithenga njani ixesha? Ngokusebenzisa ixesha esisenokuba besilisebenzisa kwizinto ezingabalulekanga size silisebenzisele ukufunda iBhayibhile, ukuya kwiintlanganiso rhoqo yaye sibe nenxaxheba ngokupheleleyo kumsebenzi wokushumayela “ngeendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani.” (Efese 5:15, 16; Mateyu 24:14) Ukuzahlulela kwethu kuYehova nomnqweno esinawo wokwenza ukuthanda kwakhe kuya kusinceda kuzo zonke iinkalo zobomi bethu, kuquka ixesha lokuzihlaziya, izinto esizityayo nesiziselayo kunye nohlobo lomculo esiwuphulaphulayo. Kutheni ungakhethi uhlobo lokuzonwabisa oza kukwazi ukulunandipha ngonaphakade? Amawaka amaNgqina aselula ayazi ukuba zininzi iindlela zokuzonwabisa ezingangqubaniyo “nokuthanda kukaYehova.”—Efese 5:17-19.
“Siza Kuhamba Nani”
18. Nguwuphi umbuzo abafanele bazibuze wona abaselula?
18 Ukususela ngowama-1513 B.C.E. ukusa ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uYehova wayenabantu bakhe abalungelelanisiweyo apha emhlabeni awabakhethayo ukuze bamnqule baze babe ngamangqina akhe. (Isaya 43:12) AmaSirayeli aselula ayezalelwa kolo hlanga. Ukususela ngePentekoste, uYehova ‘ebenohlanga’ olutsha apha emhlabeni, uSirayeli wokomoya, “isizwana segama lakhe.” (1 Petros 2:9, 10; IZenzo 15:14; Galati 6:16) Umpostile uPawulos uthi uKristu uye wazicocela “isizwana esisesakhe ngokukhethekileyo, esizondelela imisebenzi emihle.” (Tito 2:14) Nina lutsha nikhululekile ukuba nizikhangelele eso sizwana. Ngoobani namhlanje ababumba “uhlanga olunobulungisa olugcina ihambo yokuthembeka,” oluphila ngokuvisisana nemigaqo yeBhayibhile, olukhonza njengamaNgqina athembekileyo kaYehova, noluvakalisa uBukumkani bakhe njengekuphela kwethemba kwiingxaki zoluntu? (Isaya 26:2-4) Khangela iicawa zeNgqobhoko nezinye iinkonzo, uze uthelekise ihambo yazo noko iBhayibhile ithi kufuneka kwenziwe ngabakhonzi bakaThixo.
19. Yintoni eziye zeyiseka kuyo izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke?
19 Ehlabathini lonke, izigidi zabantu, kuquka ulutsha oluninzi, zeyisekile ukuba intsalela yamaKristu athanjisiweyo angamaNgqina kaYehova ibumba eso “sizwe sobulungisa.” Zithi kulo Sirayeli wokomoya: “Siza kuhamba nani, kuba sivile ukuba uThixo unani.” (Zekariya 8:23) Sinethemba yaye sithandaza ngokwenene ukuba nina baselula nenze eso sigqibo sokuhlala phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo, ngaloo ndlela ‘nikhetha ubomi’—ubomi obungenasiphelo kwihlabathi elitsha likaYehova.—Duteronomi 30:15-20; 2 Petros 3:11-13.
Impinda
• Yintoni ebandakanyekileyo ekweyiselweni kwengqondo?
• Yiyiphi indlela yokukhonza uYehova eyamkelekileyo?
• Luluphi ukhetho ekufuneka lwenziwe lulo lonke ulutsha olukhuliswa ngabazali abazahluleleyo?
• Kutheni singamele silubekel’ amangomso ubhaptizo?
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]
Uza kuphulaphula bani?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]
Kunokukukhusela njani ukuzahlulela nokubhaptizwa?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]
Yintoni ekuthintelayo ukuba ungabhaptizwa?