Ukuzalwa Ngokutsha—Kwenzeka Njani?

UYESU akazange athethe noNikodemo nje kuphela ngokubaluleka, isizathu, nenjongo yokuzalwa ngokutsha, kodwa waphinda wathetha nangendlela okwenzeka ngayo. UYesu wathi: “Ngaphandle kokuba nabani na azalwe ngamanzi nomoya, akanakungena ebukumkanini bukaThixo.” (Yohane 3:5) Ngaloo ndlela, umntu uzalwa ngokutsha ngamanzi nangomoya. Kodwa libhekisela kwintoni ibinzana elithi “ngamanzi nangomoya”?

Yintoni La “Manzi Nomoya”?

Ekubeni uNikodemo wayengumphengululi wonqulo lwamaYuda, ngokungathabuzekiyo wayeqhelene nendlela iZibhalo zesiHebhere ezazilisebenzisa ngayo ibinzana elithi “umoya kaThixo”—amandla kaThixo asebenzayo akwaziyo ukwenza abantu benze izinto ezikhethekileyo. (Genesis 41:38; Eksodus 31:3; 1 Samuweli 10:6) Ngaloo ndlela xa uYesu wathetha “ngomoya,” uNikodemo umele ukuba waqonda ukuba kwakuthethwa ngomoya oyingcwele, ongamandla kaThixo asebenzayo.

Kuthekani ngamanzi athetha ngawo uYesu? Khawuqwalasele iziganeko ekuthethwa ngazo ngaphambi nasemva kwencoko kaYesu noNikodemo. Zibonisa ukuba uYohane nabafundi bakaYesu babebhaptiza abantu emanzini. (Yohane 1:19, 31; 3:22; 4:1-3) Oku kubhaptiza kwakusaziwa nanguthathatha eYerusalem. Ngoko ke, ufanele ukuba uNikodemo waqonda ukuba xa uYesu wayethetha la mazwi wayengathethi ngamanzi aqhelekileyo, kodwa wayethetha ngamanzi okubhaptiza.a

Ukubhaptizwa “Ngomoya Oyingcwele”

Ukuba “ukuzalwa ngamanzi” kuthetha ukubhaptizwa ngamanzi, kuthetha ntoni ke kona “ukuzalwa . . . ngomoya”? Ngaphambi kwale ncoko kaNikodemo noYesu, uYohane umBhaptizi wachaza ukuba kwakungazukubhaptizwa ngamanzi kuphela kodwa nomoya wawuza kuba nendima kubhaptizo. Wathi: “Mna ndanibhaptiza ngamanzi, kodwa yena [uYesu] uya kunibhaptiza ngomoya oyingcwele.” (Marko 1:7, 8) Umbhali wencwadi yeVangeli uMarko, uchaza ubhaptizo lokuqala olunjalo. Uthi: “Ebudeni baloo mihla uYesu weza evela eNazarete yaseGalili waza wabhaptizwa eYordan nguYohane. Yaye ngoko nangoko akunyuka ephuma emanzini wabona amazulu esahlukaniswa, nomoya usihla phezu kwakhe njengehobe.” (Marko 1:9, 10) Xa uYesu wantywiliselwa kumlambo iYordan wayebhaptizwa ngamanzi. Xa wafumana umoya ovela ezulwini wayebhaptizwa ngomoya oyingcwele.

Emva kweminyaka emithathu ebhaptiziwe, uYesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Niya kubhaptizelwa kumoya oyingcwele kungekabi ziintsuku ezininzi emva koku.” (IZenzo 1:5) Yenzeka nini loo nto?

Ngomhla wePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., abafundi bakaYesu abamalunga nama-120 babehlanganisene kwelinye ikhaya eYerusalem. “Ngequbuliso kwabakho ingxolo evela ezulwini enjengaleyo kanye yempepho ebhudla ngamandla, yaza yayizalisa indlu iphela ababehleli kuyo. Yaye kwabonakala kubo iilwimi ezingathi zezomlilo kwaye zabèka, lwaza lwaolo lwahlala kuye ngamnye wabo . . . , bonke bazaliswa ngumoya oyingcwele.” (IZenzo 2:1-4) Kwangolo suku lunye, nabanye ababeseYerusalem babongozwa ukuba babhaptizwe emanzini. Umpostile uPetros wathi kweso sihlwele: “Guqukani, yaye ngamnye wenu makabhaptizwe egameni likaYesu Kristu ukuze kuxolelwe izono zenu, kwaye niya kwamkela isipho sesisa somoya oyingcwele.” Benza ntoni? “Ngoko ke abo balamkela ngokusuk’ entliziyweni ilizwi lakhe babhaptizwa, yaye ngaloo mini kongezelelwa imiphefumlo emalunga namawaka amathathu.”—IZenzo 2:38, 41.

Izinto Ezimbini Ezifunekayo

Oku kubhaptizwa kabini kutyhila ntoni ngokuzalwa ngokutsha? Kubonisa ukuba kufuneka izinto ezimbini ukuze umntu azalwe ngokutsha. Phawula ukuba uYesu waqala wabhaptizwa emanzini waza emva koko wafumana umoya oyingcwele. Ngendlela efanayo, nabafundi benkulungwane yokuqala baqala babhaptizwa emanzini (abanye nguYohane umBhaptizi) baza emva koko bamkela umoya oyingcwele. (Yohane 1:26-36) Kwenzeka into efanayo nakumaguquka amatsha angama-3 000, nawo aqala abhaptizwa ngamanzi aza emva koko amkela umoya oyingcwele.

Xa sicinga ngobhaptizo olwenzeka ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., sifanele silindele ukuba ukuzalwa ngokutsha kwenzeke njani namhlanje? Kufanele kwenzeke ngendlela efanayo naleyo okwenzeka ngayo kubapostile bakaYesu nabafundi benkulungwane yokuqala. Umntu uqala aguquke ezonweni zakhe, ahlukane nehambo embi, ahlulele ubomi bakhe kuYehova ukuze akhonze yena, aze ke akubonise ekuhleni oko kuzahlulela kwakhe ngokubhaptizwa emanzini. Emva koko, ukuba uThixo uyamkhetha ukuba alawule eBukumkanini Bakhe, uthanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele. Inxalenye yokuqala (ukubhaptizwa ngamanzi) ixhomekeke kuloo mntu ubhaptizwayo kodwa yona eyesibini (ukubhaptizwa ngomoya) ixhomekeke kuThixo. Umntu uzalwa ngokutsha xa ebhaptizwe ngezi ndlela zimbini.

Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze uYesu asebenzise ibinzana elithi “azalwe ngamanzi nomoya,” xa wayencokola noNikodemo? Wayefuna ukugxininisa ukuba ubomi babantu ababhaptizwa ngamanzi nomoya butshintsha ngendlela ephawulekayo. Inqaku elilandelayo liza kuxubusha loo nkalo yokuzalwa ngokutsha.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]

UYohane waye wabhaptiza emanzini amaSirayeli aguqukileyo