Amaqula Okubhaptiza—Isithethe Esabhangayo
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EFRANSI
UMXHOLO wephephandaba laseFransi ngowama-2001 wawusithi: “Ubhaptizwe ngokuntywiliselwa emanzini eCaweni.” Noko ke, apha kwakukho umfanekiso welungu elitsha lamaKatolika lime kwiqula elikhulu elalinamanzi athe gabhu emadolweni nobhishophu wamaKatolika eligalela amanzi entloko. Esi sithethe sokubhaptizwa kwamalungu amatsha ngokuntywilisela inxalenye yomzimba yawo saqala emva kweBhunga Lesibini leVatican kwaye ukususela ngoko siye senziwa kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini. Abanye bayabuza: Ekubeni inkoliso yamaKatolika yaphehlelelwa ngoxa yayiseziintsana, luluphi ke uhlobo lobhaptizo olungumzekelo owamiselwa nguYohane umBhaptizi nabapostile bakaYesu? AmaKristu afanele abhaptizwe njani namhlanje? Imbali yamaqula okubhaptiza iza kunceda ekuphenduleni loo mibuzo.a
Imvelaphi Nentsingiselo Yobhaptizo
Ekuqaleni, amaKristu ayebhaptiza ngokuntywiliselwa emanzini. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile yegosa elingumTopiya elabhaptizwa nguFilipu iyasinceda sisiqonde kakuhle esi siganeko. Emva kokuba lifundile laza lanolwazi ngoKristu, eli gosa labona amanzi amaninzi, laza labuza: “Kwalani ukuba ndintywiliselwe?” (IZenzo 8:26-39; The Emphatic Diaglott) Apha kusetyenziswe igama lesiGrike elithi ba·ptiʹzo elithetha “ukuntywilisela”, igama eliphuma kulo elesiNgesi elithi “baptize” elithetha “ukutshonisa” okanye “ukuzulumbela.” Oku kuthetha ukuntywilisela. Ekubeni ukubhaptiza kufaniswa nokungcwaba, oku kuyayibethelela le ngongoma. (Roma 6:4; Kolose 2:12) Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, abaguquleli abaliqela beeBhayibhile zesiFrentshi (ngokomzekelo, uChouraqui noPernot) bambiza uYohane uMbhaptizi ngokuthi nguYohane umNtywiliseli.
Kwiinkulungwane zokuqala zobuKristu, abantu babebhaptizwa kwindawo enamanzi amaninzi—emilanjeni, elwandle, okanye kumaqula asezindlwini zabantu. Noko ke, xa ayesanda amaguquka, kwakhiwa amaqula okubhaptiza kwiindawo ezininzi eRoma, ukususela eDalmatia ukusa ePalestina nokususela eGrisi ukusa eYiputa. Elinye lawona maqula madala eSiriya, kunxweme loMlambo umEfrata, lisenokuba lenziwa ngowama-230 C.E.
Xa unqulo “lwamaKristu” lwamkelwa kuBukhosi bamaRoma ngenkulungwane yesine ngeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, izigidi zabantu zaba “ngamaKristu” yaye kwafuneka zibhaptizwe. Ngoko ke, kwakhiwa amaqula okubhaptiza kwiindawo ngeendawo. Ngenkulungwane yesithandathu, eRoma kuphela kwakukho amaqula okubhaptiza anokuba ngama-25, kuquka nelo liseSt. John Lateran. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba inqila nganye yaseGaul yayinequla layo lokubhaptiza. Enye incwadi ithi, kwakukho amaqula anokuba li-150 kule nqila. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakukho amanye amaqula anokuba ngamakhulu kwimimandla yasemaphandleni, awayekufuphi neecawa ezincinane, amangcwaba, okanye nezindlu zoonongendi.
Ukwakhiwa Kwamaqula Nendlela Awayefumaneka Ngayo Amanzi
La maqula ayedla ngokwakhiwa abe sisangqa okanye abe namacala amaninzi, enoba ayezimela okanye adityaniswa nezakhiwo zecawa. Xa kusembiwa kufunyaniswa ukuba ezi yayizizakhiwo ezincinane (ngokuqhelekileyo ziziiskwemitha ezingama-200) kodwa zihonjiswe kakuhle ngeentsika, ilitye lenyengane, ngemifanekiso yamatye, imifanekiso eyenziwe ngesamente, izinto ezazifuzisela iziganeko zeBhayibhile. Amanye amaqula, njengelo liseMariana, eCorsica, lalinophahla oluhle ngaphezu kwalo. Nalo iqula lalibizwa ngokuba yindawo yokubhaptiza ekusenokwenzeka ukuba lalinamacala alinganayo amane, lisisangqa, linamacala amathandathu, lingathi luxande, lakhiwe lanjengomnqamlezo, okanye linamacala asibhozo. Njengokuba kuboniswa bububanzi nabubunzulu bawo, amaqula okubhaptiza amandulo ayelungiselelwe ukubhaptiza abantu abadala. Ngokuqhelekileyo ayemakhulu ngokwaneleyo ukuba kungene kuwo abantu ababini. Ngokomzekelo, eLyon, kwimpuma yombindi weFransi, iqula lalapho laliziimitha ezisisi-3,25 ububanzi. Amaqula amaninzi ayenezinyuko—ngokuqhelekileyo ezisixhenxe—ezazingena emanzini.
Eyona ngxaki inkulu kubenzi bala maqula yayiyindlela yokufumana amanzi. Amaqula okubhaptiza amaninzi ayesakhiwa kufuphi nemithombo okanye amachibi anamanzi ashushu, njengelo liseNice, emazantsi eFransi. Amanzi ayedla ngokutsalwa ngemibhobho aze akhutshwe kwangayo. Kwezinye iimeko kwakugalelwa amanzi akhiwa kwitanki elikufuphi.
IQula Lokubhaptiza iSt John lasePoitiers, entshona yeFransi, elakhiwa malunga nowama-350 C.E., lingumzekelo omhle wendlela awayekhangeleka ngayo amaqula okubhaptiza “amaKristu” ngenkulungwane yesine. Phakathi kwigumbi elalinjengoxande, elalirhangqwe ngamanye amagumbi, kwakukho iqula elalinamacala asibhozo elalinezinyuko ezithathu. Eli qula liziimitha ezisisi-1,41 ubunzulu neemitha ezisisi-2,15 kweyona ndawo ibanzi. Eli qula lalixokonyezelelwe nomsele ongaphantsi komhlaba nowawusetyenziswa ukuzisa amanzi esixekweni asuka kumthombo owawukufuphi.
Ngaba Babentywiliselwa Okanye Babephehlelelwa?
Ngaba kula maqula abantu babentywiliselwa xa bebhaptizwa? Ezinye izazi zembali ezingamaKatolika zithi, akunjalo. Zithi, kusenokwenzeka ukuba mandulo kwiCawa yamaKatolika abantu babephehlelelwa (ukugalela amanzi entloko). Kwakhona zithi amaqula amaninzi ayeyimitha ubunzulu yaye engenzulu ngokwaneleyo ukuze kuntywiliselwe ngokupheleleyo umntu. Intywilalwazi yamaKatolika ithi ePoitiers “umfundisi wayesima kwizinyuko zesithathu kodwa iinyawo zakhe zingabi manzi.”
Noko ke, imifanekiso yokubhaptiza yamva ibonisa ukuba ukuntywilisela kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo, yaye amanzi ayefikelela esifubeni okanye entanyeni ngaphambi kokuba ubani abhaptizwe. (Bona imifanekiso engasentla.) Ngaba umntu omdala onesiqu nje esiphakathi wayenokuntywiliselwa enoba amanzi afikelela esinqeni? Enye incwadi ithi amanzi ayenokuvalwa okwexeshana de umntu obhaptizwayo oguqileyo okanye ochophileyo antywiliselwe.b UPierre Jounel, unjingalwazi wamasiko onqulo lwamaKatolika eParis, uthi: Umntu owayeza kubhaptizwa “wayengena emanzini aphelela esinqeni. Ngokubeka isandla sakhe entloko, umfundisi okanye umdikoni wayemenza agobe emanzini ukuze umzimba wakhe ugqunywe ngamanzi.”
Amaqula Okubhaptiza Enziwa Mancinane
Ekugqibeleni, inkqubo yokubhaptiza engenabugocigoci eyayisenziwa ngabapostile yatshintsha yangumcimbi ontsonkothileyo, onxityelwa iimpahla ezikhethekileyo kuze kwenziwe nezimbo zomzimba, imithandazo yokugxotha imimoya engendawo, kuthandazelwe amanzi, kwenziwe umbhedesho baze bathanjiswe abo babhaptiziweyo. Wanda nomkhwa wokubhaptizwa ngokuntywiliselwa kwenxalenye yomzimba. Amaqula okubhaptiza enziwa amancinane, amanye ancitshiswa asisiqingatha salawo angaphambili. Ngokomzekelo, eCazères, emazantsi eFransi, iqula elaliziimitha ezisisi-1,13 ubunzulu lenziwa lasisi-0,48 semitha ngenkulungwane yesithandathu. Kamva, malunga nenkulungwane ye-12, iCawa yamaKatolika yayeka ukubhaptiza ngokuntywiliselwa kunoko baphehlelelwa. Ngokutsho kwesazi esingumFrentshi uPierre Chaunu, oku kwakungenxa “yokwanda kokuphehlelelwa kwabantwana kumazwe abandayo, ekubeni kwakungenakuntywiliselwa usana kumanzi abandayo.”
Oku kwabangela ukuba kwakhiwe amaqula amancinane nangakumbi. Kuphando lwakhe ngembali yobhaptizo, isazi sembali uFrédéric Buhler uthi: “Izinto zakudala ezimbiweyo, amaxwebhu abhaliweyo, nemifanekiso ezotyiweyo, nendlela abantu abathetha ngayo, konke oku kubonisa ukuba ngeenkulungwane zokuqala zobuKristu abantu abadala babebhaptizwa ngokuntywiliselwa emanzini zaza izinto zatshintshela ekubeni kuphehlelelwe iintsana, kwaqalisa inkqubo yokuba abantu abadala nabantwana bangantywiliselwa.”
Namhlanje abantu abadala abantywiliselwa ngokupheleleyo, yaye amaqula okubhaptiza angoku aya esiba makhulu kunangaphambili. Yaye ngokuvumelana noko lo kaBuhler uthi kukubuyela kwinkqubo yamandulo yokubhaptiza, mvanje iCawa yamaKatolika ikhuthaza ubhaptizo lokuntywiliselwa ngokupheleleyo emanzini. Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, iBhayibhile yabonisa inkqubo efanelekileyo kukuba amaKristu afanele abhaptizwe ngokuntywiliselwa.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a La maqula okubhaptiza ngokuqhelekileyo ayephakathi kwindlu yecawa okanye kwiyadi yayo, yaye kwakubhaptizelwa kuwo.
b AmaNgqina kaYehova amaninzi kule mihla aye abhaptizwa ngokuntywiliselwa komzimba uphela kumaqula amancinane okuqubha okanye kwiibhafu.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
IQula Lokubhaptiza iSt. John lasePoitiers, eFransi
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
Iqula lokubhaptiza elaphinda lakhiwa ngenkulungwane yesihlanu laseMariana, eCorsica
[Inkcazelo]
© J.-B. Héron pour “Le Monde de la Bible”/Restitution: J. Guyon and J.-F. Reynaud, after G. Moracchini-Mazel
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 14]
UKUBONISA INDLELA UKRISTU ABHAPTIZWA NGAYO
Amanzi oMlambo iYordan afikelela kumzimba kaYesu ongasentla yaye iingelosi zimphathela iitawuli ukuze asule umzimba ngenkulungwane yesithoba
[Inkcazelo]
Cristal de roche carolingien-Le baptême du Christ © Musée des Antiquités, Rouen, France/Yohann Deslandes
UYesu ukuMlambo iYordan, yaye amanzi afikelela entanyeni. Ngasekhohlo, iingelosi ezimbini ziphethe ilaphu, zilungele ukusula umzimba wakhe—ngenkulungwane ye-12
[Inkcazelo]
© Musée d’Unterlinden-F 68000 COLMAR/Photo O. Zimmermann