Imfihlakalo Yembuliwe

ABANTU abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ukufa akusona isiphelo sokuphila komuntu, ukuthi ngemva kokufa komzimba okuthile kuyaqhubeka kuphila. Ngokuvamile, lokhu okuthile kuchazwa ngokuthi umphefumulo.

Ekuphenduleni umbuzo othi: “Sazi kanjani ukuthi iRuh [umphefumulo] ishiya umzimba lapho usethuneni?” Umagazini iThe Straight Path uyaphendula: “Ukufa kumane nje kuwukuhamba komphefumulo. Uma umphefumulo usushiye umzimba udluliselwa kuBarzakh (inkathi yokudlula ekufeni). . . . Ithuna liyindawo yokugcina umzimba kuphela, hhayi umphefumulo.” Lena imibono yamaSulumane, kodwa iyehluka kancane ezimfundisweni zeLobukholwa.

Ngokwesibonelo, thatha imibuzo emibili evela kuyiA Catechism of Christian Doctrine, incwadi yamaRoma Katolika aseBrithani esetshenziswa ezikoleni:

Umbuzo. “Kukanjani umphefumulo wakho unjengoNkulunkulu?”

Impendulo. “Umphefumulo wami unjengoNkulunkulu ngoba ungumoya, futhi awufi.”

Umbuzo. “Usho ukuthini uma uthi umphefumulo wakho awufi?”

Impendulo. “Uma ngithi umphefumulo wami awufi, ngisho ukuthi umphefumulo wami ngeke ufe.”

Nakuba abantwana bengafundiswa ukuba bakukholelwe lokhu, incwadi ayizami ukusekela ukugomela okuye kwenziwa.

Nokho, kunomthombo wokwaziswa ositshela ngokuthe ngqo lokho umphefumulo oyikho. Lowomthombo uyiBhayibheli, incwadi endala kakhulu eyaziwa umuntu. Ungase umangaliswe yilokho elikushoyo.

Umphefumulo—Incazelo YeBhayibheli

UGenesise, incwadi yokuqala yeBhayibheli, usinikeza ukulandisa kokudalwa komuntu nezinye izidalwa eziphilayo kuplanethi yethu. Yabhalwa ngesiHeberu, futhi ezahlukweni ezimbili zokuqala, igama elithi “umphefumulo,” elihunyushwe lisuka kwelithi neʹphesh, livela izikhathi ezine; nokho, kukanye kuphela lapho libhekisela khona kumuntu.a Kukuphi lapho amanye amavesi ebhekisela khona? Ake sibone.

“UNkulunkulu wadala imikhomo emikhulu nezilwane zonke eziphilayo [imiphefumulo ephilayo, NW] [neʹphesh] ezihambayo, amanzi agcwala zona ngezinhlobo zazo, nezinyoni zonke ezinamaphiko ngezinhlobo zazo.”—Genesise 1:21.

“‘Kepha zonke izilwane zomhlaba, nezinyoni zonke zezulu, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni, okukhona kuzo ukuphila njengomphefumulo [neʹphesh], zona nginiké yonke imifino eluhlaza ibe ngukudla.’”—Genesise 1:30, NW.

“UJehova uNkulunkulu wabumba ngomhlabathi zonke izilwane zasendle nezinyoni zonke zezulu, waziyisa kumuntu ukuba abone ukuthi umuntu angaziqamba ngokuthini, ukuze kuthi, njengalokhu umuntu eziqamba zonke izilwane eziphilayo [umphefumulo ophilayo ngamunye, NW] [neʹphesh,], lokhu kube-ngamagama azo.”—Genesise 2:19.

Ukuqhathaniswa okusheshayo kwalamavesi amathathu kwembula ukuthi neʹphesh isetshenziswa ukuchaza zonke izinhlobo zezilwane eziphilayo.

Manje qhathanisa lokhu nokulandisa kokudalwa komuntu wokuqala, uAdamu:

“UJehova uNkulunkulu wambumba umuntu ngomhlabathi, waphefumulela emakhaleni akhe umoya wokuphila; umuntu wabakanjalo umphefumulo ophilayo [neʹphesh].—Genesise 2:7.

Iphawula ngalokhu, iNhlangano Yokusakaza yamaJuda yaseMelika, ekuhunyushweni kweTorah, izincwadi zokuqala ezinhlanu zemiBhalo yesiHeberu, ithi: “IBhayibheli alisho ukuthi sinomphefumulo. ‘INefesh’ [neʹphesh] ingumuntu ngokwakhe, isidingo sakhe sokudla, lona kanye igazi elisemthanjeni yakhe, ubuyena.” (Omalukeke ngabethu.) Ngokunengqondo, kungokufanayo nangazo zonke ezinye izinto eziphilayo ezichazwe ‘njengomphefumulo.’ Azinawo umphefumulo. Zonke ziyimiphefumulo.

UPlato Nomphefumulo

Khona-ke, ivelaphi imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo ushiya umzimba ekufeni? IThe Jewish Encyclopedia, okubhekiselwe kuyo ekuqaleni, isho lokhu: “EbuJudeni imfundiso yomphefumulo oshiya umzimba, onobuntu bawo siqu yahluma ngokuhlangana nje kuphela kwamaJuda nomcabango wabantu basePheshiya nabaseGrisi.”

Ngisho nasekuqaleni komlando womuntu, abantu baseGibithe babekholelwa ukuthi umphefumulo womuntu awufi nokuthi wawungabuye uvakashele umzimba wawo ofile. Ngenxa yalesizathu abantu baseGibithe benza okungaphezulu ukuze balondoloze abafileyo babo ngokubagcoba ngamafutha, noma ngokubagcoba ngezinto zokubalondoloza.

Ngokuthakazelisayo, incwadi yamaLuthela yaseJalimane iEvangelischer Erwachsenenkatechismus (Ikhathekizimu Lobuvangeli Labadala) ivuma ngokusobala ukuthi umthombo wemfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo womuntu awufi awulona iBhayibheli kodwa “isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki uPlato (427-347 B.C.) owaphikisa kakhulu ngokuthi kwakukhona umehluko phakathi komzimba nomphefumulo.” Iyaqhubeka: “Izazi zenkolo ezingabavangeli bezikhathi zanamuhla babekela inselele lenhlanganisela yezinkolelo zamaGreki nezingokweBhayibheli. . . . Bayakwenqaba ukuhlukaniswa komuntu njengomzimba nomphefumulo.”

Khona-ke, yini eyenzeka emphefumulweni womuntu ekufeni? Kulendaba igunya lethu eliyinhloko liyiBhayibheli, iZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumlelwe. Lisho ngokucacile: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo, abazi-lutho.” (UmShumayeli 9:5) Futhi ekhuluma ngovuko, uJesu wathi: “Bonke abasemathuneni bayakulizwa izwi layo [likaJesu] baphume.”—Johane 5:28, 29.

Ngakho bakuphi abafileyo? Ethuneni, “emathuneni okukhunjulwa,” okungukuthi, enkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu belindele ukuvuswa.b Uvuko? Kusho ukuthini lokho? Liqiniseke kangakanani lelothemba? Isihloko sokuphetha sinikeza ukulinganisela okuvela enhlekeleleni esanda kwenzeka eNgilandi.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

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Ingabe Bewazi?

Akukho ndawo eBhayibhelini lapho sike sifunde khona ‘ngomphefumulo ongafi.’ Lamagama amabili awahlanganiswa neze. Ngobuningi, amagama athi ‘ngafa’ nelithi ‘ukungafi’ atholakala izikhathi eziyisithupha kuphela, wonke atholakala emibhalweni yomphostoli uPawulu. Lapho lisetshenziswa kubantu, elithi ukungafi lichazwa njengomvuzo oyonikezwa izi-144 000, abahlengwe emhlabeni ukuba babuse noKristu ezulwini.—1 Korinte 15:50-54; IsAmbulo 5:9, 10; 14:1-4; 20:6.

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Yimuphi Umthombo Othembekile?

I“The Concise Oxford Dictionary” ichaza “umphefumulo” ngokulandelayo: “Ingxenye engumoya noma engaphili yomuntu, egcinelwe ukusinda ekufeni.” Lencazelo iqokomisa iphuzu lokuthi inkolelo yokuphila ngemva kokufa ‘komphefumulo ilokhu iyindaba yokugomela okungokwenkolo. Awukho umthombo othembekile ongakufakazela. Ngokuphambene, umthombo othembekile ophakeme kunayo yonke, iBhayibheli, uthi: “Umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.”—Hezekeli 18:4.

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“Umphefumulo” wombhali waseGibithe, uboniswe njengoheshane onekhanda lomuntu, okucatshangwa ukuthi ‘uvakashele umzimba wakhe ethuneni’

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of the British Museum, London