impendulo eqinisweni ihilela uhlobo lomuntu uNkulunkulu ayilo. Bekungaba okufanele noma uthando ukulahla umuntu ngokwenza okuthile wena ngokwakho ocebe ukuba akwenze?’ Khona-ke mhlawumbe unganezela: (1) ‘UJehova unguNkulunkulu wothando. (1 Joh. 4:8) Zonke izindlela zakhe ziwukulunga. (IHu. 37:28; Dut. 32:4) Kwakungeyona intando kaNkulunkulu ukuba uAdamu one; wamxwayisa ngakho. (Gen. 2:17)’ (2) ‘UNkulunkulu wamnikeza uAdamu, njengoba esinika nathi, inkululeko yokuzikhethela lokho ayefuna ukukwenza. Ukuphelela kwakhe akumvimbelanga ukuba akhethe ukungalaleli. UAdamu wakhetha ukuhlubuka kuNkulunkulu, naphezu kwesixwayiso sokuthi umphumela kwakuyoba ukufa.’ (Bheka futhi ikhasi 271.)

UBhapathizo

Incazelo: Igama elithi “bhapathiza” livela kwelesiGreki elithi ba·ptiʹzein, elisho “ukushonisa, ukucwilisa.” (A Greek-English Lexicon, kaLiddell noScott) Ubhapathizo lwamanzi lobuKristu luyisibonakaliso sangaphandle sokuthi lowo obhapathizwayo uye wazinikezela ngokuphelele, ngokungagodli nangokungenambandela ngoJesu Kristu ukuba enze intando kaJehova uNkulunkulu. ImiBhalo futhi ibhekisela obhapathizweni lukaJohane, ubhapathizo lomoya ongcwele, nobhapathizo lomlilo, phakathi kokunye.

Ingabe abantu abakholelwa ngempela eZwini likaNkulunkulu bayazigodla ekubhapathizweni?

Math. 28:19, 20: “Ngalokho hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi, nibabhapathize egameni likaYise neleNdodana nelikaMoya oNgcwele, nibafundise ukugcina konke enginiyalé ngakho.”

IzE. 2:41: “Abalamukelayo izwi lakhe babhapathizwa.”

IzE. 8:12: “Bathi ukuba bakholwe nguFiliphu eshumayela ivangeli ngombuso kaNkulunkulu nangegama likaJesu Kristu, babhapathizwa abesilisa nabesifazane.”

IzE. 8:36-38: “Kwathi besahamba endleleni, bafika emanzini. Umthenwa [wase-Etiyopiya] wathi: Bheka, nanka amanzi; kwalani ukuba ngibhapathizwe na? . . . Wayala ukuba inqola ime. . . . [uFiliphu] wambhapathiza.”

Ubhapathizo lwamanzi lwamaKristu—ingabe lungolokufafazwa noma ukucwiliswa ngokuphelele?

Marku 1:9, 10: “UJesu . . . wabhapathizwa [“wacwiliswa,” ED, Ro] nguJohane [eMfuleni] eJordani. Wanele ukukhuphuka emanzini, wabona izulu livuleka.”

IzE. 8:38: “Behlela emanzini bobabili, uFiliphu nomthenwa; wambhapathiza [“wamcwilisa,” ED, Ro].”

Ingabe amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayebabhapathiza abantwana abancane?

Math. 28:19: “Ngalokho hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi, nibabhapathize.”

IzE. 8:12: “Bathi ukuba bakholwe nguFiliphu . . . babhapathizwa abesilisa nabesifazane.”

Nokho, kamuva, uOrigen (185-254 C.E.) wabhala: “Kuyisiko lesonto ukuba ubhapathizo lwenziwe nakubantwana abancane.” (Selections From the Commentaries and Homilies of Origen, Madras, India; 1929, k. 211.) Lomkhuba waqinisekiswa uMkhandlu Wesithathu waseCarthage (253 C.E.).

Isazi-mlando senkolo uAugustus Neander wabhala: “Ukholo nobhapathizo kwakulokhu kuhambisana; ngakho-ke kungenzeka ngezinga eliphakeme kakhulu . . . ukuthi umkhuba wokubhapathiza abantwana abancane wawungaziwa ngalesikhathi [ekhulwini lokuqala]. . . . Ukuthi kwaqashelwa okokuqala njengesiko labaphostoli phakathi nekhulu lesithathu, kuwubufakazi obumelene kunokuba kube obuvumelana nokuthi kwaqala kubaphostoli.”—History of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles (New York, 1864), k. 162.

Ingabe ubhapathizo lwamanzi lobuKristu luphumela ekuthethelelweni kwezono?

1 Joh. 1:7: “Uma sihamba ekukhanyeni, njengalokhu yena uqobo esekukhanyeni, . . . negazi likaJesu iNdodana yakhe liyasihlambulula ezonweni zonke.” (Kanjalo, akuwona amanzi obhapathizo, kodwa igazi likaJesu elisihlambulula esonweni.)

Math. 3:11: “Mina [Johane uMbhapathizi] nginibhapathiza ngamanzi, kube-ngukuphenduka; kepha yena oza emva kwami [uJesu Kristu] unamandla kunami engingafanele ukuthwala izicathulo zakhe.” (Amavesi 5, 6, nezEnzo 13:24, abonisa ukuthi lokho uJohane akwenza kwakuqondiswe kumaJuda, hhayi kubo bonke abantu. Ngani? Ngenxa yezono zawo esivumelwaneni soMthetho nokuba awalungiselele uKristu.)

IzE. 2:38: “Phendukani, yilowo nalowo abhapathizwe egameni likaJesu Kristu kukho ukuthethelelwa kwezono zenu.” (Ingabe ubhapathizo ngokwalo lwabalethela ukuthethelelwa? Cabanga: Lokhu kwashiwo kumaJuda ahlanganyela ecaleni lokufa kukaKristu. [Bheka amavesi 22, 23.] Ukubhapathizwa kwawo kwakuzonikeza ubufakazi bokuthile. Okuyini? Ukuthi manje ayesekholelwa kuMesiya, uKristu. Kungokwenza lokhu kuphela lapho izono zawo zaziyothethelelwa. [IzE. 4:12; 5:30, 31])

IzE. 22:16: “Sukuma, ubhapathizwe, uhlambulule izono zakho ngokukhuleka egameni lakhe.” (NezEnzo 10:43)

Obani ababhapathizwa ngomoya ongcwele?

1 Kor. 1:2; 12:13, 27: “Kubo abangcwelisiwe kuKristu Jesu, ababiziweyo abangcwele . . . Ngokuba ngaMoya munye thina sonke sabhapathizwa sibe-mzimba munye, noma singabaJuda noma singamaGreki, noma siyizigqila noma singabakhululekileyo; thina sonke saphuziswa-Moya munye. Kepha nina ningumzimba kaKristu.” (Njengoba uDaniyeli 7:13, 14, 27 ebonisa, abanjalo “abangcwele” bahlanganyela eMbusweni neNdodana yomuntu, uJesu Kristu.)

Joh. 3:5: “Uma umuntu engazalwa ngamanzi nangoMoya, angengene embusweni kaNkulunkulu.” (Umuntu ‘uzalwa ngomoya’ ngesikhathi sokubhapathizwa kwakhe ngalowomoya. ULuka 12:32 ubonisa ukuthi “umhlambi omncane” kuphela onalelolungelo. Bheka futhi isAmbulo 14:1-3.)

Ingabe bonke ababhapathizwa ngomoya ongcwele bakhuluma ngezilimi noma banesiphiwo sokuphulukisa?

1 Kor. 12:13, 29, 30: “Ngokuba ngaMoya munye thina sonke sabhapathizwa sibe-mzimba munye, . . . Bonke bangabaphostoli na? . . . Bonke bangabenza imisebenzi yamandla na? Bonke baneziphiwo zomusa zokuphulukisa na? Bonke bakhuluma ngezilimi na?”

Bheka futhi esithi “Ukuphulukisa” nesithi “Izilimi, Ukukhuluma Ngazo.”

‘Ukubhapathizelwa abafileyo’—kusho ukuthini?

1 Kor. 15:29: “Pho, bayakwenze-njani ababhapathizelwa abafileyo na? Uma abafileyo bengavuki nempela, babhapathizelwani ngenxa yabo na?”

Isihlanganiso sesiGreki esithi hy·perʹ, lapha esihunyushwe ngokuthi “ngenxa,” sisho futhi ukuthi “phezu kwa-,” “egameni la-,” “esikhundleni sa-,” “ngenjongo ya-,” njll. (A Greek-English Lexicon, kaLiddell noScott) Sisho ukuthini-ke kulombhalo? Ingabe uPawulu wayesikisela ukubhapathizwa kwabaphilayo egameni lalabo abafa bengabhapathizwanga?

Okuwukuphela kweminye imibhalo ephawula ngokuqondile ukufa ngokuqondene nobhapathizo ibhekisela ekubhapathizweni okwenziwa kumuntu ngokwakhe, hhayi ukubhapathizwa egameni lomunye umuntu, umuntu ofile

Roma 6:3: “Anazi yini ukuthi sonke esabhapathizelwa kuKristu Jesu, sabhapathizelwa kukho ukufa kwakhe na?”(NoMarku 10:38, 39)

Kol. 2:12: “[Nina malungu aphilayo ebandla laseKolose] nimbelwe kanye naye ngombhapathizo, okungawo futhi navuswa kanye naye ngokukholwa ngamandla kaNkulunkulu owamvusa kwabafileyo.”

Ukuhunyushwa kwawo kuyi“New World Translation” kuqondile ngokohlelo lolimi futhi kuyavumelana nalena eminye imibhalo yeBhayibheli

1 Kor. 15:29, NW: “Ngaphandle kwalokho, bayokwenzenjani labo ababhapathizelwa injongo yokuba ngabafileyo? Uma abafileyo bengayikuvuswa nhlobo, kungani nabo bebhapathizelwa injongo yokuba ngabanjalo?” (Ngakho babhapathizelwa, noma bacwiliselwa, enkambweni yokuphila eyoholela ekufeni ngenxa yobuqotho njengoKristu bese bevuselwa ekuphileni komoya njengaye.)

Uyini umphumela wokubhapathizwa ngomlilo?

Luka 3:16, 17: “Yena [uJesu Kristu] uzakunibhapathiza . . . nangomlilo; oqoma lakhe lokwela lisesandleni sakhe ukushanelisisa isibuya sakhe . . . amakhoba uzakuwashisa ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.” (Ukubhujiswa kwawo kuyoba okwaphakade.)

Math. 13:49, 50: “Kuyakuba-njalo ekupheleni kwezwe; kuyakuphuma izingelosi, zahlukanise ababi nabalungileyo, zibaphonse eziko lomlilo.”

Luka 17:29, 30: “Ngosuku uLoti aphuma ngalo eSodoma lana umlilo nesibabule kuvela ezulwini, kwababhubhisa bonke; kuyakuba-njalo ngosuku eyakwambulwa ngalo iNdodana yomuntu.”

Alufani nobhapathizo lomoya ongcwele, olwalungolwabafundi

IzE. 1:5: “UJohane wayebhapathiza ngamanzi, kepha nina [baphostoli bakaJesu abathembekile] nizakubhapathizwa ngoMoya oNgcwele kungakadluli izinsuku eziningi.”

IzE. 2:2-4: “Ngokungazelelwe kwavela ezulwini inhlokomo kwangathi eyokuvunguza komoya onamandla; yona yagcwalisa indlu yonke ababehlezi kuyo. Kwase kubonakala kubo izilimi ezahlukeneyo kungathi ezomlilo; zahlala phezu [kodwa azibambozanga noma zibacwilise] kwalowo nalowo kubo. Base begcwala bonke uMoya oNgcwele, baqala ukukhuluma ngezinye izilimi, njengalokho uMoya wabapha ukuphumisela.”

Ububi

Incazelo: Yilokho okubi kakhulu ngokwezimiso zokulunga. Ngokuvamile kubhekisela kulokho okuyithonya elilimazayo, elibi, noma elibhubhisayo.

Kungani kunobubi obungaka?

Akunakusolwa uNkulunkulu. Wanikeza isintu isiqalo esiphelele, kodwa abantu baye bakhetha ukungazinaki izimfuneko zikaNkulunkulu futhi bazinqumela ngokwabo okuhle nokubi. (Dut. 32:4, 5; UmShu. 7:29; Gen. 3:5, 6) Ngokwenza lokhu, baye baba ngaphansi kwethonya lamandla amabi angaphezu kwawobuntu.—Efe. 6:11, 12.

1 Joh. 5:19, NW: “Izwe lonke lisemandleni omubi.”

IsAm. 12:7-12: “Kwase kuba-khona ukulwa ezulwini . . . Nodrako walwa enezingelosi zakhe, kepha kabaze banqoba, nendawo yabo kayabe isafunyanwa ezulwini. Wayesephonswa phansi udrako omkhulu, inyoka endala ethiwa uMhlebi noSathane, odukisa izwe lonke, waphonswa phansi emhlabeni, nezingelosi