Ẹna Baptism! Ẹna Baptism! Ẹna Baptism!—Edi Ntak-a?
“KE UFAN̄ ọfiọn̄ ifan̄ ami mma nnịm irenowo, iban, ye nditọwọn̄ ẹwakde ẹbe tọsịn duop baptism.” Ntre ke isụn̄utom owo n̄ka Jesuit oro, Francis Xavier ekewet aban̄a utom esie ke obio ubọn̄ Travancore, India. “Ami n̄kasan̄a to ke obio-in̄wan̄ sịm obio-in̄wan̄ nnam mmọ ẹdi mme Christian. Ndien ke ebiet ekededi oro ami n̄kakade mma nsinọ n̄wed akam nnyịn ye mme ibet ke usem mbio obio.”
Ke mme leta Francis Xavier otụkde enye ke idem ntotụn̄ọ ntotụn̄ọ, Edidem John eke Portugal ama ọnọ uyo ete ẹda ke kpukpru n̄kpoto ukwọrọikọ ke ofụri obio ubọn̄ imọ ẹkot mmọ uyo ọwọrọ. Ẹma ẹkam ẹnyịme ẹte yak ẹwet leta eke January 1545 emi ẹkesụk ẹkotde mi ẹsịn nte n̄wed. Nso ikedi utịp? Manfred Barthel ewet ke n̄wed esie oro, The Jesuits—History & Legend of the Society of Jesus ete, “Ikebịghike ediwak nditọ ukpepn̄kpọ ke Europe, ‘ẹduọn̄ọde ke edọn̄ mmọ ye mmọn̄eyet asiahade mmọ,’ ẹma ẹnyan̄a ẹyom ndika India nnyụn̄ n̄kanam mme okpono ibọk ẹkabade esịt.” Enye ama adian do ete: “Ekikere oro nte ke ekeme ndida ibat ibat mme andisịme owo edisana mmọn̄ ye ọyọhọ ekpat tract kiet ndikabade ofụri obio esịt etie nte ikodụkke ediwak owo esịt ini oro.”
Nso ke utọ edikabade esịt uwak owo oro ekenen̄ede ọyọhọ? Owo n̄ka Jesuit oro, Nicolas Lancilloto ama ọtọt Rome se idide ata idem n̄kpọ ete: “N̄wakn̄kan mbon oro ẹnade baptism ẹnyene ndusụk ukwan̄ ekikere. Ifụn mbon Arab ye Hindu ẹdori enyịn ndifiak nnyene ifụre mmọ ebe ke baptism m̀mê ẹnyene ukpeme ẹbọhọ ufịk ufịk eteufọk mîdịghe n̄kukụre man ẹnyene obufa anyan ewụra m̀mê uyaraibuot. Ediwak owo ẹnam ntre man ẹbọhọ ndusụk ufen. . . . Ẹda owo ekededi oro edinịm ke akpanikọ mmọ onụkde ndiyom edinyan̄a ke mme ukpepn̄kpọ nnyịn nte idat. Ediwak owo ẹma ẹsọn̄ ibuot ẹnyụn̄ ẹfiak ẹbịne n̄kani edinam ukpono ndem mmọ esisịt ini ke ẹma ẹkana baptism.”
Udọn̄ ndikabade mme okpono ibọk esịt nnyụn̄ nnịm baptism edi n̄ko se mme anam ndụn̄ọde mbon Europe eke ini oro ẹketienede ẹnyene. Ẹdọhọ ke Christopher Columbus ama onịm akpa “mbon India” oro enye okosobode ke Caribbean baptism. The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity ọdọhọ ete, “Ibet Ukara Spain okonịm edikabade mme amanaisọn̄ esịt nte ebeiso n̄kpọ. Etisịm utịt ọyọhọ isua ikie efụtekiet, mbon India 7,000,000 ke obio ukara Spain ekedi, ke nsụhọde n̄kaha, mme Christian ke enyịn̄. Ke ebiet emi nnyịn inyenede ibat mbon oro ẹkabarede esịt (Pedro de Gante, kpa iman Andikara Charles V, emi akasan̄ade ye mme isụn̄utom, ama etịn̄ nte ikonịmde owo 14,000 baptism ye un̄wam nsan̄a kiet kpọt ke usen kiet), uyarade odu nte ke akpan mbemiso ukpep ikodụhe.” Utọ enyọn̄ enyọn̄ edikabade esịt oro ekesiwak ndisan̄a ye edinam n̄kpọ ye mme amanaisọn̄ ke idiọk afai afai usụn̄ ufịk.
Nte ẹkedade baptism ke akpan n̄kpọ ama onụk mme anam ndụn̄ọde ye mme isụn̄utom ẹmi ndinam n̄kpọ. Ke 1439, Pope Eugenius IV ama osio ibet edi ke Esop eke Florence oro ọkọdọhọde ete: “Edisana Baptism enyene akpa itie ke otu mme edinam ido ukpono, koro enye edi enyịnusụn̄ uwem eke spirit; koro ẹdade enye ẹnam nnyịn idi mbon Christ ẹnyụn̄ ẹda ẹdisịn ke Ufọkabasi. Ndien sia n̄kpa okotode akpa owo ebe osịm kpukpru owo, ibọhọke nnyịn itọn̄ọ ntak imana ebe ke mmọn̄ ye Edisana Spirit, nnyịn ikemeke ndidụk obio ubọn̄ Heaven.”
Nte ededi, utọk ama asiaha, kaban̄a m̀mê baptism anie akam edi eti. The Encyclopedia of Religion ọdọhọ ete, “Ke ntak enye n̄ko ekedide akpan edinam ndida ndụk otu mbon ufọkabasi, ekese ufọkabasi oro ẹkewọrọde ẹdi ndidomo idem ẹma ẹsọsọp ẹda baptism nte n̄kpọ oro ẹyomde, emi kiet kiet okotde idemesie ufọkabasi ido edinam eset ẹnyụn̄ ẹdoride mmọ eken ikọ nte mme ekpep isio ukpepn̄kpọ ye mme ọtọ ubahade. Mme ukpụhọde oro nsio nsio n̄ka ẹnamde ke mme edinam unịm owo baptism ẹdi se owo mîkekemeke ndifep.”
Nte ededi, edina baptism ebịghi akan ido ukpono Christian. Ẹma ẹnam enye ke Babylonia ye ke Egypt eset, emi ẹkekerede ke mbịtmbịt mmọn̄ Nile eyenam odudu owo ọsọn̄ onyụn̄ ọnọ owo uwem oro mîkemeke ndikpa. Mbon Greek n̄ko ẹkenịm ke akpanikọ ẹte ke baptism ekeme ndinam ẹfiak ẹnyene obufa uwem m̀mê ekeme ndinọ owo oro anade baptism obufa uwem oro mîkemeke ndikpa. N̄ka mme Jew ke Qumran ekesinịm baptism ndida owo nsịn ke otu mmọ. Ama oyom ete mme Gentile oro ẹkabarede esịt ẹdụk Ido Ukpono Jew ẹna mbobi ndien ke usen itiaba ẹbede ẹna baptism ke ndibụhọ ke mmọn̄ ke iso mme ntiense.
Nte an̄wan̄ade, ẹmedori ekese nsọn̄uyo ke baptism ke ediwak emana. Edi nso kaban̄a mfịn? Nte enye edi akpan n̄kpọ ke eyomfịn? Ke edide ntre, ntak-a? Ke akpanikọ, nte afo akpana baptism?