IBhayibhili Lisitshelani Ngokufa?

Nxa sibala eBhayibhilini kuGenesisi sithola ukuthi indoda yokuqala u-Adamu yatshelwa nguNkulunkulu amazwi la: “Ukhululekile ukudla loba yisiphi isihlahla esivandeni; kodwa ungadli isihlahla sokwazi okuhle lokubi, ngoba ungaze usidle uzakufa ngempela.” (UGenesisi 2:16, 17) Amazwi la atshengisa ukuthi aluba u-Adamu wawulalela umlayo kaNkulunkulu wayengasoze afe kodwa wayezaqhubeka ehlala esivandeni sase-Edeni.

Kodwa okudanisayo yikuthi u-Adamu kawulalelanga umthetho ayewuphiwe nguNkulunkulu. Wadla isithelo asiphiwa ngu-Eva. (UGenesisi 3:1-6) Lamuhla siyahlupheka ngenxa yokungalaleli kuka-Adamu. Umphostoli uPhawuli wathi: “Isono sangena emhlabeni ngomuntu oyedwa, lokufa ngesono, njalo ngale indlela ukufa kwafika ebantwini bonke, ngoba bonke benze isono.” (KwabaseRoma 5:12) ‘Umuntu oyedwa’ okukhulunywa ngaye lapha ngu-Adamu. Kodwa yisiphi isono asenzayo njalo kungani saletha ukufa?

Isono u-Adamu asenzayo ngesokwephula umthetho kaNkulunkulu ngabomo. (1 UJohane 3:4) UNkulunkulu wayetshilo ukuthi isigwebo sokona sasiyikufa. Aluba abantu balalela umlayo kaNkulunkulu babengasoze babe lesono njalo bafe ngoba uNkulunkulu wayehlose ukuthi baphile phakade.

Kusegcekeni ukuthi amazwi aseBhayibhilini athi “ukufa kwafika ebantwini bonke” aliqiniso. Kodwa kukhona yini okusala kuphila nxa umuntu angafa? Abanengi bacabanga ukuthi umphefumulo usala uphila singafa. Nxa lokhu kuliqiniso, kutsho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayeqamba amanga ngesikhathi etshela u-Adamu ukuthi wayezakufa. Phela nxa kukhona okusala kuphila singafa kutsho ukuthi ukufa ayisisosigwebo sokungalaleli. Kodwa iBhayibhili lithi: “UNkulunkulu angeke aqambe amanga.” (KumaHebheru 6:18) USathane nguye owayehutshuza aluhlaza tshoko ngesikhathi esithi ku-Eva: “Kalisoze life ngempela.”​—UGenesisi 3:4.

Manje nxa imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo kawufi ingamanga, pho kuyini okwenzakalayo nxa umuntu angafa?

IBHAYIBHILI LIYIBEKA KUHLE INDABA

UGenesisi uthi: “INkosi uNkulunkulu yasimbumba umuntu ngomhlabathi, yaphefumulela umoya wokuphila emakhaleni akhe; umuntu waba ngumuntu ophilayo.” Umutsho ohunyutshwe ngokuthi ‘umuntu ophilayo’ uthethwe ebaleni lesiHebheru elithi ne’phesh,a elitsho isidalwa esiphefumulayo.​—UGenesisi 2:7, The Holy Bible in Ndebele.

IBhayibhili liyakucacisa ukuthi abantu abadalwanga belomphefumulo ongafiyo. Umuntu ngamunye ‘ungumuntu ophilayo.’ Akula ngitsho leyodwa ivesi eBhayibhilini elomutsho othi “umphefumulo ongafiyo.”

Pho yindaba amasonto amanengi efundisa okutshiyene lalokho okufundiswa liBhayibhili? Okwenzakala kudala eGibhithe yikho okuzasinika impendulo.

IMFUNDISO YAMAHEDENI IYAMEMETHEKA

UHerodotus weGirisi owaphila eminyakeni engu-2 500 eyadlulayo owayekhangela ngezembali wathi amaGibhithe “aba ngawokuqala ukukholwa ukuthi umphefumulo kawufi.” AbaseBhabhiloni bona babekukholwa lokhu lanxa babengelaqiniso kangako ngendaba le. Ngesikhathi u-Alekizanda Omkhulu enqoba amazwe aseMiddle East ngo-332 B.C.E.,b kulezikhwicamfundo zeGirisi ezamemethekisa imfundiso le yacina isisabalale yaze yagcwala eMbusweni weGirisi.

Ngesikhathi sabaphostoli, amaqembu amabili amaJuda okwakuthiwa ngama-Essene labaFarisi ayefundisa ukuthi umphefumulo usala uphila nxa umuntu angafa. Elinye ibhuku okuthiwa yi-The Jewish Encyclopedia lithi: “AmaJuda athatha imfundiso le kumaGiriki, ikakhulu lokho okwakufundiswa nguPlato.” Omunye owezembali ongumJuda okuthiwa nguJosephus laye wathi imfundiso le kayikho eMibhalweni eNgcwele kodwa yavela ebantwini beGirisi. KuJosephus imfundiso le yayingeyinye yezinganekwane zeGirisi.

Abantu abanengi, kugoqele lababezithi bangamaKhristu, baqalisa ukwamukela imfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo. Owezembali okuthiwa nguJona Lendering wathi imfundiso kaPlato yokuthi imiphefumulo yethu yaqalisa isendaweni enhle ingakabi sendaweni esikiyo khathesi egcwele izinhlupho yamukelwa ngamaKhristu. Yikho imfundiso le yacina isiba ngeyinye yezimfundiso eziyisiqokoqela emasontweni ayezithi ngawesiKhristu.

“IQINISO LIZALIKHULULA”

Umphostoli uPhawuli waxwayisa amaKhristu esithi: “Umoya utsho ngokucacileyo ukuthi ngezikhathi zokucina abanye bazalahla ukukholwa balandele imimoya ekhohlisayo lezinto ezifundiswa ngamadimoni.” (1 UThimothi 4:1) Okukhulunywa evesini le kuyenzakala sibili. Imfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo ngeyinye ‘imfundiso yamadimoni.’ Kayikho eBhayibhilini kodwa yaqalisa emasontweni amahedeni akudala lasezimfundisweni zabantu.

UJesu wathi: “Lizalazi iqiniso, njalo iqiniso lizalikhulula.” (UJohane 8:32) Nxa singabalazi iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini sizakhululwa ezimfundisweni lasemikhubeni engamthokozisiyo uNkulunkulu ekhuthazwa ngamasonto amanengi. Iqiniso eliseLizwini likaNkulunkulu liphinda lisenze sixwaye imikhuba eyenziwa nxa kufiwe lokuthi singakholwa izinkulumo zabantu ezimayelana lokufa.—Khangela ibhokisi elithi “Bangaphi Abafileyo?”

UMdali wethu wayengahlosanga ukuthi siphile iminyaka engu-70 kumbe engu-80 kuphela besesisiyaphila phakade kwenye indawo nxa singafa. Wayefuna kube labantu abamlalelayo ababezaphila nini lanini khonapha emhlabeni. Khonokho kutshengisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyasithanda njalo lokho ayekuhlosile ekuqaliseni kuzagcwaliseka loba sekutheni. (UMalaki 3:6) Yikho umhubi wathi: “Abalungileyo bazazuza ilifa lelizwe bahlale kulo lanini.”​—IHubo 37:29.