Kodi Muyenera Kubatizidwa?

PAFUPIFUPI anthu miliyoni imodzi anabatizidwa ndi Mboni za Yehova m’zaka zitatu zapitazo. Zimenezi zili avareji ya 824 patsiku, kapena anthu 4 obatizidwa pamphindi 7 zilizonse. Kodi zimenezi zangokhala chabe kutsanzira changu chachipembedzo cha m’zaka za zana la 15 ndi 16?

Ayi, anthu ameneŵa sanabatizidwe mokakamizidwa, monga mbali yakutembenuka kwa anthu ochuluka, kapena chifukwa cha kutengeka maganizo kochititsidwa ndi munthu wa chipembedzo wodziŵa kulankhula. Iwo anabatizidwa chifukwa chakuti Yesu Kristu, Ambuye ndi Mtsogoleri wa Akristu, analamula kuti izi zichitidwe. Iwo anatsatira mapazi ndi njira imene Yesu anapereka ndi imene inagwiritsidwa ntchito ndi atumwi amene iye anasankha ndi kuphunzitsa.

Pambuyo pa kuuka kwa Yesu ndi kukwera kwake kumwamba kusanachitike, iye anapereka kwa otsatira ake lamulo lotsazikira ili: “Chifukwa chake mukani, phunzitsani anthu a mitundu yonse, ndi kuwabatiza iwo m’dzina la Atate, ndi la Mwana, ndi la mzimu woyera: ndi kuwaphunzitsa, asunge zinthu zonse zimene ndinakulamulirani inu; ndipo onani, ine ndili pamodzi ndi inu masiku onse, kufikira chimaliziro cha nthaŵi ya pansi pano.” (Mateyu 28:19, 20) Kuyambira panthaŵi imeneyo kumkabe mtsogolo, umenewu unali ubatizo wokha wam’madzi wovomerezedwa ndi Mulungu.

Chotero, Baibulo limatiuza kuti otsatira oyambirira ameneŵa a Kristu anafikira kukhala “mboni [za Yesu] m’Yerusalemu, ndi m’Yudeya lonse, ndi Samariya, ndi kufikira malekezero ake a dziko.” (Machitidwe 1:8) Monga momwe Yesu ananeneratu, ntchito yawo yolalikira ndi kuphunzitsa ikachititsa ubatizo wa okhulupirira amene akakhalanso otsatira a Kristu.

Chitsanzo cholembedwa choyamba cha zimenezi chinachitika m’Yerusalemu patsiku la Pentekoste wa 33 C.E. Panthaŵiyo mtumwi Petro “anaimirira pamodzi ndi khumi ndi mmodziwo” nalankhula kwa khamu losonkhana za Yesu Mesiya. Cholembedwacho chimatiuza kuti nkhani yake ‘inawalasa mtima,’ ndipo anafunsa zimene anayenera kuchita. “Lapani, batizidwani yense wa inu m’dzina la Yesu Kristu kuloza ku chikhululukiro cha machimo anu,” anatero Petro. Chotulukapo chinali chakuti “iwo amene analandira mawu ake anabatizidwa; ndipo anawonjezedwa tsiku lomwelo anthu ngati zikwi zitatu.” (Machitidwe 2:14-41) Zolembedwa zotsatira zimatsimikizira kuti ubatizo wa ophunzira unachitidwa pambuyo pakumva uthenga Wachikristu, kukhulupirira mbiri yabwino, ndi kulapa.​—Machitidwe 8:12, 13, 34-38; 10:34-48; 16:30-34; 18:5, 8; 19:1-5.

Mwa Njira Yotani?

Koma kodi ndimotani mmene ophunzira atsopano ameneŵa anayenera kubatizidwira m’madzi? Kodi kunayenera kukhala mwa kukapiza (kuwaza), mwa kutsira (kutsanulira pa mutu), kapena mwa kumiza (kumira kotheratu)? Kodi cholembedwa cha Baibulo chimasonyezanji? Popeza kuti Yesu anatisiira chitsanzo choti ‘tilondole mapazi ake,’ kodi iye anabatizidwa mwa njira yotani?​—1 Petro 2:21.

Baibulo limasonyeza kuti Yesu anabatizidwa m’Yordano, mtsinje waukulu. Pambuyo pa kubatizidwa, iye ‘anatuluka m’madzi.’ (Marko 1:10; Mateyu 3:13, 16) Chotero Yesu anali atamizidwa kotheratu m’mtsinje wa Yordano. Iye anabatizidwa ndi Yohane, amene, pofunafuna malo oyenera kuchitirapo ubatizo, anasankha malo m’chigwa cha Yordano pafupi ndi Salemu “chifukwa panali madzi ambiri pamenepo.” (Yohane 3:23) Mfundo yakuti kumiza kotheratu m’madzi kunali chizoloŵezi cholandiridwa cha ubatizo pakati pa otsatira a Yesu ikusonyezedwa ndi mawu a mdindo wa ku Aitiopiya. Polabadira moyanja chiphunzitso cha Filipo, iye anadzuma kuti: “Tawonapo madzi; chindiletsa ine chiyani ndisabatizidwe?” Pamenepo tikuwona kuti “anatsikira onse aŵiri kumadzi” ndipo pambuyo pake “anakwera kutuluka m’madzi.”​—Machitidwe 8:36-39.

Kodi mbiri ya kudziko imasonyanso kuchizoloŵezi cha kubatiza mwa kumiza pakati pa Akristu? Ndithudi imatero. Ndipo kuli kokondweretsa kuwona kuti maiŵe ambiri aakulu obatizira oyenera kumizira adakalipobe m’maiko ambiri. “Umboni wa ofukula m’mabwinja umatsimikizira mwamphamvu kumiza monga njira yobatizira mkati mwa zaka mazana khumi kufikira khumi ndi anayi oyamba,” akutero magazini a Ministry. Iwo amawonjezera kuti: “Pakati pa mabwinja nyumba zoyamba za Akristu, ndiponso m’matchalitchi akale amene akugwiritsidwabe ntchito, mbiri ya ubatizo wa Akristu ingapezedwe. Zithunzithunzi zojambulidwa m’manda ndi m’matchalitchi, zozokotedwa pansi, m’makoma, ndi m’matsindwi, zosemasema, ndi zithunzithunzi zojambulidwa m’malembo apamanja akale a Chipangano Chatsopano zimawonjezera umboni wa mbiri imeneyi . . . Pambali pa zimenezi pali umboni wopezeka m’mabuku onse a atsogoleri a tchalitchi wakuti njira yodziŵika ya tchalitchi choyambirira ya ubatizo inali kumiza.”

New Catholic Encyclopedia imavomereza kuti: “Nzowonekeratu kuti Ubatizo m’Tchalitchi choyamba unachitidwa mwa kumiza.” Pamenepo, sikodabwitsa kuti timapeza mitu yankhani m’manyuzipepala yonga: “Akatolika Akubwezeretsa Ubatizo Wakumiza” (The Edmonton Journal, Canada, September 24, 1983), “Ubatizo mwa Kumiza Uyambiranso kwa Akatolika Kuno” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 7, 1985), “Akatolika Ambiri Akusankha Ubatizo mwa Kumiza” (The New York Times, March 25, 1989), ndi “Maubatizo Akumiza Akuyambitsidwanso” (The Houston Chronicle, August 24, 1991).

Ndi Chifuno Chotani?

Kodi nchifukwa ninji Yesu anafuna kuti ophunzira ake abatizidwe? Eya, chinali chizindikiro choyenerera cha kudzipatulira kwawo kwa mtima wonse kwa Mulungu. “Uthenga . . . wabwino” unali kudzalalikidwa pa dziko lonse lapansi, ndipo ophunzira anali kudzapangidwa mwa “anthu amitundu yonse.” (Mateyu 24:14; 28:19) Izi zinatanthauza kuti Mulungu sanali kuchita ndi mtundu Wachiyuda wokha, wopangidwa ndi anthu amene anali odzipatulira kwa iye kuyambira pakubadwa. Korneliyo ndi banja lake anali Amitundu oyamba, kapena osakhala Ayuda, kulandira chowonadi chonena za Yesu Kristu ndi kubatizidwa.

Kuviikidwa m’madzi kunasonyeza kuti obatizidwawo anafa kunjira ya moyo yakudzidalira iwo eni. Kuvuulidwa kwawo m’madzi kunasonyeza kuti iwo tsopano anakhala ndi moyo kuti achite chifuniro cha Mulungu ndipo anali kuchiika poyamba m’miyoyo yawo, monga momwe Yesu adachitira. (Mateyu 16:24) Kubatizidwa “m’dzina la Atate, ndi la Mwana, ndi la mzimu woyera” kunasonyeza kuti iwo anaphunzira ndi kulandira chowonadi chonena za aliyense wa ameneŵa ndipo anavomereza zimene iwo ali. (Mateyu 28:19; yerekezerani ndi Machitidwe 13:48.) Ubatizo unali chabe sitepe loyamba la kumvera Mulungu ndi kugonjera chifuniro chake.

Malemba samachirikiza lingaliro lokhala m’zipembedzo zambiri lakuti ubatizo ndiwo sakalamenti, ndiko kuti, dzoma lachipembedzo lopereka kuyenera​—chisomo, chiyero, kapena phindu lauzimu​—kwa wobatizidwayo. Mwachitsanzo, lamulo la Papa Eugenius IV logwidwa mawu m’nkhani yapitayo linapitirizabe kunena za ubatizo kuti: “Phindu la sakalamenti imeneyi ndiyo kumasulidwa ku uchimo wonse, woyambirira ndi weniweni; ndiponso ku chilango chonse choyenera kuperekedwa chifukwa cha uchimo. Chotero, palibe chilango chimene chimaperekedwa pa awo obatizidwa kaamba ka machimo awo akale; ndipo ngati afa asanachite tchimo lililonse, amaloŵa panthaŵi yomweyo mu ufumu wakumwamba namawona Mulungu.”

Komabe, Yesu anabatizidwa ngakhale kuti “sanachita tchimo.” (1 Petro 2:22) Ndiponso, malinga ndi kunena kwa Malemba, chikhululukiro cha machimo chimadza kokha kupyolera mwa nsembe ya dipo ya Yesu Kristu. Hananiya anafulumiza Saulo wa ku Tariso kuti: “Tauka, nubatizidwe ndi kusamba kuchotsa machimo ako, nuitane pa dzina [la Yesu].” (Machitidwe 22:12-16) Inde, chipulumutso nchothekera kokha kupyolera mwa mwazi wokhetsedwa wa Yesu ndi mwa ‘kuitana pa dzina lake’ m’chikhulupiriro.​—Ahebri 9:22; 1 Yohane 1:7.

Pamenepa, bwanji ponena za mawu a Petro pa 1 Petro 3:21? Pamenepo iye akuti: “Chimenenso chifaniziro chake chikupulumutsani tsopano, ndicho ubatizo, kosati kutaya kwa litsiro lake la thupi, komatu funso lake la chikumbumtima chokoma kwa Mulungu, mwa kuuka kwa Yesu Kristu.” Petro anali kuyerekezera ubatizo ndi chochitika cha Nowa cha kupulumuka madzi a Chigumula. (Vesi 20) Nowa, posonyeza chikhulupiriro chotheratu mwa Mulungu, anamanga chingalaŵa chopulumutsira banja lake. (Ahebri 11:7) Mofananamo, mwa kusonyeza chikhulupiriro mwa Yehova Mulungu ndi makonzedwe ake a chipumulutso kudzera mwa Kristu Yesu, anthu lerolino angathe kupulumutsidwa kudziko loipa lilipoli. Iwo ayeneranso kuchita mogwirizana ndi chikhulupirirocho. Mwa kulapa machimo, kutembenuka pa njira yawo yolakwa, ndi kudzipatulira kotheratu kwa Yehova Mulungu m’pemphero, pempho limapangidwa kwa Mulungu la chikumbumtima chabwino. Koma kukhululukidwa kwa machimo ndi chipulumutso zili zotheka pamaziko ansembe ya Yesu, ndi chiukiriro chake mwa zimene anapereka mtengo wansembe imeneyo kwa Mulungu kumwamba.​—1 Petro 3:22.

Kodi Mudzachitanji?

Kodi ndinu mmodzi wa amene akhala akugwirizana ndi Mboni za Yehova kwa nthaŵi yakutiyakuti? Mwinamwake mwapanga kale masinthidwe ofunika m’moyo wanu mogwirizana ndi malamulo amakhalidwe abwino a Baibulo koma simunatengebe njira yakudzipatulira ndi ubatizo. Inu mungafune kuchita chifuniro cha Mulungu, komabe mukuwopa kuti ubatizo ungakuchititseni kukhala wokakamizika. Chifukwa chake, inu mungafune kupewa kwanthaŵi thayo ndi kuŵerengeredwa mlandu kotero. Pafupifupi anthu mamiliyoni 11.5 anapezeka pa phwando la Mgonero wa Ambuye chaka chatha. Komabe, chiŵerengero chapamwamba cha okhala ndi phande m’ntchito yolalikira mbiri yabwino m’chaka chonsecho chinali chosakwanira mamiliyoni 4.5. Zimenezi zikutanthauza kuti pafupifupi anthu mamiliyoni asanu ndi aŵiri akusonyeza chiyamikiro chakutichakuti cha chowonadi cha Mulungu, ngakhale kuti iwo sali Mboni zobatizidwa za Yehova. Ndithudi, ena a ameneŵa ali ana ocheperapo ndi okondwerera atsopano. Koma ena amene akukhala ndi phande m’ntchito yolalikira sanabatizidwebe. Pali anthu ambiri amene alandira chidziŵitso cholongosoka cha Baibulo koma palibe chimene achita kuti apindule mokwanira ndi kakonzedwe ka Mulungu ka chipulumutso mwa kubatizidwa.

Mfundo yofunika kukumbukira njakuti chiri chidziŵitso cha zimene Mulungu afuna kwa inu chimene chimabweretsa kuŵerengeredwa mlandu. “Kwa iye amene adziŵa kuchita bwino, ndipo sachita, kwa iye kuli tchimo,” amatero Yakobo 4:17. Ezekieli 33:7-9 amasonyeza kuti munthu amene wauzidwa malamulo a Mulungu ndi malangizo ali ndi thayo la kuwachita. Chotero nkhani yaikulu njakuti kaya munthuyo amakonda Mulungu kwambiri ndipo ali ndi chikhumbo chenicheni cha kumkondweretsa. Munthu amene alidi ndi chikondi chotero ndipo akufuna unansi wapadera ndi Yehova Mulungu sangazengereze kupatulira moyo wake wonse kwa iye. Ubatizo uli chabe chisonyezero chakunja cha kudzipatulira kumeneko. Ndiwo njira yofunika ya ku chipulumutso. Okhulupirira enieni amabatizidwa.​—Machitidwe 8:12.

Ziyembekezo zabwino kwambiri zimene Mulungu wasungira anthu okhulupirika ndi odzipatulira m’dziko latsopano limene lirinkudza zimaposa kwambiri mapindu akanthaŵi alionse amene dongosolo lakale loipa lino lazinthu lingawonekere kukhala likulonjeza. Kuwopa anthu anzathu kumazimiririka pamene tilingalira dzanja lamphamvu la Mulungu. (1 Akorinto 10:22; 1 Petro 5:6, 7) Ndithudi, ino ili nthaŵi yakuti mudzifunse, monga momwe mdindo wa ku Aitiopiya anafunsira Filipo kuti: “Chindiletsa ine chiyani ndisabatizidwe?”

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Mofanana ndi mdindo wa ku Aitiopiya, kodi mumadzifunsa kuti: “Chindiletsa ine chiyani ndisabatizidwe?”