“Abafileyo Baya Kuvuswa”

“Kuba liya kukhala ixilongo, yaye abafileyo baya kuvuswa bengenakonakala, ibe siya kutshintshwa.”—1 KORINTE 15:52.

1, 2. (a) Liliphi idinga elithuthuzelayo elanikelwa ngomprofeti uHoseya? (b) Sazi njani ukuba uThixo ufuna abafileyo babuyiselwe ebomini kwakhona?

NGABA wakha wafelwa ngumntu omthandayo? Ngoko umele ukuba uyayazi intlungu ebangelwa kukufa. Noko ke, amaKristu athuthuzelwa lidinga elenziwa nguThixo ngomprofeti uHoseya: “Ndiya kubakhulula esandleni selabafileyo, ndiya kubahlawulela ndibakhulule ekufeni. Ziphi na iindyikitya zakho, kufa? Iphi na imbubhiso yakho, ngcwaba?”—Hoseya 13:14.

² Ingcamango yokubuyela ebomini kwabafileyo ibonakala iyinkcitha-xesha kubantu abathandabuzayo. Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo uThixo uSomandla unawo amandla okuwenza loo mmangaliso! Into engamandla nje kukuba uYehova uyafuna kusini na ukubabuyisela ebomini abafi. Indoda elilungisa uYobhi yabuza: “Ukuba uthe umfo wafa, wophila na?” Yandula ke, yanikela le mpendulo iqinisekisayo: “Ubungandibizayo ke, ndisabele mna, uwulangazele umsebenzi wezandla zakho.” (Yobhi 14:14, 15) Igama elithi “ukulangazela” lithetha ukufuna okanye ukunqwenela ngokunyanisekileyo. (Thelekisa INdumiso 84:2.) Ewe, uYehova ululindele ngolangazelelo uvuko—ulangazelela ukuphinda ababone abathembekileyo abalishiyayo eli, abasenkumbulweni yakhe.—Mateyu 22:31, 32.

UYesu Ukhanyisa Ngovuko

3, 4. (a) Yintoni eyakhanyiswa nguYesu ngethemba lovuko? (b) Kwakutheni ukuze uYesu avuswe engumoya, kungekhona inyama?

³ Amadoda okholo amandulo anjengoYobhi ayengaluqondi ngokupheleleyo uvuko. NguYesu Kristu owalikhanyisa ngokupheleleyo eli themba limangalisayo. Wabonisa indima ephambili awayeyiphumeza xa wathi: “Lowo uqhelisela ukholo kuNyana unobomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 3:36) Buya kunanditshwa phi obo bomi? Inkoliso yabo banokholo iza kuphila emhlabeni. (INdumiso 37:11) Noko ke, uYesu wabaxelela oku abafundi bakhe: “Musani ukuba noloyiko, mhlambi mncinane, ngenxa yokuba kukholekile kuYihlo ukuninika ubukumkani.” (Luka 12:32) UBukumkani bukaThixo bobasezulwini. Ngenxa yoko, eli dinga lithetha ukuba lo “mhlambi mncinane” kwakuza kufuneka ube kunye noYesu ezulwini njengezidalwa zomoya. (Yohane 14:2, 3; 1 Petros 1:3, 4) Elinjani ukuzuka ithemba! UYesu wahlabela mgama echazela umpostile uYohane ukuba lo “mhlambi mncinane” uza kuba li-144 000 kuphela.—ISityhilelo 14:1.

⁴ Noko ke, abali-144 000 babeya kungena njani kuzuko lwasezulwini? UYesu “wakhanyisa ubomi nokungonakali ngeendaba ezilungileyo.” Ngegazi lakhe, wavula ‘indlela entsha nephilayo’ eya ezulwini. (2 Timoti 1:10; Hebhere 10:19, 20) Okokuqala, wafa, njengoko iBhayibhile yayixele kwangaphambili ukuba uza kufa. (Isaya 53:12) Emva koko, njengoko umpostile uPetros wavakalisayo kamva, “lo Yesu uThixo wamvusa.” (IZenzo 2:32) Noko ke, uYesu akazange avuswe engumntu. Wathi: “Isonka endiya kusinikela yinyama yam ngenxa yobomi behlabathi.” (Yohane 6:51) Ukubuyisela inyama yakhe kwakuya kulenza lingasebenzi elo dini. Ngoko uYesu ‘wabulawa esenyameni, kodwa wenziwa waphila esemoyeni.’ (1 Petros 3:18) Ngaloo ndlela uYesu ‘wawuzuzela intlangulo engunaphakade’ ‘umhlambi omncinane.’ (Hebhere 9:12) Wasondeza kuThixo ixabiso lobomi bakhe bomntu ofezekileyo njengentlawulelo yoluntu olunesono, ibe abali-144000 baba ngabokuqala ukungenelwa kuyo.

5. Liliphi ithemba elanikwa abalandeli bakaYesu benkulungwane yokuqala?

⁵ YayingengoYesu yedwa owayeza kuvuselwa kubomi basezulwini. UPawulos waxelela amanye amaKristu aseRoma ukuba ayethanjiswe ngomoya oyingcwele ukuze abe ngoonyana bakaThixo neendlalifa kunye noKristu ukuba ayenokuqinisekisa ukuthanjiswa kwawo ngokunyamezela kude kuse esiphelweni. (Roma 8:16, 17) Kwakhona uPawulos wachaza: “Ukuba siye samanyana naye kwimfano yokufa kwakhe, ngokuqinisekileyo siya kumanyana naye kwanakwimfano yovuko lwakhe.”—Roma 6:5.

Ukuthethelela Ithemba Lovuko

6. Kwakutheni ukuze ukukholelwa kuvuko kuhlaselwe eKorinte, ibe wasabela njani umpostile uPawulos?

⁶ Uvuko luyinxalenye ‘yemfundiso esisiqalelo’ yamaKristu. (Hebhere 6:1, 2) Noko ke, le mfundiso yayihlaselwa eKorinte. Bambi ebandleni, ekubonakala ukuba babetyhefwe yintandabulumko yamaGrike, babesithi: “Akukho luvuko lwabafileyo?” (1 Korinte 15:12) Xa ezi ngxelo zafika ezindlebeni zikampostile uPawulos, walithethelela ithemba lovuko, ngokukodwa ithemba lamaKristu athanjisiweyo. Makhe sihlolisise amazwi kaPawulos abhalwe kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte isahluko 15. Ubuya kuba utyaphile ukuba ubusifunde sonke esi sahluko, njengoko kucetyiswe kwinqaku elandulelayo.

7. (a) Yiyiphi imbambano eyintloko awanikel’ ingqalelo kuyo uPawulos? (b) Ngoobani abambonayo uYesu ovusiweyo?

⁷ Kwiindinyana zokuqala ezimbini zeyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte isahluko 15, uPawulos uchaza umongo wengxubusho yakhe: “Ndiyanazisa, bazalwana, iindaba ezilungileyo ezo ndazivakalisa kuni, ezo nathi nani nazamkela, ezo nani nimi kuzo, ezo nani nisindiswa ngazo, . . . ngaphandle kokuba, enyanisweni, naba ngamakholwa ngokungenanjongo.” Ukuba abaseKorinte babexengaxenga kwiindaba ezilungileyo, babefane bachitha nje ixesha ngokwamkela inyaniso. UPawulos wahlabela mgama: “Ndanikezela kuni, phakathi kwezinto zokuqala, oko nam ndakwamkelayo, okokuba uKristu wafela izono zethu ngokweZibhalo; nokokuba wangcwatywa, ewe, okokuba uvusiwe ngomhla wesithathu ngokweZibhalo; nokokuba wabonakala kuKefas, kwandula ke kwaba kwabalishumi elinesibini. Emva koko wabonakala kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu ngexesha elinye, inkoliso yabo esahleliyo nangoku, kodwa bambi balele ekufeni. Emva koko wabonakala kuYakobi, kwandula ke kwaba kubapostile bonke; kodwa ekugqibeleni kwabo bonke wabonakala nakum ngokungathi kukulowo uzelwe ngaphambi kwexesha elililo.”—1 Korinte 15:3-8.

8, 9. (a) Kubaluleke kangakanani ukukholelwa kuvuko? (b) Sisiphi isihlandlo ekusenokwenzeka ukuba uYesu wabonakala “kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu”?

⁸ Kwabo babesele bezamkele iindaba ezilungileyo, ukukholelwa kuvuko lukaYesu kwakungengombandela wokhetho. Ayemaninzi amangqina okuzibonela awaqinisekisa ukuba “uKristu wafela izono zethu” nokuba wavuswa. Elinye lawo yayinguKefas, okanye uPetros, elona gama aziwa ngalo. Emva kokuba uPetros ekhanyele uYesu ngobusuku bokungcatshwa nokubanjwa kwakhe, kumele ukuba kwatsho kwee qabu akubona uYesu. Aba bapostile “balishumi elinesibini,” njengeqela, nabo batyelelwa nguYesu ovusiweyo—nto leyo ngokuqinisekileyo eyabanceda bakwazi ukoyisa uloyiko lwabo baza baba ngamangqina akhaliphileyo ovuko lukaYesu.—Yohane 20:19-23; IZenzo 2:32.

⁹ Kwakhona uKristu wabonakala kwiqela elikhudlwana, “kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu.” Ekubeni kwakuseGalili kuphela apho wayenabalandeli abaninzi ngolo hlobo, oku kusenokuba kwenzeka ngesihlandlo esichazwe kuMateyu 28:16-20, xa uYesu wanikela umyalelo wokwenza abafundi. Obunjani ukuba namandla ubungqina obabunokunikelwa ngaba bantu! Abanye babesadl’ amazimba ngowama-55 C.E. xa uPawulos wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eya kwabaseKorinte. Noko ke, phawula ukuba abo babefile bachazwa ‘njengabalele ekufeni.’ Babengekavuswa ukuze bafumane umvuzo wabo wasezulwini.

10. (a) Waba yintoni umphumo wentlanganiso yokugqibela kaYesu nabafundi bakhe? (b) UYesu wabonakala njani kuPawulos “ngokungathi kukulowo uzelwe ngaphambi kwexesha elililo”?

¹⁰ Elinye ingqina elibalaseleyo lovuko lukaYesu yayinguYakobi, unyana kaYosefu noMariya unina kaYesu. Kuyabonakala ukuba ngaphambi kolo vuko, uYakobi wayengelokholwa. (Yohane 7:5) Kodwa uthe akuba uYesu ebonakele kuye, uYakobi waba likholwa waza mhlawumbi wanendima ayiphumezayo ekuguquleni abanye abantakwabo. (IZenzo 1:13, 14) Kwintlanganiso yakhe yokugqibela nabafundi bakhe, ngesihlandlo awanyukela ngaso ezulwini, uYesu wabathuma ukuba ‘babe ngamangqina kude kuse nakwezona nxalenye zikude zomhlaba.’ (IZenzo 1:6-11) Kamva, wabonakala kuSawule waseTarso, umtshutshisi wamaKristu. (IZenzo 22:6-8) UYesu wabonakala kuSawule “ngokungathi kukulowo uzelwe ngaphambi kwexesha elililo.” Yayingathi uSawule wayesele evuselwe kubomi bomoya yaye ekwazi ukuyibona iNkosi ezukisiweyo kwiinkulungwane ngaphambi kokuba lwenzeke olo vuko. Esi siganeko saliphelisa ngesiquphe ikhondo likaSawule lenkcaso ekhokelela ekubulaleni kwibandla lamaKristu saza sadala inguqu ephawulekayo. (IZenzo 9:3-9, 17-19) USawule waba ngumpostile uPawulos, omnye wababetshotsha phambili ekumeleni unqulo lwamaKristu.—1 Korinte 15:9, 10.

Kubalulekile Ukuba Nokholo Kuvuko

11. UPawulos wakubonakalisa njani ukutenxa kwentetho ethi, ‘Akukho luvuko’?

¹¹ Ngoko ke, uvuko lukaYesu lwalusisibakala esinobungqina obaneleyo. UPawulos uyabongoza: “Ke kaloku ukuba uKristu uyashunyayelwa ukuba uvusiwe kwabafileyo, kwenzeka njani na ukuba abathile phakathi kwenu bathi akukho luvuko lwabafileyo?” (1 Korinte 15:12) Abo bantu babenganeli kuba namathandabuzo okanye imibuzo ngovuko nje kuphela kodwa babengayifihli into yokuba abalukholelwa kwauvuko olo. Ngoko uPawulos uyababonisa ukuba iingqiqo zabo zitenxile. Uthi ukuba uKristu akazange avuswe, isigidimi samaKristu sibubuxoki, ibe abo balungqinayo uvuko lukaKristu ‘bangamangqina obuxoki ngoThixo.’ Ukuba uKristu wayengazange avuswe, kwakungekho ntlawulelo ihlawuliweyo kuThixo; amaKristu ‘ayesesezonweni zawo.’ (1 Korinte 15:13-19; Roma 3:23, 24; Hebhere 9:11-14) Yaye amaKristu ‘awayelele ekufeni,’ amanye awo efela ukholo, ayefe engenathemba lokwenene. Enjani ukuba lusizi imeko awayenokuba kuyo amaKristu ukuba ubomi bawo babuphelele kobo ayebuphila! Ukubandezeleka kwawo kwakuya kuba lilize.

12. (a) Kubonisa ntoni ukubizwa kukaKristu ngokuthi “intlahlela kwabalele ekufeni”? (b) UKristu walwenza lwayinto enokwenzeka njani uvuko?

¹² Noko ke, izinto zazingahambi ngolo hlobo. UPawulos uyaqhubeka: “UKristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo.” Ngaphezu koko, ‘uyintlahlela kwabalele ekufeni.’ (1 Korinte 15:20) Xa ngentobelo amaSirayeli ayenika uYehova intlahlela yemveliso yawo, uYehova wayewasikelela ngesivuno esiyintabalala. (Eksodus 22:29, 30; 23:19; IMizekeliso 3:9, 10) Ngokubiza uKristu ngokuthi “intlahlela,” uPawulos ubonisa ukuba kwakusekho isivuno esingakumbi esasiza kuvuswa ekufeni siye kuphila ezulwini. UPawulos uthi: “Ekubeni ukufa kungomntu, nokuvuka ekufeni kukwangomntu. Kuba kanye njengoko kuAdam bonke besifa, ngokunjalo nakuKristu bonke baya kwenziwa baphile.” (1 Korinte 15:21, 22) UYesu wenza uvuko lube nokwenzeka ngokunikela ngobomi bakhe bomntu ofezekileyo njengedini lentlawulelo, evulela uluntu indlela esa ekukhululweni kubukhoboka besono nokufa.—Galati 1:4; 1 Petros 1:18, 19.a

13. (a) Lwenzeka nini uvuko lwasezulwini? (b) Kwenzeka njani ukuba abanye abathanjiswa ‘bangalali ekufeni’?

¹³ UPawulos uyaqhubeka: “Kodwa ngamnye kuluhlu lwakhe: UKristu intlahlela, emva koko abo bangabakaKristu ebudeni bobukho bakhe.” (1 Korinte 15:23) UKristu wavuswa ngowama-33 C.E. Noko ke, abalandeli bakhe abathanjisiweyo—“abo bangabakaKristu”—babeza kulinda de kube semva nje kokuqalisa kobukho bukaYesu basebukhosini, nto leyo isiprofeto seBhayibhile esibonisa ukuba yenzeka ngowe-1914. (1 Tesalonika 4:14-16; ISityhilelo 11:18) Kuthekani ngabo babeza kube besaphila ebudeni bobukho bakhe? UPawulos uthi: “Khangelani! ndinixelela imfihlelo engcwele: Asiyi kulala ekufeni sonke, kodwa sonke siya kutshintshwa, ngomzuzu, ngokuqhwanyaza kweliso, ebudeni bexilongo lokugqibela. Kuba liya kukhala ixilongo, yaye abafileyo baya kuvuswa bengenakonakala, ibe siya kutshintshwa.” (1 Korinte 15:51, 52) Kucace mhlophe ukuba, asingabo bonke abathanjiswa abalala engcwabeni belindele uvuko. Abo bafa ebudeni bobukho bukaKristu batshintshwa ngoko nangoko.—ISityhilelo 14:13.

14. Abathanjiswa ‘babhaptizwa njani ngenjongo yokuba ngabo bafileyo’?

¹⁴ UPawulos uyabuza: “Kungenjalo, baya kwenza ntoni na abo babhaptizwa ngenjongo yokuba ngabo bafileyo? Ukuba abafileyo abayi kuvuswa konke konke, kutheni bekwabhaptizwa ngenjongo yokuba ngabanjalo? Kutheni nathi sisiba semngciphekweni ngamaxa onke?” (1 Korinte 15:29, 30) UPawulos wayengathethi kuthi abantu ababephila babebhaptizelwa abo bafileyo, njengoko ezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile zichaza ngokungathi kunjalo. Ngapha koko, ubhaptizo lunxibelelene nokuba ngumfundi ongumKristu, ibe imiphefumlo efileyo ayinakuba ngabafundi. (Yohane 4:1) Kunoko, uPawulos wayethetha ngamaKristu aphilayo, uninzi lwawo, njengoPawulos ngokwakhe, ‘olwalusemngciphekweni ngamaxa onke.’ AmaKristu athanjisiweyo ‘ayebhaptizelwa ekufeni kukaKristu.’ (Roma 6:3) Ukususela ekuthanjisweni kwawo, ngokungathi kunjalo, ‘ayebhaptizelwa’ kwikhondo elaliya kukhokelela ekufeni okufana nokukaKristu. (Marko 10:35-40) Ayeza kufa enethemba lovuko oluzukileyo lwasezulwini.—1 Korinte 6:14; Filipi 3:10, 11.

15. Yiyiphi imingcipheko asenokuba uPawulos wahlangabezana nayo, ibe ukukholelwa kuvuko kwamnceda njani ekuyinyamezeleni?

¹⁵ Ngoku uPawulos uchaza ukuba yena wayejamelene nomngcipheko ukusa kwinqanaba lokuba athi: “Mihla le ndijamelana nokufa.” Hleze abanye bathi noko uyazibaxa izinto, uPawulos uyongezelela: “Oku ndikuqinisela ngokugcoba ngenxa yenu, bazalwana, oko ndinako kuKristu Yesu iNkosi yethu.” IThe Jerusalem Bible iyiguqulele ngolu hlobo le ndinyana: “Yonke imihla ndijamelana nokufa, bazalwana, ibe oku ndinokufunga ngeqhayiya endinalo ngani kuKristu Yesu iNkosi yethu.” Kwindinyana 32, uPawulos uchaza ‘ukulwa namarhamncwa e-Efese’ njengomzekelo weengozi awayejamelana nazo. AmaRoma ayedla ngokubulala abaphuli-mthetho ngokubaphosa kumarhamncwa anoburhalarhume kumabala emidlalo. Ukuba uPawulos wakwazi ukulwa nerhamncwa elinoburhalarhume lokoqobo, wasinda kuphela ngoncedo lukaYehova. Ngaphandle kwethemba lovuko, ukukhetha ikhondo lobomi elalimbeka emngciphekweni onjalo ngokwenene kwakuya kuba bobu bentwala ubudenge. Ngaphandle kwethemba lobomi bexesha elizayo, ukunyamezela ubunzima nokuzincama okufunekayo ukuze ubani akhonze uThixo kwakungayi kuba nantsingiselo ingako. UPawulos uthi: “Ukuba abafileyo abayi kuvuswa, ‘masidle size sisele, kuba ngomso siza kufa.’”—1 Korinte 15:31, 32; bona eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 1:8, 9; 11:23-27.

16. (a) Isenokuba yayivela phi intetho ethi “masidle size sisele, kuba ngomso siza kufa”? (b) Yayiyintoni ingozi yokwamkela le mbono?

¹⁶ UPawulos usenokuba wayecaphula uIsaya 22:13, ochaza isimo sengqondo esakhokelela ekufeni sabemi ababengathobeli baseYerusalem. Okanye usenokuba wayecinga ngeenkolelo zamaEpikure, awayeligxibha naliphi na ithemba lobomi emva kokufa esithi eyona nto iphambili aph’ ebomini luyolo lokwenyama. Enoba wayecinga ntoni na, intandabulumko ethi “masidle size sisele” yayingabonakalisi kuhlonela uThixo. Kungoko uPawulos elumkisa ngelithi: “Ningalahlekiswa. Unxulumano olubi lonakalisa imikhwa esebenzisekayo.” (1 Korinte 15:33) Ukunxulumana nabo bachasi bovuko kwakunokuba nemiphumo eyingozi. Unxulumano olunjalo lusenokuba lwafak’ isandla kwiingxaki ekwafuneka uPawulos azisingathe kwibandla laseKorinte, ezinjengokuziphatha okubi ngokwesini, iiyantlukwano, ukumangalelana ezinkundleni nokungahloneli iSidlo seNkosi Sangokuhlwa.—1 Korinte 1:11; 5:1; 6:1; 11:20-22.

17. (a) Sisiphi isibongozo uPawulos awasidlulisela kwabaseKorinte? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo esele ijinga?

¹⁷ Ngaloo ndlela uPawulos udlulisela esi sibongozo sakhayo kwabaseKorinte: “Vukani niqabuke ngendlela yobulungisa yaye ningaqheliseli sono, kuba bambi baswele ulwazi ngoThixo. Ndithetha ukuze ndinishukumisele ukuba neentloni.” (1 Korinte 15:34) Imbono engakhiyo ngovuko yatsho abanye badenga ngokomoya, yangathi banxilile. Kwakufuneka bavuke, bahlale bethe qwa. Nanamhlanje kufuneka amaKristu athanjisiweyo avuke ngokomoya, angaphenjelelwa ziimbono ezibangela amathandabuzo zeli hlabathi. Kufuneka anamathele kwithemba lawo lokuvukela ezulwini. Kodwa kwakusekho imibuzo ejingayo—kwabaseKorinte bamandulo nakuthi namhlanje. Ngokomzekelo, abali-144 000 baba kwiyiphi imo xa bevuselwa ezulwini? Yaye kuthekani ngezigidi zabanye abasesemangcwabeni abangenathemba lakuphila ezulwini? Uvuko luya kuthetha ntoni kwabanjalo? Kwinqaku lethu elilandelayo, siya kuhlolisisa inxalenye esaseleyo yengxubusho kaPawulos ngovuko.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

Ngaba Uyakhumbula?

◻ Yintoni eyakhanyiswa nguYesu ngovuko?

◻ Yayingoobani amanye amangqina ovuko lukaKristu?

◻ Kwakutheni ukuze imfundiso yovuko icelwe umngeni, ibe wasabela njani uPawulos?

◻ Kutheni kwakubalulekile nje ukuba amaKristu athanjisiweyo abe nokholo kuvuko?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Intombi kaYayiro yaba bubungqina bokuba uvuko lunokwenzeka

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Ngaphandle kwethemba lovuko, ukufela ukholo kwamaKristu athembekileyo bekungayi kuba nantsingiselo