Ukuba Ngumlungiseleli Omiselweyo—Ngokwendlela KaThixo!

KUNOKWENZEKA ukuba umntu otyeleleyo wayeya kuchukumiseka—mhlawumbi ade abe uxakiwe—koko akuvileyo. Izinto zazisenzeka kwindibano yamaNgqina kaYehova. Kwanikelwa intetho kwiqela labantu ababeza kubhaptizwa. Okumangalisayo kukuba, isithethi saxelela aba babeza kubhaptizwa oku: “Ubukho bakho kweli qela labaza kubhaptizwa bubonisa umnqweno wakho wokuba ngumlungiseleli omiselweyo woBukumkani.”

Umntu otyeleleyo wayesenokubuza athi, ‘Kunokwenzeka njani oko? Ngaba ubhaptizo asilulo olwabantu abasandul’ ukungenela ubuKristu—neentsana? Ngaba akuthabathi iminyaka yoqeqesho nemfundo eyandisiweyo ukuze ubani abe ngumlungiseleli omiselweyo?’ Mhlawumbi ubuya kucinga ngendlela efanayo. Kodwa oko ngokwenene iBhayibhile ikutshoyo ngobhaptizo nokumiselwa kusenokukumangalisa.

Ngaphambi Kokuba Ubani Abhaptizwe

Okokuqala, ubhaptizo asilulo olwabantu abangaqhelananga kangako nesigidimi sobuKristu. KwiZenzo 8:12, iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba abantu benkulungwane yokuqala babebhaptizwa emva kokuba ‘bekholiwe.’ Kwakhona uMateyu 28:19 ubonisa ukuba umntu umele abe ‘ngumfundi ngaphambi kokubhaptizwa.’ Ibe ubani uba ‘ngokholiweyo,’ okanye ‘ngumfundi,’ (‘ofundisiweyo’) njani? Ngokufundisisa ngenyameko iBhayibhile! Ngale ndlela, umntu ufumana ulwazi oluchanileyo ngoYesu noYehova uThixo. (Yohane 17:3) Kuphela kusemva kokufumana olu lwazi athi umfundi abe angalungela ukubhaptizwa. Kwinkulungwane yokuqala, amaKristu amiselweyo anlkela mfundiso elolo hlobo kumaguquka amatsha.—IZenzo 8:31, 35, 36.

Namhlanje kumabandla amaNgqina kaYehova, ngokufanayo kwenziwa amalungiselelo okulungiselela abantu abanomdla ukuba banandiphe isifundo seBhayibhile sekhaya sesisa. Umntu onomdla uthi ngokuthe ngcembe akuqonde oko akufundayo. Ushukunyiselwa ukuba abelane nabanye ngeenkolelo asandul’ ukuzifumana. (Roma 10:8-10) Uqalisa ukuya rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu, apho athi afumane enye imfundiso engakumbi engokweBhayibhile. (Hebhere 10:24, 25) Ibe emva kweeveki okanye iinyanga esenza oku, lo ukholwayo usemtsha uba nomnqweno wokulandela isiluleko seBhayibhile esikumaRoma 12:1 esithi: “Ndiyanivuselela ngoko, bazalwana, ngeemfefe zikaThixo, ukuba niyinikele imizimba yenu ibe lidini eliphilileyo, elingcwele, elikholekileyo kuThixo: inkonzo yenu ke leyo yasengqondweni.”

Noko ke, ulwazi lulodwa, alwenzi ukuba ubani afanelekele ukuzahlulela. Kwakhona ubani umele aguquke aze ‘abuye.’ (IZenzo 3:19) Kutheni kufuneka oku nje? Ngokucacileyo, bambi bebephila ubomi bokuziphath’ okubi ngaphambi kokuba bafunde ngemilinganiselo kaThixo. Abanye bebethabatheke lusukelo lokuzingca. Kodwa ukuze bazinikele kuThixo ‘njengabangcwele, abakholekileyo,’ bamele babonakalise ukuzisola ngezenzo ezilolo hlobo zexesha elidluleyo. Bamele bazisole ngokusebenzisa ubomi babo, amandla abo nobuchule babo kusukelo olungekho zibhalweni. Ukuzisola okulolo hlobo kukwamele kuhambelane nesenzo esifanelekileyo ‘sokubuya’ ngokwenene, okanye ukuguquka kwindlela yabo yokuphila.

Ukuze lincedwe ngokubhekele phaya ikholwa eliselitsha, abadala abangamaKristu benza amalungiselelo okudibana nalo baze bachithe ixesha behlolisisa iimfundiso ezisisiseko zeBhayibhile. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, oku, kuqinisekisa abadala ukuba lo uza kuba ngumKristu uye wafumana ulwazi oluchanileyo lweenjongo zikaThixo. Ibe, impinda ingqineka iluncedo kakhulu kulo mfundi. Njengoko kuyimfuneko, imicimbi ethile ebingaqondwa kakuhle iyacaciswa.

Ngokuqhelekileyo kubhaptizwa xa kukho iindibano zamaNgqina kaYehova. Kwizihlandlo ezilolo hlobo, kunikelwa intetho engqalileyo ebhekiswa kwabo baza kubhaptizwa. Bakhunjuzwa ukuba ubhaptizo asikokungenela unqulo olutsha. UYesu wathi: “Ukuba kukho othanda ukundilandela, makazincame ngokwakhe, awuthwale [umthi wakhe wentuthumbo, NW], andilandele.”—Mateyu 16:24.

Abo baza kubhaptizwa bakhunjuzwa ngokubhekele phaya ngokubaluleka okunzulu kobhaptizo. Isibhalo esikweyoku-1 kaPetros 3:21 sifundwa ngokufuthi: “Olusisindisayo ngawo nathi ngoku ubhaptizo ngokomfuziselo; olungekuko ukulahla ubunyhukunyhuku benyama; olukukubuzisa kuThixo kwesazela esilungileyo, ngokuvuka kukaYesu Kristu.” Apha, uPetros uthelekisa ubhaptizo namava kaNowa okuwela ngaphaya kwamanzi oMkhukula. Ngoxa loo manzi angqineka ebulala kubantu abangendawo behlabathi, angqineka esindis’ ubomi kuNowa njengoko wayekhuselekile emkhombeni owawudada phezu kwamanzi. Ngokukwanjalo, ubhaptizo ‘lusindisa’ amaKristu kweli hlabathi lingendawo. Xa ubani ebhaptizwa, ngenxa yesiseko sokholo lwakhe kwiingenelo zokufa nokuvuka kukaYesu Kristu, loo mntu, ngezinye iindlela, ukwimo ‘yokusindiswa’ phambi kukaThixo. Akasagqalwa njengenxalenye yesi sizukulwana singendawo esigwetyelwe intshabalalo.—Bona IZenzo 2:40.

Ngoko ke, ukubhaptizwa asilonyathelo elimele lithatyathwe ukwiimvakalelo ezifudumeleyo, njengoko ngokufuthi kusenzeka ezintlanganisweni zeemvuselelo zonqulo. Okugxininisa oku sisibakala sokuba ngaphambi kokuba abafundi abatsha bantywiliselwe ngokwenene, umlungiseleli owongamela ubhaptizo ubabuza imibuzo emibini echukumisayo. Iimpendulo zabo ezivumayo ‘zikukuvuma ekuhleni’ ukuba banokholo kwintlawulelo nakwisibakala sokuba bazahlulele ngokupheleleyo kuYehova. (Roma 10:9, 10, NW) Ngeli thuba balungela ukubhaptizwa emanzini.

Ukumiselwa Njengabalungiseleli BoBukumkani

Ukuntywiliselwa ngokupheleleyo emanzini kungumqondiso ofanelekileyo wokuzahlulela kwabo kuThixo. Ngoxa bengaphantsi kwamanzi, kuba ngathi bafile kwikhondo labo lobomi langaphambili. Ekuphumeni emanzini, kuba ngathi ngoku baphilile ukuya kwikhondo elitsha lokuzincama ekukhonzeni uThixo.—Thelekisa amaRoma 6:2-4.

Ngoko, ukumiselwa kufaneleka njani kwisenzo sobhaptizo? Phawula oko kutshiwo yiCyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature kaM’Clintock noStrong (yowe-1877), uMqulu VII, iphepha 411: “Ukumiselwa kuthetha ukunyulwa okanye ukumiselwa komntu kumsebenzi wobulungiseleli, enoba kukho okanye akukho matheko ahamba nako.” (Akekeliswe sithi.) Oku kubonisa ukuba akukho mfuneko yetheko elinobugocigoci obuninzi okanye iphepha lesiqinisekiso sokumiselwa ukuba ube ngumlungiseleli ongumKristu.

Kodwa ngaba iBhayibhile iyakufundisa oku? Khawuqwalasele uYesu Kristu. Akukho mathandabuzo mayela nokuba wayengumlungiseleli kaThixo wokuqala. Sekunjalo, ngaba waba netheko elinobugocigoci obuninzi lokumiselwa ngaphambi kokuba aqalise umsebenzi wakhe wokushumayela? Ngaba wayenephepha lesiqinisekiso elalimchaza njengomlungiseleli? Akunjalo konke konke. Kusemva nje kokubhaptizwa kwakhe emanzini awathi uThixo wavakalisa ukuba wayekholisiwe nguYesu njengoNyana wakhe waza wammisela njengomlungiseleli Wakhe.—Marko 1:9-11; Luka 4:18-21.

Kuthekani ngamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala? Akukho ngxelo ibonisa ukuba aba balungiseleli bangamaKristu okuqala bamiselwa ngokuzigwagwisa. Ingxelo ekwiZenzo ngokuphindaphindiweyo isixelela ngokubhaptizwa nje kwabakholwayo. Oku kwalandelwa kukuba nesabelo kwabo ngokunenzondelelo kubulungiseleli basesidlangalaleni.—Bona IZenzo 2:41-47; 8:36-39; 22:14-16.

Bubuphi ubungqina bokumiselwa ababenabo abo balungiseleli banjalo? UPawulos uthi kweyesi-2 yabaseKorinte 3:1-3: “Xa sitshoyo, singaba siyawaqala siziyaleze na? Okanye sifuna, njengabathile, kusini na, iincwadi zokuyalezwa kuni, nokuba zezokuyalezwa nini? Incwadi yethu thina, ebhalwe ezintliziyweni zethu, nini; iyaziwa, ileswa ngabantu bonke; nibonakalalisiwe nje ukuba niyincwadi kaKristu, eyalungiselelwa sithi, engabhalwanga ngainki, ebhalwe ngomoya kaThixo ophilileyo; kungekhona emacwecweni amatye, kusemacwecweni angawenyama entliziyo.” Ukusebenza komoya kaThixo kwiintliziyo zabo bafundisiweyo kwavelisa ubuntu obutsha bobuKristu, obunokuthi bufundwe ngabo bonke ababukeli. Obu yayibubungqina obaneleyo awathi uThixo eneneni wabamisela ngabo abo babenesabelo ekufundiseni aba bafundi batsha.

Ukuzibhokoxa Komntu Kubulungiseleli

Ngokufanayo namhlanje, umlungiseleli waziwa ngemisebenzi yakhe. Unyanisekile ‘ekuzameni ngamandla’ kubulungiseleli bakhe. (Luka 13:24) Ubulungiseleli bakhe ubujonga njengelungelo elizukileyo elivela kuThixo. Akabuthabathi lula.—1 Timoti 1:12-16.

Ukushumayela uBukumkani yimfanelo ephambili yabalungiseleli abanjalo. Lonke olunye usukelo lumele lusikelwe umda ukuze babe nako ‘ukubuzalisa ubulungiseleli babo.’ (2 Timoti 4:2, 5) Kambe ke, bamele bazinyamekele bona neentswelo zokwenyama zentsapho yabo. Noko ke, ‘bayanela yinto edliwayo neyambathwayo.’ Abavumeli izilangazelelo zokobuqu okanye iminqweno yobuqu ukuba ibaphazamise kubulungiseleli. (1 Timoti 5:8; 6:7, 8; Filipi 2:20-22) Bayazicikida “izinto eziziincamisa.” (Filipi 1:10) Bazama ngamandla ukugcina phambi kwabo umzekelo omhle kaYesu Kristu, obomi bakhe babusekelwe ekushumayeleni uBukumkani.—Luka 4:43; Yohane 18:36, 37.

Sekunjalo, xa umntu ebhaptizwa njengomlungiseleli omiselweyo, ngokwenene ukumanqanaba okuqala enkonzo yakhe kuThixo. Kuyinyaniso ukuba, ufumene ulwazi ngoKristu Yesu noYehova uThixo. Kwakhona wenze iinguqulelo ezininzi ebomini bakhe ukuze ubulungiseleli bakhe bobuKristu bungafunyaniswa bunesiphako. (2 Korinte 6:3) Lo mKristu usandul’ ukubhaptizwa kusafuneka ekhulile ngakumbi. Ubhaptizo lwakhe, olubonisa ukumiselwa kwakhe, luyenye imbalasane ebalulekileyo ekukhuleni kwakhe njengomKristu. (Filipi 3:16) Ngoko ke, mlungiseleli ngamnye omiselweyo umele aqhubeke esakha uxabiso olusuk’ entliziyweni lwezinto zokomoya. Kufuneka acwangcise ixesha lofundisiso lobuqu. Umele awasebenzise onke amalungiselelo ebandla okuhlanganisana. Umele asebenzele ekuphuculeni umgangatho wemithandazo yakhe, okuphumela kulwalamano lobuqu olusondeleyo noThixo.—Luka 6:45; 1 Tesalonika 5:11; 1 Petros 4:7.

Siyathemba ukuba le mbono ingokweZibhalo ikuncedile ukuba uqonde isizathu sokuba isidanga saseyunivesithi singeyonto ifunekayo kwabo bazimisele ukukhonza njengabalungiseleli bakaThixo. AmaNgqina kaYehova angaphezu kwezigidi ezithathu amkhonza ngokuthembekileyo uThixo njengabalungiseleli bakhe, abavakalisa iinyaniso ezichazwe eLizwini lakhe. Kutheni ungavumeli omnye wabo akuncede ukuba ufumane ulwazi lweBhayibhile?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Ngokutsho kweBhayibhile, umlungiseleli ongumKristu umiselwa ekubhaptizweni kwakhe