Ukuphila

Incazelo: Isimo sokuba nempilo esihlukanisa izitshalo, izilwane, abantu, nezidalwa zomoya ezintweni ezingaphili. Izinto eziphilayo esizibonayo ngokuvamile zinamandla okukhula, ukwakha uketshezi lwamangqamuzana, awokusabela ekuthintweni okuthile okungaphandle, nawokukhiqiza futhi. Izitshalo zinokuphila okunempilo kodwa akukhona ukuphila njengomphefumulo onengqondo. Emiphefumulweni yasemhlabeni, izilwane nabantu, kukhona kokubili amandla okuphila asebenzayo okuyishukumisa nokuphefumula okusekela lawomandla okuphila.

Ngomqondo ophelele, ukuphila njengoba kunjalo kubantu abahlakaniphile, kusho ukuba khona ngokuphelele nelungelo lakho. Umphefumulo womuntu awuwona ongafi. Kodwa izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezithembekile zinethemba lokuphila okuphakade ekupheleleni—eziningi zazo lapha emhlabeni, “umhlambi omncane” ezulwini njengezindlalifa zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ekuvuselweni kwawo ekuphileni komoya, amalungu esigaba soMbuso anikezwa futhi ukungafi, imfanelo yokuphila okungadingi ukuvuselelwa nganoma iyiphi into edaliwe.

Iyini injongo yokuphila komuntu?

Isisekelo sokuba nenjongo ekuphileni kwethu siwukuqaphela uMthombo wokuphila. Ukuba ukuphila kwakungumkhiqizo wenhlanhla engenangqondo, ukuba khona kwethu bekungaba okungenanjongo, futhi belingeke libe khona ikusasa elithembekile esingalihlelela. Kodwa izEnzo 17:24, 25, 28 ziyasitshela: “UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, . . . obapha bonke ukuphila nokuphefumula nakho konke. Ngokuba siphila, sihamba, sikhona kuye.” IsAmbulo 4:11, esibhekiswe kuNkulunkulu, siyanezela: “Ufanele wena-Nkosi yethu noNkulunkulu wethu ukwamukela inkazimulo nodumo namandla, ngokuba nguwena owadala izinto zonke, nangenxa yentando yakho zaba-khona, zadalwa.” (Bheka futhi amakhasi 394-400, ngaphansi kwesihloko esikhulu esithi “UNkulunkulu.”)

Ukukhungatheka kungumphumela wenkambo yokuphila engqubuzana nezimfuneko zoMdali neziqondiso zakhe zenjabulo. EyabaseGalathiya 6:7, 8 iyasixwayisa: “Ningaduki; uNkulunkulu akahlekwa. Ngokuba lokho akuhlwanyelayo umuntu, lokho wokuvuna. Ngokuba ohlwanyelela inyama yakhe uyakuvuna ukubhubha kuyo inyama.”—NeyabaseGalathiya 5:19-21. (Bheka futhi isihloko esikhulu esithi “Ukuzibusa.”)

Ukuzuza ngefa isono kuAdamu kuvimbela abantu ekubeni okwamanje bakujabulele ngokugcwele ukuphila njengoba kwakuyinjongo kaNkulunkulu ekuqaleni. EyabaseRoma 8:20 iphawula ukuthi, ngenxa yesahlulelo saphezulu ngemva kwesono sika-Adamu, “okudaliweyo [isintu] kwabekwa phansi kobuze.” Ngokuqondene nesimo sakhe siqu njengomuntu onesono, umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Mina ngingowenyama, othengisiwe phansi kwesono. Ngokuba okuhle engikuthandayo angikwenzi, kodwa okubi engingakuthandiyo lokho ngiyakwenza. Ngokuba ngiwenamela umthetho kaNkulunkulu ngokomuntu ongaphakathi, kepha ngibona omunye umthetho ezithweni zami olwayo nomthetho wengqondo yami, ungithumbela emthethweni wesono osezithweni zami. Wo mina-muntu wosizi.”—Roma 7:14, 19, 22-24.

Sithola injabulo enkulu kakhulu engaba khona manje futhi ukuphila kwethu kuba nenjongo ecebile uma sisebenzisa izimiso zeBhayibheli futhi sibeke ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu kuqala. Asimcebisi uNkulunkulu ngokumkhonza; usifundisa ‘okusiza thina.’ (Isaya 48:17) IBhayibheli liyaluleka: “Yibani-ngabagxilile, abangaxegiyo, abavamé njalo emsebenzini weNkosi, nazi ukuthi ukusebenza kwenu akusilo ize eNkosini.”—1 Kor. 15:58.

IBhayibheli libeka phambi kwethu ithemba lokuphila okuphakade ekupheleleni uma siba nokholo emalungiselelweni kaJehova okuphila futhi sihamba ezindleleni zakhe. Lelothemba linesisekelo esiqinile; ngeke liholele ekudumazekeni; imisebenzi evumelana nalelothemba ingagcwalisa ukuphila kwethu ngenjongo yoqobo ngisho kwamanje.—Joh. 3:16; Thithu 1:2; 1 Pet. 2:6.

Ingabe abantu babenzelwe ukumane nje baphile iminyaka emibalwa bese befa?

Gen. 2:15-17: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wayesemthatha umuntu [uAdamu], wambeka ensimini yase-Edene ukuba ayilime, ayigcine. UJehova uNkulunkulu wamyala umuntu, wathi: Ungadla kuyo yonke imithi yensimu ngokuthanda kwakho, kepha ungadli kuwo umuthi wokwazi okuhle nokubi, ngokuba mhla udla kuwo uyakufa nokufa.” (Lapha uNkulunkulu wakhuluma ngokufa, hhayi njengesimo esingenakugwenywa, kodwa njengalokho okwakuyoba umphumela wesono. Wayekhuthaza uAdamu ukuba akugweme. Qhathanisa neyabaseRoma 6:23.)

Gen. 2:8, 9: “UJehova uNkulunkulu watshala insimu e-Edene ngasempumalanga; wambeka khona umuntu amenzileyo. UJehova uNkulunkulu wahlumisa emhlabathini imithi yonke ebukekayo, emihle, edliwayo, nomuthi wokuphila phakathi nensimu.” (Ngemva kokona kuka-Adamu, lombhangqwana wabantu wakhishwa e-Edene ukuze ungadli emthini wokuphila, ngokukaGenesise 3:22, 23. Ngakho kubonakala ukuthi ukuba uAdamu wamlalela njalo uMdali wakhe, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uNkulunkulu wayeyomvumela ukuba adle kulowomuthi njengophawu lokuzibonakalisa kwakhe efanele ukuphila phakade. Ukuba khona komuthi wokuphila e-Edene kwakhomba ethembeni elinjalo.)

IHu. 37:29: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.” (Lesithembiso sikwenza kukhanye ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu eyisisekelo ngomhlaba nesintu ayikashintshi.)

Bheka futhi ikhasi 274, ngaphansi kwesihloko esikhulu esithi “Ukufa.”

Kodwa esimweni sethu namuhla, ingabe ukuphila okufushane, ngokuvamile okonakaliswa ukuhlupheka, kuyilokho ukuphila okwakuqondwe ukuba kube yikho?

Roma 5:12: “Isono sangena ezweni ngamuntu munye [uAdamu], nangesono kwangena ukufa, ngokunjalo ukufa kwafikela abantu bonke, lokhu bonke bonile.” (Ilokho sonke esakuzuza njengefa, hhayi ngoba kuyinjongo kaNkulunkulu, kodwa ngenxa yesono sika-Adamu.) (Bheka futhi isihloko esikhulu esithi “Ukudalelwa.”)

Jobe 14:1: “Umuntu ozelwe ngowesifazane imihla yakhe mifushane, igcwele ukuyaluza.” (Ngezinga elikhulu yilokho okuyingxenye yokuphila kulesimiso sezinto esingaphelele.)

Nokho, ngisho naphansi kwalezizimo ukuphila kwethu kungavuza ngokucebileyo, kugcwale injongo. Bheka ukwaziswa okusemakhasini 314-316 mayelana nenjongo yokuphila komuntu.

Ingabe ukuphila emhlabeni kumane nje kuyindlela yokunquma ukuthi obani abayokuya ezulwini?

Bheka amakhasi 196-202, ngaphansi kwesihloko esikhulu esithi “Izulu.”

Ingabe sinomphefumulo ongafi oqhubeka uphila ngemva kokufa komzimba wenyama?

Bheka amakhasi 377-382, ngaphansi kwesihloko esikhulu esithi “Umphefumulo.”

Kungaziphi izizathu noma ubani engaba nethemba lokuba nokungaphezu nje kokuphila kwamanje kwabantu okufushane?

Math. 20:28: “INdodana yomuntu [uJesu Kristu] ingezelanga ukukhonzwa kepha ukukhonza nokunikela ukuphila kwayo, kube-yisihlengo sabaningi.”

Joh. 3:16: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.”

Heb. 5:9: “[UJesu Kristu] esephelelisiwe waba-yisisusa sokusindiswa okuphakade kubo bonke abamlalelayo.” (NoJohane 3:36)

Amathemba okuphila kwesikhathi esizayo ayogcwaliseka kanjani?

IzE. 24:15: “Nginethemba kuNkulunkulu abalibheka nabo uqobo lokuthi kuyakuba-khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile.” (Lokhu kuyohlanganisa abantu abakhonza uNkulunkulu ngokwethembeka esikhathini esidlule kanye nenani elikhulu labangazange bazi okwanele ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso ukuba bamukele noma benqabe izindlela zakhe.)

Joh. 11:25, 26: “UJesu wathi kuye [udadewabo wendoda ayibuyisela ekuphileni ngemva kwalokho]: Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila; okholwa yimi, noma efa, wophila. Nalowo ophila, akholwe yimi, kasoze afa naphakade. Uyakholwa yilokho na?” (Ngakho-ke, ngaphandle kwethemba lovuko, uJesu wabathembisa okunye abantu abayobe bephila lapho lelizwe elibi lamanje lifika ekupheleni kwalo. Labo abanethemba lokuba izikhonzi zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu zasemhlabeni banethemba lokusinda bangaphinde bafe futhi.)

Ingabe bukhona ubufakazi ekwakhekeni komzimba womuntu bokuthi wayeklanyelwe ukuphila phakade?

Kuyinto eqashelwa kabanzi ukuthi ikhono lokusebenza kwengqondo yomuntu lingaphezulu kakhulu kwendlela esiyisebenzisa ngayo esikhathini sokuphila kwethu, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siphila iminyaka engu-70 noma ngisho neyi-100. IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi ingqondo yomuntu “inikezwe amandla amakhulu kakhulu ngaphezu kokuba kungaqondakala esikhathini sokuphila komuntu oyedwa.” (1976, Umq. 12, k. 998) Usosayensi uCarl Sagan uthi ingqondo yomuntu ingagcina ukwaziswa ‘obekungagcwalisa imiqulu eyizigidi ezingamashumi amabili, elingana naleyo esemitatsheni yezincwadi emikhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni.” (Cosmos, 1980, k. 278)

Ngokuqondene namandla “esimiso sokugcina izinto” sengqondo yomuntu, isazi sezinto eziphilayo uIsaac Asimov wabhala ukuthi “sikwazi ngokuphelele ukusingatha noma okungakanani ukufunda nenkumbulo umuntu akwaziyo ukuyifaka kuso—nangokuphindwe ngezigidi zezigidi zezikhathi ngaphezu kwalokho, futhi.”—The New York Times Magazine, October 9, 1966, k. 146. (Kungani ingqondo yomuntu yanikezwa amandla angako uma ayengeke asetshenziswe? Akukhona yini okunengqondo ukuthi, njengoba benekhono lokufunda bangaphezi, abantu empeleni babeklanyelwe ukuba baphile phakade?)

Ingabe kukhona ukuphila kwamanye amaplanethi?

IThe New York Times iyabika: “Ukufuna izidalwa ezihlakaniphile kwenye indawo endaweni yonke . . . kwaqala eminyakeni engama-25 edlule . . . Umsebenzi owesabekayo, ohilela ukuhlolisisa izigidi zezigidi ezingamakhulu zezinkanyezi, kuze kube manje awukakavezi bufakazi obukhanyayo bokuthi kukhona ukuphila okungalé koMhlaba.”—July 2, 1984, k. A1.

IThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Awekho amanye amaplanethi [ngaphandle komthala wethu] aye atholakala ngokuqondile. Kodwa nganoma iyiphi iplanethi engase ibe khona ngaphandle komthala wethu, kungenzeka ukuthi ukuphila kwaqala futhi kwathuthukela empucukweni ephambili.” (1977, Umq. 22, k. 176) (Njengoba kuboniswa ilenkulumo, kungenzeka yini ukuthi isisusa esiyinhloko kulokufunwa kokuphila okuyizindleko ezingaphezu kokwenza emkhathini ongaphandle siyisifiso sokuthola ubufakazi benkolelo yokuziphendukela kwemvelo, ubufakazi obuthile bokuthi umuntu akadalwanga uNkulunkulu ngalesosizathu akanakulandisa kuYe?)

IBhayibheli lembula ukuthi izinto eziphila kulomhlaba akukuphela kwezinto eziphilayo ezikhona. Kukhona izidalwa zomoya—uNkulunkulu nezingelosi—eziphakeme kakhulu kunomuntu ngokuhlakanipha namandla. Kakade seziye zaxhumana ngokukhulumisana nabantu, zichaza imvelaphi yokuphila nokuthi ikhambi liyini ezinkingeni ezixakile ezibhekene nezwe. (Bheka izihloko ezinkulu esithi “IBhayibheli” nesithi “UNkulunkulu.”)