“Kwalani Ukuba Ngibhapathizwe Na?”
1. UFiliphu wathunyelwa kumuntu oluhlobo luni?
UMBUZO ongenhla wabuzwa yindoda eyayizinikezele eyayisinalo kakade uthando ngoNkulunkulu, kodwa eyayisanda kukhanyiselwa nje ngokuqondene ne“vangeli ngoJesu.” Yayingumthenwa waseItiyopiya, ikade “ifikile eJerusalema izakukhuleka” njengomproselithe wamaJuda. Yayisendleleni ephindela eItiyopiya ukuba iyokwenza imisebenzi yayo esikhundleni esiphakeme ekukhonzeni indlovukazi yaseItiyopiya lapho uFiliphu umvangeli eqondiswa umoya kaNkulunkulu ukuba aye kuyo.
2. UFiliphu wamsiza kanjani umthenwa ukuba aqonde isiprofetho?
2 Egijima eceleni kwenqola, uFiliphu wezwa lendoda ifunda ngokuphimisela encwadini kaIsaya. Uma ibuzwa ukuthi yayiyiqonda yini ingxenye yomBhalo eyayiyifunda, ngewundlu elithulile elaliyiswa ekuhlatshweni, umthenwa waseItiyopiya wavuma ukuthi wayengaqondi noma umprofethi wayekhuluma ngaye ngokwakhe noma ngomunye umuntu. Yeka ithuba elalivulekele uFiliphu! “Eqala kulowombhalo washumayela ivangeli ngoJesu.” Yebo, isiprofetho sikalsaya esasiphathelene ne“Wundlu likaNkulunkulu elisusa izono zezwe!”—IzEnzo 8:26-35; Isaya 53:7, 8; Johane 1:29.
3. Lokhu kuqonda okusha kwamthinta kanjani?
3 Umthenwa kwamthinta kanjani ukwenzeka kwezinto ayengakulindele ngokuphelele kodwa okumangalisayo ekuphileni kwakhe? “Kwathi besahamba endleleni, bafika emanzini. Umthenwa wathi: Bheka, nanka amanzi; kwalani ukuba ngibhapathizwe na?” Ngokusobala uFiliphu akabonanga lutho endleleni yokuphila yalendoda nasekuqondeni kwayo izinjongo zikaNkulunkulu, ikakhulukazi njengoba manje zase ziphathelene noJesu njengoMesiya noMsindisi, okwakungase kuyivimbele ekubeni ibhapathizwe. Inqola yamiswa; baya emanzini bobabili uFiliphu wayibhapathiza ngesisekelo sokwamukela kwayo umhlatshelo kaJesu wokuthethelelwa kwezono.—IzEnzo 8:36-39.
Kuthiwani Ngawe?
4. Bangaki kulabo abahlanganyela noFakazi BakaJehova abaye bathatha isinyathelo sokubhapathizwa?
4 Kunabaningi emhlabeni wonke namuhla abahlanganyela noFakazi BakaJehova abangakabhapathizwa ekubonakaliseni ukuzinikezela kwabo kuJehova. Inani eliphakeme lomhlaba wonke lalabo abahlanganyela ekushumayeleni “izindaba ezinhle” ngo-1981 laliyizi-2 361 896 (kulona abangaba ngama-25% abakabhapathizwa). Kodwa eSidlweni seNkosi Sakusihlwa ngo-1981, ingqikithi yabo bonke ababekhona yayiyizi-5 987 893. Lokho kusho ukuthi abangaphezu kwesigamu salabo ababa-khona emihlanganweni yoFakazi BakaJehova abakabhapathizwa. Ingabe lokho kuyisizathu sokwethuka? Cha, kodwa kuyisizathu sokukhathalela kothando. Abanye balaba bebehlanganyela izinyanga ezithile.
5. Umthenwa waseItiyopiya kukanjani eyisibonelo esihle kulabo abangakabhapathizwa?
5 Mhlawumbe omunye walabo abangakabhapathizwa uwena mfundi othandekayo. Isizathu sokuba awukabhapathizwa kungenzeka singesihle, kodwa uma kunjalo, sikumema ukuba ucabangele ngokunakekela nangomthandazo isibonelo esihle somthenwa waseItiyopiya ongazange alibale ekubeni abhapathizwe. Wahlolisisa ingqondo yakhe nenhliziyo, wabuza kuFiliphu ukuthi zazikhona yini izici ezazivimbela ukuba abhapathizwe. Ekutholeni ukuthi azikho, wabhapathizwa ngokushesha.
6. Yiziphi izinyathelo okumelwe zithathwe yilabo abanomuzwa wokuthi badinga isikhathi esengeziwe?
6 Kungenzeka awukabhapathizwa ngenxa yesiphetho sakho, esisekelwe ekuzihloleni kobuqotho, kokuthi awukabi nakho ukuqonda okwanele ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu ukuze wenze ukuzinikezela okusuka enhliziyweni kuJehova. Ukuze wenze lokhu ngaphandle kokugodla, uyofuna ukwazi uJehova nezinjongo zakhe kangcono. Lokhu kuyatuseka, futhi sikukhuthaza ukuba uqhubeke uthuthuka kahle ekufundeni kwakho, ngesikhathi esifanayo ukhumbula ukuthi isikhathi siyadlula usuku ngalunye. Wasebenzise kahle amathuba akho okutadisha iBhayibheli ngasese nangosizo loFakazi BakaJehova. (2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) Hlakulela umkhuba wasikhathi sonke wokuba khona emihlanganweni yamaKristu, lapho uyothola khona ukufundiswa okubalulekile nobudlelwano obudingekayo namanye amaKristu kanye nesikhuthazo oyosithola kuwo. (Heberu 10:24, 25) Njengoba ulandela lomkhuba omuhle ngenkuthalo, cishe kuyoba indaba yezinyanga ezimbalwa nje ngaphambi kokuba ulungele ukubonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwakho ngokubhapathizwa emanzini. UBaba wethu osezulwini ukumemela kulobuhlobo obukhethekile kanye naye!
7. (a) Kungase kube yini ukucabanga kwabanye abasalibalayo ukuba babhapathizwe? (b) UJesu ukubonisa kanjani lokhu ukuthi kuyingozi?
7 Mhlawumbe ungomunye obeba-khona emihlanganweni yoFakazi BakaJehova iminyaka eminingana kodwa awukakanqumi ukuba uthathe izinyathelo zokuzinikezela nokubhapathizwa. Uma uhlola ukuzindla kwangasese kwenhliziyo, kungenzeka yini ukuthi ulibala ngenxa yokuthi ubona ukuthi ukuphila njengomKristu kuyoba nezibopho ezithile kuwena? Ingabe unombono wokuthi uma nje ungabhapathiziwe ngeke uboshwe yilezibopho futhi uyoba ne“nkululeko” ethile yokwenza izinto ezithile ezingabazekayo uma lesisimiso sisaqhubeka, unethemba lokulinda kuze kube umzuzu wokugcina wokuthatha isinyathelo sokukhulekela kweqiniso? Ukucabanga okunjalo kungase kube yingozi, kube yinhlekelele ngempela! UJesu wathi: “Xwayani ukuba izinhliziyo zenu zingasindwa ngukuminza nokudakwa nokunaka okwalokhu-kuphila, lunizume lolosuku ningazelele.”—Luka 21:34, 35; 1 Korinte 15:33, 34; Roma 13:11-14.
8. Kumelwe sisibheke kanjani isimemo sikaJehova sothando sokuba sizinikezele kuyena?
8 Uma ulibala ngokungenasizathu ekwamukeleni isimemo sikaJehova sothando sokuba ube ngaphansi komusa wakhe ngokunikezela ukuphila kwakho kuyena, isikhathi somusa sokudlulisela isimemo esinjalo singase siphele ngokuqondene nawe siqu. (2 Korinte 6:1, 2; Heberu 12:25) Ngakho ungakungabazi ukufinyelela isipho sokuphila bese usiletha kuwe ngokubonga. Ungaqhubeki ubheka emuva ngokulangazelela izinto ezikhangayo zalesimiso, esizodlula ngokushesha. Sabela othandweni lukaNkulunkulu usenalo ithuba. Nakuba ekhetha ngokuqondene nokuthi ubani amletha ebuhlotsheni obuseduze naye futhi enemingcele ngokuqondene nokuthi yini engenziwa nengenakwenziwa, ngokumazi kwakho ngokwengeziwe uJehova, kuyilapho uyobona khona ukuthi akwenzayo noma akufunayo ngaso sonke isikhathi kungokungcono kakhulu kuwe. Akafisi neze ukukugodlela noma yini ewusizo ngempela noma eyokunikeza injabulo ehlala njalo. (IHubo 145:16, 19) Indodana ehloniphayo nelalelayo ikucabangela njengokuyinto yemvelo ukuba kuyise wasemhlabeni nokuba ifundiswe nguye. Yeka ukuthi kufaneleke kangakanani-ke ukuba lokhu kube yisimo sakho sengqondo ngakuBaba wethu wasezulwini onothando!—Johane 14:23.
9. Kumelwe sibhekane kanjani nezinkinga zomuntu siqu?
9 Yebo, uma unenkinga ngempela yokusinqoba isifiso esithile senyama, futhi uzama ngempela ngenhliziyo yakho yonke nangamandla ukunqoba, ungaqiniseka ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyokusiza ukuba unqobe—hhayi ngomlingo wokususa inkinga, kodwa ngosizo lomoya wakhe ukuba uhlakulele izithelo ezidingekayo zomoya ekuphileni kwakho. Futhi, ebandleni uyothola ukuqonda nosizo ngokuthintana namadoda amadala. Akhona njengelungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lokukusiza.—Galathiya 5:22-24; Efesu 4:11-15.
10, 11. (a) Yisiphi isibonelo esihle umgcinizi-boshwa waseFilipi nomkhaya wakhe abasibeka? (b) Ukuze “asindiswe,” ingabe kwakuhileleke okwengeziwe, kunokuba akholelwe kuJesu?
10 Ngakho ungalibali ekwenzeni okwaziyo ukuthi kumelwe ukwenze ukuze uthokozise uNkulunkulu. Landela isibonelo esihle somgcinizi-boshwa waseFilipi owabuza uPawulu noSila: “Makhosi, ngimelwe ukwenzani ukuba ngisindiswe na?” Lapho etshelwa ukuthi “Kholwa yiNkosi uJesu, yikhona uzakusindiswa wena nendlu yakho” ukulandisa kusitshela ukuthi “wabhapathizwa khona-lapho, yena nabo bonke abakhe.”
11 Nakuba ukuzamazama komhlaba okuvela kuNkulunkulu kwaba yikhona okwabangela ukwesaba uNkulunkulu kulomgcinizi-boshwa, akumelwe silindele ukuphaphanyiswa okuthusa kanjalo okuvela kuNkulunkulu namuhla ukuba kusiphaphamise sithathe izinyathelo. Endabeni yalendoda nomkhaya wayo, kwakungeyona nje indaba elula yokubonisa ukukholelwa kuJesu okwabenza babe sesimweni sokusindiswa. Kwakungekhona futhi ukuzihilela nsuku zonke endleleni yokuphila yobuKristu. Akunjalo, ngoba ukulandisa kuthi uPawulu noSila “base bemshumayeza izwi likaNkulunkulu, yena nabo bonke ababesendlini yakhe.” Lokhu kwahlanganisa ukwazi uJehova ngokwanele ukuba okokuqala bathethelelwe izono zangaphambili ngesisekelo sokwamukela umhlatshelo wesihlengo. Kuyiqiniso, kubona lokhu kwenzeka ngesikhashana, ngosuku olulodwa nje. Lokhu kwalandelwa ukuzinikezela okusuka enhliziyweni eNkosini yeNdawo Yonke, uJehova uNkulunkulu, nokuba babhapathizwe ekubonakaliseni lokhu. Yebo, umgcinizi-boshwa “wathokoza kanye nendlu yakhe yonke ngokukholwa nguNkulunkulu.”—IzEnzo 16:25-34.
12. Ingabe ukuntula ukuqonda okugcwele ngamaphuzu athile kumelwe kumlibazise umuntu ekubeni abhapathizwe?
12 Mhlawumbe ungomunye ozigodlayo ngenxa yokungabaza okuthile noma umbuzo. Kodwa uma kunephuzu elithile ngokwezimfundiso ongakaliqondisisi, kukhona isizathu esanele sokucwaningisisa impendulo eZwini likaNkulunkulu, ukhuleke ngenhliziyo yonke kuNkulunkulu ukuba akunikeze ukuhlakanipha. Uyokwenza kanjalo, uma uthembela ngokuphelele kuyena. Ngeke abeke “itshe” noma “inyoka” esandleni sakho esicelayo. (Mathewu 7:7-11) Akumelwe uzithethelele ekunikezeleni ukuphila kwakho kuyena ngenxa yezinto ezithile ezimbalwa okungenzeka ungaziqondi ngokugcwele. UmKristu ukhula njalo ngolwazi lukaNkulunkulu nezinjongo zaKhe.—Filipi 1:9-11; Heberu 6:1-3.
13. (a) Yini eqaphelekayo ngabantwana abancane abaphakathi kwethu? (b) Kunini lapho osemncane kumelwe abhapathizwe khona?
13 Okokugcina, ungase ube nomuzwa wokuthi usemncane kakhulu ukuba uzinikezele futhi ukwazi okwenzayo. Kwabaningi, lokhu kungase kube yiqiniso, ngoba kunabantwana abayizinkulungwane abahlanganyela noFakazi BakaJehova—kithina okuyisizathu sokujabula. (Mathewu 19:13-15) Njengoba besakhulela ekuvuthweni ngokwanele, ngokwengqondo nangokomzimba, ukuba bazithathele ngokwabo umthwalo ogcwele wokuzinikezela nokubhapathizwa, singaqiniseka ukuthi uNkulunkulu ‘uphawula’ abantwana abanjalo njengaba“ngcwele,” uma nje besabela futhi belalela abazali abakholwayo. (1 Korinte 7:14) Kodwa isikhathi asimile ndawonye. Uma uye wasabela ekukhulisweni kwakho abazali bakho “ngokuyala nangokuqondisa kweNkosi [uJehova],” futhi uye wazimisela ekufundeni, kokubili ekhaya nasebandleni, ingabe manje sesifikile isikhathi ngawe sokuba uzinikezele kuJehova? Uma kunjalo, ngemva kokukhuluma ngalokho nabazali bakho nabadala ebandleni lakini, singakukhuthaza ukuba wenze ngokuvumelana nesinqumo sakho sokunikezela ukuphila kwakho kuJehova futhi ubhapathizwe.—Efesu 6:1-4; 2 Thimothewu 1:5-7.
Ukukhonza Lapho UJehova Ekubeka Khona
14. Yimaphi amaphuzu okumelwe aphawulwe manje ngokuqondene ‘nokuvunwa’ kwabagcotshiweyo?
14 Uma ubhapathizwa manje, ingabe likhona ithemba lokuthi uJehova uyokubizela ukuba ube yingxenye yomlobokazi kaKristu? Yebo, uNkulunkulu ongumahluleli, hhayi abantu. Imizwa yomuntu nokuthambekela kwakhe, njengalokho okungenzeka kuye kwangena kuye lapho esesontweni elithile Lobukholwa, akumelwe kube yikhona okumbusayo. (Roma 8:28-30; 9:16) Kubalulekile ukukhumbula ukuthi ‘ukuvunwa’ kwabagcotshiweyo kusondela ngokushesha ekupheleni. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 13:36-43.) Emakhulwini eminyaka ayi-19 bekunobizo olulodwa kuphela, olwasezulwini, uJehova ekhetha kakhulu ngokuqondene nokuthi obani abayokhonza neNdodana yakhe ekwenzeni uhulumeni woMbuso. Baningi ababeyomenywa kodwa babe mbalwa kakhulu abakhethwayo. (Mathewu 22:2, 14) Ngemva kwesikhathi inani elimisiwe kodwa elilinganiselwe labayizi-144 000 laliyofinyelelwa. Ngemva kwalokhu abekho abanye ababeyogcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele njengobufakazi bokuthi banethemba lasezulwini, ngaphandle kokuba ukungathembeki koyedwa ‘wabakhethiweyo abasasele’ kwenze kudingeke ukuba kufakwe omunye esikhundleni sakhe, okuyinto engaqabukela yenzeka.—Roma 8:16; 11:19; IsAmbulo 7:1-8; 14:1-5.
15, 16. (a) Yini ebonakala isobala ngokuqondene nokuphela kobizo lwasezulwini nokubuthwa kwe“sixuku esikhulu”? (b) Njengoba isikhathi sesihambe kangaka, yini engabonakala inengqondo ngokuqondene nanoma ikuphi ukufakwa komunye esikhaleni? Nokho, ukuzisholo komuntu siqu njengonobizo lwasezulwini kumelwe kubhekwe kanjani?
15 Uma sicabangela indlela uJehova abesebenzelana ngayo nabantu bakhe phakathi ne‘sikhathi sokuvuna,’ kubonakala kusobala ukuthi ubizo lwasezulwini cishe lwaphela ngonyaka ka-1935, lapho ithemba le“sixuku esikhulu” sesAmbulo 7:9-17 liqondakala ngokuqondile ukuthi lingelasemhlabeni. Lokhu kuye kwaba njengoba nje uJehova azi ngaphambili ukuthi kwakuyoba njalo. Njengoba isAmbulo 7:3, 4 sibonisa, kuyoba khona ‘ukubekwa uphawu’ kokugcina kwabasele bakaIsrayeli ongokomoya. Kodwa phakathi nalesikhathi ngaphambi nje ko“sizi olukhulu,” “isixuku esikhulu” esingenakulinganiswa ngokuqondene nenani sasiyobonakala. Sasiyohlala sinethemba laso lemvelo lokuphila emhlabeni, hhayi ‘ukuzalwa ngokusha,’ ngethemba lokuphila kwasezulwini.—IHubo 115:16; Johane 3:1-8.
16 Ngokuqondene nokuba nokwenzeka komuntu ukuba abe ‘ngozelwe ngokusha’ ovala isikhala isikhathi sesihambe kangaka, ngokuqondakalayo bambalwa kakhulu kulaba abasele abagcotshiweyo abangase balahlekelwe ubizo lwasezulwini ngokuba abangathembekile. Inani labo manje seliye lancishiswa ukufa laba izinkulungwane ezimbalwa. Uma kuba ngokudingekile ukuvala isikhala somunye wabo, uJehova angabiza bani? UJesu wathi ngalabo abamenyelwa ukuba ngabaphostoli bakhe: “Nina-ke ningababekhuthazela nami ekulingweni kwami.” (Luka 22:28) Ngokunengqondo, uJehova angakhetha othile oseneminyaka eminingi ehlanganyela futhi oye wabonisa ukukhuthazela nokwethembeka ngaphansi kokulingwa, kunomuntu osanda kuba nje umfundi kaJesu obhapathizwe futhi obengakavivinywa ngezindlela eziningi. Lokhu akushiwo ngokugomela noma ukuze kunikeze isisekelo sokwahlulela noma ubani ozisholo ukuba ngogcotshiwe, kodwa ukuze kusizwe abasanda kuhlanganyela ukuba bagweme ukugabadela futhi baqiniseke ngendlela uJehova asebenzelana ngayo nabo.
17. Yibuphi ubuhlobo obuqaliswa ukuzinikezela nobhapathizo, kuholele kumuphi umvuzo?
17 Kungakhathaliseki noma umuntu ungowo“mhlambi omncane” wezindlalifa zoMbuso noma unethemba elihle lokuphila phakade ngokuphelela nenjabulo emhlabeni, ubuhlobo obunjalo buqala ngokuba semseni kaBaba wethu, uJehova. (Luka 12:32) Futhi sisizuza kanjani isimo sokuvumeleka phambi kukaNkulunkulu? Kungokungenisa ulwazi, ukuba nokholo emhlatshelweni kaKristu, ukuphenduka enkambweni yethu yangaphambili ezweni, ukuguquka ngokuqondile senze intando kaNkulunkulu, sinikezele ukuphila kwethu kuJehova futhi sibhapathizwe ekubonakaliseni lokho. Khona-ke, uma sibulondoloza ubuhlobo bethu obuyigugu noNkulunkulu, uthembekile ngokuthi uyosivuza ngokuphila okuphakade, into eyigugu kungakhathaliseki noma kusezulwini noma kuseMbusweni lapha emhlabeni.—Heberu 11:6; Roma 6:23.
18. Kungayiphi indlela umsebenzi ‘wokuphawula’ oqhubeka ngayo manje, futhi abantu ngabanye babonisa kanjani ukuthi baye ‘baphawulelwa’ ukusinda?
18 Ngaphambi kwethu nje ukwehlukaniswa kwe“zimvu” ne“zimbuzi” kuzofika esiphethweni. Abekho abayosala bephakathi nendawo nje uma uNkulunkulu eletha “usizi olukhulu” ukuba ashanele “abangamazi uNkulunkulu nabangalaleli ivangeli leNkosi yethu uJesu.” (Mathewu 25:31-46; 2 Thesalonika 1:6-9) Kuphela yilabo ‘abaphawulelwe’ ukusinda abayosindela ohlelweni lwakhe olusha. (IsAmbulo 7:3, 4, 9, 14; Hezekeli 9:2-6) Yeka indlela abayojabula ngayo labo abaye bazithoba kulokhu ‘kuphawulelwa’ ukusinda ngenxa yokuba ngabamukelekela ebuhlotsheni bokuzinikezela noJehova uNkulunkulu, njengoba bubonakaliswa ngobhapathizo lwamanzi, nokuqhubeka ngobuqotho endleleni encane eholela ekuphileni!—Mathewu 7:13, 14.
UNGAYIPHENDULA LEMIBUZO YOKUBUKEZA?
□ Umthenwa wase-Etiyopiya wasibeka kanjani isibonelo ngokubhapathizwa?
□ Kungani umuntu kungamelwe alibale ekubekeleni eceleni izinto ezikhangayo zalesisimiso ukuze amukele isimemo sothando sikaJehova?
□ Ukuthembela kuJehova kuyomsiza kanjani umuntu uma kukhona ukungabaza noma umbuzo?
□ Intsha kumelwe ikubheke kanjani ukuzinikezela nobhapathizo?
□ Ngokunengqondo, obani uJehova angabakhetha ukuba bathathe isikhundla somIsrayeli ongokomoya uma kungadingeka?