Ingabe Isiko LamaJuda Lokuzihlambulula Landulela Ubhapathizo?

UJOHANE UMBHAPATHIZI washumayela “ngokubhapathizwa njengesibonakaliso sokuphenduka.” NoJesu wayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba benze abafundi futhi bababhapathize.—Marku 1:4; Mathewu 28:19.

IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi ubhapathizo lwamaKristu lusho ukucwiliswa ngokuphelele emanzini. Incwadi ethi Jesus and His World ithi: “Esikhathini esidlule namanje, kusenziwa imikhuba efanayo ezinkolweni eziningi, emazweni amaningi nasezindaweni eziningi.” Le ncwadi igomela ngokuthi “ubhapathizo lwamaKristu . . . lwaqala ebuJudeni.” Kuyiqiniso kangakanani lokhu?

Amachibi AmaJuda Okuzihlambulula

Abavubukuli abagubha eduze kweSisekelo Sethempeli laseJerusalema baye bathola obhavu abangaba yikhulu, noma amachibi okuzihlambulula, angekhulu lokuqala B.C.E. nawangekhulu lokuqala C.E. Umbhalo oqoshiwe wangekhulu lesibili noma lesithathu C.E. ukhuluma ngobhavu abanjalo ukuthi babenzelwa “izivakashi ezazibadinga.” Amanye amachibi aye atholakala engxenyeni yeJerusalema eyayihlala izicebi nemikhaya yabapristi; cishe zonke izindlu zalapho zazinobhavu.

Obhavu babengamathangi angonxande ayegwedwe edwaleni noma embiwe emhlabathini futhi ngaphakathi akhiwe ngezitini noma ngamatshe. Babenanyekwa ngosimende ukuze bangavuzi. Abaningi babengaba ngamamitha angu-1,8 ubude nangu-2,7 ububanzi. Amapayipi amakhulu ayedonsela amanzi emvula kulawa mathangi. La manzi ayeba ngamamitha angu-1,2 ukuze umuntu akwazi ukucwila ngokuphelele. Izitebhisi ezehlela emanzini ngezinye izikhathi zazihlukaniswa uthango oluncane. Kucatshangwa ukuthi lowo owayezihlambulula wayengena kubhavu wokuzihlambulula ngezitebhisi ezikolunye uhlangothi, abese ephuma ngakolunye uhlangothi ukuze angaphindi azingcolise.

Obhavu babesetshenziselwa ukuzihlambulula okuyisiko lamaJuda. Lokhu kwakuhilelani?

 UMthetho Nesiko Lokuzihlambulula

UMthetho KaMose wagcizelela ukuthi kwakudingeka abantu bakaNkulunkulu bahlanzeke ngokomoya nangokwenyama. Kwakunezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezinto ezazingcolisa ama-Israyeli okwakudingeka azihlanze kuzo ngokugeza imizimba yawo nangokuhlanza izingubo zawo.—Levitikusi 11:28; 14:1-9; 15:1-31; Duteronomi 23:10, 11.

UJehova uNkulunkulu uhlanzeke ngokuphelele futhi ungcwele. Ngakho, abapristi namaLevi kwakudingeka bageze izandla nezinyawo zabo ngaphambi kokungena e-altare, funa bafe.—Eksodusi 30:17-21.

Izazi zikholelwa ukuthi ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., inkolo yamaJuda yase yenze ukuba izimfuneko zokuzihlanza kwabapristi zisebenze nakulabo abangewona amaLevi. Ama-Essene nabaFarisi babezihlambulula njalo ngokwesiko. Ibika maqondana nesikhathi sikaJesu, enye incwadi ithi: “UmJuda kwakudingeka azihlambulule ngaphambi kokungena [endaweni yethempeli], ngaphambi kokwenza umhlatshelo, ngaphambi kokuthola izinzuzo zomhlatshelo owenziwa umpristi kanye nezinye izinto ezihlobene nomhlatshelo.” Imibhalo yeTalmud ithi abazihlambululayo kwakulindeleke ukuba bazicwilise ngokuphelele.

UJesu wabagxeka abaFarisi ngokuphikelela bafune ukuba abantu bazihlambulule ngendlela yesiko. Ngokusobala babenza ‘ubhapathizo oluhlukahlukene,’ kuhlanganise ‘nolwezindebe nezitsha zamanzi nezitsha zethusi.’ UJesu wathi abaFarisi babeqa imiyalo kaNkulunkulu ngokuphoqelela amasiko abo kubantu. (Hebheru 9:10; Marku 7:1-9; Levitikusi 11:32, 33; Luka 11:38-42) Akukho ndawo eMthethweni KaMose lapho kwakudingeka khona umuntu azicwilise wonke umzimba.

Ingabe ubhapathizo lwamaKristu lusukela ekuzihlambululeni okwakwenziwa amaJuda? Lutho neze!

Isiko Lokuzihlambulula Nobhapathizo LwamaKristu

AmaJuda ayezihlambulula. Kanti, ubhapathizo olwalwenziwa uJohane lwalungelona uhlobo oluthile lokuzihlambulula okuyisiko elalivamile kumaJuda. Ukuthi uJohane waziwa ngokuthi uMbhapathizi kubonisa ukuthi ukucwilisa ayekwenza kwakuhlukile ekuzihlambululeni. Ngisho nabaholi benkolo bamaJuda bathumela amanxusa ukuba ambuze: “Kungani ubhapathiza?”—Johane 1:25.

NgokoMthetho KaMose ukuzihlambulula kwakudingeka kwenziwe njalo lapho umkhulekeli eba ongcolile. Kwakungenjalo ngobhapathizo lukaJohane noma olwenziwa amaKristu kamuva. Ubhapathizo lukaJohane lwaluwukubonakaliswa kokuphenduka nokushiya inkambo yokuphila yangaphambili. Ubhapathizo lwamaKristu lwalubonisa ukuthi umuntu useye wazinikezela kuNkulunkulu. UmKristu wayekwenza kanye lokhu, hhayi njalo.

Isiko lokuzihlambulula elalenziwa emizini yabapristi abangamaJuda nakobhavu bomphakathi abaseduze kweSisekelo Sethempeli lalingalufanekiseli nakancane ubhapathizo lwamaKristu. Kokubili lokhu kucwiliswa kwakusho izinto ezingafani nhlobo. I-Anchor Bible Dictionary ithi: “Izazi zivumelana ngokuthi uJohane [uMbhapathizi] akazange aqhubeke noma alingise noma iluphi ubhapathizo lwasendaweni yangakubo,” okungukuthi lwamaJuda. Kungashiwo okufanayo nangobhapathizo olwenziwa ebandleni lobuKristu.

Ubhapathizo lwamaKristu lusho “isicelo esenziwa kuNkulunkulu sokuba nonembeza omuhle.” (1 Petru 3:21) Lubonisa ukuthi umuntu uzinikezele ngokuphelele kuJehova ukuze amkhonze njengomfundi weNdodana yaKhe. Ukucwiliswa ngokuphelele emanzini kuwuphawu olufanelekayo lwalokho kuzinikezela. Ukucwiliswa komuntu emanzini kusho ukuthi uyafa enkambweni yakhe yokuphila yangaphambili. Ukukhushulwa emanzini kubonisa ukuvuswa ukuze enze intando kaNkulunkulu.

UJehova uNkulunkulu ubanikeza unembeza omuhle labo abazinikezele futhi babhapathizwa. Ngakho, uPetru, umphostoli ophefumulelwe wayengathi kwayekholwa nabo: ‘Ubhapathizo nalo manje luyanisindisa.’ Lokhu kungokuthile okwakungeke nanini kufezwe ukuzihlambulula okuyisiko lamaJuda.