ESIKHATHINI esithile esedlule, kwavela isihloko esithakazelisayo ephephandabeni laseKorea okuthiwa i-Chosun Ilbo. Labuza: “ ‘UShim Cheong Olungileyo,’ Owayengazi Lutho NgoJesu—Ingabe Waya Esihogweni?”

Lesi sihloko sephephandaba sasivusa intukuthelo ngenxa yokuthi uShim Cheong ungowesifazane osemusha othandwayo ongumlingiswa enganekwaneni yaseKorea, owadela ukuphila kwakhe ukuze asize uyise oyimpumputhe. Sekuyiminyaka etuswa futhi enconywa. Empeleni, eKorea, uShim Cheong uye wabhekwa njengesibonelo sendodakazi eqotho.

Kwabaningi, ukucabanga ukuthi umuntu onjalo angajeziswa esihogweni somlilo, ngenxa nje yokuthi wayengeyena umKristu obhapathiziwe kubonakala kuyinto engalungile, ngisho necasulayo. Le nganekwane kuthiwa yenzeka esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba kufike ivangeli likaKristu edolobheni lakubo kaShim Cheong.

Le ndaba esephephandabeni yayihlanganisa nengxoxo nomfundisi. Wabuzwa ukuthi bonke labo abafa bengalitholanga ithuba lokufunda ngoJesu babejeziswa esihogweni somlilo yini. Waphendula wathini? “Asazi. Sicabanga ukuthi [abantu abanjalo] kukhona uNkulunkulu abahlelele kona.”

I-New Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ukuze umuntu asindiswe kumelwe abhapathizwe. Njengoba uKristu ngokwakhe asho, ngaphandle kokuba umuntu azalwe kabusha ngamanzi nangoMoya Ongcwele, ngeke angene eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu (Jn 3.5).” Ngenxa yalokhu, abanye bakholelwa ukuthi labo abafa bengabhapathiziwe baphonswa esihogweni somlilo noma bahlushwe ngandlela-thile uma sebefile.

Nokho, kunabanye abaningi ababheka leyo nkolelo njengengenangqondo. Izigidi zabantu ziye zafa zingenalo ulwazi ngeBhayibheli. Ingabe zifanelwe ukuhlushwa phakade? Lithini iBhayibheli ngale ndaba?

IBhayibheli libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi uNkulunkulu akabakhohlwa abantu ababephila bengenalwazi ngezimfuneko zakhe. IzEnzo 17:30 ziyasiqinisekisa: “UNkulunkulu uye wangazinaka izikhathi zokungazi okunjalo.” Pho-ke, yini ethenjiswa iBhayibheli ngokuphathelene nalabo abafa bengalitholanga ithuba lokufunda ngoNkulunkulu?

Impendulo ingatholakala kulokho uJesu akutshela iselelesi esasibethelwe naye. Le ndoda yathi kuJesu: “Ngikhumbule lapho ungena embusweni wakho.” Waphendula wathini uJesu? “Ngiqinisile ngiyakutshela namuhla, uyokuba nami ePharadesi.”—Luka 23:39-43.

Ingabe uJesu wayethembisa le ndoda ukuthi yayizoya ezulwini? Cha. Leyo ndoda ‘yayingazalwanga ngokusha’ ngamanzi nangomoya, okuyimfuneko yokungena eMbusweni wamazulu. (Johane 3:3-6) Kunalokho, uJesu wayethembisa leyo ndoda eyiselelesi ukuthi yayiyophinde iphile futhi ePharadesi. Njengoba yayingumJuda, cishe leyo ndoda yayijwayelene nePharadesi lasemhlabeni—insimu yase-Edene—echazwe encwadini yokuqala yeBhayibheli. (Genesise 2:8) Isithembiso sikaJesu sayinikeza ithemba eliqinisekisiwe lokuvuselwa ePharadesi lapho selibuyiselwe emhlabeni.

Empeleni, iBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi kukhona “uvuko lwabalungile nabangalungile.” (IzEnzo 24:15) “Abangalungile” yilabo abangazange bayilalele imithetho elungile kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi babengayazi intando kaNkulunkulu. UJesu uyosivusa leso selelesi esingalungile esakhuluma naye, kanye nezigidi, mhlawumbe izigidigidi zabanye abafa bengamazi uNkulunkulu. EPharadesi lasemhlabeni, bayofundiswa imithetho kaNkulunkulu futhi bayothola ithuba lokubonisa ukuthi bayamthanda uNkulunkulu ngokulalela imiyalo yakhe.

Lapho abangalungile bevuswa, ingabe bayokwahlulelwa ngezenzo zabo zesikhathi esedlule? Cha. AmaRoma 6:7 athi: “Lowo ofile ukhululiwe esonweni sakhe.” Abangalungile bayobe sebezikhokhele izono zabo ngokufa. Ngemva kwalokho bayokwahlulelwa ngokwalokho abayokwenza ngemva kokuvuswa, hhayi ngalokho ababekwenza ngaphambi kokuba bafe. Bayozuza kanjani?

Ngemva kokuvuswa, abangalungile bayoba nethuba lokufunda imithetho kaNkulunkulu, eyokwambulwa lapho kuvulwa imiqulu engokomfanekiso. Ngemva kwalokho bayokwahlulelwa “ngokwezenzo zabo” ngokuthi bayayilalela yini imithetho kaNkulunkulu noma cha. (IsAmbulo 20:12, 13) Kwabaningi abangalungile, lokhu ngeke kube ithuba lesibili, kodwa kuyoba ithuba lokuqala langempela lokuba bazuze ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni ngokufunda nokwenza intando kaNkulunkulu.

Le mfundiso yeBhayibheli iye yasiza abaningi ukuba babuye babe nokholo kuNkulunkulu. UYeong Sug ungomunye wabo. Wakhuliswa njengomKatolika ozinikezele. Amalungu omndeni wakhe eyengabapristi. Enethemba lokuba yindela, wahamba wayohlala ekhaya lezindela. Kamuva washiya ngenxa yokuthi wayedunyazwe yilokho okwakwenzeka lapho. Ngaphezu kwalokho, yayingamukeleki kuye imfundiso yesihogo somlilo ngenxa yokuthi ukuhlupha abantu esihogweni wakubona kungenabulungisa naluthando.

Omunye woFakazi BakaJehova wabe esebonisa uYeong Sug la mazwi aseBhayibhelini: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayokufa; kodwa abafileyo bona abazi lutho, futhi abasenawo umvuzo.” (UmShumayeli 9:5) Lo Fakazi wamsiza ukuba abone ukuthi okhokho bakhe abahlushwa esihogweni somlilo. Kunalokho, balele ekufeni balindele uvuko.

Ngenxa yokuthi uYeong Sug wayazi ukuthi abantu abaningi abakaze balizwe iqiniso elivela eBhayibhelini, wacabangisisa ngalokho okwashiwo uJesu kuMathewu 24:14: “Lezi zindaba ezinhle zombuso ziyoshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke owakhiwe ngenjongo yobufakazi ezizweni zonke; khona-ke ukuphela kuyofika.” Manje uhlanganyela ekushumayeleni izindaba ezinhle nasekuxoxeni nabanye ngethemba lakhe elimangalisayo eliseBhayibhelini.

IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu akakhethi, kodwa ezizweni zonke umuntu omesabayo futhi enze ukulunga uyamukeleka kuye.” (IzEnzo 10:34, 35) Lobu ubulungisa obuphelele sonke esingabulindela kuNkulunkulu, “[ongumthandi] wokulunga nobulungisa.”—IHubo 33:5.