Nkhani ya Chigumula inachitikadi, si nthano. Mulungu anabweretsa chigumulachi pofuna kuwononga anthu oipa. Koma anauza Nowa kuti amange chingalawa kuti apulumutse anthu abwino komanso zinyama. (Genesis 6:11-20) Sitingakayikire kuti Chigumula chinachitikadi chifukwa nkhani yake inalembedwa m’Baibulo, lomwe ndi ‘louziridwa ndi Mulungu.’—2 Timoteyo 3:16.

•  Kodi ndi zoona kapena zongopeka?

•  N’chifukwa chiyani Mulungu anabweretsa Chigumula?

•  Kodi anthu ankadziwa kuti kukubwera Chigumula?

•  Kodi chingalawa cha Nowa chinkaoneka bwanji?

•  Kodi zinatenga nthawi yaitali bwanji kuti Nowa amalize kumanga chingalawa?

•  Nkhani zina zokhudza chigumula ndi zongopeka

 Baibulo limasonyeza kuti Nowa anali munthu weniweni ndiponso kuti Chigumula chinachitikadi, si zongopeka.

•   Olemba Baibulo ankakhulupirira kuti Nowa anali munthu weniweni. Mwachitsanzo, olemba Baibulo monga Ezara ndi Luka anali akatswiri a mbiri yakale ndipo pamene ankalemba dzina la Nowa mumzere wa Isiraeli, anali atafufuza mokwanira zoti analidi munthu weniweni. (1 Mbiri 1:4; Luka 3:36) Olemba Uthenga Wabwino Mateyu ndi Luka, analembanso zimene Yesu ananena zokhudza Nowa komanso Chigumula.—Mateyu 24:37-39; Luka 17:26, 27.

   Nayenso mneneri Ezekieli komanso mtumwi Paulo analemba kuti Nowa ndi chitsanzo chabwino pa nkhani ya chikhulupiriro komanso chilungamo. (Ezekieli 14:14, 20; Aheberi 11:7) Ndiye kodi zingakhale zomveka kuti olemba Baibulowa azitiuza kuti titengere chitsanzo cha munthu wongopeka? Nowa komanso amuna ndi akazi ena okhulupirika ndi zitsanzo zathu chifukwa choti anali anthu enieni.—Aheberi 12:1; Yakobo 5:17.

•   Baibulo limafotokoza mwatsatanetsatane zokhudza Chigumula. Baibulo likamafotokoza za Chigumula siliyamba ndi mawu a nthano, ngati akuti “Panangokhala,” kapena akuti “kalekalelo kunali munthu winawake.” M’malomwake limatchula chaka, mwezi, tsiku ngakhalenso zomwe zinachitika patsikulo. (Genesis 7:11; 8:4, 13, 14) Limafotokozanso za miyezo ya kukula kwa chingalawa chomwe Nowa anapanga. (Genesis 6:15) Zimene Baibulo limafotokozazi zikusonyeza kuti nkhani ya Chigumula inachitikadi, si yongopeka.

 Baibulo limanena kuti Chigumula chisanachitike “kuipa kwa anthu kunachuluka.” (Genesis 6:5) Ndipo limanenanso kuti “dziko lapansi linali litaipa pamaso pa Mulungu woona” chifukwa linadzaza ndi chiwawa komanso chiwerewere.—Genesis 6:11; Yuda 6, 7.

 Baibulo limanena kuti mavutowa anayamba chifukwa cha angelo oipa omwe anachoka kumwamba n’kudzakwatira akazi padziko lapansi. Angelowa anabereka ana otchedwa Anefili, omwe anali ziphona ndipo ankazunza kwambiri anthu. (Genesis 6:1, 2, 4) Choncho Mulungu anaona kuti ndi bwino kuti awononge anthu oipa padziko lonse n’cholinga choti anthu abwino omwe angatsale ayambe kukhala moyo wosangalala.—Genesis 6:6, 7, 17.

 Inde. Mulungu anamuuza Nowa zomwe zidzachitike ndipo anamuuzanso kuti amange chingalawa kuti apulumutsiremo banja lake komanso zinyama. (Genesis 6:13, 14; 7:1-4) Nowa anachenjeza anthu kuti Mulungu akufuna kuwononga anthu oipa, koma sanamumvere. (2 Petulo 2:5) Baibulo limanena kuti: “Anthu ananyalanyaza zimene zinali kuchitika mpaka chigumula chinafika n’kuwaseseratu onsewo.”—Mateyu 24:37-39.

 Chingalawacho chinali chachikulu, chooneka ngati bokosi. M’litali chinali chachitali mamita 133, m’mbali chinali chachitali mamita 22 komanso mamita 13 kupita m’mwamba. Chingalawachi chinapangidwa ndi mtengo wa mnjale ndipo anachimata phula mkati ndi kunja komwe. Chinali ndi nyumba zosanjikizana zitatu komanso zipinda. M’mbali mwa chingalawachi munali chitseko komanso chiyenera kuti chinali ndi windo m’mwamba mwake. Zikuonekanso kuti chingalawachi chinali ndi denga lomwe linali lotalikirapo pang’ono chapakati pake kuti madzi azigwera pansi.—Genesis.6:14-16.

 Baibulo silifotokoza kuti panatenga nthawi yaitali bwanji kuti Nowa amalize chingalawa, koma zikuoneka kuti panadutsa zaka zambiri. Pa nthawi imene mwana wake woyamba ankabadwa, n’kuti Nowayo ali ndi zaka zoposa 500. Koma pamene Chigumula chinkachitika, anali ndi zaka 600. a—Genesis 5:32; 7:6.

 Pamene Mulungu ankauza Nowa kuti amange chingalawa n’kuti ana ake atatu atakula mpaka kukwatira, ndipo n’kutheka kuti anakwatira ali ndi zaka 50 kapena 60. (Genesis 6:14, 18) Ngati zimenezi zili zoona, ndiye kuti m’pomveka kunena kuti panatenga zaka 40 kapena 50 kuti amalize kumanga chingalawa.