1. Kungani isikhulu saseTopiya sacela ukubhaphathizwa?

“KHANGELA, nanka amanzi. Kulani ukuthi ngihle ngibhaphathizwe na?” Umbuzo lo wabuzwa yisikhulu saseTopiya ngekhulu lokuqala leminyaka. UmKhristu okuthiwa nguFiliphu wayesemchazele ukuthi uJesu wayenguMesiya owayethenjisiwe.  UmTopiya wathinteka enhliziyweni ngalokho ayekufunde eMibhalweni, wasethatha inyathelo. Watshengisa ukuthi wayezimisele ukubhaphathizwa!​—ImiSebenzi 8:26-36.

2. Kungani kumele ucabangisise ngokubhaphathizwa?

² Nxa uzifunde wazizwisisa izahluko zokuqala zebhuku leli ulomunye waboFakazi bakaJehova ungezwa usuzimisele ukubuza umbuzo lo othi: ‘Kulani ukuthi ngihle ngibhaphathizwe?’ Ngalesisikhathi usufundile ngesithembiso seBhayibhili sokuphila okungapheliyo ePharadayisi. (ULukha 23:43; ISambulo 21:3, 4) Usufundile ngesimo sabafileyo langethemba lokuvuswa kwabo. (UmTshumayeli 9:5; UJohane 5:28, 29) Mhlawumbe usuqalisile ukuhamba emihlanganweni yebandla yaboFakazi bakaJehova njalo usuzibonele ngawakho ukuthi ukukhonza kweqiniso bakwenza njani. (UJohane 13:35) Okuqakatheke kakhulu yikuthi kungenzeka ukuthi usuqalisile ukuba lobuhlobo obuqinileyo loJehova uNkulunkulu.

3. (a) UJesu watshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi benzeni? (b) Ubhaphathizo lwamanzi lwenziwa njani?

³ Ungakutshengisa njani ukuthi ufuna ukukhonza uNkulunkulu? UJesu watshela abafundi bakhe wathi: “Hambani lenze abafundi ezizweni zonke, libabhaphathize.” (UMathewu 28:19) UJesu wasitshiyela isibonelo ngokubhaphathizwa kwakhe emanzini. Kazange aphongufafazwa ngamanzi, futhi kazange aphonguthelwa ngamanzi ekhanda. (UMathewu 3:16) Ibala elithi “bhaphathiza” livela ebaleni lesiGiriki elitsho “ukucwilisa emanzini.” Yikho-ke ukubhaphathizwa kobuKhristu kutsho ukucwilisa kumbe ukutshonisa umzimba wonke emanzini.

4. Ukubhaphathizwa emanzini kutshengisani?

⁴ Ukubhaphathizwa emanzini kufanele kwenziwe nguye wonke umuntu ofuna ukuba lobuhlobo loJehova uNkulunkulu. Nxa ubhaphathizwa utshengisa phambi kwabantu ukuthi ulesifiso sokukhonza uNkulunkulu. Utshengisa lokuthi kuyakuthokozisa kakhulu ukwenza intando kaJehova. (IHubo 40:7, 8) Kodwa kulezinto ezithile okumele uzenze ukuze ufanele ukubhaphathizwa.

5. (a) Yiliphi inyathelo lokuqala elithathwa ngumuntu ofuna ukubhaphathizwa? (b) Kungani imihlangano yamaKhristu iqakathekile?

⁵ Usuqalisile ukuthatha inyathelo lokuqala. Njani? Ngokwazi uJehova uNkulunkulu loJesu Khristu, mhlawumbe ngokufunda iBhayibhili ngendlela ehleliweyo. (Bala uJohane 17:3.) Kodwa kuseselokunengi okusamele ukufunde. AmaKhristu afuna ‘ukugcwaliswa ngokwazi intando yakhe [uNkulunkulu.]’ (KwabaseKholose 1:9) Ukuhamba emihlanganweni yaboFakazi bakaJehova kuzakunceda kakhulu kulokhu. Kuqakathekile ukuhamba emihlanganweni enjalo. (KumaHebheru 10:24, 25) Ukuhlala usiba khona emihlanganweni kuzakunceda ukuthi ucine usumazi uNkulunkulu.

6. Kumele ube lolwazi olunganani ukuze uvunyelwe ukubhaphathizwa?

⁶ Akutsho ukuthi kumele ukwazi konke okuseBhayibhilini ukuze ufanele ukubhaphathizwa. Isikhulu saseTopiya sasilolwazi oluthile, kodwa sasifuna ukuncediswa ukuze sizwisise ingxenye ezithile zeMibhalo. (ImiSebenzi 8:30, 31) Lawe useselokunengi okumele ukufunde. Iqiniso yikuthi awusoze uqede ukufunda ngoNkulunkulu. (UmTshumayeli 3:11) Kodwa nxa ufuna ukubhaphathizwa kumele uzazi izimfundiso zeBhayibhili eziyisisekelo njalo uzamukele. (KumaHebheru 5:12) Izimfundiso ezinjalo zigoqela ukwazi iqiniso ngesimo sabafileyo lokwazi ukuqakatheka kwebizo likaNkulunkulu kanye loMbuso wakhe.

7. Ukufunda kwakho iBhayibhili kumele kukuthinte njani?

⁷ Kodwa ukuba lolwazi kuphela akwenelanga ngoba “kungelakukholwa akwenzakali ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu.” (KumaHebheru 11:6) IBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi abanye abantu ababesedolobheni laseKhorinte bezwa umlayezo wamaKhristu ‘basebekholwa babhaphathizwa.’ (ImiSebenzi 18:8) Yikho-ke lawe ukufunda kwakho iBhayibhili kumele kuqinise ukukholwa kwakho ukuthi iBhayibhili yiLizwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelweyo. Ukulifunda kumele kukuncedise ukuthi ube lokholo ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu njalo  ukholwe ukuthi umhlatshelo kaJesu ulamandla okukusindisa.​—UJoshuwa 23:14; ImiSebenzi 4:12; 2 KuThimothi 3:16, 17.

8. Kuyini okuzakwenza ukuthi utshele abanye izinto ozifundileyo?

⁸ Njengoba ukholo lwakho luqhubeka luqina, uzakuthola sekunzima ukukugcina esifubeni sakho lokho osukufundile. (UJeremiya 20:9) Uzakuba lesifiso esikhulu sokutshela abanye mayelana loNkulunkulu kanye lezinjongo zakhe.​—Bala u-2 Khorinte 4:13.

9, 10. (a) Ngobani ongaqalisa ngabo ukubatshela iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini? (b) Kumele wenzeni nxa ufuna ukwenza umsebenzi wokutshumayela okuhleliweyo kwaboFakazi bakaJehova?

⁹ Abantu ongaqalisa ngabo ukubatshela iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini yizihlobo zakho, abangane bakho, omakhelwane labantu osebenza labo. Kodwa kumele unanzelele ukuthi ungabacaphuli. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, lawe uzafuna ukuthi wenze umsebenzi wokutshumayela okuhleliweyo kwaboFakazi bakaJehova. Nxa usufuna ukwenzanjalo, khululeka ukukhuluma loFakazi ofunda laye iBhayibhili. Nxa kukhanya ukuthi uyafanela ukutshumayela lebandla, kuzahlelwa ukuthi wena kanye lofunda laye lihlangane labadala bebandla ababili.

¹⁰ Lokhu kuzakwenza ukuthi ubazi ngcono abanye abadala abasebandleni, abangabelusi bomhlambi kaNkulunkulu. (ImiSebenzi 20:28; 1 UPhetro 5:2, 3) Abadala laba bazakutshela ukuthi usungatshumayela lebandla ungummemezeli wezindaba ezinhle ongabhaphathizwanga nxa bangabona izinto ezilandelayo: Ukuthi uyazizwisisa njalo uyazikholwa izimfundiso zeBhayibhili eziyisisekelo, ukuthi usebenzisa izimiso zikaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwakho nsuku zonke lokuthi uyafuna sibili ukuba ngomunye waboFakazi bakaJehova.

11. Yiluphi untshintsho okungadingeka lwenziwe ngabanye bengakafaneli ukuthi batshumayele lebandla?

¹¹ Abadala laba bangabona kufanele ukuthi uqale ulungisise okuthile endleleni obuphila ngayo ukuze ufanele ukutshumayela lebandla. Lokhu kungabe kusitsho  ukuthi utshiye ezinye izenzo okade uzenza ungabonwa muntu. Ngakho-ke ungakaceli ukuthi ube ngummemezeli ongabhaphathizwanga kufanele uqikelele ukuthi usutshiyane lezono ezimbi kakhulu ezigoqela ukuziphatha kubi kwezemacansini, ukudakwa kanye lokusebenzisa kubi izidakamizwa.​—Bala u-1 Khorinte 6:9, 10 loGalathiya 5:19-21.

12. Kungani ukuphenduka kufuneka?

¹² Ungakafaneli ukubhaphathizwa kulezinto ezithile okumele uzenze. Umphostoli uPhetro wathi: “Phendukani, libuyele kuNkulunkulu, ukuze izono zenu zesulwe.” (ImiSebenzi 3:19) Ukuphenduka kutsho ukuzisola okuqotho ngalokho okwenzileyo. Ukuphenduka kuqakathekile nxa umuntu kade eziphethe kubi, njalo kuyafuneka lanxa umuntu ebeziphatha ngendlela ekhanya angathi iqondile. Ngenxa yani? Ngenxa yokuthi abantu bonke bayizoni njalo bayakudinga ukuthethelelwa nguNkulunkulu. (KwabaseRoma 3:23; 5:12) Ungakaqalisi ukufunda iBhayibhili wawungayazi intando kaNkulunkulu. Pho-ke wawungaphila njani ngendlela ayifunayo wena ungakayazi? Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi ukuphenduka kuyafuneka.

13. Kuyini ukuguquka?

¹³ Ukuphenduka kumele kulandelwe yikuguquka kumbe ‘ukubuyela kuNkulunkulu.’ Ukuzisola kukodwa akwanelanga. Kufanele uyitshiye indlela owawuphila ngayo kuqala, ubusuzimisela ngenhliziyo yonke ukwenza okuhle kusukela lamuhla kusiya phambili. Ukuphenduka lokuguquka yizinto okumele uzenze ungakabhaphathizwa.

14. Kuyini okunye okuqakathekileyo okumele ukwenze ungakabhaphathizwa?

¹⁴ Kulokunye futhi okuqakathekileyo okumele ukwenze ungakabhaphathizwa. Kumele uzinikele kuJehova uNkulunkulu.

15, 16. Ukuzinikela kwakho kuNkulunkulu kutshoni, njalo kuyini okwenza umuntu azinikele?

 ¹⁵ Nxa uzinikela kuJehova uNkulunkulu ngomthandazo oqotho, uyabe umthembisa ukuthi uzakhonza yena kuphela kuze kube nini lanini. Kodwa umuntu angazihluphelani ngokwenza njalo? Ake sithi ijaha liqalisa ukuthandana lentombi. Nxa liqhubeka lifunda ngentombi yalo njalo libona ubuntu bayo obuhle, lizakhangwa kakhulu yiyo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, akuthandabuzwa ukuthi lizayicela ukuthi litshade layo. Kuyavunywa ukuthi ukutshada kuzatsho ukuthi ijaha lizakuba leminye imisebenzi eminengi okumele yenziwe emtshadweni. Kodwa uthando luzakwenza ukuthi lithathe lelonyathelo eliqakathekileyo.

¹⁶ Nxa uqhubeka usibamazi uJehova njalo uqhubeka umthanda, kuzakuba lula ukuthi ungathikazi ukumkhonza kumbe ungazifakeli imigoqo ekumkhonzeni kwakho. Wonke umuntu ofuna ukulandela iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uJesu Khristu kumele “azidele.” (UMakho 8:34) Sizidela ngokuba leqiniso lokuthi izifiso zethu kanye lesifuna ukukwenza akusivimbeli ukuthi silalele uNkulunkulu ngokupheleleyo. Yikho-ke ungakabhaphathizwa, into yokuqala empilweni yakho kumele ibe yikwenza intando kaJehova uNkulunkulu.​—Bala u-1 Phetro 4:2.

17. Kungani abanye bethikaza ukuthi bazinikele kuNkulunkulu?

¹⁷ Kungenzeka ukuthi abanye bayathikaza ukuthi bazinikele kuJehova ngoba besesaba ukuthatha inyathelo lelo eliqakathekileyo. Bangesaba ukuthi nxa sebengamaKhristu azinikeleyo kuzamele baziphendulele kuNkulunkulu. Bacabanga ukuthi kungcono bangazinikeli kuJehova ngoba bayesaba ukwehluleka ukwenza okufunwa nguye lokumdanisa.

18. Kuyini okungenza ube lesifiso esikhulu sokuthi uzinikele kuJehova?

¹⁸ Njengoba ufunda ukuthanda uJehova, uzakuba lesifiso esikhulu sokuzinikela kuye njalo uzakwenza okusemandleni  akho ukuthi uphile ngakho. (UmTshumayeli 5:4) Nxa usuzinikele kuye uzafuna ‘ukuphila impilo efanele iNkosi [“uJehova,” NW] lokuba uyithokozise ngezindlela zonke.’ (KwabaseKholose 1:10) Awusoze ucabange ukuthi kunzima kakhulu ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu nxa umthanda. Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi uzavumelana lomphostoli uJohane owabhala ukuthi: “Ukuthanda uNkulunkulu yilokhu: ukulalela imilayo yakhe. Njalo imilayo yakhe kayinzima.”​—1 UJohane 5:3.

19. Kungani kungamelanga wesabe ukuzinikela kuNkulunkulu?

¹⁹ Akudingeki ukuthi ubengumuntu opheleleyo ukuze uzinikele kuNkulunkulu. UJehova uyakwazi ongeke wenelise ukukwenza njalo kalindelanga ukuthi wenze izinto eziphezu kwamandla akho. (IHubo 103:14) Ufuna uphumelele njalo  uzakusekela aphinde akuncedise. (Bala u-Isaya 41:10.) Qiniseka ukuthi nxa uthemba uJehova ngenhliziyo yakho yonke yena “uzaqondisa zonke izindlela zakho.”—IZaga 3:5, 6.

20. Kungani ukuzinikela kuJehova kungeke kuhlale kuyimfihlo?

²⁰ Ukucabanga ngezinto esixoxe ngazo kuzakunceda ukuthi uzinikele kuJehova ngomthandazo. Wonke umuntu othanda uNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo yonke kumele ‘avume phambi  kwabantu ukuze asindiswe.’ (KwabaseRoma 10:10, NW) Ungakwenza njani lokho?

21, 22. Ungalutshengisa njani ukholo lwakho ‘phambi kwabantu’?

²¹ Tshela umhleli wequla labadala ebandleni lakini ukuthi ufuna ukubhaphathizwa. Uzahlela ukuthi abanye abadala bahlole lawe imibuzo ephathelane lezimfundiso zeBhayibhili eziyisisekelo. Nxa abadala laba bangavuma ukuthi ufanele ukubhaphathizwa, bazakutshela ukuthi ungabhaphathizwa emhlanganweni omkhulu olandelayo. * Inkulumo echasisa ukuthi ubhaphathizo lutshoni ijayele ukunikwa emihlanganweni leyo. Ekucineni kwenkulumo le, isikhulumi sicela bonke ababhaphathizwayo ukuthi baphendule imibuzo emibili elula nje, betshengisa ukuthi ‘bavuma phambi kwabantu’ ukuthi balokholo.

²² Lubhaphathizo olutshengisayo phambi kwabantu ukuthi usuzinikele kuNkulunkulu lokuthi usungomunye waboFakazi bakaJehova. Ababhaphathizwayo bayacwiliswa umzimba wonke emanzini ukuze batshengise phambi kwabantu ukuthi sebezinikele kuJehova.

23. Kutshoni ukubhaphathizwa ‘ebizweni likaBaba, leleNdodana lelomoya ongcwele’?

²³ UJesu wathi abafundi bakhe babezabhaphathizwa ‘ebizweni likaBaba, leleNdodana lelomoya ongcwele.’ (UMathewu 28:19) Lokhu kutsho ukuthi obhaphathizwayo uyawaqaphela amandla kaJehova uNkulunkulu lakaJesu Khristu. (IHubo 83:18; UMathewu 28:18) Uqaphela lokwenziwa ngumoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, ongamandla akhe asebenzayo.​—KwabaseGalathiya 5:22, 23; 2 UPhetro 1:21.

24, 25. (a) Ukubhaphathizwa kutshengisani? (b) Yiwuphi umbuzo okumele uphendulwe?

²⁴ Kodwa ubhaphathizo alutsho ukuphongucwiliswa emanzini. Lutshengisa okunye okuqakatheke kakhulu. Ukucwiliswa  emanzini kunjengokufa, okutsho ukuthi uyabe utshiya indlela owawuphila ngayo kudala. Ukukhitshwa emanzini kunjengokuvuka, okutsho ukuthi uyabe usuphilela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu. Okunye okumele ukukhumbule yikuthi uzinikele kuJehova uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe, hatshi emsebenzini othile, endleleni ethile yokuphila, komunye umuntu kumbe kwenye inhlanganiso. Ukuzinikela kwakho lokubhaphathizwa yikuqalisa kobuhlobo obuqinileyo loNkulunkulu, okutsho ubuhlobo obuseduze kakhulu laye.​—IHubo 25:14.

²⁵ Ukubhaphathizwa akutsho ukuthi uzasindiswa. Umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Qhubekani lisebenzela ukusindiswa kwenu ngokwesaba langokuthuthumela.” (KwabaseFiliphi 2:12) Ubhaphathizo luyisiqalo nje kuphela. Umbuzo osalayo yilo, Ungazigcina njani usethandweni lukaNkulunkulu? Isahluko sethu sokucina sizawuphendula lowo mbuzo.