1-2. (a) USathane uye wabakhohlisa ngaziphi izindlela abantu? (b) Yini esizoxoxa ngayo kulesi sihloko?

USATHANE, ‘uyise wamanga,’ uye wakhohlisa abantu kusukela ekuqaleni komlando wesintu. (Joh. 8:44) Phakathi kwamanga awafundisa abantu singabala nezimfundiso ezimayelana nokufa kanye nokuphila ngemva kokufa. Amasiko nezinkolelo-ze ezijwayelekile kusekelwe kulezi zimfundiso. Yingakho kuye kudingeke ukuba abafowethu nodadewethu abaningi ‘balulwele kanzima ukholo’ lapho kufa othile emndenini wabo noma emphakathini.—Jude 3.

² Uma nawe ubhekene novivinyo olufanayo, yini engakusiza ukumelele ngokuqinile lokho okufundiswa yiBhayibheli ngokufa? (Efe. 6:11) Yini ongayenza ukuze ududuze futhi uqinise amaKristu okungenzeka acindezelwa ukuba ahlanganyele emasikweni angamjabulisi uNkulunkulu? Lesi sihloko sizoxoxa ngesiqondiso uJehova asinike sona. Okokuqala, ake sihlole lokho okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngokufa.

3. Waba yini umphumela wamanga okuqala?

³ UNkulunkulu wayengahlosile ukuba abantu bafe. Kodwa ukuze baphile phakade, u-Adamu no-Eva kwakumelwe balalele uJehova, owayebanike umyalo olula: “Ngokuqondene nomuthi wolwazi lokuhle nokubi ungadli kuwo, ngoba ngosuku oyodla ngalo kuwo uyokufa nokufa.” (Gen. 2:16, 17) USathane wabe esebakhohlisa. Enza sengathi kukhuluma inyoka, wathi ku-Eva: “Ngokuqinisekile ngeke nife.” Ngokudabukisayo u-Eva wawakholelwa lawo manga wabe esedla isithelo. Kamuva, nomyeni wakhe wasidla. (Gen. 3:4, 6) Ngale  ndlela, abantu baba nesono futhi bafa.—Roma 5:12.

4-5. USathane uye waqhubeka kanjani ekhohlisa abantu?

⁴ U-Adamu no-Eva bafa njengoba nje uNkulunkulu ayeshilo. Kodwa uSathane akazange ayeke ukuqamba amanga ngokufa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, waqamba amanye amanga. Wasungula imfundiso ethi umzimba womuntu uyafa kodwa kunengxenye yomuntu eqhubeka iphila endaweni yemimoya. Le mfundiso iye yakhohlisa abantu abaningi kuze kube namuhla.—1 Thim. 4:1.

⁵ Kungani bebaningi kangaka abantu abawakholelwayo amanga kaSathane? Yingoba uSathane uyayazi indlela abantu abazizwa ngayo ngokufa futhi usebenzisa lokho ukuze abakhohlise. Ngenxa yokuthi sadalwa ukuba siphile phakade, asifuni ukufa. (UmSh. 3:11) Ukufa sikubheka njengesitha.—1 Kor. 15:26.

6-7. (a) Ingabe uSathane uye waphumelela ekugcineni iqiniso ngokufa lifihlekile? Chaza. (b) Iqiniso leBhayibheli lisisiza kanjani singakwesabi ukufa?

⁶ Naphezu kwemizamo kaSathane, iqiniso ngokufa alizange lihlale lifihlekile. Empeleni, abantu abaningi manje kunanini ngaphambili bayakwazi lokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo ngesimo sabafileyo nangethemba abanalo futhi bafundisa abanye ngakho. (UmSh. 9:5, 10; IzE. 24:15) La maqiniso ayasiduduza, asenza sazi ukuthi kwenzekani lapho sifa. Ngokwesibonelo, asibesabi abantu abafile futhi asesabi ukuthi bangase behlelwe yizinto ezibuhlungu. Siyazi ukuthi abaphili futhi abakwazi ukusilimaza. Kunjengokungathi balele zwi. (Joh. 11:11-14) Siyazi nokuthi kumuntu ofile, isikhathi sisuke simile. Ngakho lapho abantu bevuswa ngisho noma sekuphele amakhulu eminyaka bafa, kubo kuyoba sengathi bebelele isikhashana nje.

⁷ Awuvumi yini ukuthi iqiniso ngesimo sabafileyo licacile, lilula futhi linengqondo? Yeka indlela elihluke ngayo emangeni kaSathane! La manga awagcini nje ngokudukisa abantu, kodwa anyundela uMdali wethu. Ukuze siwuqonde kahle umonakalo oye wadalwa uSathane, sizoxoxa ngale mibuzo: Amanga kaSathane amnyundele kanjani uJehova? Abenze kanjani abantu bacabanga ukuthi akubalulekile ukukholelwa emhlatshelweni wesihlengo sikaKristu? Alubangele kanjani usizi nokuhlupheka kubantu?

8. Njengoba kubonisiwe kuJeremiya 19:5, amanga kaSathane ngabafile amnyundela kanjani uJehova?

⁸ Amanga kaSathane ngabafileyo anyundela uJehova. La manga ahlanganisa imfundiso engamanga ethi abafile bashiswa esihogweni somlilo. Izimfundiso ezinjalo zinyundela uNkulunkulu! Kanjani? Zenza abantu bakholelwe ukuthi uNkulunkulu oluthando ufana noDeveli. (1 Joh. 4:8) Lokho kukwenza uzizwe kanjani? Ngaphezu kwalokho, kumenza azizwe kanjani uJehova? Phela, uyaluzonda unya.—Funda uJeremiya 19:5.

9. Amanga kaSathane akuthinta kanjani ukukholelwa emhlatshelweni wesihlengo sikaKristu okukhulunywa ngaso kuJohane 3:16 nasesahlukweni 15:13?

⁹ Amanga kaSathane ngokufa enza abantu bangakholelwa emhlatshelweni wesihlengo sikaKristu. (Math. 20:28) Amanye amanga kaSathane athi abantu banomphefumulo ongafi. Uma lokho bekuyiqiniso, bonke abantu bebeyophila phakade. Bekungeke kudingeke ukuba uKristu anikele ngokuphila kwakhe ukuze asihlenge sithole ukuphila okuphakade. Khumbula ukuthi isihlengo sikaKristu siwukubonakaliswa okukhulu kunakho konke kothando olwake lwaboniswa abantu. (Funda uJohane 3:16; 15:13.) Cabanga indlela uJehova neNdodana yakhe okumelwe ukuba bazizwa ngayo ngezimfundiso ezenza leso sipho esiyigugu sibe yize!

10. Amanga kaSathane ngokufa aye alwandisa kanjani usizi nokuhlupheka kwabantu?

¹⁰ Amanga kaSathane andisa usizi nokuhlupheka kwabantu. Abazali abalilayo ngenxa yokufelwa yingane yabo bangase batshelwe ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyithathile, mhlawumbe ukuze ibe yingelosi ezulwini. Ingabe la manga kaSathane ayaduduza noma afana nokufaka usawoti esilondeni? Imfundiso yamanga yesihogo somlilo iye yasetshenziswa njengezaba zokushushisa abantu abaphikisana nezimfundiso zesonto, ngisho nokubashisa esigxotsheni. Incwadi ethile ekhuluma ngenkantolo eyayishushisa abantu ngonya, iSpanish Inquisition, ithi abanye babantu ababenza unya olunjalo kungenzeka babekholelwa ukuthi bamane nje banikeza abantu abaphikisana nezimfundiso zesonto “amazwibela esihogo somlilo” ukuze baphenduke ngaphambi kokuba bafe bese besindiswa, bangabe besaya esihogweni somlilo. Emazweni amaningi, abantu bazizwa bephoqelekile ukuba bakhonze, bahloniphe noma bacele isibusiso emadlozini. Abanye bafuna ukujabulisa amadlozi akubo ukuze angabajezisi. Ngokudabukisayo, izinkolelo ezisekelwe emangeni kaSathane aziyilethi induduzo yangempela. Kunalokho, zibangela ukukhathazeka okungenasidingo noma ngisho ukwesaba.

11. Izihlobo noma abangane bangazama kanjani ukusicindezela ukuba senze izinto ezingqubuzana neZwi likaNkulunkulu?

¹¹ Ukuthanda uNkulunkulu neZwi lakhe kusinika amandla okulalela uJehova ngisho nalapho izihlobo noma abangane abasithandayo besicindezela ukuba sihlanganyele emasikweni enzelwa abafile angqubuzana neBhayibheli. Bangase bazame nokusenza sizizwe kabi lapho singahlanganyeli kulawo masiko, mhlawumbe bathi besingamthandi noma besingamhloniphi lo muntu oshonile. Mhlawumbe bangathi ukwenqaba kwethu kuzobangela ukuba umuntu ofile alimaze abaphilayo ngandlela thile. Singalimelela kanjani iqiniso leBhayibheli? Cabanga indlela ongazisebenzisa ngayo lezi zimiso zeBhayibheli ezilandelayo.

12. Yimaphi amasiko aphathelene nabafile angqubuzana neBhayibheli?

 ¹² Zimisele ‘ukuzihlukanisa’ nezinkolelo namasiko angqubuzana neBhayibheli. (2 Kor. 6:17) Ezweni elithile laseCaribbean, abantu abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi lapho umuntu esefile, “isipoki” sakhe singase sisale sijezisa labo ababemphethe kabi. Enye incwadi ithi “isipoki singadala isiyaluyalu emphakathini.” Kuyisiko e-Afrika ukwemboza izibuko emzini okushonwe kuwo kanye nokubhekisa izithombe odongeni. Isizathu? Abanye bathi abafile akumelwe bazibone! Njengezinceku zikaJehova, asizikholelwa izinkolelo-ze futhi asihlanganyeli kunoma imaphi amasiko asekela amanga kaSathane!—1 Kor. 10:21, 22.

13. Uma ungaqiniseki ngesiko elithile, yini okufanele uyenze, njengoba kushiwo kuJakobe 1:5?

¹³ Uma ungaqiniseki ngamasiko noma ngemikhuba ethile, thandaza kuJehova ucele akuphe ukuhlakanipha. (Funda uJakobe 1:5.) Yibe usucwaninga ezincwadini zethu. Uma kudingeka, buza abadala ebandleni okulo. Ngeke bakutshele ukuthi wenzeni, kodwa bangakusiza uthole izimiso zeBhayibheli ezifana nalezo okukhulunywa ngazo lapha. Uma wenza lokhu, uzobe uqeqesha ‘amandla akho okuqonda,’ futhi la mandla azokusiza ‘uhlukanise kokubili okulungile nokungalungile.’—Heb. 5:14.

14. Singakugwema kanjani ukukhuba abanye?

¹⁴ “Zonke izinto zenzeleni inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu. Gwemani ukuba yizimbangela zokukhubeka.” (1 Kor. 10:31, 32) Lapho sinquma ukuthi sizohlanganyela yini esikweni elithile, kufanele sicabange nangendlela isinqumo sethu esizowuthinta ngayo unembeza wabanye, ikakhulukazi amaKristu. Asifuni nanini ukukhubekisa abanye! (Marku 9:42) Sifuna nokugwema ukukhuba labo abangebona oFakazi. Uthando lusenza sikhulume nabo ngenhlonipho, ngaleyo ndlela sidumise uJehova. Ngeke siphikisane nabantu noma sibagcone ngenxa yamasiko abo. Khumbula, uthando lunamandla! Lapho silubonisa ngendlela ecabangelayo nangenhlonipho, singase sithambise izinhliziyo zabasiphikisayo.

15-16. (a) Kungani kuwukuhlakanipha ukutshela abanye lokho esikukholelwayo? Nikeza isibonelo. (b) Amazwi kaPawulu akweyabaseRoma 1:16 asebenza kanjani kithi?

¹⁵ Batshele emphakathini ukuthi unguFakazi KaJehova. (Isaya 43:10) Kuyoba lula ukusingatha isimo uma izihlobo zakho nomakhelwane  bazi ukuthi ukhonza uJehova uNkulunkulu. UFrancisco ohlala eMozambique uyabhala: “Lapho mina nomkami uCarolina, sifunda iqiniso, satshela umndeni wakithi ukuthi ngeke sisabakhulekela abafile. Isinqumo sethu savivinyeka lapho kushona udadewabo kaCarolina. Endaweni yangakithi, isidumbu kumelwe sigezwe ngokwesiko. Ngemva kwalokho, isihlobo kumelwe silale izinsuku ezintathu endaweni lapho kuchithwe khona amanzi obekugezwa ngawo isidumbu. La masiko kuthiwa ajabulisa umoya womuntu ofile. Umndeni kaCarolina wawulindele ukuba kube nguye olala lapho kuchithwe khona amanzi.”

¹⁶ UFrancisco nomkakhe benzenjani? UFrancisco uyachaza: “Ngenxa yokuthi sithanda uJehova futhi sifuna ukumjabulisa, senqaba ukuhlanganyela kulelo siko. Umndeni wakubo kaCarolina wathukuthela kakhulu. Wathi asibahloniphi abafile futhi wathi ngeke usasivakashela noma usisize. Njengoba sasike sabachazela izinkolelo zethu, asizange sisho lutho ngesikhathi besathukuthele. Ezinye izihlobo zasivikela, zabakhumbuza ukuthi besesibachazele kakade ngezinkolelo zethu. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, intukuthelo yezihlobo zikaCarolina yabohla, yaphela ingxabano. Empeleni ezinye izihlobo zeza emzini wethu zacela izincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini.” Kwangathi singelokothe sibe namahloni okumelela lokho okufundiswa yiBhayibheli ngokufa.—Funda eyabaseRoma 1:16.

17. Yini engasisiza sibe abangane beqiniso kumaKristu asosizini?

¹⁷ Lapho umKristu efelwa othandekayo, kumelwe silwele ukuba “umngane weqiniso . . . , umfowabo womuntu ozalelwe isikhathi sosizi.” (IzAga 17:17) Yini esingayenza ukuze sibe “umngane weqiniso,” ikakhulukazi lapho umfowethu noma udadewethu ososizini ecindezelwa ukuba enze amasiko angqubuzana neBhayibheli? Cabanga ngezimiso zeBhayibheli ezimbili ezingasisiza siduduze abashonelwe.

18. Yini eyabangela ukuba uJesu akhale, futhi yini esiyifunda esibonelweni sakhe?

¹⁸ “Khalani nabantu abakhalayo.” (Roma 12:15) Kungase kube nzima ukwazi ukuthi  sizothini kumuntu oshonelwe. Ngezinye izikhathi izinyembezi zisho lukhulu kunamazwi. Lapho umngane kaJesu, uLazaru, efa, uMariya, uMarta nabanye bakhala, belilela umfowabo nomngane wabo. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezine lapho uJesu efika, naye “wakhala izinyembezi” ngisho noma ayazi ukuthi uzomvusa. (Joh. 11:17, 33-35) Ukukhala kukaJesu kwabonisa indlela uYise azizwa ngayo. Kwabonisa nokuthi uJesu wayewuthanda lo mndeni, okuyinto eyamduduza ngempela uMariya noMarta. Ngendlela efanayo, lapho abafowethu beluzwa uthando nokukhathalela kwethu, bayabona ukuthi ababodwa futhi bazungezwe abangane ababakhathalelayo nababasekelayo.

19. Lapho siduduza umKristu ososizini, singayisebenzisa kanjani incwadi yomShumayeli 3:7?

¹⁹ “Isikhathi sokuthula nesikhathi sokukhuluma.” (UmSh. 3:7) Enye indlela yokududuza umKristu ososizini ukuba yisilaleli esihle. Mvumele umfowenu asho okusenhliziyweni yakhe futhi ungakhutshwa inkulumo yakhe “ewuwangala.” (Jobe 6:2, 3) Kungenzeka ucindezelekile ngokomzwelo ngenxa yezihlobo zakhe ezingebona oFakazi ezimhlezi entanyeni. Ngakho thandaza naye. Nxusa ‘uMuzwi womthandazo’ ukuba amnike amandla nokuthula kwengqondo. (IHu. 65:2) Uma izimo zivuma, funda iBhayibheli naye. Ungafunda nesihloko esifanelekayo esisezincwadini zethu, njengendaba yokuphila ekhuthazayo.

20. Yini esizoxoxa ngayo esihlokweni esilandelayo?

²⁰ Kuyilungelo ngempela ukwazi iqiniso ngabafile nangekusasa elihle elilindele bonke abasemathuneni! (Joh. 5:28, 29) Ngakho, ngezwi nangesenzo, kwangathi ngesibindi singalimelela iqiniso leBhayibheli futhi sitshele abanye ngalo njalo lapho kuvela ithuba. Isihloko esilandelayo sizoxoxa ngendlela uSathane azama ngayo ukwenza abantu bangalazi iqiniso esebenzisa imimoya. Sizobona ukuthi kungani kudingeka sigweme imikhuba nezokuzijabulisa ezihlobene nemimoya.