“Izazi zefilosofi zakudala ezingamaKristu zamukela imfundiso yamaGreki yokuthi umphefumulo awufi futhi zacabanga ukuthi umphefumulo udalwa uNkulunkulu bese ewufaka kowesifazane lapho nje ebamba isisu.”—I-New Encyclopædia Britannica (1988), uMqulu 11, ikhasi 25.

“Umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.”—Hezekeli 18:4, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile.

Lapho likhuluma ngokudalwa komuntu wokuqala, iBhayibheli lithi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wambumba umuntu ngomhlabathi, waphefumulela emakhaleni akhe umoya wokuphila; umuntu waba kanjalo umphefumulo ophilayo [ngesiHebheru, ne′phesh].”—Genesise 2:7, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile.

Igama lesiHebheru elithi ne′phesh, elihunyushwa ngokuthi “umphefumulo,” lisho ‘isidalwa esiphefumulayo.’ Lapho uNkulunkulu edala umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu, akazange amfake umphefumulo ongafi, kodwa wamnika amandla okuphila alondolozwa ukuphefumula. Ngakho-ke, ngokweBhayibheli “umphefumulo” usho umuntu uqobo. Lapho umphefumulo noma umuntu efa, lawo mandla okuphila uNkulunkulu amnika wona ngesikhathi emdala, ayanqamuka.—Genesise 3:19; Hezekeli 18:20.

Imfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo yaphakamisa imibuzo: Iya kuphi imiphefumulo ngemva kokufa? Kwenzekani emiphefumulweni yabantu abangalungile? Ngesikhathi amaKristu okuzisholo amukela le nkolelo-ze yokungafi komphefumulo, lokhu kwawabangela ukuba amukele enye inkolelo-ze—imfundiso yesihogo somlilo.

Qhathanisa la mavesi eBhayibheli: UmShumayeli 3:19; Mathewu 10:28; IzEnzo 3:23