1. Kwakutheni ukuze igosa lenkundla elingumTiyopiya licele ukubhaptizwa?

“KHANGELA! Amanzi amaninzi; yintoni na endithintelayo ukuba ndibhaptizwe?” Loo mbuzo wabuzwa ligosa lenkundla elingumTiyopiya ngenkulungwane yokuqala. UmKristu ogama linguFilipu walichazela ukuba uYesu wayenguMesiya othenjisiweyo. Echukumiseke ngokunzulu koko akufunde  eZibhalweni, lo mTiyopiya wenza okuthile ngako oko. Wavakalisa umnqweno wakhe wokufuna ukubhaptizwa!—IZenzo 8:26-36.

2. Kutheni ufanele ucinge nzulu ngobhaptizo?

² Ukuba sele uzifundisise ngenyameko izahluko ezingaphambili zale ncwadi kunye nomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova, nawe usenokuziva ukulungele ukubuza uthi, ‘Yintoni na endithintelayo mna ukuba ndibhaptizwe?’ Ngoku sele ufundile ngesithembiso seBhayibhile sobomi obungunaphakade eParadesi. (Luka 23:43; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4) Ufundile nangemeko yabafileyo kwanangethemba lovuko. (INtshumayeli 9:5; Yohane 5:28, 29) Mhlawumbi sele usiya kwiintlanganiso zebandla zamaNgqina kaYehova waza wazibonela indlela aluqhelisela ngayo unqulo lwenyaniso. (Yohane 13:35) Okona kubalulekileyo kukuba, mhlawumbi sele uqalisile ukuhlakulela ulwalamano lobuqu noYehova uThixo.

3. (a) Nguwuphi umyalelo uYesu awawunika abalandeli bakhe? (b) Lwenziwa njani ubhaptizo lwamanzi?

³ Unokubonisa njani ukuba ufuna ukukhonza uThixo? UYesu wathi kubalandeli bakhe: ‘Hambani niye kubenza abafundi abantu beentlanga zonke, nibabhaptize.’ (Mateyu 28:19) Yena uqobo uYesu wamisela umzekelo ngokuthi abhaptizwe emanzini. Akazange afefwe ngamanzi, okanye agalelwe nje intwana yamanzi entlokweni yakhe. (Mateyu 3:16) Igama elithi ‘ukubhaptiza’ livela kwelesiGrike elithetha “ukutshonisa.” Ngoko ubhaptizo lwamaKristu luthetha ukutshoniswa, okanye ukuntywiliselwa ngokupheleleyo emanzini.

4. Lubonisa ntoni ubhaptizo lwamanzi?

⁴ Bonke abo bafuna ukuba nolwalamano kunye noYehova uThixo bamele babhaptizwe ngamanzi. Ubhaptizo lubonisa esidlangalaleni umnqweno wakho wokukhonza uThixo. Lubonisa ukuba uyakuvuyela ukwenza ukuthanda kukaYehova. (INdumiso 40:7, 8) Noko ke, ukuze ufanelekele ukubhaptizwa umele uthabathe amanyathelo athile.

5. (a) Liliphi inyathelo lokuqala omele ulithabathe ukuze ufanelekele ukubhaptizwa? (b) Kutheni zibalulekile nje iintlanganiso zamaKristu?

⁵ Sele uqalisile ukuthabatha inyathelo lokuqala. Njani? Ngokungenisa ulwazi ngoYehova uThixo nangoYesu Kristu, mhlawumbi ngokuthi uqhutyelwe isifundo esithe rhoqo seBhayibhile. (Yohane 17:3) Kodwa kusekuninzi ekufuneka ukufundile. AmaKristu amele ‘azaliswe lulwazi oluchanileyo lokuthanda kukaThixo.’ (Kolose 1:9) Ukuya kwiintlanganiso zebandla zamaNgqina kaYehova kuya kukunceda ufunde okuninzi gqitha. Kubalulekile ukuya kwezo ntlanganiso. (Hebhere 10:24, 25) Ukuya rhoqo kuzo kuya kukunceda wandise ulwazi lwakho ngoThixo.

6. Lungakanani ulwazi lweBhayibhile omele ube nalo ukuze ufanelekele ukubhaptizwa?

⁶ Noko ke, oku akuthethi ukuba ufanele uyazi yonke iBhayibhile ukuze ufanelekele ukubhaptizwa. Laa ndoda yomTiyopiya yayinalo ulwazi oluthile, kodwa yayisafuna uncedo ukuze iqonde iinxalenye ezithile zeZibhalo. (IZenzo 8:30, 31) Ngokufanayo, nawe usenokuninzi omele ukufunde. Enyanisweni, uya kuqhubeka ufunda ngonaphakade ngoThixo. (INtshumayeli 3:11) Kodwa ke, ngaphambi kokuba ubhaptizwe, umele wazi yaye wamkele iimfundiso ezisisiseko zeBhayibhile. (Hebhere 5:12) Ezo mfundiso ziquka imeko yabafileyo nokubaluleka kwegama likaThixo noBukumkani bakhe.

7. Kufanele kube nawuphi umphumo kuwe ukufundisisa iBhayibhile?

⁷ Noko ke, ukuba nolwazi nje kuphela akwanelanga, kuba “ngaphandle kokholo akunakwenzeka ukumkholisa kakuhle [uThixo].” (Hebhere 11:6) IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba xa abantu abathile kwisixeko samandulo saseKorinte bevayo ngesigidimi samaKristu, “bakholwa baza babhaptizwa.” (IZenzo 18:8) Ngokufanayo, ukufundisisa iBhayibhile kufanele kukwenze ukholwe ukuba iliLizwi likaThixo eliphefumlelweyo. Ukufundisisa iBhayibhile kufanele kukuncede  ukholelwe kwizithembiso zikaThixo nakusindiso olufumaneka ngedini likaYesu.—Yoshuwa 23:14; IZenzo 4:12; 2 Timoti 3:16, 17.

8. Yintoni eya kukushukumisela ukuba uthethe nabanye ngoko ukufundileyo?

⁸ Njengoko lukhula ukholo lwakho, uya kukufumanisa kunzima ukungathethi ngoko ukufundileyo. (Yeremiya 20:9) Uya kuziva unomnqweno omkhulu wokuthetha nabanye ngoThixo nangeenjongo zakhe.—2 Korinte 4:13.

9, 10. (a) Usenokuqalisa phi ukwabelana nabanye ngenyaniso yeBhayibhile? (b) Yintoni ofanele uyenze ukuba unqwenela ukuthelela amaNgqina kaYehova emsebenzini wawo wokushumayela?

⁹ Usenokuqalisa ukwabelana nabanye ngenyaniso yeBhayibhile ngokuthi uthethe ngayo ngobuchule kunye nezalamane, abahlobo, abamelwane, kwanabo usebenza kunye nabo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, uya kunqwenela ukuthelela amaNgqina kaYehova kumsebenzi wawo wokushumayela. Xa sele ulungele ukwenza oko, thetha kunye neNgqina elikufundisa iBhayibhile. Ukuba ubonakala ukufanelekela ukushumayela esidlangalaleni, kuya kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba wena kunye nalowo ukufundisayo nidibane nabadala ababini bebandla.

¹⁰ Oku kuya kukwenza uqhelane ngakumbi nabanye babadala abangamaKristu, abalusa umhlambi kaThixo. (IZenzo 20:28; 1 Petros 5:2, 3) Ukuba aba badala baphawula ukuba uyaziqonda yaye uyazikholelwa iimfundiso ezisisiseko zeBhayibhile, uphila ngokuvisisana nemilinganiselo kaThixo, yaye ukufuna ngokwenene ukuba ngomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova, baya kukwazisa ukuba uyakufanelekela ukushumayela esidlangalaleni njengomvakalisi ongabhaptizwanga weendaba ezilungileyo.

11. Luluphi utshintsho ekusenokufuneka belwenzile abanye ngaphambi kokuba bafanelekele ukushumayela esidlangalaleni?

¹¹ Kanti ke, kusenokuphawuleka ukuba usamele wenze  utshintsho oluthile kwindlela ophila ngayo, ngaphambi kokuba ufanelekele ukushumayela esidlangalaleni. Oku kusenokuquka ukuyeka uqheliselo oluthile lwangasese. Kuhle ukuba kwangaphambi kokuba ucele ukuba ngumvakalisi ongabhaptizwanga, ube sele uziyekile izono ezinzulu, ezinjengokuziphatha okubi ngokwesini, ukunxila, nokusebenzisa kakubi iziyobisi.—1 Korinte 6:9, 10; Galati 5:19-21.

12. Kutheni ufanele uguquke?

¹² Kukho namanye amanyathelo ofanele uwathabathe ngaphambi kokuba ufanelekele ukubhaptizwa. Umpostile uPetros wathi: “Guqukani . . . nijike khon’ ukuze zicinywe izono zenu.” (IZenzo 3:19) Ukuguquka kuthetha ukuzisola ngokunyanisekileyo ngenxa yento ethile oyenzileyo. Ukuguquka kuyimfuneko xa ubani ebephila ubomi bokuziphatha okubi, kodwa kuyimfuneko kwanaxa ubani ebeziphethe kakuhle. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba bonke abantu bangaboni yaye bafanele bacele ukuxolelwa nguThixo. (Roma 3:23; 5:12) Ngaphambi kokuba ufundisise iBhayibhile, ubungakwazi ukuthanda kukaThixo. Ngoko ubungenakukwazi ukuphila ngokuvisisana nokuthanda kwakhe. Kodwa ekubeni ngoku unolwazi, ufanele uguquke.

13. Kuthetha ukuthini ‘ukujika’?

¹³ Wakuba uguqukile umele ‘ujike.’ Oku kutheth’ ukuba, umele ungapheleli nje ngokuzisola. Kodwa umele uyithiye indlela obukade uphila ngayo, uze uzimisele ngamandla ukwenza oko kulungileyo ukususela ngoku ukusa phambili. Umele uguquke uze ‘ujike’ indlela obuphila ngayo ngaphambi kokuba ubhaptizwe.

14. Liliphi inyathelo elibalulekileyo omele ulithabathe ngaphambi kokuba ubhaptizwe?

¹⁴ Kukho elinye inyathelo elibalulekileyo omele ulithabathe  ngaphambi kokuba ubhaptizwe. Umele uzahlulele kuYehova uThixo.

15, 16. Kuthetha ukuthini ukuzahlulela kuThixo, yaye yintoni eshukumisela umntu ukuba enze oko?

¹⁵ Xa uzahlulela kuYehova uThixo ngomthandazo onyanisekileyo, uthembisa ukuzinikela kuye ngokupheleleyo nangonaphakade. (Duteronomi 6:15) Siyintoni isizathu sokwenza oko? Kaloku, cinga nje ngomfana oqalisa ukuthandana nentombi ethile. Okukhona eyazi ngakumbi yaye ebona iimpawu zayo ezintle, kokukhona etsaleleka ngakumbi kuyo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ucela umtshato. Enyanisweni, ukutshata kuza neembopheleleko ezongezelelekileyo. Kodwa uthando luya kumshukumisela ukuba alithabathe elo nyathelo libalulekileyo.

¹⁶ Xa umazi yaye umthanda uYehova, uya kunqwenela ukumkhonza ngokupheleleyo ngaphandle kokubeka nayiphi na imiqathango. Nabani na ofuna ukulandela uNyana kaThixo, uYesu Kristu, umele “azincame.” (Marko 8:34) Sizincama ngokuthi siqinisekise ukuba iminqweno nosukelo lobuqu aluphazamisani nokuthobela kwethu ngokupheleleyo uThixo. Ngoko, ngaphambi kokuba ubhaptizwe, injongo yakho ephambili ebomini imele ibe kukwenza ukuthanda kukaYehova uThixo.—1 Petros 4:2.

17. Kutheni abanye besenokoyika ukuzahlulela kuThixo?

¹⁷ Abanye baye boyike ukuzahlulela kuYehova kuba besithi eli linyathelo elinzulu kakhulu. Boyika ukuba xa bezahlulele njengamaKristu kuza kufuneka baphendule kuThixo. Ngoko ngenxa yokoyika ukuba basenokusilela baze bamdanise uYehova, bacinga ukuba kubhetele bangazahluleli kuye.

18. Yintoni enokukushukumisela ekubeni uzahlulele kuYehova?

¹⁸ Njengoko lukhula uthando lwakho ngoYehova, uya kukunqwenela ngakumbi ukufuna ukuzahlulela kuye  nokuphila ngokuvisisana nako. (INtshumayeli 5:4) Emva kokuzahlulela kwakho, ngokuqinisekileyo uya kufuna ukuqhubeka ‘uhamba ngokumfaneleyo uYehova uze umkholise ngokupheleleyo.’ (Kolose 1:10) Ngenxa yokumthanda kwakho uThixo, akusayi kukugqala njengento enzima ukwenza ukuthanda kwakhe. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo uya kuvumelana nompostile uYohane, owabhala wathi: “Ukumthanda uThixo kuko ukuthi, siyigcine imiyalelo yakhe; kwaye ayinzima imiyalelo yakhe.”—1 Yohane 5:3.

19. Kutheni ungamele woyike nje ukuzahlulela kuThixo?

¹⁹ Akuyomfuneko ukuba ufezeke ukuze uzahlulele kuThixo. UYehova uyabazi ubuthathaka bakho yaye akalindelanga ukuba wenze okungaphezu kwamandla akho. (INdumiso  103:14) Ufuna ukuba uphumelele, ngoko uya kukuxhasa aze akuncede. (Isaya 41:10) Qiniseka ukuba xa ukholosa ngoYehova ngayo yonke intliziyo yakho, “uya kuwenza uthi tye umendo wakho.”—IMizekeliso 3:5, 6.

20. Kutheni kunganelanga nje ukuzahlulela kuYehova ngasese?

²⁰ Ukucingisisa ngezi zinto sisandul’ ukuthetha ngazo, kusenokukunceda ukuba uzahlulele kuYehova ngomthandazo.  Enye into omele uyenze ukuba umthanda ngokwenene uThixo, ‘luvumo lwasesidlangalaleni losindiso.’ (Roma 10:10) Ukwenza njani oko?

21, 22. Unokulwenza njani “uvumo lwasesidlangalaleni” lokholo lwakho?

²¹ Xelela umnxibelelanisi wequmrhu labadala webandla okulo ukuba ufuna ukubhaptizwa. Yena uya kwenza amalungiselelo okuba abadala abathile bahlolisise kunye nawe imibuzo eliqela egubungela iimfundiso ezisisiseko zeBhayibhile. Ukuba aba badala bayavumelana ukuba uyafaneleka, baya kukuchazela ukuba unokubhaptizwa kwindibano elandelayo. * Kwezo ndibano kudla ngokunikelwa intetho echaza intsingiselo yobhaptizo. Emva koko isithethi sicela bonke abo baza kubhaptizwa ukuba baphendule imibuzo emibini elula, ngaloo ndlela besenza “uvumo lwasesidlangalaleni” lokholo lwabo.

²² Lubhaptizo olukwenza ubonakale esidlangalaleni ukuba uye wazahlulela kuThixo yaye ngoku ungomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova. Abo babhaptizwayo bantywiliselwa ngokupheleleyo emanzini, nto leyo ebonisa esidlangalaleni ukuba bazahlulele kuYehova.

23. Kuthetha ukuthini ukubhaptizwa “egameni loYise neloNyana nelomoya oyingcwele”?

²³ UYesu wathi abafundi bakhe babeza kubhaptizwa “egameni loYise neloNyana nelomoya oyingcwele.” (Mateyu 28:19) Oku kuthetha ukuba abo babhaptizwayo bayaliqonda igunya likaYehova uThixo nelikaYesu Kristu. (INdumiso 83:18; Mateyu 28:18) Kukwathetha nokuba uyayiqonda indlela osebenza ngayo umoya oyingcwele kaThixo, okanye amandla akhe asebenzayo.—Galati 5:22, 23; 2 Petros 1:21.

24, 25. (a) Lubonisa ntoni ubhaptizo? (b) Nguwuphi umbuzo omele uphendulwe?

 ²⁴ Kodwa ke, ubhaptizo alukokuhlanjwa nje ngamanzi. Lubonisa into ebaluleke gqitha. Ukungena ngaphantsi kwamanzi kubonisa ukuba uye wafa kwindlela obuphila ngayo ngaphambili. Ukukhutshwa emanzini kubonisa ukuba ngoku uphilela ukwenza ukuthanda kukaThixo. Kwakhona, khumbula ukuba uye wazahlulela kuYehova uThixo, kungekhona emsebenzini, ebantwini, okanye entlanganweni. Uzahlulelo nobhaptizo lwakho lusisiqalo sobuhlobo obukhulu kunye noThixo.—INdumiso 25:14.

²⁵ Ubhaptizo alusosiqinisekiso sokuba uza kusindiswa. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi: “Hlalani nilufezekisa usindiso lwenu ngoloyiko nangokungcangcazela.” (Filipi 2:12) Ubhaptizo lusisiqalo nje kuphela. Umbuzo kukuba, Ungaqhubeka njani umthanda uThixo? Impendulo ifumaneka kwisahluko esilandelayo sokugqibela.