Hayi, ayikho indawo eBhayibhileni okanye kwiincwadi zembali ethi amaKristu ayebhaptizelwa abantu abaswelekileyo.

Indlela eguqulelwe ngayo le vesi kwezinye iiBhayibhile iye yenza abantu abaninzi bacinga ukuba ukubhaptizelwa abantu abaswelekileyo emanzini kwakusenziwa ngexesha likaPawulos. Ngokomzekelo, ezinye iiBhayibhile zithi: “Ukuba alukho uvuko, baza kwenza ntoni abo babhaptizelwe abantu abaswelekileyo?”

Umphengululi weBhayibhile, uGqr. Gregory Lockwood, wathi eBhayibhileni okanye embalini ayikho into ebonisa ukuba kwakukhe kwakho umntu owabhaptizelwa umntu oswelekileyo. Kanti omnye umphengululi weBhayibhile, uProfesa Gordon D. Fee yena wathi: Akukho nto ithethwayo eBhayibhileni okanye embalini ngolu hlobo lokubhaptizwa. Akuzange kuthethwe ngalo kwiNguqulelo Entsha yaye akukho nto ibonisa ukuba lwalukhe lwenziwa ngexesha labapostile okanye kwiicawa ezabakho emva kokuba beswelekile.

IBhayibhile ithi abalandeli bakaYesu babeza ‘kuyokubenza abafundi abantu beentlanga zonke, bababhaptize, babafundise ukuba benze zonke izinto abayalele zona.’ (Mat. 28:19, 20) Ngaphambi kokuba umntu abe ngumlandeli wakhe obhaptiziweyo, kwakufuneka afunde, akholwe aze athobele uYehova noNyana Wakhe. Umntu oswelekileyo wayengenakukwazi ukwenza ezi zinto, wayengenakuzenzelwa nangumKristu osaphilayo.​—INtshu. 9:5, 10; Yoh. 4:1; 1 Kor. 1:14-16.

Ngoko wayesithini uPawulos?

Amanye amaKristu ayengayivumi into yokuba abantu abaswelekileyo babeza kuvuswa. (1 Kor. 15:12) UPawulos wawabonisa ukuba ayichananga indlela acinga ngayo. Wathi ‘uhlala ejongene nokufa.’ Wayeqinisekile ukuba nokuba angafa, uza kuvuswa aye kuphila ezulwini njengoYesu.—1 Kor. 15:30-32, 42-44.

AmaKristu aseKorinte kwakufuneka azi ukuba, ukuba ngumKristu othanjisiweyo kwakuthetha ukuba aza kudibana nobunzima aze afe ngaphambi kokuba avuswe. Xa ‘ayebhaptizelwa kuKristu Yesu, ayebhaptizelwa ekufeni kwakhe.’ (Roma 6:3) NjengoYesu, ayeza kuva ubunzima aze afe ukuze ukuvuswa kwawo, aye kuphila ezulwini.

Emva kweminyaka emibini uYesu ebhaptizwe emanzini, wathi kubapostile bakhe ababini: “Niza kubhaptizwa ngendlela endibhaptizwa ngayo.” (Marko 10:38, 39) Ngexesha uYesu wayethetha la mazwi wayengabhaptizwa emanzini. Wayethetha ukuba wayeza kufa ngenxa yokuba ethembekile kuThixo. UPawulos wathi amaKristu athanjisiweyo ayeza ‘kunyamezela ubunzima kunye naye uKristu ukuze azukiswe kunye naye.’ (Roma 8:16, 17; 2 Kor. 4:17) Nawo kwakuza kufuneka afe ngaphambi kokuba avuselwe ezulwini.

Ngoko, uPawulos wayesithi: “Kungenjalo, yintoni eza kwenzeka kwabo babhaptizwayo ngenjongo yokuba bafe? Ukuba abazukuvuswa abantu afileyo, kutheni bezibizela ukufa ngokubhaptizwa?”