UHERODOTUS owayengumbhali-mbali ongumGrike nowayephila kwiminyaka engama-2,500 eyadlulayo, wakha wabalisa ngamaYiputa omhla wakhe. Wathi: “Kumatheko ezinhanha, emva kwesidlo kubakho indoda ethwele ibhokisi enesidumbu somntu esenziwe ngomthi. Le ndoda ibonisa wonke umntu olapho esi sidumbu, ize ithi, ‘Selani niziyolise, kodwa yazini oku; xa nifile niza kufana nje nesi sidumbu.’”

YayingengomaYiputa kuphela awayejonga ubomi nokufa ngale ndlela. Namhlanje, kuxhaphakile ukuva abantu besithi, “Yitya, usele uze uziyolise.” Ukuba uza kufa, kutheni ungasuki wonwabe xa ixesha lisekho? Kutheni uzikhathaza ngokwenza izinto ezilungileyo? Ukuba ukufa bekusisiphelo sobomi bakho, bekungayi kubakho nto iphosakeleyo ngokuphilela unamhlanje. Wakha watsho nompostile uPawulos. Wachaza indlela ababecinga ngayo abantu ababengakholelwa kuvuko, esithi: “Ukuba abafileyo abayi kuvuswa, ‘masidle size sisele, kuba ngomso siza kufa.’”—1 Korinte 15:32.

Kakade ke, uPawulos wayengakholelwa ukuba ukufa kuthetha isiphelo sobomi bethu. Wayeqinisekile ukuba abafi banokuphinda bavuke kwakhona baze babe nethuba lokuphila ngonaphakade. Ukholo lwakhe lwalusekelwe kwisiganeko esibalulekileyo awayesazi ukuba siyinyaniso engenakuphikiswa—uvuko * lukaYesu Kristu. Olo vuko lwaluyeyona nto yayisenza abafundi benkulungwane yokuqala babe nokholo.

Noko ke, kusinceda ngantoni thina ukuvuswa kukaYesu? Khona, sazi njani ukuba nyhani wavuswa? Makhe sive oko kwathethwa nguPawulos ngale mibandela, kwileta awayibhalela amaKristu aseKorinte.

Amanye amaKristu aseKorinte ayengayiginyi ncam le nto yokuvuswa kukaYesu, ibe amanye wona ayengakholelwa kuvuko lwabafileyo. Kwileta yakhe yokuqala awayibhalela amaKristu aseKorinte, lo mpostile wachaza izinto ezazinokwenzeka ukuba uvuko lwalungekho. Wathi: “Ukuba, eneneni, akukho luvuko lwabafileyo, noKristu akavuswanga. Kodwa ukuba uKristu akavuswanga, ngokuqinisekileyo ukushumayela kwethu kulilize, nokholo lwethu lulilize. Ngaphezu koko, nathi soba singqina ubuxoki ngoThixo. . . Ukholo lwenu alunamsebenzi; nisesezonweni zenu. . . . . Abo balele ekufeni bemanyene noKristu batshabalele.”—1 Korinte 15:13-18.

“Wabonakala kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu ngexesha elinye . . . Emva koko wabonakala kuYakobi, nakubapostile bonke; kodwa ekugqibeleni kwabo bonke wabonakala nakum.”—1 Korinte 15:6-8

UPawulos wagabul’ izigcawu ngamazwi angenakuphikiswa: Ukuba abafileyo abazukuvuswa, noKristu owafayo akazange avuswe. Kwakuza kwenzeka ntoni ukuba uKristu wayengavuswanga? Ukushunyayelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo bekuza kuba lilize nobuxoki. Kaloku, ukuvuswa kukaKristu kwakusisiseko sokholo lwamaKristu yaye kwakunxibelelene nezinye zezona mfundiso zeBhayibhile zibalulekileyo, njengolongamo lukaThixo, igama lakhe, uBukumkani bakhe kunye nokusindiswa kwethu. Ukuba uYesu wayengavuswanga, uPawulos nabanye abapostile babeza kuba bashumayela ubuxoki.

Kwakuza kubakho neminye imiphumo. Ukuba uKristu wayengavuswanga, ukholo lwamaKristu beluya kuba yinkcitha-xesha yaye iinkolelo zawo beziya kuba zisekelwe kubuxoki. Ukongezelela, uPawulos nabanye babeza kuba abaxoki nje ngokuvuswa kukaYesu kuphela, kodwa nangalowo babesithi umvusile, uYehova uThixo. Okunye, ukuthi uKristu “wafela izono zethu” bekuza kuba bubuxoki—kaloku ukuba uMsindisi wayengazange akwazi ukusindiswa ekufeni, naye wayengenakukwazi ukusindisa abanye. (1 Korinte 15:3) Loo nto ibiya kuthetha ukuba amaKristu awafayo, kuquka lawo abulawa ngenxa yokholo lwawo, atshabalala enethemba lobuxoki lokuba aza kuvuswa.

UPawulos wafikelela kwesi sigqibo: “Ukuba besithembele kuKristu kobu bomi kuphela, singabona bokusizelwa kubantu bonke.” (1 Korinte 15:19) Njengamanye amaKristu, noPawulos wayekhe walahlekelwa zizinto zakhe, watshutshiswa, wanyamezela ubunzima waza wasecicini lokufa ngenxa yokuba enethemba lovuko. Yonke loo nto ngeyaba lilize ukuba uvuko belububuvuvu!

UPawulos wayengacingi ukuba iinkolelo zamaKristu zisekelwe kubuxoki. Wayesazi ukuba uYesu uvusiwe yaye washwankathela ubungqina boko xa wabhalela amaKristu aseKorinte, esithi: “UKristu wafela izono zethu, ngokutsho kweZibhalo; wangcwatywa, waza wavuswa ngomhla wesithathu, ngokutsho kweZibhalo; wabonakala kuKefas, nakwabalishumi elinesibini.” * UPawulos walek’ umsundulo esithi: “Emva koko wabonakala kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu ngexesha elinye, inkoliso yabo esahleliyo nangoku, kodwa bambi balele ekufeni. Emva koko wabonakala kuYakobi, nakubapostile bonke; kodwa ekugqibeleni kwabo bonke wabonakala nakum.”—1 Korinte 15:3-8.

UPawulos watsho phandle ukuba uKristu wafela izono zethu, wangcwatywa waza wavuswa. Yintoni  eyayimenza aqiniseke kangaka? Esinye sezizathu bubungqina babantu abaninzi abambonayo uYesu emva kokuvuswa kwakhe. Emva kokuvuswa kwakhe, uYesu wabonakala kubantu abathile (kuquka noPawulos), kumaqela amancinane, nakwisihlwele sabantu abangama-500 ekusenokwenzeka ukuba uninzi lwabo lwalungazange lukholelwe xa lusiva ukuba uYesu uvusiwe! (Luka 24:1-11) Inkoliso yaba bantu yayisaphila ngomhla kaPawulos, yaye nabani na owayethandabuza ukuba uYesu uvusiwe wayenokuzibuzela kuyo. (1 Korinte 15:6) Kunokuba lula ukuphikisa ingqina elinye okanye amabini, kodwa kunokuba nzima ukuphikisa abantu abangama-500 okanye ngaphezulu.

Kwakhona, phawula ukuba uPawulos watsho kwade kwakabini ukuba ukufa, ukungcwatywa nokuvuswa kukaYesu ‘kwakuseZibhalweni.’ Ukufa, ukungcwatywa nokuvuswa kukaYesu kwangqina ukuba iziprofeto ezingoMesiya ezikwiZibhalo zesiHebhere zizalisekile, nto leyo eyayingqina ukuba uYesu unguMesiya ekwakuthiwe uyeza.

Nangona kwakukho abantu ababembonile uYesu emva kokuvuswa kwakhe, kwakusekho abantu ababengakholelwa ukuba uvusiwe. Phofu abantu abanjalo basekho nanamhla oku. Abanye bathi umzimba wakhe webiwa ngabafundi bakhe baza bathi uvusiwe. Noko ke, abafundi babengenakukwazi ukugqitha kumajoni aseRoma awayegade ingcwaba. Abanye bathi abantu ababona uYesu babebona nje umbono. Noko ke, loo nto ayinasihlahla kuba kaloku uYesu wabonakala kubantu abaninzi ngamaxesha ahlukahlukeneyo. Kwakhona, ngaba umntu osembonweni angosa intlanzi aze ayinike abantu ukuba bayitye, njengoko wenzayo uYesu eGalili emva kokuvuswa kwakhe? (Yohane 21:9-14) Ngaba umntu osembonweni ebenokucela abantu ukuba bambambe?—Luka 24:36-39.

 Ukanti, abanye bathi uvuko lukaYesu bubuxoki nje obacingwa baza basasazwa ngabafundi bakaYesu. Kodwa babeza kuzuza ntoni abafundi ngokwenza loo nto? Ukuxelela abantu ukuba uYesu uvusiwe kwabenza bahlekwa, batshutshiswa baza babulawa abafundi. Ngaba babenokubeka ubomi babo esichengeni esingaka kuba nje befuna ukusasaza ubuxoki? Ngaphezu koko, baqala baxelela abantu baseYerusalem, kanye kwindawo ekwakukho kuyo abachasi ababekhangela naliphi na ithuba lokubacim’ igama.

Uvuko lwaluyeyona nto yayisenza abafundi babe nesibindi sokushumayela ngeNkosi yabo nangona babetshutshiswa ngolunya. Uvuko lwaba yimfundiso ephambili yamaKristu. AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala akazange abeke ubomi bawo esichengeni ukuze afundise nje ngomfundisi osisilumko nowabulawayo. Abeka ubomi bawo esichengeni ukuze ashumayele ngokuvuswa kukaYesu, kuba kwakungqina ukuba uyaphila, unguKristu uNyana kaThixo, umntu onamandla nowayebaxhasa yaye ebakhokela. Ukuvuswa kwakhe kwakuthetha ukuba nabo baza kuvuswa ekufeni. Ukuba uYesu wayengavuswanga, ngebungekho ubuKristu, yaye nathi ngesingazange sive ngaye.

Noko ke, kusinceda ngantoni thina namhlanje ukuvuswa kukaKristu?