Encwadini yeBhayibheli kaGenesise, sifunda ukuthi uNkulunkulu watshela indoda yokuqala, u-Adamu, ukuthi: “Kuyo yonke imithi yensimu ungadla usuthe. Kodwa ngokuqondene nomuthi wolwazi lokuhle nokubi ungadli kuwo, ngoba ngosuku oyodla ngalo kuwo uyokufa nokufa.” (Genesise 2:16, 17) La mazwi akubeka kucace ukuthi ukube u-Adamu walalela umyalo kaNkulunkulu wayengeke afe kodwa wayeyoqhubeka ephila ensimini yase-Edene.

Ngokudabukisayo, kunokuba alalele futhi aphile phakade, u-Adamu wakhetha ukuwushaya indiva umyalo kaNkulunkulu ngokudla isithelo esenqantshelwe asinikwa umkakhe, u-Eva. (Genesise 3:1-6) Sisabhekana nemiphumela yalokho kungalaleli nanamuhla. Umphostoli uPawulu wayichaza kanje le ndaba: “Ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.” (Roma 5:12) Lowo “muntu oyedwa” kwakungu-Adamu. Sasiyini isono futhi kungani saholela ekufeni?

Lokho u-Adamu akwenza—ukungawulaleli noma ukweqa umthetho kaNkulunkulu—kuyisono. (1 Johane 3:4) Umphumela wesono ukufa, njengoba uNkulunkulu atshela u-Adamu. Ukube u-Adamu nezingane ayezozizala babezoqhubeka belalela umyalo kaNkulunkulu, babengeke babe nesono futhi babengeke bafe. UNkulunkulu wayengafuni  abantu bafe kodwa wayefuna baphile phakade.

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukufa kuye “kwasakazekela kubantu bonke” njengoba iBhayibheli lasho. Kodwa ikhona yini ingxenye kithi eqhubeka iphila lapho sesifile? Abaningi bathi ikhona ingxenye kithi engafi—ebizwa ngokuthi umphefumulo. Nokho, lokhu bekuyosho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayeqambe amanga ku-Adamu. Kanjani? Uma kukhona ingxenye kithi eqhubeka iphila kwenye indawo lapho sesifile, kusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayenamanga uma ethi umphumela wesono ukufa. IBhayibheli lithi: ‘Akunakwenzeka ngoNkulunkulu ukuba aqambe amanga.’ (Hebheru 6:18) Eqinisweni, uSathane owaqamba amanga lapho ethi ku-Eva: “Ngokuqinisekile ngeke nife.”—Genesise 3:4.

Kuphakama umbuzo, Uma imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo awufi ingamanga, pho kwenzekani ngempela uma sesifile?

Incwadi yeBhayibheli kaGenesise ithi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wabe esebumba umuntu ngothuli lomhlabathi wafuthela emakhaleni akhe umoya wokuphila, umuntu waba ngumphefumulo ophilayo.” Amagama athi “umphefumulo ophilayo” ahunyushwe esuselwa egameni lesiHebheru elithi ne’phesh, * elisho ukuthi “isidalwa esiphilayo.”—Genesise 2:7.

IBhayibheli likwenza kucace ukuthi umuntu akadalwanga enomphefumulo ongafi. Kunalokho, umuntu ‘ungumphefumulo ophilayo’. Yingakho lingekho ivesi leBhayibheli elikhuluma ‘ngomphefumulo ongafi.’

Njengoba iBhayibheli lithi umphefumulo uyafa pho kungani izinkolo eziningi zifundisa ukuthi umphefumulo awufi? Ukuze sithole impendulo ake sibheke okwenzeka eGibhithe.

UHerodotus, isazi-mlando esingumGreki esaphila ngekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E., wathi abaseGibhithe baba “abantu bokuqala abasekela imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo awufi.” Abantu baseBhabhiloni nabo bayisekela le mfundiso. Ngesikhathi u-Alexander Omkhulu enqoba eMpumalanga Ephakathi ngo-332 B.C.E., izazi zefilosofi ezingamaGreki zase ziyisakazile le mfundiso kuwo wonke uMbuso WamaGreki.

Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., amahlelo obuJuda amabili adumile, ama-Essene nabaFarisi, afundisa ukuthi umphefumulo uyaqhubeka uphila lapho umzimba ufa. I-The Jewish Encyclopedia ithi: “Inkolelo yokuthi umphefumulo awufi yangena kumaJuda ngenxa yokuxhumana kwawo namaGreki nemfundiso kaPlato.” Ngokufanayo, isazi-mlando esingumJuda sangekhulu lokuqala uJosephus sathi le mfundiso ayiveli emiBhalweni Engcwele kodwa ivela “enkolelweni yamadodana aseGrisi,” futhi wathi kwakuyizinganekwane nje.

Njengoba ithonya labantu baseGrisi lalanda, abantu ababethi bangamaKristu nabo bayamukela le mfundiso. Isazi-mlando uJona Lendering sathi, “Kwaba lula ukuba imfundiso kaPlato ihlanganiswe nobuKristu ngoba yayithi umphefumulo wethu wake waba sendaweni engcono kodwa manje usuphila ezweni eliwohlokile.” Ngakho imfundiso engamanga yokuthi umphefumulo awufi yangena esontweni lababethi bangamaKristu futhi yaba imfundiso ebalulekile.

Ngekhulu lokuqala umphostoli uPawulu washo lesi sixwayiso: “Izwi eliphefumulelwe lisho ngokuqinisekile ukuthi ezinkathini zakamuva zesikhathi abanye bayokuwa okholweni, benaka amazwi aphefumulelwe adukisayo nezimfundiso zamademoni.” (1 Thimothewu 4:1) Lawo mazwi ayiqiniso ngempela! Imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo awufi ingenye ‘yezimfundiso zamademoni.’ Ayikho eBhayibhelini kunalokho isekelwe emfundisweni engamanga efundiswa yizinkolo namafilosofi.

Siyajabula thina ngoba uJesu wathi: “Niyolazi iqiniso, futhi iqiniso liyonikhulula.” (Johane 8:32) Uma sifunda iqiniso eliseBhayibhelini siyakhululeka ezimfundisweni nasemikhubeni engamdumisi uNkulunkulu efundiswa izinkolo eziningi emhlabeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iqiniso eliseZwini likaNkulunkulu lisikhulula kuwo wonke amasiko nezinkolelo ezihlobene nokufa.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “ Bakuphi Abafile?”

UMdali wethu wayengasidalelanga ukuba siphile iminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80 nje kuphela emhlabeni bese siyophila phakade kwenye indawo. Wayefuna ukuba abantu baphile phakade khona la emhlabeni futhi bamlalele. Lokho okwakuhloswe uNkulunkulu ngabantu ngeke kubhuntshe futhi kubonisa ukuthi uyasithanda. (Malaki 3:6) Umhubi owayephefumulelwe wasiqinisekisa ngokuthi: “Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.”—IHubo 37:29.