Nasifundza ngekudalwa kwemhlaba encwadzini yaGenesisi, sitfola kutsi Nkulunkulu wayala Adamu umuntfu wekucala watsi: “Ungadla ngekutsandza kwakho tonkhe titselo letilapha ensimini; kodvwa ungasidli sitselo sesihlahla sekwati lokulungile nalokungakalungi, ngobe mhlazana usidla uyakufa nekufa.” (Genesisi 2:16, 17) Lelivesi lisitjela ngalokucacile kutsi kube Adamu walalela umyalo waNkulunkulu abengeke afe kepha abetawuchubeka aphila futsi ahlala ensimini yase-Edeni.

Kuyadzabukisa kutsi esikhundleni sekukhetsa kulalela kuze aphile phakadze, Adamu wakhetsa kungawulaleli umyalo waNkulunkulu wadla sitselo lebekutsiwe bangasidli lasiniketwa ngu-Eva umkakhe. (Genesisi 3:1-6) Imiphumela yalesento sekungalaleli solo iyasitsintsa natsi lamuhla. Umphostoli Pawula wachaza ngalendlela: “Ngemuntfu munye sono sangena eveni, nekufa kwangena ngesono, ngenca yaloko kufa kwasakatekela kubo bonkhe bantfu ngobe bonkhe bonile.” (Roma 5:12) ‘Lomuntfu munye’ lokukhulunywa ngaye ngu-Adamu. Kepha besiyini lesono futsi kungani saletsa kufa?

Adamu wenta sono ngekutsi angamlaleli ngemabomu Nkulunkulu noma ngekwephula umtsetfo wakhe. (1 Johane 3:4) Nkulunkulu watjela Adamu kutsi umphumela wesono kufa. Kube Adamu nesitukulwane sakhe balalela umyalo waNkulunkulu bebangeke babe nesono futsi bebangeke baze bafe. Nkulunkulu akazange adale bantfu kutsi bafe, kepha wabadala kuze baphile phakadze.

 Asingabati kutsi kufa ‘kusakateke kubo bonkhe bantfu’ njengobe kwasho liBhayibheli. Ikhona yini incenye yetfu lechubeka iphila nasesifile? Labanyenti bangatsi ikhona, futsi ibitwa ngekutsi ngumphefumulo. Kodvwa loku bekutawusho kutsi Nkulunkulu wakhuluma emanga ku-Adamu. Kanjani? Nangabe kukhona incenye yetfu lechubeka iphila kulenye indzawo nasifa, kufa ngabe akusiwo umphumela wesono njengobe Nkulunkulu asho. LiBhayibheli litsi: “Nkulunkulu angeke acale emanga.” (Hebheru 6:18) Ecinisweni nguSathane lowacala emanga ngesikhatsi atsi ku-Eva: “Ningeke nife.”​—Genesisi 3:4.

Loku kusenta sitibute kutsi, nangabe imfundziso yemphefumulo longafi ingemanga, vele kwentekani nasifa?

Nayikhuluma ngendalo, incwadzi yaGenesisi itsi: “Nkulunkulu Simakadze wase ubumba umuntfu ngelutfuli lwemhlabatsi, waphefumulela umoya wekuphila emakhaleni akhe; umuntfu wase uba ngumuntfu lophilako.” Inchazelo yemavi latsi ‘umuntfu lophilako’ ihunyushwe itsatselwa egameni lesiHebheru lelitsi ne’phesh, * lelisho “intfo lephilako”​—Genesisi 2:7.

LiBhayibheli likwenta kucace kutsi bantfu abadalwanga banemphefumulo longafi. Esikhundleni saloko, umuntfu ngamunye ‘ungumphefumulo lophilako.’ Kungako noma ungacwaninga kangakanani, ngeke uwutfole umbhalo eBhayibhelini lonemavi latsi “umphefumulo longafi.”

Njengobe liBhayibheli lingasho kutsi bantfu banemphefumulo longafi, kungani tinkholo letinyenti tifundzisa lokwehlukile? Imphendvulo singayitfola kulobekwenteka eGibhithe yasendvulo.

Herodotus, losati semlandvo lesingumGriki lowaphila ngelikhulu lesihlanu B.C.E., watsi bantfu baseGibhithe “baba bekucala kumelela imfundziso yemphefumulo longafi.” Lelinye lisiko lakadzeni lebantfu baseBhabhulona nalo beliyisekela lemfundziso yemphefumulo longafi. Ngesikhatsi Alexander Lomkhulu ancoba iMphumalanga Lesekhatsi nga-332 B.C.E. tati tefilosofi taseGrisi besetiyifundzise bantfu labanyenti lemfundziso futsi ngekushesha yasakateka kuwo wonkhe uMbuso waseGrisi.

Ngelikhulu lekucala C.E., emacembu lamabili emaJuda labitwa ngekutsi ngema-Essene nebaFarisi, afundzisa kutsi umphefumulo uyasindza nakufa umtimba. I-The Jewish Encyclopedia itsi: “EmaJuda atfola inkholelo yemphefumulo longafi kumaGriki nakumafilosofi aPlato.” Ngalokufanako, sati semlandvo sangelikhulu lekucala lesingumJuda, Josephus, satsi lemfundziso beyingakasekelwa emiBhalweni leNgcwele, kepha beyisekelwe “emfundzisweni yebantfu baseGrisi,” lebekayibona iyinganekwane leyakhiwa bantfu.

Njengobe lisiko lemaGriki belichubeka landza, nemaKhristu nawo abese ayayemukela lemfundziso yemanga. Ngekusho kwesati semlandvo Jona Lendering “umbono waPlato wekutsi umphefumulo wake waphila endzaweni lekahle futsi nyalo sewuphila endzaweni lekabi wakwenta kwaba melula kutsi lemfundziso yakhe ingene nakumaKhristu.” Ngako lemfundziso yebuhedeni yekutsi umphefumulo awufi yemukelwa ngemasontfo “ebuKhristu” yaba ngulenye yetimfundziso tawo letisisekelo.

Ngelikhulu lekucala, umphostoli Pawula wecwayisa watsi: “Livi leliphefumulelwe lisho ngalokucacile kutsi etikhatsini letitako labanye batawukuwa ekukholweni, banake tinkhulumo letiphefumulelwe letidukisako kanye netimfundziso temadimoni.” (1 Thimothi 4:1) Kuyabonakala kutsi lamavi abeliciniso. Imfundziso yemphefumulo longafi ingulenye “yetimfundziso temadimoni.” Ayikasekelwa eBhayibhelini futsi yasungulwa tinkholo tebuhedeni takadzeni kanye nemafilosofi.

Kuyajabulisa kutsi Jesu watsi: “Nitawulati liciniso, futsi liciniso litawunikhulula.” (Johane 8:32) Kutfola lwati lolungulonalona lweliBhayibheli kuyasikhulula etimfundzisweni letingamhloniphi Nkulunkulu nasemikhubeni lekhutsatwa tinkholo letinyenti emhlabeni. Ngetulu kwaloko, liciniso leliseVini laNkulunkulu lisikhulula emasikweni nasetinkholelweni letilite letihlobene nekufa.​—Fundza libhokisi lelinesihloko lesitsi, “ Bakuphi Labafile?”

UMdali wetfu abengakahlosi kutsi bantfu baphile iminyaka lengu-70 noma lengu-80 emhlabeni bese bayophila phakadze kulenye indzawo. Injongo yakhe yasekucaleni beyikutsi indalo yakhe lebantfu ihlale phakadze lapha emhlabeni njengebantfwana bakhe labalalelako. Lenjongo yaNkulunkulu iyindlela lakhombisa ngayo kutsi uyabatsandza bantfu futsi kute lokutayivimba kutsi igcwaliseke. (Malakhi 3:6) Umhlabeleli usicinisekisa ngalamavi: “Labalungile bayawudla lifa lemhlaba, bahlale kulo kuze kube phakadze.”​—Tihlabelelo 37:29.