Ubatizo ndi chiyani?
Ndiko kuyeretsedwa kwauzimu ndi madzi.
Kubatizidwa ndiko kubadwanso mwatsopano, kulandira chisomo choyeretsa, umene ndi mphatso ya Mulungu ya moyo wauzimu. Yesu anaulula kugwirizana pakati pa chikhulupiriro ndi ubatizo, pamene ankaphunzitsa, “Iye amene akhulupirira nabatizidwa adzapulumutsidwa; koma amene sakhulupirira adzalangidwa” (onani Uthenga Wabwino wa Marko, 16:16). “Zoonadi, moona, Ine ndinena kwa inu,” Iye akulengeza, “Pokhapokha ngati munthu sabadwa za madzi ndi Mzimu, sakhoza kulowa mu ufumu wa Mulungu” (Onani Yohane 3:5; kutsindika anawonjezera).
Yesu Mwiniwake, ngakhale opanda uchimo, anabatizidwa ndi Yohane Woyera pachiyambi cha utumiki Wake wapoyera; onani Uthenga Wabwino wa Mateyu, 3:13. Zindikirani: Yesu anali wopanda uchimo chifukwa anali wathunthu-Mulungu ndi munthu yense. Ndi chakale, osati zomalizira zomwe ziri zofunika. Chifukwa chakuti iye anali wathunthu—Mulungu maganizo ake ndi zochita zake zinayenera kukhala–mwa kutanthauzira munthu akhoza kunena–mofanana ndi Mulungu. (Iye anali Mulungu, izi zili choncho.)
Choncho, chifukwa chiyani anafunikira kubatizidwa? Iye sanatero, koma monga Ambrose Woyera wa ku Milan anafotokozera m’zaka za zana lachinayi, “Ambuye anabatizidwa, osati kuti adziyeretse Yekha koma kuyeretsa madzi, kotero kuti madzi amenewo, oyeretsedwa ndi thupi la Khristu lomwe silinadziwa tchimo, kukhala ndi mphamvu ya Ubatizo” (Ndemanga pa Uthenga Wabwino wa Luka 2:83).
Asanakwere kumwamba, Yesu anabwereza uthenga wake kwa Atumwi, “Chifukwa chake mukani, phunzitsani anthu a mitundu yonse;, ndi kuwabatiza iwo m’dzina la Atate, ndi la Mwana, ndi la Mzimu Woyera, kuwaphunzitsa kusunga zonse zimene ndinakulamulirani inu” (onani Mateyu 28:19-20).
Patapita masiku angapo, pa Pentekosite, Petro Woyera akulankhula kwa khamu la anthu. Pamapeto pa ulaliki wake, akufunsidwa, “Titani?
Peter akuyankha, “Lapani, ndipo batizidwani yense wa inu m’dzina la Yesu Khristu kuloza ku chikhululukiro cha machimo anu; ndipo mudzalandira mphatso ya Mzimu Woyera. Pakuti lonjezano liri kwa inu, ndi kwa ana anu, ndi kwa onse akutali, aliyense amene Yehova Mulungu wathu adzamuitana” (Machitidwe a Atumwi, 2:38-39).
Za Mpingo wa Atumwi, Ubatizo unali khomo la moyo wa chikhristu (onani Machitidwe 8:12, 38; 9:18; 10:48). Kuphatikiza apo, mu Machitidwe 8:37, mdindo wa ku Aitiopiya, atalandira Uthenga Wabwino kuchokera kwa Filipo Woyera, limasonyeza chikhumbo cha Ubatizo. Momwemonso, mu Machitidwe 16:33, Paulo ndi Sila akubatiza woyang’anira ndende wa ku Filipi ndi banja lake ‘mofulumira. Kufotokoza za kutembenuka kwake, Paulo akukumbukira kuti Hananiya anamuuza, “Ndipo tsopano mukudikiriranji?? Nyamuka, batizidwa, ndi kutsuka machimo anu, kutchula dzina lake” (Machitidwe 22:16). Paulo anauza Aefeso kuti: “Kristu anakonda Eklesia, nadzipereka yekha m’malo mwake, kuti akhoza muyeretse iye, atamuyeretsa ndi kumsambitsa madzi ndi mawu” (Kalata ya Paulo kwa Aefeso, 5:25-26; kutsindika anawonjezera). Mu zake Kalata yopita kwa Tito, Paulo analemba kuti timapulumutsidwa “ndi kubadwanso kwatsopano.”
Zolemba zakale za chikhristu zimatsimikizira kubadwanso mwa ubatizo wa madzi. Pafupifupi chaka 150, Mwachitsanzo, Justin Woyera anati amene ankayenera kubatizidwa “ amabweretsedwa ndi ife kumene kuli madzi, ndipo timabadwanso monga momwe ife tinabadwanso mwatsopano. … Pakutinso Khristu ananena, ‘Pokhapokha munthu atabadwa mwatsopano, sadzalowa mu Ufumu wa Kumwamba’ (Yohane 3:3)” (Kupepesa Kwambiri 61).
Pafupifupi chaka 200, Saint Clement waku Alexandria analemba, “Pamene timabatizidwa, tawalitsidwa. Kuwunikiridwa, tatengedwa ngati ana aamuna. Anatengedwa ngati ana aamuna, tinapangidwa angwiro. Kupangidwa mwangwiro, takhala osakhoza kufa. … Ndi kusambitsidwa kumene timayeretsedwa ku machimo…” (Mlangizi wa Ana 1:6:26:1, 2). Pafupifupi 217, Hippolytus Woyera wa ku Roma analankhula za kubwera kwa Khristu ku dziko lapansi “ndi kuwonetseredwa kwake mwa ubatizo., ndi kubadwa mwatsopano kumene kunayenera kwa anthu onse, ndi kukonzanso kwa beseni” (Nkhani ya Kutha kwa Dziko 1). Pafupifupi 250, Saint Cyprian waku Carthage adawululidwa, “Pamene banga la moyo wanga wakale litakokoloka ndi madzi obadwanso mwatsopano, kuwala kochokera kumwamba kunadzitsanulira kokha pa mtima wanga wolangidwa ndipo tsopano woyera; pambuyo pake mwa Mzimu wouzira kuchokera kumwamba, kubadwa kachiwiri kunandipanga ine munthu watsopano” (Kalata yopita kwa Donatus 4).
Onani kuti Sakramenti la Ubatizo limafaniziridwa mu Chipangano Chakale chonse. Mu Genesis 1:2, kwalembedwa kuti pa Chilengedwe, “Mzimu wa Mulungu … ukuyenda pamwamba pa madzi,” ndi chigumula chakale chimene chinayeretsa dziko lapansi ndi mafanizo a ubatizo. Monga Petro Woyera analembera, “M’masiku a Nowa, pakumanga chingalawa… ochepa, kuti, anthu asanu ndi atatu, anapulumutsidwa ndi madzi. Ubatizo, zomwe zimagwirizana ndi izi, tsopano akupulumutsa, osati monga kuchotsa litsiro la thupi, koma monga pempho la kwa Mulungu la chikumbumtima choyera;, mwa kuuka kwa Yesu Khristu” (onani kalata yoyamba ya Petro, 3:20-21; kutsindika anawonjezera).
Malangizo a mneneri Elisa kwa Namani kazembe wankhondo wa ku Suriya, amene adadza kwa Iye kufuna machiritso a khate lake, amaloza ku kubadwanso kwa ubatizo. “Pita ukasambe mu Yorodano kasanu ndi kawiri,” mneneriyo anamuuza, “ndipo thupi lako lidzabwezeretsedwa, ndipo mudzakhala oyera” (onani Bukhu Lachiwiri la Mafumu 5:10 ndi Levitiko, 14:7). Monga akulembera mu kalata yake yoyamba kwa Akorinto (10:2), Paulo Woyera akuwona zithunzi za Ubatizo mumtambo wamoto ndi utsi umene unatsagana ndi Aisrayeli m’chipululu ndi m’madzi a Nyanja Yofiira amene anadutsamo.. (Akulankhulanso za mwambo wa Pangano Lakale la mdulidwe monga kalambulabwalo wa Ubatizo mu Kalata yake kwa Akolose. (2:11-12).