Incwadi YeBhayibhile 62—1 Yohane

Umbhali: Ngumpostile uYohane

Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: E-Efese, okanye kufuphi nalapho

Ukugqitywa Kokubhalwa Kwayo: Malunga nowama-98 C.E.

1. (a) Luluphi uphawu olubalaselisiweyo kwimibhalo kaYohane, ukanti yintoni ebonisa ukuba wayengaqhutywa ziimvakalelo? (b) Kwakutheni ukuze zibe ezi ncwadi zazifike ngexesha elililo?

UYOHANE, umpostile oyintanda kaYesu Kristu, wayenothando olunzulu ngobulungisa. Oku kwamnceda ukuba abe nengqiqo enzulu ngendlela yokucinga kaYesu. Ngoko asothuki kukuba umxholo wothando ubalasele kwimibhalo yakhe. Noko ke, wayengengomntu oqhutywa ziimvakalelo, kuba uYesu wabhekisela kuye njengomnye wabo ‘bangabeendudumo [Bhowanerges].’ (Marko 3:17) Enyanisweni, kukumela inyaniso nobulungisa okwamshukumisela ekubeni abhale ezi ncwadi zakhe zintathu, kuba uwexuko olwaluxelwe kwangaphambili ngumpostile uPawulos lwaluqalisa ukubonakala. Enyanisweni iincwadi ezintathu zikaYohane zazifike ngexesha elililo, kuba zaba luncedo ekomelezeni amaKristu okuqala kumlo wawo onxamnye nokunyebelezela “kongendawo.”—2 Tes. 2:3, 4; 1 Yoh. 2:13, 14; 5:18, 19.

2. (a) Yintoni ebonisa ukuba iincwadi zikaYohane zabhalwa kamva gqitha kunekaMateyu, ekaMarko neencwadi zobuvangeli basemazweni? (b) Kubonakala ukuba ezi ncwadi zabhalwa nini yaye phi?

² Ngokusuka koko zikuquletheyo, kuyabonakala ukuba ezi ncwadi zabakho kwixesha elisemva kakhulu kwelo lencwadi yeVangeli kaMateyu nekaMarko—kwakhona, kwanasemva kweencwadi zobuvangeli basemazweni zikaPetros noPawulos. Amaxesha ayeguqukile. Akuthethwa nto ngobuYuda, obabusisisongelo esikhulu emabandleni ngoxa ayesandul’ ukumiselwa; yaye akubonakali kukho nesibhalo esinye esicatshulwe ngokungqalileyo kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere. Kwelinye icala, uYohane uthetha ‘ngelixa lokugqibela’ nokuvela ‘kwabachasi-Kristu abaninzi.’ (1 Yoh. 2:18) Ubhekisela kwabo wayebabhalela ngamabinzana anjengelithi “bantwanana bam” nakuye siqu ngokuthi “indoda enkulu.” (1 Yoh. 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21; 2 Yoh. 1; 3 Yoh. 1) Konke oku kubonisa ukuba ezi ncwadi zakhe zintathu zabhalwa mva. Kwakhona, eyoku-1 kaYohane 1:3, 4 ibonakala ibonisa ukuba incwadi yeVangeli kaYohane yabhalwa phantse ngexesha elinye. Ngokuqhelekileyo kukholelwa ukuba ezi ncwadi zintathu zikaYohane zagqitywa malunga nowama-98 C.E., ngaphambi nje kokufa kwalo mpostile, yaye zabhalelwa kwingingqi yase-Efese.

3. (a) Yintoni ebubungqina ngombhali nokuba yinyaniso kweyokuQala kaYohane? (b) Yiyiphi inkcazelo eyongezelelwa kamva, kodwa yintoni engqina ukuba asiyoyokwenyaniso?

³ Isibakala sokuba eyokuQala kaYohane enyanisweni yabhalwa nguYohane umpostile sibonakaliswa kukufana kwayo okusondeleyo nencwadi yesine yeVangeli, ekungathandabuzekiyo ukuba yabhalwa nguye. Ngokomzekelo, uyitshayelela le ncwadi ngokuzichaza njengengqina lokuzibonela eliye labona ‘ilizwi labo ubomi, ubomi obungunaphakade, bona obo bebukuye uYise, baza babonakaliswa kuthi,’ mazwi lawo afana ngokumangalisayo nalawo entshayelelo yencwadi yeVangeli kaYohane. Ubunyaniso bayo bungqinwa yiMuratorian Fragment nangababhali bamandulo abanjengoIrenaeus, uPolycarp noPapias, bonke abangabenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.a Ngokutsho kukaEusebius (malunga nowama-260-342 C.E.), ubunyaniso beyokuQala kaYohane abuzange buthandatyuzwe.b Noko ke, kumele kuqondwe ukuba iinguqulelo zangaphambilana ziye kwisahluko 5 zongezelela la mazwi alandelayo ekupheleni kwendinyana 7 nasekuqaleni kwendinyana 8: “Emazulwini: uYise, noLizwi, noMoya oyiNgcwele; abo bathathu banye. Bathathu abo bangqinayo emhlabeni.” (IBhayibhile yesiXhosa) Kodwa le ndinyana ayikho kuyo nayiphi na imibhalo-ngqangi yesiGrike yamandulo yaye ngokucacileyo iye yongezelelwa ukuxhasa imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye. Inkoliso yeenguqulelo zakutshanje, eyamaKatolika neyamaProtestanti, aziwaquki la mazwi kwisiqu sesi sibhalo.—1 Yoh. 1:1, 2.c

4. UYohane ufuna ukukhusela amaKristu angoowabo nxamnye nabani, yaye ziziphi iimfundiso zobuxoki azichasayo?

⁴ UYohane ubhalela ukuze akhusele abo “baziintanda,” ‘abantwanana bakhe,’ kwiimfundiso eziphosakeleyo ‘zabachasi-Kristu abaninzi’ eziye zangena phakathi kwabo nezizama ukubalukuhlela ekubeni bayilahle inyaniso. (2:7, 18) Aba bachasi-Kristu abangabawexuki basenokuba babephenjelelwe yintanda-bulumko yamaGrike, kuquka nobuGnostiki bamandulo, obabunabalandeli ababezibanga benolwazi olukhethekileyo noluyimfihlelo oluvela kuThixo.d Emelene ngokuqinileyo nowexuko, uYohane uthetha ngokubanzi ngeengongoma ezintathu: isono, uthando nomchasi-Kristu. Ingxelo yakhe ngesono, nexhasa idini likaYesu ngenxa yezono, ibonisa ukuba aba bachasi-Kristu babengamalungisa kwawabo amehlo besithi abanasono yaye babengalifuni nganto idini lentlawulelo likaYesu. “Ulwazi” lwabo lokuziphakamisa lwabenza bazingca baza baphelelwa luthando, meko leyo uYohane ayibhencayo njengoko eqhubeka egxininisa kuthando lokwenyaniso lobuKristu. Ngaphezu koko, kubonakala ukuba uYohane uyayichasa imfundiso yabo yobuxoki njengoko ecacisa ukuba uYesu unguKristu, ukuba wayekhe waphila ngaphambi kokuba ngumntu, nokuba weza esenyameni njengoNyana kaThixo ukuze asindise abakholwayo. (1:7-10; 2:1, 2; 4:16-21; 2:22; 1:1, 2; 4:2, 3, 14, 15) UYohane ubabiza ngokuphandle aba bafundisi bobuxoki ngokuthi ‘ngabachasi-Kristu,’ yaye unikela iindlela eziliqela abanokuthi abantwana bakaThixo nabantwana bakaMtyholi baqondwe ngayo.—2:18, 22; 4:3.

5. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba eyokuQala kaYohane yayilungiselelwa ibandla lamaKristu liphela?

⁵ Ekubeni kungabhalelwa bandla lithile likhethekileyo, kubonakala ukuba le ncwadi yayilungiselelwe umanyano lwamaKristu lulonke. Ukungabikho kombuliso ekuqaleni nasekupheleni kwayo nako bekuya kwalatha oku. Bambi baye bawuchaza lo mbhalo njengoxubusha iinyaniso nemigaqo ethile kunokuba ibe yincwadi. Ukusetyenziswa kwesakhi sesininzi kuyo yonke le ncwadi (njengoko kuboniswe ngo-“you” obhalwe ngoonobumba abakhulu kwiNew World Translation) kubonisa ukuba umbhali wayewabhekisa amazwi akhe kwiqela labantu kunokuba abhekise kumntu omnye.

OKUQULETHWE YEYOKUQALA KAYOHANE

6. UYohane wenza wuphi umahluko phakathi kwabo bahamba ekukhanyeni nabo basebumnyameni?

⁶ Ukuhamba ekukhanyeni, kungekhona ebumnyameni (1:1–2:29). UYohane uthi, “Ezo zinto sinibhalela ukuze uvuyo [“lwethu,” NW] luzaliseke.” Ekubeni ‘uThixo ekukukhanya,’ kuphela ngabo ‘bahamba ekukhanyeni abanobudlelane naye’ kwakunye nomnye komnye. Aba bahlanjululwe esonweni ‘ngegazi likaYesu, uNyana wakhe.’ Kwelinye icala, abo ‘bahamba ebumnyameni’ baze bathi, “Asinasono,” bayazikhohlisa, yaye inyaniso ayikho kubo. Ukuba bayazivuma izono zabo, uThixo uya kuthembeka kubo aze abaxolele.—1:4-8.

7. (a) Umntu ubonisa njani ukuba uyamazi yaye uyamthanda uThixo? (b) Ufaniswa njani umchasi-Kristu?

⁷ UYesu Kristu ubizwa njengalowo “usisicamagushelo” sezono, lowo ‘unguMthetheleli kuye uYise.’ Lowo uthi uyamazi uThixo kodwa engayigcini imithetho Yakhe ulixoki. Lowo umthandayo umzalwana wakhe uhleli ekukhanyeni, kodwa lowo umthiyileyo umzalwana wakhe uhamba ebumnyameni. UYohane unikela isiluleko esinamandla sokungalithandi ihlabathi okanye izinto ezisehlabathini, kuba uthi: “Ukuba kukho othi alithande ihlabathi, uthando lukaYise alukho kuye.” Kukho abachasi-Kristu abaninzi, yaye baye “baphuma kuthi,” kuba “babengengabo abethu,” uchaza esitsho uYohane. Umchasi-Kristu ngulowo ukhanyelayo ukuba uYesu unguKristu. Ukhanyela uYise noNyana. ‘Abantwanana’ mabahlale koko bakufundileyo kwasekuqaleni ukuze ‘bahlale kuye uNyana, nakuye uYise,’ ngokwentambiso abayamkela kuye, leyo eyinyaniso.—2:1, 2, 15, 18, 19, 24.

8. (a) Yintoni eyahlula abantwana bakaThixo kwabo bakaMtyholi? (b) ‘Abantwanana’ baye balwazi njani uthando, yaye luluphi uhlolisiso abamele bangayeki ukulwenza ezintliziyweni zabo?

⁸ Abantwana bakaThixo abasenzi isono (3:1-24). Ngenxa yothando lukaYise, babizwa ngokuba “ngabantwana bakaThixo,” yaye ekutyhilekeni kukaThixo baya kuba njengaye baze ‘bambone njengokuba enjalo.’ Isono sikukuchasana nomthetho, yaye abo bahlala bekuKristu abasenzi. Lowo uqhubeka esona ungokaMtyholi, omisebenzi yakhe aya kuyibhangisa uNyana kaThixo. Ngaloo ndlela uzicacele umahluko phakathi kwabantwana bakaThixo nabantwana bakaMtyholi: AbangabakaThixo bayathandana, kodwa abo bongendawo banjengoKayin, owamthiyayo waza wambulala umntakwabo. UYohane uxelela ‘abantwanana’ ukuba balwazile uthando ‘kuba yena wabancamela ubomi bakhe,’ yaye uyabaluleka ukuba ‘bangazivaleli iimfesane zabo’ kubazalwana babo. ‘Mabangathandi ngamazwi nangamlomo, kodwa mabathande ngezenzo nangenyaniso.’ Ukufumanisa enoba ‘bangabenyaniso kusini na,’ bafanele bazihlole iintliziyo zabo baze babone enoba ‘benza izinto ezikholekileyo emehlweni kaThixo’ kusini na. Bamele bayigcine imithetho yakhe ‘bakholwe kwigama loNyana wakhe uYesu Kristu baze bathandane.’ Ngaloo ndlela baya kwazi ukuba bahleli kuye, naye unabo ngokomoya.—3:1, 2, 16-19, 22, 23.

9. (a) Bamele bacikidwe njani oomoya? (b) Yintoni egxininisa imfanelo esinayo yokuthandana?

⁹ Ukuthandana sikuThixo (4:1–5:21). Oomoya bamele bacikidwe. Abo moya bangamvumiyo uKristu ukuba weza esenyameni ‘abangabo abakaThixo,’ kodwa ngabomchasi-Kristu. Baphuma ehlabathini yaye bakulo, kodwa umoya wenyaniso uvela kuThixo. UYohane uthi: “UThixo uluthando,” yaye “uthando lulapha, ingekukuba samthandayo uThixo thina, ikukuba wasithandayo yena, wamthuma uNyana wakhe ukuba abe sisicamagushelo sezono zethu.” Ngoko, enjani ukuba nkulu imfanelo esinayo yokuba sithandane! Abo babathandayo abanye uThixo uhleli kubo, yaye ngaloo ndlela uthando luye lwenziwa lwagqibelela ngokuthi babe “nokungafihlisi,” belulahla phandle uloyiko. UYohane uthi: “Thina siyamthanda, ngokuba yena wasithanda kuqala.” ‘Lowo umthandayo uThixo, ufanele amthande nomzalwana wakhe.’—4:3, 8, 10, 17, 19, 21.

10. (a) Abantwana bakaThixo banokuloyisa njani ihlabathi, yaye yiyiphi intembelo abanayo? (b) Sisiphi isimo sengqondo abamele babe naso ngesono nangokukhonza izithixo?

¹⁰ Ukubonakalisa uthando njengabantwana bakaThixo kuthetha ukuyigcina imithetho yakhe, yaye oku kuphumela ekuloyiseni ihlabathi, ngokholo. Ngokuphathelele abo bakholwayo kuNyana kaThixo, uThixo unikela ubungqina bokuba Yena wabanika “ubomi obungunaphakade; baye obo bomi bukuye uNyana wakhe.” Ngaloo ndlela, basenokuqiniseka ukuba uya kubeva enoba yintoni na abayicelayo ngokokuthanda kwakhe. Konke ukungalungisi kusisono, ukanti kukho isono esingasingisi kufeni. Bonke abazelwe nguThixo abakwenzi isiqhelo ukwenza isono. Nangona “ihlabathi liphela lilele kongendawo . . . , uNyana kaThixo ufikile,” yaye uye wabanika abalandeli bakhe “ingqondo” ukuze bazuze ulwazi ngoThixo oyinyaniso, abahleli kuye ngoku ‘ngoNyana wakhe uYesu Kristu.’ Bakwamele bazigcine kwizithixo!—5:11, 19, 20.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO

11. AmaKristu namhlanje anokumelana njani nabachasi-Kristu neminqweno yehlabathi?

¹¹ Kanye njengokuba kwakunjalo ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, nanamhlanje kukho “abachasi-Kristu abaninzi” amele alunyukiswe ngabo amaKristu okwenyaniso. La maKristu okwenyaniso amele ahlale ‘kwintshumayelo awayivayo kwasekuqaleni, athandane,’ aze ahlale kuThixo nakwimfundiso eyinyaniso, esenza ubulungisa ngokungafihlisi. (2:18; 3:11; 2:27-29) Kwakhona okona kubalulekileyo sisilumkiso esinxamnye ‘nenkanuko yenyama, nenkanuko yamehlo, nokuqhayisa kukabani ngobuncwane bakhe,’ abo bathanda izinto eziphathekayo, ubungendawo behlabathi obuye bayigubungela inkoliso yabo bathi bangamaKristu. AmaKristu okwenyaniso aya kuzinxwema ehlabathini nakwiminqweno yalo, esazi ukuba “owenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.” Kule mihla yenkanuko engokwehlabathi, yomoya wamahlelo neyentiyo, enyanisweni, okunjani kona ukuba yingenelo ukufundisisa ukuthanda kukaThixo ngokusebenzisa iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo nokwenza kanye oko akuthandayo!—2:15-17.

12. Nguwuphi umahluko eyokuQala kaYohane ewenzayo ukusinceda, yaye sinokuloyisa njani ihlabathi?

¹² EyokuQala kaYohane iyingenelo kuthi kuba iwenza ucace umahluko phakathi kokukhanya okuvela kuYise nobunyama obuyitshabalalisayo inyaniso obuvela kongendawo, umahluko phakathi kweemfundiso zikaThixo ezinik’ ubomi nobuxoki obukhohlisayo bomchasi-Kristu, umahluko phakathi kothando olwesameleyo kulo lonke ibandla labo bahleli kuYise nakuNyana nentiyo ebulalayo enjengekaKayin ekwabo “baphuma kuthi . . . ukuze babonakale, ukuba bonke babengengabo abethu.” (2:19; 1:5-7; 2:8-11, 22-25; 3:23, 24, 11, 12) Sakuba sikwazile oku, kufanele kube ngumnqweno wethu onamandla ‘ukuloyisa ihlabathi.’ Yaye sinokukwenza njani oku? Ngokuba nokholo olomeleleyo ‘nangokumthanda uThixo,’ nto leyo ethetha ukuyigcina imithetho yakhe.—5:3, 4.

13. (a) Uthando lukaThixo lubalaseliswa njani njengamandla abonakalayo? (b) AmaKristu afanele abe nothando olunjani, nto leyo ephumela kuluphi umanyano?

¹³ “Ukusithanda kukaThixo”—enjani yona ukumangalisa indlela abalaseliswe ngayo la mandla ashukumisayo kuyo yonke le ncwadi! Kwisahluko 2 sifunda umahluko ocacileyo owenziwa phakathi kothando lwehlabathi nothando lukaYise. Kamva kutsalelwa ingqalelo yethu ekubeni “uThixo uluthado.” (4:8, 16) Yaye enjani yona indlela olubonakaliswe ngokoqobo ngayo olu thando! Lwabonakaliswa ngokubalaseleyo ngokuthi uYise athumele “uNyana ukuba nguMsindisi wehlabathi.” (4:14) Oku kufanele kufake ezintliziyweni zethu uxabiso, uthando olungenaloyiko, ngokuvisisana namazwi alo mpostile athi: “Thina siyamthanda, ngokuba yena wasithanda kuqala.” (4:19) Uthando lwethu lufanele lube njengolo lukaYise noNyana—uthando lokoqobo nolokuzincama. Kanye njengokuba uYesu wabuncama ubomi bakhe ngenxa yethu, ngoko “sifanele ukubuncamela abazalwana ubomi bethu,” ewe, sizivule iimfesane zethu ukuze sibathande abazalwana bethu, kungengamazwi kuphela, kodwa “ngezenzo nangenyaniso.” (3:16-18) Njengoko incwadi kaYohane ibonisa ngokucacileyo ngolo hlobo, lolu thando, ndawonye nolwazi oluyinyaniso ngoThixo, olumanyanisa abo bahamba noThixo kumanyano olungenakuqhawulwa noYise noNyana. (2:5, 6) Kukwiindlalifa zoBukumkani ezikolu manyano lothando lusikelelekileyo uYohane athi kuzo: “Sikuye ke oyinyaniso, kuye uNyana wakhe uYesu Kristu. Nguye lo uThixo oyinyaniso, nobomi obungunaphakade.”—5:20.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]