Incwadi YeBhayibhile 63—2 Yohane

Umbhali: Ngumpostile uYohane

Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: E-Efese, okanye kufuphi nalapho

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

1. Kusenokuba yayibhalelwa bani eyesiBini kaYohane?

INCWADI yesibini kaYohane imfutshane—isenokuba yabhalwa kwiphepha elinye elenziwe ngemizi—kodwa inenkcazelo eyakhayo. Ibhalelwe “inkosikazi enyuliweyo nabantwana bayo.” Ekubeni igama elithi “Kyria” (igama lesiGrike elithetha “inkosikazi”) lalikho njengegama lomntu ngelo xesha, bambi abaphengululi beBhayibhile bavakalelwa kukuba kwakubhalelwa umntu othile owayebizwa ngelo gama. Kwelinye icala, bambi bacinga ukuba uYohane wayebhalela ibandla lamaKristu, ebhekisela kulo ‘njengenkosikazi enyuliweyo.’ Oku kwakusenokwenziwa ukuze bangaqondi abatshutshisi. Ukuba kunjalo, imibuliso ‘yodade’ ekhankanywe kwindinyana yokugqibela iya kuba yeyamalungu elinye ibandla. Ngoko incwadi yesibini yayingalungiselelwanga uwonke wonke njengeyokuqala, kuba ngokucacileyo yayibhalelwe umntu othile okanye ibandla elithile.—Indi. 1.

2. (a) Bubuphi ubungqina obalatha ukuba umpostile uYohane wayengumbhali weyesiBini kaYohane? (b) Yintoni ebonisa ukuba le ncwadi yabhalelwa e-Efese okanye kufuphi nalapho, malunga nowama-98 C.E., yaye yintoni exhasa isibakala sokuba iyinyaniso?

² Akukho sizathu sakuthandabuza ukuba le ncwadi yabhalwa nguYohane. Umbhali uzibiza ngokuthi “indoda enkulu.” Ngokuqinisekileyo oku kuyamfanela uYohane kungekuphela nje ngenxa yokuba wayesele ekhulile ngeminyaka kodwa kwakhona ngenxa yokuba, njengomnye ‘weentsika’ (Gal. 2:9) nompostile wokugqibela owayesaphila, enyanisweni ‘wayeyindoda enkulu’ kwibandla lamaKristu. Wayesaziwa gqitha, yaye akukho ndlela yimbi yokuzazisa ababenokuyilindela abo wayebabhalela. Obunye ubungqina bokuba le ncwadi yabhalwa nguye buboniswa kukufana kwesimbo sayo sokubhalwa kunye neso sencwadi yokuqala nencwadi yeVangeli kaYohane. Njengencwadi yokuqala, kubonakala ukuba nayo le ncwadi yesibini yabhalelwa e-Efese okanye kufuphi nalapho, malunga nowama-98 C.E. Ngokuphathelele eyesiBini neyesiThathu kaYohane, iCyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong igqabaza isithi: “Ngenxa yokufana kwazo, sinokufikelela kwisigqibo sokuba ezi ncwadi zimbini zibhalwe kwakamsinya nje emva kweNcwadi yokuQala eyayibhalelwa e-Efese. Zombini zibhekisela kwiimeko ezahlukahlukeneyo zehambo ethe imigaqo yazo yachazwa ngokupheleleyo kwiNcwadi yokuQala.”a Ukuxhasa isibakala sokuba iyinyaniso, le ncwadi icatshulwe nguIrenaeus, wenkulungwane yesibini, yaye yamkelwa nguClement wakwa-Alesandire, owayephila kwangelo xesha linye.b Kwakhona, iincwadi zikaYohane zidwelisiwe kwiMuratorian Fragment.

3. Kwakutheni ukuze uYohane abhale le ncwadi?

³ Njengoko kwakunjalo ngeyokuQala kaYohane, isizathu sokubhalwa kwale ncwadi kukuhlaselwa kokholo lwamaKristu ngabafundisi bobuxoki. UYohane ufuna ukulumkisa abo wayebabhalela ngabantu abanjalo ukuze bakwazi ukubaqonda baze babaphephe, ngoxa beqhubeka behamba enyanisweni, bekwimvisiswano yothando.

OKUQULETHWE YEYESIBINI KAYOHANE

4. Sisiphi isizathu esibangela ukuba uYohane ngokukhethekileyo aluleke ngokuthandana, yaye bamele baphathwe njani abo bagqithayo kwimfundiso kaKristu?

⁴ Thandanani; bamangaleni abawexuki (Indi. 1-13). Emva kokuvakalisa uthando lwakhe lokwenene ‘ngenkosikazi enyuliweyo nabantwana bayo,’ uYohane uvuyiswa kukufumana abanye babo behamba enyanisweni, njengoko oko kungumyalelo kaYise. Uyacela ukuba babonakalise uthando omnye komnye ngokuqhubeka behamba ngokwemithetho kaThixo. Ngokuba ehlabathini kungene abalahlekisi nabachasi-Kristu, abangamvumiyo uYesu Kristu esiza esenyameni. Lowo ugqithayo emfundisweni kaKristu akanaThixo, kodwa lowo uhlalayo emfundisweni yakhe “unaye uYise noNyana.” Nabani na ongazisi yona le mfundiso abamele bamamkele emakhayeni abo, bangambulisi kwaukumbulisa. Zininzi izinto uYohane angababhalela ngazo, kodwa kunoko unethemba lokuza aze athethe nabo ubuso ngobuso, ukuze uvuyo lwabo “luzaliseke.”—Indi. 9, 12.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO

5. (a) Yiyiphi imeko eyavelayo ngomhla kaYohane neye yavela nakumaxesha anamhlanje? (b) NjengoYohane, sinokulubonisa njani uxabiso namhlanje ngomanyano lwebandla?

⁵ Kubonakala ukuba ngomhla kaYohane, njengakumaxesha anamhlanje, kwakukho abathile ababenganelisekanga kukuhlala neemfundiso nje ezilula nezicacileyo ezingoKristu. Babefuna okungakumbi, into eyayiza kubenza bakhukhumale, into eyayiza kubaphakamisa ize ibabeke kudidi lwezithandi-bulumko zehlabathi, yaye babekulungele ukulingcolisa nokulahlula ibandla lamaKristu ukuze banelise iinjongo zabo zokuzingca. UYohane wakuxabisa ukuvisisana kwebandla elalihleli eluthandweni nakwimfundiso elungileyo kuye uYise nakuNyana. Ngokufanayo namhlanje sifanele sigxininise kumanyano lwebandla, de singabi nalunxulumano okanye singababulisi abo bawexukela kwenye imfundiso egqithiseleyo kuleyo efunyanwa kwiZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo. Ngokuqhubeka sihamba ngokwemithetho kaThixo, nangovuyo oluzalisekileyo olufunyanwa kumanyano lwamaKristu okwenyaniso, sinokuqiniseka ukuba ‘kuya kubakho kuthi ubabalo, nenceba, noxolo oluvela kuThixo uYise, nakuYesu Kristu uNyana kaYise, olusekelwe enyanisweni naseluthandweni.’ (Indi. 3) Ngokuqinisekileyo incwadi yesibini kaYohane iyakugxininisa ukusikeleleka kobunye obunjalo bamaKristu.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]