Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-64—3 Johane

Umlobi: Umphostoli uJohane

Yalotshelwa: E-Efesu, noma eduze nakhona

Ukuloba Kwaphela: Cishe ngo-98 C.E.

1. Incwadi yesiThathu kaJohane yalotshelwa bani, futhi yini eyaziwayo ngaye?

LENCWADI ilotshelwe uGayu, umKristu othembekile uJohane amthanda ngempela. Igama elithi Gayu lalivamile ezinsukwini zebandla lokuqala. Livela izikhathi ezine kwezinye izingxenye zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, libhekisela okungenani kubantu abathathu noma mhlawumbe abane abahlukene. (IzE. 19:​29; 20:⁠4; Roma 16:​23; 1 Kor. 1:​14) Akukho ukwaziswa okungabonisa ngokuqinisekisile ukuthi uGayu owalotshelwa uJohane wayeyimuphi phakathi kwalaba abanye. Ukuphela kwento esiyaziyo ngoGayu ukuthi wayeyilungu lebandla lobuKristu, ukuthi wayewumngane okhethekile kaJohane, nokuthi lencwadi yalotshelwa yena ngokuqondile, okungalesosizathu isivumelwano sokukhulunywa naye ngaso sonke isikhathi sivela sisebunyeni.

2. Yini ebonisa umlobi, isikhathi, nendawo yokulotshwa kwencwadi yesiThathu kaJohane?

² Njengoba indlela yokubingelela neyokuvalelisa ifana naleyo esencwadini yesiBili kaJohane nomlobi ephinda ezibiza ngokuthi “ilunga,” akunakuba nakungabaza ngokuthi umphostoli uJohane futhi owabhala lencwadi. (2 Joh. 1) Ukufana kwalokho ezikuqukethe nolimi nakho kusikisela ukuthi yalotshelwa e-Efesu noma eduze nakhona, cishe ngo-98 C.E., njengoba kunjalo ngezinye izincwadi ezimbili. Ngenxa yobufushane bayo, abalobi bokuqala babeyicaphuna ngokwethukela, kodwa iyatholakala ezinhlwini zokuqala zemiBhalo ephefumlelwe ihambisana neyesiBili kaJohane.a

3. Yini uJohane ayizwakalisa ngalencwadi yesiThathu kaJohane, futhi yimuphi umbono othakazelisayo esiwutholayo ngobuzalwane bamaKristu okuqala?

³ Encwadini yakhe uJohane uzwakalisa ukwazisa ngokungenisa izihambi kukaGayu akubonisa abazalwane abajikelezayo, futhi ukhuluma ngokukhathaza kukaDiyotrefe othile ohahayo. UDemetriyu okukhulunywa ngaye kubonakala sengathi nguye owaletha lencwadi kuGayu, ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi wayethunywe uJohane futhi wayezodinga ukuba uGayu amngenise kwakhe ohambweni lwakhe, okuyinto lencwadi okufanele iyiqinisekise. Njengoba kunjalo ngoGayu, akukho lutho esilwaziyo ngoDiyotrefe noDemetriyu ngaphandle kwalokho esikufunda lapha. Nokho, lencwadi inikeza umbono othakazelisayo ngobuzalwane obuseduze bezizwe zonke bamaKristu okuqala. Phakathi kokunye, lobu bahlanganisa umkhuba wokwamukela ngomoya wokungenisa izihambi labo ababejikeleza “ngenxa yeGama,” nakuba labo ababamukelayo bengase bangabazi ngokomuntu siqu.​—⁠Vs. 7.

OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI YESITHATHU KAJOHANE

4. Yini uJohane amncoma ngayo uGayu, yikuphi ukuziphatha okubi akulahlayo, futhi yisiphi iseluleko esinengqondo asinikezayo?

⁴ Umphostoli ululeka ngokungenisa izihambi nangemisebenzi emihle (amav. 1-14). UJohane uyathokoza ukuzwa ukuthi uGayu “u[sa]hamba eqinisweni.” Uyamtusa ngokwenza okuthembekile, okuwukubonisa ukunakekela kothando ngabazalwane abahambelayo. “Thina,” kusho uJohane, “sifanele ukubamukela abanjalo, ukuze sibe-yizisebenzi zeqiniso kanye nabo.” UJohane walobela ibandla ngaphambili, kodwa uDiyotrefe oziphakamisayo akemukeli lutho ngenhlonipho oluvela kuJohane noma kwabanye abaphathiswe imithwalo yemfanelo. UJohane, uma eza, uyombiza ukuba alandise ‘ngokubahleba kwakhe ngamazwi amabi.’ UGayu othandekayo uyalwa ukuba “[a]ngalandeli okubi kodwa okuhle.” UDemetriyu ucashunwa njengesibonelo esitusekayo. Kunokuba alobe ngezinto eziningi, uJohane uthi wethemba ukubona uGayu ngokushesha ubuso nobuso.​—⁠Amav. 4, 8, 10, 11.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO

5. (a) UJohane wazibonakalisa kanjani ewumbonisi oyisibonelo, futhi yimuphi umoya okwakubalulekile ukuwulondoloza? (b) Kungani uJohane ayengagunci kangaka ngokumelene noDiyotrefe? (c) Yini okumelwe siyishisekele namuhla, ngokuvumelana nasiphi isimiso esashiwo uJohane?

⁵ Umphostoli uJohane uzibonakalisa engumbonisi oyisibonelo ngentshiseko yakhe yokuvikela ibandla emathonyeni onakalisayo. Umoya wothando nokungenisa izihambi owawukhona ebandleni wawutuseka, futhi ngempela kwakuyisibopho sabo ukulondoloza lesimo sokujabula, ukuze abazalwane bendawo kanye ‘nabafo’ (abantu ababengaziwa yilowomKristu obangenisile) abafika phakathi kwabo bakwazi ukukhonza ndawonye ‘njengezisebenzi zeqiniso kanye nabo.’ (Amav. 5, 8) Nokho, uDiyotrefe wayenamehlo azidlayo, into ezondekayo kuJehova, futhi wayengalihloniphi igunya elingokwasezulwini, aze ahlebe kabi ngisho nangomphostoli uJohane. (IzAga 6:​16, 17) Wayevimbela umoya webandla wokungenisa izihambi kobuKristu. Akumangalisi ukuthi uJohane wayengagunci kangaka ngokumelene nalobubi futhi ekhuthaza uthando lweqiniso lobuKristu ebandleni. Kumelwe sikushisekele ngokufanayo namuhla ukulondoloza ukuzithoba, ukuhamba eqinisweni, nokubonisa uthando lokwesaba uNkulunkulu nokuphana, ngokuvumelana nesimiso esashiwo uJohane: “Owenza okuhle ungokaNkulunkulu; owenza okubi akambonanga uNkulunkulu.”​—⁠3 Joh. 11.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]