Umphostoli UPetru Ukhuluma Nawe

AKULULA namuhla ukuba umKristu. Kunokucindezela okuningi. Kwamanye amazwe uMbuso uzama ukusiphoqelela ukuba senze izinto ezimelene nonembeza wobuKristu. Amakhosikazi amaningi angamaKristu anamadoda angakholwa. Abantu abasha bakhangwa ubucwazicwazi no“kuhlakanipha” kwezwe. Futhi, ngemva kokulinda amashumi amaningi eminyaka, abanye kungenzeka sebeyazibuza: ‘Ingabe iArmagedoni iyoke ifike?’

Uma ubhekana nezinkinga ezinjengalezi—futhi yimuphi umKristu ongabhekani nazo?—izincwadi ezimbili eBhayibhelini ezabhalwa umphostoli uPetru zikhuluma ngokuqondile nawe. UPetru wabhalela amabandla osukwini lwakhe cishe ngaphezu kancane kweminyaka engama-30 ngemva kokufa kukaJesu. Kodwa izinkinga amaKristu abhekana nazo azishintshanga kakhulu emakhulwini eminyaka. Iseluleko uPetru asinikeza siyasebenza manje njengoba sasinjalo ngalesosikhathi. Futhi wayekufanelekela kahle ukunikeza iseluleko esinjalo.

Umelusi Ofanelekayo

Ngokufunda umlando weVangeli nencwadi yezEnzo, sifunda okuningi ngomdobi waseGalile owaba umphostoli uPetru. Ubonakala engumuntu onomusa. Kwakungekho nokuncane ukungabaza ngokuthembeka kwakhe kuJesu, kodwa wayenamawala futhi ngezinye izikhathi wenza amaphutha. Mhlawumbe singaqaphela okuthile kithi ngezinye zezehlakalo zikaPetru.

Ngokwesibonelo, khumbula ukusabela kukaPetru lapho ebona uJesu ehamba phezu kwamanzi. Ngenjabulo naye wafuna ukuhamba phezu kwamanzi. Kodwa lapho ebona ukuthi ukuphi wesaba futhi kwadingeka ukuba asindiswe. Khumbula, futhi, isikhathi lapho uPetru ngenkani ephikelela ukuthi wayengeke akhubeke. Kodwa ngamahora ambalwa kamuva waphika uJesu kathathu.—Mathewu 14:23-34; 26:33, 34, 69-75.

Nokho, umlobi walezincwadi ezimbili zeBhayibheli washintsha kusukela ekutholeni amazwi kaJesu aqinile: “Buyela emva kwami, Sathane; uyisikhubekiso kimi.” (Mathewu 16:23) Lona umphostoli owanikwa uJesu umsebenzi: “Yipha izimvu zami.” (Johane 21:17) Ezincwadini zikaPetru sithola indoda eye yalungiswa okuhlangenwe nakho kweminyaka engaphezu kwama-30 ngoku‘pha izimvu.’

Ngakho-ke lapho sifunda ngeseluleko sakhe, “Thandanani ngokupheleleyo omunye nomunye ngenhliziyo,” singakhumbula ukuthi kwakunguye umphostoli owabuza uJesu: ‘Umfowethu uyakungona kangaki, ngimthethelela, na? Kuze kube-kasikhombisa na?’ Manje, uPetru wayesazi ukuthi akukho silinganiso othandweni lobuKristu oluboniswa omunye nomunye. (1 Petru 1:22; Mathewu 18:21) Futhi lapho enxusa amaKristu akanye nawo ukuba ‘azithibe, ukuze akhuleke,’ siyabona ukuthi wayefunde isifundo esinamandla kusukela ngalobobusuku obunzima eGetsemane lapho uJesu eshiya abaphostoli bethandaza futhi ebuya ebathola belele.—1 Petru 4:7; Luka 22:39-46.

Yebo, umdobi waseGalile wayesengumelusi ofaneleka kahle. Futhi, njengoba ayephefumlelwe ngomoya ongcwele, ukwelusa kwakhe kuyinzuzo ezinsukwini zethu njengoba kwakunjalo nangezakhe. Cabangela ezinye zezeluleko zakhe.

Yazisa Ukholo

Ekhulwini lokuqala izwe lamaJuda lalikhanga futhi linamandla. Kwakubalulekile ngamaKristu ukuba angayengwa ubucwazicwazi bezwe noma aphoqelelwe ekubeni ahlubuke ngenxa yokucindezela kwalo. Ngakho uPetru uqala ngokuyala abafundi bakhe ukuba ‘babophe izinkalo zengqondo yabo, bazithibe.’ (1 Petru 1:13) Kanjani? Ngokuba nokwazisa okuhle ngamalungelo ababewajabulela.

UPetru wabakhumbuza ukuthi abaprofethi bakudala futhi ngisho nezingelosi zazinesithakazelo esikhulu ezintweni uNkulunkulu ayezembule kumaKristu. Wabonisa ukuthi babebusiswe kakhulu kanjani: bethengwe ngegazi likaJesu Kristu, bazalwa nenzalo engabonakali ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu elihlala njalo futhi benziwa “uhlanga olukhethiweyo, ubupristi obobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abazuziweyo.” (1 Petru 2:9) Kumelwe bakhumbule ukuthi babengobani: abafokazi ezweni elingamesabi uNkulunkulu—abantu abajabulela umusa omkhulu kaJehova uNkulunkulu.

Namuhla, lelozwe lasendulo selimane liyinkumbulo. Kodwa sisalokhu siphila ezweni elingamesabi uNkulunkulu lelo elisiyengayo ngezilingo zalo noma elisiphazamisayo ngokucindezela kwalo. Iseluleko sikaPetru sisasebenza. Akumelwe silahlekelwe umbono walokho esinakho. Ukuze sigweme ukuba singahlulwa izinzuzo zobugovu nethonya lezwe lanamuhla, kufanele [silangazelele] ubisi olungokomoya olungenakonakala, ukuze sikhule ngalo kube ukusindiswa.’—1 Petru 2:2.

Ukujabula Naphezu Kwezinkinga

Ukuphila kwethu ezweni elingamesabi uNkulunkulu ngokuvamile kuphakamisa izinkinga, njengoba kwaba njalo ngosuku lukaPetru. Izimo ezintathu azithintayo yilezi (1) umthwalo wemfanelo womKristu kuHulumeni, (2) ubuhlobo besisebenzi esingumKristu nomqashi waso (3) nokuzithoba komfazi ongumKristu esiza indoda engakholwa.

Emuva lapho, imibuzo enjalo yayiyindaba yokuphila nokufa. Ababusi ngokuvamile babenegunya lokuhlupha noma lokubulala izakhamuzi ezingesiwo amaRoma. Izigqila zendlu zazingeke zenze lutho uma ziphathwa kabi ngabaninizo. Amakhosikazi ayeyimpahla yamadoda awo, enamalungelo ambalwa.

Namuhla, amaKristu asenobunzima ekuphathaneni no”Kesari” noma abaqashi bawo, ngisho nakuba isimo singafani ncimishí nesobuhlobo bomqashi nesigqila. Futhi amakhosikazi amaningi angamaKristu anamadoda angakholwa abhekana nezinkinga ezinkulu. Khona-ke iseluleko somphostoli uPetru sisiza kakhulu. Uthini?

Kafushane, usicebisa ukuba sikhumbule izinto ezintathu. Okokuqala, sidinga umbono ofanelekile wokuzithoba—sonke kumelwe sizithobe kuhulumeni, izisebenzi kumelwe zilalele abaqashi bazo namakhosikazi kumelwe ahlo niphe futhi alalele amadoda awo. Khona-ke, indlela esiziphatha ngayo kumelwe ibonise abangakholwa ukuthi ubuKristu buyindlela engcono yokuphila. (1 Petru 3:1; 4:15) Okokugcina, kumelwe sigcine unembeza omuhle phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu, ngaso sonke isikhathi sikulungele ukuchaza ngendlela yokuthobeka isizathu sezenzo zethu.—1 Petru 3:15, 16.

Ingabe lokhu kuyoxazulula zonke izinkinga zethu? UPetru wayazi ukuthi kwakungeke. Kukhona isikhathi lapho izwe lifuna ngenkani izinto umKristu angeke azamukele. Ngalokho, singase sihlupheke ngenxa yokulunga. Kodwa, uPetru uthi, “kuyabongeka lokho, uma umuntu ngenxa kanembeza ngakuNkulunkulu ethwala izinsizi, ehlushwa ngokungafanele.”—1 Petru 2:19.

Eqinisweni, ukuhlupheka ngenxa yokulunga, uma kubhekwa ngokufanelekile, kuyimbangela yokujabula. UPetru wayekwazi lokhu ngokuhlangenwe nakho koqobo. Eminyakeni eminingi engaphambili wabhaxabulwa ngenxa yokholo lwakhe. Kamuva, yena nayehlupheka nabo “basuka . . . bethokoza, ngokuba bebefanele ukudunyazwa ngenxa yalelbgama.” (IzEnzo 5:41) Ngakho, manje ubhalela amaKristu ashushiswayo: “Njengalokhu ningabahlanganyeli bezinhlupheko zikaKristu, thokozani.”—1 Petru 4:12, 13.

UPetru watshela abazalwane ukuthi, ngempela, babeqeqeshwa uJehova. Wathi: “Ngalokho zithobeni phansi kwesandla sikaNkulunkulu esinamandla.” Wabatshela ukuba bathandane nokuthi abadala kumelwe beluse amabandla ngezisusa eziqondile. Futhi ngokushesha, wathembisa, “kepha uNkulunkulu womusa wonke . . . yena uqobo uyakuniphelelisa, aniqinise aninike amandla, anisekele.”—1 Petru 5:1-3, 6, 10.

Ingabe lesiseluleko asisona esesikhathi esifanele manje njengoba kwakunjalo ngalesosikhathi? Ingabe akunjengokungathi uPetru wayekhuluma nawe ngokuqondile? Ake ucabange ukuthi sawaqinisa kanjani amaKristu emuva osukwini lukaPetru. Kodwa ngokushesha umphostoli osekhulile kwadingeka ukuba abhale incwadi yesibili ukuba axwayise ngengozi yezimfundiso zenkohliso kubazalwane bakhe.

Ukubhekana Nengozi Yezimfundiso Zenkohliso

Kulencwadi yesibili uPetru uthi isidingo sokuba axwayise amaKristu akanye. nawo siphuthuma kakhulu ngoba akasenakuphila isikhathi eside. Ubhala izimfanelo amaKristu okufanele azithuthukise ukuze ahlale eqinile futhi ukhuluma ngamandla ayezovela phakathi ebandleni ukuba abenze buthakathaka.—2 Petru 1:5-8, 14, 16.

Waxwayisa: “Nakinina kuzakubakhona abafundisi bamanga.” (2 Petru 2:1, 2) Labafundisi bamanga babezokhuthaza ukuziphatha okubi futhi bahlakaniphe ekusebenziseni “amazwi obuqili.” Kodwa babezokhohlwa iphuzu elilodwa elibalulekile: “INkosi iyakwazi ukuhlangulisa ekulingweni abamesabayo uNkulunkulu, kepha abangalungile iyabagcinela usuku lokwahlulelwa, bajeziswe.” (2 Petru 2:3, 9) Babengase bachume isikhashana, kodwa isahlulelo sabo sasiqinisekile.

Abanye ngokubhinqa babeyothi: “Siphi isithembiso sokufika kwakhe na? Ngokuba kuselokhu obaba balala, konke kumi kunjalo njengasekuqaleni kokudalwa.” Laba, nabo, babezokhohlwa ukuthi isikhathi sikaJehova asifani nesikhathi sethu. Futhi uyabekezela. Kodwa njengoba nje ngokuqinisekile ukuphela kwafika ngosuku lukaNowa, ngokufanayo ukuphela kwalesimiso sezinto kuzofika.—2 Petru 3:4-10.

Ngokubheka lokhu kusongela, uPetru wayefuna uku‘vusa ingqondo emhlophe’ yabazalwane. (2 Petru 3:1) Kwakungamelwe bakhohlwe ubufakazi obungokomlando bokuthi uJehova uyakwazi ukuchitha ababi futhi asindise abalungileyo, futhi kwakumelwe ‘bakhumbule njalo ukufika kosuku lukaNkulunkulu.’ (2 Petru 3:12, NW) Lolosuku lungokoqobo. Luyeza. Leliqiniso kumelwe lithinte yonke into abayenzayo noma abahlela ukuyenza.—2 Petru 1:19-21.

Njengoba siphila eduze kangaka nalolosuku, ukukhuthaza kukaPetru kuba namandla engeziwe: “Khuthalelani ukuba nifunyanwe ninokuthula, ningenabala, ningenacala kuye.” (2 Petru 3:14) Ngempela, lawomazwi asebenza kithi. Umphostoli uPetru ukhuluma kuwo wonke umuntu othemba lakhe lisema’zulwini amasha nomhlaba omusha’ athenjiswe uJehova. Ngakho, isikhuthazo sakhe sokugcina silokhu sizwakala kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka sinawo wonke amandla egunya lakhe lobuphostoli: “Xwayani, ukuze ningadukiswa ngokukhohlisa kwabangenamthetho, niwe ekuqinineni kwenu, kepha khulani emseni nasekwazini iNkosi noMsindisi wethu uJesu Kristu.”—2 Petru 3:13, 17, 18.