Umbono kaPetros

Kwa oko emva kwentlangano yaso noKorneli isi-thunywa sezulu saya kuPetros, owathi, ediniwe kakhulu elambhile nokulambha luhambho, wayethandaza phezu kwendlu. Esathandaza waboniswa umbono, “wabona izulu livulekile, kusihla phezu kwakhe sitya sithile, ngathi yilinen enkulu ebotshwe kumasondo omane, sithotyelwa emhlabeni; ekwaye kukho kuso zonke izinto zomhlaba ezizitho zine, namaramncwa, nezinambhuzane, neentaka zezulu.”IL 255.3

“Kwaba kho izwi lisithi kuye, Vuka, Petros, xhela udle. Uthe ke uPetros, Nakanye, Nkosi; ngokuba yonke into eyinqambhi, nokuba yencholileyo, andizanga ndiyidle. Laphinda izwi okwesibini lathi kuye, Izinto uThixo azihlambhululeyo, musa ukuzenza inqambhi wena. Kwaba kho ke oku kathathu; sabuya isitya eso senyuswa, sasiwa ezulwini.”IL 255.4

Apha ke singabona ukusebenza kwecebo likaThixo ekuqhubeni amalungiselelo, ekunokuthi ngawo intando yakhe yenziwe apha emhlabeni njengokuba isenziwa ezulwini. UPetros wayengekazishumayeli iindaba ezilungileyo kwabeenTlanga. Abaninzi kubo babe ngabaphula-phuli abanonandipho lwayo inyaniso awaye yifundisa; kodwa udonga oluphakathi olwahlulayo, olwadilizwa kukufa kukaKristu, lwalusahleli ezingqondweni zabapostile, lubavalele abeenTlanga kumalungelo eendaba ezilungileyo. AmaJuda esiGrike asetyenzelwa ngabapostile, aza amaninzi kuwo ayisabela loo mizamo ngokulwamkela ukholo lukaYesu; kodwa ukuguquka kukaKorneli kwa kuza kuba kokokuqala okubalulekileyo phakathi kwabeenTlanga.IL 256.1

Ngombono welinen nezinto eziphakathi kuyo, eyehliswa ivela ezulwini, uPetros wayeza kuhlutywa zonke izigwebo zakhe ezigqityiweyo ngakwabeenTlanga; aqonde ukuba, ngaye uKristu, iintlanga ezingabahedeni zenziwa amadlelane eentsikelelo namalungelo amaJuda, zaye ngako oko zisikeleleke ngokufanayo nawo. Abanye bathi lombono wawu ngowokubonisa ukuba uThixo usisusile isithintelo ekusetyenzisweni kwenyama yezilo awayethe ngaphambhili ziyinqambhi; kwaza ke ngenxa yoko inyama yehagu yaba ilungile ukudliwa. Le yingcaciso ephuthileyo nephosakeleyo kwaphela, ibe iphikiswa ngokucacileyo yingxelo yeziBhalo ngokusingisele kulombono neziphumo zawo.IL 256.2

Umbono wazo zonke iindidi zezinto ezizitho zine, ezazi kwilinen leyo, nawaxelelwa uPetros ukuba axhele kuzo adle, eqinisekisiwe ukuba oko kuhlanjululweyo makungabizwa nguye ukuba kuncholile okanye kuyinqambhi, wawungumzekelo nje otyhila engqondweni yakhe eyona meko yenene yabeenTlanga; ukuba ngako ukufa kukaKristu zeenziwa iindlalifa kunye noSirayeli kaThixo. Wazisa kuPetros ukhalimelo kwa noqeqesho. Ukusebenza kwakhe kude kube ngoku kwa kuphakathi kwamaJuda kuphela; ebakhangele abeenTlanga njengohlanga oluncholileyo, olungabalwanga emadingeni kaThixo. Ingqondo yakhe ngoku yayikhokelelwa ekubeni ibuqikelele ububanzi becebo likaThixo obugqibe ilizwe liphela.IL 256.3

Kanye logama wayesacamanga ngawo lombono, wacaciswa kuye. “Ke kaloku, xa uPetros wayethingaza ngaphakathi kwakhe, ukuba ungaba uyintoni na umbono lo awubonileyo, kwasuka kwathi gqi amadoda abethunyiwe evela kuKorneli, ebuza indlu kaSimon, emi esangweni; akhwaza, ebuza ukuba uSimon ogama limbhi linguPetros, ulundwendwe apha na? Ke kaloku, akubona ukuba uPetros uya cinga ngawo umbono lowo, wathi uMoya kuye, Naanga amadoda amathathu ekufuna; suka uhle, uhambhe nawo, ungathandabuzi nento, ngokuba athunywe ndim.”IL 257.1

Wawungumyalelo onzima lo kuPetros; kodwa wayengekhe enze ngokwezimvo zakhe, wehla ke ngoko evela egumbhini lakhe wabamkela abathunywa aabo babethunywe kuye bevela kuKorneli. Bayixela kumpostile into etsolileyo abayithunyiweyo, waza ngokomyalelo awaye sandula ukuwamkela kuThixo, wavuma kwa oko ukuhambha nabo ngengomso. Wabalungiselela ngobubele ngobobusuku, waza ngengomso wanduluka kunye nabo wasinga eKesareya, ephelekwa ngamadoda amathandathu akhe, awayeza kuba ngamanqhina ako konke athe wakuthetha okanye wakwenza ngethuba lokutyelela kwakhe abeenTlanga; kuba wayesazi ukuba uya kubuzwa ngokuyiphikisa ngokucacileyo kangaka inkolo neemfundiso zamaJuda.IL 257.2

Kuphantse ukuba yimihla emibini ngaphambhi kokuba balugqibe uhambho lwabo noKorneli azuze ilungelo elivuyisayo lokuvula iingcango zakhe ukuba kungene umfundisi weendaba ezilungileyo, ngokwesiqinisekiso sikaThixo, owayeza kumfundisa yena nendlu yakhe indlela abangasindiswa ngayo. Logama abathunywa babese seluhambheni lwabo, umthethelikhulu wabahlanganisela kuye abazalwana bakhe ababe nokufumaneka, .ukuze bona, kunye naye, babe nokufundiswa ngayo inyaniso. Akuba efikile uPetros, ufike kukho iqela elininzi elihlanganiseneyo, lilinde ngolangazelelo ukuphula-phula amazwi akhe.IL 257.3