CAKUMAPETO kwa zaka 100 zoyambilila, Gayo na Akhristu ena anakumana ndi mavuto. Anthu amene anali kufalitsa ziphunzitso zabodza, anayesa kufooketsa ndi kugaŵanitsa mipingo. (1 Yoh. 2:18, 19; 2 Yoh. 7) Munthu wina dzina lake Diotirefe, anali ‘kunenela zamwano’ mtumwi Yohane ndi Akhristu ena. Iye anali kukana kulandila Akhristu apaulendo, ndipo anali kukopanso ena kuti atengele khalidwe lake. (3 Yoh. 9, 10) Umu ni mmene zinthu zinalili pamene Yohane analembela Gayo kalata. Kalata ya mtumwiyu inalembedwa ca m’ma 98 C.E., ndipo m’Malemba Acigiriki Acikhristu, imachedwa “Kalata Yacitatu ya Yohane.”

Ngakhale kuti panali mavuto amenewa, Gayo anapitiliza kutumikila Yehova mokhulupilika. Koma kodi anaonetsa bwanji kukhulupilika? Nanga n’cifukwa ciani masiku ano tifunika kutsatila citsanzo cake? Kodi kalata ya Yohane ingatithandize bwanji kucita zimenezi?

Amene analemba kalata yacitatu ya Yohane anadzicha “mkulu.” Mau amenewa anali okwanila kuthandiza mwana wake wokondedwa wauzimu Gayo, kuzindikila kuti kalatayo inalembedwa ndi mtumwi Yohane. Mwaubwenzi, Yohane anachula Gayo kuti “wokondedwa, amene ndimamukonda kwambili.” Ndiyeno, Yohane anakamba kuti anali kufunila Gayo thanzi labwino monga mmenenso moyo wake wauzimu unalili. Mau amenewa ni oyamikila, ndipo ni olimbikitsa ngako!—3 Yoh. 1, 2, 4.

Gayo ayenela kuti anali woyang’anila mumpingo, koma kalatayi siikamba mwacindunji zimenezi. Yohane anayamikila Gayo cifukwa coceleza abale ngakhale kuti sanali kuwadziŵa. Iye anaona kuti zimene Gayo anali kucita unali umboni wakuti anali wokhulupilika, cifukwa kuyambila kale-kale atumiki a Mulungu akhala akudziŵika kuti amakonda kuceleza alendo.—Gen. 18:1-8; 1 Tim. 3:2; 3 Yoh. 5.

Mau a Yohane oyamikila Gayo cifukwa coceleza abale, aonetsa kuti Akhristu ocokela m’mipingo yosiyana-siyana anali kupita kaŵili-kaŵili kumene kunali kukhala mtumwi Yohane. Mwacionekele, Akhristu amenewo anali kufotokozela Yohane mmene ayendela pa ulendo wawo. Mwina umu ni mmene Yohane anadziŵila zocitika za m’mipingo imeneyi.

Akhristu apaulendo ayenela kuti anali kukonda kugona ku nyumba za okhulupilila anzawo. Panthawiyo, ku nyumba zogona alendo sanali kusamalila bwino alendo, ndiponso kunali kucimake kwa khalidwe loipa  laciwelewele. Conco, anthu anzelu apaulendo anali kugona kwa anzawo, ndipo Akhristu anali kugona kwa Akhristu anzawo.

Yohane analimbikitsa Gayo kuonetsanso mzimu woceleza. Iye anauza Gayo kuti: “Utsanzikane nawo [Akhristu apaulendo] m’njila imene Mulungu angasangalale nayo.” Kutsanzikana na alendo kunatanthauza kuwapatsa zinthu zilizonse zofunikila paulendo wawo kuti akafike kumene akupita. N’zoonekelatu kuti Gayo anali atacitapo kale zimenezi kwa alendo. Takamba conco cifukwa ena mwa alendowo anauza Yohane za cikondi na cikhulupililo ca Gayo.—3 Yoh. 3, 6.

Alendo amenewo ayenela kuti anali amishonale, nthumwi za Yohane, kapena oyang’anila oyendela. Alendowo anali kuyenda cifukwa ca uthenga wabwino. Yohane anati: “Iwo anapita kukalalikila za dzina la Mulungu.” (3 Yoh. 7) Popeza kuti abalewa anali mbali ya mpingo wacikhristu, anafunika kulandilidwa bwino. Izi n’zogwilizana n’zimene Yohane analemba. Iye anati: “Ife tili ndi udindo wolandila bwino anthu amenewa ndi kuwaceleza, kuti akhale anchito anzathu m’coonadi.”—3 Yoh. 8.

Yohane analembela kalata Gayo n’colinga cakuti amuyamikile. Anafunanso kum’thandiza kuti athe kulimbana ndi vuto lalikulu. Munthu wina mumpingo wacikhristu, dzina lake Diotirefe, sanali kufuna kulandila Akhristu oyendela. Iye anali kuletsanso Akhristu ena kulandila alendowo. —3 Yoh. 9, 10.

Mosakayikila, Akhristu okhulupilika sanafune kufikila kunyumba kwa Diotirefe olo kuti zinali zotheka kutelo. Iye anali kukonda kukhala woyamba mumpingo, sanali kulandila mwaulemu ciliconse cocokela kwa Yohane, ndiponso anali kunenela zamwano mtumwiyu ndi Akhristu ena. Ngakhale kuti Yohane sanakambe kuti Diotirefe anali mphunzitsi wonyenga, iye anali kucita zinthu motsutsana ndi utsogoleli wa mtumwiyu. Diotirefe anali na mtima wofuna kuchuka komanso wakhalidwe loipa. Izi zinaonetsa kuti anali munthu wosakhulupilika. Nkhani ya Diotirefe ionetsa kuti anthu odzikuza ndi ofunitsitsa udindo angathe kuyambitsa magaŵano mumpingo. Conco, Yohane anauza Gayo kuti: “Usamatsanzile zinthu zoipa.” Ifenso tiyenela kumvela uphungu umenewu.—3 Yoh. 11.

Yohane anachula Mkhristu wina dzina lake Demetiriyo kuti ni citsanzo cabwino. Iye anali wosiyana ndi Diotirefe. Yohane analemba kuti: “Anthu onse amucitila umboni Demetiriyo . . . Ifenso tikucitila umboni, ndipo iwenso ukudziŵa kuti umboni umene timapeleka ndi woona.” (3 Yoh. 12) Zioneka kuti Demetiriyo anali kufunikila thandizo la Gayo, ndipo kalata yacitatu imene Yohane analemba iyenela kuti inalinso njila yodziŵikitsila Demetiriyo kwa Gayo kuti ndi Mkhristu wacitsanzo cabwino. Cioneka kuti Demetiriyo amene, ndiye anapeleka kalatayi kwa Gayo. Popeza kuti Demetiriyo anali mmodzi wa nthumwi za Yohane, kapena woyang’anila woyendela, ayenela kuti anamveketsa bwino zimene Yohane analembela Gayo.

Popeza kuti Gayo anali kale woceleza, n’cifukwa ciani Yohane anamuuza kuti apitilizebe kuceleza alendo? Kodi Yohane anaona kuti Gayo afunika kulimbikitsidwa kuti apitilize kukhala wolimba mtima? Kodi mtumwiyu anali kudela nkhawa kuti mwina Gayo adzaleka kuceleza alendo cifukwa coopa Diotirefe, amene anali kucotsa mumpingo Akhristu amene anali kuceleza anzawo? Kaya cifukwa cinali citi, Yohane analimbikitsa Gayo mwa kukamba kuti: “Munthu amene amacita zabwino ndi wocokela kwa Mulungu.” (3 Yoh. 11) Ndithudi, cimeneci n’cifukwa comveka copitilizila kucita zabwino.

Kodi kalata ya Yohane inam’limbikitsa Gayo  kupitiliza kuceleza alendo? Mosakayikila inamulimbikitsa. Umboni wa zimenezi ni wakuti kalata yacitatu ya Yohane inalembedwa m’Baibo n’colinga cakuti izilimbikitsa ena ‘kutsanzila zabwino.’

Baibo siikamba zambili zokhudza m’bale wathu wokondedwa Gayo. Komabe, tingaphunzile zambili pa zocepa zimene tamva zokhudza iyeyu.

Coyamba, ena a ife tinaphunzila coonadi kucokela kwa Akhristu okhulupilika amene anadzipeleka kuyenda mtunda utali kuti akatiphunzitse. N’zoona kuti masiku ano si Akhristu onse mumpingo amene amayenda mtunda utali kukalalikila uthenga wabwino. Komabe, monga mmene Gayo anacitila, ifenso tingathandize ndi kulimbikitsa Akhristu amene amayenda-yenda, monga oyang’anila dela na akazi awo. Tingathandizenso abale na alongo amene asamukila m’dela lina m’dziko lawo kapena amene asamukila m’dziko lina, kukatumikila kumene kuli olengeza Ufumu ocepa. Tikatelo, tidzaonetsa kuti ndise “oceleza.”—Aroma 12:13; 1 Tim. 5:9, 10.

Caciŵili, sitiyenela kudabwa masiku ano ngati ena ayamba kutsutsa otsogolela mumpingo. Ngakhale Yohane ndi mtumwi Paulo, amene anali kutsogolela mumpingo, anatsutsidwa. (2 Akor. 10:7-12; 12:11-13) Kodi tiyenela kucita ciani ngati ena ayamba kutsutsa otsogolela mumpingo? Paulo analangiza Timoteyo kuti: “Kapolo wa Ambuye sayenela kukangana ndi anthu, koma ayenela kukhala wodekha kwa onse. Ayenelanso kukhala woyenelela kuphunzitsa, wougwila mtima pokumana ndi zoipa, ndi wolangiza mofatsa anthu otsutsa.” Ngati tikhalabe odekha ngakhale pamene titsutsidwa, ena mwa otsutsawo angasinthe maganizo awo. Akatelo, Yehova “angawalole kulapa, kuti adziŵe coonadi molondola.”—2 Tim. 2:24, 25.

Cacitatu, Akhristu amene akutumikila Yehova mokhulupilika ngakhale kuti akutsutsidwa, afunika kuyamikilidwa ngako cifukwa ca kukhulupilika kwawo. Mtumwi Yohane analimbikitsa Gayo ndi kum’tsimikizila kuti anali kucita zinthu zabwino. Mofananamo, akulu masiku ano afunika kutengela citsanzo ca Yohane mwa kulimbikitsa abale na alongo kuti ‘asafooke.’—Yes. 40:31; 1 Ates. 5:11.

M’Cigiriki, kalata imene mtumwi Yohane analembela Gayo ili na mau 219 cabe, ndipo kalata imeneyi ndiyo buku lalifupi kwambili m’Baibo. Koma n’lothandiza ngako kwa Akhristu masiku ano.