UGAYO kunye namanye amaKristu babeneengxaki ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala. Kwakukho abantu ababesasaza iimfundiso zobuxoki ukuze amabandla abe buthathaka kwaye aqhekeke phakathi. (1 Yoh. 2:18, 19; 2 Yoh. 7) Indoda eyayibizwa ngokuba nguDiyotrefe yayisasaza “amazwi angendawo” ngompostile uYohane nangabanye, ingafuni ukuwenzela ububele amaKristu ahamba-hambayo, kwaye izama ukwenza nabanye ukuba balandele umzekelo wayo. (3 Yoh. 9, 10) Imeko yayinjalo xa uYohane wayebhalela uGayo. Incwadi yalo mpostile, eyabhalwa malunga no-98 C.E., ichazwa kwiZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike ngokuthi “EyesiThathu KaYohane.”

Nangona wayenezi ngxaki, uGayo waqhubeka ekhonza uYehova ngokuthembeka. Wabonisa njani ukuba uthembekile? Kutheni sifuna ukuxelisa umzekelo kaGayo namhlanje? Incwadi kaYohane inokusinceda njani senze loo nto?

Umbhali weyesiThathu kaYohane uzibiza ngokuthi “indoda enkulu.” Ayanele loo mazwi ukuze uGayo abone ukuba ngumpostile uYohane lo, kuba wayeyifundiswe nguye inyaniso. UYohane wabiza uGayo “intanda, endimthanda ngokwenene.” Emva koko wathi unethemba lokuba impilo yakhe yayintle kanye njengokuba babunjalo ubuhlobo bakhe noYehova. Ngokwenene yayingamazwi akhuthazayo namnandi lawo!—3 Yoh. 1, 2, 4.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uGayo wayengumveleli ebandleni, kodwa le ncwadi ayitsho ngokungqalileyo. UYohane wamncoma uGayo ngokwamkela abazalwana emzini wakhe nangona wayengabazi nokubazi. UYohane wayeyijonga loo nto njengobungqina bokuba uGayo uthembekile, kuba ukwamkela iindwendwe bekusoloko kuyinto ebenza bahluke abakhonzi bakaThixo.—Gen. 18:1-8; 1 Tim. 3:2; 3 Yoh. 5.

Amazwi kaYohane abulela ububele uGayo awabenzela abazalwana abonisa ukuba amaKristu ayehamba-hamba rhoqo phakathi kwendawo awayekuyo umpostile uYohane namabandla, kwaye kuyabonakala ukuba ayefika axelele uYohane izinto azibonileyo. Mhlawumbi uYohane wayiva ngolo hlobo indlela awayeqhuba ngayo la mabandla.

Ngokuqinisekileyo amaKristu ahamba-hambayo ayeye afune ukufikela kwamanye amakholwa. Iindawo zokuhlala eziqeshisayo zazidume kakubi, iindwendwe zazingaphathwa kakuhle, kwaye iziindawo zokuziphatha okubi. Ngoko xa kunokwenzeka, abahambi abalumkileyo babefikela kubahlobo babo; amaKristu wona ayefikela kwamanye amaKristu.

UYohane wamkhuthaza uGayo ukuba aphinde enzele iindwendwe ububele, kuba lo mpostile wamcela ukuba ‘abandulule abahambi abanjalo ngohlobo olufanele uThixo.’ Kule meko, ukundulula iindwendwe kwakuthetha ukuzihoya zonke iimfuno zazo zohambo nokuzinika yonke into eziyidingayo ukuze ziye kufika kwindawo eziya kuyo. Kuyabonakala ukuba uGayo wayesele eyenzile le nto ngaphambili, kuba babebuye nengxelo kuYohane bebalisa ngothando nokholo lwakhe.—3 Yoh. 3, 6.

Ezi ndwendwe kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayingabathunywa bevangeli, abameli bakaYohane, okanye abaveleli abahamba-hambayo. Enoba yayingoobani na, babehambela iindaba ezilungileyo. UYohane wathi: “Kwakungenxa yegama lakhe abathi baphuma.” (3 Yoh. 7) UYohane wayesandul’ ukukhankanya uThixo (jonga kwivesi 6), ngoko ibinzana elithi “kwakungenxa yegama lakhe” kubonakala ukuba lalibhekisela kwigama likaYehova. Ngenxa yoko, aba bazalwana babeyinxalenye yebandla lamaKristu ibe babefanelwe kukwamkelwa ngobubele. Kunjengokuba uYohane wabhalayo: “Simele sibamkele abantu abanjalo ngomoya wokubuk’ iindwendwe, ukuze sibe ngabasebenzi abangamadlelane kuyo inyaniso.”—3 Yoh. 8.

Isizathu sokuba uYohane abhalele uGayo yayingekokumbulela nje kuphela. Wayefuna nokumnceda akwazi ukujongana nengxaki enkulu. Ngasizathu sithile, ilungu lebandla lamaKristu elinguDiyotrefe lalingafuni ukuwaphatha ngobubele amaKristu ahamba-hambayo. Wada wazama nokuthintela abanye ukuba bangawenzeli ububele.—3 Yoh. 9, 10.

Alithandabuzeki elokuba amaKristu athembekileyo ayengayi kufuna ukufikela kwaDiyotrefe kwanokuba wayenokuvuma. Kaloku lo mfo wayethanda izikhundla eziphambili ebandleni, engahloneli kwanto evela kuYohane, kwaye ehamb’ ethetha kakubi ngabapostile nangabanye abazalwana. Nangona uYohane engazange ade ambize ngokuba ngumfundisi wobuxoki, uDiyotrefe wayelidelela igunya labapostile. Ukunqwenela kwakhe ukuvelela nendlela yakhe yokucinga engawafanelanga amaKristu zamenza wangumntu ongagqibekiyo ukuba uphi kanye-kanye. Le nto kaDiyotrefe isenza sibone ukuba abantu abathanda izikhundla nabanekratshi bangaliqhekeza ibandla. Ngoko uYohane wayexelela uGayo, nathi sonke ke phofu, le nto: ‘Ungakuxelisi okubi.’—3 Yoh. 11.

Ngokwahlukileyo kuDiyotrefe, umKristu ogama linguDemetriyo uchazwa njengowayengumzekelo omhle nguYohane. UYohane wabhala esithi: “UDemetriyo yena ungqinelwa ngabo bonke nayinyaniso ngokwayo. Nathi ke siyangqina ngaye, yaye uyazi ukuba ubungqina esibunikelayo buyinyaniso.” (3 Yoh. 12) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uDemetriyo wayefuna ukuncedwa nguGayo, ibe mhlawumbi eyesiThathu kaYohane yayiyileta yokwazisa neyokuncomela umzalwana ofikayo. Kungenzeka ukuba nguDemetriyo ngokwakhe owayinika uGayo le leta. Ekubeni wayengomnye wabameli bakaYohane, okanye mhlawumbi umveleli ohamba-hambayo, uDemetriyo usenokuba waphinda wayigxininisa into eyayibhalwe nguYohane.

Kutheni uYohane wabongoza uGayo ukuba aqhubeke ebenzela ububele abazalwana nangona wayesele ebenzela? Ngaba uYohane wabona imfuneko yokuba amqinise isibindi uGayo? Ngaba lo mpostile wayenexhala lokuba uGayo angaba mathidala ngenxa yokuba uDiyotrefe wayezama ukuwagxotha ebandleni amaKristu amkela iindwendwe? Enoba sasiyintoni na isizathu, uYohane wamqinisekisa uGayo ngala mazwi: “Lowo wenza okulungileyo uphuma kuThixo.” (3 Yoh. 11) Sisizathu esihle eso sokwenza okulungileyo nesokuqhubeka ukwenza.

 Ngaba incwadi kaYohane yamenza uGayo waqhubeka ebenzela izinwe abazalwana? Kwainto yokuba eyesiThathu kaYohane ifakwe kwiincwadi zeBhayibhile ize isasazwe kwabanye ukuze bakhuthazwe ukuba ‘baxelise okulungileyo’ ibonisa loo nto.

Ayikho enye into esiyaziyo ngomzalwana wethu wamandulo, uGayo. Kodwa ke la magqabantshintshi obomi bakhe anokusifundisa izinto ezininzi.

Okokuqala, uninzi lwethu ngandlel’ ithile inyaniso siyifumene ngenxa yabazalwana abavumayo ukuhamba imigama emide ukuze bayizise kuthi. Kakade ke, asingawo onke amalungu ebandla lamaKristu langoku ahamba imigama emide ukuze asasaze iindaba ezilungileyo. Kodwa ke, njengoGayo, sinako ukubaxhasa nokubakhuthaza ngandlel’ ithile abenza loo msebenzi, njengomveleli wesiphaluka nenkosikazi yakhe. Okanye sinokubanceda abazalwana noodade abafudukela kwiindawo ezithile elizweni nakwamanye amazwe, ngenjongo yokukhonza apho kufuneka abavakalisi abangakumbi. Ngoko ‘masilandele ikhondo lokubuk’ iindwendwe.’—Roma 12:13; 1 Tim. 5:9, 10.

Okwesibini asifanele sothuke xa ngamaxesha athile kusibakho abantu abaphikisa abo basegunyeni ebandleni namhlanje. NoYohane waphikiswa; ibe kwaba njalo nakumpostile uPawulos. (2 Kor. 10:7-12; 12:11-13) Sifanele sithini ke xa kukho abantu abenza okufanayo ebandleni? UPawulos wacebisa uTimoti esithi: “Ikhoboka leNkosi akufuneki lilwe, kunoko kufuneka lithantamise kubo bonke, likufanelekele ukufundisa, linyamezela ububi, libayalela ngobulali abo bangenalutyekelo luhle.” Xa sisiba nobulali kwanaxa sicatshukiswa, abanye abagxeki banokude batshintshe indlela abacinga nabajonga ngayo izinto. NoYehova “angabanika inguquko ekhokelela kulwazi oluchanileyo lwenyaniso.”—2 Tim. 2:24, 25.

Okwesithathu, abazalwana noodadewethu abangagungqiyo ekukhonzeni uYehova nangona bechaswa simele sibancome ngokuthembeka kwabo. Umpostile uYohane ngokuqinisekileyo wamkhuthaza uGayo waza wamqinisekisa ukuba wayeqhuba kakuhle. Ngokufanayo ke, abadala namhlanje bafanele balandele umzekelo kaYohane ngokukhuthaza abazalwana noodadewabo ukuze “bangadinwa.”—Isa. 40:31; 1 Tes. 5:11.

Le ncwadi eyayivela kumpostile uYohane isiya kuGayo yeyona imfutshane eBhayibhileni, kuba kumbhalo wayo wesiGrike inamagama ayi-219 kuphela. Kodwa ibaluleke kakhulu kumaKristu anamhlanje.