UGAYU namanye amaKristu babhekana nesimo esivivinyayo ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala. Kwakunabantu ababesakaza izimfundiso ezingamanga bezama ukuxabanisa amabandla nokuwenza abe buthaka. (1 Joh. 2:18, 19; 2 Joh. 7) Indoda ebizwa ngokuthi uDiyotrefe yayisakaza “amazwi amabi” ngomphostoli uJohane nabanye, yenqaba ukwamukela amaKristu ayizihambi futhi izama ukuyenga abanye ukuba benze okufanayo. (3 Joh. 9, 10) Yileso simo esenza uJohane wabhalela uGayu. Incwadi yalo mphostoli, eyabhalwa ngawo-98 C.E., ivela emBhalweni yamaKristu yesiGreki ‘njengeYesiThathu KaJohane.’

Naphezu kovivinyo abhekana nalo, uGayu waqhubeka nokukhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka. Wabonisa kanjani ukuthi uthembekile? Kungani sifuna ukulingisa isibonelo sikaGayu namuhla? Incwadi kaJohane ingasisiza kanjani ukuba senze kanjalo?

Umlobi wencwadi Yesithathu KaJohane uzibiza ngokuthi “indoda endala.” Yilokho ingane yakhe ayithandayo engokomoya, uGayu eyayikudinga ukuze ibone ukuthi ikhuluma nomphostoli uJohane. UJohane wabiza uGayu ngokuthi “othandekayo, engimthanda ngeqiniso.” UJohane wabe eseveza ukuthi unethemba lokuthi impilo kaGayu ifana nobuhlobo bakhe obuhle noNkulunkulu. Yeka ukuthi leyo ncwadi yasibonisa kanjani isimo esihle sengqondo namazwi amnandi okuncoma!​—3 Johane 1, 2, 4.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uGayu wayengumbonisi webandla kodwa incwadi ayikuvezi lokho ngokusobala. UJohane wancoma uGayu ngokwamukela abazalwane ngisho noma ayengabazi. UJohane wabheka lokhu njengobufakazi bokwethembeka kukaGayu njengoba ukungenisa izihambi kuhlale kwenza izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zihluke.​—Gen. 18:1-8; 1 Thim. 3:2; 3 Joh. 5.

Amazwi okuncoma kaJohane ngomusa owaboniswa uGayu kubazalwane abonisa ukuthi amaKristu ayevame ukuhamba aye lapho okuhlala khona uJohane aphinde aye nasemabandleni futhi labo ababehamba kusobala ukuthi babembikela uJohane ngalokho ababebhekane nakho. Mhlawumbe uJohane wezwa ngabo ngalokho okwakwenzeka kulawo mabandla.

Ngokuqinisekile amaKristu ayizihambi ayeyofuna ukuhlala emzini yamaKristu. Izindawo zokulala zezihambi zazinedumela elibi, kwakungajabulisi ukuhlala kuzo futhi zazinabantu abaziphethe kabi. Ngakho izihambi ezihlakaniphile zazihlala nabangane bazo; amaKristu ayizihambi wona ahlale emzini yamaKristu awamukelayo.

UJohane wakhuthaza uGayu ukuba aphinde abonise umusa ngoba umphostoli wamcela ukuba ‘amukise izihambi ngendlela efanele uNkulunkulu.’ Kule ndaba, ukumukisa izihambi kusho ukunakekela izidingo zazo phakathi nohambo lwazo olulandelayo zize zifike lapho eziya khona. Kusobala ukuthi uGayu wakwenza lokhu kulabo ababekade beyizihambi, njengoba babikela uJohane ngothando nokholo lwalowo owabamukela.​—3 Joh. 3, 6.

Kungenzeka ukuthi izihambi kwakuyizithunywa zevangeli, abammeleli bakaJohane noma ababonisi abajikelezayo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zazingobani, zazihamba ngenxa yezindaba ezinhle. UJohane wathi: “Baphuma ngenxa yegama lakhe.” (3 Joh.  7) UJohane wayesanda kubhekisela kuNkulunkulu (bheka ivesi 6), ngakho inkulumo ethi “ngenxa yegama lakhe” isho igama likaJehova. Ngenxa yalokho, abafowethu babe yingxenye yebandla lobuKristu futhi kwakumelwe bamukelwe ngemfudumalo. Kunjengoba nje uJohane abhala: “Singaphansi kwesibopho sokubamukela ngokufudumele abantu abanjalo, ukuze sibe izisebenzi ezikanye nabo eqinisweni.”​—3 Joh. 8.

Isizathu esenza uJohane wabhalela uGayu kwakungekhona ukumbonga nje kuphela. UJohane wayefuna nokumsiza abhekane nenkinga enkulu eyayikhona. Ngasizathu simbe, ilungu lebandla lobuKristu, uDiyotrefe wayengafuni ukuwamukela amaKristu ayizihambi. Waze wazama ngisho nokuvimba abanye ukuba bangenise izihambi.​—3 Joh. 9, 10.

Ngokungangabazeki, amaKristu athembekile ayengeke aze athande ukuhlala noDiyotrefe ngisho kuthiwa wayengenankinga ngalokho. Wayethanda izindawo eziphambili ebandleni futhi uDiyotrefe ayikho into ayemncoma ngayo uJohane, wayesakaza amanga ngabaphostoli nangabanye. Nakuba uJohane ayengakaze ambize ngomfundisi wamanga, uDiyotrefe wayephikisana negunya labaphostoli. Isifiso sikaDiyotrefe sokuvelela nesimo sakhe sengqondo esingesona esobukristu senza ubuqotho bakhe bangatshazwa. Indaba kaDiyotrefe iveza umoya wokwahlukana abantu abathanda ukuvelela nabaqhoshayo abangase bazame ukuwufaka ebandleni. Ngakho, uJohane watshela uGayu: “Yiba umlingisi wokuhle, hhayi wokubi.” Nakithi lesi siyalo sisasebenza.​—3 Joh. 11.

Ngokungafani noDiyotrefe, uJohane ukhuluma ngomKristu obizwa ngokuthi uDemetriyu njengoyisibonelo esihle. UJohane wabhala: “Demetriyu uye wafakazelwa yibo bonke . . . Eqinisweni, nathi siyafakaza, futhi uyazi ukuthi ubufakazi esibunikezayo buyiqiniso.” (3 Joh. 12) Kungenzeka ukuthi uDemetriyu wayedinga usizo lukaGayu futhi incwadi Yesithathu KaJohane yayincwadi yomphostoli yokumethula nokumtusa. UDemetriyu kungenzeka nguye owalethela uGayu incwadi. Njengomunye wabameleli bakaJohane noma mhlawumbe umbonisi ojikelezayo, cishe uDemetriyu wakuqinisekisa lokho okwabhalwa uJohane.

Kungani uJohane anxusa uGayu ukuba angenise izihambi kanti wayekwenza lokho kakade? Ingabe uJohane wabona isidingo sokuqinisa uGayu isibindi? Ingabe lo mphostoli wayekhathazeke ngokuthi uGayu kungenzeka ayeke ngenxa yokuthi uDiyotrefe wayezama ukuxosha amaKristu angenisa izihambi ebandleni? Kunoma yikuphi, uJohane waqinisekisa uGayu ngokuthi: “Lowo owenza okuhle uvela kuNkulunkulu.” (3 Joh. 11) Leso isizathu esihle kakhulu sokuqhubeka nokwenza okuhle.

Ingabe incwadi kaJohane yakhuthaza uGayu ukuba aqhubeke nokungenisa izihambi? Ukuthi incwadi Yesithathu KaJohane yagcinwa ohlwini lwezincwadi zeBhayibheli futhi yadluliselwa kwabanye ukuze ibakhuthaze ukuba babe ‘abalingisi bokuhle’ bubonisa ukuthi impendulo inguyebo.

Akukho okunye okwaziwayo ngomfowethu othandekayo wasendulo uGayu. Noma kunjalo, lokho okuncane esikwaziyo ngokuphila kwakhe kungasifundisa izifundo eziningana.

Esokuqala, ngokwezinga elithile sikweleta abathembekile abazimisele ukusihambela ukuze basifundise ulwazi lweqiniso esinalo. Yiqiniso, akuwona wonke amalungu ebandla lobuKristu namuhla ahamba amabanga amade ngenxa yezindaba ezinhle. Noma kunjalo, njengoGayu, ngandlela thile nathi singasiza futhi sikhuthaze labo abasihambelayo, njengababonisi besigodi nomkabo. Noma singase sisize ngokoqobo abafowethu nodadewethu abathuthela kwezinye izindawo ezweni labo noma ngisho phesheya ukuze bakhonze lapho kunesidingo esikhulu sabamemezeli boMbuso. Ngakho ‘masilandele inkambo yokungenisa izihambi.’​—Roma 12:13; 1 Thim. 5:9, 10.

Esisesibili, akufanele simangale lapho ngezinye izikhathi igunya libekelwa inselele ebandleni namuhla. Igunya likaJohane nelomphostoli uPawulu labekelwa inselele. (2 Kor. 10:7-12; 12:11-13) Ngakho kufanele sibhekane kanjani nezinkinga ezifanayo ezibangelwa abanye ebandleni? UPawulu wayala uThimothewu: ‘Inceku yeNkosi akufanele ilwe, kunalokho kufanele ibe mnene kubo bonke, ifanelekela ukufundisa, izibambe ngaphansi kobubi, ibayala ngobumnene labo abangenaso isimo sengqondo esihle.’ Lapho silondoloza umoya omnene lapho sicasulwa, labo abagxekayo kancane kancane bangase balungise umbono wabo. Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova “angase abanike ukuphenduka okuholela olwazini olunembile lweqiniso.”​—2 Thim. 2:24, 25.

Esesithathu, amaKristu esikanye nawo akhonza uJehova ngobuqotho naphezu kokuphikiswa kudingeka siwazise futhi siwancome ngamazwi anomusa. Umphostoli uJohane ngokuqinisekile wamkhuthaza uGayu futhi wamqinisekisa ngokuthi weyenza okulungile. Ngokufanayo, abadala namuhla kufanele balandele isibonelo sikaJohane ngokukhuthaza abafowabo nodadewabo ukuze “bangaphelelwa amandla.”​—Isaya 40:31; 1 Thes. 5:11.

Incwadi evela kumphostoli uJohane eya kuGayu inamagama angu-219 embhalweni yesiGreki, lokho kwenza ukuthi le ncwadi ibe encane kunazo zonke eBhayibhelini. Noma kunjalo, amaKristu namuhla azuza ngokwengeziwe kuyo.