1-3. (a) Yiziphi izinguquko ezazingase zibangele ukwehlukana ebandleni lokuqala lobuKristu? (b) Singazuza kanjani ngokutadisha lokhu kulandisa encwadini yezEnzo?

 UPAWULU noBarnaba baphuphuma injabulo njengoba besanda kubuya e-Antiyokiya, idolobha laseSiriya, bevela ohambweni lwabo lokuqala lwezithunywa zevangeli. Bathokozile ngoba uJehova ‘uvulele izizwe umnyango wokukholwa.’ (IzE. 14:26, 27) Ngempela izindaba ezinhle zisakazekele kulo lonke elase-Antiyokiya futhi kwenezelwa “isibalo esikhulu” sabeZizwe ebandleni.—IzE. 11:20-26.

² Ngokushesha lezi zindaba ezimnandi zokwanda zifinyelela eJudiya. Kepha kunokuba lokhu kwanda kujabulise bonke abantu, kuqhakambisa impikiswano yokusoka ebilokhu iqhubeka. Kufanele bube njani ubudlelwane phakathi kwamakholwa angamaJuda nangewona, futhi abangewona amaJuda kufanele bawubheke kanjani uMthetho KaMose? Le nkinga idala ukungezwani okukhulu kangangokuthi ingenza ibandla lobuKristu lihlukane libe maqembuqembu. Izoxazululwa kanjani?

³ Njengoba sicabangela lokhu kulandisa okusencwadini yezEnzo, sizofunda izifundo eziningi ezibalulekile. Lezi zifundo zingasisiza ukuba senze ngokuhlakanipha lapho kuvela izinkinga ezingabangela ukwehlukana osukwini lwethu.

4. Imiphi imibono eyiphutha eyayikhuthazwa amakholwa athile, futhi iphakamisa muphi umbuzo?

⁴ Umfundi uLuka wabhala: “Abantu abathile [behlela e-Antiyokiya] bevela eJudiya, baqala ukufundisa abazalwane bethi: ‘Ngaphandle kokuba nisokwe ngokuvumelana nomthetho kaMose, ngeke nisindiswe.’” (IzE. 15:1) Akushiwo ukuthi laba ‘bantu abavela eJudiya’ babengabaFarisi yini ngaphambi kokuphendukela ebuKristwini. Kubonakala sengathi babethonywe imibono yalelo hlelo lamaJuda elalisabambelele ngokungaguquki emthethweni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kungenzeka babenza iphutha lokucabanga ukuthi bakhulumela abaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema. (IzE. 15:23, 24) Kodwa kungani amakholwa angamaJuda ayesakhuthaza ukusoka, ngemva kweminyaka engaba  ngu-13 umphostoli uPetru amukela abeZizwe abangasokile ebandleni lobuKristu ngokwesiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu? a—IzE. 10:24-29, 44-48.

5, 6. (a) Yini eyayingase yenze amanye amaKristu angamaJuda afune ukubambelela ekusokeni? (b) Ingabe isivumelwano sokusoka sasiyingxenye yesivumelwano sika-Abrahama? Chaza. (Bheka umbhalo waphansi.)

⁵ Kungenzeka zaziningi izizathu zalokho. Esinye sazo ukuthi ukusoka kwakungumyalo kaJehova uqobo futhi kuwuphawu lobuhlobo obukhethekile naye. Ukusoka kwaqala ngo-Abrahama nenzalo yakhe ngaphambi kokumiswa kwesivumelwano soMthetho futhi kamuva kwaba ingxenye yaso. b (Lev. 12:2, 3) Ngaphansi koMthetho KaMose, ngisho nabantu bakwezinye izizwe kwakufanele basokwe ngaphambi kokuba bathole amalungelo athile, njengokudla isidlo sePhasika. (Eks. 12:43, 44, 48, 49) Owesilisa ongasokile wayebhekwa njengongcolile futhi edelelekile kumaJuda.—Isaya 52:1.

⁶ Ngakho, kwakudinga ukholo nokuthobeka emakholweni angamaJuda ukuze amukele iqiniso elalambuliwe. Isivumelwano soMthetho sase sithathelwe indawo isivumelwano esisha, ngakho ukuzalwa njengomJuda kwakungasamenzi umuntu abe ilungu labantu bakaNkulunkulu ngokuzenzakalelayo. Kwakudinga isibindi ngamaKristu angamaJuda ayehlala emiphakathini yamaJuda—njengoba kwakunjalo nangamakholwa eJudiya—ukuba avume uKristu futhi amukele amakholwa angabeZizwe ayengasokile njengabafowabo.—Jer. 31:31-33; Luka 22:20.

7. Yimaphi amaqiniso ‘abantu abavela eJudiya’ ababengazange bawaqonde?

⁷ Yiqiniso, imiyalo kaNkulunkulu yayingashintshile. Ubufakazi balokhu sibubona ngokuthi izimiso zoMthetho KaMose zikhona esivumelwaneni esisha. (Math. 22:36-40) Ngokwesibonelo, uPawulu wabhala lokhu kamuva mayelana nokusoka: “UmJuda yilowo onguye ngaphakathi, nokusoka kwakhe yilokho kwenhliziyo ngomoya, hhayi ngomthetho olotshiwe.” (Roma 2:29; Dut. 10:16) ‘Abantu abavela eJudiya’ babengawaqondanga la maqiniso, kodwa bagomela ngokuthi uNkulunkulu wayengawulahlile neze umthetho wokusoka. Ingabe babezolalela ukuze baqonde?

8. Kungani inkinga yokusoka yayiswa endikimbeni ebusayo eJerusalema?

⁸ ULuka waqhubeka: “Ngemva kokuba sekuvele ukungezwani nokuphikisana okukhulu phakathi kwabo [‘abantu abathile abavela eJudiya’] noPawulu noBarnaba, [abadala] kwahlelwa ukuba uPawulu, uBarnaba nabanye bakhuphukele kubaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema ngokuphathelene  nale ndaba.” c (IzE. 15:2) “Ukungezwani nokuphikisana” kwabonisa ukuthi womabili la maqembu ayenemizwa ejulile nemibono eqinile futhi ibandla lase-Antiyokiya lalingeke likwazi ukukuxazulula. Ukuze kugcinwe ukuthula nobunye, ngokuhlakanipha ibandla lahlela ukuyisa le ndaba “kubaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema,” ababakha indikimba ebusayo. Yini esingayifunda kubadala base-Antiyokiya?

9, 10. Abazalwane base-Antiyokiya kanye noPawulu noBarnaba basibekela kanjani isibonelo namuhla?

⁹ Esinye sezifundo ezibalulekile esizifundayo ukuthi kudingeka siyethembe inhlangano kaNkulunkulu. Cabanga ngalokhu: Abazalwane base-Antiyokiya babazi ukuthi indikimba ebusayo yayakhiwa amaKristu angamaJuda kuphela. Kodwa babethemba ukuthi izosingatha le nkinga yokusoka ngokuvumelana nemiBhalo. Kungani? Ibandla laliqiniseka ukuthi uJehova wayezoqondisa izinto ngomoya wakhe ongcwele nangeNhloko yebandla lobuKristu, uJesu Kristu. (Math. 28:18, 20; Efe. 1:22, 23) Lapho kuphakama izinkinga ezibucayi namuhla, masilingise isibonelo esihle samakholwa ase-Antiyokiya ngokuthembela enhlanganweni kaNkulunkulu naseNdikimbeni yayo Ebusayo yamaKristu agcotshiwe.

¹⁰ Sikhunjuzwa nokubaluleka kokuthobeka nokubekezela. UPawulu noBarnaba babemiswe ngokuqondile umoya ongcwele ukuba baye ezizweni, kodwa abazange basebenzise lelo gunya ukuze baxazulule le nkinga yokusoka ngaso leso sikhathi e-Antiyokiya. (IzE. 13:2, 3) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPawulu wabhala kamuva: ‘Ngakhuphukela [eJerusalema] ngenxa yesambulo’—ebonisa ukuthi wayeqondiswa ngokwaphezulu kulolu daba. (Gal. 2:2) Namuhla, abadala bazama ukuba nesimo sengqondo esifanayo sokuthobeka nokubekezela lapho kuphakama  izinkinga ezingase zibangele uqhekeko. Kunokuba baphikisane, babheka kuJehova ngokuhlola imiBhalo nesiyalo nesiqondiso esilungiselelwa inceku ethembekile.—Fil. 2:2, 3.

11, 12. Kungani kubalulekile ukulinda uJehova?

¹¹ Kwezinye izimo, kungase kudingeke silinde uJehova ukuba asikhanyisele endabeni ethile. Khumbula ukuthi ngesikhathi sikaPawulu, abafowethu kwadingeka balinde kwaze kwaba ngawo-49 C.E.—iminyaka engaba ngu-13 kusukela ekugcotshweni kukaKorneliyu ngo-36 C.E.—ngaphambi kokuba uJehova axazulule impikiswano yokuthi kufanele yini abeZizwe basokwe. Kungani kwathatha isikhathi eside kangaka? Mhlawumbe uNkulunkulu wayefuna ukunika amaJuda aqotho isikhathi esanele sokuba amukele lolu shintsho olukhulu kangaka endleleni ayebheka ngayo izinto. Phela kwakungeyona into encane ukuqedwa kwesivumelwano sokusoka esase sineminyaka engu-1 900 sikhona esasenziwe nokhokho wawo ayemthanda, u-Abrahama!—Joh. 16:12.

¹² Yeka ilungelo okuyilo ukufundiswa nokubunjwa uBaba wethu wasezulwini obekezelayo nonomusa! Imiphumela yako ihlale imihle futhi izuzisa ngaso sonke isikhathi. (Isaya 48:17, 18; 64:8) Ngakho, masingalokothi nanini siphoqelele imibono yethu ngokuqhosha noma singazisekeli izinguquko ezenziwa inhlangano noma ukulungiswa kwezincazelo ezithile zemiBhalo. (UmSh. 7:8) Uma ubona ngisho inhlansana yokuthambekela okunjalo kuwe, kungani ungazindli ngomthandazo ngeziqondiso ezifike ngesikhathi ezisencwadini yezEnzo isahluko 15? d

13. Singakubonisa kanjani ukubekezela kukaJehova enkonzweni yethu?

¹³ Isidingo sokubekezela singase siphakame lapho sifunda iBhayibheli nabantu abakuthola kunzima ukulahla izinkolelo zamanga abazithandayo noma amasiko angqubuzana nemiBhalo. Ezimweni ezinjalo, kungase kudingeke siwunikeze isikhathi esanele umoya kaNkulunkulu ukuze usebenze enhliziyweni yomfundi. (1 Kor. 3:6, 7) Senza kahle nangokuthandaza ngakho. Ngesikhathi esifanele uNkulunkulu uyosisiza sazi ukuthi iyiphi inkambo okuwukuhlakanipha ukuyithatha.—1 Joh. 5:14.

14, 15. Ibandla lase-Antiyokiya lababonisa kanjani ukwazisa oPawulu noBarnaba nababekanye nabo, futhi ukuba khona kwabo kwaba kanjani isibusiso kubafowabo?

¹⁴ Ukulandisa kukaLuka kuyaqhubeka: “Ngemva kokuphelezelwa yibandla kancane, la madoda aqhubeka nendlela edabula iFenike neSamariya, elandisa ngokuningiliziwe ngokuguquka kwabantu bezizwe, lokho kwabajabulisa kakhulu bonke abazalwane.” (IzE. 15:3) Ukuphelezelwa kukaPawulu noBarnaba nababekanye nabo kwakuyisenzo sothando lobuKristu esibonisa ukubazisa nokuthi ibandla libafisela isibusiso sikaNkulunkulu. Yeka isibonelo esihle  abazalwane base-Antiyokiya abaphinde basibekela sona! Ingabe uyakubonisa ukwazisa kubafowenu nodadewenu abangokomoya, ‘ikakhulukazi lawo [madoda amadala] asebenza kanzima ekukhulumeni nasekufundiseni’?—1 Thim. 5:17.

¹⁵ Esendleleni, la madoda aba isibusiso kumaKristu eFenike naseSamariya ngokuwaxoxela “ngokuningiliziwe” imibiko yomsebenzi ensimini yabeZizwe. Kungenzeka ukuthi kwababelalele kwakunanamakholwa angamaJuda ayebalekele kulezo zindawo ngemva kokubulawa kukaStefanu. Nanamuhla, imibiko yendlela uJehova awubusisa ngayo umsebenzi wokwenza abafundi iyisikhuthazo kubafowethu, ikakhulukazi labo ababhekene nezilingo. Ingabe uyazuza ngokugcwele emibikweni enjalo ngokuba khona emihlanganweni yobuKristu, emihlanganweni emincane nemikhulu nangokufunda imibiko nezindaba zokuphila ezinyatheliswe ezincwadini zethu noma ezitholakala ku-jw.org/zu?

16. Yini ebonisa ukuthi inkinga yokusoka yayisinkulu?

¹⁶ Ngemva kokuhamba amakhilomitha angaba ngu-550 beya eningizimu, ekugcineni laba bazalwane base-Antiyokiya bafika lapho babelibangise khona. ULuka wabhala: “Lapho efika eJerusalema, ibandla nabaphostoli namadoda amadala bawamukela ngomusa, abaxoxela izinto eziningi uNkulunkulu ayezenzile ngawo.” (IzE. 15:4) Nokho, “abanye kulabo ababeseqenjini lenkolo labaFarisi ababeye baba amakholwa, basukuma bathi: ‘Kudingekile ukubasoka nokubayala ukuba bagcine uMthetho KaMose.’” (IzE. 15:5) Kuyacaca ukuthi inkinga yokusokwa kwamaKristu angewona amaJuda yayisinkulu kakhulu futhi kwakufanele ixazululwe.

17. Indikimba ebusayo eJerusalema yayakhiwa obani, futhi cishe kungani kwakukhona “namadoda amadala”?

¹⁷ “Ukuhlakanipha okwalabo abawafunayo amacebiso,” kusho izAga 13:10. Ngokuvumelana naleso simiso esihlakaniphile, “abaphostoli namadoda amadala bahlangana ukuze bayihlole le [nkinga yokusoka].” (IzE. 15:6) “Abaphostoli namadoda amadala” babemelela lonke ibandla lobuKristu, njengoba kunjalo nangeNdikimba Ebusayo namuhla. Kungani ‘amadoda amadala’ ayekhonza  nabaphostoli? Khumbula ukuthi umphostoli uJakobe wayebulewe futhi umphostoli uPetru wayeke waboshwa isikhathi esithile. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi nabanye abaphostoli babezobhekana nezimo ezifanayo? Ukuba khona kwamanye amadoda afanelekayo agcotshiwe kwakuzoqinisekisa ukuthi ukwengamela kuqhubeka ngokuhleleka.

18, 19. Yimaphi amazwi anamandla uPetru awasho, futhi yisiphi isiphetho okufanele ukuba ababelalele basifinyelela?

¹⁸ ULuka waqhubeka: “Ngemva kwengxoxo ende eshubile, uPetru wasukuma wathi . . . : ‘Madoda, bafowethu, nazi kahle ukuthi kusukela ezinsukwini zakuqala uNkulunkulu wakhetha phakathi kwenu ukuba abantu bezizwe balizwe ngomlomo wami izwi lezindaba ezinhle, bakholwe. UNkulunkulu owazi inhliziyo, wafakaza ngokubanika umoya ongcwele, njengoba nje enza nakithi. Akenzanga mahluko nhlobo phakathi kwethu nabo, kodwa wahlanza izinhliziyo zabo ngokholo.’” (IzE. 15:7-9) Incwadi ethile ithi igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘ingxoxo eshubile’ evesini 7 lisho ‘nokuphenya; ukuphonsa imibuzo.’ Ngokusobala, abazalwane babenemibono engafani futhi bayiveza ngokukhululekile.

¹⁹ Amazwi kaPetru anamandla akhumbuza bonke ukuthi wayekhona impela lapho abeZizwe bokuqala abangasokile—uKorneliyu nomndeni wakhe—begcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele ngo-36 C.E. Ngakho uma uJehova ayengasahlukanisi phakathi komJuda nongemJuda, abantu banagunya lini lokwenza kanjalo? Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukholo kuKristu oluhlanza inhliziyo yokholwayo, hhayi ukugcina uMthetho KaMose.—Gal. 2:16.

20. Abagqugquzeli bokusoka ‘babemvivinya’ kanjani “uNkulunkulu”?

²⁰ Ngesisekelo sobufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bezwi likaNkulunkulu nomoya ongcwele, uPetru waphetha: “Pho kungani manje nivivinya uNkulunkulu ngokuthwesa abafundi ijoka okhokho bethu kanye nathi esingakwazanga ukulithwala? Kunalokho, sinokholo lokuthi sisindisiwe ngomusa omkhulu weNkosi uJesu ngendlela efanayo neyabo.” (IzE. 15:10, 11) Abagqugquzeli bokusoka empeleni ‘babevivinya uNkulunkulu,’ noma ‘bevivinya ukubekezela kwakhe,’ njengoba kusho enye inguqulo. Babezama ukwenza abeZizwe bagcine umthetho amaJuda ngokwawo ayehluleka ukuwugcina ngokuphelele, okuyinto eyawenza afanelwa ukufa. (Gal. 3:10) Kunokuba zenze kanjalo, izilaleli zikaPetru ezingamaJuda kwakufanele zibonge ngomusa ongafanelwe kaNkulunkulu awubonisa ngoJesu.

21. UPawulu noBarnaba baba nayiphi ingxenye kule ngxoxo?

²¹ Kusobala ukuthi amazwi kaPetru ahlaba ephukela ezinhliziyweni zabo ngoba “bonke bathula.” Ngemva kwalokho uPawulu noBarnaba balandisa “izibonakaliso nezimangaliso eziningi uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngabo phakathi kwezizwe.” (IzE. 15:12) Manje, abaphostoli namadoda amadala base bezokwazi ukuhlola bonke ubufakazi bese benza isinqumo esasizoyibonisa ngokucacile intando kaNkulunkulu ngokusoka.

22-24. (a) INdikimba Ebusayo namuhla isilingisa kanjani isibonelo sendikimba ebusayo yokuqala? (b) Abadala bangayibonisa kanjani inhlonipho ngegunya laphezulu?

 ²² Nanamuhla, lapho amalungu eNdikimba Ebusayo ehlangana, afuna isiqondiso eZwini likaNkulunkulu futhi athandazele umoya ongcwele ngobuqotho. (IHu. 119:105; Math. 7:7-11) Ukuze kwenziwe izinqumo ezifanele, ilungu ngalinye leNdikimba Ebusayo linikezwa amaphuzu alokho okuzodingidwa kusenesikhathi ukuze liwacabangele ngomthandazo. (IzAga 15:28) Kulo mhlangano, laba bafowethu abagcotshiwe baveza imibono yabo ngokukhululekile nangenhlonipho. Balisebenzisa zikhathi zonke iBhayibheli kulezi zingxoxo.

²³ Abadala bebandla kufanele basilingise lesi sibonelo. Uma indikimba yehluleka ukuxazulula inkinga enkulu ngemva kokuxoxa ngayo emhlanganweni wabadala, ingase ithinte ihhovisi legatsha eliseduze noma abameleli balo abamisiwe, njengababonisi besigodi. Ihhovisi legatsha lona lingabhalela iNdikimba Ebusayo uma kudingeka.

²⁴ Yebo, uJehova uyababusisa abantu abahlonipha ilungiselelo laphezulu futhi babonise ukuzithoba, ubuqotho nokubekezela. Njengoba sizobona esahlukweni esilandelayo, imivuzo evela kuNkulunkulu yokwenza kanjalo iwukuthula kwangempela, ukuchuma ngokomoya nobunye bobuKristu.