Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-60—1 Petru

Umlobi: UPetru

Yalotshelwa: EBabiloni

Ukuloba Kwaphela: Cishe ngo-62–64 C.E.

 1. Kungani kwadingeka ukuba amaKristu abhekane nezilingo, futhi kungani incwadi yokuqala kaPetru yayifike ngesikhathi?

NJENGOBA amaKristu okuqala ayebushumayela kabanzi ubukhosi bukaNkulunkulu, umsebenzi woMbuso wachuma futhi wanda kuwo wonke uMbuso WaseRoma. Nokho, kwaphakama ukungaqondi kahle okuthile ngaleliqembu elishisekayo. Phakathi kokunye, inkolo yawo yayiqale eJerusalema phakathi kwamaJuda, futhi abanye bawaphambanisa nezishisekeli ezingamaJuda ezazithambekele kwezombangazwe futhi ezazikhononda ngaphansi kwejoka leRoma futhi ziyimbangela engapheli yenkathazo kubabusi bendawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amaKristu ayehlukile ngokuthi ayenqaba ukuhlabela umbusi noma ukuhlanganyela emikhosini yenkolo yobuqaba yangalolosuku. Kwakukhulunywa kabi ngawo futhi kwadingeka ukuba abhekane nezilingo eziningi ngenxa yokholo. Ngesikhathi esifanele, nangokucabangela kusengaphambili okubonisa ukuphefumlelwa kwaphezulu, uPetru wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala, ekhuthaza amaKristu ukuba ame eqinile futhi ewaluleka ngendlela okumelwe aziphathe ngayo ngaphansi kukaNero, uKesari wangalesosikhathi. Lencwadi yabonakala ifike ngesikhathi impela ngenxa yoshushiso olukhulu olwagqashuka cishe ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho.

 2. Yini ebonisa ukuthi uPetru wayengumlobi wencwadi eqanjwe ngegama lakhe, futhi lencwadi yayiqondiswe kobani?

² Ukuthi uPetru owayiloba kuqinisekiswa amazwi okuvula. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uIrenaeus, uClement waseAlexandria, uOrigen, noTertullian bonke bayayicaphuna lencwadi, bethi uPetru owayiloba.a Ubuqiniso bencwadi yokuQala kaPetru bufakazelwa kahle njenganoma iyiphi enye yezincwadi eziphefumlelwe. UEusebius usitshela ukuthi amalunga ebandla ayisebenzisa ngokukhululekile lencwadi; kwakungekho ukungabaza ngobuqiniso bayo ngesikhathi sakhe (cishe ngo-260-342 C.E.). UIgnatius, uHermas, noBarnabas, abaphila ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka, bonke bayabhekisela kuyo.b Incwadi yokuQala kaPetru ivumelana ngokuphelele nayo yonke imiBhalo ephefumlelwe futhi iveza isigijimi esinamandla samaKristu angamaJuda nangemaJuda ahlala ‘njengezihambi ezihlakazekile ePontu, eGalathiya, eKhaphadosiya, eAsiya, naseBithiniya’​—⁠izifunda zaseAsia Minor.​—⁠1 Pet. 1:⁠1.

 3. Yibuphi ubufakazi obukhona mayelana nesikhathi sokulotshwa kwencwadi yokuQala kaPetru?

³ Yalotshwa nini lencwadi? Isimo sayo sibonisa ukuthi amaKristu ayebhekene nezilingo, ezazivela emaqabeni noma kumaJuda ayengaphendukanga, kodwa kuthi umkhankaso kaNero wokushushisa, owaqaliswa ngo-64 C.E., wawungakaqali. Kusobala ukuthi uPetru waloba lencwadi ngokushesha ngaphambi kwalokhu, cishe phakathi kuka-62 no-64 C.E. Ukuthi uMarku wayesenoPetru kuqinisa lesiphetho. Phakathi nokuboshwa kukaPawulu kokuqala eRoma (cishe ngo-59-61 C.E.), uMarku wayenoPawulu kodwa kwasekufanele aye eAsia Minor; futhi ngesikhathi sokuboshwa kukaPawulu kwesibili (cishe ngo-65 C.E.), kwakumelwe uMarku ayojoyina uPawulu futhi eRoma. (1 Pet. 5:​13; Kol. 4:​10; 2 Thim. 4:​11) Phakathi nalesikhathi wayengaba nalo ithuba lokuba noPetru eBabiloni.

 4, 5. (a) Yini echitha ukuthi uPetru waloba incwadi yakhe yokuqala eseRoma? (b) Yini ebonisa ukuthi waloba eseBabiloni elingokoqobo?

⁴ Yalotshelwa kuphi incwadi yokuQala kaPetru? Nakuba abahlaziyi beBhayibheli bevumelana ngobuqiniso bayo, ngokuba kwayo ingxenye yohlu lwezincwadi zeBhayibheli, ngomlobi wayo, nangosuku okungenzeka ukuthi yalotshwa ngalo, bayehluka uma kuziwa endaweni eyalotshelwa kuyo. Ngokobufakazi bukaPetru ngokwakhe, waloba incwadi yakhe yokuqala eseBabiloni. (1 Pet. 5:​13) Kodwa abanye bathi waloba eseRoma, bethi elithi “Babiloni” kwakuyigama leRoma lokufihla. Nokho, ubufakazi abuwusekeli umbono onjalo. Akukho lapho iBhayibheli libonisa khona ukuthi elithi Babiloni libhekisela eRoma ngokuqondile. Njengoba uPetru ayeqondise incwadi yakhe kulabo ababesePontu, eGalathiya, eKhaphadosiya, eAsiya, naseBithiniya okungokoqobo, kunengqondo ukuthi lapho ekhuluma ngeBabiloni wayebhekisela endaweni engokoqobo enalelogama. (1:⁠1) Kwakunesizathu esihle sokuba uPetru abe seBabiloni. Wayephathiswe ‘ivangeli labasokayo,’ futhi kwakunomphakathi omkhulu wamaJuda eBabiloni. (Gal. 2:​7-9) IEncyclopaedia Judaica, lapho ixoxa ngokulotshwa kweTalmud yaseBabiloni, ibhekisela ‘ezikoleni ezinkulu zaseBabiloni’ zobuJuda phakathi neSikhathi Esivamile.c

⁵ ImiBhalo ephefumlelwe, kuhlanganise nezincwadi ezimbili ezalotshwa uPetru, azisho lutho ngokuya kwakhe eRoma. UPawulu ukhuluma ngokuba kwakhe seRoma kodwa akazange akhulume ngokuba khona kukaPetru lapho. Nakuba uPawulu ephatha amagama angu-35 encwadini yakhe eya kwabaseRoma futhi ekhonza kwabangu-26 ebabiza ngamagama, kungani engakhulumi ngoPetru? Yingoba uPetru wayengekho lapho ngalesosikhathi! (Roma 16:​3-15) “IBabiloni” uPetru alobela kulo incwadi yakhe yokuqala ngokusobala laliyiBabiloni elingokoqobo elisogwini loMfula iEwufrathe eMesopotamiya.

OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI YOKUQALA KAPETRU

 6. UPetru uloba ngaliphi ithemba, futhi kungasiphi isisekelo “ukuzalwa okusha” kulelithemba kungenzeka?

⁶ Ukuzalwa okusha ethembeni eliphilayo ngoKristu (1:​1-25). Zisuka nje uPetru uqondisa ukunakekela kwabafundi bencwadi yakhe ‘ekuzalweni okusha ethembeni eliphilayo’ nasefeni elingabuniyo eligcinelwe bona emazulwini. Lokhu kungokobubele bukaNkulunkulu ngokuvuka kukaJesu Kristu. Ngakho-ke ‘abakhethiwe’ bathokoza kakhulu, nakuba bedabukiswa izilingo ezinhlobonhlobo, ukuze ukuvivinywa kokukholwa kwabo “kufunyanwe kube-ngukubongwa, nodumo, nokutuseka ekwambulweni kukaJesu Kristu.” Abaprofethi basendulo, ngisho nezingelosi, baye bafunisisa ngokuphathelene nalensindiso. Ngakho-ke, abakhethiweyo kumelwe babophe izinkalo zengqondo yabo futhi babeke ithemba labo kulomusa ongabafanele, babe ngcwele ekuhambeni kwabo konke. Ingabe lokhu akufanele yini uma kubhekwa ukukhululwa kwabo, hhayi ngezinto ezibhubhayo, kodwa “ngegazi elinqabileyo likaKristu kungathi elewundlu elingenacala, elingenabala”? ‘Ukuzalwa kwabo okusha’ kungezwi likaNkulunkulu ophilayo nomiyo, uJehova, elimi kuze kube-phakade nelashunyayelwa kubo njengevangeli.​—⁠1:​1, 3, 7, 19, 23, qhathanisa neNW.

 7. (a) AmaKristu akhiwa njengani, futhi ngayiphi injongo? (b) Njengezihambi, kumelwe aziphathe kanjani?

⁷ Ukulondoloza ukuziphatha okuhle phakathi kwabezizwe (2:⁠1–3:​22). Njengamatshe aphilileyo, amaKristu akhiwa abe yindlu engokomoya, enikela ngemihlatshelo engokomoya eyamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu ngoJesu Kristu, itshe legumbi, owaba yitshe lokuqhuzula kwabangalaleli. Labo ababonisa ukholo baye baba ‘ubupristi bobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, ukuze bashumayele ubukhosi balowo owababiza baphume ebumnyameni, bangene ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo.’ Njengezihambi phakathi kwabezizwe, mabadede ezinkanukweni zenyama babe nenkambo enhle. Mabathobele “izimiso zonke zabantu,” kungakhathaliseki ukuthi inkosi noma ababusi bayo. Yebo, ‘mabazise bonke, bathande abazalwane; bamesabe uNkulunkulu, bayazise inkosi.’ Ngokufanayo, izinceku mazithobele amakhosi azo, ngonembeza omuhle, zibekezele ngaphansi kokuhlushwa okungafanele. Ngisho noKristu, nakuba ayengenasono, wavuma ukuthukwa nokuhlushwa, eshiya “isibonelo” ukuze izinyathelo zakhe zilandelwe eduze.​—⁠2:​9, 13, 17, 21.

 8. (a) Yisiphi iseluleko esinengqondo esinikezwa abafazi namadoda? (b) Yini edingekayo ukuze umuntu abe nonembeza omuhle phambi kukaNkulunkulu?

⁸ Ukuzithoba kuyasebenza futhi nakubafazi, okungathi ngokuziphatha okuhlanzekile kanye nenhlonipho ejulile bazuze amadoda angakholwa ngaphandle kwezwi. Akufanele bakhathalele ukuhloba kwangaphandle. Kumelwe kube njengoba kwakunjalo ngoSara olalelayo, “umuntu osithekileyo wenhliziyo ohloba ngokungabhubhiyo komoya omnene onokuthula, okuyigugu phambi kukaNkulunkulu.” Amadoda kumelwe anike abafazi bawo udumo ‘njengezitsha ezibuthakathaka’ ‘nanjengezindlalifa zomusa wokuphila kanye nawo.’ Wonke amaKristu kumelwe abonise uthando lobuzalwane. “Osuka ethanda ukuphila . . . , adede ebubini, enze okuhle, afune ukuthula, akujonge, ngokuba amehlo eNkosi aphezu kwabalungileyo.” Kunokuba esabe abantu, kumelwe ahlale ekulungele ukuvikela ithemba lawo. Kungcono ukuhlupheka ngokwenza okuhle, uma kuyintando kaNkulunkulu, kunangokwenza okubi. “Ngokuba naye uKristu wahlupheka kwaba-kanye ngezono, olungileyo ngenxa yabangalungile, ukuba asiyise kuNkulunkulu, ebulawa enyameni kepha ephiliswa emoyeni.” Ukholo lukaNowa, olwabonakaliswa ngokwakha umkhumbi, lwaphumela ekusindisweni kwakhe nomkhaya wakhe. Ngendlela efanayo, labo, ngesisekelo sokholo kuKristu ovusiwe, abazinikezela kuNkulunkulu, babhapathizwe bebonakalisa lolokholo, futhi baqhubeke benza intando kaNkulunkulu bayasindiswa futhi uNkulunkulu ubapha unembeza omuhle.​—⁠3:​4, 7, 10-12, 18.

 9. Yikuphi ukuqonda amaKristu okumelwe abe nakho? Naphezu kwani?

⁹ Ukujabulela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu njengomKristu, naphezu kokuhlupheka (4:​1–5:​14). AmaKristu kumelwe abe nomqondo onjengokaKristu, aphilele ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu kuphela kungabe kusaba eyabezizwe, ngisho noma abezizwe bebahlambalaza ngokungaqhubeki begijima nabo “kulowomsindo wokushinga kwabo.” Njengoba ukuphela kwezinto zonke sekusondele, kumelwe bazikhuze, bakhuleke, babe nokuthandana okunganqamukiyo, benze konke ukuze uNkulunkulu adunyiswe. Njengoba izilingo zivutha phakathi kwabo, akumelwe bamangale, kodwa kumelwe bathokoze njengabahlanganyeli bezinhlupheko zikaKristu. Nokho, makungabikho-muntu ohlupheka njengowenzokubi. Njengoba ukwahlulela kuqala endlini kaNkulunkulu, “abahluphekayo ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu mababeke imiphefumulo yabo kuMdali othembekayo ngokwenza okuhle.”​—⁠4:​4, 19.

10. Yisiphi iseluleko esinikezwa amalunga nabasha, futhi incwadi yokuQala kaPetru iphetha ngasiphi isiqinisekiso esinamandla?

¹⁰ Amalunga kumelwe aluse umhlambi kaNkulunkulu ngokuzithandela, yebo ngenhliziyo evumayo. Ukuba yizibonelo zomhlambi kuyowaqinisekisa ngomqhele wenkazimulo ongabuniyo ekubonakalisweni kukaMalusi oMkhulu. Abasha mabathobele amalunga, bonke bathobelane, “ngokuba uNkulunkulu umelana nabazidlayo, kepha abathobekileyo ubapha umusa.” Mabaqine ekukholweni futhi baqaphele ‘lelobhubesi elibhodlayo,’ uDeveli. Nalapha, kuzwakala amazwi anamandla esiqinisekiso njengoba uPetru ephetha isiyalo sakhe: “Kepha uNkulunkulu womusa wonke owanibizela enkazimulweni yakhe yaphakade ngoKristu, senihluphekile isikhashana, yena uqobo uyakuniphelelisa, aniqinise, aninike amandla, anisekele. Makube-kuye amandla kuze kube-phakade naphakade. Amen.”​—⁠5:​5, 8, 10, 11.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO

11. UPetru usilandela kanjani iseluleko sikaJesu noPawulu ekunikezeni iseluleko kubabonisi?

¹¹ Incwadi yokuqala kaPetru iqukethe iseluleko esinengqondo kubabonisi. Elandela iseluleko sikaJesu ngokwakhe esikuJohane 21:​15-17 nesikaPawulu esikuzEnzo 20:​25-35, uPetru uphinde abonise ukuthi umsebenzi wombonisi ukwalusa, okumelwe wenziwe ngokungenabugovu, ngokuzithandela, nangenhliziyo evumayo. Umbonisi ungumalusi ongaphansi, okhonza ngaphansi ‘kukaMalusi omkhulu,’ uJesu Kristu, futhi uzolandisa kuye ngomhlambi kaNkulunkulu, ozithakazelo zawo kumelwe azinakekele njengesibonelo nangokuthobeka konke.​—⁠5:​2-⁠4.

12. (a) Yikuphi ukuzithoba okulinganiselwe okumelwe kunikezwe ababusi namakhosi? (b) UPetru uyala uthini ngokuphathelene nokuzithoba kwabafazi nobunhloko bamadoda? (c) Iyiphi imfanelo yobuKristu egcizelelwa kuyo yonke lencwadi?

¹² Ezinye izici eziningi zokuthobeka kobuKristu ziyathintwa encwadini kaPetru, futhi kunikezwa iseluleko esihle kakhulu. Kweyoku-⁠1 Petru 2:​13-17, kwelulekwa ngokuzithoba okufanele kubabusi, njengamakhosi nabongameli. Nokho, lokhu kumelwe kube ukuzithoba okulinganiselwe, kube ngenxa yeNkosi futhi kuhambisane ‘nokwesaba uNkulunkulu,’ amaKristu ayizinceku zakhe. Izinceku ziyalwa ukuba zizithobe emakhosini azo nokuba zibekezele uma kumelwe zihlupheke “ngenxa kanembeza ngakuNkulunkulu.” Abafazi nabo banikezwa iseluleko esibalulekile ngokuqondene nokuzithoba emadodeni, kuhlanganise nangakholwa, njengoba kuboniswa ukuthi ukuziphatha kwawo okuhlanzekile nokunenhlonipho “kuyigugu phambi kukaNkulunkulu” futhi angase azuzele ngisho namadoda awo eqinisweni. Lapha uPetru usebenzisa umfanekiso wokuzithoba kukaSara ngokwethembeka kuAbrahama ukuze agcizelele iphuzu. (1 Pet. 2:​17-20; 3:​1-⁠6; Gen. 18:​12) Amadoda, ngokufanayo, kumelwe asebenzise ubunhloko bawo ngokucabangela okufanele “isitsha esibuthakathaka.” Esekulesisihloko, uPetru uyayala: “Ngokunjalo, nina-basha, thobelani amalunga.” Khona-ke ugcizelela isidingo sokuthobelana, ukuthobeka, imfanelo yobuKristu egcizelelwa kuyo yonke incwadi yakhe.​—⁠1 Pet. 3:​7-⁠9; 5:​5-⁠7; 2:​21-⁠25.

13. (a) UPetru uyenza kanjani icace encwadini yakhe injongo yokubiza kukaNkulunkulu ibandla lobuKristu? (b) UPetru ukhomba phambili kuliphi ifa elithokozisayo, futhi obani abalifinyelelayo?

¹³ Ngesikhathi uvivinyo olunjengomlilo nokushushiswa kuphinda kugqashuka futhi, uPetru wanikeza isikhuthazo esiqinisayo, futhi ngempela incwadi yakhe ibalulekile kubo bonke ababhekene nezilingo ezinjalo namuhla. Phawula indlela asebenzisa ngayo imiBhalo yesiHeberu ecaphuna amazwi kaJehova: “Manibe-ngcwele, ngokuba mina ngingcwele.” (1 Pet. 1:​16; Lev. 11:​44) Khona-ke, futhi, engxenyeni ecebile ngokubhekisela kwayo kweminye imibhalo ephefumlelwe, ubonisa indlela ibandla lobuKristu elakhiwe ngayo njengendlu engokomoya yamatshe aphilayo esisekelweni esinguKristu. Ngayiphi injongo? UPetru uyaphendula: “Nina niluhlanga olukhethiweyo, ubupristi obobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abazuziweyo, ukuze nishumayele ubukhosi balowo owanibiza niphume ebumnyameni, ningene ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo.” (1 Pet. 2:​4-10; Isaya 28:​16; IHu. 118:​22; Isaya 8:​14; Eks. 19:​5, 6; Isaya 43:​21; Hos. 1:​10; 2:​23) Yilobu ‘bupristi bobukhosi,’ ubupristi obuhlanganisa sonke isizwe sikaNkulunkulu esingcwele, uPetru abunikeza isithembiso soMbuso “[s]efa elingapheliyo, nelingenasisihla, nelingabuniyo,” “umqhele wenkazimulo ongabuniyo,” ‘inkazimulo yaphakade ebunyeni noKristu.’ Ngaleyondlela, laba bakhuthazwa kakhulu ukuba baqhubeke bethokoza ukuze ‘kuthi nasekwambulweni kwenkazimulo yakhe bathokoze, bethabe nokwethaba.’​—⁠1 Pet. 1:⁠4; 5:​4, 10, qhathanisa neNW; 4:⁠13.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]