IZenzo 15

15 ¹Kwehla amadoda athile evela eJudiya afundisa abazalwane, athi: “Uma ningasokwa ngokomkhuba kaMose, ningeke nisindiswe.” ²Kwathi lapho uPawulu noBarnaba sebenombango nenkulumompikiswano enzima nabo, abazalwane bamisa uPawulu, noBarnaba, nabanye kubo ukuba benyukele kubaphostoli nakubadala eJerusalema ngalo mbuzo. ³Bathunywa yibandla, badabula iFenike neSamariya, belandisa ngokuphenduka kwabeZizwe, baletha injabulo enkulu kubo bonke abazalwane. ⁴Bathi befika eJerusalema, bamukelwa yibandla, nabaphostoli, nabadala, babika konke uBaba wethu ayekwenzile nabo.

⁵Kodwa abanye abakholwayo ababevela eqenjini labaFarisi basukuma bathi: “Kumele basokwe futhi bayalwe ukuba bagcine umthetho kaMose.” ⁶Baqoqana ndawonye abaphostoli nabadala ukuze bacubungule le ndaba. ⁷Emva kwenkulumompikiswano enkulu, uPhethro wasukuma wathi: “Bazalwane, niyazi ukuthi ezinsukwini zokuqala uBaba wethu wakhetha phakathi kwenu ukuba abeZizwe bezwe izwi levangeli ngami futhi bakholwe. ⁸Futhi uBaba wethu, owazi inhliziyo, wafakaza ngokubapha uMoya oNgcwele, njengoba enza nakithi. ⁹Akazange enze mehluko phakathi kwethu nabo, wahlanza izinhliziyo zabo ngokholo. ¹⁰Ngakho-ke kungani nilinga uBaba wethu ngokubeka ijoka entanyeni yabafundi, okhokho bethu nathi esingakwazanga ukulithwala? ¹¹Kodwa siyakholwa ukuthi siyakusindiswa ngomusa weNkosi uJesu, njengabo.”

¹²Sathula sonke isixuku, salalela uBarnaba noPawulu bechaza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso uBaba wethu azenza phakathi kwabeZizwe ngabo. ¹³Bathi sebeqedile ukukhuluma, uJakobe waphendula wathi: “Bazalwane, ngilaleleni. ¹⁴USimiyoni ulandisile ukuthi uBaba wethu waqala kanjani ukuvakashela izizwe, ethatha kuzo abantu abazoba ngabegama lakhe. ^a a v14 USimiyoni yigama lesiHeberu likaPhethro — umphostoli ofanayo owakhuluma evesini lesi-7. ¹⁵Futhi amazwi abaprofethi ayavumelana nalokhu, njengoba kulotshiwe:

¹⁶“‘Emva kwalokhu ngiyakubuya, ngiyakwakha kabusha itende likaDavida eliwile; ngiyakwakha kabusha amanxiwa alo, ngilibuyisele, ^b b v16 Lapho uJakobe ethi uBaba wethu uyakwakha kabusha ‘itende likaDavida eliwile,’ ukhomba ekubuyiselweni okwafezwa ngoJesu, indodana kaDavida eyayithenjisiwe, ovulela umkhaya abantu abavela kuzo zonke izizwe.

¹⁷ukuze insali yabantu ifune uBaba wethu, ngisho nabo bonke abeZizwe ababizwa ngegama lami, kusho uBaba wethu, owenza lezi zinto, ¹⁸ezaziwa kwasekadeni.’

¹⁹Ngakho mina ngithi akufanele sibakhathaze abeZizwe abaphendukela kuBaba wethu, ²⁰kodwa sibhalele sibatshele ukuba baxwaye izinto ezingcoliswe izithombe, ubufebe, inyama yezilwane eziklinyiweyo, negazi. ²¹Ngokuba uMose ushunyayelwe kuyo yonke imizi ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane, efundwa ngokuzwakalayo emasinagogeni ngawo wonke amaSabatha.”

Incwadi Eya Kubazalwane Bethu BabeZizwe

²²Abaphostoli, nabadala, nebandla lonke banquma ukukhetha amadoda phakathi kwabo bawathumele e-Antiyokiya kanye noPawulu noBarnaba: uJuda owayethiwa uBarsaba, noSila, abaholi phakathi kwabazalwane. ²³Bathumela le ncwadi ngabo: “Abaphostoli nabadala, abazalwane, kubazalwane babeZizwe abase-Antiyokiya, naseSiriya, naseKhilikhiya: siyanibingelela.

²⁴Njengoba sizwile ukuthi abanye abaphuma kithi banikhathaza ngamazwi, bethikameza izinhliziyo zenu, nakuba singabanikanga miyalo enjalo, ²⁵savumelana ngazwi linye ukukhetha amadoda siwathumele kini kanye noBarnaba noPawulu abathandekayo bethu. ²⁶Amadoda anikele ngokuphila kwawo ngenxa yegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. ²⁷Ngakho sithume uJuda noSila, abayakunitshela bona ngokwabo lezo zinto ngomlomo. ²⁸UMoya oNgcwele kanye nathi sivumelene ukuba singabeki kini umthwalo omkhulu kunalezi zinto ezidingekayo: ²⁹Xwayani ukudla okunikelwe izithombe, negazi, nenyama yezilwane eziklinyiweyo, nobufebe. Zigcineni kuzo lezi zinto niyakwenza kahle. Salani kahle.”

³⁰Ngakho, bathi sebemukisiwe, behlela e-Antiyokiya, baqoqa ibandla, balethula incwadi. ³¹Kwathi sebeyifundile, bajabula ngenkuthazo. ³²UJuda noSila, ababengabaprofethi nabo, bakhuthaza baqinisa abazalwane ngamazwi amaningi. ³³Bathi sebehlale khona isikhathi, abazalwane babamukisa ngokuthula babuyele kulabo ababebathumile. ^c c v33 Imibhalo yasendulo kunazo zonke ayinalo ivesi lama-34 lapha; amakhophi akamuva engeza: “Kodwa uSila wanquma ukusala khona.” ³⁵Kodwa uPawulu noBarnaba basala e-Antiyokiya, befundisa beshumayela izwi leNkosi yethu, kanye nabanye abaningi.

UPawulu noBarnaba Bayahlukana

³⁶Emva kwezinsuku ezithile, uPawulu wathi kuBarnaba: “Masibuye sivakashele abazalwane kuyo yonke imizi lapho sashumayela khona izwi leNkosi yethu, sibone ukuthi banjani.” ³⁷UBarnaba wayefuna ukuhamba nabo uJohane owayethiwa uMarku. ³⁸Kodwa uPawulu wabona kungcono ukuba bangamthathi lowo owabashiya ePhamfiliya ongazange ahambe nabo emsebenzini. ³⁹Ukungqubuzana kwabo kwaba kukhulu kangangokuba bahlukana omunye nomunye; uBarnaba wamthatha uMarku wawela ngomkhumbi waya eKhupro, ⁴⁰kodwa uPawulu wakhetha uSila wahamba, enikelwe ngabazalwane emuseni weNkosi yethu. ⁴¹Wadabula iSiriya neKhilikhiya, eqinisa amabandla.