IZenzo 4:1-37

Kwathi besakhuluma nabantu, kwatheleka abaphristi nenduna yethempeli nabaSadusi, benengwe kakhulu ngokufundisa kwabo abantu, nokumemezela ngoJesu ukuvuka kwabafileyo. Bababamba, babafaka ejele kwaze kwaba lusuku olulandelayo, ngokuba kwase kuhlwile. Kodwa abaningi abalizwayo izwi bakholwa, babebalelwa emadodeni ayizi-5 000. Kwathi ngakusasa, kwabuthana eJerusalema ababusi, amalunga, izazimthetho, u-Anase umphristi omkhulu, uKhayifase, uJohane, u-Aleksandru, nabo bonke abendlu yomphristi omkhulu; babamisa phakathi kwabo, bababuza bathi: “Nikwenze lokhu ngaliphi igunya nangaliphi igama na?” UPhethro egcwele uMoya oNgcwele, wathi kubo: “Babusi besizwe nani malunga, uma sibuzwa namuhla ngomsebenzi omuhle owenzelwe umuntu ogulayo ukuthi uphiliswe kanjani, makwazeke kini nonke nasesizweni sonke sakwa-Israyeli ukuthi ngegama likaJesu uKhristu waseNazaretha enambethela esiphambanweni, uNkulunkulu amvusayo kwabafileyo, kungaye lo muntu emi phambi kwenu, esindile. Yena uyitshe elanqatshwa yinina bakhi, manje eseliyinhloko yegumbi. “Ayikho insindiso ngomunye, ngokuba alikho elinye igama phansi kwezulu elinikiwe ebantwini, esimelwe ukusindiswa ngalo.” Kwathi bebona isibindi sikaPhethro noJohane, futhi bazi ukuthi bangabantu abangafundile nabangaqeqeshiwe, bamangala, bazi nokuthi kade benoJesu, kodwa akukho ababengakuphika lapho bembona nomuntu ophilisiweyo emi nabo. Base bebayala ukuba baphumele phandle, bashiye umkhandlu, balulekana bodwa, bethi: “Sizakwenzani ngalaba bantu na? Ngokuba kusobala kubo bonke abakhileyo eJesuralema ukuthi yibona abenze isibonakaliso esikhulu esingenakho ukusiphika. Kodwa ukuze lokhu kungandi phakathi kwabantu, masibadonse ngendlebe, ukuthi bangalokothi baliphathe lelo gama kunoma ngubani.” Base bebabiza, babadonsa ngendlebe ukuba bangakhulumi, futhi bangafundisi nakanye ngegama likaJesu. Kepha uPhethro noJohane babaphendula, bathi kubo: “Nqumani nina ukuba kulungile yini ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu ukulalela nina kunoNkulunkulu, ngokuba thina asinakuyeka ukukhuluma ngalokho esikubonileyo nesikuzwileyo.” Sebebesabisile babadedela, ngokuba abazanga ukuthi bazobajesiza kanjani lokhu kwakunabantu, bonke bedumisa uNkulunkulu ngalokho okwakwenzekile. Umuntu okwakwenziwe kuye leso sibonakaliso sokuphiliswa wayeseneminyaka eyevile kwengama-40. Kuthe sebededelwe, baya kwabakubo; bababikela konke abaphristi abakhulu namalunga abakushilo kubo. Sebezwile, benyusela izwi labo nganhliziyonye kuNkulunkulu, bathi: “Somandla, wena owenza izulu, umhlaba, ulwandle nakho konke okukukho, nguWena owakhuluma ngoMoya oNgcwele ngomlomo kababa uDavide inceku yakho, wathi: “ ‘Kungani ukuba abezizwe baxokozele, nabantu bacebe okuyize na? Amakhosi omhlaba aviva ndawonye, nababusi bahlangene ukumelana neNkosi kanye noGcotshiweyo wayo.’ “Ngokuba kuwo lo muzi, uHerode, uPhontiyu Pilatu, nabezizwe nabantu bakwa-Israyeli bahlangana bamelana neNceku yakho engcwele, uJesu owamgcobayo, ukufeza lokho owawuyimisele ukuba ikwenze kwaphambilini, ngesandla nangecebo lakho ukuba kwenzeke. Manje, Nkosi, bheka ukusongela kwabo, unike izinceku zakho ukuba zikhulume izwi lakho ngaso sonke isibindi, wena welule isandla sakho ukuphulukisa, ukwenza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso ngegama leNceku yakho engcwele uJesu.” Kwathi sebekhulekile, kwazanyazanyiswa indawo ababehlanganele kuyo, bonke bagcwaliswa nguMoya oNgcwele, bakhuluma izwi likaNkulunkulu ngesibindi. Isixuku sabakholwayo sasinhliziyonye namphefumulo munye, akubanga bikho noyedwa owathi ngempahla yakhe, ingeyakhe, kodwa bahlanganyela kukho konke. Abaphostoli bethula ngamandla amakhulu ubufakazi ngokuvuka kweNkosi uJesu; umusa omkhulu wawuphezu kwabo bonke. Kwakungekho osweleyo phakathi kwabo, ngokuba bonke ababengabanikazi bamazwe noma bezindlu bathengisa ngakho, imali yalokho ababekuthengisile bayiletha, bayibeka ngasezinyaweni zabaphostoli, kwaba yilowo nalowo wabelwa njengokuntula kwakhe. Kwathi uJosefa owaqanjwa ngabaphostoli ngokuthi uBharnabha, okusho ukuthi indodana ekhuthazayo, engumLevi waseKhuphro ngokuzalwa, enensimu, wathengisa ngayo, waletha imali, wayibeka ngasezinyaweni zabaphostoli.