IzEnzo 15:1-41

Kwehla abathile bevela eJudiya, bafundisa abazalwane, bathi: “Uma ningasoki ngokwesiko likaMose, anikwazi ukusindiswa. Kwathi ukuphikisana nokuphikisana kukaPawulu noBarnaba okungekuncane nabo, banquma ukuba uPawulu noBarnaba, nabanye kubo, bakhuphukele kubaphostoli namalunga eJerusalema ngalowo mbuzo. Sebephelekezelwe libandla, badabula iFenike neSamariya, belandisa ukuphenduka kwabezizwe; baletha intokozo enkulu kubo bonke abazalwane. Sebefikile eJerusalema, bamukelwa libandla labaphostoli labadala, balandisa ngakho konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzile labo. Kodwa kwasukuma abanye behlelo labaFarisi abakholwayo, besithi: Kumele ukubasoka, lokulaywa ukugcina umlayo kaMozisi. Base bebuthana abaphostoli namalunga ukuba bayihlole leyo ndaba. Kwathi sekunempikiswano enkulu, wasukuma uPetru, wathi kubo: “Madoda, bazalwane, niyazi nina ukuthi kusukela kudala uNkulunkulu wakhetha phakathi kwethu ukuba abezizwe bezwe izwi levangeli ngomlomo wami, bakhulume izwi levangeli kholwani. NoNkulunkulu owazi izinhliziyo wabafakazela, ebapha uMoya oNgcwele, njengalokho enzile nakithi; Akabekanga umehluko phakathi kwethu nabo, ehlambulula izinhliziyo zabo ngokholo. Manje nimlingelani uNkulunkulu ngokubeka ijoka entanyeni yabafundi, obaba nathi esingenamandla okulithwala na? Kepha siyakholwa ukuthi siyakusindiswa ngomusa weNkosi uJesu Kristu, njengalokho nabo. Isixuku sonke sathula, sabalalela oBarnaba noPawulu belandisa ukuthi yiziphi izimangaliso nezimangaliso uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngabo kwabezizwe. Sebethulile, uJakobe waphendula wathi: Madoda, bazalwane, ngizweni. USimeyoni usilandisile ukuthi uNkulunkulu wabahambela kanjani abezizwe ekuqaleni ukuze athathe kubo abantu begama lakhe. Nalokho amazwi abaprofethi ayavumelana nalokhu; njengoba kulotshiwe, Emva kwalokho ngiyakubuya, ngibuye ngilakhe itabernakele likaDavide eliwileyo; ngiyakubuye ngiwakhe amanxiwa awo, ngiwumise; Ukuze insali yabantu ifune iNkosi, nabezizwe bonke ababizwa ngegama lami, isho iNkosi eyenza zonke lezi zinto. Iyaziwa nguNkulunkulu yonke imisebenzi yakhe kwasekuqaleni kwezwe. Ngakho-ke mina ngithi singabakhathazi labo kwabezizwe abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu; kodwa sibabhalele ukuthi bayeke amanyala ezithombe, lobufebe, lokukhanyiweyo, legazi. Ngokuba uMose kwasendulo unabamshumayelayo emizini yonke, efundwa emasinagogeni isabatha ngamasabatha. Kwaba kuhle-ke kubaphostoli namalunga kanye nebandla lonke ukuthumela amadoda athile phakathi kwabo e-Antiyokiya kanye noPawulu noBarnaba; okungukuthi uJuda othiwa uBarsaba, noSila, izinduna phakathi kwabazalwane; Basebebhala izincwadi ngabo ngalendlela; Abaphostoli namalunga nabazalwane bayakhonza kubazalwane abavela kwabezizwe e-Antiyokiya, naseSiriya, naseKhilikhiya; Njengoba sizwile ukuthi abathile abaphuma kithi banikhathaze ngamazwi, bedukisa imiphefumulo yenu, besithi: Kumele lisokwe, ligcine umlayo, esingabanikanga umlayo onjalo. Kwaba kuhle kithi sibuthene nganhliziyonye, ukuthuma kini amadoda akhethiweyo kanye labathandekayo bethu uBarnabasi loPawuli; abantu abadele ukuphila kwabo ngenxa yegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu. Ngakho sithumile oJudasi loSila, abazakhuluma kini lezizinto ngomlomo. Ngokuba kwaba kuhle kuMoya oNgcwele nakithi ukuba ningathwesi umthwalo omkhulu ngaphandle kwalezizinto ezifunekayo; ukuba nizile okuhlatshelwe izithombe, negazi, nokuqumbeleneyo, nobufebe; uma nizilinda kukho, nenza kahle. Nisale kahle. Sebemukisiwe, beza e-Antiyokiya; Kwathi sebefundile bathokoza ngenduduzo. OJudasi noSila, bengabaprofethi nabo, bakhuthaza abazalwane ngamazwi amaningi, babaqinisa. Sebehlale khona isikhathi, bakhululwa abazalwane ngokuthula, baya kubaphostoli. Nokho kwaba kuhle kuSila ukuba asale khona. OPawulu noBarnaba bahlala e-Antiyokiya befundisa, beshumayela izwi leNkosi, kanye nabanye abaningi. Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezithile uPawulu wathi kuBarnabasi: “Asibuye sihambele abazalwane bethu emizini yonke esishumayele kuyo izwi leNkosi, sibone ukuthi banjani. UBarnabasi wazimisela ukuhamba noJohane othiwa uMarku. Kepha uPawulu akabonanga kukuhle ukumthatha, ahambe nabo, yena owabashiya ePhamfiliya, akaya nabo emsebenzini. Kwaba khona ukuphikisana okukhulu, baze bahlukana, uBarnabasi wamthatha uMarku, waya eKhupro ngomkhumbi; UPawuli wakhetha uSila, wamuka enikelwe ngabazalwane emseni kaNkulunkulu. Wadabula iSiriya neKhilikhiya eqinisa amabandla.