Utyelelo kuKorneli

Kwatni ke, xa angenayo uPetros endlwini yoweenTlanga, uKorneli akambulisa okondwendwe nje oluqhelekileyo, kodwa njengolo lubekiweyo lizulu, noluthunyelwe kuye nguThixo. Lisiko laseMpumalanga ukuqubuda phambhi kwetshawe okanye esinye isidwangube esisewongeni eliphakamileyo, kwa nabantwana ukuba baqubude phambhi kwabazali babo ababekwe ewongeni. Kodwa uKorneli, ukubonisa intlonelo kumpostile owayethunywe nguThixo wawa ezinyaweni zakhe waqubuda kuye.IL 258.1

UPetros wahlehla kukoyika sesisenzo somthethelikhulu, wamvusa wammisa ngeenyawo, esithi, “Phakama, nam ngokwam ndingumntu.” Waqala ke ukuncokola naye ngokwabantu abaqheleneyo, ezama ukushenxisa umoya wokoyika nowentlonelo egabadeleyo awamthabatha ngawo umthetheleli-khulu.IL 258.2

Ukuba uPetros waye linikiwe elibanga negunya alinikwayo liBandla lamaRoma Katolika, nge akukhuthaza, endaweni yokukuthiba ukuhlonelwa kwakhe nguKorneli. Aabo ke babizwa ukuba ngabalandeli bakaPetros bafuna ookumkani ukuba baqubude ezinyaweni zabo, kodwa yena uPetros wathi ungumntu nje olahlekayo nonokuphosisa.IL 258.3

UPetros wathetha noKorneli naabo babehlanganisene endlwini yakhe, ngokusingisele esikweni lamaJuda, ukuba kwa kungavumelekanga ngokomthetho ukuba baxubane nabeenTlanga, kananjalo ngokwesithethe kubanga ukuba anchole. Kwa kungalelwa ngumThetho kaThixo, kodwa isithethe sabantu sasikwenze oku kwalisiko elimiyo. Wathi ke, “Niyazi kakuhle nina, ukuba akusesikweni, ukuthi indoda engumJuda inamathele isondele kowolunye uhlanga; mna ke uThixo undibonisile, ukuba ndingabizi mntu ngokuthi uyinqambhi, ungoncholileyo. Kungoko ke ndizileyo ndingaphikanga ndakubizwa. Ndizile ke; ndiya buza ngoko, ukuba nindibize ngandawo ni na?”IL 258.4

UKorneli ke wachaza amava akhe, namazwi esithunywa sezulu esabonakala kuye embonweni. Waqukumbhela ke ngokuthi, “Ndathumela ngoko kuwe kwa oko; nawe utyaphile ufike. Kaloku ngoko sikho thina sonke emehlweni kaThixo, ukuze sive zonke izinto ozimiselweyo nguThixo. Ke kaloku uPetros wawuvula umlomo wakhe wathi: Ndiya qiqa okwenyaniso ukuba uThixo akamkhethi wabuso bamntu; kwiintlanga zonke, lowo umoyikayo, asebenze ubulungisa, wamkelekile kuye.” Nakuba uThixo wawababalayo amaJuda ngaphezu kwazo zonke ezinye iintlanga; kodwa xa ekucekisa ukukhanya akahlala ngokobizo lwawo, aye ngasenaxabiso emehlweni akhe lizidlulayo ezinye iintlanga. Aabo phakathi kweenTlanga abathe, njengoKorneli, bamoyika uThixo, basebenza okulungileyo, baphila ngokokukhanya abanabo, bakhangelwa ngofefe nguThixo, nenkonzo yabo enyanisekileyo iyamkelwa.IL 258.5

Kodwa ukholo nobulungisa bukaKorneli babunge nakugqibelela ngaphandle kolwazi lukaKristu; Ngenxa yoko ke uThixo wathumela okokukhanya nololwazi kuye ukusaakha ngakumbhi isimilo sakhe sobulungisa. Baninzi abakwalayo ukukhanya okuthunyelwa kubo lusindleko lukaThixo, baze, ukuzithethelela kwabo ngenxa yokukwenza oko, basebenzise amazwi kaPetros kuKorneli nezihlobo zakhe athi: “Kodwa kwiintlanga zonke, lowo umoyikayo, asebenze ubulungisa, wamkelekile kuye.” Bathi akuyonto nokuba umntu ukholelwa yintoni na, ukuba nje imisebenzi yakhe mihle. Aabo ke banjalo balahlekile; ukholo kufuneka lumanyane nemisebenzi yabo. Ma bahambhele phambhili ngoko kukhanya abakunikiweyo. Ukuba uThixo ubadibanisa nabakhonzi bakhe abafumene inyaniso entsha, exhaswa liliZwi likaThixo, ma bayamkele ngovuyo. Inyaniso ihambhela phambhili. Inyaniso isinga phezulu. Ngenye indlela, aabo babanga ukuba ukholo lwabo kuphela luya kubasindisa bathembhele entsontelweni yentlabathi, ngenxa yokuba ukholo lomelezwa lwenziwe lugqibelele yimisebenzi kuphela.IL 259.1