“Yesu akajibu, ‘Mimi ndimi njia na kweli na uzima. mtu haji kwa Baba ila kwa njia ya mimi” (Yohana 14:6). Biblia inazingatia zaidi Mwana wa Mungu. Yeye ndiye sifa kuu kuanzia mwanzo hadi mwisho katika Maandiko. Katika Agano la Kale Yeye ndiye Masihi aliyetabiriwa na anaonyeshwa katika dhabihu za wanyama za aina na vivuli vya Walawi. Katika Agano Jipya Yeye ndiye nuru ya kweli na ukweli wa Mungu, na uhalisi wa aina zote za Agano la Kale.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6). The Bible finds its focus on the Son of God. He is the main feature from beginning to end in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament He is the sought-for prophesied Messiah and is pictured in the animal sacrifices of the Levitical types and shadows. In the New Testament He is the true light and truth of God, and the reality of all the Old Testament types.
Katika Yohana 8:12 Yesu alisema, “Mimi ndimi nuru ya ulimwengu. Yeye anifuataye hatakwenda gizani kamwe, bali atakuwa na nuru ya uzima.” Kabla ya Yesu kupaa mbinguni, aliahidi kwamba angemtaka Baba yake atume Roho Mtakatifu kwa wanafunzi Wake ambaye angewaongoza kwenye kweli yote. “Lakini yeye atakapokuja, huyo Roho wa kweli, atawaongoza awatie kwenye kweli yote. Hatasema peke yake; atanena tu yale atakayoyasikia, na mambo yajayo atawaambia” (Yohana 16:13). Katika Yohana 8:32 na 36 tunasoma, “Ndipo mtaifahamu kweli, nayo hiyo kweli itawaweka huru.....Basi Mwana akiwaweka huru, mtakuwa huru kweli kweli. Katika Yohana 6:28, 29 tunasoma, “Kisha wakamwuliza, ‘Tufanye nini ili tuzifanye kazi (zaidi) ambazo Mungu anataka?
In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised that He would have His Father send the Holy Spirit to His disciples that would guide them into all truth. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13). In John 8:32 and 36 we read, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.....So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” In John 6:28, 29 we read, “Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works (plural) God requires?’
Yesu akajibu, ‘Kazi (umoja) ya Mungu ndiyo hii – kumwamini yule aliyemtuma.’” Ni juu ya msingi wa ukweli huu, basi, ndipo tunapata msingi na kiini cha kumjua Mungu na makusudi yake. .
Jesus answered, ‘The work (singular) of God is this -- to believe in the one he has sent.’” It is on the foundation of this truth, then, that we find the basis and substance for knowing God and His purposes.
Mtume Paulo anasema katika 2 Tim. 3:16 (ASV), “Kila andiko, lenye pumzi ya Mungu, lafaa kwa mafundisho, na kwa kuwaonya watu makosa yao, na kwa kuwaongoza, na kwa kuwaadibisha katika haki.”
The Apostle Paul states in 2 Tim. 3:16 (ASV), “Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.”
Tunaishi katika siku za udanganyifu mkuu. Ukristo unashambuliwa katika nyanja zote. Vitabu na muziki wa Kipindi Kipya vilivyo na ujumbe wao wa hila wa kibinadamu vinaweza kupatikana vikiwa vimeonyeshwa kwa njia dhahiri katika karibu kila duka la vitabu. Hata wengi katika Ukristo wamekubali falsafa ya ulimwengu kwamba hakuna kanuni kamili za maadili. Uavyaji mimba haufanywi tu na wasio Wakristo pekee. Wale wanaoishi pamoja nje ya ndoa wanatia ndani watu wengi wanaodai kuwa Wakristo. Uekumene umekumbatia karibu dini zote za kipagani pamoja na Ukristo. Wengi wamevutwa katika mafundisho ya Mashariki ya kutafakari kwa mpito, yoga, kuimba na mila kama hiyo inayoelekea kudhibiti akili. Shetani ana siku ya shamba na anafurahi sana na mafanikio yake. Jinsi Mkristo anavyohitaji kuwa waangalifu. 2 Thes. 2:3, 4 inatuambia, “Mtu awaye yote asiwadanganye kwa njia yo yote; Yeye atapinga na kujiinua juu ya kila kiitwacho Mungu au kuabudiwa, hata kujiweka mwenyewe katika hekalu la Mungu, akijitangaza mwenyewe kuwa Mungu. Ndiyo, Shetani, “baba wa uwongo” ( Yohana 8:44 ), angali anatenda sana. Mtume Yohana anatupa ushauri mzuri sana katika 1 Yohana 4:1-3 : “Wapenzi, msiiamini kila roho, bali zijaribuni hizo roho, kwamba zimetokana na Mungu, kwa sababu manabii wa uongo wengi wametokea duniani. Hivi ndivyo mnavyoweza kumtambua Roho wa Mungu: Kila roho inayokiri kwamba Yesu Kristo amekuja katika mwili inatoka kwa Mungu, lakini kila roho isiyomkiri Yesu haitokani na Mungu. Hii ndiyo roho ya mpinga-Kristo, ambayo mmesikia kwamba inakuja na hata sasa tayari iko ulimwenguni.
We are living in the day of great deceptions. Christianity is under attack on all fronts. New Age books and music with their subtle humanistic message can be found prominently displayed in almost every book store. Even many in Christianity have come to accept the world’s philosophy that there are no moral absolutes. Abortion is not just practiced by non-Christians alone. Those living together outside of marriage include many who claim to be Christians. Ecumenism has embraced almost all heathen religions along with Christianity. Many have been drawn into the Eastern teachings of trans-meditation, yoga, chanting and similar rituals that tend toward mind control. Satan is having a field day and is overjoyed with his success. How cautious the Christian needs to be. 2 Thess. 2:3, 4 tells us, “Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” Yes, Satan, the “father of lies” (John 8:44), is still very active. The Apostle John gives us very good advice in 1 John 4:1-3: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
Ili kupata ukweli wa Biblia, mtu anahitaji uaminifu, unyenyekevu, upole na nia iliyo tayari, iliyo wazi ambayo inaweza kusababisha kulazimika kutupilia mbali baadhi ya mawazo yaliyofikiriwa. Wakristo hao tunaosoma kuwahusu katika Matendo 17:11 walionyesha mtazamo unaofaa wa kupata ujuzi ulio wazi wa kweli: “Basi Waberoya walikuwa na tabia ya uungwana kuliko Wathesalonike, kwa maana walilipokea lile neno kwa hamu kubwa, wakayachunguza Maandiko kila mahali. siku moja ili kuona kama yale aliyosema Paulo yalikuwa ya kweli.” Neno lingine zuri la ushauri linapatikana katika 1 Thes. 5:21 : “Thibisheni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema.”
To gain Biblical truth, one needs honesty, humility, meekness and a willing, open mind which may result in having to discard some preconceived ideas. Those Christians that we read about in Acts 17:11 showed the proper mindset for coming to a clear knowledge of truth: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Another good word of advice is found in 1 Thess. 5:21: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Ukweli unaweza kupatikana katika Yesu Kristo pekee. Yesu ametufunulia Mungu. Alisema, “Ikiwa umeniona mimi, umemwona Baba” (Yohana 14:9). 1 Kor. 1:30 inasema, “Ni kwa ajili yake (Mungu) mmekuwa ndani ya Kristo Yesu, aliyefanyika kwetu hekima itokayo kwa Mungu, yaani, haki yetu, utakatifu na ukombozi wetu. Mtume Paulo alitambua hili na alizingatia kabisa Yesu. Haya ni maneno yake katika 1 Kor. 2:2: “Kwa maana niliamua kutojua neno lo lote nilipokuwa pamoja nanyi, isipokuwa Yesu Kristo, naye amesulubiwa.”
The truth can be found in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus has revealed God to us. He said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). 1 Cor. 1:30 states, “It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” The Apostle Paul realized this and was totally focused on Jesus. These are his words in 1 Cor. 2:2: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Kwa kweli Yesu ndiye chanzo cha hekima yote ya kimungu. Aliwaahidi waumini wake Roho Mtakatifu ambaye angewafunulia mambo mazito ya Mungu. Katika 1 Yohana 2:27 tunasoma, “Nanyi, upako mlioupata kwake unakaa ndani yenu, wala hamhitaji mtu kuwafundisha. Lakini kama upako wake unavyowafundisha juu ya mambo yote na kama upako huo ni wa kweli, sio wa bandia - kama vile umewafundisha, kaeni ndani yake. Sote tutafute KWELI katika Yesu pekee!
Jesus is indeed the source of all godly wisdom. He promised His believers the Holy Spirit that would reveal to them the deep things of God. In 1 John 2:27 we read, “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit -- just as it has taught you, remain in him.” May we all seek TRUTH in Jesus alone!
Kusoma Biblia - Mwongozo
Studying The Bible - A Guide