Chisomo chimatanthauza kukondedwa kosayenera. Mtendere umatanthauza bata ndi kumasuka ku nkhawa. Pamene tilandira chisomo kuchokera kwa wina aliyense, ndi kukhala nayenso mwamtendere, (mkwatibwi, banja, abale, mabwenzi, ogwira nawo ntchito) timakhala okhutira, ndipo ngakhale pamene tikukondwera nacho timakhumba kuti chipitirire kwamuyaya, podziwa bwino kuti sichidzatero. t. Chilichonse mu maubwenzi athu chikuwoneka kuti chili ndi moyo wochepa. Koma Paulo sankaona choncho! Mtumwi akutsegula lililonse la makalata ake kuchokera ku Aroma kupyolera mwa Filemoni pogwiritsa ntchito mawu amutu akuti “chisomo ndi mtendere zikhale ndi inu.” (M’buku la Ahebri mokha sitipeza moni woterowo, ndipo pamene ambiri amakhulupirira kuti iye analemba kalatayo, uwu ndi umboni umodzi wotsutsa.) N’zodabwitsa kuona kugwirizana kumene Paulo anatsegulako Makalata ake pogwiritsa ntchito mawu amenewa. M’chenicheni icho chiri choposa chabe mawu ameneŵa, iye amagwiritsira ntchito chiganizo, “Chisomo kwa inu ndi mtendere zochokera kwa Mulungu Atate wathu, ndi Ambuye Yesu Kristu.” Kwa Timoteo ndi Tito (koma osati Filemoni) iye amafutukula ku, “Chisomo, chifundo, ndi mtendere zikhale ndi inu.” Mawu awa anali ndi chiyamikiro kwa Paulo chomwe sichimawonekera bwino kwa ife. Paulo anayamikira mfundo yakuti chisomo ndi Mtendere (ndi chifundo kwa Akulu pa ntchito) zinachokera kwa “Mulungu Atate wathu ndi Ambuye Yesu Khristu.” Izi sizinali zochokera kwa anthu ndipo zikanazimiririka, koma kwa Mulungu ndi Kristu ndi chitsimikizo cha kukhalitsa. Chisomo muzochitika zonsezi chikuchokera ku liwu lachi Greek Charis (Strong's 5485). Kumatanthauza chifuniro chabwino, kukoma mtima kwachikondi, kuyanjidwa, ndipo pamene kupezedwa mwangwiro ndi mkhalidwe umene umapereka chisangalalo, chisangalalo, chisangalalo, kukoma, kukongola ndi kukongola. Ndi mphatso yaulere ya Mulungu kwa ife; osayenerera ndi chilichonse chomwe tachita kapena titha kuchita. Mwa ichi, timakhala ndi mwayi kwa Khristu, kulungamitsidwa, ku madalitso onse ndi kuyeretsedwa. Palibe chimene timalandira kuchokera kwa Mulungu chomwe sichiri mwa chisomo. Ngati tikanalandira zonse zomwe chisomo chimatipatsa, tikadachipeza bwino. Ndi mphatso yopambana bwanji yomwe ili chisomo, ndipo ndi mphatso yochuluka bwanji yomwe imabweretsa kwa ife! Mtendere muzochitika zonsezi umachokera ku liwu lachi Greek Eirene (Strong's 1515). Amatanthauza mgwirizano ndi mgwirizano pakati pa anthu kapena magulu, ndi chikhalidwe cha chitetezo, chitetezo, chitukuko, chisangalalo, ndi bata. Pamene chikwaniritsidwa mwangwiro chiri mkhalidwe wa chitsimikiziro chotero ndi chikhutiro choterocho, kuti palibe china chirichonse chimene chikanafunidwa kapena kukhumbidwa. Imapatula nkhawa iliyonse ndipo imaphatikizapo chikhumbo chilichonse choyenera. Mulole ife tikhale okhudzidwa mu mtima ndi izi monga Paulo anachitira, ndi kupempherera izi kwa abale athu. Tiyeni tonsefe tipeze mwayi mwa izi kuti tilandire mokwanira komanso kosatha zonse zomwe amapereka ndi kutsimikizira. Asakhale wamba. Imvani pempheroli, osati pokha powerenga mayambiriro a Makalata a Paulo, koma mverani kwa Mulungu Atate ndi kwa Ambuye wathu Yesu Khristu nthawi iliyonse mukakambirana nawo, kapena ndi abale. Musatengere chisomo cha Mulungu pachabe, ndipo musaphonye Mtendere umene umaposa kuzindikira konse. Landirani madalitso onse amene amapereka.

Tilonjereni nthaŵi zonse m’maganizo, ngati si m’mawu, ndi “Chisomo ndi mtendere kwa inu zochokera kwa Mulungu Atate wathu, ndi kwa Ambuye Yesu Khristu,” kuti zikhale ndi chiyambukiro chomwecho m’mitima mwathu ndi m’miyoyo yathu monga zinachitira Paulo.    

Grace means unmerited favor. Peace means quietude and freedom from concern.  When we receive grace from anyone, and have peace with them also, (spouse, family, brethren, friends, co-workers) we are content, and even as we enjoy it we wish it could continue forever, knowing full well it won’t.  Everything in our relationships seem to have a limited life.  But Paul didn’t see it that way!

The Apostle opens each one of his epistles from Romans through Philemon by using the title phrase of “grace and peace unto you.”  (Only in Hebrews do we not find such a greeting, and while many believe he wrote that epistle, this is one evidence against it.)

It is amazing to see the consistency with which Paul opens his Epistles by using this phrase.  In fact it is more than just this phrase, he uses the sentence, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  To Timothy and Titus (but not Philemon) he expands it to, “Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you.”  These words had an appreciation to Paul that is not as readily apparent to us.  Paul praised the fact that this Grace and Peace (and mercy to the Elders on a mission) came from “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  These were not from men and would fade away, but from God and Christ with a guarantee of permanence.

Grace in all these cases is from the Greek word Charis (Strong’s 5485).  It means good will, loving-kindness, favor, and when perfectly attained it is a condition which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm and loveliness.   It is the free gift of God to us; unmerited by anything we have done or can do.  By it, we have access to Christ, to justification, to every blessing and to sanctification.  There is nothing we receive from God that is not by grace. If we could receive all which Grace offers to us, we would have perfectly attained it.  What a phenomenal gift grace itself is, and what rich gifts it brings to us!

Peace in all these cases is from the Greek word Eirene (Strong’s 1515).  It means harmony and concord between persons or groups, and a condition of security, safety, prosperity, felicity, and tranquility.  When perfectly achieved it is a state of such assurance and of such contentment, that nothing else would be sought or desired. It excludes every concern and includes every right desire.

May we be as impressed in heart with this as was Paul, and pray this for our brethren.  May we all advantage ourselves of these to receive in full and permanent measure all that they offer and assure.  Let them not become common.  Hear this prayer, not only when you read the opening of Paul’s Epistles, but hear it from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ every time you converse with them, or with the brethren.  Take not the Grace of God in vain, and miss not the Peace that passes all understanding. Receive all the blessings they offer.

Let us always greet each other in thought, if not in word, with “Grace and Peace unto you from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ,” that it might have the same impact in our hearts and lives as it did for Paul.    

J. Knapp ©CDMI