Waes Blong Ol Man Gris—?Hem i Halpem Kristin Skul?

“Nating se Kristin skul i agensem bigwan ol hiten kastom blong ol man Gris mo Rom, biaen hem i akseptem fulap tijing we oli kamaot long waes blong ol man ya.”—The Encyclopedia Americana.

“SAINT” Augustine i faswan long olgeta man we oli bin gat strong paoa long tingting blong “Kristin” skul. The New Encyclopædia Britannica, i talem se “ol tingting” blong Augustine “oli stamba samting we i meksemap skul blong Niutesteman wetem ol waes tok blong ol man Gris we Plato i tijim. Mo tingting blong Augustine nao hem i mekem rod blong ol waes tok ya oli kam insaed long ol Katolik mo Protestan Skul.”

Yes, tijing blong Augustine i gohed kam kasem tede. Douglas T. Holden i tokbaot olsem wanem waes blong ol man Gris i gat paoa long Krisendom, hem i se: “Hae save we ol Kristin oli tijim i laenap gud wetem waes blong ol man Gris. Samting ya i mekem se ol man wanwan, we oli gruap long skul ya, oli gat 90 pesen tingting we i kamaot long waes blong ol man Gris mo 10 pesen nomo we i blong Kristin tijing.”

Sam man blong hae save oli gat strong tingting se paoa blong waes blong man i givhangud taem Kristin skul i stat. Oli se, waes ya i leftemap save blong skul, mo i givhan long hem blong hem i pulum moa man. ?Samting ya i tru? ?Olsem wanem mo wetaem paoa blong waes blong ol man Gris i stat? ?Hem i rili halpem no i putum doti long Kristin Skul?

Yumi save gat ansa blong ol kwestin ya sipos yumi tingtingbak long sam samting we oli bin hapen long ol yia 200 B.K.T. go kasem 400 K.T. taem fofala spesel tok ya oli kamaot, we bambae yumi tokbaot olgeta: (1) “Skul Blong Ol Man Jyu We i Folem Waes Blong Ol Man Gris,” (2) “Waes Blong Ol Man Gris We i Folem Kristin Skul,” (3) “Kristin Skul We i Folem Waes Blong Ol Man Gris,” mo (4) “Waes Blong Man We i Stap Long Kristin Skul.”

“Skul Blong Ol Man Jyu We i Folem Waes Blong Ol Man Gris”

Faswan long ol tok ya, “Skul Blong Ol Man Jyu We i Folem Waes Blong Ol Man Gris,” i wan tok we i stap agensem hem wan nomo. Fastaem, skul blong ol man Jyu we trufala God, Jeova, i stanemap, hem i no mas joen wetem ol giaman tijing blong narafala skul. (Dutronome 12:32; Ol Proveb 30:​5, 6) Be taem klin wosip ya i stat, hem i stap long denja finis from ol doti fasin mo tingting blong ol giaman skul we oli stap raonabaot long hem​—olsem ol skul blong Ijip, Kenan, mo Babilon. Sore blong talem, be ol man Isrel oli letem trufala wosip blong olgeta i kam doti.​—Jajes 2:​11-​13.

Plante handred yia biaen, long ol yia 300 B.K.T.,a Palestaen blong bifo i kam aninit long Rul blong Gris, aninit long Bigfala Aleksanda. Long taem ya, klin wosip i kam doti moa bitim bifo mo fasin ya i putum wan mak we i stap longtaem mo i spolem gud hem. Aleksanda i tekem ol man Jyu i kam long ami blong hem. Fasin joengud bitwin ol man Jyu mo ol man Gris, we naoia oli rul antap long olgeta, i gat bigfala paoa antap long tijing blong skul blong ol man Jyu. Kastom blong ol man Gris i kam insaed long edukesen blong ol man Jyu. Hae Pris Jason hem i stanemap wan hae skul long Jerusalem long 175 B.K.T., blong pulum ol man blong oli stadi long save blong man ya Homer.

Yumi intres blong luk se leta we wan man Sameria i raetem bitwin ol yia 150 mo 200 B.K.T., i tokbaot ol stori blong Baebol olsem we ol man Gris oli stap storebaot. Ol buk blong ol man Jyu we oli no kamaot long God, olsem buk blong Judith mo Tobit, oli tokbaot sam kastom stori blong ol man Gris we oli tokbaot seks. Biaen sam man Jyu we oli tijim waes blong man, oli traem blong joenem ol tingting blong ol man Gris wetem skul blong ol man Jyu mo Baebol.

Man we oli ting se hem i traehad moa blong mekem samting ya hemia Philo, wan man Jyu we i laef long faswan handred yia K.T.b Hem i yusum ol tijing blong Plato (blong ol yia 300 B.K.T.), ol man blong Pitagor, mo ol Stoik.c Ol tingting blong Philo oli makemgud ol man Jyu. Wan man Jyu Max Dimont, i raetem ol buk blong eksplenem olsem wanem ol tingting blong ol man Gris oli kam insaed long kastom blong ol man Jyu. Hem i se: “Ol man Jiu we oli gat hae save, oli fulumap hed blong olgeta wetem ol tingting blong Plato, save blong ol man blong Aristotle, mo sayens blong ol man Euklid, nao oli stat yusum ol save ya blong eksplenem ol tok blong Tora. . . . Oli ademap tingting blong ol man Gris i go long ol buk blong ol man Jyu we God i givim long olgeta.”

Biaen, ol man Rom oli winim Rul blong ol man Gris, wetem Jerusalem tu. Samting ya i mekem se, sam moa jenis oli kamaot. Ol man we oli traehad blong sapotem mo eksplenem ol tingting blong Plato, oli mekem waes blong ol man blong hae save mo tijing blong skul oli kasem mak blong olgeta. From samting ya, long ol yia 200 K.T., ol tijing ya blong Plato oli karem nem ya Neoplatonism. Biaen, grup ya we i tijim waes blong man, hem i gat paoa antap long ol giaman Kristin Skul.

“Waes Blong Ol Man Gris We i Folem Kristin Skul”

Long ol faswan faef handred yia blong Kristin taem, sam man blong hae save oli traem pruvum se waes blong ol man Gris wetem trutok blong Baebol tufala i sem mak. Buk ya A History of Christianity i talem se: “Ol Kristin we oli tingting dip long sam kwestin, oli soem se ol man Gris we oli laef bifo Kraes, oli olsem blaenman we oli stap traehad blong kasem save long saed blong God. Oli stap traehad blong luksave Jisas, wetem tingting blong olgeta nomo, mo wokem Kristin skul we i folem hiten tijing blong olgeta.”

Plotinus (205-​270 K.T.), i wan blong ol faswan man we oli agensem ol Kristin tingting. Hem i statem wan skul we i stanap long ol stamba tijing mo tingting blong Plato. Plotinus i agri long tijing ya se sol i defren long bodi. Long saed blong Plotinus, Tija E. W. Hopkins i talem se: “Tijing blong hem . . . i gat bigfala paoa long ol lida blong Kristin skul.”

“Kristin Skul We i Folem Waes Blong Ol Man Gris” Mo “Waes Blong Man Blong Kristin Skul”

Stat long ol yia 100 K.T., “ol Kristin” we oli bin kasem hae save, oli wantem pulum ol hiten man we oli gat hae save tu. Aposol Pol i givim woning we i klia nomo, blong ol Kristin oli lukaot long “ol tok olbaot we oli agensem ol samting we oli tabu” mo “ol tok we oli fasfas mo we oli giaman se hemia nao ‘Save.’ ” Nating se i olsem, ol Kristin ya oli meksemap tijing blong olgeta wetem waes blong ol man Gris we oli stap raonabaot long olgeta. (1 Timoti 6:​20, NW) Eksampel blong Philo i pulum olgeta blong tingting se maet oli save joenem Baebol wetem ol tingting blong Plato.​—Skelem wetem 2 Pita 1:⁠16.

?Be, fasin blong ol man olsem, i spolem wanem samting? Oli spolem ol trutok we oli stap long Baebol. “Ol Kristin” tija ya oli traem soem se Kristin skul i laenapgud wetem waes blong ol man Gris mo Rom. Tufala man ya Clement blong Aleksandria, mo Origen (blong ol yia 100 mo 200 K.T.), tufala i mekem se Neoplatonism i stamba blong samting we biaen oli kolem “Waes Blong Ol Man Long Kristin Skul.” Ambrose (339-​397 K.T.), wan bisop blong Milan, i “lanem ol niufala save blong ol man Gris, ol Kristin man mo ol hiten man​—antap moa ol wok . . . blong hiten man ya Plotinus we i sapotem Neoplatonism.” Hem i traem blong tijim ol man Rom we oli gat hae save, blong oli kasem Kristin tijing we i joen wetem waes blong ol man Gris. Man ya Augustine i folem sem fasin ya.

Wan handred yia biaen, Dionysius wan memba blong Ereopagas, we maet i wan pris blong Siria, i traem joenem tijing blong Neoplatonism wetem hae save blong ol “Kristin.” Wan buk i talem se ol “leta blong hem oli makemgud bighaf blong ol Kristin tijing blong bifo wetem tijing blong Neoplatonism . . . we oli mekemap ol Kristin tijing kam kasem naoia.” !Samting ya i soemaot se ol Kristin tija ya oli ting nating long advaes blong aposol Pol se ‘lukaot gud long rabis tok ya we i folem waes blong man, mo we i blong giaman nomo’!​—Kolosi 2:⁠8.

Hem i Spolem Mo i Putum Doti

Plante man oli save se “ol Kristin we oli folem tijing blong Plato oli tinghae long ol tok we God i talem long man. Mo long tingting blong olgeta, waes blong Plato i beswan tul blong kasem save mo sapotem ol tijing blong Baebol mo kastom blong jos.”

Plato hem wan i bilif strong se sol i no save ded. Taswe, wan impoten giaman tijing we i kam sloslou insaed long hae save blong ol “Kristin,” hemia se sol i no save ded. I no gat eskius blong talem se, ol Kristin oli akseptem tijing ya blong pulum moa man oli kam long Kristin skul. Taon ya Aten, i stamba ples we waes blong ol man Gris i kamaot long hem. Be, taem Pol i talemaot gud nius long ples ya, hem i no tijim ol tingting blong Plato long saed blong sol we i no save ded. !Nogat! Pol i tokbaot Kristin tijing ya blong laef bakegen, nating se ol man we oli lesin long hem oli faenem i had blong agri long tok blong hem.​—Ol Wok 17:​22-​32.

Defren olgeta long waes blong ol man Gris, Baebol i soemaot klia se sol i no wan samting we i stap insaed man be hem i man hem wan. (Jenesis 2:⁠7, NW) Taem man i ded, sol i no moa laef. (Esikel 18:4) Prija 9:​5 i talem long yumi se: “Ol man we oli laef yet oli save se bambae oli ded, be ol man we oli ded finis oli no moa save wan samting. Oli no moa save kasem pei blong ol samting we oli stap mekem, mo ol man oli fogetem olgeta finis.” Yes, Baebol i no tijim se sol i no save ded.

Wan narafala giaman tijing, hem i laenap wetem posisen blong Jisas bifo i kam long wol, hemia se Jisas i sem mak long Papa blong hem. Buk ya The Church of the First Three Centuries, i eksplenem se: “Tijing blong Triniti . . . i no kamaot nating long Hibru mo Kristin haf blong Baebol.” ?Wanem stamba blong hem? Tijing ya “i gru sloslou mo biaen i kam insaed long Kristin skul from ol man we oli kolem olgeta ol Papa blong Tijing blong Plato.”

Yes, taem i pas mo Neoplatonism i kasem moa tingting blong ol Papa blong Jos, mekem se tijing blong Triniti i kam antap moa. Long ol yia 200 K.T., ol tijing blong Neoplatonism i givhan long olgeta blong mekemap wan tijing we i talem se i gat tri God we oli olsem wan God nomo. !Oli yusum waes blong man nomo blong talem se tri man i save stap olsem wan God nomo, mo long semtaem trifala ya i save holem prapa fasin blong olgeta!

Be, trutok blong Baebol i talem stret se Jeova nomo i God we i gat olgeta paoa, Jisas Kraes hem i Pikinini blong God we Hem i wokem we i daon moa long Hem, mo tabu spirit i paoa blong God. (Dutronome 6:4; Aesea 45:5; Ol Wok 2:4; Kolosi 1:​15; Revelesen 3:​14) Tijing blong Triniti i daonem trufala God mo i mekem se tingting blong ol man i fasfas. From samting ya, ol man oli gowe long wan God we oli no kasem save long hem.

Wan narafala tijing blong Baebol we Neoplatonism i spolem, hemia hop we ol Kristin oli gat long wan taosen yia rul blong Kingdom blong God. (Revelesen 20:​4-6) Origen i agensem olgeta we oli bilif long wan taosen yia rul. ?From wanem hem i agensem strong tijing ya we Baebol i tokbaot, long saed blong rul blong Kraes blong wan taosen yia? The Catholic Encyclopedia i ansa se: “From tijing blong Neoplatonism we tingting blong [Origen] i folem . . . , hem i no save sapotem olgeta we oli bilif long wan taosen yia rul.”

Trutok

Olgeta samting we yumi tokbaot bifo oli no laenap nating wetem trutok. Trutok ya hemia olgeta Kristin tijing we oli stap long Baebol. (2 Korin 4:2; Taetas 1:​1, 14; 2 Jon 1-4) Baebol nomo i stamba blong trutok ya.​—Jon 17:17; 2 Timoti 3:⁠16.

Be enemi blong Jeova, blong trutok, blong ol man, mo blong laef blong olwe​—Devel Setan, we i “man blong kilim man” mo “stamba blong ol giaman toktok”​—hem i yusum defdefren samting blong mekem se trutok i kam doti. (Jon 8:​44; skelem wetem 2 Korin 11:⁠3.) Wan long ol stamba tul we Setan i yusum, hemia ol tijing blong ol hiten man Gris we oli gat waes save. Be waes ya i folem stret tingting blong Setan hem wan, waes ya i blong spolem mo jenisim ol Kristin tijing.

Fasin ya blong meksemap ol Kristin tijing wetem waes blong ol man Gris, hem i blong daonem trutok blong Baebol mo mekem se hem i lusum paoa blong hem. Fasin ya i daonem paoa we Baebol i gat blong pulum olgeta we oli gat tingting daon, olgeta we oli stret, mo i no moa tijim gud olgeta we oli wantem faenem trutok. (1 Korin 3:​1, 2, 19, 20) Mo tu, fasin ya i putum doti long tijing blong Baebol we i klia olsem klin wota, nao ol man oli no moa naf blong luksave olsem wanem trutok mo giaman tok tufala i defren olgeta.

Tede, aninit long Jif blong kongregesen, Jisas Kraes, ol trufala Kristin tijing oli stanap bakegen. Mo tu, ol man we oli traem faenem trutok oli save makemaot trufala Kristin kongregesen isi nomo from ol gudfala frut we hem i soem. (Matiu 7:​16, 20) Ol Witnes blong Jeova oli wantem tumas blong givhan long olgeta ya blong oli faenem ol klin wota blong trutok. Oli rere blong halpem ol man ya blong kasem presen ya blong laef we i no save finis, we Papa blong yumi, Jeova, i wantem givim long yumi.​—Jon 4:​14; 1 Timoti 6:​19.

[Ol futnot]

[Tok Blong Pija Long Pej 11]

Augustine

[Foto Credit Lines Blong Pija Long Pej 10]

Greek text: From the book Ancient Greek Writers: Plato’s Phaedo, 1957, Ioannis N. Zacharopoulos, Athens; Plato: Musei Capitolini, Roma