Chiyembekezo Chabwino cha Sou

ASILIKALI achiroma sanayembekezere kuona zimene anaona. Pamene anaboola ndi kuloŵa m’linga lapaphiri la Masada, linga lomalizira la asilikali achiyuda opandukira boma, anali okonzekera kusakaza adani awo, anayembekezera kumva kufuula kwa asilikali, kulira kwa akazi ndi ana. M’malo mwake anangomva kuthetheka kwa malaŵi a moto. Pamene anaunguza m’linga loyaka motolo, Aromawo anaona zowopsa zimene zinachitika: adani awowo​—pafupifupi anthu 960​—anali atafa kale! Asilikali achiyuda anali atapha mabanja awo, ndiyeno kuphana okhaokha. Mwamuna womaliza anadzipha yekha.a Kodi nchiyani chimene chinawachititsa kuphana ndi kudzipha kwakukulu kumeneku?

Malinga ndi kunena kwa wolemba mbiri wapanthaŵiyo Josephus, chowasonkhezera chachikulu chinali chikhulupiriro cha sou yosafa. Eleazar Ben Jair, mtsogoleri wa Azelote ku Masada, anayesa kuchititsa amuna ake kukhulupirira kuti kudzipha kungakhale kolemekezeka kuposa kufera m’manja mwa Aroma kapena kutengedwa ukapolo ndi iwo. Poona kuti iwo anali kuzengereza, anayamba kulankhula motengeka maganizo ponena za sou. Anawauza kuti thupi linali chabe chobindikiritsa, ndende ya sou. “Koma itamasulidwa ku cholemetsacho chimene chimaikokera kudziko lapansi ndi yomangidwa kwa icho,” iye anapitiriza kutero, “sou imabwerera kumalo ake, pamenepo imakhala ndi mphamvu yodalitsika yokwanira ndi nyonga yosamangika konse, ikumakhala yosaoneka ku maso a munthu mofanana ndi Mulungu Mwiniyo.”

Kodi omvetserawo anachita motani? Josephus akusimba kuti Eleazar atalankhula ndi mzimu umenewu kwa nthaŵi yaitali, “omvetsera ake onse anamdukiza ndiyeno potengeka maganizo mosaletseka anafulumira kukachita zimenezo.” Josephus akuwonjezera kuti: “Monga kuti anagwidwa ndi ziŵanda anathamanga, aliyense akukangaza kuti akhale woyamba pa mnzake, . . . anatengeka kotheratu ndi chikhumbo chosaletseka cha kupha akazi awo, ana awo, ndi kudzipha okha.”

Chitsanzo chowopsa chimenechi chikusonyeza mmene chiphunzitso cha sou yosafa chingasinthire kwambiri lingaliro lachibadwa la munthu ponena za imfa. Okhulupirirawo amaphunzitsidwa kuona imfa, osati monga mdani woipitsitsa, koma monga khomo limene limamasula sou kukasangalala ndi moyo wapamwamba. Koma kodi nchifukwa ninji Azelote achiyuda amenewo anakhulupirira mwa njira imeneyi? Ambiri angaganize kuti zolembedwa zawo zopatulika, Malemba Achihebri, amaphunzitsa kuti munthu ali ndi mzimu woganiza mkati mwake, sou imene imachoka ndi kupitirizabe ndi moyo pa imfa. Kodi nzimene zimachitikadi zimenezo?

Sou ya m’Malemba Achihebri

Mwachidule, iyayi. M’buku loyamba lenilenilo la Baibulo, la Genesis, timauzidwa kuti sou si chinthu china chimene inu muli nacho, ili chimene inu muli. Timaŵerenga za kulengedwa kwa Adamu, munthu woyamba kuti: “Munthuyo anakhala sou yamoyo.” (Genesis 2:7, NW) Liwu lachihebri lotembenuzidwa kuti sou pano, neʹphesh, limapezeka kwa nthaŵi zoposa 700 m’Malemba Achihebri, ndipo silinaperekepo konse lingaliro la mbali ya munthu yapayokha, yosakhudzika ndi yauzimu. M’malo mwake, sou ili yokhudzika, yooneka, ndi yathupi.

Ŵerengani malemba operekedwa pano m’Baibulo lanulo, pakuti liwu lachihebri lakuti neʹphesh limapezeka m’lililonse la iwo. Amasonyeza bwino lomwe kuti sou ikhoza kukhala paupandu, pangozi, ndipo ngakhale kufwambidwa (Deuteronomo 24:7; Oweruza 9:17; 1 Samueli 19:11); kukhudza zinthu (Yobu 6:7); kumangidwa m’matangadza (Salmo 105:18); kulakalaka kudya, kusautsika ndi kusala kudya, ndi kukomoka ndi njala ndi ludzu; ndi kuvutika ndi matenda owopsa kapena ngakhale kusaona tulo chifukwa cha chisoni. (Deuteronomo 12:20; Salmo 35:13; 69:10; 106:15; 107:9; 119:28) M’mawu ena, chifukwa chakuti sou ndinu, umunthu wanu weniweni, sou ikhoza kuchita zilizonse zimene mungachite.b

Pamenepa, kodi zimenezi zimatanthauza kuti sou ikhoza kufa? Inde. Mosiyana kwenikweni ndi kukhala zosafa, sou za anthu zimanenedwa m’Malemba Achihebri kuti zikhoza ‘kusadzidwa,’ kapena kuphedwa, zitachita cholakwa, kukanthidwa mpaka kufa, kuphedwa, kuwonongedwa, ndi kukadzulidwa. (Eksodo 31:14; Deuteronomo 19:6; 22:26; Salmo 7:2) “Sou imene ichimwa​—imeneyo ndiyo idzafa,” amatero Ezekieli 18:4, NW. Mwachionekere, imfa ndiyo mapeto a sou zonse zaumunthu, popeza kuti tonsefe timachimwa. (Salmo 51:5) Mwamuna woyamba, Adamu, anauzidwa kuti chilango cha uchimo chinali imfa​—osati kusamutsidwira ku dziko la mizimu ndi kusafa. (Genesis 2:17) Ndipo pamene iye anachimwa, chiweruzo chinalengezedwa kuti: “Chifukwa kuti ndiwe fumbi, ndi kufumbiko udzabwerera.” (Genesis 3:19) Pamene Adamu ndi Hava anamwalira, iwo anangokhala zimene Baibulo kaŵirikaŵiri limatcha ‘sou zakufa’ kapena ‘sou zomwalira.’​—Numeri 5:2; 6:6, NW.

Nchifukwa chake The Encyclopedia Americana imati ponena za sou ya m’Malemba Achihebri: “Lingaliro la m’Chipangano Chakale la munthu ndi lija la chinthu chimodzi, osati kugwirizana kwa sou ndi thupi.” Imawonjezera kuti: “Nefesh . . . simalingaliridwa konse kukhala yochita zinthu molekana ndi thupi.”

Chotero, kodi Ayuda okhulupirika anakhulupirira kuti imfa nchiyani? Kunena mosavuta, anakhulupirira kuti imfa njosiyana ndi moyo. Salmo 146:4 limatiuza zimene zimachitika pamene mzimu, kapena mphamvu ya moyo, ichoka mwa munthu: “Mpweya [“mzimu,” NW,] wake uchoka, abwerera kumka ku nthaka yake; tsiku lomwelo zotsimikiza mtima zake zitayika.”c Mofananamo, Mfumu Solomo analemba kuti akufa “sadziŵa kanthu bi.”​—Mlaliki 9:5.

Pamenepa, nanga nchifukwa ninji Ayuda ambiri a m’zaka za zana loyamba, monga Azelote a ku Masada, anali otsimikiza maganizo za kusafa kwa sou?

Chisonkhezero cha Agiriki

Ayuda sanatenge lingaliro limeneli m’Baibulo, koma kwa Agiriki. Pakati pa zaka za zana lachisanu ndi chiŵiri ndi lachisanu B.C.E., lingalirolo lioneka kuti linachokera m’mipatuko yachipembedzo chamwambo yachigiriki ndi kuloŵa m’ziphunzitso zafilosofi zachigiriki. Lingaliro la moyo wa pambuyo pa imfa kumene sou zoipa zinali kulandira chilango choŵaŵa linali litalandiridwa ndi ambiri, ndipo lingalirolo linakhazikika ndi kufalikira. Afilosofi ankakambitsirana nthaŵi zonse ponena za mkhalidwe weniweni wa sou. Homer ananena kuti sou inathaŵa m’thupi pa imfa, ikumapanga phokoso lomveka potuluka. Epicurus ananena kuti sou inali ndi kulemera, motero inali ndi thupi.d

Koma mwinamwake wochirikiza wamkulu koposa wa sou yosafa anali Plato, Mgiriki wafilosofi, wa m’zaka za zana lachinayi B.C.E. Malongosoledwe ake a imfa ya mphunzitsi wake, Socrates, amasonyeza zikhulupiriro zofanana kwambiri ndi zija za Azelote a ku Masada a m’zaka za mazana apambuyo pake. Monga katswiri, Oscar Cullmann akunena kuti, “Plato akusonyeza mmene Socrates akufera mwa mtendere weniweni ndi maganizo abwino. Imfa ya Socrates ndi imfa yokongola. Palibe chowopsa chilichonse cha imfa chimene chikuoneka. Socrates sangawope imfa, popeza kuti imatimasuladi ku thupi. . . . Imfa ndiyo bwenzi lalikulu kwambiri la sou. Iye amaphunzitsa motero; ndipo motero, mogwirizana bwino ndi chiphunzitso chake, amwalira.”

Kunali koonekeratu mkati mwa nyengo ya Amakabe, m’zaka za zana lachiŵiri Kristu asanafike, kuti Ayuda anali atayamba kukhulupirira chiphunzitso chimenechi chochokera kwa Agiriki. M’zaka za zana loyamba C.E., Josephus akutiuza kuti Afarisi ndi Aesene​—magulu amphamvu achipembedzo achiyuda​—anatengera chiphunzitso chimenechi. Ndakatulo zina zimene mwina zinalembedwa m’nyengo imeneyo zimasonyeza chikhulupiriro chimodzimodzicho.

Komabe bwanji ponena za Yesu Kristu? Kodi iyenso ndi otsatira ake anaphunzitsa lingaliro limeneli lochokera ku chipembedzo cha Agiriki?

Lingaliro la Akristu Oyambirira Ponena za Sou

Akristu a m’zaka za zana loyamba sanaone sou monga momwe Agiriki anaionera. Mwachitsanzo, talingalirani za imfa ya Lazaro bwenzi la Yesu. Ngati Lazaro anali ndi sou yosafa imene inachoka m’thupi mwake, kumasuka ndi kukondwa, pa imfa yake, kodi nkhani ya pa Yohane chaputala 11 siikanalembedwa mosiyana? Ndithudi Yesu akanauza otsatira ake ngati Lazaro anali wamoyo ndi wathanzi ndi wodziŵa zinthu kumwambako; mosiyana ndi zimenezo, iye anagwirizana ndi Malemba Achihebri ndi kuwauza kuti Lazaro anali m’tulo, wosadziŵa kanthu. (Vesi 11) Ndithudi Yesu akanakondwera ngati bwenzi lake anali kusangalala ndi moyo watsopano wodabwitsawo; m’malo mwake, tikuona akuti iye analira poyera chifukwa cha imfa yake. (Vesi 35) Ndithudi, ngati sou ya Lazaro inali kumwamba, ikumasangalala ndi kusafa kwa mtendere, Yesu sakanachita nkhanza yoteroyo ya kumuitananso kuti adzakhale ndi moyo kwa zaka zoŵerengeka zina mu “ndende” ya thupi lopanda ungwiro pakati pa anthu odwala ndi kufa.

Kodi Lazaro anabwerako ku imfa ndi nkhani zosangalatsa zakuti asimbe ponena za masiku ake anayiwo osangalatsa monga munthu wauzimu womasulidwa ndi wolekana ndi thupi? Ayi, sanatero. Okhulupirira sou yosafa angayankhe kuti zimenezi zinali chifukwa chakuti moyo wa mwamunayu unali wabwino koposa kwakuti nzosatheka kusimbika ndi mawu. Zimenezo sizingakhutiritse munthu; ndi iko komwe, kodi Lazaro sakanangouza okondedwa ake zokhazo​—kuti anali ndi moyo wabwino koposa wosakhoza kusimbika? M’malo mwake, Lazaro sananene kalikonse za zimene zinamchitikira pamene anali wakufa. Tangolingalirani​—kukhala chete pa nkhani imeneyi imene anthu ambiri akufunitsitsa kudziŵa kuposa ina iliyonse: mmene imfa ilili! Kukhala chete kumeneko kuli ndi chifukwa chimodzi chokha. Panalibe chilichonse chimene akananena. Akufa amagona, osadziŵa kanthu.

Chotero, kodi Baibulo limasonyeza imfa monga bwenzi la sou, khomo chabe lowolokera ku moyo wina? Iyayi! Kwa Akristu oona onga mtumwi Paulo, imfa sinali bwenzi; inali “mdani wotsiriza.” (1 Akorinto 15:26) Akristu samaona imfa monga yachibadwa, koma yoipitsitsa, yachilendo, pakuti ili chotulukapo cha uchimo ndi kupandukira Mulungu. (Aroma 5:12; 6:23) Sinali konse mbali ya chifuno choyambirira cha Mulungu kulinga kwa anthu.

Komabe, Akristu oona sali opanda chiyembekezo ponena za imfa ya sou. Chiukiriro cha Lazaro chili chimodzi cha zochitika zambiri za m’Baibulo zimene zimatisonyeza bwino lomwe chiyembekezo choona cha Malemba ponena za sou zakufa​—chiukiriro. Baibulo limaphunzitsa za mitundu iŵiri ya chiukiriro. Anthu ochuluka omwe ali chigonere m’manda, olungama kapena osalungama, ali ndi chiyembekezo cha kuukitsidwa ku moyo wamuyaya m’Paradaiso pompano padziko lapansi. (Luka 23:43; Yohane 5:28, 29; Machitidwe 24:15) Ponena za gulu laling’ono limene Yesu analitcha “kagulu ka nkhosa,” iwo adzaukitsidwira ku moyo wosafa monga anthu auzimu kumwamba. Ameneŵa, amene akuphatikizapo atumwi a Kristu, adzalamulira ndi Kristu Yesu pa anthu ndi kuwabwezeretsa ku ungwiro.​—Luka 12:32; 1 Akorinto 15:53, 54; Chivumbulutso 20:6.

Pamenepa, nanga nchifukwa ninji timaona matchalitchi a Dziko Lachikristu akuphunzitsa kusafa kwa sou ya munthu, osati chiukiriro? Talingalirani yankho loperekedwa ndi wophunzitsa zaumulungu Werner Jaeger m’buku lakuti The Harvard Theological Review kalelo mu 1959: “Mfundo yofunika koposa m’mbiri ya chiphunzitso chachikristu inali yakuti woyambitsa maphunziro a zaumulungu achikristu, Origen, anali wafilosofi ya Plato pa sukulu ya ku Alexandria. Iye anawonjezera ku chiphunzitso chachikristu ziphunzitso zochuluka zonena za sou, zimene anazitenga kwa Plato.” Motero tchalitchi chinangochita zimene Ayuda anachita zaka mazana ambiri kalelo! Chinasiya ziphunzitso za Baibulo ndi kutsata mafilosofi achigiriki.

Magwero Enieni a Chiphunzitsocho

Tsopano ena angafunse, pofuna kuchinjiriza chiphunzitso cha kusafa kwa sou kuti, Kodi nchifukwa ninji chiphunzitso chimodzimodzicho chimaphunzitsidwa, m’njira zina, ndi zipembedzo zambiri za dziko? Malemba amapereka yankho lomveka losonyeza chifukwa chake chiphunzitso chimenechi chili chofala kwambiri m’zipembedzo za dzikoli.

Baibulo limatiuza kuti “dziko lonse lapansi ligona mwa woipayo” ndipo mosabisa limasonyeza kuti Satana ndiye “mkulu wa dziko ili lapansi.” (1 Yohane 5:19; Yohane 12:31) Mwachionekere, zipembedzo za dzikoli sizinapeŵe zisonkhezero za Satana. M’malo mwake, zawonjezera kwambiri pa mavuto ndi mikangano m’dziko la lerolino. Ndipo ponena za sou, zikuoneka kuti maganizo a Satana enieniwo akuonekera bwino lomwe. Motani?

Kumbukirani bodza loyamba pa onse limene linanenedwa. Mulungu anali atauza Adamu ndi Hava kuti imfa idzatsatira ngati iwo amchimwira iye. Koma Satana anatsimikiza Hava kuti: “Kufa simudzafayi.” (Genesis 3:4) Ndithudi, Adamu ndi Hava anafadi; anabwerera ku fumbi monga momwe Mulungu anali atanenera. Satana, “atate wake wa bodza,” sanasiye bodza lake loyamba. (Yohane 8:44) M’zipembedzo zosaŵerengeka zimene zimachoka pa chiphunzitso cha Baibulo kapena kulinyalanyaziratu, lingaliro limodzimodzilo likuperekedwabe: ‘Kufa simudzafa ayi. Thupi lanu lingafe, koma sou yanu idzakhalabe ndi moyo, ku umuyaya wonse​—mofanana ndi Mulungu!’ Satana anali atauzanso Hava kuti ‘adzakhala ngati Mulungu’!​—Genesis 3:5.

Nkwabwino chotani nanga kukhala ndi chiyembekezo chosazikidwa pa mafilosofi a anthu, koma pa choonadi. Nkwabwinopo chotani nanga kukhala ndi chidaliro chakuti akufa athu okondedwa ali osadziŵa kanthu m’manda, m’malo modera nkhaŵa za kumene kungakhale sou yawo yosafa! Kugona kumeneku kwa akufa sikuyenera kutiwopsa kapena kutipsinja maganizo. Mwa njira ina, tingaone akufa monga ali m’malo opumulira achisungiko. Nchifukwa ninji achisungiko? Chifukwa Baibulo limatitsimikizira kuti akufa amene Yehova amakonda ali amoyo m’lingaliro lapadera. (Luka 20:38) Iwo ali amoyo m’chikumbukiro chake. Limenelo ndi lingaliro lotonthoza kwambiri chifukwa chakuti chikumbukiro chake chilibe polekezera. Iye ali wofunitsitsa kubwezeretsa mamiliyoni osaŵerengeka ku moyo ndi kuwapatsa mwaŵi wa kukhala ndi moyo kosatha m’paradaiso padziko lapansi.​—Yerekezerani ndi Yobu 14:14, 15.

Tsiku laulemerero la chiukiriro lidzafika, pakuti malonjezo onse a Yehova ayenera kukwaniritsidwa. (Yesaya 55:10, 11) Tangolingalirani za kukwaniritsidwa kwa ulosi uwu: “Akufa anu adzakhala ndi moyo; mitembo yawo idzauka. Ukani muimbe, inu amene mukhala m’fumbi; chifukwa mame ako akunga mame a pamasamba, ndipo dziko lapansi lidzatulutsa [akufawo, NW].” (Yesaya 26:19) Chotero akufa omwe ali chigonere m’manda ali osungika monga khanda m’mimba mwa amake. Posachedwapa ‘adzabadwa,’ ndi kubwezeretsedwanso ku moyo m’paradaiso padziko lapansi!

Kodi pangakhalenso chiyembekezo chabwino kuposa chimenecho?

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Azelote achiyuda a ku Masada anakhulupirira kuti imfa idzamasula sou zawo