Filosofi Yachigiriki​—Kodi Inachititsa Chikristu Kukhala Chatanthauzo?

“Ngakhale kuti Chikristu chinkadana ndi chikhalidwe chachikunja cha Aroma ndi Agiriki, chinaphunzirabe filosofi yawo yakale.”​—The Encylopedia Americana.

MWA anthu amene anasintha kwambiri zikhulupiriro “zachikristu,” Augustine “Woyera” anaposa onse. Malinga ndi zomwe The New Encyclopædia Britannica imanena, “maganizo a Augustine ndi amene anaphatikiza chipembedzo cha Chipangano Chatsopano ndi miyambo ya Plato ya filosofi yachigiriki; ndiponso ndiwo njira imene mgwirizano umenewu unaloŵera m’Dziko Lachikristu la Chiroma Katolika cha m’nyengo yapakati ndi Chipolotesitani cha m’Nyengo ya Chidziŵitso.”

Inde, zimene Augustine anayambitsa zidakalipo. Polankhulapo za kukula kwa mphamvu imene filosofi yachigiriki yakhala nayo pa Dziko Lachikristu, Douglas T. Holden anati: “Maphunziro azaumulungu achikristu n’ngophatikizana kwambiri ndi filosofi yachigiriki kotero kuti aphunzitsa anthu kukhala ndi zikhulupiriro zambiri zachigiriki ndi zochepa chabe zachikristu.”

Akatswiri ena amaphunziro amakhulupirira kwambiri kuti chisonkhezero cha filosofi chimenechi chinathandiza Chikristu poyambapo, kuchipangitsa kukhala ndi ziphunzitso zatanthauzo, ndiponso zogwira mtima zedi. Kodi ndi mmene zinthu zinalili? Kodi filosofi yachigiriki inayamba motani ndiponso ndi liti pamene inakhala ndi mphamvu yotero? Kodi inachititsadi Chikristu kukhala chatanthauzo, kapena inachisokoneza?

Tingadziŵe zambiri titalondola zomwe zinachitika kuyambira m’zaka za zana lachitatu B.C.E. kudzafika m’zaka za zana lachisanu C.E., mwa kupenda mawu achilendo anayi aŵa: (1) “Chiyuda chachihelene,” (2) “Chihelene chachikristu,” (3) “Chikristu chachihelene,” (4) “filosofi yachikristu.”

“Chiyuda Chachihelene”

Choyamba, “Chiyuda chachihelene,” ndithudi n’chosokoneza. Chipembedzo chenicheni cha Ahebri, chimene Mulungu woona, Yehova, anakhazikitsa sichinkayenera kudetsedwa ndi maganizo a zipembedzo zonyenga. (Deuteronomo 12:32; Miyambo 30:5, 6) Komabe, kuyambira pachiyambi, kulambira koyera kwakumana ndi chidetso cha miyambo ndi maganizo a zipembedzo zonyenga za m’mayiko oyandikana nawo monga ngati chisonkhezero cha Aigupto, Akanani, ndi Ababulo. Zachisoni n’zakuti, Israyeli analola kulambira kwake koona kudetsedwadi.​—Oweruza 2:11-13.

Patapita zaka mazana angapo Palestina atakhala mbali ya Ufumu wa Girisi panthaŵi ya ulamuliro wa Alexander Wamkulu m’zaka za zana lachinayi B.C.E., chidetso chimenechi chinafika pachimake penipeni, ndipo zimene chinasiya zinali zokhalitsa komanso zowononga kwambiri. Alexander analemba asilikali achiyuda m’gulu lake lankhondo. Mgwirizano wa Ayuda ndi wolamulira watsopano ameneyu amene anawagonjetsa unakhudza kwambiri zikhulupiriro zachipembedzo za Ayuda. Maphunziro achiyuda anadzazidwa ndi maganizo achihelene. Akuti Yasoni, Mkulu wa Ansembe, anakhazikitsa sukulu yapamwamba yachigiriki ku Yerusalemu m’chaka cha 175 B.C.E. pofuna kulimbikitsa maphunziro a Homer.

Zodabwitsa n’zakuti Msamariya wina, polemba nkhani m’zaka makumi asanu zomaliza za zaka za zana lachiŵiri B.C.E., anayesa kufotokoza mbiri ya Baibulo mogwirizana ndi mbiri yachihelene. Mabuku owonjezera achiyuda, monga Yudite ndi Tobiasi, amasimbanso za nthano zachigiriki zodzutsa chilakolako choipa. Panakhalanso Ayuda ena afilosofi amene ankafuna kuphatikiza maganizo achigiriki m’chipembedzo cha Ayuda ndi m’Baibulo.

Munthu amene anatchuka kwambiri pankhani imeneyi ndi Philo, Myuda wa m’zaka za zana loyamba C.E. Iye anatengera ziphunzitso za Plato (wa m’zaka za zana lachinayi B.C.E.), za otsatira Pythagoras, ndi Astoiki. Ayuda anatengeka kwambiri ndi maganizo a Philo. Polankhulapo mwachidule za kuloŵetsa mwanzeru maganizo achigiriki ameneŵa m’chikhalidwe cha Ayuda, wolemba mabuku wachiyuda Max Dimont anati: “Pokhala odziŵa zambiri zokhudza maganizo a Plato, nzeru za Aristotle, ndi sayansi ya Euclid, akatswiri amaphunziro achiyuda anafotokoza Torah mwanjira yatsopano. . . . Iwo anawonjezera maganizo achigiriki ku mavumbulutso achiyuda.”

Patapita nthaŵi, Aroma analanda Ufumu wa Girisi, ndipo Yerusalemu anakhala m’manja mwawo. Zimenezi zinapereka mwayi woti zinthu zisinthe kwambiri. Podzafika m’zaka za zana lachitatu C.E., ziphunzitso zafilosofi ndi zachipembedzo za anthu anzeru amene anayesetsa kuyambitsa maganizo a Plato ndi kuziphatikiza pamodzi, zinaonekera, ndipo lerolino zonse pamodzi zimadziŵika kuti Chiphunzitso Chamakono cha Plato. Anthu anzeru ameneŵa anakhudza kwambiri Chikristu champatuko.

“Chihelene Chachikristu”

M’zaka mazana asanu zoyambirira za m’nyengo yathu, anthu ena anzeru anayesa kusonyeza kugwirizana kwa filosofi ya Agiriki ndi choonadi chovumbulidwa cha Baibulo. Buku lakuti A History of Christianity limanena kuti: “Akatswiri achikristu a maphunziro ofuna kumvetsa zinthu zimene ziliko anasonyeza kuti Agiriki amene analiko zaka makumi ambiri Kristu asanabadwe anali kuyesetsa molimba mtima koma mopanda chitsogozo kuti adziŵe Mulungu. Ankayesetsa ndithu kupeka Yesu, titero kunena kwake, ndi ziphunzitso zopanda ndi mchere womwe za ku Atene. Ankati apeke Chikristu kuchokera m’maganizo opanda nzeru.”

Plotinus (205-270 C.E.), kalambula bwalo wa anthu anzeru ameneŵa, anayambitsa chiphunzitso chozikidwa kwambiri pa maganizo a Plato. Plotinus anayambitsa chikhulupiriro cha mzimu umene umalekana ndi thupi. Polankhulapo za Plotinus, Polofesa E. W. Hopkins anati: “Maphunziro ake azaumulungu . . . anakhudza kwambiri atsogoleri amene amachirikiza zikhulupiriro zachikristu.”

“Chikristu Chachihelene” ndi “Filosofi Yachikristu”

Kuyambira m’zaka za zana lachiŵiri C.E., “Akristu” anzeru amenewo anayesetsa kwambiri kuti akhutiritse akunja anzeruwo. Ngakhale kuti mtumwi Paulo anachenjeza momveka bwino za “zokamba zopanda pake [zodetsa zoyera, NW],” komanso “zotsutsana za ichi chitchedwa chizindikiritso konama,” aphunzitsi otere anaphatikiza m’ziphunzitso zawo filosofi ya chikhalidwe chachihelene. (1 Timoteo 6:20) Chitsanzo cha Philo chikusonyeza kuti kukanakhala kotheka kugwirizanitsa Baibulo ndi maganizo a Plato.​—Yerekezani ndi 2 Petro 1:16.

Inde, choonadi cha m’Baibulo ndicho chinasokonekera. Aphunzitsi “achikristu” anayesa kusonyeza kuti Chikristu chinali chogwirizana ndi chiphunzitso chaumunthu cha Agiriki ndi Aroma. Clement wa ku Alexandria ndi Origen (wa m’zaka za zana lachiŵiri ndi chitatu C.E.) anachititsa Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato kukhala maziko a chimene chinadzatchedwa “filosofi yachikristu.” Ambrose (339-397 C.E.), bishopu wa ku Milan, anali “ataphunzira maphunziro achigiriki atsopano kwambiri, achikristu ndi achikunja omwe,makamaka mabuku . . . a mkunja Plotinus wokhulupirira Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato.” Iye anayesa kuwasonyeza Chikristu Alatini ophunzira malinga ndi nzeru za Agiriki ndi Aroma akale. Augustine anachitanso chimodzimodzi.

Patapita zaka zana limodzi, Dionysius Mwareopagi (amenenso ankadziŵika kuti Dionysius wongoyerekeza), mwinamwake mmonke wa ku Suriya, anayesa kugwirizanitsa filosofi ya Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato ndi maphunziro azaumulungu “achikristu.” Insaikulopediya ina imanena kuti, “zolemba [zake] zinaphatikiza Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato pamodzi ndi mbali yaikulu ya ziphunzitso zachikristu ndi uzimu wake za m’nyengo zapakati . . . zimene zachititsa kusiyanasiyana kwa zikhulupiriro zake ndi kapembedzedwe kake mpaka lero.” Ati mwano wake kukula umene anachita mwa kusalabadira chenjezo la mtumwi Paulo loletsa ‘kukonda nzeru [“filosofi,” NW], ndi chinyengo chopanda pake, potsata mwambo wa anthu’!​—Akolose 2:8.

Zinthu Zowononga

Chodziŵika kwambiri n’chakuti “Akristu otsatira Plato ankaona mavumbulutso kukhala ofunika kwambiri ndipo anatenga filosofi ya Plato kukhala chida chabwino choti agwiritsire ntchito kumvetsa ndi kutchinjirizira ziphunzitso za Malemba ndi miyambo ya tchalitchi.”

Plato iye mwini anakhulupirira kuti moyo [ena amati mzimu] sumafa. Ndithudi, chimodzi cha ziphunzitso zonyenga zotchuka kwambiri chimene chinaloŵa m’maphunziro azaumulungu “achikristu” ndicho cha kusafa kwa mzimu. Kukhulupirira chiphunzitso chimenechi sikungaloledwe chabe pachifukwa chakuti kuchita zimenezo kunachititsa kuti Chikristu chikope anthu ambiri. Pamene ankalalikira ku Atene, likulu la chikhalidwe cha Agiriki, mtumwi Paulo sanaphunzitse chiphunzitso cha Plato cha kusafa kwa mzimu. M’malo mwake, analalikira chiphunzitso chachikristu cha chiukiriro, ngakhale kuti kunali kovuta kwa Agiriki ambiri amene ankamvetsera kukhulupirira zomwe ankanenazo.​—Machitidwe 17:22-32.

Mosiyana ndi filosofi yachigiriki, Malemba amasonyeza poyera kuti moyo si chinthu chimene munthu ali nacho koma kuti munthuyo ali moyo. (Genesis 2:7) Pa imfa, moyo umatha. (Ezekieli 18:4) Mlaliki 9:5 amatiuza kuti: “Amoyo adziŵa kuti tidzafa; koma akufa sadziŵa kanthu bi, sadzalandira mphotho; pakuti angoiŵalika.” Chiphunzitso cha kusafa kwa moyo kapena kwa mzimu si cha m’Baibulo.

Chiphunzitso chinanso chosokeretsa ndi cha udindo umene Yesu anali nawo asanabadwe monga munthu, chikhulupiriro chakuti anali wolingana ndi Atate wake. Buku lakuti The Church of the First Three Centuries limati: “Chiphunzitso cha Utatu . . . chinali ndi gwero lake losiyana kwambiri ndi Malemba achiyuda ndi achikristu.” Kodi gwero limeneli linali chiyani? Chiphunzitsochi “chinafala, ndipo chinaphatikizidwa ku Chikristu, ndi Abambo Ofalitsa za Plato.”

Inde, m’kupita kwa nthaŵi komanso pamene Abambo a Tchalitchi anatengeka kwambiri ndi Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato, okhulupirira Utatu anakhala ndi maziko olimba. Filosofi ya Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato ya m’zaka za zana lachitatu inaŵatheketsa kugwirizanitsa zosagwirizanitsika​—kupanga Mulungu wambali zitatu kukhala Mulungu mmodzi. Pamaganizo awo afilosofi ankanena kuti anthu atatu atha kukhala Mulungu mmodzi koma n’kukhalabe yense payekhapayekha!

Komabe, choonadi cha Baibulo chimasonyeza poyera kuti Yehova yekha ndiye Mulungu Wamphamvuyonse, Yesu Kristu ndiye Mwana Wake wolengedwa wamng’ono kwa iye, ndipo mzimu woyera ndi mphamvu Yake yogwira ntchito. (Deuteronomo 6:4; Yesaya 45:5; Machitidwe 2:4; Akolose 1:15; Chivumbulutso 3:14) Chiphunzitso cha Utatu sichilemekeza Mulungu yekha woona ndipo chimasokeretsa anthu, kuwachotsa kwa Mulungu amene satha kum’mvetsa.

Chikhulupiriro chinanso chonyenga malinga ndi Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato chimene chinakhudza maganizo achikristu, ndi chija chonena za chiyembekezo cha m’Malemba cha zaka chikwi. (Chivumbulutso 20:4-6) Origen ankatchuka ndi kutsutsa kwake okhulupirira zaka chikwi. Kodi n’chifukwa chiyani iyeyu ankatsutsa chiphunzitso chodziŵika bwino cha m’Baibulo chonena za ulamuliro wa Kristu wa zaka chikwi? Buku la The Catholic Enyclopedia imati: “Chifukwa cha Chiphunzitso Chatsopano cha Plato kumene anatengako ziphunzitso zake . . . , [Origen] sanagwirizane ndi okhulupirira zaka chikwi.”

Choonadi

Palibe n’chimodzi chomwe pa zochitika zomwe tatchulazi chimene chinakhudza choonadi. Choonadi ndicho ziphunzitso zonse zachikristu zomwe zili m’Baibulo. (2 Akorinto 4:2; Tito 1:1, 14; 2 Yohane 1-4) Baibulo ndilo gwero lokha la choonadi.​—Yohane 17:17; 2 Timoteo 3:16.

Komabe, mdani wa Yehova, wa choonadi, wa mtundu wa anthu, komanso wa moyo wosatha Satana Mdyerekezi, “wambanda” ndiponso “atate wake wa bodza,”wagwiritsa ntchito njira zosokeretsa zosiyanasiyana kuti asokoneze choonadi chimenechi. (Yohane 8:44; yerekezani ndi 2 Akorinto 11:3. Mwa zida zina zamphamvu zomwe iye wagwiritsa ntchito ndi ziphunzitso za filosofi yachikunja yachigiriki,kwenikweni nzeru yake pofuna kusokoneza ziphunzitso zachikristu.

Kusakaniza kumeneku chiphunzitso chachikristu ndi filosofi yachigiriki n’kuyesayesa kusukulutsa choonadi cha Baibulo, kuchithetsa mphamvu yake komanso chikoka chake kuti chisakope anthu ofunafuna choonadi, ofatsa, oona mtima, komanso ophunzitsika. (1 Akorinto 3:1, 2, 19, 20) Kumadetsanso chiphunzitso choyera ndi chomveka bwino cha Baibulo, kuphimba choonadi ndi chinyengo kuti zisamaoneke zosiyana.

Lerolino, motsogozedwa ndi Mutu wa mpingo Yesu Kristu, chiphunzitso choona chachikristu chabwezeretsedwa. Ndiponso, ofunafuna choonadi moona mtima angathe kuzindikira mpingo wachikristu ndi zipatso zake. (Mateyu 7:16, 20) Mboni za Yehova zili zofunitsitsa ndipo n’zokonzeka kuthandiza otere kupeza madzi osaipitsidwa a choonadi ndi kuwathandiza kugwira zolimba choloŵa cha moyo wosatha woperekedwa ndi Atate wathu Yehova.​—Yohane 4:14; 1 Timoteo 6:19.

[Chithunzi patsamba 11]

Augustine

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 10]

Malembo achigiriki: Otengedwa m’buku la Ancient Greek Writers: Plato’s Phaedo, 1957, Ioannis N. Zacharopoulos, Athens; Plato: Musei Capitolini, Roma