UCyril Lucaris—Indoda Eyayixabisayo IBhayibhile

Kwakuyimini yehlobo lowe-1638. Abalobi ababeloba kuLwandle lwaseMarmara kude kufuphi neConstantinople (namhlanje eyi-Istanbul), ikomkhulu loBukhosi baseTurkey, bothuka baphants’ ukujweda xa babona isidumbu sidada emanzini. Bathe bakusiqwalasela, banga babona ishologu xa befumanisa ukuba eso sidumbu sikrwitshiweyo yayisesikasolusapho obekekileyo waseConstantinople, umphathi weCawa yobuOthodoki. Eso yaba sisiphelo esilusizi sikaCyril Lucaris, indoda eyayiphambili kwezonqulo ngenkululwane ye-17.

ULUCARIS akazange aphile xesha laneleyo ukuze abone iphupha lakhe—ukukhululwa kwenguqulelo yeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike ngesiGrike esilula—lizaliseka. Elinye iphupha likaLucaris elingazange lizaliseke—lelo lokubona iCawa yobuOthodoki ibuyela “kwindlela elula yevangeli.” Yayingubani le ndoda? Yiyiphi imiqobo eyajamelana nayo kule migudu yayo?

Ukhwankqiswa Kukungafundi

UCyril Lucaris wazalwa ngowe-1572, kwiCandia eyayithinjwe yiVenice (ngoku eyi-Iráklion) eCrete. Ekubeni wayeneziphiwo ezihle, wafunda eVenice nasePadua eItali waza walihamba kakhulu elo lizwe kunye namanye. Usenokuba watyelela eGeneva, ngoko eyayiphantsi kwempembelelo yabalandeli bakaCalvin, ngenxa yokukruqulwa kukungaboni ngasonye ecaweni yaye etsalwa yimizabalazo yokuhlaziya eyayisenziwa eYurophu.

Xa wayetyelele ePoland, uLucaris waphawula ukuba amaOthodoki alapho, abefundisi kunye namarhamente ngokufanayo, ayekwimeko engentle ngokomoya ngenxa yokuba engafundanga. Xa wabuyela eAlexandria naseConstantinople, wothuka akufumanisa ukuba kwanamaqonga okushumayela—ekwakuleswa iZibhalo kuwo—ayekhutshiwe kwezinye iicawa!

Ngowe-1602, uLucaris waya eAlexandria, apho wangena ezihlangwini zesalamane sakhe, uSolusapho uMeletios, kwisikhundla sakhe sobubhishopu. Emva koko waqalisa ukubhalelana nabafundi bezakwalizwi ababetyekele kuhlaziyo eYurophu. Kwenye yezo leta, wachaza ukuba iCawa yobuOthodoki yayisagcine imikhwa emininzi ephosakeleyo. Kwezinye iileta, wayibethelela imfuneko yokuba icawa ikhuphe iinkolelo ize ifake “indlela elula yevangeli” kwaye ixhomekeke kwigunya leZibhalo kuphela.

Kwakhona uLucaris wothuswa nakukuba igunya lokomoya laBaseki BeCawa laligqalwa njengelilingana nelikaYesu nabapostile. Wabhala: “Andisenakuyinyamezela ngoku into yokuva abantu besithi izithethe zabantu ziyalingana neZibhalo.” (Mateyu 15:6) Wongezelela esithi, ngokokubona kwakhe, ukunqula imifanekiso kwakusizisa intlekele. Wathi ukukhunga ‘kwiingcwele’ kwakufana nesithuko kuMlamli, uYesu.—1 Timoti 2:5.

Isikhundla Sokuba Ngusolusapho Siyathengiswa

Ezo ngcamango, kunye nokuyinikel’ umva kwakhe iCawa yamaRoma Katolika, zenza uLucaris wathiywa waza watshutshiswa ngamaJesuit nangabo babekwiCawa yobuOthodoki ababefuna kumanyanwe namaKatolika. Phezu kwayo nje loo nkcaso, ngowe-1620, uLucaris wanyulwa njengosolusapho waseConstantinople. Ngelo xesha ikomkhulu lendlu kasolusapho weCawa yobuOthodoki laliphantsi kolawulo loBukhosi baseTurkey. Urhulumente waseTurkey wayemshenxisa lula nje usolusapho aze amkele omnye ngentlawulo yemali.

Iintshaba zikaLucaris, ngokukodwa amaJesuit kunye neCongregatio de Propaganda Fide (iBandla Elikhulisa Ukholo) likapopu elalinegunya elikhulu nelalisoyikwa, zaqhubeka zimdl’ izithende yaye zimenzela amayelenqe. Incwadi ethi Kyrillos Loukaris ithi: “AmaJesuit ayesebenzisa zonke iindlela ukuze aphumeze oko—enobuqhokolo, enyelisa, ekhohlisa, yaye ngaphezu kwako konke, enyoba, nto leyo eyayisesona sixhobo sisebenzayo xa ufuna ukuba izidwangube [zaseTurkey] zikuthande.” Ngenxa yoko, ngowe-1622, uLucaris wagxothelwa kwisiqithi saseRhodes, waza uGregory waseAmasya wasithenga eso sikhundla ngemali elingana neengqekembe zesilivere ezingama-20 000. Noko ke, uGregory akazange akwazi ukuvelisa imali ekwakuthenjisenwe ngayo, ngoko uAnthimus waseAdrianople wasithenga eso sikhundla, waza waphinda warhoxa kamva. Okumangalisayo kukuba uLucaris waphinda wabuyiselwa kwisikhundla sokuba ngusolusapho.

ULucaris wayezimisele ukusebenzisa elo thuba litsha ukuze afundise abefundisi bobuOthodoki kunye namarhamente ngokupapasha inguqulelo yeBhayibhile kunye namaphecana ezakwalizwi. Ukuze aphumeze oko, wenza amalungiselelo okuba kuthunyelwe umatshini wokushicilela eConstantinople owawuza kukhuselwa ngunozakuzaku waseNgilani. Noko ke, xa lo matshini wokushicilela wafikayo ngoJuni 1627, iintshaba zikaLucaris zamtyhola ngelithi uwusebenzisela iinjongo zezobupolitika, ibe ekugqibeleni zayalela ukuba utshatyalaliswe. Ngoku uLucaris kwafuneka asebenzise oomatshini bokushicilela baseGeneva.

Inguqulelo YeZibhalo ZamaKristu

Intlonelo enzulu kaLucaris ngeBhayibhile nangamandla ayo okufundisa yavuselela umnqweno wakhe wokuba amazwi ayo afumaneke kubantu abaqhelekileyo. Wayeqonda ukuba ulwimi olwalusetyenziswe kwimibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile ephefumlelweyo yesiGrike lwalungasenakuqondakala kumntu oqhelekileyo. Ngoko incwadi yokuqala uLucaris awaseka iphulo lokuyiguqulela yayiziZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike zisisiwa kwisiGrike somhla wakhe. UMaximus Callipolites, imonki ethile eyayifundile, yaqalisa ukuyiguqulela ngoMatshi 1629. Uninzi lwamaOthodoki lwagqala ukuguqulelwa kweZibhalo njengendelelo, engayikhathalele into yokuba wawungacacanga kangakanani umbhalo wayo kubafundi. Ukuze athibaze loo nto, uLucaris wayalela ukuba umbhalo wantlandlolo ushicilelwe kwicandelo elingqamene nelombhalo wolwimi lwaloo mihla, esongezelela amanqaku ambalwa nje. Ekubeni uCallipolites wafa kamsinya emva kokuba egqibe loo mbhalo-ngqangi, uLucaris wazihlola ngokwakhe iimpazamo. Loo nguqulelo yashicilelwa kamsinya nje emva kokufa kukaLucaris ngowe-1638.

Phezu kwako nje ukulumka kukaLucaris, loo nguqulelo yahlatyw’ amadlala kanobom ngoobhishopu abaninzi. Ukulithanda kukaLucaris iLizwi likaThixo kwabonakala nangakumbi kwingabula-zigcawu yaloo nguqulelo yeBhayibhile. Wabhala esithi iZibhalo, xa zibhalwe ngolwimi lwabantu, “zisisigidimi esimnandi, esisiphiwa sivela ezulwini.” Wabongoza abantu “ukuba bayazi baze baziqhelanise nako konke okuqulethwe [yiBhayibhile]” waza wathi ayikho enye indlela yokufunda “okuchanileyo ngezinto eziphathelele ukholo . . . ngaphandle kokuzifunda kwiincwadi zeVangeli eziphefumlelwe nguThixo nezingcwele.”—Filipi 1:9, 10.

ULucaris wababhenca ngenkalipho abo babekwalela ukufundisiswa kweBhayibhile, kuquka nabo babechasa ukuguqulelwa kombhalo wantlandlolo: “Ukuba sithetha size sifunde into esingayiqondiyo, kufana nje nokuba oko sikuthethayo kumka nomoya.” (Thelekisa eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 14:7-9.) Xa equkumbela ingabula-zigcawu yakhe, wathi: “Xa nonke niyifunda le ncwadi yeVangeli ephefumlelwe nguThixo nengcwele ngolwimi lwenu, zibambeni iingenelo enizifumana ngokuyifunda, . . . kwaye ngamana uThixo angasoloko eyikhanyisa indlela yenu de nifikelele kokulungileyo.”—IMizekeliso 4:18.

Isivumo Sokholo

Emva kokuseka ukuguqulelwa kwaloo Bhayibhile, uLucaris wathabatha elinye inyathelo lenkalipho. Ngowe-1629 wapapasha Isivumo Sokholo eGeneva. Sasingamazwi obuqu achaza iinkolelo awayenethemba lokuba zaziza kwamkelwa yiCawa yobuOthodoki. Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi The Orthodox Church, eso Sivumo “senza imfundiso yobuOthodoki engabefundisi nezikhundla ezingcwele kunye nokukhunga kwiingcwele yabonakala iluhlobo lokunqula izithixo.”

Esi Sivumo sinamasolotya ali-18. Isolotya lesibini livakalisa ukuba iZibhalo ziphefumlelwe nguThixo yaye igunya lazo lingaphezulu kwelecawa. Lithi: “Sikholelwa kwelokuba iZibhalo Ezingcwele sizinikwe nguThixo . . . Sikholelwa kwelokuba igunya leZibhalo Ezingcwele lingaphezulu kweleCawa. Ukufundiswa nguMoya Oyingcwele kwahluke okwempuma kwintshona kunokufundiswa ngumntu.”—2 Timoti 3:16.

Isolotya lesibhozo neleshumi lithi uYesu Kristu unguMlamli oyintloko, uMbingeleli Omkhulu kunye neNtloko yebandla. ULucaris wabhala: “Sikholelwa kwelokuba iNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu ihleli kwesokunene sikaYise kwaye iyasithethelela, iyodwa iphumeza imbopheleleko yokuba ngumbingeleli wenyaniso nosemthethweni kwakunye nomlamli.”—Mateyu 23:10.

Isolotya le-12 livakalisa ukuba icawa inako ukutenxa, ngempazamo igqale into ebubuxoki njengenyaniso, kodwa ukukhanya komoya oyingcwele kunokusihlangula ngokubulaleka kwabalungiseleli abathembekileyo. Kwisolotya le-18, uLucaris uthi indawo yentlambululo-miphefumlo iyintsomi nje: “Kucacile ukuba le ntsomi ethi kukho iNdawo Yentlambululo-miphefumlo ayimele yamkelwe.”

Isihlomelo seso Sivumo sinemibuzo neempendulo. Apho uLucaris uqala ngokubethelela into yokuba iZibhalo zifanele zileswe nguye wonk’ ubani othembekileyo nento yokuba iyingozi into yokuba umKristu angalilesi iLizwi likaThixo. Uyandula ongezelele esithi iiNcwadi Ezingaphefumlelwanga azifanele zifundwe.—ISityhilelo 22:18, 19.

Umbuzo wesine uthi: “Sifanele siyigqale njani imifanekiso eqingqiweyo?” ULucaris uyaphendula: “Sifundiswa ziZibhalo Eziphefumlelwe nguThixo neziNgcwele, ezilikhupha litsole elokuba, ‘Uze ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, nokuba ngowayiphi na into emilise esezulwini phezulu, nesemhlabeni phantsi, nesemanzini aphantsi komhlaba. Uze ungaqubudi kwezo nto, ungazikhonzi; [Eksodus 20:4, 5]’ ekubeni singafanele sinqule isidalwa, kodwa sifanele sinqule kuphela uMdali noMenzi wezulu nomhlaba, kwaye siqubude Kuye yedwa. . . . Ukunqula nokukhonza [imifanekiso eqingqiweyo], okwalelweyo . . . kwiZibhalo Ezingcwele, siyakuchasa, hleze silibale size endaweni yokuqubuda kuMdali noMenzi, siqubude kwimibala, kwizinto zobugcisa nakwizidalwa.”—IZenzo 17:29.

Nangona uLucaris engazange aziqonde kakuhle zonke izinto eziphosakeleyo ngelo xesha lobumnyama bokomoya awayephila kulo,a wenza imigudu encomekayo yokuba iBhayibhile ibe ligunya kwimfundiso yecawa kwaye kufundiswe abantu iimfundiso zayo.

Kungekudala sikhululwe eso Sivumo, yaqala phantsi kwakhona inkcaso eyayinxamnye noLucaris. Ngowe-1633, uCyril Contari, ummi wesixeko saseBeroea (ngoku eyiAleppo), utshaba olukhulu lukaLucaris olwaluxhaswa ngamaJesuit, wazama ukuthethathethana namagosa orhulumente waseTurkey ngexabiso lesikhundla sokuba ngusolusapho. Noko ke, elo qhinga lemka nenja xa uContari engazange akwazi ukuyihlawula loo mali. ULucaris waqhubeka esibambile eso sikhundla. Kunyaka olandelayo uAthanasius waseTesalonika wahlawula malunga neengqekembe zesilivere ezingama-60 000 ukuze afumane eso sihlalo. ULucaris wathotywa kwakhona. Kodwa kwisithuba esingangenyanga wabizwa kwakhona waza wabuyiselwa. Ngelo xesha uCyril Contari wayesele enazo iingekembe zesilivere ezingama-50 000. Ngesi sihlandlo uLucaris wagxothelwa eRhodes. Emva kweenyanga ezintandathu, abahlobo bakhe bakwazi ukumbuyisa kwakhona.

Noko ke, ngowe-1638, amaJesuit kunye noogxa bawo abangamaOthodoki batyhola uLucaris ngokuzama ukubhukuqa uBukhosi baseTurkey. Ngesi sihlandlo ukumkani wayalela ukuba abulawe. ULucaris wabanjwa, yaye ngoJulayi 27, 1638, wafakwa kwiphenyane elincinane ngokungathi uthunyelwa elubhacweni. Lithe lakuthi tyishi elwandle elo phenyane, wakrwitshwa. Isidumbu sakhe sangcwatywa kufutshane nonxweme, kamva sembiwa saza saphoswa elwandle. Safunyanwa ngabalobi saza kamva sangcwatywa ngabahlobo bakhe.

Oko sikufundayo

Omnye umphengululi uthi: “Ayifanele ityeshelwe into yokuba enye yezona njongo ziphambili [zikaLucaris] yayikukukhanyisa nokuphakamisa umgangatho wabefundisi kunye nomhlambi wakhe, owawuhle waya kutsho kwelona nqanaba liphantsi ngenkulungwane yeshumi elinesithandathu nasebutsheni beyeshumi elinesixhenxe.” Mininzi imiqobo eyathintela uLucaris ekufikeleleni usukelo lwakhe. Washenxiswa kahlanu kwisikhundla sokuba ngusolusapho. Kwiminyaka engama-34 emva kokufa kwakhe, isinodi yaseYerusalem yaziqalekisa iinkolelo zakhe isithi zezowexuko. Yathi iZibhalo “azifanele zifundwe nangubani na, kodwa zifanele zifundwe ngabo bangena nzulu kwizinto zomoya emva kokuba benze uphando olufanelekileyo”—ngamany’ amazwi, ngabefundisi abafundileyo kuphela.

Kwakhona, isifundisi esiphetheyo saxaba ngaphambi kwemigudu yokwenza iLizwi likaThixo lifumaneke kumhlambi wabo. Sasimthulisa ngezigalo umntu owayesalatha ezinye zeempazamo zeenkolelo zaso ezingasekelwanga eBhayibhileni. Sangqineka siphakathi kwezona ntshaba ziphambili zenkululeko yonqulo nenyaniso. Okulusizi kukuba le nto isenzeka ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo nanamhlanje. Isisikhumbuzo soko kwenzekayo xa amayelenqe antyontyelwa ngabefundisi exaba endleleni yenkululeko yokucinga neyokuvakalisa izimvo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 29]

ULucaris wenza umgudu oncomekayo wokuba iBhayibhile ibe ligunya kwimfundiso yecawa kwaye kufundiswe abantu iimfundiso zayo

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

ULucaris NeCodex Alexandrinus

Enye yezona zinto zixabisekileyo kwiBritish Library yiCodex Alexandrinus, umbhalo-ngqangi weBhayibhile wenkulungwane yesihlanu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Kumaphepha awo asenokuba ayengama-820, kukho angama-773.

Xa uLucaris wayesengusolusapho eAlexandria, eYiputa, wayenethala elikhulu leencwadi. Xa waba ngusolusapho eConstantinople, wemka neCodex Alexandrinus. Ngowe-1624 wayinika unozakuzaku waseBritani eTurkey njengesipho esasisiya kuKumkani uJames I wamaNgesi. Yanikwa lowo wangena ezihlangwini zakhe, uCharles I, kwiminyaka emithathu kamva.

Ngowe-1757 iKing’s Royal Library yavulelwa uluntu lwaseBritani, kwaye kwenziwe umboniso wale codex intle kwiJohn Ritblat Gallery leBritish Library entsha.

[Inkcazelo]

Gewerbehalle, Vol. 10

From The Codex Alexandrinus in Reduced Photographic Facsimile, 1909

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Bib. Publ. Univ. de Genève