IMIFANEKISO YAMANDULO
UConstantine
UConstantine ngumlawuli wokuqala waseRoma owathi ungumKristu. Loo nto yaba nefuthe elikhulu kwimbali yoluntu. Ngokuphethukela kubuKristu, lo mlawuli wabunceda bakwazi ukuzimela nangona babutshutshiswa ngaphambili. Ngenxa yoko, iThe Encyclopædia Britannica ithi olu nqulo ekuthiwa lolobuKristu “belusoloko lulolona lutshotsh’ entla kubomi babantu nakwiipolitiki.”
KUTHENI umele ube nomdla kulo mlawuli wamandulo waseRoma? Ukuba nawe unomdla kubuKristu, ufanele wazi ukuba impembelelo abe nayo uConstantine kwezopolitiko nakunqulo iye yachaphazela iinkolelo zeecawa ezininzi. Makhe sibone ukuba kwenzeka njani oko.
UKUMISELWA NGOKUSEMTHETHWENI NOKUSETYENZISWA KAKUBI KWEECAWA
Ngonyaka ka-313, uConstantine wayelawula uBukhosi baseNtshona Roma ngoxa uLicinius noMaximinus babelawula eMpuma. UConstantine noLicinius banika bonke abantu inkululeko yonqulo, kuquka amaKristu awayekade etshutshiswa kwiminyaka nje embalwa ngaphambili. UConstantine wabukhusela ubuKristu, kuba wayesithi olu nqulo luza kumanyanisa ubukhosi bakhe.a
UConstantine zange akuthande ukubona iinkonzo ziqhekezwe ziingxwaba-ngxwaba. Kuba wayefuna ukuzimanyanisa, wathi makumiselwe iimfundiso “ezichanileyo.” Ukuze bazithandise kulo mlawuli, oobhishophu kwafuneka batshintshe ezinye zeemfundiso zabo, kuquka abo babengahlawuliswa rhafu kunye nabo babexhaswa ngemali ngurhulumente wakhe. Umbhali-mbali uCharles Freeman uthi: “Kwakungasakhathalelwanga imfundiso ‘eyiyo,’ kodwa eyona nto yayisele iphambili yayiyintywenka yemali negunya.” Ukususela ngoko, abefundisi bebesoloko beneguya kwizinto ezenzeka ehlabathini. Umbhali-mbali u-A. H. M. Jones uthi, uConstantine “zange aphelele nje ekubeni ngumkhuseli wecawa, kodwa waba ngumlawuli wayo.”
“Zange aphelele nje ekubeni ngumkhuseli wecawa, kodwa waba ngumlawuli wayo.”—U-A.H.M. Jones, isazi sembali
YAYIBUBUKRISTU OBUNJANI?
Oku kuqhogana kukaConstantine kunye noobhishophu, kwavelisa iimfundiso zobuKristu ezixubene nobuhedeni. Phofu ke, ayikho enye into ebesinokuyilindela, ekubeni iinjongo zalo mlawuli yayikukumanyanisa la maqela mabini kunqulo olunye, kungekhona ukufuna inyaniso. Kakade ke, wayengumlawuli wabahedeni. Omnye umbhali-mbali wathi, ukuze uConstantine avuyise abahedeni namaKristu, “waba ngukhwel’ ecingweni, ongacaciyo ukuba ukweliphi icala kanye kanye.”
Nangona wayesithi ungumKristu, uConstantine wazifaka zatshona nakunqulo lobuhedeni. Ngokomzekelo, wayekholelwa kubantu abavumisayo—abenza lonke uhlobo lobugqi obalelweyo yiBhayibhile. (Duteronomi 18:10-12) KwiNqaba kaConstantine eseRoma kukho umfanekiso wakhe esenza idini koothixo bobuhedeni. Waqhubeka ezukisa uthixo welanga ngokufaka umfanekiso wakhe kwiingqekembe zemali nokukhuthaza izithethe zakhe. Ekuhambeni kwexesha uConstantine wavumela ukuba yena nentsapho yakhe bakhelwe itempile kwidolophu encinci yaseUmbria, eItali, kuze kumiselwe ababingeleli ababeza kukhonza kuyo.
UConstantine wayemane ekubekela amangomso ukubhaptizwa kwakhe “njengomKristu” de yaziintsuku ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokuba afe ngonyaka ka-337. Abanye abaphengululi bathi wayekubekela amangomso ukubhaptizwa kuba wayefuna ukuxhaswa ngamaKristu kunye nabahedeni ababephantsi kolawulo lwakhe. Ngenxa yoko, xa sihlola indlela awayephila ngayo nokubhaptizwa kwakhe sele eza kufa, umnqwazi awuqini ncam enoba lo mlawuli wayekholelwa nyani na kubuKristu. Noko ke, nantsi into esiqiniseke ngayo: Icawa eyaqalwa nguConstantine yaba negunya elikhulu kwiipolitiki nakunqulo, ibe yazilahla iimfundiso zikaKristu kuba ifuna ukuxolisa abantu abaninzi ehlabathini. Kodwa yena uYesu wabe ethe ngabalandeli bakhe: “Abayonxalenye yehlabathi, kanye njengoko nam ndingeyonxalenye yehlabathi.” (Yohane 17:14) Kule cawa yayisele isasazeke ehlabathini lonke, kwaphuma amahlelo amaninzi.
Ithetha ntoni yonke le nto kuthi? Isibonisa ukuba asimele sivume nantoni na esiyiva ezicaweni, kunoko simele sijonge ukuba iyavumelana na neBhayibhile.—1 Yohane 4:1.
a Akuqinisekwanga ncam ukuba kwakutheni ukuze uConstantine afune ukuba ngumKristu, kuba enye imbekiselo ithi, “Kamva kulawulo lwakhe, wavumela ukuba kwenziwe izithethe zobuhedeni.”