Ngaba Umnqamlezo NgowamaKristu?
“NDAWUNIKWA ngumama.” “Undenza ndifaneleke njengendoda.” “Ndiwunxiba njengento endihomba ngayo.” “Andingekhe ndonwabe ngaphandle kwawo.” “Uyandikhusela ebubini.” “Yinto nje yokujingiswa emqaleni.”
Leyo yindlela abaphendula ngayo abantu abaliqela abathi babuzwa izizathu zokuba banxibe umnqamlezo. Nangona ngokucacileyo ingengabo bonke abawunxiba ngenxa yokuzinikela kwabo elunqulweni, ukunxiba umnqamlezo kungumkhwa obalaseleyo kwiindawo ezithile zehlabathi. Kwanolutsha lwaseRashiya luye lwabonwa lunxibe iminqamlezo. Abantu abaninzi banembono yokuba umnqamlezo unentsingiselo enzulu engokonqulo, kuba, kunjengokuba omnye oselula wasuka nje wathi, “Ungcwele.”
Kodwa ngaba ngenene kufanelekile ukuba umKristu anxibe umnqamlezo? Ngaba uyibonisa ngokuchanileyo indlela uKristu awafa ngayo? Yaye ngaba zikho izizathu ezifanelekileyo ezichasene nokunxitywa kwawo kwananjengento yokuhomba? Ukuze kukhanye oku, masiqale siphonononge imvelaphi yomnqamlezo.
Ngaba Uluphawu LobuKristu?
Usenokucinga ukuba amaKristu ayengawokuqala ukusebenzisa umnqamlezo. Noko ke, iThe Encyclopedia Americana ithetha ‘ngokusetyenziswa kwawo mandulo ngamaHindu namaBhuda aseIndiya nawaseTshayina, nokusetyenziswa kwawo nangamaPersi, ama-Asiriya namaBhabhiloni.’ Ngokufanayo iChambers’s Encyclopaedia, (uhlelo lowe-1969) ithi umnqamlezo “wawuluphawu olwalunxulunyaniswa nezinto zonqulo neziyimfihlelo kude lee ngaphambi kwexesha lamaKristu.”
Ngokwenene, abukho ubungqina bokuba amaKristu okuqala ayesebenzisa umnqamlezo kunqulo lwawo. Ebudeni bemihla yokuqala yobuKristu, umnqamlezo wawusetyenziswa ngabahedeni baseRoma! IThe Companion Bible ithi: “Le minqamlezo yayisetyenziswa njengemiqondiso yothixo olilanga wamaBhabhiloni, . . . yaye yaqala ukubonwa kwingqekembe kaJulius Caesar, ngowe-100-44 B.C., yandula ke yabonwa kwingqekembe eyenziwe yindlalifa kaCaesar (uAugustus), ngowama-20 B.C.” Maxa wambi uthixo wemvelo uBacchus waseRoma wayefanekiselwa libhanti elineminqamlezo eliqela elalibotshwa entloko.
Ngoko, umnqamlezo waba lulo njani uphawu lweNgqobhoko?
UConstantine Nomnqamlezo
Ngowama-312 C.E., uConstantine, owayelawula ummandla ngoku owaziwa ngokuba yiFransi neBritani, wakhokela esiya kwenza imfazwe nomkhwe wakhe, uMaxentius, waseItali. Ubika ukuba endleleni wabona umbono—umnqamlezo owawunamagama athi “Hoc vince,” athetha ukuthi, “Yoyisa ngale nto.” Akuba oyisile, uConstantine wawenza umnqamlezo wayindwe yemikhosi yakhe. Xa ubuKristu bathi kamva baba lunqulo oluphantsi koBukhosi baseRoma, umnqamlezo waba ngumqondiso wecawa.
Kodwa ngaba umbono onjalo wabakho ngokwenene? lingxelo ezingeli bali lamandulo aziphumi ngqo kulo mlawuli yaye ziyaphikisana. Ngokuphandle nje, kwakuya kuba ngenkankulu ukuba uConstantine asetyenziswe njengomntu onikwa isityhilelo esingokobuthixo. Ngexesha ekuthiwa senzeka ngalo esi siganeko sicingelwayo, yena wayengumnquli ozinikeleyo wothixo olilanga. UConstantine wade wawungcwalisa umhla wangeCawa njengosuku lokunqula ilanga. Ihambo yakhe emva kwento ekufane kuthiwe kukuguquka kwakhe nayo ayizange inikele bungqina bokuba wayezahlulele ngokwenene kwimigaqo elungileyo. Ukubulala, ubuqhophololo nebhongo lezobupolitika zazilawula ubomi bakhe. Kubonakala ukuba uConstantine ubuKristu wabusebenzisa njengesixhobo sobupolitika sokumanyanisa ubukhosi obahlukeneyo.
Kwakhona abukho ubungqina bokuba uhlobo lomnqamlezo “owabonwa” nguConstantine ngokwenene wawufanekisela isixhobo uKristu awabulawa ngaso. Kwiingqekembe ezininzi awathi uConstantine kamva wazixonkxa kwakukho iminqamlezo elolu hlobo X nekwakubhalwe u-“P” ngaphezulu kuyo. (Bona umfanekiso.) IAn Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, ebhalwe ngu-W. E. Vine, ithi: “UChi, okanye u-X, lowo uConstantine wabhengeza ukuba wambona embonweni owamkhokelela ekubeni amele ukholo lobuKristu, loo nobumba wayengowokuqala xa kubhalwa igama elithi ‘Kristu’ [kulwimi lwesiGrike] yaye wayengadibananga ‘noMnqamlezo,’” oko kukuthi, wayengadibananga nesixhobo sokubulala. Enyanisweni, olu hlobo lomnqamlezo luphantse lufane kanye nophawu lobuhedeni olumela ilanga.
Ngoko, kutheni le nto umnqamlezo wathi wamkelwa ngokulula kangaka nje “ngamaKristu”? IDictionary kaVine ihlabela mgama isithi: “Phakathi kwinkulungwane yesi-3 A.D. iicawa zashenxisa, okanye zagqwetha, ezinye iimfundiso zokholo lwamaKristu. Ukuze zikhulise iwonga lenkqubo yabefundisi abawexukileyo abahedeni bamkelelwa ngaphakathi ezicaweni ngaphandle kokuzalwa ngokutsha ngokholo, baza bavunyelwa ngokubanzi ukuba babe neempawu nezinto ezithile zobuhedeni. Ngenxa yoko uTau okanye uT, ekwimo yakhe eyiyeyona iqhelekileyo, onesishunqwana esinqamlezileyo nesijonge phantsi, wamkelwa ukumela umnqamlezo kaKristu.”
Imvelaphi Yomnqamlezo
Ngaba yayikukuthanda uKristu okwathi kwabangela ukuba umnqamlezo, kweli xesha langoku, ube yinto ehlonelwe kangaka? IEncyclopedia of Religion and Ethics ithi: “Ngenkulungwane yesi-4 ukukholelwa kubugqi kwathi kwathabath’ unyawo ngakumbi eCaweni.” Njengaxa kusetyenziswa ikhubalo lobugqi, ukwenza nje uphawu lomnqamlezo kwakucingwa ukuba “kwakuyeyona ndlela iqinisekileyo yokuzikhusela kwiidemon, ibe kwakuyindlela yokunyanga zonke izifo.” Ukusetyenziswa komnqamlezo ngenxa yeenkolo kuye kwaqhubeka ukuza kuthi ga namhlanje.
Ngokuhamba kweminyaka, kwathi kwenziwa malunga nama-400 eendidi ezahlukeneyo zeminqamlezo. Ekuqaleni, umnqamlezo wawungabi nawo umfanekiso kaKristu. Kunoko, kwakubakho umntwana ophethe umnqamlezo owenziwe ngelitye elinqabileyo. Kamva, wadityaniswa nomfanekiso wemvana. Ngowama-691 C.E., ibhunga laseTrullo lathi lawenza “ngokusemthethweni” umnqamlezo onentloko namagxa omfana, endaweni yemvana. Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwade kwaveliswa umnqamlezo onomfanekiso womzimba kaKristu.
Ngaba UKristu Wafela Emnqamlezweni?
Omnye usengabuza athi: ‘Kodwa ngaba iBhayibhile ayifundisi ukuba uKristu ngokwenene wafela emnqamlezweni?’ Ukuze sikuphendule oku, simele siphande iintsingiselo zamagama amabini esiGrike abathi ababhali beBhayibhile bawasebenzisa ukuchaza isixhobo uKristu awabulawa ngaso: ustau·rosʹ no xyʹlon.
IThe International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (yowe-1979) ichaza oku phantsi komxholo othi “Umnqamlezo”: “Ntlandlolo ustaurósʹ wesiGrike wayebhekisela kwisibonda somthi esineencam ezitsolo, esimi nkqo saza sagxunyekwa ngokuqinileyo emhlabeni. . . . Zazimiswa esinye kufuphi nesinye zibe yimikrozo ukuze ziyile uthango okanye zazigxunyekwa zibiyele iindawo ezithile ukuze zikhuseleke, okanye zazigxunyekwa nganye nganye njengezixhobo zentuthumbo ekwakusithi kuzo kuxhonywe elubala izaphuli-mthetho ezibi ukuze zife (okanye, ukuba sezibulewe, zixhonyelwe nje ukuba izidumbu zazo zihlaziswe ngokupheleleyo).”
Liyinyaniso elokuba, amaRoma asebenzisa isixhobo sokubulala esaziwa ngesiLatini ngokuba yicrux. Ibe ekuguqulelweni kweBhayibhile isiwa kwisiLatini, kwasetyenziswa igama elithi crux xa kwakuguqulelwa elithi stau·rosʹ. Ngenxa yokuba igama lesiLatini elithi crux lifana negama lesiNgesi elithi cross, abaninzi ngempazamo baye bacinge ukuba icrux imele ukuba yayingumthi onqamlezileyo. Phofu ke, iThe Imperial Bible-Dictionary ithi: “KwanakumaRoma icrux (ekuphuma kuyo igama lesiNgesi elithi cross) ibonakala ukuba ntlandlolo yayisisibonda esithe nkqo, ibe oku kwahlala kuyeyona nto iphambili.”
Incwadi ethi The Non-Christian Cross yongezelela ngelithi: “Asikho nokuba sibe sinye isivakalisi kuwo nawuphi na omnye wemibhalo eliqela eyila iTestamente Entsha, esithi, kwisiGrike santlandlolo, sinikele kwanobungangqalanga ubungqina bokuba istauros esasetyenziswa kuYesu sasingesiso eso stauros siqhelekileyo [isibonda okanye umthi]; singasathethi ke ngento yokuba sasiyilwe, kungekhona ngomthi omnye, kodwa ngemithi emibini ebethelelwe kunye yenziwa umnqamlezo.” Kumele ukuba ngokufanelekileyo uKristu abe waxhonywa kuhlobo oluthile lwecrux (istau·rosʹ) eyaziwa ngokuba yicrux simplex. Leyo yindlela loo mthi owathi waboniswa ngayo ngumphengululi ongumRoma Katolika uJustus Lipsius wenkulungwane ye-16.
Kuthekani ngelinye igama lesiGrike, uxyʹlon? Kwinguqulelo yeBhayibhile yesiGrike eyiSeptuagint lasetyenziswa kuEzra 6:11. KwiBhayibhile yesiXhosa oku kufundeka ngolu hlobo: “Ndiwisa umthetho wokuba bonke abantu abayijikayo loo nto, makuncothulwe umthi endlwini yabo, baxhonywe, babethelelwe kuwo, nendlu yabo yenziwe indawo yokuya endle, ngenxa yoko.” Kucacile ukuba, apha kwakubandakanyeke isibonda esinye okanye “umthi” omnye.
Ngenxa yoko intlaninge yabaguquleli beZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike (iTestamente Entsha) amazwi kaPetros akwiZenzo 5:30 iwa guqulela ngokuthi: “UThixo woobawo bethu wamvusa uYesu, enambulalayo nina ngokumxhoma esibondeni [okanye, “emthini,” ngokutsho kweBhayibhile yesiXhosa, iKing James Version, iNew International Version, iThe Jerusalem Bible neRevised Standard Version].” Mhlawumbi usengathanda ukujonga indlela eyakho iBhayibhile emguqulela ngayo uxyʹlon kwiZenzo 10:39; 13:29; kumaGalati 3:13; nakweyoku-1 kaPetros 2:24.
Ukuhamba Ngokholo, Kungekhona Ngokubona
Kwanasemva kokuqwalasela ubungqina obunjalo bokuba uKristu ngokwenene wabethelelwa emthini, bambi basenokungaboni nto iphosakeleyo ekunxibeni umnqamlezo. Basenokuthi, ‘Yinto nje endihomba ngayo.’
Noko ke, khumbula indlela umnqamlezo obusetyenziswa ngayo ukuhla ukutyhubela imbali—njengento yonqulo lobuhedeni neyayisoyikwa ngenxa yeenkolo. Ngaba ukunxiba umnqamlezo, nokuba kungenxa nje yokuhomba, kunokuvumelana nesiluleko sompostile uPawulos esikweyoku-1 yabaseKorinte 10:14 esithi: “Kungoko ndithi, zintanda zam, kubalekeni ukubusa izithixo”?
Kuthekani ngamaKristu okwenyaniso namhlanje? Nawo, afanele ayiphaphele imfuneko ‘yokuzigcina kuzo izithixo,’ njengokuba iBhayibhile iluleka. (1 Yohane 5:21) Ngoko awawujongi umnqamlezo uyinto efanelekileyo anokuhomba ngayo. Akhumbula amazwi kaPawulos athi: “Uqalekisiwe wonke umntu oxhonywe emthini,” yaye ngenxa yoko akhetha ukumgqala uKristu njengoKumkani ozukileyo ohleli etroneni!—Galati 3:13; ISityhilelo 6:2.
Nangona la maKristu engayinxibi iminqamlezo, ayixabisa ngokunzulu into yokuba uKristu wawafela. Ayazi ukuba idini likaKristu liyimbonakaliso emangalisayo ‘yamandla kaThixo’ nothando oluhlala luhleli. (1 Korinte 1:18; Yohane 3:16) Kodwa awafuni nto ibonakalayo njengomnqamlezo ukuba iwancede ekunquleni lo Thixo uluthando. Njengokuba uPawulos walulekayo, kungenxa yokuba ‘ahamba ngokholo, awahambi ngakubona.’—2 Korinte 5:7.
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Kuye kwaveliswa lindidi ngeendidi zeminqamlezo ukutyhubela linkulungwane
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Umfanekiso oqingqiweyo wothixo wamaGrike uMarsyas ehlinzwa ephilile ekwisiqu somthi—Imyuziyam iLouvre eParis