‘Ukuchasa Ulwazi—Olubizwa Njalo Kuxokwa’
IBALULEKE kangakanani inyaniso kuwe? Ngaba iyakuphazamisa into yokuba ubuxoki buye bayigqwetha, bada bayifihla, inyaniso engoMdali wezulu nomhlaba? Oku kwamphazamisa gqitha uIrenaeus, ekuthiwa wayengumKristu kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Wazabalazela ukubhenca iimpazamo eziyingozi zobuGnostiki, uhlobo oluthile lobuKristu obuwexukileyo. Ngaphambilana, umpostile uPawulos wayelumkise uTimoti ukuba aphambuke ‘kulwazi olubizwa njalo kuxokwa.’—1 Timoti 6:20, 21.
UIrenaeus wathetha ngokungafihlisiyo ngokuchasene nemfundiso ephosakeleyo. Ngokomzekelo, qwalasela oko wakuthethayo kwintshayelelo yencwadi yakhe eyayifundwa gqitha enomxholo othi “Ukubhenca Nokubhukuqa Ulwazi Olubizwa Njalo Kuxokwa.” Wabhala wathi: “Amadoda athile, ayigatyayo inyaniso, afundisa phakathi kwethu amabali obuxoki nemilibo yokuzalwa engancedi nto, ethi ibangele iimpikiswano, njengokuba umpostile watshoyo [1 Timoti 1:3, 4], kunoko kuvela kuThixo nokulungiselelwe ukwakha ukholo. Ngobuciko babo bobuqhetseba alahlekisa iingqondo zabangenalwazi, ebenza amakhoboka, esonakalisa izihlabo zeNkosi, yaye ecacisa kakubi oko kuthethwe kakuhle.”
AmaGnostiki, (ngokuphuma kwigama lesiGrike elithi gnoʹsis, elithetha “ulwazi”) ayesithi anolwazi oluphakamileyo aluzuze ngezityhilelo eziyimfihlelo yaye ayeqhayisa ngelokuba “ayengabaqeqeshi babapostile.” UbuGnostiki babubopha ngabande linye ubuKristu obuwexukileyo nentanda-bulumko, intelekelelo neenkolelo ezingobuhedeni. UIrenaeus wakukhaba ngawo omane ukuba nesabelo nakuyiphi na kwezi zinto. Kunoko, waqalisa iphulo elide lokulwa neemfundiso zowexuko. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo wayeyiqonda imfuneko yokusebenzisa isilumkiso sompostile uPawulos esithi: “Lumkani, kungabikho bani unithimbayo ngayo intanda-bulumko, nangokulukuhla okungento yanto, ngokwesithethe sabantu, ngokweziqalelo zehlabathi, kungengokukaKristu.”—Kolose 2:8; 1 Timoti 4:7.
Ubomi Bobuntwana Nobulungiseleli
Akukho nto ingako yaziwayo ngobomi bobuntwana nembali yobuqu kaIrenaeus. Ekuphela kwento ethethwayo kukuba wayeyinzalelwane yaseAsiya Mayina, wazalwa phakathi kowe-120 C.E. nowe-140 C.E. kufuphi okanye kwisixeko saseSmirna. UIrenaeus uyayingqina into yokuba ebutsheni bakhe, wayeqhelene noPolycarp, owayengumveleli webandla laseSmirna.
Ngoxa wayefunda phantsi kokhokelo lukaPolycarp, kubonakala ukuba uIrenaeus wenza ubuhlobo noFlorinus. UPolycarp wayengumntu owayenxulumene ngokusondeleyo nabapostile. Wayezicacisa kakuhle iZibhalo yaye wakuncomela gqitha ukubambelela kwiimfundiso zikaYesu Kristu nabapostile Bakhe. Noko ke, phezu kwalo nje olu qeqesho luhle lweZibhalo, kamva uFlorinus wawela kwiimfundiso zikaValentinus, inkokeli eyayidume kunene yehlelo lamaGnostiki!
UIrenaeus wayefuna ukuba lowo wayesakuba ngumhlobo nesinxulumani sakhe uFlorinus abuyiselwe kwimfundiso ephilileyo yeZibhalo aze ahlangulwe kwiimfundiso zikaValentinus. Ngoko ke, uIrenaeus washukunyiselwa ukuba abhalele uFlorinus incwadi, esithi: “Florinus, ezi mfundiso, . . . asizomfundiso ziphilileyo; ezi mfundiso azivisisani nebandla, yaye abo bazilandelayo zibabangela ukuba babe ngabaswele intlonelo gqitha ngoThixo; . . . ezi mfundiso azizange zidluliselwe kuwe ngabadala ababephambi kwethu, abo babebazi abapostile.”
Ezabalazela ukumkhumbuza uFlorinus ngoqeqesho oluhle awalufumana ezandleni zikaPolycarp owayeyinkunkqele, uIrenaeus wahlabela mgama esithi: “Ndiyazikhumbula iziganeko zaloo maxesha . . . kangangokuba ndingakuxelela nendawo uPolycarp ohloniphekileyo awayeqhele ukuhlala kuyo aze afundise . . . Kwanendlela awayebalisa ngayo ngobudlelane bakhe noYohane, nabo bonke abo babeyibonile iNkosi; kwanendlela awayedla ngokuwabalisa ngokweenkcukacha ngayo amazwi abo.”
UFlorinus wakhunjuzwa ukuba uPolycarp wayefundisa oko wakufumana “kumangqina okuzibonela iLizwi lobomi, [yaye waye] ekubalise konke ngokuvisisana neZibhalo. Ezi zinto, endathi ke ndaziva, ngenceba kaThixo eyabonakalaliswa kum, ndazibhala phantsi, ndingazibhali ephepheni koko entliziyweni yam; yaye ngobabalo lukaThixo ndiyaqhubeka ndizikhumbula ezi zinto ngokuchanileyo engqondweni yam. Yaye [mayela neemfundiso zikaValentinus] ndinokunikela ubungqina emehlweni kaThixo bokuba ukuba loo mdala uhloniphekileyo nowayengumlandeli wabapostile [uPolycarp] wayeyivile into enjalo, wayeya kudanduluka aze azivale iindlebe zakhe . . . Wayeya kumka nakuloo ndawo, eve amazwi anjalo ehleli okanye eme kuyo.”
Ayikho ingxelo yokuba uFlorinus wakhe wasabela kule ncwadi ichukumisayo nenamandla kaIrenaeus. Kodwa amazwi kaIrenaeus atyhila inkxalabo yokwenyaniso ngomhlobo osenyongweni owayeyishiyile indlela yenyaniso waza wanikezela kuwexuko.—Thelekisa eyesi-2 kwabaseTesalonika 2:3, 7-12.
Alaziwa ixesha uIrenaeus awaya kuhlala ngalo eGaul (eFransi). Ngonyaka we-177 C.E., wayekhonza njengomveleli kwibandla laseLyons. Kukho ingxelo yokuba ubulungiseleli bakhe apho babunempumelelo gqitha. Enyanisweni, umbhali-mbali uGregory waseTours wanikela ingxelo yokuba uIrenaeus ngexeshana nje elingephi waphumelela ukuguqula bonke abemi baseLyons baba ngamaKristu. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, oku yayikukubaxwa kwezinto.
Ukuchasa Uqhekeko
Incwadi ephambili kaIrenaeus ethi, “Ukubhenca Nokubhukuqa Ulwazi Olubizwa Njalo Kuxokwa,” ngokuqhelekileyo yayibizwa ngokuthi “Ukuchasa Uqhekeko.” Yahlulahlulwe yaba ziincwadi ezintlanu. Ezimbini zokuqala ziqulethe inkcazelo eluhlalutyo lweenkolelo zamahlelo awahlukahlukeneyo abaqhekeki, ingakumbi imfundiso yehlelo likaValentinus. Kwiincwadi ezintathu eziseleyo, uIrenaeus uzama ukuvelisa “iimfundiso ezingokweZibhalo.”
Kwintshayelelo yencwadi yakhe yesithathu ethi “Ukuchasa Uqhekeko,” uIrenaeus ubhala oku: “Ngoko ke kugcine endikuthethileyo kwiincwadi ezimbini zokuqala; yaye ngokongezelela oku kuzo uya kuba uwubambe ngokupheleleyo umzekelo wam wokuchasana nabo bonke abaqhekeki, yaye uya kukwazi ukubaxhathisa ngokuthembekileyo uze ulumele ngokungafihlisiyo ukholo lokwenyaniso noluphilisayo, olo iBandla lalufumana kubapostile laza laludlulisela kubantwana balo. Kuba iNkosi yabo bonke yadlulisela kubapostile bayo amandla evangeli, yaye ngabo siye safunda nenyaniso, oko kukuthi, imfundiso yoNyana kaThixo—njengokuba iNkosi yathi kubo, ‘Lowo univayo nina uva mna, nalowo unigibayo nina ugiba mna, nalowo undithumileyo.’”
Nangona uIrenaeus wavumayo ukuba wayengengombhali uliciko, wayezimisele ukubhenca zonke iinkalo “zeemfundiso eziphosakeleyo” zobuGnostiki. Ucaphula aze agqabaze ngeZibhalo ezininzi ibe uthetha ophele ngokuchasene ‘nabafundisi bobuxoki bamahlelo entshabalalo.’ (2 Petros 2:1-3) Kubonakala ukuba uIrenaeus waba nobunzima ekuhlanganiseni incwadi zakhe ngendlela eyanelisayo. Kwakutheni? Kwakungenxa yokuba wayeqokelele umbandela omninzi gqitha.
Oku kubhenca kukaIrenaeus kubonakala ukuba kwabakho emva kwemigudu emikhulu nophengululo olubanzi. Iingxoxo zakhe ezinde zamazwi empikiswano zinguvimba wenkcazelo engemvelaphi neengcamango zobuGnostiki. Imibhalo kaIrenaeus ikwasisalathiso esixabiseke gqitha ubuncinane sezinye zeemfundiso ezingokweZibhalo ababesanamathele kuzo abo babesithi babambelele kwiLizwi likaThixo ekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.
UIrenaeus uyiqinisekisa ngokuphindaphindiweyo into yokukholelwa kwakhe “kuThixo omnye, uBawo onguSomandla, owadala izulu, nomhlaba, neelwandle, nako konke okukwezo zinto, nakuKristu Yesu omnye, unyana kaThixo, owaba yinyama ukuze sizuze usindiso.” Ezi ziinyaniso amaGnostiki awayengazamkeli!
Ethetha ngokuchasene neNkolelo yobuGnostiki (imfundiso yokuba uKristu akazange eze engumntu), uIrenaeus wabhala oku: “UKristu umele abe ngumntu, njengathi, ukuba wayeza kusihlangula ekonakaleni aze asenze sigqibelele. Njengoko isono nokufa kwangena ngomntu ehlabathini, ngoko ezi zinto bezinokupheliswa ngokusemthethweni nokuze singenelwe koku kuphela ngomntu; nangona oko bekungayi kwenziwa kambe ngobefanele ukuba yinzala ka-Adam, aze ngaloo ndlela naye afune ukuhlangulwa, kodwa nguAdam wesibini, owazalwa ngamandla angaphaya kwawemvelo, inzala entsha yesizwe sethu.” (1 Korinte 15:45) Ngakwelinye icala, amaGnostiki ayeneenkolelo ezimbini, ekholelwa kwelokuba izinto zokomoya zazilungile kodwa zonke ezinye izinto ezidaliweyo neziyinyama zazingalunganga. Ngenxa yoko, awazange amamkele uYesu Kristu esenyameni.
Eqiqa ngelokuba yonke inyama yayinesono, amaGnostiki kwakhona ayeyigatya into yokutshata nokuzala, esithi ezi zinto zeza noSathana. Ade athi nguThixo owanika inyoka yase-Eden ubulumko! Le mbono yaphumela kuhlobo lobomi bokugabadela, ubungcathu okanye ukuzifica ngokugqith’ emgceni ngezinto zenyama. Esithi usindiso lwalunokubakho kuphela ngobuGnostiki obuyimfihlelo, okanye ulwazi lomntu, awazange ayivulele ithuba inyaniso yeLizwi likaThixo.
Ngokwahlukileyo koko, amazwi kaIrenaeus ayequka ukukholelwa kwakhe kulawulo lweWaka Leminyaka yaye abonisa ukuliqonda okuthile ithemba lekamva lobomi obunoxolo emhlabeni. Wazabalazela ukumanyanisa amaqela awayesanda omhla wakhe ngokusebenzisa iLizwi likaThixo elinamandla. Yaye ngokubanzi ukhunjulwa ngokukwazi ukucinga kakuhle, ingqondo ezinzileyo nangogwebo lwakhe olulungileyo.
Nangona abaninzi besithi nguIrenaeus (owafa malunga nowama-200 C.E.) owakhuthaza iimfundiso zokwenyaniso zokholo kubuKristu, kumele kukhunjulwe ukuba wayephila kwixesha lenguqulelo nelowexuko olwaluxelwa kwangaphambili. Maxa wambi, amazwi akhe anokungaqondakali okuthile, ade aphikisane. Sekunjalo, sibuxabisa gqitha ubungqina bamadoda awalithethelela ngokungafihlisi iLizwi likaThixo elibhaliweyo neliphefumlelweyo kunokubalaselisa izithethe zabantu.