Ngaba Ibandla Lokuqala Lafundisa Ukuba UThixo UnguBathathu Emnye?
Icandelo 3—Ngaba abaKhuseli Bokholo bayifundisa imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye?
Kwinkupho yayo kaNovemba 1, 1991 nekaFebruwari 1, 1992, IMboniselo ibonise ukuba imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye ayizange ifundiswe nguYesu nabafundi bakhe yaye ayizange ifundiswe nangabaSeki Becawa Abangabapostile ababephila ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala nasekuqaleni kweyesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Ngaba abantu becawa kamva kwinkulungwane yesibini bayifundisa?
UKUSUSELA phakathi kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo ukuya ngasekupheleni kwayo, kwavela abantu becawa namhlanje ababizwa ngokuba ngabaKhuseli Bokholo. Babhala imibhalo yokukhusela ubuKristu ababebazi nxamnye neentanda-bulumko zemvukelo ezazingundaba-mlonyeni kwiindawo ezaziphantsi kweRoma ngelo xesha. Umsebenzi wabo wavela ngasekuqoshelisweni, nasemva, kwemibhalo yabaSeki Becawa Abangabapostile.
Phakathi kwabaKhuseli Bokholo ababhala ngesiGrike kwakukho uJustin Martyr, uTatian, uAthenagoras, uTheophilus noClement wakwa-Alesandire. UTertullian wayengumKhuseli Wokholo owabhala ngesiLatini. Ngaba bafundisa ngoBathathu Emnye wanamhlanje weNgqobhoko—abantu abathathu abalinganayo (uBawo, uNyana noMoya Oyingcwele) kwisiqu esinye sikaThixo, ngamnye wabo enguThixo oyinyaniso, kodwa kungekho Thixo bathathu kodwa kukho uThixo omnye?
“UNyana Ungaphantsi”
UGqr. H. R. Boer, kwincwadi yakhe ethi A Short History of the Early Church, ugqabaza enjenje ngokusasazeka kwemfundiso yabaKhuseli Bokholo:
“UJustin [Martyr] wafundisa ukuba ngaphambi kokudalwa kwehlabathi uThixo wayeyedwa ibe kwakungekho Nyana. . . . Xa uThixo wanqwenela ukudala ihlabathi, . . . wazala omnye umntu onobuthixo ukuze amdalele ihlabathi. Lo mntu unobuthixo wayebizwa ngokuba . . . nguNyana ngenxa yokuba wazalwa; wabizwa ngokuba nguLogos ngenxa yokuba wayethatyathwe kwiNgqiqo okanye kwiNgqondo kaThixo. . . .
“Ngoko ke uJustin nabanye abaKhuseli Bokholo bafundisa ukuba uNyana usisidalwa. Usisidalwa esiphakamileyo, isidalwa esinamandla ngokwaneleyo ukuba singadala ihlabathi kodwa, sekunjalo, usisidalwa. Kwizifundo ngezakwalizwi olu lwalamano loNyana noYise lubizwa ngokuba yisubordinationism (ukushiyana ngobukhulu). UNyana ungaphantsi, oko kukuthi, uza ngemva, uxhomekeke yaye wenziwe nguYise. AbaKhuseli Bokholo babekholelwa ekushiyaneni ngobukhulu.”1
Kwincwadi ethi The Formation of Christian Dogma, uGqr. Martin Werner uthi ngendlela olwaluqondwa ngayo ngaphambili ulwalamano loNyana noThixo:
“Olo lwalamano lwaluqondwa ngokucacileyo njengolo ‘lokungalingani,’ oko kukuthi ngengqiqo yokungalingani kukaKristu noThixo. Naphi na kwiTestamente Entsha apho ulwalamano lukaYesu noThixo, uYise, luziswa engqalelweni, . . . luveliswa yaye lumelwa ngokweenkcukacha njengolungalinganiyo. Yaye oyena Mntu ukholelwa ngokugqibeleleyo ekungalinganini kwiTestamente Entsha, ngokwengxelo yeVangeli, yayinguYesu ngokwakhe . . . Le ndlela yokuqonda izinto yantlandlolo, njengoko iqine yaye icace injalo, yakwazi ukuhlala ingaguquki ithuba elide. ‘Zonke iingqonyela zabafundi bezakwalizwi zangaphambi kwebhunga elaliseNicaea zamela ukuba ngaphantsi kukaLogos kuThixo.’”2
Ngokuvumelana noku, uR. P. C. Hanson, kwincwadi ethi The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God, uthi:
“Akukho namnye umfundi wezakwalizwi kwiCawa yaseMpuma okanye yaseNtshona ngaphambi kokuqhambuka kweNgxwabangxwaba Ngeemfundiso zika-Arius [ngenkulungwane yesine] ongathi ngandlel’ ithile amgqale uNyana njengongaphantsi kunoYise.”3
UGqr. Alvan Lamson, kwincwadi ethi The Church of the First Three Centuries, wongezelela obu bungqina ngokuphathelele imfundiso yamagosa ecawa ngaphambi kokuhlala kweBhunga laseNicaea (325 C.E.):
“Ukuba ngaphantsi koNyana kwangqinwa ngokubanzi, ukuba akuzange kungqinwe ngamxhelo-mnye ngooBhishophu bangaphambi kweBhunga laseNicaea . . . Into yokuba babemgqala uNyana njengowahlukileyo kuYise ibonakala kwisibakala sokuba bakungqine ngokucacileyo ukuba ngaphantsi kwakhe. . . . Babemgqala njengowahlukileyo nanjengongaphantsi.”4
Ngokufanayo, kwincwadi ethi Gods and the One God, uRobert M. Grant uthetha oku ngabaKhuseli Bokholo:
“Indlela obucaciswe ngayo ubuntu nemisebenzi kaKristu kwiincwadi zokukhusela ukholo, njengaleyo ichazwe kwiTestamente Entsha, ngokusisiseko ibonakalisa ukuba ungaphantsi. UNyana usoloko engaphantsi kunoYise, onguThixo omnye kwiTestamente Endala. . . . Ngoko, esikufumanayo kwaba babhali bamandulo, asiyomfundiso kaBathathu Emnye . . . Ngaphambi kweBhunga laseNicaea, imfundiso yezakwalizwi yobuKristu ngokubanzi yayiphantse ibe yeyokungalingani.”5
UBathathu Emnye weNgqobhoko ufundisa ukuba uNyana uyalingana noThixo uYise ngobunaphakade, ngamandla, ngesikhundla nangobulumko. Kodwa abaKhuseli Bokholo bathi uNyana wayengalingani noThixo uYise. Babemgqala uNyana njengongaphantsi. Oko akuyomfundiso kaBathathu Emnye.
Ukubonakaliswa Kwemfundiso Yenkulungwane Yokuqala
AbaKhuseli Bokholo nabanye zabaSeki BeCawa bamandulo ngokomlinganiselo omkhulu babebonakalisa oko amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala akufundisayo ngolwalamano lukaBawo noNyana. Phawula indlela oku okuveliswe ngayo kwincwadi ethi The Formation of Christian Dogma:
“Ebudeni bexesha lobuKristu Bamandulo kwakungekho mqondiso walo naluphi na uhlobo lwengxaki okanye ingxwabangxwaba engoBathathu Emnye, enjengaleyo kamva yabangela iingxabano eziqatha eCaweni. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo isizathu soku sisibakala sokuba, kubuKristu Bamandulo, uKristu . . . wayesesinye sezithunywa zezulu eziphakamileyo, esadalwa saza sanyulwa nguThixo ukuba senze umsebenzi wokuzisa, ekupheleni kwamaxesha, . . . uBukumkani bukaThixo.”6
Iqhubeka ithetha ngeemfundiso yabaSeki beCawa bamandulo, iThe International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ithi:
“Kwindlela yamandulo yokucinga kweCawa utyekelo lwaxa kuthethwa ngoThixo uBawo lwalukukuqonda Yena kuqala, ingekuko njengoYise kaYesu Kristu, kodwa njengomthombo wabo bonke ubomi. Ngenxa yoko uThixo uBawo, ngokungathi kunjalo, unguThixo ongoyena ubalaseleyo. Ufanelwe kukuchazwa ngamagama anjengelithi ongenasiqalo, ongafiyo, ongaguquguqukiyo, ongenakuchazwa, ongabonakaliyo nokuthi ongazange adalwe. Nguye owenza zonke izinto, kuquka nayo yonke indalo, ngokungaveli ntweni. . . .
“Oku kusenokubonakala kubonisa ukuba nguBawo kuphela onguThixo ngokufanelekileyo yaye uNyana nomoya banjalo kuphela ngemva kwakhe. Iingxelo ezininzi zamandulo zibonakala zikuxhasa oku.”7
Ngoxa le ntyilalwazi iqhubeka ize izibethe ngoyaba ezi nyaniso yaye ime ngelokuba imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye yayamkelekile ngelo xesha lamandulo, izibakala zilingqina elo bango libubuxoki. Qwalasela amazwi omfundi wezakwalizwi odumileyo ongumKatolika uJohn Henry Cardinal Newman:
“Makhe sithi siyavuma ukuba zonke iimfundiso, ezingeNkosi yethu, zavunywa ngemvisiswano nangamxhelo-mnye yiCawa Yamandulo . . . kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo ngemfundiso yamaKatolika kaBathathu Emnye. Andiboni ukuba kungayiphi na ingqiqo ekunokuthiwa kukho ukuvumelana [kwamagosa ecawa] amandulo ekuxhaseni le mfundiso . . .
“IZivumo Zokholo zaloo mhla wamandulo azimkhankanyi . . . konke konke [uBathathu Emnye]. Eneneni ziyabakhankanya aBantu Abathathu; kodwa into yokuba kukho imfihlelo ethile kwimfundiso, yokuba aba Bathathu bangumntu Omnye, bonke bayalingana, bonke baphila ngonaphakade, bonke abazange badalwe, bonke bangoosomandla, bonke abanakuqondwa, ayikhankanywanga, ibe ayinakuze ifunyanwe kuzo.”8
Oko Kwafundiswa NguJustin Martyr
Omnye wabona baKhuseli Bokholo bokuqala yayinguJustin Martyr, owayephila ukususela malunga nonyaka we-110 ukusa kowe-165 C.E. Akukho namnye kwimibhalo yakhe esekhoyo okhankanya abantu abathathu abalinganayo kwisiqu esinye sikaThixo.
Ngokomzekelo, ngokweJerusalem Bible yamaKatolika, IMizekeliso 8:22-30 ithi ngokuphila kukaYesu ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumntu: “UYahweh wandidala xa injongo yakhe yaqalisa ukutyhilwa, ngaphambi kweyona misebenzi yakhe midala. . . . Kwakungekho manzi anzongonzongo, xa ndazalwayo . . . Ngaphambi kweenduli, ndazalwa . . . Ndandisecaleni lakhe [uThixo], ndiyingcibi yomsebenzi.” Exubusha ngezi ndinyana, uJustin uthi kwincwadi yakhe eyiDialogue With Trypho:
“ISibhalo siye savakalisa ukuba le Nzala yazalwa nguBawo ngaphambi kokudalwa kwazo zonke izinto; yaye nabani na unokuvuma ukuba, oko kuzelweyo kubalwa ngokwahlukileyo koko kuzalwa kuko.”9
Ekubeni uNyana wazalwa nguThixo, uJustin uyalisebenzisa igama elithi “uThixo” xa ebhekisela kuNyana. Kwincwadi yakhe eyiFirst Apology uthi: “UBawo wendalo iphela unoNyana; naye, ekubeni elizibulo elinguLizwi nelizelwe nguThixo, ukwanguThixo.”10 NeBhayibhile iyabhekisela kuNyana kaThixo ngesibizo esithi “uThixo.” KuIsaya 9:6 ubizwa ngokuba “nguThixo Oligorha.” Kodwa eBhayibhileni, izithunywa, abantu, oothixo bobuxoki noSathana bakwabizwa ngokuba ‘ngoothixo.’ (Izithunywa: INdumiso 8:5; thelekisa amaHebhere 2:6, 7. Abantu: INdumiso 82:6. Oothixo bobuxoki: Eksodus 12:12; 1 Korinte 8:5. USathana: 2 Korinte 4:4.) KwiZibhalo zesiHebhere, igama eliguqulelwa ngokuthi “uThixo,” ʼEl, ngokulula lithetha “Oligorha” okanye “Owomeleleyo.” Isifanokuthi salo kwiZibhalo zesiGrike nguthe·osʹ.
Ngaphezu koko, ibinzana lesiHebhere elisetyenziswe kuIsaya 9:6 libonisa umahluko opheleleyo phakathi koNyana noThixo. Apho uNyana ubizwa ngokuba “nguThixo Oligorha,” ʼEl Gib·bohrʹ, ingenguye “uThixo uSomandla.” Elo binzana ngesiHebhere ngu-ʼEl Shad·daiʹ ibe lisebenza kuphela kuYehova uThixo.
Noko ke, phawula ukuba ngoxa uJustin ebiza uNyana ngokuthi “Thixo,” akaze athi uNyana ungomnye wabantu abathathu abalinganayo, ngamnye wabo enguThixo, kodwa bobathathu bebumba uThixo omnye kuphela. Kunoko, kwincwadi yakhe ethi Dialogue With Trypho uthi:
“Kukho . . . omnye uThixo neNkosi [uYesu ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumntu] ongaphantsi koMenzi wazo zonke izinto [uThixo uSomandla]; [uNyana] ukwabizwa ngokuba sisiThunywa, ngenxa yokuba Yena [uNyana] wazisa abantu nayiphi na into uMenzi wezinto zonke—ekungekho Thixo mkhulu kunaye—afuna ukubazisa yona. . . .
“[UNyana] wahlukile kuLowo wenza zonke izinto,—ndithetha ngobukhulu, [akwahlukanga] ukuthanda kwakhe.”11
Isicatshulwa esibangel’ umdla sibonakala kwincwadi kaJustin eyiFirst Apology, isahluko 6, apho aphikisa khona ibango lobuhedeni lokuba amaKristu ayabukhanyela ubukho bukaThixo. Ubhala oku:
“Sinqula yaye sihlonela Yena [uThixo], noNyana (oweza evela Kuye waza wasifundisa ezi zinto, nentlaninge yezinye izithunywa ezilungileyo ezilandela nezenziwa ngokufana Naye) noMoya wesiprofeto.”12
Umguquleli wesi sicatshulwa, uBernhard Lohse, ugqabaza enjenje: “UJustin akalibazisi ekukhankanyeni izithunywa zezulu ngaphambi kokubiza uMoya Oyingcwele, ngokungathi ibinganele into yokuba kolu ludwe izithunywa zikhankanywe njengabantu abahlonelwayo nabanqulwayo ngamaKristu.”13—Bona kwaneAn Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine.14
Ngaloo ndlela, ngoxa kubonakala ukuba uJustin Martyr wayetyekile kwimfundiso enyulu yeBhayibhile kumbandela wokuba ngubani ofanele anqulwe ngamaKristu, ngokucacileyo akazange agqale uNyana njengolingana noYise, njengoko nezithunywa zezulu zingazange zigqalwe njengezilingana Naye. Mayela noJustin, kwakhona sicaphula oku kwincwadi kaLamson eyiChurch of the First Three Centuries:
“UJustin wayemgqala uNyana njengowahlukileyo kuThixo, nongaphantsi kwakhe: owahlukileyo, kungekhona, ngokwengqiqo yale mihla, njengobumba esinye seziqu, okanye abantu abathathu, . . . kodwa wahlukile ngobume; enobume bobuntu bokwenene nobupheleleyo, ngokwahlukileyo kuThixo, awawafumana kuye onke amandla nezibizo zakhe; elawulwa nguye, yaye ezithoba kuzo zonke izinto ekuthandeni kwakhe. UBawo wongamile; uNyana ungaphantsi; uBawo ungumthombo wamandla; uNyana ungumamkeli; uBawo uyavelisa; uNyana, njengomlungiseleli okanye isixhobo sakhe, uyadlulisa. Ngokwenani babini, kodwa bayavumelana, okanye banye, ekuthandeni; ukuthanda kukaBawo kusoloko kubalasele kunokoNyana.”15
Ukongezelela, akukho apho uJustin athi khona umoya oyingcwele ungumntu olingana noBawo noNyana. Ngoko akunakutshiwo ngokunyanisekileyo nangayiphi na ingqiqo ukuba uJustin wafundisa uBathathu Emnye wanamhlanje weNgqobhoko.
Oko Kwafundiswa NguClement
NoClement wakwa-Alesandire (malunga nowe-150 ukusa kowama-215 C.E.) ubiza uNyana ngokuthi “Thixo.” Ukwambiza ngokuthi “Mdali,” gama elo elingaze lisetyenziswe eBhayibhileni ngokubhekisele kuYesu. Ngaba wayethetha ukuba uNyana wayelingana ngazo zonke indlela noMdali ongusomandla? Akunjalo. Kuyabonakala ukuba uClement wayebhekisela kuYohane 1:3, apho kuthiwa ngoNyana: “Izinto zonke zabakho ngaye.”16 UThixo wasebenzisa unyana njengothunywashe kwimisebenzi Yakhe yokudala.—Kolose 1:15-17.
UClement ubiza uThixo Ophakamileyo ngokuthi “uThixo noYise weNkosi yethu uYesu”17 yaye uthi “iNkosi inguNyana woMdali.”18 Kwakhona uthi: “UThixo wabo bonke ungokuphela koMdali olungileyo nowenza ngokusesikweni, yaye uNyana [u]kuye uYise.”19 Ngoko wabhala ukuba uNyana unoThixo omkhulu kunaye.
UClement uthetha ngoThixo ‘njengowokuqala nokuphela komniki wobomi obungunaphakade, athi uNyana, obufumana Kuye [uThixo], abunike thina.’20 UMniki oyintloko wobomi obungunaphakade ngokucacileyo ungaphezu kwalowo, ngokungathi kunjalo, obudluliselayo. Ngaloo ndlela, uClement uthi uThixo “ungowokuqala, yaye ungoyena uphakamileyo.”21 Ngokubhekele phaya, uthi uNyana “ungoyena usondeleyo kuLowo ungokuphela koSomandla” yaye uNyana “uyalela zonke izinto ngokuvisisana nokuthanda kukaYise.”22 Ngokuphindaphindiweyo uClement ubonisa ukongama koThixo uSomandla kunoNyana.
Ngokubhekisele kuClement wakwa-Alesandire, sifunda oku kwiThe Church of the First Three Centuries:
“Sinokucaphula intlaninge yezicatshulwa zikaClement kuzo ekubonakaliswe ngokucacileyo ukuba ngaphantsi koNyana. . . .
“Iyasimangalisa into yokuba nabani na abe nokufunda okwabhalwa nguClement onganikelanga ngqalelo ingako, kuze kuthi thiki kuye ingcamango yokuba wayegqala uNyana njengowayelingana ncam—emnye—noYise. Ubume bakhe bokuxhomekeka nokuba ngaphantsi, njengoko bubonakala bunjalo kuthi, buqondwa kuyo yonke indawo. UClement wayekholelwa ukuba uThixo noNyana bahlukene ngokupheleleyo; ngamany’ amazwi, bangabantu ababini,—omnye uphakamile, omnye ungaphantsi.”23
Ngokubhekele phaya, kusenokubuye kuthiwe: Nokuba ngamaxesh’ athile uClement ubonakala egabadela koko iBhayibhile ikuthethayo ngoYesu, akukho apho athetha khona ngoBathathu Emnye obunjwe ngabantu abathathu abalinganayo kwisiqu esinye sikaThixo. AbaKhuseli Bokholo abafana noTatian, uTheophilus noAthenagoras, ababephila phakathi kwexesha likaJustin nelo likaClement, babeneembono ezifanayo. ULamson uthi “babengakholelwa kuBathathu Emnye ngaphezu kokuba uJustin wayenjalo; oko kukuthi, babengakholelwa kuBantu Abathathu abalinganayo nabangenakwahlulwa, kodwa bafundisa imfundiso engavumelaniyo ngokupheleleyo nale nkolelo.”24
Imfundiso Yezakwalizwi KaTertullian
UTertullian (malunga nowe-160 ukusa kowama-230 C.E.) wayengowokuqala ukusebenzisa igama lesiLatini elithi trinitas. Njengoko kuphawulwe nguHenry Chadwick, uTertullian wavelisa ingcamango yokuba uThixo ‘uyinto enye ebunjwe ngabantu abathathu.’25 Noko ke, oku akuthethi ukuba engqondweni wayenabantu abathathu abalinganayo yaye abaphila ngokulinganayo ngonaphakade. Noko ke, iingcamango zakhe kwasekelwa kuzo ngababhali abalandelayo ababesebenzela ukuvelisa imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye.
Ingcamango kaTertullian ngoBawo, uNyana nomoya oyingcwele yayahluke ngokupheleleyo kuBathathu Emnye weNgqobhoko, kuba wayekholelwa ekungalinganini ngobukhulu. Wayegqala uNyana njengongaphantsi kuYise. KwiAgainst Hermogenes wabhala oku:
“Asifanele sicinge ukuba kukho nawuphi na umntu ongomnye ngaphandle koThixo kuphela ongazange azalwe nongazange adalwe . . . kunokwenzeka njani ukuba nantoni na, ngaphandle koBawo, ifanele ibe ndala, yaye kule ngxelo eneneni yongame, kunoNyana kaThixo, uLizwi okuphela kozelweyo nozelwe kuqala? . . . Lowo [uThixo] ungazange afune uMenzi wokumnika ubomi, uya kuphakanyiswa ngakumbi ngesikhundla kunalowo [UNyana] wenziwa ngumyili.”26
Kwakhona, kwiAgainst Praxeas, ubonisa ukuba uNyana wahlukile yaye ungaphantsi koThixo uSomandla ngokuthi:
“UBawo uyinto epheleleyo, kodwa uNyana uvela yaye uyinxalenye yento epheleleyo, njengokuba Yena Ngokwakhe evuma: ‘UBawo mkhulu kunam.’ . . . Ngaloo ndlela uBawo wahlukile kuNyana, ekubeni emkhulu kunoNyana, kangangokuba Lowo uzalayo ungomnye umntu, nalowo uzalwayo ungomnye; kwakhona, Lowo uthumayo ngomnye, yaye Lowo uthunywayo ngomnye; kwakhona, naLowo wenzayo ngomnye, yaye Lowo eyenziwa ngaye into ngomnye.”27
UTertullian, kwincwadi ethi Against Hermogenes, uqhubeka esithi kwakukho ixesha laxa uNyana wayengaphili njengomntu, ebonisa ukuba wayengamgqali uNyana njengomntu ongunaphakade ngengqiqo efanayo noko uThixo akuko.28 UCardinal Newman wathi: “UTertullian ufanele agqalwe njengomnxaxhi kwisithethe [okholelwa kwimfundiso ezingezizo ezesithethe] kwimfundiso yokuba iNkosi yethu iphila ngonaphakade.”29 Mayela noTertullian, uLamson uthi:
“Le ngqiqo, okanye uLogos, njengoko wayebizwa njalo ngamaGrike, yathi kamva, njengoko uTertullian wayekholelwa, yaguqulelwa ekubeni nguLizwi, okanye uNyana, oko kukuthi, umntu wokwenene, oye waphila ukususela emaphakadeni kuphela njengemveliso kaBawo. Noko ke, uTertullian wamnika isikhundla esingaphantsi kukaBawo. . . .
“Xa ujongwa ngokusuka kuyo nayiphi na inkcazelo kaBathathu Emnye eyamkelwa ngokubanzi namhlanje, umzamo wokusindisa uTertullian ekubekweni ityala [njengomqhekeki] awuyi kuphumelela. Akanako ukumelana novavanyo nakancinane.”30
Akakho UBathathu Emnye
Ukuba unokuwafunda onke amazwi abaKhuseli Bokholo, uya kufumanisa ukuba nangona kwiinkalo ezithile beye batyeka kwiimfundiso zeBhayibhile, akukho namnye kubo owafundisa ukuba uBawo, uNyana nomoya oyingcwele babelingana ngobunaphakade, ngamandla, ngesikhundla nangobulumko.
Kukwanjalo nangabanye ababhali benkulungwane yesibini neyesithathu, abanjengoIrenaeus, uHippolytus, uOrigen, uCyprian noNovatian. Ngoxa abathile baye bazama ukwenza uBawo noNyana balingane kwiinkalo ezithile, ngezinye iindlela babemgqala uNyana njengongaphantsi kuThixo uBawo. Yaye akukho namnye kubo owakha wayicinga nokuyicinga into yokuba umoya oyingcwele uyalingana noBawo noNyana. Ngokomzekelo, uOrigen (malunga nowe-185 ukusa kowama-254 C.E.) uthi uNyana kaThixo “uliZibulo lendalo iphela” nokuba iZibhalo “zimazi eyeyona ngqalo yayo yonke imisebenzi yendalo.”31
Nakuphi na ukufundwa kwezi ncwadi zabhalwa ngamagosa ecawa amandulo ngesimo sengqondo sokungathabathi cala kuya kubonisa ukuba imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye weNgqobhoko yayingekho ngexesha lawo. Kunjengokuba incwadi ethi The Church of the First Three Centuries isithi:
“Imfundiso yale mihla ethandwayo kaBathathu Emnye . . . ayixhaswa yimibhalo kaJustin: yaye oku kunokutshiwo nangabo bonke abaSeki becawa bangaphambi kweBhunga laseNicaea oko kukuthi ngabo bonke ababhali abangamaKristu kangangeenkulungwane ezintathu emva kokuzalwa kukaKristu. Liyinyaniso elokuba bayathetha ngoBawo, uNyana noMoya oyingcwele okanye wesiprofeto, kodwa ingekuko njengabalinganayo, ingekuko njengabakwisikhundla esinye, kungekhona njengaBantu Abathathu Komnye, okanye nayiphi na ingqiqo ngoku evunyiweyo ngabantu abakholelwa kuBathathu Emnye. Isibakala sikokuchasene noko. Imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye, njengoko ichazwe ngabaSeki becawa, yayahluke ngokupheleleyo kwimfundiso yale mihla. Esi sibakala siya kuhlala sikho naphantsi kovavanyo njengaso nasiphi na isibakala kwimbali yeengcamango zabantu.”32
Enyanisweni, ngaphambi kukaTertullian igama elithi uBathathu Emnye lalingakhankanywa kwaukukhankanywa. Yaye “ubunxaxhi kubuothodoki” bukaBathathu Emnye bukaTertullian babahluke gqitha koko kukholelwayo namhlanje. Ngoko, imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye, njengoko iqondwa namhlanje, yavela njani? Ngaba yavela kwiBhunga laseNicaea ngowama-325 C.E.? Le mibuzo siza kuyiphicotha kwiCandelo 4 lolu ngcelele kwinkupho yexesha elizayo yeMboniselo.
Iimbekiselo:
1. I-A Short History of the Early Church, nguHarry R. Boer, yowe-1976, iphepha 110.
2. IThe Formation of Christian Dogma, nguMartin Werner, yowe-1957, iphepha 125.
3. IThe Search for the Christian Doctrine of God, nguR. P. C. Hanson, yowe-1988, iphepha 64.
4. IThe Church of the First Three Centuries, nguAlvan Lamson, yowe-1869, iphepha 70-1.
5. IGods and the One God, nguRobert M. Grant, yowe-1986, iphepha 109, 156, 160.
6. IThe Formation of Christian Dogma, iphepha 122, 125.
7. IThe International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, yowe-1982, uMqulu 2, iphepha 513.
8. IAn Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, nguJohn Henry Cardinal Newman, uHlelo Lwesithandathu, yowe-1989, iphepha 14-18.
9. IThe Ante-Nicene Fathers, ehlelwe nguAlexander Roberts noJames Donaldson, iAmerican Reprint of the Edinburgh Edition, yowe-1885, uMqulu I, iphepha 264.
10. I-Ibid., iphepha 184.
11. IThe Ante-Nicene Fathers, uMqulu 1, iphepha 223.
12. I-Ibid., iphepha 164.
13. IA Short History of Christian Doctrine, nguBernhard Lohse, eguqulelwe ukusuka kwisiJamani nguF. Ernest Stoeffler, yowe-1963, ushicilelo lwesibini kwiphepha elithambileyo, ngowe-1980, iphepha 43.
14. IAn Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, iphepha 20.
15. IThe Church of the First Three Centuries, iphepha 73-4, 76.
16. IThe Ante-Nicene Fathers, uMqulu II, iphepha 234.
17. I-Ibid., iphepha 227.
18. I-Ibid., iphepha 228.
19. I-Ibid.
20. I-Ibid., iphepha 593.
21. I-Ibid.
22. I-Ibid., iphepha 524.
23. IThe Church of the First Three Centuries, iphepha 124-5.
24. I-Ibid., iphepha 95.
25. IThe Early Church, nguHenry Chadwick, ushicilelo lowe-1980, iphepha 89.
26. IThe Ante-Nicene Fathers, uMqulu III, iphepha 487.
27. I-Ibid., iphepha 603-4.
28. I-Ibid., iphepha 478.
29. I-An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, iphepha 19, 20.
30. IThe Church of the First Three Centuries, iphepha 108-9.
31. IThe Ante-Nicene Fathers, uMqulu IV, iphepha 560.
32. IThe Church of the First Three Centuries, iphepha 75-6.
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UClement
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UTertullian
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