AmaKristu Okuqala Nehlabathi

MALUNGA neminyaka engamawaka amabini eyadlulayo, kwenzeka esona siganeko simangalisayo kuMbindi Mpuma. UNyana kaThixo okuphela kwamzeleyo wathunyelwa evela kwindawo yakhe yokuhlala yasemazulwini ukuze ahlale ithutyana emhlabeni nabantu. Yasabela njani inkoliso yoluntu? Umpostile uYohane uphendula ngelithi: “Ube [uYesu] esehlabathini ke; ihlabathi labakho ngaye, ihlabathi alimazanga. Weza kokwakhe [amaSirayeli], baza abakhe abamvuma.”—Yohane 1:10, 11.

Ihlabathi alizange limamkele tu kwaphela uYesu, uNyana kaThixo. Sasiyintoni isizathu? UYesu wacacisa esinye isizathu xa wathi: “Ihlabathi . . . liyandithiya, ngokuba mna ndingqina ngalo, ukuba imisebenzi yalo ayindawo.” (Yohane 7:7) Ekugqibeleni, kwaeli hlabathi—limelwa zezinye iinkokeli zonqulo zamaYuda, ukumkani wakwaEdom, nomlawuli ongumRoma—labangela ukuba uYesu abulawe. (Luka 22:66–23:25; IZenzo 3:14, 15; 4:24-28) Kuthekani ngabalandeli bakaYesu? Ngaba ihlabathi laliya kukulungela ngakumbi ukubamkela? Akunjalo. Kungekudala ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uYesu wabalumkisa esithi: “Ukuba beningabehlabathi, ihlabathi linge likuthanda okwalo; ke ngokuba ningengabehlabathi, ndaninyulayo mna kulo ihlabathi, ngenxa yoko linithiyile ihlabathi.”—Yohane 15:19.

Ngamaxesha Abapostile

Amazwi kaYesu angqineka eyinyaniso. Kwiiveki nje ezimbalwa emva kokufa kwakhe, abapostile bakhe babanjwa, basongelwa baza babethwa. (IZenzo 4:1-3; 5:17, 18, 40) Kungabanga thuba lide emva koko, uStefano onenzondelelo wasiwa phambi kweNkundla Yamatyala yamaYuda waza waxulutywa ngamatye wada wafa. (IZenzo 6:8-12; 7:54, 57, 58) Kamva, umpostile uYakobi wabulawa nguKumkani uHerode Agripa I. (IZenzo 12:1, 2) Ebudeni bohambo lwakhe lobuvangeli basemazweni, uPawulos watshutshiswa ngenxa yempembelelo yamaYuda eDiaspora.—IZenzo 13:50; 14:2, 19.

Asabela njani amaKristu okuqala kwinkcaso enjalo? Xa, kwimihla yangaphambili, iinkokeli zonqulo zingazange zivumele abapostile ukuba bashumayele egameni likaYesu, abapostile bathi: “Simelwe kukuthi sive uThixo kunokuba sive abantu.” (IZenzo 4:19, 20; 5:29) Esi sisimo sengqondo abaqhubeka benaso nanini na xa kwakuvela inkcaso. Sekunjalo, umpostile uPawulos waluleka amaKristu aseRoma ukuba ‘awalulamele amagunya [aseburhulumenteni] awongamileyo.’ Kwakhona wawaluleka wathi: “Ukuba kunokwenzeka, okukokwenu nina, hlalani ninoxolo nabantu bonke.” (Roma 12:18; 13:1) Ngenxa yoko, kwafuneka ukuba amaKristu okuqala abe ngabantu abalungeleleneyo nto leyo eyayinzima. Ayethobela uThixo njengoMlawuli wawo oyintloko. Kwangaxeshanye, ayewathobela amagunya esizwe yaye ayezama ukuhlala enoxolo nabantu bonke.

AmaKristu Kwihlabathi LamaRoma

Mandulo kwihlabathi lenkulungwane yokuqala loBukhosi baseRoma, ngokungathandabuzekiyo amaKristu ayengenelwa kwiPax Romana, okanye Uxolo LwamaRoma, olwalubangelwa ngumkhosi omkhulu wamaRoma. Ulawulo olwalungaguquki lomthetho nocwangco, iindlela ezintle, yaye ngokwentelekiso uhambo olukhuselekileyo ngolwandle lwalubangela imekobume eyayisenza kube lula ukuba ubuKristu bande. Licacile elokuba amaKristu okuqala aliqonda ityala lawo kwibutho labantu yaye awuthobela umyalelo kaYesu ‘wokunikela okukaKesare kuKesare.’ (Marko 12:17) Ebhalela umlawuli waseRoma uAntoninus Pius (ngowe-138-161 C.E.), uJustin Martyr wathi amaKristu, “ayekulungele ngakumbi kunabo bonke abantu,” ukuhlawula iirhafu zawo. (First Apology, isahluko 17) Ngowe-197 C.E., uTertullian waxelela abalawuli baseRoma ukuba ababuthi berhafu babo ‘babenetyala lokubulela kumaKristu’ ngenxa yendlela awayezihlawula ngokunyaniseke ngayo iirhafu zawo. (Apology, isahluko 42) Le yayiyenye indlela awayelandela ngayo isiluleko sikaPawulos sokuba ayefanele awathobele amagunya awongamileyo.

Ngaphezu koko, kangangoko imigaqo yawo yobuKristu yayinokuwavumela, amaKristu okuqala azama ukuhlala enoxolo nabamelwane bawo. Kodwa oku kwakungeyondlwan’ iyanetha. Ihlabathi elaliwangqongile ngokubanzi lalonakele yaye lizele lunqulo-zithixo lwamaGrike namaRoma, ekwathi kulo kungentsuku zatywala kongezelelwa unqulo lomlawuli. Unqulo lobuhedeni lwamaRoma enyanisweni lwalulunqulo lwasebuRhulumenteni, ngoko ukungalungeneli kwakunokugqalwa njengobutshaba kuRhulumente. Oku kwakuwachaphazela njani amaKristu?

Unjingalwazi waseOxford uE. G. Hardy wabhala oku: “UTertullian ubala izinto ezininzi awayengenako ukuzenza umKristu onyanisekileyo, ezinjengokunqula izithixo: ngokomzekelo, izifungo ezazisenziwa kwizivumelwano; ukukhanyisa eminyangweni ngexesha lemibhiyozo, njalo njalo; yonke imibhiyozo yonqulo loBuhedeni; imidlalo nesekisi; nomsebenzi wokufundisa uncwadi lwehlabathi [imfundiso yabahedeni]; inkonzo yasemkhosini; izikhundla zaseburhulumenteni.”—Christianity and the Roman Government.

Ewe, kwakunzima ukuhlala kwihlabathi lamaRoma ngaphandle kokulalanisa kukholo lobuKristu. Umbhali ongumFrentshi nokwangumKatolika uA. Hamman ubhala oku: “Wawungenakwenza nantoni na ngaphandle kokujamelana nento ebhekisele ebuthixweni. Ngenxa yokuma kwakhe umKristu wayesiba neengxaki umhla nezolo; wayephila ubomi bobukheswa . . . Wayejamelene neengxaki ezingapheliyo ekhaya, esitratweni, kwiindawo zentengiso . . . Esitratweni, enoba ungumRoma womthonyama okanye akunjalo, umKristu wayefanele athule loo nto ayithwele entloko xa egqitha ngasetempileni okanye ngakumfanekiso oqingqiweyo. Wayenokukuphepha njani ukwenza oko ngaphandle kokubangela ukuba abanye bakrokre, sekunjalo wayenokuthobela njani ngaphandle kokwenza isenzo sokunqula? Ukuba wayeseshishinini yaye efuna ukuboleka imali, kwakufanele afunge kulowo uza kumboleka imali egameni loothixo. . . . Ukuba wayesamkele isikhundla saseburhulumenteni, wayelindeleke ukuba enze umnikelo wedini. Ukuba wayekhethiwe, wayenokukuphepha njani ukwenza isifungo nokuba nenxaxheba kumasiko okuya emkhosini?”—La vie quotidienne des premiers chrétiens (95-197) (Ubomi Bemihla Ngemihla BamaKristu Okuqala, 95-197 C.E.).

Abemi Abalungileyo, Sekunjalo Abanyeliswayo

Malunga nowama-60 okanye owama-61 C.E., xa uPawulos wayeseRoma elindele ukuthethwa kwetyala lakhe nguMlawuli uNero, iinkokeli zamaYuda zathetha oku ngokuphathelele amaKristu okuqala: “Kuba okunene ngalo elo hlelo kuyazeka kuthi, ukuba lichasiwe ezindaweni zonke.” (IZenzo 28:22) Ingxelo yembali iqinisekisa ukuba amaKristu ayechasiwe—kodwa ngokungafanelekanga. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Rise of Christianity, uE. W. Barnes uthi: “Kumaxwebhu awo okuqala asemthethweni amaKristu achazwa njengaziphethe kakuhle nathobela umthetho. Ayenqwenela ukuba ngabemi abalungileyo nabalawulwa abanyanisekileyo. Ayeziphepha iintsilelo neemikhuba emibi yobuhedeni. Ebomini bawo ayefuna ukuba ngabamelwane abanoxolo aze abe ngabahlobo abanokuthenjwa. Ayefundiswe ukuba abe ngazolileyo, akhutheleyo aze aphile ubomi obucocekileyo. Ayekucekisa ukonakala nokuchasa umthetho, ukuba ayenyanisekile kwimigaqo yawo, ethembekile yaye enenyaniso. Imilinganiselo yawo yokuziphatha ngokwesini yayiphakamile: iqhina lomtshato lalihlonelwa nobomi bentsapho babunyulu. Ubani ebenokucinga ukuba, ekubeni ayenaloo milinganiselo, akanakuba ayengabemi abanenkathazo. Sekunjalo kangangethuba elide ayenyeliswa, ecekiswa yaye ethiyiwe.”

Kanye njengokuba ihlabathi lamandulo lingazange limqonde uYesu, alizange liwaqonde amaKristu yaye ngaloo ndlela lawathiya. Ekubeni engazange avume ukunqula umlawuli noothixo babahedeni, atyholwa ngokuba awakholelwa kubukho bukaThixo. Ukuba kwakusehla intlekele, ayebekw’ ityala lokucaphukisa oothixo. Ngenxa yokuba ayengayi kwimidlalo engcolileyo okanye kwimiboniso yabantu ababesilwa ngamakrele de babulalane, ayegqalwa njengabantu abangathandiyo ukunxulumana nabanye, ‘kwanabachase uhlanga lwabantu.’ Iintshaba zawo zazisithi iintsapho zawo zaziqhekekile ngenxa “yehlelo” lobuKristu nokuba ngenxa yoko ayeyingozi kwibutho labantu elizinzileyo. UTertullian wathetha ngamadoda angabahedeni awayekhetha ukuba abafazi bawo bakrexeze kunokuba babe ngamaKristu.

AmaKristu ayegxekwa ngenxa yokuba ayekuchasile ukuqhomfa, okwakuxhaphakile ngeloo xesha. Sekunjalo, iintshaba zawo zawatyhola ngokuthi ayebabulala abantwana bawo. Atyholwa ngokuba kwiintlanganiso zawo ayesela igazi labantwana ekwakusenziwa amadini ngabo. Kwangaxeshanye, iintshaba zawo zazama ukuwanyanzelela ukuba adle iisoseji ezazenziwe ngegazi, zisazi ukuba oku kwakuchasene nezazela zawo. Ngaloo ndlela abo babewachasa babephikisana nezityholo zabo.—Tertullian, Apology, isahluko 9.

Acekiswa Njengehlelo Elitsha

Umbhali-mbali uKenneth Scott Latourette wabhala oku: “Kwakhona ezinye izityholo zabangela ukuba ubuKristu bugculelwe ngenxa yokuba babusandul’ ukubakho xa buthelekiswa neentshaba zabo ekwakukudala zikho [ubuYuda nonqulo lobuhedeni lwamaGrike namaRoma].” (A History of the Expansion of Christianity, uMqulu 1, iphepha 131) Ebutsheni benkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umbhali-mbali ongumRoma uSuetonius wabiza ubuKristu ngokuba “yinkolo entsha neyenza umonakalo omkhulu.” UTertullian wangqina ukuba kwaigama elithi umKristu lalithiyiwe nokuba amaKristu ayelihlelo elalingathandwa. Ethetha ngendlela amagosa oBukhosi baseRoma ayewajonga ngayo amaKristu kwinkulungwane yesibini, uRobert M. Grant wabhala oku: “Imbono esisiseko yayikukuba ubuKristu babulunqulo nje olungeyomfuneko, ngokunokwenzeka oluyingozi.”—Early Christianity and Society.

Atyholwa Ngokwenza Amaguquka Ngesinyanzelo

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Les premiers siècles de l’Eglise (Iinkulungwane Zokuqala ZeCawa), unjingalwazi waseSorbonne uJean Bernardi wabhala oku: “Kwakufuneka ukuba [amaKristu] ahambe aze athethe kuyo yonke indawo kuye wonk’ ubani. Ezindleleni nasezixekweni, kwiindawo zikawonke wonke nasemakhayeni. Esamkelwa okanye engamkelwa. Kwabangamahlwempu, nakwabazizityebi ababethintelwa bubutyebi babo. Kwabancinane nakwiirhuluneli zamaphondo aseRoma . . . Kwakufuneka ahambe ngendlela, ahambe ngeenqanawa, aze aye eziphelweni zomhlaba.”

Ngaba ayekwenza oku? Ngokucacileyo ayekwenza. UNjingalwazi uLéon Homo ubalisa ukuba amaKristu okuqala ayengathandwa ngenxa “yokwenza kwawo amaguquka ngenzondelelo.” UNjingalwazi uLatourette uthi ngoxa amaYuda aphelelwa yinzondelelo yawo yokuguqula abantu, “kwelinye icala, amaKristu, ayehambisa ivangeli ngehlombe yaye ngaloo ndlela ayebangela intiyo.”

Kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, isithandi sobulumko esingumRoma uCelsus wazigxeka iindlela amaKristu awayeshumayela ngazo. Wathi ubuKristu yinto yabantu abangafundanga nokuba ‘babunokoyisa kuphela abazizidenge, amakhoboka, abafazi nabantwana abancinane.’ Watyhola amaKristu ngokufaka imfundiso “kubantu abakholelwa lula,” bebenza “bakholelwe ngaphandle kokucingisisa nzulu.” Wathi ayexelela abafundi bawo abatsha oku: “Musani ukubuza imibuzo; kholelwani nje.” Kanti, ngokutsho kukaOrigen, uCelsus wavuma ukuba “yayingekuphela kwabo babengafundanga nabo babekumgangatho ophantsi ababekhokelwa yile mfundiso kaYesu khon’ ukuze bamkele unqulo Lwakhe.”

Awahambisani Nokumanyaniswa Kweecawa

AmaKristu okuqala ayegxekwa ngakumbi ngenxa yokuba ayezibanga enenyaniso yoThixo omnye oyinyaniso. Akazange akwamkele ukumanyaniswa kweecawa, okanye uzwelonke. ULatourette wabhala oku: “Ngokungafaniyo nenkoliso yeecawa zelo xesha, wona [amaKristu] ayezichasile ezinye iinkonzo. . . . Ngokuchasene nonyamezelo olubanzi olwaluphawula ezinye iicawa, ayevakalisa ukuba ayenenyaniso yokwenene.”

Ngowama-202 C.E., uMlawuli uSeptimius Severus wakhupha umyalelo wokwalela amaKristu ukuba enze amaguquka. Noko ke, oku akuzange kuwathintele ekunikeleni ubungqina ngokholo lwawo. ULatourette uchaza umphumo esithi: “Ekungavumini kwawo ukulalanisa nokubamkela ubuhedeni obabukho kunye nezinye izithethe ezininzi noqheliselo lokuziphatha ngelo xesha [ubuKristu bakuqala] bamanyana baza baba yintlangano eyabangela ukuba buchaswe entlalweni. Oko kwakufuneka ukuze ubani abuthelele kwakumenza abe namandla okujamelana nentshutshiso yaye abe nolweyiseko kunye nenzondelelo yokuzuza amaguquka.”

Ngoko ke, ingxelo yembali icacile. Ubukhulu becala, amaKristu okuqala, ngoxa ayezabalazela ukuba ngabemi abalungileyo aze ahlale enoxolo nabantu bonke, awazange avume ukuba ‘ngawehlabathi.’ (Yohane 15:19) Ayewahlonela amagunya. Kodwa xa uKesare wawalela ukuba ashumayele, ayengenandlela yimbi kodwa aqhubeka eshumayela. Azama ukuhlala enoxolo nabantu bonke kodwa awazange avume ukulalanisa kwimilinganiselo yokuziphatha nakunqulo-zithixo lwabahedeni. Ngenxa yako konke oku, ayenyeliswa, ecekiswa, ethiyiwe yaye etshutshiswa, kanye njengokuba uKristu wayexele kwangaphambili ukuba kwakuya kwenzeka oko kuwo.—Yohane 16:33.

Ngaba aqhubeka ahlukile ehlabathini? Okanye ngokuhamba kwexesha, ngaba abo babezibanga beqhelisela ubuKristu basiguqula isimo sabo sengqondo koku?

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 4]

“Ngenxa yokuma kwakhe umKristu wayesiba neengxaki umhla nezolo; wayephila ubomi bobukheswa”

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 6]

“UbuKristu [babugculelwa] ngenxa yokuba babusandul’ ukubakho xa buthelekiswa neentshaba zabo ekwakukudala zikho”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 3]

Ngenxa yokuba amaKristu engazange avume ukunqula umlawuli waseRoma noothixo bobuhedeni, abekwa isityholo sokuba ayengakholelwa kubukho bukaThixo

[Inkcazelo]

Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ayesaziwa ngokuba ngabashumayeli abanenzondelelo besigidimi soBukumkani

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 2]

Cover: Alinari/Art Resource, N.Y.