Abazange Bacinge Ngokulalanisa!
ISANDLA sikaYehova sasiphezu kwabalandeli bokuqala bakaYesu Kristu. (IZenzo 11:21) Ngoncedo lukaThixo, ngokungalalanisiyo balandela ikhondo elithe tye. Kusisibakala esaziwayo embalini ukuba baba namava enkohlakalo nentshutshiso ekrakra.
Ingqibelelo yabalandeli bokuqala bakaKristu abathembekileyo iye yasisibakala esaziwayo. Kwanokuba kwakuthetha ukuphulukana nobomi babo, abazange bavume ukulalanisa kukholo lwabo. Kodwa sasiyintoni isizathu sokuba baphathwe ngenkohlakalo kangako?
Bathiywa Kungekho Sizathu
NjengoYesu, amaKristu okwenyaniso awazange abe nasabelo kwiinjongo neenkolelo zeli hlabathi. (1 Yohane 4:4-6) Ngaphezu koko, ukukhula kobuKristu “kwakhawuleza gqitha, yaye ukuphumelela kwabo kwaphawuleka gqitha, kangangokuba ukungqubana okungathandekiyo [negunya lolawulo lwaseRoma] kwakungenakuphepheka,” utsho njalo umbhali-mbali uEdmond de Pressensé.
UYesu wakha wasebenzisa indumiso esisiprofeto kuye, esithi: “Bandithiya kungekho sizathu.” (Yohane 15:25; INdumiso 69:4) Ngaphambi kokuba axelele abafundi bakhe oku, wayebalumkisile wathi: “Akukho mkhonzi umkhulu kunenkosi yakhe. Ukuba banditshutshisa mna, bonitshutshisa nani.” (Yohane 15:20) Kwakungasayi kuba lula ukulandela emanyathelweni akhe. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, iinkokeli zonqulo phakathi kwamaYuda zaziya kubaphatha abafundi bakaYesu abangamaYuda njengabawexuke kubuYuda. Noko ke, xa kwanyanzeliswa ukuba abalandeli bakaYesu bangaphindi bathethe ngaye, abazange bavume ukuthobela baze ngaloo ndlela balalanise kukholo lwabo.—IZenzo 4:17-20; 5:27-32.
Kubungqina obanikelwa kwiNtlanganiso Yamatyala yamaYuda kamsinya emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., umfundi uStefano watyholwa ‘ngokuthetha amazwi okunyelisa uMoses noThixo.’ Nakubeni ezi zimangalo zazingekho ngqiqweni, waxulutywa ngamatye wafa. Ngenxa yoko, “kwehla . . . intshutshiso enkulu phezu kwalo ibandla eliseYerusalem,” yaye “bonke baba ziintsali emazweni akwaYuda naseSamariya, kwasala abapostile bodwa.” (IZenzo 6:11, 13; 8:1) Abaninzi bavalelwa entolongweni.
Incwadi ethi Christianity and the Roman Empire ithi amaYuda ayebalandelela abalandeli bakaYesu “ngentiyo engenanceba.” Kaloku, urhulumente waseRoma ngokufuthi kwakufuneka athabath’ isenzo ukuze akhusele amaKristu! Ngokomzekelo, amajoni aseRoma asindisa umpostile uPawulos kumaYuda awayezimisele ukumbulala. (IZenzo 21:26-36) Sekunjalo, ulwalamano olwalukho phakathi kwamaKristu namaRoma lwahlala lungeluhle.
IRoma Iyenza Ibe Krakra Ngakumbi Intshutshiso
Malunga neminyaka esithoba emva kokufa kukaStefano, umlawuli waseRoma uHerode Agripa I wenza ukuba umpostile uYakobi abulawe ngenjongo yokuba azithandise kumaYuda. (IZenzo 12:1-3) Ngelo xesha, ukukholelwa kuKristu kwakusasazeke kwada kwaya kufika eRoma. (IZenzo 2:10) Ngowama-64 C.E., ummandla omkhulu weso sixeko watshatyalaliswa ngumlilo. Intshutshiso eyoyikekayo kumaKristu yalandela emva kokuba uNero eye wawabek’ ityala ngaloo ntlekele kumgudu wakhe wokuphelisa amarhe okuba nguye owayebekw’ ityala ngaloo mlilo watshabalalisayo. Ngaba wasitshisa eso sixeko njengesingxengxezo sokuphinda asakhe sibe sesibukeka ngakumbi aze asithiye ngokutsha ngegama lakhe sibe yiNeropolis? Okanye ngaba umfazi wakhe uPoppaea, owayeguqukele ebuYudeni owayesaziwa ngokuwathiya kwakhe amaKristu, waphembelela isigqibo sakhe sokuwatyhola? Abaphandi abaqinisekanga, kodwa umphumo wawusoyikisa gqitha.
Umbhali-mbali ongumRoma uTacitus uthi: “Ugculelo longezwa ekubulaweni; egqunywe ngezikhumba zamarhamncwa, [amaKristu] ayedlavulwa zizinja; ayebethelelwa eminqamlezweni; efakwa kumadangatye aze atshiswe, enziwe izikhanyiso zasebusuku, xa ukukhanya kuphelile,” izikhanyiso ezingabantu ukuze kukhanyiswe izitiya zasebukhosini. UTacitus, owayelutshaba lwamaKristu, wongezelela athi: “Enetyala enjalo, yaye efanelwe sisohlwayo esingumzekelo, ayebangela uvelwano, ngokutshatyalaliswa, kungekhona ukwenzela intlalo-ntle yabantu ngokubanzi, kodwa ngenkohlakalo yendoda enye,” uNero.
Umahluko Ocacileyo
Nangona oko kwayifezayo injongo kaNero yokutyhola amaKristu ngokutshabalala kweRoma, akazange awavale umlomo okanye abugwebe ubuKristu njengonqulo oluphakathi kweSizwe. Ngoko kwakutheni ukuze amaRoma aqhubeke nentshutshiso? Ngenxa yokuba ngokutsho kombhali-mbali uWill Durant “iqaqobana lamaKristu laliphazamisa abantu ababengabahedeni ababethe phithi ziziyolo ngokuzondelela kwalo unqulo nangokundileka kwalo.” Umahluko phakathi kobuKristu nokuphalazwa kwegazi kukhuphiswano lwamaRoma lokulwa ngamakrele wawumkhulu ngokwenene. Ithuba lokuba amaRoma ahlukane namaKristu aze ngaloo ndlela athuthuzele izazela zawo ayengenakuliyeka lidlule.
Njengegunya lehlabathi, iRoma yayibonakala ingenakoyiswa. AmaRoma ayekholelwa kwelokuba isizathu esinye sobukroti bawo basemkhosini yayikukunqula zonke izithixo. Ngoko ke akufumana kunzima ukubuqonda ubuKristu obunoThixo omnye nokugatya kwabo bonke abanye oothixo, kuquka nokunqula umlawuli. Kwakungamangalisi ke ukuba iRoma yayibubona ubuKristu njengobuphembelela ukusingelwa phantsi kweziseko zobo bukhosi.
Ixabiso Lokunikela Ubungqina
Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umpostile uYohane wagxothelwa kwisiqithi sasePatmos “ngenxa yelizwi likaThixo, nangenxa yobungqina bukaYesu.” (ISityhilelo 1:9) Umlawuli waseRoma uDomitian kukholelwa ukuba wayebekek’ ityala ngoku. Noko ke, phezu kwayo nje ingcinezelo eyaziselwa abalandeli bakaYesu ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane, ubuKristu babande kubo bonke uBukhosi baseRoma. Kwakunokwenzeka njani oku? IA History of the Early Church ithi ubuKristu “babumanyaniswe bubulungiseleli babo.” NjengoYohane, amaKristu okuqala atshutshiswayo ayengasayi kulalanisa kukholo lwawo kodwa ngenzondelelo azingisa ekuthetheni ngoThixo nokunikela ubungqina ngoYesu.—IZenzo 20:20, 21; 2 Timoti 4:2.
Ukutshutshiswa kwamaKristu kwatyhila kwelinye iphepha ngowe-112 C.E., iminyaka emibini emva kokuba uMlawuli uTrajan emisele uPliny njengerhuluneli yaseBhitini (ngoku eyiTurkey ekumntla-ntshona). Urhulumente wangaphambili apho wayeyekelele umxakatho, oko kuphumela kwisiphithiphithi. Iitempile zazisele zilil’ ibhungane, nokuthengiswa kwefula ukwenzela izilwanyana ezingamadini kwehla ngokuphawulekayo. Abathengisi babek’ ityala kunqulo lwamaKristu olwalulula, kuba lwalungaquki ukwenza amadini ezilwanyana nezithixo.
UPliny wabila esoma ezama ukubuyisela unqulo lobuhedeni, ngoxa amaKristu ayehlawula ngobomi bawo ngenxa yokwala ukunikela iwayini nesiqhumiso phambi kwemifanekiso eqingqiweyo yomlawuli. Ekugqibeleni, amagunya aseRoma avuma ukuba amaKristu “ayengabantu abaziphethe kakuhle gqitha, kodwa ababesichase ngendlela engathethekiyo isithethe sonqulo lwamandulo,” utsho njalo uNjingalwazi Henry Chadwick. Nangona ukuba ngumKristu kwakusisenzo sokwaphula umthetho esasinesohlwayo sokufa, abalandeli bakaYesu bokwenyaniso abazange bacinge ngokulalanisa.
Kwakhona intiyo yayibangelwa “yingqumbo eyayikho kwiintsapho zabahedeni ngenxa yamalungu awayeguqukile,” utsho njalo uNjingalwazi W. M. Ramsay. UGqr. J. W. C. Wand uthi, “Ubomi basentlalweni babuba nzima kakhulu xa ummelwane kabani engahambisani namasiko asentlalweni ngenxa yokuba ethetha ukunqula izithixo zabahedeni.” Akumangalisi ke ukuba abaninzi babewajonga amaKristu okuqala njengawayeluthiyile uluntu okanye bewagqala njengangakholelwayo kuThixo.
Ulwando Luzisa Intshutshiso Engakumbi
UPolycarp, ekuthiwa wafundiswa ngumpostile uYohane, waba ngumdala ohlonelwayo kwisixeko saseSmirna (ngoku esiyi-Izmir). Ngenxa yokholo lwakhe watshiselwa emthini ngowe-155 C.E. Irhuluneli yephondo laseRoma uStatius Quadratus wahlanganisa izihlwele. Ibala lemidlalo lalizele limi ngeembambo ngabahedeni abanobutshaba ababemcekisa uPolycarp owayeneminyaka engama-86 ubudala ngenxa yokugxeka ukunqulwa koothixo babo, yaye ngentumekelelo amaYuda awayenenzondelelo yempambano ngonqulo aqokelela iinkuni, nangona ayefanele akwenze ngomhla omkhulu weSabatha.
Umsinga wentshutshiso ngokulandelayo wehlela kwamanye amaKristu kulo lonke elaseRoma. Phantsi koMlawuli uMarcus Aurelius, amaninzi ngakumbi abulawa. Ukuba ayengabemi baseRoma, ayebulawa ngekrele; ukuba kwakungenjalo, ayebulawa ngamarhamncwa kwizindlu zemiboniso. Sasiyintoni isenzo sawo sokwaphula umthetho? Kwakungenxa nje yokuba ngamaKristu awayengavumi ukulalanisa okanye ukulahla ukholo lwawo.
Isixeko sanamhlanje saseFransi iLyons sakhula sisuka kwithanga laseRoma iLugdunum, iziko eliyintloko elilawulayo nekuphela komkhosi waseRoma owawuphakathi kweRoma noMlambo iRhine. Ngowe-177 C.E., sasinebutho lamaKristu elomeleleyo abahedeni ababelichase ngokukrakra. Oku kwaqala xa amaKristu ayekhethwa kwiindawo zikawonke wonke. Ihlokondiba laqhwaya uqhushululu, yaye intshutshiso eyalandelayo yaba nkulu kangangokuba akukho mKristu wayenesibindi sokuphuma kwikhaya lakhe. Irhuluneli yaseRoma yayalela ukuba amaKristu afunyenweyo abulawe.
Umvuzo
Ngokufa kwabapostile bakaYesu nokudlula kwempembelelo yabo eyayilubambezele, uwexuko lwaqala lwakhula phakathi kwabo babezibanga bengamaKristu. (2 Tesalonika 2:7) Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesine yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ubuKristu obuwexukileyo baba lunqulo lweSizwe. Ngelo xesha, babonakele yaye babungenjongo yokulalanisa nokuzifanisa nehlabathi—into uYesu nabafundi bakhe bokuqala ababengazange bayenze. (Yohane 17:16) Noko ke, ngaphambilana umthetho weBhayibhile wawugqityiwe, nengxelo yawo yokholo lwamaKristu.
Ngaba ukubandezeleka nokufa kwamawaka amaKristu okuqala kwaba lilize? Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo! Engacingi ngokulalanisa kukholo lwawo, ‘athembeka kwada kwasekufeni, yaye anikwa isithsaba sobomi.’ (ISityhilelo 2:10) Abakhonzi bakaYehova basaba ngamaxhoba entshutshiso, kodwa ukholo nengqibelelo yamakholwa okuqala ihlala ingumthombo wokhuthazo olukhulu kubo. Ngenxa yoko, amaKristu anamhlanje akacingi nokucinga ngokulalanisa.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 8, 9]
UNero
Umzekelo wolawulo lwaseRoma
Isibingelelo esasenzelwe unqulo lukaKesare
[Inkcazelo]
Nero: Courtesy of The British Museum
Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
UMarcus Aurelius
[Inkcazelo]
The Bettmann Archive