UConstantine Omkhulu—Ngaba Wayengummeli WobuKristu?

UMlawuli ongumRoma uConstantine uphakathi kweqaqobana lamadoda eye imbali yawavava ngebinzana elithi “Omkhulu.” INgqobhoko iye yongezelela amabinzana athi “ingcwele,” “umpostile weshumi elinesithathu,” “ongcwele olingana nabapostile,” nelithi ‘okhethwe ngoLwalathiso lukaThixo ukuze aguqule abona bantu baninzi ehlabathini lonke.’ Kwelinye icala, bambi bamchaza uConstantine “njengomntu onetyala legazi, uqhina kaqhonono wento emaqhinga, . . . uzwilakhe onezothe, onetyala lezenzo zolwaphulo-mthetho ezimanyumnyezi.”

UNINZI lwabo bathi bangamaKristu luye lwafundiswa ukuba uConstantine Omkhulu wayengomnye wabalweli abaphambili bobuKristu. Bamncoma ngokuhlangula amaKristu ezintsizini zentshutshiso yamaRoma nangokuwanika inkululeko yonqulo. Ngaphezu koko, abantu abaninzi bakholelwa kwelokuba wayengumlandeli othembekileyo wamanyathelo kaYesu Kristu enomnqweno onamandla wokuhambisela phambili ubuKristu. ICawa yobuOthodoki yaseMpuma kunye neCawa yamaCopt ziye zabiza uConstantine nonina, uHelena, ngokuthi “ziingcwele.” Umthendeleko wabo ubhiyozelwa ngoJuni 3 okanye ngokwekhalenda yecawa, ngoMeyi 21.

Wayengubani kanye kanye lo Constantine Omkhulu? Yayiyintoni indima yakhe ekuphuhliseni ubuKristu bexesha elisemva kwelabapostile? Kunokuthi qwenge noko xa sinokuvumela imbali kunye nabaphengululi baphendule le mibuzo.

UConstantine Wasembalini

UConstantine, unyana kaConstantius Chlorus, wazalelwa eNaissus eSerbia malunga nonyaka wama-275 C.E. Xa uyise waba ngumlawuli wamaphondo aseRoma asentshona ngowama-293 C.E., wayesilwa neDanube phantsi kolwalathiso loMlawuli uGalerius. UConstantine wabuyela kummandla kayise obomi bakhe babuphakathi kwenyama nozipho eBritani ngonyaka wama-306 C.E. Kungekudala emva kokufa kukayise, uConstantine wenyuselwa ngumkhosi waba ngumlawuli.

Ngelo xesha, abanye abantu abahlanu babesithi bangabaLawuli. Phakathi kowama-306 nowama-324 C.E., emva kokuba uConstantine eye wakuphela komlawuli, yaba lixesha lemfazwe yamakhaya engapheliyo. Ukuphuma phambili kwamaqela amabini eli phulo kwamtsho wazinza uConstantine kwisikhundla sakhe kwimbali yaseRoma kwaza kwambangela ukuba abe kuphela komphathi woBukhosi baseRoma.

Ngowama-312 C.E., kwidabi elalikwiBhulorho iMilvian eyayingaphandle kweRoma, uConstantine waloyisa utshaba lwakhe uMaxentius. Abalweli bobuKristu bathi ebudeni belo phulo, phantsi kwelanga kwavela umnqamlezo ovuthayo owawunegama lesiLatini elithi In hoc signo vinces, elithetha ukuba “Yoyisa ngolu phawu.” Kwakhona kucingelwa ukuba uConstantine waxelelwa ephupheni ukuba abhale oonobumba ababini bokuqala begama likaKristu ngesiGrike kumakhaka emikhosi yakhe. Noko ke, eli bali alingqinelani nembali. Incwadi ethi A History of Christianity ithi: “Kukho ukungavisisani kobungqina mayela nexesha elichanileyo, indawo kwaneenkcukacha ngalo mbono.” Isamkela uConstantine eRoma, iNdlu yeeNgwevu yabahedeni yamvakalisa njengomLawuli oyintloko noBhishophu Omkhulu, oko kukuthi, umbingeleli omkhulu wonqulo lwasebukhosini lwabahedeni.

Ngowama-313 C.E., uConstantine wabopha amaqhina ozakuzelwano noMlawuli uLicinius, umphathi wamaphondo asempuma. Besebenzisa iEdict of Milan, bekunye bavumela inkululeko yonqulo namalungelo alinganayo kuwo onke amaqela eenkonzo. Noko ke, ababhali-mbali abaninzi bakubetha ngoyaba ukubaluleka kolu xwebhu, besithi yileta nje yenkqubo esemthethweni ingelulo olona xwebhu lwasemkhosini olubonisa inguqulelo yenkqubo yobuKristu.

Kwiminyaka elishumi eyalandelayo, uConstantine wayoyisa loo nkunzi ebekhonya nayo, uLicinius, kwaza kwakhonya yena eRoma. Ngowama-325 C.E., ngoxa wayengekabhaptizwa, wongamela ibhunga lokuqala elikhulu lazo zonke iinkonzo zecawa “yobuKristu,” elalizigweba iimbono zika-Arius laza lamisela ingxelo yeenkolelo ezibalulekileyo ekuthiwa siSivumo Sokholo saseNicaea.

Ngonyaka wama-337 C.E., uConstantine wagulel’ ukufa. Wabhaptizwa kanye xa wayeselukhukweni lokufa, waza wanabel’ uqaqaqa. Emva kokufa kwakhe iNdlu yeeNgwevu yamngcwabela phakathi koothixo baseRoma.

Unqulo Kwinkqubo KaConstantine

Ngokubhekisele kwisimo sengqondo esiqhelekileyo ababenaso abalawuli baseRoma benkulungwane yesithathu neyesine ngonqulo, incwadi ethi Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Imbali Yohlanga LwamaGrike) ithi: “Kwanaxa abo babekwitrone yasebukhosini babengatyekelanga kangako elunqulweni, bahamba nomndilili, bakufumanisa kuyimfuneko ukubeka unqulo kwindawo yokuqala kwiinkqubo zabo zezobupolitika, ukuze yonke into abayenzayo ibe nonqulo phakathi.”

Ngokuqinisekileyo, uConstantine wayeyindoda eyayihambisana namaxesha. Ekuqaleni komsebenzi wakhe, wayefuna inkxaso “engokobuthixo,” yaye wayengenakuze ayifumane koothixo ababeyimifanekiso nje baseRoma. Ubukhosi, kuquka unqulo lwabo kunye namanye amaziko, babuwohloka, yaye kwakufuneka okuthile okwahlukileyo nokuhlaziyayo ukuze bomelele. Intyila-lwazi iHidria ithi: “UConstantine wayenomdla ngokukhethekileyo kubuKristu ngenxa yokuba baxhasa kungekuphela nje uloyiso lwakhe kodwa kwanasekuvuseni ubukhosi bakhe kwakhona. Iicawa zamaKristu kuyo yonke indawo zaba ngabaxhasi bakhe bezobupolitika. . . . oobhishophu abakhulu belo xesha babeziintonga zakhe ezisekhosi . . . , yaye wabacela ukuba bagcine umanyano lwabo lungaphazanyiswa nto.”

UConstantine waba nengcamango yokuba unqulo “lobuKristu”—nangona uwexuko nokonakala kwalo kwakubalasele ngelo xesha—lwalunokusetyenziswa ngokuphumelelayo njengamandla ahlaziyayo namanyanisayo ukunceda inkqubo yakhe ebalaseleyo yokuba ngumlawuli oyingangalala. Esamkela isiseko sobuKristu obuwexukileyo ukuze axhaswe ekuhambiseleni phambili iinjongo zakhe zobupolitika, wagqiba kwelokuba amanyanise abantu phantsi konqulo olunye “lobukatolika,” okanye lwehlabathi lonke. Amasiko nemibhiyozo yabahedeni yayinikwa amagama “obuKristu.” Yaye abefundisi “abangamaKristu” babenikwa isikhundla, umvuzo, kwanegunya ababenalo abefundisi abangabahedeni.

Efuna umanyano kunqulo ngenxa yezizathu zobupolitika, uConstantine wawaphelisa ngokukhawuleza nawaphi na amazwi aphikisanayo, kungekhona ngenxa yeemfundiso eziyinyaniso, kodwa ngenxa yoko kwamkelwa sisininzi. Ukwahlukana okunzulu ngeemfundiso kwicawa “yamaKristu” enguntlaba zahlukane kwamnika ithuba lokungenelela njengomlamleli “othunywe nguThixo.” Kwiinkqubano zakhe nabalandeli bakaDonat eMntla Afrika kunye nabalandeli baka-Arius kwicandelo elingasempuma lasebukhosini, ngokukhawuleza wafumanisa ukuba ukuze kubekho unqulo olumanyeneyo noluluqilima, ukubabongoza nje kwakunganele.a Kwakufuneka iinzame ukuze acombulule impikiswano eyayiphakathi kwabalandeli baka-Arius yokuba wahlanganisa ibhunga leecawa lokuqala kwimbali yecawa.—Bona ibhokisi ethi “UConstantine NeBhunga LaseNicaea.”

Ngokuphathelele uConstantine, umbhali-mbali uPaul Johnson uthi: “Esinye sezizathu zakhe eziphambili sokunyamezela ubuKristu sisenokuba banika yena noRhulumente ithuba lokulawula inkqubo yeCawa yesithethe kunye naleyo yayineemfundiso ezintsha.”

Ngaba Wakha WangumKristu?

UJohnson uthi: “UConstantine akazange nakanye akunikel’ umva ukunqula ilanga nokugcina umfanekiso welanga kwiingqekembe zakhe.” ICatholic Encyclopedia ithi: “UConstantine wayekholiswa zizo zombini ezi nkonzo ngokulinganayo. Njengobhishophu omkhulu wayenyamekele unqulo lwabahedeni ekwakhusela namalungelo alo.” Intyila-lwazi iHidria ithi: “UConstantine akazange nakanye abe ngumKristu,” ize yongezelele isenjenje: “UEusebius waseKesareya, owabhala ngobomi bakhe, uthi waba ngumKristu kwiintsuku zokugqibela zokudla kwakhe ubomi. Ukubhaptizwa kwakhe emanzini akwanelisi ekubeni, [uConstantine] wabingelela kuZeyus kuba wayekwabizwa ngokuba nguBhishophu Omkhulu.”

De kube ngumhla wokufa kwakhe ngowama-337 C.E., uConstantine wafumana isibizo sobuhedeni sokuba nguBhishophu Omkhulu, inkokeli ephakamileyo kwimibandela yonqulo. Ngokuphathelele ukubhaptizwa kwakhe, kusengqiqweni ukubuza oku, Ngaba kwakukhokelwa yinguquko yokwenene, ngendlela efunwa ziZibhalo? (IZenzo 2:38, 40, 41) Ngaba yayikukuntywiliselwa emanzini ngokupheleleyo njengomfuziselo wokuzahlulela kukaConstantine kuYehova uThixo?—Thelekisa IZenzo 8:36-39.

Ngaba “YiNgcwele”?

IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “UConstantine wayefanelwe kukubizwa ngokuthi Omkhulu ngenxa yamandla oko wakwenzayo kunento awayeyiyo. Eneneni, ukuba kwakukhangelwe kubuntu bakhe, wayengenakubonakala phakathi kwabo bafanelwe leli binzana [Omkhulu] kumaxesha akudala okanye kula ethu.” Kwanencwadi ethi A History of Christianity iyasixelela: “Kwakha kwathethwa ngomsindo wakhe ongalawulekiyo, nenkohlakalo awayeba nayo xa enomsindo. . . . Wayengabuxabisanga ubomi bomntu . . . Njengoko wayesaluphala ubomi bakhe obufihlakeleyo baba bulwanyanarha.”

Kuyabonakala ukuba uConstantine wayeneengxaki ezinkulu zobuntu bakhe. Omnye umphengululi wezembali uthi “umsindo okhawulezayo awayenawo ngokufuthi wawumbangela ukuba enze ugonyamelo.” (Bona ibhokisi ethi “Ukubulala Okwakuqhubeka Kwintsapho Yasebukhosini.”) Kwincwadi ethi History of Europe, umbhali-mbali uH. Fisher uthi uConstantine wayengenabo “ubuntu bobuKristu.” Izibakala azimbeki njengomKristu wokwenene owayambathe “ubuntu obutsha” nekwakunokufunyanwa kuye isiqhamo somoya oyingcwele kaThixo—uthando, uvuyo, uxolo, ukuzeka kade umsindo, ububele, ukulunga, ukholo, ubulali, ukuzeyisa.—Kolose 3:9, 10; Galati 5:22, 23.

Imiphumo Yemigudu Yakhe

NjengoBhishophu Omkhulu ongumhedeni—yaye ke ngoko umphathi wonqulo kuBukhosi baseRoma—uConstantine wazama ukurhwebesha oobhishophu becawa ewexukileyo. Wabanika izikhundla zegunya, udumo, nobutyebi njengamagosa onqulo loRhulumente waseRoma. ICatholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “Abanye oobhishophu, bevalwe iingqondo yindili yenkundla, bada bagabadela bazukisa umlawuli njengengelosi kaThixo, njengomntu ongcwele, yaye bade baprofete besithi, njengoNyana kaThixo, uya kulawula ezulwini.”

Njengoko ubuKristu obuwexukileyo babukhuhlan’ imiqolo norhulumente wezobupolitika, buye baba yinxalenye yeli hlabathi ngokungakumbi, yale nkqubo, baza batyeka kwimfundiso kaYesu Kristu. (Yohane 15:19; 17:14, 16; ISityhilelo 17:1, 2) Ngenxa yoko, kwabakho umbhodamo “wobuKristu” neemfundiso kunye noqheliselo lobuxoki—uBathathu Emnye, ukungafi komphefumlo, isihogo somlilo, intlambululo miphefumlo, ukuthandazelwa kwabafileyo, ukusetyenziswa kweerosari, imifanekiso, imifanekiso eqingqiweyo nokunye okufanayo.—Thelekisa eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 6:14-18.

Ukususela kuConstantine, kwakhona icawa yazuza utyekelo lokuthanda ukulawula ngegqudu. Abaphengululi uHenderson noBuck bathi: “Ukuba lula kweVangeli kwaye konakaliswa, kwaqaliswa iinkqubo nezithethe zonqulo ezinobugocigoci, okuzukiswa lihlabathi namalungelo alo, baza abafundisi bobuKristu bajizekwa ngembeko namawonga ehlabathi, yaye uBukumkani bukaKristu ubukhulu becala baguqulelwa ekubeni bubukumkani beli hlabathi.”

Buphi UbuKristu Bokwenyaniso?

Izibakala ezingokwembali zichaza inyaniso “engobukhulu” bukaConstantine. Endaweni yokuba ibe yasekwa nguYesu Kristu, iNtloko yebandla lamaKristu, ngokuyinxenye iNgqobhoko yavela ngobuqhophololo namaqhinga ezobupolitika omlawuli ongumhedeni. Ngokufanelekileyo, umbhali-mbali uPaul Johnson uyabuza: “Ngaba umlawuli uzinikele kubuKristu, okanye ngaba ubuKristu obuhenyuzayo buzithengise ngokwabo kumlawuli?”

Bonke abo bakufuna ngokwenene ukubambelela kubuKristu bokwenyaniso banokuncedwa baliqonde yaye banxulumane nebandla lamaKristu namhlanje. Ehlabathini ngokubanzi amaNgqina kaYehova anomdla ngakumbi wokunceda abantu abaneentliziyo ezinyanisekileyo babone ubuKristu bokwenyaniso baze banqule uThixo ngendlela eyamkelekileyo kuye.—Yohane 4:23, 24.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 28]

UConstantine Nebhunga LaseNicaea

Yiyiphi indima uMlawuli ongabhaptizwanga uConstantine awayidlalayo kwiBhunga laseNicaea? IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “UConstantine wayengumququzeleli, etsal’ iintambo ngokupheleleyo kwezo ngxoxo . . . Betatazelela lo mlawuli, oobhishophu, ngaphandle kwababini kuphela, basityobela isivumo sokholo, abaninzi babo bengavumelani kwaphela nezazela zabo.”

Emva kweenyanga ezimbini zengxoxo eyayishushu yonqulo, lo mhedeni wezobupolitika wangenelela waza wangakwicala labo babesithi uYesu unguThixo. Kodwa kwakutheni? Incwadi ethi A Short History of Christian Doctrine ithi: “UConstantine ngokusisiseko wayengayiqondi konke konke imibuzo eyayibuzwa kwizifundo zezakwalizwi zesiGrike.” Ekuphela kwento awayeyiqonda kukuba iimpikiswano zonqulo zazisongela ubukhosi bakhe, yaye wayezimisele ukubuqinisa.

Ngokuphathelele uxwebhu lokugqibela olwenziwa eNicaea phantsi kokhokelo lukaConstantine, i-Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Imbali Yohlanga LwamaGrike) ithi: “Lubonisa ukungabi namdla [kukaConstantine] kwimibandela yeemfundiso zonqulo, . . . ukuba nguntamo-lukhuni kwakhe ekuzameni ukubuyisela umanyano ecaweni, yaye ekugqibeleni ukweyiseka kwakhe ngokupheleleyo ukuba ‘njengobhishophu wabo bangengabecawa’ akakho onokudlula koko akuthethileyo ngawo nawuphi na umbandela wonqulo.” Ngaba kwakunokwenzeka ukuba ezo zigqibo zazenziwe kwelo bhunga zazinomoya kaThixo?—Thelekisa IZenzo 15:28, 29.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29]

Ukubulala Okwakuqhubeka Kwintsapho Yasebukhosini

Phantsi kwalo mxholo, incwadi ethi Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Imbali Yohlanga LwamaGrike) ichaza oko ikubiza ngokuthi “lugonyamelo lwasekhaya olungamasikizi olwenziwa nguConstantine.” Kungekudala emva kokuba efumene isikhundla sokuba ngumlawuli, wayilibala indlela akufumene ngayo oko wayengakulindelanga waza waneliso elibukhali kwizinto eziyingozi ezazimngqongile. Ekubeni wayengumntu osoloko ekrokra yaye mhlawumbi ephenjelelwa ngabo babemkhohlisa, waqalisa ukukrokrela umtshana wakhe uLicinianus—unyana woMlawuli owayetsal’ iintambo kunye naye awayesele embulele—njengalowo wayesukuzana naye. Emva kokubulawa kwakhe kwabulawa izibulo likaConstantine, uCrispus, owabulawa ngunina wesibini uFausta ngenxa yokuba wayexabe endleleni yegunya elipheleleyo lenzala yakhe.

Esi senzo sikaFausta ekugqibeleni sabangela ukufa kwakhe okoyikekayo. Kuyabonakala ukuba uMlawuli uHelena, owayenempembelelo kunyana wakhe uConstantine kwada kwasekupheleni, wayebandakanyekile koku kubulala. Kwaneemvakalelo ezazingekho ngqiqweni ezazisoloko zilawula uConstantine zaba negalelo kumkhamo ababulawa ngawo abahlobo abakhe abaninzi kwanezinxulumani zakhe. Incwadi ethi History of the Middle Ages iqukumbela ngelithi: “Ukugebenga—singasathethi ke ngokubulala—unyana wakhe nomfazi wakhe kubonisa ukuba wayengenayo impembelelo yawo nawuphi na umoya wobuKristu.”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 30]

Eli gophe laseRoma belisetyenziselwa ukuzukisa uConstantine

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Musée du Louvre, Paris