Abaseki BeCawa—Ngaba Baxhasa Inyaniso YeBhayibhile?

Enoba uzibanga ungumKristu okanye akunjalo, imbono yakho ngoThixo ekuthethwa ngaye eBhayibhileni, ngoYesu nangobuKristu imele ukuba iye yaphenjelelwa kakhulu ngabo. Omnye wabo wayebizwa ngokuba ngu-Golden-Mouthed omnye wayebizwa ngokuba ngu-Great. Xa bebonke, baye bachazwa ngokuthi “ngabona bantu babubonakalisa ngokusondeleyo ubomi bukaKristu.” Ngoobani abo? Ziinkcuba-buchopho zonqulo zamandulo, ababhali, abafundi bezakwalizwi nezithandi-zobulumko eziye zaphembelela inxalenye enkulu “yobuKristu” banamhlanje—ABaseki BeCawa.

“IBHAYIBHILE asikokuphela kwelizwi likaThixo,” utsho njalo unjingalwazi wezifundo zonqulo zobuOthodoki bamaGrike uDemetrios J. Constantelos. “UMoya Oyingcwele otyhila ilizwi likaThixo awunakuvalelwa encwadini.” Ibiya kuba nguwuphi ke omnye umthombo onokuthenjwa wesityhilelo sikaThixo? Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Understanding the Greek Orthodox Church lo kaConstantelos uthi: “Isithethe Esingcwele neZibhalo Ezingcwele [zigqalwa] njengento enye.”

Isiseko seso ‘Sithethe Singcwele’ siquka iimfundiso nemibhalo yaBaseki BeCawa. Aba yayingabafundi bezakwalizwi abadumileyo nezithandi-zobulumko “ezingamaKristu” ezaziphila phakathi kwenkulungwane yesibini neyesihlanu kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Bayiphembelele ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo ingcamango “yobuKristu” banamhlanje? Ngaba baye banamathela eBhayibhileni kwimfundiso yabo? Sifanele sibe yintoni isiseko esiluqilima senyaniso yobuKristu kumlandeli kaYesu Kristu?

Imbali Ngemvelaphi

Phakathi kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, abo babesithi bangamaKristu babekhusela ukholo lwabo nxamnye nabatshutshisi abangamaRoma nabawexuki. Noko ke, ngeli xesha zazininzi kakhulu iingcamango zabo bezakwalizwi. Iingxoxo zonqulo eziphathelele “ubuthixo” bukaYesu noko ukuko umoya oyingcwele neendlela osebenza ngazo zabangela into engaphaya kokwahluka ngeengcamango. Ukungavisisani neeyantlukwano ezingenakulungiseka kwiimfundiso “zamaKristu” kwanwenwela kwezobupolitika nakwezentlalo, maxa wambi kubangela izidubedube, imvukelo, iimfazwe zamakhaya nezinkulu. Umbhali-mbali uPaul Johnson uyabhala: “[Uwexuko] kubuKristu lwaqalisa ngokuthi kubekho ukudideka, impikiswano neyantlukwano yaye ngaloo ndlela ke lwanwenwa. . . . Kwinkulungwane yokuqala neyesibini yonyaka weNkosi yethu, umbindi nempuma yeMeditera zazaliswa yinkitha yeengcamango zonqulo, ekwakunzima ukuba zisasazeke. . . . Ngoko ke, zisuka nje kwakukho iintlobo zobuKristu ezahlukahlukeneyo ezazimbalwa kakhulu izinto ezazifana ngazo.”

Ebudeni belo xesha, kwaqalisa ukwanda ababhali neenkcuba-buchopho ezazivakalelwa kukuba kwakuyimfuneko ukutolika iimfundiso “zobuKristu” zisebenzisa amabinzana eentanda-bulumko. Ukuze kwaneliswe abahedeni abafundileyo ababesandul’ ukuguqukela “kubuKristu,” abo babhali ngezonqulo babethembele kakhulu kuncwadi lwabo lwangaphambili lwesiGrike nolwamaYuda. Ukususela kuJustin Martyr (malunga nowe-100-165 C.E.), umbhali wolwimi lwesiGrike, abo bazibanga bengamaKristu baya beyamkela ngokuthe chatha intanda-bulumko yamaGrike.

Olu tyekelo lwabangela ukuba kubekho umphumo ophawulekayo kwimibhalo kaOrigen (malunga nowe-185-254 C.E.), umbhali ongumGrike waseAleksandriya. Inqaku likaOrigen elithi On First Principles laba ngumgudu wokuqala wokuchaza iimfundiso eziyintloko “zobuKristu” ngokuphathelele intanda-bulumko yamaGrike. IBhunga laseNicaea (325 C.E.), elazama ukuchaza nokumisela ingcamango yokuba uKristu “unguthixo,” laba yimbalasane eyafak’ ifuthe kwindlela yokucacisa imfundiso “yobuKristu.” Ukususela kwelo bhunga kwaqalisa ixesha lokuba amabhunga eecawa afune ukucacisa le mfundiso ngendlela engqale ngakumbi.

Ababhali Nezithethi

UEusebius waseKesareya, owayengumbhali ngexesha leBhunga laseNicaea lokuqala, wazinxulumanisa noMlawuli uConstantine. Malunga neminyaka engaphezulu kancinane kweli-100 emva kweNicaea, abafundisi bezakwalizwi, inkoliso yabo eyayibhala ngolwimi lwesiGrike, emva kwengxoxo eshushu neyathabatha ixesha elide baqalisa imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye, eyayiza kwahlula iNgqobhoko. Oyena wayeyintloko yayinguAthanasius, ubhishopu ophambili waseAleksandriya, neenkokeli zecawa ezintathu zaseKapadokiya, eAsia Minor—uBasil the Great, umnakwabo uGregory waseNyssa, nomhlobo wabo uGregory waseNazianzus.

Ababhali nabashumayeli ebudeni belo xesha baba zizithethi ezibalaseleyo nezingamaciko. UGregory waseNazianzus noJohn Chrysostom (okuthetha ukuthi “Golden-Mouthed”) ngesiGrike kunye noAmbrose waseMilan noAugustine waseHippo ngesiLatin babezizithethi ezivunyiweyo, amagcisa awayebalasele nawayehlonelwa ngexesha lawo. Oyena mbhali wayenempembelelo ngelo xesha yayinguAugustine. Amanqaku awawabhalayo ngezakwalizwi aye aphembelela kakhulu indlela “amaKristu” acinga ngayo namhlanje. UJerome, oyena mntu wayefundile ngelo xesha, nguye owayengumguquleli oyintloko owaguqulela iBhayibhile iLatin Vulgate ukusuka kwiilwimi zantlandlolo.

Noko ke, nantsi imibuzo ebalulekileyo: Ngaba abo Baseki BeCawa banamathela ngokusondeleyo eBhayibhileni? Ngaba iimfundiso zabo zazivisisana ngokusondeleyo neZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo? Ngaba imibhalo yabo ingakhokelela ngokufanelekileyo kulwazi oluchanileyo ngoThixo?

Ngaba Ziimfundiso ZikaThixo Okanye Ziimfundiso Zabantu?

Kutshanje, uMetropolitan Methodius weGreek Orthodox wasePisidia wabhala incwadi ethi The Hellenic Pedestal of Christianity ukuze abonise ukuba impucuko nentanda-bulumko yamaGrike yamisela isiseko sengcamango “yobuKristu” banamhlanje. Kuloo ncwadi, ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo uyavuma esithi: “Phantse bonke aBaseki BeCawa abadumileyo babegqala iingcamango zamaGrike njengezona zibalulekileyo, yaye bazithabatha ezi ngcamango zamaGrike zamandulo, bazisebenzisa ukuze zibancede baqonde baze badlulisele iinyaniso zobuKristu ngendlela echanileyo.”

Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngengcamango yokuba uYise, uNyana nomoya oyingcwele benza uBathathu Emnye. Emva kweBhunga laseNicaea aBaseki BeCawa abaninzi baba ngabaxhasi bakaBathathu Emnye abanenzondelelo. Imibhalo yabo neengcaciso zabo zazibalasele ekwenzeni uBathathu Emnye abe yimfundiso ephambili yeNgqobhoko. Noko ke, ngaba uBathathu Emnye uyafumaneka eBhayibhileni? Nakanye. Ngoko aBaseki BeCawa bamfumana phi? Incwadi ethi A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge ithi abantu abaninzi bathi uBathathu Emnye “yimfundiso engasulungekanga eyathatyathwa kunqulo lwabahedeni, yaza yafakelwa kukholo lwamaKristu.” Yaye incwadi ethi The Paganism in Our Christianity iyavuma isithi: “Imvelaphi [kaBathathu Emnye] yeyobuhedeni ngokupheleleyo.”a—Yohane 3:16; 14:28.

Okanye khawucinge ngemfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo, inkolelo yokuba inxalenye ethile yomntu iqhubeka iphila emva kokuba umzimba ufile. Kwakhona, ngaBaseki BeCawa abafaka le ngcamango elunqulweni olwalungenayo imfundiso yokuba umphefumlo awufi. IBhayibhile ibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba umphefumlo uyafa: “Umphefumlo owonayo—kuya kufa wona.” (Hezekile 18:4) Sasiyintoni isiseko senkolelo yaBaseki BeCawa yokungafi komphefumlo? “Ingcamango yamaKristu yomphefumlo wokomoya owadalwa nguThixo waza wawufaka emzimbeni ngexesha lokukhawulwa kwawo ukuze umntu aphile ivela kwintanda-bulumko yakudala yamaKristu. Kuphela nguOrigen eMpuma noSt. Augustine eNtshona abawuchaza umphefumlo njengento yokomoya kwaza oko kwamkelwa njengengcamango yentanda-bulumko eyayilwa ngenxa yendlela umphefumlo oyiyo. . . . [Imfundiso ka-Augustine] yayiphenjelelwe kakhulu (kuquka neentsilelo zayo) yingcamango kaPlato Entsha,” itsho njalo iNew Catholic Encyclopedia. Yaye iphephancwadi iPresbyterian Life lithi: “Ukungafi komphefumlo yingcamango yamaGrike eyasekwa kumahlelo amandulo ayimfihlelo yaza yaxhaswa sisithandi-sobulumko uPlato.”b

Isiseko Esiluqilima Senyaniso YobuKristu

Kwanasemva kolu hlolisiso lufutshane ngembali yaBaseki BeCawa, kunye nemvelaphi yeemfundiso zabo, kufanelekile ukubuza, Ngaba umKristu onyanisekileyo ufanele asekele iinkolelo zakhe kwiimfundiso zaBaseki BeCawa? Masifumane impendulo eBhayibhileni.

Phakathi kwezinye izinto, uYesu Kristu wakuphelisa ukusetyenziswa kwesibizo esithi “Tata” elunqulweni xa wathi: “Ningabizi nabani na ngokuthi nguyihlo emhlabeni, kuba mnye uYihlo, Lowo wasezulwini.” (Mateyu 23:9) Ukusebenzisa ibinzana elithi “Tata” ukuze kwahlulwe umntu othile elunqulweni asibobukristu yaye akukho zibhalweni. ILizwi likaThixo elibhaliweyo lagqitywa malunga nowama-98 C.E. xa kwagqitywa imibhalo kampostile uYohane. Ngaloo ndlela, akuyomfuneko ukuba amaKristu okwenyaniso akhangele kuye nawuphi na umntu njengomthombo wesityhilelo esiphefumlelweyo. Akulumkele ukuba ‘angalitshitshisi ilizwi likaThixo’ ngenxa yesithethe sabantu. Ukuvumela isithethe sabantu sithabathe indawo yeLizwi likaThixo kuyingozi. UYesu walumkisa: “Ukuba ke, imfama ikhokela enye imfama, zombini ziya kweyela emhadini.”—Mateyu 15:6, 14.

Ngaba umKristu ufuna esinye isityhilelo ngaphandle kweso siselizwini likaThixo eliyiBhayibhile? Akunjalo. Incwadi yeSityhilelo ilumkisa nxamnye nokongeza nantoni na kwingxelo ephefumlelweyo: “Ukuba nabani na uyongeza kwezi zinto, uThixo uya kongeza kuye izibetho ezibhaliweyo kulo msongo.”—ISityhilelo 22:18.

Inyaniso yamaKristu iseLizwini likaThixo, iBhayibhile. (Yohane 17:17; 2 Timoti 3:16; 2 Yohane 1-4) Indlela echanileyo yokuyiqonda ayixhomekekanga kwintanda-bulumko. Ngokuphathelele amadoda awazama ukusebenzisa ubulumko babantu xa echaza isityhilelo sobuthixo, kufanelekile ukuphinda imibuzo eyabuzwa ngumpostile uPawulos: “Uphi na umntu osisilumko? Uphi na umbhali? Uphi na umphikisi wale nkqubo yezinto? UThixo akabenzanga baba bubudenge na ubulumko behlabathi?”—1 Korinte 1:20.

Ngapha koko, ibandla lamaKristu okwenyaniso “liyintsika nesixhaso senyaniso.” (1 Timoti 3:15) Abaveleli balo balondoloza imfundiso enyulu ebandleni, bethintela nayiphi na imfundiso engcolileyo ukuba ingangeni ebandleni. (2 Timoti 2:15-18, 25) Ababavumeli ‘abaprofeti bobuxoki, abafundisi bobuxoki namahlelo atshabalalisayo’ ukuba angene ebandleni. (2 Petros 2:1) Emva kokufa kwabapostile, aBaseki BeCawa bavumela ‘amazwi aphefumlelweyo alahlekisayo neemfundiso zeedemon’ ukuba zingene kwibandla lobuKristu.—1 Timoti 4:1.

Imiphumo yolu wexuko iyabonakala kwiNgqobhoko namhlanje. Iinkolelo nezenzo zayo zahluke ngokupheleleyo kwinyaniso yeBhayibhile.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

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ABASEKI BASEKAPADOKIYA

“ICawa yobuOthodoki. . . ibahlonela ngokukhethekileyo ababhali benkulungwane yesine, ingakumbi abo ibabiza ngokuba ‘ngaBalawuli aBakhulu abathathu,’ uGregory waseNazianzus, uBasil the Great, noJohn Chrysostom,” utsho njalo umbhali ogama linguKallistos, oyimonki. Ngaba iimfundiso zaba Baseki BeCawa zazisekelwe kwiZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo? Ngokuphathelele uBasil the Great, incwadi ethi The Fathers of the Greek Church ithi: “Imibhalo yakhe ibonisa ukuba wayesondelelene kakhulu noPlato, noHomer, nababhali-mbali namaciko, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo basiphembelela isimbo sakhe. . . . UBasil wahlala ‘engumGrike.’” Kwakunjalo nangoGregory waseNazianzus. “Ngokwembono yakhe uloyiso nokongama kweCawa kwakuya kubonakala kakuhle xa izamkela ngokupheleleyo izithethe zentlalo yamandulo.”

Ngokuphathelele bona bobathathu, uNjingalwazi uPanagiotis K. Christou ubhala oku: “Ngoxa maxa wambi belumkisa nxamnye ‘neentanda-bulumko nenkohliso elambathayo’ [Kolose 2:8]—ukuze bavisisane nomthetho weTestamente Entsha—kwangaxeshanye, bafundisisa intanda-bulumko nemigaqo ngenzondelelo bade bancomele nabanye ukuba bayifundisise.” Ngokucacileyo, abo bafundisi becawa babecinga ukuba iBhayibhile ayanele ukuxhasa iingcamango zabo. Ngaba ukufuna kwabo elinye igunya lokubaxhasa kuthetha ukuba imfundiso yabo yayingasekelwanga eBhayibhileni? Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa amaKristu angamaHebhere esithi: “Musani ukuthabatheka ziimfundiso ezahlukahlukeneyo nezingaqhelekanga.”—Hebhere 13:9.

[Inkcazelo]

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UCYRIL WASEALEKSANDRIYA—UMSEKI WECAWA OWAYENGUNDABA-MLONYENI

Omnye wabona bantu babengundaba-mlonyeni phakathi kwaBaseki BeCawa yayinguCyril waseAleksandriya (malunga nowama-375-444 C.E.). Umbhali-mbali weCawa uHans von Campenhausen umchaza “njengozwilakhe, owayenogonyamelo yaye enamaqhinga owayethe phithi bubukhulu bobizo lwakhe nendili yesikhundla sakhe,” yaye wongezelela ngelithi “akazange agqale nanye into njengelungileyo ngaphandle kokuba yayiluncedo kuye ukuze ahambisele phambili ubukhulu bakhe negunya lakhe . . . Indlela yakhe yokwenza izinto ngogonyamelo namaqhinga yayingamkhathazi konke konke.” Ngoxa wayengubhishopu waseAleksandriya, uCyril wasebenzisa ukunyoba, ukunyelisa nokuhleba ukuze abhukuqe ubhishopu waseConstantinople. Ubekek’ ityala ngokubulawa ngenkohlakalo kwesithandi-sobulumko esaziwayo uHypatia ngowama-415 C.E. Ngokuphathelele imibhalo yezakwalizwi kaCyril, uCampenhausen uthi: “Nguye owaqalisa umkhwa wokusekela iimbambano ngeenkolelo kungekhona eBhayibhileni kodwa esebenzisa izicatshulwa ezifanelekileyo nengqokelela awayeyifumana kwiincwadi ezaziwayo.”

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UJerome

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Garo Nalbandian