UbuKristu Bungena EAsia Minor

KWINKULUNGWANE yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, kwabakho amabandla amaninzi amaKristu eAsia Minor (eyaziwa ngokuba yiTurkey namhlanje). AmaYuda nabantu beeNtlanga babesamkela ngamandla isigidimi sobuKristu. Esinye isichazi-magama seBhayibhile sithi: “Ukongezelela kwiSiriya nePalestina, iAsia Minor yenye yeendawo zokuqala obathi ubuKristu bangena ngamandla kuzo.”

Singathi ukuze siyiqonde kakuhle indlela obaye banda ngayo ubuKristu kuloo mmandla, sihlanganise inkcazelo ephuma kwimithombo eyahlukeneyo. Makhe sibone indlela esinokuncedwa ngayo kukuphendla le nkcazelo ikhoyo.

AmaKristu Okuqala EAsia Minor

Isiganeko sokuqala esiphawulekayo sokungena kobuKristu eAsia Minor senzeka emva phayaa ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., xa isihlwele esingumxube esasiquka amaYuda ahlala ngaphandle kwemida yakwaSirayeli nabo baguqukele ebuYudeni babehlanganisene eYerusalem. Abapostile bakaYesu bashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo kwezi ndwendwe. Le mbali ithi, bambi abantu babevela eKapadokiya, ePonto nakuso isithili saseAsiya,a eFrigiya, ePamfiliya—ndawo ezo ezazibumba ummandla weAsia Minor. Kweso siganeko kwabhaptizwa abantu abamalunga nama-3 000. Bagoduka benokholo olutsha.—IZenzo 2:5-11, 41.

Ingcombolo elandelayo esiyifumana eBhayibhileni ngalo mmandla iphathelele uhambo lobuvangeli basemazweni lompostile uPawulos eAsia Minor. Kuhambo lwakhe lokuqala, malunga nowama-47/48 C.E., uPawulos wahamba namaqabane akhe besuka eSipro baya eAsia Minor, baza bamisa ePerga, ePamfiliya. Kwisixeko sakwa-Antiyokwe ePisidiya, impumelelo yabo ekushumayeleni yavusa umona nenkcaso kumaYuda. Xa uPawulos wadlulela emzantsi-mpuma eIkoniyo, amanye amaYuda azama ukubaphatha ngolunya aba bavangeli basemazweni. Bechukumisekile abantu baseListra ekufuphi baqalisa ukuthi uPawulos nguthixo. Kodwa emva kokufika kwamaYuda achasayo akwa-Antiyokwe naseIkoniyo, abantu basekuhlaleni bamxuluba ngamatye uPawulos bamshiya besithi ufile. Emva kweso siganeko, uPawulos noBharnabhas baya eDerbhe iphondo lamaRoma eliseGalati, kummandla apho abantu babethetha ulwimi lwesiLikawoniya. Kwalungelelaniswa amabandla, kwaza kwamiselwa nabadala. Ngoko unokubona ukuba kwathi kusiba malunga neminyaka eli-15 emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., ubuKristu baba sele bendele eAsia Minor.—IZenzo 13:13–14:26.

Kuhambo lwakhe lwesibini, malunga nowama-49/52 C.E., uPawulos neqela lakhe baya eListra, mhlawumbi badlula kowabo eTarso, eKilikiya. Emva kokuphinda atyelele abazalwana eListra nokuya emntla, uPawulos wazama “ukulithetha ilizwi” kwiphondo laseBhithiniya naseAsiya. Kodwa umoya oyingcwele wabalela. Loo mimandla kwakuza kushunyayelwa kuyo kamva. Ukusuka apho uThixo walathisa uPawulos kwimimandla ekumntla-ntshona weAsia Minor ukusa eTrowa eselunxwemeni. Emva koko uPawulos wafumana umbono wokuba aye kushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo eYurophu.—IZenzo 16:1-12; 22:3.

Kuhambo lwakhe lwesithathu lobuvangeli basemazweni, malunga nowama-52/56 C.E., uPawulos waphinda waya kudlula eAsia Minor, wafika e-Efese, isixeko esinezibuko eliphambili saseAsiya. Wayekhe wadlula apho xa wayebuya kuhambo lwakhe lwesibini. Kwakukho iqela lamaKristu elikhutheleyo kweso sixeko, ngoko uPawulos namaqabane akhe bakha bahlala nalo malunga neminyaka emithathu. Kwelo xesha lokuhlala kwabo apho bahlangabezana nobunzima neengozi, enye yazo ibangelwa ngumbhodamo oweza nabakhandi besilivere base-Efese bekhusela ishishini labo lokwenza izithixo elalisenza imali eninzi.—IZenzo 18:19-26; 19:1, 8-41; 20:31.

Kuyacaca ukuba umsebenzi wokushumayela e-Efese waba nemiphumo emihle. IZenzo 19:10 zithi: “Bonke abo babengabemi besithili saseAsiya baliva ilizwi leNkosi, kokubini amaYuda namaGrike.”

Inkqubela EAsia Minor

Xa wayesele eza kushiya iEfese, uPawulos wabhalela abaseKorinte wathi: “Ayanibulisa amabandla aseAsiya.” (1 Korinte 16:19) Ngawaphi la mabandla wayethetha ngawo uPawulos? Usenokuba wayecinga ngalawo aseKolose, eLawodike naseHirapoli, mabandla lawo wayewathanda. (Kolose 4:12-16) Incwadi ethi Paul—His Story ithi: “Kubonakala kusengqiqweni ukucinga ukuba amabandla aseSmirna, ePergamo, eSardesi naseFiladelfi ayilwa ngabavangeli basemazweni ababese-Efese. . . . Onke ayekummandla omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-192 ukusuka e-Efese, mmandla lowo wawuneendlela ezintle.”

Malunga neminyaka engama-20 emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., kwakukho amabandla aliqela amaKristu kumzantsi nakwintshona yeAsia Minor. Kuthekani ngezinye iindawo zaloo mmandla?

Lawo Abhalelwa NguPetros

Umpostile uPetros wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala ephefumlelweyo kwiminyaka ethile kamva, malunga nowama-62-64 C.E. Wayibhalela amaKristu asePonto, eGalati, eKapadokiya, eAsiya, naseBhithiniya. Ngokwale ncwadi kaPetros kubonakala ngathi ayekho amabandla kuloo mimandla, kuba kwabongozwa abadala abakuwo ukuba ‘bawaluse umhlambi.’ Asekwa nini ke la mabandla?—1 Petros 1:1; 5:1-3.

Eminye yemimandla eyayibhalelwe nguPetros, njengeAsiya neGalati wayekhe washumayela kuyo uPawulos. Noko ke, wayengekashumayeli eKapadokiya naseBhithiniya. IBhayibhile ayisixeleli ukuba ubuKristu bafika njani kule mimandla, kodwa busenokuba bafika namaYuda okanye abo babeguqukele ebuYudeni babekho eYerusalem ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. baza babuyela kumawabo kamva. Enoba bafika njani na, kuyabonakala ukuba xa uPetros wayebhala incwadi yakhe malunga neminyaka engama-30 emva kwePentekoste, kwakukho amabandla “kuyo yonke iAsia Minor,” ngokutsho komnye umphengululi.

Amabandla Asixhenxe Achazwe KwiSityhilelo

Ukuvukelwa kweRoma ngamaYuda kwaphumela ekutshatyalalisweni kweYerusalem ngowama-70 C.E. Mhlawumbi oko kwenza amaKristu athile akwaYuda aphelela eAsia Minor.b

Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, esebenzisa umpostile uYohane, uYesu Kristu wathumela iileta kumabandla asixhenxe aseAsia Minor. Ezi leta zazisiya kwibandla lase-Efese, elaseSmirna, elasePergamo, elaseTiyatira, elaseSardesi elaseFiladelfi nelaseLawodike, zibonisa ukuba amaKristu akulo mmandla waseAsia Minor ayejamelene neengxaki ezahlukahlukeneyo, njengokuziphatha okubi, amahlelo nowexuko.—ISityhilelo 1:9, 11; 2:14, 15, 20.

Ukuthozama, Inkonzo Yomphefumlo Uphela

Kuyacaca ukuba zininzi iindlela obasasazwa ngazo ubuKristu ngenkulungwane yokuqala ngaphandle kwezo zichazwe kwiZenzo zabaPostile. Abapostile abaziwayo uPetros noPawulos babekho kwiziganeko ezichazwa kwiZenzo, kodwa kukho inani labanye abangaziwayo ababeshumayela kwezinye iindawo. Izinto ezazisenzeka eAsia Minor zibonisa ukuba amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala awuthobela ngokupheleleyo umyalelo kaYesu othi: “Hambani ke ngoko niye kubenza abafundi abantu beentlanga zonke.”—Mateyu 28:19, 20.

Ngokufanayo namhlanje, ngokwentelekiso zimbalwa izenzo zokuthembeka zamaNgqina kaYehova ezaziwa ngabazalwana abasehlabathini lonke. Njengabashumayeli bevangeli benkulungwane yokuqala ababethembekile eAsia Minor, abashumayeli beendaba ezilungileyo abaninzi namhlanje abaziwa kangako. Kodwa, nabo baxakekile, bayasikelelwa yaye banelisekile kukwazi ukuba umsebenzi wabo usindisa abanye.—1 Timoti 2:3-6.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 11]

AMAKRISTU OKUQALA ASEBHITHINIYA NASEPONTO

Iphondo leBhithiniya nePonto likuNxweme loLwandle Olumnyama lweAsia Minor. Kuninzi okwaziwayo ngobomi beli phondo ngenxa yoko kwabhalwa nguPliny Omncinane, elinye lamagosa awabhalela uTrajan uMlawuli waseRoma.

Malunga neminyaka engama-50 emva kokuba iincwadi zikaPetros zityhutyhe amabandla akulo mmandla, uPliny wabuza kuTrajan indlela awayemele awaphathe ngayo amaKristu. Wathi: “Zange khe ndibekho xa kuthethwa ityala lomKristu. Ngenxa yoko, andazi ukuba ohlwaywa njani na. Aliqela amangalelwa ngabantu yaye akubudala nomgangatho owahlukahlukeneyo, ibe kubonakala ngathi kuseza kuqhubeka kunjalo. Oku akwenzeki ezidolophini nje kuphela, amanye asuka ezilalini nasemaphandleni, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba nabo batyhefiwe leli hlelo linezothe.”

[Umzobo/Imaphu ekwiphepha 9]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

UHAMBO LUKAPAWULOS

Olokuqala Lobuvangeli Basemazweni

ISIPRO

IPAMFILIYA

IPergamo

IAntiyokwe (yasePisidiya)

I-Ikoniyo

IListra

IDerbhe

Olwesibini Lobuvangeli Basemazweni

IKILIKIYA

ITarso

IDerbhe

IListra

I-Ikoniyo

IAntiyokwe (yasePisidiya)

IPHRYGIA

IGALATI

ITrowa

Olwesithathu Lobuvangeli Basemazweni

IKILIKIYA

ITarso

IDerbhe

IListra

I-Ikoniyo

IAntiyokwe (yasePisidiya)

IEfese

ASIA

ITrowa

[Amabandla Asixhenxe]

IPerga

ITiyatira

ISardesi

ISmirna

IEfese

IFiladelfi

ILawodike

[Ezinye Iindawo]

IHirapoli

IKolose

ILIKIYA

IBITHINIYA

IPONTO

IKAPADOKIYA

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]

Kwa-Antiyokwe

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]

ITrowa

[Inkcazelo]

© 2003 BiblePlaces.com

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]

Indawo yokubonela e-Efese.—IZenzo 19:29

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]

Indawo yesibingelelo sikaZeyus ePergamo. AmaKristu eso sixeko ayehlala kwindawo ‘eyayikuyo itrone kaSathana.’—ISityhilelo 2:13

[Inkcazelo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.