Abaseki BeCawa AbangabaPostile—Ngaba Ngokwenene Babefundisa Iimfundiso Zabapostile?

EKUQALENI kwenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo iimfundiso zobuxoki zazisele ziqalisile ukungxenga amanzi acocekileyo enyaniso yobuKristu. Kanye njengokuba isiprofeto esiphefumlelweyo sasitshilo, emva kokufa kwabapostile abanye bayishiya inyaniso baza baphambukela “kumabali obuxoki.” (2 Timoti 4:3, 4) Malunga nowama-98 C.E., umpostile uYohane wokugqibela ukudla amazimba walumkisa ngezo mfundiso zobuxoki nangabantu ‘ababezama ukulahlekisa’ amaKristu athembekileyo.—1 Yohane 2:26; 4:1, 6.

Kungekudala kwavela amadoda ekwakusithiwa ngaBaseki beCawa abangabaPostile. Benza ntoni xa lwaluqalisa ukungxengwa unqulo? Ngaba basithobela isilumkiso esiphefumlelweyo sikampostile uYohane?

Ayengoobani La Madoda?

Ibinzana elithi “Abaseki beCawa abangabaPostile” belisoloko libhekisela kubabhali bonqulo abasenokuba bakha babona abanye babapostile bakaYesu okanye babefundiswe ngabafundi bona ababefundiswe ngabapostile. Inkoliso yala madoda yayiphila ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo ukuya kweyesibini.a Amanye awo yayinguClement waseRoma, uIgnatius wakwa-Antiyokwe, uPapias waseHierapolis kunye noPolycarp waseSmirna. Abanye abantu ababebhala malunga nelo xesha yayingababhali ekungaziwayo ukuba babengoobani beencwadi ezinjengethi The Didache, i-Epistle of Barnabas, iMartyrdom of Polycarp kunye neleta yesibini kaClement.

Namhlanje kunzima ukwazi ukuba iimfundiso zaBaseki beCawa abangabaPostile zazisondele kangakanani kwezikaYesu. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo injongo yala madoda yayikukulondoloza okanye ukukhuthaza uhlobo oluthile lobuKristu. Ayekugxeka ukunqula izithixo nehambo evakalala. Ayekholelwa ukuba uYesu unguNyana kaThixo nokuthi wavuswa. Noko ke akazange akwazi ukuluthintela uwexuko. Kunoko amanye kuwo afaka isandla kulo.

Ngaba Olu Yayilutshintsho Nje Olungenamsebenzi?

“AmaKristu athile” enkulungwane yokuqala aphambuka kwiimfundiso kaKristu nabapostile. Ngokomzekelo, ngokwahlukileyo kwindlela awayeyalele ukuba siqhutywe ngayo iSidlo SeNkosi Sangokuhlwa, umbhali wencwadi ethi The Didache wacebisa ukuba iwayini idluliswe ngaphambi kokuba kudluliswe isonka. (Mateyu 26:26, 27) Lo mbhali waphinda wathi xa engekho amanzi aneleyo okuntywilisela umntu obhaptizwayo, unokusuka nje aphehlelelwe. (Marko 1:9,10; IZenzo 8:36, 38) Kwaloo ncwadi yakhuthaza amaKristu ukuba azile ukutya kabini ngeveki aze acengceleze uBawo Wethu Osezulwini kathathu ngemini.—Mateyu 6:5-13; Luka 18:12.

Yena uIgnatius wafundisa ukuba kufanele kubekho ibandla elitsha lamaKristu lize longanyelwe ngubhishophu omnye “osesikhundleni sikaThixo.” Lo bhishophu wayeza kuba negunya kubefundisi abaninzi. Ezo nguqu zavulela indlela ezinye iimfundiso ezingezozazibhalo.—Mateyu 23:8, 9.

Ukubaxwa Kwezinto, Ukufela Inkolo Nonqulo Zithixo

Ukuzibaxa izinto kwenza abanye Abaseki beCawa abangabaPostile bakhukuliseka enyanisweni. UPapias wayenxanelwe inyaniso yaye ngenxa yaloo nto wafunda IZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike. Kwangaxeshanye, wayekholelwa ukuba ebudeni Bolawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka LukaKristu umthi womdiliya wawuza kuvelisa amasebe angama-10 000, isebe ngalinye livelise amasetyana angama-10 000, isetyana ngalinye livelise amahlumela angama-10 000, ihlumela ngalinye livelise izihloko zeediliya ezingama-10 000 size isihloko ngasinye sivelise iidiliya ezingama-10 000 kuze kuthi ke idiliya nganye ivelise iilitha ezili-1 000 zewayini.

UPolycarp wayexolele ukufa kunokuba alahle ubuKristu. Kuthiwa wayefundiswe ngabapostile nangabanye abantu ababesazi uYesu. Wayecaphula iBhayibhile yaye kubonakala ngathi wayezama ukuphila ngemigaqo yobuKristu.

Noko ke, indlela abanye ababemhlonela ngayo uPolycarp yayisondele kakhulu ekumnquleni, kanye oku kwesithixo. IMartyrdom of Polycarp ithi emva kokufa kwakhe “amakholwa” ayefuna ukugcina amathambo akhe. Ayesithi amathambo akhe “ayexabiseke ngakumbi kunezacholo ezenziwe ngamatye anqabisekileyo yaye esulungeke ngakumbi kunegolide.” Kucacile ukuba zazisanda iimfundiso zabawexuki.

Iincwadi ZeBhayibhile Ezingakumbi

Abanye Abaseki beCawa abangabaPostile bazamkela njengeziphefumlelweyo iincwadi ezongezelelekileyo zeBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo uClement waseRoma ucaphula enye yazo ekuthiwa yiWisdom and Judith. Kanti umbhali weThe Epistle of Polycarp ubhekisela kwiTobit ukuze axhase uluvo lokuba iminikelo yemali inokubusindisa ubomi bomntu.

Ngenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo kwabhalwa iincwadi zevangeli zobuxoki ezasasaza iingxelo zobomi bukaYesu ezazingachananga yaye Abaseki beCawa abangabaPostile babezamkela yaye bezicaphula. Ngokomzekelo uIgnatius wacaphula incwadi ekuthiwa yiGospel of the Hebrews. Omnye umthombo uthi ngoClement waseRoma: “Kubonakala ngathi akafundanga ngoKristu kwiiVangeli kodwa ufunde ngaye kwiincwadi ezingekho kuluhlu lweencwadi eziphefumlelweyo.”

Uthotho Lweemfundiso Zobuxoki

Ngokubhenela kwiintsomi, neentanda-bulumko ukuze achaze ubuKristu, la madoda avula umjelo wothotho lwemfundiso zobuxoki. Ngokomzekelo, uClement wabhekisela kwintaka yasentsomini njengobungqina bokuba lukho ngokwenene uvuko. Le ntaka enxulunyaniswa nonqulo lwelanga kwiintsomi zaseYiputa kuthiwa yayizitshisa ngomlilo ife kuze eluthuthwini lwayo kuvuke enye efana nayo.

Omnye umntu owajija inyaniso yeZibhalo ngumbhali we-Epistle of Barnabas. Wayesithi uMthetho kaMoses ungumfuziselo nje wezinto othetha ngazo. Ngokutsho kwakhe, izilwanyana—ezetyisayo neziqhiphuke uphuphu—zazifanekisela abantu abacamngcayo okanye abaletyisayo iLizwi likaThixo. Lo mbhali wayesithi uphuphu oluqhiphukileyo luthetha ukuthi “amalungisa aphila apha emhlabeni” ngoxa ekhangele phambili kubomi basezulwini. Ezo ngcaciso azisekelwanga eZibhalweni.—Levitikus 11:1-3.

Ubungqina Obanikelwa Ngumpostile UYohane

Ngenkulungwane yokuqala umpostile uYohane walumkisa wathi: “Zintanda, musani ukuwakholelwa onke amazwi aphefumlelweyo, kodwa wavavanyeni amazwi aphefumlelweyo ukuze nibone enoba aphuma kuThixo kusini na, kuba kuye kwavela abaprofeti bobuxoki abaninzi ehlabathini.” (1 Yohane 4:1) Wayechan’ ucwethe lo mpostile!

Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala abantu abaninzi ababesithi bangamaKristu babesele bezityeshele iimfundiso zikaYesu nabapostile bakhe. Abaseki beCawa Abangabapostile basuka balukhwezela uwexuko kunokuba baluchase. Bayingxenga ngetyhefu inyaniso. Umpostile uYohane wathi ngabantu abanjalo: “Lowo ugqithayo, ungahlaliyo kwimfundiso kaKristu akanaThixo.” (2 Yohane 9) Esi silumkiso siphefumlelweyo sasicacile ngoko—yaye sisacacile nanamhlanje—kubo bonke abantu abayifuna ngokunyanisekileyo inyaniso yeZibhalo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 29]

Abanye Abaseki beCawa abangabaPostile kuquka noClement, bayisekela kwiintsomi nentanda-bulumko imibhalo yabo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

UPolycarp wayekulungele ukufela ukholo lwakhe

[Inkcazelo]

The Granger Collection, New York