Abathetheleli BobuKristu—Ngaba Babebukhusela okanye Babezama Ukuba Zizithandi-zobulumko?

UMBULO, ukugetyengwa kwabantwana nobuzim zezinye zezityholo ezimanyumnyezi ezazityatyekwa amaKristu enkulungwane yesibini Yexesha Eliqhelekileyo. Ezi zityholo zabangela ukuba atshutshiswe kanobom nto leyo eyabangela ukuba ababhali ababesithi bangamaKristu bakhusele ukholo lwabo. Aba babhali, kamva ababizwa ngokuba ngabathetheleli okanye abakhuseli beenkolelo zabo, babefuna ukubonisa ukuba iinkolelo zabo zazingeyongozi kuba befuna ukuthandwa ngamaRoma nangabantu ngokubanzi.

Le nto yayiyingozi kuba ekuphela kwento eyayisanelisa amaRoma nabantu belo xesha yayikukuba ube ngomnye wabo. Kwakhona babesenokuba sengozini yokutshutshiswa ngakumbi okanye yokulalanisa ngokungeyomfuneko kwiinkolelo zabo zobuKristu. Baluthethelela njani ukholo lwabo? Babeka ziphi izibakala? Imigudu yabo yaphumela entwenini?

Abathetheleli BobuKristu NobuKhosi BamaRoma

Abathetheleli ayengamadoda awayefunde ayityekeza ngenkulungwane yesibini nasekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesithathu. Awona ayedumile kuwo yayinguJustin Martyr, uClement waseAlexandria noTertullian.a Ngokuyintloko babebhalela abahedeni namagosa aseburhulumenteni aseRoma, bezama ukucacisa iinkolelo zamaKristu yaye iincwadi zabo zazicaphula iBhayibhile. Ukongezelela koko aba bathetheleli bokholo bamelana nabatshutshisi, baziphikisa izityholo zabo baza babuthethelela ubuKristu.

Enye yezinto ezazifunwa ngala madoda yayikukweyisela amagunya ezopolitiko ukuba amaKristu ayengezontshaba zomlawuli okanye ubukhosi baseRoma. UTertullian wathi umlawuli “umiselwe nguThixo wethu,” kanti uAthenagoras yena wayixhasa indlela ezazimiselwa ngayo iinkosi waza ngaloo ndlela waba nenxaxheba kwezopolitiko zexesha lakhe. Lo nto yayibonisa ukuba babengawananzanga amazwi kaYesu Kristu, athi: “Ubukumkani bam abuyonxalenye yeli hlabathi.”—Yohane 18:36.

Kwakhona la madoda acebisa ukuba iRoma nonqulo lwamaKristu zisebenzisane. UMelito wayesithi unqulo kunye neRoma zazifak’ isandla kwimpilontle yabantu. Umbhali ongaziwayo wencwadi ethi The Epistle to Diognetus wafanisa ubuKristu “nentsika, ‘emanyanisa ihlabathi.’” UTertullian wabhala wathi amaKristu ayethandazela ukuba iRoma ichume yaye nenkqubo yezinto ingakhawulez’ iphele. Ngenxa yoko abantu abazange bakubone kuyimfuneko ukufika koBukumkani bukaThixo.—Mateyu 6:9, 10.

“UbuKristu” Buba Yintanda-bulumko

Isithandi-sobulumko uCelsus’ wahlekisa ngamaKristu esithi “ekuphela kwento akwazi ukuyenza kukusebenza nzima, ukuthung’ izihlangu, ukulima yaye angawona madoda angafundanga nangenangqondo.” Abathetheleli bobuKristu abazange bakwazi ukukunyamezela ukugculelwa ngalo ndlela. Babhenela kwicebo elitsha elaliza kubenza bathandwe. Ubulumko behlabathi obabukade bungathandwa ngoku babusetyenziselwa ukuxhasa “ubuKristu.” Ngokomzekelo uClement waseAlexandria wayesithi intanda-bulumko “yayiyeyona mfundiso yakwaLizwi.” Nangona uJustin wayeyigatya intanda-bulumko waba ngowokuqala ukusebenzisa isigama sentanda-bulumko ukuze afundise “ubuKristu” esithi olu hlobo lwentanda-bulumko “lwalukhuselekile kwaye luluncedo.”

Ukususela ngoko ukubheka phambili kwayilwa iqhinga lokuba ingachaswa intanda-bulumko, kwaza kwathiwa kwakufanele kujikwe imfundiso yamaKristu ukuze ibe yintanda-bulumko egqwesileyo kuneyabahedeni. UJustin wathi: “Zikhona izinto esizifundisayo ezifanayo neemfundiso zeembongi neentanda-bulumko enizihlonelayo yaye ezinye izinto zicace ngakumbi kuthi yaye zezobuthixo.” Ngoku “ubuKristu” babangela umdla kuba babuchazwa ngendlela eyayithandwa ngabantu. La madoda ayesithi iincwadi zamaKristu zazindala kuneencwadi zamaGrike nokuba abaprofeti abaseBhayibhileni babephila ngaphambi kweentanda-bulumko zamaGrike. Abanye babede bathi izithandi-zobulumko zazixelisa abaprofeti. Kwade kwathiwa uPlato wayengumfundi kaMoses.

UbuKristu Buyagqwethwa

Le ndlela intsha yokwenza izinto yabangela ukuba ubuKristu buxubane nentanda-bulumko yabahedeni. Kwathelekiswa izithixo zamaGrike nabantu ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni. UYesu wafaniswa noPerseus kwaza ukukhulelwa kukaMariya kwafaniswa nokukamama kaPerseus uDanaë, ekwakusithiwa wayeyintombi enyulu.

Iimfundiso ezithile zatshintshwa kakhulu. Ngokomzekelo, eBhayibhileni uYesu kuthiwa “nguLogos” igama elithetha “uLizwi” kaThixo okanye iSithethi sakhe. (Yohane 1:1-3, 14-18; ISityhilelo 19:11-13) UJustin wayijija le mfundiso oku kwesithandi-sobulumko egxininisa kakhulu izinto ezimbini ezinokuthethwa ligama lesiGrike ulogos: “ilizwi” “nengqiqo.” Wayesithi amaKristu afumana ilizwi kuKristu ngenkqu. Noko ke, ulogos othetha ukuqiqa unokufumaneka kubo bonke abantu kuquka nabahedeni. Ngenxa yoko wayesithi bonke abantu abanengqiqo ngamaKristu, kuquka nabo bangakholelwayo kubukho bukaThixo njengoSocrates nabanye.

Ngaphezu koko, ukunxulumanisa kwabathetheleli abanjengoTertullian uYesu kunye nologos wentanda-bulumko yamaGrike owayenxulunyaniswa noThixo kwaba sisiqalo semfundiso eyenza ukuba amaKristu ekugqibeleni athi uThixo uneziqu ezithathu.b

Igama elithi “umphefumlo” livela izihlandlo ezingaphezu kwama-850 eBhayibhileni kuquka nezingama-100 ngesiGrike. Eli gama lithetha izidalwa ezifayo njengabantu nezilwanyana. (1 Korinte 15:45; Yakobi 5:20; ISityhilelo 16:3) Kodwa ke abathetheleli bobuKristu bayigqwetha le mfundiso yeBhayibhile ngokuyidibanisa nentanda-bulumko kaPlato ethi umphefumlo wahlukile kumzimba, awubonakali yaye awufi. UMinucius Felix yena wada wathi inkolelo yovuko yaqala ngemfundiso kaPythagoras yokuphuma komphefumlo womntu uye komnye. Kuyacaca ukuba amaGrike abawexula abantu kwiimfundiso zeBhayibhile.

Ukhetho Olungafanelekanga

Abanye abathetheleli bayibona ingozi eyayinokubangelwa yintanda-bulumko kukholo lwamaKristu. Sekunjalo, nangona babezigxeka izithandi zobulumko babeyithanda indlela ekrelekrele ezaziqiqa ngayo. Ngokomzekelo, uTatian wayezigxeka izithandi zobulumko esithi zazingancedi nganto kodwa kwangaxeshanye wayebiza unqulo lwamaKristu ngokuba “yintanda-bulumko yethu” yaye wayezithanda izinto ezazithelekelelwa zizithandi-zobulumko. Kwelinye icala uTertullian wayeyigxeka impembelelo yentanda-bulumko kwindlela awayecinga ngayo amaKristu. Kodwa ke wakwathi wayefuna ukulandela emanyathelweni “kaJustin, isithandi-sobulumko nomfeli kholo; uMiltiades iciko leecawa” nezinye izithandi zobulumko. UAthenagoras wayezibiza ngokuba “ngumKristu osisithandi sobulumko waseAthene.” Kuthiwa uClement yena wayesithi “intanda-bulumko yayinokusetyenziswa ngamaKristu ngobuchule ukuze alumke ngakumbi aze akhusele nokholo lwawo.”

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba la madoda akwazi ukukhusela ukholo lwawo, kodwa ke enza impazamo enzulu xa ayelukhusela. Njani? Umpostile uPawulos wakhumbuza amaKristu ukuba kwizixhobo awayenazo sasingekho esasinamandla ngaphezu ‘kwelizwi likaThixo’ ‘eliphilileyo nelinamandla.’ UPawulos wathi ngalo “sibhukuqa iingcinga nayo yonke into ephakamileyo ephakanyiswa nxamnye nolwazi lukaThixo.”—Hebhere 4:12; 2 Korinte 10:4, 5; Efese 6:17.

Kubusuku bangaphambi kokuba abulawe, uYesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Yomelelani! mna ndiloyisile ihlabathi.” (Yohane 16:33) Iimvavanyo neembandezelo awazifumanayo emhlabeni azizange ziluphelise ukholo awayenalo nokunyaniseka kwakhe kuYise. UYohane, umpostile wokugqibela ukudla amazimba wathi: “Lulo ke olu uloyiso esiloyise ngalo ihlabathi, ukholo lwethu.” (1 Yohane 5:4) Nangona abathetheleli babefuna ukulwela ukholo lwamaKristu, bawuphosa umhlola ngokusebenzisa intanda-bulumko yehlabathi. Loo nto yabenza baphenjelelwa yintanda-bulumko baza ngaloo ndlela bavumela ihlabathi laloyisa uhlobo lobuKristu babo. Ngoko ke, kunokuba bakhusele unqulo lwamaKristu lokwenene abakhuseli becawa yokuqala mhlawumbi bathi bengaqondanga baba ngamaxhoba omgibe kaSathana ‘ozimilisa okwengelosi yokukhanya.’—2 Korinte 11:14.

Nabefundisi beecawa zanamhlanje baye bazeka mzekweni. Kunokuba banamathele kwiBhayibhile xa bekhusela ubuKristu bokwenene, bayingxenga baza babhenela kwintanda-bulumko yehlabathi kuba befuna ukuthandwa ngabantu. Kunokuba balumkise abantu ngeengozi zokulandela iindlela zehlabathi ezingqubanayo neBhayibhile baye baba ngabefundisi ‘bokunyumbaza iindlebe’ zabantu ukuze bazuze amarhamente angakumbi. (2 Timoti 4:3) Okubuhlungu kukuba naba befundisi baye abasinanza isilumkiso sabapostile esithi: “Lumkani, ningathabatheki ziintanda-bulumko nayinkohliso elambathayo esekelwe kwizithethe zabantu, nakwizinto eziziziqalelo zehlabathi kungekhona kuKristu.” Phofu ke sixelelwa ukuba “isiphelo sabo siya kuba ngokwemisebenzi yabo.”—Kolose 2:8; 2 Korinte 11:15.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 31]

“Sibhukuqa iingcinga nayo yonke into ephakamileyo ephakanyiswa nxamnye nolwazi lukaThixo.”—2 KORINTE 10:5

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

UJustin wayesithi ukuxelisa intanda-bulumko “kukhuselekile yaye kuluncedo”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

UClement wayesithi intanda-bulumko “yimfundiso yokwenene yezakwaLizwi”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Ukubhenela kukaTertullian kwintanda-bulumko kwahlahl’ indlela yemfundiso kathixo oneziqu ezithathu

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

UTatian wathi ubuKristu “yintanda-bulumko yethu”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 30]

Abefundisi beecawa zanamhlanje baye bazeka mzekweni

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]

Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa nxamnye neentanda-bulumko namaqhetseba abantu

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 29]

Clement: Historical Pictures Service; Tertullian: © Bibliothèque nationale de France