Ingabe Bonke Abathi BangamaKristu BangamaKristu?
MANGAKI amaKristu akhona emhlabeni? I-Atlas of Global Christianity ithi, ngo-2010 abelinganiselwa ezigidini eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-2.3 emhlabeni wonke. Le ncwadi ibonisa ukuthi lawo maKristu angamalungu amasonto angu-41 000—ngalinye elinezimfundiso nemithetho yalo yokuziphatha. Njengoba kunezinkolo ezingaka ezithi zingezobuKristu, kuyaqondakala ukuthi kungani abanye abantu bezithola bedidekile noma ngisho bedumele. Bangase bazibuze, ‘Ingabe bonke abathi bangamaKristu bangamaKristu ngempela?’
Ake siyibheke ngolunye uhlangothi le ndaba. Ngokuvamile isihambi kulindeleke ukuba sisho ukuthi siyisakhamuzi sakuliphi izwe ezikhulwini ezisemngceleni. Kudingeka futhi sifakazele ukuthi singuye ngempela umuntu esithi singuye ngokuveza ubufakazi obuthile, mhlawumbe incwadi yaso yokungena kwelinye izwe. Ngokufanayo, akwanele ukuba umKristu weqiniso amane athi uyakholelwa kuKristu. Kudingeka aveze ubufakazi obengeziwe. Buyini lobu bufakazi?
Igama elithi ‘umKristu’ laqala ukusetshenziswa cishe ngemva kuka-44 C.E. Isazi-mlando seBhayibheli uLuka sabhala: “Kwaqala e-Antiyokiya ukuba ngokwelungiselelo laphezulu abafundi babizwe ngokuthi amaKristu.” (IzEnzo 11:26) Phawula ukuthi labo ababebizwa ngokuthi amaKristu babengabafundi bakaKristu. Yini eyenza umuntu abe umfundi kaJesu Kristu? I-New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology iyachaza: “Ukulandela uJesu njengomfundi kusho ukuzinikela okungenamibandela kukho konke ukuphila [komuntu] . . . ukuphila kwakhe konke.” Ngakho-ke, umKristu weqiniso yilowo olandela izimfundiso neziqondiso zikaJesu, uMsunguli wobuKristu, ngokuphelele ngaphandle kwemibandela.
Kungenzeka yini ubathole abantu abanjalo phakathi kwabaningi abathi bangamaKristu namuhla? UJesu wathi babeyobonakala ngani abalandeli bakhe beqiniso? Sicela uhlole indlela iBhayibheli eliphendula ngayo le mibuzo. Ezihlokweni ezilandelayo, sizoxoxa ngezinto ezinhlanu ezashiwo uJesu eziphawula abalandeli bakhe beqiniso futhi ezisisiza ukuba sibabone. Sizobheka indlela amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayephila ngayo. Sizobe sesibona ukuthi obani phakathi kwabantu abaningi namuhla abathi bangamaKristu abaphila ngaleyo ndlela.