Izithunywa Zevangeli—Ubani Okufanele Abeke Isibonelo?

NGAPHAMBI kokuba uJesu Kristu ayale abalandeli bakhe ukuba benze abafundi, ezinye izinkolo zase ziwenza ngandlela-thile umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli. Ezinye zaziwenza ngaphezu kwezinye, njengoba kungezona zonke izinkolo ezifundisa bonke abantu, okungukuthi, akuzona zonke ezifundisa isigijimi okucatshangwa ukuthi sisebenza ngokufanayo kubantu bonke.

Ngokwesibonelo, ngokwe-Encyclopedia of Religion, umbono onjalo ovamile akukhulunywa ngawo “ezinkolelweni zezinkolo zesizwe nezobuShintō, futhi awucacile ezinhlotsheni eziningi zenkolo kaConfucius, ubuJuda, nezenkolo kaZoroaster.” Lezizinkolo zisakazwa “kakhulu ukuthutha kwabantu noma ukuhlangana kancane kancane komakhelwane kunokusakazwa imisebenzi ehleliwe yezithunywa zevangeli.”

Le-encyclopedia iyanezela: “UbuHindu bumelela isibonelo esikhethekile nesiyinkimbinkimbi ngokweqile. Nakuba ezicini eziningi bufana nenkolo enamasiko angasakazwa izithunywa zevangeli,” njengoba buye basakazwa ukwamukelwa kancane kancane kwabangewona amaHindu, ngakolunye uhlangothi buye baba “nezinkathi zomsebenzi wenkuthalo wezithunywa zevangeli.”

UMax L. Stackhouse wase-Andover Newton Theological School, uthi: “Lezozinkolo ezisekhona ezithi zinesigijimi esisebenza ngendlela efanayo kubantu bonke futhi ezifakazela intshiseko enkulu yezithunywa zevangeli ngaphezu kweyendabuko” zihlanganisa ubuSulumane nobuBuddha. Nokho, izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaSulumane zazingenakuba izibonelo zezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu ngoba inkathi yobuSulumane ayizange iqale kwaze kwaba iminyaka engaba ngu-590 ngemva komyalo kaKristu wokwenza abafundi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ubuBuddha bandulela ukusungulwa kobuKristu cishe ngesikhathi esilingana naleso ubuSulumane obalandela ngaso ubuKristu.

Isibonelo Senkululeko

Ngokwenganekwane ethile uBuddha wasungula umkhankaso wezithunywa zevangeli ngokuthi kubafundi bakhe: “Hambani, zindela, nishumayele iMfundiso enhle, . . . ningahambi ngababili!” Nokho, imikhankaso emikhulu yezithunywa zevangeli ibilokhu iyingcosana, nakuba izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaBuddha zase ziseYurophu ekhulwini lesine B.C.E. Ezimweni eziningi lenkolo yayisakazwa abantu ngabanye abahwebayo, ama-pilgrim, noma abafundi. Ngokwesibonelo, yafinyelela eChina nasezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zaseNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia ngemizila yezohwebo yasolwandle nasezweni.

U-Erik Zürcher wase-University of Leiden eNetherlands uthi ukusakazeka kobuBuddha ngokuyinhloko kwabangelwa izici ezintathu. Esokuqala ‘isimo sengqondo sobuBuddha sokwamukela zonke izinkolo.’ Lokhu kwabangela ukwamukelwa kalula “kwezivumo zokholo ezingezona ezobuBuddha njengezambulo zeqiniso eziyisandulelo neziyingxenye” ngisho nokuhlanganiswa “konkulunkulu abangebona abobuBuddha nonkulunkulu babo.”

Isici sesibili ukuthi izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaBuddha zaba kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi “isimo sokungabi namakhaya,” okusho ukuthi zalahla konke okwakuzihlukanisa nezwe. Njengoba zazingasabekelwe imingcele yesimiso sesigungu sabefundisi, uBuddha alahla ukubaluleka kwaso okungokwenkolo, zazingahlangana nabafokazi ngaphandle kokwesaba ukungcoliswa ngokwenkolo.

Isici sesithathu ukuthi imibhalo engcwele yobuBuddha yayingahlobene nolimi olungcwele olulodwa kuphela. Yayingahunyushelwa kalula kunoma iluphi ulimi. “Ikakhulukazi eChina,” kuphawula uZürcher, “zonke izithunywa zevangeli ezivelele zakwamanye amazwe zazingabahumushi abakhuthele.” Eqinisweni, zahumusha kakhulu kangangokuba isiShayina saba ulimi lwesithathu oluyinhloko lwezincwadi zobuBuddha, sihambisana nesiPali nesiSanskrit.

Maphakathi nekhulu lesithathu B.C.E., umbusi wombuso waseNdiya, iNkosi u-Aśoka, waba nengxenye enkulu ekusakazeni ubuBuddha, eqinisa nezici zabo zezithunywa zevangeli. Nokho, phakathi nalenkathi yangaphambi kobuKristu, ubuBuddha baqhubeka ngokuyinhloko bugxile eNdiya nasendaweni namuhla ebizwa ngokuthi iSri Lanka. Cishe kwakungemva kokuqala kwenkathi yobuKristu lapho ubuBuddha basakazekela eChina, e-Indonesia, e-Iran, eJapane, eKorea, eMalaysia, eMyanmar, eVietnam, nakwezinye izindawo.

Ngokusobala izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaBuddha ezathunyelwa eChina azibonanga lutho olungalungile ngokushintsha inkolo yazo ukuze yamukeleke kakhudlwana. I-Encyclopedia of Religion iphawula ukuthi “imibhalo eyinhloko yobuBuddha yachazwa kabusha; kwamenyezelwa izincwadi zokuvikela ukholo, izinkondlo ezintsha, nemithetho nezimiso ezintsha ezashintsha, futhi eqinisweni, ezaguqula izici zesigijimi sobuBuddha ukuze zibe ingxenye, futhi ngandlela-thile zivuselele, izici zezinkolo zabantu bomdabu nezenkolo kaConfucius nezobuTao zakulelozwe.”

Ngezinye izikhathi, njengoba izihloko ezilandelayo kuloluchungechunge zizobonisa, izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa ziye zalandela isibonelo sabanduleli bazo abayizithunywa zevangeli ezingamaBuddha. Nakuba ziye zahumushela imibhalo yazo engcwele kwezinye izilimi, ngokuvamile ziye zavumela, noma zaze zakhuthaza, njengoba kusho isazimlando uWill Durant, “ukugxiliswa kwenkolo namasiko obuqaba” emikhutsheni yazo engokwenkolo.

Ukulandela “Isibonelo Esivelele Sesithunywa Sevangeli”

I-Judaism and Christian Beginnings ichaza ukuthi ubuJuda abuzange bukhuthaze umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli njengoba kwenza ubuKristu kodwa “babungaguquli abantu ngokuphelele.” Nokho, umlobi walencwadi, uSamuel Sandmel, uphawula ukuthi “okungenani kwakunokuthambekela kokuguqula abantu ngezikhathi ezithile, kodwa hhayi njalo.”

USandmel uchaza ukuthi “ngokuvamile ezincwadini zoRabi uBaba u-Abrahama uchazwa njengesibonelo esivelele sesithunywa sevangeli.” Uthi “lombono wokuthi u-Abrahama wayeyisithunywa sevangeli wawungenakuvela ukuba kwakungenakuthambekela ezicini ezithile zobuJuda ezazibonakala zizinhle ekuguquleni abantu ngentshiseko noma ekwamukelweni okholweni kwalabo ababezifunela ukuguqulwa.”a

Ngokobufakazi obutholakalayo, phakathi namakhulu amabili eminyaka andulela ngokushesha iNkathi Evamile, umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaJuda waba namandla, ikakhulukazi emazweni akhuluma isiGreki, njengoba izinkolo zobuqaba zaziqala ukungakhangi. Lomsebenzi waqhubekela eNkathini Evamile, kodwa wavinjelwa ekhulwini lesine C.E., lapho uMbuso WaseRoma wamukela ubuKristu obuyekelelayo njengenkolo yawo engokomthetho.

Ukubeka Isibonelo

Nokho, isibonelo esabekwa izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaJuda akusona isibonelo izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu ezatshelwa ukuba zisilandele. Eqinisweni, ngokuqondene nabaFarisi abangamaJuda bosuku lwakhe, uJesu wathi: “Ninqamula ulwandle nezwe ukuze niguqule umuntu oyedwa, nimenze afanelekele imbubhiso ngokuphindwe kabili kunani.” (Mathewu 23:15, Phillips) Ngakho ngisho noma zazibheka u-Abrahama ‘njengesibonelo esivelele sesithunywa sevangeli,’ ngokusobala izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaJuda azizange ziguqulele abantu ekubeni nokholo u-Abrahama ayenalo kuJehova uNkulunkulu.

Izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu kumelwe zilandele isibonelo esiphelele esinikezwa isithunywa sevangeli esivelele, uJesu Kristu. Ngaphambi kokukhipha umyalo wakhe wokwenza abafundi, waqale waqeqesha abafundi bakhe bokuqala ukuze benze umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli womhlaba wonke owawuzohileleka emsebenzini wokwenza abafundi. Njengoba kwakuzoba umsebenzi wamakhulu eminyaka, lombuzo wawufaneleka, Abalandeli bakaKristu babezonamathela yini esibonelweni ayesinikezile?

Njengoba ikhulu lokuqala leNkathi Evamile laliya ekupheleni, impendulo yayingakabi sobala. Akunjalo namuhla, njengoba ikhulu lama-20 liya ekupheleni. Iminyaka engaba ngu-1 900 yomsebenzi odlule wezithunywa zevangeli ezazithi zingabalandeli bakaKristu ibonakala ngokucacile.

Kusukela endaweni obaqala kuyo ePalestine, ubuKristu basakazekela emhlabeni wonke. Esinye isinyathelo kwakuwukudlulela ngasentshonalanga eMakedoniya. Funda ngalokhu kumagazini wethu olandelayo.

Ukuze uthole isibonelo salokho okuye kwenziwa izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa, phawula lokho okwenzeka amakhulu amaningi eminyaka eMexico. Lapho ufunda ukulandisa okulandelayo, zibuze, ‘Ingabe ziye zaba amanxusa okukhanya noma amanxusa obumnyama?’

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

UJesu wasungula umsebenzi wobuKristu wezithunywa zevangeli, eqeqesha abalandeli bakhe futhi ebeka isibonelo okwakumelwe basilandele