Izithunywa Zevangeli Amanxusa Okukhanya Noma Obumnyama?— Ingxenye 2
Ukudlulela EYurophu NgaseNtshonalanga
UKUZE kufezwe ukuthunywa uJesu akunikeza izithunywa zevangeli, bekuyodingeka ukuba abantu emhlabeni wonke bafinyelelwe ngesigijimi sobuKristu. (Mathewu 28:19; IzEnzo 1:8) Leliqiniso lagcizelelwa lapho phakathi nokuhambela kwesibili kokuthathu, umphostoli uPawulu ebona umbono anxuswa kuwo: “Welela eMakedoniya, usisize.”—IzEnzo 16:9, 10.
UPawulu wasamukela lesosimemo, futhi cishe ngo-50 C.E., wahamba wayoshumayela edolobheni laseYurophu iFilipi. ULidiya nomkhaya wakhe baba amakholwa, kwase kumiswa ibandla. Leyo kwakuyindawo yokuqala ubuKristu obasakazekela kuyo ngokunqoba kulo lonke elaseYurophu. Kamuva uPawulu ngokwakhe washumayela e-Italy, mhlawumbe ngisho naseSpain.—IzEnzo 16:9-15; Roma 15:23, 24.
Kodwa kwakungeyena uPawulu kuphela owayeyisithunywa sevangeli sobuKristu. Umlobi uJ. Herbert Kane uyaphawula: “Kumelwe ukuba kwakunezinye eziyindathane, amagama azo angalotshiwe emlandweni. . . . IzEnzo Zabaphostoli aziyilandisi yonke indaba.”—A Global View of Christian Missions From Pentecost to the Present.
Nokho, asilazi izinga abanye abalandeli bakaJesu abakhonza ngalo njengezithunywa zevangeli kwamanye amazwe. Aziqinisekile izinkolelo ezingokwesiko zokuthi uTomase waya eNdiya futhi uMarku umvangeli waya eGibithe. Esikwaziyo ukuthi bonke abafundi bakaKristu beqiniso babenomoya wobuthunywa bevangeli nokuthi bonke benza umsebenzi wobuthunywa bevangeli okungenani emazweni akubo. Njengoba uKane ephawula: “Lesisenzakalo esiyingqophamlando [iPhentekoste] saphawula ukuqala kwesonto lobuKristu nokuphenjwa komkhankaso wezithunywa zevangeli, ngoba ngalezozinsuku isonto lalinomoya wobuthunywa bevangeli.”
Ukuya Emajukujukwini EYurophu
AmaJuda ayekholelwa ekukhulekeleni uNkulunkulu oyedwa weqiniso. Ayebeke amathemba awo kuMesiya othenjisiwe. Amukela imiBhalo YesiHeberu njengeZwi likaNkulunkulu leqiniso. Ngakho, izakhamuzi zamazwe amaJuda ayehlakazekele kuwo zazijwayelene ngandlela-thile nalezizinkolelo. Njengoba lezi kwakuyizici zokukhulekela kwamaKristu nokwamaJuda, isigijimi sobuKristu, lapho sivela, sasingeyona into entsha ngokuphelele. NgokukaKane, “lezizici zaziwusizo kakhulu ezithunyweni zevangeli ezingamaKristu njengoba zazihamba kulo lonke izwe laseRoma zishumayela ivangeli futhi zimisa namasonto.”
Ngaleyondlela ukuhlakazeka kwamaJuda kwavula indlela yobuKristu. Ukusakazeka ngokushesha kobuKristu kwenzeka ngenxa yokuthi amaKristu ayenomoya wobuthunywa bevangeli. “Ivangeli lalishunyayelwa abantu abavamile,” kusho uKane, ephawula: “Nomaphi lapho babeya khona babeluhlanganyela ngenjabulo ukholo lwabo olusha nabangane, omakhelwane, nabafokazi.” Isazimlando uWill Durant siyachaza: “Cishe wonke umuntu owayeguquka, owayenentshiseko yokwenza izinguquko, wayesakaza izinkolelo zokholo.”
Ngo-300 C.E., ubuKristu obonakalisiwe basakazeka kuwo wonke uMbuso WamaRoma. Ukonakala okunjalo, ukuwa ekukhulekeleni okuhlanzekile, kwakubikezelwe. (2 Thesalonika 2:3-10) Eqinisweni kwaba khona ukuhlubuka. UDurant uyachaza: “UbuKristu abubuqedanga ubuqaba; babamukela.”
Njengoba ababethi bangamaKristu babeqhela kakhulu ebuKristwini beqiniso, iningi labo lalahlakelwa umoya wobuthunywa bevangeli. Nokho, othile owayenomoya wobuthunywa bevangeli kwakungumntwana owazalwa abazali abangamaKatolika eBrithani ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine. Njengoba ayebizwa ngokuthi uPatrick, waziwa ngokuthi wayisa isigijimi sikaKristu emaphethelweni asentshonalanga yeYurophu—e-Ireland—lapho ngokomlando kuthiwa waguqula khona izinkulungwane zabantu futhi wamisa amasonto amaningi.
Ngokushesha i-Ireland yayihamba phambili ngomsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli. NgokukaKane, “izithunywa zevangeli zakhona zazigcwele intshiseko yokulwa nobuqaba.” Esinye salezizithunywa zevangeli kwakunguColumba, ngokusobala owaba nendima eyinhloko ekuguquleni iScotland. Cishe ngo-563 C.E., yena nabangane bakhe abangu-12 bamisa umuzi wezindela e-Iona, isiqhingi esingasogwini olusentshonalanga yeScotland, isizinda somsebenzi wobuthunywa bevangeli. UColumba wafa ngaphambi nje kuka-600 C.E., kodwa eminyakeni engu-200 eyalandela, kwaqhutshekwa kuthunyelwa izithunywa zevangeli zisuka e-Iona ziya kuzo zonke izingxenye zeBritish Isles naseYurophu.
Ngemva kokuba ubuKristu bokuzisholo busakazekele eNgilandi, amanye amaNgisi ayeguqukile alingisa umoya wezithunywa zevangeli zase-Ireland futhi nawo aba izithunywa zevangeli. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-692 C.E., uWillibrord waseNorthumbria, umbuso wasendulo wama-Anglo-Saxon enyakatho yeNgilandi, nabangane bakhe abangu-11 baba izithunywa zevangeli zokuqala ezingamaNgisi—eNetherlands, eBelgium, naseLuxembourg.
Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesishiyagalombili, uBoniface, indela eyiNgisi ewumlandeli kaSt. Benedict, wabhekisa ukunakekela kwakhe eJalimane. UKane uthi ‘umsebenzi omuhle kaBoniface wobuthunywa bevangeli owaqhubeka iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amane wamzuzela isiqu esithi umPhostoli WaseJalimane’ futhi wamenza “isithunywa sevangeli esivelele kunazo zonke zeNkathi Yobumnyama.” Lapho uBoniface eneminyaka engaphezu kuka-70, yena nabangane bakhe abangu-50 babulawa amaqaba aseFriesland.
I-Encyclopedia of Religion ichaza indlela uBoniface ayisebenzisa ngokuphumelelayo ukuze aguqule abantu babe amaKatolika: “EGeismar [eduze naseGöttingen, eJalimane] waqunga isibindi wagawula i-oki elingcwele likaThor. . . . [Lapho] engayitholi impindiselo kankulunkulu wezakhamuzi ezingamaJalimane, kwacaca ukuthi uNkulunkulu ayeshumayela ngaye kwakunguNkulunkulu weqiniso okunguyena kuphela okumelwe akhulekelwe futhi adunyiswe.”
Ezinye izithunywa zevangeli zasebenzisa ezinye izindlela, ngokobufakazi obukhona zicabanga ukuthi noma iyiphi indlela esetshenziswayo iyamukeleka uma nje ifeza okudingekayo. UKane uyavuma ukuthi ukuguquka kwamaSaxon aseJalimane “kwabangelwa ukunqoba kwezempi kunokushukunyiswa izindinganiso zokuziphatha okuhle noma inkolo.” Uyanezela: “Isivumelwano esingengcwele phakathi kwesonto nombuso . . . sabangela isonto ukuba lisebenzise izindlela ezingokwenyama ukuze lifeze izinjongo ezingokomoya. Lenkambiso yawucekela phansi kakhulu umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwamaSaxon. . . . Kwenziwa izenzo zobudlova.” Futhi sitshelwa ukuthi lapho izithunywa zevangeli zidlulela eScandinavia, “ingxenye enkulu yalolushintsho yenziwa ngokuthula; kuseNorway kuphela lapho kwaphoqelelwa khona.”
Ukuphoqelela? Ukwenziwa kwezenzo zobudlova? Ukusetshenziswa kwezindlela ezingokwenyama ukuze kufezwe izinjongo ezingokomoya? Yilokhu yini okufanele sikulindele ezithunyweni zevangeli ezikhonza njengamanxusa okukhanya?
Izithunywa Zevangeli Endlini Ehlukene
Imikhankaso ehlukene yezithunywa zevangeli yayenziwa amagatsha amabili obuKristu bokuzisholo eRome naseConstantinople. Imizamo yawo “yokwenza amaKristu” eBulgaria yabangela ukudideka okuvame endlini ehlukene ngokwenkolo. Umbusi waseBulgaria, uBoris I, waguqukela enkolweni yobu-Orthodox bamaGreki. Nokho, lapho ebona ukuthi iConstantinople ikwenqabela ngokuqinile ukuzimela kwesonto laseBulgaria, waphendukela eNtshonalanga, evumela izithunywa zevangeli zaseJalimane, ezazimelela iRome, ukuba zilethe ubuKristu bazo. Ngo-870 C.E., kwaba sobala ukuthi isonto laseNtshonalanga lalinemingcele eqine kakhulu kunelaseMpumalanga, ngakho amaJalimane axoshwa, futhi iBulgaria yamukela ubu-Orthodox baseMpumalanga, eyanamathela kubo ngokwenkolo kusukela kulesosikhathi.
Cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo, izithunywa zevangeli zaseNtshonalanga zangenisa “ubuKristu” eHungary. Phakathi nalesosikhathi, lezizinhlangothi zombili “zobuKristu” zazisekelwa iPoland. Ngokwe-Encyclopedia of Religion, “isonto labasePoland lilonke lalilawulwa iNtshonalanga, kuyilapho ngesikhathi esifanayo lingaphansi kwethonya eliphawulekayo laseMpumalanga.” Amazwe aseLithuania, iLatvia, ne-Estonia nawo “ayebangwa amabutho aseNtshonalanga nawaseMpumalanga, okwaba nemiphumela emikhulu emasontweni.” Futhi iFinland, ngemva kokwamukela “ubuKristu” ekupheleni kwekhulu le-11 nasekuqaleni kwele-12, yazithola isemncintiswaneni ofanayo weMpumalanga neNtshonalanga.
Phakathi nekhulu lesishiyagalolunye, izinsizwa ezimbili eziyizelamani zomkhaya othile ovelele wamaGreki eThesalonika zaletha “ubuKristu” baseByzantium ezindaweni zamaSlav zaseYurophu nase-Asia. UCyril, obizwa futhi ngokuthi uConstantine, noMethodius baziwa ngokuthi “abaphostoli bamaSlav.”
Okunye okwafezwa uCyril kwakuwukusungula ulimi olubhalwayo lwamaSlav. Uhlu lwezinhlamvu zalo, olwalusekelwe ezinhlamvwini zesiHeberu nesiGreki, lwaziwa ngokuthi uhlu lwezinhlamvu lukaCyril futhi lusasetshenziswa ezilimini ezinjengesiRussia, isi-Ukraine, isiBulgaria, nesiSerb. Lezizinsizwa ezimbili eziyizelamani zahumushela izingxenye zeBhayibheli kulolulimi olusha olubhalwayo futhi zangenisa imidanti yokukhulekela ngesiSlav. Lokhu kwakuphambene nenqubo yesonto laseNtshonalanga, elalifuna ukugcina imidanti yokukhulekela ingesiLatini, isiGreki, nesiHeberu. Umlobi uKane uthi: “Ukusetshenziswa kolimi lomdabu ekukhulekeleni, umkhuba owawukhuthazwa iConstantinople kodwa ulahlwa iRome, kwakuwukuphambuka okusha futhi kwamisa isandulelo esabonakala ngokugcwele emsebenzini wezithunywa zevangeli zanamuhla zekhulu le-19 nelama-20.”
Ekupheleni kwekhulu leshumi, ubuKristu-mbumbulu base bungene nasezindaweni zezwe elaliyiSoviet Union. Ngokwesiko, iNkosana uVladimir, yaseKiev, e-Ukraine, yabhapathizwa ngo-988 C.E. Kuthiwa yakhetha inkolo “yobuKristu” baseByzantium kunobuJuda nobuSulumane ngenxa yemicikilisho yayo ekhangayo, hhayi ngenxa yesigijimi esithile sethemba neqiniso.
Eqinisweni, “isikhathi uVladimir aguquka ngaso,” kusho i-Keeping the Faiths—Religion and Ideology in the Soviet Union, “sisikisela ukuthi wamukela inkolo entsha ukuze afeze izithakazelo zakhe zezombangazwe, ngaleyondlela eqala isiko eliye lasebenza cishe ngokunganqamuki kuwo wonke umlando weSonto Lobu-Orthodox LaseRussia.” Khona-ke lencwadi inezela lomcabango osangulukisayo: “Ngokuvamile isonto belizimisele ukusebenzela izithakazelo zikahulumeni, ngisho noma uhulumeni eye wagxambukela ezithakazelweni zalo.”
UVladimir washaya umthetho wokuba izikhonzi zakhe zibhapathizwe njengamaKristu; zazingenakuzikhethela kulendaba. Lapho “esebamukele ubu-Orthodox njengenkolo yombuso,” kusho uPaul Steeves, “wagxila emkhankasweni wokusiphula imikhuba yesiko engokwenkolo yezizwe zomdabu zamaSlav.” Ngokwesibonelo, ezindaweni abantu ababehlabela kuzo izithombe, wakha amasonto. USteeves uyanezela: “Nakuba kunjalo izinsalela zobuqaba zaqhubeka amakhulu eminyaka amaningana futhi ekugcineni kunokuba ziqedwe zafakwa ekuphileni okungokwenkolo kwaseRussia.”
Naphezu kwalesisisekelo esintengayo, iSonto Lobu-Orthodox LaseRussia lawusekela ngentshiseko umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli. UThomas Hopko wase-Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary uthi: “Imibhalo nezinkonzo zesonto kwahunyushelwa ezilimini eziningi zaseSiberia nezase-Alaska njengoba izifunda zombuso zaseMpumalanga zase zizinzile futhi sezishunyayeziwe.”
Umsebenzi Wezithunywa Zevangeli Owandisiwe
INkathi Yenguquko yekhulu le-16 yafaka intshiseko evuthayo ngokomoya kulo lonke elaseYurophu. Kwabekwa isisekelo somsebenzi owandisiwe wezithunywa zevangeli “ezingamaKristu” njengoba abaholi bamaProthestani, ngamunye ngendlela yakhe siqu, bevuselela isithakazelo somphakathi enkolweni. Ukuhumusha kukaLuther iBhayibheli ngesiJalimane kwakuphawuleka, njengoba kwakunjalo ngokuhumusha iBhayibheli ngesiNgisi kukaWilliam Tyndale noMiles Coverdale.
Khona-ke, ekhulwini le-17, kwavela inhlangano eJalimane eyayibizwa ngokuthi i-Pietism. Yagcizelela ukufunda iBhayibheli nokuba nenkolo yomuntu siqu. I-Encyclopedia of Religion iyenaba: “Umbono wayo ngesintu esidinga ivangeli likaKristu wabangela ukuqala nokwanda okusheshayo kwemisebenzi yezithunywa zevangeli emazweni angaphandle nawendabuko.”
Namuhla, kungabonakala ukuthi izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa zahluleka ngokudabukisayo ukugxilisa kubantu baseYurophu ezabaguqula ukholo lobuKristu nethemba elinamandla ngokwanele ukunqanda ukwanda kobuKhomanisi obuphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu neminye imiqondo yobushiqela kulelikhulu lethu lama-20. Kusukela ekupheleni kobuKhomanisi emazweni athile, izithunywa zevangeli ziye zavuselela umsebenzi wazo, kodwa amaRoma Katolika, amaKatolika obu-Orthodox, namaProthestani awanabo ubunye okholweni lobuKristu athi analo.
AmaRoma Katolika aseCroatia nama-Orthodox aseSerbia ayingxenye yezithelo zezithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa. Yikuphi okuliveza kangcono ihlazo lokuba indlu ehlukene kunalokho okuvezwa eLobukholwa? “Abazalwane” abangamaKristu anjani abaqale bakhombane ngezibhamu bese bephendukela ekukhombeni omakhelwane abangewona amaKristu? AmaKristu mbumbulu kuphela angaba necala lokuziphatha okunjalo okungekhona okobuKristu.—Mathewu 5:43-45; 1 Johane 3:10-12.
Ingabe zonke izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa azizange zifaneleke? Ake siqhubeke nophenyo lwethu ngokubona ukuthi yini ezayifeza e-Asia. Funda isihloko esithi “Izithunywa Zevangeli ZeLobukholwa Ziphindela Lapho Konke Kwaqala Khona,” kumagazini wethu olandelayo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 21]
Kuthiwa uBoniface wabonisa ukuthi onkulunkulu bamaqaba abanawo amandla
[Umthombo]
Picture from the book Die Geschichte der deutschen Kirche und kirchlichen Kunst im Wandel der Jahrhunderte