Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe Kufanele Kusetshenziswe Izithombe Ekukhulekeleni?

NJALO ngo-August 15, kuba nomkhosi omkhulu wenkolo esiqhingini saseTínos eGreece. Izinkulungwane ziyabuthana zizokhulekela uMariya unina kaJesu nesithombe sakhe, okukholelwa ukuthi sinamandla ayisimangaliso.a Incwadi ethile yenkolo yobu-Orthodox bamaGreki iyachaza: “Ngokholo olukhethekile nokuzinikela sidumisa uMama KaNkulunkulu Ongcwele, uNina weNkosi yethu, simcela ukuba asivikele futhi asengamele ngokushesha, asisize. Sicela koSanta abenza izimangaliso—amadoda nabesifazane abaNgcwele—ukuba basiphe izidingo zethu ezingokomoya nezingokwenyama . . . Ngokuzinikela okukhulu sanga futhi sidumise imifanekiso nezithombe zabo ezingcwele.”

Abanye abantu abaningi abathi bangamaKristu bangamalungu ezinkolo ezikhulekela ngendlela efanayo. Kodwa ingabe izimfundiso zeBhayibheli ziyakusekela ukusebenzisa izithombe ekukhulekeleni?

AmaKristu Okuqala

Cabangela okwenzeka cishe ngonyaka ka-50 C.E., lapho umphostoli uPawulu ehambele e-Athene, umuzi owawugcizelela kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kwezithombe ekukhulekeleni. UPawulu wachazela abase-Athene ukuthi uNkulunkulu “akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla, futhi akakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu njengokungathi kukhona akudingayo . . . Ngakho-ke, . . . akufanele sicabange ukuthi uMuntu Waphezulu unjengegolide noma isiliva noma itshe, njengokuthile okuqoshwe ngobuciko nangomklamo womuntu.”—IzEnzo 17:24, 25, 29.

Empeleni, izixwayiso ezinjalo mayelana nokusebenzisa izithombe ziningi emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki, ebizwa nangokuthi iTestamente Elisha. Ngokwesibonelo, umphostoli uJohane wayala amaKristu: “Ziqapheni ezithombeni.” (1 Johane 5:21) UPawulu wabhalela abaseKorinte: “Linakuvumelana kuni ithempeli likaNkulunkulu nezithombe?” (2 Korinte 6:16) AmaKristu amaningi okuqala ngaphambili ayesebenzisa izithombe zenkolo lapho ekhulekela. UPawulu wakhumbuza amaKristu aseThesalonika ngalokhu lapho ebhala: “[Naphenduka] ezithombeni zenu niphendukela kuNkulunkulu ukuze nibe yizinceku zikaNkulunkulu ophilayo noweqiniso.” (1 Thesalonika 1:9) Kusobala-ke ukuthi lawo maKristu okuqala ayezibheka ngendlela efanayo izithombe njengoJohane noPawulu.

“AmaKristu” Amukela Izithombe

I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi “phakathi namakhulu eminyaka amathathu okuqala eSonto LobuKristu, . . . zazingekho izithombe zobuKristu, futhi isonto lilonke lalimelene nazo ngokuqinile. Ngokwesibonelo, uClement wase-Alexandria wagxeka izithombe zenkolo (zobuqaba) ngoba zikhuthaza abantu ukuba bakhulekele okudaliwe esikhundleni sokukhulekela uMdali.”

Kwenzeka kanjani-ke ukuba ukusetshenziswa kwezithombe kwande kangaka? I-Britannica iyaqhubeka: “Cishe maphakathi nekhulu lesithathu izithombe ezingokoqobo zaqala ukusetshenziswa futhi zamukelwa eSontweni LobuKristu kodwa amanye amabandla ayemelene nazo ngokuqinile. Izithombe zaqala ukusetshenziswa lapho iSonto LobuKristu liba isonto lombuso waseRoma ngaphansi koMbusi uConstantine ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesine, futhi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi zaqala ukwamukelwa ezinkolelweni ezivamile zobuKristu.”

Amaqaba amaningi ayeseqale ukuzibiza ngamaKristu ayenomkhuba wokukhulekela izithombe zombusi. Encwadini yakhe ethi Icon Painting, uJohn Taylor uyachaza: “Ngokuvumelana nokukhulekelwa kombusi, abantu babekhulekela isithombe sakhe esidwetshiwe noma esiqoshwe ngokhuni, futhi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kwaba lula ukudlulela ekukhulekeleni iziithombe.” Ngakho, ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe kobuqaba kwathathelwa indawo ukudunyiswa kwezithombe zikaJesu, uMariya, izingelosi kanye “nosanta.” Lezi zithombe ezaqala zisetshenziswa emasontweni kancane kancane zagcina sezisemakhaya ezigidi zabantu, nalapho futhi zikhulekelwa.

Ukukhulekela “Ngomoya Nangeqiniso”

UJesu watshela izilaleli zakhe ukuthi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu kumelwe zikhulekele “ngomoya nangeqiniso.” (Johane 4:24) Ngakho lapho umuntu oqotho efuna ukwazi iqiniso ngokusetshenziswa kwezithombe ekukhulekeleni, kufanele aye eZwini likaNkulunkulu ukuze athole ulwazi ngale ndaba.

Ngokwesibonelo, eBhayibhelini kunamazwi kaJesu athi: “Ngiyindlela neqiniso nokuphila. Akekho oza kuBaba ngaphandle kokuba eze ngami.” (Johane 14:6) UPawulu wathi “kukhona uNkulunkulu oyedwa, nomlamuleli oyedwa phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu, umuntu, uKristu Jesu,” futhi wathi ‘uKristu uyasincengela.’ (1 Thimothewu 2:5; Roma 8:34) Le ndima kaJesu iba ebaluleke nakakhulu uma sifunda ukuthi uKristu uyakwazi “ukusindisa ngokuphelele labo abasondela kuNkulunkulu ngaye, ngoba uyaphila ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuba abancengele.” (Hebheru 7:25) Kufanele sisondele kuNkulunkulu ngegama likaJesu Kristu. Akekho omunye umuntu ongathatha indawo yakhe, ingasaphathwa eyesithombe esingaphili. Ulwazi olunjalo oluvela eZwini likaNkulunkulu lungasiza noma ubani ofuna iqiniso ukuba athole indlela yokukhulekela “uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso” futhi athole izibusiso zale ndlela ephakeme yokukhulekela. Yebo, njengoba uJesu asho, “uBaba ufuna abanjalo ukuba bamkhulekele.”—Johane 4:23.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 13]

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