EZASENDULO
UConstantine
UConstantine waba umbusi wokuqala waseRoma owazibiza ngomKristu. Ngokwenza kanjalo wawuthonya kakhulu umlando wezwe. Wamukela inkolo eyayishushiswa ngaphambili futhi wafaka isandla ekwakhekeni kwamaSonto. Ngokwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, “umphakathi nabezombangazwe bayisebenzisa kakhulu” inkolo yobuKristu ekulawuleni umlando wezwe.
KUNGANI kufanele ube nendaba nombusi waseRoma yasendulo? Uma unendaba nobuKristu, kufanele wazi ukuthi izenzo zobuqili zikaConstantine kwezombangazwe nakwezenkolo zazithonya izinkolelo nemikhuba yamasonto amaningi asekhona ngisho nanamuhla. Ake sibone ukuthi kanjani.
AMASONTO—AGUNYAZWA ABE ESEXHASHAZWA
Ngonyaka ka-313 C.E., uConstantine wayebusa eMbusweni waseRoma oseNtshonalanga kuyilapho uLicinius noMaximinus bebusa ingxenye eseMpumalanga. UConstantine noLicinius banikeza wonke umuntu inkululeko yokukhulekela, kuhlanganise namaKristu. UConstantine wavikela inkolo yobuKristu, ekholelwa ukuthi yayiyoletha ubumbano embusweni wakhe.a
Ngakho-ke, kwamphazamisa uConstantine ukuthola ukuthi amasonto ayehlukaniswa yizingxabano. Elangazelela ukuba kube nobunye, wafuna ukusungula imfundiso “eqondile” nokuyenza yamukelwe. Kwadingeka ukuba ababhishobhi bayekethise ezindabeni zenkolo ukuze uConstantine abathande, futhi labo abayekethisa bakhululwa ekukhokheni intela futhi banikwa neholo. Isazi-mlando uCharles Freeman sithi “ukuthola imfundiso ‘efanele’ yobuKristu kwakungeyona indaba yokukhulekela nje kuphela kodwa futhi nokuthola umnotho wezwe.” Abefundisi baba abantu abavelele ezindabeni zezwe. Isazi-mlando u-A.H.M. Jones sithi “Isonto lase lithole umvikeli kodwa futhi lase lithole nomlawuli.”
“Isonto lase lithole umvikeli kodwa futhi lase lithole nomlawuli.” —U-A.H.M. Jones, isazi-mlando
KWABA UHLOBO OLUNJANI LOBUKRISTU?
Umphumela wombimbi lukaConstantine nababhishobhi kwaba yinkolo enezimfundiso ezixube ubuKristu nezinkolelo zamanga. Kwakungenakuba ngenye indlela ngoba inhloso yalo mbusi kwakuwukuvumela zonke izinkolo, hhayi ukufuna inkolo yeqiniso. Kakade wayengumbusi wombuso okhulekela onkulunkulu bamanga. Ukuze ajabulise womabili amaqembu enkolo, waqala “ukungacaci ukuthi uyiliphi endleleni enza ngayo nabusa ngayo,” kubhala esinye isazi-mlando.
Nakuba ayezibiza ngomKristu wokuqina, uConstantine wagxamalazela nasenkolweni yamanga. Ngokwesibonelo, wayebhula ngezinkanyezi futhi enza iziphonso—izenzo zokusebenzelana nemimoya ezingavumelani neBhayibheli. (Duteronomi 18:10-12) Ekhothameni likaConstantine eliseRoma, ubonakala emdwebeni enikela umhlatshelo konkulunkulu bamanga. Waqhubeka ehlonipha unkulunkulu welanga ngokumqopha ezinhlamvwini zemali nokukhuthaza imikhuba yokumkhulekela. Ngasekupheleni kokuphila kwakhe, uConstantine waze ngisho wavumela idolobhana lase-Umbria, e-Italy, ukuba lakhe ithempeli lokukhulekela yena nomndeni wakhe nokuba kumiswe abapristi ababezokhonza kulo.
UConstantine wayelokhu ekuhlehlisa ukubhapathizwa kwakhe “njengomKristu” kwaze kwaba sezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe ngo-337 C.E. Izazi eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi wayehudula izinyawo ukuze aqhubeke ethola ukusekelwa kwezombangazwe okuvela kumaKristu nakulabo abangewona amaKristu ababesembusweni wakhe. Ngempela, umlando wokuphila kwakhe nokwephuza kwakhe ukubhapathizwa kwenza kungabazeke ukuthi wayeqotho lapho ethi uyakholelwa kuKristu. Nokho, kunento eyodwa esiqiniseka ngayo: Isonto elagunyazwa uConstantine laba yinhlangano yenkolo neyezombangazwe enamandla kakhulu, eyafulathela uKristu yase inamathela ezweni. UJesu wathi ngokuqondene nabalandeli bakhe: ‘Abayona ingxenye yezwe, njengoba nje nami ngingeyona ingxenye yezwe.’ (Johane 17:14) Amaqembu amaningi enkolo avela kuleli sonto manje elase liyingxenye yezwe.
Kusho ukuthini kithi konke lokhu? Kusho ukuthi akufanele sizithathe kalula izimfundiso zanoma yiliphi isonto kodwa kufanele sizihlole sisebenzisa iBhayibheli.—1 Johane 4:1.
a Kuye kwaphikiswana kakhulu ngokuba qotho kukaConstantine ezinkolelweni zobuKristu ngenxa “yokuvumela kwakhe imikhuba yenkolo yamanga, ngisho nasekupheleni kokubusa kwakhe,” kusho enye incwadi.