Isiphambano

Ingabe uJesu wafela esiphambanweni?

OKUSHIWO ABANYE ABANTU

AmaRoma abulala uJesu ngokumlengisa esiphambanweni esenziwe ngezingodo ezimbili.

OKUSHIWO IBHAYIBHELI

UJesu wabulawa ‘ngokuphanyekwa emthini.’ (IzEnzo 5:30, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile) Womabili amagama asetshenziswe abalobi beBhayibheli lapho bechaza into uJesu afela kuyo abhekisela ogodweni olulodwa hhayi ezimbili. Ngokwencwadi i-Crucifixion in Antiquity, igama lesiGreki elithi stau·rosʹ, lisho “isigxobo. Alibhekiseli ‘esiphambanweni.’” Igama elithi xyʹlon, elisetshenziswe emBhalweni wezEnzo 5:30, “limane libhekisela esigxotsheni esiqondile noma ogodweni amaRoma ayebethela kulo labo ababenikwe isigwebo sokufa.”a

IBhayibheli liphinde lihlobanise indlela uJesu abulawa ngayo nomthetho wama-Israyeli wasendulo. Umthetho wawuthi: “Uma kwenzeka umuntu eba nesono esithile esifanelwe yisigwebo sokufa, wayesebulawa, umlengisé esigxotsheni,  . . . umuntu olengisiwe uyinto eqalekiswe uNkulunkulu.” (Duteronomi 21:22, 23) Ebhekisela kulowo mthetho umphostoli ongumKristu uPawulu wabhala ukuthi uJesu waba “isiqalekiso esikhundleni sethu, ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Uqalekisiwe wonke umuntu olengiswe esigxotsheni [xyʹlon].’” (Galathiya 3:13) Ngakho uPawulu wabonisa ukuthi uJesu wafela esigxotsheni—ogodweni olulodwa.

‘Bambulala bamphanyeka emthini.’—IzEnzo 10:39, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile.

Ingabe abafundi bakaJesu basisebenzisa isiphambano lapho bekhulekela uNkulunkulu noma njengophawu lobuKristu?

OKUSHIWO IBHAYIBHELI

Akukho eBhayibhelini lapho kuboniswa khona ukuthi amaKristu okuqala asebenzisa isiphambano njengophawu lwenkolo. Kunalokho, kwakungamaRoma angaleso sikhathi ayesebenzisa isiphambano njengophawu lonkulunkulu bawo. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-300 uJesu afa, uConstantine uMbusi waseRoma wenza isiphambano saba uphawu lwebutho lakhe futhi ngemva kwalokho sathathwa njengophawu lwesonto “lamaKristu”.

Njengoba kungamaqaba ayesebenzisa isiphambano ukuze akhulekele onkulunkulu bawo, ingabe abafundi bakaJesu babengasisebenzisa ekukhulekeleni uNkulunkulu weqiniso? Ngokuphambene nalokho, babazi ukuthi kusukela kudala uNkulunkulu wayengakuvumeli ukukhulekelwa kusetshenziswa “isimo sanoma imuphi umfanekiso” nokuthi amaKristu kwakufanele ‘akubalekele ukukhonza izithombe.’ (Duteronomi 4:15-19; 1 Korinte 10:14) “UNkulunkulu unguMoya,” ongabonakali ngamehlo enyama. Ngakho, amaKristu okuqala ayengazisebenzisi izinto eziphathekayo ukuze azizwe esondelene noNkulunkulu. Kunalokho ayemkhulekela “ngomoya,” eqondiswa umoya ongcwele ongabonakali, “nangeqiniso” ngokuvumelana nentando kaNkulunkulu eboniswe emiBhalweni.—Johane 4:24.

‘Abakhulekeli beqiniso bayokhulekela uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso.’—Johane 4:23.

AmaKristu kufanele ayibonise kanjani inhlonipho ngoJesu Kristu?

OKUSHIWO ABANTU

“Kwakuyinto engokwemvelo futhi enengqondo ukuba into eyasetshenziswa ukuze sisindiswe ibe yinto ehlonishwayo nedunyiswayo. . . . Umuntu othanda isithombe, uthanda lowo leso sithombe esimmelelayo.”—I-New Catholic Encyclopedia.

OKUSHIWO IBHAYIBHELI

AmaKristu akweleta uJesu ngoba ukufa kwakhe kuwanikeza ithuba lokuba izono zawo zithethelelwe, akwazi ukusondela kuNkulunkulu futhi athole ukuphila okuphakade. (Johane 3:16; Hebheru 10:19-22) Awayalwa ukuba abonise inhlonipho yawo ngalesi sipho ngokuhlobisa ngomfanekiso kaJesu noma ngokumane athi akholelwa kuye. Kakade ‘ukholo uma lungenayo imisebenzi, lufile.’ (Jakobe 2:17) AmaKristu kumelwe abonise ukholo kuJesu. Kanjani?

IBhayibheli lithi: “Uthando uKristu analo luyasiqhubezela, ngoba yilokhu esikubonile, ukuthi umuntu oyedwa wafela bonke. . . Ukuze labo abaphilayo bangabe besaziphilela bona, kodwa baphilele lowo owabafela wabuye wavuswa.” (2 Korinte 5:14, 15) Uthando olukhulu uKristu alubonisa lwenza ukuba amaKristu alungise ukuphila kwawo ukuze alandele isibonelo sakhe. Ngokwenza kanjalo, ahlonipha uJesu ngendlela engcono kakhulu kunokusebenzisa uphawu lwenkolo.

“Yile intando kaBaba, ukuba wonke umuntu obona iNdodana futhi abonise ukholo kuyo abe nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 6:40.