Imfundiso KaZiqu-zintathu Yaqala Kanjani?
KULELIQOPHELO ungase ubuze: ‘Uma uZiqu-zintathu engeyona imfundiso engokweBhayibheli, waba kanjani imfundiso yeLobukholwa?’ Abaningi bacabanga ukuthi waklanywa eMkhandlwini waseNicaea ngo-325 C.E.
Nokho, lokho akulona iqiniso ngokuphelele. UMkhandlu waseNicaea waqinisa ukuthi uKristu wayesesimweni esifana nesikaNkulunkulu, okwabekela imfundiso yenkolo yamuva kaZiqu-zintathu isisekelo. Kodwa awuzange usungule uZiqu-zintathu, ngoba kulowomkhandlu akuzange kukhulunywe ngomoya ongcwele njengomuntu wesithathu kaNkulunkulu ongumthath’ emunye.
Indima KaConstantine ENicaea
EMINYAKENI eminingi, lomqondo owawuqala wokuthi uJesu unguNkulunkulu wawuphikiswe kakhulu ngezizathu ezingokweBhayibheli. Ukuze azame ukuxazulula lenkinga, umbusi waseRoma uConstantine wabizela bonke ababhishobhi eNicaea. Cishe abangama-300, noma ingxenye ethile yenani labo sebebonke, ababa khona ngempela.
UConstantine wayengeyena umKristu. Kuthiwa, waguquka kamuva ekuphileni, kodwa wayengabhapathiziwe kwaze kwaba sekukhothameni kwakhe. Ngokuqondene naye, uHenry Chadwick kwethi The Early Church uthi: “UConstantine, njengoyise, wayekhulekela iLanga Elingakanqotshwa; . . . ukuguquka kwakhe akufanele kuchazwe njengokuthi wayenomuzwa wangaphakathi wokwamukeleka . . . Kwakuyindaba yezempi. Akakaze ayiqonde kahle-hle imfundiso yobuKristu, kodwa wayeqiniseka ngokuthi ukunqoba empini kwakuxhomeke esiphweni sikaNkulunkulu wamaKristu.”
Iyiphi indima eyafezwa yilombusi ongabhapathiziwe eMkhandlwini waseNicaea? IEncyclopædia Britannica iyalandisa: “UConstantine ngokwakhe wengamela, wahola ngenkuthalo izingxoxo, futhi wawusikisela ngokwakhe . . . umklamo owujuqu ochaza ubuhlobo bukaKristu kuNkulunkulu esivumweni sokholo esakhishwa yilomkhandlu, ‘sokuthi unesimo esifana nesikaYise’ . . . Beqhaqhezeliswa yilombusi, ababhishobhi, ngaphandle kwababili kuphela, basisayina lesosivumo sokholo, abaningi babo benza bengathandisisi.”
Kanjalo, indima kaConstantine yayiwujuqu. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbili zenkulumo-mpikiswano yenkolo eshubile, lesazi sezombangazwe esiyiqaba sangenela futhi sanquma ngokuvumelana nalabo ababethi uJesu unguNkulunkulu. Kodwa kungani? Ngokuqinisekile kwakungengenxa yanoma ikuphi ukukholelwa eBhayibhelini. “UConstantine ngokuyisisekelo wayengayiqondi nhlobo imibuzo eyayibuzwa emfundisweni yenkolo yamaGreki,” kusho iShort History of Christian Doctrine. Ayekuqonda kwakuwukuthi ukwehlukana kwenkolo kwakusongela umbuso wakhe, futhi wayefuna ukuqinisa umbuso wakhe.
Nokho, akekho kubabhishobhi baseNicaea owasekela uZiqu-zintathu. Banquma kuphela uhlobo lomuntu uJesu ayilo kodwa hhayi indima yomoya ongcwele. Ukuba uZiqu-zintathu ubeyiqiniso elisobala leBhayibheli, kwakungafanele yini bamhlongoze ngalesosikhathi?
Enye Inqubekela Phambili
NGEMVA koMkhandlu waseNicaea, izinkulumo-mpikiswano ngalendaba zaqhubeka amashumi eminyaka. Labo ababekholelwa ukuthi uJesu akalingani noNkulunkulu baze babuye bacatshangelwa njengabaqinisile isikhathi esithile. Kodwa kamuva uMbusi uTheodosius wanquma ngokumelene nabo. Wamisa isivumo sokholo soMkhandlu waseNicaea njengendinganiso yendawo ayeyibusa futhi wahlanganisa uMkhandlu waseConstantinople ngo-381 C.E. ukuze kuchazwe lomklamo.
Lowomkhandlu wavuma ukubeka umoya ongcwele esikhundleni esilingana nesikaNkulunkulu noKristu. Ngokokuqala ngqá, uZiqu-zintathu weLobukholwa waqala ukuvela.
Nokho, ngisho nangemva koMkhandlu waseConstantinople, uZiqu-zintathu akazange abe isivumo sokholo esamukelwa kabanzi. Abaningi bamelana naye futhi ngaleyondlela bazibangela ukushushiswa ngobudlova. Kwakungemva kwamakhulu eminyaka akamuva kuphela lapho uZiqu-zintathu aklanywa khona waba izivumo zokholo ezimisiwe. IEncyclopedia Americana iyaphawula: “Ukukhula okugcwele kokukholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu kwenzeka eNtshonalanga, esimisweni seMfundiso Yenkolo Nefilosofi seNkathi Ephakathi, lapho kwamukelwa incazelo evumelana nefilosofi nesayensi yokusebenza kwengqondo.”
Isivumo Sokholo Sika-Athanasius
UZIQU-ZINTATHU wachazwa ngokugcwele eSivumweni Sokholo Sika-Athanasius. UAthanasius wayengumfundisi owasekela uConstantine eNicaea. Lesivumo sokholo esibizwa ngegama lakhe sithi: “Sikhulekela uNkulunkulu oyedwa onguZiqu-zintathu . . . UYise unguNkulunkulu, iNdodana inguNkulunkulu, noMoya Ongcwele unguNkulunkulu; kodwa ababona oNkulunkulu abathathu, kodwa banguNkulunkulu oyedwa.”
Nokho, izazi ezinolwazi oluhle ziyavuma ukuthi akuyena uAthanasius owaqamba lesisivumo sokholo. INew Encyclopædia Britannica iyaphawula: “Lesisivumo sokholo sasingaziwa eSontweni laseMpumalanga kwaze kwaba sekhulwini le-12 leminyaka. Kusukela ekhulwini le-17 leminyaka, izazi ziye zavuma cishe zonke ukuthi iSivumo Sokholo Sika-Athanasius asibhalwanga uAthanasius (owafa ngo-373) kodwa ngokunokwenzeka saqanjwa eningizimu yeFrance phakathi nekhulu lesi-5 leminyaka. . . . Ithonya lalesisivumo sokholo kubonakala sengathi liye laba ngokuyinhloko seningizimu yeFrance naseSpain ekhulwini lesi-6 nelesi-7 leminyaka. Sasisetshenziswa emikhubeni yesonto eJalimane ngekhulu lesi-9 leminyaka cishe kamuva naseRoma.”
Ngakho kwathatha amakhulu eminyaka kusukela esikhathini sikaKristu ukuba uZiqu-zintathu abe owamukelwa kabanzi kweLobukholwa. Futhi kukho konke lokhu, yini eyayiqondisa izinqumo? Ingabe kwakuyiZwi likaNkulunkulu, noma kwakuwukucabangela kwabefundisi nokwezazi zezombangazwe? Kwethi Origin and Evolution of Religion, uE. W. Hopkins uyaphendula: “Incazelo yokugcina yesiko kaziqu-zintathu ngezinga elikhulu yayiyindaba yezombangazwe zesonto.”
Ukuhlubuka Okwabikezelwa
LOMLANDO onedumela elibi kaZiqu-zintathu ufanelana nalokho okwabikezelwa uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe ukuthi kwakuyolandela isikhathi sabo. Bathi kwakuyoba khona ukuhlubuka, ukuphambuka, nokuchezuka ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso kuze kube sekubuyeni kukaKristu, lapho ukukhulekela kweqiniso kwakuyobuyiselwa khona ngaphambi kosuku lukaNkulunkulu lokubhubhisa lesisimiso sezinto.
Ngokuphathelene ‘nalolosuku,’ umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Aluyikufika, kungakaveli kuqala ukuhlubuka, kwambulwe umuntu ongenamthetho.” (2 Thesalonika 2:3, 7) Kamuva, wabikezela: “Lapho sengihambile izimpisi ezinolaka ziyonihlasela futhi aziyikuba namusa emhlambini. Ngisho naphakathi kwenu kuyovela namadoda enokuphendukezelwa kweqiniso ezindebeni zawo ukuze abangele abafundi ukuba bawalandele.” (IzEnzo 20:29, 30, JB) Abanye abafundi bakaJesu nabo babhala ngalokhu kuhlubuka nesigaba sakho sabefundisi ‘esingenamthetho.’—Ngokwesibonelo, bheka eyesi-2 Petru 2:1; 1 Johane 4:1-3; Juda 3, 4.
UPawulu wabhala futhi: “Ngokuqinisekile siyeza isikhathi lapho abantu, benganeliseki neze ngemfundiso ephilayo, beyokhanuka izindaba eziqanjiwe zamuva futhi baziqoqele uchungechunge lwabefundisi ngokuthanda kwabo; futhi, kunokuba balalele iqiniso, bayophendukela ezinganekwaneni.”—2 Thimothewu 4:3, 4, JB.
UJesu ngokwakhe wachaza ukuthi lokhu kuchezuka ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso kwakubangelwa yini. Wathi wayehlwanyele imbewu enhle kodwa isitha, uSathane, sasiyohlwanyela phezu kwayo ukhula. Ngakho kanye nekhaba lokuqala lamabele, kwavela nokhula. Ngakho-ke, ukuphambuka ebuKristwini beqiniso kwakumelwe kulindelwe kuze kuvunwe, lapho uKristu ayeyoqondisa khona izindaba. (Mathewu 13:24-43) IEncyclopedia Americana iyaphawula: “Ukukholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu kwekhulu lesine leminyaka akuzange kuyibonise ngokuqondile imfundiso yobuKristu yakuqala ngokuqondene nohlobo lomuntu uNkulunkulu ayilo; ngokuphambene, kwakuwukuphambuka kulemfundiso.” Khona-ke, lokhu kuphambuka kwasukelaphi?—1 Thimothewu 1:6.
Lokho Okwakushoshozela
KULO lonke izwe lasendulo, emuva lé eBabiloni, ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu bamaqaba abahlanganiswe ngabathathu, noma abangabathath’ emunye, kwakuvamile. Lelothonya lalisakazekile futhi eGibithe, eGrisi, naseRoma emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi, phakathi, nangemva kwesikhathi sikaJesu. Futhi ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli, izinkolelo ezinjalo zobuqaba zaqala ukuhlasela ubuKristu.
Isazi-mlando uWill Durant saphawula: “UbuKristu abuzange bubuqede ubuqaba; bazithathela bona. . . . Imiqondo kaziqu-zintathu waphezulu yavela eGibithe.” Futhi encwadini ethi Egyptian Religion, uSiegfried Morenz uyaphawula: “Uziqu-zintathu wayeyinto eyinhloko egcwele ezingqondweni zabefundisi baseGibithe . . . Kuhlanganiswa onkulunkulu abathathu futhi babhekwe njengomuntu oyedwa, kukhulunywe nabo njengoyedwa. Ngalendlela amandla angokomoya enkolo yaseGibithe abonisa ukuxhumana okuqondile nemfundiso yenkolo yobuKristu.”
Ngakho-ke, eAlexandria, eGibithe, abefundisi basekupheleni kwekhulu lesithathu leminyaka nasekuqaleni kwelesine, njengoAthanasius, babonisa lelithonya njengoba babeklama imiqondo eyaholela kuZiqu-zintathu. Ithonya labo siqu lasakazeka, kangangokuthi uMorenz ubheka “imfundiso yenkolo yaseAlexandria njengexhumanisa ifa elingokwenkolo laseGibithe nobuKristu.”
Esanduleleni sethi History of Christianity kaEdward Gibbon, siyafunda: “Uma ubuQaba banqotshwa ubuKristu, kuyiqiniso ngokulinganayo ukuthi ubuKristu bonakaliswa ubuQaba. Ukukholelwa okuhlanzekile kuNkulunkulu kwamaKristu okuqala . . . kwaguqulwa yiSonto laseRoma kwaba imfundiso engenakuphikiswa engaqondakali kaziqu-zintathu. Iningi lezinkolelo zobuqaba, ezaqanjwa abaseGibithe futhi zahlonishwa uPlato, zalondolozwa njengezifanele ukukholelwa.”
IDictionary of Religious Knowledge iphawula ukuthi abaningi bathi uZiqu-zintathu “uwukungcola okwatshelekwa ezinkolweni zobuhedeni, futhi kwafakwa okholweni lobuKristu.” Futhi ethi The Paganism in Our Christianity ithi: “Umsuka [kaZiqu-zintathu] ungowobuqaba ngokuphelele.”
Kungalesosizathu, kuyiEncyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, uJames Hastings abhala: “Enkolweni yaseNdiya, ngokwesibonelo, sihlangabezana neqembu elinguziqu-zintathu likaBrahmā, uSiva, noViṣṇu; futhi enkolweni yaseGibithe sihlangabezana neqembu elinguziqu-zintathu likaOsiris, uIsis, noHorus . . . Futhi akukhona kuphela ezinkolweni ezingokomlando lapho sithola khona uNkulunkulu ebhekwa njengoZiqu-zintathu. Singakhumbula ikakhulukazi umbono omusha wemfundiso kaPlato woMuntu Ophakeme noma Wokugcina,” ‘omelelwa uziqu-zintathu.’ Isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki uPlato sihlangene ngani noZiqu-zintathu?
Imfundiso KaPlato
KUCATSHANGELWA ukuthi uPlato wayephila kusukela ngo-428 kuya ku-347 ngaphambi kukaKristu. Nakuba engafundisanga ngoZiqu-zintathu ngesimo ayiso namuhla, amafilosofi akhe amcabela indlela. Kamuva, kwavela izinhlangano zefilosofi ezazihlanganisa izinkolelo zikaziqu-zintathu, futhi lezi zazithonywe imiqondo kaPlato ngoNkulunkulu nendalo.
INouveau Dictionnaire Universel (Isichazamazwi Esisha Sendawo Yonke) yesiFulentshi ithi ngethonya likaPlato: “Uziqu-zintathu kaPlato, njengoba emane ewukuhlelwa kabusha koziqu-zintathu bakudala abahlehlela emuva kubantu bakuqala, ubonakala ewuziqu-zintathu ozwakalayo ngokwefilosofi wezinto ezifanayo ezabangela ukuba kube khona abantu abathathu noma abantu baphezulu abafundiswa amasonto obuKristu. . . . Umqondo walesazi sefilosofi esingumGreki ngoziqu-zintathu waphezulu . . . ungatholakala kuzo zonke izinkolo [zobuqaba] zasendulo.”
INew Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge ibonisa ithonya lalefilosofi yamaGreki: “Izimfundiso zikaLizwi nezikaZiqu-zintathu zalolongwa oFata bamaGreki, labo . . . ababethonywe kakhulu, ngokuqondile noma ngandlela-thile, ifilosofi kaPlato . . . Akunakuphikwa ukuthi amaphutha nokonakala kwangena ngokunyenya eSontweni kuvela kulomthombo.”
IChurch of the First Three Centuries ithi: “Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu yaqala kancane kancane futhi ingeyamuva ngokuqhathaniswa; . . . yavela emthonjeni ongekho ngokuphelele emiBhalweni yamaJuda namaKristu; . . . yakhula, futhi yafakwa ebuKristwini, ngezandla zoFata abalingisa uPlato.”
Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesithathu leminyaka C.E., “ubuKristu” namafilosofi amasha kaPlato kwahlangana ngokungenakuhlukaniswa. Njengoba uAdolf Harnack esho kuyiOutlines of the History of Dogma, imfundiso yesonto yaba “egxile ngokuqinile ezweni lamaGreki [umqondo wobuGreki wobuqaba]. Ngaleyondlela yaba imfihlakalo kubantu abaningi abangamaKristu.”
Isonto lalizisholo ukuthi izimfundiso zalo ezintsha zazisekelwe eBhayibhelini. Kodwa uHarnack uthi: “Eqinisweni lenza phakathi kwalo ukucabangela kwamaGreki, imibono yokukholelwa ezeni nemikhuba yokukhulekela okuyimfihlakalo kobuqaba kwaba ngokomthetho.”
Encwadini ethi A Statement of Reasons, uAndrews Norton uthi ngoZiqu-zintathu: “Singathungatha umlando walemfundiso, futhi sithole umthombo wayo efilosofini kaPlato hhayi esambulweni sobuKristu, . . . UZiqu-zintathu akayona imfundiso kaKristu nabaPhostoli bakhe, kodwa uyinto eqanjwe yiqembu labakholelwa efilosofini kaPlato bakamuva.”
Ngakho-ke, ekhulwini lesine leminyaka C.E., ukuhlubuka okwabikezelwa uJesu nabaphostoli kwaqhuma ngokuphelele. Ukuqala kukaZiqu-zintathu kwakuwubufakazi obubodwa nje kuphela balokhu. Amasonto ezihlubuki aqala nokwamukela eminye imiqondo yobuqaba, njengesihogo somlilo, ukungafi komphefumulo, nokukhulekela izithombe. Ngomqondo ongokomoya, eLobukholwa lase lingene enkathini yalo yobumnyama eyabikezelwa, ebuswa isigaba esikhulayo sabefundisi ‘somuntu ongenamthetho.’—2 Thesalonika 2:3, 7.
Kungani Abaprofethi BakaNkulunkulu Bengazange Bafundise Ngaye?
KUNGANI, ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka, kungekho noyedwa kubaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu owafundisa abantu baKhe ngoZiqu-zintathu? Okungenani, uJesu ubengenakulisebenzisa yini ikhono lakhe njengoMfundisi Omkhulu ukuze enze uZiqu-zintathu akhanye kubalandeli bakhe? Ingabe uNkulunkulu ubengaphefumlela amakhulu amakhasi omBhalo kodwa angasebenzisi nokukodwa kwalokho kwaziswa ukuba afundise ngoZiqu-zintathu ukuba ‘ubeyimfundiso eyinhloko’ yokholo?
Ingabe amaKristu kumelwe akholelwe ukuthi emakhulwini eminyaka ngemva kukaKristu nangemva kokuphefumlela ukulotshwa kweBhayibheli, uNkulunkulu wayengasekela ukuklanywa kwemfundiso eyayingaziwa ezincekwini zakhe ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka, leyo ‘eyimfihlakalo engenakuphenywa’ ‘engenakuqondwa yingqondo yomuntu,’ leyo okuvunywayo ukuthi inesizinda sobuqaba naleyo ‘ikakhulukazi eyayiyindaba yezombangazwe zesonto’?
Ubufakazi bomlando busobala: Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu iwukuphambuka eqinisweni, ukuhlubuka kulo.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 8]
‘Ukukholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu kwekhulu lesine leminyaka kwakuwukuphambuka emfundisweni yokuqala yobuKristu.’—The Encyclopedia Americana
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 9]
“UMthath’ emunye WoNkulunkulu AbaKhulu”
Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaKristu, kwakunabathath’ emunye, noma oziqu-zintathu, bonkulunkulu eBabiloni lasendulo naseAsiriya. I“Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology” yesiFulentshi iphawula ngomunye umthath’ emunye onjalo kuleyondawo yaseMesopotamiya: “Indawo yonke yayihlukaniswe yaba izifunda ezintathu ngasinye esaba esibuswa unkulunkulu. Isabelo sika-Anu sasiyisibhakabhaka. Umhlaba wanikezwa uEnlil. UEa waba umbusi wamanzi. Bonke babakha umthath’ emunye woNkulunkulu abaKhulu.”
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 12]
UZiqu-zintathu WamaHindu
Incwadi ethi “The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals” ithi ngokuqondene noziqu-zintathu wamaHindu owayekhona emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi kukaKristu: “USiva ungomunye wonkulunkulu abakuZiqu-zintathu. Kuthiwa ungunkulunkulu wembubhiso. Abanye onkulunkulu ababili bangoBrahma, unkulunkulu wendalo noVishnu, unkulunkulu onakekelayo. . . . Ukubonisa ukuthi lokhu okuthathu kuyinto eyodwa futhi kuyefana labonkulunkulu abathathu bahlanganiswa babe isimo esisodwa.”—Eyakhishwa nguA. Parthasarathy, eBombay.
[Isithombe ekhasini 8]
“UConstantine ngokuyisisekelo wayengayiqondi nhlobo imibuzo eyayibuzwa emfundisweni yenkolo yamaGreki.”—A Short History of Christian Doctrine
[Izithombe ekhasini 10]
1. EGibithe. UMthath’ emunye kaHorus, uOsiris, noIsis wenkulu- ngwane yesi-2 yeminyaka B.C.E.
2. EBabiloni. UMthath’ emunye kaIshtar, uSin, noShamash, wenkulungwane yesi-2 yeminyaka B.C.E.
3. EPalmyra. UMthath’ emunye kankulunkulu wenyanga, iNkosi Yamazulu, unkulu- nkulu welanga, ngasekhulwini loku-1 leminyaka C.E.
4. ENdiya. Unkulunkulu onguZiqu-zinta- thu wamaHindu, ngasekhulwini lesi-7 leminyaka C.E.
5. EKampuchea. Unkulunkulu onguZiqu- zintathu wamaBuddha, ngasekhulwini le-12 leminyaka C.E.
6. ENorway. UZiqu-zintathu (uYise, iNdodana, umoya ongcwele), ngasekhulwini le-13 leminyaka C.E.
7. EFrance. UZiqu-zintathu, ngasekhulwini le-14 leminyaka C.E.
8. ENtaliyane. UZiqu-zintathu, ngasekhulwini le-15 leminyaka C.E.
9. EJalimane. UZiqu-zintathu, ngasekhulwini le-19 leminyaka C.E.
10. EJalimane. UZiqu-zintathu, wekhulu lama-20 leminyaka C.E.