Kungani Kunezinkolo Eziningi Kangaka Zonke Ezithi ZingezobuKristu?

CISHE ingxenye yesine yabakhileyo emhlabeni ithi ingamaKristu. Bonke bathi balandela uJesu Kristu, kodwa bahlukene phakathi kakhulu. Abayizi-580 000 000 kuthiwa bangamaRoma Katolika. Kodwa kusukela kuneVatican II kuye kwaba khona ukwehlukana phakathi kwamaKatolika alwela amalungelo abantu nabalwela amasiko basemazweni esiLatini. Amalungu alinganiselwa ezi-74 000 000 enkolo yaseMpumalanga yobuOrthodox ahlukene aba amasonto amaningi esizwe, ahlukene ngamasiko okuqhutshwa kwesonto. AmaProthestani alinganiselwa ezi-343 000 000, ahlukaniswe aba amaEpiscopalian, amaLuthela, amaCalvinist, (ibandla laseHabe, iReformed), amaBaptist, amaMethodist, namanye amasonto.

Wonke lamasonto azicabangela njengezinkolo “eziqinisiwe,” “zeqiniso,” “ezihloniphekayo.” Kulezi kumelwe kunezelwe amakhulu amahlelo abhekelwa phansi ngokweyiswa ngamaKatolika, abobuOrthodox namaProthestani.

“Aweqiniso” Noma “Awoqhekeko”?

Eqinisweni, uma ehlolwa ngokwezindlela ezingenalubandlululo ezingokomlando, alikho nelilodwa lamasonto esizwe “obuKristu” elingathi liyinkolo yokuqala yobuKristu. Wonke aqala njengemixhantela—amahlelo—yebo, ngisho nalelo elithi lidala kunawo wonke, iSonto LamaRoma Katolika!

Ngokomlando, imizi (amadolobha) eminingi ingathi ingaphambi kweRoma njengezindawo zokuqala zobuKristu. Lapho ubuKristu bumiswa ngePentekoste lika-33 C.E., kwakungekho noyedwa ongumlandeli kaKristu eRoma. Indlunkulu yokuqala yebandla lobuKristu ngokungangabazeki yayiseJerusalema. Kuyiqiniso, amaJuda namaproselithe aseRoma ayekhona eJerusalema ngePentekoste, futhi amanye awo ngokungangabazeki aba amaKristu, futhi abuyela eRoma, lapho afike akha ibandla lobuKristu. Kodwa lokhu kwenzeka futhi nakwezinye izindawo eziphawulwe eBhayibhelini. Eqinisweni, izihambi ezazivela eRoma ziphawulwe ekugcineni kohide, zingezesithathu ukusuka ekugcineni, ngaphambi nje kwabaseKrethe nabaseArabiya.—IzEnzo 2:5-11.

Kulezozinsuku zakuqala, iRoma yayingeyona indawo ephakathi naphakathi yendlunkulu yokuhlela imisebenzi yamaKristu. Kwakungekhona eRoma kodwa kwakuseAntiyokiya yaseSiriya lapho abafundi bakaJesu babizwa khona okokuqala ngokuthi amaKristu. (IzEnzo 11:26) Futhi kwakuseAntiyokiya, hhayi eRoma, lapho umphostoli uPawulu asuka khona ohambweni lwakhe oluthathu lwezithunywa zevangeli. (IzEnzo 13:1-4; 14:26; 15:35, 36; 18:22, 23) Kuyiqiniso, uPawulu cishe wabulawa eRoma. Kodwa wayengeyena omunye wabaphostoli bakaJesu abayi-12, uJuda Iskariyothi wathathelwa indawo uMathiya. (IzEnzo 1:23-26) Eqinisweni, akukho nobuncane ubufakazi beBhayibheli bokuthi omunye wabaphostoli abayi-12 waya eRoma noma wafela lapho. Owokugcina wabaphostoli owafa kwakunguJohane, cishe owafela e-Efesu noma eduze kwakhona. Ukufa kwabo kwashiya umnyango ugengelezile ukuba kungene ukuhlubuka.—1 Johane 2:18, 19; 2 Thesalonika 2:3, 4.

Njengoba isikhathi sasihamba, eminye imizi yaduma njengezindawo eziyinhloko zobuKristu bezihlubuki. Phakathi kwalena kwakuyiAleksandriya neCarthage, eNyakatho Afrika, neByzantium (kamuva eyabizwa ngokuthi iConstantinople), ngasemnceleni ophakathi kweAsia neYurophu. ENtshonalanga, isonto elicebile nelinamandla lakhula eRoma, inhlokodolobha yoMbuso wakhona.

Ngokuvela kokuhlubuka okwabikezelwa abaphostoli, isigaba sabefundisi savela. Amadoda anodumo aziphakamisa phezu komhlambi futhi abizwa ngokuthi ababhishobhi. Lawa abanga amandla futhi aba izinhloko zombango noma zamahlelo obuKristu bezihlubuki. Ezikhathini zakuqala akukho nowodwa umuzi noma umbhishobhi ngokusobala owayebusa abanye. Kodwa ukulwela amandla kwakhula maqondana nokuthi yiliphi ihlelo noma umxhantela wobuKristu bezihlubuki bokuqala beBhayibheli elaliyozimisa njengele“qiniso,” lenze amanye abe “awoqhekeko.”

Wonke Ayengamahlelo Ekuqaleni

Enye yezincwadi ezisanda kunyatheliswa ngalendaba ithi: “Babuyini ubuKristu bezihlubuki? Futhi, eqinisweni, laliyini iSonto? . . . [Ukuhlubuka] ebuKristwini kwaqala ngesiphithiphithi ukungezwani nokwehlukana nebandla futhi kwaqhubeka kanjalo. ISonto elikhulu lobuorthodox, elinesimo sebandla esiqaphelekayo, lavela kancane kancane. . . . Futhi, ngokuncintisana okunjalo, lalingasanelisi. . . . Imaphakathi nentshonalanga yeMeditera ekhulwini lokuqala nelesibili AD yagcwala imiqondo eminingi kakhulu yenkolo, ayezama ukuyandisa. . . . Kusukela ekuqaleni, ngalesosikhathi, kwakunezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zobuKristu ezazinokufana okuncane. . . . Ngaphambi kwengxenye yokugcina yekhulu lesithathu akuqondile ukukhuluma ngomthonseyana obusayo wamaKristu. Ngokubona kwethu, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala, futhi cishe kulo lonke elesibili, iningi lamaKristu lalikholelwa olwazini oluhlukahlukene lobuKristu, noma lalihlanganyela namahlelo emvuselelo angamaqembu abantu bomoya. . . . Ubuorthodox babungenye yezindlela ezihlukahlukene zobuKristu phakathi nekhulu lesithathu, futhi kungenzeka abubanga bukhulu kwaze kwaba ngesikhathi sika-Eusebius [ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesine].”—A History of Christianity, nguPaul Johnson.

Lolushintsho lwezehlakalo lwalubikezelwe umphostoli uPawulu, owabhala: “Ngokuba kuyakuba-khona isikhathi abangayikuvuma ngaso isifundiso esiphilayo, kepha ngokwezinkanuko zabo bayakuzibuthela abafundisi njengokubatshwa kwezindlebe zabo, bafulathelise izindlebe zabo eqinisweni, baphambukele ezinganekwaneni.”—2 Thimothewu 4:3, 4.

Abanye balabafundisi abayizihlubuki baba ilokho amasonto eLobukholwa akubiza ngokuthi ofata besonto. Ngokuvamile bahlukaniswe baba ofata bangaphambi kweNicene nabangemva kweNicene, ushintsho lubizwa ngokuthi uMkhandlu Wokuqala wobuKatolika waseNicaea, owahlanganiswa kulomuzi waseAsia Minor umbusi oyiqaba uConstantine waseRoma ngo-325 C.E.

Imizamo YeRoma Yokuzenza Ivelele

Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi inani elikhulu kakhulu lo“fata” bekhulu lesibili nelesithathu lalingekho eRoma, futhi labhala ngesiGreki, hhayi ngesiLatini. Iqinisekisa lokhu, iEncyclopaedia Britannica ithi: “Kwaze kwaba cishe ngo-250 abaholi abaningi bobuKristu eNtshonalanga bekhuluma isiGreki, hhayi isiLatini [ngokwesibonelo, uIrenaeus noHippolytus). Isayensi eyinhloko yenkolo yesiLatini ayivelanga eRoma kodwa eNyakatho Afrika (ngokwesibonelo, kuTertullian noCyprian).”

Kulawomakhulu okuqala okuhlubuka, imiphi imizi eyayiyizinhloko ezinkulu zalokho okuthiwa isayensi yenkolo yobuKristu? Kwakungeyona iRoma, kodwa iAntiyokiya, iAleksandriya, iCarthage, iKhesariya, iJerusalema neminye imizi ehlukahlukene yaseAsia Minor. IThe Catholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “Nakuba iRoma yayinamandla futhi yesatshwa ekhulwini lesibili, . . . isikhala ezincwadini zayo sikhulu. Izincwadi zesiLatini . . . kanjalo zilandele ngemva kwamakhulu amabili nengxenye eminyaka [kunesiGreki]. UTertullian uma yedwa, futhi waphikisana nemfundiso yesonto. Kuze kube phakathi nekhulu lesine kwakunoFata oyedwa kuphela okhuluma isiLatini [uCyprian waseCarthage, eNyakatho Afrika]. . . . Kusukela kuCyprian (owafa ngo-258) kuya kuHilary [owafa cishe ngo-367] . . . kwakungekho sayensi yenkolo.”

Khona-ke, kwenzeka kanjani ukuba isonto laseRoma liphumelele ekuzenzeni livelele kunamanye amasonto akwamanye amadolobha ayekade evelele ekuvezeni “ofata besonto”? Ngokungangabazeki, esinye isici kwakuwudumo lokuba senhlokodolobha yombuso. Laliyisonto elicebile elalithumela usizo lwezimali emasontweni ampofu kweminye imizi, futhi lokhu kwanikeza amandla athile kumbhishobhi walo. Waqala ukuzithathela ilungelo lokuzwa izikhalo ezimelene nezinqumo ezenziwe ababhishobhi bendawo ezindabeni zokuyala kwesonto.

Ngokungaphezulu, njengoba ngisho noMbusi waseRoma oyiqaba uConstantine aqaphela ukuthi angabusebenzisa ubuKristu bezihlubuki ukuze aqinise uMbuso wakhe owayo, ngakho-ke umbhishobhi waseRoma wabona ukuthi ubuqaba bunganezela ukukhanga okuthile ebuKristwini bakhe bokuhlubuka okuhlukahlukene. Isonto laseRoma lase lithathe iSonto lobuqaba njengosuku lokugubha amalsta, kanti amasonto emizini yaseMpumalanga ayewagubha nganoma iluphi usuku lwesonto uNisan 14 ngokwekhalenda yamaJuda akulo. Futhi, nakuba amasonto amaningi aseMpumalanga ayethambekele ekulandeleni uArius, owenqaba imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu, iRoma ngokushesha yathatha lomqondo wamaqaba kankulunkulu omthathu emunye.

Kuzo zombili lezizimo, uMbusi uConstantine wayisekela iRoma. Lokhu wakwenza ngokuba enze umthetho wokugcinwa kweSonto ngo-321 C.E. nangokungenisa uZiqu-zintathu eMkhandlwini waseNicaea ngo-325 C.E. Wahlanganisa ubuKristu bezihlubuki nenkolo yobuqaba yamaRoma futhi wenza lokhu kukhulekela “kwendawo yonke” noma “kobuKatolika” kwaba inkolo yombuso.

Khona-ke, ngo-382 C.E., uMbusi uGratian wakhipha umthetho ovumela uDamasus, umbhishobhi waseRoma, ilungelo lokuzwa izikhalo zabanye ababhishobhi, ngisho nezalabo “abasezifundeni ezikude” zoMbuso. Nakuba lesisinqumo saphikiswa ababhishobhi baseMpumalanga, futhi ngisho nabanye baseNtshonalanga, ngokungangabazeki samnikeza isithunzi umbhishobhi waseRoma. Umbhishobhi uDamasus wamukela uphawu lobuPontifex Maximus, isiqu nesikhundla sobuqaba leso uMbusi uGratian ekugcineni ayesenqabile, esicabangela njengesingamfanele umKristu! UDamasus wayengenayo imibono enjalo. NgokweThe Catholic Encyclopedia, iPontifex Maximus isacatshangelwa njenge“siqu esibaluleke kakhulu” sikapapa. NgesiFulentshi upapa usabizwa ngokuthi le souverain pontife, umbhishobhi omkhulu waseRoma.

Ukwehlukana, Ukuphikisana Nenkathi Yenguquko

Ngokusobala, lokhu kuzithathela ubukhulu kombhishobhi waseRoma kwaphikiswa. Abaholi abahlubuka ebuKristwini emizini yaseMpumalanga njengeAleksandriya, iJerusalema, iAntiyokiya futhi ikakhulukazi iConstantinople, bakubekela inselele lokhu kugabadela. Nokho nakuba abaholi benkolo kulemizi babemunye ekumelaneni kwabo nombuso waseRoma, babengaboni ngendlela efanayo ezindabeni zezimfundiso. Kwakunamaqembu emibono efanayo yombango kulena nakweminye imizi, okwadala amahlelo ahlukene, wonke ethi angawobuKristu.

Ngemizamo yokulungisa umhosha okhulayo phakathi kwamahlelo abangayo ahlubuka ebuKristwini andlunkulu yawo yayiseRoma naseConstantinople nokuphawula abafundisi bobuKristu bezihlubuki njengaboqhekeko kweminye imizi, “iMikhandlu YeSonto Yendawo Yonke” ehlukahlukene yahlelwa emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka.” Owokuqala wawuseNicaea, ngo-325 C.E., ukuze kusolwe “imfundiso ephambene” ka-Arian emelene noZiqu-zintathu. Eminye yayiseConstantinople (izikhathi ezine), e-Efesu, eChalcedon (maqondana neConstantinople ngaphesheya kweBosporus), kwaphindwa futhi eNicaea. Lemikhandlu yokuqala eyisikhombisa iqashelwa yiRoma Katolika namasonto obuOrthodox. Izimfundiso ezenziwa kuleMikhandlu zahlanganisa uZiqu-zintathu, inkolelo kaMariya njengo“mama kaNkulunkulu” nezinye izimfundiso ezingahlangene nhlobo nobuKristu beBhayibheli. Lemikhandlu yesonto yasola futhi “izimfundiso eziphikisana nesonto” ezihlukahlukene, kanjalo yabangela ukudaleka kokunye ukuqhekeka okwengeziwe (amahlelo) kobuKristu bezihlubuki.

Ngokuthakazelisayo, akukho nowodwa kulemikhandlu yesonto “yendawo yonke” owaqhutshelwa eRoma, umuzi owawuthi uyindlunkulu yendawo yonke yobuKristu. Kwaze kwaba ngo-1123 C.E. lapho owokuqala uMkhandlu obizwa ngokuthi oWendawo Yonke uba seRoma. Kodwa ngalesosikhathi kwase kwenzeke “ukwehlukana okukhulu” phakathi kweRoma namasonto aseMpumalanga, uqhekeko lokuqala olwenzeka ngo-867 C.E., futhi ukwehlukana kokugcina ngo-1054. Ngakho, ngokombono ongokomlando ngokuphelele, akukho mkhandlu wendawo yonke ngempela owake waqhutshelwa eRoma.

Izinhlobonhlobo zaseMpumalanga zobuKristu bezihlubuki ezahlubuka eRoma azizange zihlangane kunoma imuphi umbhishobhi owathi ungumphatheli kaKristu emhlabeni. ISonto laseConstantinople (elibizwa ngokuthi futhi iRoma Entsha) lalingathanda ukuba yi“Roma” yenkolo yaseMpumalanga yobuOrthodox. Kodwa aliphumelelanga. Ekugcineni, ubuOrthodox baseMpumalanga bahlukana baba amasonto esizwe ayi-15 azibusayo ayesaqaphela iConstantinople njengenhloko, manje ethiwa Istanbul. Futhi, kunamasonto amaningana azimele asempumalanga angayiqapheli iRoma noma iConstantinople. Impela, “ubuKristu” baseMpumalanga buyindlu ehlukene phakathi.

Ngemva kokwehlukana kwaseMpumalanga, iSonto laseRoma, nakuba lalisethemba ukuhlanganisa amasonto aseMpumalanga, lalicabanga ukuthi liyinkosazana engenakuphikiswa endlini yayo siqu—iNtshonalanga. Kodwa izinkinga zalo zazingaxazululekile. Abangavumelani nalo ngokushesha bavela. Lokhu kwakungenakubekezelelwa, futhi kwathathwa izinyathelo eziqatha ngokumelene “nalezihlubuki.” Kwamiswa iBandla lokuhlola amacala abahlubukayo, kodwa ukumelana nesonto kwaqhubeka. Ekhulwini leshumi nesithupha kwagqashuka ukubhikisha kukawonk’ uwonke, kuqala ngezizathu zenkolo futhi kamuva ngokwezizathu zezombangazwe.

Lokhu kubhikisha, okwabizwa ngokuthi Uguquko, kwaveza iqembu lesithathu lezinkolo nazo ezithi ezobuKristu. Kodwa kunokulondoloza ubunye bakuqala namaqiniso ezimfundiso zobuKristu beBhayibheli, ubuProthestani base buveze isivumo samasonto ahlukene kanye namahlelo.

Kungani Emaningi Kangaka?

Uma ungowesonto noma ungowehlelo elithi elobuKristu, ngokungangabazeki uye wamangala ukuthi kungani kunezinkolo eziningi kangaka zonke ezithi zilandela uKristu neBhayibheli. Mhlawumbe uye wacasuka ngenxa yokwehlukana okungaka, ikakhulukazi uma kuholela ekushushiseni okungokwenkolo noma ezimpini zenkolo, njengoba kuye kwaba njalo kuwo wonke amakhulu futhi kusenjalo. Ngokwalezizathu nezinye kungenzeka uye wayeka ukuya esontweni, waneliseka ngomcabango wakho siqu ngobuKristu. Kodwa enhliziyweni yakho uyazi ukuthi kumelwe kube khona okwengeziwe ebuKristwini kunalokho. Uyazi ngokweBhayibheli ukuthi amaKristu okuqala enza umkhaya ongokomoya ojabulayo, nowawuhlangene.—Johane 13:34, 35; Efesu 4:1-6.

Namuhla, oFakazi BakaJehova benza umkhaya wamaKristu onjalo ojabulayo. Abalona ihlelo njengoba bengebona abafundi bomfundisi othile ongumuntu noma umholi noma umxhantela wanoma iliphi isonto noma ihlelo. OFakazi bavela kuzo zonke izindlela zokuphila. Abalandeli muntu kodwa uNkulunkulu neNdodana yaKhe uJesu Kristu. Ekuphenduleni umbuzo wakho “Kungani kunezinkolo eziningi kangaka ezithi zingamaKristu?” bathi: “Yingoba amahlelo anjalo aye alandela abantu, hhayi iBhayibheli.” OFakazi BakaJehova bayojabulela ukukusiza ukuba uthole ubuKristu beqiniso beBhayibheli. Ngakho siza ukhulume nomuntu okunikeze lomagazini noma ubhalele abanyathelisi bawo.

[Ibalazwe elisekhasini 7]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi kumi kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Izindawo eziyinhloko zokuhlubuka ebuKristwini

Carthage

Rome

Byzantium (Constantinople)

Nicaea

Ephesus

Antioch

Jerusalem

Alexandria

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

Amasonto eLobukholwa—ahlukene ngokungenathemba!