Ingabe Isiphambano SingesamaKristu?

“NGASIPHIWA umama.” “Siwubudoda.” “Ngisifaka njengomhlobiso.” “Anginakuzizwa kahle ngaphandle kwaso.” “Singivikela kokubi.” “Siyinto nje elenga eketangeni.”

Abantu abaningi baphendula kanjalo uma bebuzwa ukuthi kungani befaka isiphambano. Nakuba ngokusobala kungebona bonke abenza kanjalo ngenxa yoku zinikela enkolweni, ukufaka isiphambano kuwumkhuba ezingxenyeni ezithile zomhlaba. Ngisho nentsha yase Soviet iye yabonakala isifakile. Abaningi banamathela ekubalulekeni kwesiphambano okungokwenkolo, ngoba, njengoba omunye omusha asho, “Singcwele.”

Kodwa ingabe kulungile ngempela ngomKristu ukufaka isiphambano? Ingabe siyifanekisela ngokuqondile indlela uJesu afa ngayo? Futhi ingabe akhona amaqiniso aphikisa ngisho nokusifaka njengomhlobiso? Ukuze sibone, okokuqala ake sibheke isiqalo sesiphambano.

Uphawu LwamaKristu?

Ungase uthathe ngokuthi amaKristu ayengawokuqala ekusebenziseni isiphambano. Nokho, iThe Encyclopedia Americana ikhuluma ngokusetshenziswa kwaso kwakudala ngamaHindu namaBuddha eNdiya naseChina, kanye namaPeresiya, ama-Asiriya, nabaseBabiloni. Ngokufanayo, iChambers’s Encyclopaedia, (inguqulo ka-1969) ithi isiphambano “sasiyisifanekiso lapho inkolo kanye nezincazelo zokuziqambela zazisekelwe khona ngaphambili kakhulu kwesikhathi sobuKristu.”

Ngempela, abukho ubufakazi bokuthi amaKristu akuqala asisebenzisa isiphambano ekukhulekeleni kwawo. Ezinsukwini zokuqala zobuKristu, kwakungamaRoma ayengabahedeni aye sebenzisa isiphambano! IThe Companion Bible ithi: “Leziphambano zazisetshenziswa njengezimpawu zikankulunkulu welanga waseBabiloni . . . futhi zabonakala okokuqala ohlamvwini lwemali kaJulius Caesar, ngo-100-44 B.C., kwase kuba semalini eyenziwa izibulo likaCaesar (uAugustus), ngo-20 B.C.” Ngezinye izikhathi unkulunkulu wendalo wamaRoma uBacchus wayemelelwa yibhande lasekhanda elineziphambano eziningi.

Kukanjani-ke isiphambano saba uphawu lweLobukholwa?

UConstantine Nesiphambano

Ngo-312 C.E., uConstantine, ebusa indawo manje eyaziwa ngokuthi iFrance neBrithani, wayakokulwa nomlamu wakhe uMaxentius, waseItaly. Endleleni wabika ukuthi ubone umbono—isiphambano esasibhalwe amazwi athi “Hoc vince,” okungukuthi, “Ngalokhu kunqoba.” Emva kokunqoba kwakhe, uConstantine wenza isiphambano saba ifulege lamabutho akhe. Lapho kamuva ubuKristu bungena ngaphansi koMbuso wamaRoma, isiphambano saba uphawu lwesonto.

Kodwa ingabe wenzeka ngempela lowombono? Ubufakazi balenganekwane abuqondile futhi bugcwele amaphutha. Eqinisweni, kwakuyoba nzima ukuthola umuntu owamukela izambulo zaphezulu ngokuyinqaba ukwedlula uConstantine. Ngesikhathi salezenzakalo ezicatshangelwayo, wayengumkhulekeli oshisekayo kankulunkulu welanga. UConstantine waze wanikezela ngisho nosuku lwangeSonto njengosuku lokukhulekela ilanga. Emva kwakho konke lokhu kuphenduka, inkambo yakhe yanikeza futhi ubufakazi obuncane kakhulu bokuthi uzinikezele ngempela ekwenzeni okuhle. Ukubulala, amacebo angasese, ukuvelela kwezombangazwe kwakubusa ukuphila kwakhe. Kubonakala sengathi kuConstantine, ubuKristu babufana namacebo ezombangazwe okuhlanganisa umbuso ohlukene.

Futhi kunobufakazi obuncane kakhulu bokuthi isiphambano “esabonwa” uConstantine ngempela sasimelela lokho uKristu abulawa ngakho. Ezinhlamvwini eziningi zemali uConstantine ayeziqophile kuneziphambano ezinesimo sika-X kanye no“P” echosheni elingenhla. (Bheka umfanekiso.) IAn Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, ka W. E. Vine ithi: “U Chi, noma uX, uConstantine amemezela ukuthi wayewubone embonweni owamholela ekulweleni ukholo lobuKristu, lolohlamvu kwakuwuhlamvu lwegama elithi ‘Kristu’ [olimini lwesiGreki] futhi aluhlangene nalutho ‘nesiphambano,’” okungukuthi, njengethuluzi lokubulala. Eqinisweni, loluhlobo lwesiphambano lucishe lufane nophawu lobuhedeni lwelanga.

Pho, kungani isiphambano samukeleka ngokushesha kangaka “kumaKristu”? IDictionary ka Vine iyaqhubeka “Phakathi nekhulu lesi-3 A.D. amasonto ayesehlukene, noma ayelingisa nje, izimfundiso ezithile zokholo lobuKristu. Ukuze andise isithunzi sesimiso sobufundisi bobuhlubuki amaqaba angeniswa emasontweni ngaphandle kokuzalwa ngokusha ngokukholwa, futhi avunyelwa ukuba agcine eziningi zezimpawu zawo nezibonakaliso zobuqaba. Ngaleyondlela iTau noma uT, esimweni sayo esivamile, nothi oluvundlile lwehlisiwe, yamukelwa ukuba imelele isiphambano sikaKristu.”

Ukuguquguquka Kwesiphambano

Ingabe kuwukubonakaliswa kothando kuKristu owenza kwaba nesiphambano, ukuba manje sihlonishwe kangaka? IEncyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics ithi: “Ekhulwini lesi-4 inkolelo yemilingo yaqala ukugxila kakhulu eSontweni.” Njengokwenza umlingo, ukwenza nje uphawu lwesiphambano kwakucatshangelwa ‘njengokuzivikela okuphelele emademonini, futhi kuyikhambi lazo zonke izifo.’ Ukusetshenziswa kwesiphambano okuyinkolelo-ze kusaqhubeka kuze kube namuhla.

Eminyakeni eminingi, kuye kwaba nezinhlobo ezingama-400 zesiphambano. Ekuqaleni, awenziwanga umfanekiso kaKristu. Kunalokho, kwakuvezwa ingane ephethe umgexo wesiphambano. Kamuva, kwahlanganiswa iwundlu. Ngo-691 C.E., umkhandlu waseTrullo wenza isiphambano esibonisa esingenhla sensizwa saba “ngokomthetho” esikhundleni sewundlu, ngenhla kwesiphambano. Emva kwesikhathi lokhu kuye kwaba isiphambano esinomfanekiso kaKristu.

Ingabe UKristu Wafela Esiphambanweni?

‘Kodwa ingabe iBhayibheli alifundisi yini ukuthi uJesu ngempela wafela esiphambanweni?’ omunye angase abuze. Ekuphenduleni lokhu, kumelwe sibheke izincazelo zamagama amabili esiGreki ababhali beBhayibheli abawasebenzisa uma bechaza lokho okwabulala uKristu: istau·rosʹ nexyʹlon.

IThe International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979) ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “Isiphambano” ithi: “Ekuqaleni igama lesiGreki elithi: staurós lalisho isigxobo eside esigxiliswe emhlabathini. . . . Zazigxunyekwa ngendlela yokuba zakhe noma zizungeze ngendlela yokuvikela izindawo zokuhlala, noma zigxunyekwe ngasinye njengezigxobo zokuhlushwa lapho izephula-mthetho ezimbi zazibulawelwa khona obala (noma, uma sezifile kakade, ukuze izidumbu zazo zihlaziswe).”

Iqiniso, amaRoma ayesebenzisa into yokubulala okuthiwa icrux ngesiLatini. Futhi lapho, iBhayibheli lihunyushelwa esiLatinini, leligama elithi crux lasetshenziswa njengelihumusha igama elithi stau·rosʹ. Ngenxa yokufana kwegama lesiLatini elithi crux negama lesiNgisi elithi cross, ngephutha abaningi bathatha ngokuthi icrux kwakuyisigxobo esinogodo oluvundlile. Nokho, iThe Imperial Bible-Dictionary ithi: “Ngisho naphakathi kwamaRoma icrux (okuyigama okuvela kulo elithi isiphambano [cross]) kubonakala ukuthi ekuqaleni kwakuwugodo olumile, futhi lokhu kwahlala kuyingxenye eyinhloko.”

Incwadi iThe Non-Christian Cross iyanezela: “Akukho ngisho nowodwa umusho kunoma iziphi izincwadi eziningi ezakha iTestamente Elisha, lowo, ngesiGreki sokuqala, onikeza ngisho nobufakazi obugudliselayo bokuthi istauros eyasetshenziswa endabeni kaJesu yayingenye into ngaphandle kogodo [ipali noma isigxobo] oluvamile; kungasakhulunywa-ke ngokuthi kwakungelona ugodo olulodwa, kodwa kungezimbili ezishayelelwe ndawonye zaba isiphambano.” UKristu wayengabethelwa kokuthile okuyicrux (stau·rosʹ) okwaziwa ngokuthi icrux simplex. Leyo indlela lesosigxobo esafanekiselwa ngayo isazi esingumRoma Katolika uJustus Lipsius sekhulu le-16.

Kuthiwani ngegama lesiGreki elithi, xyʹlon? Lasetshenziswa enguqulweni yeBhayibheli yesiGreki iSeptuagint kuEzra 6:11. KuNew World Translation lokhu kufundeka kanje: “Futhi ngikhiphé isimemezelo sokuthi yilowo nalowo oguqula lelizwi, makukhishwe umuntu endlini yakhe, aphakanyiswe, abethelwe kuwo, indlu yakhe yenziwe ibeyiquba ngenxa yalokho.” Ngokusobala, kwakuyinsika, noma “umuthi,” owawuhilelekile lapha.

Ngakho-ke abahumushi abaningi bemiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki (iTestamente Elisha) bahumusha amazwi kaPetru kuzEnzo 5:30 ngalendlela: “UNkulunkulu wawobaba wamvusa uJesu enambulala nina ngokumphanyeka emthini [noma “esigxotsheni” ngokweNew World Translation, emthini ngokweNew International Version, The Jerusalem Bible, neRevised Standard Version].” Ungase uthande ukuhlola futhi indlela iBhayibheli lakho elihumusha ngayo elithi xyʹlon kulemiBhalo: “IzEnzo 10:39; 13:29; Galathiya 3:13; neyoku-1 Petru 2:24.

Ukuhamba Ngokukholwa, Hhayi Ngokubona

Ngisho nangemva kokucabangela lobufakazi bokuthi eqinisweni uJesu wafela esigxotsheni, abanye bangase babone kungekho okubi ekufakeni isiphambano. ‘Simane siwumhlobiso nje,’ bangase basho.

Nokho, khumbula indlela isiphambano ebesisetshenziswa ngayo kuwo wonke umlando—njengento ekhulekelwa abahedeni nokwesaba inkolelo-ze. Ingabe ukufaka isiphambano, ngisho nanjengomhlobiso, kungavumelana yini nomyalo kamphostoli uPawulu okweyoku-1 Korinte 10:14: “Ngalokhoke, bathandwa bami, kubalekeleni ukukhonza izithombe”?

Kuthiwani ngamaKristu eqiniso namuhla? Nawo, ngokufanayo, kumelwe aqaphele isidingo ‘sokuzilinda ezithombeni,’ njengoba iBhayibheli leluleka. (1 Johane 5:21) Ngakho awasibheki isiphambano njengomhlobiso ofanelekayo. Akhumbula amazwi kaPawulu: “Baqalekisiwe bonke abalenga emthini,” ngakho-ke akhetha ukucabanga ngoKristu njengeNkosi ekhazimulayo esesihlalweni sobukhosi!—Galathiya 3:13; IsAmbulo 6:2.

Nakuba amaKristu anjalo engasifaki isiphambano, alazisa ngokujulile iqiniso lokuthi uKristu wawafela. Ayazi ukuthi umhlatshelo kaKristu uyisibonakaliso esimangalisayo ‘samandla kaNkulunkulu’ nothando lwaphakade. (1 Korinte1:18; Johane 3:16) Kodwa awadingi into ebonakalayo enjengesiphambano ukuze iwasize ekukhulekeleni loNkulunkulu wothando. Ngoba, njengoba uPawulu ayala, ‘ahamba ngokukholwa, hhayi ngokubona.’—2 Korinte 5:7.

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Isiphambano siye saba yizinhlobo nezimo eziningi emakhulwini adlule eminyaka

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Isithombe sikankulunkulu wamaGreki uMarsyas owahlutshulwa isikhumba ephila esiqwini somuthi—The Louvre, eParis