Ingabe Ukukhulekelwa Kukankulunkulukazi OnguMama Kusekhona?

UKUKHULEKELWA kukankulunkulukazi ongumama kwakusaqhutshwa ngezinsuku zamaKristu okuqala. Umphostoli uPawulu wahlangabezana nakho e-Efesu eAsia Minor. NjengaseAthene, omunye umuzi owawukhulekela onkulunkulukazi, wayenikeze ubufakazi ‘ngoNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba,’ uMdali ophilayo, ‘ongafani negolide noma isiliva noma itshe, okuqoshwe ngekhono nangesu lomuntu.’ Lokhu abase-Efesu babengenakukubekezelela, iningi labo elalikhulekela unkulunkulukazi ongumama uDiyana (uAthemisi). Labo ababeziphilisa ngokwenza amathempeli esiliva alonkulunkulukazi basusa isiphithiphithi. Amahora acishe abe mabili, isixuku sasimemeza: “Mkhulu uDiyana [uAthemisi, NW] wabase-Efesu!”—IzEnzo 17:24, 29; 19:26, 34.

UAthemisi Wase-Efesu

AmaGreki nawo ayekhulekela uAthemisi, kodwa uAthemisi owayekhulekelwa e-Efesu akanakufaniswa kangako naye. UAthemisi wamaGreki wayengunkulunkulukazi oyincasakazi wokuzingela nokuzala abantwana. UAthemisi wase-Efesu wayengunkulunkulukazi wenzalo. Ithempeli lakhe elikhulu e-Efesu lalibhekwa njengesinye sezimangaliso eziyisikhombisa zomhlaba. Isithombe sakhe, okwakucatshangwa ukuthi sawa sivela ezulwini, sasimmelela njengokwenziwa samuntu kwenzalo, isifuba sakhe sinezinhlu zamabele amise okwamaqanda. Isimo esingajwayelekile salamabele siye sabangela izincazelo ezihlukahlukene, njengokuthi amelela izixha zamaqanda noma ngisho namasende ezinkunzi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi incazelo iyini, uphawu lwenzalo lucacile.

Ngokuthakazelisayo, ngokweNew Encyclopædia Britannica, isithombe sokuqala salonkulunkulukazi “sasenziwe ngegolide, ukhuni olumnyama, isiliva, netshe elimnyama.” Isithombe esaziwayo sika-Athemisi wase-Efesu, esihlehlela emuva ekhulwini lesibili leminyaka C.E., simbonisa enobuso obumnyama, izandla, nezinyawo.

Isithombe sika-Athemisi sasibukiswa emigwaqweni. Isazi seBhayibheli uR. B. Rackham siyabhala: “Ngaphakathi ethempelini [lika-Athemisi kwakugcinwe] . . . imifanekiso yakhe, izinto ezingcwele, nezitsha ezingcwele, zegolide nesiliva, ezazithwalwa emikhosini emikhulu ziyiswe emzini ziphinde zibuyiswe ngodwendwe oluhle kakhulu.” Lemikhosi yayiheha amakhulu ezinkulungwane abakhulekeli ababevela kulo lonke elaseAsia Minor. Babethenga izinto ezingcwele ezincane zalonkulunkulukazi futhi bemdumisa njengomkhulu, inkosazana yabo, indlovukazi, incasakazi, “lowo olalela futhi amukele imikhuleko.” Ezimweni ezinjalo, kwadinga isibindi esikhulu ngoPawulu namaKristu okuqala ukuba badumise “uNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba,” esikhundleni sokudumisa onkulunkulu nonkulunkulukazi abenziwe ‘ngegolide noma isiliva noma itshe.’

Ukusuka Kunkulunkulukazi OnguMama Kuya “KuNina KaNkulunkulu”

Umphostoli uPawulu wayebikezele ukuhlubuka kubadala bebandla lamaKristu lase-Efesu. Waxwayisa ngokuthi izihlubuki zaziyovela futhi zikhulume “okudukisayo.” (IzEnzo 20:17, 28-30) Phakathi kwezingozi ezazihlala zikhona e-Efesu kwakuwukuphindela ekukhulekeleni unkulunkulukazi ongumama. Ingabe lokhu kwenzeka ngempela?

KuyiNew Catholic Encyclopedia siyafunda: “Njengesikhungo sabathatha uhambo lokuyokhulekela, i-Efesu yayibhekwa njengendawo okwangcwatshwa kuyo [umphostoli] uJohane. . . . Elinye isiko, elafakazelwa uMkhandlu Wase-Efesu (431), lihlanganisa iNcasakazi Ebusisekile uMariya noSt. John. Isakhiwo loMkhandlu owahlangana kuso sasibizwa ngokuthi iSonto likaMariya.” Enye incwadi yamaKatolika (Théo—Nouvelle encyclopédie catholique) ikhuluma “ngesiko elamukelekayo” lokuthi uMariya wahamba noJohane ukuya e-Efesu, lapho uMariya aphila konke ukuphila kwakhe khona. Kungani lokhu okucatshangwa ukuthi kuwukuxhumana phakathi kwe-Efesu noMariya kubalulekile kithi namuhla?

Ake kuphendule iNew Encyclopædia Britannica: “Ukuhlonishwa kukanina kaNkulunkulu kwathola amandla akho ngenkathi iSonto lobuKristu liba isonto lombuso ngaphansi kukaConstantine futhi izindimbane zamaqaba zithuthelekela esontweni. . . . Ukuzinikela kwawo nomqondo ongokwenkolo kwakwakheke ezinkulungwaneni eziningi zeminyaka ngenkolelo kankulunkulukazi ‘ongumama omkhulu’ ‘nencasakazi yaphezulu,’ okuyinto eyayihlehlela emuva ezinkolweni ezindala ezidumile zaseBabiloni naseAsiriya.” Iyiphi enye indawo eyayingenza ukukhulekelwa kukankulunkulukazi ongumama kube “ubuKristu” ngaphandle kwase-Efesu?

Ngaleyondlela, kwakuse-Efesu, ngo-431 C.E., lapho lokho okuthiwa umkhandlu wesithathu wamasonto wabiza khona uMariya ngelithi “Theotokos,” igama lesiGreki elisho “Ozala UNkulunkulu,” noma “UNina kaNkulunkulu.” INew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ukusetshenziswa kwalesisiqu yiSonto ngokungangabazeki yikho okwakuyosho ukukhula kwemfundiso kaMariya nokuzinikela emakhulwini alandela.”

Amanxiwa “eSonto leNcasakazi uMariya,” lapho lomkhandlu wawuhlangene khona, asabonakala nanamuhla endaweni okwakukhona kuyo i-Efesu yasendulo. Kungavakashelwa nelinye isonto lelo, ngokwesiko, elaliyindlu lapho uMariya ahlala futhi wafela khona. UPapa Paul VI wazivakashela lezindawo ezingcwele zikaMariya e-Efesu ngo-1967.

Yebo, iEfesu yayiyindawo eyinhloko yokuguqulwa kokukhulekelwa kukankulunkulukazi ongumama kobuqaba, okunjengalokho uPawulu ahlangabezana nakho ekhulwini lokuqala, kwaba ukuzinikezela kwentshiseko kuMariya “njengoNina kaNkulunkulu.” Ngokuyinhloko ukukhulekelwa kukankulunkulukazi ongumama kuye kwaqhubeka emazweni eLobukholwa ngokuzinikela kuMariya.

Ukukhulekelwa Kukankulunkulukazi Ongumama Kusekhona

IEncyclopædia of Religion and Ethics icaphuna isazi seBhayibheli uW. M. Ramsay sithi “ekhulwini lesihlanu leminyaka inhlonipho eyayinikezwa iNcasakazi uMariya e-Efesu yayiwuhlobo [oluvuselelwe] lokukhulekelwa okudala kobuqaba kwaseAnatolia kukaMama oyiNcasakazi.” INew International Dictionary of New Testament Theology iyaphawula: “Imiqondo amaKatolika anayo ‘ngonina kaNkulunkulu’ ‘nangendlovukazi yezulu,’ nakuba ingeyamuva kuneT[estamente] E[lisha], ikhomba emisukeni engokwenkolo nengokomlando yangaphambili kakhulu eMpumalanga. . . . Ekukhulekelweni kukaMariya kwakamuva kunemikhondo eminingi yehlelo lobuhedeni likamama waphezulu.”

Lemikhondo miningi kakhulu futhi inemicikilisho kakhulu ukuba ingaziqondanela ngengozi. Ukufana phakathi kwezithombe zikamama nomntwana zeNcasakazi uMariya nezithombe zonkulunkulukazi bamaqaba, njengoIsis, kuphawuleka kakhulu. Amakhulukhulu ezithombe nemifanekiso kaMadonna Omnyama emasontweni obuKatolika emhlabeni wonke abangela ukuba kukhunjulwe isithombe sika-Athemisi. Incwadi ethi Théo—Nouvelle encyclopédie catholique ithi ngaleziNcasakazi Ezimnyama: “Kubonakala sengathi zaziyindlela yokudlulisela kuMariya okwakusalile ekuzinikeleni okwakudumile kuDiyana [uAthemisi] . . . noma uCybele.” Izindwendwe zangoSuku Lokwenyuka zeNcasakazi uMariya nazo zifuziselwa izindwendwe ezazidumisa uCybele noAthemisi.

Zona kanye iziqu ezinikezwa uMariya zisikhumbuza onkulunkulukazi abangomama bamaqaba. UIshtar wayedunyiswa ngokuthi “iNcasakazi Engcwele,” “iNkosazana yami,” nangokuthi “umama onomusa olalela imikhuleko.” UIsis noAstarte babebizwa ngokuthi “iNdlovukazi Yezulu.” UCybele wayebizwa ngokuthi “uMama wabo bonke abaNgcwele.” Zonke leziqu, nakuba zinokwehlukahluka okuncane, zisetshenziswa kuMariya.

IVatican II yakhuthaza ihlelo “leNcasakazi eBusisiwe.” UPapa John Paul II waziwa kakhulu ngokuzinikela kwakhe kuMariya okungaguquguquki. Phakathi nohambo lwakhe olubanzi, akalokothi aliyeke ithuba lokuhambela izindawo ezingcwele zikaMariya, kuhlanganise naleyo kaMadonna Omnyama waseCzestochowa, ePoland. Wabeka wonke umhlaba ezandleni zikaMariya. Ngakho-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi ngaphansi kwesithi “Unkulunkulukazi Ongumama,” iNew Encyclopædia Britannica iyabhala: “Leligama liye lasetshenziswa futhi ezintweni ezihlukahlukene njengalokho okubizwa ngokuthi oVenus bangeNkathi Yamatshe kanye neNcasakazi uMariya.”

Kodwa ukuhlonipha kwesonto lamaRoma Katolika uMariya akuyona ukuphela kwendlela ukukhulekela unkulunkulukazi okuye kwaqhubeka ngayo kuze kube usuku lwethu. Ngokumangalisayo, abasekeli bomzabalazo wabesifazane baye bakhiqiza izincwadi eziningi zokukhulekelwa konkulunkulukazi abangomama. Bakholelwa ukuthi abesifazane baye bacindezelwa kabuhlungu kulelizwe elibuswa abesilisa nokuthi ukukhulekela okuthambekele emalungelweni abesifazane kubonisa ukulangazela kwesintu izwe elingenabo ubudlova. Babonakala futhi bekholelwa ukuthi namuhla izwe beliyoba indawo engcono futhi enokuthula ngokwengeziwe ukuba lalithambekele emalungelweni abesifazane ngokwengeziwe.

Nokho, ukukhulekelwa kukankulunkulukazi ongumama akuzange kulethe ukuthula ezweni lasendulo, futhi ngeke kulethe ukuthula namuhla. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantu abaningi ngokwengeziwe namuhla, eqinisweni izigidi ezihlanganyela noFakazi BakaJehova, bayaqiniseka ukuthi lomhlaba ngeke usindiswe uMariya, nakuba bemhlonipha futhi bemthanda kakhulu njengowesifazane oqotho wekhulu lokuqala leminyaka owaba nelungelo elimangalisayo lokuzala futhi akhulise uJesu. Futhi oFakazi BakaJehova abakholelwa ukuthi uMzabalazo Wenkululeko Yabesifazane, ngisho nakuba ezinye zezimfuneko zawo zingase zibe ezifanelekayo, ungaletha izwe elinokuthula. Ngalokho babheka kuNkulunkulu uPawulu amemezela ngaye kwabase-Efesu nabaseAthene, “uNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo.” (IzEnzo 17:24; 19:11, 17, 20) LoNkulunkulu onguMninimandla onke, ogama lakhe linguJehova, uye wathembisa izwe elisha elikhazimulayo ‘okukhona kulo ukulunga,’ futhi singathembela ngokuqiniseka esithembisweni sakhe.—2 Petru 3:13.

Ngokuqondene nombono weBhayibheli ngesikhundla sowesifazane ephambi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu, lendaba kuzoxoxwa ngayo ngokwengeziwe kulomagazini.

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UASHITAROTI—Unkulunkulukazi waseKhanani wobulili nempi

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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UATHEMISI—Unkulunkulukazi wenzalo wase-Efesu

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Musei dei Conservatori, Rome

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“UNINA KANKULUNKULU” weLobukholwa

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Chartres Cathedral, France