U-Eusebius—Ingabe “Unguyise Womlando Wesonto”?

NGONYAKA ka-325 C.E., umbusi waseRoma uConstantine wabizela eNicaea bonke ababhishobhi. Injongo yakhe: ukuxazulula impicabadala yokuhlobana kukaNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe. Phakathi kwalabo ababekhona kwakukhona no-Eusebius waseCaesarea, indoda eyayibhekwa njengefunde kakhulu ngesikhathi sayo. U-Eusebius wayeyifunde ngenkuthalo imiBhalo futhi engumvikeli wemfundiso yobuKristu yokukholelwa kuNkulunkulu oyedwa.

Ngokulandisa kwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, eMkhandlwini WaseNicaea, “uConstantine ngokwakhe wengamela, eqondisa izingxoxo ngenkuthalo, futhi wasisikisela ngokwakhe . . . isimiso esisemqoka esichaza ubuhlobo bukaKristu kuNkulunkulu esivumweni sokholo esakhishwa yilo mkhandlu, ‘sokuthi unesimo esifana nesikaYise’ . . . Beqhaqhazeliswa yilo mbusi, ababhishobhi, ngaphandle kwababili kuphela, basisayina leso sivumo sokholo, abaningi babo bengasithandisisi neze.” Ingabe u-Eusebius wayephakathi kwalabo abangasayinanga? Singafunda siphi isifundo ngokuma akuthatha? Ake sibheke isizinda sika-Eusebius—izinto ezimenza afaneleke nalokho akufeza.

Imibhalo Yakhe Ephawulekayo

Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Eusebius wazalelwa ePalestine cishe ngo-260 C.E. Lapho esemncane, wazihlanganisa noPamphilus, umphathi wesonto eCaesarea. Efunda esikoleni sezimfundiso zenkolo sikaPamphilus, u-Eusebius waba ngumfundi okhuthele. Wawusebenzisa ngenkuthalo umtapo wolwazi obanzi kaPamphilus. U-Eusebius wayezinikele ezifundweni zakhe, ikakhulu ekutadisheni iBhayibheli. Waba futhi umngane othembekile kaPamphilus, kamuva ezibiza ngokwakhe ngokuthi “u-Esebius kaPamphilus.”

Ngokuqondene nemigomo yakhe, u-Eusebius wathi: “Kuyinhloso yami ukubhala indaba mayelana nokulandelana kwabaPhostoli abangcwele kanye nezikhathi esezidlulile ezisukela osukwini loMsindisi wethu kuza kolwethu; ngilandise ukuthi zingaki futhi zibaluleke kangakanani izenzakalo okuthiwa zenzeka emlandweni wesonto; futhi ngikhulume ngalabo ababebusa futhi bengamele isonto ezifundeni zalo ezazivelele kakhulu, kanye nalabo okwathi esizukulwaneni ngasinye bamemezela izwi likaNkulunkulu ngomlomo noma ngokuloba.”

U-Eusebius ukhunjulwa ngencwadi yakhe eyaziswa kakhulu enesihloko esithi History of the Christian Church. Imiqulu yakhe eyishumi eyanyatheliswa cishe ngo-324 C.E., ibhekwa njengomlando wesonto obaluleke kakhulu osukela ezikhathini zamandulo. Ngenxa yale mpumelelo, u-Eusebius waziwa ngokuthi uyise womlando wesonto.

Ngaphandle kwethi Church History, u-Eusebius waloba imiqulu emibili enesihloko esithi Chronicle. Umqulu wokuqala wawufushanisa umlando womhlaba wonke. Ekhulwini lesine leminyaka, lowo mqulu waba incwadi engokomthetho yokuhlola ukulandelana kwezenzakalo zasemhlabeni ngokohlelo lwezikhathi. Umqulu wesibili ubonisa izinsuku zezenzakalo ezingokomlando. Esebenzisa izinhlu ezihambisanayo, u-Eusebius waveza ukulandelana kwamakhosi ezizwe ezihlukahlukene.

U-Eusebius wabhala ezinye futhi izincwadi ezimbili zomlando, enye inesihloko esithi Martyrs of Palestine enye inesithi Life of Constantine. Eyokuqala ihlanganisa isikhathi seminyaka ephakathi kuka-303 C.E. kuya ku-310 C.E., bese idingida abafel’ ukholo bangaleyo nkathi. Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Eusebius wazibonela ngawakhe lezi zenzakalo. Lena yesibili, eyanyatheliswa yaba iqoqo lemiqulu emine, ngemva kokufa koMbusi uConstantine ngo-337 C.E., iqukethe imininingwane ebalulekile yomlando. Kunokuba ibe umlando oqondile nje, ngokwengxenye enkulu iyathopha.

Izincwadi zika-Eusebius zokuvikela ukholo zazihlanganisa nempendulo eyayiya kuHierocles—umbusi waseRoma owayebusa ngesikhathi esifanayo. Lapho uHierocles ebhala ngokumelene namaKristu, u-Eusebius wamphendula ngokuwavikela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, esekela ukuthi imiBhalo yalotshwa uNkulunkulu, wabhala izincwadi ezingu-35, ezibhekwa njengezincwadi ezibalulekile nezinemininingwane kunazo zonke ezinye izincwadi ezikhuluma ngale ndaba. Ezingu-15 zokuqala zizama ukuvikela ukwamukela kwamaKristu imibhalo engcwele yamaHebheru. Lezi ezinye ezingu-20 ziveza ubufakazi bokuthi kulungile ngamaKristu ukuba eqele ngalé kwemithetho yamaJuda futhi amukele izimiso nemikhuba emisha. Zihlangene zonke, lezi zincwadi zibuvikela kabanzi ubuKristu ngendlela eyayiqondwa ngu-Eusebius.

U-Eusebius waphila iminyaka engaba ngu-80 (c.260-c.340 C.E.), eba ngomunye wabalobi basendulo ababhala izincwadi eziningi. Imibhalo yakhe ihlanganisa izenzakalo ezenzeka phakathi namakhulu eminyaka amathathu okuqala kuya esikhathini soMbusi uConstantine. Engxenyeni yokugcina yokuphila kwakhe, umsebenzi wakhe njengomlobi wawuhambisana nemisebenzi yakhe njengombhishobhi waseCaesarea. Nakuba aziwa kakhulu njengesazimlando, u-Eusebius wayebuye abe ngumvikeli wenkolo yakhe, umdwebi wamabalazwe, umshumayeli, umcusumbuli, nomlobi wemibhalo echaza imibhalo yenkolo.

Isisusa Sakhe Esikabili

Kungani u-Eusebius asukela umsebenzi omkhulu kangaka owawungakaze wenziwe ngaphambili? Impendulo itholakala enkolelweni yakhe yokuthi wayephila ngesikhathi sokushintshela enkathini entsha. Waba nomuzwa wokuthi izenzakalo ezinkulu zazenzeke phakathi nezizukulwane ezidlule futhi umbhalo ogciniwe wawudingeka ukuze kuzuze izizukulwane ezaziyolandela.

U-Eusebius wayenenye inhloso eyengeziwe—leyo yokuba umlweli wokholo. Wayekholelwa ukuthi ubuKristu busuka kuNkulunkulu. Kodwa abanye babelwisana nalo mbono. U-Eusebius wabhala: “Kuyinhloso yami futhi ukuba ngiveze amagama nenani nezikhathi zalabo okuthe ngenxa yokuthanda ukusungula izinto benza amaphutha amakhulu, bezimemezela ngokwabo ukuthi bangabavumbululi bolwazi, bezibiza kanjalo ngokungeyikho, njengezimpisi ezinonya baye bakhungathekisa umhlambi kaKristu ngokungenaluzwela.”

Ingabe u-Eusebius wayezibheka njengomKristu? Kubonakala kanjalo, ngoba wabiza uKristu ngokuthi “uMsindisi wethu.” Wathi: “Kuyinhloso yami . . . ukuba ngilandise ngezinto ezimbi okwathi ngokushesha zehlela sonke isizwe samaJuda ngenxa yokusongela kwaso uMsindisi wethu, nokuba ngibhale ngezindlela nezikhathi abeZizwe abalihlasela ngazo izwi likaNkulunkulu, futhi ngichaze isimo salabo okwathi ezikhathini ezihlukahlukene balilwela ngisho nalapho bebhekene nokubulawa nokuhlushwa, kanye-ke nokuvuma ubuqotho okuye kwenziwa osukwini lwethu uqobo, nesihe nosizo lomusa lolo uMsindisi wethu aye wabanika lona bonke.”

Ucwaningo Lwakhe Olubanzi

Inani lezincwadi u-Eusebius azifunda ngokwakhe nazicaphuna, likhulu kakhulu. Imibhalo ka-Eusebius kuphela eye yembula abantu abaningi ababevelele emakhulwini eminyaka amathathu okuqala eSikhathi Esivamile. Imilando ewusizo echaza imizabalazo ebalulekile ivela emibhalweni yakhe kuphela. Ivela emithonjeni yolwazi engasatholakali.

U-Eusebius wayekhuthele futhi eqikelela lapho ehlanganisa ukwaziswa ayekutholile ekucwaningeni kwakhe. Kubonakala sengathi wazama ngokucophelela ukuhlukanisa phakathi kwemibiko eyayinokwethenjelwa neyayingenakwethenjwa. Nokho, umsebenzi wakhe wawunawo amaphutha. Ngezinye izikhathi, ubachaza futhi aze ngisho abaqonde ngokungeyikho abantu nezenzo zabo. Ngezinye izikhathi akanembile ekulandelaniseni izenzakalo ngokohlelo lwezikhathi. Futhi u-Eusebius wayentula ubuciko bokubeka indaba. Nokho, ngaphandle kwamaphutha asobala, izincwadi zakhe eziningi zibhekwa njengamagugu abiza kakhulu.

Ingabe Wayengumthandi Weqiniso?

U-Eusebius wayekhathazekile ngendaba eyayingaxazululiwe yokuthi uYise neNdodana babehlobene kanjani. Ingabe uYise wayekhona ngaphambi kweNdodana, njengoba u-Eusebius ayekholelwa kanjalo? Noma ingabe uYise neNdodana babeyinto eyodwa? Wabuza: “Uma beyinto eyodwa, uYise wayezoba kanjani uBaba neNdodana ibe iNdodana?” Waze wayisekela nangemiBhalo inkolelo yakhe, ecaphuna uJohane 14:28, othi ‘uBaba mkhulu kunoJesu,’ noJohane 17:3, lapho kubhekiselwa kuJesu njengalowo ‘othunywe’ ukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ebhekisela kweyabaseKolose 1:15 noJohane 1:1, u-Eusebius wathi uLogos, noma uLizwi, ‘ungumfanekiso kaNkulunkulu ongabonakali’—iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.

Ngokumangalisayo, nokho, lapho uMkhandlu WaseNicaea uphethwa, u-Eusebius wasekela umbono oyiphutha. Ngokuphambene nokuma kwakhe okusekelwe emiBhalweni kokuthi uNkulunkulu noKristu ababona abantu abalinganayo abayinto eyodwa, wavumelana nombusi.

Isifundo Okufanele Sifundwe

Kungani u-Eusebius avumela ukucindezelwa eMkhandlwini WaseNicaea waze wasekela imfundiso engavumelani nemiBhalo? Ingabe wayenezinhloso zezombusazwe? Empeleni wayelani nje kulowo mkhandlu? Nakuba babebizwe bonke ababhishobhi, bayidlanzana kuphela—bangu-300—ababa khona. Ingabe mhlawumbe u-Eusebius wayekhathazeke ngokulondoloza isikhundla sakhe emphakathini? Futhi kungani uMbusi uConstantine ayemazisa kakhulu kangaka? U-Eusebius wayehlezi ngakwesokunene sombusi kulowo mkhandlu.

Kusobala ukuthi u-Eusebius wayishaya indiva imfuneko kaJesu yokuthi abalandeli baKhe ‘bangabi ingxenye yezwe.’ (Johane 17:16; 18:36) Umfundi uJakobe wabuza: “Ziphingi, anazi yini ukuthi ubungane nezwe bungubutha noNkulunkulu?” (Jakobe 4:4) Futhi asive sifaneleka isiyalo sikaPawulu: “Ningaboshelwa ejokeni nabangakholwa”! (2 Korinte 6:14) Kwangathi singahlala sihlukile ezweni njengoba ‘sikhulekela uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso.’—Johane 4:24.

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Umfanekiso we-“fresco” oveza uMkhandlu WaseNicaea

[Umthombo]

Scala/Art Resource, NY

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 29]

Courtesy of Special Collections Library, University of Michigan