UMartin Luther—Yena Nefa Lakhe

“KUTHIWA kuye kwabhalwa izincwadi eziningi [ngoMartin Luther] kunanoma ubani omunye emlandweni, ngaphandle kwenkosi yakhe, uJesu Kristu.” Washo kanjalo umagazini i-Time. Amazwi nezenzo zikaLuther kwasiza ekubangeleni iNguquko (Reformation)—umzabalazo wenkolo ochazwa ngokuthi “inguquko ebaluleke kakhulu emlandweni wesintu.” Ngakho waba neqhaza ekushintsheni isimo senkolo eYurophu nasekuqedeni iNkathi Ephakathi kulelo zwekazi. ULuther wabeka nesisekelo sokubhalwa kolimi lwesiJalimane ngendlela efanayo kuwo wonke umuntu. Inguqulo yakhe yeBhayibheli isalokhu iyintandokazi olimini lwesiJalimane.

Wayengumuntu onjani uMartin Luther? Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba abe nethonya elingaka ezindabeni zaseYurophu?

ULuther Uba Isazi

UMartin Luther wazalelwa e-Eisleben, eJalimane, ngo-November 1483. Nakuba uyise ayesebenza emayini yethusi, wakwazi ukuthola imali eyanele ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi uMartin uthola imfundo enhle. Ngo-1501, uMartin waqala ukufunda e-University of Erfurt. Emtapweni wayo wezincwadi, wafunda iBhayibheli ngokokuqala ngqá. Wathi: “Leyo ncwadi yangijabulisa ngokumangalisayo, futhi ngangifuna ukuzibheka njengobusiswe ngokwanele ukuba abe nencwadi enjalo ngelinye ilanga.”

Lapho eneminyaka engu-22 ubudala, uLuther wangena esigodlweni sezindela sika-Augustine, e-Erfurt. Kamuva wafunda e-University of Wittenberg, wathola iziqu ze-doctorate emfundisweni yenkolo. ULuther wayezibheka njengongakufanelwe ukwamukelwa uNkulunkulu futhi ngezinye izikhathi wayedunyazwa unembeza onecala. Kodwa ukutadisha iBhayibheli, ukuthandaza, nokuzindla kwamsiza wayiqonda kangcono indlela uNkulunkulu azibheka ngayo izoni. ULuther waqonda ukuthi ukwamukelwa uNkulunkulu akuyona into ezuzwayo. Kunalokho, kutholwa ngomusa ongafanelwe yilabo ababonisa ukholo.—Roma 1:16; 3:23, 24, 28.

Wanquma kanjani uLuther ukuthi ukuqonda kwakhe okusha kwakulungile? UKurt Aland, uprofesa womlando wesonto wakudala nocwaningo lwemibhalo yeTestamente Elisha, wabhala: “Wazindla ngalo lonke iBhayibheli ukuze anqume ukuthi lolu lwazi asanda kuluthola luyavumelana yini nezinye izinkulumo zeBhayibheli, wathola ukuthi zonke ziyavumelana nolwazi analo.” Imfundiso yokusindiswa ngokholo hhayi ngemisebenzi, noma ukuzihlawulisa, yahlala iyinsika eyinhloko yezimfundiso zikaLuther.

Wacasulwa Ukuthengiswa Kwentethelelo

Ukuqonda kukaLuther indlela uNkulunkulu azibheka ngayo izoni kwamxabanisa neSonto LamaRoma Katolika. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakunenkolelo eyayisakazekile yokuthi, ngemva kokufa izoni zijeziswa isikhathi esithile. Nokho, kwakuthiwa lesi sikhathi sasingancishiswa ngokuthethelelwa kwezono okwakwenziwa ngegunya likapapa uma umuntu ezokhokha imali. Abathengisi abafana noJohann Tetzel, owayeyinxusa loMbhishobhi Omkhulu u-Albert waseMainz, babeqhuba ibhizinisi elichumayo lokuthengisela abantu abavamile intethelelo yezono. Abaningi babheka ukuthengiswa kwentethelelo njengohlobo oluthile lomshuwalense wokuthethelelwa kwezono zangesikhathi esizayo.

Kwamcasula uLuther ukuthengiswa kwentethelelo. Wayazi ukuthi abantu abanakuhwebelana noNkulunkulu. Ekwindla lika-1517, wabhala iziphakamiso zakhe ezidumile ezingu-95, esola isonto ngokusebenzisa kabi imali, imfundiso, nenkolo. Efuna ukukhuthaza inguquko, hhayi ukuhlubuka, uLuther wathumela iziphakamiso zakhe kuMbhishobhi Omkhulu u-Albert waseMainz nasezazini eziningana. Izazimlando eziningi zikhomba ku-1517 noma kuleyo minyaka njengesikhathi sokuqala kweNguquko.

ULuther wayengeyedwa ekukhonondeni ngezenzo ezimbi zesonto. Eminyakeni eyikhulu ngaphambili, umgqugquzeli wenguquko yenkolo uJan Hus waseCzechoslovakia wayekulahlile ukuthengiswa kwentethelelo. Ngisho nangaphambi kukaHus, uJohn Wycliffe waseNgilandi wayeke waphawula ukuthi amanye amasiko esonto awavumelani nemiBhalo. U-Erasmus waseRotterdam noTyndale waseNgilandi ababephila ngesikhathi sikaLuther, bakhuthaza inguquko. Kodwa ngosizo lukaJohannes Gutenberg lokusungula eJalimane umshini wokunyathelisa onezinhlamvu ezihlelwa ngesandla, izwi likaLuther lezwakala kakhulu nakude kunamazwi abanye abagqugquzeli benguquko.

Umshini wokunyathelisa kaGutenberg wawususetshenziswa eMainz ngo-1455. Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu le-16, kwase kunemishini yokunyathelisa emadolobheni angu-60 aseJalimane nasemazweni angu-12 aseYurophu. Ngokokuqala ngqá emlandweni, umphakathi wawusungaziswa ngokushesha ngezindaba eziwuthintayo. Mhlawumbe ngaphandle kwemvume yakhe, iziphakamiso zikaLuther ezingu-95 zanyatheliswa futhi zasakazwa. Indaba yenguquko yesonto yayingaseyona impikiswano yendawo kuphela. Yaba impikiswano eyasakazeka kabanzi, futhi ngokushesha uMartin Luther waba indoda edume kakhulu kwelaseJalimane.

“Ilanga Nenyanga” Kuthatha Isinyathelo

Kwase kungamakhulu eminyaka iYurophu isezandleni zezinhlangothi ezimbili ezinamandla: uMbuso Ongcwele WamaRoma neSonto LamaRoma Katolika. “Umbusi nopapa babeyizinto zandawonye njengelanga nenyanga,” kuchaza uHanns Lilje, owayengumongameli weNhlangano Yomhlaba YamaLuthela. Nokho, kwakunokungaqiniseki okukhulu kokuthi ubani owayeyilanga, ubani owayeyinyanga. Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu le-16, ithonya lalezi zinhlangothi ezimbili lase lifadalala. Kwakuheleza umoya wenguquko.

UPapa Leo X wasabela kulezo ziphakamiso ezingu-95 ngokusongela uLuther ngokuthi uzomxosha esontweni ngaphandle uma ezihoxisa. Ngokwedelela, uLuther wayishisa obala incwadi eyayivela kupapa eyayiqukethe usongo futhi wanyathelisa izincwadi ezengeziwe ezazikhuthaza ababusi ukuba baguqule isonto ngisho noma upapa engavumi. Ngo-1521, uPapa Leo X wamxosha uLuther esontweni. Lapho uLuther ekwenqaba lokho ethi ulahlwe ngecala elingathethwanga kahle, uMbusi uCharles V wabiza lo mgqugquzeli wenguquko ukuba avele phambi komkhandlu wababusi, noma umhlangano, eWorms. Uhambo lukaLuther lwezinsuku ezingu-15 olusuka eWittenberg luya eWorms ngo-April 1521 lwalufana nodwendwe lokunqoba. Umphakathi wawungasohlangothini lwakhe, abantu yonke indawo befuna ukumbona.

EWorms, uLuther wama phambi kombusi, amakhosana, nenxusa likapapa. UJan Hus naye wayebhekane nokuthethwa kwecala okufanayo eConstance ngo-1415 futhi washiswa esigxotsheni. Njengoba amehlo esonto nawombuso manje ethe njó kuye, uLuther wenqaba ukuhoxa ngaphandle uma abaphikisi bakhe babengambonisa ngokusuka eBhayibhelini ukuthi wayenephutha. Kodwa akekho owayekwazi ukukhumbula imiBhalo njengaye. Incwadi ebizwa ngokuthi i-Edict of Worms yakhipha umphumela wokuqulwa kwecala. Yathi uLuther uyisaphula-mthetho futhi izincwadi zakhe zivaliwe. Exoshwe upapa, nombusi ethe uyisaphula-mthetho, manje ukuphila kwakhe kwase kulengela eweni.

Kwabe sekwenzeka into emangalisayo neyayingalindelekile. Esendleleni ephindela eWittenberg, uLuther waba isisulu sokuthunjwa kokukhohlisa okwakuhlelwe nguFrederick waseSaxony owayenomusa. Lokhu kwayisa uLuther lapho izitha zakhe zazingeke zimthole khona. ULuther wathunyelwa ngesinyenyela enqabeni esithekile yaseWartburg, lapho akhulisa khona intshebe futhi waziwa ngomunye umuntu—ngesikhulu esibizwa ngoJunker Jörg.

IBhayibheli Lango-September Lifunwa Ngapha Nangapha

Ezinyangeni eziyishumi ezalandela, uLuther wahlala enqabeni yaseWartburg njengowayebalekele umbusi nopapa. Incwadi ethi Welterbe Wartburg ichaza ukuthi “isikhathi ayeseWartburg ngaso sasingenye yezinkathi ayekhiqiza futhi enobuhlakani obukhulu ngazo ekuphileni kwakhe.” Enye yezinto ezinkulu azifeza, ukuhumusha ngesiJalimane izindinyana zika-Erasmus zemiBhalo YesiGreki, wayiqedela khona. Inyatheliswe ngo-September 1522 ngaphandle kokuveza uLuther njengomhumushi, le nguqulo yaziwa ngokuthi iBhayibheli Lango-September. Yayibiza ama-guilden angu-1 1/2—ayelingana neholo lonyaka wonke lesisebenzi sasendlini. Noma kunjalo, iBhayibheli Lango-September lalifunwa ngapha nangapha. Phakathi nezinyanga ezingu-12, kwase kunyatheliswe amaBhayibheli angu-6 000 ngezinhlelo ezimbili, kube kusazolandela ezinye izinhlelo okungenani ezingu-69 eminyakeni engu-12 eyayizolandela.

Ngo-1525, uMartin Luther washada noKatharina von Bora owayekade eyindelakazi. UKatharina wayekwazi ukuqondisa kahle izindaba zasekhaya, ekwazi nokusingatha izimfuno ezazihambisana nokuba komyeni wakhe umuntu ophayo. Umkhaya kaLuther wawungahlanganisi nje umkakhe nezingane eziyisithupha kuphela kodwa nabangane, izazi, nababaleki. Lapho esemnkantsh’ ubomvu, uLuther wajabulela udumo lokuba umeluleki okwakuthi lapho izazi zimvakashela kwakhe, zizihlinzeke ngepeni nephepha ukuze zibhale imibono yakhe. Le mibono yahlanganiswa ndawonye eqoqweni elabizwa ngokuthi i-Luthers Tischreden (Izingxoxo ZikaLuther Zasetafuleni). Isikhathi esithile, lelo qoqo lasakazwa ngolimi lwesiJalimane ngamanani adlulwa aweBhayibheli kuphela.

Umhumushi Onekhono Nomlobi Okhiqizayo

Ngo-1534, uLuther wayeseyiqedile inguqulo yakhe yemiBhalo YesiHebheru. Wayenekhono lokulinganisa indlela yokubhala, isigqi, nolimi. Umphumela waba iBhayibheli eliqondakalayo kubantu abavamile. Ephawula ngendlela yakhe yokuhumusha, uLuther wabhala: “Kufanele sixoxe nomama ekhaya lakhe, nezingane emgwaqweni, nomuntu ovamile emakethe, sibalalelisise ukuze sibone indlela abakhuluma ngayo bese sihumusha ngokuvumelana nayo.” IBhayibheli likaLuther lasiza ekubekeni isisekelo sokubhalwa kolimi ngendlela efanayo kuwo wonke umuntu eyamukelwa kulo lonke elaseJalimane.

Isiphiwo sikaLuther njengomhumushi sasihambisana nekhono lakhe njengomlobi. Kuthiwa wayebhala indatshana njalo emasontweni amabili kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe engumlobi. Ezinye zazo zazidala impikiswano njengomlobi wazo. Uma imibhalo yakhe yokuqala yayintinyela, ukukhula akuzange kuluthuntubeze udosi lwepeni likaLuther. Izindatshana zakhe zokugcina zazintinyela nakakhulu. Ngokwe-Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, izincwadi zikaLuther zembula “ukuthukuthela kwakhe ngokweqile,” “ukuntula ukuthobeka nothando,” kanye “nokushabashekela ubizo.”

Lapho kubheduka iMpi Yabantukazana, kufa abantu abaningi, uLuther wacelwa ukuba anikeze umbono wakhe ngalokho kuvukela. Ingabe abantukazana babenezisusa ezilungile zokukhononda ngamakhosi abo? ULuther akazamanga ukulondoloza ukusekelwa abaningi ngokukhipha impendulo eyayizojabulisa iningi. Wayekholelwa ukuthi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu kufanele zilalele labo abasegunyeni. (Roma 13:1) Eveza umbono wakhe engagwegwesi, uLuther wathi lokho kuvukela kufanele kuqedwe nyá kusetshenziswa amandla. “Vumelani noma ubani ongase akwazi, agwaze, agalele, abulale,” esho. UHanns Lilje wathi le mpendulo yalahlekisela uLuther “uthando olukhethekile abantu abebenalo ngaye kuze kube manje.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, izindatshana zakamuva zikaLuther ezazikhuluma ngalawo maJuda enqaba ukuguqukela ebuKristwini, ikakhulu ethi On the Jews and Their Lies, zabangela abaningi ukuba babheke umlobi njengolwa namaJuda.

Ifa LikaLuther

INguquko, eyayigqugquzelwa amadoda afana noLuther, oCalvin, noZwingli, yaholela ekubunjweni kwenkolo entsha eyabizwa ngokuthi ubuProthestani. Ifa likaLuther elikhulu enkolweni yobuProthestani kwakuyimfundiso yakhe eyinhloko yokusindiswa ngokholo. Isifunda ngasinye eJalimane sachema nenkolo yobuProthestani noma yobuKatolika. UbuProthestani basakazeka futhi bathola ukusekela kweningi eScandinavia, eSwitzerland, eNgilandi, naseNetherlands. Namuhla bunamakhulu ezigidi zabalandeli.

Abaningi abangavumelani nazo zonke izinkolelo zikaLuther basamhlonipha kakhulu. Indawo eyayiyiGerman Democratic Republic, eyayihlanganisa i-Eisleben, i-Erfurt, iWittenberg, neWartburg ngaphakathi kwemingcele yayo, ngo-1983 yagubha iminyaka engu-500 kusukela uLuther azalwa. Lo Mbuso Wamadlela-ndawonye wawumbheka njengovelele emlandweni nasesikweni laseJalimane. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isazi semfundiso yenkolo yamaKatolika esasiphila ngawo-1980, sabukeza ithonya likaLuther sabe sesithi: “Akekho oweza emva kukaLuther owayengafana naye.” UProfesa Aland wabhala: “Unyaka ngamunye kuba nezincwadi ezintsha okungenani ezingu-500 ezikhuluma ngoMartin Luther neNguquko—futhi cishe zinyatheliswa ngazo zonke izilimi ezinkulu emhlabeni.”

UMartin Luther wayenengqondo ekhaliphile, nenkumbulo ebabazekayo, eyiciko, ezikhandla nasemsebenzini wakhe. Wayengakwazi nokubekezela, edelela, futhi wayesabela ngesankahlu kulokho ayekubheka njengobuzenzisi. Lapho esezokufa ngo-February 1546 e-Eisleben, abangane bambuza uLuther ukuthi usagxilile yini ezinkolelweni ayezifundise abanye. “Yebo,” ephendula. ULuther wafa, kodwa abaningi basabambelele kulezo zimfundiso.

[Isithombe ekhasini 27]

ULuther wamelana nokuthengiswa kwentethelelo

[Umthombo]

Mit freundlicher Genehmigung: Wartburg-Stiftung

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

ULuther wenqaba ukuhoxa ngaphandle uma abaphikisi bakhe babengambonisa ngokusuka eBhayibhelini ukuthi wayenephutha

[Umthombo]

From the book The Story of Liberty, 1878

[Izithombe ekhasini 29]

Ikamelo likaLuther eNqabeni YaseWartburg, lapho ahumushela khona iBhayibheli

[Umthombo]

Both images: Mit freundlicher Genehmigung: Wartburg-Stiftung

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

From the book Martin Luther The Reformer, 3rd Edition, published by Toronto Willard Tract Depository, Toronto, Ontario

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 30]

From the book The History of Protestantism (Vol. I)