Kufanele Yini ABefundisi Bangene Kwezombusazwe?
“EKHULUMA nezihambeli zendawo engcwele umbhishobhi omkhulu waseCanada wathi, ukungena kwezombusazwe kungasiza abampofu . . . Ngisho noma isimiso sezombusazwe sibonakala singavumelani nentando kaNkulunkulu, ‘kudingeka singene ezindabeni zezombusazwe ukuze senzele abampofu ubulungisa.’”—Catholic News.
Kuvamile ukuzwa imibiko yabaholi benkolo abasezikhundleni eziphezulu bekhuthaza ukungena kwezombusazwe; kanti kuvamile nokuba abaholi benkolo babe nezikhundla kwezombusazwe. Abanye baye bazama ukwenza izinguquko kwezombusazwe. Abanye bayahlonishwa futhi bayakhunjulwa ngemikhankaso yabo ezindabeni ezinjengokulwela ukulingana kwamalungelo ezinhlanga nokuqeda ubugqila.
Nokho, abantu abaningi abasontayo abathandisisi uma abefundisi babo bezigaxa kwezombusazwe. Esinye isihloko esikumagazini i-Christian Century esikhuluma ngemibono yenkolo ngezombusazwe sathi: “Ngezinye izikhathi kwakuba amaProthestani ayengabaza ukuzigaxa kwabefundisi bawo kwezombusazwe.” Abantu abaningi abasontayo banomuzwa wokuthi isonto lingcwele kakhulu ukuba lingangena kwezombusazwe.
Lokhu kuphakamisa imibuzo ethakazelisayo ekhathaza bonke labo abafuna ukubona izwe elingcono. Abefundisi bobuKristu bangaziletha yini izinguquko kwezombusazwe?a Ingabe ukungena kwezombusazwe kuyindlela kaNkulunkulu yokuletha uhulumeni ongcono nezwe elingcono? Ingabe injongo yobuKristu yasekuqaleni yayiwukuletha indlela entsha yokubusa izwe?
Indlela Abefundisi Abaqala Ngayo Ukungena Kwezombusazwe
Encwadini ethi The Early Church, isazimlando uHenry Chadwick sithi ibandla lokuqala lobuKristu lalaziwa ‘ngokungabi nandaba kwalo nokubusa kuleli zwe. Laliwumphakathi ongangeni kwezombusazwe, ongaphehli dweshu nongahambisani nhlobo nempi.’ Incwadi ethi History of Christianity ithi: “AmaKristu amaningi ayekholelwa ukuthi akufanele abe nezikhundla kwezombusazwe . . . Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesithathu leminyaka uHippolytus wathi inkambiso yakudala yamaKristu yayithi uma imantshi ifuna ukuba yilungu leSonto kumelwe isiyeke isikhundla sayo.” Nokho, kancane kancane, amadoda ayegaqele izikhundla aqala ukuhola emabandleni amaningi, ezinika iziqu eziwakhukhumezayo. (IzEnzo 20:29, 30) Amanye ayefuna ukuba abaholi benkolo nabezombusazwe ngesikhathi esifanayo. Ushintsho olwenzeka kungazelelwe kuhulumeni waseRoma lwanikeza lawo madoda ithuba ayeligaqele.
Ngonyaka ka-312 C.E., umbusi waseRoma oyiqaba uConstantine waqala ukubuthanda ubuKristu mbumbulu. Okumangalisayo ukuthi ababhishobhi besonto babezimisele ukwenza isivumelwano nalo mbusi oyiqaba ukuze abanikeze amalungelo. UHenry Chadwick wabhala: “ISonto laya ngokuya lingena ezindabeni ezibalulekile zombusazwe.” Kwaba namuphi umphumela ukuzigaxa kwabefundisi kwezombusazwe?
Indlela Ezombusazwe Ezabathinta Ngayo Abefundisi
Umbono wokuthi uNkulunkulu wayezosebenzisa abefundisi kwezombusazwe wawusekelwa ikakhulukazi u-Augustine, isazi esinethonya semfundiso yenkolo yobuKatolika sangekhulu lesihlanu. Engqondweni yakhe wayebona isonto libusa izizwe futhi liletha ukuthula kubantu. Kodwa isazimlando uH. G. Wells sabhala: “Ingxenye enkulu yomlando weYurophu kusukela ngekhulu lesihlanu kuya kweleshumi nanhlanu imayelana nokwehluleka kwalo mbono wokuthi isonto liyobusa izwe.” Izinkolo ezazithi zingezobuKristu azizange zikulethe ukuthula eYurophu, ingasaphathwa-ke eyomhlaba wonke. Okwakucatshangwa ukuthi kuwubuKristu kwaphelelwa isithunzi kwabaningi. Konakalaphi?
Abaningi ababethi bangamaKristu bangena kwezombusazwe benezinhloso ezinhle, kodwa bagcina sebenza izinto ezimbi. UMartin Luther, owayengumfundisi futhi engumhumushi weBhayibheli, udumile ngemizamo yakhe yokuletha izinguquko eSontweni LamaKatolika. Nokho, ukumelana kwakhe ngesibindi nezimfundiso zesonto kwamenza wathandeka kulabo ababevukela ngenxa yezisusa zombusazwe. Lapho uLuther naye eseqala ukusekela ezombusazwe, abantu abaningi baqala ukungamhloniphi. Waqale wasekela abantu ababevukela iziphathimandla ezicindezelayo. Kwathi lapho ukuvukela sekuba nobudlova, wakhuthaza iziphathimandla ukuba zikuqede, okuyinto ezayenza ngokuceka izinkulungwane zabantu. Yingakho abantu báthi uyimbuka. ULuther wabuye wagqugquzela iziphathimandla ekuvukeleni kwazo umbusi ongumKatolika. Eqinisweni, amaProthestani, njengoba abalandeli bakaLuther babizwa kanjalo, asungula iqembu lezombusazwe zisuka nje. Amenza waba njani uLuther amandla okubusa? Amonakalisa. Ngokwesibonelo, nakuba ekuqaleni ayephikisana nokuguqula abantu bezinye izinkolo ngempoqo, kamuva wakhuthaza abangane bakhe bezombusazwe ukuba babashise baze bafe labo ababephikisana nokubhapathizwa kwezingane ezincane.
UJohn Calvin wayengumfundisi odumile eGeneva, kodwa naye waba nethonya elikhulu kwezombusazwe. Lapho uMichael Servetus eveza ukuthi uZiqu-zintathu akasekelwe emiBhalweni, uCalvin wasebenzisa ithonya ayenalo kwezombusazwe ukusekela ukubulawa kukaServetus, owashiswa esigxotsheni. Yeka ukuchezuka okushaqisayo ezimfundisweni zikaJesu!
Mhlawumbe la madoda akukhohlwa lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo kweyoku-1 Johane 5:19: “Lonke izwe lisemandleni omubi.” Ingabe ayefisa ngempela ukuletha ushintsho kwezombusazwe zangaleso sikhathi, noma ayehehwe ithemba lokuthola amandla okubusa nabangane abasezikhundleni eziphezulu? Noma ngabe ikuphi, kwakufanele akhumbule amazwi aphefumulelwe omfundi kaJesu uJakobe athi: “Anazi yini ukuthi ubungane nezwe bungubutha noNkulunkulu? Ngakho-ke, noma ubani ofuna ukuba umngane wezwe uzenza isitha sikaNkulunkulu.” (Jakobe 4:4) UJakobe wayazi ukuthi uJesu wayethe ngabalandeli bakhe: ‘Abayona ingxenye yezwe, njengoba nje nami ngingeyona ingxenye yezwe.’—Johane 17:14.
Noma kunjalo, nakuba beqaphela ukuthi amaKristu kufanele angabi ingxenye yobubi bezwe, abaningi abavumelani nokungangeni kwezombusazwe, ‘ukungabi ngempela ingxenye yezwe.’ Bathi lokho kungangeni kwezombusazwe kuvimbela amaKristu ukuba enze izinto ezibonisa uthando kwabanye. Bakholelwa ukuthi abaholi benkolo akufanele bathule futhi kufanele babe nesandla ekulweni nenkohlakalo nokungabi nabulungisa. Kodwa ingabe ngempela ukungangeni kwezombusazwe okwafundiswa uJesu akuhambisani nokukhathalela abanye? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi umKristu angangeni ezindabeni zezombusazwe ezibanga ukwahlukana kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo enzele abanye izinto ezibasizayo? Isihloko esilandelayo siyayihlaziya le mibuzo.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ezombusazwe ziye zachazwa ngokuthi “izinto eziphathelene nokubuswa kwezwe noma indawo, ikakhulukazi impikiswano noma ingxabano phakathi kwabantu noma amaqembu abusayo noma afuna ukubusa.”—The New Oxford Dictionary of English.
[Isithombe ekhasini 4]
Ukuze bathole izikhundla kwezombusazwe, abaholi benkolo bayekethisa ezimfundisweni zenkolo bavumelana nababusi abanjengoMbusi uConstantine
[Umthombo]
Musée du Louvre, Paris
[Izithombe ekhasini 5]
Kungani abaholi benkolo abadumile bangena kwezombusazwe?
U-Augustine
ULuther
UCalvin
[Imithombo]
Augustine: ICCD Photo; Calvin: Portrait by Holbein, from the book The History of Protestantism (Vol. II)