UbuKristu Buyasakazeka KumaJuda Ekhulu Lokuqala

KWAKUNOMHLANGANO obalulekile eJerusalema cishe ngo-49 C.E. Kwakukhona “labo ababebonakala beyizinsika” zebandla lobuKristu lekhulu lokuqala—uJohane, uPetru noJakobe umfowabo kaJesu ngamzali munye. Abanye ababili abashiwo ngamagama ababekhona kulowo mhlangano ngumphostoli uPawulu nomngane wakhe uBarnaba. Kulo mhlangano kwakuzoxoxwa ngendlela yokuhlukanisa insimu ebanzi okwakuzoshunyayelwa kuyo. UPawulu wachaza: “Basixhawula noBarnaba ngesandla sokunene njengophawu lokuthi sihlanganyele ndawonye, ukuba siye ezizweni, bona baye kwabasokile.”—Galathiya 2:1, 9.a

Kufanele sikuqonde kanjani abavumelana ngakho? Ingabe insimu okwakufanele kushunyayelwe kuyo izindaba ezinhle yahlukaniswa yaba eyamaJuda namaproselithe, ngakolunye uhlangothi kwaba eyabeZizwe? Noma ingabe abavumelana ngakho kwakumane kuwukuhlukanisa insimu ngokuma kwezwe? Ukuze sithole impendulo enengqondo, kudingeka sazi okuthile ngomlando wamaJuda aHlakazekile ayehlala ngaphandle kwePalestina.

Izwe LamaJuda Ngekhulu Lokuqala

Mangaki amaJuda ayeHlakazekile ngekhulu lokuqala? Izazi eziningi zibonakala zivumelana nencwadi i-Atlas of the Jewish World: “Kunzima ukuthola ukuthi mangaki ngempela, kodwa kuye kwalinganiselwa ukuthi ngaphambi nje kuka-70 C.E. kwakunamaJuda ayizigidi ezimbili nengxenye ayehlala eJudiya futhi engaphezu kwezigidi ezine ayehlakazekele eRoma. . . . Kungenzeka ukuthi kuwo umbuso wamaRoma amaJuda ayeyingxenye eyodwa kweziyishumi zezakhamuzi, futhi kungenzeka ukuthi ezindaweni lapho ayemaningi kakhulu khona, emizini eyayisezifundazweni ezisempumalanga, ayeyingxenye eyodwa kwezine noma ngaphezulu zezakhamuzi zakhona.”

Izindawo ayemaningi kuzo eMpumalanga kwakuyiseSiriya, e-Asia Minor, eBhabhiloni naseGibhithe, bese kuba nemiphakathi emincane eYurophu. Amanye amaKristu okuqala ayevela kumaJuda ayeHlakazekile, njengoBarnaba owayevela eKhupro, uPrisila no-Akhwila ababehlala ePhontu kamuva bahlala eRoma, u-Apholo wase-Aleksandriya noPawulu waseTarsu.—IzEnzo 4:36; 18:2, 24; 22:3.

Imiphakathi yamaJuda ayeHlakazekile yayinezinto eziningi eziyihlanganisa nezwe layo. Enye yazo kwakuyintela yaminyaka yonke eyayithunyelwa ethempelini eJerusalema, eyayisetshenziselwa ukusekela ukuphila nezinkonzo zasethempelini. Maqondana nalokhu, isazi uJohn Barclay sithi: “Kunobufakazi obanelisayo bokuthi ukuqoqwa kwale mali, eyayihambisana neminikelo eyenezelwa izicebi, kwakwenziwa ngobuqotho yimiphakathi yamaJuda ayeHlakazekile.”

Okunye okwakuwahlanganisa kwakungamashumi ezinkulungwane zezihambeli ezaziya eJerusalema minyaka yonke ziyogubha imikhosi. Ukulandisa okuphathelene nePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. okusencwadini yezEnzo 2:9-11 kuyakubonisa lokhu. Izihambeli ezingamaJuda ezazikhona zazivela eParte, eMediya, e-Elamu, eMesophothamiya, eKhaphadosiya, ePhontu, e-Asiya, eFrigiya, ePhamfiliya, eGibhithe, eLibhiya, eRoma, eKrethe nase-Arabhiya.

Abaphathi bethempeli eJerusalema babexhumana namaJuda aHlakazekile ngokubhalelana. Kuyaziwa ukuthi uGamaliyeli, umfundisi woMthetho okukhulunywa ngaye kuzEnzo 5:34, wathumela izincwadi eBhabhiloni nakwezinye izingxenye zezwe. Ngesikhathi umphostoli uPawulu efika eRoma eyisiboshwa cishe ngo-59 C.E., “amadoda avelele kumaJuda” amtshela ukuthi “asamukelanga zincwadi ngawe ezivela eJudiya, futhi akekho kubafowethu abafikile obike noma okhulume into embi ngawe.” Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi kwakuyinto ejwayelekile ukuba kuthunyelwe izincwadi nemibiko eRoma kusuka eJerusalema.—IzEnzo 28:17, 21.

IBhayibheli lamaJuda ayeHlakazekile kwakuyinguqulo yesiGreki yemiBhalo YesiHebheru ebizwa ngokuthi i-Septuagint. Enye incwadi iyaphawula: “Kunengqondo ukuphetha ngokuthi i-LXX [i-Septuagint] yayifundwa futhi yamukelwa yiwo wonke amaJuda ayeHlakazekile njengeBhayibheli noma ‘imiBhalo Engcwele’ yamaJuda aHlakazekile.” Leyo nguqulo yayisetshenziswa kakhulu nangamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala lapho efundisa.

Amalungu endikimba ebusayo yamaKristu eJerusalema ayezazi lezi zimo. Izindaba ezinhle zase zifinyelele kakade kumaJuda ayehlala eSiriya nangale kwayo, kuhlanganise iDamaseku ne-Antiyokiya. (IzEnzo 9:19, 20; 11:19; 15:23, 41; Galathiya 1:21) Emhlanganweni owawungo-49 C.E., kusobala ukuthi ababekhona babehlelela umsebenzi wesikhathi esizayo. Ake sicabangele okushiwo iBhayibheli ngokwanda phakathi kwamaJuda namaproselithe.

Ukuhambela KukaPawulu AmaJuda AHlakazekile

Isabelo sokuqala somphostoli uPawulu sasiwukuba “aphathe igama [likaJesu Kristu] ezizweni nasemakhosini nakubantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”b (IzEnzo 9:15) Ngemva komhlangano waseJerusalema, uPawulu waqhubeka nokuzama ukufinyelela amaJuda ayeHlakazekile kuyo yonke indawo lapho ayehamba khona. (Bheka ibhokisi elisekhasini 14.) Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi cishe kwavunyelwana ngokuhlukanisa insimu ngokusekelwe ekumeni kwezwe. UPawulu noBarnaba bandisa umsebenzi wabo wezithunywa zevangeli entshonalanga, futhi abanye baqhubeka beshumayela ezweni lamaJuda nasemiphakathini emikhulu yamaJuda ayehlala eMpumalanga.

Lapho uPawulu nabangane bakhe beqala uhambo lwabo lwesibili lwezithunywa zevangeli besuka e-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya, baqondiswa ukuba baye ngasentshonalanga, badabula i-Asia Minor baze bafika phezulu eTrowa. Besuka lapho, bawelela eMakedoniya ngoba baphetha ngokuthi ‘uNkulunkulu wayebabizele ukumemezela izindaba ezinhle kwabaseMakedoniya.’ Kamuva, kwamiswa amabandla amaKristu kweminye imizi yaseYurophu, ehlanganisa i-Athene neKorinte.—IzEnzo 15:40, 41; 16:6-10; 17:1–18:18.

Cishe ngo-56 C.E., ekupheleni kohambo lwakhe lwesithathu lwezithunywa zevangeli, uPawulu wayehlele ukuya kujana ngasentshonalanga futhi andise insimu ayeyabelwé emhlanganweni owawuseJerusalema. Wabhala: “Kimi kukhona ukulangazelela ukuba ngimemezele izindaba ezinhle nakini lapho eRoma,” futhi “ngizoya eSpaniya ngidlule ngakini.” (Roma 1:15; 15:24, 28) Kodwa kwenzekani ngemiphakathi emikhulu yamaJuda ayeHlakazekele eMpumalanga?

Imiphakathi YamaJuda EseMpumalanga

Phakathi nekhulu lokuqala C.E., iGibhithe laliyindawo ehlala amaJuda amaningi kunazo zonke, ikakhulu enhloko-dolobha yalo, i-Aleksandriya. Le ndawo yezohwebo futhi enamasiko amaningi yayinamakhulu ezinkulungwane zamaJuda, futhi inamasinagoge asakazeke kuwo wonke umuzi. UPhilo, umJuda wase-Aleksandriya, wathi kulo lonke elaseGibhithe okungenani kwakunamaJuda ayisigidi ngaleso sikhathi. Amaningana ayehlala naseLibhiya eseduze, emzini waseKhurene nasemizini eyakhelene nawo.

Amanye amaJuda aba ngamaKristu ayevela kulezi zindawo. Sifunda ‘ngo-Apholo, ongowokuzalwa e-Aleksandriya,’ “amadoda athile aseKhupro naseKhurene” “noLukiyu waseKhurene,” abasekela ibandla lase-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya. (IzEnzo 2:10; 11:19, 20; 13:1; 18:24) Ngaphandle kwabo, iBhayibheli alisho lutho olunye ngomsebenzi wamaKristu okuqala eGibhithe nasezindaweni ezakhelene nalo, ngaphandle nje kokufakaza kukaFiliphu, umvangeli ongumKristu, kumthenwa ongumTopiya.—IzEnzo 8:26-39.

IBhabhiloni, kuhlanganise neParte, iMediya ne-Elamu, lalingesinye isikhungo esiyinhloko. Esinye isazimlando sithi “amaJuda ayetholakala kuyo yonke indawo yasethafeni laseTigrisi nase-Ewufrathe, kusukela e-Armenia kuya ePersian Gulf, nasenyakatho-mpumalanga yeCaspian Sea, nangasempumalanga yeMediya.” I-Encyclopaedia Judaica ithi ayelinganiselwa ku-800 000 noma ngaphezulu. Isazimlando esingumJuda sekhulu lokuqala, uJosephus sisitshela ukuthi amashumi ezinkulungwane zamaJuda aseBhabhiloni ayeya eJerusalema eyogubha imikhosi yaminyaka yonke.

Ingabe ezinye zezihambeli ezazivela eBhabhiloni zabhapathizwa ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E.? Asazi, kodwa phakathi kwalabo abezwa umphostoli uPetru ngalolo suku kwakukhona ababevela eMesophothamiya. (IzEnzo 2:9) Siyazi ukuthi umphostoli uPetru wayeseBhabhiloni ngo-62-64 C.E. Ngesikhathi elapho, wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala mhlawumbe neyesibili. (1 Petru 5:13) Njengoba iBhabhiloni lalinamaJuda amaningi kusobala ukuthi lalibhekwa njengengxenye yensimu eyabelwa uPetru, uJohane noJakobe emhlanganweni okukhulunywa ngawo encwadini yabaseGalathiya.

Ibandla LaseJerusalema NamaJuda AHlakazekile

UJakobe, naye owayekhona emhlanganweni lapho kwakukhulunywa khona ngamasimu, wayengumbonisi ebandleni laseJerusalema. (IzEnzo 12:12, 17; 15:13; Galathiya 1:18, 19) Wazibonela ngawakhe ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. lapho izinkulungwane zezihambeli ezingamaJuda ayeHlakazekile zamukela izindaba ezinhle futhi zibhapathizwa.—IzEnzo 1:14; 2:1, 41.

Ngaleso sikhathi nangemva kwalokho amashumi ezinkulungwane zamaJuda eza emikhosini yaminyaka yonke. Umuzi wawugcwala kakhulu, futhi izihambeli zazihlala emizaneni engomakhelwane noma zikanise ematendeni. I-Encyclopaedia Judaica ichaza ukuthi izihambeli zazingagcini nje ngokuhlangana nabangane bazo, zazingena ethempelini ukuze zikhulekele, zenze imihlatshelo futhi zihlanganyele lapho kutadishwa iTorah.

Akungabazeki ukuthi uJakobe namanye amalungu ebandla laseJerusalema basebenzisa la mathuba ukuze bafakaze kumaJuda ayeHlakazekile. Ngenxa yokubulawa kukaStefanu, mhlawumbe abaphostoli babekwenza ngokuhlakanipha okukhulu lokho phakathi nenkathi ‘yokushushiswa okukhulu kwebandla elaliseJerusalema.’ (IzEnzo 8:1) Ngaphambi nangemva kwalesi senzakalo, ukulandisa kubonisa ukuthi intshiseko yala maKristu emsebenzini wokushumayela yabangela ukuba ukwanda kuqhubeke.—IzEnzo 5:42; 8:4; 9:31.

Yini Esingayifunda?

Yebo amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala enza imizamo eqotho yokushumayela kumaJuda nomaphi lapho ayehlala khona. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, uPawulu nabanye bazama ukufinyelela abeZizwe ababesensimini yaseYurophu. Balalela umyalo uJesu avalelisa ngawo abalandeli bakhe wokwenza “abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi.”—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

Kulesi sibonelo sabo, singafunda ukubaluleka kokushumayela ngendlela ehlelekile ukuze umoya kaJehova usisekele. Singabona nezinzuzo zokushumayela kulabo abalihloniphayo iZwi likaNkulunkulu, ikakhulu emasimini anoFakazi BakaJehova abambalwa. Ingabe ezinye izindawo ezisensimini yebandla lenu zikhiqiza kakhulu kunezinye? Kungaba okuzuzisayo uma kungashunyayelwa kuzo ngokuphindaphindiwe. Ingabe kunezenzakalo zomphakathi eduze kwalapho uhlala khona ezifanelekayo ukuba kwenziwe kuzo imizamo ekhethekile yokufakaza ngokwethukela nokushumayela emgwaqweni?

Asizuzi kuphela ngokufunda eBhayibhelini ngamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala kodwa nangokuba sizijwayelanise neminye imininingwane engokomlando neyokuma kwezwe. Elinye lamathuluzi esingalisebenzisa ukuze sandise ukuqonda kwethu, incwajana ethi “Bona Izwe Elihle,” enamabalazwe nezithombe eziningi.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ishadi ekhasini 14]

UKUKHATHALELA KOMPHOSTOLI UPAWULU AMAJUDA AHLAKAZEKILE

NGAPHAMBI KOMHLANGANO WASEJERUSALEMA NGO-49 C.E.

IzEnzo 9:19, 20 EDamaseku — “waqala ukushumayela emasinagogeni”

IzEnzo 13:14 E-Antiyokiya ePhisidiya — ‘wangena esinagogeni’

IzEnzo 14:1 E-Ikoniyu — “bangena . . . esinagogeni lamaJuda”

NGEMVA KOMHLANGANO WASEJERUSALEMA NGO-49 C.E.

IzEnzo 17:1 EThesalonika — “isinagoge lamaJuda”

IzEnzo 17:10 EBhereya — “esinagogeni lamaJuda”

IzEnzo 17:17 E-Athene — “wabonisana namaJuda esinagogeni”

IzEnzo 18:4 EKorinte — “wayenikeza inkulumo esinagogeni”

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 15]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Labo abezwa izindaba ezinhle ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. babevela ezindaweni eziningi

I-ILIRIKU

I-ITALIYA

IRoma

IMAKEDONIYA

IGRISI

I-Athene

IIKRETHE

IKhurene

ILIBHIYA

IBHITHINIYA

IGALATHIYA

I-ASIYA

IFRIGIYA

IPHAMFILIYA

IKHUPRO

IGIBHITHE

ITOPIYA

IPHONTU

IKHAPHADOSIYA

IKHILIKHIYA

IMESOPHOTHAMIYA

ISIRIYA

ISAMARIYA

IJerusalema

IJUDIYA

IMEDIYA

IBhabhiloni

I-ELAMU

I-ARABHIYA

IPARTE

[Amachibi amanzi]

ULwandle iMedithera

ULwandle Olumnyama

ULwandle Olubomvu

IPersian Gulf