UbuKristu Bufinyelela E-Asia Minor

NGEKHULU lokuqala C.E., amabandla amaningi amaKristu ayechuma e-Asia Minor (ingxenye yayo enkulu namuhla eyiTurkey). AmaJuda nabeZizwe abaningi basabela esigijimini sobuKristu. Esinye isichazamazwi seBhayibheli sithi: “Ngaphandle kwaseSyria-Palestine, inhlangano yobuKristu yaqala lapha e-Asia Minor futhi yakhula kakhulu.”

Singathola umbono ophelele ngokusakazeka kobuKristu kule ndawo ngokuhlanganisa ukwaziswa okuvela emithonjeni ehlukahlukene. Ake sibone ukuthi singazuza kanjani ngokucabangela ukwaziswa okukhona.

AmaKristu Okuqala E-Asia Minor

Isenzakalo sokuqala esibalulekile sokusakazeka kobuKristu e-Asia Minor senzeka ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. lapho isixuku esasikhuluma izilimi ezihlukahlukene nesasihlanganisa amaJuda ayehlala ngaphandle kwasePalestina namaJuda angamaproselithe sasihlangene eJerusalema. Abaphostoli bakaJesu bashumayela izindaba ezinhle kulezi zivakashi. Umbhalo ongokomlando uthi kwakuhlangene abantu ababevela eKhaphadosiya, ePhontu, esifundeni sase-Asiya,a eFrigiya nasePhamfiliya—izindawo ezakha ingxenye enkulu ye-Asia Minor. Izilaleli ezingaba ngu-3 000 zamukela isigijimi sobuKristu futhi zabhapathizwa. Lapho sezibuyela emakhaya, zahamba nenkolo yazo entsha.—IzEnzo 2:5-11, 41.

Sithola ukwaziswa okulandelayo ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli ngohambo lwezithunywa zevangeli lomphostoli uPawulu e-Asia Minor. Phakathi nohambo lwakhe lokuqala, olwaba cishe ngo-47/48 C.E., uPawulu wahamba ngomkhumbi nabangane bakhe besuka eKhupro baya e-Asia Minor, bafikela ePherga ePhamfiliya. Imiphumela emihle abayithola lapho beshumayela emzini oqhelile ogwini wase-Antiyokiya ePhisidiya, yabangela umhawu nokuphikiswa amaJuda. Lapho uPawulu eya ngaseningizimu-mpumalanga e-Ikoniyu, amanye amaJuda enza icebo lokweyisa izithunywa zevangeli. Abantu abangothathekile baseListra eseduze baqale bamemezela ukuthi uPawulu ungunkulunkulu. Kodwa ngemva kokufika kwamaJuda aphikisayo avela e-Antiyokiya nase-Ikoniyu, isixuku sendawo samkhanda ngamatshe uPawulu futhi samshiya sekusele umndondo! Ngemva kwaleso senzakalo, uPawulu noBarnaba baqhubekela eDerbe esesifundazweni saseGalathiya esibuswa amaRoma, indawo okukhulunywa kuyo isiLikawoniya. Kwahlelwa amabandla, kwamiswa nabadala. Ngakho ungabona ukuthi eminyakeni engaba ngu-15 ngemva kwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., ubuKristu base buzinzile e-Asia Minor.—IzEnzo 13:13–14:26.

Phakathi nohambo lwakhe lwesibili, olwaba cishe ngo-49 kuya ku-52 C.E., iqembu likaPawulu laqale laya eListra, cishe ladlula endaweni yakubo eTarsu eKhilikhiya. Ngemva kokuphinde avakashele abazalwane baseListra nokuya enyakatho, uPawulu wazama ‘ukukhuluma izwi’ esifundazweni saseBhithiniya nesase-Asiya. Nokho, umoya ongcwele wamenqabela ukwenza lokho. Kwakuzoshunyayelwa kamuva kulezo zindawo. Kunalokho, uNkulunkulu wamqondisa ukuba adabule ezingxenyeni ezisenyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Asia Minor aye eTrowa ogwini. Ngemva kwalokho waqondiswa ngombono ukuba amemezele izindaba ezinhle eYurophu.—IzEnzo 16:1-12; 22:3.

Phakathi nohambo lukaPawulu lwesithathu lwezithunywa zevangeli, olwaba cishe ngo-52 kuya ku-56 C.E., waphinde wadabula e-Asia Minor eya e-Efesu, umuzi oyitheku obalulekile e-Asiya. Wayeke wama kule ndawo lapho ebuya ohambweni lwakhe lwesibili. Kulowo muzi kwakuneqembu lamaKristu elishisekayo, futhi uPawulu nabangane bakhe bahlala nalo iminyaka engaba mithathu. Leyo nkathi yayinzima futhi inezingozi eziningana, enye yazo okwakuyisiyaluyalu esaqalwa abakhandi besiliva base-Efesu ababevikela ibhizinisi labo elalizuziswa inkolo.—IzEnzo 18:19-26; 19:1, 8-41; 20:31.

Kusobala ukuthi umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli owawugxile e-Efesu waba nemiphumela efinyelela kude. IzEnzo 19:10 zithi: “Bonke ababehlala esifundeni sase-Asiya balizwa izwi leNkosi, amaJuda namaGreki.”

Intuthuko E-Asia Minor

Lapho esezosuka e-Efesu, uPawulu wabhalela abaseKorinte: “Amabandla ase-Asiya ayakhonza kini.” (1 Korinte 16:19) Yimaphi amabandla uPawulu ayekhuluma ngawo? Mhlawumbe wayehlanganisa elaseKolose, elaseLawodikeya nelaseHiyerapholi. (Kolose 4:12-16) Incwadi ethi Paul—His Story ithi: “Kubonakala kunengqondo ukuthi indawo yaseSmirna, ePhergamu, eSardesi neyaseFiladelfiya zakheka ngenxa yomsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli e-Efesu. . . . Zonke zaziqhelelene ne-Efesu ngamakhilomitha angeqile ku-192 futhi zifinyeleleka ngemigwaqo emihle kakhulu.”

Ngakho, cishe sekudlule iminyaka engu-20 ngemva kwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., kwase kunamabandla amaKristu amaningana eningizimu nasentshonalanga ye-Asia Minor. Kuthiwani ngezinye izingxenye zale ndawo?

Abathola Izincwadi ZikaPetru

Umphostoli uPetru wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala ephefumulelwe ngemva kweminyaka ethile, cishe ngo-62 kuya ku-64 C.E. Wayeyibhalele amaKristu asePhontu, eGalathiya, eKhaphadosiya, e-Asiya naseBhithiniya. Incwadi kaPetru ibonisa ukuthi kungenzeka kwase kunamabandla amaKristu kulezi zindawo, abadala abakuwo bekhuthazwa ukuba ‘beluse umhlambi.’ Amiswa nini la mabandla?—1 Petru 1:1; 5:1-3.

UPawulu wayeshumeyele nakwezinye izindawo okwakuhlala kuzo abantu ababethole izincwadi zikaPetru, njenge-Asiya neGalathiya. Nokho, wayengashumayelanga eKhaphadosiya noma eBhithiniya. IBhayibheli alisitsheli indlela ubuKristu obafinyelela ngayo kulezi zindawo, kodwa kungenzeka ukuthi bafika namaJuda noma namaproselithe ayekhona eJerusalema ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., futhi kamuva abuyela emakhaya. Kunoma yikuphi, cishe sekudlule iminyaka engu-30 ngemva kwePhentekoste lapho uPetru ebhala izincwadi zakhe, kubonakala sengathi kwakunamabandla “ayesakazeke kulo lonke elase-Asia Minor,” njengoba sikubeka kanjalo esinye isazi.

Amabandla Ayisikhombisa EsAmbulo

Ukuvukela kwamaJuda amaRoma kwabangela ukuba iJerusalema libhujiswe ngo-70 C.E. Kungenzeka ukuthi ngenxa yalokho amanye amaKristu aseJudiya ahlala e-Asia Minor.b

Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E., uJesu Kristu waqondisa umphostoli uJohane ukuba abhalele amabandla ayisikhombisa ase-Asia Minor izincwadi. Lezi zincwadi ezazibhalelwe ibandla lase-Efesu, eSmirna, ePhergamu, eThiyathira, eSardesi, eFiladelfiya nelaseLawodikeya, zembula ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi amaKristu ayehlala kule ngxenye ye-Asia Minor ayebhekene namathonya ayingozi ahlukahlukene, njengokuziphatha okubi, amahlelo nokuhlubuka.— IsAmbulo 1:9, 11; 2:14, 15, 20.

Inkonzo Yokuthobeka Nomphefumulo Wonke

Kusobala ukuthi kukhona nokunye ukulandisa okuphathelene nokusakazeka kobuKristu bekhulu lokuqala ngaphandle kwalokho esikufunda encwadini yezEnzo Zabaphostoli. Abaphostoli abadumile, uPetru noPawulu, babehilelekile ezenzakalweni ezichazwa encwadini yezEnzo, kodwa kunabanye okungaziwa ukuthi bangaki ababeshumayela kwezinye izindawo. Izenzakalo zase-Asia Minor ziqinisekisa ukuthi amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala awulalela umyalo kaJesu: “Ngakho-ke hambani niyokwenza abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi.”—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

Ngokufanayo nanamuhla, zimbalwa izenzo zokwethembeka zoFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni wonke ezaziwa yibo bonke abafowethu. Njengoba kwenzeka ngeningi labashumayeli abathembekile bangekhulu lokuqala e-Asia Minor, abashumayeli abaningi bezindaba ezinhle banamuhla abaziwa. Nokho, nabo banokuphila okumatasa nokujabulisayo, futhi bathola ukwaneliseka okukhulu ngokwazi ukuthi balalela umyalo futhi bayazidela ukuze kusindiswe abanye.—1 Thimothewu 2:3-6.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 11]

UBUKRISTU BOKUQALA EBHITHINIYA NASEPHONTU

Isifundazwe saseBhithiniya nesasePhontu zisoGwini Lolwandle Olumnyama e-Asia Minor. Okuningi okwaziwayo ngokuphila kwansuku zonke kulesi sifundazwe kungenxa yalokho okwabhalwa uPliny Omncane, esinye sezikhulu zakhona, ekubhalela uTrajan uMbusi WaseRoma.

Ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-50 izincwadi zikaPetru zidluliselwe emabandleni akule ndawo, uPliny wacela kuTrajan iseluleko sokuphatha amaKristu. UPliny wabhala: “Angikaze ngibe khona lapho kubhungwa ngamaKristu. Ngenxa yalokho, angazi ukuthi avame ukujeziswa kanjani. Baningi abantu ababekwa amacala, abadala nabancane, nabanamazinga okuphila ahlukahlukene, abesilisa nabesifazane, futhi lokhu kungenzeka kuqhubeke. Akuthinteki imizi kuphela, kodwa nemizana nezifunda ezisemaphandleni ngenxa yaleli hlelo elihluphayo.”

[Umdwebo/Ibalazwe ekhasini 9]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

UHAMBO LUKAPAWULU

Uhambo Lokuqala Lwezithunywa Zevangeli

IKHUPRO

IPHAMFILIYA

IPherga

I-Antiyokiya (yasePhisidiya)

I-Ikoniyu

IListra

IDerbe

Uhambo Lwesibili Lwezithunywa Zevangeli

IKHILIKHIYA

ITarsu

IDerbe

IListra

I-Ikoniyu

I-Antiyokiya (yasePhisidiya)

IFRIGIYA

IGALATHIYA

ITrowa

Uhambo Lwesithathu Lwezithunywa Zevangeli

IKHILIKHIYA

ITarsu

IDerbe

IListra

I-Ikoniyu

I-Antiyokiya (yasePhisidiya)

I-Efesu

I-ASIYA

ITrowa

[Amabandla Ayisikhombisa]

IPhergamu

IThiyathira

ISardesi

ISmirna

I-Efesu

IFiladelfiya

ILawodikeya

[Ezinye Izindawo]

IHiyerapholi

IKolose

ILIKHIYA

IBHITHINIYA

IPHONTU

IKHAPHADOSIYA

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

I-Antiyokiya

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

ITrowa

[Umthombo]

© 2003 BiblePlaces.com

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Inkundla yemidlalo e-Efesu.—IzEnzo 19:29

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Isisekelo se-altare likaZeyusi ePhergamu. AmaKristu akulo muzi ayehlala “lapho isihlalo sobukhosi sikaSathane” sasikhona.—IsAmbulo 2:13

[Umthombo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.