Mtanda

Tanthauzo: Chiwiya chimene Yesu Kristu anaphedwerapo chimanenedwa ndi ambiri m’Dziko Lachikristu kukhala mtanda. Liwulo likuchokera ku liwu Lachilatini lakuti crux.

Kodi nchifukwa ninji mabukhu a Watch Tower amasonyeza Yesu ali pamtengo manja ali pamwamba pa mutu wake mmalo mwa pamtanda wodziŵika?

Liwu Lachigiriki lotembenuzidwa “mtanda” m’matembenuzidwe amakono ambiri a Baibulo (“mtengo wozunzirapo” mu NW) ndiro stau·rosʹ. M’Chigiriki chakale, liwuli linatanthauza mzati, kapena mlongoti. Pambuyo pake linadzagwiritsiridwa ntchito kukhala mtengo wonyongera wokhala ndi thabwa lopingasa. The Imperial Bible-Dictionary limavomereza zimenezi, kumati: “Liwu Lachigriki la mtanda, [stau·rosʹ], moyenerera limatanthauza mtengo, mzati, mlongoti, kapena mtengo wonyongera pamene chinthu chirichonse chingakoloŵekedwe, kapena chimene chingagwiritsiridwe ntchito kukhomerapo [kuchinga] chigawo cha malo. . . . Ngakhale pakati pa Aroma crux (kuchokera kumene liwu lathu lakuti mtanda latembenuzidwako) limawonekera kukhala litatanthauza mlongoti woongoka poyambirirapo.”—Lolembedwa ndi P. Fairbairn (London, 1874), Vol. I, p. 376.

Kodi zimenezo zinali choncho ndi kuphedwa kwa Mwana wa Mulungu? Nkokondweretsa kuwona kuti Baibulo limagwiritsiranso ntchito liwu lakuti xyʹlon kusonyeza chiwiya chogwiritsiridwa ntchito. A Greek-English Lexicon, lolembedwa ndi Liddell ndi Scott, limapereka lotsatirali kukhala tanthauzo: “Mtengo wodulidwa ndi wokonzekeretsedwa kugwiritsiridwa ntchito, chikuni, thabwa, ndi zina zotero . . . chimtengo, chipika, nduku, nsanamira . . . chibonga . . . mtengo pa umene apandu anakhomeredwapo . . . pachikuni chomera, mtengo.” Limanenanso “mu NT, za mtanda,” ndipo limatchula Machitidwe 5:30 ndi 10:39 monga zitsanzo. (Oxford, 1968, pp. 1191, 1192) Komabe, m’mavesi amenewo KJ, RS, JB, ndi Dy amamasulira xyʹlon monga “mtengo.” (Yerekezerani kumasulira kumeneku ndi Agalatiya 3:13; Deuteronomo 21:22, 23.) Pa Mateyu 26:47 liwu Lachigiriki limodzimodzilo likugwiritsiridwa ntchito kutanthauza “zibonga” zonyamulidwa ndi awo amene anafika limodzi ndi Yudase kudzagwira Yesu m’munda wa Getsemane.

Bukhulo The Non-Christian Cross, lolembedwa ndi J. D. Parsons (London, 1896), limati: “Palibe ngakhale mawu amodzi olembedwa mu alionse a mabukhu olembedwa ambiriwo opanga Chipangano Chatsopano, amene, m’Chigiriki choyamba, ali ndi umboni ngakhale wosakhala wachindunji wosonyeza kuti stauros yogwiritsiridwa ntchito kupachikapo Yesu sinali chinthu china kusiyapo mtengo wamba; koposa kotani nanga chenicheni chakuti iyo sinali thabwa limodzi, koma zidutswa ziŵiri zokhomeredwa pamodzi mu mpangadwe wa mtanda. . . . Aphunzitsi athuwo ngosokeretsa kwambiri kutembenuza liwu lakuti stauros kukhala ‘mtanda’ pamene otembenuza mabukhu Achigiriki a Tchalitchi m’chinenero chathu, ndi kuchirikiza chochitika chimenecho mwa kuika ‘mtanda’ m’mabukhu athu omasulira mawu kukhala tanthauzo stauros popanda kufotokoza mosamalitsa kuti mwanjira iriyonse limenelo silinali tanthauzo loyambirira la liwulo m’masiku a Atumwi, silinakhale tanthauzo lake lalikulu kufikira nthaŵi yaitali pambuyo pake, ndipo zinatero, ngati ziri choncho, chifukwa chokha chakuti, mosasamala kanthu za kusoŵeka kwa umboni wotsimikizira, kunali kaamba ka chifukwa china choyerekezera chakuti stauros imene Yesu anaphedwerapo inali ndi mpangidwe wina.”—Pp. 23, 24; wonaninso The Companion Bible (London, 1885), Zowonjezeredwa Na. 162.

Chotero mbali yaikulu ya umboniwo ikusonyeza kuti Yesu anafera pamtengo woongoka ndipo osati pamtanda wodziŵikawo.

Kodi nchiyani chimene chinali magwero a mbiri ya mtanda wa Dziko Lachikristu?

“Zinthu zosiyanasiyana zakale kwambiri nyengo Yachikristu isanafike, zapezedwa, zolembedwa zizindikiro za mitanda ya mipangidwe yosiyanasiyana, pafupifupi m’mbali zonse za dziko lakalelo. Indiya, Suriya, Perisiya ndi Igupto maiko onsewo ali ndi zitsanzo zosaŵerengeka . . . Kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kwa mtanda monga chizindikiro cha chipembedzo nthaŵi za Chikristu chisanakhale ndi pakati pa anthu osakhala Achikristu mwinamwake zingawonedwe kukhala pafupifupi kulikonse, ndipo m’zochitika zambirimbiri zinali zogwirizanitsidwa ndi mpangidwe winawake wa kulambira chilengedwe.”—Encyclopædia Britannica (1946), Vol. 6, p. 753.

“Mpangidwe wa [mtanda wopangidwa ndi zipika ziŵiri zopingasana unayambira m’Kaldayo wakale, ndipo unagwiritsiridwa ntchito monga chizindikiro cha mulungu Tamuzi (pokhala mu mpangidwe wa Tau wachinsinsi, chilemba choyambirira cha dzina lake) m’dzikolo ndi m’maiko ena oyandikana nalo, kuphatikizapo Igupto. Podzafika pakati pa zaka za zana la 3 A.D. matchalitchi anali kaya atasiya ziphunzitso zina za chikhulupiriro Chachikristu kapena anali kutengera za ena. Kuti awonjezere chisonkhezero cha dongosolo la atsogoleri achipembedzo ampatuko akunja analandiridwa m’matchalitchi kuwonjezera pa kubadwanso mwachikhulupiriro, ndipo kwakukulukulu analoledwa kusataya zizindikiro zawo ndi zisonyezero zachikunja. Chifukwa chake Tau kapena T, wodziŵika koposa mu mpangidwe wake wozoloŵereka koposa, wokhala ndi thabwa lopingasalo atatsitsidwa, anavomerezedwa kuimira mtanda wa Kristu.”—An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (London, 1962), W. E. Vine, p. 256.

“Chiri chenicheni chachilendo, komabe chosatsutsika, chakuti nthaŵi yaitali Kristu asanabadwe, ndipo kuyambira nthaŵiyo m’maiko osafikiridwa ndi chiphunzitso cha Tchalitchi, Mtanda wagwiritsiridwa ntchito kukhala chizindikiro chopatulika. . . . Bacchus Wachigriki, Tamuzi wa ku Turo, Bel Wachikaldayo, ndi Norse Odin, zonsezo zinaimiridwa kwa olambira awo ndi chipangizo chamtanda.”—The Cross in Ritual, Architecture, and Art (London, 1900), G. S. Tyack, p. 1.

“Mtanda mu mpangidwe wa ‘Crux Ansata’ . . . unanyamulidwa m’manja mwa ansembe Achiigupto ndi mafumu Aunsembe monga chizindikiro cha ulamuliro wawo monga ansembe a mulungu Dzuŵa anatchedwa ‘Chizindikiro cha Moyo.’”—The Worship of the Dead (London, 1904), Colonel J. Garnier, p. 226.

“Mitanda yamitundumitundu ikupezeka kulikonse m’zikumbukiro ndi m’manda Aigupto ndipo zimalingaliridwa ndi akatswiri ambiri kukhala chisonyezero kaya cha mpheto [kuimiridwa kwa mpheto yamwamuna] kapena cha kugonana. . . . M’manda Achiigupto crux ansata [mtanda wokhala ndi chozungulira kapena chogwirira pamwamba] umapezedwa moyandikana ndi mpheto.”—A Short History of Sex-Worship (London, 1940), H. Cutner, pp. 16, 17; wonaninso The Non-Christian Cross, p. 183.

“Mitanda imeneyi inagwiritsiridwa ntchito kukhala zizindikiro za mulungu dzuŵa Wachibabulo, +, ndipo imawonekera choyamba pandalama za Julius Kaisara, 100-44 B.C., ndiyeno pandalama zosulidwa ndi woloŵa nyumba wa Kaisara (Augusto), 20 B.C. Pandalama za Constantine chizindikiro chodziŵika koposa ndicho +; koma chizindikiro chimodzimodzicho chimagwiritsiridwa ntchito popanda zungulireyo, ndipo chimakhala ndi mikono inayi yoimikidwa ndi yopingasa mofanana; ndipo chimenechi chinali chizindikiro cholambiridwa mwapadera kukhala ‘Gudumu Ladzuŵa.’ Kuyenera kofotokozedwa kuti Constantine anali wolambira mulungu dzuŵa, ndipo sakanaloŵa mu ‘Tchalitchi’ kufikira yokwanira nusu ya zaka zana pambuyo pa nthanthi ya kukhala kwake atawona mtanda wotero m’miyamba.”—The Companion Bible, Zowonjezeredwa Na. 162; wonaninso The Non-Christian Cross, pp. 133-141.

Kodi kulambiridwa kwa mtanda nkachitidwe kogwirizana ndi Malemba?

1 Akor. 10:14: “Okondedwa anga, thaŵani kupembedza mafano.” (Fano ndilo chifanizo kapena chizindikiro chopatulidwa, cholemekezedwa, kapena cholambiridwa kwambiri.)

Eks. 20:4, 5: “Usadzipangire iwe wekha fano losema, kapena chifaniziro chirichonse chazinthu za mthambo lakumwamba, kapena za m’dziko lapansi, kapena za m’madzi apansi padziko; usazipembedzere izo, usazitumikire izo.” (Wonani kuti Mulungu analamula kuti anthu ake sayenera ngakhale kupanga fano limene anthuwo akagwadira.)

Yokondweretsa ndiyo ndemanga iyi m’New Catholic Encyclopedia: “Chizindikiro cha imfa yansembe ya Kristu pa Golgota chiribe chithunzi chojambulidwa kwa Akristu a m’zaka za zana loyamba. Akristu oyambirira, mosonkhezeredwa ndi kuletsedwa kwa mafano osemedwa kwa m’Chipangano Chakale, sanakonde konse kusonyeza ngakhale chiwiya chimene Ambuye Anazunzidwirapo.”—(1967), Vol. IV, p. 486.

Ponena za Akristu a m’zaka za zana loyamba, History of the Christian Church imati “Mtandawo sunagwiritsiridwe ntchito ndipo kwenikweni mtandawo unalibe chouimira chowoneka.”—(New York, 1897), J. F. Hurst, Vol. 1, p. 366.

Kodi zimapangadi kusiyana kulikonse ngati munthu akonda mtanda, malinga ngati sakuulambira?

Kodi mukalingalira motani ngati mmodzi wa mabwenzi anu okondedwa koposa anaphedwa mwa zinenezo zonyenga? Kodi mukanapanga chithunzi cha chipangizo chimene anampherapo? Kodi mukachikonda, kapena kodi mmalo mwake mukachikana?

Mu Israyeli wakale, Ayuda osakhulupirika analira maliro pa imfa ya mulungu wonyenga Tamuzi. Yehova analankhula za zimene anali kuchita kukhala ‘chinthu chonyansa.’ (Ezek. 8:13, 14) Mogwirizana ndi mbiri yakale, Tamuzi anali mulungu wa Babulo, ndipo mtanda unagwiritsiridwa ntchito kukhala chizindikiro chake. Kuyambira pachiyambi pake m’masiku a Nimrodi, Babulo anali wotsutsana ndi Yehova ndi mdani wa kulambira kowona. (Gen. 10:8-10; Yer. 50:29) Chotero mwakulemekeza mtanda, munthuyo akulemekeza chizindikiro cha kulambira kumene kuli kotsutsana ndi Mulungu wowona.

Monga momwe kwafotokozedwera pa Ezekieli 8:17, Ayuda ampatuko ‘anaikanso nthambi kumphuno ya Yehova.’ Anawona zimenezi monga “zonyansa” ndi ‘zoputa’. Chifukwa ninji? Ochitira ndemanga ena akufotokoza kuti, “nthambi” imeneyi, inali chisonyezero cha mpheto yachimuna, yogwiritsiridwa ntchito m’kulambira mpheto. Pamenepa, kodi ndimotani, mmene Yehova ayenera kuwonera, kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kwa mtanda, kumene monga momwe tawonera, unagwiritsiridwa ntchito kale monga chizindikiro cha kulambiridwa kwa mpheto?