AmaKristu Enkulungwane Yokuqala Ngexesha LamaGrike

INKOLISO yentsimi awayeshumayela kuyo amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala yayithetha isiGrike. IZibhalo awayezisebenzisa ukuze axhase isigidimi sawo esasithetha ngoYesu zazibhalwe ngesiGrike. Xa ababhali baphefumlelwa ukuba babhale iZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike, inkoliso yabo yabhala ngesiGrike, isebenzisa amabinzana nemizekeliso eyayiqondwa lula ngabantu ababesazi inkcubeko yamaGrike. Noko ke, uYesu, abapostile bakhe, nabanye ababhali beZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike babengengomaGrike. Bonke babengamaYuda.—Roma 3:1, 2.

Kwakutheni ukuze ulwimi lwamaGrike lube negalelo elingako ekusasazeni ubuKristu? Ababhali nabavangeli basemazweni abangamaKristu benkulungwane yokuqala babesishumayela njani isigidimi sabo ukuze sivakale kakuhle kubantu abathetha isiGrike? Yaye kutheni le nxalenye yembali yamandulo imele ibangele umdla kuthi?

Ukusasazeka Kwenkcubeko YamaGrike

Ngenkulungwane yesine ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo uAleksandire Omkhulu wabhukuqa uBukhosi bamaPersi waza wangumakhonya kwinxalenye enkulu yehlabathi. Ukuze yena nookumkani abalandela emva kwakhe bamanyanise ubukhosi babo, bakhuthaza ulwimi nendlela yokuphila yesiGrike.

Kwanasemva kokuba amaRoma ewoyisile amaGrike, inkcubeko yawo yaqhubeka inempembelelo enkulu kumazwe akufutshane. Ngenkulungwane yesibini neyokuqala ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo, iziphatha-mandla zaseRoma zaba nomdla ngokwenene kwizinto zamaGrike—ubugcisa, izakhiwo, uncwadi nentanda-bulumko—nto leyo eyabangela ukuba uHorace oyimbongi athi: “Nangona amaRoma ayewoyisile amaGrike, ayezithanda izinto zamaGrike.”

Nangona kwakulawula amaRoma, inkcubeko yamaGrike yayigqugqisile kwizixeko ezibalulekileyo, zaseAsia Minor, eSyria naseYiputa. Ekubeni inkcubeko yamaGrike yayihamba phambili, yaba nempembelelo kuzo zonke izinto, ukususela kumaziko karhulumente, umthetho, ezorhwebo, imizi-mveliso nakwifashoni. Kanye njengokuba kwakunjalo kwizixeko zamaGrike, kwakukho izakhiwo zokuzilolonga, apho babezilolonga khona abafana, kukho nemidlalo yeqonga.

Umbhali-mbali uEmil Schürer uthi: “NamaYuda ayeyithanda inkcubeko yamaGrike, nangona ayezama ukuyixhathisa.” Ekuqaleni, inzondelelo yonqulo awayenayo amaYuda yabangela ukuba ayixhathise impembelelo yonqulo lobuhedeni olwaluhamba nenkcubeko yamaGrike, kodwa ekugqibeleni iinkalo ezininzi zobomi bamaYuda zachaphazeleka. Lo kaSchürer uhlabela mgama esithi: “Ummandla omncinane wamaYuda wawurhangqwe ngamaGrike yaye ngenxa yoshishino kwakunyanzelekile ukuba basoloko bedibana.”

Indima YeSeptuagint

Njengoko amaYuda amaninzi aye afudukela kummandla weMeditera, ayehlala kwizixeko ezinempembelelo yesiGrike, apho kwakuthethwa isiGrike. Loo maYuda aqhubeka nonqulo lwawo yaye maxa wambi nyaka ngamnye ayesiya kwimibhiyozo yonqulo lwamaYuda eYerusalem. Noko ke, ekuhambeni kwexesha uninzi lwawo ayengasasazi isiHebhere.a Kwafuneka kuguqulelwe iZibhalo ZesiHebhere kwisiGrike esasithethwa ngabantu abaninzi ngelo xesha. Abaphengululi bamaYuda, mhlawumbi ababehlala eAleksandriya, eYiputa—iziko elibalulekileyo lenkcubeko yamaGrike—awuqalisa lo msebenzi malunga nowama-280 B.C.E. Yabakho ngaloo ndlela ke iSeptuagint.

ISeptuagint yabakho ngexesha elibalulekileyo. Yabangela ukuba iZibhalo ZesiHebhere zaziwe kwinkcubeko yaseNtshona. Ukuba ibingekho, ngeyingaziwa indlela uThixo awaqhubana ngayo namaSirayeli, kuba ibiza kube ibhalwe ngolwimi olungasaqondwayo ngabantu abaninzi, nto leyo ebiza kuyenza ingabi luncedo kumsebenzi wobuvangeli. Eneneni, iSeptuagint iqulethe imvelaphi, amagama nolwimi olwenze kwalula ukudlulisela ulwazi ngoYehova uThixo kubantu abaneemvelaphi ezahlukahlukeneyo. Ngenxa yokuba isiGrike sasisetyenziswa ngabantu abaninzi abakumazwe amaninzi, loo nto yabangela ukuba sibe lelona lwimi lusetyenziswayo ukuchaza iinyaniso ngoThixo.

Amaguquka Nabantu Aboyika UThixo

Ngenkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo, amaYuda aguqulela iincwadi zawo ezininzi kulwimi lwesiGrike, neencwadi ezintsha azibhala ngaso. Oku kwaba nendima ebalulekileyo ekwaziseni imbali nonqulo lwamaSirayeli kubantu beeNtlanga. Ababhali-mbali bathi ngeli xesha, abantu beeNtlanga abaninzi “babetsaleleke kumaYuda nakunqulo lwawo yaye bethobela nemithetho yawo.”—The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ.

Abanye abantu beeNtlanga benza inkqubela ebuYudeni kangangokuba bada boluka baza bangamaguquka. Ukanti abanye bamkela iinxalenye ezithile zobuYuda kodwa abazange baguquke. Kuncwadi lwamaGrike kwakudla ngokuthiwa ngabantu “abamoyikayo uThixo.” Kuthiwa uKorneli ngumntu “ozinikeleyo nowoyika uThixo.” Umpostile uPawulos wadibana nabantu abaninzi aboyika uThixo ababenxulumana namaYuda kuwo wonke ummandla waseAsia Minor naseGrisi. Ngokomzekelo, xa wayethetha nabantu ababekwindlu yesikhungu kwa-Antiyokwe yasePisidiya wathi: “Madoda, maSirayeli nani nimoyikayo uThixo.”—IZenzo 10:2; 13:16, 26; 17:4; 18:4.

Xa abafundi bakaYesu babeshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo kwimimandla yamaYuda eyayingaphandle kwemida yawo, inkoliso yabantu ababebaphulaphule babenemvelaphi yobuGrike. Kuloo mimandla abantu babebamkela ubuKristu. Xa kwabonakala ukuba uThixo unika nabeeNtlanga ithemba losindiso, abafundi baqonda ukuba “akukho mYuda namGrike” emehlweni kaThixo.—Galati 3:28.

Ukushumayela KumaGrike

Ngenxa yemilinganiselo yonqulo lwabantu beentlanga, ekuqaleni amanye amaKristu angamaYuda ayengafuni ukuba abantu beeNtlanga babe ngamalungu ebandla lamaKristu. Ngenxa yoko, xa kwacaca ukuba uThixo ubamkele abantu beeNtlanga, abapostile namadoda amakhulu aseYerusalem athi loo maguquka kufuneka azikhwebule kwigazi, uhenyuzo nonqulo lwezithixo. (IZenzo 15:29) Oku kwakubalulekile kubo bonke abantu ababephila ngendlela yamaGrike namaRoma awayezifica ‘ngenkanuko yesini elihlazo’ nobufanasini. AmaKristu ayengazenzi izinto ezinjalo.—Roma 1:26, 27; 1 Korinte 6:9, 10.

Kubavangeli benkulungwane yokuqala ababeshumayela kwintsimi yamaGrike, oyena wayebalasele kakhulu ngumpostile uPawulos. Nanamhla oku, abantu abatyelele eAthene, eGrisi, banokubona intetho edumileyo kaPawulos awayinikela kweso sixeko ikrolwe kwilitye lobhedu kumazantsi eAriyopago. EBhayibhileni le ngxelo ifumaneka kwisahluko se-17 kwincwadi yeZenzo. Amazwi entshayelelo yakhe athi, “Madoda aseAthene,” ayeyindlela eqhelekileyo ezaziqala ngayo izithethi zamaGrike yaye ngokuqinisekileyo abenza bakhululeka abaphulaphuli bakhe ababequka iintanda-bulumko zamaEpikure nezamaStoyike. Kunokuba acaphuke okanye agxeke iinkolelo zabo, uPawulos wazama ukuba nolwalamano oluhle kunye nabo ngokubancoma kuba babebonakala beluthanda unqulo. Wacaphula amazwi abhalwe kwisibingelelo sabo athi, “Kongaziwayo uThixo,” waza wathi lo nguThixo afuna ukuthetha nabo ngaye.—IZenzo 17:16-23.

UPawulos wafikelela iintliziyo zabaphulaphuli bakhe ngokusebenzisa amagama ababewazi. AmaStoyike ayevumelana naye xa esithi uThixo nguMthombo wobomi, abantu babesuka kumntu omnye, uThixo akakho kude kuye ngamnye wethu, nasekubeni ubomi babantu buxhomekeke kuye. UPawulos waphuhlisa le ngongoma ngokucaphula iimbongi zamaStoyike, uAratus (Phaenomena) noCleanthes (Hymn to Zeus). NamaEpikure afumanisa ukuba ayavumelana noPawulos kwizinto ezininzi—uThixo uyaphila yaye unokwaziwa. Akaswelanga nto, akaxhomekekanga ebantwini, yaye akahlali ezitempileni ezenziwe ngezandla.

UPawulos wayethetha ngendlela abayiqhelileyo abaphulaphuli bakhe. Ngokutsho komnye umthombo, iintanda-bulumko zamaGrike zaziqhelene namabinzana athi “ihlabathi (kosmos),” “inzala,” nelithi “Lowo Ungokobuthixo.” (IZenzo 17:24-29) UPawulos wayengangxengi inyaniso ukuze abaguqule. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, umqukumbelo wakhe owawuthetha ngovuko nemini yomgwebo wawungqubana neenkolelo zabo. Sekunjalo, isigidimi sakhe wasivisisanisa nendlela ababecinga ngayo abaphulaphuli bakhe abaziintanda-bulumko.

Iileta ezininzi zikaPawulos zazisiya kumabandla akwizixeko zamaGrike okanye kumaphondo amaRoma awayephila ngendlela yamaGrike. Ezi leta, ezazibhalwe ngesiGrike esicacileyo nesinamandla, zazinengcamango nemizekelo awayeqhelene nayo amaGrike. UPawulos ukhankanya ugqatso lweembaleki, umvuzo onikwa umntu ophumeleleyo, umkhapheli owayepheleka umntwana oyinkwenkwe xa esiya esikolweni, nezinye izinto ezazisenziwa ngamaGrike. (1 Korinte 9:24-27; Galati 3:24, 25) Nangona uPawulos wayekulungele ukusebenzisa amabinzana athile olwimi lwamaGrike, kodwa wayigatya imilinganiselo yawo yokuziphatha neyonqulo.

Ukuba Zizinto Zonke Kubantu Bazo Zonke Iintlanga

Umpostile uPawulos waqonda ukuba ukuze akwazi ukwabelana nabanye ngeendaba ezilungileyo, kwakuza kufuneka ‘abe zizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke iintlobo.’ Wabhala: “KumaYuda ndaba njengomYuda, ukuze ndiwazuze amaYuda,” yaye kumaGrike waba ngumGrike, ukuze awancede aqonde injongo kaThixo. UPawulos wayekwazi ukuyenza loo nto, kuba wayengumYuda owayekhulele kwisixeko samaGrike. Onke amaKristu namhlanje kufuneka enze into efanayo.—1 Korinte 9:20-23.

Namhlanje izigidi zabantu zifudukela kumazwe ngamazwe, kwiinkcubeko ezahlukeneyo. Oku kuzisa ucelomngeni kumaKristu, azama ukushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo nokuphumeza umyalelo kaYesu ‘wokwenza abafundi abantu beentlanga zonke.’ (Mateyu 24:14; 28:19) Amaxesha amaninzi aye afumanisa ukuba xa abantu besiva iindaba ezilungileyo ngolwimi lwabo lomthonyama, bayachukumiseka baze basabele kakuhle.

Ngenxa yeso sizathu, eli phephancwadi, IMboniselo Evakalisa UBukumkani BukaYehova, lipapashwa nyanga nganye ngeelwimi ezili-169, neqabane lalo elinguVukani! ngeelwimi ezingama-81. Ukongezelela koko, ukuze athethe nabantu abafudukele kumazwe awo ngeendaba ezilungileyo, amaNgqina kaYehova amaninzi aye enza umgudu wokufunda olunye ulwimi—kuquka iilwimi ezinzima njengesiArabhu, isiTshayina nesiRashiya. Injongo iyafana naleyo yenkulungwane yokuqala. Umpostile uPawulos wayichaza kakuhle le nto xa wathi: “Ndaba zizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke iintlobo, ukuze ngandlela zonke ndisindise abathile.”—1 Korinte 9:22.

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