Ukwanda KwamaYuda Aba NgamaKristu Ngenkulungwane Yokuqala

NGONYAKA wama-49 C.E., kwabizwa intlanganiso ebalulekileyo eYerusalem. Le ntlanganiso yayizinyaswe nguYohane, uPetros, nomninawe kaYesu uYakobi ‘ekubonakala ukuba babeziintsika’ zebandla lamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala. Amanye amadoda ekuthiwa ayekho apho ngumpostile uPawulos neqabane lakhe uBharnabhas. Injongo yale ntlanganiso yayikukucakaca umhlaba omkhulu ekwakuza kushunyayelwa kuwo. UPawulos uthi: “Bandinika mna noBharnabhas isandla sokunene sokwabelana kunye, ukuze siye kwabeentlanga, kodwa bona kwabo balukileyo.”—Galati 2:1, 9.a

Sasitheth’ ukuthini kanye esi sigqibo? Ngaba intsimi ekwakushunyayelwa kuyo iindaba ezilungileyo yahlulwa-hlulwa kwakho eyamaYuda, eyabo babeguqukele ebuYudeni neyabantu beeNtlanga? Okanye umhlaba wahlulwa ngokweendawo ababehlala kuzo abantu? Ukuze sifumane impendulo enesihlahla, kufuneka sazi imvelaphi yamaYuda awayehlala kwamanye amazwe, ngaphandle kwelo lasePalestina.

AmaYuda Enkulungwane Yokuqala

Angakanani amaYuda awayehlala kwamanye amazwe kwinkulungwane yokuqala? Kubonakala ngathi inkoliso yabaphengululi iyavumelana nempapasho ethi Atlas of the Jewish World ethi: “Kunzima ukwazi elona nani lawo, kodwa kuqikelelwa ukuba ngaphambi nje kowama-70 C.E. kwaYuda kwakukho amaYuda azizigidi ezibini ezinesiqingatha, amanye angaphezu kwezigidi ezine ayehlala kumazwe angaphantsi kobukhosi baseRoma. . . . Kunokwenzeka ukuba amaYuda ayekumyinge weshumi ekhulwini wabo bonke abantu ababehlala kubukhosi baseRoma, yaye ekubeni ayemaninzi kwizixeko zamaphondo asempuma, kusenokwenzeka ukuba ayemalunga nekota yabantu ababehlala kuloo maphondo okanye ngaphezulu.”

Ezona ndawo zazinamaYuda amaninzi kwakuseSiriya, eAsia Minor, eBhabhiloni, eYiputa naseMpuma, ngoxa ayengumngqandandana eYurophu. Wambi amaKristu angamaYuda enkulungwane yokuqala ayesuka kumazwe angaphandle kwemida yakwaSirayeli, njengoBharnabhas owayesuka eSipro, uPrisila noAkwila babengabasePonto naseRoma, uApolo wayesuka eAleksandriya uPawulos yena wayesuka eTarso.—IZenzo 4:36; 18:2, 24; 22:3.

AmaYuda awayehlala kwamanye amazwe ayenezinto ezininzi ezaziwadibanisa nelizwe lawo. Eyokuqala yirhafu eyayithunyelwa minyaka le etempileni eYerusalem, eyayisenzelwa ukuxhasa itempile nonqulo. Ngokuphathelele oku, umphengululi uJohn Barclay uthi: “Kukho ubungqina obaneleyo obubonisa ukuba imali awayeyiqokelela, neyayisongezwa yiminikelo yamaYuda afumileyo, yayigcinwa kakuhle ngamaYuda ahlala ngaphandle.”

Eny’ into eyayiwadibanisa nelizwe lawo yayiba ngumdolomba wamawaka amaYuda aya kwimithendeleko eyayiqhutyelwa eYerusalem minyaka le. Ingxelo ekwiZenzo 2:9-11 ephathelele iPentekoste yowama-33 C.E. ikuveza kakuhle oku. AmaYuda awayeze kunqula apho ayevela eParti, kwelamaMedi, e-Elam, eMesopotamiya, eKapadokiya ePonto eAsiya, eFrigiya ePamfiliya, eYiputa eLibhiya, eRoma, eKrete naseArabhiya.

Isigqeba solawulo setempile yaseYerusalem sasinxibelelana ngembalelwano namaYuda awayehlala kwamanye amazwe. Iyaziwa into yokuba uGamaliyeli umfundisi womthetho okhankanywe kwiZenzo 5:34, wathumela iileta eBhabhiloni nakwezinye iindawo. Xa umpostile uPawulos wafika elibanjwa eRoma ngowama-59 C.E., “amadoda aziintloko amaYuda” athi kuye “asamkelanga zincwadi zivela kwelakwaYuda ngokuphathelele wena, kungekho nabani na kubazalwana ofikileyo waxela okanye wathetha nantoni na embi ngawe.” Oku kubonisa ukuba amaYuda asePalestina ayesoloko enxibelelana rhoqo nalawo ayeseRoma.—IZenzo 28:17, 21.

AmaYuda awayehlala kwamanye amazwe ayesebenzisa iSeptuagint inguqulelo yesiGrike yeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Enye imbekiselo ithi: “Kusengqiqweni ukugqiba kwelokuba iLXX [Septuagint] yayisetyenziswa ngawo onke amaYuda awayehlala kwamanye amazwe njengeBhayibhile yawo okanye ‘izibhalo ezingcwele.’” Le nguqulelo yayisetyenziswa gqitha nangamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala xa efundisa.

Amalungu equmrhu elilawulayo lamaKristu awayehlala eYerusalem ayezazi ezi meko. Iindaba ezilungileyo zazisele zifikile kumaYuda awayehlala eSiriya, eDamasko, kwa-Antiyokwe nakwezinye iindawo. (IZenzo 9:19, 20; 11:19; 15:23, 41; Galati 1:21) Kuyacaca ukuba abantu ababekuloo ntlanganiso yowama-49 C.E., babelungiselela umsebenzi owawusengaphambili. Makhe sihlole iimbekiselo zeBhayibhile kulwando lwamaYuda nolwabo babeguqukele ebuYudeni.

Amatyelelo KaPawulos Nokudibana Kwakhe NamaYuda Awayehlala Kwamanye Amazwe

Isabelo sokuqala sikampostile uPawulos “yayikukuthwala igama [likaYesu Kristu] ezintlangeni nakookumkani noonyana bakaSirayeli.”b (IZenzo 9:15) Emva kwentlanganiso yaseYerusalem, naphi apho aya khona uPawulos wayeshumayela kumaYuda. (Bona ibhokisi ekwiphepha 14.) Le ngxelo ibonisa ukuba esi sivumelwano sasiphathelele imihlaba ekwakuza kushunyayelwa kuyo kungekhona iintlanga zabantu ekumele kushunyayelwe kuzo. UPawulos noBharnabhas bashumayela kummandla ongasentshona woBukhosi baseRoma, abanye bashumayela kwaSirayeli nakumaphondo angaseMpuma awayehlala amaYuda.

Xa uPawulos namaqabane akhe baqalisa uhambo lwabo lwesibini lobuvangeli basemazweni ukusuka kwa-Antiyokwe eSiriya, balathiswa ukuba basinge entshona banqumle eAsia Minor ukusa eTrowa. Ukusuka apho banqumla baya eMakedoni kuba baqonda ukuba ‘uThixo wayebabizele ukuvakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo [kubemi baseMakedoni].’ Kamva, kwasekwa amabandla amaKristu kwezinye izixeko zaseYurophu, njengaseAthene naseKorinte.—IZenzo 15:40, 41; 16:6-10; 17:1–18:18.

Malunga nowama-56 C.E., ekupheleni kohambo lwakhe lwesithathu lobuvangeli basemazweni, uPawulos waceba ukutyhalela phambili kummandla ongasentshona ukuze andise loo ntsimi wayeyinikwe ukuba ashumayele kuyo kwintlanganiso eyaseYerusalem. Wabhala wathi: “Ndinentumekelelo yokuzivakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo nakuni apho eRoma,” kwaye “ndiya kudlula kuni xa ndisiya eSpeyin.” (Roma 1:15; 15:24, 28) Kuthekani ngenkitha yamaYuda awayehlala eMpuma?

AmaYuda Awayehlala Empuma

Ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, iYiputa yayinamaYuda amaninzi awayehlala apho, ngokukodwa kwikomkhulu layo iAleksandriya. Kweli ziko lezorhwebo nenkcubeko kwakukho amaYuda afikelela kumakhulu amawaka, nezindlu zesikhungu ezazithe saa kuso sonke eso sixeko. UPhilo, umYuda owayehlala eAleksandriya, wathi eYiputa kwakukho ubuncinane amaYuda asisigidi ngeloo xesha. Elinye iqela lawo lalihlala eLibhiya, kwisixeko saseKirene nakwiziphaluka eziyingqongileyo.

Amanye amaYuda awaba ngamaKristu ayesuka kule mimandla. EBhayibhileni sifunda ‘ngoApolo, inzalelwane yaseAleksandriya,’ “namadoda athile aseSipro naseKirene” awayexhasa ibandla lakwa-Antiyokwe eSiriya. (IZenzo 2:10; 11:19, 20; 13:1; 18:24) Ngaphandle koku iBhayibhile ayithethi nto ngomsebenzi wamaKristu eYiputa nakwiziphaluka zayo ngaphandle komKristu ongumvangeli uFilipu owashumayela kwithenwa elinguTiyopiya.—IZenzo 8:26-39.

IBhabhiloni eyayihamba iye kuma ngeParti, elamaMedi ne-Elam yenye indawo eyayinamaYuda amaninzi. Omnye umbhali-mbali uthi, “kuwo wonke umhlaba owawukumathafa omlambo iTigris nomEfrate, ukususela eArmenia ukusa kwigophe lasePersi, nommandla ongasemntla-mpuma woLwandle lweCaspian, nangasempuma ukusa kwelamaMedi, zonke ezo ziphaluka zazinamaYuda.” IEncyclopaedia Judaica iqikelela ukuba inani lawo lalifikelela kuma-800 000 nangaphezulu. Umbhali-mbali ongumYuda wenkulungwane yokuqala uJosephus usixelela ukuba amashumi amawaka amaYuda ayesuka eBhabhiloni aye kwimithendeleko eyayisiba seYerusalem minyaka le.

Ngaba akho awabhaptizwayo kulawo ayevela eBhabhiloni ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E.? Asazi, kodwa phakathi kwalawo ayephulaphule umpostile uPetros ayekho avela eMesopotamiya. (IZenzo 2:9) Siyazi ukuba umpostile uPetros wayeseBhabhiloni malunga nowama-62-64 C.E. Ngoxa elapho wabhala ileta yakhe yokuqala mhlawumbi neyesibini. (1 Petros 5:13) Ekubeni iBhabhiloni yayinamaYuda amaninzi ifanele ukuba yayiyinxalenye yentsimi eyayabelwe uPetros, uYohane noYakobi kwintlanganiso ekuthethwa ngayo kwileta eyayisiya kumaGalati.

Ibandla LaseYerusalem NamaYuda Akwamanye Amazwe

UYakobi owayekho kule ntlanganiso yokwabiwa kwemihlaba, wayengumveleli webandla laseYerusalem. (IZenzo 12:12, 17; 15:13; Galati 1:18, 19) Wayekho ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. xa inyambalala yamaYuda awayetyelele eYerusalem yayisamkela iindaba ezilungileyo yaze yabhaptizwa.—IZenzo 1:14; 2:1, 41.

Ukususela ngoko inyambalala yamaYuda yayisiza nyaka ngamnye kule mithendeleko. Esi sixeko sasizala sime ngeembambo, ngoko kwakuye kufuneke ukuba iindwendwe zihlale kwidolophana ezikufutshane okanye ezintenteni. IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi, ngaphandle kokubona abahlobo bazo, ezi ndwendwe zazisiya etempileni ukuze zinqule, zinyuse amadini zize zibekho nasekufundweni koMthetho.

Ngokuqinisekileyo, uYakobi namanye amalungu ebandla laseYerusalem babesebenzisa loo mathuba ukuze banikele ubungqina kuloo maYuda avela ngaphandle. Mhlawumbi abapostile babeshumayela ngokubuchule ngelo xesha “kwavela intshutshiso enkulu nxamnye nebandla elaliseYerusalem” ngenxa yokubulawa kukaStefano. (IZenzo 8:1) Ngaphambi nasemva kwesi sihelegu, ingxelo ibonisa ukuba, ukushumayela kwala maKristu ngenzondelelo kwabangela ulwando olwaphul’ izikeyi.—IZenzo 5:42; 8:4; 9:31.

Yintoni Esinokuyifunda Koku?

AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala enza unakonako ukuze ashumayele kumaYuda naphi na apho ayehlala khona. Kwangaxeshanye, uPawulos nabanye babeshumayela kubantu beeNtlanga kwintsimi yaseYurophu. Athobela umyalelo kaYesu owawusiya kubalandeli bakhe wokuba benze abafundi “abantu beentlanga zonke.”—Mateyu 28:19, 20.

Kulo mzekelo wawo, singafunda ukubaluleka kokushumayela ngolungelelwano ukuze sixhaswe ngumoya kaYehova. Sonke singazibona iingenelo zokushumayela kubantu abalihlonelayo iLizwi likaThixo, ngokukodwa kwintsimi enamaNgqina kaYehova ambalwa. Ngaba kukho iindawo ezithile kwintsimi yebandla lenu ezinemveliso ngakumbi kunezinye? Kusenokuba kuhle ukusoloko usebenza kuzo. Ngaba kukho imisitho yasekuhlaleni enokwenza ukwazi ukushumayela kuyo ngokungacwangciswanga okanye yenze ukwazi ukushumayela esitratweni?

Kuya kusinceda ukufunda ngamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala kungekhona eBhayibhileni nje kuphela kodwa sifunde nangembali neendawo awayeshumayela kuzo. Esinye isixhobo esinokusinceda sandise ulwazi lwethu yincwadana enemifanekiso ethi ‘Bona Ilizwe Elihle,’ enemaphu nemifanekiso emininzi.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Isicangca esikwiphepha 14]

INKXALABO KAMPOSTILE UPAWULOS NGAMAYUDA AKWAMANYE AMAZWE

NGAPHAMBI KWENTLANGANISO EYAYISEYERUSALEM NGOWAMA-49 C.E.

EMVA KWENTLANGANISO EYAYISEYERUSALEM NGOWAMA-49 C.E.

IZenzo 16:14 EFilipi — “uLidiya, . . . nongumnquli kaThixo”

IZenzo 17:1 ETesalonika — “indlu yesikhungu yamaYuda”

IZenzo 17:10 EBhereya — “kwindlu yesikhungu yamaYuda”

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 15]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Abo beva iindaba ezilungileyo ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. babevela kwimimandla ekude

ILIRIKO

ITALI

Roma

MAKEDONI

GRISI

Athene

KRETE

Kirene

LIBHIYA

BITHINIYA

GALATI

ASIYA

FRIGIYA

PAMFILIYA

SIPRO

YIPUTA

TIYOPIYA

PONTO

KAPADOKIYA

KILIKIYA

MESOPOTAMIYA

SIRIYA

SAMARIYA

Yerusalem

KWAYUDA

MEDI

Bhabhiloni

ELAM

ARABHIYA

PARTI

[Amanzi]

ULwandle lweMeditera

ULwandle Olumnyama

ULwandle Olubomvu

Persian Gulf