Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 17—kusukela ngo—1530 Kuqhubeke UbuProthestani—Ingabe BuyiNguquko?

“Ukuveza okuthile okusha akukhona ukuguquka.” UEdmund Burke, ilungu lePhalamende laseBrithani lekhulu le-18 leminyaka

IZAZIMLANDO zamaProthestani zibheka inguquko yamaProthestani njengebuyisele ubuKristu obungokoqobo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izazi zamaKatolika zithi yaphumela ephutheni elingokwemfundiso yenkolo. Nokho, yini eyembulwa umphumela wesikhathi esidlule womlando ongokwenkolo? Ingabe iNguquko yamaProthestani yayiyinguquko ngempela, noma ingabe yayimane iwukuvezwa kokuthile okusha, ukufaka olunye uhlobo lokukhulekela olunamaphutha esikhundleni solunye?

IZwi LikaNkulunkulu Linikezwa Ukubaluleka Okukhethekile

Abashisekeli benguquko bamaprothestani bagcizelela ukubaluleka kwemiBhalo. Bawenqaba amasiko, nakuba uMartin Marty, umhleli oqavile kamagazini iChristian Century, ethi phakathi nekhulu leminyaka elidlule, “amaprothestani engeziwe ayezimisele ukubona ubuhlobo phakathi kweBhayibheli nesiko.” Nokho lokhu kwakungelona iqiniso ‘ngokhokho bawo okholweni.’ Kubo “iBhayibheli lalinokubaluleka okukhethekile, futhi isiko noma igunya lobupapa lalingenakuqhathaniswa nalo.”

Lesimo sandisa ngamandla isithakazelo sokuhumusha, ukusakaza, nokufunda iBhayibheli. Maphakathi nekhulu le-15 leminyaka—ngaphezu kwengxenye yekhulu leminyaka ngaphambi kokuqalisa kweNguquko—owayekanye noLuther uJohannes Gutenberg owayengumJalimane walungiselela ubuProthestani obabufufusa ithuluzi eliwusizo. Esungule indlela yokunyathelisa emshinini ophathwayo, uGutenberg wakhiqiza iBhayibheli lokuqala elinyathelisiwe. Kulelicebo elalisunguliwe uLuther wabona izinto ezinkulu ezazinokwenzeka, futhi wabiza ukunyathelisa ngokuthi “umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu wamuva nongcono kakhulu wokusakaza inkolo yeqiniso emhlabeni wonke.”

Abantu abaningi manje babengaba neBhayibheli labo siqu, intuthuko iSonto lamaKatolika elingazange liyivumele. Ngo-1559 uPapa Paul IV wabeka umthetho wokuthi alikho iBhayibheli elalinganyatheliswa ngezilimi zabomdabu ngaphandle kwemvume yesonto, futhi isonto lenqaba ukuyinikeza. Eqinisweni, ngo-1564 uPapa Pius IV wathi: “Okuhlangenwe nakho kuye kwabonisa ukuthi uma ukufundwa kweBhayibheli ngolimi oluvamile kuvunyelwa ngokungakhethi, . . . kuveza ingozi enkulu kunokuba kuveze okuhle.”

INguquko yaveza uhlobo olusha ‘lobuKristu.’ Esikhundleni segunya lobupapa yafaka ukuzikhethela okukhululekile komuntu. IMisa lamaKatolika lathathelwa isikhundla uhlobo oluthile lokukhulekela lwamaProthestani, futhi amasonto awubucwazicwazi ayikomkhulu lababhishobhi bamaKatolika athathelwa isikhundla amasonto avamile amaProthestani.

Izinzuzo Ezingalindelekile

Umlando usifundisa ukuthi izinhlangano ezazingokwenkolo ekuqaleni ngokuvamile zithatha izimo ezingokwenhlalo nezingokombangazwe. Lokhu kwabonakala kuyiqiniso ngeNguquko yamaProthestani. Uprofesa womlando waseYunivesithi yaseColumbia uEugene F. Rice Jr., uyachaza: “ENkathini Ephakathi isonto laseNtshonalanga laliyinhlangano engokomthetho yaseYurophu. Phakathi nengxenye yokuqala yekhulu leshumi nesithupha leminyaka lahlukana phakathi laba inani elikhulu lamasonto angokwamazwe endawo . . . [lawo] ababusi bezwe ababewalawula kakhulu.” Lokhu kwaphumela ‘ekulweni okwathatha isikhathi eside kwenkathi ephakathi phakathi kwegunya lababusi bezwe nabefundisi. . . . Ukuzimelela kombuso kwantengezela ngempela futhi ekugcineni kwasuka esontweni kwaya embusweni kwasuka nakumpristi kwaya kubantu abavamile.’

Ngomuntu ngamunye lokhu kwasho inkululeko enkudlwana, kokubili engokwenkolo neyomuntu ngamunye. Ngokungafani nobuKatolika, ubuProthestani babungenalo inxusa eliyinhloko eliqondisa imfundiso noma umkhuba, ngaleyondlela bavumela inkululeko enkulu yombono ongokwenkolo. Kancane, kancane, lokhu kamuva kwathuthukisa ukuba uvumazonke okungokwenkolo nesimo sokwamukela yonke imibono evezwayo leyo ngesikhathi seNguquko eyayingakabekezelelwa.

Inkululeko enkulu yakhulula amandla ayengasetshenziswa esikhathini esidlule. Abanye bathi kwakuyisisusa esasidingeka ukuze sibangele ukuthuthuka okungokwenhlalo, okungokombangazwe, nokungokwesayensi yomsebenzi okwakuyokwenza ukuba singene enkathini yethu yesimanje. Umsebenzi wezindinganiso zamaProthestani ‘wasebenza kukho kokubili uhulumeni nokuphila kwansuku zonke,’ kubhala umlobi ongasekho uTheodore White. Lokhu wakuchaza ‘njengenkolelo yokuthi umuntu unomthwalo wemfanelo ngokuqondile phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngonembeza nangezenzo zakhe, ngaphandle kokungenela noma ukuthandazelwa abapristi. . . . Uma umuntu asebenza kanzima, walima kakhulu, engayekethisanga noma avilaphe, futhi wanakekela umkakhe nabantwana, khona-ke inhlanhla noma uNkulunkulu kuyovuza imizamo yakhe.’

Ingabe lezici zobuProthestani eziqondile kumelwe zisenze singakuboni ukushiyeka kwabo? INguquko yamaProthestani ‘yayiyisikhathi futhi sobubi obuningi kakhulu,’ kusho iEncyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, inezela: “Inkathi yamaJesuit nokuQulwa Kwamacala Ezihlubuki yapheliswa . . . yamane nje yalandelwa okuthile nakho okuseqophelweni eliphansi. Uma kwakunokuningi ukungazi okuqotho eNkathini Ephakathi, kukhona amaningi amanga ahleliwe manje.”

“Amanga Ahleliwe”—Ngayiphi Indlela?

‘Kwakungamanga ahleliwe’ ngoba ubuProthestani bathembisa inguquko engokwemfundiso kodwa bahluleka ukuyiletha. Ngokuvamile, kwakuyinkambiso yesonto, hhayi amanga emfundiso okwavusa intukuthelo yabashisekeli benguquko. Ngokwengxenye enkulu, ubuProthestani balondoloza imibono nemikhuba engokwenkolo ethonywe ubuqaba yobuKatolika. Kanjani? Isibonelo esivelele imfundiso kaZiquzintathu, eyisisekelo esiyinhloko sobulungu eMkhandlwini WamaSonto Wezwe WamaProthestani. Ukunamathela kulemfundiso kuqine kakhulu, nakuba iEncyclopedia of Religion ivuma ukuthi ‘abachazi bemibhalo nezazi zemfundiso yenkolo namuhla bavumelana ngokuthi akukho eBhayibhelini lapho lemfundiso ifundiswa khona ngokuqondile.’

Ingabe ubuProthestani baguqula uhlobo olonakele lukahulumeni ongokwesonto? Cha. Kunalokho, “baweza izibonelo zegunya obabuzithathe ebuKatolikeni beNkathi Ephakathi,” kusho uMartin Marty, futhi “bamane bahlubuka embusweni wamaRoma Katolika ukuze benze izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zobuProthestani.”

UbuProthestani bathembisa futhi ukubuyisela “ubunye okholweni.” Nokho, lesithembiso esingokweBhayibheli asizange sigcwaliswe ngokwakhiwa kwamahlelo amaningi ahlukene amaProthestani.—Efesu 4:13.

Ukudideka Okuhleliwe—Kungani?

Namuhla, ngo-1989, ubuProthestani buye bahlukana phakathi baba amahlelo amaningi nezinkolo kangangokuthi kungokungenakwenzeka ukubona inani lawo ngokuphelele. Ngaphambi kokuba umuntu aqede ukubala, kungabe sekuvele amaqembu amasha, noma amanye angabe esenyamalele.

Nokho, iWorld Christian Encyclopedia yenza “okungenakwenzeka” ngokuhlukanisa eLobukholwa (njengalelo lango-1980) lilenze libe “amahlelo ahlukene obuKristu ayizi-20 780,” inani lawo elikhulu okungamaProthestani.a Ahlanganisa amaqembu avelele amaProthestani ayizi-7 889, izinkolo zendabuko eziyizi-10 065 ikakhulukazi zamaProthestani abangemhlophe, amahlelo aseSheshi angama-225, namaqembu amancane ayi-1 345 amaProthestani.

Ekuchazeni indlela lokhu kwahlukahlukana okudidayo, okubizwa ngakho kokubili ukuthi “uphawu lwempilo nolokugula,” okwavela ngayo, incwadi ethi Protestant Christianity iphawula ukuthi ‘kungase kube ngenxa yekhono lomuntu lokwenza okuthile nekhono elilinganiselwe; nangaphezu kwalokho kungase kube ngenxa yabantu abaqhoshayo abasicabangela ngokweqile isimo sabo siqu ekuphileni.’

Yeka ukuthi kuyiqiniso kangakanani! Ngaphandle kokucabangela iqiniso laphezulu ngokwanele, abantu abaqhoshayo banikeza ezinye izindlela ezintsha zokuthola ukusindiswa, ukukhululeka, noma ukwaneliseka. Ukuba nezinhlobo eziningi zenkolo akusekelwa eBhayibhelini.

Ngokuthuthukisa izinhlobo eziningi zenkolo, ubuProthestani bubonakala buqonde ukuthi uNkulunkulu akazange amise iziqondiso zendlela okumelwe akhulekelwe ngayo. Ingabe ukudideka okunjalo okuhleliwe kuyavumelana noNkulunkulu weqiniso, lowo iBhayibheli elithi ngaye “uNkulunkulu kasiye owesiyaluyalu kepha ngowokuthula”? Ingabe umqondo ovame ukuzwakala wamaProthestani wokuthi iya Esontweni ozikhethele lona, wehlukile yini ekucabangeni kokuzibusa okwaholela uAdamu noEva enkolelweni edukile nasenkathazweni eyalandela ngokushesha?—1 Korinte 14:33; bheka uGenesise 2:9; 3:17-49.

Ukungakunaki Ukubaluleka Okukhethekile KweBhayibheli

Naphezu kokubaluleka okukhethekile okwakunikezwe iBhayibheli abashisekeli benguquko bokuqala, izazi zenkolo zamaProthestani kamuva zaba umthombo wokucusumbula okukhulu futhi “zaphatha incwadi yeBhayibheli njengoba zazingase zenze kunoma iyiphi incwadi evamile yasendulo,” kusho uMarty. Abazange banikeze ‘ukubaluleka okukhethekile ekuphefumlelweni kwabalobi beBhayibheli.’

Ngakho, ngokungabaza ukuphefumlelwa kwaphezulu kweBhayibheli, izazi zemfundiso yenkolo zamaProthestani zalulaza ukholo kulokho Abashisekeli beNguquko ababekucabangela njengokuyisisekelo sangempela sobuProthestani. Lokhu kwavula indlela yesimo sokungabaza, ukungakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu, kanye nenkolelo yokuthi umuntu ulawulwa ingqondo. Ngokunesizathu, izazi eziningi zibheka iNguquko njengembangela eyinhloko yokunganakwa kwenkolo kwanamuhla.

Babanjwe Kwezombangazwe

Isithelo esiphawulwe ngenhla siwubufakazi obucacile bokuthi naphezu kwezisusa ezinhle zabashisekeli benguquko ngabanye nabalandeli babo, ubuProthestani abuzange bubuyisele ubuKristu beqiniso. Kunokuba buthuthukise ukuthula ngokungathathihlangothi kobuKristu, bazigaxa ezindabeni zobuzwe.

Lokhu kwakusobala ngokushesha ngemva kokuba ukwehlukaniswa kweLobukholwa liba izizwe zamaKatolika namaProthestani kube ngokoqobo. Izimpi zamaKatolika namaProthestani zachitha igazi ezimpini eziningi zinqamula kuwo wonke amazwe aseYurophu. INew Encyclopædia Britannica izibiza ngokuthi “Izimpi Zenkolo ezazibangelwa iNguquko yaseJalimane naseSwiss yeminyaka yawo-1520.” Eyayiphawuleka kakhulu kulezi kwakuyiMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu (1618-48), eyayihilela kokubili ukungezwani okungokombangazwe nokungokwenkolo phakathi kwamaProthestani aseJalimane namaKatolika.

Igazi laphalala futhi eNgilandi. Phakathi kuka-1642 no-1649, iNkosi uCharles I yalwa impi ngokumelene nePhalamende. Njengoba iningi lezitha zeNkosi kwakungezophiko lwePuritan lweSonto laseNgilandi, ngezinye izikhathi impi kubhekiselwa kuyo njengeNguquko yePuritan. Yaphela ngokubulawa kweNkosi nokumiswa koMbuso wesikhashana wePuritan ngaphansi kukaOliver Cromwell. Nakuba leMpi Yesizwe SamaNgisi yayingeyona impi engokwenkolo ngokuyinhloko, izazimlando ziyavumelana ngokuthi inkolo yayiyisici esinqumayo ekukhetheni izinhlangothi.

Phakathi nalempi, iqembu lenkolo elaziwa ngokuthi Abangane, noma amaQuaker lavela. Leliqembu lahlangabezana nokuphikiswa okunamandla ‘kubazalwane’ balo bamaProthestani. Amalungu angamakhulu amaningana afela ejele, futhi izinkulungwane zezwa ubuhlungu bokweyiswa. Kodwa inhlangano yanda kabanzi, ngisho nasemazweni ayesanda kwakhiwa aseBrithani eMelika, lapho ngo-1681 uCharles II anikeza uWilliam Penn incwadi yemvume ukuze athole indawo yamaQuaker, leyo kamuva eyaba umbuso wasePennsylvania.

AmaQuaker ayengavelele ekufuneni amakholwa kabanzi, ngenxa yokuthi ezinye izinkolo zazikwenzile ngaphambili. Nokho, manje ngemva ‘Kokuveza Okuthile Okusha’ kwamaPprothestani, amaKatolika, kanye nenani elikhulu lamaqembu amaProthestani, aqala ukwandisa imizamo yawo yokuletha isigijimi sikaKristu seqiniso nokuthula ‘kwabangakholwayo.’ Kodwa yeka indlela okwakubhuqa ngayo! ‘Njengamakholwa,’ amaKatolika namaProthestani ayengakwazi ukuvumelana ngencazelo eyodwa yeqiniso laphezulu. Futhi ngokuqinisekile bahluleka ukubonisa ukuthula nobunye bobuzalwane. Ngokubheka lesisimo, yini eyayingalindelwa “Lapho ‘AmaKristu’ ‘Nabahedeni’ Kwakuhlangana”? Funda isihloko se-18 kumagazini wethu olandelayo.

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AbantwanaBokuqala BeNguquko

INHLANGANO YAMABANDLA ASESHESHI: Amasonto angama-25 azibusayo nezinye izindikimba eziyisithupha ezihlanganyela imfundiso, ezombangazwe, namasiko esonto neSonto laseSheshi neqaphela ubuholi obunegama boMbhishobhi Omkhulu waseCanterbury. I Encyclopedia of Religion ithi ubuSheshi “buye bagcina ukholo ekulandelaneni kwababhishobhi kobuphostoli futhi buye balondoloza imikhuba eminingi yangaphambi kweNguquko.” Okuyinhloko ekukhulekeleni kwabo iBook of Common Prayer, “okuwukuphela kwamasiko esonto endabuko enkathi yeNguquko asagcinwa.” Amakholwa aseSheshi eUnited States, ayehlukane neSonto laseSheshi futhi akha iSonto Lasesheshi LamaProthestani ngo-1789, aphinda futhi ahlukana nesiko ngoFebruary 1989 ngokumisa umbhishobhi wokuqala wesifazane emlandweni waseSheshi.

AMASONTO ASEBAPTIST: Amahlelo angama-369 (1970) avela kuma-Anabaptist ekhulu le-16 leminyaka, ayegcizelela ukubhapathizwa kwabantu abadala ngokucwiliswa. IEncyclopedia of Religion ithi amaBaptist aye “akuthola kunzima ukulondoloza ubunye obungokwenhlangano noma obungokwemfundiso yenkolo,” inezela ukuthi “umkhaya wamaBaptist eUnited States mkhulu, . . . kodwa, njengakweminingi imikhaya emikhulu, amanye amalungu awawakhulumisi amanye.”

AMASONTO OBULUTHELA: Amahlelo angama-240 (1970), azisholo ukuthi anengqikithi yenani lamalungu elikhulu kunawo wonke anoma iliphi iqembu lamaProthestani. ‘Asahlukaniswe ubuhlanga ngandlelathile (amaJalimane, amaSwede, njll.),’ kusho iWorld Almanac and Book of Facts 1988, nokho inezela ngokuthi “amaqembu ayinhloko aphakathi kwabagcizelela ukuthatha iBhayibheli njengoba linjalo nalabo abayamukelayo imibono emisha.” Ukuqembuka kwamaLuthela ngokwezinkambu zobuzwe kwaba sobala kakhulu phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, lapho “inani elincane labafundisi namabandla amaLuthela [eJalimane] linqaba uHitler, kodwa inani elikhulu lamaLuthela lazithulela noma lahambisana ngentshiseko nokubusa kobuNazi,” njengoba kusho uE. W. Gritsch Wesikole Semfundiso Yenkolo yobuLuthela, eU.S.A.

AMASONTO OBUWESELI: Amahlelo ayi-188 (1970) avela enhlanganweni ekulo kanye iSonto laseSheshi elasungulwa uJohn Wesley ngo-1738. Ngemva kokufa kwakhe lazihlukanisa njengeqembu elihlukile; uWesley wachaza iWeseli ‘njengesonto eliphila ngokuvumelana nendlela evezwe eBhayibhelini.’

AMASONTO ENGUQUKO NAWASEHABE: Amasonto enguquko (amahlelo angama-354 ango-1970) ngokwemfundiso angamaCalvinist, kunokuba abe amaLuthela, futhi azibheka ‘njengeSonto lamaKatolika, eliguqukile.’ “AbaseHabe” bamisa uhulumeni wesonto ngabadala (presbyters); wonke amasonto aseHabe angamasonto eNguquko, kodwa akuwona wonke amasonto eNguquko anohlobo lukahulumeni wobuHabe.

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Ikhasi elenziwe kahle leBhayibheli likaGutenberg lwesiLatini

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Ngemvume yeBritish Library

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UGutenberg nomshini wakhe wokunyathelisa ohambayo

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UJohn Wesley, umsunguli weSonto LamaWeseli (1738)