‘Ukumelana Nokuthiwa Ulwazi’
LIBALULEKE kangakanani iqiniso kuwe? Ingabe kuyakukhathaza ukuthi amanga aye asonta, afihla ngisho nokufihla, iqiniso ngoMdali wezulu nomhlaba? Lokhu kwamkhathaza kakhulu uIrenaeus, owayezisholo ukuthi ungumKristu wekhulu leminyaka lesibili leSikhathi sethu Esivamile. Wazimisela ukudalula amaphutha ayingozi obuGnostic (imfundiso yokukholelwa ensindisweni eza ngokuba nolwazi ngamaqiniso angokomoya), uhlobo lobuKristu obuyisihlubuki. Ngaphambili, umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa uThimothewu ukuba abalekele okunjalo ‘okuthiwa ulwazi.’—1 Thimothewu 6:20, 21.
UIrenaeus wakhuluma ngesibindi ngokumelene nemfundiso eyiphutha. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela lokho akusho esethulweni sencwadi yakhe enemininingwane eminingi enesihloko esithi “Ukuphikiswa Nokuchithwa Kokuthiwa Ulwazi.” Wabhala: “Amadoda athile, elahla iqiniso, angenisa izindaba ezingamanga phakathi kwethu nezinhlu zozalo eziyize, ezibanga nje izimpikiswano, njengoba umphostoli asho [1 Thimothewu 1:3, 4], kunokuba zinikele emsebenzini kaNkulunkulu wokwakha okholweni. Ngezinkulumo zawo zobuciko eziqanjwe ngobuqili adukisa izingqondo zabangenalwazi, futhi azithumbe, onakalise abakhulumeli beNkosi, futhi engabachazi ababi balokho okukhulunywa kahle.”
Abakholelwa kubuGnostic (elivela kwelesiGreki elithi gnoʹsis, elisho “ulwazi”) babethi bathole ulwazi oluphakeme ngokwambulelwa okuyimfihlakalo futhi beqhosha ngokuthi ‘babengabalungisi babaphostoli.’ Abakholelwa kubuGnostic baxuba ifilosofi, ukucabangela, nezimfihlakalo zobuqaba nobuKristu obuyisihlubuki. UIrenaeus wenqaba ukuhlanganyela kunoma yikuphi kwalokhu. Kunalokho, waqalisa umzabalazo wokuphila kwakhe konke omelene nezimfundiso zokuhlubuka. Ngokungangabazeki wayesiqaphela isidingo sokusebenzisa isixwayiso somphostoli uPawulu: “Xwayani funa kube-khona onithumbayo ngokuhlakanipha nangenkohliso eyize njengokwemvelo yabantu, njengezimfundiso zokucathula kwezwe, kungenjengokukaKristu.”—Kolose 2:8; 1 Thimothewu 4:7.
Ukuphila Kwakhe Esemusha Nenkonzo
Kuncane okwaziwayo ngokuphila kwakhe esemusha nomlando kaIrenaeus ngokwakhe. Kucatshangelwa ngokuvamile ukuthi wayengowomdabu waseAsia Minor, wazalwa phakathi kuka-120 C.E. no-140 C.E. emzini waseSmirna noma eduze nawo. UIrenaeus ukufakazela ngokwakhe ukuthi esemusha, wayejwayelene noPolycarp, umbonisi ebandleni laseSmirna.
Lapho efunda ngaphansi kokuphatha kukaPolycarp, uIrenaeus ngokusobala waba umngane kaFlorinus. UPolycarp uyena owayesaphila owayazi abaphostoli ngamehlo. Wakhuluma okuningi ngemiBhalo futhi wakutusa ngokunamandla ukunamathela ezimfundisweni zikaJesu Kristu nabaphostoli baKhe. Nokho, naphezu kwalokhu kuqeqeshwa okuhle okungokomBhalo uFlorinus kamuva wawela ezimfundisweni zikaValentinus, umholi ovelele wenhlangano yabakholelwa kubuGnostic!
UIrenaeus wafuna ukuba umngane wakhe nowayehlanganyela naye uFlorinus abuyiselwe emfundisweni ephilayo engokomBhalo futhi asindiswe ezimfundisweni zikaValentinus. Ngakho-ke, uIrenaeus washukunyiselwa ukuba abhalele uFlorinus incwadi, ethi: “Lezimfundiso, Florinus, . . . azikhona ukuqonda okuphilile; lezimfundiso azivumelani nesonto, futhi zihilela labo abazilandela ngendelelo enkulu; . . . lawomalunga futhi ayengaphambi kwethu, ayejwayelene nabaphostoli, awakufundisanga lezimfundiso.”
Ezimisele ukukhumbuza uFlorinus ngokuqeqeshwa okuhle akuthola kuPolycarp odumile, uIrenaeus waqhubeka: “Ngikhumbula izenzakalo zangelezozikhathi . . . kangangokuthi ngikwazi ukusho ngisho nendawo uPolycarp obusisiwe ayevame ukuhlala futhi akhulume ekuyo . . . Nendlela futhi ayekhuluma ngayo ngokusebenzelana kwakhe okuvamile noJohane, kanye nabo bonke labo ababebone iNkosi; nangendlela futhi ayevame ukulandisa ngayo amazwi abo.”
UFlorinus wakhunjuzwa ukuthi uPolycarp wafundisa lokho ayekwamukele “kofakazi abambona ngokwabo uLizwi wokuphila, [futhi wayeye] walandisa konke ngokuvumelana nemiBhalo. Ngomusa kaNkulunkulu engawunikwa, lezizinto ngazizwa, ngazibhala phansi, hhayi ephepheni kodwa enhliziyweni yami; futhi ngizikhumbula kahle lezinto ngokuqhubekayo ngomusa kaNkulunkulu. Futhi [ngokuqondene nemfundiso kaValentinus] ngiyakwazi ukufakaza phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi uma lelolunga elingumphostoli elibusisiwe [uPolycarp] laliyizwile into enjalo, laliyokhala futhi livale izindlebe . . . Laliyobaleka kuleyondawo elaliyobe lihlezi noma limi kuyo lapho lizwa amazwi anjalo.”
Awukho umlando obonisa ukuthi uFlorinus wake wasabela kuleyoncwadi kaIrenaeus ethinta inhliziyo nenamandla. Kodwa amazwi kaIrenaeus embula ukukhathalela kwakhe okuqotho ngomngane othandekayo owayeshiye indlela yeqiniso futhi wawela ekuhlubukeni.—Qhathanisa neyesi-2 Thesalonika 2:3, 7-12.
Asaziwa isikhathi uIrenaeus ahlala ngaso eGaul (eFrance). Ngonyaka ka-177 C.E., wayekhonza njengombonisi ebandleni laseLyons. Kubikwa ukuthi inkonzo yakhe yayikhiqiza kakhulu. Eqinisweni, isazi-mlando uGregory waseTours sabika ukuthi ngesikhathi esifushane nje uIrenaeus waphumelela ukuguqulela bonke abantu baseLyons ebuKristwini. Ngokungangabazeki, lokho kwakuyihaba.
Ukumelana Nokuhlubuka
Incwadi eyinhloko kaIrenaeus ethi, “Ukuphikiswa Nokuchithwa Kokuthiwa Ulwazi,” ngokuvamile yayibizwa ngokuthi “Ukumelana Nokuhlubuka.” Ihlukaniswe yaba izincwadi ezinhlanu. Ezimbili zokuqala ziqukethe incazelo egxekayo yezinkolelo zamahlelo ahlukahlukene ahlubukayo, ikakhulukazi imfundiso yokuhlubuka kaValentinus. Ezincwadini ezintathu zokugcina, uIrenaeus uzama ukuveza “amaphuzu avela emiBhalweni.”
Esethulweni sencwadi yakhe yesithathu ethi “Ukumelana Nokuhlubuka,” uIrenaeus uyabhala: “Ngakho khumbula lokho engikusho ezincwadini ezimbili ezandulelayo; futhi ngokunezela lokhu kuzo uzothola ukusabela kwami okugcwele ngokumelene nazo zonke izihlubuki, futhi uzokwazi ukumelana nazo ngokwethembeka nangesibindi ngenxa yokholo olulodwa lweqiniso nolunika ukuphila, iSonto eliye lakuthola kubaphostoli futhi elikudlulisela kubantwana balo. Ngoba iNkosi yabo bonke yanika abaphostoli bayo amandla evangeli, futhi ngabo nathi siye safunda iqiniso, okungukuthi, imfundiso yeNdodana kaNkulunkulu—njengoba iNkosi yathi kubo, ‘Onizwayo nina uyangizwa nami, futhi lowo oneyayo uyangeya nami, kanye nalowo ongithumile.’”
Nakuba uIrenaeus avuma ukuthi wayengesiye umbhali onekhono, wayezimisele ukudalula zonke izici ‘zezimfundiso ezimbi’ zobuGnostic. Ucaphuna futhi akhulumele ngobuciko imiBhalo eminingi ngokumelene ‘nabafundisi bamanga’ ‘bamahlelo abhubhisayo.’ (2 Petru 2:1-3, qhathanisa neNW.) Kuyacaca ukuthi uIrenaeus waba nobunzima ekuhlanganiseni incwadi yakhe ukuze ibe ngeyeqophelo elifanele. Ngani? Ngoba wayeqongelele ukwaziswa okuningi kakhulu.
Ukudalula kukaIrenaeus kwavela ngokucacile ngemva kwesineke esikhulu nokutadisha okuningi. Amaphuzu akhe amade anikeza ingcebo yokwaziswa ngemithombo nangamaqiniso ngobuGnostic. Imibhalo kaIrenaeus futhi iwuhlu olungenakulinganiswa okungenani lweminye imibono engokomBhalo eyayisakholelwa ababezisholo ukuthi babambelele eZwini likaNkulunkulu ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka lesibili C.E.
UIrenaeus ukusekela ngokuphindaphindiwe ukukholelwa ‘kuNkulunkulu oyedwa, uBaba uMninimandla onke, owenza izulu, nomhlaba, nezilwandle, nakho konke okukukho, nakuKristu Jesu oyedwa, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, owenziwa waba inyama ukuze sisindiswe.’ Abakholelwa kubuGnostic babewaphika lamaqiniso!
Ekhuluma ngokumelene nobuDocetic (imfundiso yokuthi uKristu akezanga ngesimo somuntu) bobuGnostic, uIrenaeus wabhala: “UKristu kumelwe abe ngumuntu, onjengathi, ukuze akwazi ukusihlenga ekonakaleni futhi asenze siphelele. Njengoba isono nokufa kweza ezweni ngomuntu, ngakho kungasuswa ngokuvumelana nezimiso zomthetho nangokwenzuzo yethu ngumuntu kuphela; iqiniso, akunakuba ngothile nje oyinzalo ka-Adamu, futhi ngenxa yalokho naye odinga ukuhlengwa, kodwa ngoAdamu wesibili, ozelwe ngendlela engengokwemvelo, ukhokho omusha wohlanga lwethu.” (1 Korinte 15:45) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abakholelwa kubuGnostic babengamaDualist, bekholelwa ukuthi izinto ezingokomoya zilungile kodwa yonke into nenyama kubi. Ngenxa yalokho, bamlahla umuntu uJesu Kristu.
Ngokucabanga ukuthi yonke into eyinyama yimbi, abakholelwa kubuGnostic balahla nomshado nokuzala, bethi, uSathane owasungula lezinto. Bathi futhi inyoka yase-Edene yayinokuhlakanipha kwaphezulu! Lombono waphumela ezindleleni zokuphila zokweqisa, ukuzidela ngokweqile noma ukuzitika ngokwenyama. Bethi insindiso yeza kuphela ngobuGnostic obuyimfihlakalo, noma ukuzazi komuntu siqu, abalinakanga nhlobo iqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu.
Ngokuphambene, amaphuzu kaIrenaeus ahlanganisa ukukholelwa eMinyakeni Eyinkulungwane futhi abonisa ukuliqonda okuthile ithemba lokuphila kwesikhathi esizayo okunokuthula emhlabeni. Wazama ukuhlanganisa amaqembu akhulayo esikhathi sakhe ngokusebenzisa iZwi likaNkulunkulu elinamandla. Futhi ngokuvamile ukhunjulwa ngokucabanga kwakhe okuhluzekile, nokuqonda okukhaliphile, nokwahlulela okunengqondo.
Nakuba abanye bethi uIrenaeus (owafa cishe ngo-200 C.E.) waqhubekisela phambili izimfundiso zeqiniso zokholo lobuKristu, kumelwe kukhunjulwe ukuthi wayephila esikhathini senguquko nesokuhlubuka okwabikezelwa. Ngezinye izikhathi, amaphuzu akhe athanda ukungacaci ngandlela-thile, ayaphikisana ngisho nokuphikisana. Nokho, sibuhlonipha kakhulu ubufakazi bamadoda akhuluma ngesibindi emelela iZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumlelwe elibhaliwe esikhundleni samasiko abantu.