Ingabe Isonto Lokuqala Lafundisa Ukuthi UNkulunkulu UnguZiqu-zintathu?
INgxenye 3—Ingabe AbaLweli Bokholo Bayifundisa Imfundiso KaZiqu-zintathu?
Komagazini bayo bakaNovember 1, 1991, noFebruary 1, 1992, INqabayokulinda yabonisa ukuthi uJesu nabafundi bakhe noma oFata AbangabaPhostoli bangasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala leminyaka nasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E. abazange bayifundise imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu. Ingabe abefundisi abathile kamuva ekhulwini lesibili leminyaka bayifundisa?
KUSUKELA cishe phakathi nekhulu lesibili leminyaka leSikhathi sethu Esivamile kuze kube sekupheleni kwalo, kwavela abefundisi namuhla ababizwa ngokuthi abaLweli Bokholo. Babhala izincwadi ukuze bavikele ubuKristu ababebazi kumafilosofi ayephikisana nabo ayekade andile ezweni laseRoma langalesosikhathi. Umsebenzi wabo wafika ngasekupheleni, nangemuva, kwemibhalo yoFata AbangabaPhostoli.
Phakathi kwabaLweli Bokholo ababhala izincwadi ngesiGreki kwakunoJustin Martyr, uTatian, uAthenagoras, uTheophilus, kanye noClement waseAlexandria. UTertullian wayengumLweli Wokholo owabhala izincwadi ngesiLatini. Ingabe bafundisa ngoZiqu-zintathu wanamuhla weLobukholwa—abantu abathathu abalinganayo (uYise, iNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele) ekubeni ngoNkulunkulu, ngamunye enguNkulunkulu weqiniso, nokho bengebona oNkulunkulu abathathu kodwa uNkulunkulu oyedwa?
“INdodana Ingaphansi”
UDkt. H. R. Boer, encwadini yakhe ethi A Short History of the Early Church, ukhuluma ngamandla imfundiso yabaLweli Bokholo eyayinawo:
“UJustin [Martyr] wafundisa ukuthi ngaphambi kokudalwa komhlaba uNkulunkulu wayeyedwa nokuthi iNdodana yayingekho. . . . Lapho uNkulunkulu efisa ukudala umhlaba, . . . wazala omunye umuntu waphezulu ukuba amdalele umhlaba. Lomuntu waphezulu wabizwa ngokuthi . . . iNdodana ngoba wazalwa; wabizwa ngokuthi uLogos ngoba wathathwa ekuHlakanipheni noma eNgqondweni kaNkulunkulu. . . .
“Ngakho-ke uJustin nabanye abaLweli Bokholo bafundisa ukuthi iNdodana iyisidalwa. Iyisidalwa esiphakeme, isidalwa esinamandla ngokwanele ukuba singadala umhlaba, kodwa noma kunjalo, iyisidalwa. Emfundisweni yenkolo lobubuhlobo obuphakathi kweNdodana noYise bubizwa ngokuthi isubordinationism [ukuba sesikhundleni esingaphansi]. INdodana ingaphansi, okungukuthi, iza kamuva, incike kuYise, futhi yaba khona ngaye. AbaLweli Bokholo babekholelwa ekutheni kunesikhundla esingaphansi.”1
Encwadini ethi The Formation of Christian Dogma, uDkt. Martin Werner ukhuluma ngendlela obabuqondwa ngayo ekuqaleni ubuhlobo obuphakathi kweNdodana noNkulunkulu uthi:
“Lobobuhlobo ngokucacile babuqondakala ‘njengokuba sesikhundleni esingaphansi’, okusho ukuthi, ngomqondo wokuba kukaKristu ngaphansi kukaNkulunkulu. Noma kuphi eTestamenteni Elisha lapho kucatshangelwa ubuhlobo obuphakathi kukaJesu noNkulunkulu, uBaba, . . . buqondwa futhi bufakwe ohlwini lokuba sesikhundleni esingaphansi. Futhi eTestamenteni Elisha umuntu owayekholelwa kakhulu ekutheni kunesikhundla esingaphansi, ngokombhalo wamaVangeli Amathathu Okuqala, kwakunguJesu ngokwakhe . . . Lesikhundla sokuqala, njengoba sasiqinile futhi sisobala, sakwazi ukuhlala sikhona isikhathi eside. ‘Zonke izazi zemfundiso yenkolo ezinkulu zangaPhambi KoMkhandlu WaseNicaea zaveza ukuba kukaLogos ngaphansi kukaNkulunkulu.’”2
Evumelana nalokhu, uR. P. C. Hanson, kuyiSearch for the Christian Doctrine of God, uthi:
“Asikho isazi semfundiso yenkolo eSontweni laseMpumalanga noma eNtshonalanga ngaphambi kokugqashuka kokuPhikisa Kuka-Arius [ekhulwini lesine leminyaka], ngandlela-thile esingabheki iNdodana njengengaphansi kukaBaba.”3
UDkt. Alvan Lamson, kuyiChurch of the First Three Centuries, wenezela lobufakazi obuphathelene nemfundiso yezikhulu zesonto ngaphambi koMkhandlu WaseNicaea (325 C.E.):
“Ukuba ngaphansi kweNdodana ngokuvamile, uma kungekhona ukuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi, oFata bangaPhambi KoMkhandlu WaseNicaea babekhuluma ngakho ngokuqiniseka . . . Ukuthi babebheka iNdodana njengehlukile kuYise kubonakala ezimweni lapho bekuvuma khona ngokucacile ukuthi ingengaphansi. . . . Babeyibheka njengehlukile kuye futhi engaphansi.”4
Ngokufanayo, encwadini ethi Gods and the One God, uRobert M. Grant usho lokhu okulandelayo ngabaLweli Bokholo:
“Incazelo Engokwenkolo NgoKristu yezinkulumo ezivikela ubuKristu, enjengeyeTestamente Elisha, ngokuyisisekelo isekelwe ekutheni kunesikhundla esingaphansi. INdodana ihlala ingaphansi kukaYise, okunguyena yedwa uNkulunkulu eTestamenteni Elidala. . . . Khona-ke, lokho esikuthola kulabalobi bakuqala akuyona imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu . . . Ngaphambi koMkhandlu WaseNicaea, imfundiso yenkolo yobuKristu cishe yonke indawo yayisekelwe ekutheni kunesikhundla esingaphansi.”5
UZiqu-zintathu weLobukholwa ufundisa ukuthi iNdodana iyalingana noNkulunkulu uBaba ngobuphakade, amandla, isikhundla, nokuhlakanipha. Kodwa abaLweli Bokholo bathi iNdodana yayingalingani noNkulunkulu uBaba. Babebheka iNdodana njengengaphansi. Leyo akuyona imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu.
Ukubonakalisa Imfundiso Yekhulu Lokuqala Leminyaka
AbaLweli Bokholo kanye nabanye oFata Besonto babonisa ngezinga elikhulu lokho amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka akufundisa ngobuhlobo bukaBaba neNdodana. Phawula indlela lokhu okuvezwe ngayo encwadini ethi The Formation of Christian Dogma:
“Enkathini yokuQala yobuKristu lwalungekho uphawu lwanoma iluphi uhlobo lwenkinga noma impikiswano kaZiqu-zintathu, olunjengalolo kamuva olwabangela izingxabano ezinobudlova eSontweni. Isizathu salokhu ngokungangabazeki sasiseqinisweni lokuthi, ebuKristwini Bokuqala, uKristu . . . wayengumuntu wasezweni lezingelosi eliphakeme lasezulwini, owadalwa futhi wakhethwa uNkulunkulu ukuba enze umsebenzi, okwakuyothi ekupheleni kwezikhathi, ulethe . . . uMbuso kaNkulunkulu.”6
Ngaphezu kwalokho ngokuqondene nemfundiso yoFata Besonto bokuqala, I-International Standard Bible Encyclopedia iyavuma:
“Embonweni wokuqala weSonto injongo lapho kukhulunywa ngoNkulunkulu uBaba isuke iwukuqonda ukuthi ungowokuqala, hhayi nje uYise kaJesu Kristu, kodwa ungumthombo wakho konke okukhona. Ngakho uNkulunkulu uBaba, ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso, unguNkulunkulu ovelele. ZingezaKhe iziqu ezinjengokuthi ongenasiqalo, ongenakufa, ongenakuguquka, ongachazeki, ongabonakali, nongazange adalwe. NguYe owenzé zonke izinto, kuhlanganise nazo kanye izinto zokudala, ezenza zingekho. . . .
“Lokhu kungase kubonakale kusikisela ukuthi uBaba yedwa okufanele abe nguNkulunkulu nokuthi iNdodana noMoya kuyalandela ekubeni ngonkulunkulu. Izinkulumo eziningi zokuqala zibonakala zikusekela lokhu.”7
Nakuba le-encyclopedia iqhubeka ilulaza lamaqiniso futhi ithi imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu yamukelwa ngalesosikhathi sokuqala, amaqiniso ayayiphikisa leyonkulumo. Cabangela amazwi esazi semfundiso yenkolo esaziwayo esingumKatolika uJohn Henry Cardinal Newman:
“Ake sivume ukuthi zonke izimfundiso, ezikhuluma ngeNkosi yethu, zazamukelwa ngokungaguquki nangokuvumelana yiSonto Lokuqala . . . Kodwa ngokuqinisekile azivumelani nemfundiso yamaKatolika kaZiqu-zintathu. Angiboni ukuthi kungamuphi umqondo kungase kushiwo ukuthi kunombono ovamile [wezikhulu zesonto] zokuqala ovumelana nalemfundiso . . .
“IZivumo Zokholo zangalesosikhathi sokuqala azikhulumi . . . kwanhlobo [ngoZiqu-zintathu]. Yebo ziyakhuluma ngaBantu Abathathu; kodwa ukuthi kunemfihlakalo ethile kulemfundiso, ukuthi laBantu Abathathu baMunye, ukuthi bayalingana, banobuphakade obulinganayo, bonke abazange badalwe, bonke bangosomandla, bonke abanakuqondakala, akukhulunyiwe ngakho, futhi ngeke kufinyelelwe kulesosiphetho ngenxa yalokho lezivumo ezikushoyo.”8
Lokho UJustin Martyr Akufundisa
Omunye wabaLweli Bokholo bokuqala kwakunguJustin Martyr, owaphila cishe kusukela ku-110 kuya ku-165 C.E. Akukho nowodwa emibhalweni yakhe esekhona namanje okhuluma ngabantu abathathu abalinganayo kuNkulunkulu oyedwa.
Ngokwesibonelo, ngokweJerusalem Bible yamaKatolika, izAga 8:22-30 zithi ngoJesu ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumuntu: “UYahweh wangidala lapho injongo yakhe imbuleka okokuqala, ngaphambi kwemisebenzi yakhe emidala kakhulu. . . . Lwalungekho utwa, lapho ngizalwa . . . Ngaphambi kokuba kube namagquma, ngazalwa . . . Ngangiseceleni kwakhe [uNkulunkulu], ngiyingcweti enkulu.” Ekhulumela lamavesi, uJustin uthi kweyakhe ethi Dialogue With Trypho:
“UmBhalo uye wathi leNzalo yazalwa uBaba ngaphambi kokudalwa kwazo zonke izinto; nokuthi lokho okuzelwe kuhlukile ngenani kulokho okuzalayo, noma ubani angavuma.”9
Njengoba iNdodana yazalwa ivela kuNkulunkulu, uJustin uyalisebenzisa igama elithi “Nkulunkulu” lapho ekhuluma ngeNdodana. Kweyakhe ethi First Apology uthi: “UBaba wendawo yonke uneNdodana; nayo njengoba inguLizwi kaNkulunkulu ozelwe yedwa, inguNkulunkulu.”10 IBhayibheli nalo liyayibiza iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ngesiqu esithi “Nkulunkulu.” KuIsaya 9:6 ibizwa ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu onamandla.” Kodwa eBhayibhelini, izingelosi, abantu, onkulunkulu bamanga, noSathane nabo babizwa ngokuthi “onkulunkulu.” (Izingelosi: IHubo 8:5, NW; qhathanisa namaHeberu 2:6, 7, NW. Abantu: IHubo 82:6. Onkulunkulu bamanga: Eksodusi 12:12, NW; 1 Korinte 8:5. USathane: 2 Korinte 4:4.) EmiBhalweni YesiHeberu, igama elisho “uNkulunkulu,” elithi ʼEl, lisho nje ukuthi “Umuntu Onamandla.” EmiBhalweni YesiGreki igama elisho okufanayo ngelithi the·osʹ.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, igama lesiHeberu elisetshenziswe kuIsaya 9:6 libonisa umehluko osobala phakathi kweNdodana noNkulunkulu. Lapho iNdodana ibizwa ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu onamandla,” ʼEl Gib·bohrʹ, hhayi ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.” Lelogama ngesiHeberu lithi ʼEl Shad·daiʹ futhi lisebenza kuJehova uNkulunkulu kuphela.
Nokho, phawula ukuthi nakuba uJustin ebiza iNdodana ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu,” akalokothi athi iNdodana ingomunye wabantu abathathu abalinganayo, ngamunye wabo onguNkulunkulu kodwa labantu abathathu bakhe uNkulunkulu oyedwa kuphela. Kunalokho, uthi kweyakhe ethi Dialogue With Trypho:
“Kukhona . . . omunye uNkulunkulu neNkosi [uJesu ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumuntu] ongaphansi koMenzi wezinto zonke [UNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke]; lowo [iNdodana] obizwa nangokuthi iNgelosi, ngoba [iNdodana] umemezela kubantu noma yini uMenzi wezinto zonke—lowo okungekho omunye uNkulunkulu ongaphezu kwakhe—afisa ukuyimemezela kubo. . . .
“[INdodana] ihlukile kuLowo owenza izinto zonke,—ngenani, angisho [ukuhluka] entandweni.”11
Indima ethakazelisayo ivela kuyiFirst Apology kaJustin, isahluko 6, lapho evikela khona ekumangaleleni kobuqaba kokuthi amaKristu aphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu. Uyabhala:
“Sibakhulekela futhi sibathanda bobabili Yena [uNkulunkulu], neNdodana (eyeza ivela kuYe futhi yasifundisa lezinto, kanye noquqaba lwezinye izingelosi ezilungile eziyilandelayo nezenziwe njengaYo), kanye noMoya oprofethayo.”12
Umhumushi walendima, uBernhard Lohse, uyaphawula: “Njengokungathi kwakungenele ukuba kuloluhlu izingelosi kuthiwe ziyizidalwa ezihlonishwa nezikhulekelwa amaKristu, uJustin akanqikazi ukukhuluma ngezingelosi ngaphambi kokukhuluma ngoMoya oNgcwele.”13—Bheka ne-Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine.14
Ngakho, nakuba uJustin Martyr kubonakala sengathi uye wachezuka emfundisweni yeBhayibheli emsulwa endabeni yokuthi ubani okufanele akhulekelwe amaKristu, ngokusobala akazange abheke iNdodana njengelingana noYise, njengoba nje nezingelosi zazingabhekwa neze njengezilingana naYe. Ngokuqondene noJustin, siyaphinda sicaphuna encwadini ethi Church of the First Three Centuries kaLamson:
“UJustin wabheka iNdodana njengehlukile kuNkulunkulu, futhi engaphansi kwakhe: ehlukile, hhayi, ngomqondo wanamuhla, njengeyakha oyedwa wabantu abathathu, . . . kodwa ehlukile ngesimo; ukuphila okungokoqobo, okugcwele, okuzimele, okuhlukile kokukaNkulunkulu, eyawathola kuye wonke amandla ayo neziqu; emiswe esikhundleni esingaphansi kwakhe, futhi ezithobayo kuzo zonke izinto ekwenzeni intando yakhe. UBaba uphakeme; iNdodana ingaphansi: uBaba ungumthombo wamandla; iNdodana iyawamukela: uBaba uyaqamba; iNdodana, njengesikhonzi sakhe noma ithuluzi, iyafeza. Babili ngenani, kodwa bayavumelana, noma bamunye, entandweni; intando kaBaba ngaso sonke isikhathi ibusa iNdodana.”15
Ngaphezu kwalokho, akukho lapho uJustin esho khona ukuthi umoya ongcwele ungumuntu olingana noBaba neNdodana. Ngakho akukho-ndlela okungase kushiwo ngayo ngobuqotho ukuthi uJustin wafundisa ngoZiqu-zintathu wanamuhla weLobukholwa.
Lokho UClement Akufundisa
UClement waseAlexandria (c. 150 kuya ku-215 C.E.) naye ubiza iNdodana ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu.” Uyibiza ngisho nangokuthi “uMdali,” igama elingalokothi lisetshenziswe eBhayibhelini uma kubhekiselwa kuJesu. Ingabe wayesho ukuthi iNdodana yayilingana ngazo zonke izindlela noMdali ongumninimandla onke? Cha. UClement ngokusobala wayebhekisela kuJohane 1:3, lapho kuthiwa khona ngeNdodana: “Konke kwavela ngaye.”16 UNkulunkulu wasebenzisa iNdodana njengenxusa emisebenzini yaKhe yokudala.—Kolose 1:15-17.
UClement ubiza uNkulunkulu Ophakeme ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu noYise weNkosi yethu uJesu”17 futhi uthi “iNkosi iyiNdodana yoMdali.”18 Uthi futhi: “UNkulunkulu wakho konke nguye kuphela onguMdali omuhle nolungile, futhi iNdodana [i]kuBaba.”19 Ngakho wabhala ukuthi iNdodana inoNkulunkulu ongaphezu kwayo.
UClement uthi uNkulunkulu “ungumniki-kuphila okuphakade wokuqala nokuwukuphela kwakhe, lokho iNdodana, njengoba yakuthola kuYe [uNkulunkulu], ekunikeza thina.”20 UMuntu wokuqala owapha ngokuphila okuphakade ngokusobala uphakeme kunalowo, ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso, okudlulisela phambili. Ngakho, uClement uthi uNkulunkulu “ungowokuqala, futhi uphakeme kunakho konke.”21 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uthi iNdodana “iseduze kakhulu naLowo okunguye yedwa onguMninimandla onke” uthi futhi iNdodana “iyala ngazo zonke izinto ngokuvumelana nentando kaYise.”22 Ngokuphindaphindiwe uClement ubonisa ukuphakama kukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke ngaphezu kweNdodana.
Ngokuqondene noClement waseAlexandria, kuyiChurch of the First Three Centuries siyafunda:
“Singase sicaphune izindima eziningi zikaClement lezo okugcizelelwe ngokuqinile nangokucacile kuzo ukuba ngaphansi kweNdodana. . . .
“Siyamangala ngokuthi kunomuntu ongafunda izincwadi zikaClement egxilise ingqondo ngendlela evamile, bese ecabanga ukuthi wayebheka iNdodana njengengahlukile ngenani—eyodwa—kuYise. Ukuba kwayo ngencikile nengaphansi, njengoba kubonakala kunjalo kithi, kuqashelwa yonke indawo. UClement wayekholelwa ekutheni uNkulunkulu neNdodana bahlukile ngenani; ngamanye amazwi, bangabantu ababili,—omunye uphakeme, omunye ungaphansi.”23
Ngaphezu kwalokho, kungase kuthiwe futhi: Ngisho nakuba ngezinye izikhathi kubonakala sengathi uClement weqela ngalé kwalokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngoJesu, akukho lapho ekhuluma khona ngoZiqu-zintathu owakhiwa abantu abathathu abalinganayo kuNkulunkulu oyedwa. AbaLweli Bokholo abanjengoTatian, uTheophilus, noAthenagoras, ababephila phakathi nesikhathi sikaJustin nesikaClement, babenemibono efanayo. ULamson uthi “abekho abantu ababekholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu ababengcono kunoJustin ngokwakhe; okungukuthi, babengakholelwa kuBantu Abathathu abahlangene, nabalinganayo, kodwa bafundisa imfundiso engavumelani nakancane nalenkolelo.”24
Imfundiso Yenkolo KaTertullian
UTertullian (c. 160 kuya ku-230 C.E.) wayengowokuqala owasebenzisa igama lesiLatini elithi trinitas. Njengoba kuphawulwe nguHenry Chadwick, uTertullian wasikisela ukuthi uNkulunkulu ‘ungumuntu oyedwa owakhiwa abantu abathathu.’25 Nokho, lokhu akusho ukuthi wayecabanga ngabantu abathathu abalinganayo nabanobuphakade obulinganayo. Nokho, imibono yakhe yaba yisisekelo sabalobi bakamuva ababecaba indlela yemfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu.
Umbono kaTertullian kaBaba, iNdodana, nomoya ongcwele wawuhluke kakhulu kuZiqu-zintathu weLobukholwa, ngoba wayekholelwa ekutheni kunesikhundla esingaphansi. Wabheka iNdodana njengengaphansi kukaBaba. KuyiAgainst Hermogenes wabhala:
“Akufanele sicabangele ukuthi kunomunye umuntu ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu ongazange azalwe futhi adalwe. . . . Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi kukhona okuthile, ngaphandle kukaBaba, okufanele kube kudala, futhi kulendaba empeleni kube okuphakeme kakhudlwana, kuneNdodana kaNkulunkulu, enguLizwi ozelwe yedwa nowazalwa kuqala? . . . Lowo [uNkulunkulu] ongazange adinge uMenzi ukuze abe khona, uyoba ngophakeme kakhulu ngokwengeziwe ngesikhundla kunalowo [iNdodana] owaba nomsunguli ukuze abe khona.”26
Futhi, kuyiAgainst Praxeas, ubonisa ukuthi iNdodana ihlukile kuNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke futhi ingaphansi kwakhe ngokuthi:
“UBaba ungokuthile okuphelele, kodwa iNdodana ivela kuye futhi iyingxenye yokuphelele, njengoba naYo ngokwayo ivuma: ‘UBaba mkhulu kunami.’ . . . Ngakho uBaba uhlukile eNdodaneni, njengoba emkhulu kuneNdodana, njengoba nje Lowo ozalayo engomunye umuntu, naLowo ozalwayo ungomunye; Naye futhi, othumayo ungomunye umuntu, naLowo othunywayo ungomunye; Lowo futhi owenzayo ungomunye umuntu, naLowo okwenziwa ngaye okuthile ungomunye.”27
UTertullian, kuyiAgainst Hermogenes, uyaqhubeka ethi kunesikhathi iNdodana eyayingekho ngaso njengomuntu, ebonisa ukuthi wayengabheki iNdodana njengomuntu owayekhona phakade ngomqondo ofanayo uNkulunkulu ayekhona ngawo.28 UCardinal Newman wathi: “UTertullian kumelwe abhekwe njengongakholelwa ezimfundisweni zakudala zokuba khona kweNkosi yethu phakade.”29 Ngokuqondene noTertullian, uLamson uthi:
“Lokhu kuhlakanipha, noma uLogos, njengoba amaGreki ayekubiza kanjalo, kamuva, njengoba uTertullian ayekholelwa, kwaphenduka kwaba uLizwi, noma iNdodana, okungukuthi, umuntu wangempela, owayekhona kusukela phakade njengoyimfanelo kaYise kuphela. Nokho, uTertullian wathi kusesikhundleni esingaphansi kwesikaBaba . . .
“Uma wawungase wahlulelwe nganoma iyiphi incazelo kaZiqu-zintathu eyamukelwa ngokuvamile osukwini lwanamuhla, umzamo wokusindisa uTertullian ekulahlweni [njengesihlubuki] wawuyoba yize. Wayengenakulubekezelela nakancane uvivinyo.”30
UZiqu-zintathu Wayengekho
Uma bekungadingeka uwafunde wonke amazwi abaLweli Bokholo, ubuyothola ukuthi nakuba bachezuka kwezinye izici ezimfundisweni zeBhayibheli, akekho kubo owafundisa ukuthi uBaba, iNdodana, nomoya ongcwele babelingana ngobuphakade, amandla, isikhundla, nangokuhlakanipha.
Lokhu kunjalo nangabanye abalobi bekhulu lesibili nelesithathu leminyaka, abanjengoIrenaeus, uHippolytus, uOrigen, uCyprian, noNovatian. Nakuba abanye bathi uBaba neNdodana bayalingana ezicini ezithile, ngezinye izindlela babebheka iNdodana njengengaphansi kukaNkulunkulu uBaba. Futhi akekho kubo owake wacabangela ngisho nokucabangela ukuthi umoya ongcwele wawulingana noBaba neNdodana. Ngokwesibonelo, uOrigen (c. 185 kuya ku-254 C.E.) uthi iNdodana kaNkulunkulu “iyiZibulo lendalo yonke” uthi futhi imiBhalo “ithi ingeyakudala kakhulu kunayo yonke imisebenzi yendalo.”31
Noma ikuphi ukufundwa okuqotho kwezincwadi zalezikhulu zesonto zokuqala kuyobonisa ukuthi imfundiso yeLobukholwa kaZiqu-zintathu yayingekho esikhathini sazo. Njengoba iChurch of the First Three Centuries isho:
“Imfundiso yanamuhla ethandwayo kaZiqu-zintathu . . . ayisekelwe emibhalweni kaJustin: futhi ukukuqaphela lokhu kungase kudlulele kubo bonke oFata bangaPhambi KoMkhandlu WaseNicaea; okusho ukuthi, kubo bonke abalobi abangamaKristu emakhulwini amathathu eminyaka ngemva kokuzalwa kukaKristu. Kuyiqiniso, bayakhuluma ngoBaba, iNdodana, nangokuprofethayo noma uMoya ongcwele, kodwa hhayi njengabalinganayo, abanesimo esisodwa ngenani, aBantu Abathathu koYedwa, nanganoma imuphi umqondo manje owamukelwa abakholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu. Iqiniso lingokuphambene kakhulu nalokhu. Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu, njengoba ichazwa yilaboFata, ngokuyisisekelo yayihlukile emfundisweni yanamuhla. Lokhu sikusho njengeqiniso njengobufakazi obungenakuguquka njenganoma iliphi iqiniso emlandweni wemibono yesintu.”32
Eqinisweni, ngaphambi kukaTertullian uZiqu-zintathu wayengaphathwa nangegama. Futhi uZiqu-zintathu kaTertullian “ongasekelwe ezimfundisweni zakudala” wawuhluke kakhulu kulowo abantu abakholelwa kuye namuhla. Khona-ke, imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu, ngendlela eqondwa ngayo namuhla, yavela kanjani? Ingabe yavela eMkhandlwini WaseNicaea ngo-325 C.E.? Sizohlola lemibuzo eNgxenyeni 4 yaloluchungechunge kumagazini weNqabayokulinda oyolandela.
Izikhombo:
1. A Short History of the Early Church, kaHarry R. Boer, 1976, ikhasi 110.
2. The Formation of Christian Dogma, kaMartin Werner, 1957, ikhasi 125.
3. The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God, kaR. P. C. Hanson, 1988, ikhasi 64.
4. The Church of the First Three Centuries, ka-Alvan Lamson, 1869, amakhasi 70-1.
5. Gods and the One God, kaRobert M. Grant, 1986, amakhasi 109, 156, 160.
6. The Formation of Christian Dogma, amakhasi 122, 125.
7. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1982, Umqulu 2, ikhasi 513.
8. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, kaJohn Henry Cardinal Newman, uHlelo Lwesithupha, 1989, amakhasi 14-18.
9. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, eyahlelwa nguAlexander Roberts noJames Donaldson, American Reprint of the Edinburgh Edition, 1885, Umqulu I, ikhasi 264.
10. Ibid., ikhasi 184.
11. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Umqulu 1, ikhasi 223.
12. Ibid., ikhasi 164.
13. A Short History of Christian Doctrine, kaBernhard Lohse, eyahunyushwa isuselwa esiJalimaneni nguF. Ernest Stoeffler, 1963, incwadi eyayinyatheliswe okwesibili eboshwe ngephepha elithambile, 1980, ikhasi 43.
14. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, ikhasi 20.
15. The Church of the First Three Centuries, amakhasi 73-4, 76.
16. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Umqulu II, ikhasi 234.
17. Ibid., ikhasi 227.
18. Ibid., ikhasi 228.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid., ikhasi 593.
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid., ikhasi 524.
23. The Church of the First Three Centuries, amakhasi 124-5.
24. Ibid., ikhasi 95.
25. The Early Church, kaHenry Chadwick, eyanyatheliswa ngo-1980, ikhasi 89.
26. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Umqulu III, ikhasi 487.
27. Ibid., amakhasi 603-4.
28. Ibid., ikhasi 478.
29. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, amakhasi 19, 20.
30. The Church of the First Three Centuries, amakhasi 108-9.
31. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Umqulu IV, ikhasi 560.
32. The Church of the First Three Centuries, amakhasi 75-6.
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