Isiphambano

Incazelo: Into uJesu Kristu abulawelwa kuyo abaningi abeLobukholwa babhekisela kuyo njengesiphambano (cross). Leligama livela kwelesiLatini elithi crux.

Kungani izincwadi zeWatch Tower zibonisa uJesu esesigxotsheni nezandla zingenhla kwekhanda lakhe esikhundleni sesiphambano esingokwesiko?

Igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “isiphambano” kweziningi izinguqulo zesimanje zeBhayibheli (“isigxobo sokuhlushwa” kuNW) lingu-stau·rosʹ. NgesiGreki sakuqala, leligama lalimane lisho isigxobo esimile, noma uthi. Kamuva lasetshenziselwa futhi isigxobo sokubulala esinogodo oluvundlile. IThe Imperial Bible-Dictionary iyakuvuma lokhu, ithi: “Igama lesiGreki lesiphambano, [stau·rosʹ], lichaza isigxobo ngokufanelekile, ipali elimile, noma ipulangwe lokubiya, okungalengiswa noma yini kulo, noma elingase lisetshenziswe ekubiyeleni indawo ethile. . . . Ngisho naphakathi kwamaRoma icrux (okuyigama okuvela kulo elithi isiphambano [cross]) kubonakala ukuthi ekuqaleni kwakuwugodo olumile.”—Eyahlelwa nguP. Fairbairn (London, 1874), Umq. I, k. 376.

Ingabe kwakunjalo ngokuqondene nokubulawa kweNdodana kaNkulunkulu? Kungokuphawulekayo ukuthi iBhayibheli ngokufanayo lisebenzisa igama elithi xyʹlon ekuchazeni leyonto eyasetshenziswa. IA Greek-English Lexicon, kaLiddell noScott, ichaza lokhu njengokusho: “Ipulangwe elisikiwe nelilungele ukusetshenziswa, ukhuni, ugodo, njll. . . . ipulangwe, ugodo, umshayo, isibonda . . . umshiza, isagila . . . isigxobo lapho izigebengu zazibethelwa khona . . . ukhuni oluphilayo, umuthi.” Ithi futhi kuyiNT, isiphambano,” bese ibhekisela encwadini yezEnzo 5:30 no-10:39 njengezibonelo. (Oxford, 1968, kk. 1191, 1192) Nokho, kulawomavesi izinguqulo iKJ, RS, JB, neDy zihumusha elithi xyʹlon ngokuthi “umuthi.” (Qhathanisa lokhu nendlela okuhunyushwe ngayo kwabaseGalathiya 3:13; Duteronomi 21:22, 23.)

Incwadi ethi The Non-Christian Cross, kaJ. D. Parsons (London, 1896), ithi: “Akukho ngisho nowodwa umusho kunoma iziphi izincwadi eziningi ezakha iTestamente Elisha, lowo, ngesiGreki sokuqala, onikeza ngisho nobufakazi obugudliselayo bokuthi i‘stauros’ eyasetshenziswa endabeni kaJesu yayingeyona enye into ngaphandle kogodo oluvamile; kungasakhulunywa-ke ngokuthi kwakungelona ugodo olulodwa, kodwa kungezimbili ezishayelelwe ndawonye zaba isiphambano. . . . Kungokudukisa kakhulu kubafundisi bethu ukuhumusha igama elithi ‘stauros’ ngokuthi ‘isiphambano’ lapho behumusha izincwadi zesiGreki zeSonto ziya ezilimini zethu zokuzalwa, futhi basekele lesosenzo sabo ngokufaka ‘isiphambano’ kuzichazamazwi zethu njengencazelo ye‘stauros’ ngaphandle kokuchaza ngokunakekela ukuthi lokho kwakungeyona incazelo eyinhloko yegama ngezinsuku zabaPhostoli, akuzange kube yincazelo eyinhloko kwaze kwaba sesikhathini eside kamuva, futhi kwabanjalo, uma kunjalo, ngenxa nje yokuthi, naphezu kokungabibikho kobufakazi obuzwakalayo, ngesizathu esithile kwaphethwa ngokuthi leyo‘stauros’ uJesu abulawelwa kuyo yayinalesosimo esithile.”—Kk. 23, 24; bheka futhi iThe Companion Bible (London, 1885), Isithasiselo No. 162.

Ngakho ubufakazi buwela ekuboniseni ukuthi uJesu wafa esigxotsheni esiqondile hhayi esiphambanweni esingokwesiko.

Iyini imisuka engokomlando yesiphambano seLobukholwa?

“Izinto ezihlukahlukene, ezindala kakhulu ngaphambi kwesikhathi sobuKristu, ziye zatholakala ziphawulwe ngeziphambano ezinhlobonhlobo, cishe kuzo zonke izingxenye zezwe lakudala. INdiya, iSiriya, iPheresiya neGibithe wonke lamazwe aye aveza izibonelo ezingenakubalwa . . . Ukusetshenziswa kwesiphambano njengesifanekiso senkolo ezikhathini ezingaphambi kobuKristu naphakathi kwabantu abangewona amaKristu cishe kungase kubhekwe njengokungokomhlaba wonke, futhi ezimweni eziningi kakhulu kwakuhlangene nohlobo oluthile lokukhulekela indalo.”—Encyclopædia Britannica (1946), Umq. 6, k. 753.

“Isimo [sesiphambano esinezingodo ezimbili ezivundlile] saqala eKaledi lamandulo, futhi sasetshenziswa njengophawu lukankulunkulu uTamuzi (sinesimo sikaTau oyimfihlo, uhlamvu lokuqala lwegama lakhe) kulelozwe nasemazweni angomakhelwane, kuhlanganise neGibithe. Phakathi nekhulu lesi-3 A.D. amasonto ayesehlukene nazo, noma ezilingisa nje, izimfundiso ezithile zokholo lobuKristu. Ukuze andise isithunzi sesimiso sobufundisi bobuhlubuki amaqaba angeniswa emasontweni ngaphandle kokuzalwa ngokusha kokukholwa, futhi avunyelwa ukuba agcine eziningi zezimpawu zazo nezibonakaliso zobuqaba. Ngaleyondlela-ke iTau noma uT, esimweni sawo esivamile, nothi oluvundlile lwehlisiwe, yamukelwa ukuba imelele isiphambano sikaKristu.”—An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (London, 1962), W. E. Vine, k. 526.

“Kungokungavamile, kodwa okuyiqiniso elingenakuphikwa, ukuthi esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu, futhi kusukela lapho emazweni angathintwanga izimfundiso zeSonto, iSiphambano siye sasetshenziswa njengophawu olungcwele. . . . UBacchus wamaGreki, uTamuzi waseTire, uBel wamaKaledi, no-Odin wamaScandinavia, bonke babefanekiselwa ngokuthile okusasiphambano ngabalandeli babo.”—The Cross in Ritual, Architecture, and Art (London, 1900), G. S. Tyack, k. 1.

“Isiphambano esimweni se‘Crux Ansata’ . . . sasiphathwa izandla zabapristi baseGibithe namakhosi obuPapa njengesifanekiselo segunya labo njengabapristi bakankulunkulu weLanga futhi sasibizwa ngokuthi ‘iSibonakaliso Sokuphila’”—The Worship of the Dead (London, 1904), Colonel J. Garnier, k. 226.

“Izinhlobonhlobo zeziphambano zitholakala yonke indawo ezikhumbuzweni nasemathuneni aseGibithe, futhi zicatshangelwa izazi eziningi njengezifanekisela umphambili [okwakumelele isitho sobulili sowesilisa] noma ukuhlangana kobulili. . . . Emathuneni aseGibithe isiphambano esihambisana nesiyingi phezulu sitholakala sihambisana nomfanekiso womphambili.”—A Short History of Sex-Worship (London, 1940), H. Cutner, kk. 16, 17; bheka futhi iThe Non-Christian Cross, k. 183.

“Leziphambano zazisetshenziswa njengezibonakaliso zikankulunkulu welanga waseBabiloni, +, futhi zabonakala okokuqala ohlamvwini lwemali kaJulius Cæsar, 100-44 B.C., kwase kuba semalini eyenziwa izibulo likaCæsar (uAugustus), ngo-20 B.C. Kuleyomali kaConstantine umfanekiso ovame kakhulu yilona +; kodwa lomfanekiso ofanayo uyasetshenziswa ngaphandle kwesiyingi esizungezile, nezingalo ezine ezilinganayo ezivundlile nezibheke phezulu; lona-ke kwakungumfanekiso ohlonishwa ngokukhethekile ‘njengeSondo LeLanga.’ Kumelwe kuphawulwe ukuthi uConstantine wayengumkhulekeli kankulunkulu welanga, futhi engangeni ‘eSontweni’ kwaze kwaba yingxenye yesine yekhulu leminyaka ngemva kwenganekwane yokubona kwakhe isiphambano esinjalo emazulwini.”—The Companion Bible, Isithasiselo No. 162; bheka futhi iThe Non-Christian Cross, kk. 133-141.

Ingabe ukudumisa isiphambano kungumkhuba ongokomBhalo?

1 Kor. 10:14: “Bathandwa bami, kubalekeleni ukukhonza izithombe.” (Isithombe ngumfanekiso noma uphawu oluyinto ekhonzwayo, edunyiswayo, noma ekhulekelwayo.)

Eks. 20:4, 5: “Ungazenzeli izithombe ezibaziweyo, namfanekiso wokusezulwini ngaphezulu, nowokusemhlabeni phansi, nowokusemanzini phansi komhlaba; ungazikhothameli, ungazikhonzi.” (Phawula ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayala ukuba abantu bakhe bangazenzi nokuzenza izithombe abantu ababeyozikhothamela.)

Okuthakazelisayo yilokhu kukhulumela kuyiNew Catholic Encyclopedia: “Umfanekiso wokufa kukaKristu komhlatshelo eGolgotha awunayo imifanekiso yobuciko yamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala. AmaKristu okuqala, ethonywa ukwenqabela kweTestamente Elidala izithombe ezibaziweyo, ayengakuthandi ukwenza ngisho nemifanekiso yeMinjunju YeNkosi.”—(1967), Umq. IV, k. 486.

Ngokuqondene namaKristu ekhulu lokuqala, iHistory of the Christian Church ithi: “Kwakungekho ukusetshenziswa kwesiphambano futhi kungekho lutho olubonakalayo olwalumelele isiphambano.”—(New York, 1897), J. F. Hurst, Umq. I, k. 366.

Ingabe kuyawenza umehluko uma umuntu ethanda isiphambano, uma nje engasikhulekeli?

Ubungazizwa kanjani uma omunye wabangane bakho obathanda kakhulu ebulawa ngokumangalelwa ngamanga? Ubungawenza yini umfanekiso waleyonto embulele? Ubungayithanda, noma kunalokho ubungayigwema?

KuIsrayeli wasendulo, amaJuda angathembekile akhala ngokufa kukankulunkulu wamanga uTamuzi. UJehova wakhuluma ngalokho ayekwenza wathi ‘kuyisinengiso.’ (Hez. 8:13, 14) Ngokwalokho okuvezwa umlando, uTamuzi wayewunkulunkulu waseBabiloni, futhi isiphambano sasisetshenziswa njengophawu lwakhe. Kusukela ekuqaleni kwalo ezinsukwini zikaNimrode, iBabiloni lalimelene noJehova futhi liyisitha sokukhulekela kweqiniso. (Gen. 10:8-10; Jer. 50:29) Ngakho ngokwazisa isiphambano, umuntu usuke ehlonipha uphawu lokukhulekela okuphikisana noNkulunkulu weqiniso.

Njengoba kuphawulwe kuHezekeli 8:17, amaJuda ahlubukayo futhi ‘abeka igatsha emakhaleni kaJehova.’ Lokhu wakubheka ‘njengesinengiso’ into ‘enyanyekayo.’ Ngani? ‘Leligatsha,’ ngokuchaza kwezinye izazi, lalimelele isitho sobulili sowesilisa, esasisetshenziswa ekukhulekeleni umfanekiso womphambili. Khona-ke, uJehova kumelwe akubheke kanjani ukusetshenziswa kwesiphambano, leso, njengoba sesibonile, esasisetshenziswa endulo njengomfanekiso wokukhulekela umphambili?