Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

lngxenye 12—100-476 C.E.—Ukucima Ukukhanya Kwevangeli

“Abantu baye bathola ukuthi kuzuzisa kakhulu ukonakalisa iqiniso kunokuba bazihlanze.”—UCharles Caleb Colton, umfundisi oyiNgisi wekhulu le-19 leminyaka

KUSUKELA ngo-33 C.E., lapho iRoma libulala uMsunguli wobuKristu, lowombuso wezwe wesithupha womlando weBhayibheli wawumelene njalo namaKristu. Wawabopha futhi waphonsa amanye awo emabhubesini. Kodwa ngisho nalapho ayesongelwa ngokubulawelwa ukholo ngokuba ashiswe ezigxotsheni ukuze abe njengezinkanyiso ezingabantu zokukhanyisa izivande zikaNero, amaKristu aseRoma ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka aqhubeka evumela ukukhanya kwawo okungokomoya ukuba kukhanye. (Mathewu 5:14) Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, isimo sashintsha.

“Engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lesithathu leminyaka, isonto laliqala ukuhlonipheka,” kusho incwadi ethi From Christ to Constantine. Kodwa ukuhlonipheka kwakunemivuzo yakho, “ukwehla kwezindinganiso.” Kanjalo “ukuphila kobuKristu kwakungasabhekwa njengokuyimfuneko yokholo lobuKristu.”

Ukukhanya kwevangeli kwakufiphele. Futhi “ngekhulu lesine leminyaka, abalobi bobuKristu babengasho nje kuphela ukuthi kwakungenzeka ukuba yikho kokubili umKristu nomRoma, kodwa ukuthi umlando omude weRoma eqinisweni wawuyisiqalo sobuqhawe bobuKristu. . . . Ukusikisela kwakuwukuthi iRoma lalimiswe ngokwaphezulu,” kusho incwadi ethi Imperial Rome.

Umbusi wamaRoma uConstantine Omkhulu wayenombono ofanayo. Ngo-313 C.E., uConstantine wenza ubuKristu baba inkolo engokomthetho. UConstantine wenza ukungalungi kwangempela ngokuhlanganisa iSonto noMbuso, ebeka abaholi benkolo enkonzweni yoMbuso, futhi evumela ukulawula koMbuso izindaba ezingokwenkolo.

Kakade ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka, uIgnatius, umbhishobhi waseAntiyokiya, wayesungule indlela entsha kahulumeni ongokwesonto. Esikhundleni seqembu labadala, uhulumeni wobubhishobhi walungiselela ukuba umuntu oyedwa wesonto aphathe ibandla elilodwa. Cishe ekhulwini leminyaka kamuva, uCyprian, umbhishobhi waseCarthage, wayandisa lenqubo yendikimba yabefundisi ababusayo yaba umbuso wendikimba yabefundisi ababusayo owehlukaniswe izigaba eziyisikhombisa, isikhundla esiphakeme kungesombhishobhi. Ngaphansi kwakhe kwakunabapristi, amadiyakoni, amadiyakoni angaphansi, nezinye izigaba. Kamuva isonto laseNtshonalanga lenezela isigaba sesishiyagalombili, kuyilapho isonto laseMpumalanga lanquma ukuba nezigaba ezinhlanu zendikimba yabefundisi ababusayo.

Lwaholelaphi loluhlobo lokuhola kwesonto kuhlangene nokuvunyelwa uMbuso? Incwadi ethi Imperial Rome iyachaza: “Ngemva nje kweminyaka engama-80 yegagasi lokugcina elikhulu lokushushiswa kwamaKristu, iSonto ngokwalo lase liqala ukubulala abaphikisi bemfundiso yesonto, futhi abefundisi balo babelawula umbuso cishe ngokwesilinganiso esifanayo naleso sababusi.” Ngokuqinisekile lokhu akukhona lokho uKristu ayenakho engqondweni lapho ethi abafundi bakhe ‘babengeke babe ingxenye yezwe’ nokuthi kumelwe balinqobe, hhayi ngamandla, kodwa ngokholo lwabo.—Johane 16:33; 17:14; qhathanisa no-1 Johane 5:4.

“Abangcwele” Nonkulunkulu BamaGreki

Kudala ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaConstantine, imibono yobuqaba yayisiyonakalisile kakade inkolo yobuKristu. Onkulunkulu bezinganekwane baseGrisi ababeke bathonya ngokunamandla inkolo yaseRoma base beyithonyile kakade nenkolo yobuKristu. Incwadi ethi Roman Mythology ithi: “Ngesikhathi iRoma selibe umbuso omkhulu, uJupiter wayefaniswe noZeus wamaGreki . . . Kamuva uJupiter wayekhulekelwa njengoOptimus Maximus, Ongcono Kakhulu noPhakeme Kakhulu, isiqu esihlukanisayo esasizodluliselwa ebuKristwini futhi sibonakale kweminingi imibhalo yabantu eqoshiwe.” INew New Encyclopædia Britannica iyenezela: “Ngaphansi kobuKristu, amaqhawe amaGreki futhi ngisho nawonkulunkulu bavuka njengabangcwele.”

Umlobi uM. A. Smith uchaza ukuthi lokhu kwakusho ukuthi “izinhlobo eziningi zawonkulunkulu zazixutshaniswa, futhi umehluko ohlukanisayo wawufiphala . . . Kwakukhona ukuthambekela kubantu kokucabanga ukuthi izinhlobonhlobo zawonkulunkulu ngempela zazingamagama ahlukene kuphela ombusi oyedwa ophakeme. . . . UIsis wabaseGibithe, uArtemis wabase-Efesu noAstarte wabaseAsiriya babengabhekwa njengabafanayo. UZeus wamaGreki, noJupiter wamaRoma, uAmonRe wabaseGibithe futhi ngisho noYahweh wamaJuda babengakhulekelwa njengamagama oMbusi oyedwa ophakeme.”

Nakuba ubuKristu eRoma babuxutshaniswe nokucabanga kwamaGreki nokwamaRoma, babuguquka futhi nakwezinye izindawo. IAlexandria, iAntiyokiya, iCarthage, ne-Edessa, zonke izikhungo zomsebenzi wemfundiso yenkolo, zakha izikole ezikhethekile zemfundiso engokwenkolo. UHerbert Waddams, umfundisi waseSheshi yaseCanterbury, uthi ngokwesibonelo isikole saseAlexandria ‘sathonywa ikakhulukazi imibono kaPlato,’ sinikeza izincazelo ezifihla amaqiniso angokomoya emazwini amaningi ‘eTestamente Elidala.’ Isikole saseAntiyokiya sathatha isimo sengqondo sokulandelela amazwi njengoba enjalo nesokuligxeka kakhulu iBhayibheli.

Ibanga, ukuntuleka kokukhulumisana, nokungaluqondi ulimi, kwakhulisa ukungafani. Nokho, okwakuyimbangela eyinhloko yalesisimo kwakuwumoya wokuzibusa nesifiso sobugovu sabaholi benkolo ababezimisele ukonakalisa iqiniso ngenxa yenzuzo yabo siqu, ngaleyondlela becima ukukhanya kwevangeli.

“Kuthiwa ‘Ukwazi’ Kungeyikho”

Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lokuqala leminyaka, ubuKristu babuthonywa izimfundiso zamanga ezingokwenkolo, okwabangela ukuba uPawulu axwayise uThimothewu ukuba agweme “nokuphikisana okuthiwa ‘ukwazi’ kungesikho.” (1 Thimothewu 6:20, 21) Kungenzeka ukuthi lokhu kwakubhekiselwe enhlanganweni eyayibizwa ngokuthi ubuGnostic eyazuza ukuvelela ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka kodwa ngokusobala eyayiqale ukuvela ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka, ngokunokwenzeka ngothile okuthiwa uSimon Magus. Eminye imithombo ithi kungenzeka ukuthi lona uSimoni ophawulwe eBhayibhelini kuzEnzo 8:9.

UbuGnostic bathola igama labo egameni lesiGreki ugnoʹsis, okusho “ulwazi.” Amaqembu obuGnostic agomela ngokuthi ukusindiswa kuxhomeke olwazini olukhethekile oluyimfihlo lwezinto ezijulile ezingaziwa amaKristu avamile. Aba nomuzwa wokuthi ukuba nalolulwazi kwakubenza bakwazi ukufundisa, njengoba iEncyclopedia of Religion isho, “iqiniso langaphakathi elembulwa uJesu.”

Imisuka yemiqondo yamaGnostic yayiminingi. Kusukela eBabiloni, amaGnostic athatha umkhuba wokufanisa izincazelo ezifihliwe nezinombolo zeBhayibheli, lokho okucatshangelwa ukuthi kwakwembula amaqiniso ayimfihlo. AmaGnostic afundisa futhi ukuthi nakuba umoya ulungile, konke okubonakalayo kunobubi. Umlobi waseJalimane uKarl Frick uthi: “Lona umgudu ofanayo wokucabanga owawusutholakala kakade emfundisweni yasePheresiya yokuthi yonke into inobuhle nobubi bayo naseMpumalanga Ekude kuyi-‘yin’ ne’yang’ yaseChina.” “UbuKristu” obuvezwa imibhalo yamaGnostic ngokuqinisekile busekelwe emithonjeni engeyona eyobuKristu. Ngakho kungaba kanjani “iqiniso langaphakathi elembulwa uJesu”?

Isazi uR. E. O. White ubiza ubuGnostic ngokuthi buyinhlanganisela “yokucabangela kwefilosofi, inkoleloze, imikhuba esamilingo, futhi ngezinye izikhathi ukukhulekela kokushiseka kobuhlanya futhi ngisho nokuyichilo.” UAndrew M. Greeley waseYunivesithi yaseArizona uthi: “UJesu wamaGnostic ngezinye izikhathi akahlelekile, ngezinye akaqondakali, futhi ngezinye uyashaqisa.”

Ukusonta lqiniso NgoKristu

AmaGnostic ayengewodwa ekusonteni iqiniso ngoKristu. UNestorius, umbusi ongokwenkolo waseConstantinople wasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesi-5 leminyaka, ngokusobala wafundisa ukuthi eqinisweni uKristu wayengabantu ababili koyedwa, uJesu engumuntu neNdodana kaNkulunkulu yaphezulu. Ekuzaleni uKristu, uMariya wazala umuntu kodwa hhayi iNdodana yaphezulu. Lombono awuvumelananga neMonophysitism (“umuntu oyedwa”) eyayithi ukuhlangana phakathi kukaNkulunkulu neNdodana kwakungahlukaniseki, nokuthi nakuba kwakungabantu ababili, uJesu empeleni wayeyedwa kuphela, uNkulunkulu ophelele futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo engumuntu ophelele. Kanjalo, uMariya ngempela wayeyozala uNkulunkulu, hhayi nje uJesu ongumuntu.

Lezinkolelo zombili zaziwumphumela wempikiswano eyayiphakeme phakathi nekhulu leminyaka eledlule. UArius, umpristi waseAlexandria, waphikisa ngokuthi uKristu ungaphansi kukaYise. Ngakho wenqaba ukusebenzisa igama elithi homoousios (ukuba nesimo esisodwa) ekuchazeni ubuhlobo bukaKristu noNkulunkulu. UMkhandlu waseNicaea wawenqaba umbono wakhe ngo-325 C.E., unquma ukuthi uJesu ngempela ‘yinto eyodwa noYise.’ Ngo-451 C.E. uMkhandlu waseChalcedon waphawula ukuthi uKristu unguNkulunkulu oguqulwe umzimba wenyama. Umqondo waseBabiloni, eGibithe naseGrisi kaNkulunkulu onguziquzintathu manje wawusuminyanise imfundiso kaKristu yokuthi yena noYise bangabantu ababili abahlukene, abangalinganinhlobo.—Marku 13:32; Johane 14:28.

Eqinisweni, uTertullian (c. 160-c. 230 C.E.), ilungu lesonto laseNyakatho Afrika, wasungula igama elithi “trinitas,” elaqala ukusetshenziswa ebuKristwini esikhathini esithile ngaphambi kokuba uArius azalwe. UTertullian, owayeyisazi semfundiso yenkolo sokuqala ukuba sibhale kakhulu ngesiLatin esikhundleni sesiGreki, wasiza ekubekeni isisekelo semfundiso yenkolo yaseNtshonalanga. Wenza kanjalo ‘oSanta’ uAugustine, esinye isazi semfundiso yenkolo saseNyakatho Afrika samakhulu amabili eminyaka kamuva. “[UAugustine] uphawulwa njengomuntu owayehlakaniphe kakhulu wobuKristu basendulo,” kusho iNew Encyclopædia Britannica. Kodwa amazwi ayo alandelayo enza ukuba wonke amaKatolika noma amaProthestani aqotho akhathazeke: “Imibono yakhe eyabangela ukuba inkolo yeTestamente Elisha ixutshaniswe ngokuphelele nesiko likaPlato lefilosofi yamaGreki; futhi umkhiqizo walokhu kuxutshaniswa wadluliselwa ngayo kweLobukholwa lobuRoma Katolika lenkathi ephakathi nobuProthestani beNkathi Yokuvela Kabusha Kwemfundo Yempucuko.”

UbuKatolika Busesimweni Esibucayi

Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine leminyaka, uMbusi uTheodosius I, wakuqeda lokho okwakuqaliswe uConstantine ngokwenza ubuKatolika bube inkolo yoMbuso. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho uMbuso wamaRoma wahlukana phakathi, njengoba uConstantine ayenovalo lokuthi ungase uhlukane. Ngo-410 C.E. iRoma lathunjwa amaVisigoths, abantu baseJalimane ababewuhluphe isikhathi eside lombuso, futhi ngo-476 C.E., ujenene waseJalimane uOdoacer waketula umbusi waseNtshonalanga esikhundleni futhi wazibeka inkosi, ngaleyondlela eqeda uMbuso wamaRoma waseNtshonalanga.

Ngaphansi kwalezizimo ezintsha, babuyoqhubeka kanjani ubuKatolika? Kusukela ngo-500 C.E., yayinamalunga angamaphesenti angama-22 ezakhamuzi zomhlaba. Kodwa kulabantu abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezingama-43, abaningi babekhohliswe abaholi benkolo ababethole ukuthi kungcono kakhulu ukonakalisa iqiniso kunokuba bazihlanze. Ukukhanya kwevangeli kobuKristu beqiniso kwakucinyiwe. Kodwa “Ebumnyamemi Kwavela Okuthile ‘Okungcwele’” okwakuyozalwa ngokushesha, njengoba isihloko sethu esilandelayo sizoxoxa ngakho.

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Izibonelo Zenkolelo YamaGnostic

UMarcion (ikhulu lesibili leminyaka) wahlukanisa phakathi kukaNkulunkulu ongaphelele ‘weTestamente Elidala’ ongaphansi kukaJesu noYise kaJesu, uNkulunkulu wothando ongaziwa ‘weTestamente Elisha.’ Umbono ‘kankulunkulu ongaziwa indaba eyinhloko yobugnostic,’ kuchaza iEncyclopedia of Religion. Lonkulunkulu ongaziwa uchazwa ‘njengokuHlakanipha okuphakeme, okungenakufmyelelwa ukuhlakanipha komuntu.’ Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umdali womhlaba ungaphansi futhi akahlakaniphile ngempela futhi waziwa njengeDemiurge.

UMontanus (ikhulu lesibili) washumayela ngokubuya kukaKristu okuseduze nokumiswa kweJerusalema Elisha kulokho namuhla okuthiwa iTurkey. Ekhathalela kakhulu ukuziphatha kunemfundiso, ngokusobala wazama ukubuyisela izindinganiso zokuqala zobuKristu, kodwa zinikezwa ngokweqisa, ekugcineni lenhlangano yaba isisulu saso kanye isimo esilahlayo.

UValentinus (ikhulu lesibili leminyaka), umlobi wezinkondlo ongumGreki nomGnostic ovelele kakhulu wakudala, wathi nakuba umzimba kaJesu womoya weza ngoMariya, eqinisweni awuzalwanga nguye. Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi amaGnostic ayebheka yonke into ebonakalayo njengenobubi. Ngakho uJesu wayengenakuba nomzimba ongokwenyama nawo futhi wawuyoba onobubi. AmaGnostic ayaziwa ngokuthi amaDocetists ayefundisa ukuthi yonke into ngobuntu bukaJesu yayiwumbono nokuzikhohlisa nje. Lokhu kwahlanganisa ukufa nokuvuka kwakhe.

UManes (ikhulu lesithathu leminyaka) wethiwa ngokuthi ual-Bābilīyu, igama lesiArabu elisho ‘owaseBabiloni’ njengoba ayezibiza ngokuthi “isithunywa sikaNkulunkulu siza eBabiloni.” Walwela ukwakha inkolo yomhlaba wonke ehlanganisa izici zobuKristu, ubuBuddha, nobuZoroastria.