INgxenye 6—Umbuso Wezwe Wesithupha—IRoma

Umbuso wamaRoma wabusa ngesikhathi okwaqala ngaso ubuKristu. Ulwazi olungcono ngeRoma lasendulo luzokusiza ukuba uqonde izimo lezo uJesu ashumayela ngaphansi kwazo kanye nezimo ezaba khona njengoba abalandeli bakhe bokuqala babesakaza ubuKristu kulo lonke izwe elalaziwa ngalesosikhathi.

IROMA, umbuso wezwe wesithupha womlando weBhayibheli, wawubusa lapho uJesu ezalwa nalapho abaphostoli bakhe beshumayela. IGrisi umbuso wezwe owawandulela, wawulungiselele ulimi lwabantu bonke okwakuhanjiswa ngalo imfundiso yobuKristu kuyo yonke leyongxenye yomhlaba—isiKoine, noma ngokuvamile, isiGreki. Manje iRoma yakwazi ukulungiselela izimo kanye nezindlela ezasiza ukuba iqiniso lobuKristu lisakazwe ngokuphuthumayo.

IRoma, eyake yaba umuzi omncane eLatium, eItaly, yakhula yadlula umbuso wezwe omkhulu kakhulu wezikhathi zamandulo zeBhayibheli. Okokuqala, yakhula yaze yalawula inhlonhlo yaseItaly. Yanqoba iCarthage enamandla ogwini lweAfrika olusenyakatho. ISpain, iMakedoniya, neGrisi zaba ngaphansi kokulawulwa yiyo. Ngakho-ke yathumba iJerusalema ngo-63 B.C.E. futhi ngo-30 B.C.E. yenza iGibithe laba isifunda saseRoma. Ekudlondlobaleni kwawo, lombuso onamandla wanwebeka kusukela eBrithani kwehle kuye eGibithe nasePortugal kuya eMesopotamiya, izwe leBabiloni lasendulo. Wazungeza iMedithera ngokuphelele, owayibiza ngokuthi iMare Nostrum (ULwandle Lwethu).

Izincithakalo eziningi zaseRoma zisengavakashelwa kuyo yonke indawo yalowombuso omkhulu. Ungabona uDonga lukaHadrian eBrithani, umsele omkhulu eSegovia eSpain, inkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini yaseRoma eOrange, kanye nenkundla eseArles (zombili eziseningizimu yeFrance). Ungahamba phakathi kwencithakalo ethule yaseOstia Antica, eduze naseRoma, futhi umangaliswe ukubona iPompeii yasendulo, eningizimu yeNaples. ERoma ungacabanga ngezixuku ezijabulile eziseNdlini Enkulu Yemidlalo futhi ubone iKhothamo likaTitus elikhumbuza ngokubhubhisa kwakhe iJerusalema kanye nethempeli lalo ngo-70 C.E., okwabikezelwa uJesu eminyakeni engaphezu kwengama-35 kusengaphambili.

ERoma lasendulo izicebi zazinemizi emikhulu, zinezinceku nezigqila lezo ngezinye izikhathi ezazibalelwa emakhulwini. Abampofu babegcwele ezindlini zokuhlala ezinezitezi eziphindaphindiwe ezaziklele emigwaqweni engcolile, nemazombe. Bambalwa kakhulu ababengabizwa ngokuthi abesigaba esiphakathi. UMbuso walungiselela kokubili ukudla okusanhlamvu nokokuzijabulisa mahhala ukuze abampofu bangabhikishi. Intela eyayiqoqwa ezifundeni yayikhokhela lezindleko.

Ibutho LamaRoma

Ibutho elalidumile lamaRoma lalakhiwe amabutho amaningi. Ibutho ngalinye, elalinamadoda ayizi-4 500 kuye ezi-7 000, laliyibutho eliphelele ngokwalo. Umqondisi walo wayenomthwalo wemfanelo kumbusi kuphela. Ibutho lalihlukaniswa libe amakhulu angama-60, ngokuvamile ngalinye laliba namadoda ayikhulu. Ikhulu lalingaphansi kobuholi benduna yekhulu ebizwa ngokuthi “induna yempi” kuyiNew World Translation. Kwakuyinduna yekhulu eyayiqondisa amasosha amane abulala uJesu futhi, okwathi lapho ibona izimo nezehlakalo eziyisimangaliso ezazizungeze ukufa kwakhe, yathi: “Nempela lo ubeyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” (Mathewu 27:54; Johane 19:23) Futhi kwakuyinduna yekhulu, uKorneliyu, owayengowokuqala ongasokiwe ongeyena umJuda owaba umKristu.—IzEnzo 10:22.

Amabutho ayenezithombe, ngokusobala imifanekiso noma izimpawu ezenziwe ngokhuni noma ngensimbi ezazenza umsebenzi owenziwa amafulegi anamuhla. Zicatshangelwa njengezingcwele, zazinakekelwa kangangokuba umuntu wayengadela ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yazo. IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Izithombe zamaRoma zazivikelwa ngokukhulekela okungokwenkolo emathempelini aseRoma. Kwakuvamile ukuba ujenene athi isithombe asiphonswe eviyweni lezitha, ukuze enezele iqungo lokuhlasela kwamabutho akhe ngokwenza ukuba ashisekele ukuzuza lokho mhlawumbe kubo okwakuyinto engcwele ngempela umhlaba owawunayo.”

Imigwaqo Neziqu ZamaRoma

IRoma yahlanganisa izizwe ezingaphansi kwayo yazenza umbuso wezwe. Yalungiselela imigwaqo ukuze zonke izingxenye zalombuso zifinyeleleke. Futhi abantu bahamba kuyo! Ake ubheke nje ohlwini lwezindawo lezo abantu baseJerusalema ababevela kuzo beze eMkhosini wePentekoste ngo-33 C.E. Babevela eMediya ekude nenyakatho-mpumalanga, bevela eRoma naseNyakatho-Afrika ekude ngasentshonalanga, nakwezinye izindawo ezimaphakathi.—IzEnzo 2:9-11.

Iningi lemizila eyakhiwa abakhi bemigwaqo baseRoma isasetshenziswa nanamuhla. Eningizimu yeRoma, ungakwazi ukushayela eceleni koMgwaqo waseAphiya wasendulo, lowo umphostoli uPawulu angena ngawo eRoma. (IzEnzo 28:15, 16) Kuye kwashiwo ukuthi izindlela zaseRoma “zaziwusizo kwababehamba kuzo futhi kungekho okwakuzidlula kwaze kwafika ujantshi.”—The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible.

Ekuqondiseni umbuso wawo omkhulu, amaRoma njalo ayegcina amasiko awo. Kanjalo, iziphathi-mandla zasezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zazaziwa ngamagama noma ngeziqu eziningi ezihlukahlukene. KuyiModern Discovery and the Bible, uA. Rendle Short uthi ngisho “nezazi-mlando ezaziwayo ezingamaRoma” zazingeke zizame ‘ukunikeza zonke lezikhulu amagama azo afanele.’ Nokho, uthi umlobi weBhayibheli uLuka “uyakwazi njalo ukunemba ngokuphelele” kulendaba. Ngokwesibonelo, uLuka ubiza uHerode ‘njengomtetraki’, uHerode Agripha ‘njengenkosi,’ iziphathimuzi zaseThesalonika ‘njengamapolitarchs’ kanti uSergiyu Pawulu, umbusi waseKhupro, wayembiza ‘njengombusi wezwe.’ (Luka 3:1; IzEnzo 25:13; IzEnzo 17:6; IzEnzo 13:7; bheka iNew World Translation Reference Bible, imibhalo yaphansi.) Ngezinye izikhathi kwakumane kuwuhlamvu lwemali olutholakele lapha noma umbhalo lapho owawufakazela ukuthi lomlobi weBhayibheli wasebenzisa isiqu esifanele ngesikhathi esifanele. Ukunakekela okunjalo nokunemba kuwubufakazi obengeziwe beqiniso iBhayibheli elirekhoda ngalo amaqiniso omlando okuphila nezikhathi zikaJesu Kristu.a

Umbuso NobuKristu

Kwaba khona ibandla lobuKristu elichumayo eRoma. Ngokufanekile labunjwa yilabo ababuyela eRoma ngemva kokwamukela ubuKristu eJerusalema ngosuku lwePentekoste ngo-33 C.E. (IzEnzo 2:10) Incwadi yeBhayibheli yabaseRoma yabhalelwa lelibandla ngonyaka ka-56 C.E. Kamuva, uPawulu weza eRoma njengesiboshwa, futhi wanikeza ubufakazi obuphelele kubantu ababevakashele indlu yakhe yeziboshwa iminyaka emibili. Kanjalo, amalungu abaLindi beSigodlo sombusi ezwa ngesigijimi soMbuso, futhi ngisho namalungu ‘endlu kaKesari’ aba amaKristu.—Filipi 1:12, 13, NW; 4:22.

Amasiko, imithetho, neziqondiso zoMbuso WaseRoma zivezwe kaningi eBhayibhelini. Isimemezelo sika-Awugustu saletha uJosefa noMariya eBetlehema, lapho kwazalelwa khona uJesu. UJesu wavumelana nemfanelo yokukhokha intela eyayifunwa uKesari. Abapristi bamaJuda bazenza abathembekile kuKesari ukuze babulale uJesu. Futhi ngaphansi komthetho wamaRoma, umphostoli uPawulu wadlulisela icala lakhe kuKesari.—Luka 2:1-6; 20:22-25; Johane 19:12, 15; IzEnzo 25:11, 12.

Isivikelo sesosha elingumRoma—isigqoko sakhe, isivikelo sesifuba, isihlangu, izinyawo ezigqokisiwe, nenkemba—zazisetshenziselwa ukubonisa ukubaluleka kweqiniso, ithemba lokusinda, ukulunga, ukholo, ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle, neZwi likaNkulunkulu njengezivikelo ezisisiza ukuba sime siqinile ngokumelene nokuhlasela kukaSathane. (Efesu 6:10-18; 1 Thesalonika 5:8) UPawulu wayebhekisela esibonelweni sesosha elingumRoma eliqeqeshwe kahle lapho etshela uThimothewu ukuba abe “isosha elihle likaKristu.” (2 Thimothewu 2:3, 4; NW) Nokho, impi yamaKristu yayingokomoya, ingesiyo engokwenyama. Kanjalo, amaKristu akuqala enqaba ukukhonza empini yamaRoma. UJustin Martyr (110-165 C.E.) wathi ubuKristu “bushintshe izikhali zethu zempi,—izinkemba zethu zaba amakhuba, nemikhonto yethu yaba izinto zokulima.” AmaKristu amaningi alahlekelwa ukuphila kwawo ngenxa yokwenqaba ukuhlanganyela empini.

OKesari

IRoma yafinyelela esiqongweni sokudunyiswa kwayo ngaphansi koKesari. Kuyoba kuhle ukubukeza amaqiniso ambalwa ayisihluthulelo, njengoba ayehilelekile emlandweni weBhayibheli.

Ngonyaka ka-44 B.C.E. uJuliyu Kesari wabulawa. Kamuva, uOctavian waba umbusi ozimele geqe. Ngo-30 B.C.E., uOctavian wanqoba iGibithe, ephelisa umbuso kaPtolemy ongumGreki. Lokhu kwaletha uMbuso Wezwe waseGrisi esiphethweni lowo owawube khona kusukela ngesikhathi sika-Alexander Omkhulu, iminyaka engama-300 ngaphambili.b

Ngonyaka ka-27 B.C.E. uOctavian waba umbusi. Wavuma isiqu esithi “Awugustu” esisho ukuthi “ophakanyisiwe, ongcwele.” Waziqambela kabusha inyanga futhi wathatha usuku enyangeni kaFebruary ukuze uAugust abe nezinsuku eziningi njengenyanga eqanjwe ngoJuliyu Kesari. UAwugustu wayewumbusi lapho uJesu ezalwa, futhi wabusa kwaze kwaba unyaka ka-14 C.E.—Luka 2:1.

UTiberiyu, owalandela uAwugustu, wabusa kusukela ngo-14 kuya ku-37 C.E. Ngonyaka we-15 wokubusa kukaTiberiyu, uJohane uMbhapathizi waqala ukushumayela. Futhi kwakungesikhathi sokubusa kwakhe lapho uJesu ebhapathizwa, efeza inkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni yeminyaka emithathu nengxenye, futhi enikela ngokuphila kwakhe njengomnikelo. Wayesabusa lapho abalandeli bakaJesu beqala ukusakaza ubuKristu ezweni lonke elalaziwa ngalesosikhathi.—Luka 3:1-3, 23.

UGayu, owanikezwa igama elithi Caligula, wabusa kusukela ngo-37 kuya ku-41 C.E. UKlawudiyu (41-54 C.E.) wamlandela futhi waxosha amaJuda eRoma, njengoba kuchazwe kuzEnzo 18:1, 2. Kamuva, umkakhe wamdlisa, futhi indodana yakhe encane uNero yahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi. Kwasuka iqubula lomlilo eRoma ngoJuly 64 C.E., uqothula cishe ingxenye encane yomuzi. Isazi-mlando uTacitus sithi ukuze azikhiphe ecaleni, uNero wabeka amaKristu icala lomlilo, okwathi ngenxa yalokho “adwengulwa izinja futhi afa” futhi “alahlelwa emalangabini omlilo futhi asha, ukuze abe ukukhanya kwasebusuku, lapho ukukhanya kwasemini sekudlulile. UNero wanikela ngezingadi zakhe ukuze kwenziwe lombukwane.” Phakathi nalolushushiso, uPawulu, owayeshumayele kusukela eJerusalema ukuya eRoma mhlawumbe kuze kufike ngisho naseSpain, waboshwa okwesibili. Ngokufanelekile wabulawa uNero cishe ngo-66 C.E.

Abanye ababusi baseRoma abasithakazelisayo bahlanganisa noVespasian (69-79 C.E.) lowo uTitus abhubhisa iJerusalema ngaphansi kokubusa kwakhe, uTitus ngokwakhe (79-81 C.E.), nomfowabo kaTitus uDomitian (81-96 C.E.), owavuselela ukushushiswa kwamaKristu ngokusemthethweni. Ngokwesiko, kwakuphakathi nalolushushiso lapho umphostoli uJohane owayesekhulile axoshelwa esiqhingini sokuhlushwa sasePhatmose. Lapho wanikezwa umbono ovusa amadlingozi wokuphela kwalesimiso sezinto sabantu ababi nokuthathelwa kwayo indawo uMbuso wokulunga wasezulwini, lowo uJohane awuloba encwadini yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo. (IsAmbulo 1:9) Ngokusobala uJohane wakhululwa phakathi nokubusa kombusi owalandela, uNerva, ngo-96-98 C.E., futhi iVangeli lakhe nezincwadi ezintathu zaqedwa ngemva kokuba uTrajan (98-117 C.E.) eqale ukubusa.

Ukuwa KoMbuso WaseRoma

Ekhulwini lesine leminyaka, uMbusi uConstantine wanquma ukuhlanganisela abantu enkolweni eyodwa ‘yamaKatolika,’ noma yezwe lonke. Amasiko nemikhosi yabahedeni yanikezwa amagama ‘obuKristu,’ kodwa ububi obufanayo bakudala baqhubeka. Ngonyaka ka-325 C.E., uConstantine wengamela isigele sesonto eNicaea futhi wanquma ngokuvumelana nemfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu. Ngokuphambene nokuba umKristu weqiniso, uConstantine ngokushesha wathola isizathu sokubulala indodana yakhe endala, uCrispus, nomkakhe uFausta.

UConstantine wathuthela uhulumeni wakhe eByzantium, leyo ekuqaleni ayinikezela njengeRoma eNtsha futhi kamuva yaba iConstantinople (iDolobha likaConstantine). Lelidolobha eliseBosporus, lapho kuhlangana khona iYurophu neAsia, lalilokhu liyikomkhulu loMbuso waseRoma osempumalanga amakhulu ayi-11 eminyaka, kwaze kwaba yilapho liwela kumaTheki aseOttoman ngo-1453.

Emuva eRoma, ingxenye yasentshonalanga yoMbuso waseRoma yawa ngo-476 C.E., lapho umbusi edingiswa iNkosi uOdoacer, ujenene waseJalimane wehla esihlalweni, isihlalo sobukhosi sashiywa singenamuntu. Kamuva, uCharlemagne wazama ukubuyisela umbuso wasentshonalanga futhi ngonyaka wama-800 C.E. wathweswa umqhele wobukhosi uPapa uLeo III. Khona-ke, ngo-962 C.E., uPapa John XII wathwesa uOtto I umqhele wokuba umbusi woMbuso wamaRoma Ongcwele wesizwe samaJalimane—isiqu esalahlwa nje ngonyaka ka-1806.

Nokho, ngalesosikhathi umbuso wezwe wesikhombisa nowokugcina womlando weBhayibheli wawuvela. Nawo futhi, njengoba kwakuprofethiwe, wawuzodlula, ukuze uthathelwe isikhundla ukubusa kwasezulwini kwaphakade, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—IsAmbulo 17:10; Daniyeli 2:44.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Ubukhulu boMbuso waseRoma

ULwandle I-Atlantic

IBRITHANI

IGAUL

ISPAIN

I-ITALY

IRoma

IGRISI

Ulwandle IMedithera

IBlack Sea

Ulwandle Lwasekasipiya

IGIBITHE

IJerusalema

ITigris

UEwufrathe

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UMgwaqo waseAphiya lowo uPawulu ahamba kuwo lapho eya eRoma