Zimene Baibulo Limanena

Kodi Tizigwiritsa Ntchito Zithunzi Popemphera?

PA AUGUST 15 chaka chilichonse, pa chilumba cha Tínos ku Girisi pamachitika chikondwerero chachikulu chachipembedzo. Anthu ambiri amasonkhana kudzalambira Mariya amayi a Yesu ndiponso chithunzi chake, chimene amakhulupirira kuti chili ndi mphamvu zozizwitsa. * Buku linalake lofotokoza za chipembedzo cha Orthodox cha ku Girisi limanena kuti: “Pokhala ndi chikhulupiriro chapadera ndiponso kupembedza tikulemekeza Nakubala wa Mulungu Woyera Kwambiri, Amayi a Ambuye wathu, ndipo tikumupempha kuti atiteteze ndi kutitchinjiriza mwamsanga ndi kutithandiza. Tikupempha thandizo la Oyera Mtima ochita zozizwitsa, amuna ndi akazi Oyera, kuti atipatse zosowa zathu zauzimu ndi zakuthupi . . . Ndi kupembedza kwakukulu tikupsompsona ndi kulambira mafano awo oyera ndi zithunzi zawo zopatulika.”

Anthu ena ambiri amene amati ndi Akristu ali m’matchalitchi amene amachita zinthu zofanana ndi zimenezi popemphera. Koma, kodi kugwiritsa ntchito zithunzi popemphera n’kogwirizana ndi zimene Baibulo limaphunzitsa?

Akristu Oyambirira

Taganizirani zomwe zinachitika pafupifupi m’chaka cha 50 C.E. mtumwi Paulo atapita ku Atene, mzinda womwe anthu ake ankalimbikitsa kwambiri kugwiritsa ntchito mafano popemphera. Paulo anafotokozera anthu a ku Atene kuti Mulungu ‘sakhala m’nyumba zakachisi zomangidwa ndi manja; satumikiridwa ndi manja a anthu,  monga wosowa kanthu, . . . tsono . . . sitiyenera kulingalira kuti Mulungu ali wofanafana ndi golidi, kapena siliva, kapena mwala, wolocha ndi luso ndi zolingalira za anthu.’—Machitidwe 17:24, 25, 29.

Ndipotu, machenjezo oterowo pankhani ya kugwiritsa ntchito mafano alipo ambiri m’Malemba Achigiriki Achikristu, amene amatchedwanso Chipangano Chatsopano. Mwachitsanzo, mtumwi Yohane anauza Akristu kuti: “Dzisungireni nokha kupewa mafano.” (1 Yohane 5:21) Paulo analembera Akorinto kuti: “Chiphatikizo chake n’chanji ndi kachisi wa Mulungu ndi wa mafano?” (2 Akorinto 6:16) Akristu ambiri oyambirira kale asanakhale Akristu ankagwiritsa ntchito mafano achipembedzo popemphera. Paulo anakumbutsa Akristu ku Tesalonika za zimenezi pamene analemba kuti: “Munatembenukira kwa Mulungu posiyana nawo mafano, kutumikira Mulungu weniweni wamoyo.” (1 Atesalonika 1:9) Mwachionekere, Akristu amenewo ayenera kuti anali ndi maganizo ofanana ndi a Yohane ndi Paulo pa nkhani ya zithunzi zachipembedzo.

Mmene “Akristu” Anayambira Kugwiritsa Ntchito Zithunzi Popemphera

Buku linalake lofufuza nkhani (Encyclopædia Britannica) limati: “Pa zaka 300 zoyambirira za Tchalitchi chachikristu, . . . kunalibe luso lojambula zinthu zachipembedzo, ndipo tchalitchi nthawi zambiri chinkakaniratu zimenezi. Mwachitsanzo, Clement wa ku Alexandria anatsutsa luso lojambula zinthu zachipembedzo (zachikunja) chifukwa choti zinkalimbikitsa anthu kulambira zinthu zolengedwa m’malo molambira Mlengi.”

Choncho, kodi chinachititsa n’chiyani kuti kugwiritsa ntchito zithunzi popemphera kufale? Buku lomwe lija (Britannica) limapitiriza kuti: “Pofika pakati pa zaka za m’ma 400, zithunzi zinayamba kugwiritsidwa ntchito ndi kuvomerezedwa m’Tchalitchi chachikristu koma zinkakanidwa kwambiri m’mipingo ina. Zinali kokha pamene Tchalitchi chachikristu chinakhala tchalitchi cha boma la Roma pansi pa Mfumu Constantine kumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 500 pamene zithunzi zinayamba kugwiritsidwa ntchito m’matchalitchi, ndipo zinayamba kuwonedwa ngati zinthu zovomerezeka m’matchalitchi achikristu.”

Chinthu chimodzi chomwe anthu ambiri achikunja omwe anayamba kunena kuti anali Akristu ankachita chinali kulambira zithunzi za mfumu. John Taylor m’buku lake (Icon Painting), anafotokoza kuti: “M’chipembedzo cholambira mfumu, anthu ankalambira chithunzi cha mfumu chojambulidwa pa nsalu kapena pa thabwa, ndipo kusintha kuchoka pa kuchita zimenezi kufika pa kulambira zithunzi kunachitika mosavuta.” Choncho kulambira zithunzi kwachikunja kunalowedwa m’malo ndi kulambira zithunzi za Yesu, Mariya, angelo, ndi “oyera mtima.” Zithunzi zimenezi, zomwe zinayamba kugwiritsidwa ntchito m’matchalitchi, pang’ono ndi pang’ono zinayamba kupezekanso m’nyumba za anthu ambiri, ndipo zinayambanso kulambiridwa m’nyumbazo.

Kulambira “Mumzimu ndi M’choonadi”

Yesu anauza omvetsera ake kuti atumiki a Mulungu ayenera kulambira “mumzimu ndi m’choonadi.” (Yohane 4:24) Choncho munthu woona mtima akafuna kudziwa zoona zenizeni pa nkhani ya kugwiritsa ntchito zithunzi polambira, ayenera kuyang’ana m’Mawu a Mulungu kuti amvetsetse nkhani imeneyi.

Mwachitsanzo, m’Baibulo muli mawu amene Yesu ananena, akuti: “Ine ndine njira, ndi choonadi, ndi moyo. Palibe munthu adza kwa Atate, koma mwa Ine.” (Yohane 14:6) Paulo anati “pali Mulungu mmodzi, ndi Mtetezi mmodzi pakati pa Mulungu ndi anthu, ndiye munthu, Kristu Yesu,” ndipo ananenanso kuti “Kristu . . . atipempherera ife.” (1 Timoteo 2:5; Aroma 8:34) Zimenezi timazimvetsa bwino tikawerenga kuti Kristu “amapulumutsa kwathunthu iwo amene amabwera kwa Mulungu kudzera mwa Iye, chifukwa Iye ali ndi moyo nthawi zonse kuti adziwapempherera iwo.” (Ahebri 7:25, Chipangano Chatsopano mu Chichewa cha Lero) Tiyenera kupemphera kwa Mulungu kudzera m’dzina la Yesu Kristu. Palibe munthu wina aliyense amene angalowe m’malo mwake, ndipo chithunzi chopanda moyo sichingathe kutero m’pang’onong’ono pomwe. Kudziwa zimenezi m’Mawu a Mulungu kungathandize aliyense amene akufunafuna choonadi kuti apeze njira yolambirira “Atate mumzimu ndi m’choonadi.” Akaipeza angalandire madalitso amene amabwera chifukwa cholambira m’njira yapamwamba imeneyi. Indedi, monga momwe Yesu ananenera, “Atate afuna otere akhale olambira ake.”—Yohane 4:23.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 13]

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