MTANDA umbanamatidwa na kulemekezedwa na wanthu bzulu na bzulu. Bukhu la The Encyclopædia Britannica limbacemera  mtanda ninga ‘cizindikiro ca cipembedzo ca Cikristau.’ Tsono Wakristau wacadidi, wambaphatisira lini basa mtanda pakunamata. Thangwe ranyi?

Thangwe likulu ndakuti Jezu Kristu alibe kufera pa mtanda. Fala la Cigirego lomwe limbasandulizidwa kuti ‘mtanda’ ni stau·rosʹ. Falali limbandothandauza “muti wakulungama.” Bukhu la The Companion Bible limbati: “Fala lakuti [Stau·rosʹ] limbathandauza lini miti miwiri yakuphingizana . . . Mu Bzinembo bza Cigirego [Cipangano Catsapano] mulibe mbali iri-yense yakulewa bza miti miwiri yomwe ubodzi udaphingiza unzace.”

M’mavesi mazinji, anembi wa Bibliya wadaphatisa basa fala linango pakulewa bza pomwe Jezu adafera. Ni fala la Cigirego la xyʹlon. (Mabasa 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Wagalata 3:13; 1 Pedru 2:24) Fala limweri limbandothandauza “tabwa”, “mpsimbo ayai muti.”

Pakufotokoza thangwe race kawiri-kawiri ukhaphatisidwa basa muti ubodzi okha pa kupha munthu, bukhu la Das Kreuz und die Kreuzigung (Mtanda na Kukhomerera pa Mtanda) lakunembedwa na Hermann Fulda limbalewa kuti: Kukhalibe miti ku mbuto yomwe ikhasankhulidwa kuti wakaphere munthu. Tenepo wakhandozika pansi muti. Pa muti umweyu wakhakhomerera akambowa, manja wakhayakhomerera kudzaulu ndipo kawiri-kawiri wakhakhomererambo minyendo.

Koma umboni bwakusaya kugazika bumbagumanika m’Fala la Mulungu. Mpostolo Paulo adanemba tenepa: ‘Kristu adatigula, acititsudzula pa mtemberero wa cakutonga, acibzicitisa kukhala na mtemberero m’mbuto mwathu, pakuti bzidanembedwa kuti: ‘Wakutembereredwa ni ali-wense wakumanikidwa pa muti.’’ (Wagalata 3:13) Pa vesiri Paulo adalewa mafala ya Bzakutonga 21:22, 23, pomwe pambalewa mwakubveka bwino bza muti sikuti mtanda. Pakuti munthu wakukhomereredwa pa muti akhakhala ‘wakutembereredwa,’ bzingakhale lini bwino kuti Wakristau wambadekese m’nyumba mwawo na bzifanikiso bza Kristu ali pa mtanda.

Palibe umboni bwakuti mkati mwa magole 300 yakuyambirira pambuyo pakufa kwa Jezu, Wakristau wakhaphatisa basa mtanda pakunamata. Koma kuyambira m’magole 400 kuyenda  kutsogolo, Mambo wacikunja Costantino adapita m’Cikristau ca mpanduko ndipo adacitisa mtanda kukhala cizindikiro ca Cikristauco. Bziribe basa kuti cakulinga ca Costantino cikhali ciponi pakucita bzimwebzi, tsono mtanda ulibe mbverano uli-wense na Jezu Kristu. Cadidi n’cakuti mtanda udacokera ku bzipembedzo bzacikunja. Bukhu la New Catholic Encyclopedia limbatawiriza kuti: ‘Mtanda ukhagumanika m’bzipembedzo bzomwe bzikhalipo Cikristau cinati kuyamba ndipo umbagumanikambo pakati pa wanthu womwe wambatewera lini miyambo Yacikristau.’ Mabukhu manango yambalatizambo kuti mtanda ukhaphatisidwa basa na wale womwe wakhanamata cirengedwe pabodzi na miyambo ya kugonana.

Tsono thangwe ranyi, cizindikiro cacikunja cimweci cidalimbisidwa? Bzinkuwoneka kuti wakhafuna kuti wanthu wacikunja wapusidwe kubvuma “Cikristau.” Tsono kunamata cizindikiro ciri-cense cacikunja kumbatsutsidwa na Bibliya. (2 Wakolinto 6:14-18) Ndipo Bzinembo bzimbaletsa mtundu uli-wense wa kunamata bzifanikiso. (Kufuluka 20:4, 5; 1 Wakolinto 10:14) Ndipopa, pa mathangwe yakubvekaya, Wakristau wacadidi wambaphatisira lini basa mtanda pa kunamata. *