BANTFU labanyenti bayasitsandza futsi bayasihlonipha siphambano. I-The Encyclopædia Britannica ibita siphambano ngekutsi “luphawu loluyinhloko lenkholo yebuKhristu.” Nobe kunjalo, emaKhristu eliciniso akasisebentisi siphambano ekukhonteni kwawo. Kungani kunjalo?

Sizatfu lesibalulekile kutsi Jesu Khristu akazange afele esiphambanweni. Ligama lesiGriki imvamisa lelihunyushwa ngekutsi “siphambano” litsi stau·rosʹ. Leligama ngalokuyinhloko lisho “lugodvo.” I-The Companion Bible yona itsi: “Ligama lelitsi [Stau·rosʹ] alisho tigodvo letimbili letibekwe taphambana . . . Akukho lutfo  esiGrikini [seLithestamente Lelisha] lolubhekisela etigodvweni letimbili.”

EmiBhalweni leminyenti, babhali beliBhayibheli basebentisa lelinye ligama lapho bakhuluma ngaloko lokwasetjentiswa nakubulawa Jesu. Basebentisa ligama lesiGriki lelitsi xyʹlon. (Imisebenti 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galathiya 3:13; 1 Phetro 2:24) Leligama limane nje lisho “lugodvo” nobe “indvuku, ludvondvolo nobe sihlahla.”

Ichaza sizatfu sekutsi umuntfu abulawelwe elugodvweni, incwadzi letsi Das Kreuz und die Kreuzigung (Siphambano Nekulengiswa Kwebantfu), lebhalwe nguHermann Fulda, itsi: “Tihlahla tatingatfolakali kuto tonkhe tindzawo lokwakulengiswa kuto bantfu. Ngaleso sizatfu kwakusetjentiswa lugodvo lolwalumbelwa emhlabatsini. Kulelogodvo, tigelekece tatilengiswa ngetandla futsi imvamisa tiboshwe tinyawo nobe tishayelwe ngetipikili.”

Noko-ke, bufakazi lobuphelele butfolakala eVini laNkulunkulu. Umphostoli Pawula watsi: “Khristu wasihlenga esicalekisweni lesasiletfwe ngumtsetfo, ngekutsi abe sicalekiso endzaweni yetfu; ngobe kubhaliwe kutsi: ‘Ucalekisiwe wonkhe umuntfu lolenga emtsini.’” (Galathiya 3:13) Lapha Pawula ucaphuna incwadzi yaDutheronomi 21:22, 23, lapho ikhuluma ngalokucondzile ngelugodvo, hhayi ngesiphambano. Njengobe kubulala umuntfu ngalendlela kwakusho kutsi ‘ungaphansi kwesicalekiso,’ akukafaneli ngemaKhristu kutsi ahlobise emakhaya awo ngetitfombe taKhristu abetselwe.

Kute bufakazi bekutsi emuva kweminyaka lengu-300 yekucala ngemuva kwekufa kwaKhristu, labo bebatsi bangemaKhristu bebasebentisa siphambano ekukhonteni kwabo. Noko-ke, ngelikhulu lesine, uMbusi Constantine lobekalicaba wagucukela ebuKhristwini betihlubuki futsi wakhutsata kusetjentiswa kwesiphambano njengeluphawu lekukhonta. Nanobe abehloseni Constantine, Jesu Khristu akazange alengiswe esiphambanweni. Liciniso likutsi siphambano site nemahedeni. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia ivuma itsi: “Siphambano sitfolakala emasikweni langembi kwebuKhristu nasemasikweni langasiwo ebuKhristu.” Letinye tincwadzi letinyenti tihlobanisa siphambano nekukhontwa kwemvelo kanye nemikhuba yemahedeni yekulalana.

Ngusiphi sizatfu lesabangela kutsi kusetjentiswe loluphawu  lwemahedeni? Kubonakala shengatsi loku kwentiwa kute kube lula ngemahedeni kutsi amukele buKhristu mbumbulu. Nobe kunjalo, liBhayibheli likulahla ngalokuphelele kukhonta luphawu lwemahedeni. (2 Khorinte 6:14-18) ImiBhalo iphindze ilahle konkhe kusetjentiswa kwetitfombe. (Eksodusi 20:4, 5; 1 Khorinte 10:14) Ngaloko-ke, emaKhristu eliciniso anetizatfu letinhle tekungasebentisi siphambano ekukhonteni kwawo. *