UMNQAMLEZO uyathandwa yaye uyahlonelwa zizigidi zabantu. IThe Encyclopædia Britannica iwubiza umnqamlezo ngokuba “ngumqondiso oyintloko wonqulo lwamaKristu.” Noko ke, amaKristu okwenyaniso akawusebenzisi umnqamlezo kunqulo lwawo. Ngoba?

Isizathu esibalulekileyo sikukuba uYesu Kristu akazange afele emnqamlezweni. Igama lesiGrike elidla ngokuguqulelwa ngokuthi “umnqamlezo” lithi stau·ros′. Lithetha “uluthi okanye isibonda esimi nkqo.” IThe Companion Bible ithi: “[Ustau·ros′] akaze nanini na abhekisele kwizibonda ezibini ezinqumlezileyo . . . [kwiTestamente Entsha] yesiGrike ayikho kwaphela indawo ethetha ngezibonda ezibini.”

Kwizibhalo eziliqela, ababhali beBhayibhile basebenzise elinye  igama ekuchazeni isixhobo awabulawa ngaso uYesu. Basebenzise igama lesiGrike elithi xy′lon. (IZenzo 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galati 3:13; 1 Petros 2:24) Eli gama lithetha nje kuphela “isibonda” okanye “uluthi, intonga, okanye umthi.”

Xa ichaza isizathu sokuba kusetyenziswe isibonda esinye njengesixhobo sokubulala, incwadi Umnqamlezo Nokubethelelwa Emnqamlezweni, kaHermann Fulda, ithi: “Yayinqabile imithi kwiindawo ababedla ngokusiwa kuzo abantu ababulawelwa esidlangalaleni. Ngoko kwakugxunyekwa isibonda esinye nje kuphela emhlabeni. Zazixhonywa kuso izaphuli-mthetho, zolule izandla phezulu, zona iinyawo zisezantsi, zize zibotshwe okanye zibethelelwe.”

Kodwa ke, obona bungqina bunamandla buvela eLizwini likaThixo. Umpostile uPawulos uthi: “Ngokusithenga kwakhe uKristu wasikhulula kwisiqalekiso soMthetho ngokuthi abe sisiqalekiso esikhundleni sethu, ngenxa yokuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa: ‘Uqalekisiwe wonke umntu oxhonywa esibondeni [“emthini,” IBhayibhile yesiXhosa].’” (Galati 3:13) Apha uPawulos ucaphula iDuteronomi 21:22, 23, ethetha ngesibonda, kungekhona umnqamlezo. Ekubeni ukubulawa ngaloo ndlela ‘kusisiqalekiso,’ amaKristu akafanele ahombise amakhaya awo ngemifanekiso kaKristu obethelelweyo.

Akukho bungqina bokuba kangangeminyaka engama-300 emva kokufa kukaKristu, abo babezibanga bengamaKristu babesebenzisa umnqamlezo kunqulo lwabo. Kodwa ngenkulungwane yesine, uMlawuli uConstantine owayengumhedeni waguquka wathelela amaKristu awexukileyo, waza wamisela umnqamlezo njengomqondiso wonqulo lwawo. Enoba yayiyintoni na injongo kaConstantine, kodwa umnqamlezo wawungenanto yakwenza noYesu Kristu. Inyaniso ikukuba, umnqamlezo unemvelaphi yobuhedeni. INew Catholic Encyclopedia iyakuvuma oko isithi: “Umnqamlezo wawusetyenziswa ngabantu ababephila ngaphambi kwexesha lobuKristu kwanabo babengengawo amaKristu.” Ezinye iincwadi zithi umnqamlezo wawusetyenziswa ngabo babenqula indalo nangabo babebhiyozela izithethe zobuhedeni ezazinoqheliselo lokuziphatha okubi ngokwesini.

Ngoko, yintoni eyabangela ukuba kukhuthazwe ukusetyenziswa kwalo mqondiso wobuhedeni? Kucacile ukuba, injongo yayikukurhwebesha abahedeni ukuba bamkele “ubuKristu.” Kodwa ke, ukusebenzisa nawuphi na umqondiso wobuhedeni kuyagatywa  yiBhayibhile. (2 Korinte 6:14-18) Kwakhona iZibhalo ziyazigatya zonke iintlobo zonqulo-zithixo. (Eksodus 20:4, 5; 1 Korinte 10:14) Ngoko amaKristu okwenyaniso anesizathu esivakalayo sokungawusebenzisi umnqamlezo elunqulweni lwawo. *