ISIPHAMBANO sithandwa futhi sihlonishwa yizigidi zabantu. I-Encyclopædia Britannica ibiza isiphambano ngokuthi “uphawu oluyinhloko lwenkolo yobuKristu.” Noma kunjalo, amaKristu eqiniso awasisebenzisi isiphambano ekukhulekeleni. Ngani?

Isizathu esiyinhloko ukuthi uJesu Kristu akafelanga esiphambanweni. Igama lesiGreki elivame ukuhunyushwa ngokuthi “isiphambano” lithi stau·rosʹ. Ngokuyisisekelo lisho “ugodo oluqondile noma isigxobo.” I-Companion Bible iyaphawula: “Elithi [Stau·ros] alilokothi lisho izingodo ezimbili ezibekwe zavundla . . . Akukho lutho esiGrekini [seTestamente Elisha] okusikisela nokusikisela izingodo ezimbili.”

 Emibhalweni eminingana, abalobi beBhayibheli basebenzisa elinye igama uma besho lokho uJesu afela kukho. Yigama lesiGreki elithi xyʹlon. (IzEnzo 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galathiya 3:13; 1 Petru 2:24) Leli gama limane lisho “ugodo” noma “uthi, umshiza noma umuthi.”

Ichaza ukuthi kungani abantu babevame ukulengiswa esigxotsheni, incwadi ethi Das Kreuz und die Kreuzigung (Isiphambano Nokulengiswa Kuso) kaHermann Fulda, ithi: “Imithi yayingaxhaphakile ezindaweni ezazikhethelwa ukuba abantu babulawelwe kuzo phambi komphakathi. Ngakho isigxobo sasimbelwa emhlabathini. Kulesi sigxobo izandla zezaphula-mthetho zazibhekiswa phezulu, izinyawo zibhekiswe phansi bese ziboshelwa kuso noma zishayelelwe ngezipikili.”

Nokho, ubufakazi obugculisa kunabo bonke butholakala eZwini likaNkulunkulu. Umphostoli uPawulu uthi: “UKristu wasikhulula esiqalekisweni soMthetho ngokusithenga, ngokuba abe isiqalekiso esikhundleni sethu, ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Uqalekisiwe wonke umuntu olengiswe esigxotsheni [“emthini, iBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile”].’” (Galathiya 3:13) Lapha uPawulu ucaphuna uDuteronomi 21:22, 23, okhuluma ngokucacile ngesigxobo, hhayi ngesiphambano. Njengoba ukubulala umuntu ngale ndlela kwakumenza abe ‘isiqalekiso,’ ngeke kufaneleke ngamaKristu ukuba ahlobise imizi yawo ngemifanekiso kaKristu ebethelwe.

Abukho ubufakazi obubonisa ukuthi phakathi neminyaka engu-300 ngemva kokufa kukaKristu, labo ababethi bangamaKristu babesisebenzisa isiphambano lapho bekhulekela. Nokho, ekhulwini lesine leminyaka, uMbusi oyiqaba uConstantine waphendukela ebuKristwini bezihlubuki futhi wakhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwesiphambano njengophawu lwabo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zaziyini izisusa zikaConstantine, isiphambano sasingahlangene ngalutho noJesu Kristu. Empeleni, isiphambano sinomsuka wobuqaba. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “Isiphambano sitholakala kokubili emasikweni angaphambi kobuKristu nangewona awobuKristu.” Ezinye izincwadi ziye zahlobanisa isiphambano nokukhulekela imvelo kanye nemikhuba yobulili yamaqaba.

Pho, kungani lolu phawu lobuqaba lwasetshenziswa? Ngokusobala ukuze kube lula ngamaqaba ukuba amukele ubuKristu mbumbulu. Noma kunjalo, iBhayibheli likulahla ingcaca ukukhulekela noma yiluphi uphawu lobuqaba. (2 Korinte 6:14-18) ImiBhalo ilahla nazo zonke izinhlobo zokukhulekela izithombe. (Eksodusi  20:4, 5; 1 Korinte 10:14) Ngezizathu ezinhle-ke, amaKristu eqiniso awasisebenzisi isiphambano ekukhulekeleni. *