Ichokwadi Here Kuti Jesu Akafira paMuchinjikwa?

RIMWE bhuku rinonzi enisaikoropedhiya rinoti: “Muchinjikwa ndiwo mucherechedzo unonyanya kuzivikanwa unoratidza kuti vanhu ava vaKristu.” Mifananidzo yakawanda yemachechi inoratidza Jesu akarovererwa pamuchinjikwa. Sei chiratidzo ichi chakazara muchechi dzinozviti ndedzechiKristu? Ichokwadi here kuti Jesu akafira pamuchinjikwa?

Vakawanda vanoti izvi ndizvo zvinotaurwa neBhaibheri. Somuenzaniso, shanduro yeBhaibheri muNdimi yeUnion Shona inoti, pakaurayiwa Jesu vanhu vaiva vakatarira vakamusveeredza vachimuti “buruka pamuchinjikwa.” (Mateu 27:40, 42) Dzimwe shanduro dzakawanda dzeBhaibheri ndizvo zvadzinotaura. Bhaibheri Rinoyera richitaura nezvaSimoni weKurini rinoti: ‘Varwi vakamumanikidza kuti atakure muchinjikwa waJesu.’ (Mako 15:21) Mundima idzi shoko rokuti “muchinjikwa” rinoshandurwa kubva pane rechiGiriki rokuti staurosʹ. Pane chikonzero chine musoro chokuti shoko iroro rishandurwe saizvozvo here? Ko iro shoko racho rokutanga-tanga rinomborevei?

Raireva Muchinjikwa Here?

Maererano neimwe nyanzvi yeBhaibheri yechiGiriki inonzi W. E. Vine, shoko rokuti staurosʹ “rinoreva danda rakangoti dzi kana bango.” Mhondi dzairovererwa pamatanda iwayo. Shoko rechiito rokuti stauroō, rinoreva kuroverera padanda kana kuti pabango uye zvakasiyana nezvinofungwa nemachechi zvokuti mapango maviri akachinjikana.”

Duramazwi rinonzi The Imperial Bible-Dictionary rinoti shoko rokuti staurosʹ “rinonyatsoreva danda, rakangoti dzi rinogona kungokochekerwa chimwe chinhu, kana kuti danda rinochererwa muvhu uchida kusosa musha.” Duramazwi iri rinoenderera richiti: “Kunyange pavaRoma chaivo, shoko rokuti crux (mumutauro wechiLatin, rinozoshandurwa kunzi muchinjikwa) zvinoratidza kuti raiva bango rakati dzi.” Saka hazvishamisi kuti bhuku rinonzi The Catholic Encyclopedia rinoti: Pasinei nezvava kutaurwa, ichokwadi kuti chatava kuti muchinjikwa pakutanga raingova danda rakati dzi, rakarodzwa nechokumusoro.”

Panezve rimwe shoko rechiGiriki rokuti xyʹlon, rakashandiswa nevakanyora Bhaibheri kurondedzera pakaurayirwa Jesu. Bhuku rinonzi Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament rinoti shoko rokuti xyʹlon rinoreva “danda kana kuti bango.” Rinowedzera kuti kufanana neshoko rokuti staurosʹ, rokuti xyʹlon “raingoreva danda rakati dzi kana kuti bango raishandiswa  nevaRoma kuroverera vaya vaifanira kuurayiwa vachiita zvokurovererwa.”

Shanduro yeBhaibheri muNdimi yeUnion Shona pana Mabasa 5:30 inotsigira pfungwa iyi ichiti: “Mwari wamadzibaba edu akamutsa Jesu, iye wamakauraya muchimuturika pamuti [xyʹlon].” Dzimwe shanduro dzinoshandura shoko rokuti staurosʹ dzichiti “muchinjikwa,” asi xyʹlon dzichiti “muti.” Pana Mabasa 13:29 Bhaibheri muNdimi yeUnion Shona rinoti nezvaJesu: “Vakati vapedza zvose zvakanyorwa pamusoro pake, vakamuturura pamuti [xyʹlon], vakamuviga mubwiro.”

Maererano nezvinorehwa nemashoko echiGiriki okuti staurosʹ uye xyʹlon, Critical Lexicon and Concordance rambotaurwa pamusoro apa rinoti: “Mashoko acho ose ari maviri haaenderani nemifananidzo yemuchinjikwa yatava kuona.” Zviri kurehwa apa ndezvokuti zvairehwa nevanyori veEvhangeri nezveshoko rokuti staurosʹ zvakasiyana chaizvo nechava kunzi muchinjikwa. Saka Shanduro Yenyika Itsva yakabva yashandisawo mashoko okuti “danda rokutambudzikira” pana Mateu 27:40-42 nomune dzimwe ndima dzine shoko rokuti staurosʹ. Ndizvowo zvakaitwa neComplete Jewish Bible, iro rinoshandisa mashoko okuti “danda rokuurayira.”

Kwakatangira Muchinjikwa

Kana Bhaibheri risina parinombotaura kuti Jesu akaurayirwa pamuchinjikwa, sei machechi ose anoti anodzidzisa uye anotevedzera zviri muBhaibheri, kubvira kuChechi yeRoma, Chechi dzakabuda muRoma, uye Orthodox achiisa muchinjikwa pazvivako zvawo uye achiushandisa sechiratidzo chechiKristu? Zvakambofamba sei kuti muchinjikwa uzokurumbira zvakadaro?

Chiripo ndechokuti muchinjikwa haungoremekedzwi nevanoenda kuchechi vanoti vanotevera Bhaibheri chete, asiwo nevanhu vasingatombotevedzeri zviri muBhaibheri uye vakatanga kunamata machechi anozviti “echiKristu” asati avapo. Mabhuku akawanda ezvitendero anobvuma kuti kushandiswa kwomuchinjikwa kwakatangira kare kare pakatanga kuva nebudiriro munyika. Somuenzaniso, manyorero okuIjipiti uye mifananidzo yavanamwari nanamwarikadzi vavo yaiwanzoratidzwa naT akaiswa denderedzwa pamusoro. Wainzi muchinjikwa une chimubato, uye zvaifungidzirwa kuti chiratidzo choupenyu. Nokufamba kwenguva, muchinjikwa uyu wakazogamuchirwa neChechi yeCoptic nedzimwewo, vachibva vatanga kuushandisa.

Maererano nebhuku rinonzi The Catholic Encyclopedia, “kunenge kuti muchinjikwa wainzi ‘gamma’ (crux gammata), uye waizivikanwa nevanhu vokuMabvazuva nevaidzidzira basa rokuchera matongo vachiudana nezita rokuti swastika mumutauro wechiSanskrit.” Chiratidzo ichi chaishandiswa chaizvo nevaHindu nevaBuddha uye nemaIndia munyika yeAsia yose uye chichiri kuonekwa pazvishongo zviri munharaunda idzi.

 Hazvinyatsozivikanwi kuti ndepapi chaipo pakazonzi muchinjikwa wava chiratidzo che“chiKristu.” Duramazwi rinonzi Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words rinoti: “Nechepakati pezana remakore rechitatu A.D., machechi akanga atotsauka kana kuti achinja dzidziso dzinoverengeka dzechiKristu. ChiKristu chakatsauka pakutenda chichida kuwedzera mukurumbira wacho chakabvumira vahedheni kuti vazonamata pamwe chete navo vasati vatenda dzidziso dzechiKristu uye vakabvumidzwa kuramba vachishandisa zviratidzo nemifananidzo yavo yechihedheni,” yaisanganisira muchinjikwa.

Vamwewo vanyori vanotaura nezvezvakataurwa naConstantine uyo ainamata mwari wezuva, zvokuti muna 312 C.E., paakanga achironga kuti mauto ake angarwisa sei, akaroteswa mufananidzo wemuchinjikwa waiva pazuva pakanyorwa mashoko echiLatin okuti “in hoc vince” kureva kuti (uchakunda neichi). Kwapera nguva yakati, mucherechedzo uyu “wechiKristu” wakanga wava kuiswa pamireza, nhoo nezvombo zveuto rake. (Mufananidzo uri kuruboshwe.) Zvinofungidzirwa kuti Constantine akazotendeuka akava muKristu, asi akazobhabhatidzwa kwapera makore 25, ava kutoda kufa. Vakawanda havana kunzwisisa chaakazviitira. Bhuku rinonzi The Non-Christian Cross rinoti, “Zvaakaita zvinoita sokuti ainyanya kuda kuchinja chiKristu kuti chienderane nezvaaifunga kuti zvingangogamuchirwa nevanhu vose vaaitonga vechechi yeRoma, kupfuura kuti atevedzere dzidziso dzaJesu wokuNazareta.”

Kubvira ipapo, vanhu vakatanga kushandisa michinjikwa yakasiyana-siyana. Somuenzaniso, duramazwi rinonzi The Illustrated Bible Dictionary rinotiudza kuti unonzi muchinjikwa waSt. Anthony “waimiririrwa naT, uye vamwe vanofunga kuti wakatorerwa pabhii rokuti tau, raimiririra mwari weBhabhironi ainzi Tammuz.” Paivawo nowainzi muchinjikwa waSt. Andrew, waimiririrwa naX, kwozoita watakajaira une matanda maviri akachinjikana, rakachinjika racho rakati dzikiswei. Iwoyu ndewechiLatin, uye ‘vanotenda magamuchidzanwa vanorasika vachiti waiva wakafanana nomuchinjikwa wakafira Ishe wedu.’

Zvaidavirwa nevaKristu Vomuzana Remakore Rokutanga

Bhaibheri rinoratidza kuti muzana remakore rokutanga, vakawanda vakanzwa Jesu vakava vatendi, vachibva vagamuchira chibayiro chake chorufu chaizovadzikinura. Bhaibheri rinoti mushure mokunge muapostora Pauro aparidzira vaJudha muKorinde, achinyatsovaratidza kuti Jesu ndiye aiva Kristu, “Krispo mukuru aitungamirira sinagogi akatenda munaShe, uye ndizvo zvakaitawo imba yake yose. VaKorinde vazhinji vakazvinzwa vakatanga kutenda, vakabhabhatidzwa.” (Mabasa 18:5-8) Pane kudzidzisa vaKorinde vaainamata navo kuti vashandise chiratidzo kana kuti mifananidzo pakunamata, Pauro akavarayira kuti ‘vatize kunamata zvidhori’ uye vatize chero miitiro ipi zvayo yakabva kuchihedheni.—1 VaKorinde 10:14.

Vanyori nevaongorori vezvakaitika kare vakashayiwa uchapupu hunotsigira kuti vaKristu vokutanga vaishandisa muchinjikwa. Bhuku rinonzi History of the Cross rinewo mashoko omumwe munyori womuzana remakore rechi17 akabvunza kuti: “Zvingafadza Jesu here kuona vadzidzi vake vachikudza mufananidzo wechinhu [chaanonzi] akaurayirwa achirwadziswa, achinyadziswa iye asina mhosva?” Iwe ungaupindurawo sei mubvunzo iwoyo?

Hatifaniri hedu kuva nezviratidzo nemifananidzo kuti kunamata kwedu kugamuchirwe naMwari. Pauro akabvunza kuti: “Temberi yaMwari inobvumirana nezvidhori pachii?” (2 VaKorinde 6:14-16) Magwaro hapana paanomboti muKristu anofanira kunamata achishandisa chinhu chakarovererwa Jesu.—Enzanisa naMateu 15:3; Mako 7:13.

Saka chii chinoratidza kuti ava ndivo vaKristu vechokwadi? Rudo, kwete muchinjikwa kana kuti chimwewo chiratidzo. Jesu akaudza vateveri vake kuti: “Ndiri kukupai murayiro mutsva, kuti mudanane; sokuda kwandakakuitai, kuti nemiwo mudanane. Vose vachaziva kuti muri vadzidzi vangu neizvi, kana muine rudo pakati penyu.”—Johani 13:34, 35.

[Mashoko okukwezva vaverengi ari papeji 19]

Zvairehwa nevanyori veEvhangeri zvakasiyana nokure newava kunzi muchinjikwa

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 18]

Mufananidzo wakadhirowewa womuzana remakore rechi17 wokuurayirwa pastaurosʹ, unobva mubhuku rinonzi Lipsius’ “De Cruce”

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 19]

Mufananidzo wakapendwa wechiijipiti (c. zana remakore rechi14 B.C.E.) achiratidza muchinjikwa weansate, unomiririra upenyu

[Kwazvakatorwa]

© DeA Picture Library/Art Resource, NY

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 19]

Muchinjikwa wegamma uri paLaxmi naRayan Hindu Temple

[Vakatipa Mufananidzo uri papeji 20]

Kubva mubhuku rinonzi The Cross in Tradition, History, and Art (1897)