Kuva Kwakaita chiKristudhomu Rutivi Rwenyika Ino

PASHURE penguva yakati Umambo hweRoma, umo chiKristu chapakuvamba chakavambira, hwakaputsika. Vezvenhau vazhinji vanotaura kuti kuputsika ikoko yakangawo iri nguva yorukundo rwokupedzisira rwechiKristu pachihedheni. Achitaura murangariro wakasiana, bhishopi weAnglican E. W. Barnes akanyora, kuti: “Sezvo pepuko chaiyo yakaputsika, chiKristu chakarega kuva kutenda kwakaisvonaka kwaJesu Kristu: rwakava rudzidziso runobetsera sechinobatanidza nzanga chenyika yakaparadzwa.”—The Rise of Christianity.

Pamberi pokuputsika ikoko, mukati mamazana amakore rechipiri, rechitatu, uye rechina N.V., nhau inonyora kuti munzira zhinji avo vaitaura kuva vanotevera Jesu vakazvichengeta vamene vakaparadzana nenyika yeRoma. Asi inozivisawo kutanga kwokuwa pakutenda mudzidziso, mufambiro, uye sangano, seizvo chaizvo Jesu navaapostora vake vakanga vadeya kutaura. (Mateo 13:36-43; Mabasa 20:29, 30; 2 VaTesaronika 2:3-12; 2 Timotio 2:16-18; 2 Petro 2:1-3, 10-22) Pakupedzisira kubvumirana pane zvisina kufanira kwakasvika pakuitwa nenyika yeGirisi neRoma, uye vamwe avo vaitaura kuva vechiKristu vakagamuchira chihedheni chenyika (zvakadai semitambo yacho nokunamata kwacho mwari mai namwari woutatu), uzivi hwacho (zvakadai sokudavira mumweya usingafi), uye sangano racho rinotarisira (rinoonwa mukuoneka kweboka ravafundisi). Chakanga chiri ichi chimiro chakashatswa chechiKristu icho chakakwezva vanhuwo zvavo vechihedheni ndokuva simba iro madzimambo eRoma akatanga kuedza kubvisa asi gare gare akagamuchira ndokuedza kushandisa kuzvinodikanwa zvavo vamene.

 Vakakundwa Nenyika

Wezvenhau wechechi Augustus Neander akaratidza ngozi dzakabatanidzwa muuhu ukama hutsva pakati pe“chiKristu” nenyika. Kana maKristu akarega kuparadzana kwawo nenyika, “muuyo waizova nyongano yechechi nenyika . . . kupfurikidza nayo chechi yaizorasikirwa norucheno rwayo, uye, nepo yairatidzika kuva inokurira, iyo imene yaizokurirwa,” akanyora kudaro.—General History of the Christian Religion and Church, Vhoriyamu 2, peji 161.

Izvi ndizvo zvakaitika. Mukuvamba kwezana ramakore rechina, mambo weRoma Constantine akaedza kushandisa rudzidziso “rwechiKristu” rwezuva rake kusimbisa umambo hwake hwakanga huchiparara. Nedonzo irori, iye akapa vaitaura kuva maKristu rusununguko rworudzidziso uye akatamisira mamwe amaropafadzo ouprista hwechihedheni kuboka ravo ravafundisi. The New Encyclopædia Britannica inoti: “Constantine akabudisa chechi mukubuda kwayo munyika kuti igamuchire mutoro wenzanga ndokubetsera chaunga chechihedheni kuwanikwa nokuda kwechechi.”

Rudzidziso rweHurumende

Pashure paConstantine, Mambo Julian (361-363 N.V.) akaedza kushora chiKristu ndokudzorera chihedheni. Asi akakundikana, uye makore 20 gare gare, Mambo Theodosius I akarambidza chihedheni uye akaisa “chiKristu” choUtatu sorudzidziso rweHurumende yoUmambo hweRoma. Nokururama kwounyanzvi, wezvenhau weFrance Henri Marrou akanyora, kuti: “Pakasvika mugumo wokutonga kwaTheodosius, chiKristu, kana kuti kuva akarurama zvikuru, chiKaturike chinogamuchirwa, chakava rudzidziso rwapamutemo rwenyika yose yeRoma.” ChiKaturike chinogamuchirwa chakanga chatsiva chiKristu chechokwadi uye chakanga chava “rutivi rwenyika.” Urwu rudzidziso rweHurumende rwakanga rwakasiana zvikuru norudzidziso rwavateveri vapakuvamba vaJesu, kwavari akati: “Hamusati muri rutivi rwenyika.”—Johane 15:19, NW.

Wezvenhau weFrance nomuzivi Louis Rougier akanyora, kuti: “Sezvachakapararira, chiKristu chakawana chinjo dzechienzi kusvikira kupfundo rokuva chisingazivikanwi. . . . Chechi yapakuvamba yavarombo, iyo yairarama kupfurikidza nokupiwa zvipo, yakava chechi inokurira iyo yakawirirana nezviremera zvenyika zvaivapo apo yakanga isingakwanisi kuzvidzora.”

Mukuvamba kwezana ramakore rechishanu N.V., “Musande” weRoma Katurike Augustine akanyora bhuku rake guru The City of God. Mariri akarondedzera maguta maviri, “iro raMwari neiro renyika.” Iri bhuku rakasimbisa paradzano pakati pavaKaturike nenyika here? Kwete chaizvoizvo. Purofesa Latourette anoti: “Augustine akaziva zvakajeka [kuti] maguta maviri, rapasi nerokudenga, akabatanidzwa.” Augustine akadzidzisa kuti “Umambo hwaMwari hwakatovamba munyika ino nesangano rechechi [yeKaturike].” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Macropædia, Vhoriyamu 4, peji 506) Nokudaro, chipi kana chipi icho donzo raAugustine ringave raiva, rondedzero dzake dzakava nomuuyo wokubatanidza Chechi yeKaturike zvikuru kwazvo muzvinhu zvamatongerwe enyika zvenyika ino.

Umambo Hwakakamuraniswa

Muna 395 N.V., apo Theodosius I akafa, Umambo hweRoma hwakakamuraniswa pamutemo kuva huviri. Umambo hwokuMabvazuva, kana kuti Byzantine, hwakanga hune dzimbahwe rahwo paConstantinople (yaichimbova Byzantium, zvino Istanbul), uye Umambo hwokuMadokero nedzimbahwe rahwo (pashure pa 402 N.V.) paRavenna, Italy. Somuuyo, chiKristudhomu chakava chakakamuraniswa mune zvamatongerwe enyika uyewo mune zvorudzidziso. Pamusoro poukama pakati peChechi neHurumende, chechi yomuUmambo hwokuMabvazuva yakatevera rondedzero yaEusebius weCaesarea (wapanguva imwe cheteyo naConstantine Mukuru). Achifuratira nheyo yechiKristu yokuparadzana nenyika, Eusebius akarangarira kuti kana mambo noumambo zvikava zvechiKristu,  Chechi neHurumende zvaizova chaunga chimwe chechiKristu, namambo achishanda somumiriri waMwari pasi pano. Tichirangarira chinhu chiri chose, uhu ukama pakati peChechi neHurumende hwakateverwa mumazana amakore nechechi dzeEastern Orthodox. Mubhuku rake The Orthodox Church, Timothy Ware, bhishopi weOrthodox, akaratidza muuyo wacho: “Urudzi hwave huri chinokuvadza cheOrthodox kwamazana gumi amakore akapfuura.”

MuMadokero mambo wokupedzisira weRoma akabviswa pachigaro muna 476 N.V. namarudzi anovhozhokera eGermany. Ikoku kwakaratidzira mugumo woUmambo hwokuMadokero hweRoma. Nezvenzvimbo isina chinhu yezvamatongerwe enyika yakatevera, The New Encyclopædia Britannica inoti: “Simba idzva rakaumbwa: Chechi yeRoma, chechi yabhishopi weRoma. Iyi chechi yakazvinzwisisa imene somutsivi woUmambo hweRoma hwakaparara.” Iyi enisaikoropidhia inopfuurira kuti: “Vanapapa veRoma . . . vakatambanudza kutaura kwenyika kwehurumende yechechi kupfuura miganhu yechechi nehurumende ndokutanga inonzi rondedzero yeminondo miviri, ichitaura kuti Kristu akapa papa kwete bedzi simba romudzimu pachechi asiwo simba renyika paumambo hwenyika.”

Chechi Dzamarudzi dzePurotesitendi

MuMiddle Ages yose, ose ari maviri marudzidziso eOrthodox neRoma Katurike akapfuurira kubatanidzwa zvikuru mune zvamatongerwe enyika, rangano dzenyika, uye hondo. Protestant Reformation yezana ramakore rechi 16 yakaratidzira kudzokera kuchiKristu chechokwadi, chakaparadzana nenyika here?

 Aiwa. Tinorava muThe New Encyclopædia Britannica, kuti: “VaProtestant Reformer vamagamuchidzanwa echiLutheran, echiCalvinist, uye echiAnglican . . . vakaramba vakabatanidzwa zvakasimba nemirangariro yaAugustine, aiva noumwari vainzwa vaida zvikuru. . . . Rimwe nerimwe ramagamuchidzanwa matatu makuru ePurotesitendi eEurope yezana ramakore rechi 16 . . . rakawana tsigiro yakabva kuzviremera zvenyika muSaxony [Germany yapakati], Switzerland, uye England uye yakarambira munzvimbo imwe cheteyo mubatano nehurumende sezvakanga zvaita chechi yomuMiddle Ages.”

Panzvimbo pokuparira kudzokera kuchiKristu chapachokwadi, Reformation yakaunza chechi dzakawanda dzorudzi nedzomunharaunda idzo dzakadiwa nehurumende dzezvamatongerwe enyika uye dzakadzitsigira nenzira yokushingaira muhondo dzadzo. Kutaura idi, dzose dziri mbiri chechi yeKaturike neyePurotesitendi dzakanyandura hondo dzorudzidziso. Mubhuku rake An Historian’s Approach to Religion, Arnold Toynbee akanyora pamusoro pehondo dzakadaro, kuti: “Dzakaratidzira vaKaturike navaPurotesitendi muFrance, Netherlands, Germany, uye Ireland, uye masekete anokwikwidzana avaPurotesitendi muEngland neScotland, muchiito choutsinye chokuedza kudzvinyirirana nesimba rehondo.” Rwisano dzomuzuva razvino idzo dziri kukamuranisa Ireland neyaichimbova Yugoslavia dzinoratidza kuti chechi yeRoma Katurike, yeOrthodox, uye yePurotesitendi dzichiri kubatanidzwa zvikuru muzvinhu zvenyika ino.

Ikoku kwose kunoreva kuti chiKristu chechokwadi, chakaparadzana nenyika, hachisisipo pasi pano here? Nyaya inotevera ichapindura mubvunzo iwoyo.

[Bhokisi/Mufananidzo uri papeji 10, 11]

KUVA KWAKAITA “CHIKRISTU” RUDZIDZISO RWEHURUMENDE

CHIKRISTU hachina kutongonzi chive rutivi rwenyika ino. (Mateo 24:3, 9; Johane 17:16) Bva, mabhuku enhau anotiudza kuti muzana ramakore rechina N.V., “chiKristu” chakava rudzidziso rwapamutemo rweHurumende yoUmambo hweRoma. Ikoku kwakaitika sei?

Kuvambira pana Nero (54-68 N.V.) kusvikira mukati zvikuru muzana ramakore rechitatu N.V., madzimambo ose eRoma akatambudza nokushingaira maKristu kana kuti zvimwe akabvumidza kutambudzwa kwawo. Gallienus (253-268 N.V.) akanga ari mambo weRoma wokutanga kubudisa ziviso yokuashivirira. Kunyange ipapo, chiKristu chakanga chiri rudzidziso runorambidzwa nomutemo muumambo hwose. Pashure paGallienus, chitambudzo chakapfuurira, uye mukudzora kwaDiocletian (284-305 N.V.) navatsivi vake vapedyo, chakatosimba.

Nguva yechinjo huru yakasvika pakuvamba muzana ramakore rechina nokunonzi kutendeutsirwa kuchiKristu kwaMambo Constantine I. Pamusoro pouku “kutendeutswa,” bhuku rechiFrench Théo—Nouvelle encyclopédie catholique (Théo—New Catholic Encyclopedia) rinoti: “Constantine akataura kuva mambo wechiKristu. Chaizvoizvo, iye akabhapatidzwa bedzi ari pahuvato hwake hworufu.” Kunyanguvezvo, muna 313 N.V., Constantine namambo biyake, Licinius, vakabudisa murairo uyo wakapa rusununguko rworudzidziso kumaKristu navahedheni zvakafanana. New Catholic Encyclopedia inoti: “Kutambanudza kwaConstantine rusununguko rwokunamata kumaKristu, uko kwakaratidzira kuti chiKristu chakazivikanwa pamutemo sereligio licita [rudzidziso rwapamutemo] kunze kwechihedheni, kwakanga kuri chiito chechinjo huru.”

Zvisinei, The New Encyclopædia Britannica inozivisa, kuti: “Iye [Constantine] haana kuita chiKristu rudzidziso rwoumambo.” Wezvenhau weFrance Jean-Rémy Palanque, mutezo weInstitute of France, anonyora, kuti: “Hurumende yeRoma . . . zvisinei, yakaramba iri yechihedheni pamutemo. Uye Constantine, pakuomerera kurudzidziso rwaKristu, haana kugumisa mugariro iwoyo.” Mubhuku The Legacy of Rome, Purofesa Ernest Barker akati: “[Rukundo rwaConstantine] haruna kuguma nokutangwa kwakamwe kamwe kwechiKristu sorudzidziso rweHurumende. Constantine akagutswa nokuziva chiKristu sokumwe kwokunamata kwavose kwoumambo. Kwamakore ane makumi manomwe akatevera miitiro yekare yechihedheni yaiitwa pamutemo muRoma.”

Naizvozvo papfundo rino “chiKristu” chakanga chiri rudzidziso rwapamutemo muUmambo hweRoma. Chakava rini, mupfungwa yakazara zvikurusa yokutaura, rudzidziso rwapamutemo rweHurumende? Tinorava muNew Catholic Encyclopedia, kuti: “Muitiro [waConstantine] wakapfuudzirwa navatsivi vake kunze kwaJulian [361-363 N.V.], ane kutambudza chiKristu kwakasvitswa kumugumo wakamwe kamwe kupfurikidza norufu rwake. Pakupedzisira, muchikamu chimwe muzvina chokupedzisira chezana ramakore rechi 4, Theodosius Mukuru [379-395 N.V.] akaita chiKristu rudzidziso rwapamutemo rwoUmambo uye akadzvinyirira kunamata kwavose kwechihedheni.”

Ichisimbisa ikoku nokuzivisa icho chaizvo urwu rudzidziso rutsva rweHurumende rwakanga rwuri, nyanzvi yeBhaibheri F. J. Foakes Jackson yakanyora, kuti: “Mukudzora kwaConstantine chiKristu noumambo hweRoma zvakabatanidzwa. Mukudzora kwaTheodosius zvakabatanidzwa. . . . Kuvambira panguva iyeyo zvichienda mberi zita rokuremekedza reKaturike rakanga richizochengetwa nokuda kwaavo vainamata Baba, Mwanakomana uye Mweya Musande noruremekedzo rwakaenzana. Muitiro wose worudzidziso wouyu mambo wakanangidzirwa kudonzo irori, uye wakaguma noKutenda kweKaturike kuchiva rudzidziso rumwe rwapamutemo rwavaRoma.”

Jean-Rémy Palanque akanyora, kuti: “Theodosius, apo akanga achirwisa chihedheni, akadawo Chechi [yeKaturike] inogamuchirwa; murairo wake wa 380 N.V. wakaraira vadzorwi vake vose kubvuma kutenda kwaPapa Damasus nabhishopi [woUtatu] weAlexandria uye akanyima vapandukiri rusununguko rwokunamata. Council [huru] of Constantinople (381) yakashurikidzazve mifungo yose inopesana nezvitendero zvechechi, uye mambo akava nechokwadi chokuti hapana bhishopi aizoitsigira. Nicene [Trinitarian] Christianity yakanga yava zvakanaka uye zvirokwazvo rudzidziso rweHurumende . . . Chechi yakasanobatanidzwa zvikuru neHurumende uye yakafarikanya tsigiro yayo yachose chose.”

Nokudaro, chakanga chisiri chiKristu chakachena chamazuva avaapostora icho chakava rudzidziso rweHurumende yoUmambo hweRoma. Chakanga chiri chiKaturike choUtatu chomuzana ramakore rechina, chakaiswa nesimba naMambo Theodosius I uye chakashandiswa neChechi yeRoma Katurike, iyo panguva iyeyo sezvayakaita zvino, zvirokwazvo rutivi rwenyika ino.

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Mambo Theodosius I:Real Academia de la Historia,Madrid (Foto Oronoz)

[Vakatipa Mufananidzo uri papeji 8]

Scala/Art Resource, N.Y.