MaKristu Apakuvamba Nenyika

ANENGE makore ane zviuru zviviri akapfuura, chinoitika chinoshamisa zvikurusa chakaitika muMiddle East. Mwanakomana akaberekwa ari mumwe bedzi waMwari akatumwa achibva kunzvimbo yake yokugara yokudenga kuzogara kwenguva pfupi munyika yorudzi rwomunhu. Vazhinjisa vorudzi rwomunhu vakagamuchira sei? Muapostora Johane anopindura, kuti: “Wakanga [Jesu] ari panyika, asi nyika haina kumuziva. Wakauya kune zvake [Israeri], asi vanhu vake havana kumugamuchira.”—Johane 1:10, 11.

Nyika haina chaizvo kugamuchira Jesu, Mwanakomana waMwari. Neiko isina? Jesu akatsanangura chikonzero chimwe apo akati: “Nyika . . . inondivenga ini, nokuti ndinoipupurira, kuti mabasa ayo akaipa.” (Johane 7:7) Pakupedzisira, nyika imwe cheteyi—yaimirirwa navatungamiriri vorudzidziso vechiJudha, mambo weEdhomi, uye wezvamatongerwe enyika weRoma—yakaita kuti Jesu aurawe. (Ruka 22:66-23:25; Mabasa 3:14, 15; 4:24-28)  Zvakadiniko navateveri vaJesu? Nyika yaizova yakagadzirira zvikuru kuvagamuchira here? Aiwa. Nokukurumidza pamberi porufu rwake, Jesu akavanyevera, kuti: “Kana maiva venyika, nyika yaida vayo; zvino zvamusati muri venyika, asi ini ndakakusanangurai panyika, saka nyika inokuvengai.”—Johane 15:19.

Munguva Dzavaapostora

Mashoko aJesu akabvumikisa kuva echokwadi. Mavhiki mashomanene chete pashure porufu rwake, vaapostora vake vakasungwa, vakatyisidzirwa, uye vakarohwa. (Mabasa 4:1-3; 5:17, 18, 40) Nokukurumidza pashure paikoko, Stefano anoshingaira akakweverwa pamberi peSanhedrini yechiJudha uye ipapo akatakwa namabwe kusvikira kurufu. (Mabasa 6:8-12; 7:54, 57, 58) Gare gare, muapostora Jakobho akaurawa naMambo Herodhe Agripa I. (Mabasa 12:1, 2) Mukati menzendo dzake dzoufundisi, Pauro akatambudzwa pakusvudziro yavaJudha veDhiaspora.—Mabasa 13:50; 14:2, 19.

MaKristu apakuvamba akaita sei kuchishoro chakadaro? Apo, mumazuva apakuvamba, zviremera zvorudzidziso zvakarambidza vaapostora kuparidzira muzita raJesu, vaapostora vakati: “Tinofanira kuteerera Mwari somubati ushe kupfuura vanhu.” (Mabasa 4:19, 20; 5:29, NW) Ichochi chakapfuurira kuva chimiro chavo chendangariro panguva ipi neipi apo chishoro chaimuka. Kunyanguvezvo, muapostora Pauro akapa zano maKristu omuRoma kuti “azviise pasi pezviremera zvikuru [zvehurumende].” Akaapawo zano, kuti: “Kana zvichibvira, pamunogona napo, ivai norugare navanhu vose.” (VaRoma 12:18; 13:1, NW) Nokudaro, maKristu apakuvamba aifanira kuwana dzikamo yakaoma. Akateerera Mwari soMutongi wawo mukuru. Panguva imwe cheteyo, akanga achizviisa pasi pezviremera zvorudzi ndokuedza kurarama norugare navanhu vose.

MaKristu Munyika yeRoma

Shure munyika yomuzana rokutanga ramakore yoUmambo hweRoma, maKristu pasina panikiro akabetserwa nePax Romana, kana kuti Rugare rweRoma, rwakachengetwa namauto eRoma. Kutonga kwakaterama kwomutemo norunyararo, migwagwa yakanaka, uye kufamba nezvikepe kwakati kotsekanei zvakaparira mhoteredzo iyo yakanakira kukura kwechiKristu. MaKristu apakuvamba sezviri pachena akaziva mungava wawo kuchaunga uye akateerera murairo waJesu woku“pa Kesari zvaKesari.” (Marko 12:17) Achinyorera mambo weRoma Antoninus Pius (138-161 N.V.), Justin Martyr akataura kuti maKristu, “nokudisa zvikuru kupfuura vanhu vose,” akabhadhara mitero yawo. (First Apology, ganhuro 17) Muna 197 N.V., Tertullian akaudza vatongi veRoma kuti vateresi vavo vakanga “vane mungava wokuonga kumaKristu” nokuda kwenzira yokungwarira iyo aibhadhara nayo mitero yawo. (Apology, ganhuro 42) Iyoyi yakanga iri nzira imwe yavakatevera nayo zano raPauro rokuti anofanira kuzviisa pasi pezviremera zvikuru.

Uyezve, kusvikira apo nheyo dzawo dzechiKristu dzaibvumira, maKristu apakuvamba akaedza kurarama norugare navavakidzani vawo. Asi ikoku kwakanga kusiri nyore. Nyika yakaapoteredza yakanga ine utere zvikuru uye yakanga yakanyura mukunamata zvidhori kweGirisi neRoma, uko kunamatwa kwamambo kwakanga kuchangobva kuwedzerwa. Rudzidziso rwechihedheni rweRoma rwakanga rwuri zvikurukuru rudzidziso rweHurumende, naizvozvo kuramba kupi nokupi kurushandisa kwaigona kurangarirwa soutsinye kuHurumende. Ikoku kwakasiya maKristu papi?

Purofesa weOxford E. G. Hardy akanyora,  kuti: “Tertullian anodudza zvinhu zvizhinji zvakanga zvisingabviriri muKristu anongwarira, sezvinobatanidza kunamata zvidhori: somuenzaniso mhiko dzenguva dzose pazvibvumirano; kuvhenekerwa kwamasuo pamitambo, zvichingodaro; miitiro yose yorudzidziso yechiHedheni; mitambo nemitambo inoitwa nemhuka; basa rokudzidzisa mabhuku enyika [ounyanzvi hwechihedheni]; basa rehondo; mabasa ehurumende.”—Christianity and the Roman Government.

Hungu, kwakanga kwakaoma kugara munyika yeRoma pasina kurega kutenda kwechiKristu. Munyori weKaturike weFrance A. Hamman anonyora, kuti: “Kwakanga kusingabviri kuita chinhu chipi nechipi pasina kunangana noumwari. Chimiro chomuKristu chaimuunzira zvinetso zvezuva nezuva; aigara kunze kwechaunga . . . Ainangana nezvinetso zvinoitika zvaitikazve mumusha, mumigwagwa, pamusika . . . Mumugwagwa, angave mugari wemo weRoma kana kuti kwete, muKristu anofanira kubvisa chifukidziro chomusoro wake pakupfuura tembere kana kuti mufananidzo. Aigona sei kurega kuita kudaro pasina kunyandura nyumwiro, bva aigona sei kuwirirana pasina kuita chiito choruvimbiko? Kana akanga ane bhizimisi uye aida kukwereta mari, aifanira kupika kumukweretesi wemari muzita ravamwari. . . . Kana akagamuchira basa rehurumende, aikarirwa kupa chibairo. Kana akanyoreswa mubasa rehondo, aigona sei kudzivisa kuita mhiko nokutora rutivi mumiitiro yebasa rehondo?”—La vie quotidienne des premiers chrétiens (95-197) (Daily Life Among the Early Christians, 95-197 C.E.).

Vagari Vemo Vakanaka, Bva Vaitukwa

Munenge muna 60 kana kuti 61 N.V., apo Pauro akanga ari muRoma achimirira kutongwa naMambo Nero, vaJudha vakuru vakataura pamusoro pamaKristu apakuvamba, kuti: “Zvirokwazvo pamusoro peiyi sekete kunozivikanwa kwatiri kuti munzvimbo iri yose inotukwa.” (Mabasa 28:22, NW) Chinyorwa chenhau chinopupurira kuti maKristu aitukwa—asi saizvozvo nenzira isina kururama. Mubhuku rake The Rise of Christianity, E. W. Barnes anorondedzera, kuti: “Muzvinyorwa zvaro zvapakuvamba zvine chiremera sangano rechiKristu rinomirirwa serine tsika zvikuru nerinochengeta mutemo. Mitezo yaro yaishuva kuva vagari vemo vakanaka navadzorwi vakavimbika. Yakadzivisa kundikano nezvakaipa zvechihedheni. Muupenyu hwomunhu oga yakatsvaka kuva vavakidzani vane rugare neshamwari dzakavimbika. Yakadzidziswa kuva inokoshesa zvinhu, inobishaira neinorarama zvakachena. Iri pakati pouipi hwakapararira nokusazvibata yakanga iri, kana yakavimbika kunheyo dzayo, yakatendeseka uye yezvokwadi. Mipimo yayo yevatano yakanga yakakwirira: chisungo cheroorano chairemekedzwa uye upenyu hwemhuri hwakanga hwakachena. Norunako rwakadaro yaisagona, sokufunga kungadai kwakaita mumwe, kuva yaiva vagari vemo vanonetsa. Bva yakashorwa kwenguva refu, yaitukwa uye yaivengwa.”

Sezvo nyika yekare isina kunzwisisa Jesu, haina kunzwisisa maKristu uye naizvozvo yakaavenga. Sezvo akaramba kunamata mambo navamwari vechihedheni, akapomerwa mhaka yokuramba kuvapo kwaMwari. Kana ngwavaira ikaitika, aipomerwa mhaka yokuve akatsamwisa vamwari. Nemhaka yokuti haana kupinda mitambo youtere kana kuti shoo dzokurwa kune chishava, akarangarirwa savaipandukira nzanga, kunyange ‘vavengi vedzinza romunhu.’ Vavengi vawo vakataura kuti mhuri dzakapunzwa ne“sekete” yechiKristu uye kuti naizvozvo yakanga iri ngozi kukuterama kwenzanga. Tertullian akataura nezvavarume vechihedheni avo vaida kuti vadzimai vavo vaite upombwe pano kuti vave maKristu.

MaKristu aitsoropodzwa nemhaka yokuti akanga achipesana nokubvisa nhumbu, kwaishandiswa zvakafara panguva yacho. Bva, vavengi vawo vakapomera mhaka yokuuraya vana. Kwakataurwa kuti pamisangano yawo ainwa ropa ravana vaibairwa. Panguva imwe cheteyo, vavengi vawo vakaedza kuamanikidzira kudya masoseji eropa, vachiziva kuti ikoku kwakanga kuchirwisana nehana yawo. Nokudaro ava vashori vakapokanidza pomero  yavo vamene.—Tertullian, Apology, ganhuro 9.

Vakashorwa Sesekete Itsva

Wezvenhau Kenneth Scott Latourette akanyora, kuti: “Dzimwezve pomero dzakanyombesa chiKristu nokuda kwamavambo acho emisi yakanga ichangobva kupfuura ndokuchisianisa nokugara kwenguva refu kwavakwikwidzani vacho [chiJudha namarudzidziso echihedheni eGiriki neRoma].” (A History of the Expansion of Christianity, Vhoriyamu 1, peji 131) Mukuvamba kwezana ramakore rechipiri N.V., wezvenhau weRoma Suetonius akadana chiKristu kuti “kutenda mashura kutsva nokwemisikanzwa.” Tertullian akapupurira kuti zita rimene rokuti chiKristu raivengwa uye kuti maKristu akanga ari sekete isingadikanwi. Achitaura nezvenzira iyo vakuru vakuru voUmambo hweRoma vairangarira nayo maKristu muzana ramakore rechipiri, Robert M. Grant akanyora, kuti: “Murangariro mukuru wakanga uri wokuti chiKristu chakanga chingori rudzidziso rusiri madikanwa, sezvinobvira runokuvadza.”—Early Christianity and Society.

Akapomerwa Mhaka Yokutendeutsa Kwoukono

Mubhuku rake Les premiers siècles de l’Eglise (The Early Centuries of the Church), purofesa weSorbonne Jean Bernardi akanyora, kuti: “[MaKristu] aifanira kubuda ndokutaura munzvimbo iri yose uye kumunhu ari wose. Mumigwagwa mikuru nomumaguta, munzvimbo dzavose nomumisha. Achigamuchirwa kana kuti asingagamuchirwi. Kuvarombo, uye kuvapfumi vaidziviswa nepfuma yavo. Kuvaduku nokuna vanagavhuna vamaruwa eRoma . . . Aifanira kufamba mumugwagwa, kukwira zvikepe, uye kuenda kumigumo yapasi.”

Akaita ikoku here? Sezvinooneka akadaro. Purofesa Léon Homo anorondedzera kuti maKristu apakuvamba akanga ane mufungo wavose wairwisana nawo nemhaka yo“kutendeutsa [kwawo] kwokushingaira.” Purofesa Latourette anotaura kuti apo vaJudha vakarasikirwa neshingairo yavo yokutendeutsa, “maKristu, pane rumwe rutivi, vakanga vari vafundisi nenzira youkono vasingatsamwiswi uye naizvozvo vakanyandura pfundepfunde.”

Muzana rechipiri ramakore N.V., muzivi weRoma Celsus akatsoropodza mitoo yokuparidzira nayo yamaKristu. Akataura kuti chiKristu chakanga chiri chavasina kudzidza uye kuti chaigona ‘kupwisa bedzi mapenzi, varanda, vakadzi, uye vana vaduku.’ Akapomera maKristu mhaka yokudzidzisa “vanhu vasingatani kunyengedzwa,” achivaita kuti “vadavire vasina mufungo wakafanira.” Akataura kuti vakaudza vadzidzi vavo vatsva, kuti: “Musabvunza mibvunzo; ingodavirai.” Bva, mukuwirirana naOrigen, Celsus amene akabvuma kuti “vakanga vasiri venhando voga vakatungamirirwa nedzidziso yaJesu kuti vagamuchire rudzidziso Rwake.”

Hapana Mubatanidzwa wechiKristu

MaKristu apakuvamba akatsoropodzwazve nemhaka yokuti aitaura kuva ane zvokwadi yaMwari mumwe wechokwadi. Haana kugamuchira mubatanidzwa wechiKristu, kana kuti kutenda kwakavhengana. Latourette akanyora, kuti: “Kusafanana nokutenda kuzhinjisa kwenguva yacho, iwo [maKristu] akanga ane utsinye kumamwe marudzidziso. . . . Mukupesana nokushivirira kwakati kurei uko kwakaratidzira mamwe masangano, akazivisa kuti akanga ane zvokwadi isingarambiki.”

Muna 202 N.V., Mambo Septimius Severus akabudisa murairo wairambidza maKristu kuita vatendeuki. Ikoku, zvisinei, hakuna  kuaregedzesa kupupurira pamusoro pokutenda kwawo. Latourette anorondedzera muuyo wacho, kuti: “Mukuramba kwacho kubvumirana pane zvisina kufanira nechihedheni chapanguva yacho uye nezhinji dzetsika dzenzanga nemiitiro yetsika yenguva dzacho [chiKristu chapakuvamba] chakatanga chinzwano nesangano izvo zvakachirwisanisa nenzanga. Mukaha umene wakada kuchibatanidza wakapa kuvatsigiri vacho chibvumikiso icho chakaumba manyuko esimba mukurwisana nechitambudzo neeshingairo mukuwana vatendeuki.”

Chinyorwa chenhau, naizvozvo, chakajeka. Zvikurukuru, maKristu apakuvamba, nepo akanga achiedza kuva vagari vemo vakanaka uye kugara norugare navanhu vose, akaramba kuva “rutivi rwenyika.” (Johane 15:19, NW) Airemekedza zviremera. Asi apo Kesari akaarambidza kuparidzira, akanga asina chisarudzo kunze kwokuramba achiparidzira. Akaedza kugara norugare navanhu vose asi akaramba kubvumirana pane zvisina kufanira pamipimo yetsika nokunamata zvidhori kwechihedheni. Nokuda kwaikoku kwose, akashorwa, akazvidzwa, akavengwa, uye akatambudzwa, kunyange seizvo Kristu akanga adeya kutaura kuti aizodaro.—Johane 16:33.

Ko kuparadzana kwawo nenyika kwakapfuurira here? Kana kuti nokupfuura kwenguva, ko avo vakataura kuva vanoshandisa chiKristu vakachinja chimiro chavo chendangariro muna ikoku here?

[Mashoko okukwezva vaverengi ari papeji 4]

“Chimiro chomuKristu chaimuunzira zvinetso zvezuva nezuva; aigara kunze kwechaunga”

[Mashoko okukwezva vaverengi ari papeji 6]

“ChiKristu [chakanyombwa] nokuda kwamavambo acho emisi yakanga ichangobva kupfuura ndokuchisianisa . . . nokugara kwenguva refu kwavakwikwidzani vacho”

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 3]

Nemhaka yokuti maKristu akaramba kunamata mambo weRoma navamwari vechihedheni, akapomerwa mhaka yokuramba kuvapo kwaMwari

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 7]

MaKristu omuzana rokutanga ramakore aizivikanwa savaparidzi vanoshingaira veshoko roUmambo

 [Vakatipa Mufananidzo uri papeji 2]

Butiro: Alinari/Art Resource, N.Y.