Maonero Aiita vaKristu Vokutanga Vanamwari veRoma

GAVHUNA weBhitiniya ainzi Pliny Muduku akanyorera Trajan Mambo weRoma tsamba achiti: “Izvi ndizvo zvandakaitira vaya vaipomerwa kuti vaKristu. Ndakavabvunza kuti vaKristu here, uye pavakati ndizvo, ndakavabvunza kechipiri nekechitatu ndichivaudza kuti vacharangwa. Pavakaramba vachingoti vaKristu, ndakavapa mutongo wokuti vaurayiwe.” Kana vari vaya vakaramba chiKristu nokutuka Kristu uye kunamata mufananidzo wamambo nezvidhori zvavanamwari vaiunzwa naPliny mudare, akanyora nezvavo achiti: “Ndaona zvakanaka kuti ndivarege vaende.”

VaKristu vepakutanga vaitambudzwa pavairamba kunamata mambo uye zvidhori zvavanamwari vakasiyana-siyana. Ko zvakadini nezvimwe zvitendero zvaiva muUmambo hwose hweRoma? Ndivanamwari vapi vainamatwa, uye vaRoma vaivaona sei? Ko vaKristu vaitambudzirwei kana varamba kupa zvibayiro kuna vanamwari veRoma? Mhinduro dzemibvunzo iyi dzichatibatsira kuziva zvatingaita mazuva ano panomuka nyaya dzine chokuita nokuvimbika kwedu kuna Jehovha.

Zvitendero zvomuUmambo Hwose

Mawandiro akanga akaita mitauro netsika zvomuUmambo hweRoma ndiwo mawandirowo akanga akaita vanamwari vavainamata. Kunyange zvazvo vaRoma vakanga vasinganyatsonzwisisi chitendero chechiJudha, ndechimwe chezvitendero zvavaiziva, uye vaichitsigira. Makwayana maviri nedhonza zvaibayirwa kaviri pazuva patemberi yeJerusarema zvichiitirwa Kesari nenyika yose yeRoma. Zvokuti zvibayiro izvozvo zvaifadza mwari upi zvakanga zvisina basa kuvaRoma. Chavaiva nebasa nacho ndechekuti zvaiitwa izvi zvainyatsoratidza kuti vaJudha vaizviisa pasi peRoma.

Tumapoka twezvitendero twomunyika iyi twakanga twakazara netsika dzakasiyana-siyana dzechihedheni. Ngano dzechiGiriki dzakanga dzava kufarirwa, uye kushopera kwakanga kwakazara. Zvitendero zvaitenda mashura zvaibva kuMabvazuva zvaivimbisa vanhu kuti kana vakazvipinda vaisazofa, vaizoona zviratidzo uye kuti vaizosvika kuna vanamwari kana vakaita zvirango zvemashiripiti. Zvitendero izvi zvakanga zvakazara muumambo hwacho hwose. Vanamwari vakanga vakakurumbira mumazana emakore okutanga C.E. vaiva Serapis wevaIjipiti, naIsis mwarikadzi wavo,  mwarikadzi wehove wevaSiriya Atargatis, namwari wezuva wevaPezhiya, Mithra.

Bhuku reBhaibheri raMabasa rinonyatsoratidza kuti vaKristu vepakutanga vaiva vakapoteredzwa nevanhu vaiita zvechihedheni. Somuenzaniso, mutongi weruwa rweKupro aigara nomuroyi wechiJudha. (Mab. 13:6, 7) MuRistra vanhu vakanga vava kuti Pauro naBhanabhasi ndivanamwari vechiGiriki, Hemisi, naZeusi. (Mab. 14:11-13) KuFiripi, Pauro akasangana nomusikana aishopera. (Mab. 16:16-18) KuAtene, akaonawo kuti vagari veko ‘vaiita sokuti vaitya vanamwari kwazvo kupfuura zvaiita vamwe.’ Akanga aonawo muguta iroro atari yakanga yakanyorwa kuti “Kuna Mwari Asingazivikanwi.” (Mab. 17:22, 23) Vagari vomuEfeso vainamata mwarikadzi ainzi Atemisi. (Mab. 19:1, 23, 24, 34) Pachitsuwa cheMarita, vanhu vakati Pauro aiva mwari vaona asina kufa paakarumwa nenyoka. (Mab. 28:3-6) Pakadai vaKristu vaifanira kungwarira kuti vasasvibisirwa kunamata kwavo.

Kunamata kwevaRoma

Sezvo nyika dzaitongwa noumambo hwavo dzaiwedzera, vaRoma vakagamuchira vamwe vanamwari vachivati ndivo vavakanga vagara vachiziva asi vava nemamwe mazita. Panzvimbo pokuparadza tuzvitendero twenyika dzavainge vakunda, vaRoma vaitwugamuchira twova tuzvitendero twavo. Izvi zvakaita kuti zvitendero zveRoma zvisiyane-siyane sezvakanga zvakangoitawo ndudzi dzevanhu vacho. Manamatiro evaRoma aisarambidza munhu kuita zvitendero zvakawanda. Vanhu vaigona kuva navanamwari vakati wandei panguva imwe chete.

Mwari ainyanya kukudzwa aiva, Jupita, uyo wavaiti ndiye akanakisisa uye mukurusa. Ainzi aizviratidza mumhepo, mumvura inonaya, mumheni nemumabhanan’ana. Hanzvadzi yaJupita yaiva Juno, uyo aibatanidzwa nemwedzi achinzi aiongorora zvinhu zvose zvine chokuita nevakadzi. Mwanasikana wake mwarikadzi Minerva, ainzi ndiye wemabasa emaoko nemamwe mabasa ounyanzvi pamwe nehondo.

Zvinoita sokuti vanamwari veRoma vakanga vasingaperi. Lares naPenates vaiva vanamwari vemhuri. Vesta aiva mwarikadzi wechoto. Janus, aiva nezviso zviviri, aiva mwari wemavambo ezvinhu zvose. Basa rimwe nerimwe raiva namwari waro airitarisira. VaRoma vaigona kuti zvinhu zviri mupfungwa dzevanhu ndivanamwari. Pax ainzi ndimwari wokuchengetedza runyararo, Salus aiva weutano, Pudicitia aiva wokuva nemwero netsika, Fides aiva wokusaita  unzenza, Virtus aiva woushingi, Voluptas aiva wemafaro. Vaifunga kuti kanhu kose kaiitwa muupenyu hwevaRoma kaidzorwa navanamwari. Saka munhu aida kubudirira pane zvaaiita aifanira kunamata mwari anoenderana nezvaari kuita achinyengetera, achipa zvibayiro uye achiita mitambo.

Imwe nzira yavaitsvaka nayo kuti vanamwari vavo vari kudei kwavari ndeyokufembera. Nzira yavainyanya kufembera nayo kuongorora zvomukati zvemhuka inenge yaurayiwa sechibayiro. Vaifunga kuti zvaiva zvakaita zvomukati zvacho zvairatidza kana vanamwari vacho vaisazogamuchira kana kuti kufarira zvakanga zvoda kuitwa.

Pakuzonopera kwezana remakore rechipiri B.C.E., Roma yakanga yava kufananidza vanamwari vayo neveGirisi zvokuti Jupita ainzi ndiye Zeusi, Juno achinzi ndiye Hera, zvichingodaro. VaRoma vakanga vava kutevedzerawo ngano dzaienderana navanamwari vechiGiriki. Ngano idzi dzakanga dzisiri kutombonyepa nezvevanamwari ava, nokuti vakanga vasina kumbosiyana nevanhu pamaitiro avo uye kusakwanisa kwavo kuita zvimwe zvinhu. Somuenzaniso Zeusi aiwanzotaurwa nezvake somunhu anobata chibharo uye anorara nevana vaduku airara nevanhuwo zvavo pamwe nevainzi havafi. Mabasa aya anonyadzisa ainzi aiitwa navanamwari, aiwanzorumbidzwa munhandare dzaiitirwa mitambo, zvichiita kuti vaivanamata vaone pasina chakaita pakuaitawo.

Vashomanana pane vakadzidza vangadaro vakabvuma kuti ngano dzakadaro zvinhu chaizvo zvakaitika. Vamwewo vakati zvaingova zvokufananidzira. Izvozvo ndizvo zvingave zvakaita kuti Pondiyo Pirato abvunze mubvunzo wakakurumbira wokuti, “Chokwadi chii?” (Joh. 18:38) zvinoita sokuti mubvunzo wacho unoratidza “maonero aingoita vanhu vakadzidza, okuti kuedza kuti pane chimwe chinhu chechokwadi zvakazara kupedza nguva.”

Kunamata Mambo

Panguva yokutonga kwaAgasto (27 B.C.E.-14 C.E.) ndipo pakatanga kunamatwa mambo. Vazhinji, kunyanya vaiva munharaunda dzokuMabvazuva dzaitaurwa chiGiriki, vaionga Agasto nemwoyo wose nokuti akanga aita kuti pave nebudiriro uye runyararo pashure pehondo yakarwiwa kwenguva yakareba. Vanhu vaida kuramba vachidzivirirwa nemunhu ane masimba wavaiona. Shungu dzavo dzaiva dzokuti pave nesangano raiita kuti vanhu vanamate mwari mumwe chete vachitsigira nyika yavo vobatanidza nyika yose pasi “pomuponesi” wayo. Izvi zvakaita kuti mambo aonekwe samwari.

Kunyange zvazvo Agasto asina kubvumira vanhu kuti vamudane samwari paakanga achiri mupenyu, akanga asingasiyi nyaya yokuti Roma itorwe samwarikadzi waaiti Roma Dea aifanira kunamatwa. Agasto akazonzi ndimwari paakanga afa. Saka muzinda wamambo navanamambo vacho ndizvo zvakanga zvava musimboti wokunamata uye kutsigira nyika munharaunda dzose. Chitendero ichi chitsva chokunamata mambo, icho chakazokurumidza kupararira munharaunda dzose, chakazova nzira yokuratidza nayo ruremekedzo uye kuzviisa pasi pehurumende.

Domitian, uyo aiva mambo muna 81 kusvika 96 C.E., ndiye mutungamiriri wokutanga kuudza vanhu kuti vamunamate samwari. Pakazosvika nguva yake vaRoma vakanga vava kuziva kusiyana kwakaita chiKristu nechiJudha, uye vaipesana nekavaiti kapoka katsva kechitendero. Kunenge kuti panguva yaitonga Domitian ndipo pakamanikidzwa muapostora Johani kuti anogara pachitsuwa chePatimosi nokuda ‘kwokupupurira Jesu.’—Zvak. 1:9.

Bhuku raZvakazarurwa rakanyorwa Johani ari muusungwa. Mubhuku irori anotaura nezvaAndipasi, mumwe muKristu akaurayiwa muPegamo, imwe nzvimbo yaive muzinda  wokunamata mambo. (Zvak. 2:12, 13) Panguva iyoyo hurumende ingave yakanga yatanga kuudza vaKristu kuti vanamate mambo. Hatizivi hedu kana zvakatangira ipapo asi muna 112 C.E., sezvaratidzwa netsamba iya yakanyorerwa Trajan yataurwa nezvayo pakutanga, Pliny aiudza vaKristu vaiva kuBhitiniya kuti vaite izvozvo.

Trajan akarumbidza Pliny nezvaakanga aita nenyaya dzakanga dzaunzwa kwaari uye akamuudza kuti vaKristu vainge varamba kunamata vanamwari veRoma vaurayiwe. Trajan akanyora kuti: “Asi kana munhu wacho akaramba kuti muKristu, ozviratidza nokunamata vanamwari vedu, (kunyange kana anga achifungirwa kuti ndizvo zvaari) muregererei nokuti apfidza.”

VaRoma vakanga vasinganzwisisi kuti zvingaita here kuti munhu ave nechitendero chimwe chete asingambodi kunzwa nezvechimwe chero chipi. Vanamwari veRoma vaisarambidza zvimwe zvitendero, saka sei Mwari wevaKristu aizovarambidza kunamata vamwe vanamwari? Vaifunga kuti kunamata vanamwari vehurumende kwaingoratidza kuremekedza zvematongerwo enyika. Saka kutadza kunamata vanamwari ivavo vehurumende kwaionekwa sokupanduka. Pliny akazoona kuti zvakanga zvisingaiti kuti amanikidze vaKristu kunamata vamwe vanamwari. Vaiona kuri kusatendeseka kuna Jehovha, uye vaKristu vakawanda vepakutanga vakasarudza kufa pane kunamata mambo uko kwavaiona sokunamata zvidhori.

Sei zvaiitika izvi zvichikosha kwatiri nhasi uno? Mune dzimwe nyika, vagari vemo vanonzi varemekedze zviratidzo zvenyika. Isu vaKristu tinoremekedza masimba ehurumende. (VaR. 13:1) Asi kana dziri mhemberero dzinoshandiswa mireza yenyika, kuziva kwedu kuti Jehovha Mwari anoda kuti tizvipire zvakazara kunoita kuti tishandise zano riri muShoko rake ‘rokutiza kunamata zvidhori’ uye ‘kuzvichenjerera pazvidhori.’ (1 VaK. 10:14; 1 Joh. 5:21; Nah. 1:2) Jesu akati: “Jehovha Mwari wako ndiye waunofanira kunamata, uye ndiye oga waunofanira kuitira basa dzvene.” (Ruka 4:8) Saka ngatirambei takavimbika kuna Mwari wedu watinonamata.

[Mashoko okukwezva vaverengi ari papeji 5]

VaKristu vechokwadi vanozvipira kuna Jehovha zvakazara

[Mifananidzo iri papeji 3]

VaKristu vokutanga vakaramba kunamata mambo kana kuti zvifananidzo zvavanamwari

Mambo Domitian

Zeusi

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Emperor Domitian: Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com; Zeus: Photograph by Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com, taken at Archaeological Museum of Istanbul

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 4]

VaKristu vokuEfeso vakaramba kunamata mwarikadzi akanga akakurumbira Atemisi.—ActsMab. 19:23-41