Indlela ELobukholwa Elaba Ngayo Yingxenye Yalelizwe

NGOKUHAMBA kwesikhathi uMbuso wamaRoma, ubuKristu bokuqala obaqala kuwo, wawa. Izazi-mlando eziningi zithi ukuwa kwawo kwakuyisikhathi futhi sokuba ubuKristu bubunqobe okokugcina ubuqaba. Eveza umbono ohlukile, umbhishobhi ongumSheshi u-E. W. Barnes wabhala: “Njengoba impucuko esezingeni eliphezulu yayiwa, ubuKristu bayeka ukuba inkolo ephakeme kaJesu uKristu: baba inkolo enesandla ekubangeleni inxushunxushu yezwe.”—The Rise of Christianity.

Ngaphambi kwalokho kuwa, phakathi nekhulu lesibili, lesithathu, nelesine C.E., umlando ubonisa ukuthi ngezindlela eziningi labo ababethi balandela uJesu bazigcina behlukile ezweni lamaRoma. Kodwa futhi wembula ukuqalisa kokuhlubuka ezimfundisweni, ukuziphatha, nasenhlanganweni, njengoba nje uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe babebikezele. (Mathewu 13:36-43; IzEnzo 20:29, 30; 2 Thesalonika 2:3-12; 2 Thimothewu 2:16-18; 2 Petru 2:1-3, 10-22) Ekugcineni kwavunyelwana nezwe lamaRoma namaGreki, futhi abanye ababethi bangamaKristu bamukela ubuqaba bezwe (njengemicimbi yalo nokukhulekela kwalo unkulunkulukazi ongumama nonkulunkulu onguziqu-zintathu), ifilosofi yalo (njengenkolelo yokungafi komphefumulo), nenhlangano yalo ephethe (eyabonakala ekuveleni kwesigaba sabefundisi). Kwakuyiloluhlobo olonakele lobuKristu olwaheha abantu abaningi abangamaqaba futhi baba inkolo ababusi bamaRoma abaqale bazama ukuyisusa kodwa kamuva bayemukela futhi bazama ukuyisebenzisela izinzuzo zabo.

Banqotshwa Yizwe

Isazi-mlando sesonto u-Augustus Neander sabonisa izingozi ezazihilelekile kulobudlelwano  obusha phakathi “kobuKristu” nezwe. Uma amaKristu ayedela ukuhlala kwawo ehlukene nezwe, “umphumela wawuyoba ukudidanisa isonto nezwe . . . lapho isonto laliyolahlekelwa khona ukuhlanzeka kwalo, futhi, nakuba libonakala linqoba, laliyonqotshwa,” sibhala.—General History of the Christian Religion and Church, Umqulu 2, ikhasi 161.

Yilokho okwenzeka. Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesine, umbusi ongumRoma uConstantine wazama ukusebenzisa inkolo “yobuKristu” yosuku lwakhe ukuze aqinise umbuso wakhe owawuqhekeka. Ukuze afeze lokhu, wanikeza ababethi bangamaKristu inkululeko engokwenkolo futhi wadlulisela amanye amalungelo obupristi bobuqaba esigabeni sabo sabefundisi. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “UConstantine walibeka obala isonto ukuze lamukele imithwalo yemfanelo engokwenhlalo futhi wasiza umphakathi wobuqaba ukuba uzuzwe yisonto.”

Inkolo YoMbuso

Ngemva kukaConstantine, uMbusi uJulian (361-363 C.E.) wenza umzamo wokuphikisa ubuKristu nowokubuyisela ubuqaba. Kodwa wehluleka, futhi eminyakeni engu-20 kamuva, uMbusi uTheodosius I wabulahla ubuqaba futhi wamisa ngenkani “ubuKristu” bukaZiqu-zintathu njengenkolo yoMbuso wamaRoma. Ngobuciko bokuhlakanipha, isazi-mlando saseFrance uHenri Marrou sabhala: “Ekupheleni kokubusa kukaTheodosius, ubuKristu, noma uma sikubeka ngokuqondile, ubuKatolika obusadla ngoludala, baba inkolo esemthethweni yalo lonke izwe lamaRoma.” UbuKatolika obusadla ngoludala babuthathe indawo yobuKristu beqiniso futhi babuye baba “ingxenye yezwe.” Lenkolo yoMbuso yayihluke kakhulu enkolweni yabalandeli bakaJesu bokuqala, athi kubo: ‘Anisibo abezwe.’—Johane 15:19, qhathanisa ne-NW.

Isazi-mlando nesiyisazi sefilosofi saseFrance uLouis Rougier sabhala: “Njengoba babusakazeka, ubuKristu baba nezinguquko ezingavamile kwaze kwafinyelela ezingeni lokuba bungabonakali. . . . Isonto lasendulo labantu abampofu, elaliphila ngeminikelo, laba isonto elinqobayo elazwana nemibuso lapho lingakwazi ukuyinqoba.”

Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesihlanu C.E., “uSanta” Augustine ongumRoma Katolika wabhala incwadi yakhe ebalulekile i-City of God. Kuyona wachaza amadolobha amabili, “elikaNkulunkulu nelezwe.” Ingabe lencwadi yagcizelela umehluko phakathi kobuKatolika nezwe? Akunjalo ngempela. UProfesa Latourette uthi: “Ngokusobala u-Augustine waqaphela [ukuthi] lamadolobha amabili, elisemhlabeni nelisezulwini, ahlangene.” U-Augustine wafundisa ukuthi “uMbuso kaNkulunkulu wawusuqalile kakade kulelizwe ngokumiswa kwesonto [lamaKatolika].” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Macropædia, Umqulu 4, ikhasi 506) Ngaleyondlela, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi injongo yokuqala ka-Augustine yayiyini, izimfundiso zakhe zazinomphumela wokulihilela kakhulu iSonto lamaKatolika ezindabeni zezombangazwe zalelizwe.

UMbuso Ohlukene Phakathi

Ngo-395 C.E., lapho uTheodosius I efa, uMbuso wamaRoma wahlukaniswa kabili ngokomthetho. UMbuso waseMpumalanga, noma iByzantium wawunenhloko-dolobha yawo eConstantinople (eyayiyiByzantium, manje eyi-Istanbul), uMbuso waseNtshonalanga, wawunenhloko-dolobha yawo (ngemva kuka-402 C.E.) eRavenna, e-Italy. Ngenxa yalokho, eLobukholwa lahlukana ngokwezombangazwe nangokwenkolo. Ngokuphathelene nobudlelwano phakathi kweSonto noMbuso, isonto eliseMbusweni waseMpumalanga lalandela imfundiso ka-Eusebius waseSikhari (owayephila kanye noConstantine Omkhulu). Eshaya indiva isimiso sobuKristu sokwehluka ezweni, u-Eusebius wathi uma umbusi nombuso kwakuba ubuKristu, iSonto noMbuso kwakuyoba umphakathi owodwa wobuKristu, umbusi esebenza njengommeleli kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni.  Ngokuvamile, lobudlelwano phakathi kweSonto noMbuso babulandelwa eminyakeni engamakhulu amaningi edlule amasonto obu-Orthodox aseMpumalanga. Encwadini yakhe i-Orthodox Church, uTimothy Ware, umbhishobhi wobu-Orthodox, wabonisa umphumela: “Ubuzwe bebulokhu buyisiqalekiso sobu-Orthodox emakhulwini eminyaka ayishumi edlule.”

ENtshonalanga umbusi wokugcina ongumRoma waketulwa esihlalweni ngo-476 C.E. yizizwe zamaJalimane ezazihlasela. Lokhu kwaphawula ukuphela koMbuso wamaRoma waseNtshonalanga. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi ngesimo sokwehlukaniswa sezombangazwe esalandela: “Kwamiswa umbuso omusha: iSonto lamaRoma, isonto lombhishobhi waseRoma. Lelisonto lalikholelwa ukuthi lalilandela uMbuso wamaRoma owawusuphelile.” Le-encyclopedia iqhubeka ithi: “Opapa bamaRoma . . . bandisa amagunya kahulumeni wesonto adlulela ngalé kwemingcele yezwe nesonto futhi basungula imfundiso okwakuthiwa ikhuluma ngezinkemba ezimbili, bethi uKristu akanikezanga upapa amandla angokomoya phezu kwesonto kuphela kodwa wamnikeza namandla ezwe phezu kwemibuso yezwe.”

Amasonto Ezwe ObuProthestani

Kuyo yonke iNkathi Ephakathi, inkolo yobu-Orthodox neyobuRoma Katolika yaqhubeka ihileleke kakhulu kwezombangazwe, ezinxushunxushwini zezwe, nasezimpini. Ingabe iziNguquko zamaProthestani zekhulu le-16 zaphawula ukuphindela ebuKristwini beqiniso, ukwehluka ezweni?

Cha. Kuyi-New Encyclopædia Britannica sifunda ukuthi: “Abaletha iziNguquko abangamaProthestani  ababelandela inkolo yaseLuthela, ekaCalvin, neyaseSheshi . . . bahlala benamathele ngokuqinile embonweni ka-Augustine, imfundiso yakhe yezenkolo ababenamathele kuyo kakhulu. . . . Ngayinye yalezinkolo ezintathu ezingamaProthestani zaseYurophu zekhulu le-16 . . . yathola ukusekelwa okuvela kohulumeni bezwe eSaxony [eJalimane ephakathi], eSwitzerland, naseNgilandi futhi yahlala isesimweni esifanayo sokuhlangana nezwe njengoba lalinjalo isonto langeNkathi Ephakathi.”

Kunokuba zenze kube khona ukuphindela okuqotho ebuKristwini, iziNguquko zenza kwaba khona amasonto amaningi obuzwe aye afuna ukuthola izinzuzo emibusweni yezwe engokombangazwe futhi ayisekela ngenkuthalo ezimpini zayo. Eqinisweni, amasonto obuKatolika nawobuProthestani aye abangela izimpi ezingokwenkolo. Encwadini yakhe i-Historian’s Approach to Religion, u-Arnold Toynbee wabhala ngokuphathelene nezimpi ezinjalo: “Ayefana namaKatolika namaProthestani aseFrance, eNetherlands, eJalimane, nase-Ireland, namahlelo obuProthestani alwayo eNgilandi naseScotland, ngesenzo sonya sokuzama ukucindezelana ngezikhali.” Izinxushuxhushu zanamuhla ezihlukanisa i-Ireland nezwe elaliyiYugoslavia zibonisa ukuthi amasonto amaRoma Katolika, obu-Orthodox, nawamaProthestani asahileleke kakhulu ezindabeni zalelizwe.

Ingabe konke lokhu kusho ukuthi ubuKristu beqiniso, obuzihlukanisayo nezwe, abusekho emhlabeni? Isihloko esilandelayo sizophendula lowombuzo.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 10, 11]

INDLELA “UBUKRISTU” OBABA NGAYO INKOLO YOMBUSO

UBUKRISTU babungamelwe bube ingxenye yalelizwe. (Mathewu 24:3, 9; Johane 17:16) Nokho, izincwadi zomlando zisitshela ukuthi ngekhulu lesine C.E., “ubuKristu” baba inkolo yoMbuso esemthethweni yoMbuso wamaRoma. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu?

Kusukela kuNero (54-68 C.E.) kuze kube maphakathi nekhulu lesithathu C.E., bonke ababusi abangamaRoma ngentshiseko bashushisa amaKristu noma bavumela ukushushiswa kwawo. UGallienus (253-268 C.E.) wayewumbusi ongumRoma wokuqala ukuba akhiphe umthetho wokungawabandlululi. Ngisho nalapho, ubuKristu babuyinkolo enqatshelwe ngokomthetho kuwo wonke umbuso. Ngemva kukaGallienus, ukushushisa kwaqhubeka, futhi ngaphansi kukaDiocletian (284-305 C.E.) nabamlandela ngokushesha, lwaba nzima ngisho nakakhulu.

Ushintsho lwaba khona ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesine ngalokho okwakubizwa ngokuthi ukuguqulelwa ebuKristwini koMbusi uConstantine I. Ngokuphathelene nalokhu “kuguqulwa,” incwadi yesiFulentshi i-Théo—Nouvelle encyclopédie catholique (Théo—New Catholic Encyclopedia) ithi: “UConstantine wayethi ungumbusi ongumKristu. Empeleni, wabhapathizwa lapho esesokhukhweni lokufa.” Nakuba kunjalo, ngo-313 C.E., uConstantine kanye nayebusa naye, uLicinius, bakhipha umyalo owawunikeza inkululeko engokwenkolo kumaKristu kanye namaqaba ngokufanayo. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ukunikeza kukaConstantine amaKristu inkululeko yokukhulekela, okwakuphawula ukuthi ubuKristu babuqashelwa ngokomthetho njenge-religio licita [inkolo esemthethweni] ngaphandle kobuqaba, kwakuwumthetho oletha izinguquko.”

Nokho, i-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “[UConstantine] akazange enze ukuba ubuKristu bube inkolo yombuso.” Isazi-mlando saseFrance uJean-Rémy Palanque, ilungu le-Institute of France, siyabhala: “Nokho, uMbuso waseRoma . . . wasala ungowobuqaba ngokomthetho. Futhi uConstantine, lapho ezihlanganisa nenkolo kaKristu, akaphumelelanga ukuqeda lesosimo.” Encwadini ethi The Legacy of Rome, uProfesa Ernest Barker wathi: “[Ukunqoba kukaConstantine] akuphumelanga ekumisweni ngokushesha kobuKristu njengenkolo yoMbuso. UConstantine wayenelisekile ukuqaphela ubuKristu njengenye yezindlela zomphakathi zokukhulekela zombuso. Eminyakeni engamashumi ayisikhombisa eyalandela imikhosi emidala yobuqaba yayenziwa ngokomthetho eRoma.”

Ngakho kulelizinga “ubuKristu” babuyinkolo esemthethweni eMbusweni wamaRoma. Ngomqondo ophelele, yaqala nini ukuba inkolo yoMbuso esemthethweni? Kuyi-New Catholic Encyclopedia sifunda ukuthi: “Inkambiso [kaConstantine] yaqhutshwa ababemlandela ngaphandle kukaJulian [361-363 C.E.], okushushisa kwakhe ubuKristu kwaqedwa kabuhlungu ukufa kwakhe. Ekugcineni, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine, uTheodosius Omkhulu [379-395 C.E.] wenza ubuKristu baba inkolo yoMbuso esemthethweni futhi waqeda ukukhulekela komphakathi kobuqaba.”

Siqinisekisa lokhu futhi sembula ukuthi kwakuyiyiphi leyonkolo yoMbuso entsha, isazi seBhayibheli nesiyisazi-mlando u-F. J. Foakes Jackson sabhala: “Ngaphansi kukaConstantine ubuKristu nombuso wamaRoma kwahlanganiswa. Ngaphansi kukaTheodosius kwakunobunye. . . . Kusukela ngalesosikhathi igama lobuKatolika kwadingeka libekelwe eceleni ngenxa yalabo ababekhulekela uYise, iNdodana noMoya Ongcwele ngenhlonipho elinganayo. Yonke inkambiso engokwenkolo yalombusi yayiqondiswe kulenjongo, futhi yaphumela ekubeni iSonto lobuKatolika libe inkolo eyodwa esemthethweni yamaRoma.”

UJean-Rémy Palanque wabhala: “UTheodosius, nakuba ayenqanda ubuqaba, wabuye wasekela iSonto labadla ngoludala [ubuKatolika]; umyalo wakhe ka-380 C.E. wawutshela bonke abantu abangaphansi kwakhe ukuba bakholelwe kuPapa Damasus kanye nombhishobhi wase-Alexandria [okholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu] futhi bonke ababephikisa wabancisha inkululeko yokukhulekela. UMkhandlu omkhulu waseConstantinople (381) waphinda walahla zonke izinkolelo eziphikisana nemfundiso yesonto, futhi umbusi waqikelela ukuthi akekho umbhishobhi owayezozisekela. UbuKristu baseNicaea [obukholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu] base buyinkolo yoMbuso ngempela . . . ISonto lalinobunye obuseduze noMbuso futhi likujabulela ukusekela kwalo okukhethekile.”

Ngaleyondlela, kwakungebona ubuKristu obungaxutshwe nalutho bezinsuku zabaphostoli obaba inkolo yoMbuso yoMbuso wamaRoma. KwakuwubuKatolika obukholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu bekhulu lesine, obamiswa ngempoqo uMbusi uTheodosius I futhi baqhutshwa iSonto lamaRoma Katolika, empeleni obabuyingxenye yalelizwe futhi obuseyiyo namanje.

[Umthombo]

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

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 8]

Scala/Art Resource, N.Y.