Awazange Akucabange Nakancane Ukuhlehla!

ISANDLA sikaJehova sasinabalandeli bakaJesu Kristu bakuqala. (IzEnzo 11:21) Ngosizo lukaNkulunkulu, baphishekela inkambo yobuqotho ngokungahlehli. Kuyiqiniso elaziwayo ukuthi babhekana nenzondo ngisho nokushushiswa okunzima.

Ubuqotho babalandeli bakaKristu bokuqala abathembekile buyiqiniso elaziwa kakhulu. Ngisho nakuba kwakusho ukulahlekelwa ukuphila kwabo, benqaba ukuhlehla okholweni lwabo. Kodwa kungani babephathwa ngonya kangaka?

Ukuzondwa Ngaphandle Kwesizathu

NjengoJesu, amaKristu eqiniso awazange abe nemigomo kanye nezinkolelo ezifana nezalelizwe. (1 Johane 4:4-6) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukwanda kobuKristu “kwakushesha kakhulu, futhi impumelelo yabo yayiphawuleka kangangokuba ukungqubuzana [nombuso omkhulu waseRoma] kwakungenakugwenywa,” kuphawula isazimlando u-Edmond de Pressensé.

UJesu wake walisebenzisa kuye uqobo ihubo eliyisiprofetho, ethi: “Bangizonda ngeze.” (Johane 15:25; IHubo 69:4) Ngaphambi kokuba atshele abafundi bakhe lokhu, wayebaxwayisile: “Inceku ayinkulu kunenkosi yayo. Uma bengizingele mina‚ nani bayakunizingela.” (Johane 15:20) Kwakungeke kube lula ukulandela ezinyathelweni zakhe. Esinye isizathu siwukuthi, abaholi benkolo ababephakathi kwamaJuda babeyophatha abafundi bakaJesu abangamaJuda njengezihlubuki ezihlubuke ebuJudeni. Nokho, lapho kushaywa umthetho wokuba abalandeli bakaJesu bangabe besakhuluma ngaye, benqaba ukulalela futhi ngaleyondlela bahlehle okholweni lwabo.—IzEnzo 4:17-20; 5:27-32.

Ebufakazini obanikezwa kuyiSanhedrin yamaJuda ngokushesha ngemva kwePentekoste lika-33 C.E., umfundi uStefanu wamangalelwa ngokuthi ‘wayekhuluma amazwi enhlamba ngoMose nangoNkulunkulu.’ Njengoba izinto ayemangalelwe ngazo zazizimbi kakhulu, wakhandwa ngamatshe waze wafa. Ngenxa yalokho, “kwavela ukuzingelwa okukhulu kwebandla laseJerusalema,” futhi “bahlakazeka bonke emazweni aseJudiya naseSamariya; kwasala abaphostoli bodwa.” (IzEnzo 6:11, 13; 8:1) Abaningi bavalelwa emajele.

AmaJuda athungatha abalandeli bakaJesu “ngenzondo engenakudanjiswa,” kusho incwadi  ethi Christianity and the Roman Empire. Phela, ngokuvamile uhulumeni wamaRoma kwakufanele uthathe isinyathelo ukuze uvikele amaKristu! Ngokwesibonelo, amasosha amaRoma asindisa umphostoli uPawulu ekuhlongozeni kwamaJuda ukumbulala. (IzEnzo 21:26-36) Nokho, ubuhlobo phakathi kwamaKristu namaRoma baqhubeka bungebuhle.

IRoma Ishubisa Ushushiso

Iminyaka ecishe ibe yisishiyagalolunye ngemva kokufa kukaStefanu, umbusi wamaRoma uHerod Agrippa I wenza ukuba umphostoli uJakobe abulawe ukuze athandwe amaJuda. (IzEnzo 12:1-3) Ngalesosikhathi, ukukholelwa kuKristu kwase kusakazekele eRoma. (IzEnzo 2:10) Ngo-64 C.E., ingxenye enkulu yalowomuzi yabhujiswa ngomlilo. Ukushushiswa okwesabekayo kwamaKristu kwalandela ngemva kokuba uNero ewasolile ngalenhlekelele emzamweni wokuqeda amahlebezi okuthi uyena owathungela umlilo. Ingabe lomuzi wawuthungela ngomlilo ukuze athole ibhaxa lokuphinde awakhe ube nobukhazikhazi obengeziwe futhi awethe ngokuthi i-Neropolis okuyigama elisuselwa kwelakhe? Noma ingabe isinqumo sakhe sokuwamangalela sathonywa umndlunkulu wakhe uPoppaea, umproselite ongumJuda owayaziwa ngenzondo ayenayo ngamaKristu? Abacwaningi abaqiniseki, kodwa umphumela wawesabisa.

Isazimlando esingumRoma uTacitus sithi: “Ukufa kwawo kwakuhambisana nokugconwa; embozwe ngezikhumba zezilwane, [amaKristu] ayedephulwa yizinja; ayebethelwa eziphambanweni; ayephonswa emalangabini futhi ashe, ukuze abe yinkanyiso yasebusuku,” izibani ezingabantu ukuze zikhanyise izingadi zenkosi. UTacitus owayengesiye neze umngane wamaKristu, uyanezela: “Nakuba ayenecala, futhi efanelwe isijeziso esiyisibonelo, ayedabukisa, njengoba ayengasabulawa ukuze kuzuze umphakathi, kodwa ukuze kwaneliswe unya lomuntu oyedwa,” uNero.

Umehluko Ocacile

Nakuba ukumangalela amaKristu ngokubhujiswa kweRoma kwakufeza injongo kaNero, akazange awavimbele ngokomthetho noma alahle ubuKristu njengobungekho emthethweni njengenkolo eseMbusweni. Ngakho kungani amaRoma ayehambisana noshushiso? Kungenxa yokuthi “imiphakathi emincane yamaKristu ngokuzinikela kwayo enkolweni kanye nokuhlonipheka kwayo yayilikhathaza izwe lobuqaba elithanda injabulo ngokweqile,” kusho isazimlando uWill Durant. Umehluko phakathi kobuKristu kanye nokuchitha igazi kwemincintiswano yokulwa yaseRoma wawumkhulu kakhulu. Ithuba lokuba amaRoma aphelise amaKristu futhi ngaleyondlela akhulule onembeza bawo ayengeke angalisebenzisi.

Njengombuso wezwe, iRoma yabonakala ingenakunqotshwa. AmaRoma ayekholelwa ukuthi  esinye sezizathu sokuba kwawo omakhonya kwezempi sasiwukukhulekela kwawo bonke onkulunkulu. Khona-ke ayekuthola kunzima ukuqonda inkolelo ehlukile yamaKristu yokuthi kunoNkulunkulu oyedwa kanye nokwenqaba kwawo bonke abanye onkulunkulu, kuhlanganise nokukhulekela umbusi. Kwakungamangazi ukuthi iRoma yayibheka ubuKristu njengethonya elalizenza buthakathaka zona kanye izisekelo zombuso.

Umvuzo Wokunikeza Ubufakazi

Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E., umphostoli uJohane wadingiselwa esiqhingini sasePhatmose “ngenxa yezwi likaNkulunkulu nangenxa yobufakazi bukaJesu.” (IsAmbulo 1:9) Kukholelwa ukuthi umbusi ongumRoma uDomitian owabangela lokhu. Nokho, naphezu kokucindezela okwalethwa phezu kwabalandeli bakaJesu, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka, ubuKristu base busakazekele kuwo wonke uMbuso wamaRoma. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu? I-History of the Early Church ithi ubuKristu ‘benziwa inkonzo yabo ukuba bungabhidliki.’ NjengoJohane, amaKristu akuqala ayeshushiswa ayengeke ahlehle okholweni lwawo kodwa ngentshiseko aphikelela ekukhulumeni ngoNkulunkulu nasekufakazeni ngoJesu.—IzEnzo 20:20, 21; 2 Thimothewu 4:2.

Ukushushiswa kwamaKristu kwafinyelela omunye umkhakha ngawo-112 C.E., iminyaka emibili ngemva kokuba uMbusi uTrajan emise uPliny njengombusi waseBithynia (manje okuyinyakatho ntshonalanga yeTurkey). Abaphathi bangaphambili bakuleyondawo babeyekelela, okwakubangela isiphithiphithi. Amathempeli ayengasanakekelwa, futhi kwehla kakhulu ukudayiswa kwefolishi lezilwane okwakwenziwa ngazo umnikelo. Abahwebi basola ukungabi namicikilisho kokukhulekela kwamaKristu, ngoba yayingenziwa imihlatshelo yezilwane neyezithombe.

UPliny wasebenza kanzima ukuze abuyisele ukukhulekela kobuqaba, kuyilapho amaKristu ayekhokha ngokuphila kwawo ngenxa yokwenqaba ukunikela iwayini nempepho phambi kwezithombe eziqoshiwe zombusi. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, iziphathimandla zamaRoma zavuma ukuthi amaKristu “ayengabantu abanokuziphatha okuhle, kodwa abanenzondo engenakuchazwa ngesiko lakudala elingokwenkolo,” kusho uProfesa Henry Chadwick. Nakuba ukuba umKristu kwahlala kuyisono sokujeziswa ngokufa, abafundi bakaJesu beqiniso abazange bakucabange nakancane ukuhlehla.

Inzondo futhi yabangelwa “ukucasuka okwakuba semikhayeni engamaqaba okwakubangelwa ukuphenduka kwelungu ngalinye,” kusho uProfesa W. M. Ramsay. “Ukuphila emphakathini kwakwenziwa kube nzima kakhulu lapho umakhelwane wakho engavumelani nesiko lomphakathi ngesisekelo sokuthi lalibonisa ukuqaphela onkulunkulu bamaqaba,” kusho uDkt. J. W. C. Wand. Akumangalisi-ke ukuthi abaningi babecabanga ukuthi amaKristu akuqala ayesizonda isintu noma bewabheka njengangakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu.

Ukwanda Kuletha Ushushiso Olwengeziwe

UPolycarp, okubikwa ukuthi wafundiswa umphostoli uJohane, waba umdala ohlonishwayo emzini waseSmyrna (manje okuthiwa i-Izmir). Ngenxa yokholo lwakhe washiselwa esigxotsheni ngo-155 C.E. Umbusi wesifunda saseRoma uStatius Quadratus wabuthela izixuku ndawonye. Inkundla yayigcwele amaqaba anenzondo ayedelela uPolycarp oneminyaka engu-86 ubudala ngenxa yokungakukhuthazi ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu bawo, futhi amaJuda ashiseka ngokweqile ngokuzithandela atheza izinkuni, nakuba kwakudingeka akwenze ngeSabatha elikhulu.

Igagasi loshushiso lahlasela amaKristu kulo lonke elaseRoma. Ngaphansi koMbusi uMarcus Aurelius, kwabulawa amaKristu amaningi kakhulu. Uma ayeyizakhamuzi zaseRoma, ayebulawa ngenkemba; uma kungenjalo, ayebulawa izilwane zasendle ezinkundleni zezemidlalo.  Laliyini icala lawo? Ukuba nje amaKristu enqabayo ukuhlehla noma ukulahla ukholo lwawo.

Idolobha lanamuhla laseFrance iLyons lavela kuyikoloni yamaRoma yaseLugdunum, okuyisikhungo esiyinhloko sokuphatha kanye nokuwukuphela kwendawo yamabutho ezempi phakathi kweRoma noMfula iRhine. Ngo-177 C.E., yayinomphakathi wamaKristu oqinile umphakathi wamaqaba owamelana nawo ngentukuthelo. Lokhu kwaqala lapho amaKristu ekhishwa inyumbazana ezindaweni zomphakathi zokuzijabulisa. Isixuku saphehla udweshu, futhi ushushiso olwalandela lwalulukhulu kangangokuba akekho umKristu owayengazama ukuzifaka engozini yokuphuma endlini yakhe. Umbusi wamaRoma wayaleza ukuba amaKristu afunwe futhi abulawe.

Umvuzo

Lapho abaphostoli bakaJesu befa futhi ithonya labo elivimbelayo liphela, kwaqala ukuhlubuka phakathi kwalabo ababethi bangamaKristu. (2 Thesalonika 2:7) Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine C.E., ubuKristu bezihlubuki baba inkolo yoMbuso. Ngalesosikhathi, ubuKristu bezihlubuki base bonakele futhi buzimisele ukuhlehla nokuzivumelanisa nezwe—okuyinto uJesu kanye nabafundi bakhe bakuqala abangazange bayenze. (Johane 17:16) Nokho, esikhathini esingaphambili uhlu lwezincwadi zeBhayibheli lwase luqediwe, kanye nombhalo walo wokholo lobuKristu.

Ingabe ukuhlupheka kanye nokufa kwezinkulungwane zamaKristu akuqala kwakuyize? Lutho neze! Njengoba ayengacabangi nakancane ngokuhlehla okholweni lwawo, ‘athembeka kwaze kwaba-sekufeni futhi anikwa umqhele wokuphila.’ (IsAmbulo 2:10) Izikhonzi zikaJehova zisashushiswa namanje, kodwa ukholo nobuqotho bamakholwa akuqala akanye nazo kuwumthombo wesikhuthazo esikhulu kuzo. Ngakho, amaKristu osuku lwanamuhla nawo awakucabangi nakancane ukuhlehla.

[Izithombe ekhasini 8, 9]

UNero

Umfanekiso wombuso omkhulu waseRoma

I-altare elalinikezelwe ekukhulekeleni uKesari

[Imithombo]

Nero: Courtesy of The British Museum

Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

UMarcus Aurelius

[Umthombo]

The Bettmann Archive