UTertullian Oyindida

‘BAFANA ngani umKristu nesazi sefilosofi? umuntu olonakalisayo iqiniso, nomuntu olibuyiselayo futhi alifundise? Kunakuvumelana kuni phakathi kweSikole [sikaPlato] semfundo ephakeme neSonto?’ Le mibuzo ephonsa inselele yabuzwa nguTertullian, umlobi wekhulu lesibili nelesithathu C.E. Wagcina esaziwa ngokuthi “omunye wemithombo onensada yezindaba zomlando weSonto nowezimfundiso ezazifundiswa ngesikhathi sakhe.” Cishe asikho isici sokuphila okungokwenkolo esamphunyuka.

Mhlawumbe uTertullian wayedume kakhulu ngamazwi akhe ayindida, azwakala eziphikisa, njengalawa: “Khona-ke uNkulunkulu mkhulu ngokukhethekile, lapho emncane.” “[Ukufa kweNdodana kaNkulunkulu] kumelwe impela kukholelwe, ngoba akunangqondo.” “[UJesu] wangcwatshwa, waphinde wavuka; kuqinisekile lokhu, ngoba yinto engenakwenzeka.”

Akuwona nje amazwi akhe kuphela uTertullian ayeyindida. Nakuba ayehlose ukuba izincwadi zakhe zilwele iqiniso futhi ziphakamise ubuqotho besonto nezimfundiso zalo, empeleni wonakalisa izimfundiso eziyiqiniso. Iqhaza eliyinhloko aba nalo kweLobukholwa laba umbono abalobi bakamuva abakhela kuwo imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu. Ukuze siqonde ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani lokhu, ake siqale sibheke uTertullian ngokwakhe.

“Uhlale Enezinto Ezithakazelisayo”

Kuncane kakhulu okwaziwayo ngokuphila kukaTertullian. Iningi lezazi liyavuma ukuthi wazalelwa eCarthage, eNyakatho Afrika, cishe ngo-160 C.E. Ngokusobala wayefundile impela futhi enolwazi oluhle lwemikhakha eyinhloko yefilosofi yosuku lwakhe. Kubonakala sengathi okwamdonsela ebuKristwini ukuzimisela kwababezibiza ngamaKristu ukufela ukholo lwabo. Mayelana nokufela kwamaKristu ukholo, wabuza: “Ngoba ubani okuthi uma ecabanga ngako, angabi nogqozi lokwazi ukuthi kushukunyiswa yini? ubani okuthi ngemva kokuba esebuzile, angazamukeli izimfundiso zethu?”

Ngemva kokuguqukela kwakhe kulokho akubiza ngobuKristu, uTertullian waba umlobi onekhono lokusungula izinto ezintsha nelokubhala ngamazwi anqamulelayo nakhaliphile. “Wayenekhono elaliyivelakancane phakathi kwezazi zemfundiso yenkolo,” kusho incwadi ethi The Fathers of the Church. “Uhlale enezinto ezithakazelisayo.” Esinye isazi sathi: “UTertullian [waye]nesiphiwo samagama engaphiwanga emishweni futhi kulula ukuqonda amazwi akhe akhaliphile kunokuqonda izinkulumo zakhe ayeveza kuzo amaphuzu akhe. Mhlawumbe yilesi sizathu esenza ukuba yize ecashunwa kaningi kuqabukela ukuba kucashunwe izindima ezinde.”

Ulwela UbuKristu

Incwadi kaTertullian edume kakhulu yile okuthiwa yi-Apology, ebhekwa njengenye yezincwadi ezinamandla kakhulu ezalwela ubuKristu bokuzisholo. Yabhalwa ngesikhathi lapho amaKristu ayevame kakhulu ukuhlaselwa yizixuku ezazinezinkolelo-ze. UTertullian wawalwela la maKristu, waphikisana nokuhlukunyezwa kwawo okungenangqondo. Wathi: “[Abaphikisi] bathi  amaKristu ayimbangela yazo zonke izinhlekelele zomphakathi nawo wonke amashwa abantu. . . . Uma iNayile ingagcwali ifike emasimini, nezulu lingashintshi, uma kuba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba, indlala, inhlupho ethile—kuvele kuthiwe: ‘Phonsani amaKristu engonyameni!’”

Nakuba amaKristu ayevamile ukumangalelwa ngokuthi awaqotho kuHulumeni, uTertullian wazama ukubonisa ukuthi empeleni ayeyizakhamuzi ezinokwethenjelwa kunazo zonke embusweni. Ngemva kokuphawula imizamo eminingana yokugumbuqela uhulumeni eyayenziwe, wakhumbuza abaphikisi bakhe ukuthi labo bakhi bozungu babengamaqaba, hhayi amaKristu. UTertullian waveza ukuthi lapho kubulawa amaKristu, empeleni kwakulahlekelwa uHulumeni.

Ezinye izincwadi zikaTertullian zaziphathelene nokuphila kobuKristu. Ngokwesibonelo, esichasiselweni sakhe esithi On the Shows, uTertullian waxwayisa ngokuya ezindaweni ezithile zokuzijabulisa, emidlalweni yamaqaba nakweyaseshashalazini. Kubonakala sengathi kwakunababesanda kuguquka ababengaboni kungqubuzana ekuhlanganeni bathole imfundo yeBhayibheli bese beya emidlalweni yamaqaba. Ezama ukubenza bacabange, uTertullian wabhala: “Yeka ukuthi kubi kanjani ukusuka ebandleni likaNkulunkulu uye kwelikadeveli—usuke esibhakabhakeni uye egoqweni lezingulube.” Wathi: “Lokho enikwenqaba ngezenzo, akufanele nikwamukele ngamazwi.”

Wonakalisa Iqiniso Ethi Uyalilwela

UTertullian waqala indaba yakhe enesihloko esithi Against Praxeas ngokuthi: “Udeveli uye wabangisa iqiniso futhi wamelana nalo ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. Ngezinye izikhathi inhloso yakhe bekuwukushabalalisa iqiniso ngokulilwela.” Ukuthi ngubani lo muntu okuthiwa nguPraxeas okukhulunywa ngaye kule ndaba akucaci, kodwa uTertullian waziphonsela inselele izimfundiso zakhe eziphathelene noNkulunkulu noKristu. Wayebheka uPraxeas njengesimbamgodi sikaSathane ozama ukonakalisa ubuKristu ngesinyenyela.

Impikiswano ebucayi phakathi kwababethi bangamaKristu ngaleso sikhathi kwakuwukuhlobana kukaNkulunkulu noKristu. Abanye phakathi kwawo, ikakhulu labo ababenesizinda sobuGreki, babekuthola kunzima ukuvumelanisa ukukholelwa kuNkulunkulu oyedwa nendima kaJesu njengoMsindisi noMhlengi. UPraxeas wazama ukubaxazululela le nkinga ngokufundisa ukuthi uJesu umane uwukubonakaliswa okuhlukile kukaYise, ethi akukho mehluko phakathi kukaYise neNdodana. Lo mbono, owaziwa ngokuthi yi-modalism [ukuba nesimo esishintshashintshayo], uthi uNkulunkulu wazembula “njengoYise ngesikhathi seNdalo nalapho enikeza uMthetho, wazembula njengeNdodana ngoJesu Kristu, nanjengoMoya Ongcwele ngemva kokwenyukela kukaKristu ezulwini.”

UTertullian wabonisa ukuthi imiBhalo ikwenza kucace ukuthi uYise neNdodana bahlukene. Ngemva kokucaphuna eyoku-1 Korinte 15:27, 28, wathi: “Lowo owabeka (zonke izinto) phansi, naLowo ezabekwa phansi kwakhe—kumelwe  nakanjani babe aBantu ababili abahlukene.” UTertullian wadonsela ukunaka emazwini kaJesu uqobo: “UBaba mkhulu kunami.” (Johane 14:28) Esebenzisa izingxenye zemiBhalo yesiHeberu, njengeHubo 8:5, wabonisa indlela iBhayibheli elichaza ngayo ukuthi iNdodana “ingaphansi.” “Kanjalo uYise uhlukile eNdodaneni, njengoba emkhulu kuneNdodana,” kuphetha uTertullian. “Njengoba nje Lowo ozalayo, naLowo ozalwayo bengabantu ababili abahlukene; ngokufanayo, Lowo othumayo naLowo othunywayo bangabantu abahlukene; naLowo owenzayo naLowo into ethile eyenziwa ngaye nabo bahlukene.”

UTertullian wayebheka iNdodana njengengaphansi kukaYise. Nokho, emzamweni wakhe wokuphikisa le mfundiso yokuba nesimo esishintshashintshayo, ‘weqela ngalé kwezinto ezilotshiweyo.’ (1 Korinte 4:6) Njengoba uTertullian ayenza iphutha lokuzama ukufakazela ukuthi uJesu ungowaphezulu ngokusebenzisa omunye umbono, wasungula umqondo othi “isimo esisodwa kubantu abathathu.” Esebenzisa lo mqondo, wazama ukubonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu, iNdodana yakhe nomoya ongcwele bangabantu abathathu abahlukene abayisimo esisodwa saphezulu. Kanjalo uTertullian waba ngowokuqala ukusebenzisa igama lesiLatini elisho “uziqu-zintathu” kuYise, iNdodana, nomoya ongcwele.

Qaphela Ifilosofi Yezwe

UTertullian wakwazi kanjani ukuqamba umbono ‘wesimo esisodwa kubantu abathathu’? Impendulo itholakala kokunye futhi okuyindida ngalo muntu—umbono wakhe ngefilosofi. UTertullian wayebiza ifilosofi ngokuthi “‘izimfundiso’ zabantu ‘nezamademoni.’” Wakugxeka obala ukusebenzisa ifilosofi ukuze usekele amaqiniso obuKristu. “Ayiyekwe yonke imizamo yokwakha ubuKristu obonakalisiwe obuyinhlanganisela yezinkolelo zobuStoic nezikaPlato nezicatshangelwayo,” esho. Kodwa uTertullian ngokwakhe wayeyisebenzisa kakhulu ifilosofi yezwe lapho ivumelana nemiqondo yakhe.—Kolose 2:8.

Enye incwadi ithi: “Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu yayidinga ukuphaswa yimiqondo nemikhakha yamaGreki ukuze ikhule futhi icace.” Incwadi ethi The Theology of Tertullian ithi: “Kwakuyingxube exakayo yemiqondo namagama ezomthetho nawefilosofi, eyenza ukuba uTertullian achaze imfundiso kaziqu-zintathu ngendlela okwathi nakuba ilinganiselwe futhi inamaphutha, yaba uhlaka lokwethulwa kwale mfundiso eMkhandlwini WaseNicaea.” Ngakho, umqondo kaTertullian—wabantu abathathu esimweni esisodwa saphezulu—waba nendima eyinhloko ekusakazekeni kwephutha elingokwenkolo kulo lonke eLobukholwa.

UTertullian wagxeka abanye ngokuthi bonakalisa iqiniso bebe bezama ukulilwela. Nokho, kuyindida ukuthi ngokuxuba iqiniso leBhayibheli eliphefumulelwe ngokwaphezulu nefilosofi yabantu, naye wangena kulo lolo gibe. Ngakho-ke, masilalele isixwayiso esingokomBhalo esiphathelene ‘nokunaka amazwi aphefumulelwe adukisayo nezimfundiso zamademoni.’—1 Thimothewu 4:1.

[Izithombe ekhasini 29, 30]

UTertullian wayigxeka ifilosofi kodwa wajike wayisebenzisa ukuze athuthukise imiqondo yakhe

[Umthombo]

Pages 29 and 30: © Cliché Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

AmaKristu eqiniso ayakugwema ukuxuba iqiniso leBhayibheli nefilosofi yabantu