Ingabe Abalweli Bokholo—Babengabavikeli BobuKristu Noma Bamafilosofi?

UKULALA NESIHLOBO, ukubulala izingane, ukudla inyama yomuntu—lezi ezinye zezenzo amaKristu ekhulu lesibili C.E. abekwa icala lokuthi ayezenza. Lokhu kwaholela ekuqubukeni koshushiso olukhulu olwabangela ukuba ababhali ababezibiza ngamaKristu bazizwe bephoqelekile ukuvikela ukholo lwabo. Laba babhali, kamuva ababizwa ngokuthi bangabalweli bokholo noma abavikeli bezinkolelo, bazimisela ukufakazela ukuthi inkolo yawo yayingeyona ingozi ukuze iziphathimandla zamaRoma nomphakathi wonkana uwabheke ngendlela ehlukile. Kwakuyingozi ukwenza lokhu ngoba ngokuvamile, ukuze kugcinwe ukuthula kwakufanele bavele bahambisane nombono wombuso nomphakathi. Enye ingozi enkulu yayiwukuthi lokhu kwakungalushubisa ushushiso noma kuphazamise inkolo yobuKristu. Abalweli bokholo baluvikela kanjani ukholo lwabo? Baluvikela ngamaphi amaphuzu? Imizamo yabo yaba namiphi imiphumela?

Abalweli Bokholo Nombuso WaseRoma

Abalweli bokholo babengamadoda afundile aphila ngekhulu lesibili nasekuqaleni kwelesithathu. Adume kakhulu phakathi kwawo kwakunguJustin Martyr, uClement wase-Alexandria noTertullian. * Izincwadi zabo zaziqondiswe ngokuyinhloko emaqabeni nasezikhulwini zamaRoma, ngenjongo yokuchaza inkolo yamaKristu, futhi ayevame ukucaphuna iBhayibheli. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, abalweli bokholo babhekana ngqo nabashushisi, baphika amacala ababethweswe wona futhi bawamelela kahle amaKristu.

Enye yezinto eziyinhloko abalweli bokholo ababefuna ukuyifinyelela kwakuwukukholisa iziphathimandla zezombusazwe ukuthi amaKristu ayengezona izitha zombusi noma zombuso. UTertullian wathi umbusi ‘wayebekwe uNkulunkulu wethu,’ futhi u-Athenagoras walwela ukuthi ubukhosi bugcinwe emndenini owodwa. Ngokwenza kanjalo, bazifaka kwezombusazwe zangaleso sikhathi. Leso senzo sabonisa ukuwashaya indiva amazwi kaJesu Kristu athi: “Umbuso  wami awuyona ingxenye yaleli zwe.”—Johane 18:36.

Abalweli bokholo basikisela nokuthi kufanele iRoma nenkolo yamaKristu isebenzelane eduze. NgokukaMelito, lezi zinhlangano ezimbili zaziyintonye futhi zinegalelo elikhulu enhlalakahleni yombuso. Umbhali ongaziwa wencwadi ethi The Epistle to Diognetus wathi amaKristu anjengenhliziyo ‘egcina umhlaba ubumbene.’ UTertullian naye wathi amaKristu athandazela ukuchuma kombuso nokuthi ukuphela kwesimiso sezinto kungafiki ngokushesha. Ngakho, ukufika koMbuso kaNkulunkulu kwenziwa kwabonakala kungabalulekile kangako.—Mathewu 6:9, 10.

“UbuKristu” Buba Ifilosofi

UCelsus, isazi sefilosofi, wahlekisa ngamaKristu wawachaza ngokuthi “ayizisebenzi, abakhandi bezicathulo, abalimi, abantu abangazi lutho nabayiziphukuphuku kunabo bonke.” Abalweli bokholo behluleka ukubekezelela ukwenziwa inhlekisa. Beza necebo elisha ukuze benze umphakathi ube sohlangothini lwabo. Ukuhlakanipha kwezwe ababengakufuni ngaphambili bakusebenzisa ukuze bachaze “ubuKristu.” Ngokwesibonelo, uClement wase-Alexandria wabona ifilosofi iyiyona “mfundiso yeqiniso.” Nakuba uJustin athi akayifuni ifilosofi yobuqaba, waba ngowokuqala ukusebenzisa ulimi namagama efilosofi ukuze achaze izinkolelo “zobuKristu,” ebheka lolu hlobo lwefilosofi “njengoluphephile noluzuzisayo.”

Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, umgomo kwakungasekhona ukumelana nefilosofi, kodwa ukwenza izinkolelo zobuKristu zibe yifilosofi ephakeme kuneyamaqaba. UJustin wabhala: “Kwamanye amaphuzu sifundisa okufanayo nezimbongi nezazi zefilosofi enizihloniphayo, kanti kwamanye sifundisa kakhulu ngoNkulunkulu.” Njengoba inkolelo yobuKristu yayisihlotshiswe ngefilosofi entsha, izinkolelo “zobuKristu” zaqala ukubhekwa njengeziyisidala. Abalweli bokholo bathi izincwadi zamaKristu zindala kakhulu kunalezo zamaGreki futhi abaprofethi beBhayibheli baphila ngaphambi kwezazi zefilosofi yamaGreki. Abathile phakathi kwabo baze baphetha ngokuthi izazi zefilosofi zazihamba ezinyathelweni zabaprofethi, baze balimisa ngesihloko elokuthi uPlato wayengumfundi kaMose!

Ukuhlanekezelwa KobuKristu

Icebo elisha laxuba ubuKristu nefilosofi yamaqaba. Kwafaniswa onkulunkulu bamaGreki nabantu baseBhayibhelini. UJesu wafaniswa noPerseus; ukukhulelwa kukaMariya kwafaniswa nokukanina kaPerseus, uDanaë, naye okuthiwa wayeyincasakazi.

 Izimfundiso ezithile zashintshwa kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, eBhayibhelini uJesu ubizwa ngokuthi “uLogos,” okusho ukuthi “uLizwi” kaNkulunkulu, noma uMkhulumeli. (Johane 1:1-3, 14-18; IsAmbulo 19:11-13) Zisuka nje, uJustin wayihlanekezela le mfundiso. Wasebenzisa lokho okungase kube yizincazelo ezimbili zegama lesiGreki elithi logos: “izwi” “nokuqonda.” Wathi amaKristu athola izwi kuKristu uqobo. Nokho, encazelweni yesibili ewukuqonda, wathi ukuqonda kutholakala kuwo wonke umuntu kuhlanganise namaqaba. Ngakho, waphetha ngokuthi bonke abaphila ngokuqonda bangamaKristu, ngisho nalabo abathi noma okuthiwa abakholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, njengoSocrates nabanye.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokuphoqa ukufana phakathi kukaJesu kanye nendlela ifilosofi yamaGreki echaza ngayo elithi logos, eyayihlotshaniswa kakhulu noNkulunkulu, abalweli bokholo, kuhlanganise noTertullian, baqala inkolelo eyagcina iholele ubuKristu emfundisweni kaZiqu-zintathu. *

Igama elithi “umphefumulo” livela izikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-850 eBhayibhelini, kuhlanganise nezikhathi ezingaphezu kweziyikhulu libhalwe ngesiGreki. Ngokuyisisekelo, lisho izidalwa eziphilayo, ezingafa—kungaba umuntu noma isilwane. (1 Korinte 15:45; Jakobe 5:20; IsAmbulo 16:3) Nokho, abalweli bokholo bayisonta le mfundiso yeBhayibheli ngokuyihlobanisa nefilosofi kaPlato ethi umphefumulo uyaphuma emzimbeni, awubonakali futhi awufi. UMinucius Felix waze wagomela ngokuthi inkolelo yovuko yaqala kudala ngesikhathi semfundiso kaPythagoras yokuthi umphefumulo uyahamba uye kwenye indawo. Yeka indlela ithonya lamaGreki elase libaqhelisa ngayo ezimfundisweni zeBhayibheli!

Ukukhetha Okubi

Abanye abalweli bokholo basola ukuthi ifilosofi yayingase ibe yingozi enkolweni yobuKristu. Nakuba babezigxeka izazi zefilosofi, kodwa babeyithanda indlela ezazibheka futhi zisebenzisa ngayo ifilosofi. Ngokwesibonelo, uTatian wazihlaba izazi zefilosofi ngokungafezi lutho oluhle, kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo, wabiza inkolo yobuKristu ngokuthi “ifilosofi yethu” futhi wathuthukisa izinkolelo ezithile zefilosofi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uTertullian waligxeka kakhulu ithonya lefilosofi yamaqaba ekucabangeni kwamaKristu. Kodwa yena futhi wathi ufuna ukulandela ezinyathelweni “zikaJustin, isazi sefilosofi nomfel’ ukholo; uMiltiades, isazi esiphikisa amasonto ngobuqili,” nabanye. U-Athenagoras wayezibiza “ngomKristu oyisazi sefilosofi sase-Athene.” Kuthiwa uClement wayenomuzwa wokuthi “amaKristu angayisebenzisa ngobuchule ifilosofi ukuze ahlakaniphe futhi avikele inkolo yawo.”

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyiphi impumelelo okungenzeka yafinyelelwa yilaba balweli bokholo ekuvikeleni ukholo lwabo, kodwa benza iphutha elikhulu ngesikhathi bezama ukuzivikela. Kanjani? Umphostoli uPawulu wakhumbuza amaKristu ukuthi phakathi kwezikhali zomoya ayenazo, asikho esasinamandla ukwedlula “izwi likaNkulunkulu,” alichaza ngokuthi  “liyaphila, linamandla.” Wathi ngalo “sigumbuqela imicabango kanye nayo yonke into ephakeme ephakanyiswe yamelana nolwazi ngoNkulunkulu.”—Hebheru 4:12; 2 Korinte 10:4, 5; Efesu 6:17.

Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokuba abulawe, uJesu watshela abafundi bakhe: “Yimani isibindi! Mina ngilinqobile izwe.” (Johane 16:33) Izilingo nezinsizi abhekana nazo emhlabeni azizange ziluqede ukholo nokwethembeka kwakhe kuYise. Ngendlela efanayo, uJohane, umphostoli owafa ekugcineni, wabhala: “Lokhu kungukunqoba okunqobe izwe, ukholo lwethu.” (1 Johane 5:4) Nakuba abalweli bokholo babefuna ukuvikela ubuKristu, benza ukukhetha okubi ngokwamukela nangokusebenzisa imibono yefilosofi yezwe. Ngokwenza kanjalo, bazivumela ukuba bayengwe yilawo mafilosofi; eqinisweni, bavumela ukuba izwe libanqobe libaphuce nophawu lwabo lobuKristu. Ngakho, bengaqaphele, esikhundleni sokumelela nokuvikela inkolo yobuKristu beqiniso, abalweli bokholo besonto lekhulu lesibili nelesithathu bawela esicuphweni sikaSathane ‘oqhubeka eziguqula ingelosi yokukhanya.’—2 Korinte 11:14.

Abefundisi nezazi zenkolo zamasonto namuhla nabo baye benza okufanayo. Kunokuvikela ubuKristu beqiniso ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu, bavame ukulithunaza iBhayibheli futhi baphendukele emafilosofini ezwe lapho befundisa ngenjongo yokuthandwa abantu nokuchuma. Kunokuba baxwayise ngezingozi zemikhuba yezwe engqubuzana nemiBhalo, baye benza konke okusemandleni ukuze “bakitaze izindlebe” zalabo ababalalele, bathole nabalandeli. (2 Thimothewu 4:3) Ngokudabukisayo, njengoba kwenza abalweli bokholo bokuqala, laba befundisi baye basishaya indiva isixwayiso sabaphostoli: “Xwayani: mhlawumbe kungase kube khona oyomuka nani njengezisulu zakhe ngefilosofi nangenkohliso eyize ngokwesiko labantu, ngokwezinto zokucathula zezwe hhayi ngokukaKristu.” Sikhunjuzwa nokuthi ‘ukuphela kwabo kuyoba njengokwemisebenzi yabo.’—Kolose 2:8; 2 Korinte 11:15.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 31]

“Sigumbuqela imicabango kanye nayo yonke into ephakeme ephakanyiswe yamelana nolwazi ngoNkulunkulu.”—2 KORINTE 10:5

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

KuJustin, ukulingisa ifilosofi “kwakuphephile futhi kuzuzisa”

[Isithombe ekhasini 29]

UClement wayebheka ifilosofi ‘njengemfundiso eyiqiniso’

[Isithombe ekhasini 29]

Ukuhlobanisa kuka-Tertullian ifilosofi nobu-Kristu kwaholela emfu-ndisweni kaZiqu-zintathu

[Isithombe ekhasini 29]

UTatian wabiza ubuKristu ngokuthi “ifilosofi yethu”

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

Abefundisi nezazi zanamuhla baye balandela emkhondweni wabalweli bokholo

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa ngamafilosofi nangokukhohlisa kwabantu

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 29]

Clement: Historical Pictures Service; Tertullian: © Bibliothèque nationale de France