Kodi Mtanda Uli wa Akristu?

“MAYI WANGA anandipatsa ine.” “Umasonyeza umuna.” “Ndimauvala iwo monga chokometsera.” “Ndingadzimve kukhala wotekeseka popanda iwo.” “Umandichinjiriza ine kuchokera ku choipa.”“Chiri kokha china chake cholenjeka pa unyolowa mkhosi.”

Anayankha motero anthu ambiri amene anafunsidwa chifukwa chimene amavalira mtanda. Ngakhale kuti mwachiwonekere sionse amene amachita tero chifukwa cha kudzipereka kwa chipembedzo, kuvala mtanda kuli kofala kwambiri mu mbali zina za dziko. Ngakhale achichepere a ku Soviet anawonedwa akuvala iwo. Ambiri amagwirizanitsa chizindikiritso chozama cha chipembedzo ku mtanda, popeza, monga mmene wachichepere mmodzi ananenera, “uli wopatulika.”

Koma kodi chiridi choyenera kwa Mkristu kuvala mtanda? Kodi iwo molongosoka umasonyeza njira imene Kristu anafera? Ndipo kodi pali kutsutsa kotsimikizirika ponena za ngakhale kuwuvala iwo monga chokometsera? Kuti tiwone, tiyeni choyamba tiyang’ane pa chiyambi cha mtanda.

Chizindikiro cha Chikristu?

Inu mungayerekeze kuti Akristu anali oyambirira kugwiritsira ntchito mtanda. Komabe, The Encyclopedia Americana, imalankhula ponena za “kugwintsiridwa ntchito kwake kwakale ponse pawiri ndi Ahindu ndi Abuda mu India ndi China, ndiponso ndi Aperisiya, Asuri, ndi Ababulo.” Mofananamo, Chambers’s Encyclopaedia, (kufalitsidwa kwa mu 1969) imanena kuti mtanda “unali chiphiphiritsiro ku chimene chipembedzo ndi matanthauzo achinsinsi anagwirizanitsidwa kale kwambiri isanafike nyengo ya Chikristu.”

Indedi, palibe chitsimikiziro chakuti Akristu oyambirira anagwiritsira ntchito mtanda m’kulambira kwawo. Mkati mwa masiku oyambirira a Chikristu, anali Aroma achikunja omwe anagwiritsira ntchito mtanda! Ikutero The Companion Bible: “Mitanda imeneyi inali kugwiritsiridwa ntchito monga zizindikiro za mulungu wadzuwa wa Chibabulo, . . . ndipo zimawonedwa choyamba pa kobili la Julius Caesar, 100-44 B.C. , ndipo kenaka pa kobili lopangidwa ndi mlowa m’malo wa Caesar (Augustus), 20 B.C.” Mulungu wa chilengedwe wa Aroma Bacchus nthawi zina anaimiridwa ndi nsalu yovala kumutu yokhala ndi unyinji wa mitanda.

Chotero, ndimotani, mmene mtanda unakhalira chizindikiro cha Dziko la Chipembedzo?

Constantine ndi Mtanda

Mu 312 C.E., Constantine, wolamulira gawo limene tsopano limadziwika monga France ndi Britain, ananyamuka kukamenyana nkhondo ndi mlamu wake, Maxentius, wa ku Italy. Ali pa ulendo chikukambidwa kuti anawona masomphenya​—mtanda pa umene panali mawu akuti “Hoc vince,” kutanthauza kuti, “Ndi ichi gonjetsa.” Pambuyo pa chipambano chake, Constantine anapanga mtanda monga maziko a khamu lake lankhondo. Pamene Chikristu pambuyo pake chinakhala chipembedzo cha boma la Ulamuliro wa Chiroma, mtanda unakhala chizindikiro cha tchalitchi.

Koma kodi masomphenya amenewo anachitikadi? Mbiri za nthanthi imeneyi ziri, mwaubwino koposa, zochita kuuzidwa ndipo zodzaza ndi zophophonya. Mowona mtima, chingakhale chovuta kupeza munthu wosayenerera koposa kaamba ka vumbulutso laumulungu kuposa Constantine. Panthawi ya kuyerekezedwa kwa chochitikachi, iye anali wolambira wodzipereka wa mulungu wa dzuwa. Constantine anapereka ngakhale tsiku la Sande monga tsiku la kulambira dzuwa. Khalidwe lake pambuyo pa kotchedwa kutembenuzidwa kwake linaperekanso chitsimikiziro chochepa cha kudzipereka kwenikweni ku maprinsipulo olungama. Kupha anthu, chisembwere, ndi kunyada kwa ndale zadziko kunalamulira moyo wake. Chikuwoneka kuti kwa Constantine, Chikristu chinali mochepera chida cha ndale zadziko cha kugwirizanitsira ufumu wogawanika.

Palinso chitsimikiziro chochepa chakuti mtundu wa mtanda umene Constantine “anawona” unaimira kwenikwenidi chida chomwe anagwiritsira ntchito kupha Kristu. Zomwe zinasindikizidwa pa ndalama zambiri zimene Constantine pambuyo pake anazipanga zinali mitanda ya mpangidwe wa X yokhala ndi “P” wosindikizidwa pakati pake. (Onani chisonyezero. ) An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, yolembedwa ndi W. E. Vine, imanena kuti: “Ponena za Chi, kapena X, zimene Constantine analengeza kuti anaziwona m’masomphenya zomwe zinam’tsogolera iye ku kupititsa patsogolo chikhulupiriro cha Chikristu, lemba limenelo linali liwu lachidule la liwu lakuti ‘Kristu’ [mu chinenero cha Chigriki] ndipo inalibe china chirichonse cha kuchita ndi ‘Mtanda,’” kunena kuti, monga chida cha kuphera. M’chenicheni, mtundu umenewu wa mtanda uli chifupifupi wofanana ndi chizindikiro chachikunja cha dzuwa.

Nchifukwa ninji, nanga, mtanda unalandiridwa mopepuka chotero ndi “Akristu”? Dictionary ya Vine ikupitiriza: “Pofika pakati pa zana la chitatu A. D. matchalitchi anali kaya atachoka, kapena anali kutsanzira, ziphunzitso zina zake za chikhulupiriro cha Chikristu. Ndi cholinga chofuna kuwonjezera kunyada kwa a mpatuko dongosolo la mpatuko yolalikira akunja inalandiridwa mu matchalitchi kupatulapo kokha kuchokera ku kubadwanso mwa chikhulupiriro, ndipo anavomerezedwa mokulira kusungilira zizindikiro ndi zisonyezero zawo zachikunja. Chotero Tau kapena T, mu mtundu wake wanthawi zonse, wokhala ndi mbali yake yopingasa yotsitsidwa pang’ono, anatsanziridwa kuimira kaamba ka mtanda wa Kristu.”

Chisinthiko cha Mtanda

Kodi chinali chikondi kaamba ka Kristu chimene chinapangitsa mtanda, pa nthawi yochedwa imeneyi, kukhala chinthu cholemekezeka chotero? Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics ikunena kuti: “Mu nyengo ya za[na] lachinayi chikhulupiriro cha matsenga chachikunja chinayambikanso kugwiririra zolimba mkati mwa Tchalitchi.” Mofanana ndi chithumwa cha matsenga, kungopanga chabe chizindikiro cha mtanda kunalingaliridwa kukhala “chinjirizo lotsimikizirika lolimbanira ndi ziwanda, ndipo mankhwala kaamba ka matenda onse.” Kugwiritsira ntchito mtanda mwa malaulo kwapitirira kufikira tsiku lino. ’

Mkati mwa zaka, mitundu ina 400 yosiyanasiyana ya mitanda inapangidwa. Poyambirira, Kristu iyemwini sanasonyezedwe. M’malo mwake, wachichepere wonyamula mtanda wokometseredwa anali kusonyezedwa. Pambuyo pake, mwana wankhosa anaphatikizidwapo. Mu 691 C.E., bungwe mu Trullo linaupanga kukhala “walamulo” mtanda wosonyeza chifuwa cha mwamuna wachichepere m’malo mwa mwana wankhosa, pa mtanda. M’kupita kwanthawi ichi chinafikira ku chopingasa​—mtanda wokhala ndi choyimira cha thupi la Kristu.

Kodi Kristu Anafera pa Mtanda?

‘Koma kodi Baibulo silimaphunzitsa kuti Kristu m’chenicheni anafera pa mtanda?’ wina angafunse. Kuti tiyankhe ichi, tiyenera kuyang’ana mu matanthauzo a mawu awiri a Chigriki amene olemba Baibulo anagwiritsira ntchito kulongosola chinthu chimene Kristu anaferapo: stau·ros’ ndi xy’lon.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979) imanena pansi pa mutu wakuti “Mtanda”: “Poyambirira Gk. stauros inasonyeza mtengo wosongoka, wowongoka wozikidwa molimba pansi. . . . Iyo inaikidwa kumbali ndi kumbali mu mzere kupanga mpanda kapena linga lochinjirizira kuzungulira mudzi, kapena zinaikidwa umodzi umodzi monga zida zozunzira pa zimene olakwira lamulo kopambanitsa anali kulenjekedwa mwapoyera kuti afe (kapena, ngati anali ataphedwa kale, kuti mitembo yawo inyozetsedwe mokwanira).”

Zowona, Aroma anagwiritsira ntchito zida zophera zodziwika mu Chilatin monga crux. Ndipo pa kutembenuza Baibulo mu Chilatin, liwu limeneli crux linagwiritsiridwa ntchito monga kuimira stau·ros’. Chifukwa chakuti liwu la Chilatin la crux ndi liwu la Chingelezi la cross (mtanda) ziri zofanana, ambiri molakwika amaganiza kuti crux linali kwenikweni mtengo wokhala ndi chopingasa. Komabe, The Imperial Bible-Dictionary inanena kuti: “Ngakhale pakati pa Aroma crux (kuchokera kumene liwu lathu lakuti cross (mtanda) inatengedwako) imawoneka kukhala inali poyambirira mtengo wowongoka, ndipo ichi chinakhalabe mbali yowonekera kwambiri.”

Bukhu lakuti The Non-Christian Cross likuwonjezera: “Palibe ganizo ndi limodzi lomwe mu ziri zonse za zolembedwa zambiri zopanga Chipangano Chatsopano, zimene, mu Chigriki choyambirira, zimaimira ngakhale chitsimikiziro chosakhala chachindunji ku chenicheni chakuti stauros yogwiritsiridwa ntchito mu nkhani ya Yesu inali yosiyana ndi stauros [mtengo kapena mtengo wowongoka]; mocheperako koposa ku chenicheni chakuti iwo unali, osati mbali imodzi ya mtengo, koma ya mbali ziwiri zokhomeredwa pamodzi mu mtundu wa mtanda.” Kristu angakhale anaphedwa pa mtundu wa crux (stau·ros’) yodziwika monga crux simplex. Mmenemo ndi mmene mtengo woterowo wasonyezedwera ndi wophunzira wa Roma Katolika Justus Lipsius wa mu zana la 16.

Bwanji ponena za liwu lina la Chigriki, xy’lon? Ilo linagwiritsiridwa ntchito mu kutembenuza kwa Greek Septuagint ya Baibulo pa Ezara 6:11 Mu New World Translation apa pamawerenga kuti: “Ndalamuliranso kuti aliyense adzasintha mawu awa, usololedwe mtanda kunyumba kwake, namkweze, nampachike pomwepo; niyesedwe dzala nyumba yake chifukwa cha ichi.” Mwachimvekere, mtanda umodzi kapena “mtengo,” unakhudzidwa pano.

Otembenuza ambiri a Malemba Achikristu a Chigriki (Chipangano Chatsopano) chotero amatembenuza mawu a Petro pa Machitidwe 5: 30 kuwerenga: “Mulungu wa makolo athu anaukitsa Yesu, amene inu munamupha, kumpachika iyepansichi [kapena, “mtengo,” molingana ndi King James Version, New International Version, The Jerusalem Bible, ndi Reuised Standard Version].” Mungakhumbenso kufufuza mmene Baibulo lanu limatembenuzira xy’lon pa Machitidwe 10:39; 13:29; Agalatiya 3:13; ndi 1 Petro 2:24.

Kuyenda ndi Chikhulupiriro, Osati ndi Kawonekedwe

Ngakhale pambuyo pa kulingalira chitsimikiziro chotero chakuti Kristu mowonadi anafera pa mtengo, ena angawonebe kuti palibe cholakwika ndi kuvala mtanda. ‘Chiri kokha chokometsera,’ iwo angatero.

Sungani m’maganizo, ngakhale kuli tero, mmene mtanda wakhala ukugwiritsidwira ntchito mkati mwa mbiri yakale—monga chinthu cha kulambira kwa chikunja ndi mantha a kuwopa mizimu. Kodi kuvala mtanda, ngakhale kokha ngati chokometsera, kungagwirizanitsidwe ndi uphungu wa mtumwi Paulo pa 1 Akorinto 10:14: “Chifukwa chake, okondedwa anga, thawani kupembedza mafano”?

Bwanji ponena za Akristu lerolino? Nawonso, ayenera kukhala ozindikira za kufunika kwa ‘kudzisungira kupewa mafano onse,’ monga mmene Baibulo limachenjezera. (1 Yohane 5:21) Chotero iwo samaupeza mtanda kukhala chokometsera choyenerera. Iwo amakumbukira mawu a Paulo “Wotembereredwa aliyense wopachikidwa pa mtengo,” ndipo chotero amakonda kulingalira Kristu monga Mfumu yolemekezeka yokhazikitsidwa!​—Agalatiya 3:13; Chivumbulutso 6:2.

Ngakhale kuti Akristu oterowo samavala mitanda, iwo mozama amayamikira chenicheni chakuti Kristu anawafera. Iwo amadziwa kuti nsembe ya Kristu iri chisonyezero chozizwitsa cha “mphamvu ya Mulungu” ndi chikondi chosatha. (1 Akorinto 1:18; Yohane 3:16) Koma iwo safunikira chinthu cha kuthupi monga ngati mtanda kuwathandiza iwo kulambira Mulungu ameneyu wa chikondi. Popeza, monga mmene Paulo anachenjezera, iwo “akuyenda ndi chikhulupiriro, osati ndi kawonekedwe.”​—2 Akorinto 5:7.

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Mtanda wasinthira ku mitundu yosiyanasiyana ndi mipangidwe mkati mwa zaka mazana

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Chithunzi cha mulungu wa Chigriki Marsyas anasadzulidwa wamoyo pa mtengo​—The Louvre, Paris