Kodi Nchifukwa Ninji Ino Ili Nthaŵi ya Kupanga Chosankha?

MU ZAKA za zana la 16 B.C.E., Mulungu anasankha Aisrayeli monga ‘chuma chake chapadera koposa mitundu yonse ya anthu . . . mtundu wopatulika.’ (Eksodo 19:5, 6) Posapita nthaŵi iwo anataya kupatulika kwawo, chiyero cha chipembedzo chawo, akumalola kudetsedwa ndi kulambira mafano ndi machitachita onyansa a mitundu yowazinga. Chotero, iwo anadzionetsera kukhala “opulukira.” (Deuteronomo 9:6, 13; 10:16; 1 Akorinto 10:7-11) Mkati mwa nyengo ya zaka zoposa mazana atatu pambuyo pa imfa ya Yoswa, Yehova anaika oweruza, atsogoleri okhulupirika omwe anayenera kutsogolera Aisrayeli kubwerera ku kulambira koona. Komabe, anthuwo “sanaleka kanthu ka machitidwe awo kapena ka njira yawo yacheni.”​—Oweruza 2:17-19.

Pambuyo pa zimenezo, Mulungu anaika mafumu ndi aneneri okhulupirika kuti asonkhezere anthu kubwerera ku kulambira koona. Mneneri Azariya analimbikitsa Mfumu Asa ndi a m’dziko lake kufunafuna Yehova: “Mukamfuna iye, mudzampeza; koma mukamsiya, adzakusiyani.” Asa anayamba kukonzanso chipembedzo mu ufumu wa Yuda. (2 Mbiri 15:1-16) Chotsatirapo, Mulungu anaperekanso chiitano kupyolera mwa mneneri wake Yoweli. (Yoweli 2:12, 13) Pambuyo pakenso, Zefaniya analimbikitsa anthu okhala mu Yuda ‘kufuna Yehova.’ Mfumu Yosiya yachichepereyo inachita zimenezo mwa mkupiti wa kukonzasno ndi kuchotsa kulambira mafano ndi chinyengo.​—Zefaniya 2:3; 2 Mbiri 34:3-7.

Mosasamala kanthu za zochitika zoterozo za kulapa, mkhalidwe wachipembedzo wa anthuwo unali kumangoipiraipirabe. (Yeremiya 2:13; 44:4, 5) Yeremiya anatsutsa njira yolambirira yoipitsidwa ndi machitachita a kulambira mafano, akumailongosola kukhala yosatheka kukonzanso: “Kodi angathe Mkusi kusanduliza khungu lake, kapena nyalugwe maanga ake? pamenepo mungathe inunso kuchita zabwino, inu amene muzoloŵera kuchita zoipa.” (Yeremiya 13:23) Pa chifukwa chimenechi, Mulungu anapereka chilango chachikulu pa ufumu wa Yuda. Yerusalemu ndi kachisi wake anawonongedwa mu 607 B.C.E., ndipo opulumuka anatengedwa monga akapolo ku Babulo, kumene anakakhala zaka 70.

Pamene nyengo imeneyo inatha, Mulungu anasonyeza chifundo. Iye anachititsa Mfumu Koresi kumasula Aisrayeli, otsalira amene anabwerera ku Yerusalemu kukamanganso kachisi. M’malo mwa kutengapo phunziro pa zonsezi, iwo anapambukanso pa kulambira koona, akumachititsa Yehova Mulungu kupereka chiitano chatsopano chakuti: “Bwererani kudza kwa ine, ndipo ine ndidzabwerera kwa inu.”​—Malaki 3:7.

Chimene Israyeli Anakanidwira

Kodi mkhalidwe wa chipembedzo wa Aisrayeli unali wotani m’nthaŵi ya Yesu? Atsogoleri achipembedzo onyenga anali “atsogoleri akhungu” ophunzitsa “maphunzitso, malangizo a anthu.” ‘Iwo anali kulumpha lamulo la Mulungu chifukwa cha miyambo yawo.’ Anthuwo analemekeza Mulungu “ndi milomo yawo,” koma mtima wawo unali kutali ndi iye. (Mateyu 15:3, 4, 8, 9, 14) Kodi iwo monga mtundu akanapatsidwa mwaŵi wina kuti alape? Iyayi. Yesu anati: “Ufumu wa Mulungu udzachotsedwa kwa inu, nudzapatsidwa kwa anthu akupatsa zipatso zake.” Yesu anati: “Nyumba yanu,” kachisi wa mu Yerusalemu, “yasiyidwa kwa inu yabwinja.” (Mateyu 21:43; 23:38) Cholakwa chawo chinali chachikulu kwambiri. Iwo Anamkana Yesu monga Mesiya ndipo anamphetsa, akumasankha Kaisara Wachiroma woponderezayo kukhala mfumu yawo.​—Mateyu 27:25; Yohane 19:15.

Aisrayeli sanafune kuzindikira kuti nyengo imene Yesu anachitiramo utumiki wake inali nthaŵi ya chiweruzo. Kwa anthu osakhulupirika a mu Yerusalemu, Yesu anati: “Sunazindikira nyengo ya mayang’aniridwe ako.”​—Luka 19:44.

Pa Pentekoste wa 33 C.E., Mulungu anapanga mtundu watsopano, kapena anthu, ophunzira odzozedwa ndi mzimu a Mwana wake, Yesu Kristu, omwe akasankhidwa mwa fuko ndi mtundu uliwonse. (Machitidwe 10:34, 35; 15:14) Kodi panali chiyembekezo chilichonse chakuti njira yolambirira Yachiyuda ikakonzedwanso potsirizira pake? Magulu ankhondo Achiroma anapereka yankho mu 70 C.E., mwa kupasula Yerusalemu. Mulungu anali atakaniratu njira yolambirira imeneyo.​—Luka 21:5, 6.

Mpatuko Waukulu wa Dziko Lachikristu

Akristu odzozedwa ndi mzimu anapanganso “mtundu woyera mtima, anthu a mwini wake.” (1 Petro 2:9; Agalatiya 6:16) Koma ngakhale mpingo Wachikristu woyambirirawo sunasunge chiyero chake cha chipembedzo kwa nthaŵi yaitali kwambiri.

Malemba ananeneratu za mpatuko waukulu, kapena kugwa pa chikhulupiriro choona. Namsongole wophiphiritsira wa m’fanizo la Yesu, amene ali Akristu onamizira, akayesa kutsamwitsa tirigu wophiphiritsira, kapena Akristu oona, awo odzozedwa ndi mzimu wa Mulungu. Fanizolo limavumbula kuti kufalikira kwa Chikristu chonyenga, chochirikizidwa ndi mdani wamkulu wa Mulungu, Mdyerekezi, kunali pafupi kuyamba, “mmene anthu analikugona.” Zimenezi zinachitika pambuyo pa kufa kwa atumwi okhulupirika a Kristu, mkati mwa nyengo ya kuwodzera kwauzimu kotsatirapo. (Mateyu 13:24-30, 36-43; 2 Atesalonika 2:6-8) Monga momwe atumwi ananeneratu, Akristu ambiri onamizira anakwaŵira m’kholalo. (Machitidwe 20:29, 30; 1 Timoteo 4:1-3; 2 Timoteo 2:16-18; 2 Petro 2:1-3) Yohane anali wotsirizira kufa pakati pa atumwi. Pafupifupi m’chaka cha 98 C.E., iye analemba kuti “nthaŵi yotsiriza,” mbali yomalizira ya nyengo ya atumwi, inali itayamba kale.​—1 Yohane 2:18, 19.

Pokhala kuti mgwirizano wa chipembedzo ndi ulamuliro wandale unali utalimbitsidwa ndi Constantine mfumu ya Roma, mkhalidwe wauzimu, wachiphunzitso, ndi wachikhalidwe wa Dziko Lachikristu unaipa kwambiri. Olemba mbiri ochuluka amavomereza kuti “chilakiko cha Tchalitchi mkati mwa zaka za zana lachinayi” chinali “tsoka,” malinga ndi kaonedwe Kachikristu. Pakuti ‘Dziko Lachikristu linataya mlingo wake wapamwamba wa chikhalidwe’ ndi kulandira machitachita ambiri ndi nthanthi zachikunja, zonga “dzoma la Mariya” ndi kulambira “oyera mtima,” limodzinso ndi chiphunzitso cha Utatu.

Pambuyo pa chilakiko chake chonama, mkhalidwe wa Dziko Lachikristu unaipiratu. Malamulo ndi mamasuliridwe a chiphunzitso a apapa ndi mabungwe awo, kuwonjezera pa mabwalo a Inquisition, Nkhondo za Mtanda, ndi nkhondo “zopatulika” pakati pa Akatolika ndi Aprotesitanti, zinabala njira yolambirira yosatheka kukonzanso.

M’buku lake lakuti A World Lit Only by Fire, William Manchester analemba kuti: “Apapa m’zaka za zana la [15 ndi 16] anakakhala ndi moyo mofanana ndi mafumu Achiroma. Anali anthu olemera koposa m’dziko, ndipo iwo limodzi ndi makadinala awo anadzilemeretsa mwa kumagulitsa maudindo awo opatulika.” Mkati mwa mpatuko waukulu, timagulu kapena anthu pa okha anayesayesa kupezanso Chikristu choona, akumasonyeza mikhalidwe ya tirigu wophiphiritsira. Iwo kaŵirikaŵiri anapereka malipiro owopsa. Buku limodzimodzilo limati: “Nthaŵi zina kunaonekera kuti oyera mtima enieni a Chikristu, onsewo Aprotesitanti ndi Akatolika, anakhala ofera chikhulupiriro odetsedwa ndi moto.” Ena, otchedwa Okonzanso monga Martin Luther ndi John Calvin, anakhoza kupanga njira zolambirira zokhalitsa zimene zinali zosiyana ndi Tchalitchi cha Katolika koma zimene zinali zofananabe m’ziphunzitso zake zazikulu. Analinso odziloŵetsa kwambiri m’nkhani za ndale.

Ku mbali ya Chiprotesitanti kunachitidwa zoyesayesa zoyambitsa chotchedwa kutseguka maso pa za chipembedzo. Mwachitsanzo, mkati mwa zaka za zana la 18 ndi 19, zoyesayesa zimenezi zinayambitsa ntchito yaumishonale yaikulu kumaiko akunja. Komabe, malinga ndi kuvomereza kwa abusa iwo eniwo, lerolino mkhalidwe wauzimu wa gulu la nkhosa la Chiprotesitanti suli wolimbikitsa konse. Wophunzitsa zaumulungu Wachiprotesitanti Oscar Cullmann posachedwapa anavomereza kuti “mkati mwa matchalitchi mwenimwenimo, muli vuto la chikhulupiriro.”

Mikupiti ya kukonzanso ndi yotsutsa kukonzanso yachirikizidwa mkati mwa Tchalitchi cha Katolika. Kuyambira m’zaka za zana la 11 mpaka la 13, mkati mwa chinyengo chofalikira ndi kulemera kwambiri kwa atsogoleri achipembedzo, timagulu ta agulupa olumbirira chipembedzo timene tinatsatira mwamphamvu lumbiro la umphaŵi tinapangidwa. Koma ito tinayang’aniridwa mosamalitsa ndipo, malinga ndi kunena kwa akatswiri, ito tinaponderezedwa ndi olamulira atchalitchi. Ndiyeno panafika Chipani Chotsutsa Kukonzanso cha m’zaka za zana la 16 chochirikizidwa ndi Bungwe la Trent ndipo kwakukulukulu chinali ndi cholinga cha kulimbana ndi Chipani cha Kukonzanso Chachiprotesitanti.

M’theka loyamba la zaka za zana la 19, mkati mwa nyengo ya kubwezeretsa tchalitchi, Tchalitchi cha Katolika chinatenga kaimidwe kokhala ndi mphamvu zonse ndi kosunga mwambo. Komabe, sikunganenedwe kuti panali kukonzanso kwenikweni kulikonse kumene kunachitidwa kobwezeretsa Chikristu choona. M’malo mwake, zimenezi zinali chabe zoyesayesa zolimbitsira ulamuliro wa atsogoleri achipembedzo pamaso pa masinthidwe a dziko a chipembedzo, a ndale, ndi a kakhalidwe.

Posachedwapa, m’ma 1960, kukuonekera kuti Tchalitchi cha Katolika chinafuna kuyambitsa kusintha kwakukulu ndi bungwe la tchalitchi la Vatican II. Komabe, papa wa panthaŵiyo anaimitsa mwadzidzidzi chotchedwa kukonzanso bungwe kotero kuti atsekereze mzimu wa kupita patsogolo kwa ziŵalo za tchalitchi. Kachitidwe kameneka, kamene ena amakatcha kubwezeretsa Wojtyła, katchedwa ndi kagulu kena ka Chikatolika kuti “mtundu watsopano wa Chikonstantinizimu.” Monga momwe magazini a Ajesuit a La Civiltà Cattolica akunenera, Tchalitchi cha Katolika, mofanana ndi zipembedzo zina, chikuyang’anizana ndi “vuto lalikulu ndi la padziko lonse: lalikulu chifukwa chakuti limaphatikizapo mizu yeniyeni ya chikhulupiriro ndi moyo Wachikristu; la padziko lonse chifukwa chakuti limaphatikizapo mbali zonse za Chikristu.”

Zipembedzo za Dziko Lachikristu sizinayende kwenikweni panjira ya kukonzanso, ndipo sizingatero, popeza kuti Chikristu choona chikabwezeretsedwa kokha panthaŵi ya “kututa,” pamene tirigu wophiphiritsira adzasonkhanitsidwira mumpingo umodzi woyera. (Mateyu 13:30, 39) Mpambo wautali wa maupandu ndi mphulupulu zochitidwa m’dzina la chipembedzo, kaya zonenedwa kukhala Zachikristu kapena ayi, umadzutsa funso lakuti, Kodi kuli kwanzeru kuyembekezera kukonzanso koona m’Dziko Lachikristu?

Kodi Kukonzanso Nkosatheka?

Buku la Chivumbulutso, kapena Apocalypse, limalankhula za mkazi wachigololo wamkulu wophiphiritsira wokhala ndi dzina lachinsinsi lakuti “Babulo Wamkulu.” (Chivumbulutso 17:1, 5) Kwa zaka mazana ambiri, oŵerenga Baibulo ayesayesa kulongosola chinsinsi cha chophiphiritsira chimenechi. Ambiri ananyansidwa ndi kulemera ndi chinyengo cha atsogoleri achipembedzo. Ena analingalira kuti Babulo Wamkulu anaimira olamulira a tchalitchi. Pakati pawo panali Jan Hus, wansembe Wachikatolika wa ku Bohemia amene anawotchedwa mu 1415, ndi Aonio Paleario, Mtaliyana wochirikiza khalidwe laumunthu amene anapachikidwa ndi kuwotchedwa mu 1570. Onse anamenyera nkhondo popanda chipambano cha kukonzanso Tchalitchi cha Katolika kuti chibwerere “pa ulemerero wake woyambirira.”

Mosiyana ndi zimene anakhulupirira, machaputala 17 ndi 18 a Chivumbulutso amasonyeza kuti Babulo Wamkulu amaimira ufumu wa dziko lonse wa zipembedzo zonse zonyenga.a “Mkazi wachigololo wamkulu” wachiungwe ameneyu ali wosakonzekanso chifukwa chakuti ‘machimo ake aunjikizana kufikira kumwamba.’ Kwenikweni, m’zaka za zana la 20 lino, pafupifupi zipembedzo zonse, osati za m’Dziko Lachikristu zokha, zili ndi mlandu wa kuchititsa nkhondo zimene zikupitiriza kukhetsa mwazi wochuluka ndi wa kuwonongeka koipitsitsa kwa makhalidwe kumene kukukantha mtundu wa anthu. Chifukwa chake, Mulungu walamula chiwonongeko cha “Babulo.”​—Chivumbulutso 18:5, 8.

Ino Ndiyo Nthaŵi ya ‘Kutuluka Mmenemo’

Kukwaniritsidwa kwa maulosi a Baibulo kumavumbula kuti masiku athu akugwirizana ndi “chimaliziro cha dongosolo la zinthu” loipa lilipoli. (Mateyu 24:3, NW) Aliyense amene akufuna moona mtima kulambira Mulungu sangadzilole kutsatira malingaliro a iye mwini ndi zokonda zake. Ayenera ‘kufunafuna Yehova pamene akali wopezeka,’ inde, tsopano lino, chifukwa chakuti ‘chisautso chachikulu’ chonenedweratu ndi Yesu chayandikira. (Yesaya 55:6; Mateyu 24:21) Monga momwe zinakhalira kwa anthu a Israyeli, Mulungu sadzalekerera chinyengo cha chipembedzo chabe chifukwa chakuti chimadzitamandira ndi mwambo wake wakale. M’malo mwa kuyesayesa kukonzanso chombo chimene chikumira, awo onse amene akukhumba chivomerezo cha Mulungu ndi chipulumutso ayenera kumvera lamulo louziridwa la Chivumbulutso 18:4 popanda kuzengereza: “Tulukani m’menemo [mu Babulo Wamkulu], anthu anga; kuti mungayanjane ndi machimo ake, ndi kuti mungalandireko ya miliri yake.”

Koma kodi ‘kutuluka’ ndi kupita kuti? Kodi ndi kuti kwina kumene chipulumutso chingapezeke? Kodi sipalinso ngozi ya kuthaŵira m’malo osayenera? Kodi chipembedzo chimodzi chokha chokhala ndi chivomerezo cha Mulungu chingadziŵidwe motani? Mayankho okha odalirika angapezeke m’Mawu a Mulungu. (2 Timoteo 3:16, 17) Mboni za Yehova zikupemphani kupenda Baibulo mosamalitsa kwambiri. Mudzazindikira amene Mulungu wasankha monga “anthu a dzina lake,” amene adzawatetereza m’tsiku la ngozi la mkwiyo wake likudzalo.​—Machitidwe 15:14; Zefaniya 2:3; Chivumbulutso 16:14-16.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Ngati chombo cha chipembedzo chanu chikumira, thaŵirani ku chombo chopulumutsa cha Chikristu choona