‘Kutsutsa​—Chotchedwa Chidziŵitso Konama’

KODI chowonadi nchofunika motani kwa inu? Kodi zimakuvutitsani kuti chinyengo chapotoza, ngakhale kuphimba, chowonadi chonena za Mlengi wakumwamba ndi dziko lapansi? Izi zinavutitsa kwambiridi Irenaeus, wodzitcha Mkristu wa m’zaka za zana lachiŵiri la Nyengo Yathu ino. Iye anayesayesa kuvumbula zolakwa zoopsa za Kukonda Chidziŵitso (Chignostisizimu), mtundu wina wa Chikristu Champatuko. Poyambirira, mtumwi Paulo anachenjeza Timoteo kudzipatula ku ‘chotchedwa chidziŵitso konama.’​—1 Timoteo 6:20, 21, NW.

Irenaeus anatsutsa molimba mtima chiphunzitso cholakwika. Mwachitsanzo, talingalirani zimene ananena m’mawu ake oyambirira a buku lake lotchuka la mutu wakuti “The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So Called [Kutsutsa ndi Kugonjetsa Chotchedwa Chidziŵitso Konama].” Iye analemba kuti: “Anthu ena, pokana chowonadi, amayambitsa pakati pathu nthano zonama ndi zopanda pake za mibadwo, zimene zimangobukitsa mikangano, monga momwe mtumwiyo ananenera [1 Timoteo 1:3, 4], mmalo mwa ntchito ya Mulungu yolimbikitsa chikhulupiriro. Iwo amasocheretsa maganizo a opanda chidziŵitso ndi nkhani zawo zachabe, ndi kuwaloŵetsa muukapolo, naipitsa mawu a Ambuye, ndi kupotoza zoyamikiridwa.”

Achidziŵitso (Chignostisizimu) (lotengedwa kuliwu la Chigiriki la gnoʹsis, lotanthauza “chidziŵitso”) anadzitamandira kuti ngachidziŵitso chapamwamba kupyolera mwakuvumbulutsiridwa zinsinsi nadzitama kuti iwo anali “owongolera atumwi.” Kukhulupirira Chidziŵitso (Chignostisizimu) kunasakaniza nthanthi, zoyerekezera, ndi zinsinsi zachikunja limodzi ndi Chikristu Champatuko. Irenaeus anakana kutengamo mbali m’kuchita nawo zimenezi. Mmalo mwake, anayamba nkhondo ya moyo wonse yolimbana ndi ziphunzitso zachikunja. Mosakaikira iye anali wodziŵa bwino lomwe kufunika kwa kugwiritsira ntchito chenjezo la mtumwi Paulo lakuti: “Penyani kuti pasakhale wina wakulanda inu ngati chuma, mwakukonda nzeru kwake, ndi chinyengo chopanda pake, potsata mwambo wa anthu, potsata zoyamba za dziko lapansi, osati potsata Kristu.”​—Akolose 2:8; 1 Timoteo 4:7.

Chiyambi ndi Uminisitala

Nzochepa zikudziŵidwa ponena za chiyambi ndi mbiri ya Irenaeus. Kumangoyerekezeredwa mofala kuti iye anali nzika ya Asia Minor, wobadwa pakati pa 120 C.E. ndi 140 C.E. mkati kapena pafupi ndi mzinda wa Smurna. Irenaeus iyemwini akuchitira umboni kuti munthaŵi yaunyamata wake, anazoloŵerana ndi Polycarp, woyang’anira mumpingo wa Smurna.

Pamene anali kuphunzitsidwa ndi Polycarp, mwachiwonekere Irenaeus anapalana chibwenzi ndi Florinus. Polycarp anali pokumanira pa atumwi. Iye analongosola Malemba mokulira ndi kuyamikira mwamphamvu kumamatira ku ziphunzitso za Yesu Kristu ndi atumwi Ake. Komabe, mosasamala kanthu za chiphunzitso Chamalemba chabwino chimenechi, pambuyo pake Florinus anagwera m’ziphunzitso za Valentinus, mtsogoleri wotchuka koposa wa gulu lokhulupirira Chidziŵitso (Chignostisizimu)!

Irenaeus anafuna kubwezeretsa bwenzi lake ndi tsamwali wake wakale Florinus kuchiphunzitso chenicheni Chamalemba ndi kumuwonjola ku chiphunzitso cha Valentinus. Chotero, Irenaeus anasonkhezeredwa kulembera kalata Florinus, akumati: “Ziphunzitsozi, Florinus, . . . nzopanda chidziŵitso cholama; ziphunzitsozi nzosagwirizana ndi tchalitchi, ndipo zimaloŵetsa atsatiri ake m’chitonzo chachikulu; . . . ziphunzitsozi sizinapatsiridwe kwa ife ndi akulu amene anakhalako ife tisanakhale, omwe anazoloŵerana bwino ndi atumwi.”

Pokumbutsa Florinus za chiphunzitso chabwino cholandiridwa kwa Polycarp wotchukayo, Irenaeus anapitiriza kuti: “Ndikukumbukira zochitika za panthaŵi ija . . . kwakuti ndikhoza kunena ngakhale malo amene Polycarp wodalayo anazoloŵera kukhalapo ndi kukamba nkhani . . . Ndiponso mmene ankalankhulira za kuzoloŵerana kwake ndi Yohane, ndi ena onse omwe anawona Ambuye; ndi mmene ankasimbira mawu awo.”

Florinus anakumbutsidwa kuti Polycarp anaphunzitsa zomwe analandira “kwa mboni za Mawu a moyo, [ndipo] analongosola zonsezo mogwirizana ndi Malemba. Zinthuzi, mwachifundo cha Mulungu zinalongosoledwa kwa ine, ine ndinamva, nkuziremba, sipapepala ayi koma mumtima mwanga; ndipo mwachisomo cha Mulungu ndikukumbukirabe zinthuzi molongosoka. Ndipo [ponena za chiphunzitso cha Valentinus] ndikhoza kuchitira umboni pamaso pa Mulungu kuti ngati mkulu wodala uja ndi mtumwi [Polycarp] akadamva chinthu choterocho, akanatsutsa ndi kusachimvetsera . . . akanachoka pamalo amene mawuwo akulankhulidwirapo, kaya atakhala pansi kapena ataimirira.”

Palibe cholembera chosonyeza kuti Florinus anayankha kalata yogwira mtima ndi yamphamvu ya Irenaeus. Komabe mawu a Irenaeus akusonyeza nkhaŵa yake yeniyeni kwa bwenzi lake lokondedwa lopatuka panjira ya chowonadi ndi kugonjera kumpatuko.​—Yerekezerani ndi 2 Atesalonika 2:3, 7-12.

Sitidziŵa kuti nliti pamene Irenaeus anakakhala m’Gaul (Falansa). M’chaka cha 177 C.E., iye analikutumikira monga woyang’anira mumpingo wa ku Lyons. Kukusimbidwa kuti uminisitala wake kumeneko unali wobala zipatso kwambiri. Kunena zowona, wolemba mbiri Gregory wa ku Tours anasimba kuti Irenaeus anakhala ndi chipambano m’nthaŵi yochepa kutembenuzira Alyoni onse ku Chikristu. Mosakaikira, kumeneko kunali kukuza ndi malovu.

Kutsutsa Akunja

Buku lalikulu la Irenaeus, “The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So Called,” linatchedwa mofala ndi dzina lakuti “Against Heresies [Kutsutsa Akunja].” Ilo lagaŵidwa kukhala mabuku asanu. Aŵiri oyambirira amalongosola mosamalitsa ziphunzitso za mipatuko yachikunja yosiyanasiyana, makamaka chikunja cha Valetinus. M’mabuku atatu enawo, Irenaeus akuyesayesa kupereka “mfundo zochokera m’Malemba.”

M’mawu oyambirira a buku lake lachitatu “Against Heresies [Kutsutsa Akunja],” Irenaeus akulemba kuti: “Chotero kumbukirani zimene ndanena m’mabuku aŵiriwo oyambirira; ndipo mwakuwonjezera izi pa iwo mudzapeza kwa ine yankho lokwanira lotsutsira akunja onse, ndipo mudzakhoza kuwakana mokhulupirika ndi molimba mtima mochirikiza chikhulupiriro chowona chimodzi chokha ndi chopatsa moyo, chimene Tchalitchi chalandira kuchokera kwa atumwi nkuchipereka kwa ana ake. Popeza kuti Mbuye wa onse anapereka kwa atumwi ake mphamvu ya uthenga wabwino, ndipo mwa iwo taphunzira chowonadi, ndiko kuti, chiphunzitso cha Mwana wa Mulungu​—monga momwe Ambuye ananenera kwa iwo, ‘Iye wakumva inu amva ine, ndipo iye wakukana inu akana ine, ndi iye wondituma ine.’”

Ngakhale kuli kwakuti Irenaeus anavomereza kuti sanali mlembi wabwino, anali wotsimikiza maganizo kuvumbula mbali zonse za ‘ziphunzitso zoipa’ za Kukhulupirira Chidziŵitso (Chignostisizimu). Iye akugwira mawu ndi kuthira ndemanga pamalemba ambiri ndi kutsutsa mwaukatswiri “aphunzitsi onama” a “mipatuko yotayikitsa.” (2 Petro 2:1-3) Kukuwoneka kuti Irenaeus anali ndi vuto la kusonkhanitsa zolembedwa zake mudongosolo lokhutiritsa. Chifukwa ninji? Chifukwa chakuti anasonkhanitsa zolembedwa zochulukitsitsa!

Kuvumbula kwa Irenaeus kunayamba kuwonekera pambuyo pakuvutikira kwambiri ndi kuphunzira kochuluka. Zigomeko zake zazitali zimapereka chidziŵitso chabwino ponena za magwero ndi mkhalidwe wa Kukhulupirira Chidziŵitso (Chignostisizimu). Zolemba za Irenaeus zirinso mabuku amaumboni ofunika koposa a malingaliro a Malemba okhalabe ndi odzinenera kukhala akhulupiriri a Mawu a Mulungu a kumapeto kwa zaka za zana lachiŵiri C.E.

Irenaeus mobwerezabwereza akutsimikizira chikhulupiriro mwa “Mulungu mmodzi, Atate Wamphamvuyonse, wolenga kumwamba ndi dziko lapansi, ndi nyanja, ndi zonse zokhalamo, ndi mwa Kristu Yesu mmodzi, Mwana wa Mulungu, yemwe anakhalitsidwa thupi kaamba ka chipulumutso chathu.” Zenizeni zimenezi zinakanidwa ndi Okhulupirira Chidziŵitso (Agnostisizimu)!

Motsutsa chiphunzitso chakuti Kristu sanabwere konse mumkhalidwe waumunthu (Gnostic Docestism), Irenaeus analemba kuti: “Kristu ayenera kukhala munthu, monga ife, ngati ati adzatiwombole kuchivundi ndi kutikhalitsa angwiro. Monga momwe uchimo ndi imfa zinaloŵera m’dziko mwa munthu mmodzi, choteronso moyenerera zingachotsedwe ndipo motipindulitsa kokha mwa munthu mmodzi; ndithudi, ngakhale kulikwakuti, simwambwadwa wamba ya Adamu, imene nayonso ifunikira chiwombolo, koma ndi Adamu wachiŵiri, wobadwa mosakhala mwachibadwidwe, kholo latsopano la fuko lathu.” (1 Akorinto 15:45) Kumbali ina, Okhulupirira Chidziŵitso anali Okhulupirira Muuŵiri, okhulupirira kuti zinthu zauzimu zinali zabwino koma zinthu zonse ndi zathupi zinali zoipa. Mwakutero, iwo anakana munthuyo Kristu Yesu.

Mwakulingalira kuti zakuthupi zonse nzoipa, Okhulupirira Chidziŵitso anakananso ukwati ndi kubala, akumati Satana ndiye anaziyambitsa. Iwo amapatsadi nzeru yaumulungu kwa njokayo m’Edene! Lingaliro limeneli linachititsa njira zamoyo zopambanitsa, kaya kudzisautsa kopambanitsa kapena kudzivutitsa kwakuthupi. Akunenera kuti chipulumutso chinadza kokha mwa Kukhulupirira Chidziŵitso kwanthanthiko, kapena nzeru yaumwini, iwo anakaniratu chowonadi cha Mawu a Mulungu.

Mosiyana nzimenezo, zigomeko za Irenaeus zinaphatikizapo chikhulupiriro cha Zaka Chikwi ndipo anasonyeza chidziŵitso china chomveka cha chiyembekezo cha moyo wamtsogolo wamtendere padziko lapansi. Iye anayesa kugwirizanitsa magulu omakulakula a m’nthaŵi yake mwakugwiritsira ntchito Mawu a Mulungu amphamvuwo. Ndipo iye amakumbukiridwa mofala kaamba ka kuganiza bwino kwake, kumvetsetsa kwakuthwa, ndi kulingalira kolama.

Ngakhale kuli kwakuti ena akumtamanda Irenaeus (amene anamwalira pafupifupi mu 200 C.E.) kaamba ka kupititsa patsogolo ziphunzitso zowona za chikhulupiriro Chachikristu, tisaiŵale kuti yakeyo inali nthaŵi ya kusintha ndi yampatuko wonenedweratu. Nthaŵi zina, zigomeko zake nzosamvekera bwino, ngakhale zowombana. Komabe, timalemekeza umboni wa anthu amene analankhula molimba mtima mochirikiza Mawu ouziridwa olembedwa a Mulungu mmalo mwa miyambo ya anthu.