Mtsogolo mwa Chipembedzo M’chiyang’aniro cha Nthaŵi Yake ya Kumbuyo

Gawo 12:100-476 C.E.—Kuchotsa Kuwunika kwa Uthenga Wabwino

“Anthu apeza kuti chiri choyenerera kwenikweni kuchita nacho monyenga chowonadi m’malo mwa kudziyenga iwo eni.”—Charles Caleb Colton, mtsogoleri wachipembedzo Wachingelezi wa zana la 19

KUYAMBIRA mu 33 C.E., pamene Roma anapha Woyambitsa wa Chikristu, mphamvu ya dziko yachisanu ndi chimodzi ya mbiri ya Baibulo imeneyo inali pa udani wokhazikika ndi Akristu. Inawaika iwo m’ndende ndi kuponya ena a iwo kwa mikango. Koma ngakhale pamene anawopsyezedwa ndi kuphedwera chikhulupiriro kwa kutumikira monga zowunikira zaumunthu kuwunikira minda ya Nero, Akristu a ku Roma a m’zana loyamba anapitiriza kulola kuwunika kwawo kwauzimu kuwala. (Mateyu 5:14) M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, ngakhale kuli tero, mkhalidwewo unasintha.

“M’mbali yoyambirira ya zana lachitatu,” likutero bukhu lakuti From Christ to Constantine, “tchalitchi chinayamba kukhala cholemekezeka.” Koma kulemekezeka kunali ndi mtengo wake, “kutsitsa kwa miyezo.” Mogwirizanamo, “kakhalidwe Kachikristu sikanawonedwenso kukhala chiyeneretso cha chikhulupiriro Chachikristu.”

Kuwunika kwa uthenga wabwino kunachepa kufika ku chizimezime. Ndipo “pofika zana lachinayi,” likunena tero bukhu lakuti Imperial Rome, “olemba Achikristu ankadzinenera osati kokha kuti icho chinali chothekera kukhala ponse paŵiri Mkristu ndi m’Roma, koma kuti mbiri yaitali ya Roma inali m’chenicheni chiyambi cha ndakatulo Yachikristu. . . . Tanthauzo linali lakuti Roma anali woikidwa mwaumulungu.”

Wogawanamo m’kawonedwe kameneka anali wolamulira Wachiroma Constantine Wamkulu. Mu 313 C.E., Constantine anapanga Chikristu kukhala chipembedzo chalamulo. Mwakuphatikiza Tchalitchi ndi Boma, kuika atsogoleri a chipembedzo mu utumiki wa Boma, ndi kulola Boma kulamulira machitachita achipembedzo, Constantine anapanga kuchotsa utumiki kwenikweni.

Kalekale kuchiyambi kwa zana lachiŵiri, Ignatius, bishopu wa ku Antiokeya, anali atayambitsa njira yatsopano ya boma la mpingo. M’malo mwa gulu la akulu, bungwe la mabishopu achifumu linapereka mwamuna wa tchalitchi mmodzi kukhala woyang’anira wa mpingo uliwonse. Chifupifupi zana limodzi pambuyo pake, Cyprian, bishopu wa ku Carthage, anafutukula dongosolo la atsogoleri achipembedzo la bungwe la atsogoleri olamulira kukhala bungwe la atsogoleri olamulira achifumu la magawo asanu ndi aŵiri, malo apamwamba koposa akumatengedwa ndi bishopu. Pansi pake panali ansembe, madikoni, achiŵiri kwa madikoni, ndi magulu ena. Tchalitchi cha Kumadzulo motsatira chinawonjezera gulu lachisanu ndi chitatu, pamene tchalitchi cha Kum’mawa chinakhazikika kaamba ka bungwe la atsogoleri olamulira la magulu asanu.

Nkuti kumene mtundu umenewu wa utsogoleri wa tchalitchi, wophatikizidwa ndi chivomerezo cha Boma, unatsogolera? Bukhu lakuti Imperial Rome likulongosola kuti: “Zaka 80 zokha pambuyo pa mkuntho womalizira wachizunzo cha Akristu, Tchalitchi icho chokha chinayamba kupha opatuka ku chikhulupiriro chowona, ndipo atsogoleri ake achipembedzo anali kupereka mphamvu chifupifupi yofanana ndi ija ya olamulira.” Ndithudi ichi sichimene Kristu anali nacho m’maganizo pamene iye ananena kuti ophunzira ake “sakukhala a dziko lapansi” ndipo kuti iwo akayenera kulilaka ilo, osati ndi mphamvu, koma ndi chikhulupiriro chawo.—Yohane 16:33; 17:14; yerekezani ndi 1 Yohane 5:4.

“Oyera” ndi Milungu Yachigriki

Kale kwambiri isanafike nthaŵi ya Constantine, malingaliro achikunja anali atayamba kale kuchita monyenga ndi chipembedzo Chachikristu. Milungu yanthano ya Grisi yomwe pa nthaŵi ina inali ndi chisonkhezero champhamvu pa chipembedzo cha Roma inalinso itasonkhezera kale chipembedzo Chachikristu. “Podzafika nthaŵi imene Roma inakhala mphamvu yolamulira,” likutero bukhu la Roman Mythology, “Jupiter anali analoŵerera mwa Zeus Wachigriki . . . Pambuyo pake Jupiter analambiridwa monga Optimus Maximus, Wabwino Koposa ndi Wamkulu Koposa, chizindikiritso chomwe chinatengedwa kupita ku Chikristu ndipo chimawoneka pa mawu ozokotedwa achikumbukiro ambiri.” The New Encyclopœdia Britannica ikuwonjezera kuti: “Pansi pa Chikristu, ngwazi za Chigriki ndipo ngakhale milungu inapulumuka monga oyera.”

Mkonzi M. A. Smith akulongosola kuti ichi chinatanthauza kuti “magulu ambiri a milungu anali kukhala osakanizikana, ndipo kusiyana kwa magawo kunali kuzimiririka. . . . Panali chikhoterero kwa anthu kulingalira kuti milungu yosiyanasiyanayo inali ndithudi kokha maina osiyana kaamba ka mphamvu yaikulu imodzi. . . . Isis wa Chiigupto, Artemis wa Aefeso ndi Astarte wa ku Siriya akanalinganizidwa. Zeus Wachigriki, Jupiter Wachiroma, Amon-Re wa Chiigupto ndipo ngakhale Yahweh Wachiyuda akanaphatikizidwa monga maina a Mphamvu imodzi yaikulu.”

Pamene chinali kusakanizikana ndi kulingalira kwa Chigriki ndi Chiroma mu Roma, Chikristu chinkapitanso pansi pa masinthidwe m’malo ena. Alesandreya, Antiokeya, Carthage, ndi Edessa, onse malo apakati a machitachita a nthanthi zaumulungu, anayambitsa sukulu zosiyanasiyana za lingaliro lachipembedzo. Herbert Waddams, yemwe kale anali Canon wa Anglican wa Canterbury, akunena kuti sukulu ya ku Alesandreya, mwachitsanzo, inali “mwapadera yosonkhezeredwa ndi malingaliro a Plato,” kupereka matanthauzo ophiphiritsira ku ndemanga zambiri za “Chipangano Chakale.” Sukulu ya ku Antiokeya inatengera mkhalidwe weniweni, wosuliza koposerapo kulinga ku Baibulo.

Mtunda, kusoŵeka kwa kulankhulana, ndi kusamvana kwa chinenero zinatumikira kukulitsa kusiyanako. Ngakhale kuli tero, womwe mokulira unali ndi thayo kaamba ka mkhalidweyo, unali mzimu wa kudzimira pawokha ndi kunyada kwadyera kwa atsogoleri a chipembedzo ofunitsitsa kuchita nacho monyenga chowonadi kaamba ka mwaŵi waumwini, mwakutero kuchotsa kuwunika kwa uthenga wabwino.

“Mwachinyengo Kutchedwa ‘Chizindikiritso’”

Kuchiyambiyambi kwenikweni m’zana loyamba, Chikristu chinasonkhezeredwa ndi ziphunzitso zonyenga zachipembedzo, kupangitsa Paulo kuchenjeza Timoteo kupatuka kulewa “zotsutsana za ichi chitchedwa chizindikiritso konama.” (1 Timoteo 6:20, 21) Ichi chingakhale chinali chilozero ku machitachita otchedwa Kudziŵa omwe anapeza kutchuka kuchiyambiyambi m’zana lachiŵiri koma omwe mwachiwonekere anayambika m’zana loyamba, mwinamwake ndi Simon Magus wina. Maulamuliro ena amadzinenera kuti uyu angakhale Simoni wotchulidwa m’Baibulo pa Machitidwe 8:9.

Kudziŵa kunapeza dzina lake kuchokera ku liwu Lachigriki gnoʹsis, kutanthauza “chidziŵitso.” Magulu odziŵa anatsutsa kuti chipulumutso chimadalira pa chidziŵitso chapadera cha nthanthi ya zinthu zozama zosadziŵika kwa Akristu wamba. Iwo anadzimva kuti kukhala ndi chidziŵitso chimenechi kunawatheketsa iwo kuphunzitsa, monga mmene The Encyclopedia of Religion ikunenera, “chowonadi chamkati chovumbulidwa ndi Yesu.”

Ziyambi za lingaliro la Kudziŵa ziri zambiri. Kuchokera ku Babulo, Okhulupirira m’Kudziŵa anatenga kachitidwe ka kupereka matanthauzo obisika ku manambala a m’Baibulo, omwe molingaliridwa anavumbula zowonadi zobisika. Okhulupirira m’Kudziŵa anaphunzitsanso kuti pamene kuli kwakuti mzimu uli wabwino, zinthu zonse mwachibadwa ziri zoipa. “Uwu uli mzere umodzimodzi wa kulingalira,” akutero mkonzi wa ku Germany Karl Frick, “womwe unapezeka kale mu Perisiya ya mbali ziŵiri ndi ku Far East mu ‘yin’ ndi ‘yang’ ya ku China.” “Chikristu” choperekedwa ndi zolembedwa za Kudziŵa motsimikizirika chiri chozikidwa pa magwero osakhala Achikristu. Chotero ndimotani mmene icho chingakhalire “chowonadi chamkati chovumbulidwa ndi Yesu”?

Wophunzira R. E. O. White akutcha Kudziŵa m’sanganizo wa “malingaliro a nthanthi, kukhulupirira malaulo, miyambo ya matsenga pang’ono, ndipo nthaŵi zina miyambo ya chipembedzo ya chikhulupiriro yopanda maziko ndipo ngakhale yoipa.” Andrew M. Greeley wa ku Yunivesite ya Arizona akunena kuti: “Yesu wa Okhulupirira m’Kudziŵa nthaŵi zina ali wosagwirizanitsika, nthaŵi zina wopanda nzeru, ndipo nthaŵi zina woposa chokwawa chaching’ono.”

Kupotoza Chowonadi Ponena za Kristu

Okhulupirira m’Kudziŵa sanali kokha kupotoza chowonadi ponena za Kristu. Nestorius, kholo loyambirira la m’zana la 5 la ku Constantinople, mwachiwonekere anaphunzitsa kuti Kristu anali kwenikweni anthu aŵiri mwa mmodzi, munthu Yesu ndi Mwana waumulungu wa Mulungu. M’kubala Kristu, Mariya anabala munthu koma osati Mwana waumulungu. Kawonedwe kameneka sikanagwirizane ndi Monophysitism (“chilengedwe chimodzi”), chomwe chinasungirira kuti chigwirizano pakati pa Mulungu ndi Mwana chinali chosapatukana, ndipo kuti ngakhale kuti zinali za mitundu iŵiri, Yesu anali m’chenicheni kokha mmodzi, Mulungu wathunthu ndipo pa nthaŵi imodzimodziyo munthu wathunthu. Mofananamo, Mariya ndithudi akabala Mulungu, osati kokha munthu Yesu.

Nthanthi zonse ziŵirizo ziri zotulukapo za m’tsutsano womwe unabuka mkati mwa zana lapita. Arius, wansembe wa ku Alesandreya, anatsutsa kuti Kristu ali wochepera kwa Atate. Chotero iye anakana kugwiritsira ntchito liwu lakuti homoousios (kukhala wa chinthu chimodzi) m’kulongosola unansi wa Kristu kwa Mulungu. Msonkhano wa Nicaea unakana kawonedwe kake mu 325 C.E., ukumalamulira kuti Yesu ali ndithudi ‘wambali yofanana ndi Atate.’ Mu 451 C.E. Msonkhano wa Chalcedon unalongosola kuti Kristu ali Mulungu wosandulika. Lingaliro la Chibabulo-Chiigupto-Chigriki la Mulungu wa mbali zitatu tsopano linaphimba chiphunzitso cha Kristu chakuti iye ndi Atate ake ali anthu aŵiri osiyana, m’njira iriyonse osafanana.—Marko 13:32; Yohane 14:28.

M’chenicheni, Tertullian (c. 160-c. 230 C.E.), chiŵalo cha tchalitchi cha Kumpoto kwa Africa, anayambitsa liwu lakuti “trinitas,” lomwe linapeza njira yake m’kugwiritsidwa ntchito Kwachikristu nthaŵi ina Arius asanabadwe. Tertullian, yemwe anali wanthanthi ya zaumulungu woyambirira kulemba mokulira mu Chilatin m’malo mwa Chigriki, anathandiza kuyala maziko kaamba ka nthanthi ya zaumulungu ya Kumadzulo. Anateronso “Woyera” Augustine, wanthanthi ya zaumulungu wina wa Kumpoto kwa Africa wa mazana ena aŵiri pambuyo pake. “[Augustine] mwachisawawa amazindikiridwa kukhala anali wolingalira wamkulu koposa wa zinthu zakale Zachikristu,” ikutero The New Encyclopædia Britannica. Koma mawu ake otsatira ali opangitsa chodetsa nkhaŵa kwa m’Katolika kapena m’Protesitanti wowona mtima: “Maganizo ake anali chinthu mu chimene chipembedzo cha Chipangano Chatsopano chinali chophatikizidwa kotheratu ndi miyambo ya Plato wa nthanthi Yachigriki; ndipo analinso njira kupyolera mu imene zotulukapo za kuphatikiza kwake zinaperekedwa ku Zikristu za Dziko za Chiroma Katolika cha nyengo ya pakati ndi Chiprotesitanti cha Renaissance.”

Chikatolika m’Kuthedwa Nzeru

Kulinga kumapeto kwa zana lachinayi, Wolamulira Theodosius I anamaliza chimene Constantine anachiyamba mwa kupanga Chikatolika kukhala chipembedzo cha Boma. Mwamsanga pambuyo pake Ulamuliro Wachiroma unagawanikana, monga mmene Constantine anawopera kuti ungatero. Roma analandidwa mu 410 C.E. ndi Visigoths, anthu a ku Germany omwe kwa nthaŵi yaitali anazunza ulamulirowo, ndipo mu 476 C.E., kazembe wa Chigerman Odoacer anachotsa wolamulira wa Kumadzulo ndi kudzilengeza iyemwini kukhala mfumu, mwakutero kuthetsa Ulamuliro Wachiroma wa Kumadzulo.

Pansi pa mikhalidwe yatsopano imeneyi, ndimotani mmene Chikatolika chikakhalira? Podzafika mu 500 C.E., chinadzinenera kukhala ziŵalo 22 peresenti ina ya chiŵerengero cha dziko. Koma pa anthu oyerekezedwa 43 miliyoni amenewa, mbali yokulira inapangidwa kukhala minkhole ndi atsogoleri a chipembedzo omwe anachipeza icho kukhala choyenerera koposa kuchita nacho monyenga chowonadi m’malo mwa kudziyenga iwo eni. Kuwunika kwa uthenga wabwino kwa Chikristu chowona kunachotsedwa. Koma “Kuchokera mu Mdima, Chinachake ‘Choyera’” chikabadwa posachedwapa, monga mmene nkhani yathu yotsatira idzalongosolera.

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Zitsanzo za Chikhulupiriro cha Kudziŵa

Marcion (zana lachiŵiri) anasiyanitsa pakati pa Mulungu wopanda ungwiro wa “Chipangano Chakale” wochepera kwa Yesu ndi Atate wa Yesu, Mulungu wachikondi wosadziŵika wa “Chipangano Chatsopano.” Lingaliro la “mulungu wosadziŵika liri mutu waukulu wa kudziŵa,” ikulongosola tero The Encyclopedia of Religion. Mulungu wosadziŵika ameneyu akuzindikiritsidwa monga “Wanzeru wokulira, wosafikirika ku nzeru yaumunthu.” Mlengi wa dziko la zinthu zakuthupi, kumbali ina, ali wochepera ndipo osati wanzeru kotheratu ndipo akudziŵika monga Demiurge.

Montanus (zana lachiŵiri) analalikira kubwerera kotsimikizirika kwa Kristu ndi kukhazikika kwa Yerusalemu Watsopano mu imene lerolino ikudziŵika monga Turkey. Wodera nkhaŵa mokulira ponena za mkhalidwe kuposa chiphunzitso, iye mwachiwonekere anayesera kubwezeretsa mapindu oyambirira a Chikristu, koma atapita mopambanitsa, machitachitawo pomalizira anakhala m’nkhole ku mkhalidwe weniweni wa kulekerera umene analetsa.

Valentinus (zana lachiŵiri), wolemba ndakatulo Wachigriki ndipo Wodziŵa wotchuka wa nthaŵi yonse, anadzinenera kuti ngakhale kuti thupi lauzimu la Yesu linapyolera mwa Mariya, ilo m’chenicheni silinabadwe kuchokera mwa mkaziyo. Ichi chinali chifukwa chakuti Okhulupirira m’Kudziŵa anawona zinthu zonse monga zoipa. Chotero, Yesu sakanakhala ndi thupi la zinthu zakuthupi kupanda apo nalonso likanakhala loipa. Okhulupirira m’Kudziŵa odziŵika monga Docetists anaphunzitsa kuti chirichonse ponena zaumunthu wa Yesu chinali kawonekedwe kokha ndi chinyengo. Ichi chinaphatikizapo imfa ndi chiwukiriro chake.

Manes (zana lachitatu) anatchedwa al-Bābilīyu, liwu la Chiluya kaamba ka “m’Babulo,” popeza kuti iye anadzitcha iyemwini “mthenga wa Mulungu wabwera ku Babulo.” Iye anakalamira kupanga chipembedzo cha chilengedwe chaponseponse chophatikiza mbali za Chikristu, Chibuda, ndi Chizoroastria.