9 “Mtengo Wozunzikirapo”

Tagwiritsa ntchito mawu akuti ‘mtengo wozunzikirapo’ pa Mt 27:40 pofotokoza za kuphedwa kwa Yesu pa Kalivali, kapena kuti pa Malo a Chibade. Palibe umboni wosonyeza kuti mawu achigiriki akuti stau·rosʹ palemba limeneli anali kutanthauza mtanda ngati umene anthu achikunja anali kuugwiritsa ntchito monga chizindikiro cha chipembedzo kwa zaka zambirimbiri Khristu asanafike.

Mu Chigiriki cha anthu ophunzira kwambiri, mawu akuti stau·rosʹ anali kungotanthauza mtengo wowongoka, nsanamira kapena mitengo imene amaizika pansi ngati maziko a nyumba n’kumanga nyumbayo pamwamba pake. Mneni wa mawuwa wakuti stau·roʹo anali kutanthauza kuzika pansi mitengo yowongoka n’kupanga mpanda. Anthu amene anauziridwa kulemba Malemba Achigiriki anagwiritsa ntchito Chigiriki cha anthu wamba (koi·neʹ). Iwo anagwiritsa ntchito mawu akuti stau·rosʹ kutanthauza chinthu chomwecho chimene Chigiriki cha anthu ophunzira kwambiri chinali kutanthauza. Mawu amenewa anali kutanthauza mtengo wowongoka, wopanda mtengo wina uliwonse wopingasana nawo mwa njira iliyonse. Palibe umboni uliwonse wotsutsa mfundo imeneyi. Mtumwi Petulo ndi mtumwi Paulo anagwiritsanso ntchito mawu akuti xyʹlon (kisiloni) ponena za mtengo wozunzikirapo umene anakhomerapo Yesu. Zimenezi zikusonyeza kuti unali mtengo wowongoka wopanda unzake wopingasana nawo, chifukwa n’zimene mawu akuti xyʹlon amatanthauza akagwiritsidwa ntchito mwa njira imeneyi. (Mac 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Aga 3:13; 1Pe 2:24) M’Baibulo la LXX mawu akuti xyʹlon timawapeza pa Eza 6:11 (2 Esdras 6:11). Pamenepo akuwagwiritsa ntchito kutanthauza mtengo wowongoka, umene anali kupachikapo munthu wophwanya malamulo, mofanana ndi pa Mac 5:30 ndi 10:39.

Pofotokoza za tanthauzo la stau·rosʹ, W. E. Vine, analemba m’buku lake kuti: “STAUROS (σταυρός) kwenikweni amatanthauza mtengo wowongoka. Pamitengo imeneyi anali kupherapo anthu ophwanya malamulo mwa kuwakhomerera ndi misomali. Mawu onse awiriwa, dzina ndi mneni wake wakuti stauroō amene amatanthauza kukhomerera kumtengo, malinga ndi tanthauzo lawo lenileni ndi osiyana kwambiri ndi mtanda wa mitengo iwiri yopingasana umene matchalitchi amagwiritsa ntchito. Mtanda wa mitengo iwiri yopingasana unachokera kudziko lakale la Akasidi, ndipo anali kuugwiritsa ntchito ngati chizindikiro cha mulungu wotchedwa Tamuzi m’dziko limenelo ndi m’mayiko ena oyandikana nawo, kuphatikizapo Iguputo. (Chizindikirochi chinali chopangidwa mofanana ndi chilembo choyamba cha dzina la Tamuzi.) Podzafika pakatikati pa zaka za m’ma 200 A.D. matchalitchi anali ataleka kutsatira, kapena anali atapotoza ziphunzitso zina zachikhristu. Pofuna kuti chipembedzo chawo champatuko chizioneka cholemekezeka, matchalitchiwo ankangolola kuti anthu achikunja alowe tchalitchi chawo, osati chifukwa chakuti akhulupirira ziphunzitso za tchalitchicho n’kusintha ayi. Ndipo anawalola kumagwiritsabe ntchito zizindikiro ndi zifaniziro zawo zambiri zachikunja. Choncho Tau amene nthawi zambiri anali kupangidwa ngati ‘T,’ mtengo wake wopingasa atautsitsa pang’ono, anam’tenga kuti aziimira mtanda wa Khristu.”—An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (1966 reprint), Vol. I, tsa. 256.

Mtanthauzira mawu wachilatini wolembedwa ndi Lewis ndi Short amati, tanthauzo lenileni la mawu akuti crux ndilo “mtengo, mzati, kapena zipangizo zina za mitengo zopherapo anthu, pamene anali kukhomererapo kapena kupachikapo zigawenga.” Zakuti crux amatanthauza “mtanda” zinangobwera pambuyo pake. M’Chilatini, mtengo wowongoka umene anali kupachikapo chigawenga anali kuutchula kuti crux simʹplex. Chitsanzo cha mtengo wozunzirapo anthu woterowo chinajambulidwa ndi Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) m’buku lake lakuti De cruce libri tres, Antwerp, 1629, tsa. 19, ndipo ife tachijambula patsamba 1948.

Buku lina lolembedwa ndi Hermann Fulda, limati: “Mitengo sinali kupezeka pamalo onse osankhidwa kuti azipherapo anthu. Choncho anali kungozika mitengo yowongoka m’nthaka. Pamitengoyo anali kupachikapo anthu ophwanya malamulo, manja awo atawakweza m’mwamba n’kuwamanga kapena kuwakhomerera, ndipo kawirikawiri analinso kumanga kapena kukhomerera mapazi awo.” Atapereka umboni wochuluka, Fulda anamaliza ndi kunena mawu awa pamasamba 219 ndi 220: “Yesu anafera pamtengo wowongoka wopherapo anthu: Umboni wotsimikizira zimenezi, ndi uwu: (a) chizolowezi cha mayiko a Kum’mawa pa nthawiyo chopha anthu mwa njira imeneyi, (b) mbiri ya kuzunzika kwa Yesu imatsimikizira zimenezi mwa njira ina, komanso (c) zinthu zambiri zimene abambo akale a tchalitchi ananena.”—Das Kreuz und die Kreuzigung (Mtanda ndi Kupachikidwa), Breslau, 1878, tsa. 109.

Paul Wilhelm Schmidt, amene anali pulofesa pa Yunivesite ya Basel, anafotokoza mwatsatanetsatane mawu achigiriki akuti stau·rosʹ m’buku lake. Patsamba 386, iye anati: “σταυρός [stau·rosʹ] amatanthauza mtengo uliwonse kapena thunthu la mtengo lililonse loima mowongoka.” (Die Geschichte Jesu [Mbiri ya Yesu], Vol. 2, Tübingen and Leipzig, 1904, masamba 386-394.) Ponena za chilango choperekedwa kwa Yesu, P. W. Schmidt analemba pamasamba 387-389 kuti: “Kupatulapo kukwapula kotchulidwa m’nkhani za m’mauthenga abwino, njira ina yokha imene tingaiganizire imene Aroma analangira Yesu ndiyo kum’pachika. Anam’pachika ali wosavala pamtengo, umenenso Yesuyo anaumirizidwa kuunyamula kapena kuukoka mpaka kumalo okamuphera. Anamunyamulitsa mtengowo kuti chilango chake chikhalenso chochititsa manyazi kwambiri. . . . Sitingaganize kuti anagwiritsira ntchito njira ina yomuphera kupatulapo kungomupachika pamtengo tikaona chizolowezi chawo chopha anthu ambiri nthawi imodzi: Pa nthawi ina yake, anthu 2000 anaphedwa nthawi imodzi ndi Varus (Jos. Ant. XVII 10. 10), ndi Quadratus (Jewish Wars II 12. 6), ndi Bwanamkubwa Felike (Jewish Wars II 15. 2 [13.2]), komanso ndi Tito (Jewish Wars VII. 1 [V 11. 1]).”

Choncho palibiretu umboni wakuti Yesu Khristu anamukhomera pamitengo iwiri yopingasana. Sitikufuna kuwonjezera kalikonse m’Mawu olembedwa a Mulungu mwa kulowetsa chiphunzitso chachikunja cha mtanda m’Malemba ouziridwa. Choncho tamasulira stau·rosʹ ndi xyʹlon malinga ndi matanthauzo ake enieni. Popeza Yesu anagwiritsa ntchito stau·rosʹ ponena za kuvutika ndi manyazi kapena kuzunzika kwa otsatira ake (Mt 16:24), ife tamasulira mawu akuti stau·rosʹ kuti “mtengo wozunzikirapo,” pofuna kuwasiyanitsa ndi mawu akuti xyʹlon, amene tawamasulira kuti “mtengo.”