Ibibazo by’abasomyi

Kuki Abahamya ba Yehova badakoresha umusaraba mu gusenga kwabo?

Abahamya ba Yehova bemera rwose ko urupfu rwa Yesu Kristo rwabaye incungu yatumye abantu bamwizera bashobora kuzabona ubuzima bw’iteka (Matayo 20:28; Yohana 3:16). Ariko kandi, ntabwo bemera ko yapfiriye ku musaraba nk’uko bikunze kugaragara ku mashusho. Bemera ko Yesu yapfiriye ku giti kigororotse kidafite ikindi gitambitseho.

Umusaraba wakoreshwaga muri Mezopotamiya, imyaka ibihumbi bibiri mbere ya Kristo. Ndetse no mu bihugu byo mu majyaruguru y’u Burayi, uhasanga amabuye akorogoshoyeho ikimenyetso cy’umusaraba yo mu myaka ibihumbi bitatu mbere ya Yesu. Sven Tito Achen, umuhanga mu by’amateka wo mu gihugu cya Danimarike, akaba n’inzobere mu gusobanura inyandiko z’ibimenyetso, yanditse avuga ko abapagani bakoreshaga umusaraba “mu bumaji . . . kugira ngo ubarinde, unabatere ishaba” (Symbols Around Us). Ntibitangaje rero kuba hari igitabo cyagize kiti “abantu babayeho mbere y’Ubukristo ndetse n’abapagani, bose bakoreshaga umusaraba. Wari ufite ishusho y’inyenyeri nyinshi zo mu kirere” (New Catholic Encyclopedia). None se kuki amadini yahisemo umusaraba akawugira ikimenyetso cyayo cyera cyane?

Umwongereza w’intiti wubahwa cyane witwa W.E. Vine yavugishije ukuri ati “mu kinyejana cya 3 rwagati . . . abapagani binjijwe mu madini . . . kandi bemerewe gukomeza gukoresha ibimenyetso byabo by’abapagani. Nguko uko amadini yatangiye gukoresha ikimenyetso cy’umusaraba.”—Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.

Vine yakomeje avuga ko mu Kigiriki cy’umwimerere, izina “umusaraba” n’inshinga “kubamba” byerekeza ku “ngiga y’igiti . . . ikaba itandukanye n’umusaraba ukoreshwa mu madini, uba ari igiti kigororotse gitambitseho ikindi.” Igitabo gisobanura Bibiliya cyandikiwe muri Kaminuza ya Oxford na cyo cyavuze ko ibyo ari ukuri kigira kiti “ikigaragara ni uko . . . Umwami yapfiriye ku giti kigororotse, atapfiriye ku giti gifite ikindi gitambitseho” (Companion Bible). Mu by’ukuri amadini yakoze ikintu kidahuje n’ibyo Bibiliya ivuga.

Wa muhanga mu by’amateka witwa Achen twavuze mbere, yaravuze ati “mu binyejana bibiri byakurikiye urupfu rwa Yesu, birashoboka ko Abakristo batigeze bakoresha umusaraba.” Yongeyeho ko ku Bakristo bo mu kinyejana cya mbere umusaraba “ugomba kuba ahanini warashushanyaga urupfu cyangwa se ibintu bibi, nk’uko iyo uvuze icyuma bacishaga abantu imitwe cyangwa intebe irimo amashanyarazi ikoreshwa mu kwica abantu bakatiwe urwo gupfa, buri wese ahita yumva urupfu.”

Icy’ingenzi kurushaho, ikintu cyose cyaba cyarakoreshejwe bababaza Yesu cyangwa se bamwica, Abakristo ntibagombye gusenga ikimenyetso cyacyo. Bibiliya itanga itegeko rigira riti “muhunge ibikorwa byo gusenga ibigirwamana” (1 Abakorinto 10:14). Yesu yatanze ikimenyetso cyari kuranga abigishwa be b’ukuri. Yaravuze ati “ibyo ni byo bizatuma bose bamenya ko muri abigishwa banjye, nimukundana.”—Yohana 13:35.

Mu bintu byose bifitanye isano no kuyoboka Imana, Abahamya ba Yehova, kimwe n’Abakristo bo mu kinyejana cya mbere, bihatira gukurikiza Bibiliya aho gukurikiza imigenzo y’abantu (Abaroma 3:4; Abakolosayi 2:8). Kubera iyo mpamvu ntibakoresha umusaraba mu gusenga kwabo.

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 22]

Ishusho igaragaza umwami w’Umwashuri w’umupagani wambaye umusaraba, ahagana mu wa 800 mbere ya Yesu

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

Ifoto yafashwe bitangiwe uburenganzira na British Museum