UJustin—Isithandi-bulumko, UmKhuseli Wokholo Nomfeli-nkolo
“SIFUNA ukuba izityholo ezinxamnye namaKristu zihlolisiswe, yaye, ukuba ezi zingqinwa ziyinyaniso, ohlwaywe njengokuba efanele . . . Kodwa ukuba akukho namnye onokusifumanisa sinetyala nokuba kungantoni na, isigwebo esilungileyo siyanalela, ukuba nenzakalise abantu abangenatyala, ngenxa yamarhe enkohlakalo . . . Ngoko ukuba, xa nina niye nayazi inyaniso, anenzi okusesikweni, niya kuma phambi koThixo ningenanto yakuzithethelela.”
Ngala mazwi, uJustin Martyr, owayezibiza ngokuba ungumKristu ngenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, wenza isibheno kumlawuli waseRoma uAntoninus Pius. UJustin wacela kuphinde kuphandwe ngokunzulu ngobomi neenkolelo zabo babezibiza ngokuba bangamaKristu. Lo mntu wayefuna okusesikweni yayiyindoda eyayinemvelaphi nentanda-bulumko eyayibangela umdla kakhulu.
Ukukhula Kwakhe Nengqeqesho
UJustin wayengoweeNtlanga, wazalwa malunga nowe-110 C.E. eSamariya kwisixeko saseFlavia Neapolis, esiyiNablus ngoku. Wayezibiza ngokuba ungumSamariya, nangona kusenokwenzeka ukuba uyise noyisemkhulu babengamaRoma okanye amaGrike. Ukukhuliswa kwakhe kumasiko obuhedeni, kudibene nokunxanelwa inyaniso, kwamkhokelela ekubeni ayifundisise ngenkuthalo intanda-bulumko. Enganelisekanga kwiphulo lakhe phakathi kwamaStoyike, amalandela ka-Aristotle namalandela kaPythagoras, walandela iingcamango zikaPlato.
Kwenye yeencwadi zakhe, uJustin ubalisa ngomnqweno wakhe wokuncokola nezithandi-bulumko yaye uthi: “Ndazinikela kumStoyike othile; yaye ekubeni ndichithe ixesha elide kunye naye, xa ndingazange ndifumane naluphi na ulwazi olubhekele phaya ngoThixo (kuba naye wayengazinto), . . . ndamshiya ndaza ndabalekela komnye.”—IDialogue of Justin, Philosopher and Martyr, With Trypho, a Jew.
UJustin ngokulandelayo waya kwilandela lika-Aristotle elalinomdla ngakumbi emalini kunasenyanisweni. UJustin uthi, “Le ndoda, emva kokuba indamkele ngeentsuku ezimbalwa zokuqala, yandicela ukuba ndihlawule imali, ukwenzela ukuba ukuphakelana kwethu ngeengcamango kungabi kokungenangeniso. Ngesi sizathu, nayo ndayishiya, ndikholelwa kwelokuba yayingesosithandi-bulumko konke konke.”
Enolangazelelo lokuva “eyona ntanda-bulumko ikhethiweyo,” uJustin “waya kwilandela likaPythagoras, elalidume gqitha—indoda eyayizicingela gqitha ngobulumko bayo.” UJustin uthi: “Xa ndaba nodliwano-ndlebe kunye nayo, ndikulungele ukuba ngumphulaphuli nomfundi wayo, yathi, ‘Khawutsho ke? Ngaba uqhelene nomculo, inzululwazi yeenkwenkwezi nejometri? Ngaba ucinga ukuba ungaqonda nayiphi na ke kwezo zinto [zobuThixo] ezifak’ isandla kubomi obonwabileyo, ukuba kuqala awunalwazi [ngezi]?’ . . . Yandigxotha xa ndayixelela ukuba ndandingazazi.”
Nangona wayedimazekile, uJustin waqhubeka efuna inyaniso ngokuphethukela kumalandela adumileyo kaPlato. Uthi: “Ndathi ke ndachitha ixesha lam kangangoko kwakunokwenzeka nomnye owathi kamva wahlala kwisixeko sethu—indoda ekrelekrele, eyayikwisigxina esiphakamileyo phakathi kwamalandela kaPlato,—yaye ndenza inkqubela, ndiphucula kakhulu imihla ngemihla . . . kangangokuba ngexesha elincinane ndazicingela ukuba ndandinobulumko; yaye oko,” uJustin uqukumbela ngelithi, “yayibubudenge bam.”
Iphulo likaJustin lokufuna inyaniso ngokuqhagamshelana nezithandi-bulumko laba lilize. Kodwa ngoxa wayecamngca elunxwemeni lolwandle, wadibana nomKristu okhulileyo, “indoda ethile endala, ngokuqinisekileyo engadelekanga ngokwenkangeleko, ilulamile yaye indilisekile.” Incoko eyavukayo yakhokelela ingqalelo yakhe kwiimfundiso ezisisiseko zeBhayibhile ezazijoliswe kwimfuneko yokuba nolwazi oluchanileyo ngoThixo.—Roma 10:2, 3.
Lo mKristu ungabizwanga ngagama waxelela uJustin oku: “Kwakukho, kude kudala ngaphambi kweli xesha, amadoda athile awayephila kudala kakhulu kunawo onke lawo azizithandi-bulumko ezixatyisiweyo, engamalungisa neentandane zikaThixo, awaxela kwangaphambili . . . iziganeko ezaziya kwenzeka, nezenzekayo ngoku. Abizwa ngokuba ngabaprofeti. Ngala kuphela awayibona aza ayivakalisa inyaniso kubantu, . . . ezaliswe nguMoya Oyingcwele.” Ewuvuselela ngakumbi umdla kaJustin, lo mKristu wathi: “Imibhalo yawo isekho, yaye lowo uyifundileyo uncedwa andise ulwazi lwakhe ngokuqala nokuphela kwezinto.” (Mateyu 5:6; IZenzo 3:18) Njengokuba eli nene linobubele lalimkhuthazile, ngenkuthalo uJustin wazihlolisisa iZibhalo yaye kubonakala ukuba wazuza umlinganiselo othile woxabiso ngazo nangesiprofeto seBhayibhile, njengoko kubonwa kwimibhalo yakhe.
Ukuhlolisisa Iincwadi Zakhe Ngenyameko
UJustin wayethabathekile kukungoyiki kwamaKristu xa ejamelene nokufa. Kwakhona wazixabisa iimfundiso ezinenyaniso zeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Ukuxhasa oko wayekuthetha kwincwadi yakhe ethi Dialogue With Trypho, uJustin wacaphula kwiGenesis, iEksodus, iLevitikus, iDuteronomi, eyesi-2 kaSamuweli, eyoku-1 yooKumkani, IiNdumiso, uIsaya, uYeremiya, uHezekile, uDaniyeli, uHoseya, uYoweli, uAmosi, uYona, uMika, uZekariya noMalaki, kwanakwiincwadi zeVangeli. Uxabiso lwakhe ngezi ncwadi zeBhayibhile lubonwa kwincoko yakhe noTrypho, apho uJustin wathetha ngobuYuda obabukholelwa kuMesiya.
Ingxelo ibonisa ukuba uJustin wayengumshumayeli, evakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo ngalo lonke ixesha. Ngokunokwenzeka, wahamba iindawo ezikude. Elinye ixesha lakhe walichithela e-Efese, yaye kubonakala ukuba wahlala eRoma kangangethuba elide.
Phakathi kweencwadi awazibhalayo uJustin wabhala neencwadi ezazikhusela ubuKristu. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi First Apology, ufuna ukususa ubumnyama obukhulu bentanda-bulumko yobuhedeni ngokukhanya okusuka eZibhalweni. Uthi ubulumko bezithandi-bulumko bububuxoki yaye abunantsingiselo xa buthelekiswa namazwi nemisebenzi enamandla kaKristu. (Thelekisa eyabaseKolose 2:8) UJustin uyawathethelela amaKristu athiyiweyo athi ungomnye wawo. Emva kokuguquka kwakhe, waqhubeka enxiba izinxibo zezithandi-bulumko, esithi uye wafumana ekuphela kwentanda-bulumko eyinyaniso.
Ngenxa yokwala ukunqula oothixo bobuhedeni, amaKristu enkulungwane yesibini ayegqalwa njengabantu ababengakholelwa kuThixo. UJustin wakuchasa oko ngokuthi, “Asingabo abantu abangamkholelwayo uThixo, sinqula uMdali wendalo iphela njengokuba sisenza . . . umfundisi wethu wezi zinto nguYesu Kristu . . . NguNyana kaThixo wokwenyaniso.” Ngokuphathelele ukunqula izithixo, uJustin wathi: “Babumba oko bakubiza ngokuba nguThixo; esingakugqali njengobudenge kuphela, kodwa ikwakukuthuka uThixo . . . Hayi indlela okububudenge ngayo! ukuba loo madoda onakeleyo kungathiwa abumba aze enze uthixo ukwenzela unqulo lwenu.”—Isaya 44:14-20.
Ngeembekiselo ezininzi kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, uJustin uvakalisa inkolelo yakhe ngovuko, imilinganiselo yokuziphatha yamaKristu, ubhaptizo, isiprofeto seBhayibhile (ingakumbi esingoKristu) nangeemfundiso zikaYesu. Ngokuphathelele uYesu, uJustin ucaphula uIsaya, esithi: “Urhulumente uya kuba semagxeni kaKristu.” Kwakhona uJustin uthi: “Ukuba besijonge kubukumkani bomntu, sikwafanele simkhanyele uKristu wethu.” Uxubusha ngeemvavanyo nangeembopheleleko zikaKristu, umi ngelithi inkonzo efanelekileyo kuThixo ifuna ukuba ubani abe ngumenzi wokuthanda Kwakhe yaye uhlabela mgama esithi, “abantu bafanele bathunywe Nguye kuzo zonke izizwe ukuze bavakalise ezi zinto.”
Incwadi ethi The Second Apology of Justin (ekukholelwa ukuba kukuqhubeka nje kwaleyo yokuqala) ibhalelwe iBhunga likaRhulumente waseRoma. UJustin uthetha namaRoma ngokubalisa amava amaKristu, awayetshutshiswa emva kokuba eye afikelela kulwazi oluchanileyo ngoYesu Kristu. Ukuziphatha okugqwesileyo okwabangelwa ziimfundiso zikaYesu, okwakubonakala kwihambo yamaKristu, kwakubonakala kungabalulekanga kangako kumagunya amaRoma. Kunoko, ukuvuma nje kukabani ukuba ungumfundi kwakunokuba nemiphumo emibi kakhulu. Ngokuphathelele owayesakuba ngumfundisi weemfundiso zobuKristu, uJustin wacaphula omnye umntu owayebizwa ngokuba nguLucius, owabuza oku: “Niyohlwayeleni na le ndoda, kungekhona njengomkrexezi, njengowenza umbulo, njengombulali, njengesela, njengomqhekezi, nofunyaniswe enetyala laso nasiphi na isenzo sokwaphul’ umthetho, kodwa oye wavuma kuphela ukuba ubizwa ngegama lokuba ngumKristu?”
Umkhamo womkhethe nxamnye nabo babezibiza ngokuba bangamaKristu ngelo xesha uboniswa ngamazwi kaJustin athi: “Ngoko ke, nam lo, ndilindele ukuba ndenzelwe iyelenqe ndize ndibethelelwe emthini, ngabanye babo ndibabize ngamagama, okanye mhlawumbi nguKreske, lowo uthanda ukuzigwagwisa nokuqhayisa; kuba loo ndoda ayilifanelanga igama lokuba sisithandi-bulumko esinikela ubungqina esidlangalaleni nxamnye nathi ngemicimbi engayiqondiyo, esithi amaKristu angabantu abangakholelwa kuThixo nabangamhloneliyo yaye esenza oko ukuze athandwe zizihlwele ezikhohlisiweyo nokuze azikholise. Ngokuba ukuba uyasihlasela engazifundanga iimfundiso zikaKristu, wonakele ngeyona ndlela, ngaphezulu lee kwabangafundanga, ngokufuthi abakuphephayo ukuxubusha okanye ukunikela ubungqina bobuxoki ngemicimbi abangayiqondiyo.”
Ukufa Kwakhe
Enokuba kwakusezandleni zikaKreske okanye zomnye uMgxeki, uJustin wamangalelwa kwirhuluneli yamaRoma njengoneengcamango zobhukuqo-mbuso yaye wagwetyelwa ukufa. Malunga nowe-165 C.E., wanqunyulwa intloko eRoma waza waba “ngumfeli-nkolo” (“martyr”) (okuthetha “ingqina”). Ngenxa yoko, ubizwa ngokuba nguJustin Martyr.
Isimbo sokubhala sikaJustin sisenokungabi nawo umtsalane nobuchule bamanye amadoda awayezizifundiswa ngomhla wakhe, kodwa inzondelelo yakhe ngenyaniso nobulungisa ibonakala iyeyokwenene. Ukuba wayephila ngokuvisisana neZibhalo neemfundiso zikaYesu ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo akunakuthethwa ngengqiniseko. Sekunjalo, iincwadi zikaJustin ziyaxatyiswa ngenxa yomongo wazo ongokwembali nangokweembekiselo ezininzi zeZibhalo. Zibonisa ubomi namava abo babezibiza ngokuba bangamaKristu enkulungwane yesibini.
Iyephawulekayo imigudu kaJustin yokubonisa abalawuli ukungabikho sikweni kwentshutshiso eyayijoliswe kumaKristu. Ukulugatya kwakhe unqulo nentanda-bulumko yobuhedeni ukuze afumane ulwazi oluchanileyo lweLizwi likaThixo kusikhumbuza ukuba eAtene umpostile uPawulos wathetha ngokungafihlisi kwizithandi-bulumko ezingamaEpikure namaStoyike ngoThixo oyinyaniso nangoYesu Kristu ovusiweyo.—IZenzo 17:18-34.
NoJustin wayesazi okuthile ngovuko lwabafileyo ebudeni beMinyaka Eliwaka. Yaye hayi indlela elomeleza ukholo ngayo ithemba leBhayibhile eliyinyaniso lovuko! Liye lomeleza amaKristu ajamelene nentshutshiso yaye liye lawenza akwazi ukunyamezela iimvavanyo ezinkulu, kude kuse ekufeni.—Yohane 5:28, 29; 1 Korinte 15:16-19; ISityhilelo 2:10; 20:4, 12, 13; 21:2-4.
Ngoko ke, uJustin wafuna inyaniso waza akayamkela intanda-bulumko yamaGrike. Njengomkhuseli wokholo, wazikhusela iimfundiso noqheliselo lwabo bathi bangamaKristu. Yaye ngenxa yokuba naye wayesithi ungumKristu, waba ngumfeli-nkolo. Luphawuleka ngokukodwa uxabiso lukaJustin ngenyaniso nokunikela kwakhe ubungqina ngokungafihlisi naxa ejamelene nentshutshiso, kuba ezi mpawu zifunyanwa kubomi babalandeli bakaYesu bokwenene namhlanje.—IMizekeliso 2:4-6; Yohane 10:1-4; IZenzo 4:29; 3 Yohane 4.